Book Haul + Weekly Recap

I've been gone on vacation (which is why there wasn't a Book Haul last week!), but I came back and had a lot of pretty packages waiting for me! (Sadly, not the Level 2 hardback everyone got. I'm moping now.)

Review

Gifted

eBooks

First of all, it's a HARDBACK OF SPLINTERED. Which was dubbed my favorite book of 2012! THANK YOU Abrams! I have no idea what I did to deserve such a...shiny...beautiful...*clutches book*. So I was told by the publicist of Vortex that there were no copies left, so I don't know what this was doing on my doorstep...but I'll take it! Uses for Boys was unsolicited and I honestly want to like it, but from reviews...hmm. Infatuate, sequel to Illuminate which was pretty slow at first, but I'm hoping Infatuate is more fast paced as the sequel! Bruised sounds seriously amazing and I'm in love with almost all Abram-published books, so I DEFINITELY am going to love this.SO MANY THANKS TO SHREYA (Chocolate Coated Reviews) AND LIZZY (Read-a-holicz)!!! XMAS GIFTS!!! Better late than never, right? I've been absolutely DYING for these two! Plus I love the covers. Especially Altered...*cough*
Obviously I bought these, with the exception of Taken! I finished Losing It which was AMAZING by the way, though incredibly cliche and A Dark Grave I read as well and it was...less than I expected. I was really hoping we could see Gavin's POV when he met Evie for the first time...And I can't WAIT to read Taken! I've actually preordered that...

Weekly Recap
FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012
New Year's Giveaway!
Waiting on Wednesday
Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Goodreads Blurb

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

Oh. My. God.This is possibly one of my Top 3 favorite books ever. I'm not even joking. This review will be possibly the most vague and probably won't even begin to describe my feelings for this amazing book. But I promise to try!

(Also, this is probably one of the only times I can't analyze characters, romance, plot, anything. Just One Day was so much more than just those specific things. But I can't explain how! you'll just have to read to see.)

I haven't read If I Stay, Where She Went, or any others. This is my first Gayle Forman book and I can promise that I'll be reading and loving the others. There was not one thing I didn't like about Just One Day. It made me think, it touched my heart, and it was surprisingly deep. The difference between falling in love and being in love really did make sense and I loved how it rang true. I loved how even though Allyson was looking for someone else, she was rediscovering herself all along. And I loved how she wasn't portrayed as some lovesick damsel pining for the guy. The way I saw it, she was looking for answers, for questions, not just for a guy.

So I'm going to try and talk about the characters. These were possibly the most real characters I've ever read about, and that's honestly saying something.They all touched my heart in some way and no matter how small or short their scenes were, I loved them.One thing I found strangely weird though, was that each person was kind and friendly, even though that's far from true. But hey, it's fiction right? And very good fiction too.

Just One Day is a novel that makes us question ourselves in ways we never have before and makes us wonder what love really is and who we really are. It will break your heart, put it together, and do it again and again. Just One Day will make you tear up, and you'll never stop thinking about it, because it just isn't possible to.

Pages: 320
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: Jan 8, 2013
Rating: 7/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

A meth dealer. A  prostitute. A serial killer.

Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.

Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

If you're not intrigued by this, I have no words for you. Zero.  Zip. None. NADA. We're going to have some interesting characters at this school is all I can say! Plus I may or may not be interested in a school that murders its students--as if they don't exist already, right?

Happy New Year's!

That's right y'all! It's 2013! And it's time to PARTAY!!!

By the time this goes up, I'll be staring up at fireworks or reading while listening to sounds that sound like gunshots. Possibly a horror book or a thriller. Watch me squee each time there's a firework.

It seems like it was 2012 only yesterday...

I can't wait for most of the 2013 debuts and books, so I'll likely go broke, but I can't leave y'all without a present! Thanks for being with me, Senior Fiction Freaks, and HEY Newbies! It's a giant time of the year and it'll be an amazing year, I KNOW IT!

ANYWAYS!

Here are some of the notable things that happened this year-

• We survived the apocalypse
• I became BBFFs with Eileen (the craziest person ever whom you all know)
• I started blogging seriously
• I made author and blogger friends which still amazes me
• I somehow turned crazier
• I got 5 $50 B&N GCs which STILL amazes me.
• I realized just how supportive the YA blogosphere is! 

and

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Here are a few of mine...well, I won't put my personal ones since those are sekrit. ;D But here are book related ones! Or blog related. :)

• Be ahead of schedule by more than a month!
• Be more friendly with other bloggers. ;D (i.e. be less crazy and scary)
• SOMEHOW GET PENGUIN TO SEND ME BOOKS. AND HARPER. @_@
• Read more horror. Without being as scared. 
• Actually watch a horror movie. Without covering my eyes. Scratch that, WITHOUT CRYING AND SCREAMING INTO THE HILLS. 
• Meet up with Eileen, Shreya, Nicole, Lizzy, this could go on... (Hey, I wrote this in Nov. If, somehow, I get another bloggy friend who isn't scared of my Nikkiness, then sorry there's no mention!)
• Finish my TBR. Hopefully. I'm doubting the reality of this one.

There you have it! Just a few of my resolutions! NOW, for your present? (think of it as a late Xmas too!)

WIN A $10 Amazon Gift Card! Or, if your INT, a book $10 or less from The Book Depository! And yes, this IS part of the Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway


BUT WAIT! Want to celebrate more?
CLICKY CLICKY!

FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012

Hey guys! So this is an awards-type thing I decided to do last year, where I gather up my seven 7 stars, my four 10 stars, and then show you guys which was my absolute favorite book of the year. I HAVE to have reviewed it this year in order for it to qualify though!

(Click the covers to go to my review)

Fangirl Fiction
Books that'll turn any girl into a fan! 7/5 (7 books most)

Burn for Burn was just an amazing read that absolutely stunned me! I loved Jenny Han's Summer series so when I heard about this my interest immediately piqued! This was SO good and I loved how different the girls were! But I really do wish the guys/girl had done something more dramatic to earn this kind of suffering...well that is what prevented a ten, but still! AMAZING book, I loved how devious it was and it was just...wow.








Do I even need to say anything? Sweet Evil was amazing with a unique twist on the Nephilim (trust me, that deserves 7 stars already) and Kaidan? YES. not to mention I loved Anna and she was just adorable! Want to see my entire rant? Click the pic!










Send me a Sign. Oh how I loved thee. I absolutely loved Mia and her superstitious ways! She could read into anything and I just loved how quirky she was, and the fact that she wasn't the average loser/normal in books. She was popular and quirky and she didn't know if she'd be alive in the end. It's a unique...situation for a character and this book just made me cry so many times! I loved the love interest. He was just...awww. Wish I could say more! Send Me a Sign to say I can! 








I can't believe I rated this 4 stars at first! Oh, the young blogger I was. But Meant to Be was a sweet, adorable read that was light, hilarious, and romantic at the same time! Lots of fluff, but the kind that we love! I have almost zero qualms about it whatsoever! This book and I were Meant to Be!









Even the Empress would approve! I loved how we got to read about the apocalypse and not just read about after it. I loved seeing how the suspense increased with each page, and I loved meeting all the other Arcana! I just loveloveloved this book! That's pretty much all I can say right now! Also--Jackson.










Another book that made me sob! I loved the writing, I loved the character, I was with her along the way when she fell in love, relived her guilt, and everything else. This book was just...heartfelt. It was such a Lovely, Dark, and Deep tale!














Fab Fiction
Absolutely FABULOUS fiction! 10/5 stars! (4 books most)


OH MY GOODNESS! THE SQUEES I HAVE FOR THIS. It was just amazing, I wanted to cry at the end and and and...wow the guy she ended up with was so unexpected..and KORBYN. WHHHHYYYYY. Oh I want to cry. I couldn't believe when it was over and...and...OH THE FEELS.








Oh my. Crewel was just simply magnificent! One of the strongest female heroines I met and amazing world-building! Need I say more? It excels at my favorite parts of a book and I could reread this in less than hour because of how much flipping I'd do! And that ending? JUST CREWEL.









You've seen me rant about this on Twitter. Facebook. I'm even doing a Readalong for it! Is it any surprise it's on here? Venom is my absolute favorite historical fiction novel! Jeez, I even did a report on it for school! It manages to weave deceit, romance, and absolutely stunning writing into one historical novel you can't forget!









Fiction Favorite!
My (very hard to choose) favorite book of the year!


The IMAGINATION! The CHARACTER! The LOVE INTERESTS! OH MY GOODNESS I JUST LOVED THEM. The creativity that should be required for all Alice retellings was here. The character was likeable and I didn't really have any negative feelings towards. her. I AM A MOTH GIRL and I just loved how...brooding Morpheus was! Jeb stands NO CHANCE in the long run. MORPHEUS IS SO MUCH BETTER! My heart SPLINTERED when I read this!

How was  your New Year's? What were some of your fave books? I'd LOVE to know!

Mini Freak Out: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

Beforehand, I'd just like to say that I don't have many annotations in the beginning of the book because I was more than a few pages into the book and the end? I was too caught up in the book to notice that I needed to annotate! So sorry bout that! But it is a thick book so you'll see enough of my craziness anyways!

Page 43: (This after I read the whole thing) Man...that should've tipped me off...

Page 45: PSH. Do you really want to be left alone? Now?

Page 52: NO DOUBT.

Page 57: Psh. Punch him in the face? You also want to suck his face. Right, right, AM I RIGHT MARA.

Page 67: Oooohhh Shizzler Twizzlers.

Page 71: WTF. WTF. WTF. I AM BEING CREEPED OUT.

Page 73: WHAT IS THIS.

Page 84: Ermmm...ok. Totally normal.

Page 90: Holy F...what is this. This is a creepy book. Like, really.

Page 92: I have. No. Words. For you. Michelle Hodkin.

Page 98: O_O Really now.

Page 108: (Same as the first) WOW. That really should've tipped me off.

Page 114: ADFNSLCKNASDFKJNLEKFNC. YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS. YOU CAN'T BE.

Page 118: I am so scared. I am so scared. I am so not freaked out. 

Page 121: Oh. My. God. *mind blank*

Page 124-125: OMG MICHELLE HODKIN. I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS. DO YOU KNOW HOW FREAKED OUT I AM ABOUT DOLLS? EVEN WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I STUFFED THEM IN DRAWERS. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED.

Page 126: And thus I shall punch him for being so mean to ME. 

Page 127: Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod. Iamscarediamscarediamscared HIDE ME.

Page 133: MARA, I thought we figured this out already!

Page 151: Heheheheheh.

Page 153: Hmmm...please don't delve into THIS kind of paranormal! I love Mara Dyer's brand of it by itself!

Page 159: MEEP.

Page 160: OMG HEY. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED BEFORE IN 2011! A murder of crows fell from the sky at once with no explanation? WOAH.

Page 164: It feels wrong to be writing a reaction here...

Page 177: JUST A NIGHTMARE? I DON'T THINK SO.

Page 178: Blood? Blood isn't good. Also, WTF, this is SERIOUSLY CREEPY.

Page 181: What. The. Freaking. Hell.

Page 190: What. The. Freaking. Hell. WHAT.

Page 203: HURRY. NO. WHAT IS IT. TELL ME.

Page 241: This is going to a whole new level on creepy.

Page 248: Mara, connect the freaking dots. please. PLEASE.

Page 256: I like Stef. :)

Page 267: Ummm, yeah Mara. My reaction too. Holy Shit.

Page 273: LOLOL

Page 286: Do you know how perfect this setting is for a stalker, a creeper, and a murderer?

Page 292: What. What. What.

Page 207: Mara, you dirty minded girl! ;D

Page 315: *keels over and dies*

Page 321: O_______O

Page 369: WHAT IS THIS. OMG. SDHCNASKNAIERJWPENF. NO WORDS.

Page 382: What. The. Hell.

And the rest? Oh my GOD I was so intrigued! 

I absolutely love psychological thrillers, but especially The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, so getting this in the mail? There was much squeeing. The action never stops from page 1 to the last page (Wow. Just realized this was over 500 pages!) and that is saying something! I was engaged throughout the entire book and I could barely put it down! Double the greatness of Unbecoming, The Evolution of Mara Dyer raises the stakes higher and it makes you realize how creepy and cruel both Mara's world and ours are. Anything we can't explain, we write it off as craziness? That's seriously not right. And I loved how Noah and Mara's personalities just clashed so wonderfully! Honestly, they were rarely on the same page at the same level and when they were, I just missed it when they were completely different! The way that Michelle Hodkin brings them together, not only with their powers, but with their own feelings? It made me throw up my hands and as "How does she do that?" Did I also say how creepy this book was? I'm already scared of dolls! Increase that fear by a ton now!

The only think I didn't enjoy about Evolution was the characters. Honestly, Mara was way too dependent on Noah for my liking. She was always leaning on him, waiting for him, and I sometimes found it pitiful, no matter how sweet I found their romance. Noah was sometimes too cynical and we honestly didn't get to see much development for his character, though what we did see? *Whistles* Wow. Two other characters I seriously wanted to strangle? Mara's mom and Phoebe. When you read The Evolution, you'll see why.

Pages: 544

Series: Mara Dyer #2

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Romance

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Rating: 4 stars