HELP! + Weekly Recap!

Hey guys! I actually didn't get many...many books so I'm going to lump them in with next week's books (also, my camera isn't working!!!) ButI just wanted to say that the AWESOME Nicole from Paperback Princess surprised me with a SIGNED copy of Burn for Burn personalized to me! EEP! Once my camera starts working I'll be showing that off all over twitter!

Also, I'll be showing you guys my TBR pile because I can't decide what to read NEXT!!! EEK! (This pic does not include my eARC of Princess of the Silver Woods)


Weekly Recap
Blog Tour: Venom by Fiona Paul
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin
Waiting on Wednesday
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
Blogger Interview and Giveaway!

MY TBR 

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Amy McNamara
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
Through to You by Emily Hainsworth
Every Day by David Levithan
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Echo by Alyson Noel
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
The Loop by Shandy Lawson
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR BOOK HAUL AND WHAT BOOK I SHOULD READ NEXT!

(Currently reading Raven Boys)

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

Goodreads Blurb

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

What I Liked

There were so many things I loved about What Happens Next but the one that stood out the most? It dealt with real problems, real insecurities, and real people. Our characters weren’t perfect—they were far from it, in fact. They weren’t gorgeous-but-didn’t-know-it. They just…weren’t gorgeous. And you guys, that is such a relief. Cassidy goes through real-life situations, ones that almost anybody can go through. It was…heartwarming and heartbreaking. Even Corey, our love interest isn’t perfect or liked. He isn’t the stereotype bad boy, cocky and handsome with a dark side. He’s sweet and even if he does deal in drugs…well, he has a good reason to. He wasn’t insanely hot either and he was far from cocky. He was just the outcast who had a few secrets of his own. That’s what I loved about him. His non-stereotypicalness. Which I totally just made up on the spot!

Pacing? It wasn’t too fast or too awkward—one problem after another. It flowed well and it wasn’t too crazy. One thing lead to another and even when some things surprised me, I realized that it really didn’t. I knew it was going to happen somehow. It’s one of those amazing books that don’t need a giant plot twist to make it good. I can’t explain why it was so good. It’s just…impossible! But it was just amazing the way it was written and all

What I Didn’t Like

The main character. I mean, she wasn’t annoying or anything, but she was a bit…not smart. I mean…going to a party with a guy who she barely met who’s older and already seems obsessed….ermmm…no. And when it turns out that no one is really there and letting him get you a drink? It’s just asking for trouble. Other than that I really don’t have many complaints. It was just great otherwise!

Pages: 320

Series:Standalone

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: October 9

Rating: 4 stars

 

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Goodreads Blurb

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

I’ve got tons of mixed feelings about this book. Well, al lot of good feelings and one bad. Still!

The bad? Mira. I was so annoyed by Mira! She was supposedly shy and followed other people’s rules, but throughout the entire book, she was the complete opposite.  She was reckless and ignored every warning thrown at her. And you can’t call her naïve either. She knew exactly what she was getting into. But oooh, she thought she was different than others, right? Yeah. Yeah.

And she always, always, got defensive when she was told to stay away and snapped at everyone, even Layla. The sweetest person on Earth! She didn’t wonder why?

Now, I adored all the other characters, even the ones mentioned once! Freddie, Jewel, Layla, Rafe, Henley, Viv, Caspian, Will, and especially Blue and Felix! Each of them played their part in their fairy tales well, without trying to. It was so cool seeing them play out their parts in a more modern way, of course! I couldn’t find any reason to hate them at all! They were cursed, they couldn’t help it and even if they could, they were all so awesome!

Okay, I strongly disliked the romance. There was a sort of love triangle, but Mira was really only focused on Felix. Why I didn’t like them as a couple? I basically summed it up in my dislike paragraph of Mira, but it was also super fast. And what annoyed me was that Mira seemed to fall for him because of his good looks and what he did for her. I mean, didn’t she think there was some ulterior motive? But even I have to admit, it was super sweet what Felix did for her!

As for Blue and Mira…(ROMANCE SPOILER) I hated that Mira only seemed to choose Blue when Felix was out of the picture. I mean, there were a few…stray glances here and there but they both made sure to show their hate for each other.  (OVER)

But both of them were insanely sweet! If, you know, Mira was a better character, I’d probably had loved both relationships. After all, with two hot guys like that, it’s kind of a given!

Plot wise…nothing really happened much during the first part of the book. It was mainly Mira getting information and tightening bonds with her newfound friends. And honestly, I didn’t mind. It was actually pretty fun seeing how Mira interacted with them and how she reacted with more and more info, not to mention learning what was going on myself. The second half is where things spin out of control. Fairy tales within fairy tales, curses awakening, etc. It was madness! The good kind, of course.

World-building, I loved! The fairy tales come to life thing actually made a lot of sense (you know, if faeries were real. And if curses were.) They were well thought out and didn’t leave any holes for confusion. The only small thing I didn’t get was: why were they confined to one small town? But it did make everything infinitely more interesting!

I’d definitely pick this up if you’re a fantasy lover and are more…compassionate toward what characters are going through. After all, tons of people loved Mira’s stubbornness, but I guess I wasn’t one of them! If you grew up reading fairy tales, you have to read this! It mixes in every fairy tale, focusing on Sleeping Beauty, but it was awesome that Mira wasn’t really waiting around for her Prince to show up. That may be the only good part of her! But yeah. It’s definitely an enticing book for every Disney/Grimm fan! Just, don’t be prepared for a happy ending.

Pages: 336

Series: Standalone

Genre: retelling/Romance/Fantasy

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Rating: 3 stars

 

Waiting on Wednesday

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Sing and the darkness will find you.

Shipwrecked on an island seven years ago, Lucy has been warned she must never sing, or disaster will strike. But on All Hallows Eve, Lucy hears tantalizing music in the air. When she sings it, she unlocks a terrible secret: She is a Chantress, a spell-singer, brought to the island not by shipwreck but by a desperate enchantment gone wrong.

Her song lands her back in England — and in mortal peril, for the kingdom lies in the cruel grasp of a powerful Lord Protector and his mind-reading hunters, the Shadowgrims. The Protector has killed all Chantresses, for they alone can destroy the Shadowgrims. Only Lucy has survived.

In terrible danger, Lucy takes shelter with Nat, a spy who turns her heart upside-down. Nat has been working with his fellow scholars of the Invisible College to overthrow the Lord Protector, and they have long hoped to find a living Chantress to help them. But Lucy is completely untrained, and Nat deeply distrusts her magic. If Lucy cannot master the songspells, how long can she even stay alive?

Does it, or does it not, sound absolutely amazing? It's definitely original (SO glad we're getting more of these by the year!) and as a singer myself *wink* I want to see how this turns out! I mean, it's definitely a twist on the old Siren's tale, no? And the cover? YES. (Yes, I'm a cover-lover! :D)

 

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Goodreads Blurb

How far would you go for love, beauty, and jealousy?
When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.
Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty.

The one thing that jumped out at me almost immediately was the writing. It was beautiful, lyrical, just stunning writing.  But the thing about the writing is that while it had that poetic feel to it, it didn’t have much dialogue in the first half of the story and that honestly bored me. Without dialogue, the story just loses its interest and tension. I ended up reading 10 or so pages per day instead of the 150+ I usually read. When the action did start to pick up, I found it harder and harder to close the book. The ending? Totally unexpected. I can’t believe that it was that person who wanted Nicole’s face ruined! Gasp!

This is my first contemporary thriller (yes, I know!) and I’ll definitely picking up more soon. It was filled with anticipation as you tried to figure out on your own and realized you were completely wrong. The funny thing about Burning Blue is that (SLIGHT SPOILER) Paul Griffin actually insinuated that it was this person and then had Jay dismiss the notion. And of course, I fell for that old trick because there was just so much proof that it wasn’t that person. Sigh. We gullible readers.

I loved reading from Jay’s POV. He was an awesome character who wasn’t very naïve and didn’t fall for as much, being the super smart hacker he is. This book just racked up another point with Jay! As for Nicole, I loved her personality and how she handled getting burned. I mean, she kept it together when I would’ve hidden away and refused to come out ever again. But I felt her as too perfect, you know? She was popular, super pretty, and super nice. She handled everything well, was the go-to girl for everything, barely anyone hated her, etc. And I’m not saying that every pretty girl has to be mean, but she was just too good to be true, you know? Anyhow, she was an enjoyable character who stood strong throughout the entire story, so I can’t complain too much!

The romance was my favorite part! It definitely wasn’t insta-love and Jay and Nicole got to really know each other before they fell and it was so darn sweet! I could actually believe that they cared for each other and it wasn’t forced like I thought it may be, so you can imagine my relief! I sort of wish I was in that situation. Without the acid. And pain. And hacker stuff. Ok, so maybe not.

Overall, I was definitely impressed by Burning Blue and you can bet I’ll be checking out more of Paul Griffin’s stuff! This is definitely one to pick up when you get the chance! It’ll keep you on our toes and shock you with the ending! ACK! I still can’t really believe it!

Pages: 288

Genre: Thriller/Romance/Mystery

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Dial Books

Release Date: October 25

Rating: 4 stars

"What day is it? What night?I'm burning, burning, burning, blue."

Blog Tour: Venom by Fiona Paul

Y'all know I'm such a giant fan of VENOM (Check out my review here) and I've asked Fiona Paul to do a lot of Promo stuff (check out the guest post here and my interview here!) and VENOM totally deserves it! So I'm absolutely THRILLED to be on the Venom Blog Tour and even more excited to be kicking it off! EEP! And during the blog tour, you can collect snippets of the novella VENOMOUS! (I had to cut out a lot of squealing in this intro. Just thought I'd say that.) Here's the first snippet!

Venomous

A Secrets of the Eternal Rose short story

By Fiona Paul

The year is 1600 and the streets of Venice, Italy are ripe with intrigue and danger. In this introduction to the world of Venom, eighteen-year-old Mariabella has recently elevated herself from the rank of common prostitute to the status of courtesan, a respected high-class escort for those men in Venetian society who can afford them. Mariabella steps out to attend a party on the arm of her powerful new patron, certain that the night will be filled with glamour, secrets, and adventure.

--

As the gondola slows to a stop, I adjust the neckline of my dress and emerge from behind the leather curtains of the felze. Arabella, my friend and roommate, laced my stays extra tightly and the stiff framework presses against my rib cage as I stand. The private dock of Palazzo Domacetti is crowded with other guests. All of Venice seems to be watching me as I take the gondolier’s hand and alight from the boat.

 Slowly, I step onto the dock, reveling in the stares of desire and jealousy. For the first time in my life, I am the girl that the other girls wish they could be. It’s not because I’m the prettiest or the youngest, or even the most talented. It’s because one of the richest and most powerful men in Venice went looking for a new companion, and he chose me.

            Someone tugs sharply at my dress and I wobble in my chopines, stepping sideways to regain my balance. I turn around. A toothless woman with a stooped back is gripping the emerald-green satin of my top skirt in her gnarled hand. Her other hand clutches a leather canteen. She’s not wearing a hat, and snarls of gray hair hang like storm clouds around her pale face.

            “The mark,” she rasps. She is rank with the stench of ale and worse things. Filth. Death. I grew up around these smells and I will never forget them.

            Tugging the fabric free of her bony fingers, I glance down at my bodice and skirts, at my sleeves and lace gloves, looking for a spot or stain. I’m clean, but I pull my cloak tight around me anyway, attempting to cover my entire body with the soft suede garment.

 “What mark?” I ask, even though she’s clearly drunk or mad. Perhaps both.           

“The Devil’s mark,” she hisses. One crooked finger lifts toward my face. “You are chosen.” She throws back her head and cackles.

            Around me, nobles and other courtesans watch the exchange with curiosity, but no one steps in to help. My new patron, Joseph Dubois, is just now alighting from the gondola, having stopped to pay the gondolier. He moves immediately to my side and gestures quickly at a pair of men clad in the red and black livery of Palazzo Domacetti. They step forward to seize the woman.

            “Off with you now,” one says. A heavy club hangs from his belt. “You’ve no business in this district.”

            The old woman allows the men to lead her away from the palazzo, but she continues to cackle, a sound that makes my skin twitch and crawl as if I am covered with cockroaches. “Chosen,” she shrills once more. And then she disappears around a corner, safely out of sight.

--

Isn't that AMAZING! I can't wait for the next posts to find out what happens next! The next part will be on The Compulsive Reader on Oct 3! 

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?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

Short 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.

Contact Info
Fiona Paul's Website
Fiona Paul's Blog
Fiona Paul's Twitter
Fiona Paul's Facebook

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