tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404716626798511832024-03-12T18:38:30.166-07:00Pages of Forbidden LoveAlexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-19990421137641182752012-09-03T06:00:00.002-07:002012-09-03T06:00:08.340-07:00Happily Ever Endings...Pure<div align="center">I have joined the Happily Ever Endings team that Amber @ <a href="http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/">Down the Rabbit Hole</a> started.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/" target="_self"><img alt="HappilyEverEndings" height="125" src="http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz194/anjohnston22/Por%20El%20Blog/Button3-1.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happily Ever Endings is...<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. I hope this saves someone else the frustration that I went through!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">~ Amber</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today's Happily Ever Ending is...Pure by Jennifer Armentrout</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-39CvKIX-_1c/TwNbIhT_giI/AAAAAAAABGI/T3WatFNAUGk/s1600/pure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-39CvKIX-_1c/TwNbIhT_giI/AAAAAAAABGI/T3WatFNAUGk/s320/pure.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">The leading heroine, Alex, had to attend a Council meeting in order to give her statement about what happened when she killed her daimon mother. She ends up going to the Council meeting in which she is put down by the leader and her life is put up for the vote of her going into servitude to the Pures. Alex is shocked that no one at the Council is even listening to her when she notifies them that daimons might be on the attack, the daimons are coming for the Council and the Pures, they have to be stopped. The Council does not take this threat seriously and it will cost them in the end. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Due to the Council not listening to the warnings that Alex provides, the daimons do attack on the day Alex is suppose to go back home. Left with nothing else to do the guards must fight off hundreds of daimons in order to save the Pures. At all costs the Pures are what matter most and Alex and her gang are set out among the guards in order to kill as many daimons as possible.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">The fight starts and everyone is joking around about their head count so far. Seth and Aiden are keeping a close eye on Alex while they all fight, she is afterall key to Seth's success with is powers later on in the series. Alex has to be kept alive at all costs, this becomes difficult when the Gods decide to interfer in the fight by awakening the Furies who will destroy any person that gets in their way. They end up killing daimons, guards, half-bloods and lastly, they come for Alex. Alex manages to fight off all three Furies on her own by tapping into her powers. As the last Fury falls she is told that she did a great job by a Pure guard but that she is a threat to the Pure race, she must be killed. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">As the guard comes after her, Alex doesn't even think, she reacts by killing a Pure. This of course is against the law so Alex doesn't know what to do until Aiden and Seth come into the ballroom where she was fighting the Furies. Aiden takes control of the situation and forces Seth to take her, he explains that he will take care of everything. This means that Aiden will be breaking the law by using complusion on the two Pures in the room in order to keep them quite about what they saw. If anyone ever found out what really happened in the ballroom Alex would be sentenced to servitude or to death and Aiden would go right along with her for the part he has played. Seth manages to get Alex away from the scene of the crime and onto a jet back home. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is where we leave our characters to wait painfully for the third book to release in Oct 2012. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope this helps you to remember what happens in this series in order to prepare yourself for the release of Deity. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TKhuekA_cVQ/TwNdYiIUBpI/AAAAAAAABGU/1eGyJ4eZ7Ec/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TKhuekA_cVQ/TwNdYiIUBpI/AAAAAAAABGU/1eGyJ4eZ7Ec/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-81219157185220551272012-02-07T07:00:00.001-07:002012-02-07T07:00:14.693-07:00Black Bird Volume 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJ5Il9olnGo/TwNXTmRiKyI/AAAAAAAABFo/eVLSXGYqoVE/s1600/Black+Bird+vol+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJ5Il9olnGo/TwNXTmRiKyI/AAAAAAAABFo/eVLSXGYqoVE/s320/Black+Bird+vol+11.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Black Bird Vol 11</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Kanoko Sakurakoji </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Shojo Beat</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Nov 2011</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: T+/18+ Manga</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: None</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sho has miraculously returned to the tengu village, and while he seems content to live quietly on the outskirts, Kyo has learned the hard way not to trust his brother. To make matters worse, the villagers are resentful that Kyo won't share the restorative power of the Senka Maiden with them. But most demons don't possess Kyo's willpower, and one taste of Misao's blood would send them into a frenzy. Is it possible for Kyo be a good leader and a good husband?<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong><br />
After Vol 10 really picking the series back up I couldn't wait to read this volume, it did not disappoint. The series has had rough moments but this book is probably my favorite of the series, it really started to bring all of the plot elements together. The reader finally gets a glimpse at Sho again, I did miss him even if he is the "evil" brother. I love how calculating he is and that he seems to actually have a soft spot for Misao. <br />
<br />
Of course with Sho being back this leads to a lot of problems for Kyo, ones that we just have to sit back and hope Kyo can handle. I did love that I finally got to learn about Kyo's family and his life with his brother, more and more is being known to the reader and I for one feel like I've waited a while for this to happen. Misao was a little on the sides in this one since the focus was on what Sho is planning, since I think Miaso needs to grow up a little this pleased me to have a different focus for some of the volume. <br />
<br />
Overall, this novel just brings about all of the action of the series, it really makes me wonder what is to come in the next volume. If number 12 is anything like this volume then readers of this series will be in for one hell of a ride. I did sort of miss some of the romance in this book but since many of the other volumes centered around Kyo's romance with Misao I didn't miss it too much. I can't wait to see the action continue in the next volume, I also hope that I get to learn more about the other secondary characters of the story because that would be awesome to have the focus on some of the secondary characters that I have grown to love. This volume gets 5 hearts from me and I seriously hope that Sho gives Kyo a run for his money. I love Kyo but I want to see some action, some intense moments between the two brothers. I feel like I should be gleefully twisting my hands and laughing right now. May the brothers have a great rivalry going in volume 12. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oLqfovco02M/TwNZny4chpI/AAAAAAAABF0/5TkuXnjKJvc/s1600/Hearts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oLqfovco02M/TwNZny4chpI/AAAAAAAABF0/5TkuXnjKJvc/s320/Hearts+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwiaE7Kxlf0/TwNZqaDKtGI/AAAAAAAABF8/G6EQMBmk1bM/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwiaE7Kxlf0/TwNZqaDKtGI/AAAAAAAABF8/G6EQMBmk1bM/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-58038718071092345652012-02-02T08:00:00.002-07:002012-02-02T08:00:06.095-07:00Pure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozNfOwRv-uM/TwNS7_sIAII/AAAAAAAABFI/sXoLwUXUG60/s1600/pure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozNfOwRv-uM/TwNS7_sIAII/AAAAAAAABFI/sXoLwUXUG60/s320/pure.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span id="freeText2899187150501181273">Title: Pure</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Jennifer Armentrout</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Spencer Hill Press</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: April 2012</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: None</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText12477215931857014644">There is need. And then there is Fate... <br />
<br />
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After greatly enjoying Half-Blood, I was certainly ready for more of Alex's story...ok I admit I was ready for some more Aiden. He is one of my top favorite male characters...or at least I thought so but Jennifer might have made me fall in love with two guys in this book.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In Pure, the reader will get to see Alex after the attacks that killed her mother, she has to go to the Council to state what happened and to make sure that the daimons do not rise up against the Pures. Alex is still training with Aiden but, she is also training on off days with Seth. She is afterall destined to be with Seth because of the powerful bond they share. So what does a girl do when she is in love with one guy but destined to be with another...well let me tell you that it leads to some very funny plot elements. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I loved the characters even more in this book than I did in Half-Blood, I loved Pure more than the first book even. The characters just brought so much more to the table this time around, I was even more invested in each and every one of them. I loved that they were older teens so they do some realistic things that older teens do, plus they are all funny as all heck. These characters will have you laughing with their wit and sarcasm. I loved that I got to see more of Seth, he didn't really get fully explained in the first book, now I feel as if I know Seth as well as the back of my hand. I love that Seth is our anti-hero in many ways. He is a jerk to Alex all the time because he likes to get her emotions all over the place. However, even though some might not like Seth's antics, I love them! I love that he doesn't just hand over his feelings to Alex, he makes her work for everything at every turn, you never really know if Seth is going to be sweet or if he is going to mouth off. He is the flip side of the sweet, serious, and stotic Aiden. So if I thought I was in love with Aiden, well I have a huge problem now because I love Seth just as much. They are two sides of a coin but I love both of those sides in a guy. I know I'm rambling on about the two of them but I really fell hard for both of our leading male characters. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Of course with the romance put to the side there is plenty of plot to keep this book going for many more books. The plot makes sure that Alex stays as our kick ass heroine but she does have her faults and she does struggle. I love that Jennifer Armentrout didn't just hand everything to her on a silver platter, everything Alex came up against she faced head on. She did have several rough patches in this book and it made me love her and the story even more than I thought possible. Alex's life might be full of Pures, Half-Bloods, Council members set on destroying her, and Gods to deal with but she goes through some things that real people can connect with. She loses people and learns that love is a very powerful yet dangerous entity. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, I have to give major props for this book! I loved it all the way from secondary characters to the romance to the action to the plots against Alex to choosing between two great guys. I loved every minute and I swear when I turned the last page I was turning that same page over and over to make sure I didn't forget a single second of the story. I will certainly be continuing on with this series when the third book comes out in Oct 2012. If you have not yet read this series or any of Armentrout's books then you need to go order them right this minute. This one gets 5 hearts from me and if I had a rating that went higher than that it would certainly receive it. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36j7F4w71xc/TwNWugHIfMI/AAAAAAAABFU/pU4TsUiC2qA/s1600/Hearts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36j7F4w71xc/TwNWugHIfMI/AAAAAAAABFU/pU4TsUiC2qA/s320/Hearts+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmn34YFt3es/TwNWxQPLYjI/AAAAAAAABFc/8wddqK2RBuc/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmn34YFt3es/TwNWxQPLYjI/AAAAAAAABFc/8wddqK2RBuc/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-59645163640876471672012-01-31T08:00:00.001-07:002012-01-31T08:00:07.844-07:00Black Bird Volume 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsSOtvn8K4c/Tv4GjIXrkCI/AAAAAAAABBc/EWCLCAcjBHc/s1600/Black+bird+vol+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsSOtvn8K4c/Tv4GjIXrkCI/AAAAAAAABBc/EWCLCAcjBHc/s320/Black+bird+vol+10.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Black Bird Vol 10</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Kanoko Sakurakoji </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Shojo Beat</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Sept 2011</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: T+/18+ Manga</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: None</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The past returns to haunt Kyo and Misao when Kyo’ s long-lost father suddenly reappears. But the reunion is less than happy, for Lord Yo is suspected of murdering his wife! Misao learns the real story of the deadly incident, but it is hardly comforting. Should she tell Kyo about his mother’ s fate, or should she protect him from a truth he might not want to know?<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong><br />
I have had ups and downs with this manga series. I do think the artwork is beautiful and I do enjoy the two main characters, Kyo and Misao, but at times it is repetitive and it seems we were never going to find out about Kyo's past. Well I'm glad to say that the reader finally, FINALLY!, gets to see Kyo's past. His father came back at the end of volume 9 and I have no clue why I waited so long to read this one! <br />
<br />
This volume truly does remind me why this manga series is completely worth it in the end. The storyline in this volume finally progresses and pushes the story to a new level. The reader finally gets to hear about Kyo's family life when he was little and how the rivals of Sho and Kyo over the leader position came into play when they were younger. It was great to finally learn this information because the whole time I have been reading this series I have been dying to know. Don't get me wrong I love that Kyo is mysterious and that we never really knew what direction he would take but I loved the insight into his past, it brings the story into a better position moving forward. <br />
<br />
While Misao can still get on my nerves at times because she is...well she is a dimwit at times! She hasn't really grown all that much from when we first met her but I guess by now I'm use to how her character acts. I really enjoyed Kyo, more than ever, in this volume. He really did a great job at being his two different sides. Kyo has always been a great character because you never know what he is going to do. One moment he is super sweet to Misao, then the next he is being a punk to her. I love that he does sweet things for her and also has this side that likes to play around with her heartstrings and emotions, but in the end he loves her more than anything, it is afterall why he became clan leader. Hmm...reminds me of someone I know very well! <br />
<br />
Overall, this volume renewed my hope in the series. It does end off on another cliffhanger so I can't wait to dive into volume 11. This volume gets 4.5 hearts from me for being a great addition to the Black Bird series. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBm1D8ijQuc/Tv4Il7CQc1I/AAAAAAAABBo/eFDvAgrVYYw/s1600/hearts+4.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBm1D8ijQuc/Tv4Il7CQc1I/AAAAAAAABBo/eFDvAgrVYYw/s320/hearts+4.5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NNWfbCR0Vro/Tv4IqWidqxI/AAAAAAAABBw/OcQyWe4iffo/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NNWfbCR0Vro/Tv4IqWidqxI/AAAAAAAABBw/OcQyWe4iffo/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-18943330481814412302012-01-17T07:00:00.001-07:002012-01-17T07:00:15.740-07:00Juliet Immortal: Guest Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GrfX072JQVE/Tv4QXENXp7I/AAAAAAAABCc/p8qDxtTU3P0/s1600/juliet+immortal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GrfX072JQVE/Tv4QXENXp7I/AAAAAAAABCc/p8qDxtTU3P0/s320/juliet+immortal.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Juliet Immortal</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Stacey Jay</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Delacorte Books</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Aug 2011</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The most tragic love story in history . . .<br />
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Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Juliet Immortal is a very interesting retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet tragedy, with a supernatural twist. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's refershing to read about something oustide of the very popular vampire and werewolf stories that have become so dominant in many of the books that I've seen recently. The point of view of Juliet and the portrayal of her feelings she had for being betrayed, by Romeo, was something that I think most readers will be able to relate to. It also warmed my heart when a love interest for her came along and shook things up a little bit. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, this was a very good read with different twist sand turns that help keep the reader's interest. I knwo that once I had started reading I had a hard time putting it down. This story gets 4.5 hearts. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYd00Nqbl-Y/Tv4RZFfersI/AAAAAAAABCo/v95t4mPLVtE/s1600/hearts+4.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYd00Nqbl-Y/Tv4RZFfersI/AAAAAAAABCo/v95t4mPLVtE/s320/hearts+4.5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzN-XcMcmP8/Tv4RblmOqaI/AAAAAAAABCw/_YahoT153fs/s1600/Sign+lindsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzN-XcMcmP8/Tv4RblmOqaI/AAAAAAAABCw/_YahoT153fs/s320/Sign+lindsay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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*Lindsay is a friend of mine who wanted to post some reviews from time to time on Pages of Forbidden Love. I'm thrilled to have her on the blog today and can't wait to see what she reads in the future. I hope you all enjoyed her review and that you check out her review in the future. </div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-43288241945631348432012-01-16T06:00:00.003-07:002012-01-16T06:00:14.737-07:00Batman Year One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tf06Qr4_qY/TwEsfj-qdVI/AAAAAAAABDI/tpRFIas4KEo/s1600/Batman+year+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tf06Qr4_qY/TwEsfj-qdVI/AAAAAAAABDI/tpRFIas4KEo/s320/Batman+year+one.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Batman Year One</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, and Richmond Lewis </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: DC Comics</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Jan 2007</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: Graphic Novel<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText12586947449175863964">A young Bruce Wayne has spent his adolescence and early adulthood, traveling the world so he could hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. But now as he returns to Gotham City, he must find a way to focus his passion and bring justice to his city. Retracing Batman's first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante, we watch as he chooses a guise of a giant bat, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon, inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a corrupt political system that infests Gotham.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Batman happens to be a complex character that has many different layers, much like an onion. He is a billionaire playboy by day and a dark avenger by night. His motives are just; protect the citizens of Gotham as they are truly in need. Almost everyone is aware of who Batman is, thanks now in large part to Christopher Nolan's movies starring Christian Bale as the titular character. This dark and brooding, yet accurate, take on the Dark Knight has been met with widespread critical acclaim. But how does it all begin?<br />
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Yes, there was 'Batman Begins', which fully illustratred the beginings of Bruce Wayne, but the original source material is always much more fun to investigate. This is where Year One comes into play. Year One was written by one of the most prolific and influential writers in all of Comic-lore, Frank Miller. His take on Batman strips away all of the gizmo's and gadgets and gets down to the bare essentials. It is an origin tale and is one read that is both fast and fun. As made clear by the Christmas In My Mailbox, I was reading this graphic novel right away. It only took me about an hour to get through the entire piece, but I found myself even reading it again and again. <br />
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Year One shows Batman to be a novice at crime fighting. He stumbles at times and get injured quite a bit, which is different than how most have seen the Dark Knight portrayed. Instead of him being almost superhuman, he is flawed and makes mistakes. One of the first instances of his crime fighting foryas, Batman almost accidentely lets a punk kid drop off a ledge to his death. Luckily he catches him yet still curses himself for being so clumsy. He is not the condfident Detective we all know him as; he is nervous almost. That is one of the reasons this novel was so much fun to read. Batman's relationship with eventual Commissioner Jim Gordon is also worthwhile, as his backstory is also portrayed to a point. AND THERE IS NO ROBIN!! That was perhaps my favorite thing about this entire story as I always thought the inclusion of his sidekick made Batman too weak and even a bit soft. I also wasnt comfortable with the short tights Robin wore. Put some pants on kid, jeez!<br />
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This is not my favorite Batman tale but it is an essential for any reader that loves the Dark Knight as much as I do or even for the casual fanboy or a casual reader in general. Start wtih this story and then move on to some of the more daunting tales, such as 'The Long Halloween' or 'Hush'. <br />
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A fun story with an excellent delivery. The artwork adds to the grit of the story and to Batman himself. It is not a polished look for the Dark Knight, which some might find to be a bit of an annoyance but I thought it served its purpose well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XzTYMXXSWI/TwE1QljlGII/AAAAAAAABD4/X4Ut4HPLlq4/s1600/skull+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XzTYMXXSWI/TwE1QljlGII/AAAAAAAABD4/X4Ut4HPLlq4/s320/skull+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHuFsVaneto/TwE1VDxBVrI/AAAAAAAABEA/JWuIKwNyqn0/s1600/sign+johnny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHuFsVaneto/TwE1VDxBVrI/AAAAAAAABEA/JWuIKwNyqn0/s320/sign+johnny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-22428643066675611692012-01-13T07:00:00.001-07:002012-01-13T07:00:03.548-07:00Forbidden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIDMNCUxs3U/TvWcLRMLUVI/AAAAAAAAA9c/oXaCebRqXH0/s1600/forbidden+ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIDMNCUxs3U/TvWcLRMLUVI/AAAAAAAAA9c/oXaCebRqXH0/s1600/forbidden+ts.jpg" /></a></div>Title: Forbidden <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Tabitha Suzuma</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Simon Pulse</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: June 2011</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: Outdo Yourself<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:<br />
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Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong><br />
While reading, I knew early on that this book was going to be one to stand out, to stand above the rest. It is vary rare for authors to take on such a complex, emotional, and illegal subject, such as forbidden love between a brother and a sister. I think everyone has serious reservations about this book because they do not think it is morally or legally right for a brother and a sister to fall in love. Most people have a sibling close to their own age that they would never think of having a relationship with, it is just...gross to them. Well even though that might have you worried, I urge you to overcome that fear in order to read this book!<br />
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Lochan and Maya's story is a difficult yet beautiful story to read. They were forced at a young age to accept the great responsibility of caring for their three younger siblings. Their dad left many years ago to start a new family and their mother never lets them forget that she never wanted them to begin with, they ruined her life. With a mother always gone it is entirely up to Lochan and Maya to not only take care of themselves but to take care of a house, the cleaning, the cooking, the kids, and basically act as role models and parents to the younger kids. Since they are busy acting like a father and mother to the younger siblings, it is easy to see how they would form a relationship that is different than most brothers and sisters have. <br />
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Lochan and Maya's story continues to develop over time with many emotions along the way. They both know that this isn't an easy decision to make and that if anyone ever found out they could lose the kids to social services where all 5 of them would be split up into group homes. Lochan and Maya have always known that they must to everything in their power to keep everyone together, it is so important to keep a family united. At the same time they both struggle with the feelings they are having and along the way they keep going further into a loving relationship that involved not only the emotional aspects but the physical ones as well. I think that Suzuma shines in putting a sexual relationship into a teen novel. Not many authors would even attempt this but Suzuma pulls it off with ease and grace. Their relationship is unique, beautiful, powerful, emotional, and heartbreaking because you know that it will never be allowed to last. <br />
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Overall, I was blown away by Suzuma's writing, it was simply amazingly beautiful! The writing was perfect and the characters are the central focus. This novel had depth, it had emotion, it had a sense of reality! All around it was the best YA contemporary book I have ever, EVER read! This book will change you, it will make you care about all of the characters only to rip at your heartstrings throughout the entire book. This is a bumpy ride but it is a ride that is worth taking, not everything in life is easy. Most importantly, Suzuma shows readers the value and the price of love, not that instant love crap that most authors carry on about, but real, hard hitting love. Trust me love has never been so great as when it is forbidden! You have to read this book because it will honestly change the way you look at many things in life, always know that love, even impossible love, is strong and it is worth the fight in the end! Simply, 5 hearts!<br />
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QUOTE: "We can love each other." I swallow hard to ease the constriction in my throat. "There are no laws, no boundaries, on feelings. We can love each other as much and as deeply as we want. No one, Maya, no one can ever take that away from us." ~pg. 276~<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zswRt0wnXU/TvWiLTPCJLI/AAAAAAAAA9o/GhAndHVRQsg/s1600/Hearts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zswRt0wnXU/TvWiLTPCJLI/AAAAAAAAA9o/GhAndHVRQsg/s320/Hearts+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9sopbbV7Dm4/TvWiOMALH9I/AAAAAAAAA9w/K4zf-md9fvk/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9sopbbV7Dm4/TvWiOMALH9I/AAAAAAAAA9w/K4zf-md9fvk/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-73213138733552937432012-01-12T09:00:00.002-07:002012-01-12T09:00:13.078-07:00Vampire Knight Volume 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeo_PjGRlQ_Vr5jHRNXfntUaBmSvEUVY_OhWG7clca9XoHmgsfhVDaqogTJtrLWjVO3SRx0wxe7Fy2FqcYX0ADkf23-pR3no35QSKxkySVM5zKlXxfvyD_LatUdv8c2TSnQ8xnk8gaA/s1600/Vampire+knight+vol+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeo_PjGRlQ_Vr5jHRNXfntUaBmSvEUVY_OhWG7clca9XoHmgsfhVDaqogTJtrLWjVO3SRx0wxe7Fy2FqcYX0ADkf23-pR3no35QSKxkySVM5zKlXxfvyD_LatUdv8c2TSnQ8xnk8gaA/s320/Vampire+knight+vol+11.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Vampire Knight Vol 11</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Matsuri Hino</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Shojo Beat</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Dec 2010</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: 18+ Manga</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: Outdo Yourself<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Barnes and Noble:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Night Class at Cross Academy has been abolished. Zero still attends the Day Class while carrying out his duties as a vampire hunter. Yuki now lives hidden away at the Kuran residence with Kaname, but can she embrace the life of a pureblood vampire? <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">First off I am in love with this cover, I want to have a print of this and hang it up on my wall. Is anyone else with me on this one? <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Alright moving past the cover, I was a little bored and confused during volume ten but I feel that a lot of that was cleared up in volume eleven. the story starts with a whole year having passed and well things are a lot different than they once were. Crossed Academy does not have a night class anymore, the vampire senate is gone, and Yuki must now face life living with her older brother/lover, a life without Zero! Personally I hate the life without Zero part of this, I have always been a fan of Zero. Hmm maybe because he isn't her freaking older brother so it would make more sense for Yuki and Zero to be together. I still hate Kaname, just want to make that clear, the man has not grown on me at all in eleven volumes. GO ZERO!!!<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Moving forward I still think this volume was another set up volume to get us to what is really going to happen in volume twelve. I am excited to see where exactly this vampire dance is going to end up and I really hope that Zero lets the whole kill Yuki thing go. I mean come on people they kissed in the last volume and I think they need to be building on that instead of making Zero walk away from her. Yuki is where his heart is and I don't think he would ever have the guts to kill her. Overall this volume gets 4 hearts from me and I can't wait for the big Zero and Yuki moment in the next volume. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXpM77SDieuQOOJS4HYGMEYsI_Gv41STMVqbe1fOWmRVpN6hEvqzp_ixdoAfJpUlMjo_uWRWYFCfoO9-IMCItkjHaa7sA9W7xYe1nN2XSJ2_ndrhUiOA5uyPeMj-yuNI5-Ho2hXjJIw/s1600/Hearts+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXpM77SDieuQOOJS4HYGMEYsI_Gv41STMVqbe1fOWmRVpN6hEvqzp_ixdoAfJpUlMjo_uWRWYFCfoO9-IMCItkjHaa7sA9W7xYe1nN2XSJ2_ndrhUiOA5uyPeMj-yuNI5-Ho2hXjJIw/s320/Hearts+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZXHKmFILVH_Rg7530NAy5SghlKRWP52EJ_qm4fhekkYDHxUxPn89AbJPE3-3Zrs3zo-jsX3bsozOxwfxuMJovTRfeQAVlUpYWUoLz0fzw-Z3VFYRgLW4vG5ret0_9uETJSpNkJ_cvw/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZXHKmFILVH_Rg7530NAy5SghlKRWP52EJ_qm4fhekkYDHxUxPn89AbJPE3-3Zrs3zo-jsX3bsozOxwfxuMJovTRfeQAVlUpYWUoLz0fzw-Z3VFYRgLW4vG5ret0_9uETJSpNkJ_cvw/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-35434691278248015912012-01-11T06:00:00.005-07:002012-01-11T06:00:08.151-07:00Stolen Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eKzj2_lYDEA/TwRyebEO6uI/AAAAAAAABGs/m5KxDCtMxUM/s1600/stolen+away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eKzj2_lYDEA/TwRyebEO6uI/AAAAAAAABGs/m5KxDCtMxUM/s320/stolen+away.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span id="freeText2899187150501181273">Title: Stolen Away</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Alyxandra Harvey</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Walker</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Jan 2012</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.<br />
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<br />
The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></b></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I will admit that I have always been drawn to faery/fairy/faerie books. So I was really excited to try Harvey's novel, plus most people seem to really enjoy her other books so I couldn't wait to dive into this one. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The story started off a little odd for me because I wasn't connecting well with one of the main characters. Jo just really got on my nerves in the beginning 50ish pages of the book and I really didn't think I was going to like her at all. I was sad because I didn't want this to make the story suffer since Jo is only half of the storyline. I really did like Eloise from the beginning and of course what is not to like about Lucas. So in the beginning I was torn.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As the story progressed I began to like Jo a little more. This happened because she has to grow a little and help Eloise since she has been taken by the fae. She is being held captive in the hopes that her Aunt, who is the fae queen, will come to save her and get trapped down in the fae's world. This part of the story was fun to read about, it was even a little bit dark since creatures are prisoners and are locked away in cells until the festival. I loved learning about the fae world and this love continued for the rest of the novel.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, I did like the majority of the characters by the end of the novel. I also liked that in the beginning of the book I really had no clue what was going on and it was a fun mystery to learn bits and pieces of the fae world along the way. Nothing was just handed over all at once. I also enjoyed that the faeries in this book were a bit different than how they are normally portrayed. You see the faeries in this novel could shape shift to the animal form that lead their court. My only complaint with this novel was that I wished there had been more detail and description to the story. There is so much to learn about the faeries and how they came to the place they are at but I didn't get all of the background on this that I would have liked. So for the first time in history, I would actually say that I would have appreciated this novel being part of a series or that the book had a higher page count. I liked the world, I just wanted more of it. This story gets 4 hearts from me for being a cute and quick read about the faerie courts. I will have to go back and read some of Harvey's other books. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W1gtDA3wm1E/TwR1sR_Z5EI/AAAAAAAABG4/P9YnourN3KI/s1600/Hearts+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W1gtDA3wm1E/TwR1sR_Z5EI/AAAAAAAABG4/P9YnourN3KI/s320/Hearts+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nB2ru7fpEU/TwR1vQW12BI/AAAAAAAABHA/bY4Kmh1HvrE/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nB2ru7fpEU/TwR1vQW12BI/AAAAAAAABHA/bY4Kmh1HvrE/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-2093101134799312672012-01-10T12:59:00.001-07:002012-01-10T12:59:09.535-07:00I Have Moved to Wordpress!As you might have noticed if you went to check out Pages of Forbidden Love by entering the .blogspot.com address you were redirected here.<br />
<br />
This is the new platform for my blog.<br />
Yes, I have decided to self-host through Wordpress!<br />
<br />
I would greatly appreciate it if at this time you helped me out by updating your blogrolls or any blog buttons of mine you had in the past as the web address has now changed!<br />
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Of course for doing all of that extra work for me I would love to add you to my blogroll.<br />
<br />
I've done away with GFC and have moved forward with many other ways to follow my blog.<br />
My updates are done through RSS, Email, Twitter, and even Google +<br />
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Thank you for sticking with me as I explore this new world that is Wordpress and self-hosting.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pages-of-forbidden-love.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sign.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-411 aligncenter" height="114" src="http://www.pages-of-forbidden-love.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sign-300x114.jpg" title="sign" width="300" /></a></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-69392143853005874352012-01-10T06:00:00.001-07:002012-01-10T09:07:08.262-07:00The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ34Wq8W7dmJy0FdwcOazYsD142fjwechKKrl9POn_LVDizX5-lo2riJDUYvNP_J84yUZqrfRBrjz1sY0RKLLQ9X3qciXFGxGDuKlzaJaaW2bCI_UwBAZUVBUaala3lFYhSMHSPqLWkg/s1600/stat+prob+of+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ34Wq8W7dmJy0FdwcOazYsD142fjwechKKrl9POn_LVDizX5-lo2riJDUYvNP_J84yUZqrfRBrjz1sY0RKLLQ9X3qciXFGxGDuKlzaJaaW2bCI_UwBAZUVBUaala3lFYhSMHSPqLWkg/s320/stat+prob+of+love.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Jennifer E. Smith</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Poppy</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Jan 2012</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: 2012 Ya Contemporary Challenge</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText2435744562800944407"><em>Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?</em><br />
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Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A. <br />
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Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.</span><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I instantly liked Hadley and Oliver when I read about both of them. They had this instant connection that for once didn't feel fake or forced in a YA book. I loved that neither one of them every claimed that they were in love with each other at page 3 like some YA novels have done in the past. This novel only happens in a 24 hour time period but those 24 hours, or 230ish pages will leave you laughing, crying, and so in love. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hadley and Oliver instantly can talk to each other about anything. Oliver mostly takes the route of being hilarious and it loosens Hadley up to the idea of different things in life. One of their jokes is about what Oliver is studying at Yale during his summer. He keeps stating he has a grant for some research and every time the topic of his research changes to be the joke at hand. The way these two just feed and bounce off of each others' jokes and energy is really something you have to read for yourself. I know my favorite characters are ones just like Hadley and Oliver. I love when characters can have witty conversations back and forth, and yet be so real with each other. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Later on in the novel once Hadley and Oliver have lost track of each other, because they lost each other in the customs line coming into London, they reunite on the same day. This is where both characters shine because they open up to each other about what is really going on in their life. I love the flash backs from Hadley's life so that the reader gets to see what possessed her father to leave when he went on a trip to London for being a professor at Oxford. It will really pull on your heartstrings. I was not expecting this novel to make me cry, yet it did.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, this was a quick, cute, fun, and emotional read that you just have to give a shot. I was not expecting this novel to be this great or to make me feel so many things within such a short page span. You really have to give it a try and for me it was a 5 heart book.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ultimately, I loved the message in this book that you never know what could happen when you make one decision versus another or if you just happen to be 4 minutes late for that plane. <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xAGBTH3YuB2Ibn0S5chk9EPhmv2t4GEe-5Es4yNIkwVE9fORXDBqT2iCQuuKi4p5DOKYb9hq4CC56v6BAemKTsm9vbR3JShMBMAogXxCk2qqHVe1hae5l92W_cPwKbsgfm7PrVzULA/s1600/Hearts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xAGBTH3YuB2Ibn0S5chk9EPhmv2t4GEe-5Es4yNIkwVE9fORXDBqT2iCQuuKi4p5DOKYb9hq4CC56v6BAemKTsm9vbR3JShMBMAogXxCk2qqHVe1hae5l92W_cPwKbsgfm7PrVzULA/s320/Hearts+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WrVfVTxJWL_wmAuUUVruhIlTtcCGEb9XYEtPEA67gWd5ah8CNG9SSuM69R6aTToyNjQb9H4g8VWy-Iz_iYvGWKK1mgjdOUoCnuJPfgEAQz9NGc7l1GkE-PBNwFG7d-4ec-tqGo_4Sg/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WrVfVTxJWL_wmAuUUVruhIlTtcCGEb9XYEtPEA67gWd5ah8CNG9SSuM69R6aTToyNjQb9H4g8VWy-Iz_iYvGWKK1mgjdOUoCnuJPfgEAQz9NGc7l1GkE-PBNwFG7d-4ec-tqGo_4Sg/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-37536098968646327772012-01-09T07:00:00.003-07:002012-01-09T07:00:12.060-07:00Happily Ever Endings...Angel Burn<div align="center">I have joined the Happily Ever Endings team that Amber @ <a href="http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/">Down the Rabbit Hole</a> started.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/" target="_self"><img alt="HappilyEverEndings" height="125" src="http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz194/anjohnston22/Por%20El%20Blog/Button3-1.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happily Ever Endings is...<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. I hope this saves someone else the frustration that I went through!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">~ Amber</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today's Happily Ever Endings book is Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jQJ2ceQaOCo/Tvq6pnyLbMI/AAAAAAAAA-I/vn-_9MxXJt8/s1600/angel+burn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jQJ2ceQaOCo/Tvq6pnyLbMI/AAAAAAAAA-I/vn-_9MxXJt8/s320/angel+burn.jpg" width="211" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Willow and Alex have driven to New Mexico in order to see Cully, the man who trained Alex, in order to understand what has happened with the other Angel Killers. Cully is suppose to help them understand how angels have taken over the CIA angel project. Well when they do finally get to where Cully is he has already been ruined by angel burn, he no longer wants to kill angels, he wants to embrace them. This means that Cully calls in angels as back up to take Alex and Willow in. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">After Willow helps Alex kill the angels they set out on the road again until they come to a cabin in the woods. Willow and Alex spend some quality time in the cabin bonding. They are finally able to advance along their relationship, until their cabin is overtaken by CIA. The two agents from the CIA are the only people left from the original angel project that ran the angel killers! The CIA explains to Willow and Alex that they have to come with them in order to stop the second wave of angels from entering Earth. At this point Willow goes with them while Alex stays behind because he can not stand to lose another loved one. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Willow is all set to lose her life in order to help the CIA stop the second wave of angels. She is at the point where she is going into the church in order to use the stone to seal the gateway between Earth and the angel's world. Her attempt fails and the angels get into the church with a big explosion that causes Willow to be knocked out. It is lucky for her that Alex has driven all the way to the church in order to save Willow in time. He transfers some of his life energy to her so she will survive. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">As Alex and Willow are leaving the church, they get stopped by the head angel who announces that he is Willow's father. The man behind the second wave is the man who produced Willow and sucked the life out of her mother. Unable to do anything about him except stun him, Willow and Alex have to leave in order to go to a motel several cities over from the church. Their plan is to head to Mexico and look into starting up another camp for angel killers there. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
I hope this helps some of you remember what happened in Angel Burn, just in time for Angel Fire which released just a few weeks ago. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs7gywpttKo/Tvq7S-Uj9FI/AAAAAAAAA-U/xQAWia2JBTg/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs7gywpttKo/Tvq7S-Uj9FI/AAAAAAAAA-U/xQAWia2JBTg/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-91461774335227106032012-01-08T21:53:00.001-07:002012-01-08T22:08:27.109-07:00Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 3.0 Goals and Updates<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Bout of Books"><img alt="Bout of Books" height="200" src="http://onabookbender.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/boutofbooks-jan.jpg?w=200" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><strong>My Goals</strong><strong></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">My goal would be to read as much as possible, I would like to get through 5 books. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not really going to be able to read at all on Saturday because I'm going to AMA Supercross!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hopefully on the other days I can read enough to get through my pile. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Books to Read</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Finish Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon</div><div style="text-align: center;">Finish Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cinder by Marissa Meyer</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Maze Runner by James Dashner</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<b>Updates</b><br />
<br />
<b><u>1/9</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
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<b><u>1/10</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<b><u>1/11</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<b><u>1/12</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<b><u>1/13</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<b><u>1/14</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I’ve read today:<br />
Total number of books I’ve read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<b><u>1/15</u></b><br />
Number of pages I've read today:<br />
Total number of pages I've read:<br />
Number of books I've read today:<br />
Total number of books I've read:<br />
Books:<br />
<br />
<br />
</div></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-72428017852307499222012-01-08T09:24:00.000-07:002012-01-08T09:24:21.802-07:00IMM 57: Vlog!Big thanks to Kristi @ The Story Siren for this great weekly theme!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VNRBS2oNg5c" width="400"></iframe><br />
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*The video had a point near the end where it messed up the sound. I'm sorry for this, I might need a new webcam again.<br />
<br />
Awesome People Mentioned:<br />
Ashley @ <a href="http://www.bookish-brunette.com/">The Bookish Brunette</a><br />
Liz @ <a href="http://planet-print.blogspot.com/">Planet Print</a><br />
Group @ <a href="http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/">Once Upon a Twilight</a><br />
Little Brown/ Poppy<br />
Bloomsbury/ WalkerAlexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-75207187548668738322012-01-07T15:32:00.001-07:002012-01-07T15:47:32.192-07:00Hurricane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2DNBQlSv0o07ppXgmwYf_ag_gki4_LaCuu33CFqcv_Yx_ECDFUugFiGL9tH7A9EGiaplWIu-JUABtxd1EDxDgk1rMAIO2nkGpL5cuDjkUxEpG8RYk0Ef8ZDd4VLL6UitNAyhh83olQ/s1600/hurricane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2DNBQlSv0o07ppXgmwYf_ag_gki4_LaCuu33CFqcv_Yx_ECDFUugFiGL9tH7A9EGiaplWIu-JUABtxd1EDxDgk1rMAIO2nkGpL5cuDjkUxEpG8RYk0Ef8ZDd4VLL6UitNAyhh83olQ/s320/hurricane.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Title: Hurricane<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Jenna-Lynne Ducan</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Divertir Publisnhing </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Aug 2011</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: None<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText2939536542695184974">Adriana couldn’t decide what was worse—that Hurricane Katrina was heading for New Orleans, or that she might not survive her kidnapping to see its potential effects. She had trusted Hayden, even fallen for him, and now he and his brother Luke were taking her deeper and deeper into the Bayou. Why had two of her classmates, the mysterious Boudreaux brothers, kidnapped her? Why had Adriana’s dreams started predicting the future? Most importantly, would she make it out of the Bayou alive…</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I loved that the idea of this novel started out as a girl being taken away to the Bayou and having to survive her kidnapping. A kidnapping that was done by a guy she is falling for. Plus there is a bit of a paranormal twist. All of this together sounded like it would be amazing...<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The novel starts off with Adriana and her difficult life, basically no one ever notices her, she doesn't know her mother, and she lives with a father who doesn't care about her. This makes it easy to see why she would latch on to the two new boys at school, plus there is something mysterious about the two boys. Then again Adriana, or Ana, has her own secrets, her dreams are becoming reality. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Some parts of the beginning of this book didn't work for me as well as the later portion of the book. In the beginning, the reader understands very little, which is fine, but this continues on for a good chunk of the novel. The reader does not know why Ana can see pieces of the future or why these two boys came to town. Along with all of the mystery in the beginning, the scenes are often very chopped up. One second Ana is sitting down at a festival with her Aunt, and the next second she decides to go for a long walk that takes her to an abandon house. Several odd things such as what I just described happen randomly, often leaving the reader to wonder why the heck the plot just whiplashed around in such a fashion. As the story goes on, the reason for the whiplash scenes becomes apparent, those scenes have to be in the novel for the later parts to make any sense, but to me the scenes could have been blended a little better. Give Ana a real concrete reason to decide to change her mind so suddenly. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once the reader finally accepts things the way they are the story changes as she gets kidnapped by the said hot boys. Then they are just on the road for a while to get away from the hurricane. Hayden, one of said hot guys who kidnapped her, bounces back and forth, from the beginning of the book really, with loving and then not loving Ana. At one point this becomes silly when Ana thinks she loves him even though the man kidnapped her!! I know I wouldn't fall for my kidnapper. Then all at once the kidnapping ends when they end up at the home of Hayden's parents, this is where Ana finally gets to learn everything about the two mysterious boys. Honestly, this was my favorite part of the novel, I loved learning about the deeper secrets to the two boys. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After the reader learns about the paranormal twist there is one final twist to the novel. This leads the novel to ending on one of those fantastic cliffhanger endings. At this point, I'm curious about the next book in this series but I'm not sure if I will move forward or not. There were certainly some flaws mixed in with the good parts with this one. I'm at the classic point of does the good outweigh the bad?! Will the writing flow a little better in the next novel? Will Ana grow up a little? Will I get to see more of the few elements that I actually loved? As for right now I don't know if I will read the second book. This first book was good, just didn't blow me away, so this book gets 3.5 hearts. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1w31H5YRWiD6FYluqTjdfk_0HzUXjH9K-br6KD3yXr3WO9Lx7_-GCyiDgfb4BoV99zbSb26DgRQqNEkoab-pS-C7NJ7dAO-C4efVEcXTIbp_6mhwwWaUOF97Y4gxjOxe2EQtua4pUQ/s1600/Hearts+3.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1w31H5YRWiD6FYluqTjdfk_0HzUXjH9K-br6KD3yXr3WO9Lx7_-GCyiDgfb4BoV99zbSb26DgRQqNEkoab-pS-C7NJ7dAO-C4efVEcXTIbp_6mhwwWaUOF97Y4gxjOxe2EQtua4pUQ/s320/Hearts+3.5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGKlbsBbv99B61hepeoLyR0b08rl3hlbdahWTOhu-sjtTNMqdGG_3RoTNBlQO4DIQI466FVfXJrOiBbvqEQ9R35tZKEu5Ud5Y2BHH6hACum-Iwoi2LTsQM1NNLxWQL_xeeTt0SDG1uw/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGKlbsBbv99B61hepeoLyR0b08rl3hlbdahWTOhu-sjtTNMqdGG_3RoTNBlQO4DIQI466FVfXJrOiBbvqEQ9R35tZKEu5Ud5Y2BHH6hACum-Iwoi2LTsQM1NNLxWQL_xeeTt0SDG1uw/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-61210838484814849652012-01-05T07:00:00.003-07:002012-01-05T07:00:16.430-07:00Grave Mercy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXetjcvdVEw/Tv1ftrB8UoI/AAAAAAAABA8/KywzN-yIeFU/s1600/Grave+Mercy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXetjcvdVEw/Tv1ftrB8UoI/AAAAAAAABA8/KywzN-yIeFU/s320/Grave+Mercy.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>Title: Grave Mercy<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Robin LaFevers</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: April 2012</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: None </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText1026302515998990540"><em>Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?</em> <br />
<br />
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. <br />
<br />
Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?</span><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I love that the tag line on this book is 'Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?' I feel like this line fits the novel so well because the main character, Ismae, has had many hardships in her young life. She live in a time period where men rule all, including their daughters and wives. Having an abusive father and then being married off to an abusive man she finds comfort in the fact that she was saved and sent to a covenant. She quickly learns she is a daughter of the saint of death. The covenant offers her a choice between being a sheep and marrying a different, more kind, man or becoming the wolf and working with the covenant to fulfill her saints wishes, to become an assassin of those who are marked for death. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since she is tired of men ruling her world she choses to become a wolf, not yet understanding the full weight her decision holds. She is sent out on missions to kill certain men until she is sent with a man named Duval to the duchess' court to help protect her and find out all the mysteries at court. This is where the novel becomes more like an adult historical fiction novel where all of the twists, turns, plots, scandal, and drama of court enters the story. I do like stories that have to do with court so I liked this aspect of the novel, I wasn't in love with the aspect but I did enjoy it. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Personally what I liked best about this novel was that LaFevers was not afraid to take a teen book in a new direction. Most teen books do not take on something as old and complex as the court system that was in place in palaces back in the 1400s where this book is set. I admire an author who isn't afraid to try an older setting, and older world. I also greatly enjoyed that LaFevers leaves much of the book a mystery, there are so many plots it is very difficult to tell who is going to ultimately betray the duchess. Plus a big plus for me is that LaFevers lets the love/romance between the two main characters develop over time. Yes folks you have heard/read that right! She actually allows her characters to fall for each other slowly!!!! Do you know how rare this is in a teen novel...if you read teen books at all you know how much instant love has overtaken the genre and it grates on my nerves. So BIG props to LaFevers. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, I did like many of the aspects of this story and the ending really brought up an important lesson. I love where Ismae ended up by the end of the book and I can't wait for the second book where we get to see the life of one of her covenant mates. So the next book sounds like a companion versus a sequel but I'm still excited. The only complaint I have about this novel is that it was difficult in the beginning to remember who everyone was. Courts are full of tons of people and it is hard to keep this all straight in the beginning. Plus since this book is just over 500 pages it brings up the point that a few of the court scenes could probably be cut out and the book would still make sense. Since I really did like this book and thought it was great how it broke out of some YA molds, I'm going to give this one 4.5 hearts.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UXpeyVzh3Es/Tv1jsROB5DI/AAAAAAAABBI/YO1Kp7IkXrs/s1600/hearts+4.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UXpeyVzh3Es/Tv1jsROB5DI/AAAAAAAABBI/YO1Kp7IkXrs/s320/hearts+4.5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QAJ73AR-eKo/Tv1ju1ca9EI/AAAAAAAABBQ/ue4FGb9ZmcE/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QAJ73AR-eKo/Tv1ju1ca9EI/AAAAAAAABBQ/ue4FGb9ZmcE/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-6978116419873007682012-01-04T08:29:00.000-07:002012-01-04T08:29:53.471-07:002012 Twilight Series Challenge Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlAFt8zbJnY/TwRuqD6FTaI/AAAAAAAABGg/52q9Ye_wkgA/s1600/2012+twilight+series+challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlAFt8zbJnY/TwRuqD6FTaI/AAAAAAAABGg/52q9Ye_wkgA/s320/2012+twilight+series+challenge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Big thank you to everyone who has signed up so far. Sign ups are still open so it is still a great time to decide to read Twilight again. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm going to post a schedule of what I have planned for this challenge for the entire year. </div><div style="text-align: center;">If you have any suggestions please be sure to let me know. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Jan</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ At the end of Jan the winner of the Twilight audio book will be announced</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Feb</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review of the Twilight Graphic Novel #1</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mar</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review of Twilight and a submission link will open up where you can link your review. The link will stay open until Dec 31st.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Apr</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ There will be a Twilight Discussion here on the blog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>May</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review of the Twilight Graphic Novel #2</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>June</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review New Moon and a submission link will open up where you can link your review. The link will stay open until Dec 31st.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>July</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~There will be a New Moon Discussion here on the blog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Aug</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review of Eclipse and a submission link will open up where you can link your review. The link will stay open until Dec 31st.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sept</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ There will be a Discussion about Eclipse here on the blog, basically who do you like? Jake? or Edward?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Oct</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ I shall post my review of Breaking Dawn and a submission link will open up where you can link your review. The link will stay open until Dec 31st.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Nov</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ There will be a discussion on Breaking Dawn, final thoughts.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Dec</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">~There will be a contest open to whoever has completed all four reviews. Trust me it will be a great prize!</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-38091164276689311502012-01-02T08:00:00.000-07:002012-01-02T08:00:01.103-07:00Try Not to Breathe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkimWJKfBBa25yRr4iCg99GyZ8f6etTjXPJi1MTj-WCNpMhFOt7SaIDIkUXmiVKwzaXYai8KgQIEIge7RwJnriFnyRtyCsJ6tSVryQdtHnbxS9EvrQBb0y4mIbBibJYySRGeTua_h0w/s1600/try+not+to+breathe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkimWJKfBBa25yRr4iCg99GyZ8f6etTjXPJi1MTj-WCNpMhFOt7SaIDIkUXmiVKwzaXYai8KgQIEIge7RwJnriFnyRtyCsJ6tSVryQdtHnbxS9EvrQBb0y4mIbBibJYySRGeTua_h0w/s320/try+not+to+breathe.jpg" width="212px" /></a></div><span id="freeText2899187150501181273">Title: Try Not to Breathe</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Jennifer Hubbard</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Viking</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Jan 2012</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: Outdo Yourself</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This book starts off by introducing the reader to Ryan, who just recently got out of a facility for trying to kill himself. In the beginning I was instantly wondering why Ryan's life was so bad that he had tried to kill himself in the first place, also Ryan has a secret that he has never told anyone, not even the doctors. So I instantly wanted to know more about Ryan and I thought it would be cool to read a book that is written in the male perspective. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As the novel goes on Ryan has flash backs about his time in the facility and the friends he made there. Ryan also meets a girl named Nicki who claims he is the only one who can help her understand why her father killed himself. It is fun to watch these two try to help each other through the problems that they are both experiencing. There were a few hang ups for me on this novel though. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The hangups included the fact that the reasons behind Ryan wanting to kill himself just didn't really seem that real to me. It seemed like he took his situation and expected the worst even though he was just barely trying to handle his situation, it was like he didn't even try at life before he decided he wanted to quit. I know that not everyone is as mentally strong as other people but his reasons just didn't seem valid. Also Nicki was never the girl that anyone was expecting, if anything she was the one who needed to be in a facility instead. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, this one had a really good message in the end but I'm getting a little tired of novels lately having to have these big messages. Yes, it is important for teens to know they are not alone and that they can get help, and life has its ups and downs, but it just felt too preachy to me. I appreciate the message but sometimes I just want to read a book for enjoyment, not to have a profound message. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this one so it only gets 3.5 hearts from me. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLsIPL29zaLiYKe_up9rLG1uToR8uFdiwzt20jW39aRukCRCjcvMQcAiKevWWURrhQHpXzv_9Md_rkAOoeNs1wZJPUdTjpvXqe-4Udxs2tWyi3_SHSyisGnTLSeA5eSroKI4A9LFcGg/s1600/Hearts+3.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLsIPL29zaLiYKe_up9rLG1uToR8uFdiwzt20jW39aRukCRCjcvMQcAiKevWWURrhQHpXzv_9Md_rkAOoeNs1wZJPUdTjpvXqe-4Udxs2tWyi3_SHSyisGnTLSeA5eSroKI4A9LFcGg/s320/Hearts+3.5.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDATTJZOwe_6ehGaAs5O4pwecBeZUwGhLGdt0xW17-SS3-kJKd8CGK7BYqQ_LSJMVTRnSXfsOQh8C8LJvTCxDV8lkbmMy6tTfiQSUoq3Yh1e7weRbl54lXeD8A9k8QYBQta7PELaxkCQ/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDATTJZOwe_6ehGaAs5O4pwecBeZUwGhLGdt0xW17-SS3-kJKd8CGK7BYqQ_LSJMVTRnSXfsOQh8C8LJvTCxDV8lkbmMy6tTfiQSUoq3Yh1e7weRbl54lXeD8A9k8QYBQta7PELaxkCQ/s320/sign.jpg" width="320px" /></a> </div></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-85836252347093013872012-01-01T11:23:00.000-07:002012-01-01T11:23:01.969-07:00January TBR Pile<div align="center">Normally I do a video for this but since most of the books I have to read are e-books there isn't a lot to physically show you. </div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">So how about looking at the pretty covers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCjyPDu81bc/TwCkSJDi7aI/AAAAAAAABC8/KlchQhTB_RE/s1600/2012+jan+tbr+pile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCjyPDu81bc/TwCkSJDi7aI/AAAAAAAABC8/KlchQhTB_RE/s320/2012+jan+tbr+pile.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Well it is another massive pile of 15+ books.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lets hope I can read super fast and get through all of these review books that have been piling up at my house. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you have a TBR Pile post please link me up :)</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-84135023767292883162011-12-31T06:15:00.000-07:002011-12-31T06:15:00.181-07:00End of the Year Survey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bkNq3YpKM-o/TvtrpY-XRCI/AAAAAAAABAY/5C8oUd6W07Q/s1600/end+of+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bkNq3YpKM-o/TvtrpY-XRCI/AAAAAAAABAY/5C8oUd6W07Q/s1600/end+of+year.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This Survey is hosted by Jamie @ <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2011/12/2nd-annual-end-of-year-book-survey-2011.html">The Perpentual Page Turner</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. <b><u>Best Book You Read In 2011?</u> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I didn't love this book in the beginning but it turned into a quick favorite by the end. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
2.<strong><u> Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?</u></strong><br />
Oh goodness there were so many YA books this year that were molds of previous books. I guess I'm going to have to go with Bloodrose! I love this series but the last book ended on a sour note for me even though I was happy who Calla ended up with. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
3. <b><u>Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?</u></b><br />
Kiss of Frost, I did not expect this series to be that EPIC!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
4. <u><b>Book you recommended to people most in 2011?</b></u><br />
Nightshade and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
5. <b><u>Best series you discovered in 2011?</u></b><br />
Even though the ending was disappointing, I read the entire Nightshade series this year and it is certainly worth reading because books 1 and 2 are amazing!<br />
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6. <u><b>Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?</b></u><br />
Jennifer Estep, Michelle Hodkin, Andrea Cremer, Jeaniene Frost, Gini Koch, Lisa Schroeder, and so many others. <br />
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7. <u><b>Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?</b></u><br />
Jenny Pox, I really didn't expect to like this one so much. Normally horror, blood, and gore are not my things but this one really worked for me. <br />
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8. <b><u>Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?</u></b><br />
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer<br />
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9. <u><b>Book you most anticipated in 2011?</b></u><br />
Lover Unleashed by JR Ward<br />
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10. <b><u>Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?</u></b><br />
There were a lot of gorgeous covers this year but sometimes the cover didn't make up for the boring storyline underneath the cover. Due to this fact I'm going to skip this question. <br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebrok-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=014241543X" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebrok-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1416905863" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chains-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/1416905863?ie=UTF8&tag=thebrok-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebrok-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1416905863" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebrok-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1416905863" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
11.<b><u> Most memorable character in 2011? </u></b><br />
Oh godness there were so many...</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm going to have to go with a secondary character for my choice.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I pick Jamie from Mara Dyer, he is just perfect! I love his sarcastic remarks and how he is there for Mara. He better be coming back in the second book otherwise I'm going to be very upset. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
12. <u><b>Most beautifully written book read in 2011?</b></u><br />
Anything by Lisa Schroeder </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
13.<u><b> Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011? </b></u><br />
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, just wow! This book will change you. <br />
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14. <u><b>Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read? </b></u><br />
Halfway to the Grave/ Night Huntress Series! </div><div style="text-align: center;">How on Earth did I wait so long for this series! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I've only read the first two books but I'm already in love, love I tell you!<br />
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<b>15. <u>Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011? </u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">There were so many but I'm going to have to go with...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> "We can love each other." I swallow hard to ease the constriction in my throat. "There are no laws, no boundaries, on feelings. We can love each other as much and as deeply as we want. No one, Maya, no one can ever take that away from us." ~Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma pg. 276~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>16. <u>Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? </u></b><br />
Catching Jordan! This one just was amazing and I can't wait to sit down and read it again and again. <br />
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<strong>17.</strong> <strong><u>Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!</u></strong><br />
The endings of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Forbidden. Both of those endings left me with chills and I wasn't the same after having read them. <br />
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<i> </i><i>Looking Ahead... </i><b><u></u></b><br />
<br />
<strong>1. <u>One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?</u></strong>There are so many that I didn't get a chance to read and I really want to. Divergent, Wither, Unearthly, Delirium, At Grave's End, The Iron King, and many many more. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>2.<u> Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?</u></b><br />
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer book 2! <b><u><br />
</u></b>Lover Reborn by JR Ward, love this adult romance series. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>3.<u> One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?</u></b><br />
I just hope to improve my blog and increase my reading in 2012. </div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-52926955194405371452011-12-30T07:00:00.002-07:002011-12-30T07:00:09.271-07:00My Favorite Books of 2011<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/usG9IoEfPmQ" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Sorry for the longer video I just wanted to talk about all of my favorite of the year and why they made the top of my list. <br />
If you have a favorites or top 10 post be sure to let me konw so I can come check it out.Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-28676501276009046212011-12-29T09:00:00.000-07:002011-12-29T09:00:09.771-07:00Vampire Knight Vol 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5XfBk_L5OPZeVe7aG7BqintHXXLE8j5zc4-0sHrnis95Hu6JTVpuJoP4uqJ65Nt-j6JLspkW0Av5RdlG4ooHUZOJt6izS64bEuz6KPy5Th4qL77WhEYvTQDiXyHncA0QAFPnXtvkcw/s1600/Vampire+knight+vol+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5XfBk_L5OPZeVe7aG7BqintHXXLE8j5zc4-0sHrnis95Hu6JTVpuJoP4uqJ65Nt-j6JLspkW0Av5RdlG4ooHUZOJt6izS64bEuz6KPy5Th4qL77WhEYvTQDiXyHncA0QAFPnXtvkcw/s1600/Vampire+knight+vol+10.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Title: Vampire Knight Vol 10</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Matsuri Hino</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Shojo Beat</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: June 2010</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: 18+ Manga</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: Outdo Yourself<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Barnes and Noble:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Rido is gone, but the battle rages on at Cross Academy. The Night Class is still under attack, and Headmaster Cross has joined the war to protect his students. Zero, however, has vowed to get rid of all the Purebloods--including Yuki! <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong><br />
After the intense ending of volume 9 I was expecting a lot from this volume. I was a little confused coming into this volume because several times the characters just jump to a memory from the past and just exactly what was going on with the vampire hunters seemed a little weird. There were a few surprises in this volume though that I wasn't really expecting. <br />
<br />
Honestly all of the memories between Yuki and Kaname and Yuki and Zero are making it very hard to decide who she should be with. Now personally I'm a Zero fan all the way, it has always been about Zero to me. I just think Kaname is a little bit creepy and I mean come on people, he is her freakin older brother!! How on earth isn't that weird?<br />
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Overall, I did like this volume but I felt it was short. That could be because I haven't read a manga book in about a month so it was just different coming back to a quick read versus a 350 page novel. I do want to know what happens in the next volume because of the things that finally happened between Yuki and Zero and how Kaname basically ran off. I think one of the things I liked best about this novel was Yuki's mom's story at the very end, it was very sweet. I'm sorry this is a short review I just don't have a whole lot to say about this volume other than I am still liking this series and I'm looking forward to volume 11. This volume gets 4 hearts from me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLQYGDEa38sc2TSpph5q05Mp7YA_FbFllXrooCYEcPnGoqSlhAUdFm-UcC46IiNldFT2gQwKMTEHQ8U-EzOxvQyh1fPCaa9za2fpT0Zd_CGNTJiqdSbb9fK9oG24NGstSjf_oQzb6aQ/s1600/Hearts+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="110px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLQYGDEa38sc2TSpph5q05Mp7YA_FbFllXrooCYEcPnGoqSlhAUdFm-UcC46IiNldFT2gQwKMTEHQ8U-EzOxvQyh1fPCaa9za2fpT0Zd_CGNTJiqdSbb9fK9oG24NGstSjf_oQzb6aQ/s320/Hearts+4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4uWMJR6CZLu8ONvpKsCTeO0VsXiOnpAKQu6IdJb70DSPDcWjp6YOrhLPrikHH37Y_0rtv41kbHQGF1NY1l5YzvMTLjdr7y0d_5RClQC77rzToa3K2blCCmKcWlCgvo7It4pBLfm-AA/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="121px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4uWMJR6CZLu8ONvpKsCTeO0VsXiOnpAKQu6IdJb70DSPDcWjp6YOrhLPrikHH37Y_0rtv41kbHQGF1NY1l5YzvMTLjdr7y0d_5RClQC77rzToa3K2blCCmKcWlCgvo7It4pBLfm-AA/s320/sign.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-75236961895841036572011-12-28T03:01:00.002-07:002011-12-28T03:01:52.824-07:00New Blog Layout!<div align="center">As you might have already seen, I have a new layout. </div><div align="center">I stayed up till 3 AM putting it together.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Please let me know what you think about the new look!</div><div align="center">I'm hoping to keep this one for a while, unless people really do not like it. </div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Thanks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsiH9TRsOTo/TvrpC1z4tVI/AAAAAAAABAM/e3hUGgbA57U/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsiH9TRsOTo/TvrpC1z4tVI/AAAAAAAABAM/e3hUGgbA57U/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-80623935639329457172011-12-28T03:00:00.000-07:002011-12-28T03:00:02.950-07:00IMM 56: Holiday Edition: Vlog!Big thanks to Kristi @ The Story Siren for this great theme!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bMmrYQo2EJQ" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Sorry that the video has some slow movement issues, it is the way it films at Johnny's house. <br />
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Amazing People Mentioned:<br />
Erica @ <a href="http://www.thebookcellarx.com/">The Book Cellar</a><br />
Loretta @ <a href="http://www.betweenthepagesreviews.com/">Between the Pages</a><br />
Angela @ <a href="http://www.readingangel.com/">Reading Angel</a>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40471662679851183.post-11902038389308292532011-12-27T08:00:00.000-07:002011-12-27T08:00:01.318-07:00I Heart You, You Haunt Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V7X75ytdOAbMyAI43Gex1w6fSoeYYcxB7hYTQ_G34c1kjDag36jPyhL2MzPKIxT8aMMRnfuo8f2S1yVjTRsehvGeIW2hFcc3xr7xhFUa6JDUVDnpVm-5VCAPvNFATgpTI2nApoR_9g/s1600/I+Heart+You%252C+you+haunt+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V7X75ytdOAbMyAI43Gex1w6fSoeYYcxB7hYTQ_G34c1kjDag36jPyhL2MzPKIxT8aMMRnfuo8f2S1yVjTRsehvGeIW2hFcc3xr7xhFUa6JDUVDnpVm-5VCAPvNFATgpTI2nApoR_9g/s320/I+Heart+You%252C+you+haunt+me.jpg" width="228px" /></a></div>Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Author: Lisa Schroeder</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publisher: Simon Pulse </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Publication Date: Jan 2008</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Classification: YA Novel</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Challenge: Outdo Yourself</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Summary from Goodreads:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="freeText13772295489015553704"><em>Girl meets boy. <br />
<br />
Girl loses boy. <br />
<br />
Girl gets boy back... <br />
<br />
...sort of.</em> <br />
<br />
Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here. <br />
<br />
Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have only read The Day Before by Lisa and I loved it so I couldn't wait to try some of her older books. I picked this one up during a read-a-thon for a quick read and it was the best book that I read during that read-a-thon! <br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It is a verse book for anyone who didn't already know that and the emotion that Lisa can put in such few words will leave you breathless and wanting more. While reading this one I could completely connect with the sadness and loss that Ava was going through and although Jackson was a ghost and he was there for her in his own special way, it was hurting Ava more than she realized. This book really explores all of the emotions that a teenage girl would feel after losing her boyfriend.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The only problem I had with the book was that Ava was rather young and she had only been dating Jackson for a short while before he died. She always said she loved him but I don't think she quite knew what that meant. Even though she was so young I could still relate to the story and I think Lisa did a great job with Ava's character in the end. She might have seemed too young at certain points but she had some growing up moments that really lead the reader to believe that Ava was making the right choices, even if they were heartbreaking ones.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Overall, I was crying by the end of this book and a book has not done that to me in a while so I appreciate any time a book gives me a good cry. The story was beautiful and the words were powerful and held so much meaning. I would recommend this book to just about anyone because stories of lose are stories that we all have to deal with and this one is one of the best that I have read on this topic in a long time. I will give this story 5 hearts and I can't wait to read more of Lisa's work. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoH1sn1R3DI3LmIKchCNFP45NGE6Qh7QrbYq5TmFySWOIzQ-Z_bPNtK_h_QRNyGA8Mn3rguyJAxXJunDWal92OUHAEooZK6-38GgiJmox9jrA5DN_pAXvPzRSlquuXL-xqbVKF7WY_gA/s1600/Hearts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoH1sn1R3DI3LmIKchCNFP45NGE6Qh7QrbYq5TmFySWOIzQ-Z_bPNtK_h_QRNyGA8Mn3rguyJAxXJunDWal92OUHAEooZK6-38GgiJmox9jrA5DN_pAXvPzRSlquuXL-xqbVKF7WY_gA/s320/Hearts+5.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx6QYeibODwAJHcAbcN_snuPTKFgOqW-eE6CgkDIw2h1Mao4JZ6oNerDI-c2bjWXg0QR7R0AUPYGcfucw3hdjCU1gUWa5Pj2E74zA-d0AKnSXm8teo9jf1L1a1SH1Jjqn41vINXEc1A/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx6QYeibODwAJHcAbcN_snuPTKFgOqW-eE6CgkDIw2h1Mao4JZ6oNerDI-c2bjWXg0QR7R0AUPYGcfucw3hdjCU1gUWa5Pj2E74zA-d0AKnSXm8teo9jf1L1a1SH1Jjqn41vINXEc1A/s320/sign.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Alexahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02504096607685421368noreply@blogger.com7