Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

Definitely Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.  But I have not one idea of who I would pick to portray the characters.  That book would be awesome as a movie though, and I believe I actually heard that there is talk of a movie being made.  So yay!

This was a hard choice for me. Because there are alot of books I would love to see up on the big screen, the only problem is that the books I am thinking of are probably to long. So, the one that first came to mind was more a series of books instead of just one. That series being The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. It might just be because I just finished the latest addition and am on a serious Puck craze but who knows. As for charachters, I have no clue. I am horrid with names.

Review & Giveaway - A Spy At Home

A SPY AT HOME by JOSEPH RINALDO

Learn more about A Spy At Home at josephmrinaldo.com

This book was provided for free by the author for review.

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SUMMARY:

When Dad becomes the lone caregiver for a dependent adult son, Dad has to answer the terrifying question: What happens if I die first?

A retired CIA operative comes to believe he wasted his professional life not only promoting questionable American policies, but missing life with his family. After his wife dies in a tragic accident, he must learn all that she knew about caring for their mentally retarded son. After a life of planning for contingencies, the former spy must deal with the possibility that he may die before his son. Who will care for the son when the dad spent a life out of the country and now has no one to lean on?

REVIEW:

A Spy At Home is a very different type of book than I would normally read.  It was out of my genre range, written differently than I prefer, yet when I got a request to read and review this book, I accepted it.  Normally I wouldn't accept the book if it was so far out of my "league", so to speak.  But I did and I will admit that I thought this book was going to be completely different than what it was.

Aside from it being out of my genre range, the only real problem I had with this book was how it was written.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was written badly.  It got the story through, made it's point, and actually brought emotion out of me.  I just felt like it jumped back and forth a bit and I felt myself getting confused quite often.  Again, it wasn't written badly.  It just wasn't the way I like my books to be written.  People are completely different, so a book I had trouble with, another person will understand completely.

This book really did bring out emotion in me.  There were honestly a few chapters that I felt myself tearing up.  Between the circumstances surrounding Louisa's death, Arnold, and Noah, it was very heartbreaking.  I loved Noah's character.  I really wish things had turned out differently for him and his family because with each page I read further into the book, my heart continued to break.

One thing that I really do love about A Spy At Home is that it genuinely brings to light the secrets of families with children who have Down Syndrome.  With Noah and his family you were able to witness what went on behind closed doors and eventually his decline with Alzheimer's.  Again, I teared up.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

RATING:

3 MOONS.

NOT TOO BAD.

GIVEAWAY
We would like to thank Joseph Rinaldo for providing us with a copy of A Spy At Home to read and review for the blog.  And we're happy to announce that one of you will get your own copy as well!


One winner will receive an eBook of A Spy At Home.
This giveaway is open to everyone.
To enter, please fill out the form below.
And don't forget to read the rules and information at the bottom of the form!

Just wanted to take a moment to say...

I GOT MY POTTERMORE EMAIL!

Finally!  I've been DYING for this email and it seemed like I was the last person on earth that still hadn't received it.  Well, now I have.  And I cannot flippin' wait to dive into it.  (Also, once you're in the site, it's freaking beautiful!)

I have been sorted into HUFFLEPUFF.

Review - The Wolf Man's Legacy

THE WOLF MAN'S LEGACY by LANI AAMES

Learn more about The Wolf Man's Legacy at goodreads.com

This book was received for free at GoodReads.

DOWNLOAD IT

SUMMARY:

A special book turns up on the doorstep of bookstore clerk Sue Talbot. With the book come dreams that Sue can't explain, but reach deep into her heart and soul. Dylan Hunter is a werewolf on the trail of a certain book. When he realizes who has possession of it, Dylan knows he can't use force to get it back. Invading Sue's dreams is the surest way of revealing her legacy.


Parental Rating:
This book contains content that may not be suitable for young readers 17 and under.

REVIEW:

This book was okay.  It was well written and had a good story.  I liked the magical element of it, though I felt it was very rushed.  I wish it would have been much, much longer.  I think if this book had been longer and driven into the background and story of the wolves it would have been absolutely amazing.

I have no doubt that if The Wolf Man's Legacy were a full length novel it would probably be a popular adult paranormal book.  I did like the writing style and felt that Lani Aames is a very good writer.  I would like to read more of her works in the future.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

RATING:

3 MOONS.

NOT TOO BAD!

Seers Blog Tour Giveaway Winner!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Jessica!
Email beginning with:
jbronderblogs
In case our email finds it's way into the winner's junk folder.

We would like to thank everyone that stopped by Starcrossed and entered to win the advanced readers copy of Seers by Heather Frost.  If you didn't win this time, no worries!  We'll have more giveaways soon!

A special thanks goes to Heather Frost and Cedar Fort Publishing for providing us with a copy of this novel for the Starcrossed Giveaway!  We couldn't have done it without them!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us!

Congratulations Jessica!

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

I sure do. I always find myself reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark hunter Series and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Series.

It was a toss up between the two, I tried to figure out which one I read more and they were both equal. 

There is just something about the books. It isn't all sexcapades, in the early work of Anita Blake it is mystery solving as he becomes something vampires fear and call her the Executioner, you are helpless but to continue on with her life and see what mess she is going to get herself into next.

With Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series you get a mix of god's/goddesses and alot of the time women saving the day. You get men who have had a brutal past and were betrayed so bad their souls cried out for retribution and Artemis obliges, keeping her favorite Atlantean god tied to her. 

They are just good reads of love and trials, that keep you on the edge of your seat. I will say this, they are no YA book. 

The first series that came to mind when I read this question was The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice.  I still haven't read them all, but I do own them and plan to read it.  For some reason there's always something that stops me when I get to The Vampire Armand.  One time I lost it, next time I let someone barrow it and they moved.  So I've never gotten past that one, with the exception of Blackwood Farm which I read out of order.  But this series is always one that I come back to.  I've read the books leading up to The Vampire Armand at least three times already.  And every single time I learn and find new things.  I love Rice because she creates such vast and exciting worlds.  It's easy to get lost in  her characters and settings.

The Twilight Saga.  There was no way I couldn't name this one.  I fell in love with Twilight as soon as I read the very first page.  When I bought the book, the series wasn't popular.  I literally had to travel out of state to find Twilight, went to a few different stores to find New Moon, and eventually had to buy Eclipse online because I couldn't find it in a store.  By the time Breaking Dawn came out, the series had gotten more notice and it was pretty easy to purchase that one.  Anyways, When I bought the first book, I didn't want to read it yet because I didn't have the second one.  My boyfriend at the time was being a butt and playing video games while at my house, so I decided to read the first chapter.  I finished the book later that night and have been hooked ever since.

Review - The Lightning Thief

THE LIGHTNING THIEF by RICK RIORDAN

Learn more about The Lightning Thief and Rick Riordan at rickriordan.com

This book was bought with my own money.

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SUMMARY:

In this stunning collectors' edition of The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson’s world is brought to life with eight full-color plates by the series jacket artist John Rocco. The edition comes in an elegant slipcase with a ribbon bookmark, rough edges, and cloth cover—a perfect keepsake for fans of this truly epic series.

After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus.

This first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.

REVIEW:

I first heard about this book when I was watching the special features on the movie version of The Lightning Thief.  I absolutely loved the movie (and still intend on purchasing it) but didn't realize until afterwards that it was actually based on a book.  Of course, after viewing the movie, I instantly wished I had read the book first.  Since the movie came out, I've been dying to get my hands on a copy.  So of course, when I saw it at Goodwill for only $.50 I had to snatch it up before someone else did. 

This book is absolutely amazing.  Even better than the movie (as most are).  Admittedly, it's the first book I've ever read that deals with the Greek gods.  Not that the books aren't out there, I just have yet to manage to get my hands on them.  Now that I've read this one, I'm even more interested in reading books of the nature. I absolutely loved it.  As soon as I began reading I fell in love with the character of Percy Jackson.  The things he goes through, magical and non-magical, on a daily basis are amazing and I loved following along as he grew and learned with the rest of us.  

I found myself getting lost in his world and I really cannot wait to read the rest of the series.  (Now if they would only make the rest of the books into movies, I would be a happy (Half-Blood) camper...)

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

RATING:

4.5 MOONS.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

Review - Midnight Sun

MIDNIGHT SUN by STEPHENIE MEYER

To learn more about Midnight Sun and Stephenie Meyer visit stepheniemeyer.com

This book was received for free from GoodReads.

READ IT

SUMMARY:

Midnight Sun is the much anticipated retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. An unedited partial draft was illegally leaked onto the internet in 2008; consequently, author Stephenie Meyer put the project on indefinite hold.

Shortly afterward, she posted a letter to her fans on her website including a link to the entire partial draft of the book so that those who wanted to read it could do so legally and with her consent.

REVIEW:

I started reading the Twilight series before they became popular, before you could go into a hot topic store and buy a cosmetic that made you glitter in the sun like the rest of those sparkly vampires. It seemed like with each addition to her series her books got better and better. At least for me.

I was never a fan of Edward. Don't get me wrong I don't have a Team Edward or Team Jacob t-shirt, I desperately wanted a Team Shut up t-shirt to wear to one of the midnight showing's but I didn't think it would go over well.

I was hoping that in reading his side of the story I might like him better, I was hoping he wouldn't come off as the controlling jerk I thought him to be.
Well...he stopped being a jerk...and escalated to a creeper. I loved the book, don't get me wrong, I think I read it in two days between the times I was able to wrestle the computer away from my gamer of a fiance. But it seemed like the creeper's guide to dating my teenage daughter. Let's oil her window's so I can sneak in easier, let's monopolize her entire attention and isolate her from her friends so she is all mine. Muahaha! 

I think what made me really lean more to any side would have been the fact that if you love someone, how can you tell them who they are to see and who they aren't to see? You are suppose to be a partner, not a parent. Yeah I understand the whole danger issue but let's face it Bella's a clutz. He would have to plastic wrap her to keep her safe.
I really do hope that Stephenie Meyer does finish it, because It is a very good read. And as sad and sick as it may seem, I kinda want to see what other ways he sneaks his will into her's...maybe as a warning sign or maybe because like everyone else that see's a traffic disaster I wanna rubber neck and watch to see how bad it gets before it finally gets better.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

"I've noticed that people-men in peticular- are crabbier when they're hungry."

"How could doing the wrong thing give me so much happiness."

"In this vision, I wsa not Bella's sentence, she was my reward.".

RATING:

5 MOONS.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

Review - Geek Girl

GEEK GIRL by CINDY C. BENNETT

Learn more about Geek Girl and Cindy C. Bennett at cindycbennett.com

This book was provided for free by the publishers for review.

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SUMMARY:

"Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even-ugh!-bowling. To truly belong with him-and with her new foster family-she must first come to terms with her violent past.

REVIEW:

I really liked this book, you quickly get under the main charachter's skin and start to understand why she makes the decision's she makes. 

Growing up the way I grew up, I have expierenced both issue's. My life wasn't the easiest so I started to gather toughness around me like a shield, alot like Jen did. Granted mine didn't end happily with someone piercing that shield, or multiple person's in the story, and bringing down that wall but the story has a great message of hope. That when you love someone, you love them for them, not because of how they look, or who their friends are. Being different can only be exciting. 

I was so proud of Jen's foster family for pushing through and never giving up. I wanted to stand up and applaud when I saw that they had kept all the money they recieved for caring for her and gave it to her. To many times I know of families that just have kids or take kids in for the money and the emotional impact can be devistating. I like how they never gave up on her dispite how nasty she was, they recognized that she had, had a rough life and that sometimes it takes a while for someone's gaurd to let down.

I also expierienced Trevor's dilema, and I know how much it can hurt to have someone date you as a joke, or a bet. This book gave me an insider's look at how the other person might have been hurting. 
For once I was glad of the happy ending. It was done in just the right way, that towards the finale I was smiling in anticipation of what I hoped would come.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

"Mrs Brady/Cleaver herself answers the door,freshly rolled out of an old sitcom. She has pants on instead of a dress, true, but she is weraing an apron, her hair and makeup perfectly in place, subdued, a string of pearls at her throat completing the picture-perfect image. She can't quite hide the flash of shock and disgust on her face when she see's the thing that's standing on her porch, but she recovers quickly."

"There, now we can have our own dance, with no one to bother us or judge us."

RATING:

5 MOONS.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

Review - Thirteen Reasons Why

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by JAY ASHER

Learn more about Thirteen Reasons Why and Jay Asher at jayasher.blogspot.com

This book was bought with my own money.

BUY IT

SUMMARY:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

REVIEW:

This a novel that really tugs at the heart strings and makes you think. How has your actions effected somebody else? Have you heard something about somebody that made you reluctant to strike up a friendship? Unfortunately for Hannah Baker, one tiny, innocent action snowballed into something big, sending Hannah into a depression.

This book held many parallels with my own life. Since I've read this book, I look at the way people treat me and wonder if they even realize what they're doing. I wonder if school counselors, who see what's going on, only give half booty attempts to help because they don't think somebody is really struggling. I recommend this book to anyone, and I think it should be required school reading. Yes, it left that much of an impact on me.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

RATING:

5 MOONS.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

The Rules:

• Open to a random page.
• Share two (2) or so "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT readers can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers.

A SPY AT HOME

joseph rinaldo

TEASER:

"While Louisa stayed with the baby, I drove to the nearest convenience store for diapers, food, rash prevention creams or powder, and anything else that looked necessary for the care and well-being of the little baby. My life experiences provided no help in determining which products would be needed. Everything was based on age or weight; two details I did not know. The grandmotherly looking cashier might have been willing to help me, or she might have been concerned that my questions were due to my having stolen a baby."

The review for this novel will be posted later this month so make sure you stop back by because we'll actually be  giving a copy to one of our readers!

ACHERON

sherrilyn kenyon

"He had to be the only man alive who could pull off intimidating in his tighty-whities."

Review - City of Bones

CITY OF BONES by CASSANDRA CLARE

Learn more about City of Bones and Cassandra Clare at cassandraclare.com

This book was bought with my own money.

BUY IT

SUMMARY:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

REVIEW:

This book was super, super hyped up. Like, totally. So of course, like all major hyped up books, I had to see what all the fuss was about. And I have to ask... What IS the fuss all about?

The warning signs came early within the book, when the classic cliche of unrequited love between a guy and girl was introduced between protagonist Clary Fray and her best friend Simon. Then, of course, mega hottie Jace Wayland- Shadowhunter extraordinaire- comes into the picture when Clary stumbles upon a demon slaying at a nightclub. Jace is arrogant, charming, hot, you name it. He doesn't take crud from anybody. Clary finds out she's a part of Jace's world after her mother is kidnapped. Kidnapped after her and Clary got into an argument. Angst. It is also discovered that there is a block in Clary's mind, which adds suspense to the otherwise boring story. After this, the book is, admittedly, a page turner to find out what happens next. Will Clary get her memory back? Will she ever find her mother, who seems to be in the hands of the super evil Shadowhunter gone bad, Valentine?

The book had a great story. I'm a sucker for anything fantasy, after all, and I am a closet appreciator of romances. However, the author seemed to be targeting a younger audience, and made the characters just passive aggressive enough for anyone going through puberty to enjoy. And the ending, well, we'll just leave it at those two words: the ending. Because I can't find words suitable enough to express my disappointment.

Needless to say, I probably won't be finishing the series. But who knows, maybe I will, just for the sake of curiosity.

MEMORALE QUOTES:

RATING:

TWO MOONS.

JUST NOT FOR ME.

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City.  Every week we'll introduce you to books that currently reside on our wishlists.  You can find our complete lists here.

Please tell us what you think about the books we've posted and if you have read them.

SILENCE by BECCA FITZPATRICK

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their 
love—forever.

THE IRON KNIGHT by JULIA KAGAWA

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…