"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." — Madeleine L'Engle

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Pushing the Limits Giveaway!

You can see my review of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry here! Here's your chance to win a copy of this amazing book!



One copy of Pushing the Limits
US and Canada only
Ends August 17th at 11:59pm

Just click here to fill out the form!!

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Pages: 384
Rating: 5/5!
Synopsis: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review: We start off with Echo and Noah, two people who are just trying to live their lives. After the night that she can't remember, Echo is someone different. Noah has his own problems that he has to deal with. Both have no reason to know each other but as it turns out they find that they can trust each other. As the story progresses we get to see more of how they bond and and how they deal with the problems they have.

Echo has had to deal with the talking that goes around at her school after what happened to her. She doesn't remember what happened the night she got the scars. The newest person trying to help remember and overcome it is Mrs. Collins. She's one of those characters that I immediately liked. She was going through rough time and all she wanted to do was be normal. I liked how she came to understand that sometimes things can't go to the way they were before. I liked the way things worked out for her and how she handled them.

Noah. He's broken in so many ways and it's true that he does things that are seen as bad but he just needs a way of forgetting all the pain that goes through. He has practically lost everything and has gone through rough times before getting to a place where it might not be the best but at least it's not as bad as other places. His only wish is to make sure his brothers are safe. As we get to know we see how much he loves and all the things he's willing to do for them. The ending might not be what he's expecting but I think it works for best.

I had been looking forward to reading this story and having read it I can say that I recommend this book to everyone. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until I had known the whole story. The more we know about the characters the more we understand about them. I felt that the ending for both Echo and Noah were what was best for them and even if some of it was sad. Definitely read this book if you haven't yet.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (19)


Title: Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Release Date: August 28th 2012

Goodreads Summary: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

This seems like my kind of book! =)

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 418
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.


Review: This book was so good! I feel like this book was better than Bloodlines even though I really enjoyed that one too! Richelle Mead just keeps bringing new things into the world when you thought there wasn't much more to learn of it. 


Sydney is now a bit more accepting of those around her and starting become more comfortable with them. She is still looking out for all of them and trying to do the best she can. She also starts to see that not everything that she was taught is exactly as they say.  Little by little she sees things a bit different. I loved reading of all the different things that she knows which just makes you realize how smart and intelligent she is. One thing I really enjoyed was how she knows she can't fight like Rose but still wants to be able to put up a fight. She might not fight like Rose but she knows how to in a different way.

In Vampire Academy I didn't really like Adrian as much as others but this book let's you see deeper into his character and I have to say that now I love him! He's still that bad boy we all know and love but we get to see different sides to him. He's starting to take control of his life and now does something that he loves. I loved how he's trying to help in his own way. And that ending killed me because of how Adrian must have felt.

Another character that we can't forget is Eddie. In Vampire Academy we didn't get to see a lot of him but I love how here we see him more. Just like a lot of character he has gone through bad times that are now affecting the decisions that he makes. Angeline was awesome to read about. She had never experienced life like this so seeing her adventures and the things she does was awesome. And Jill. I feel kind bad for what she is going through and having to give up things. And again towards the end it was kind of sad for her too.

I feel like things have just started to get better and there is still much to see so I can't wait to read the next book, The Indigo Spell, which I'm sure will be amazing. I want to see Sydney embrace that part of her that she doesn't want to but that has helped her. I can't wait to see what happens next with all the things that were revealed in this book!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Books of Before (3)

Books of Before is going to be random books that I want to read and are available to read whenever I want to. They could have been published last week or last year or even more! =)


Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Why: I've seen how a lot people really liked this series but for some reason I never had the urge to read them. I actually tried reading it once but I couldn't get into it but I feel like it's only right to try again.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Why: I had been wanting to read it for a long time but I would always pick up something else. Now that all the bo0ks are out I feel like I wouldn't have to wait a whole year for the next book so that encourages me even more to read it. 




For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Why: It was inspired by Persuasion by Jane Austen and it's set in the future! I know I haven't actually read Persuasion but I saw the BBC adaptation of it and I loved it! This story might even be the one I love the most. Especially with Captain Wentworth!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Pages: 441
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.


But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Review: I know I'm really late in reading this book but I finally read it and it was really good! Lena lives in a world where everyone is afraid of getting infected with love. In her world this is the worst thing that could happen and when they turn a certain age they go through a procedure that will stop them from getting it.


At first I didn't really like Lena because she didn't see that what was happening was wrong. She was always trying to do what the government told them was right. She was afraid of getting in trouble and looking at her past I can see why she was this way but I still didn't like it. At the end of the book I was happy to see that she had changed her views on things and actually did things that went against everything that she had been told.

Hana was such a good friend to Lena who tried to help her to the end even if she would also get in trouble for helping her. I actually enjoyed reading more about Hana at the beginning because she went against many things that they had been told. I feel like Alex made a huge impact on Lena. If she hadn't met him she would still be believing in all the horrible things that she had been raised to believe.

This was a slower book but I still enjoyed it a lot. There aren't a lot of action scenes but I feel like it fits with the story and what they are fighting for. I'm excited to learn more of what is outside and how Lena will be living now that things have changed for her. I know I will be reading the sequel soon!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 421
Released: August 2011
Synopsis: When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Review: I had been sad to see the Vampire Academy series end so when I found out there would be a spin-off series I couldn't wait to read it. Which is why I don't see how I could have lasted almost a year without reading it. Bloodlines follows Sydney who is the Alchemist that we learn about in Blood Promise. Sydney now has to work with Moroi and dhampirs to keep Jill safe from those who want to harm her.


It wasn't as easy to love Sydney like I loved Rose but as I read more I started to warm up to her. Her fear for vampires and their world was annoying but I can see how she has so much trouble being near them when all her life she has been taught that they're bad. Throughout the book, though, she starts to get more friendly with them and started seeing them as normal people which is something I enjoyed reading about. 

One thing I hated in Last Sacrifice was how things ended with Adrian. I loved seeing him in this book more often than we did in the others. I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan of Adrian Ivashkov before but now that we're seeing new sides to him I'm starting to really like him. And Eddie! I loved Eddie in Vampire Academy and even more now that we see more of him. I love how he just wants to be able to protect everyone.

I was a bit hesitant to read Bloodlines since I wanted to love it but Richelle Mead didn't let me down. I absolutely loved jumping back into the world that Richelle has created and learning more about things that we knew and some that we didn't. I'm sure as the story progresses things will just get better!