Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Goodreads Blurb

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...

Oh you gorgeous, gorgeous, lying cover. When I saw the cover I imagined a sweet, possibly heartbreaking, story that I would love. Instead I got a romance that wasn't exactly my favorite and was more New Adult than Young.

I didn't really expect the rather...detailed sex scene that happened or the issues that ended up being mentioned. Namely from one Starrla character. Starrla really irritated for some reason. I think it was because she didn't really seem to have much depth. Yes, she was broken, and yes she had her issues. But beyond her issues and her pain, there honestly didn't seem to be anything else. It was like she was just written to drive a wedge between our two main characters, which she probably was. I just wish there was more to her than her bitchiness and cruelty.

Ah, but you want to hear about our main characters don't you?
Charlie wasn't exactly my favorite. He seemed a bit...obsessive with Wren and I found him a bit...awkward for the story. I really can't explain why, but something just nagged at me throughout the entire story. But he was otherwise a pretty sweet guy with a real voice. He cared about his family, his friends, Wren, and was definitely romantic enough to make one swoon. But I didn't really see him grow as a character--we were told he changed, but I wish we'd been shown this character development, however minor.
Wren was sort of the same, but she annoyed me a lot more. She never really treated Charlie right and she was definitely a bit clingy and needy. She did try to stand up for her parents, and I admired her for that, but she never really said what she wanted. She flinched back a lot and it definitely annoyed me. After so many years under her parents' thumb (who definitely didn't win any parent of the year awards) I felt like she should've been more...explosive with her feelings than the timid rebel she portrayed once. Twice?

The romance in this definitely had that insta-love feel to it and I just sort of hated it. I had no idea what they saw in each other. All I kept hearing was "You're beautiful." "You're gorgeous." "You're perfect." But beyond that? Why did they seem so in love? There was no basis of their love and there was almost nothing leading up to it besides their "touching of the souls." Wut?

I wanted to DNF this so many times, but I pushed on, wanting to see how it ended, which was rather abrupt for my tastes. The Infinite Moment of Us was rather disappointing and I honestly wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. Of course, I still want to read Myracle's Shine since it received so many rave reviews, but not this one, unfortunately.

But guys. Such a gorgeous cover. 

Pages: 336

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: Aug 20, 2013

Rating: 1 star

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Goodreads Blurb

Nora Henderson has been basting baby back ribs for as long as she could reach the counter of her dad's famous barbecue joint. When she's accepted to Taste Test, a teen reality cooking competition, Nora can't wait to leave her humble hometown behind. On set, run-ins with the maddeningly handsome and talented son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, make Nora wonder if it's him or the win she really wants, but as she and Christian emerge as front-runners for the final prize, Nora can't ignore the mysterious accidents plaguing the kitchen arena. Someone is conducting eliminations of their own, and if Nora doesn't stop them, she could be next to get "chopped" for good. 

Taste Test was a delicious (I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it.) read that I enjoyed (and almost died laughing over.)

The number one thing that hit me was definitely the writing style. Or, rather, the other things included. We got "interviews" with all our characters that I definitely enjoyed and giggled over. It let us see what front some of them were putting up and how they felt about what was going on! It was both hilarious and sort of sad sometimes. In the way that I want to be "LET ME LOVE YOU" to them.  And then we got recipes. That I really want to try but would probably burn (even if it's not burnable.) I really love how Fiore included these little extras to make our reading experience way more enjoyable (and for all you actually decent cooks out there--can you pretty please make a few of them then send the food to me? I will love you forever, because some of these look absolutely scrumptious.)

The relationships between these characters also took center stage. Whether it was the absolutely amazing father-daughter dynamic Nora and her dad had, the unrequited love between her and Billy (BFF), or her hate/love (literally. Mainly hate?) with Christian, all of them were wonderfully written! Nora's weren't the only relationships that played a role though--Gigi (the new BFF) and her friendships and familial ties, Joy's little trysts, and Christian's own relationship with his dad were also ones that were pretty fleshed out! I do wish we spent a little more time on them though, rather than spending a majority of the book focusing on Christian and Nora's chemistry.

Of course, that doesn't mean I like it. Trust me, I was cheering these two on from the start! They were absolutely HILARIOUS by themselves, but together? I think I died of laughter several times. Their witty banter was filled with snarky remarks that had me crawling around on the floor clutching my stomach. Kelly Fiore definitely played on the phrase "There's a thin line between love and hate" because that was definitely true here! I never knew whether they were going to end up kissing or if it would end with Nora slapping him.

I did love the pacing, though I couldn't help but wish we focused more on the show in the first half. We glossed over several of the "incidents" and we only really read/experienced a few and it wasn't really the main focus. The culprit was also pretty predictable, though I really didn't expect the reason why! The ending, I loved though. (But can we get an epilogue? I DON'T WANT TO SAY GOODBYE.)

The characters were probably the thing I liked the least. Nora wasn't really written well and seemed a little flat and she seemed to judge harshly and quickly. She definitely wasn't my favorite character and I can't help but wish she was a little less...impulsive sometimes.
Christian, I loved, though he did seem excessively cruel at times. But his snark was absolutely HILARIOUS and I'm pretty sure I fell in love with him by the second time we met him. He was absolutely adorable and a fun character to read about!

Taste Test is a cute and fun read I'd definitely recommend to people looking for an laugh out loud book that brings out their Giggle Monster. A perfect read for anyone who needs a break from the paranormal and dystopian!

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Release Date: Aug 27, 2013

Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

House of Hades by Rick Riordan

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

Oh my freaking God, seriously. This is one of the only MG series I've ever read and loved and you guys, I pretty much grew up with these characters. AND THEN THEY FALL INTO FREAKING HELL.

Wonderful. Seriously. WHY ARE AUTHORS ALL SO MEAN. The only thing I really don't like is that it seems that we don't get anything from Percy's POV. Ummm...EXCUSE ME? UGH. I am both dying to get this, but I now I'll be anxious when I do. UGHHHH

Blog Tour: Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Me? I definitely loved this book! My review goes up in two days! Now read on for some food related questions. Because I just couldn't help myself.

Fiction Freak: What made you want to write about a TV show and why food?

Kelly Fiore: I think the food part was more of a choice than the TV show part. I’ve been involved in a lot of writing workshops and classes and the two things that always ring true are “show, don’t tell” and “write what you know.” I know food – I can remember the dishes I ate on important days more than I can remember what I wore or what I said. Food was a huge part of my childhood and I always cooked with my mom, until I was old enough to do it alone.

But, the idea of a teen Top Chef came to me when I was driving – which is when I get a lot of my ideas, actually. And being such a big Top Chef fan (and rooting for Bryan Voltaggio in the TC Masters right now – he lives in my hometown!) it just seemed like a win-win.

FF: What research did you have to do for TASTE TEST?

KF: Wow, the word “research” really gives legitimacy to the concept of me lounging on the couch and watching every cooking show ever!

Honestly, I did watch a lot of cooking television – not just the “reality” stuff, but the regular half-hour Food Network shows, too. I wanted to get a concept of timing and how ingredients are prepped. I watched a lot of “behind the scenes” stuff that I found online – like, I remember watching a show where Giada DeLaurentis was showing how her show gets made. I used a lot of those details to pull together what I expected the inner workings of the show to look like. Other than that, the recipes had to be cooked and re-cooked to make sure they were something I would stand behind in a book. And I had to attach measurements to ingredients because I don’t measure anything.

FF: The banter between Christian and Nora had me LOLing. Did you ever have a witty banter going on between you and someone else?

KF: Absolutely – that is chemistry and it is pure gold. You have that with someone and it means you are totally in tune with them. It can be a friend and totally platonic, but the best is when that banter is really a cover for sexual tension, as in the case of Nora and Christian.

My husband and I were still in our teens when we met and I can tell you that we had very witty banter – it’s one of our many compatibilities J

FF: What is your FAVORITE recipe out of all the ones you've included in TASTE TEST?

KF: It’s a toss up between the Chicken Pasta Nora (which is imbedded in the book, not at the end) and the Mahi Mahi dish. Both of those are staples in my kitchen and they’re both delicious!

FF: If you were placed in a cooking competition, what place do you think you'd get?

KF: Oh, jeez – probably last. I can’t plate to save my life. My food never really looks “pretty” even if it does taste good. That, and I’m a little too sassy for my own good. I’d probably have a hard time building alliances and winning people over J

FF: If you had to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

KF: It’s another toss up – it’s either Crème Brulee or Chocolate Mousse. Or a good brownie sundae. This question is too hard!!!

FF:  Are there any snacks you ALWAYS have to have on hand while you write?

KF: I LOVE sushi – especially spicy tuna and vegetable rolls – and Korean BBQ, so those are my go-to take out options when I’m writing. I don’t keep a lot of snacks around the house, honestly. But I do a LOT of ordering in.

FF: Who was your favorite character to write?

KF: I loved writing Christian and Nora’s interactions more than anything else. I love that bantering chemistry between them.

FF: Did you mean for the contradiction in Joy's (the mean girl's) name?

KF: No, not at all. Sometimes I put a ton of thought into names – Giada (GiGi), for example, was what we were going to name my son if he was a girl. But other times – like with Joy? It’s just the first name that pops in my head J

FF: Do you happen to have any embarrassing cooking moments you'd like to share?

KF: I did a lot of cooking experiments in my youth – this question would probably be a better one for my mom!

Lately, though, the most embarrassing thing I did was forget to put the sugar in a chocolate zucchini cake batter. I didn’t realize it until the batter was in the muffin tins – so I had to dump/scrap all the batter out of the little paper cupcake cups and back into the bowl so I could add the sugar. It was worth it, though, obviously. Cake without sugar is NOT good.

Taste Test Blurb
Nora Henderson has been basting baby back ribs for as long as she could reach the counter of her dad's famous barbecue joint. When she's accepted to Taste Test, a teen reality cooking competition, Nora can't wait to leave her humble hometown behind. On set, run-ins with the maddeningly handsome and talented son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, make Nora wonder if it's him or the win she really wants, but as she and Christian emerge as front-runners for the final prize, Nora can't ignore the mysterious accidents plaguing the kitchen arena. Someone is conducting eliminations of their own, and if Nora doesn't stop them, she could be next to get "chopped" for good. 

With romance and intrigue as delectable as the winning recipes included in the story, this debut novel will be devoured by all.

Author Bio
Kelly Fiore has a BA in Creative Writing from Salisbury University and an MFA in Poetry from West Virginia University. Cooking and writing are two of Kelly's greatest passions; others include cupcakes, facials, and VH1 Classic. She lives in Maryland where she lives with her husband and son. Taste Test is her debut novel.

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Books to Movies Blog Hop

Hey! I haven't done many giveaways this year, so I decided to join this one! There are a ton of awesome YA book-to-movie adaptations coming out/came out and I can't wait to watch the 2014 ones! Woot!

Prize List

*any book in the series

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead*

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan*

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Masque of Red Death*

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare*

Delirium by Lauren Oliver*

If you're INT and interested in an eBook copy then this is open to you too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week of a Fiction Freak

So guys. I have a rather...large haul here. Feel free to watch it through. Or not. I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS AGAIN WHY.

So NYC was epic, I bought...A LOT OF CLOTHES, had an epic time with Eileen. A little boy called me weird at the airport. I'll end up writing a recap post. Sometime. If you want pics head over to my twitter!

Also, I have realized that my neighbors grow pomegranites and that they hang over our fence. I was eyeing them throughout this entuire thing. Also, GYDO starts next week which means I'll have to do ANOTHER video at the end of September. Beautiful. Just. Sigh

Have fun. Urgh.

​Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen

Posess by Gretchen McNeil

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor (NOT SHOWN)

Earthbound by Apprilynne Pike

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (NOT SHOWN)

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Once We Were by Kat Zhang

This Side of Jealousy by Lili Peloquin (NOT SHOWN)

All The Truth that's In Me by Julie Berry

Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey (x2)

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Pretty Sly by Elisa Ludwig

Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Sioban Vivian

Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr

Camp Kiss by J.K. Rock

Relic by Heather Terrill

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Still Starcrossed by Melinda Taub

Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Frozen by Michael Johnston and Melissa de la Cruz

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

In Time by Alexandra Bracken

Keeping Her by Cora McCormick

Six Months Later by Natalie Richards (NOT SHOWN)

Promise of Amazing by Robin Constatine

The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly Beloved by Lia Habel

Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Dance of Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Starglass by Phoebe North

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard

Social Code by Sadie Hayes

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

Canary by Rachele Alpine

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

The Testing by Joelle Charbeannue 

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowel

HAD FUN? Yeah. That happened. I have no clue how I'm going to read all these, but I'm excited to try. Ugh though. So many.

Weekly Recap

TMI by Patty Blount

Goddess by Josephine Angelini *Mini Freak Out)

Waiting on Wednesday

Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Goodreads Blurb

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.
Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.
Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo. 
Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.
But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.
By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

I don't usually start reviews like this, but...
Oh my fucking God. I am dead. I can not live. Guys. I just. No. My heart. It fails me. GUYS. Oh my fuck. I can not even. But. Just.

Everything hurts.

So I absolutely have to start off with the sci-fi aspect of this. There is a ton of sci-fi in there and Gretchen McNeil obviously did her research. There were so many theories thrown around, not to mention a ton of...oh God, I don't even know what to call them, much less understand! But the sci-fi is hardcore in 3:59, and you just have to love the scientific explanations and...other. I can't guarantee you'll understand, but I can promise that it'll blow your mind away!

And you guys, the plot. I can't even. It was filled with suspense and anticipation (read: me hyperventilating) and I just couldn't put it down! It hooked me in straight away and then proceeded to kill me several times. It was filled with so many twists I hadn't seen a mile away and smacked me in the face, leaving me astonished and shocked. Not to mention, the ending? Oh, it just breaks your heart.

I just loved our characters who were so brilliantly written (much like the rest of the book) and so wonderfully flawed, especially in the parallel world.
Josie is the kind of character you have to love. She's been through a lot and she's easy to relate to. I loved her voice and how she wasn't the perfect character. She had her selfish moments and she had her brave ones. She was smart and a bit nerdy, but wasn't the stereotypical "loser" nerd.
Nick was sweet in our world, but, of course, was a dick later on. But in the parallel world? Oh God, you have to love him! Madison...I couldn't believe her, how she could change personalities so quickly! It was disgusting and I sort of hated her. But she was definitely kickass in the parallel world and I loved seeing the few, but definitely interesting, interactions Josie had with her!

The romance isn't a big part of the book, but you can't help but cheer Nick and Josie on! I can't say much, but I need an epilogue. That is all.

This was my first Gretchen McNeil book, but you can count on it not being my last. With the amazingness that is 3:59, I'm now scrambling to read her other works! While I haven't read Ten (despite having a copy), my friends have read and loved it, so I can only assume that McNeil is as much a genius with all her books.

I absolutely was not expecting to love 3:59 this much. I had high hopes for sure, but...oh God, they were just completely blown away. And that's saying a lot. 3:59 is a gorgeously written sci-fi thriller that literally had my heart pounding from chapter one and wanting to sob an ocean in the last.
I have to recommend to absolutely everyone, sci-fi fans or no, everyone has to read this so they can scream with me.

Pages: 368

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Sci-fi

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Sep 17, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Goodreads Blurb

Brie is the “biggest, cheesiest, sappiest romantic” who believes that everyone will find their perfect someone, so when Jacob, the love of Brie's life, tells her he doesn't love her anymore, the news breaks her heart, literally, and she dies. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie revisits the living world to discover that her family has begun to unravel and her best friend has been keeping an intimate secret about her boyfriend. Somehow, Brie must handle all of this while navigating through the five steps of grief with the help of Patrick, her mysterious bomber-jacketed guide to the afterlife. But how is she supposed to face the Ever After with a broken heart and no one to call her own?

I've been absolutely dying to read this book for a while now, but I could never bring myself to actually buy it for some strange reason. Then I saw the paperback cover and it happened to be right in front of me. Obviously, it was fate. (GORGEOUS COVER. DO YOU SEE IT?)

The Catastrophic History complete surprised me. Even though so many people told me how far from a fluff it was, I still somehow expected it to be light--but it really wasn't. What it was? Possibly the most beautiful love story I've ever read. So heartbreaking, so heartwarming, and so, so, powerful.

While it was paranormal/supernatural, Catastrophic History had a contemporary feel to it that made me love it so much more. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we deal with a few issues, but I think it was mainly how amazing Brie's voice was. She was such a raw character who had such a distinct teen personality! She was easy to connect to, sassy and flawed, and I wanted to hug her so many times. The things she had to endure were hard enough--that she couldn't really help? It only made it worse.

The romance was beyond amazing and had a twist to it that I just couldn't predict! But it was so absolutely perfect and it made me want to cry (Again! The feels in this book!) I can't say really anything else about it or I'll be spoiling so much, but it truly was one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read.

The plot was, while a bit slow a few times, was absolutely amazing! I loved most of the pacing and I loved everything that happened, the twists, the heartbreak, all of it. This book was just so completely passionate and so completely perfect. So much love! Though, the ending? A little bit too HEA, but otherwise, so completely perfect. So. Perfect.

Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary/Supernatural
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: Jan 1, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

While I haven't read Something Like Normal (DYING to though!), I've heard amazing things and this book sounds absolutely AMAZING! It sounds like one of those raw books that I know is going to touch me in some way! The fact that the cover is completely gorgeous may be a reason too! But this sounds like a story of heartbreak. And you know readers--we love to cry when it comes to books! But seriously, DYING to get my hands on this! I NEED THIS. LEGIT, NEED.

Mini Freak Out: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.
To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.
In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

So I haven't done these in a while! Basically, a MFO is where I record my reactions while reading the spotlighted book then writing a fairly short review after.

There is cussing. Just sayin'

Page 12: OH YES. Love these kind of scenes! *bounces*
Page 16: OMG. LOL. Too adorable. I just can't.
Page 21: Oh my God. This is horrible. YET I LOVE THESE FLASHBACKS TOO MUCH
Page 22: I really really love Aphrodite right now.
Page 36: O_O *backs away*
Page 50: Oh you've got to be shitting me. CRAP.
Page 64: War makes everyone colder, Claire. (Reflection after I finished:...foreshadow. FORESHADOW)
Page 66: Oh God. I really really really love these.
Page 77: This is cracking me up. Oh gosh.
Page 92: Orion, you are so unbelievably dense.
Page 94: CRAP. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE. Oh God. You're...oh God.
Page 102: Oh fudgin crap. I have a bad feeling about this.
Page 128: BAD FEELING. BAD FEELING. Shit. This is not happening.
Page 134: Did I mention that I HAVE A REALLY BAD FEELING ABOUT ALL THIS.
Page 148: Oh crap. Yeah, I definitely know who's who. I'm getting bad feeling shivers.
Page 156: Oh my God. The Fates are such itchy bees. DON'T SMITE ME
Page 161: Oh. My. God. Yes.
Page 169: Not so make-believe after all, huh?
Page 190: OMG NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T DO THIS WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS.
Page 206: Oh fudging crapness in shizzling twizzlers.
Page 211: Oh I hate you so much. How can you say that?
Page 223: Oh God, he knows. I was so hoping he didn't, but I can't be in denial any longer, can I.
Page 234: I am scared. Terrified. This is all going to Hades. (metaphorically)
Page 241: Oh my God. Ari...you can't...but I agree, I CAN'T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS.
Page 250: Everything's really just a cycle. FASCINATING (and really really horrible)
Page 256: LISTEN TO HIM. OMG LISTEN TO HIM. WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN? LISTEN TO EVERYTHING HE SAYS, NOT JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. THERE ARE MORE BETRAYALS THAN YOU--*muffled sounds*
Page 300: I really really love Aphrodite, you know. Irony. But omg, why aren't all the gods like her?
Page 307: SKLJDHFKAJSHDLKCJNBKLANFLJKSNBDCJNASJDNFHJKSDCKJNDFKJASDNCKJBNSKDJBFKSDBKFJDNSF SDJFHSDJKFKJDSFASD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COME DOWN TO THIS DEAR GOD. OMG HELP ME. *whimpers*
Page 310: Oh my God. Do I cry or laugh? I AM CRAUGHING. Oh God. I can't take this. My heart is plunging into my stomach acid and slowly disintegrating.
Page 321: LIES LIES LIES DON'T DO THIS TO ME. WTF ARE YOU DOING. LIES. I CALL LIES. BS ON YOU. Oh God this is not happening.
Page 327: I am dying right now. Just dying. Too many favorite characters going poof. Excuse me while I find an empty ocean to fill.
Page 352: WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THAT THEY'D BE ALL LA-DI-DA?
Page 376: She deserves all the freakin' pain in the world.
Page 386: Seriously. Dense. Orion.
Page 403: Do I laugh or do I scream my guts out.
Page 407: YOU GO GIRL. LOOPHOLES FTW.
Page 410: Totally different Poseidon than in Percy Jackson *sniffs* Guess which I like better.
Page 420: What do you MEAN. Of course I'm not crying. There's just a speck of dust in my eye. Or a twig. Or a stick. Or a branch. Or a trunk. Or a forest.

Needless to say, I just absolutely died when I read Goddess. I've been a giant fan of this series since the first book (one of the first YA books I've read actually!) and seeing these characters grow from innocents to warriors, it was sort of heartbreaking. Seeing them die or losing loved ones or being betrayed? Even worse because you can't help but fall in love with all these characters along the series. Saying goodbye is always super hard, but I just absolutely adore this series and that makes it all the harder. (I think my heart has broken too many times because of ending series this year.)

The plot is absolutely fantastic and Josephine Angelini just has a way of making you die inside with every word. There were no end to the betrayals and the twists and, like I said. Absolutely heartbreaking. I had no idea what to expect and shed more than a few tears.
I definitely loved how Angelini managed to basically rewrite the Trojan War into the series. She used the idea of a "cycle" and just brilliantly wrote her own version. The multiple POVs, instead of annoying me, just made me even more antsy and anxious, building the suspense. Until, of course. it just blew up. Right in my face. Oh God.

An absolutely brilliant ending to a brilliant series, I can't help but wish we could watch these characters grow even more, but loved the epilogue and where it left off. It's heartbreaking and unpredictable, exactly like our characters. Filled with betrayals and secrets, Goddess is one of the best sequels I've read, and I definitely recommend the series to anyone and everyone.

Pages: 421
Genre: Mythology/Fantasy
Series: Starcrossed #3
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Rating: 4.5

DNF Review: TMI by Patty Blount

Goodreads Blurb

Best friends don’t lie.
Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.
Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.
Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.
When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.
But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:
Who is Ryder West?

So another DNF review. I'm not sure why, but I was on a slump when I read this, so maybe that's why...?
This'll be short since I really only had one problem with it. One and a half problems actually?

So the characters were ab-so-lute-ly annoying. Like, I-would-love-to-strangle annoying. I wasn't even sure why they were best friends--they really clashed a lot of times, and I was surprised that this was their first actual fight.
Meg had a one track mind, and I found it unrealistic that someone would be so angry that their dad DIED for what? Over ten years ago? Not to mention that I understand that it would be hard for her to get over it, but I couldn't believe how cruel and judgmental she could be. What kind of best friend...?
Bailey was just so dependent on Meg and it annoyed me to no ends. It's like she couldn't do anything without Meg! In the book, it says that Bailey loved Meg's confidence--what confidence though? Meg was only following a slightly outlined plan, not even foolproof.
The characters were absolutely horrible and unerealistic in my opinion. I sort of loathed them.

The romance was also sort of ridiculous. I didn't even see why...what's his name even liked Meg.
And then, Bailey knew Ryder for LESS than a day and was already setting up plans to meet him? I'm all for internet friends *waves at bloggy friends* but that was over, like, months! It was ridiculous. Bailey sometimes did act like a dumb blond.

So yeah. Not the book for me!

Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Rating: DNF

Authors are Rockstars: Fiona Paul

Today, for the 2nd Annual Authors are Rockstars Tour, I'm hosting the ever wonderful Fiona Paul. Sooo...why is Fiona Paul a rockstar? OH I COULD GO ON AND ON. First, she wrote Falco Venom, Belladonna, Starling, she has two author names, and writes contemporaries under Paula Stokes. CONTEMPORARY. If you didn't know, that's my favorite genre. Absolutely favorite.
Annnnnd. She's nice enough to put up with my nagging and my awkward tweets (speaking of, we're both in the self proclaimed Awkward Faction.) And super sweet! I met her at the Teen Author Carnival of 2012 (First time in NY!) and she gave me her ARC of Venom. This was my first ARC guys. And the first author I ever talked to! She's also helped tweet about Merp Squad Blog Tours and is one of the most social authors I know! And she's one of the only people who's on at like, 3 AM, so. I HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO!
Also, I have three PERSONALIZED Venoms from Fiona in all it's stages: ARC, hardback, and paperback. SO THERE'S THAT. :D

Hi fiction freaks! I’m super-psyched to be chilling on my girl Nikki Wang’s blog for Authors are Rock Stars. Thanks to Jaime, Rachel, and Mindy for including me again. What I have for you today is a deleted scene from Belladonna. It originally took place in Chapter 24, after Cass leaves Belladonna’s creepy mansion, AKA Villa Briani, but before she returns home to Venice. Without being spoilery, I can tell you this scene occurs after Falco realizes that Belladonna’s house physician, Piero Basso, has been putting the moves on Cass, so to speak.

Setting: Florence. Cass’s room at Palazzo Alioni (Madalena’s aunt’s house)

There was a crash and a shout from the direction of the portego. Siena and Cass both looked toward the open door.

            “Stay here,” Siena hissed. She went running for the hallway.

            Cass was tired of blindly obeying orders and hiding away in her chambers. She felt steadier on her feet than she had in days, almost back to normal. She threw on a dressing gown and descended to the portego.

            Piero sat dazedly on the floor, in the middle of a pile of broken wood that had previously been the room’s only table. Falco stood over him, wincing, shaking out the fingers of his right hand. A pair of serving girls peeked around the doorframe of the dining room, curious about the noise but unwilling to intervene. They scurried off when they saw Cass.

            “Falco!” Cass cried out. She blinked hard. “What are you doing?”

            He didn’t answer. Instead, he gripped Piero by the fabric of his doublet and hauled him to his feet. He reared back to strike again, but Piero ducked low and then landed a quick punch to Falco’s midsection, sending him reeling toward the brick fireplace, which thankfully wasn’t lit.

            Cass gasped. She clutched at the belt of her dressing gown with her good hand. “Both of you, stop it this instant!”

            The men ignored her. They circled the room, both crouched low, their eyes filled with hate.

            Cass moved to grab Piero as he went after Falco again, but Siena restrained her. “I’ll get help,” she said breathlessly. She turned around and ran for the back of the house.

            “I warned you.” Falco danced sideways, out of Piero’s reach. “I told you to stay away from her.” He lunged forward, fists flying. There was a sickening crunch as his knuckles collided with Piero’s mouth. Cass recoiled as if she were the one who had been struck. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t.

            Piero staggered back a couple of paces. He lifted a hand to his lip. It came away red. “What makes you think you can speak for her?” he asked. “Is she not betrothed to another? Why should you have all the fun?” He coughed hard. Drops of blood spattered the portego floor, along with something sharp and white. Falco had knocked out one of Piero’s teeth!

            “That’s enough!” Cass yelled, her voice spiraling into hysteria. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “Please.”

            “Quiet, whore,” Piero said.

            “Don’t you dare speak to her that way.” Falco lunged for Piero again, who side-stepped just out of his reach. “I will shut you up for good, I swear it.” Falco’s eyes were wild. The veins on his forearms stood out like tree branches. Cass had never seen him look so ferocious.

            Piero spat. His teeth were bared; he looked almost like one of the dogs that had prowled the gravesite outside Florence. “I saw the two of you at Villa Briani. I saw you in her bed.”

            Falco leapt toward Piero and wrapped his hands around the physician’s neck. Piero gagged. Reaching up, he tried to break Falco’s hold but couldn’t. His face flushed bright red as he struggled to escape. Falco just squeezed harder. Flailing out desperately, Piero grabbed a vase off a nearby pedestal and slammed it over the top of Falco’s head.

            Cass swallowed back a scream. Falso didn’t even flinch. Shards of pottery rained down from his hair. “Swear you will never touch her again,” Falco said slowly. Piero’s face went from red to white to grayish. The physician sunk to his knees, mewling and choking.    

            “Falco, stop it! You’re going to kill him!” Suddenly, the stench of sweat and blood in the room was overpowering, and for the first time that day, Cass felt unsteady on her feet. “Please,” she begged. “For me.”

            At last, as though waking from a trance, Falco released Piero and turned toward Cass. “I—”

            Just then, Siena and Signora Alioni rushed into the room. The signora held a partially finished needlepoint in her hand.

            “What is the meaning of this?” she thundered. “I want both of you out, or I’ll call the guard.”

            “Dottor Basso was just leaving,” Falco said, wiping his brow.

            Piero staggered back to his feet and headed for the stairs. “Your days are numbered, artist,” he hissed. “You are finished in Florence.”

            “I’m not afraid of you, or your empty threats,” Falco said. “And if you ever come near Signorina Cassandra again, I will make sure there is not enough of you left for even the worms to take an interest in.”

            

Venom Blurb

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Author Bio

Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)

In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.She also writes contemporary YA under the name Paula Stokes.

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