eBook Review: Dream Dark (Caster Chronicles 2.5) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

As a new acclaimed fan to this series, it was obligatory to get and read this e-book. before I go on to the next book. Here, we get to know about Link (or should we call him Linkabus now *tongue in cheek*), after his um.. incident, and his transition turning into an incubus. It’s funny when his mother thought he was on steroids and demand a urine test. Made me actually wonder how the result come out as. I love the Link & Ridley scenes in this. What annoyed me was, when things just get going, only to turn and read the author’s biography on the next page.  Yes That was annoying! 

It’s pretty much a short read, but if I have had read the next book without reading this one, I probably be lost in plot. Yup, it was that essential. Get this ebook!    
 
Dream Dark (Caster Chronicles #2.5)
by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

When Link joined his best friend, Ethan Wate, on a quest through a mysterious network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, he knew the journey would be dangerous. But returning home to Gatlin, South Carolina was just the beginning...

Wounded during a climactic battle, Link discovers that tending his injuries won't be as simple as visiting a doctor and that healing his arm should be the least of his worries. For being bitten by a Supernatural does more than break the skin -- it changes a person, inside and out, turning Link into someone more and more like the dark creature who injured him.

In this never-before-seen short story by New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, listeners witness Link's heart-racing transformation. Dream Dark is set before the much-anticipated third Beautiful Creatures novel, Beautiful Chaos, and as a special bonus includes an exclusive sneak peek at the first five chapters.

Finished Reading: 28rd December 2012
Acquire: 27th December 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Paranormal Romance | Supernatural | Urban Fantasy
Release Day }  02nd August 2011
Publisher } Little, Brown and Company
Format } ebook
ISBN } 9780316077057
Pages } 75 pages
Source } Bought
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Interests } Paranormal 
Awards }
Support my reading by getting your copy }

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Book Review: Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles 02) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Wow… that was an unexpected turn of events to this book. I actually was up till morning reading this book. It’s that sort of a page turner. The book itself, is beautiful in writing, setting, characters and plot. So much drama that I was stuck reading it. It bound me at page one. That’s something different from the first book. Well, that actually explained why they chose the dark lit stairs on the cover. That was brilliant. though it was quite a turn off for me from reading this book for quite a while, but it was brilliant.

This time, the authors didn’t just focus the first person narration with Ethan, but through the visions he has, we finally get the glimpse of what’s going on on the other side of the story. You know, the side where the story is about what’s going on with Lena, and other characters like Abraham Ravenwood (oh yes, he has appeared) and Macon Ravenwood.

This book finally shed a bit of light on Ravenwood’s history, relationships and on both Lena and Ethan’s side of family and friends. The sisters are not as ignorant as they were first depicted in the beginning of the series.

And then there’s Lucille Bell… The cat. The cat!


They finally tell us what exactly Ethan’s role in to the Casters lives. He is a Wayward! I can’t believe Lena actually….






****Spoilers!****

…ran away with Ridley and that hunky James guy and left Ethan on his own. I think she gave up!. Yup it was an emotional read for me. I was pissed at Lena Duchannes, especially after the stunt she pulled at the fair. Poor Ethan, m heart just poured out for him.. especially when he finally knew why. Oh dear. Not just that, Macon… oh my God… with Ethan’s mom?! That wasn’t something I was expecting. I was entirely emotional when Lila was summoned as a ghost to meet up with Ethan. How sad was that?  

I absolutely love this book! Why are you picking up this series yet?

First Quote. I used to think our town, buried in the South Carolina backwood, stuck in the muddy bottom of the muddy bottom of the Santee River Valley, was the middle of nowhere

Quote. Liv. I couldn’t look at her. I’d been jealous and hurt, and I had dragged Liv into the middle of my own broken mess of a life. All because I thought Lena didn’t love me anymore.

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #02)
By Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.
Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Finished Reading: 28rd December 2012
Acquire: 17st October 2010
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Paranormal Romance | Supernatural | Urban Fantasy
Release Day }  12th October 2010
Publisher } Little, Brown and Company
Format } Hardcover
ISBN } 9780316077057
Pages } 503 pages
Source } Bought
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Interests } Paranormal  
Awards } Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2010)
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon | Kindle

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2013 Reading Challenge #11: Fairy Tales Retold Reading Challenge

Hosted by Debz Bookshelf.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

Cobbler: 1-3 books
Lady in Waiting: 4-6 books
Fierce Orge: 7-9 books
Damsel in Distress: 10-12 books
Evil Enchantress: 13-15 books
Great and Terrible Beast: 16+ books

 

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2013 Reading Challenge #10: Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Hosted by The Book Vixen.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

Levels:
Getting my Heart Rate Up – Raed 1-5 books
Out of Breath – Read 6 - 10 books
Breaking a Sweat: Read 11-15 books
I’m on Fire! – Read 16+ more books

 

1. Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl 
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3. ..
4. ..
5. ..
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2013 Reading Challenge #9: Seriously Series Reading Challenge

Hosted by Paranormal Book Reviews.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

	series started before 2013	series started in 2013	series rereads
Semi-Serious	1-6 series	1-6	1-6
Seriously Serious	7-12	7-12	7-12
Super Seriously Serious	13-18	13-18	13-18
Seriously Spectacular Series Star	18+	18+	18+

Here’s a few series I might be reading for this challenge. I be listing must more as I go on (or edit)

Alexandra Adornetto;
   The Strangest Adventures
      The Shadow Thief #1
      The Lampo Circus #2
      Von Gobstopper’s Arcade #3
   Halo
      Halo #1
      Hades #2
      Heaven #3
Kami Garcia;
   Caster Chronicles (With Margaret Stohl)
      Beautiful Creatures #1
      Beautiful Darkness #2
      Dream Dark #2.5
      Beautiful Chaos #3
      Beautiful Redemption #4
Morris Gleitzman
   Toad
      Toad Rage #1
      Toad Heaven #2
      Toad Away #3
      Toad Surprise #4

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2013 Reading Challenge #8: E-Book Challenge

Hosted by Work A day Reads.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

Levels:
1. Floppy Disk – 5 e-books
2. CD – 10 e-books
3. DVD – 25 E-books
4. Memory Stick – 50 e-books
5. Hard drive – 75 e-books
6. Server – 100 e-books
7. Human Brain – 150 e-books

 

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2013 Reading Challenge #7: Book Bingo Reading Challenge

 

Hosted by Reading In Winter.
January 1 – December 31,  2013

Of course, a challenge isn’t really a challenge unless there are some rules and guidelines:

1. Be awesome. If you’re not, this isn’t going to work.
2. The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2013.
3. If you want to participate, you can join in any time of the year! Feel free to write up a blog post with the rules linking back to my and Anne’s blog in your sign-up post.
4. If you read one book for the “1 book” in any category, you can’t change it later on when you read another book to “2 books.” Once a square is crossed off, it’s crossed off for good! (Feel free to print off the scoreboard to keep track!)
5. Books read for one square are for that square ONLY and cannot be counted towards another category. This is all about reading ALL THE BOOKS.
6. The FREE SQUARE isn’t really a free square. In order to cross it off, you must read a book by either:
   1. Reading a book picked by another participant, or
   2. Reading a book in a genre picked by another participant.
7. You can start your board over again, but ONLY if you receive the stamp of awesome by completing a blackout. The “winners” of the challenge will be the ones who achieve the most winning combinations by the end of 2013.
8. You can feel free to post your reading list for each category, though it’s not a requirement.
9. Having a blog or writing reviews for books read is not required. So long as you want to have fun, you can participate!
10. This isn’t a race, but don’t be afraid to rub your reads in the other player’s face. This will be seen as encouragement. Feel free to use the hashtag #2013BookBingo on Twitter!

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2013 Reading Challenge #6: 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Hosted by Bookish.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

Levels:
1-10 : A Firm Handshake
11-20 : A Friendly Hug
21-30: A Sweet Kiss
31-40: Love At First Sight
41-50: Married With Children

Schedule:
January 20th: Evie @Bookish (www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com)
February 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)
March 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)
April 20th: Tiffany @Escaping.. One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)
May 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)
June 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)
July 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (http://doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)
August 20th: Tiffany @Escaping One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)
September 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)
October 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (http://doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)
November 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)
December 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveaway and this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire month!

1. Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl 

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2013 Reading Challenge #5 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted by Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

The Levels:
Initiate: Read 1 - 5 Witchy books
Maiden: Read 6 -10 Witchy books
Mother: Read 11 – 15 Witchy books
Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy books

 

1. Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

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2013 Reading Challenge #4: Books-in-a-Series Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted by Bookstacks On Deck.
January 1- December 31, 2013

Challenge Levels:
The Sampler: Choose 1-5 books
The Collector: Choose 6-10 books
The Completionist: Choose 11-15 books
The Obsessive: Choose 16-20 books

Will list out books as I go along the year.

1. Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

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2013 Reading Challenge #3: Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted by My Reader’s Block.
January 1 – December 31, 2013

Pike’s Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s.
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s.
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR pile/s.
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s.
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s.
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s.
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s.

Books I'm planning to read or try to read for the challenge.
1. Albert Borris; Crash into Me
2. Ally Carter; I’d Tell You I love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)
3. Amanda Ashby; Zombie Queen of Newbury High
4. Amanda Marrone; Slayed
5. Amy Lignor; Until Next Time
6. Andrea Heltsley; Dreamwalker (Persephone’s League of Immortals #1)
7. Andrew Lane; Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes #1)
8. Andrew Noriss; I Don’t Believe it, Archie!
9. Angela Slatter; The Girl with no Hands (and Other Tales)
10. Anna Banks; Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
11. Anna Jarzab; All Unquiet Things
12. Annabel Monaghan; A Girl Named Digit (Digit #1)
13. Anthony Horowitz; Stormbreaker (Alex Rider #1)
14. Benjamin Alire Saenz; Last Night I sang to the Monster
15. C. J. Omololu; Dirty Little Secrets
16. Carla Jablonski; The Invitation (The Book of Magic #1)
17. Carrie Jones; After Obsession
18. Catherine Gilbert Murdock;  Princess Ben
19. Catherine Jinks; Evil Genius (Genius #1)
20. Chevy Stevens; Still Missing
21. Christopher Paolini; Eragon (Inheritance #1)
22. Cidney Swanson; Rippler (Ripple #1)
23. Colleen Hoover; Slammed (Slammed #1)
24. Courtney Summers; Fall for Anything
25. Courtney Summers; Some Girls Are
26. Dale E Basye; Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck (The Nine Circles of Heck #2)
27. Dan Chaon; Stay Awake
28. Darlene Ryan; Five Minutes More
29. Eileen Cook; Unraveling Isobel
30. Elizabeth Scott; Love you hate you
31. Gabriella Pierce;  666 Park Avenue (666 Park Avenue #1)
32. Galaxy Craze; The Last Princess (Last Princess #1)
33. Gareth P. Jones; The Thornthwaite Inheritance
34. Garth Nix; Mister Monday (The Key to the Kingdom #1)
35. Genifer Choldenko; Al Capone Does My Shirt (Al Capone at Alcatraz #1)
36. Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl; Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3)    
37. Marianne Hering; Voyage with the Vikings (Imagination Station #1)
    

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2013 Reading Challenges Masterlist

Every reading challenge, is linked to their own post.

   

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2013 Reading Challenge #2: What’s in a Name 6

hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013

1. A book with up or down (or Equivalent) in the title.

2. A book with something you’d find in your kitchen in the title.

3. A book with a party or celebration in the title.

4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title.

5. A book with an emotion in the title.

6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title.

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2013 Reading Challenge #1 – Off the Shelf

Hosted by Book Is Hardour.
Off the Shelf Reviews.

Challenge levels:
1. Tempted – Choose 5 books to read
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making a Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On a Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
6. Hoarder – Choose between 76-135 books to read
7. Buried – Choose between 136-200 books to read

Books I'm planning to read or try to read for the challenge.
1. Albert Borris; Crash into Me
2. Ally Carter; I’d Tell You I love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)
3. Amanda Ashby; Zombie Queen of Newbury High
4. Amanda Marrone; Slayed
5. Amy Lignor; Until Next Time
6. Andrea Heltsley; Dreamwalker (Persephone’s League of Immortals #1)
7. Andrew Lane; Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes #1)
8. Andrew Noriss; I Don’t Believe it, Archie!
9. Angela Slatter; The Girl with no Hands (and Other Tales)
10. Anna Banks; Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
11. Anna Jarzab; All Unquiet Things
12. Annabel Monaghan; A Girl Named Digit (Digit #1)
13. Anthony Horowitz; Stormbreaker (Alex Rider #1)
14. Benjamin Alire Saenz; Last Night I sang to the Monster
15. C. J. Omololu; Dirty Little Secrets
16. Carla Jablonski; The Invitation (The Book of Magic #1)
17. Carrie Jones; After Obsession
18. Catherine Gilbert Murdock;  Princess Ben
19. Catherine Jinks; Evil Genius (Genius #1)
20. Chevy Stevens; Still Missing
21. Christopher Paolini; Eragon (Inheritance #1)
22. Cidney Swanson; Rippler (Ripple #1)
23. Colleen Hoover; Slammed (Slammed #1)
24. Courtney Summers; Fall for Anything
25. Courtney Summers; Some Girls Are
26. Dale E Basye; Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck (The Nine Circles of Heck #2)
27. Dan Chaon; Stay Awake
28. Darlene Ryan; Five Minutes More
29. Eileen Cook; Unraveling Isobel
30. Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
31. Marianne Hering; Voyage with the Vikings (Imagination Station #1)
    

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Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Well, typical me. Hears a movie adaption of a novel is coming out soon, then rush to read it before the movie came out. I can’t say it enough, how long this has been in my “To Be Read” pile, and I just picked it up due to a movie! 2009. Wow, that was a big bump up!

It’s a typical boy dreamt of girl, boy meets girl, boy fall hard for girl kind of book… with the cliche paranormal romance in the air. *sighs dreamingly*

*refrains from bashing the  other novel*

I avoided reading this book because of those mixed reviews my fellow book bloggers has been giving through out the years. When I finally pick it up, it really did live up its hype. It’s true. It is quite slow pace at the first 100’s pages. Hence why I gave it  four spades rating. As slow as it was, it kept me grip on. It sunk its teeth into me and I just can’t put it down. The characters are strong and the settings are extremely memorable.

People are afraid of what’s different. That’s my take into how they have treated Lena Duchannes. the new kid in town, just because her uncle doesn’t really care much into mixing with the crowd of stereotype towners. Especially teens. Teens can be cruel. That popped out clearly as a concept in this book, and it be fine when you have people you love by your side along the way.

Let me forewarn you, this book is 99% entirely in the first person view of Ethan (who for some unknown reason I picture and sounded like Drake Bell in my head), the main character of this novel. You won’t be reading through the eyes of another character for quite a while until… um.. much much later. I must say, this part is much too annoying at times while reading through cause I be asking alot of what’s going on with the other characters? What are they thinking? What are they plotting? What they think about this and that?

If you are like me and still haven’t pick up this book and read yet, why? Pick it up dammit! You’re missing alot! Well not alot, but you know what I mean. That is how much you’re missing out. If you’re into Harry Potter (nah… not quite the  example…). If you love reading Twilight, this book will blow your mind.



****SPOILERS! (Kind of) ****

Holy crap. I can’t believe Larkin is… *argh!* I mean I suspected with his powers he was, but I think I was I in denial or something. I must say when Ridley “help” Lena during the dance was some sort of sweet. Personally, those girls deserved it after what they did to Lena. Hell yeah on “Stephen King’s Carrie” prom scene! I do think Ridley still care about Lena at that point. All together now… Aww…..

First Words. There were only two kinds of people in our town.

Quotes.
“The right thing and the easy thing are never the same.”

”Even lost in the darkness, my heart will find you.”

”In one moment I was feeling everything and I was feeling nothing.”

”What is the opposite of two? A lonely me and a lonely you.”

”I never loved you any more than I do, right this second. And I’ll never love you any less than I do, right this second.”

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
By Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Finished Reading: 23rd December 2012
Acquire: 01st December 2009
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Young Adult | Paranormal Romance | Supernatural | Urban Fantasy
Release Day }  1st December 2009
Publisher } Little, Brown and Company
Format } Hardcover
ISBN } 9780316042673
Pages } 563 pages
Source } Bought
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Interests } Paranormal   
Awards } ALA Teens Top Ten (2010) | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009)
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon | Kindle

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Book Review: After by Amy Efaw

It has been awhile since I’ve actually posted a book review (or anything really). I apologize. I had a very hectic end of year, with work and life… (and not really reliable internet connection). Even reading took its toll, but I assure you, I will try not to stop reading. Anyway… I’ve seen this book around the book blogsphere for a while now, and I haven’t quite have the time to pick it up until now. I have alot in my “to be read” pile and it will take a while before I actually able to finish reading them all. (how scary).

If you have been living under a coconut shell or a rock, you wouldn’t have heard the news about how almost to frequent news of trash babies and door babies.. let’s keep it simple, babies left by people in the trash, in the wild, in places, in bags etc in the news. Most of us heard about it, yet there’s hardly any news of “After”. What happened to the parents? f course, there’s alot of horror movies about babies haunting their parents, but face it, there’s no after news.

Until now…

Somebody offered to read this books years ago. I wasn’t really into the genre  back then, but I’ve revisited the reference after we had this Teens Awareness week at work. It was an eye opener.

Let’s talk about this book. The main character, Devon, had a baby, threw the baby into the trash like a piece of nothing. Heartless, people say (the normal reaction we have after listening to the same kind of news in the medias). Here’s the twist… she didn’t know she was pregnant, she didn’t realize it was her baby until a few months later. Wow… yup bullshit. That was my reaction. Then, the author brings us walking into the characters state of mind. her memories, her feelings, her thoughts, her fears, her aspirations. I actually feel sorry for her, regardless what she did.

Amy Efaw did an excellent job in writing Devon’s story. I actually learn a lot, and somewhat empathize with the character.

Cover. If you hadn’t notice, the model on the cover has the reflection of a pregnant woman on the back of the leaning model



****SPOILER****



The only reason why I gave it a 4 spades, was the ending. It was a major twist, but I was hoping for more. I wanted to know about the boy. The baby’s father. How about the baby? I do hope Amy Efaw would do a “follow up” sort of books regarding this one. It would be awesome. I hate being left hanging like that.     

Quote: She can paint a pretty picture but this story has a twist. The paintbrush is a razor and the canvas is her wrist

After
By Amy Efaw

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . .
Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made. Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there's only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.
And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible. She turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon's unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.

Finished Reading: 13th December 2012
Acquire: 24th November 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Young Adult
Release Day }  11 August 2009
Publisher } Viking Juvenile
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780670011834
Pages } 350 pages
Source } Bought
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Interests } Realistic Fiction    
Awards } Borders Original Voices Award for Kids & Teens (2009)
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon.com | Kindle

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Feature & Follow

Q: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BOOK BLOGGING THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE ABOUT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY?

I have learn which publishers publishes which sort of books. I also have learnt the concept of ARCs and AREs which I love getting and reviewing. I have also learnt, famous authors are humans.*lol* if you know what I mean. They are approachable, awesome people who I can approach and talk to, in discussing the “reading fronts” in schools. I have also discovered the world where there are such things book trailers, book vloggers, book swags, etc. Most of all I’ve learn, I might join their ranks of authors one day.  

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Lisa’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2012

 
Hosted by Broke and Bookish every Tuesday

Year 2012 is almost over, and I guess I should start listing out my Top Ten favorite books for 2012. this would be hard pickings but here goes, not in any order.

1. The Lipstick Laws; by Amy Holder
2. Goddess Interrupted; by Aimee Carter
3. The Girl Nobody Wants; by Lily O’ Brian
4. Heck; Where the Bad Kids Go; by Dale E. Basye
5. Dear Bully
6. The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1); by Michael Buckley
7. The Serpent’s Shadow; by Rick Riordan
8. The Frog Princess (Tales of the Frog Princess #1); by E. D. Baker
9. Cut: The true story of an abandoned, abused little girl who was desperate to be part of a family; by Cathy Glass
10. Medusa the Mean (Goddess Girls, #8); by Joan Holub

…and then some…

11. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (Middle School #1); By James Patterson
12. Princess of the Midnight Ball (Princess #1); by Jessica Day George
13. The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3); by Rick Riordan
14. The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1); by Rick Riordan
15. Suicide Notes: A Novel; by Michael Thomas Ford
16. After; by Amy Efaw
17. Beautiful Creatures; by Kami Garcia

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Booking Through Thursday: Being A Reader

Hosted by Booking Through Thursday.

I was talking to a co-worker the other day about a book I’d read recently, and realized how very, very few people I can do that with. In my daily life, it seems like almost no-one reads anything more than a newspaper or a fashion magazine. I only have one person I can truly chat about books with … and yet, being a Capital-R-Reader, I simply can’t imagine going through life without a book constantly at hand, or shelves of them proudly displayed downstairs. I’m proud of being a person who not only reads, but who reads a lot–not just in volume but in variety. I like having an inquiring mind. I like exploring new ideas. I love following an intricately plotted story (the more layers the better). I love BEING a reader and simply can’t imagine what it’s like to go through life without being one.

Am I the only one who feels this way? That wonders at how other people can simply NOT do something that should be so essential? Who feels almost sad that so many people seem content to go through their lives without stretching their mental wings at all?

Can you imagine NOT being a Reader? How does it shape your life? Your perception of it?

How does being a Reader affect your relationship with all those folks who are looking at it from the other side and simply can’t understand how you can sit and READ all the time?

Yep, it’s a long-winded, philosophical springboard to a ephemeral conversation … go, see what you can make of it!

This is how I feel every day. Well… especially when I wanted to discuss about an awesome book with people around me, yet nobody have even read a page, or even heard of that book, even if it’s on the bestseller list or being made into a novel! How frustrating that can be, hence I feel you.

I was born to read. I can NEVER EVER think I wouldn’t pick up a book other than newspapers and magazines that whole week. If there’s a minute spare, I would read, if I be in a line waiting I would read, if I be idling I read. Hey, technology era here, you could bring your e-books around with you, your smart phones, your iPads, your tabs, your bag. I have a bunch of e-books ready in my Tab. Apps rocks!

I grew up surrounded by people who read, who wants me to read, to continue the reading culture. Then… with some sort of luck, I ended up as a librarian. Surrounded by books, raised by books as per say.

My non-reader friends call it, either I have no life, or just have too much time in my hands because I am able to squeeze reading into my busy schedule. Never the less, I think it’s call time management. Somebody once said to me, “If you have time to read, that means you could manage your time.” Reading also helps me focus. Doesn’t really matter what you read. Novels, or motivation books, as long as you read. I’ve been called alot of things and criticize for reading, and even more for reading alot and buying alot of books, but honestly, I don’t really care anymore. It is my family trait and I tend to keep it and carry it on.     

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Book Review: Suicide Notes; By Michael Thomas Ford

What can I say about this book. It was daunting. The depth the main character brought you under his skin, his thoughts. to sum it up. it was triggering, if you have a cutting problem, do NOT read this book.

But it is also kind of hilarious.....yet in the same time heartbreaking to read.

It isn't as depressing as it sounds. this book consisted of 45 days presenting every single day and thoughts of Jeff while he's in the hospital. He cope with his smartass remarks and just "blah" personality.

Personally, it was a good read. I actually went through it with all the emotions and actually relate, laugh and feel what the characters and his mates are feeling, not to mention going through.

I wouldn't really expect to see this in any school libraries due to the "harsh" content (but heck) it would be nice read outside school and during their own personal time.

"Seven little crazy kids chopping up sticks;
one burnt her daddy up and then there were six.
Six little crazy kids playing with a hive;
One tattooed himself to death and then there were five.
Five little crazy kids going out to sea;
One wouldn't say a word and then there were three.
Three little crazy kids playing in the zoo;
One jerked himself too much and then there were two.
Two little crazy kids playing in the sun;
One took a bunch of pills and then there was one.
One little crazy kid left all alone;
He went and slit his wrists and then there were none."

Quote. "That's what people do. Kill the things they're afraid off."

Suicide Note
By Michael Thomas Ford

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Never mind the bandages on his wrists, clearly this is all a huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal--not like the other kids in the hospital with him. They've got problems. But a funny thing happens as Jeff's forty-five-day sentence drags on: the crazies start to seem less crazy. . . .
Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real, "Suicide Notes" is a darkly comic novel that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us.

Finished Reading: 15th November 2012
Acquire: 31th March 2011
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Young Adult
Release Day }  7 September 2010
Publisher } HarperTeen
Format } Paperback 
ISBN } 9780060737573
Pages } 304 pages
Source } Borrowed
Age Group } 18 yo +
Interests } Survivor Books    
Awards } Ala Rainbow List (Young Adult Fiction, 2009)
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon.com

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Booking Through Thursday: Blackout

Hosted by Booking Through Thursday.

1. How do storms affect your reading? Do you go for comfort reading?

To answer that question, since everything electronic and computers shut down, I ended up picking up a book, and just curl up with a warm blanket and read when a storm rages on.

2. How do you deal with power outages? Do you read by candlelight? Flashlights? Use a self-lit e-reader or tablet? Skip reading altogether for the duration and instead play games with the family?

   This is a very appropriate question for me to answer due to the almost monthly blackouts we keep having around here.The last time we had a blackout, I ended up reading a Malay novel up to 200 pages. Yes 200 pages. Why is that special you ask? Well… I cannot get pass the 1st page when it comes to a Malay novel. Malay may be the mother’s tongue, but heheh I can’t bear myself to pick up a Malay novel.  As a light source, I ended up sitting outside when the sun still up, and ended up reading by a candle or a flashlight (depends on what I have).
   I usually just put away my tab cause I be terrified of it running out of battery.   

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Book Review: The Maze of Bones (The 39th Clues 1); By Rick Riordan

I had my eye on this book for a long while now. I heard about the contest but that really didn’t tempt me (since it’s not applicable for me to join either). I broke down one day, when a friend offered me the book to read as he told me, it would be popular amongst my middle grade students. As method goes, I usually take a dash of spice and read some books before actually agreeing on adding them in the school library collection.

My verdict… it somewhat reminded me of Lemony Snicket’s A Series Unfortunate Events. Orphans in an adventure off to win their inheritance. Dan and Amy Cahill are two strong characters, facing their greedy relatives, who seemed to want to get rid of them so they be out of the way of money! A total page turner. I guess some of the middle grader I cater might like reading this sort. Personally, I thought it had a good plot.

Not in my usual sort of read, but yeah I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series.

Quote: “She led the way. Eyeless sockets of the dead seemed to stare at them as they passed.

The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1)
By Rick Riordan

Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue.

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

Finished Reading: 04th November 2012
Acquire: 02th November 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Mystery | Realistic Fiction | Middle Grade
Release Day }  1 October 2008
Publisher } Scholastic Press
Format } Hardcover 
ISBN } 9780545060394
Pages } 220 pages
Source } Swapped
Age Group } 10 yo +
Interests } Adventure and mystery lovers    
Awards } -
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon | Kindle

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Book Review: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus 3) By Rick Riordan

Oh the Agony!!! The agony!! AGONY! Oh come on! Cliffhanger?! Why cliffhanger?? I have to wait another whole year to read what’s happening next? AHHHHH!!!

I have had lingered my way through this book so I reach to the end slowly. But my urge to read through it overcame all that. I have finished reading this book for a while not but I have been busy with work and life, but in the same time I was trying to sink in the ending of this book. Oh agony!  This book is all what I’ve expected, I miss Ares though. Be warn, Athena is a bit loco here. The adventure, the chase, the suspense, strong testosterone between Percy and Jason, the quirk…. and of course the kiss *wink* is the package.

The cliffhanger agony! Percy.. Annabeth! Why?!!

Okay, I have come down to a point where I say, if anybody… ANYBODY… wants to turn this series into a movie. Let me be the first to say I hate you! Don’t EVER turn this series into movies.

However!

Please turn this into a series, or anime sort of a series. That would be PERFECT! Don’t get me wrong, but seriously, The Lightning Thief movie came out terrible. I like it… (yes back to that argument) but as a fan to Rick Riordan’s series, I don’t love it. Yes, it’s a movie, they have cut some things, let’s be honest, the movie cut alot of of the good parts. Oh dear, that’s just too much. I remember growing up watching BBC TV series version of the Narnia chronicles and Alice in Wonderland, that are far more alike of the books themselves, and had minimal scene cuts that are far more better than the ones they remake as movies nowadays.

So yeah, if you need to, turn this into a anime, or TV series. It would be awesome.

Regressing!

I absolutely love this book. Can’t wait for the next book. Now.. I go and sink the agony of a cliffhanger in my corner.



Quote. “We are staying together,” he promised. “You’re not getting away from me. Never again.”

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)
By Rick Riordan
In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven? The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

Finished Reading: 31th October 2012
Acquire: 04th October 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Fantasy | Mythology | Young Adult
Release Day }  2 October 2012
Publisher } Puffin
Format } Hardcover 
ISBN } 9780141335742
Pages } 572 pages
Source } bought
Age Group } 15+
Interests } Mythology lovers    
Awards } -
Support my reading by getting your copy } Amazon.com | Kindle

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In My Mailbox Monday, Stacking the Shelves (30 October – 5th November 2012)

In My Mailbox hosted by The Story Siren. 
Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

The Front; by Mandasue Heller

When four old school friends decide to make some easy money, they pick the wrong target. Robbing a small supermarket on a Manchester estate looks easy—but with one of them wounded and a dead body on their hands, could things get worse? They could—the supermarket is merely the front for something bigger, and the friends are small fish who have unwittingly plunged into a very big pond.

The Third Scroll (Hardstorm Saga #1); by Dana Marton

Sold into slavery, Tera, a budding healer is thrust into the savage realm of barbarian warlords, the same realm which claimed her mother years ago. She must avoid the displeasure of her warrior lord and survive the cruelties of the concubines, even as war threatens on the horizon.

Yet a greater danger looms when she catches the eye of the most powerful lord of the land and he takes her for his Pleasure Hall. Tera struggles to escape, while searching for the secret behind her mother's death. But what she discovers challenges everything she believes in. A path set long ago beckons. A path that could lead to triumph, or the destruction of her world.

Two Faced; by Mandasue Heller

Mia and Michelle couldn't look more alike - or act more differently. Mia's always been the glamorous one, the one everyone wants to get close to. And now she's a model, on the edge of fame. But Mia can't resist the illegal thrills that come with fame. When disaster strikes, her mousy look-alike sister has to pretend to be Mia. Michelle saves her career, and turns out to have star quality too. She's even got someone to fall in love with her - a man Mia wants almost as much as she wants to be a supermodel. That's something Mia will never, ever forgive ...

Uncle Montague’s Tales of Horror  (Tales of Terror); by Chris Priestley
Read-A-Long November

This spine-tingling, thrill-packed novel has more than enough fear-factor for the most ardent fan of scary stories. Uncle Montague lives alone in a big house, but regular visits from his nephew, Edward, give him the opportunity to recount some of the most frightening stories he knows. As each tale unfolds, it becomes clear that something sinister is in the air. From the account of a curious boy who intrudes on Old Mother Tallow’s garden to a shy girl’s ghostly encounter during an innocent game of hide and seek, a pattern emerges of young lives gone awry in the most terrifying of ways. Young Edward begins to wonder just how Uncle Montague knows all these ghastly tales, and ultimately discovers that his mysterious uncle’s life has a darker side than he ever imagined.

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