Release: Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

Hello, everyone! With amazing books coming out in the year 2011, I have started release days in which I will tell you when another novel has come to be. This is late; Wishful Thinking came out yesterday, January 1st, but I forgot so I'm showing you today!

If you could wish for a different life, would you? What if that life changed everything you thought was real? Adopted as a baby, Hazel Snow has always been alone. She's never belonged anywhere--and has always yearned to know the truth about where she comes from. So when she receives three stunning, enchanted dresses--each with the power to grant one wish--Hazel wishes to know her mother. Transported to a time and place she couldn't have imagined, Hazel finds herself living an alternate life--a life with the mother she never knew. Over the course of one amazing, miraculous summer, Hazel finds her home, falls in love, and forms an unexpected friendship. But will her search to uncover her past forever alter her future? In the heart-pounding, luminous sequel to WISH, Alexandra Bullen asks the question: If you could wish for a new life....would you?

~~

I haven't read Wish, the prequel to this novel, but I've had friends who have and they love it. I hope to read it soon. This book sounds and looks amazing. The cover is beautiful and the plot sounds very cliffhanger-ish. Can't wait to read!

Extras (Uglies Series #4) by Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis: Fame. It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance to escape extra-land is to find a big story to kick--something wild and unexpected. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. But the Sly Girls are hiding something bigger--an explosive discovery that may change the face of the brave new world forever. If Aya kicks this story, she'll be propelled into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

~~

Extras doesn't focus on Tally anymore. It's more of an add-on to the trilogy that focused on Tally. This is about Aya and the world that Tally has left in her wake after destroying the uglies/pretties/specials regime, like the synopsis says. The new world after Tally is totally different than the world we're introduced to in the first three books. Everything has changed, and the loss of "bubbleheads" is affecting their economy and way of life. Old traditions are coming back, extreme surgeries are gone, and there is mixing of uglies and pretties, at least during the day. They must start to adapt to the new freedom, and they do that by expanding the cities dangerously fast and building a new economy. As in, the fame and cameras. They have merits that you earn by being famous or by doing good work around the community. 

This story was partly better than Specials (see my review here) because it goes faster than Specials. You are instantly propelled into the world of extras and the cameras. The first 200 pages went by really fast, but not in a bad way. It was a little action packed, mostly focusing on how Aya puts her stories together and figuring out the economy. Then they meet these alien-like people and it goes slower as Aya doesn't listen to Tally and she starts to look a little moronic. I didn't like Aya as much as Tally. She doesn't grow really, at all. She's so sucked up into this virtual world that she doesn't believe life on the outside and that fame could be a bad thing. It really bugged me, but the plot made up for Aya.

There are three main side characters: Hiro, Aya's older brother; Ren, Hiro's best friend; Frizz, Aya's boyfriend. They don't seem to grow either, but they are more intelligent than Aya and are fine without the cameras. They understand the predicament more than Aya does and seem to listen better than she does. They're not so much fame-obsessed as Aya is, and I liked them a lot better. Tally only comes in at the end and you can tell that she still hasn't fully cured herself of the Special mind. She wars with herself and still has anger flashes.

Overall, Extras was a great final installment in the Uglies series. The first two parts went by fast, and the last part dragged on. The plot was messed up, though, as I thought the entire thing was about the Sly Girls and another government plot. But it turned completely around in the second part of the book and it confused me for awhile. But I finally got back into the swing of things, but the story was still confusing. They kept switching from believing the alien-people and not believing them. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't one of the best.

The Cover: I still like the incorporation of people, and Aya really was described like the girl on the cover. Her eye mainly showing I didn't really get, but now I understand that it's supposed to be like a camera, giving you the feel of always being watched. This cover somewhat freaked me out, but I thought it was still put together well. Although I thought the blue background on the back cover kind of ruined the mood. I didn't think it quite fit.

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! I would just like to wish you all a happy New Year! Hopefully, this year will be so amazing and new, with great books on the way, I don't know why not. I would do one of those 2010 followups, you know, where I tell you the greatest books this year, the least greatest, yadda yadda yadda? I can't really remember any bad books that I read, but here are some amazing reads/series that I adored:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (I saw her when she was on tour!)

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantasky

UGLIES series by Scott Westerfeld

GONE series by Michael Grant

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr

Paper Towns by John Green

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

1-800-Where-R-You series by Meg Cabot

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell (I think this is so amazing and I don't know why it's not acknowledged!)

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Airhead series by Meg Cabot

What I'm hoping to read in 2011 are multiple books (Must Read List) but I want to know if these books are good:

The Candidates (Delcroix Academy, book 1) by Inara Scott

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I've heard they're really good, but I want to hear your opinion before I add them to my list.

Have a happy New Year!!

Friday Freak Out: Giving You the Creepiest and the Freakiest

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Synopsis: Monsters are real. Will Henry is the orphan apprentice of a doctor with an unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. When a midnight visitor brings them the body of a young girl entwined with the corpse of an Anthropophagus, it is the start of the most mysterious case of Will Henry's life. Anthropophagi are headless monsters whose razor-sharp teeth are int heir stomachs--and they are supposed to be extinct in this part of the world. Now Will and the monstrumologist are in a race against time to put a stop to the plague of monsters before they kill again.

~~

It sounds as freaky as it is. The Monstrumologist sounded good when I read it for school, but I didn't think that it would be so in depth. It's told in a diary (I would suggest that you read the prologue). I mean that it's based on a diary of the old Will Henry.

The beginning was mild with nothing but telling you the life of Will Henry and how he got to be with Dr. Warthrop. As the book progresses, you learn more of the doctor and more of Will Henry, but it also becomes more descriptive and had be covering my mouth in imaginative disgust as Will Henry explained the kill of the Anthropophagi and some of the things Dr. Warthrop does.

The book is broken up into three Folios, one for each diary that the old Will Henry has. Folio One is explaining Will Henry's life and the finding of the Anthropophagi and how Dr. Warthrop perceives the threat. Folio Two is more about what's going to happen when killing the Anthropophagi and new characters are brought in to show not only the dangers of the Anthropophagi, but also who will help Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop kill them off. And finally, Folio Three is how they kill the Anthropophagi. And oh my goodness, it was descriptive. Yancey describes everything with clarity and doesn't leave a single detail out. Which is good...and bad. It makes everything better for memory, but harsher on your stomach.

I didn't think the end came as a surprise to me, but I did think that Will Henry becomes a lot more brave at the end of this novel.  You see him more as a growing boy with more to discover rather than a young boy who is afraid. But the last chapter, towards the end, I was shocked and you learn how Will Henry comes to live so long.

Over all, this was a good read if you like horror stories. The plot was so cool and I was amazed at how Yancey could come up with this story. It kept me on edge the entire time and I literally thought that I was living in the world of Will Henry. The details were overwhelming at times, especially during the more gruesome parts of the book, but I never thought I was drowning in details. This is an excellent read and is one of the scariest books I have ever read. Also, it's 454 pages long so I recommend that if you want to read a really long book and have time to read a very long book, this would be great for you.

The Cover: Um, did you notice the skulls in the blue sky? They're more prominent in the picture up there, but on the book, they're not that prominent. I was looking on the back, and I saw the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, and I saw a wendigo's face, and I thought, Hmm, I wonder if this book has a picture. And it did. Of skulls! That made the book only slightly more creepy. And as you've noticed, I've added alternative covers and I am so glad I have the cover I have. Scary, right?

If you read The Monstrumologist and can't wait for another gruesome adventure with Will Henry, pick up The Curse of the Wendigo, another chilling read.

Let's Talk Covers

So as you know, I posted yesterday that I had just gotten Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen, and as I was searching the Internet for Bright Young Things (you know, seeing the reviews, la la la) I found this:

That's right, a cover for the sequel to Bright Young Things, Beautiful Days. I searched Beautiful Days on Amazon.com and nothing came up except for Bright Young Things. So, for all of you readers out there who loved (or love currently) Bright Young Things, I wouldn't get your hopes up considering I don't even know if this is the right cover. But it is a beautiful cover, and so who knows. Plus, it looks similar to the Bright Young Things cover.

And while on The Compulsive Reader, I read that Wish by Alexandra Bullen (which I have yet to read) has a sequel coming out January 1st. And, my goodness, the story sounds amazing and the cover looks beautiful:

It's just a beautiful cover. I actually like it better than the cover of Wish, and the story line sounds better. I can't wait till January, when it's out and I can go and get it! Ah hem, anyway, I love the dark background and the golden butterflies buzzing around. The words really stand out too, and the model is a gorgeous add-on, much like the cover of Wish, although that was more stars than focusing on the girl.

This cover stood out for my on Amazon one day while searching for new releases. I have yet to read the series (I am way behind, aren't I?) but this cover is so darkly pretty that I fell in love with it:

I love how the models hair covers half her face, giving it a mysterious vibe, and how her makeup is so simply pretty. It looks ominous, but pretty, and I love the lettering, how it's simple and doesn't take away from the rest of the cover. It really focuses on her face, letting her hair somewhat blend into the dark background. Over all, just a dark and ominous cover that makes me want to pick it up and read.

Ugh, and finally, this one had been bugging me from the day I saw it. It's a new release, so you can go out and buy it publicly currently, it's the fifth in the Blue Bloods series that I need to finish, and I just loved this cover more than the rest (although the rest were great, too):

My goodness, so bright and angelic. What I've loved of the entire series is the black footer of each book, giving a place from the story. I believe this is Istanbul, Turkey, but I don't know. The wings are gorgeous, and they give you the angel feel. The model looks haunted like she's about to make a large decision. Her black hair really stands out and if you look closely, she has bright blue eyes which I believe make her eyes stand out more against the bright white of her wings. They downplay the lettering so that the full attention is on the model and beauty of the cover. Over all, marvelous.

So, any books you thought looked amazing (or still look amazing)? Tell me about it! And if you disagree, tell me, too. I just loved these covers, and I hope you will, too.

OK, Yes, I Am Stalling

I am stalling until I finish The Monstumologist. It's long and I've been busy doing break stuff over break. But I do really think you guys would like to see some of the newly added books to my bookshelf at home, as I got them yesterday at Barnes and Noble. And so, here they are (by order of the pictures shown):

Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler--KJ Carson, 16, lives with her father, who runs a business as a guide for hunting and fishing parties. While on a hunting trip with him, the teen watches a wolf get torn to pieces by other wolves. Her father tells her not to forget it. He explains, "The minute that wolf backed down it was all over." KJ and the new kid in school, Virgil Whitman, team up to create a column for the school newspaper entitled, "Wolf Notes." He takes the pictures and she writes the articles. The column causes controversy in this small town where the wolves are hated by local ranching families. The more KJ learns about the animals, the more she is fascinated by their fearlessness. Relations with town members turn ugly when Virgil is shot at in the Christmas parade and soon after someone starts a fire at KJ's father's store. Should KJ back down?

 The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen--A long, hot summer...That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evening will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father. But sometimes unexpected things can happen--things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder, is it really better to be safe than sorry?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen--The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the bright young things: flappers and socialites seeking thills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the roaring twenties. Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star.... Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined--and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for...and someone will. The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Shreiber--Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever. Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves--Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything int he small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend of just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight. Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick--A sacred oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love. When Nora and Patch are forced together as lab partners, Nora would rather fall to her death than put up with his elusive answers to her questions, his teasing, and his infuriatingly handsome face and hypnotizing eyes. It seems Patch was put on earth just to drive her crazy. But before long, Nora's defenses start to break down as her curiosity about Patch heats up. Why does he always seem to be wherever she is and know exactly what she's thinking? How does he know what to say to both attract and repulse her? And what is up with those V-shaped scars on his chiseled back? As their connection grows stronger, Nora's own life becomes increasingly fragile. Nora needs to decide: is Patch the once who wants to do her harm or the one who will keep her safe? Has she fallen for one of the fallen?

Sounds good, right? Can't wait to pick them up! (After, you know, I finish The Monstrumologist. *Cough cough*)

So Many Good Books, In Just One Day!

Have you noticed that so many great books are coming out today? I have, and I've compiled a list of all the books I'm awaiting for December 28, 2010. Any books you can't wait for?

First off, there's Sapphique by Catherine Fisher, the sequel to Incarceron:



Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.

And then there's The Lost Saint by Bree Despain, the sequel to The Dark Divine:



Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot—a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel is put in danger—in more ways than one. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her—not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Also, Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz, sequel to Deadly Little Secret and Deadly Little Lies:

Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.








Another Blue Bloods book, Bloody Valentine by Melissa De La Cruz, a part of the Blue Bloods series:

Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shape shift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps - the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series.

And a newbie that I am looking forward to: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber:

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight. Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Can't wait to get out there and read!