November and December Book Haul

I hope you all had a very merry December, and happy holidays everyone. 2014 is literally about to be gone, and here is 2015. Wow. This year went by reallllly quickly. Well, in the new year I wish you all the very best. This is my December book haul, which has a few books from November. I got three books in November but two of them I didn't receive till late November and early December. Which doesn't bother me at all. One package had to come very far and I am just glad that everything and every book arrived safely. If you would like to see my last book haul, it was from September.

The first book that I got is Trust No One* by Jayne Ann Krentz. It's an uncorrected proof copy. As far as I can tell it is a standalone, but Krentz has lot and lots of books out. She has quite a few pseudonyms but the one that I always run into is Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle.

The second book I got is a signed copy of Barely Bewitched* by Kimberly Frost. It is the second book in the Southern Witch series. There are a few different mythical creatures besides witches in it and I can't wait to read this. Though I may go seek out the first book just to read in order.

The last book I got in November but didn't make it to me till December (it had a long way to go!) is Trinity The Prophecy* by Kylie Price. It is also a signed copy. I think there are other books to be added to this one, and it is the first book. How many are going to come I am not sure. There will be a review up of this book, it won't be the next one but it will be the one after that. So be sure to look for it. Price also has one other book out that looks really good.

The first book I got in December is Nocturne by Syrie James. I got it at the Dollar Tree for $1, it sounded good and I thought for $1 it wasn't going to kill me. It looks to be another standalone, but James has multiple other books published.

The second book is I Belong to You by Lisa Renee Jones. I paid $11.25 ($11.93 with tax) at my local Kroger store. It is the fifth book of the Inside Out series, and I do have If I Were You and Being Me reviewed, they are the first two books. I don't think a review for this book will be up any time soon. This is a series I want to read in order and I don't have two books that follow Being Me. I don't have a way to get them either which makes me very sad. But I will eventually get them and read!

The third and final book I got this month is a ebook of The Vampire Keeper by Sabrina Street. It is the only book out by Street thus far. As I have said before I don't really feel like ebooks are really books simply because, if the electrical device decides not to cooperate you can't read your books. For example I received two other ebooks from two different authors and for some reason I can't get them to open on my app. So I can't read them. I contacted my provider and they want me to call or get on chat. I don't have time, so those two go on a back burner until I can get to them.



I could have sworn I got more books in December but I guess not. I think I might start doing bi-monthly book hauls if I get enough books. If I haven't gotten any books there won't be any mention of a haul. I have really slowed down on buying books because I have a lot of them already. I have been on break so that's why there is a steady stream of reviews up. I am still going to college so there will be times where I am not able to get up a review as often. I'm sorry, but if you stick around there will be reviews!

Up next is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

Thank you for reading!
~Jade



*Note: I received these books through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but in no other way am I being sponsored to make a review on them or even talk about them. I may get to a review of them quickly, I may not. It all depends on what I feel like reading.

Iron King by Julie Kagawa

I've been doing a lot of firsts lately. Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series by Kagawa. It was published back in 2010, I don't remember any hype with this book and I am wondering why there wasn't. It really deserved some sort of acknowledgment, then again maybe it did. I really am never up on the trends, but I don't mind.

Meghan's life has always been just slightly off. There's a secret about her that she doesn't even know. Her father disappeared right in front of her when she was six. She doesn't fit in at school and not really at home either. A dark stranger starts watching her from a distance, and her friend Robbie begins to get weirdly protective of her. Everything's about to change and Meghan sort of knows it. Though when things do change, she couldn't begin to imagine the whole of it. She's the daughter of a fairy king, and just one of the pawns in a war. Through many trials she learns that she will go as far as she can just to save someone dear to her, stop a evil that no one else dares to face, and possibly find love in someone who would probably rather see her dead.

I don't know where to begin...I love this book. I love fairies, mythical creatures, and everything that comes with it. The good and the bad. I love the characters, especially Gimalkin, Ethan reminds me of my nephew at that age so I took an immediate liking to him. Ash and Robbie/Puck took a little warming up to, but for the most part I like them. Robbie/Puck made me laugh on a number of occasions, but I did think he should have known better with a few incidences. *SPOILER-ALERT* Practically right away I knew that Meghan and Ash would end up liking each other in the end. Robbie/Puck is too much of a protector to really be a love interest.*SPOILER-ENDED* Meghan I found to be a little annoying at times, but I think that is more or less from everything that kept getting thrown her way. While reading I got a sense of Alice In Wonderland practically all the time. I believe it was even mentioned once. Which I don't have a problem with, I love Alice In Wonderland. This book also reminded me of the young adult friendly version of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, with the Unseelie and the Seelie courts. Along with other similar connections. Also Shakespeare's A Midnight Summers Dream came into play all throughout the book, which I love Shakespeare so I was happy to read the connections.

As for what I didn't like, it was literally one thing after another. The group would take one step forward and five steps back. I understand that things have to be kept interesting for the reader, but I got really annoyed with this. With smaller things constantly happening, no real action happened until the end and even then it was over in a few pages. Yes, there where lots of little "battles" but the real main action was done and over in a blink, and quite simply too. I was really let down by this. I was expecting this big fight because the Iron King was played up to be this big bad guy and in the end it was a simple wham-bam done. I was kept interested, but after a while I kept reading to see if anything would be done by the end of the book. I really hope that things get better in the next book.

Despite the constant one thing after another, Iron King wasn't that bad of a book. I don't know if someone who doesn't like fairies as much as I do would say the same though. If it weren't for the characters I don't know if I would have finished it, they really made this book for me. I do recommend it, if you can deal with everything I ranted about, then read it. It's far from a bad book, it just could have been better in a way. I would like to own this book, but I think I will read the rest of the series to figure out if I want the whole thing or just certain books.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Page Count: 363 pages (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next: December Book Haul

Thanks for reading! Happy holidays!
~Jade

Wake by Lisa McMann

The first book in the Wake trilogy, and I wonder where the hype for it is? Or maybe I missed it? I am going to go with I missed the hype, because that's usually how it happens. I've had my eye on this trilogy for a little while now, and I have never been able to get the first book until now. I was warned by someone who has read these books to read them in order if I really don't want to spoil anything. I took the warning and I am glad I did. I hope you enjoy.

Seventeen-year old Janie has a lot on her plate, and being sucking into other people dreams isn't helping any. She's getting tired of it, and sadly has no one to talk to about it because honestly who wouldn't think she was crazy if they knew about it? She can't control it either and it doesn't matter what time of day it is, if someone is dreaming around her she is getting pulled into it. But the dream of a kid named Cabel, is different. He dreams of killing someone, but he also dreams of her.

To say I devoured this book is an understatement. I began reading at about 1AM and was half way through by 3:30AM. I slept, woke up, and read the rest of the book in just a hour and a half more. It was a very quick read for me but I think that has to do with how fast paced it was, for the most part. The pace did slow but never for very long, which I loved. It fit the book perfectly. In the POV of Janie, I find that she was very relatable, which is nice for a reader. Anyone who wasn't very privileged, had to work for their things, and almost an outcast could really relate to Janie. I feel if I can't 'connect' with one of the main characters, the book isn't that enjoyable. Unless the author does something amazing. I don't even know how to explain Cabel, he seems like a bad boy but that's just too stereotypical for him. *SPOILER-ALERT* I did not see him working under cover as a agent at his age coming. I had to read a couple of pages over just to be sure. Though in the end it made sense why and how he came to be in that position. *SPOILER-ENDED* I have never read a book before where a character has been drawn into anyone and everyone's dreams, so long as they are in close enough proximity, and awake. It was what drew me in in the first place when I picked it up a while ago, and read the back cover. I got annoyed with Janie and Cabel in the beginning and kept yelling at the book. It was good yelling, and I was cracking myself up.

Quite honestly I don't have any real complaints about Wake. I was upset by how fast I read it, and how small the book is compared to some of the other books I have read. I have a feeling that unless Ms. McMann makes some stereotypical moves for the next two book, I may just love them as well. Even with the shortness.

I loved this book to say the least. It is a great relaxed read for adults. I made my mom read it once I was done with Wake and she really liked it as well. I recommend this book to everyone of all ages, I personally don't see a problem with someone in 8th grade reading this. There are a couple of spots where Janie gets sucked into a sexual dream but even then it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I think I could reread Wake a few times before I would get tired of it. I don't own the book but I surely want to one day, as for the rest of the trilogy, that remains to be seen.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 210 (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next Book: Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Command Me by Geneva Lee

Command Me is the first book in The Royals saga by Geneva Lee. I'm going to get this out of the way here and now. This is not a book for those under 18, if mature enough I would say 16 is the youngest. There are hot and heavy sex scenes and it is just going to continue from here in the books to come. If you do not like BDSM related sex, don't read. You've been warned. Also this book doesn't come with the usual summary for a book. So I will do what I don't like to and use what is given (but I do like what was given!). As another little note this book was once called For King and Country so if it sounds familiar it just may be.

When he kissed me, I was shocked. He was a stranger and still so familiar. It wasn't until I woke up to my picture splashed on the cover of tabloids that I realized I knew who he was. Prince Alexander of Cambridge. Royal bad boy. Exiled heir to the throne. He isn't Prince Charming. He's controlling. He's demanding. He's dangerous. And I can't say no to him. We both have secrets—secrets that could tear us apart or drive us closer together—and as the paparazzi exposes each one, I have to decide just how far I'm willing to go for King and Country.

I like this. I like this a lot. Alexander or X, is a very alluring character and I can see why. He's a bad boy and a girl goes through her streak of wanting to tame a bad boy or ride along with him. Only this bad boy is a royal. Clare is our other main character, and she's a very likeable but sometimes an annoying character. Then again so is X. Their relationship is one filled with bumps and trials. I think they could have worked through them a little better, but hey sex is sex and why fight it when it's good? I liked the aspect that everything wasn't great in their relationship. Sometimes I find it a little too good to be true when there is nothing wrong between two people. Especially two people like Clare and X. The story line kept me interested for the most part. X isn't a pampered prince, he has his own deeply scarring troubles. And Clare has her head on her shoulders (for the most part), she went to college and furthered herself. I won't lie, the chemistry between X and Clare is hot, and X is a hot man. As far as lesser but equally important characters, Edward was a doll and I can see a lot of readers liking him. I can also see people wanting to smack Pepper as I did, but every book has to have that one character who you love to hate.

I must say with as much as I did like this book, I did find quite a few things annoying. There where predictable points throughout the book. Clare fell into lusting after X very quickly. Don't get me wrong, lusting after someone is fine, but when they warn you that they only want sex and they don't want a relationship, Don't. Get. Attached. You were told sex only, no relationship. Why are you letting yourself get attached so you can get hurt later? *MINI-RANT* Second, he is a flippen' royal, she is a commoner. It. Isn't. Going. To. Work. It doesn't matter what sort of royal and what sort of commoner, it has never been allowed so why now? Especially when they haven't known each other for very long, and especially after Clare saw how everyone treated her. I would be asking myself if I really wanted to be with someone who was with me just to piss off their family and the person their family is expecting them to get married to. Yeah he doesn't like his betrothed but still, Clare is a commoner. A pompous king isn't going to let that happen.*MINI-RANT OVER* Also there is a cliffhanger ending which always drives me insane, even more so with this book because I really want to know how Lee is going to take this. I think I already know how things are going to end, but I don't want to spoil it.

I enjoyed this book more than I didn't, cliffhanger ending and all. I am really hoping that Lee doesn't take some of the more run of the mill paths when it comes to romance, bad boys and everything else. I recommend this book, but I do put a warning on it, which was mentioned in the very beginning of this review. I would also like to say that this isn't going to be everyone's ideal book. Some are going to think it is complete rubbish but we are all entitled to our opinions. I sort of own this book. I did get my copy for free from amazon, but I don't really count ebooks as "real" books. That's just me, I prefer a hard copy in my hands. The second book is out but that is not free. I will review it when ever I get it and read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Price: Free on Amazon

Next Book: Wake by Lisa McMann

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

The third and final book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, is finally here. I will say this now and I will say it again in the end, if you haven't read this trilogy you should. I highly recommend it no, I more than recommend it. I would love to know if you have read these books and how you feel about them as well! I do have a review up of the second book Days of Blood & Starlight along with the first book, which is linked in the second book review.

In this final installment, two world are very close to war. Karou has commandeered the chimaera's rebellion, through some crafty deception. She is intending on steering their course away from an all consuming vengeance, and the future rests with her. Though reunited, Karou and Avika are not yet to their peaceful ending. Jael has brought his army to the human world and they have to form an alliance against Jael. Who is the enemy, the common ground between chimaera and Misbegotten. Hoping for a semi-good version of their long-ago dream, they try to forge a way forward for both of their people. Hopefully for themselves as well. With even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Avika strong enough to stand among the gods and the monsters?

Remember those feelings you get when you finished a book or even a series? That sense of bittersweetness, you have reached the end but it's an ending you wanted to go on forever just because of how good it was? Yeah, I'm there right now. I am going through withdrawals already, and I don't like it one bit. This book was long awaited for many readers, and I feel that the wait was worth it. I love Zuze even more and Mik has grown considerably on me since the last book. I completely ship Karou and Avika, I think Karou is a beautiful character and I think she would be a great friend to have. She as a character has come a long way, and she has really grown and developed through it all in the end. Avika balances her, as Karou does him, and for them to finally be able to really connect with each other in this book is very satisfying as a reader. The tension between the two was unbearable on paper and even more so in my head, and it was great to get away from the sexual tension in most other books. Their tension was just wanting to be able to be together without too much worry of the outside world and the possible impending doom. It was just a longing that was so vast, because they have tried and tried and tried again. I also loved how a bigger background story was brought into play and wrapped up in a way. Along with this back story we got introduced to a beautiful woman Eliza. We are given some information about her some, very big and other info that isn't too big but nonetheless important. We also get to know-very little thankfully- about a Morgan Toth. And boy do I love to hate him. As far as endings go, I was very pleased with this one. There was one little item that kept getting mentioned, if you caught it early you may have recognized the significance of it in the end. There is so much more to this book compared to what I have typed here. Really if you haven't read this trilogy you should.

I was only disappointed in a couple of things. One being how little action there was in it, and I know I am not alone in this. I understand the need for peace and wanting as few beings to get hurt as possible. Especially with as much unnecessary slaughter that has taken place in the recent past and further back. I will take the battles that did happen, because the loses (though significant in their own way) weren't that detrimental to me and others. But to be quite honest I don't really think that things would have went as "smoothly" as they did. I am still very sadden that Brimstone is not around and hasn't been, but I get a feeling that if he were Karou wouldn't have been able to develop as she had. Though I will say I am very happy with the ultimate demise with one character in particular, and who dealt the beating as well 'cause she deserved to do it. The other thing I take issue with is the sheer fact that this trilogy has come to an end. I only own the second book! I sincerely hope that Mrs. Taylor writes a novella or carries on more with Zuze and Mik because I know that Karou and Avika will still be around. Maybe even other Misbegotten or chimaera pairs.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. That also includes this trilogy, thankfully there is the option to reread books which is what I will be doing. I recommend this book to young readers, "old" readers, everyone in between, basically everyone. I know everyone won't like it but I still think it should be given a chance. I didn't think I would like it in the beginning either, but here I am getting the finished book blues over it, which does not happen often. It's a different type of angel story. As I said before I do own the second book but I cannot wait until I have the other two in my possession. It's not often that I find a book series, or in this case a trilogy, that I feel I can read over and over without getting tired of.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5.
Just in case it needs clarification, the only thing stopping me in giving Dreams of Gods & Monsters a perfect 5, is how little fighting there was.

Page Count: 613 pages (hardcover), this book is a monster but a good one!

Price: $19

Next Book: Command Me by Geneva Lee

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Zom-B Misson by Darren Shan

This is the seventh book in the Zom-B series. I have all the other books reviewed already, and if you want to you can see the review for the previous book Zom-B Gladiator, and from there if you follow the links along the way you will find the rest of the books in the series. I wish there were a function where I could group series of books together and just link that instead but alas, that function is not around *deep sigh*. I hope you enjoy!

B and the other Angels finally have their first mission, it is to safely escort a group of human survivors to New Kirkham and off the zombie ridden streets of London. Upon arrival B figures out that the people of New Kirkham are not the best representatives of humanity. Evil influences of B's past make their way into the barricaded safe haven, and the people have to make a decision of being honorable or being safe.

I'm very conflicted with this book. Part of me loves it, the other part of me feels like it is almost another filler book. There was action, drama, remorse, there was lots of feelings throughout the book as I read and I loved that. Though with those feelings they were pretty much there and gone within just a couple of pages, or even a few paragraphs. I liked that there was finally some action going on the for group and not all of it is completely outside of the compound. *SEMI-SPOILER ALERT* I did feel bad along with B when someone closer to her-than the rest of everyone in Dr. Oystein's compound-got significantly hurt.*SEMI-SPOILER-ENDED* And he's not the last casualty of the book either. Those and the beginning huge fight toward the end saved Mr. Shan's book from getting a lower rating from me. I feel like I'm the oddball out because, when looking at others reviews, they loved it. I don't mind being the oddball though, it isn't the first time and I am sure it won't be the last time.

As for things that I wasn't too happy about, the ending. Things got nice and heated between the Angels and Owl Man (and even his now creepy dog), and then it cuts off. If you guys don't know me by now, cliff hangers drive me absolutely bonkers but I love them at the same time. It is something to look forward to in the next book. That would also be another con for me. Things didn't really get going till the tail end of the book. Yes, I understand that this is a slimmer book and to get more dialogue in and to drop hints, the action needs to take a back burner. That's why I am not going to complain too much about it, but I will cross my fingers that the next book will have a good deal of action in it.

For a young adult book, and series I would say that it is great. For a new adult to "adult" book or series it lacks some action. Depending on what you are looking for and depending on how quick of a read you want this series may or may not be for you. As a huge fan of Shan's I do still really like his books, and Mission doesn't put a damper on that at all. I'm still very much neutral on this book. I loved the descriptions and the imagery, and of course the pictures occasionally placed throughout. I'm just waiting for that big action that is being built up to to happen. There are eleven books rumored to come out, and we are only on the seventh book. I still recommend this to anyone who wants to read, and I would say that it is a great series for middle school kids.

Rating: 3 out of 5. (That's a heavy 3 at that!)

Page Count: 175 pages (hardcover)

Price: $15

Next Book: Either Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor or Command Me by Geneva Lee.

Before I end this review, I would like to say a huge congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Shan on their beautiful baby boy Dante who was born in September. I wanted to wait until I reviewed one of Shan's books before congratulating him. If you guys haven't seen the handsome little guy go check out Darren Shan's Facebook page and scroll through the feed to see some of the pictures.

Thank you so much for reading (and for dealing with my absence)!
~Jade

October Book Haul

Trick! Zom-B Mission will be up later on, but here is my small October book haul.

I only got two books this month. Both were free books given to me, from winning a giveaway on Goodreads.

The first book is an ARC of Texts From Jane Eyer And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters* by Mallory Ortberg. I read a quick conversation and was laughing the whole time. I can't wait to read this and get a review up for everyone.

Lastly I got The Eternal Temptation* by Enrique Betancourt. It is part of The Silent Force, I'm not yet sure if it is going to be a series, duology, or trilogy. From the summary on the back it sounds like it's going to be a good one.

I know this was short, but I thought it might be good. I normally have larger posts, so here's a little switch up.

If you are able to go out trick or treating tonight, be safe and have a great time. If you are going to a party, be safe and have a fantastic time. What ever you may be doing tonight, be safe and just have fun. If you don't celebrate Halloween, you too have a safe evening.

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

*Note: I received these books through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but in no other way am I being sponsored to make a review on them or even talk about them. I may get to a review of them quickly, I may not. It all depends on what I feel like reading.

Cover Re-reveal!

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones got a new cover!

 

Here's a little synopsis of the book:
Infinite possibilities....
Infinite passion.....
Infinite danger....
His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need. At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.
On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Escaping Reality is just the first book of the Secret Life of Amy Bensen series. There is also Infinite Possibilities, and Forsaken.

If you would like to buy Escaping Reality you can head on over to Amazon (http://amzn.to/1zgm6Cx) and pre-order it. You can also find it on Barnes & Noble's website (http://bit.ly/1sZ3jav), and iBooks (http://bit.ly/11M0EX5). The publication date is May 15, 2015.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland, Austin Powers, Must Love Dogs) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists. Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.
Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The
Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
If you would like to see more of Mrs. Lisa Renee Jones here are some of her links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaReneeJones
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaReneeJones
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lisareneejones
Tumblr: http://lisareneejones.tumblr.com/
Google+: http://plus.google.com/+LisaReneeJonesAuthor

I really hope you guys enjoyed this, this is my first cover reveal and I hope I did it right! I know I am excited for this series and can't wait to get my hands on them. I have reviewed the first two books in the Inside Out series If I Were You and Being Me. If you want you can go check those out. Up next will be the Zom-B Mission review.

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

I lied...

The review for Zom-B Mission will not be coming next. Instead a cover reveal will be. To be exact I will be posting it October 20th, 2014 sometime after 10AM EST.

I hope your excited!
~Jade

Love is Murder edited by Sandra Brown

Before I jump into the review I want to say that I will be doing this review not like my other short story reviews. There are a lot of stories and to go one by one would make this post really long. To prevent that I will do this review like the full length novels.

Twenty-nine short stories of romance, suspense, mystery and more are beautifully put together in Love is Murder. The authors that are showcased are Roxanne St. Claire, Carla Neggers, Beverly Barton, Robert Browne, Andrea Kane, William Simon, Laura Griffin, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, Patricia Rosemoor, Jon Land writing with Jeff Ayers, Heather Graham, Mariah Stewart, D.P. Lyle, Cindy Gerard, J.T. Ellison, Bill Floyd, William Bernhardt, Brenda Novak, Vicki Hinze, Julie Kenner, James Macomber, Alexandra Sokoloff, Pamela Callow, Debra Webb, Toni McGee Causey, Lori Armstrong, Allison Brennan, and last but not least Lee Child. I don't know about you all but I recognized quite a number of these names and got really excited to read a little from all of them.

I liked and even loved well over half of these stories, I'd say close to 95% of them. With the first story Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire, I forgot that I was reading a book of anthologies and thought I was reading a full novel. A couple of stories later Speechless by Robert Browne had me raving. *SEMI-SPOILER ALERT* I was sincerely hoping that the boyfriend wasn't the bad guy, but when it became solid who was, part of me knew it and the other part of me said "well damn, that ain't right". *SEMI-SPOILER ENDED* After reading Deadly Fixation by Diana Love and Hot Note by Patricia Moore I could definitely see myself picking up a novel by each of them and know that I would love it. The mix of action and supernatural always draws me in, but the way that each wrote had me fixed to my seat and not moving. The same goes for Grave Danger by Heather Graham, I wasn't left disappointed at all, once I had finished I wanted more. With Dying to Score by Cindy Gerard, I normally wouldn't read something that is war driven but I think I might start thanks to Gerard. This would be a perfect series to get into because this short story is part of her Black Ops series.

I wasn't really disappointed about any of the stories. They all had their things about them that made them great. However, there are some that didn't strike my fancy. Spider's Tango by William Simon was one of them. It was more of run of the mill kidnapping story. I knew within a few pages who the real bad guy was and what his problem was. Last Shot by Jon Land and Jeff Ayers is a conflicting one for me. I love the plot and where things are set to go, if it where a novel I think I would like it more. The last anthology in particular was a let down for me. I was expecting a little more from Lee Child's I Heard a Romantic Story. I love the ending and everything, but just the way that it was led there I didn't particularly like. I was expecting more from Child, I know his work is very good. I was quite happy with how few stories I didn't like too well.

In the end I am so happy to be able to say I own this book. What stories I did mention are not all that are in the book, and I highly recommend Love is Murder to anyone who wants to read it. The only thing I would suggest is to get a hardcover copy. I have a paperback and it was killer not to break the spine and read all at once. There are some sexier scenes in this book, so anyone not wanting that or don't want their younger child to read it, don't pick it up. I do know I will be picking up a few books by some of the authors I was introduced to. It is a great little collection to sample some writings of others, and a great way to find some new authors.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 707 pages (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next Book: Zom-B Mission by Darren Shan

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

September Book Haul

In the month of September I acquired three books. I did get one book in August but it was only one book so I didn't see the point of typing up a book haul for that month when I could include it here and make this one a little bigger. If you would like to view my last book haul it was back in June.

The one book from August you guys just read a review on, it's Unseaming* by Mike Allen, and it is a paperback. As far as I know it is a stand alone, but Allen has other books published.

The next book I got is Brood by Chase Novak, this is also a paperback. There is one book before this, that goes along with the story called Breed. I did receive this for free* and it is an ARC. Chase Novak is a pseudonym for Scott Spencer.

I was also sent for free* The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson. It is a hardcover, and where as this may be a stand alone there are other books by Thompson.

The last book I got in September is The Morganville Vampires Vol. 2 by Rachel Caine. I purchased this for $1 at the dollar store. Not many people know that sometimes you can find a good book at the dollar store, you just have to look a little. This is part of Caine's Morganville Vampire series, and this version is paperback. This book includes both Midnight Alley and Feast of Fools.

Up next is a review of Love is Murder edited by Sandra Brown.

 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

~Jade

*Note: I received these books through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but in no other way am I being sponsored to make a review on them or even talk about them. I may get to a review of them quickly, I may not. It all depends on what I feel like reading.

Unseaming by Mike Allen

First, I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway for free. You will see it featured in a upcoming September Book Haul. Second, I am so very sorry about the lack of reviews but I have not had the time to read. The very few chances I did have to read I snuck in Unseaming and I am quite happy that I did. As usual, what I liked is the first few paragraphs below. What I wasn't too thrilled about is going to be all in the second to last paragraph. I hope you enjoy.

Unseaming is a collection of dark fantasy and horror stories by Mike Allen. I love my share of anything scary, especially with the month of October creeping upon us. Quite a few of these stories left me wanting more. The collection is broken into three parts. In Part One The Button Bin was my favorite, the term "wearing someone" can be taken quite literal, all with the help of the button bin. At first I said I wanted that bin. Humpty was another one I like from part one. I think almost everyone can say they remember that one certain toy from their childhood. That one that sort of freaked you out. Imagine it coming to life, and well, becoming your worst nightmare all over again. There are three other stories in part one that are also hair raising.

Right away in Part Two The Hikers Tale seeing a ghost could be the least of your worries. With a opening to the spirit world wide open and something incredibly not human coming out I would rather see the ghost. Stone Flowers did not go where I was expecting it to go and I am very happy with that. A slightly more bitter than sweet story, a loved one makes a sacrifice and continues to do so throughout their lives together. Once I finished, I really wanted a full length novel from it. In Part Three, we get a sequel to The Button Bin. Remember how I said I wanted the bin? Well after reading The Quiltmaker, I no longer want that bin. I don't know why but I was disturbed and very fascinated all at once.

There were two stories that I couldn't particularly grasp, The Lead Between the Panes and Gutter. While Let There Be Darkness wasn't my favorite. Quite honestly it just didn't interest me like the rest, each other story had me ooo'ing at some point. I did read this story twice before I moved on and both times my opinion wasn't changed. Is this a deal breaker for me on the book? Absolutely not. I'm sure that with the first two if I read them again I will most likely understand and love them like the rest of Allen's stories.

There are a total (in my copy which is an ARC) of 14 short stories. I did not go one by one this time because this post would have been crazy long. I completely recommend this to anyone who likes horror books. This is the first that I am reading anything by Mike Allen and I am hooked. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and will have no problem rereading it later. As for younger kids reading this, I would say it would be up to their guardian to decide if they can read it or not.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 221 pages (paperback)

Price: $15.95

Next Book: Love is Murder or my September Book Haul

Thank you so much for reading!
~Jade

Fangs for Nothing by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

The second and final book in the Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love duology, Fangs for Nothing is a continuation of the last book. You can read that review here. I am very sorry if there is a less amount of book reviews going up this month, life is chaotic right now. I will try to get up as many as I can though, and this review won't be that long, if you keep reading you will find out why. Thank you for sticking around!

You would hope that you never get drugged in your life, but when it happens twice to Johnny Malone and his friends, something is seriously messed up. Things where going as good as they could at Saxons wedding. That is until the next morning when they realized that things didn't go as well as they wanted it to. They were robbed, Saxons Dominatrix wife's dress is missing, and Saxon is missing too. Johnny is handcuffed to Lizette, who is from the Vampire Alliance and dealing with his "death". Josie saves Drake from a sex swing, and she could be the thief, or the group of drag queen all dressed like Cher. All that's left to do is find out!

Same as last time, they lose their memory only this time there are civilians tagged along in the memory lapse. There were a lot of common likes from the last book to this one. I laughed a little more in this one though. I did like that things were not completely the same as the last book. Lizette is my favorite character, because she is so used to being by the rules that it takes a wild and crazy night to show her that things don't need to be too straight laced. I can relate to Lizette on a number of occasions, which makes understanding her that much easier. I also like that the characters where the same, we are introduced to two new characters and they are just as quirky as the rest of the gang. This was a quicker read than the last one, but still a good book

I do have some things to complain about though. Dancing Vagrant wasn't in the book but his parrot was, thankfully. I do understand the plot of the book and the whole memory loss. But things where so similar to the last book that I almost didn't want to read straight through. I knew who had done what, and who hooked up with who. This book was pretty much a repeat of the last book, just a few changes. There could have been a good change of things with keeping the memory loss as the center focus, but I don't not like the book because of this.

If I hadn't of liked Fangs for Nothing as much as I do, I would have given it a much lower rating. That being said, I probably won't reread this book in its entirety for a while. I recommend this regardless, and I do want to own it. Pretty much everything that I liked from The Fangover can be said about this one. Once again I am so sorry about not having a lot of book reviews this month, I am hoping once some of the craziness dies down to get more up.

Rating: lower 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 297 pages (paperback)

Price: $15

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

The Fangover by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

First up in this duology, The Fangover is a spoof of sorts, of the movie The Hangover. I do have the second book and I will have a review of that up when I am able. There isn't any talk of anymore books for this duology, but you never know.

Vampire and rock-god Johnny Malone commits suicide, and the rest of his band, The Impalers, do what they would do when any good friend dies. They celebrate his life with a wake, and send him off in style. Though blood, alcohol, and grief are some combination for everyone. Stella, Johnny's sister, takes the news hard and ends up in the arms of Wyatt, the bass player. The rumble in the sheets was great but Stella doesn't want a relationship especially with her brother dying so soon. She ends up stuck as a bat after the wake and can't change back. No one can help her either because no one remembers the night before. This doesn't help Cort either, who wakes up with a ring on his finger and married to the newly turned Katie. He just doesn't remember any of it, like his friends. Off to Bourbon Street they go in search of clues as to what happened.

McCarthy and Love put their own spin on this book and I loved it. Having seen The Hangover I can see the parallels between the two but I do like The Fangover a little more. I loved all the characters in the book even the ones who didn't get that big of a spot light. I laughed quite a few times, which is always nice. I liked how the story went in general, things didn't get too out of line with the plot, so I didn't get confused at all. The characters  are what made this book for me. All of them where different in their own ways, and it was funny to see what a few of them were going to do. The ending was my favorite part, when you learn a few key facts.

I am indifferent about how I knew pretty much what had happened from the beginning. It isn't something I am upset about because I was kept interested and wanted to know why things went the way they did, and who played what role. I think that even if you have seen The Hangover or not you would have been able to figure out certain things. Things I would love to elaborate on but would give away the whole book. I do wonder about the second book though, and if McCarthy and Love are going to stick to the same plot or not.

Overall I would say that I did enjoy The Fangover very much. I do see myself rereading this book, just probably later in the future. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read it, though I will caution parents, there is sex. The characters are my favorite part of the book and it was a nice non-complicated read. It's perfect for that bit of comedy that you might need after reading other serious material.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 298 pages (paperback)

Price: $15

**Next Book: Fangs for Nothing by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

**There will be no July book haul going up, but August will have one (if all goes according to plan).

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Part of Creagh's Nevermore series, there's a second book already out and a third planned for about July 2015. I don't know how many books are going to be in this particular series, yet. You hopefully know the spiel by now, I will try my best to do reviews of the other books, when I can. I hope you enjoy!

Isobel, is a cheerleader. Varen is goth. The unlikely match is paired together to work on an English project. Varen makes it perfectly clear that he doesn't want anything to do with Isobel, just as much as she doesn't want anything to do with him. It isn't long after that things get complicated, as usual. Isobel finds herself drawn to Varen, and making excuses to be with him more often. Away from her friends and overbearing boyfriend and to the dream world that is Varen. Isobel finds out that dreams hold a lot more power than what people think they do. Varen needs help and Isobel hopes that she has what it takes to pull him out of the madness that is pulling him down.

Four years ago Nevermore was published. Four years ago I was in tenth grade, being assigned an English project based on my choosing of an American author. I, like Varen, chose Edgar Allen Poe. I love Poe and think he is brilliant, so when I read that he would be mentioned in the book I was interested. What I wasn't expecting was Nevermore to be laced with Poe throughout its pages. For Varen's dreams to be Poe's work brought to life is cool and disturbing all at once. From start to finish I was enraptured by Nevermore, does it have anything to do with Poe being in it? Probably. Creagh did an amazing job all around with this book, details and scenes came to life for me. I like that this POV isn't coming from a "outcast", it's coming from a popular cheerleader. There is a touch of romance but it really doesn't blossom until towards the end. Speaking of the end, it was a nice ending but left me excited for the next book.

I wanted more, and that is my only complaint. I wanted so much more once I reached the end. I didn't see the second book at my library, so I am not sure when I will be able to review it. I highly recommend this book to Poe lovers, and anyone in general. I would absolutely reread Nevermore again, and I want to one day own it. Sorry that this review is a little shorter but I didn't want to give everything away about Nevermore.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 543 pages (paperback)

Price: $9.99

Next Book: The Fangover by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

First in the Jenna Fox Chronicles by Pearson there are three other books and a short story to be tagged along with this one. I don't know if I will be able to do reviews for the other books because not a single library close enough to me has them. Though when I can I will review the books.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna has woken up from a year long coma, and doesn't remember a thing. Jenna is still recovering from the accident that made her that way, her parents show her videos of her life and she can't recollect any memories. Is she really that girl? Slowly Jenna remembers things, but the more that she remembers, the more questions she has. Questions that no one wants to answer. But why? A glimpse into a possible future makes you wonder if we might be heading that way one day.

Not a typical book I would read, but I do love sci-fi genres more then what you might expect. It's just a matter of finding one that interests me. I couldn't help but pick up Adoration once finding out that it deals with bio-med ethics and humanity. I liked the beginning and most of the middle of this book, but after a while it got very dull. The few friends that Jenna makes once out of the coma, play a big role in her life. You have to read between the lines a bit to see what each one might do. Pearson does very well at describing things, drawing in and keeping my attention for the most part, and the creativity as well for Adoration was great. I like to think about what things might be like in the future and this book puts a nice spin on what may or may not happen, especially with medical advances. Out of all the characters I would say that Jenna's other two friends-Kara and Locke, and Mr. Bender are my favorites. I also enjoyed the ending of Adoration a lot, though it makes me wonder what is going to happen with the rest of the books. I love how Pearson didn't stick with the run of the mill chapters for the book, it made it a little more pizazz to the reading.

One thing I have to complain about is what I mentioned before. About half way into the book I didn't care to know fully what happened to Jenna. I figured things would either go bad (not as likely), or go good (more than likely). I wasn't too happy about this because my attention was unwavering till that point. Yes, there were still things that needed to be answered but I would have been perfectly okay not knowing everything. I was more disappointed with this because I had higher hopes for it, since it was a more sci-fi based book.

Though I was let down a little more than half way through the book, I would still recommend this. You never know, what you might not have loved someone else may love from cover to cover. As for wanting to own Adoration, I want to see how the rest of the books go before deciding that. Even with being disappointed I believe The Adoration of Jenna Fox was still a really good book. The sci-fi was really refreshing because I get stuck on one genre for a while sometimes. Adoration is also considered a 'teen' book, but for other fellow sci-fi lovers, that are adults, I think you could get into this book. It's not super simple but it isn't complex either.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 266 pages (hardcover)

Price: $16.95

Next Book: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

P.S. Don't forget that The Strain is premiering today on FX!

June Book Haul

Yeah.....I got a lot of books in June. But it was all at once and not sporadically throughout the month. My library had their bag sale and in total I got three paper bags full of books. 99 books were added to my collection. If you would like to see a picture of the books on my bed, head over to my Tumblr post here. If you would like to see what I got in my last book haul venture on over to May's post.

A list of the books I got:
-Black Lightning by John Saul
-Trading Places by Fern Michaels
-False Impressions by Laura Caldwell
-Sinful, and Seduction in Mind by Susan Johnson
-Murder at Midnight by AVI
-The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens
-So Speaks the Heart, Angel, and The Heir by Johanna Lindsey
-I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carte
-Capitan Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space by Dav Pilkey
-Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
-No Easy Way Out by Dayna Lorentz
-Ghost Behind the Wall by Melvin Burgess
-Navajo Canyon by Tom W. Blackburn
-Primal Heat by Susan Sizemore
-The Selkie by Melanie Jackson
-The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns
-Burning Up by Caroline B. Cooney
-The Bride of the Unicorn by Kasey Michaels
-Innocent Fire by Brenda Joyce
-Fright Time A collection of scary stories
-Research Guide: Ancient Greece and the Olympic by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
-Just Annoying by Andy Griffiths
-Ender's Game by Orson Scot Card
-Eight Summers At Bonnie Oaks by Mary Cox Florine
-The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
-Needleplay by Erica Wilson
-Nightblood by T. Chris Martindale
-Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
-Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
-When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason
-The Prince with No Heart by Emma Holly
-The Mammoth Book of Vampires A collection of vampire stories
-Vampire Plagues: London, 1850 by Sebastian Rook
-Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
-Come The Morning, Knight Triumphant, Seize The Dawn, The Lion in Glory, Conquer the Night by Shannon Drake
-Tempted, Desired, Unmasked, and The Dragon and the Jewel by Virginia Henley
-Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz
-Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister
-The Iron Rose, My Forever Love, Pale Moon Rider, The Last Arrow, In The Shadow of Midnight, and The Pride of Lions by Marsha Canham
-Devil's Bride by Stepanie Laurens
-Almost Innocent by Jane Feather
-Late for the Wedding by Amanda Quick
-Abarate by Clive Barker
-The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
-Unwilling Warrior by Andrea Boeshaar
-The Au Pairs, Sun-Kissed, and Crazy Hot by Melissa de la Cruz
-The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm, Faerie Lord, and The Faeman Quest by Herbie Brennan
-The O'Malley Chronicles Volume One by Dee Henderson
-To Love Again, Beloved, All The Sweet Tomorrows, Skye O'Malley and The Innocent by Bertrice Small
-The Black Book [Diary of a Teenage Stud] Vol. II Stop, Don't Stop, Vol. III Run, Jonah, Run, and Vol. IV Faster, Faster, Faster by Jonah Black
-The Black Raven, The Red Wyvern, and The Fire Dragon by Katherine Kerr
-Rebel, Sweet Savage Eden, And One Rode West, and Julia Justiss by Heather Graham
-Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
-Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan
-Savage Moon by Cassie Edwards
-Perfect by Judith McNaught
-The Key to Midnight, and The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
-Finders Keepers by Catherine Palmer
-Flight from Stonewycke by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella
-Beyond Eden, Calypso Magic, The Sherbrooke Bride, False Pretenses, Midsummer Magic, and Secret Song by Catherine Coulter
-Silver Wolf, Black Falcon by Dennis L. MeKiernan
-Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

That's a lot of books, but I love books so I don't mind. You may or may not see a review of any of these books. It depends on if I rent any books from my library, or if I decide to find a book to read from my personal library. These are all the books I got in the month of June, I hope you enjoyed!

Next Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

First book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder is a spin off of Cinderella. I will try my best to review the next three books but it took forever for me to get Cinder and actually read it from my library. I am really glad that I have finally jumped on this train because I like where it is going, even if I am really late on the train as always!

Cinder is not your normal sixteen-year-old. She is deemed the bane of her stepmothers existence, and society doesn't perceive her more than a technological mistake. Though being part cyborg has it's lighter side, Cinder can fix anything and in New Beijing, she is the best mechanic. With a reputation like that people still come to her to have their things fixed. Even Prince Kai himself. He visits her booth requesting that she fixes his android before the annual ball. He plays the android off to be nothing more than a sentimental machine to him, but Cinder knows better. Wanting to please the Prince Cinder doesn't get far when the only person who has been nice to her comes down with the plague. Earth is no longer what it once was, and there is more to Cinder than anyone actually knows.

It seems I am on a roll with books that I have absolutely loved. To continue, Cinder definitely makes the 5 star list. From beginning to end I was enraptured by Cinder and what things have fallen to after a chemical war. For a spinoff of Cinderella I didn't know if I was going to enjoy this, because most of the time there isn't enough of the spin part and lots of the actual fairy tale. Cinder crosses enough of the tale and throws lots of spins into the plot that I ended up loving the plot within a few pages of starting the book. This is going to be a huge spoiler for those who have not read the book and I do not recommend reading this particular one. *SPOILER-ALERT* I was expecting for the ending to be all happy and hunky-dory. It wasn't. Even with the love that's between Kai and Cinder, they don't end up together at the end of the story. Maybe in one of the future books they will be hinted toward being together. *SPOILER-ENDED* I also love how other fairy tales are brought in, you almost know what the next books are about in terms of other fairy tales.

There really wasn't anything I had a problem with in Cinder. I did run into a few passages where I had to reread it a few times to fully understand what was going on, but that could have just been me. I loved the cyborg and dystopian style of this book, Meyer made it flow very nicely together. There were a few sad parts in it, but I almost would have been let down if things were just happy and good all the time.

Yet another good book read, and I totally recommend this book to everyone who has looked at it. I really loved Cinder and I think the series is going to be amazing. I would love to one day own this book. I'm sorry that these last few reviews have been a little weird in terms of length, but when I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say. Nevertheless, I still hope you enjoyed the reviews, I have more on the way as usual.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 390 pages (hardcover).

Price: $17.99

Next: June Book Haul

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

First book in the Arclight series, there is a second book to come out this month called Meridian. It could quite possibly already be out by time you read this. I will do my best to get my hands on the second book and review it. This is McQuein's first book, and for it being her first I think she did very well. McQuein does have another book out that does not go along with Arclight called Premeditated.

In this dystopian world three things make up your little world. The Arclight, the Grey, and the Dark. The Arclight means safety and survival, the Grey is between the Arclight and the Dark. The Dark is filled with the Fade. No one goes into the Grey, but a girl was found there. How did she get there? How did she survive? More importantly, is she safe? No one comes back from the Dark or the Grey. No one.

If I thought I devoured Beautiful Creatures, I really inhaled Arclight. Once I began I couldn't stop reading. I had to read the next page, then the next chapter, and then I found myself done. McQuein did an amazing job drawing me in and holding on to my attention. I didn't find wordy parts, which I was so thankful for. I haven't read too many dystopian based books but I really enjoyed Arclight. Marina and Tobin from the start captivated me and I had to know what happened with them. I am in love with the idea of the Fade, what they are and how they came to be. There were a lot of little twists that, if reading too quickly you might pass up and not see coming. There is a bit of romance in the air, but nothing can really happen when the fate of what little humans are left on Earth, are at stake because of the Fade. I laughed in a few spots and I didn't think I would with this being a slightly more serious book. I love the backstory to just about everything, and I can't wait to read the next book.

Arclight was incredibly fast paced, there was almost no time to stop and think over what had just happened to Marina or some of the other characters. This was not something I enjoyed too much because it just didn't seem to work with the story (for me). I would have liked some down time, not too much, but a little. Something that confused me was that I wasn't sure if the Arclight was a simple multi-floored building, or a series of buildings put together. I could have easily skipped where it was defined, because I did read this book really quickly.

Though I did have a few discrepancies with Arclight I overall enjoyed it a lot. I really hope a few of my confusions will be cleared up in the next book. Once again for being a 'teen' book I really think that adults could enjoy Arclight. I recommend it to everyone and I hope to one day have this book on one of my bookshelves. I can honestly see myself rereading this book a number of times because it is that good.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 403 pages (hardcover).

Price: ???

Next Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

This is the first book in the Beautiful Creatures series. I will try my best to do reviews of the other books but my library never has them on the shelf. I will not be comparing the book to the movie in this review, if requested I will in a separate blog post. I hope you enjoy.

Cursed for generations, Lena Duchannes sticks out like a sore thumb in Gatlin. She's trying to conceal her powers, but secrets are hard to keep in this little town. Ethan Wate, cannot wait to get out of Gatlin. He is also haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl, and is slightly disturbed when Lena moves into town, and into the old infamous plantation. He is drawn turn to her and doesn't know why, so he plans on figuring out. One secret could change everything for the little town of Gatlin.

Once again I missed out the whole craze when Beautiful Creatures came around. Boy, am I kicking myself now. I hated to be doing any work because this book drew me in, captivated me, and held on. I loved every page of Beautiful Creatures. I was expecting for the size of it, that I would find wordy parts or parts that held no relevance to the book, but I didn't. It was a really nice change of POV's because the reviews previous to this have been dominated by female POV's. This, however is from Ethan's and he is a exceptional main character. The back story to him and everyone else is amazing and it flows perfectly with the plot. I was left wondering about things but they were questions that got answered in a timely manner. I didn't find myself knowing things before they happened, but understanding why they were going to happen, and it didn't upset me. I think I would have been more upset if I knew what was going to happen and didn't understand why. I laughed a lot which was really great, because the book does get serious in a few places. The supernatural aspect of Beautiful Creatures adds a lot to the story and spices things up.

I really don't have anything to complain about. I didn't find any wordy parts or unnecessary parts, like I stated before. I was very happy with the book over all and loved it. It was a great change of view and I loved that the romance in it was very sweet and innocent. I would love to own this book, and I really hope that the other books continue to be as good. I really recommend this book to others, the size may push you away but it is really worth it. For being a 'teen' book, I think adults could enjoy the book as well. I know this was a little different from previous reviews but I didn't have anything I didn't like about Beautiful Creatures.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 563 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next Book: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

Hell's Horizon by Darren Shan

Hell's Horizon is the second book in The City trilogy. I have a review up for the first book Procession of the Dead. I do have plans on reading the third book, I just don't know when because every time I go to my library and check, it is not on the shelf. With that being said I hope you enjoy!

Al Jeery is a member of The Cardinal's personal guard. The Cardinal rules over the City, and the City is nothing but corruption. Al starts to question his loyalty to The Cardinal when he is taken to Party Central to investigate a murder. Al discovers something at the crime scene and other things just don't add up. A series of corpses and a horrifying mystery is the path that Al trails down almost unwillingly. While he's there he learns of a few disturbing facts that have been held from him. The Incan forefathers, the crazy Cardinal, and Paucar Wami all have their play with Al. Wami is a deadly man who kills without remorse. Al thinks he and Wami are two different people, but he is about to find out that there is more to Wami than meets the eye.

The events in Hell's Horizon take place along side Procession of the Dead. So throughout the book Capac is mentioned and the reader is able to see a different side of things from the previous book. Things are no longer one sided. The Cardinal lets a couple of facts be known that makes the reader go "oh, that's why he did that". The beginning of this book captivated me and had me wanting more. The middle disappointed me, and the end swung around and picked itself back up. Al is a interesting character, mixing Wami in with him and all the murder just makes him that more interesting. I kind of knew that there was more to Al then what was being given and sure enough there is. Shan paints a great picture when it comes to details of things happening, but there wasn't too many details about Al's features. You do get a few details though, here and there but it is very quick and if you are not paying attention close enough you may miss them. I loved it when things got interesting which was a fair amount of the time, it wasn't as wordy anymore. For Hell's Horizon when things were good, they were really good. But when they weren't it was upsetting because the first book was so good. Thankfully there isn't any repeating of scenes from Procession of the Dead. Things were mentioned in passing, which helped pin point when events where taking place in comparison with the first book.

I was really disappointed with the middle of the book, once the murders got going and things got interesting, the book almost seemed to halt and become really wordy. Yes, there were little hints dropped along the way but, for myself, I don't think it would have mattered if I would have skipped over them. *SPOILER-ALERT* I basically knew that Bill (Al's cop friend) and Pricilla (a friend of a friend of Al's) where in on the murders, I just didn't know how exactly.*SPOILER-ENDED* I figured a few major things out that pertained to the murders, I am not sure if the reader was supposed to know early on, but if so Shan did a great job.

Being more disappointed with how the content went in the book, I still liked the book more than not. The beginning and the end where terrific, especially the end. I can't wait to read the third book, I honestly have not a clue what Shan has done I haven't read the summary yet. I recommend this book to be read, and I would love to own this book as well. I am a huge fan of Shan's and I hope I am not completely upset with this last book. Even with being marked as a 'adult' book I think teenagers could really get into the trilogy. There is a sexual scene, but it is very PG and could have been extremely worse.

Rating: a lower 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 324 pages (hardcover)

Price: $19.99

Next Book: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Thank so much for reading!
~Jade

(Late) May Book Haul

So I thought I would do the whole "these are the books I got this month" blogs. If I get anything for the month, I will make a post such as this one stating what I got, if it is a hardcover or paperback, and things like that. I hope you all enjoy and like it!

As you can see from the picture above I only got 3 books in May. Two are by Sherrilyn Kenyon and the other is by Laini Taylor. All books this time around were hardcover.

Born of Shadows is the fourth book in the League series. I do have a review up for the first book. The other book by Kenyon is Illusion and it is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Nick series. I don't have any reviews up for this particular series but once I get my hands on all of the books currently out I will do that.

Lastly, Days of Blood & Starlight is the second book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. I do have a review up for the first book and this one as well. Of course, I will have a review up for the third and final book once I can.

I hope you all enjoyed this!
~Jade

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

OCD Love Story is a stand alone book. Before I get into the review, I am going to get this over with now. Mental illness of any sort is not something to be taken lightly. I know this is a touchy subject for some and I will not hold it against you if you do not want to read my review. I will try not to offend anyone but we all know that isn't always possible. If I at any time offend you, please know I did not intentionally mean to do it. I do not tolerate people making fun of others with mental illnesses, and just in general making fun of others. With that being said, please enjoy.

Bea doesn't look like a girl with problems on the outside. When Beck comes into her life she knows immediately that he is in her boat, more or less. He's strong, sweet, and he understands her like no one else, and he makes her feel almost normal. Maybe falling in love could be possible again because of Beck. Unfortunately Bea can't stop thinking about another guy. He doesn't know she exists, but Bea thinks he walks on water. She knows more than she should about this other guy, she watches him a lot. Bea even has a notebook full of little notes about him, anyone who knows about the journal thinks she's obsessed. Bea thinks she has it all under control, it's her choice, right? No. It's a compulsion, it is getting worse, and Bea is about to burst.

All of my previous reviews have some sort of supernatural part to it. OCD Love Story is 100% humans from the first page to the last and it was refreshing. I love the names for the main characters, especially Bea and Beck. It reminded me of Darren Shan's Demonata book Bec. Both have the two main characters names start with B. I liked that though this subject is taboo for some and Haydu wrote about it anyways. I don't feel as though she played anything up or down, because each individual is different. I like that for Bea one on one and group therapy didn't help until Dr. Pat knew what was going on fully. Bea is a beautiful character and it goes to show that sometimes even the beautiful are "flawed" in a way, but can get better when taking the correct path. I also like that Haydu indirectly shows that everything you do will come back to you in some way or another, be it good or bad. Like for Bea, not opening up in her group sessions prolongs her getting better and makes the compulsions and other things that she does worse. With everything that I did like there was almost an equal amount of things I wasn't too keen on.

Soon after the story starts you know that Bea has a mental illness that was brought on by a really tough time in her life. Being young and going through and seeing the things she did, made her little OCD skyrocket. That being said when she starts seeing Dr. Pat, she knows Bea's past and knows that she has a tendency to stalk. People should have been on the look out for the signs that she might be doing it again. With any illness be it mental, or addiction, people have a chance to relapse. Catching these relapses can save someone. Another thing is that, as much as I enjoyed reading OCD Love Story I found myself easily distracted, which made getting through this book a little longer. Bea's backstory is strewn throughout the book and you get it in snippets, but for me it wasn't enough. I kept getting confused about who was who is Bea's past and what exactly they did to trigger Bea's OCD, and anxiety. Now that isn't because this is a human based story, I have read plenty of human based stories and had no problems. Like people, books are different from one another unless specified. One other thing is that Bea didn't start to get better until the very end.

Bea and Beck are a cute couple and they work together to get better. Don't get me wrong with the things that I complained about, this book was a good book. I don't know if I would necessarily go out and buy it, but if I were to stumble upon it and it was at a cheap price I might grab it up. I would reread this book, just at a much later date. I recommend this book to those who want to read something that is more down to earth, it is a "teen" book, there is a little bit of sexual talk but nothing super serious.

Rating: lower 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 341 pages (hardcover)

Price: $17.99

Next Book: Hell's Horizon by Darren Shan

Stay tuned for my ~late~ May book haul! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
~Jade

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I know, I said OCD Love Story would be the next review up, but this book had to go back to my library sooner than expected. I have seen the movie and it was what prompted me to pick up and read the book. I am not going to be comparing the book to the movie now, but if people want me to and say as much, I will. This is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, I do plan on reading the series when I can. So here is this review, and I hope you enjoy!

Think it was going to be just another day, Clary Fray witnesses a murder in a local club. The people committing the murder are just teens themselves and they have these weird markings on them. They are the Shadowhunters and they are warriors who rid the world of demons. Jace is the magnificent, blond of the group and no more than a day later Clary is in his world. To top it off her mother disappears and Clary is attacked numerous times. Clary is a mundane and has the Sight, the Shadowhunters are unsure of what to make of this. Hopefully it all pans out for itself, and for the good.

I finished this book, in about a day and a half. I am kicking myself for not reading this either when it got popular or when it caught my eye a few years back. Clary, Jace, Magnus, and Simon are my favorite characters by far, mainly Simon and Jace for their witty sarcasm and dry humor. City of Bones was fast paced and sometimes I got caught up in it and other times I was fine. I almost feel as though if it weren't so fast paced it would have been too wordy for my likings. The surprises aren't too crazy but hinted toward in a fashion that you know something is going to happen because of it. *SPOILER-ALERT* Not too sure how I feel about the whole brother-sister action in the book but hey, that may just be another twist in the series. *SPOILER-ENDED* I like that things were explained in a way that was as short as possible but held all the necessary details to get the readers through the book. I laughed a lot as well while reading, and I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting things to be more serious and I am really glad that it wasn't. I am also glad that this book isn't vampire based. There are vampires in it but there is other folklore that comes into play and it works for this book. This isn't a smaller book, this is a slightly bigger book and it is another nice change I have been reading books that are on the smaller side.

As for things I didn't like, one was mentioned in the spoiler part. I have a feeling it is all a bunch of lies but there is something that someone said that stops me from pushing it aside. The action in this book is another thing. Yes I said that I liked it but at the same time if it weren't for the humor in the parts that aren't full of action, I wouldn't have liked it. I did get confused in a few parts, I'm not too sure if it was the way that the passage was worded or what, but it didn't trip me up too bad. Hopefully this series doesn't disappoint in the end.

I devoured this book in a day and a half and if that doesn't show you that I liked it, I don't know what will. For a 'teen' book, I think people of all ages would enjoy this. It just feels right to me, and I think I might like this series a lot (at least I am hoping). I definitely recommend this book to everyone who has either looked at it, considered it, or anything. I would love to own this book one day and maybe I will. As usual when I can get my hands on the second book I will read and review it.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 485 pages (paperback)

Price: $10.99

Next Book: OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror Edited by R.L. Stine

For this particular review I am going to be say something that I liked and did not like about each short story in one blurb, just to keep things simple and not too crazy. As usual, I hope you enjoy!

When you crack open this book you are greeted to an introduction by R.L. Stine and it was a short and simple one. It actually got me pumped to read these short stories. From there on, in reading order, there is Welcome to the Club by R.L. Stine, She's Different Tonight by Heather Graham, Suckers by Suzanne Weyn, The Perfects by Jennifer Allison, Shadow Children by Heather Brewer, The Poison Ring by Peg Kehret, Dragonfly Eyes by Alane Ferguson, Jeepers Peepers by Ryan Brown, Piney Power by F. Paul Wilson, The Night Hunter by Meg Cabot, Tuition by Walter Sorrells, Tagger by James Rollins, and lastly Ray Gun by Tim Maleeny.

Welcome to the Club was a really great opening short story. It was like welcoming you to the coming short stories of horror and suspense. I don't have a con to talk about because the short was well put together and really had me speeding through to get to the end from the first page.

She's Different Tonight had me wondering at first. Was the plot really going to be that straight forward to the very end? Thankfully no and just the hint of supernatural beings was enough to make me wish it were just a little bit longer. Yet again I don't have anything negative to speak about this short.

Suckers was my favorite story by far. I never thought it would end the way it did, and it was a twist I love greatly. I was hooked from the first page and I didn't want it to end. It was the future based but not so future base that made me love it from the beginning. Different perspectives are really wicked once you know certain details from who's perspective it is coming from.

The Perfects reminded me of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in a way except the whole town was in on the murdering. If Entrails Michigan were a real place I will be far away from it. This short also happens to take place on Halloween like She's Different Tonight. I wasn't too taken with this short but I didn't not like it.

Shadow Children was the one that I was most looking forward to in this compilation but I wasn't too happy with it. It was a great plot, had great characters, had a great everything, but I just couldn't really get into it. It was also very short and I know "short stories" but this is 16 pages long. I feel as though if it were just a little longer I would have enjoyed it more.

The Poison Ring didn't go how I thought it would go. I thought it would end up like Skeleton Key where the old lady takes over the body of the younger girl, but nope. I'm glad it didn't, but I am glad that this was more of a suspense story, it fitted it nicely.

Dragonfly Eyes was another story that I thought would take a whole different path then what it did take. I was hooked from the beginning with just the first sentence. It is another perspective-type story but this time it's because of a traumatic experience that the perspective changes. This is another short that would be really amazing leading into a bigger series or another book. This was the shortest story in the book with being only 8 pages long. I wanted so much more but at the same time I was content with what was given.

Jeepers Peepers I expected to have murder in it especially with the way it started. It ended up being really sweet, and I loved how it ended. I loved the little boy and I loved how special people need someone to ground them when things start to go wrong. It just goes to show that your imagination can get the better of you if you let it.

Piney Power was a short that I basically knew what was going on and what was going to happen within the first few pages. I would have been more upset if it were a full book, but since it was a short it was tolerable. I do have to say that the characters made the short completely worth the read, for me.

The Night Hunter ended up being a whole bunch of sweetness. I loved the ending and who ended up being who. I would say that this one was another that if the characters where different I probably wouldn't have liked the short as much as I do.

Tuition, I'm not too sure how I feel about this short. I liked the end a lot and the plot that was going for it, but I didn't like much more than that. Again, I know. The characters and the plot are what count (for some), but I also look forward to how it is all put together.

Tagger reminded me of a mixture of Anna Dressed in Blood and The Black Tattoo. Bittersweet till the end, I don't know what to say about this short either. It was a little plain to me, and very easy to read. Overall I was able to just skim through it and know what was going on. I don't exactly not like this short, I am just not crazy about it either.

Ray Gun, as the final short, I have to say that I liked it very much and wish it were a full length book. The back story to it and it's 'anything can happen'-ness is what made me get sucked in, and the beginning as well.

I had pretty mixed emotions about the whole compilation, but I would read these shorts again. I do recommend this book to others who like a little bit of horror and suspense in their reading. I wasn't completely unhappy with any of the shorts, which is great. I don't know if I would buy this book or just be content with having to borrowing it from the library when I want to read it. I also recommend that you check out some or all of these authors if something intrigues you about them. I do read from a handful of these authors.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Page Count: 306 pages, including About the Authors (hardcover)

Price: $16.99

Next Book: OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Thank you for reading!
~Jade

New TV show from one of the books I reviewed???

Not too long ago I reviewed a book called The Strain, and I still haven't had much luck with getting my hands on the rest of the trilogy. This morning I was eating my cereal when I saw a teaser for the new TV series The Strain. Now, even though I did not give the book that great of a rating I am incredibly excited to see the show. Here in the US it is set to premier on July 13th, which is also my birthday! I recommend that you look up a trailer and check it our for yourself, and tell me; is anyone else excited for the TV show? Have you read the book or the whole trilogy?

As far as I can tell and from descriptions on the show, this first series is going to be based off of book one, in the trilogy. There is no talk as to how many series might be coming out, nor how long this season might be. Each episode is an hour long, and this is being aired on FX. It is based off of the book, and Guillermo del Toro is the director.

Stay close by because a review is coming up soon!

Thanks for reading!
~Jade

Zom-B Gladiator by Darren Shan

Gladiator is the sixth book in the Zom-B series. If you go check out my review of Zom-B Baby there will be links to the other book reviews.

B knows what she wants to do, now. Fighting for the good side, for as long as she can. The zombies are everywhere and among them are mercenaries who have no sense of right or wrong. They lay a trap and B is taken. It will take just about everything that B has, to get out somewhat alive.

After putting down the last book I wasn't too sure if I wanted to read Gladiator right away or not. I decided to read the last book I did a review on, and afterwards I was ready to read this book. Now, I wished I had read this book right after Zom-B Baby, because Shan is in my 'good list' again. At first I was a little skeptical, because it seemed like this was going to be another filler book for the series. At about a third of the way into the book, things heat up. For the rest of the book it is nothing but constant problems arising for B and I kept reading until there was nothing left to read. B knows where she stands with the Angels, she doesn't want to get close with anyone and so she almost completely separates herself from them. They understand but they want her to know that they got her back no matter what. *SPOILER-ALERT* It takes for them to break her out of her battle to the death with zombies for her to realize that they need each other, but she gets there. *SPOILER-ENDED* I loved this book a lot, and I love that you can't forget about characters from past books because they come back. I love that the name of this book practically gives away everything that happens, in a sense, but unless you know what goes on you might not get the hint. This book redeems itself for the last book because there is a decent amount of action and suspense packed into it.

There are still some things that I wasn't too happy about. Now there are a few other enemies on the loose, how in the world are the Angels going to be able to defend themselves and survivors with all of them? It almost feels like there are too many enemies now, and I don't necessarily not like this, I just wonder if this series is going to end well because of it. I almost worry about the coming books because there is so much that could happen and I wonder if it is going to be too much at once, or not enough, like a couple of the other books. I also didn't like that this book ended on a "To be continued" note (like every single one of the books before it), because I wanted more, more annoying than an actual negative about the book. I also don't like the pompous asshats that take B and use her for sport to entertain themselves. It almost makes you think that if a zombie apocalypse where to take place, if people like them, or not like them, would do something like this to the surviving humans?

Shan has put himself in good graces with me after reading Gladiator. I am unsure about the rest of the series and what is to come, but I will continue to read the books (unless something happens and Shan completely puts me off of this series). I'd say the actual dislikes of this book to actual loves, the loves comes out as bigger and better. I still recommend this series to anyone and everyone who wants to read it, maybe you will love every book and that is perfectly okay. I am still at the point where I don't know if I want the whole series or just the books that I liked more.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Page Count: 160 pages (hardcover)

Price: $15

Next Book: Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror Edited by R.L. Stine

Thank you for reading!
~Jade