Winner!

The winner of the giveaway for the audiobook of The Hunt is Patrick Castro! The winner has been contacted, but if he does ot reply to the email within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Random Musings On: Blogging

I've heard stories of bloggers who only review books to get free books from authors and publishers or get the privileges that we do. And that's just...no. Just no. Bloggers should be reviewing books o introduce readers to new books, to share our opinions, and to help our favorite authors ge the word out! Not to gain more books from publishers, NetGalley, authors, and blog trades! I'm telling you, if you just blog o get that stuff, you might as well just end your blogging days. People can tell when you actually care about reading and when you don't. You do not want to mess with angry readers. Why? Because readers have the best social networking around. And trust me, they will kill your blog. So when you actually take reviewing seriously and stop cheating readers, then go ahead and blog. I have no protests against that. Anyways, if you've read this entire things, thanks fo not getting bored and throwing our computer out the window! I do rant.

Everneath by Brodi Ashotn

Goodreads Blurb

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Everneath captivated me from start to finish, leaving me with tears in my eyes and heart in my stomach. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened and nothing could have left me more shell-shocked. A bittersweet ending, a heartbreaking realization, and a dark tale mixed into this retelling of Persephone.

Nikki has been with Cole for one hundred years in the Everneath, really on six months in the mortal world. We start off with Nikki waking up in Cole’s arms after the Feed, an event where Cole fed on Nikki’s energy for a century. But once she wakes up, one face haunts her mind: Jack, the boyfriend she left six months ago. She gets six months on the surface with her old friends and six months to make everything right before she has to go back in Cole’s arms or get sucked in by the Everneath, the hell in this story. She goes back and everything’s changed. Her friends stay away and Jack keeps his distance. No one can pretend that she hadn’t disappeared for six months, especially not our protagonist.

I admit, it was a bit weird reading about a girl with the same name as me, but I got over that uncertainty once I passed the first five chapters. I have to say, I couldn’t have been prouder if some other character shared my name. Nikki Becket has definitely risen up in my top heroines list. She was strong enough to resist the temptation of Cole’s promises, immortality, and the promise of being a queen all for the boy she loved and loves. It was a beautiful, tragic romance that I absolutely could not get enough of. This is definitely the best take on Persephone I’ve read in a while and trust me, I’ve read a lot.

Let’s talk love interest. Cole is alluring in that typical bad boy way, but Jack is the sacrificing, broken one whose situation just tugs at your heart, urging you to pay attention. I’m sure it’s obvious who I’m leaning towards to. Cole may be the supernatural one in this love triangle, but he never shows that he actually loves her. Jack almost gave her up just so she could be safe. Like I said, sacrificing.

Everneath didn’t have any bad points in my perspective, and speaking about perspective, another thing I loved about Everneath was that it switched from the past to present, giving you a hint on just how deep jack and Nikki’s relationship was, making you feel all the more heartbroken. Heartbreaking really is the perfect word for this. In other words, it was a perfect book (for me at least) in all ways.

Pages: 370

Series: Everneath #1

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Rating: 5 stars

'Have you figured out a topic? A moral conundrum?'
'Yes.'
'What is it?'
I heard Jack's chair creak.
'It's about how there's no such thing as redemption,' I whispered. 'How you deserve what you get, and no higher power can save you.'

Showcase Sunday

This week was actually pretty busy since I go a lot of NetGalley adds. And I got my first books from a publisher! So happy! Anyways, I had some great books and I'm expecting 3-4 more this week!

While I'm at it, credit goes to The Story Siren Books, Biscuits, and Tea for creating this meme where bloggers tell you what books we got this week!

Bought:

         

Bloggers:

                            

Library:

Publisher:

                   

NetGalley:

         

A dystopian Cinderella? Who can't love that? And with it taking place in China? Talk about a new spin!

Currently reading glimmer, and it's pretty good so far! I got this from Damaris (Good Choice Reading) for free! The synopsis sounds intriguing and I can' wait to sink deeper in. the rest have come out, bu I haven't goten he chance o read. Hopeuflly I can his week!

I know, I know, with Hidden coming out so soon, I should've read his, but back then I didn't read much, so I never read Vanish. Well, now I will!

So excited ha these are my first books from the pub! It sounds like Hex Hall to me, but beter since our protagonist never knew her supernatural status! I will definitely review these.

These are not all he books I got, but only two. NetGalley, why do you have so many neat books on there!?

Endure by Carrie Jones***

Goodreads Blurb

It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.

Yet another eARC from NetGalley! I swear, I am addicted to NetGalley now!

Endure is the fourth book in the Need series, and I read the rest of the series about two years ago, I guess. I loved it…until the third book. Entice was a kind of disappointment, I have to admit. Sure, it was supposed to be one of the biggest parts of the series, where Zara finally becomes a pixie to save Nick (and succeeds), but I don’t know…it lacked the action, the anticipation, of Need and Captivate. At least, that’s how it seemed. Endure definitely made up for that missing part, though.

Nick seems to loathe Zara now that she’s a pixie, despite the fact that she changed to save him. He denies it over and over, but when he leaves, Zara doesn’t know what to think. She’s more isolated than ever. Betty has run off, Nick has gone away, her mom is in another state, and Mrs. Nix is dead. Her mother-in-law, I guess, is helping an evil pixie king capture Zara for their own gains. Her only comfort now is found in Astley, her pixie king, the one who turned her, and one of the only “good pixie kings” and her best friend, Issie. To make matters worse, she now has to deal with Loki, a volcano god that is now after her. How does she know this? An ice giant told her with his dying breath. As a quote from Zara, it was “Twilight Zone creepy”. Zara feels like she’s being stalked. Others find out about pixies. Astley is poisoned. That’s only the first 75 pages. She’s afraid, confused, and has every right to be.

I am completely Team Astley. At first, it was Nick, yeah, but by the middle of Entice, I switched sides. Astley is Zara’s rock. He’s always there for her and always makes sure she’s safe. He’s willing to do almost anything for her, and yet, she still pines for Nick. Zara’s still a bit weak and wimpy, but she’s a lot stronger than when she first was introduced as a character. Not only do I, the reader, think so, Astley, Nick, Issie, Devyn, Astley, and everyone else does too! Nick just lost his glory in my eyes. He’s hurt Zara over and over again. When he found out she was the daughter of a pixie king, when he found out that she might become a pixie queen, and when he found out that she turned pixie. Pixie, pixie, pixie! Nick has an old prejudice, and it definitely gets annoying.

I don’t know exactly what’s different for me in the writing of Endure compared to Entice, but Endure seems more…real? I guess? I think the genre of the book changing is what did it. Instead of all the foolish fun I sensed in books 1, 2, and 3, Endure is more of a post-apocalypse book than just a plain-old fantasy/paranormal. Entice was where Zara went and got changed into a pixie, went to Valhalla, and rescued Nick, but Endure is where things hit home. Of course, there are still some parts where everyone still seems to take it as a joke. For example: “Somebody fake screams. Someone else shouts, ‘Die, you pixie scum!’”  It just made me loathe those people. I mean, they know they’re on the verge of the end of the world, but they’re joking about this? Really? No. Just no.  I admit that some got me laughing, but others were just plain no-at-this-time-jokes. But you can still feel the danger, see their fear and desperation. At one point I seriously panicked. It was impossible! Carrie Jones could absolutely not do that!

 I had a lot of suspicions about a few characters in this book. Such as the mysterious woman who (minor spoiler) attacks Zara in the snow. I’m a major geek on legends, whether it’s Greek, Latin, Norse, or just superstition. I guess that was one of the reasons I got clued in, but I’m not saying anything else!

Anyways, as an overview, the plot is original, which we all know is pretty hard to do these days with all these great books coming in, but that’s how it’s been for all books in the Need series. There’s still the love triangle, and more than once Nick and Astley are on the verge of literally fighting for a girl, but the Need series has Norse mythology, Valhalla, and were-tigers and were-eagles! How cool is that! And it has pixies. Ok, so maybe the “pixies” are actually faeries (I mean, iron? Invitation to come in? Flying?), but they’re different because of the king needing a queen, the link between the pixies in one…kingdom. These are what makes the Need series so unique and completely lovable! And the ending? Well…it scared me half to death (for those of you who’ve read Endure, excuse the pun), but the epilogue…it was exactly what I expected from this book! And that is absolutely not a bad thing

Quick Summary: I loved Endure! Entice ruined the series for me, but Endure redeemed it! It was fun, dangerous, humorous, and deliciously so. Hurt, passion, love, sacrifices, and betrayal are gathered in this one book. Many of the main characters are as lovable as always, if not more so! As the fourth book in the series, it ends in a heartbreaking fall (Quite literally). I was a bit confused as to what happened, but after about 5 minutes pondering that section, I finally got it. Call me slow. But Endure was one of the best ending sequels I’ve ever read.

Pages: 288

Series: Need #4

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Rating: 5 stars

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Goodreads Blurb

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I got this ARC in the mail in a blogger trade and I absolutely loved every minute I spent reading it! The blurb, cover, writing, plot, well it all equates into one of the best books of 2012!

What the blurb above does not mention, however, is that before America Singer (add an n at the end of her name. She even sings all the time!) heads off to the castle, Aspen breaks her heart. Of course, he didn't mean to, but he feels guilty that he can't provide for her, that she's providing food for him when it should be the other way around. Oh, Aspen. But that's when my opinion of him went down. I mean, he didn't exactly try to make things work. He. Gave. Up. I'm sorry Aspen, but you should've tried harder if you really loved her.

On the other hand, America is most likely one of my favorite heroines. She wasn't especially different in any way. She cried over Aspen, but not pathetically so, and stood tall 'n proud when she was leaving. Not every normal girl can do that. Especially not when she's about to (unwillingly) compete for the heart of a Prince. She was a character that many of us girls (and some guys) can relate to. America is definitely one of my favorite characters in The Selection.

Onto the writing. The writing was wonderful, descriptive where it needed to be, and vague where it should've been. We, at least I, could feel America's sorrow and her hesitance. I could imagine Celeste's angry face and her nails ripping at the dress. It was dramatic and funny, witty and smart and I adored reading about everything that was going on! However, the dialogue was cheesy and very, very cliche. Sometimes I just stared and the phrase "She said that? You're kidding me! She actually said that!"

The Selection has been called "The Bachelor meets the Hunger Games" and I think that's true. Many of the things that happened did, in fact, happen in the last season of "The Bachelor" and yes, I do watch that show. Celeste? Courtney. Maxon? Whatever his name is (Ben? I'm not sure.) I mean, Celeste did pretend to be another person just as Courtney did in the show. Basically, much of the book was similar to that season.

Summary: Though The Selection does have its bad moments, the good overrides the bad. It was a fun, magical read that made me remember the fairy tales of old. Princesses, Princes, love triangles, they all figured into The Selection and I loved it for that! It was beautiful in (almost) every way.

Pages: 327
Series: The Selection Trilogy #1
Genre: Romance/Dystopia
Rating: 4 stars

"It bothered me, but I knew I couldn’t hold it against them in the long run. We couldn’t afford the luxury of wants. We had needs.”