New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

New Moon (Twilight #2)
by Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 563
Source: Borrowed
Format: Paperback


Rating: Okay


Goodreads Synopsis:


I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES...

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning..


My review:




So, as I continue to be inspired by Project Hindsight, the next book in line is none other than New Moon. Yay?


You wanna know this books one saving grace? No Edward. *happy dance* Well, he's actually in there too much for my taste but at least he's gone a good majority of the time! Woot!


Okay, so Bella's birthday is coming up and Alice (being one of the few awesome people in this book) decides to throw a party. Sounds fun, right? Nope, because absolutely nothing works out for Bella. Ever. Seriously, a papercut?!? Honestly girl! Why don't you just cover your body in a full body suit so as not to acidentally cut yourself and set off the vamps vying for your blood? This girl is so incredibly accident prone is almost funny. Seriously. Okay, so Jasper goes all crazy right? And what does Edward do? "I love you but I have to leave you". *cue violin*. Boo-freakin-hoo. Look, you think she would have learned her lesson after the crazy rogue vamp tried to kill her in the previous book. Not Bella. She never learns from near death experiences. It's probably why she has so many. Alright, I'm a firm believer in second chances. So she tries again. I guess I'll say something nice about her and give her an A for perseverance. However, after the second near death experience, I think its time to give up hun. Not so sure hanging with the vamps is really working out for you. So Edward decides to take control and tell her he doesn't love her yada yada yada. 
Boo hoo. 


Enter Jacob! You glorious, GLORIOUS man you ;). Well, at least in the movie. Seriously, you can't deny that this isn't gorgeous:

It's ok. I won't judge you for swooning ;)

Now that my friends, is swoonworthy. Not pale, sparkly and spray on abs. No, I want tall, dark and handsome. Jacob could annoy the crap out of me but I could care less because I kept picturing this in my head *fans self*.


Okay, back to the story. So, Bella goes into depression. Look, I understand being sad and all about your BF breaking up with you, that's normal. However, she stays in her room for 3 months without doing anything and talking to no one. That's not normal. And it took her dad 3 months to finally do something about it? Gah, I could've smacked him for that. Finally, finally, she decides to go hang out with Jacob. Yeah, I'm gonna tell y'all that he pretty much made this entire book for me (even though he had some really cheesy lines). Even though I didn't love him, he helped her and I was totally rooting for him. And he's hot. Always a plus. 


When she finally started to get out of her shell, I started rooting for her. I finally thought she might be a more interesting character. And the motorcycles were totally awesome! And then she had to go do something stupid. Why am I not surprised? 


She realizes that near death experiences give her hallucinations of Edward. Again, completely normal. So, for half the book its all about her creating near-death experiences so she can actually get a glimpse of Edward. Obsessed much? 


Then came along the promise for action and I became giddy like a schoolgirl. 

Finally, finally we were going to get some action. For a stupid reason? Yeah. But I was totally okay with that. So we get the car chase and learn all about the Volturi and how formidable they are. And then what happens? 

They let them go.

*facepalm*

Mrs. Meyer, if you're going to promise action, please give me action. 
*le sigh* At the time, I was okay with that. Looking back, I can't believe that I ever was. Ugh....whatever.


The action (or should I say lack thereof) continues in my upcoming review of Eclipse. Don't miss out! 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles #1)

by Suzanne Lazear

Release Date: August 8, 2012

Goodreads Synopsis:

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

Why I'm waiting:

Okay, I've actually heard some not-so-good things about this book but I'm still pretty psyched. I mean look at the pretty cover! Totally awesome. I actually have this one via Netgalley and I hope to read it sometime next month. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm one of the ones that loves this book! 

So what are y'all waiting on this fine Wednesday?

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Gilt (The Royal Circle #1)
by Katherine Longshore
Pages: 398
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC


Rating: Loved it!!


Goodreads Synopsis:


In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all. 

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.


My Review: 



   Welcome to the Tudor court, the breeding ground for vicious back-stabbers and master manipulators, where secrets are the currency. Enter if you dare.


   I used to think how fun it would be to live in medieval times. Come on, every girl wants those pretty dresses and gorgeous jewels the size of an egg. Seriously, its a girls dream. And most books just add to this sense of beauty. Sure, they didn't have plumbing (ewww) or toothpaste or whatnot, but in most books, they don't focus on that so it can be forgotten. You just get the pretty dresses and court intrigue. Heck, now that I look back at other historical fictions, the court intrigue wasn't as scandalous, but more political. They show you the good stuff. And, more often than not, the MC's go against the norm and are kick-butt and all that jazz. Well, Gilt brought reality crashing back down. Medieval times sucked.


   This is the story of Catherine Howard's rise to queendom. Starting off as a lowly maid and working her way to becoming the most powerful woman in England. 






   Alright, I'm going to be as nice as I possibly can but I have never hated someone so much. But I loved to hate her. Cat is the most manipulative, self-centered, selfish, vicious, vindictive, devious and shrewd person ever. Heck, those words don't even begin to describe her. Cat started off as a maid but even within that group she was their leader. You wanted to fit in? Cat had to like you. Cat could make or break you. All she wanted was more, more and more.She was never satisfied with anything and was willing to do anything in order to get what she wanted, even be mean and vile to those she considered "friends". Heck, even in the end she still wasn't happy even though she got what she wanted. In the end, it was all about Cat. 


   Kitty, our MC, was the complete opposite. She was like a kicked puppy. She followed Cat around like her shadow and did whatever Cat said. One moment Cat would actually be nice to her, but the next she would manipulate and condemn Kitty and she just dealt with it. She was a pansy and pathetic and passive, and yet I couldn't help but care for her. She was an orphan, and Cat was the only one ever there for her. So, even though Cat can be mean and manipulative, she deals with it. She knows that in order to fit in, she has do whatever Cat says. She's the Cady Heron to Mean Girl's Regina George. 




   The thing is, going into this book, you know it's not going to have a happy ending. I mean, come on! She's one of Henry VIII wives and we all know how well it worked out for them. So, you know this is just a car wreck waiting to happen, yet for some odd reason I simply couldn't put it down. Was it because I simply loved to hate Cat? Is it all the delicious scandals? The court gossip that could make or break you? Whatever it was, I was hooked. Throughout the story I was gasping and yelling and quite frankly calling Cat many names I'm not proud of. 


    I've tried to write this review without too many spoilers because although you know how it ends, its the journey that's the adventure. This book is a stark reality to the other historical fictions out there. This book makes you realize how easily you could be destroyed back then. One word and you were ruined. It was brutal. And women were treated worst of all. 


Overall:


   I simply loved to hate Cat and I hated to love Kitty. I really would have had a hard time not punching both of them back then, but at the same time I understand why they are like they are. Women were treated like nothing and the only thing they could get back then was a rich husband, so why not get the richest of them all? And for Kitty, Cat was the only one keeping her life better than it used to be. This book has scandals and gossip and backstabbing girls. It's like a high school! And it's so addicting. This is a historical fiction with real characters and while it may not have a happy ending for all of them, it's still a story worth reading and reading about what greed and manipulation can do to you. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which we showcase books we borrowed/bought/won in the past week.


BOUGHT (B&N):

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I decided to buy that after I heard amazingly fantastic things about it from a fellow blogger and I was not disappointed! This book was amazing! Seth has such and amazing voice and you can't help but fall in love with him! Full review coming soon :)

Goodreads:
The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)

by Leigh Bardugo

AOSKDFGMASLKGASDF THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! I absolutely loved Alina and was weak in the knees for the Darkling! AHHHH full gushing review coming soon XD 

Goodreads:
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)

Bitterblue (Graceling Realms #3)

By Kristin Cashore

I liked Graceling and I LOVED Fire! Cashore really does some fantastic world-building so I'm extremely excited to delve back in to this magical world. At a whopping 563 pages, I hope I like it as much as Fire! 

Goodreads:
Bitterblue (Graceling Realms #3)

The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3)

By Rick Riordan

I LOVE RICK RIORDAN!!!! Well, his books anyway XD His mythology books are just such a great mixture of humor and adventure it's hard not to love! I always hate when a series ends but I'm definitely looking forward to going on another adventure with Carter and Sadie :D

Goodreads:
The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3)

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

by Kady Cross

What can I say? I can't resist a pretty cover :P Besides, its steampunk and she can "knock out a full-grown man with one punch"? Yes, please! 

Goodreads:
The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

So what'd y'all get this week? Be sure to let me know in the comments below so I can covet it all XD 

All the best ♥

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Mistwood (Mistwood #1) by Leah Cypess

Mistwood (Mistwood #1)
by Leah Cypess
Pages: 304
Format: Hardback
Source: Bought/Amazon


Rating: Liked it


Goodreads Synopsis:


The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.


Short and Sweet:

   Mistwood is a beautifully written and engaging read. Isabel is a direct, wild, fierce girl and a force to be rekoned with while still having a bit of sassiness and vulnerablitiy on the side. This is her journey of discovering who/what she is after the loss of her memory. She doesn’t know who to trust or what’s going on. She just follows that natural born instinct inside of her. I loved trying to figure out her story alongside of her and although it was hard to relate to her since she wasn’t technically human, I really did come to love her and was rooting for her.

However, although the plot and Isabel are enticing, I had a big problem with the last quarter of the book. Isabel becomes incredibly indecisive due to some new revelations, but I don’t really understand her choice in the end. 


  
*Spoiler* 


I mean, she found the real prince so shouldn't her loyalty have switched over? I know the bracelet helped, but what about when it was off? The ending was just rather confusing. 


*end spoiler*

Also, I don’t really feel that the ending was…satisfying. We figure out the main plot arc, but I feel as if there was something missing.

Overall:

This is definitely a book worth reading. If you like strong characters and a bit of mystery, then this is a must-read. And although I didn’t feel that the ending was completely satisfying, no other reviews I’ve read have mentioned this so perhaps it was just me. I definitely say give it a try! 

All the best ♥

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Thinking Through Thursday (5)

Welcome to another "Thinking Through Thursday"! This is a post I write (or try to) every Thursday in which I discuss various bookish goodness. 

This week's discussion is

ARCS/REVIEW BOOKS:

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The Good:

They're free! Well, at least for us readers. And come one. Who doesn't want a free book? You'd be crazy to turn that down! So you get a free book and all you have to do is write a review? Sign me up! I absolutely love getting books from authors and publishers, not only because they are free, but that means that they like what I do. It makes me feel special XD And one great thing about ARCS is the fact that you get to read books before others! Yeah, I'm totally bragging here. I hate waiting. Actually, I'm pretty patient normally, but when it comes to books that don't come out for months and months and months, it gets tedious. So it's a lot of fun to be able to get books before they come out and get the word spread around. (P.S. Thanks to all those who sent me ARCs/Review copies!) 

The Bad: 

Time limits suck. Especially for those like me that are not organized. At all. I like to try and read ARCs and review them before they come out, but my Netgalley list is through the roof! There is no way I can read and review them all before their release dates, no matter how hard I try. I'm human. Sue me. The same with review books. I looooove getting review books because I know that these authors are giving me a book and hoping that I'll spread the word around and it's nice to know they trust me. But it's hard. I read because I like to read. I started blogging because I wanted to spread my love of books. ARCs and review books were kind of an added bonus. But to be honest, sometimes getting ARCs and Review books make my job more tedious than fun and it can make me feel rushed. Don't get me wrong, I love having this opportunity, I've just got to learn to limit my amount. There are soo many books out there that I want to read, but I usually give ARCs and reviews priority, but sometimes thats hard, especially if I'm only reading it to read it before its release date, not because I'm actually in the mood to read it.

I picked this topic today because I'll be revising by Review Policy. I will no longer take review requests (at this time) except perhaps for blog tours. All ARCs I receive will be due to my request from the publisher, Netgalley, ect. I'm doing this only because I feel like this gets to be more of a job than a hobby. I want to review books, but I also want to have fun while doing it. And I have so many older books that are on my TBR that I need to get around to reading also. Most ARCs will be through Netgalley.

So what about my fellow bloggers out there? Any advice you can give me? Any organizational tools would be greatly appreciated XD 

All the best ♥

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Waiting on Wednesday (14)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

Release Date: July 10, 2012

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

Why I'm waiting:

Dragons that can take on human form? Captain of the Guard? A Prince?! And a young girl with a reason to be afraid? Sign me up! I got this through Netgalley and I can't wait to immerse myself in this fantasy world ASAP! 

All the best ♥

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