Daily Dose (1)



Daily Dose is a meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found lately. I love pictures like this and I really think this will be fun. :)

My message? Be happy with who you are and you want to be, because you can't be anyone else. Be happy, my friends. :) <3









It's Monday! What are you Reading? (1)

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where you share what books you've read, what you're currently reading and what you're going to read. I haven't had much time to reading between...well, everything. But here's what I've accomplished:

Read:

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Reading:

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

To Read:

Extras by Scott Westefeld

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Specials (Uglies Trilogy #3) by Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis: Special Circumstances. Tally thought they were a rumor, but now she's one of them. A Special. A super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down the the pretties stupid. But maybe being perfectly programmed with strength and focus isn't better than anything she's ever known. Tally still has memories of something else. But it's easy for her to tune that out--until she's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

~~

First, I would like to point out that Tally never thought that Special Circumstances was a rumor. I would just like to make that clear. She had never even heard of Specials before, true, but that does not mean they were a rumor spoken to her. When she met Specials, she didn't even know what they were much less who they were so, no, Tally did not think Specials were rumors. Just to make that known.

This book was action-packed. I mean literally, Tally was at one battle, then another, and then another. The book starts out with her trying to stamp down the New Smoke's influence on New Pretty Town. And then it goes to rescuing Zane, which goes to destroying something, which goes to her and Shay taking off, which goes on and on until the end, which was a bang, might I add.

Tally has changed so much during her journey through the three books. First she was ugly, sentenced to be ugly unless she found Shay. And when she did, she put aside all of her selfish feelings in trying to help the New Smoke thrive. When she was a pretty, she was battling for control over her brain. And now in Specials, she's battling against herself, fighting the instincts that the city placed in her versus her own natural feelings. And all of this happened in under a year. That's right, she's still sixteen in Specials. Freaky, huh?

There wasn't much love interest in these books. Westerfeld focused most of his writing on trying to help Tally get through her predicament(s) and trying to find herself through it all. But there was David and then there was Zane. I thought that Tally had her hands full trying to deal with newly found facts and her own raging thoughts, and I thought it might have been a too overcrowded book if Westerfeld had added more tension in Tally's love life.

Over all, Specials was awesome. I thought Tally grew so much more in this book and she really was different in thinking, too. I loved the pace Westerfeld had throughout the book, letting it crescendo and then slow. It was amazing and the end was perfect, not much of a cliffhanger, but also seeming like it would make way for another book. Which it somewhat did, for Westerfeld has made another book, Extras, but it doesn't focus on Tally so much as the aftermath of her actions. Best (to me) by far.

The Cover: This was my favorite cover. I loved Tally's flash tattoos and her plain makeup. I liked how the photographer made her look superior but also that she looked cautious and expectant, as if she was waiting for something to happen. It's wonderful in its simplistic beauty.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis: Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are the members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform at will into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. 

~~

Sorry for not posting yesterday. With Christmas coming up and all, I spent yesterday with family. So here's two posts for your enjoyment! Yay!

I've read the Mortal Instruments series, so I was familiar with Cassandra Clare and her writings before Clockwork Angel came out. Nothing was much of a surprise in Clockwork (and I mean the Shadowhunters, the Downworld, yadda yadda yadda). I actually enjoyed City of Bones and such more than Clockwork. I just thought that the plot was better and the characters were more dynamic.

Tessa is helpless at the beginning when she's with the Dark Sisters. I was a little annoyed with her, and restless for Will and Jem to come in and save her. She really didn't know how to break out, and when she tried to, she got caught. Honestly, I was getting frustrated with her. But I understood her predicament as much as a reader living in a totally different world does. She was strong, in her own way, and that came out more at the end of the book facing all the bad guys.

Will didn't remind me at all like Jace (see Mortal Instruments) like I thought he would be. He was more pompous and less proud of the Shadowhunters, although he was deeply devoted to them. He was funny, though, around the middle when Jem and he were trying to teach Tessa. I found myself laughing at him just as much as I laughed at Jace. He was a deep character, and you hardly learn why he's so closed. It bugged me, a lot. But now I'm excited for Clockwork Prince, which, I hear, is the next book.

Jem is a sweet character. He embraces Tessa into the Institute more than Will and everyone else, and he really related to her problems, making him the only friend Tessa really has in London. You learn about his "disease" toward the end of the book, and I felt really bad for him. He gives so much insight into his life, letting Tessa understand him for who he is before she judges him. And he gets judged many times throughout the book.

Over all, I thought Clockwork Angel is a wonderful introduction for the rest of the series. It had the problem come in slowly, letting Tessa get settled before the action began. I'll admit, it was rather slow for the first chapters of the book but it picked up considerably when the Shadowhunters learn about everything Tessa left behind. Tessa finds out more about herself throughout the book than any other character, but I didn't think any one character was dynamic. They all pretty much stayed the same. I'm hoping that as the books go on, Clare will write them to change more.

The Cover: I like how they kept the same layout, but changed it up a bit. It really set the theme for the book (dark and mysterious). I loved the little angel on the cover, portraying Tessa's angel. I'm pretty sure that Will is the handsome gentleman on the cover, but who knows? The purple swirls mixed with the London landmarks really caught my eye against the other young adult books on the shelves, making me want to pick it up. Lovely.

Can't Wait for 2011!

With only 2 weeks until the New Year, I decided to post my highly anticipated reads for 2011. Most are sequels to some of my favorites, but some are new series or new books in general.

Plague (GONE series #4) by Michael Grant

Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr

Illusions (#3 in the series) by Aprilynne Pike

Night School (Blood Coven #5) by Mari Mancusi

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Desires of the Dead (#2 in the series) by Kimberly Derting

The Dark and Hollow Places (#3 in the series) by Carrie Ryan

City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments Series #4) by Cassandra Clare

Angel (Maximum Ride #6) by James Patterson

Hades (#2 in the trilogy) by Alexandra Adornetto

Cryptic Cravings (Vampire Kisses #8) by Ellen Shreiber

Fins are Forever (#2 in the series) by Tera Lynn Childs

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Friday Freak Out: Giving You the Creepiest and the Freakiest

Kissed by an Angel Trilogy by Elizabeth Chandler

A love beyond life...a danger beyond doubt. When her boyfriend, Tristan, died, Ivy thought she'd lost everything, even her faith in angels. But now she's discovered that he's her guardian angel--his presence so strong that she can feel the touch of his hand, the beat of his heart. Ivy needs Tristan now more than ever because he knows she is in terrible danger. Only Ivy's guardian angel can save her, now that his killer is after her. But if Tristan rescues Ivy, his mission earth will be finished, and he must leave her behind forever. Will saving Ivy mean losing her just when he's finally reached her again?

~~

OK, so these books are old. They were published in 1995--15 years ago. But that doesn't mean the story is less creepy. It starts out the night of Tristan's murder. Chandler gives a brief overlay of how it happened, when it happened. Then she dives into before Tristan (right when Ivy meets him) and Ivy's story of why she's there. It confused me for awhile, but I eventually got over it.

It was good in the beginning, when Tristan was still involved. But when he died and Ivy thought it was just an accident, it got slower. And slower. Until I hardly read it at all. But eventually, I picked it up again. And it got better. And creepier. And better. Until I was sticking my nose into it every single chance I got. Once Ivy suspected that someone had purposely killed Tristan, she set out to find out who did. And boy did it get interesting.

Her stepbrother Gregory was the creepiest person in the story. At the beginning he was welcoming and open, and Ivy didn't suspect anything. And then as the story went on, he became slightly crazed. And he started to freak me out. Ivy draws closer to him, though. And she thinks his craziness is because his mother died not long after Tristan. But the craziness gets more intense and the book started to evolve into a murder mystery. Which was creepy. And the murderer was slightly obvious, but still left me breathless.

Chandler made a wonderful tale of true love and moving on. She also made a freaky murder-mystery novel that thoroughly creeped me out.

Love Chandler? Check out Dark Secrets 1, Dark Secrets 2, and The Back Door of Midnight.

Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Series #4) by Melissa Marr

Synopsis: Hunger for nourishment. Hunger for touch. Hunger to belong. Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers. Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. he was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death. Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plants--and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grown closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

~~

I devoured this book. Of the four currently out, I thought Marr did a wonderful job of making this one stand out the most. It was unique in the sense that she didn't stick with the lighter side of faerie. She went into the darker area, focusing more on Gabriel's Hounds and the High Queen's Bloodied Hands. And both sides are so different, yet the same. And she translated that into Ani (Gabriel's Hounds) and Devlin (the High Queen's Bloodied Hands).

Ani was a remarkable character who loves Irial, the former Dark King, and her court. She's attached to her older sister, Tish, and playful with her brother Rabbit. She's annoyed with her father, because he won't let her fight like she wants to. She wants to make him proud but feels she can't because he won't let her. She is a perfect character for the role that she unknowingly has to play in the coming faerie war. She was witty, funny, smart, and passionate.

Devlin was awesome. No word better could describe him. At first, he was pompous and proud and loved the way faerie's flinched whenever he drew knew. Being the Faerie Queen's Assassin isn't all it's cracked up to be, I suppose. But Ani to him is different. He reminds him of someone he knows, and with the help of his friend-in-Faerie Rae, he recognizes her and feels strangely attracted to her. Once the High Queen grants him permission to go into the human realm, he protects Ani instead of who he was meant to protect, who is Seth. And then the battles rage on, Devlin and Ani come closer together, and then they realize what's missing and return to save all of Faerie. That is until the next book, Darkest Mercy, which I can not wait for!

Over all, I loved this book. It was action-packed, witty, and it gave me a whole new look at Faerie. Albeit, the darker, more murderous side. Marr has created a unique tale that has stuck with me since I picked it up. Ani was a wonderful character, and I was happy where Marr placed her in the end. I loved the growth of Devlin in this story, and how he went from hating his feelings, to relishing them. It didn't focus on what other courts were doing, but instead gave the nitty-gritty on the other courts feelings of the impending war and their side of it. The best...so far!

The Cover: [I realized that I didn't have any comments on the covers, which are amazing! Well, some. But anyway, I will start commenting on the covers from now on.] I thought this cover was OK, but you didn't really get the tattoos lining her arm until the end. My vision of Ani doesn't look like the model, but I thought the lettering was beautiful. I love how they change the vines every cover to make the personality stand out more, and I thought this cover matched the books personality perfectly.