Most Anticipated Books of 2013

I've seen all sorts of most anticipated books of 2013 posts all over the place the past week, and I thought it might be fun to make one up for myself! Conveiently, it came out to 13 books, to go with the new year.

#1 Apollyon

#2 Unravel Me

#3 Isla and the Happily Ever After

#4 Divergent #3

#5 Siege and Storm

#6 The Elite

#7 White Lines

#8 Prodigy

#9 Pivot Point

#10 Pretty Girl-13

#11 What We Saw at Night

#12 Let The Sky Fall

#13 Level 2

What are you Anticipating this year?

Holiday Book Haul 2012

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (Already Read)

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (Already Read)

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Sheilds

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Already Read)

Have You Got My Purr by Judy West (Secret Santa Present)

What did you get over the holidays?

Review: Deity

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date: November 6th 2012
Pages: 330
Source: Library
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

If you have not read the first book in this series, seriously, WHAT?!? WHY ARE YOU ON THE INTERNET?!? Please, go to the library, bookstore, I don't care! READ IT NOW. It took me way to long to plunge into this magnificent series, and now I really do not have the words to describe how much I loved these books. Jennifer Armentrount has a way with characters that makes you keep them in your heart at all times. I cannot figure out how she does it, but ever single person she stuffs into those pages turn into real people in your mind and heart. I don't think there will be a day in my life that I will not remember the story of Alex, the Half-Blood.

Deity is the third book in the Covenant series. This story picks up were Pure left off. Alex and Seth are back at the Covenant after the attacks that happened when they were away. So many things have changed since then, and no one knows what is happening anymore. Alex has to try and figure out what is going on without getting in more trouble, and on top of that it looks like someone is trying to kill her. I really don't think this book could have been much more perfect.

My absolute favorite thing that occurred in this book was the relationship building. As you know if you have read the other books in the series, there is A LOT of confusion over what is going on  between Alex and Aidan. In this book it finally gets figured out. I could fan girl about this topic all day long but I would give up WAAAY to much. Lets just say... I loved it. way. way. way too much.

In the past books I really didn't know what to think of Seth, I really just thought he was kind of pushy. In this book I really got to have an opinion about him, and lets just say it's not good. Nope. Not at ALL. 

The ending. Um. GRR! The ending just leaves you with NOTHING. And now I'm really really worried that all the good that was gained will just be gone in the next book. I'm REALLY worried. *Bites Nails*

Waiting on Wednesday 12/16/12 Of Triton

Of Triton by Anna Banks
Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Goodreads

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

I read the first book in this series right before it came out and I found it really enjoyable. The end of Of Poseidon left me wanting more, I was so surprised!

Happy Holidays

'tis the season, as some would say. Though this will only be a brief note, I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a happy holiday season filled with family, fun, and of course, books! I'm very excited to dive into a new blogging year with all of you. Thank you to everyone who has  been sticking with me for a long time! I love every comment and view with all my heart, and those of you who I have gotten to know a little better over Twitter or other means, your friendship is cherished!

Have a wonderful holiday!
Erika

Review: Entice

Entice by Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: September 4th 2012
Pages: 438
Source: Library
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

Enticed is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series so I was extremely excited to dive into Entice. Entice continues the story of Violet Eden, a girl who had recently found out that she is part angel (Grigori). Her destiny is to work along side her partner, Lincoln, to fight against fallen angels of light and dark.

The main character, Violet, once again has a very strong personality and part in the story that I really don't have much to complain about. Since the end of the last book, though she's been having some trouble facing her  destiny. She has trouble fighting for herself. The ways things are I understand that, but her worries and feeling leave her extremely vulnerable and she more than once has to get saved by Lincoln because of her hesitations and internal conflict. That really just... bugged me a bit. I really wanted her to overcome her problems and be able to fight for herself.

When I began to read Entice I was very worried that this book would not live up to how much I had loved Embrace, but I was happily pleased with this story. Entice explores the relationships between characters much more than the first book. Entice also digs deeper into the 'connection' between Violet and Lincoln, which was something I was hoping might come up more in this book. Normally I really don't like forbidden love because it seems awfully cliche, but the relationship between Lincoln and Violet is much different and stronger than that. It's extremely gripping and memorable.  

Several new characters are introduced in Entice, including several pairs of Grigori that are near Violet's age, as well as an older set. The introduction of all of the new characters was quite confusing at first. Even by the end of the book I felt as if some of them were not introduced well enough to have real opinions about, but they were all necessary and easily became part of the story.

Overall I really liked this book and how it explored the relationships between characters.

Waiting on Wednesday 12/19/12

Shadow Lands by Kate Brian
Publication Date: January 8th 2013
Goodreads

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is Hosted by the Ladies at Broke and Bookish

This Week's Topic is: 
Top Ten Books I Read In 2012

This was hard to compile! In Order!

1. Books 1-3 of the Covenant Series 
2. The Fault in Our Stars
3. Books 1&2 of The Violet Eden Chapters
4. The Selection
5. Insurgent 
6. What's Left of Me
7. Shadow and Bone
8. My Life Next Door
9. Wanderlove 
10. Books 1&2 in the Hourglass Series

Book Haul: The First Half of December

I haven't posted a book haul in several weeks because most of the books I've been getting have been from the library, and I usually don't show those is hauls, but recently I did get two books

In a Giveaway from Jasmine from A Room With Books I won An Abundance of Katherines

For review I got an eGally of Pivot Point from HarperTeen

What did you get this week?

Review: Ask the Passengers

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Publisher: Little Brown
Publication Date: October 23rd 2012
Pages: 296
Source: Library
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ
Goodreads 

Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl.
As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better.
In this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love.

 Ask the Passengers is an extremely honest, beautiful story about identity and following your heart. I don't read much in the LGBTQ category, but those I do read I often love. Ask the passengers is about a girl named Astrid who thinks she might gay, but she's not sure. The book tells her story of coming out to her friends, her family, and herself and the extreme ride it took to get there.

I loved the voice in this story. Astrid sounded like a real girl with real troubles, and she showed amazing development through the course of the book. She was the kind of girl I really just wanted to hug. She had so much going on that most of the time she had no idea what she was doing or who she was. Almost all of the characters were portrayed the way I felt they should have been. Some, including Astrid's mother and sister, were really hard to like, but that's how they were supposed to be. The only character I really would have changed was Dee. Dee is Astrid's girlfriend, and I really, really did not like her for more than half of the book, and she was still only okay by the ending.

The story was simple but full of emotion. At no point was I bored with the story I upset with what was going on. The only part of the story that I really didn't catch at the beginning is what's going on with her two best friends, and if you read the story you'll understand what I mean. I almost feel like I missed something at the beginning, and it took me a while.

Overall I really liked this story. Though it's not the most unique story, I really loved it none the less. I was hooked the whole time I read it, and it ended just the way I thought it should. I highly recommend this book. 

Waiting on Wednesday 12/12/12 Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Publication Date: April 2nd 2013

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

I read Grave Mercy quite a while ago and LOVED it. I can't wait to hear another part of the story! 

Top Ten Tuesday 12/11/12

Top Ten Tuesday is Hosted by the Ladies at Broke and Bookish

This Weeks Topic:
Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

I'm going to assume that this prompt means that I can pick any author that I started reading the books of for the first time in 2012, and that they don't have to be debuts. Here are my picks in no particular order!


1. Jennifer L. Armentrout 
I started Half-Blood in June and since then I've read a total of four of her books, I just can't get enough!

2. John Green
I KNOW. I can't believe I hadn't read one of his books until this year either, so far I've read 3 of them!

3. Myra McEntire 
I've read both of the books in her Hourglass series and I love them so much!

4. Jessica Shirvington 
I've read the two books in her Embrace series that are available in the USA and I can't wait for the rest!

5. Jessica Spotswood
I'm pretty sure only one book  by her is available at the moment but I loved it!

6. Marie Lu
I read Legend and I can't wait of the sequel.

7. Kiera Cass
I just... freaking loved her book. So much. I want more. 

8. Hiromu Arakawa 
She's acctally an anime artist, but she also wrote them as well, so I think she counts.

9. Sarah Ockler
I've only read one book by her but Bittersweet was so adorable that she had to be included!

10. Hannah Harrington
I read Saving June and I just know that she's an author to keep and eye on, I need more of her books!

Review: Unspoken

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 11th 2012
Pages: 370
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Unspoken is the story of a girl named Kami Glass, a girl who lives in a small town that, until about twenty years ago, was also home to a quite powerful, very rich family called the Lynburns. For quite a long time the Lynburns had been unheard of, and then they suddenly moved back into their mansion. Kami also had a secret, she has been hearing the voice of a boy in her head ever since she was a baby. When she was little, the voice, Jared, was her 'imaginary friend', but even now the voice and she still have a connection. When she finally meets all the Lynburns, she is surprised to find out that one of the teenage boys of the family share's Jared's name, and that the Lynburns might be more that she had anticipated. 

When I first picked up this book the first thing I fell in love with was the whole 'imaginary friend' idea. For a lot of the story I loved how unique and interesting the entire story was. I really had no idea what was going to happen (well, other than ONE thing, but you can probably guess that right off the bat from my description.) But after a certain point the book really didn't pull me in as much as it had and it began to feel a little bit like Beautiful Creatures. It's not that I didn't like Beautiful Creatures, I really liked it, Unspoken just felt a lot like it and it lost it's unique identity very quickly. 

The story was well put together from the start of the book. This book is basically about the group of friend working to solve several mysteries at once, and there was never a dull moment or a lack in action. The only time when I really wasn't loving the story was when the last few chapters came up. A lot of things happened in a short amount of time, and I had trouble knowing just what was really happening at some points. 

Kami, the main character in the story, as well as many of the other characters that pop up in the story I had absolutely no problem with, but when it came to Jared... well. I did.  At the very of the story when we meet Jared Lynburn, I really didn't mind him at all. Jared is extremely misunderstood by many people and he's been left in the dark by members in his family and all that, but he was still a good guy. But a the end of the book he was just a total jerk. The last thing he said to Kami at the very end of the book man me want to just scream at him. 

Overall I loved this book until the end when some characters and a few other things just blew over.

Waiting on Wednesday 12/5/12 Apollyon

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication Date: April 9th 2013

Alex is now 18... and nothing will ever be the same again. War is coming, and when the gods are involved, no one is safe.

Even if that's not much of a synopsis, I really can't not want to get my hands on this book. I just finished the 3rd book in the series this past Sunday, and just like with all the other books I NEED MORE.

Top Ten Tuesday 12/4/12

Top Ten Tuesday is Hosted by the Ladies over at Broke and Bookish

This Week's Topic:
Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

It's been quite a long time since I've participated in this meme, though this week's topic is one I had some fun putting together! In no particular order, here's my picks!


1. The Diviners By Libba Bray

2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

3. Speed of Light by Amber Kizer

4. Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

5. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

6. Days of Blood and Starlight by Lani Taylor

7. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

8. Outpost by Ann Aguirre

9. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

10. White Lines by Jennifer Banash

DECEMBER

Found Here

As you may know, last month was absolute chaos for me. I was a participant in National Novel Writing Month, causing me to have almost no blogging or reading time. Most of the posts that came up last months were written in October, and were posted automatically. Because of my writing, I was only able to read three books the entire month, which his horrible for me. Now that NaNoWriMo is officially over, and, as you may be able to see in the widget to the right, I was also able to complete the 50k challenge, I now have a lot more time to do more of this sort of thing.

The goal I set at the beginning of year was to read 100 books in 2012, so far I'm still on track, but I'm no longer ahead like I was for so long. I have a small pile of books I hope to read before the year is over, and I hope to reach my goal this year, possibly over the holiday break!

With my writing schedule, that also means that I have absolutely  ZERO posts ready for this month, which is quite scary. I usually have at least two weeks ready at a time. I do plan on reviewing the two books I read last month, Unspoken and Ask the Passengers. I also hope to have some various discussion posts as well as the usual memes.

And, of course, because it if December, we also have the beautiful holiday season coming up, which I am extremely excited about!

Thank you for putting up with me this past month! I  had so much fun doing NaNoWriMo, and I am extremely glad I was able to accomplish such a big task!