Review of The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Title: The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles 1)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published by: Disney Hyperion Books

Released: 2010

Summary: Sadie and Carter Kane have spent the majority of their lives apart. Carter has been traveling the world with his archaeologist father while Sadie has been living in England with her grandparents. On one of their visits together, everything goes awry. A museum and priceless artifact blows up, their father disappears, and the Egyptian god of naughtiness, Set, is unleashed. Sadie and Carter must rescue their father and on their journey they find they have the blood of the pharaohs. Rick Riordan takes us on another exhilarating journey through Egypt in his new series, The Kane Chronicles. 

My Thoughts: Fun, Fun, Fun! What a blast of a book. The adventure never slows. The incorporation of Egyptian mythology is intriguing. And the characters become people you root for. Just a very fun adventure and a thrilling first in a new series.

I liked how the perspectives switched from Sadie to Carter and how the story operated as an after the fact account. I also liked how the Egyptian gods were portrayed with Bast and Thoth being my favorites. It was a very exciting read and the action just never stopped.

The only iffy things were possible love interests for kids. I could see Carter falling for Zia in a first crush sort of way since he was 14, but Sadie liking Anubis who looks 16 and her being 12 seemed a little yuck. And also (SPOILER!) the whole being possessed thing was a little ehh. Possession, in my book, is never good.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and plan on continuing with Sadie and Carter's adventures in the next book. Just a very fun read full of action and adventure.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Who knew Egyptian gods could be so complicated.

Reading Right Now! The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Title: The Dead and Buried

Author: Kim Harrington

Published by: Scholastic Point

Release Date: January 1, 2013

First off, I just want to make a huge apology for ignoring my blog for the past couple weeks. I've just had other stuff on my mind and haven't made my blog a priority. The good news is, the test I was stressing over is now behind me, so hopefully I will be more reliable about updating my blog and getting back on schedule. So, I'm sorry for being a lazy bum.

Now to the book, I want to thank Netgalley and Scholastic Point for approving and providing me with this title. I'm currently about 90% of the way through the book and I'm really enjoying it.

This is the story about a girl named Jade who moves to a new house and a new town. Little does she know that a girl died in her house from mysterious circumstances a couple months before. Jade's little brother Colby can see the ghost. Jade can't see the ghost, but can feel her when she chooses to make her presence known. The ghost belongs to the girl who died in the house, Kayla Sloane. Kayla Sloane was not the nicest girl in life and she continues that way in death. The ghost of Kayla forces and kinda blackmails Jade into finding out who really pushed her down the stairs. Jade goes on an investigation to find out just who killed Kayla and why.

I'm really enjoying this book. It's a fun, quick read with a writing style that just flows. It's also a good mystery. While I haven't figured out just who the killer is, I do have some suspects. This is a very fun book and I recommend you get it when it comes out.

Review of The Sixes by Kate White

Title: The Sixes

Author: Kate White

Published by: HarperCollins

Released: 2011

Summary: Phoebe Hall was a best selling celebrity writer, but now her career is plagued by plagiarism charges. On the advice of her agent, Phoebe decides to hunker down and get away from L.A. She accepts a teaching job at Lyle College where her best friend is president. By Lyle suddenly becomes a dangerous place to be. A student turns up dead in the river and rumors about a secret society of mean girls start to swirl. Phoebe's friend Glenda asks her to investigate this secret society of the Sixes to find out if they are really plaguing the campus. Phoebe fins out that the Sixes don't want to be uncovered and her stay at Lyle gets a lot more dangerous. Sometimes girls in a pack are more dangerous than a pack of wolves. Phoebe must uncover the secrets of the Sixes before it's too late.

My Thoughts: Ehh. A bit of a disappointment for a mystery/thriller. This book was okay, but it wasn't great. The writing was easy to follow and the cover was pretty, but the story contained within was filler.

I really got annoyed with the cliff hanger endings as the end of EVERY chapter. I like to see chapters as possible breaks, but this book decided those kinds of chapters just weren't exciting enough. Plus, they weren't particularly good or needed cliff-hangers. They were just always there and they ended up getting on my nerves.

The mystery was also sort of forced. It's like The Sixes were thrown in every paragraph. Anything that went wrong or was strange, the main character's mind automatically went to the Sixes. For example, (SLIGHT SCENE SPOILER) someone leaves apples in Phoebe's house and she calls her housekeeper to thank her. The housekeeper denies leaving the apples and Phoebe's mind automatically goes to the Sixes. It just seemed too forced. The Sixes were the bad guys from the start, even though they hadn't done anything really bad yet.

My last annoyance with the story was that the main character Phoebe was kind of an idiot. She ran around in the book like a chicken with it's head cut off. She perceived everything as a threat or attack on her. She was always the victim and she took much longer then it was necessary to solve the mystery. She also forgot to eat meals so she would be achy and have headaches. If the book were real, she would've been dead because of her stupid actions.

I wanted a nice thriller. Something to keep me in suspense with a nice mystery to keep me guessing. This novel was just mediocre. No great insights, fascinating characters, or genuinely puzzling mystery. Also there were a couple typos which are never good to see in a finished, published novel. Just an average book for me, but that's just my opinion. Someone else could love this book.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Not too worked up about The Sixes.

Reading Right Now! Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

I haven't started it yet, but I just know it's gonna be awesome. It has a bunch of great reviews on goodreads and a lot of people say that it's genuinely scary. I've been waiting a while to finally get my hands on this one and am muy excited to finally start reading it.

Hope everyone else is reading something fantastic!

HAPPY READING!

Review of iFrankenstein by Bekka Black

Title: iFrankenstein

Author: Bekka Black
Kindle Format

Summary: It's Frankenstein for the digital age! Bekka Black brings Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein, into the digital age. Victor Frankenstein and Elizabeth are on a work type cruise with their parents while their friend Henry is at home. Victor is desperate to win a scholarship to a certain school. His application for winning is to create the smartest and most human like computer chatbot. Victor names his creation V.V. 

V.V. suddenly becomes too smart and too alive. He pulls up private information and goes beyond his programming codes. V.V. is alive! Victor must do all he can to shut V.V. down in this imaginative novel told through texts, e-mails, pictures, and web pages.

My Thoughts: First off, I just want to thank the author, Bekka Black, for sending me iFrankenstein to review. I read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in high school and really enjoyed the twist Bekka Black put on this classic. I found the story highly enjoyable and a very quick read. I love the format of the story. Reading through e-mails and texts is a refreshing change from the normal book format. I also really enjoyed the added detail of the pictures thrown in. The author did a really good job of converting Frankenstein's monster into the digital age. Virtual Victor was scary and threatening.

iFrankenstein is just a really fun and quick read. I would recommend it to any Frankenstein fan and would also recommend you check out the first novel in the iMonsters series, iDrakula. Just very enjoyable reading.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

It's Alive!!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 20

Sorry I have been so lax with these videos. Here's books and a video that I did 2 weeks ago that I just never got around to posting on my blog. I hope you enjoy all the great books that I got. It was another awesome and fantastical library haul, so be prepared to be amazed... haha. The video will be below these words and as always In My Mailbox is hosted by the story siren where we show all the fantastic books we have acquired.

Now for the books in list form because I know you want it.

1. iFrankenstein BY Bekka Black (got this one from the author herself, so exciting! Can't wait to read it. Really enjoyed the format and story of the first one in the series which is iDrakula. Going to be reading this in the current month of October.)
2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer BY Michelle Hodkin (I've heard really good things about this book and it looks pretty awesome.)
3. The Body Finder BY Kimberly Derting (Book 1 in the Body Finder series. Looks good, she can find dead people. A useful skill kind of)
4. Desires of the Dead BY Kimberly Derting (Book 2 in Body Finder Series)
5. The Last Echo BY Kimberly Derting (Book 3 in Body Finder Series)
6. All These Things I've Done BY Gabrielle Zevin (excited to read this one, I've heard good things about it.)
7. The Pledge BY Kimberly Derting
8. Revived BY Cat Patrick
9. Anna and the French Kiss BY Stephanie Perkins (I've heard so many good things about this book that I just had to check it out.)
10. Cinder BY Marissa Meyer (Cinderella retold as a cyborg... Cool!)
11. Texas Gothic BY Rosemary Clement-Moore (love the cover and the story sounds a little creepy. Can't wait to check it out!)

Those are all the books that I got. I have so many library books that it's going to take me months to finish them all. I'm going to try to get back into doing regular posts for this blog thing. I can't promise anything, but I'm going to try to be better. Hope your week in books was as good as mine and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Published by: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Released: 2011

Summary: This book is the sequel to Jonathan Maberry's Rot & Ruin. The book continues on where the first left off. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Tom plan to leave the town of Mountainside and find the jet they saw while in the Rot and Ruin. Things do not go according to plan once they leave town. Chong gets captured, the crew gets separated, zombies abound, and Gameland is back and scarier than ever. Survival gets a whole lot harder.

My Thoughts: This book surpassed the original. I really, really loved it. It's full of action, suspense, danger, and heartbreak. The characters have grown and their fates become important to the reader. Still not a big fan of the "zombies as people too" idea but, a lot of zombie mayhem ensues.

I just really liked this book. Can't wait to read the third installment which comes out sometime in September. But be warned, the ending is shocking and very sad.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

Sooo much everything! Aaahh!

Review of Cameo by Tanille

Title: Cameo

Author: Tanille

Published by: Fire Flies Entertainment

Released: 2006-2010

Summary: Nia is a high school student who resides right in the middle of the populars and the nerds. Her boyfriend broke her heart a couple months ago and now goes out with mean girl Michelle. Nia is leery of love. Then, she gets partnered with the cute basketball star on a school project. Strange accidents start occurring to Nia in her home and at school. She learns that she has become the target of a secret society. With the help of new guy Jason and best friend Cindy, Nia must save herself and uncover/expose the mean spirited secret society.

My Thoughts: I just want to thank Fire Flies Entertainment for sending me this book to review. I felt really special when I received it in the mail, like a professional book blogger :)

This story had great potential, but sadly I don't think it ever reached it. The story line and writing were a little jumpy and the characters were a little flat. The plot was also rushed and poorly set up. It pains me to say negative things about this book when people were kind enough to send it to me, but I have to be honest.

I really think this book had great potential. Fleshing out the characters and fine tuning the plot would have helped to make it better. I just don't think this book was right for me, but it could be great for somebody else.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Not my cup of tea.

Reading Right Now! Cameo by Tanille

Title: Cameo

Author: Tanille

According to Goodreads page 64 of 206 is 31% of the way through

Sorry I've been a little blog lazy for the past couple weeks. I always say that I'm going to stick to my posting schedule, and then I don't. Pure laziness on me.

I was contacted to review this book, so I really needed to start reading it so I can get my review out there. Thanks to Fire Flies Entertainment and Karen Adams for sending me this. My reviewing process is that I want to give my honest opinion about the book I'm reading. This can be hard. Especially if someone is nice enough to send me something and then I end up not really liking it. I'm super happy for the opportunity to review something, but I gotta be honest about it. I say this, because I'm not really sure about this story so far. It's about Nia a high school girl who deals with a lot of drama and something bad could be, maybe happening with her. Yeah, that's really all I got so far. The writing style is a little weird so far. Kind of jumpy and I'm not sure the overall story is really being set up properly. I'm not exactly sure how I'm feeling about this book... We shall see.

So that's it for this Reading Right Now post. See you next time!

Review of Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Rot & Ruin

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Published by: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Released: 2010

Summary: Benny Imura's world has always been inhabited by zombies. 14 years ago, First Night occurred. That was the day when the world ended and the zombies rose and took over. Benny's parents died on First Night and he was rescued by his older half-brother Tom. The world Benny lives in now is one controlled by fear. People live in small towns surrounded by fences to keep the zombies out. The only people who go outside the fences are bounty hunters and traders. At 15, each teen must find a job or lose half of their food rations. Benny has tried out for a majority of these jobs, but none of them seems to stick. Benny finally decides to apprentice with his brother Tom as a bounty hunter and that's when Benny's story really begins.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. It has a gorgeously creepy cover and detailed inside flaps that add a little extra bit of cool to the overall story. This is a book about zombies, but it's different than other zombie books I've read. In this world, people are much more dangerous than the ravenous undead.

The story started off slow and a little preachy. Benny was also not a strong character at the beginning of the novel. This story was all about stressing that zombies were once people too and should be treated accordingly. While the overall idea was noble, it didn't really work for me. A zombie is a monster and although it once was human, the humanity left when it rose. I just have a tough time feeling sorry for the zombie. I feel sorry for the human that it once was, but not for the monster it became.

I really enjoyed the world and the thought that was put into how this new world would work. Benny trying out for the jobs was interesting. I enjoyed seeing the kinds of jobs that were useful and necessary in this new world. The locksmith, erosion artists, factory workers making cadaverine, all were just really cool and creative. The no electricity thing seemed a little weird to me. How the townspeople equated electricity and technology as part of the cause for the apocalypse. It was also interesting to see the crippling power of fear in relation to the town and how they decided to hide behind their walls instead of taking back and fighting for their world.

Benny and Nix's relationship was confusing too. Are they together? Aren't they? Where does the Lost Girl fit into this puzzle?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Benny as a character grew on me and Tom was pretty awesome from the start. The concept of humans being more dangerous than zombies was also interesting. This book, although full of action, makes one think. The sequel will be read soon so I can find out what happens to Benny, Nix, Tom, and Lilah next in the great Rot and Ruin.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Conclusion: Respect Humanity.

September Favorites!

Another month has bit the dust, so that means it's that time again to look back on the books I read and pick my favorites of the bunch. I read 6 books in September, which is decent, but I did not meet my goal. All the books I read were highly enjoyable and got high marks. So lets get into it.

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

This is the sequel to Rot & Ruin and OH MY GOODNESS. This book surpassed the first. It had exactly what I wanted in a zombie book. Lots of zombie killing and mayhem, plenty of action, and danger all around. Can't wait to see what happens next in the third book Flesh & Bone. That ending was just crazy and very sad. I almost shed a tear, which is rare for me.

Title: Starters

Author: Lissa Price

Such a cool little book that I really enjoyed. It has an awesomely unsettling cover and a very gripping story. It played through my mind like an action movie. I loved the science fiction elements to it and the main character of Callie. Overall, just an awesome read that I definitely recommend.

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

Pure amazingness. This book offered up so much more than I expected. It's a very intense, edge of your seat read. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the grown ups is just beginning. The violence of kids against kids and the play for power is chilling. Just a very good book and a fantastic start to a series that I will eagerly continue.

That's it for my September Favorites. Now on to October. AWAY (Did any of you get that mermaidman reference ;D)

Review of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Title: Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles

Published by: Walker Publishing Company, Inc.

Released: 2009

Summary: Brittany and Alex couldn't be more different. Brittany lives on the North side of town. She's pretty, rich, popular, and dating the star of the football team. Alex lives on the East side of town. He's poor, always getting into trouble, and belongs to the LB gang. But, when these two are partnered in chemistry class, their feelings for each other override their differences. They also find out that there is more to both of them then what is seen on the surface.

My Thoughts: I'm not really the biggest fan of the contemporary genre, but I'd heard really good things about this book and series so I thought I'd try it out. My verdict, this book was AWESOME. So not your average teeny-bopper romance. This book had more adult language and scenes and romance than I thought it would. Very steamy and a very muy caliente male lead.

I liked how there was more to these characters than could just be viewed from the surface. It did a good job of teaching that we really need to get to know someone before we judge and that people can be more complicated and deep than first impressions will lead us to believe. I also enjoyed the star-crossed lovers aspect. When it's done right, it can be epic and this one reached epicness.

The only thing that I didn't really like was how rushed it felt toward the end. How we missed chunks of time because the story suddenly jumped to the future. After going through a day by day basis with these characters, it was a little unsettling to randomly jump into the future.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It had a sweet/steamy romance, action, danger from the gang, and a happy ending. I really liked how the epilogue showed how they stayed together. I've become a fan and plan to read how the other Fuentes brothers fare in love. Just a really good romance.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

Muy Caliente!

Reading Right Now! Gone by Michael Grant

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

According to the mathematics genius that is Goodreads, I'm 27% done with this book. I'm on page 153 out of 558 pages. It's a beast.

So I finally decided to jump on the Gone series bandwagon and I'm glad I did. For those that don't know, the story is about a group of kids fighting to survive in Perdido Beach, California after all those 15 and over have simply disappeared. There's no adults, no phone or internet, and a big dome like barrier separating their town from everywhere else. Some kids also have super abilities.

I'm really liking this book so far. It kind of has the same feeling as the classic book Lord of the Flies with some other crazy elements added in. I'm on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what's happening and how these kids are going to survive. The book has a very chaotic and dangerous feel towards it. 

I'm really liking it so far. Can't wait to finish and continue on with the rest of the series. I recommend it to other readers too.

Review of: Fighting To Survive By Rhiannon Frater

Title: Fighting To Survive: As the World Dies 2

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Published by: TOR, Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Released: 2009 (original) 2011 (TOR)

Summary: As the survivors holed up in Ashley Oaks try to make their fort a home, they realize zombies aren't the only dangers in their new world. The vigilante is still on the loose and bandits have become a significant threat. Also, with more survivors arriving, the fort starts to get a little crowded and the decision is made to take the hotel. All our favorite characters, and some new ones, struggle to survive in this thrilling sequel in the As The World Dies Trilogy.

My Thoughts: This was a solid sequel to a thrilling first. All the characters that I loved were back and some new ones made an appearance. The zombie killing action was thrilling and frightening. And, the human struggle for hope and survival was just as heart-rending as in the first book.

It started off a little slow and more character's stepped into the spotlight, making it less of Jenni and Katie's story and more the story of the community of the fort. It did pick up the pace though, especially in the scenes where they cleaned out the hotel. It also brought up a new danger aspect with the bandits and vigilante on the loose. Now zombies aren't the only thing that survivors have to watch out for.

The last action scenes of the novel were a little unsettling. In a world where humanity has been crippled, the killing of innocents is hard to take. Is it just good strategy or is it heartless. And the cliffhanger at the end makes it imperative that I read Siege, the last book in the trilogy.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I've come to care about the fates of these characters and hope that all my favorites survive. The next and last book Siege, is now on my must read list.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Just as zombietastic as the first.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 19

I'm sorry I've been such a slacker. I really need to get on the ball. I had a great bunch of library books come in that I had requested and I got one book for review. My week in books was so great/awesome/amazing this week and I can't wait to share it. The video will be posted below these words...

Now for the books in list form. I'll start with my one review book and then go on from there.

1. Cameo BY Tanille (thank you Fire Flies Entertainment and Kr67 for contacting me and mailing me this book to review :D )
2. Gone BY Michael Grant (Book #1)
3. Hunger BY Michael Grant (#2)
4. Lies BY Michael Grant (#3)
5. Plague BY Michael Grant (#4)
6. Fear BY Michael Grant (#5 so excited to read this series!)
7. The Hunt BY Andrew Fukuda (looks AWESOME!)
8. The Book of Blood and Shadow BY Robin Wasserman
9. Anna Dressed in Blood BY Kendare Blake (Yayy Yay YAY! Will be reading this for Halloween in October if I can wait that long)
10. The Knife of Never Letting Go BY Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking Book 1)
11. Struck BY Jennifer Bosworth (She's a lightning addict... huh.)
12. Die For Me BY Amy Plum (I've heard great things about this one.)

Well, that's it. I had an awesome haul this week and hope you did too! And as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review: The Immortal Rules By Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published by: Harlequin TEEN

Released: 2012

Summary: 60 years ago, humanity was decimated by the Red Lung Virus. Vampires came out of hiding and gathered up the remaining humans into decimated cities where they are used as blood cattle. Rabids roam the land outside the city walls and will eat any human foolish enough to leave the cities. Allie Sekemoto is a Fringer. She's an unregistered human who refuses to donate any of her blood to the vampire masters, which makes survival hard. Then, one day scavenging for food outside of the city, she and her band of friends are attacked by a group of rabids. Near death, Allie is offered a choice by a vampire. Live and become what she loathes or die. Allie chooses to live. Now a vampire, Allie is determined to cling to her humanity and not become a ruthless monster. She meets Zeke and a band of wandering humans searching for Eden and a cure. Allie's feelings for Zeke turn into something more and she must control her vampire urges in order to keep those she cares about safe.

My Thoughts: I loved this book! It deserved every bit of hype it got and now I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Julie Kagawa is an amazing writer. The story and world she created was so vivid, terrifying, and heartbreaking. I can't wait for more.

I loved the character of Allie. She was hardcore. Able to fend for herself and kick all kinds of butt. Sometimes she was too hard and I felt there should have been a better balance of softness. That being said, it was truly awesome watching her wield that katana and slice her enemies to shreds. Zeke was a very cool character too. He was very firm in his convictions and very protective of his group/family. He's just someone you'd want at your side. In general, he's a very good, nice guy.

I loved the post-apoctalyptic world that was showcased. The crumbling, rotting cities and just the complete desolation all around. I love that feeling of being the only ones left alive (in a novel) and seeing what once used to be fading and disappearing all around you. The world and genuine struggle for survival just really appealed to me. I just love that innately human story of holding on to hope and the willingness to just keep going.

The vampire aspect of the book was enjoyable too. One of the better vampire books, in my opinion. The rabids were terrifying and viewing a world without order or control was vaguely unsettling. The novel showed the good and the bad of humanity. The only iffy thing of this book is some of the language used wasn't really YA friendly.

This book was awesome. I loved it and can't wait to find out what happens to Allie and Zeke next.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

I'm speechless, this book was just that amazing!

August 2012 Favorites!

It's that time again. Another month has left us, so now it's time to look back and reflect on what I read and loved in August 2012. I read 7 books in August, so I met my monthly goal. All in all, I had a really good reading month, only one book got a 3, the rest were all fours and fives. Now for my three favorites of August.

Title: Angel Burn

Author L.A. Weatherly

First one I finished in August and it was a sign of good things to come. Loved the concept and idea of evil angels, parasites really. The love story wasn't bad either. Can't wait to continue on with the series. The sequel is already out and is titled Angel Fire.

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

This book made me a fan of Julie Kagawa's writing style. Loved the strong female character, the world, the danger, the action, and the boy. Just really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see how the series continues. Sweet katana sword action too!

Title: Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles

A perfect love story. Really enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters. I will definitely be continuing on with the series. Maybe for slightly older teens though.

That's it for my August Favorites. Let me know what books topped your monthly favorites list. Now on to September and the promise of more good books to be read.

Review of: Angel Burn By L.A. Weatherly

Title: Angle Burn

Author: L.A. Weatherly

Published by: Candlewick Press

Released: 2011

Summary: Alex has hunted angels all his life. He is part of a group called the A.K. (Angel Killers) who hunt the predatory creatures. Alex knows Angels are portrayed in the wrong light. Instead of being good and heavenly, angels are only interested in feeding off a human's life force leaving them with a bad case of Angel Burn. Too much communion with the angels can cause irreparable effects like cancer, M.S., or severe brain damage. So when Alex gets a text to kill one of these dangerous beings, he races to the address only to find a mysterious girl. Willow is half angel and she could be the key to destroying the angels once and for all, thus saving humanity.

My Thoughts: Loved it! This book was awesome. Very fast paced, lots of action, and a steamy little love story. I really loved how the angels are portrayed. The author had a very original and exciting idea to showcase evil angels. I thought the whole idea was very well thought out and written. The Church of Angels cult and the danger of fanatics protecting the angels that really were hurting them was just crazy and smart enough to be believable.

I really enjoyed the characters of Willow (great name) and Alex. I liked how Willow was an expert mechanic and how Alex was a really good, dangerous, and sexy assassin. I liked how the two of them came together and came to care about each other, although the cabin part of the story could have been shorter because it got a little on the mushy side.

I just really enjoyed this book and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. I also loved the beautiful cover.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

I need to practice my angel-evading strategies. Evil Angels and Great Book!

Reading Right Now! The Peculiars By Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Title: The Peculiars

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

I am on page 205 of 354 which makes me 58% of the way through

This story revolves around Lena Mattacascar who has spent her whole life hiding her differences from society while secretly wondering just what she really is. Lena has grown up hearing about The Peculiars, people who are different than everyone else. People who might just not be human. Lena's Nana Crane has always accused her farther, who left when Lena was 5, of being a goblin. Nana Crane also says Lena has some goblin traits of her own. Her mother has saved a letter Lena's father wrote her and presents it to her on her 18th birthday. Lena finds money and a cryptic message inside. Lena decides to use that money to go to the Scree, the northern wilderness where The Peculiars are supposed to reside. Lena is on a mission to find her father and find out who or what she really is.

I'm liking this book. I think I might give it a 4. It's very odd but good. I'm really interested in finding out what Lena is. Is she a goblin? Are her hand and feet just a simple genetic mutation or is it from another source? The book is just very mysterious. It's also very authentic in it's Victorian feeling. I believe Lena is a girl from the Victorian Era. She's brave, but brave in a way that's believable for a girl during that time. I'm just very interested in finding out everything really.

At this point in time, I'm very much enjoying this book and recommend it. It not only has a beautiful cover but a very interesting story contained inside too!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 18

It seems like I just did one of these... ;)
It is plainly obvious that I have a slight book problem. I'm back with another haul! There are no library books in this one, which makes me a little sad. It's not by choice that I have no library books to share this week. I just have to finish all my old library books so I can check out new ones. My library addiction might never be cured. All these books in the haul are ones I've bought. Two are recent purchases and the rest have been sitting in my room for awhile. The video of my haul will be below...

Now, as always, for the books in list form.

1. Falling Under BY Gwen Hayes (something to do with Demonology. Has a nice,soft, velvety cover)
2. Dreaming Awake BY Gwen Hayes (sequel to Falling Under)
3. Between Shades of Gray BY Ruta Sepetys (Historical Fiction, Oh Yeah!)
4. Once BY Cameron Dokey (fairytale retellings. Contains Before Midnight, Golden, and Wild Orchid. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Mulan's stories.)
5. Rosebush BY Michelle Jaffe (a teen psychological thriller. I abhor my copy's cover.)
6. Brunettes Strike Back BY Kieran Scott (looks to be a fun, cutesy book. Sequel to I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader)
7. The Near Witch BY Victoria Schwab (I've heard good things about this one :)  )
8. Bloodrose BY Andrea Cremer (conclusion to the Nightshade Trilogy.)
9. Rift BY Andrea Cremer (Prequel to the Nightshade series. Kind of a pretty cover.)

That's it for the books this week. Hope you guys got some great ones and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: The Ninth Wife By Amy Stolls

Title: The Ninth Wife

Author: Amy Stolls

Published by: Harper

Released: 2011

Summary: Bess Gray is single and she wants to change that. On her 35th birthday, she is influenced by friends to throw a singles party. At her party, she meets Rory, an Irish fiddle player. Rory and Bess's relationship takes off. Bess is happy with Rory and imagines spending the rest of her life with him. In a critical moment, Rory unleashes the deep, dark secret of his past; he has been married a staggering 8 times in his 45 years. Suddenly, Bess must contemplate and investigate this man she has fallen for. When he pledges marriage and everlasting love, does he really mean it? Will she just be another wife in his long list of wives? Is marriage worth it, or will it just end in disappointment? Bess goes on a journey to discover the truth about love and marriage.

My Thoughts: I thought this book was going to be happier and more light-hearted than it actually was. Overall, it was a bleak, bitter look into the journey of marriage. Bess as a character was lonely and unhappy and a bit of a Debbie Downer through all the book. I was just expecting something lighter and funnier than I actually got. I definitely wasn't in a happy mood while reading it.

I did like how the chapters switched From Bess's POV to Rory's POV. Rory's chapters were more engaging to read. He seemed like a lovable Irish chap who just threw his love around a little too freely. One thing that made me sad in the story was the illustration of Bess's grandparent's marriage. I wanted the idyllic old couple who belong together like a pair of shoes, but instead I got an old couple who fought all the time and didn't show each other a whole lotta love.

The ending of this book ended on a happy note, but the whole rest of the journey was rather bleak and depressing. Good for people who like to think about issues while reading, but not for people who want a quick, light read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Where's the happy?

Reading Right Now! Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Dust & Decay

Author: Jonathan Maberry

According to Goodreads pg 284 of 519 pages is 55% done

I'm not going to spoil anything because this book is the sequel to Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. I'll just say that it has to do with zombies and we continue on with the adventures of Benny, Nix, Tom Imura and others in the great wilderness that is the Rot & Ruin.

I'm going to keep this Reading Right Now post short and sweet. I'm liking this sequel even more than the first book. It's pretty great. I find it's rare that a sequel surpasses the original, but so far Dust & Decay is managing it.

Also another awesome cover. Zombietastic!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 17

Back again with another haul. This haul contains one library book and the rest I bought. I went on a bit of a spree and bought a bunch of hardcover books. I REGRET NOTHING! The video of my haul will be below...

Now for the books in list form. I'll start with the library book.

1. Starters BY Lissa Price (looks really good. The cover is a little unsettling)
2. Between the Lines BY Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer (looks cute and is filled with fantastic illustrations)
3. Clockwork Angel BY Cassandra Clare (Book One in the Infernal Devices Series. Prequel to Mortal Instruments.)
4. Clockwork Prince BY Cassandra Clare (Book 2 in the Infernal Devices)
5. City of Fallen Angels BY Cassandra Clare (Book 4 in The Mortal Instruments Series.)
6. City of Lost Souls BY Cassandra Clare (Book 5 in The Mortal Instruments Series.)
7. Silence BY Becca Fitzpatrick (Book 3 in the Hush Hush Series)

Well that's all I got this week. Should be back sometime soon with another haul. I just can't seem to stop buying books. As problems/addictions go, it's not the worst one to have. So let me know what great books you got recently and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: The First Days: As The World Dies By Rhiannon Frater

Title: The First Days: As The World Dies (#1)

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Published by: TOR "A Tom Doherty Associates Book"

Released: 2008 (original) 2011 (TOR)

Summary: Two different women with two different lives find themselves thrown together as the world disintegrates around them. Jenni wakes up to find her husband eating her baby boy. Katie, on her drive to work, is pulled from her car by a crazed man trying to eat her. Katie escapes, thanks to an old man's sacrifice and rescues Jenni. Jenni, Katie, and Jack (the dog) must band together and survive in a world that has been taken over by the undead. They will be tested and tried and find out just what it means to be human.

My Thoughts: OH MY ZOMBIE! This book is just awesome. It's the ideal dream for a zombie book. These pages contain everything a lover of the zombie genre could want: Mutilated undead corpses (that are faster than one might think), the fight for survival in a mad world, gory action scenes, and someone who has read The Handbook. Yes, The Zombie Survival Guide Handbook!

It's safe to say that I absolutely loved this book. Rhiannon Frater did a great job of creating a vivid, post-apocalyptic zombie world with action, romance, and plenty of raw human emotion. Loved it, Loved it, LOVED IT!

I did have one minor issue and that was the character of Jenni. I really wanted to like her, but a lot of times her actions and thoughts got on my nerves. My annoyance of her dropped my bookcitement level a tad. I also didn't understand the chapters within the chapters, that was a little odd.

I loved this book and can't wait to read the sequel!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.7/5

A must read for any zombie lover!

Reading Right Now! The Sixes By Kate White

Title: The Sixes

Author: Kate White

I just started this book. I am on page 7 of 384 which makes me a whopping 2% done!!! :O

I've had this book out from the library for quite awhile, so I figured I should read it so I can finally return it. From what I can tell, the main character's name is Phoebe. She used to be a star writer of the dirty dealings inside Hollywood but she was accused of plagiarism. Her publishers are trying to distance themselves and her agent (or somebody) suggests she go somewhere to lay low for awhile. Phoebe ends up at a college in Pennsylvania teaching a couple classes on non-fiction writing.

This book is categorized as a thriller. I think some people go missing and then this mean, secret society of girls come into play. I don't know. Sounds interesting. Sometimes I get a tad YA weary and go for an adult thriller or mystery.

So yeah, not much to say because I haven't read much of it. Pretty cover though. A little creepy and a lot purple :D

Series Spotlight! The Secret Circle By: L.J. Smith

I do not have an In My Mailbox/Book Haul for you this week because I did not film one. I do have something else in mind for you though!
This will be my first post in my Book/Series Spotlight. Books or series that I really enjoy that I feel need more respect. This could be because they are an older series/book or a book/series that I feel is suitably awesome and doesn't get the hype it deserves.
My first Spotlight goes to... The Secret Circle Series by L.J. Smith. This series was originally published in the 1990's and while it has gotten a little more popular and inspired a CW series (that might have already been canceled, I'm not too sure) I think this series is just really swell. It's also a series that I've read all the way through. Although, I haven't read that newest one they released that's not actually by L.J. Smith, but I digress.
This series was a lot of fun to read for me. It's about witches, magic, and love awww. But seriously, I just really enjoyed this series and one day I will go back and reread it. So go check this one out.
That it as for my spotlight post. I don't know for sure when I'll do another one, but I'm sure I'll do one eventually. Hope you enjoyed it!
                            

Review of: Intertwined By Gena Showalter

Title: Intertwined (#1)

Author: Gena Showalter

Published by: Harlequin TEEN

Released: 2009

Summary: Aden Stone has 4 human souls living inside him. One can time travel, another raises the dead, the third can tell the future, and the last can possess another's body. Labeled as a schizophrenic, Aden has been abandoned by his parents and shuffled to mental institutions, foster homes, and juvie. Aden now finds himself on the D and M Ranch, a home for troubled boys in Oklahoma. While there, Aden meets the girl from his visions and realizes that humans aren't the only intellectual species to live in his world. Aden finds himself in a much more dangerous situation then he ever realized. He must free the souls inside him, protect the girl he loves, and keep himself safe from all those that are hunting him.

My Thoughts: This book threw me for a loop. I expected the story to go one way and then it grew and expanded into something I never expected. I enjoyed the ride that this book took me on.

I did not expect the supernatural extravaganza that this book offered. Upon reading the synopsis, I was prepared for a boy with 4 souls inside him and a love interest with the girl of his dreams. But then, in the very first chapter a zombie came into play and then it was vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, goblins, and probably many more. I just wasn't expecting the supernatural fest that occurred.

Also, the initial love interest threw me. Aden meets a girl, their gazes lock, and a powerful wind comes out of nowhere and then he meets another girl. Just wasn't expecting that.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. My only negative would be that maybe too much is happening. Too many mysteries to uncover and too many people who want to do Aden harm. But I really did enjoy the book and plan on continuing on with the series. The writing style is so swift and easy to read and the subject matter is very interesting. Once I got into it, I was hooked.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Unexpected, Exhilarating, and Pleasantly Addicting all rolled into one!

Reading Right Now! Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Title: Rot & Ruin

Author: Jonathan Maberry

I am on page 257 of 458 and according to the mathematics genius that is goodreads, that makes me 56% done.

I'm really enjoying it so far. It started off a little slow and sometimes preachy in the beginning. This book is all about stressing that zombies were once people too and it's disrespectful to humanity and the family to go on zombie killing sprees, instead their undeadness should be ended quietly and with respect. Yeah, that's about right.

I think it's pretty much known that I really enjoy bludgeon them, shoot 'em in the head zombie books. To me, once they've gone zombie, they're not human anymore. I respect and understand that it would be hard for a family member to see someone they once loved as a zombie and wish they had their final rest. So, I don't know, I don't equate zombies with people/humans anymore. They are now fundamentally different and dangerous. I don't think you need to respect the zombie. Sure, don't torture them like a sicko, but the goal should be on saving yourself rather then giving an undead specimen a peaceful end. I guess Tom Imura's intent is honorable, but I wouldn't really "respect" the zombie. Yeah, that just really rambled on.

The world in the novel is interesting, it's set 14 years after "the first night" or when the dead started to rise and humanity started to fall. The community of survivors are just too driven by fear. They don't try to take back the land from the zombies. They don't go out of their way to kill the zombies lingering outside their walls. And, they don't use electricity anymore because they feel that being too technically advanced led to this apocalypse. Interesting. Also the rationing system they have set up in the town is intriguing. Once a person reaches the age 15, they have to work or they lose half of their food rations. If you don't work, you starve.

The main character Benny is a little ehh for me. He's not set in who he is. Sure it could be cause he's 15, but one minute he hates the zombies and then in the next he's crying for them and wants Tom to save them. I would like him to be a more solid character. He's kind of too emotional.

So, I'm enjoying the novel but I don't think it's going to be one of my favorite zombie books. The cover is really cool and freaky though. Also I love how on the hardcover edition there are random zombie cards and then in the book it describes those zombie cards. Just cool to be introduced to a character and then be able to flip back to the zombie card to get an illustration of what they look like.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 16 (plus extras)

Back with another In My Mailbox/Book Haul. In My Mailbox is a bookish meme hosted by the storysiren, where we show off all the great books we got for the week. So, now for the great books I added to my already overflowing shelves. The video of said haul will be below...

Now for the books in list form. It consists of books that I bought, with two library books at the end.

1. Dark Lover BY J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1. An adult urban fantasy/romance series)
2. Lover Eternal BY J.R. Ward (BDB 2)
3. Lover Awakened BY J.R. Ward (BDB 3)
4. Lover Revealed BY J.R. Ward (BDB 4)
5. Insurgent BY Veronica Roth (sequel to Divergent)
6. Wake BY Amanda Hocking (first in a new series)
7. High School Bites BY Heather Brewer (contains Eighth Grade Bites- Book 1 of Vladimir Tod Series and First Kill- Book 1 in The Slayer Chronicles)
8. Night Circus BY Erin Morgenstern
9. Temptation BY R.L. Stine (contains Goodnight Kiss, Goodnight Kiss 2, and "The Vampire Club")
10. The Peculiars BY: Maureen Doyle McQuerry
11. Dust & Decay BY Jonathan Maberry (sequel to Rot & Ruin. ZOMBIESSSS!)

So that's it. Hope your week was just as great as mine. Leave a comment if you want and tell me the awesome goodies you got this week. Hope your day is fantastic and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: The Walking Dead: Compendium One

Title: The Walking Dead: Compendium One
Authors: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore, Cliff Rathburn
Published by: Image Comics, Inc.
Released: 2010

Summary: Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma into a world that has been overrun by zombies. Through a miracle, Rick finds his family alive, camped out with a band of survivors. Rick becomes leader of the group and undertakes the responsibility of finding food and shelter. This band of survivors must live in this zombie infested world and find out what it truly means to be human. This collection combines the first 8 books, 48 issues of the phenomenon that is The Walking Dead.

My Thoughts: After reading this, I realized that I'm a bigger fan of the show then the graphic novels. I still enjoyed the story though.

Maybe my problem was that the show changed things from the original work. The show went on a more entertaining journey then the actual comic did. Characters that I loved the show rubbed me the wrong way in the graphic novel. Like Rick Grimes, some of the decisions made in the book turned him into a colder person that I didn't connect with as much.

Now, I know this book is about zombies and the small band of survivors, so I expect some death. I just didn't like the crazy amount of death. In that way, it was like the last Harry Potter book. It had me yelling WHY! 

Another thing that bothered me about all the death is that they would kill off characters and then just introduce new ones. That just didn't seem smart or believable because it's the zombie apocalypse. The surviving humans will eventually die out, so it seems unwise to have someone die every ten pages or so.

I did enjoy it, mostly because I'm a fan of the show. The graphic novel sort of reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It had that same sort of feeling to it. All in all, the graphic novel version was O.K. I do have to give it props because it gave the inspiration for a great show that I'm very addicted to. Recommended reading for zombie lovers. But that ending! I just read 8 books in a row and then you leave me with a To Be Continued! grrr... not cool.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

The T.V. Show trumps the comic

July Favorites! (so late edition)

Another month has bit the dust, so it's that time again to look back and pick out my favorites for July. I read 6 books for July (yayy!). So I met my goal. I read a lot of zombie themed books for the month with some detours. So, now for the books that left a feeling of happiness within me.

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Author: Kady Cross

This book introduced me to the world and genre that is steampunk, and I loved it! I enjoyed the band of characters and the twisted Victorian world. I'm now gearing myself up (haha see what I did there. Clocks, gears, steampunk... aww forget it.) for the sequel. I want more Jack Dandy!

Title: Intertwined

Author: Gena Showalter

This book offered up a smorgasbord of supernatural delights. Highly enjoyable and I am looking forward to continuing on with the series. A zombie even made an appearance.

Title: The First Days: As the World Dies 1

Author: Rhiannon Frater

A fantastic zombie book. Loved it! It was everything I wanted in a zombie book and I'm reading the sequel next. I highly recommend this book to all zombie lovers!

So that's it for my reading month of July. I deem it as successful. Now on to August!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 15

Back with more books! I've been out of shelf room for a long time, but that never seems to stop me from buying more. This week, I got one library book and then went on a paperback bonanza. The video of my recent purchases will be posted below this text. And as always, In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at thestorysiren.com where we show off all the bookish things we got for the week.

Now for the books in list form, starting with my lone library book.

1. Fighting to Survive BY Rhiannon Frater (Book 2 in the As the World Dies Trilogy. Loved the first one and hope the second is just as good.)
2. Blood Lite III: Aftertaste Edited BY: Kevin J. Anderson
3. Tarnished BY Karina Cooper (first in a new series. Steampunk I think)
4. Dead Until Dark BY Charlaine Harris (#1 in Sookie Stackhouse Series)
5. Living Dead in Dallas BY Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #2)
6. Club Dead BY Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #3)
7. Dead to the World BY Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #4)
8. Red-Headed Stepchild BY Jaye Wells
9. Nightshade BY Michelle Rowen
10. Grave Sight BY Charlaine Harris (first book in Harper Connelly Mysteries)
11. Minion BY L.A. Banks (1st book in the Vampire Huntress Legends)
12. I Am Number Four BY Pittacus Lore (Book 1 in the Lorien Legacies. Cool Movie Cover Edition!)
13. The Power of Six BY Pittacus Lore (Book 2 in the Lorien Legacies)

Well that's it for the books this week. I'm excited for them all. Books make me happy :D. Hope your week was good to you on the book front and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Author: Kady Cross

Published by: Harlequin TEEN

Released: 2011

Summary: Finley Jayne is just trying to survive, but she has a problem of keeping employed. Not only are the sons of dukes and lords complete cads, they also make Finley angry, and when Finley is angry her dark side is unleashed. After beating up Felix August-Raynes, Finley goes on the run and unintentionally crosses paths with Griffin King. Griffin is intrigued by Finley and offers her a place to stay and help for her problems. Finley accepts and becomes part of a group of enhanced kids. Emily, a mechanical genius, Sam enhanced and super strong, and Jasper the quickest cowboy around (admittedly, cowboys are a rare find in England). Finley teams up with these super kids to stop a villain named The Machinist, who uses automatons for evil. Finley and her friends must take down The Machinist and save the Queen before it's too late.

My Thoughts: This was my first foray into the genre known as Steampunk, and I really enjoyed the ride and plan on reading more of it. My favorite part of The Girl in the Steel Corset was the world Kady Cross introduced me to. It was so vivid and real with an exciting twist. I loved the mixture of Victorian 1800 society with robots and technology. Just very cool to read. The Steampunk world has become one of my favorites.

I enjoyed Cross's band of misfit characters as a whole. Individually, some of them gave me some problems, but as a group they were pretty awesome. My two favorites would have to be Emily and Jasper. They were the two most solid of the bunch, but sometimes Cross played into overused stereotypes. I also really liked Jack Dandy and wished for more of his story. The characters of Finley and Sam kind of annoyed me. I wished Finley would have merged the two sides of herself sooner so she could have been one cool character throughout the book instead of a character who was cool sometimes and boring the other times. Sam annoyed me because I was misled from the synopsis of him being part robot (he wasn't) and he was acting like a baby through the majority of the book.

The story of the book was pretty good. It started off with a bang and the ending scenes were very good. It was a little easy to figure out who the villain was though.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The steampunk world was awesome to read about and the cast of character's as a whole were impressive. I will definitely be reading more steampunk in the near future.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Robots in Victorian England... Cool!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 14

Back with another IMM/Book Haul. If you want to watch the video, it will be below these words. Hope you enjoy all the shiny, new books I got!

Now for the books in list form

1. Little Shop of Homicide BY Denise Swanson (looks fun)
2. The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch (Book 1) BY Joseph Delaney
3. Early to Death, Early to Rise BY Kim Harrison (#2 in series)
4. Breakdown BY Sara Paretsky (mysterious)
5. The Immortal Rules BY Julie Kagawa (:D)
6. Darkfever BY Karen Marie Moning (#1 in Fever series)
7. Cocktails for Three BY Madeleine Wickham
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone BY J.K. Rowling (Hardcover quest complete!)
9. Blood Promise (#4 in VA series) BY Richelle Mead
10. Last Sacrifice (#6 in VA series) BY Richelle Mead

Well that's all I got for the week. Hope your week was booktastic and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: The Weepers: The Other Life (#1) By Susanne Winnacker

I want to thank Netgalley.com and Marshall Cavendish for letting me review an e-arc of this book.

Title: The Weepers: The Other Life (#1)

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Published by: Marshall Cavendish

Released: May 12, 2012

Summary: Sherry has spent the last 3 years and some odd months living in a bunker, under her house, with her family. She hasn't seen sunlight, hung out with her best friend Izzy, or eaten chocolate for 3 years. The country went into emergency mode because of a rabies like virus that spread through the population causing everyday people to turn into monsters. Sherry and her family are fine in the bunker, until they run out of food. It's now up to Sherry and her father to find some food and save her family by going topside. On their very first adventure into the outside world, Sherry's father gets captured by the Weepers and she is saved by a young man named Joshua. Sherry and Joshua team up to send her family to Safe Haven and rescue her father before the Weepers make him their next meal.

My Thoughts: Well, this definitely isn't the best zombie novel I've ever read. I was mostly disappointed by this book because it had the potential to be fantastic, but just never quite got there. But, it's still a scary, pulse pounding book with that hope and fight for human survival.

One thing I did like about this novel were the Weepers. They were a very interesting monster. I came into this book thinking it was a zombie novel, but the Weepers were more beast than human. Instead of the walking dead, we are introduced to "the infected," people who have come to resemble beasts with an intelligent, predatory nature. I also liked the thought put behind the name of Weepers because of their weepy, milky eyes. I guess, I liked how there was more back-story put in to how the world ended up being overrun by this virus.

I also liked the character of Joshua. He was cool, he was tough, and he had the ability to take care of himself in the dangerous world he lived in. And, as with all post-apocalyptic books, I found the setting of a completely abandoned world fascinating. Just imagining such a barren world with decaying, crumbling buildings with danger at every corner and the quest for survival really interests me.

Now my reasons of dislike for this book are simple. First, it's too short. It's like everything happens so quickly and there is not enough meat to the story or development of it. The book also didn't contain an actual ending, just a set up for the next book which I found sort of annoying.

I really found the character of Sherry to be just useless. I like my heroines in novels to be kick-butt characters capable of taking care of themselves, and while that was tried with Sherry, it didn't succeed. If you're in a world with limited resources, then anything useful you find should be guarded and used carefully. So when Sherry is so hungry, but breaks a jar of pickles, it annoyed me. If she really was starving, she would have held onto that jar as if her life depended on it. And two, she's a terrible shot. She wastes ammunition like there's no tomorrow. If I was Joshua, I would not have brought her along on a rescue mission simply because she was more hindrance than help.

One other aspect that annoyed me about the book was all the counting. 1,141 days since she'd seen sunlight. 2,841 minutes since she'd had a peanut butter sandwich. Those sections just got dull and repetitive. 

Overall, I thought this book could have been better. It had some good bits, and then some not so good bits. Not my go to zombie novel.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.2/5

Didn't hate it, but didn't love it. The Weepers are terrifying though.

Reading Right Now! The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

Title: The Ninth Wife

Author: Amy Stolls

 Published by: Harper

Released: 2011

On page 358 of 476. According to Goodreads and simple math, I am 75% done with this book.

I got this book from my local library which is a great place to pick up books that interest you, but you're not necessarily willing to pay for. More people should use and love their local libraries.

So, in short this book is about a man who has been married 8 times and his current girlfriend is trying to figure out how to process this amazing amount of information. Bess Gray meets Rory at a singles party thrown at her house. Bess is 35 and has never been married. She is a very lonely lady and worries that true love and marriage might never happen for her. She meets Rory and really falls hard, then he tells her his terrible secret, he's been married 8 times before. Bess doesn't know what to think or do. She likes Rory, but if they eventually get married will she just become another woman in the long line of women who he has pledged to love and cherish till death do them part. Can a man who's been married 8 times really commit himself to a lasting marriage? Bess decides to seek out his past wives and find out who the real Rory is and if she can trust him with her heart.

I guess that wasn't that short of a description... haha. I expected a nice chick-lit kind of book. A book that was funny and interesting. What I got instead is a sort of bleak book on the aspect of marriage. It seems every marriage Bess sees is unhappy. I was most saddened by her grandparents marriage, who have been married for 65 years. I wanted the idyllic old couple who aren't necessarily romantic but are happy with each other. Like a pair of shoes, one can't exist without the other. But, her grandparents fight all the time. Also the chapters with Bess's POV are sort of strange to read. It's like the tense is off in it and it takes a while to get into her voice. The parts with Rory's voice are more enjoyable to read. Overall, this is just an okay book for me. I would have liked something more lighthearted and sweet, but instead I'm stuck with a bleak and bitter story. I want to believe that marriage is good and that it can last with the right person, but this book (so far) doesn't support that wish and dream. It's mostly a book filled with unhappy people searching for something, but not necessarily finding it.

Well that's it for this Reading Right Now Post. Sorry for being so depressing in it, but that's just what the book is making me feel.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 13

Back again with another In My Mailbox/Book Haul. IMM is hosted by Kristi over @ thestorysiren.com. It's a fun, weekly meme where we showcase the bookish things we got for the week. IMM's/Book Hauls are my favorite videos to do and watch. I got some really pretty books this week which you can see in the shiny video below...
(Sorry I've been sporadic in my posting lately. It's pure laziness on my part. I also plan to continue with my Reading Right Now posts. I haven't abandoned those either.)

Now for the books in list form. This list should be a bit meatier than the previous weeks lists have been.

1. House of Dark Shadows BY Robert Liparulo (Book 1 in the Dreamhouse Kings series. Creepy old house cover :o )
2. In The Serpent's Coils BY Tiffany Trent (Book 1 in the Hallowmere Series. Looks cool. Involves the Civil War time period and fairies!)
3. Strange Angels & Betrayals BY Lili St. Crow (A bind up of the first 2 books in the Strange Angels Series. Has a very pretty owl on the cover.)
4. Sweep Bind Up One BY Cate Tiernan (contains first 3 books in the Sweep Series: Book of Shadows, The Coven, and Blood Witch)
5. The Cupcake Queen BY Heather Hepler (looks like a cute book.)
6. Vampire Academy BY Richelle Mead (Book 1 in Vampire Academy Series)
7. Frostbite BY Richelle Mead (Book 2 in VA series)
8. Shadow Kiss BY Richelle Mead (Book 3 in VA series)
9. Bloodlines BY Richelle Mead (Book 1 in Bloodlines series. Spin-off of VA)
10. The Golden Lily BY Richelle Mead (Book 2 in Bloodlines Series)
11. Beautiful Chaos BY Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Book 3 in the Beautiful Creatures Series)
12. Dark Frost BY Jennifer Estep (Book 3 in the Mythos Academy Novels. Just missing book 2)

And this is not a book, but it's still awesome. LEGO HARRY POTTER YEARS 5-7 on PS3! Love Harry Potter and Legos, so this game should be awesome!!!

So that's all the books I got this week. Hope you all enjoyed the video. Tell me what you got in your mailbox or what you're currently reading. Hope your book exploits are awesome and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review: I Am Not A Serial Killer By Dan Wells

Title: I Am Not A Serial Killer

Author: Dan Wells

Published By: Tom Dohetry Associates, LLC: A TOR Book

Released: 2010

Summary:  John Wayne Cleaver is 15 and convinced that one day he will turn into a killer. He's been diagnosed as a sociopath who is unable to feel empathy, sees a therapist every Thursday, and helps out at the mortuary his mother and aunt run. John is obsessed with serial killers and has developed  his own strict set of rules he follows to prevent himself from following in their killing footsteps. Then Clayton County is hit with its very own serial killer. Big strong men are turning up viciously slashed and dead. John decides it's his duty to find and kill this killer without letting his own sick monster out of the cage.

My Thoughts: I'm in a state of shock. This book was compulsively readable and also extremely disturbing. John Wayne Cleaver is a kid I felt sorry for, but at the same time scared me to no end. This book is very creepy, suspenseful, and not for the faint of heart. The golden nugget of this book is that you're not sure how to view these characters. At times, I felt really bad for John and the killer, but at other times their thoughts and actions really disturbed me.

As a debut novel for Dan Wells, it was a winner. His writing style and characterization are top notch. His story really makes the reader question the things that differentiate between good and bad people, thoughts and actions, and what makes a man a monster.

Dan Wells has delivered in this book a wonderfully creepy teen of John Wayne Cleaver. I'm curious as to what happens next, but at the same time terrified. If John Wayne Cleaver ever gives you a compliment, turn and run the other way.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.2/5

John Wayne Cleaver is one creepy kid.