100 Followers Giveaway!!

Flying on Silver Wings

100 Followers Giveaway!!

I am so excited about how fast Flying on Silver Wings' following has grown!  In less than 2 months FoSW has gained 100 followers.  I simply can't let this exciting moment pass by without some acknowledgment!  So I am going to do a very simple giveaway.  I will be gifting one (1) lucky follower their choice of a Nook or Kindle ebook.  The only requirement is that is must be A BOOK REVIEWED ON FoSW up to this date.  The winner must be a follower, either one of the first 100 or new!  In the spirit of growing followers you can also earn an extra entry by grabbing my button and posting it on your blog.  Good Luck and Thank You All!!



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REVIEW: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

I feel as if I should begin this review by explaining that I was (and still am!) a major fan of the Vampire Academy series.  But, when it came to the love triangle between Rose, Dimitri and Adrian there was no contest.  I was a Dimitri fan all the way!  I liked Adrian, but the relationship between him and Rose was just irritating.  Adrian could never stand up against Dimitri and win, not in my eyes.  So, when I found out that Richelle Mead was doing a spin off series, while excited to still get to continue with this world she's created, I was quite wary.  And then I found out Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian were going to be at the center of this series.  Now I'm even more wary!  Sydney?  Really?  Of all of the characters in the Vampire Academy books she was one of the most forgettable and unlikeable.  When Bloodlines (Book #1) was released I didn't run out and grab my copy.  It wasn't until a friend that loved Vampire Academy as much as I did told me "You have to read it!" that I finally broke down and bought the audiobook.  While I still found Sydney pretty unlikeable and Jill's constant whining drove me crazy...there was Adrian.  Oh so heartbroken, Adrian.  I really loved Bloodlines!  And thus began my addiction to another Richelle Mead series.

So, what did I think of The Golden Lily?  It was AMAZING!!  There are just so many things right about this book!  First of all let me say that Sydney totally redeemed herself in my eyes.  Yes, she's still an alchemist with all of the alchemists' negative feelings towards all things "unnatural".  But she is slowly but surely changing her way of thinking.  She's realizing that there are humans that are just plain evil, that some Moroi and Dhampirs make great and loyal friends, that magic can be used for good and that maybe the Alchemists are (gasp!) wrong!  Jill does a lot of growing up in The Golden Lily.  She's come to realize that the entire reason they are in hiding is to protect her and that as the last remaining relative to the Queen it's her duty to stay safe so that the crown is secure, even if that means putting her personal life in the background.  She resigns herself to this fact even though it's not always what she wants.  I've always been a fan of Eddie, even back in the Vampire Academy books.  He's a loyal friends, an amazing fighter and he'd risk his life to keep the people around him safe.  I love how the relationship between him and Sydney has developed into a true brother/sister bond.  He confides in her when he wouldn't to anyone else.  They've come to like and respect each other, and I think that's a big reason for Sydney's attitude changes.  And then we have Adrian.  The changes in him from the beginning of Bloodlines to the end of The Golden Lily are so profound, it's absolutely amazing.  I liked him in the Vampire Academy books, I grew to love him in Bloodlines, but in the Golden Lily I began to respect him.  He is an amazing character and I am so excited to see where he goes in the future.  This book is without a doubt my favorite from BOTH the Vampire Academy and the Bloodlines series.  I cannot gush enough about just how much I loved it! 

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Emily Shaffer, did a great job!  I'm a huge audiobook fan and I love it when I find an amazing narrator to add to my favorites list. 

5 Stars * * * * * 

Sync Free YA Audiobooks All Summer ~ WEEK 1

I am so in love with audiobooks, and this is an absolutely amazing offer!!  Sync will be offering 2 free audiobooks every week for 10 weeks!  One book will be a popular Young Adult book and the other will be a Classic that is related to or parallels the first title.  And the best part is they're good books!!  And, they're yours to keep...not library books.  20 free audiobooks...AMAZING!!  Click here to see a list of the 20 books and the dates they will be available.  I'll be updating here every week with the books that are currently free.  I highly, highly recommend everyone go grab these audiobooks while they're available!!  Best. Deal. Ever.  Go Now!!

Here's some info from the website:

What is SYNC?
• SYNC is the audiobook publishers’ and AudioFile Magazine’s commitment to introducing the listening experience to the young adult audience.
• SYNC will give away 2 FREE audiobook downloads each week for 10 weeks this summer.
• The weekly SYNC audiobook pairings will offer a popular Young Adult title and a related Classic.
• SYNC hooks readers by introducing a free download of a Young Adult “first in series” or prolific author.
• SYNC demonstrates that Required Reading can be completed by listening.
• Libraries, schools, and bloggers can access a full promo tool kit here.

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Week 1

Click the titles to be taken to the download page!

The Eleventh Plague

Description:

In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving.

 In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing–and their lives–forever.

The Grapes of Wrath

Description:

Drought and economic depression are driving thousands from Oklahoma. As their land becomes just another strip in the dust bowl, the Joads, a family of sharecroppers, decide they have no choice but to follow. They head west, towards California, where they hope to find work and a future for their family.

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Welcome to my stop on the Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop!  For my giveaway I am offering up the chance to win the first three books in The Tudor Series by Phillippa Gregory!!

The Constant Princess

The Other Boleyn Girl 

The Boleyn Inheritance

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This giveaway is open to US only.  One winner will be chosen for all books.  Giveaway begins at 12:01 a.m. on 6/15/12 and ends on 12:01 a.m. on 6/20/12. 

After you've entered my giveaway be sure to stop by and see what the other bloggers on this hop have to offer! 

Wish List Wednesday (5)

Every Wednesday I highlight a book that I've recently added to my ever growing to-be-read pile. I know that I'll never get through them all, but it's nice to have a Wish List in place!  So what's on your Wish List?!  Grab the button and comment here with your Wish List Wednesday link so everyone can check it out! 

This week I'm highlighting Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent.  I absolutely LOVE the Soul Screamers Series and I have been waiting for this book for far, far too long!



I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school... Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life.

Unbreak My Heart ~ Giveaway!

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker



Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

**********************

Clementine and Amanda have been best friends since Kindergarten.  They do everything together and even have a cute mash-up name, Clemanda.  When Amanda starts dating Ethan, the new guy at school, Clem is happy for her.  She soon realizes that Ethan fits right in their little group of friends.  He's funny and charming and they have a lot in common...more so even than he and Amanda do.  When Ethan starts with the subtle flirting Clem is confused.  She doesn't understand what he's up to, but she like how he makes her feel.  She knows she should push him away, tell him to stop, but she doesn't.  After her and Ethan spend the day together on her birthday, even though nothing happens, Amanda is furious and Clem is exiled.  Everyone at school shuns her.  She might as well be wearing a scarlet letter A!  Thankfully, sophomore year is over and her family is spending the entire summer sailing.  She won't have to face anyone.  But that doesn't stop the guilt from tearing her apart.  How could she have done something so horrible to her best friend!?  She feels horrible, and no matter how hard her family tries to cheer her up she's miserable...until she meets James.  He is such a happy person, and it's a bit contagious.

Unbreak My Heart is heartwarming and a great comfort read.  It's a bit sad, but it's uplifting at the same time.  I felt sorry for Clem as she relived the past year in her mind and through rereading her journal.  Even though nothing actually happens between Clem and Ethan, you know Amanda's hurt by the actions of her best friend.  This is evident by the fact that she tells Clem she'll never forgive her but she immediately takes Ethan back.  I even found myself feeling a bit sorry for Ethan.  It was obvious he had a real connection with Clem, even though he really liked Amanda. 

This story is real and I'm sure most readers will totally relate to the situation.  I loved Clem and her entire family.  And I absolutely adore James.  The way he drags Clem out of her depression is just so sweet.  Especially when you realize he has every reason to be just as depressed.  I devoured Unbreak My Heart in a matter of hours, and I loved every minute of it.

5 Stars * * * * * 

Giveaway!!

I won my copy of Unbreak My Heart from Bloomsbury, so I'm going to pay it forward and give it away to one of my wonderful readers!  It's just too great of a story not to share!!  So, if you would like to win your very own hardback copy of Unbreak My Heart be sure to enter below.  Also, you get the bookmark I used while reading...a sock monkey sticker!  Please read this first: 

What you can win: 

1 hardback copy of Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

1 sock monkey sticker

1 winner will be chosen.  If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

U.S. Only!  I'm sorry to my international readers, but postage costs are eating me alive.  But stay tuned because I do have a few giveaways in the works that WILL be international!

This giveaway ends on July 16th so get your entry in soon!!

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In My Mailbox (1)

 In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. 

This is my first IMM and I'm super excited!  I have recieved some awesome books over the past few weeks, so I wanted to tell my readers all about them.

Won:

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Thank You Bloomburg Teen!)

Tallis by M.C. Rae (Big thanks to Killian McRae!!)

Recieved for Review:

 

Bite Me, Try Me, Fang Me and Make Me by Parker Blue (I've been dying to read these so I jumped at the opportunity to review them!)

Against All Odds by Aliaa El Nashar (I'm looking forward to hosting this blog tour!)

The Twenty by Claudia Carozza

Rape Girl by Alina Klein

Sudden Independents by Ted Hill 

Bought:

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

(The above three I snagged in hardback!  I plan to read, review and giveaway!!)

Easy by Tammera Webber

Water & Air by Terra Harmony

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

My Heart for Yours by Stephanie Campbell and Jolene Perry

Colors Like Memories by Meradeth Houston

Wish List Wednesday (4)

First I have to take a minute to celebrate!  I've reached 50 followers, and I'm so excited!!  I think this is awesome for only blogging for just over a month!  I'm planning a great giveaway for 100 followers, so send your friends this way!!  Ok, on to Wish List Wednesday...

Every Wednesday I highlight a book that I've recently added to my ever growing to-be-read pile. I know that I'll never get through them all, but it's nice to have a Wish List in place!

This week I'm going to highlight a series.  The Akasha Series by Terra Harmony begins with Water, which came out September 2011.  The second book in the series, Air, came out February 2012, and the third book, Fire, is planned for an October 2012 release.

I know I say this every week, but would you LOOK at those covers!  Beautiful!  I think it's safe to say you will see reviews on these books in the very near future if you stay tuned to FoSW. 



Water Goodreads Book Blurb:  Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

Both Water and Air are available in Kindle format for only $4.99!

Water for Kindle can be found HERE.

Air for Kindle can be found HERE.

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instrument#5)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare



The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

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*If you have not read The Mortal Instruments there WILL be spoilers ahead!*

I'm not going to summarize the book like I usually do because the book blurb above is crazy long and tells you everything you need to know.  I do, however, feel like I should preface this review by explaining my love/hate relationship with this series.  I did not read City of Bones when it first came out.  Although I thought it sounded amazing I put it off forever.  Not until all three of the first trilogy were already out and a friend loaned me the books did I finally read City of Bones...and only City of Bones.  I just didn't like it!  I originally gave it 2 stars and decided not to read City of Ashes and City of Glass.  So, when Clockwork Angel came out I didn't plan to read it.  After all, it was set in the same world of Shadowhunters, I wouldn't like it any better right?!  But, after reading some of the reviews I decided to give it a try...plus the cover is amazing!  I listened to the audiobook version of Clockwork Angel, and I absolutely loved it!  After I finished it I couldn't wait to get my hands on more of The Infernal Devices.  What was I going to do while I waited for Clockwork Prince?  Hmmm, maybe I should give The Mortal Instruments another try.  So I got the audiobook version of City of Bones...and I really, really enjoyed it!  The farther I got into The Mortal Instruments the more I enjoyed it, and I'm really glad I went back and gave them another chance so I didn't miss out on this wonderful story.

So, what did I think of City of Lost Souls?  I loved it!  Actually, I think it's my favorite so far in both series.  In the end of City of Fallen Angels you know bad things are going to happen to Jace so it's no surprise when City of Lost Souls starts off with Jace missing, Sebastian missing and the Clave looking for them both.  Clary and their group of friends know Jace is still alive, but they don't really understand where he's gone or why.  It's not until Jace comes for Clary that they realize that he is no longer the boy they know and love.  Now he's Sebastian's puppet, bound to him by Lilith's mark.  And no weapon in this world can harm one without harming the other.  Clary decides she's going to go with Jace and Sebastian while the others try to figure out a way to separate Jace and Sebastian.

We get to see some intense changes in many of the relationships in this book.  I love where we're going with Simon and Isabelle and with Jordan and Maia.  Alec succeeded in making me extremely angry and watching the relationship between Alec and Magnus makes me simultaneously swoon and cry.  I really need to see them figure things out.  Quite a lot of the plot lines are left hanging, and I'm hoping each and every one of them will be wrapped up nicely in the final book in this series, City of Heavenly Fire.  I have many questions I want answers to, but I love the mystery!  Like who is Brother Zachariah?  It's pretty obvious he's someone from The Infernal Devices, but who?!  I can't wait to find out.  What I'd really like is to see a family tree.  Would that be too much to ask?  Even though Jace isn't really Jace we still get to see lots of growth in his and Clary's relationship.  It's nice to see Clary hold her own this time.  She gets to show off the skills Jace has taught her, and she likes it.

As much as I enjoy the Shadowhunter world I am looking forward to a wrap-up of The Mortal Instruments.  I think it's time for them to get the happily ever afters that they deserve.  I hope we see lots more action with The Infernal Devices, along with some of the answers we're seeking.  And, I may be in the minority here, but I am looking forward to The Dark Artifices.

5 Stars * * * * *

Cloaked Giveaway: And the Winner is...

The winner of Cloaked by Alex Flinn is....

Aliaa!!!

Congratulations Aliaa!!  Thank you all for entering my first giveaway!  Didn't win?  Well, be sure to enter the Off the Shelf Giveaway!!  There's only 11 more days!

ARC: One Moment

One Moment by Kristina McBride



Release Date:  June 26, 2012
Publisher:  EgmontUSA
Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

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It's Memorial Day weekend and Maggie, Joey, Pete, Shannon, Tanna and Adam are spending the day at the gorge.  Maggie and Joey are getting ready to jump from the cliff, but in the moment just before they jump something happens.  Moments later Maggie is at the top confused, and Joey is at the bottom dead.  Maggie can't remember anything.  As she and her friends try to cope with the loss of Joey, each in their own way, Maggie struggles to remember the details that are so crucial to understanding what happened.  As bits and pieces start to return to her she begins to think that maybe she made herself forget because the truth is too difficult to bear.

This book was absolutely amazing.  It's undeniably sad, but at it's core it's the story of the strength of friendship during one of the worst situations a teenager can go through.  The bond between these six friends started as far back as Kindergarten, and now they are upcoming Seniors.  They do everything together; their lives completely intertwined.  Maggie and Joey went from friends to dating almost two years ago.  When he dies it shatters her whole world.  As her memories start to return to her she starts to understand that sometimes you don't really know the people you love the most, and that some bonds aren't as strong as you think they are.

Kristina McBride did a great job of making me feel like I was there in the story.  You can feel the pain that these friends feel as they deal with Joey's death.  As they remember all the good times with him I cried with them.  You can feel the heartbreak as Maggie begins to learn the truth, and my heart broke for her.  And you can feel that part of yourself that is so emotional from this story begin to heal as each of the friends begins to find their way through the darkness.  This is an intense read, but well worth the emotions.  The only negative thing I can possibly say is that I would have liked an epilogue.  I would really like to know where they are a year later.

5 Stars * * * * *

Wish List Wednesday (3)

Every Wednesday I highlight a book that I've recently added to my ever growing to-be-read pile. I know that I'll never get through them all, but it's nice to have a Wish List in place! 
This week I would like to highlight My Heart For Yours by Jolene B. Perry & Stephanie Campbell.  If you're a frequent reader of my blog you know that I 'judge a book by it's cover'.  If the cover isn't enough to catch my attention I'll pass the book by without even reading the blurb.  I know that's not fair, but it is what it is.  At first glace there's nothing special about this cover, but if you look closely you can see that the heart is drawn on foggy glass.  Something about that snagged me.  Then I read the blurb!  This is my kind of book!

Another thing that peeks my interest with this one is that it's written by more than one author.  Usually that wouldn't be a selling point, but it seems each author wrote a different point-of-view!  Interesting!  Here's a quote from Savannah over at Books with Bite (from her Goodreads review):

"What I loved most about this book is the awesome plot line. Normally, I don't like point of view switches especially if they are not done well. The way both authors wrote each point of view it flowed so well together like peanut butter and jelly."

So, are you sold yet?!  Well, here's some more good news...the ebook is only $2.99!!  So go get it! Yes, now!



For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal.

A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.

A kiss for a kiss.
Your shirt for mine.
Break my heart, I’ll break yours.

Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.

When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn't healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.

In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

To find it at Amazon click HERE.

For the $2.99 Kindle version click HERE.

For the $2.99 Nook version click HERE.

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn



I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with the curse. And the frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED.

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Johnny Marco works with his mom at the family business doing shoe repair for the rich and famous.  His dad left when he was only a baby, and his mom has struggled to make ends meet every day since.  He's a hard working good boy.  But even though he never complains, underneath it all he longs to be free of his ordinary life.  He wants to be a shoe designer, and he knows he'd be good at it, too!  But he knows he will never have the money to do what he wants.  When a famous princess visits the motel where he works he thinks he'll be lucky just to get a look at her.  But Princess Victoriana notices him, and asks him for a favor.  It seems a witch has turned her brother into a frog and she needs Johnny's help to find him and break the curse.  And what will Princess Victoriana do for Johnny in exchange?  Well, she'll marry him, of course!

I love fairytale retellings!  I know some people don't, and I can understand why.  They aren't always original.  But, I like that you can pick one up, have no expectations of literary genius, and just enjoy a good story.  That's exactly what you get with Cloaked.  Johnny is a very likable character.  He tries to help everyone he encounters on his quest, and even when he messes up (which he does quite a bit!) you can't help but hope he will finally get it right.  His best friend, Meg, is my favorite character.  She's in love with Johnny, but she's never let him know how she feels.  When she realizes Johnny is going on a dangerous quest she does everything she can to help him, saving his life more than once.  Even after she finds out he plans to marry Victoriana she never lets Johnny down.  I loved watching how these two handle one problem after another.  I had so much fun reading Cloaked! 

This is the third book I've read by Alex Flinn (also read Beastly and A Kiss In Time), and it's most definitely my favorite.  Have you read it yet?  Would you like to?  Well, I hope so because I've decided to give away my copy!!  So if you would like to get your hands on Cloaked be sure to enter the giveaway below!!  And good luck! 

4 Stars * * * *

Don't forget to enter the Off the Shelf Giveaway too!!

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Off the Shelf Giveaway!

I have teamed up with my amazing friend Amy over at Read to My Hearts Content to host a fun giveaway for you guys!  The biggest complaint my wonderful husband has is that books have taken over our house.  I'm sure you can all relate!  So Amy and I came up with a solution...we're going to give these books away (to make room for more...shhhh).  So welcome to our first Off the Shelf Giveaway!!

Here's what's up for grabs:

1 hardback copy of Parasol Protectorate Omnibus (Books #1 - 3) by Gail Carriger



1 paperback copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards



1 paperback copy of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger




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ARC: The Loners (Quarantine #1)

The Loners (Quarantine #1) by Lex Thomas



It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

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David couldn't be dreading the first day of his senior year more.  At a party the night before he finds out  that his girlfriend has been cheating on him with Sam, who took over as the quarterback of the football after David quit the team the year before when his mom died.  David decides he's tired of moping around and tells his friends he wants back on the team.  But, as he's leaving the party he gets into a fight with Sam, and the team turn their backs on him.  Serious social suicide. 

But, David has no idea just how terrible his first day is going to become.  An explosion destroys the East Wing of the school and the teachers start simultaneously dying a horrific death.  The military sweeps in and welds the doors and windows closed and they tell the kids that they've been infected with a virus that will kill adults and children.  The only ones that can survive being exposed to it are pubescent teens.  Over the next year chaos ensues.  They develop a sort of society with twisted versions of high school cliques.  The military drops food and other necessities and it's a battle of the strongest to fight for what they need to survive.  Unfortunately, because of David's fight with Sam, he and his brother, Will, end up with no clique to help protect them, which makes surviving that much more difficult.

While I really enjoyed this book there were quite a lot of things that irked me.  For one, no one really talks about the people on the outside.  Where are the parents?  The kids don't act like they even wonder if their parents survived.  There were many times when I just stopped and thought, "Say what!?"  The whole scientific aspect of the story is extremely far fetched.  I found David to be a strong and loyal person, while Will acts like a spoiled brat one minute and a stand in hero the next.  And Lucy, while I really want to like her, she comes off as loyal yet meek one minute, and then cowardice and disloyal when things get rough.  And that's not even touching on her relationships with David and Will.  (I really dislike love triangles with siblings!)  The characters personalities are very inconsistent.  Well, all except Sam, our bad guy...he's just plain evil.

This book is filled with action and adventure and you're hooked from the beginning.  Loyalties are tested.  Death and betrayal run rampant, and the kids find out just what they're willing to do in order to survive.  The Loners leaves us with a cliff hanger of an ending so good that I can't stop thinking about it and my mind keeps wandering from one scenario to another.  It seems that while this wasn't the best book I've ever read, it was good enough to have me itching to get my hands on book #2. 

The Loners will be released on July 10, 2012.

To find it at Amazon click HERE.

To find it at B&N click HERE.

3 Stars * * *

* I recieved this ARC from the publisher via netgalley.
*While tagged as YA, this book is violent and gruesome and includes strong language and sexual situations.

Wish List Wednesday (2)

Every Wednesday I highlight a book that I've recently added to my ever growing to-be-read pile. I know that I'll never get through them all, but it's nice to have a Wish List in place! The ones highlighted here are newly released or have upcoming release dates.

This week I would like to highlight Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker.  I guess I'm just a sucker for a good cover, but I love this one!  After reading the synopsis I knew it had to be this weeks highlight.  And, since it was released yesterday you can grab your copy now!!


From Goodreads:
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

To find it at Amazon click HERE.

For the Kindle version click HERE.

To find it at B&N click HERE.

Awesome Giveaway by Life Between Pages!!

Head over to Life Between Pages and enter the contest!! 

Each entry will have the chance to win one of the following...

1 x US$10 towards any choice of books from The Book Depository

2 x paperback copies of Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (one for each winner)

1 x paperback copy of Complete Novels of Jane Austen

1 x paperback copy of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
1 x eBook copy of Taste by Kate Evangelista

2 x Glass bead bracelets (handmade by me!) and vintage postcards (one for each winner).

Eternal Kiss of Darkness special ebook edition

From Jeaniene Frosts blog:

To celebrate the upcoming release of Once Burned, from now though June 25th, my publisher is offering a special ebook edition of Eternal Kiss of Darkness for only $1.99! As some of you know, Eternal Kiss of Darkness won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance and it was a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestseller. Plus, in this limited-time discount edition, you can get a sneak peak at the entire first three chapters of Once Burned, available wherever books are sold June 26.

Order at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Sony, Kobo, or your favorite ebook retailer.

 

Watch the new book trailer for this special edition of Eternal Kiss of Darkness:

Link to the trailer is here: http://youtu.be/vxiDLcSCP9g

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5)

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter



The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

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I picked up I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Book #1) from the library a few years ago because I thought it looked like a fun, cute and quick read.  Well, I was right!  I really enjoyed it, along with the rest of the series.  The adventures that these friends go on are so much fun.  I mean, come on, who hasn't wished they lead the life of a spy!?  If you haven't read any of this series and you enjoy a good YA/Chick Lit/Mystery/Spy novel (yes, they really fit all of those genres!) you should try them.  I gave the first four books in the series 3 & 4 stars.

*Spoilers Ahead if you haven't read Books 1-4!*

Out of Sight, Out of Time begins with Cammie waking up in a convent in the middle of the Alps.  She's confused because she's told it's October 1st and the last thing she remembers is leaving Gallagher Academy to protect her friends from the Circle of Cavan---in June.  She's been missing for four months and she has no idea where she has been, what she did or why she's injured and has lost so much weight.  All she wants is to go home, back to her school, her family and her friends, but when she gets there things aren't exactly as they were when she left.  Her friends are angry with her for leaving without them, her boyfriend Zach is now going to school at Gallagher Academy with them.  She's no closer to remembering what happened over the summer, but she knows it's not an accident that her memory is missing.  And, she's determined to figure out what she spent her summer doing and what the clues her father left behind mean.

This book was much more fast paced and action packed than previous books in this series.  It's darker, it's deeper and the situations are much more dangerous.  The girls have grown up a lot throughout the books, and the maturity level of the story has grown with them.  One of the things I like the best about these books is the loyalty between Cammie, Liz, Bex and Macey.  Every girl needs strong girlfriends in her life, and these girls have that in each other.  This book was really very good, the best in the series by far, and I look forward to seeing where the Gallagher Girls curiosity leads them.

4 Stars ****

Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

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**Disclaimer:  If you have not read Divergent this review may contain spoilers!!  Also, if you have not read Divergent go now!!  Get it!!  Read it!!  That is all!**

I've been finished with Insurgent for a few days now, and every time I sit down to write my review I draw a total blank.  Why?  I just can't seen to come up with words to explain just how intriguing I find this series.  I was afraid that Veronica Roth wouldn't be able to pull off book #2 with as much action and adventure as Divergent and still give us an amazing story, but she did just that.     

The factions are at war and everyone must pick a side.  But what do you do when you think both sides are wrong?  How do you betray the people you love and help the people you've come to despise?  And how do you live with yourself when you look in the mirror and see the person you've become, the person that watched her mother and father murdered and took the life of one of her best friends to save her own?  And as if all of this isn't enough to deal with Tris knows there are secrets all around her.  Who can she trust?  Who's working against her?  Who is feeding information to the enemy?  And most important, what is the secret that is so important that her parents were willing to die to reveal it?

Insurgent is full of action and adventure, love and betrayal.  Secrets are revealed that no one, not even the ones responsible for the war, could have imagined.  And the Divergent are at the very center of it all.  And, an ending so ironic it literally left me sitting there staring off into space with my mouth agape finishes off the suspense of Insurgent!  Bottom line:  This series is amazing! 

5 Stars *****