In My Mailbox

This is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives us a chance to showcase the books we got during the week.

This week I got 2 books from the library and purchased one.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg (goodreads)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (goodreads)
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight by L.J Smith (goodreads)

I purchased The Catastrophic History of You and Me. I have been hearing great things about it and can't wait  to read it. Halo is for my angel event. I have heard mixed this so hopefully it ends up being good. The Vampire Diaries book is simply because I've read the rest of the series and want to see it through until the end.

I have two books for review via Netgalley and the publishers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (goodreads)
Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (goodreads)

I am super excited to read Romeo Redeemed as I really enjoyed Juliet Immortal.

Happy Reading everyone!

Obsessions for the week...

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOK

Cover of Black City by Elizabeth Richards

This cover is stunning. I love it. It's so eye catching, and the colour scheme works really well. The synopsis also amazing. One of my top "Pine For" books of the fall. This has been all over bookish blogs the last little while and if you haven't already make sure to check out the Goodreads information.

cover of Reached by Ally Condie

I like this cover the best out of the three in this series. I love the red dress, and the girl fully breaking out of the bubble she was in. I also love that each cover was the colour of one of the capsules in the story.

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

This doesn't come out until 2014, but AHHHHHHHHHHH! I am pining so bad for this one. It sounds AMAZING. It's based on the Nutcracker and I love the Nutcracker story. Find out more on Goodreads.

OTHER

Book Expo America

Chris Colfer is the Master of Ceremonies for the Children's Author Breakfast! John Green is a speaker! Guess who freaked out?! Guess who has tickets?! I am super psyched to go. Chris is my favourite part of Glee. Seriously, I love Kurt. I may embarrass myself. Hopefully the awesome Kelly who will be there can prevent this. SO FREAKING EXCITED! All the exclamation points in the world are not enough.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Book Blogger Hops!

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q: What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show and do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters?

I would love to see so many books being made into movies. SO MANY. It is hard to pick just one. I am going to say two. These are my most current reads that I LOVED and that's why they won out.

My first choice is Masque of the Red Death. The imagery, the plot, the complex characters.... I am getting excited just thinking about it. My second choice is Born Wicked. Witches (so we get some awesome witchy scenes), it's historical so an amazing setting, and the plot is amazing.

I don't have anyone in mind to play any of the characters though.


TGIF at GReads! is a weekly blog hop hosted by Ginger from GReads

This weeks question is

Q What has been your favorite moment (scene) in a book that you've read so far in 2012? Please be kind & not include spoilers

Um....a recent scene that I remember loving is a the feather scene in Born Wicked. *Swoon* I also love a scene in Masque of the Red Death involving a hot air balloon for the same reason *swoon*.

Happy Weekend!

New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison
Release Date – January 31, 2012
Publisher Website – HarlequinTeen
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 304 pages
My Rating- 6/10
**obtained from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Welcome to Manderley Academy

I hadn't wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine's not the name on everyone's lips. Oh, no.

It's Becca Normandy they can't stop talking about. Perfect, beautiful Becca. She went missing at the end of last year, leaving a spot open at Manderley—the spot that I got. And everyone acts like it's my fault that infallible, beloved Becca is gone and has been replaced by not perfect, completely fallible, unknown Me.

Then, there's the name on my lips—Max Holloway. Becca's ex. The one boy I should avoid, but can't. Thing is, it seems like he wants me, too. But the memory of Becca is always between us. And as much as I'm starting to like it at Manderley, I can't help but think she's out there, somewhere, watching me take her place.

Waiting to take it back.

I loved the sound of this when reading the synopsis. I was hoping for an excellent mystery, maybe a little creepy. While the mystery aspect of the story was fine, the characters made it not the book for me.

I found most of the characters pretty unlikeable and could not connect with any of them. The main character, simply referred to as New Girl for most of the story, was the only character that I found somewhat likeable. I mostly felt bad that she was treated the way she was by the rest of the students because she came in and "took" Becca's place after she disappeared.

Becca plays a large part of the story even though she is missing, and we are told her story in alternating chapters. I really was invested in the mystery surrounding her. The mystery of what happened to Becca was what kept me reading. The author does manage to keep you guessing about that fateful night, and when what happened is revealed you are left with more questions.

The two guys in the story Johnny and Max were supposed to be best friends. I don't really get how they could hurt each other as much as they did over Becca. I had an over all feeling of selfishness from everyone involved. Maybe the whole point was for you to dislike all the characters, but it just made me feel disconnected.

While this book may not have been for me, I recommend that if you are interested in checking it out, you give it a try. It might be a better fit for you.

Waiting on Wednesday...Arise

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Arise by Tara Hudson

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

I loved the first book. I especially enjoyed Amelia and can't wait to jump back into her story and see what happens next.

Expected release date - June 5, 2012

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Release Date – January 28, 2012
Publisher Website –  HarperCollins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages -  384 pages
My Rating- 9.5/10
**Obtained from the awesome Christy**

**SPOILERS FOR DELIRIUM**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.  

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite. 

Lauren Oliver’s writing is beautiful. It has the ability to break you, make you cry and fall apart. It also has the ability to lift you, make your heart swell and fill you a thankfulness for being able to experience love. As humans the ability to experience love, and everything (including heartbreak) that comes with it is pretty amazing.

This novel was filled with action. Even more so than the first one. You will be on edge while reading this. The revolution is heating up, and you can feel the pressure on both sides. We’ve just scratched the surface of this conflict and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

Oh Julian, how I wanted to hate you. I did. I love Alex so much and wanted nothing to do with you. Lauren Oliver had to go and give him a heartbreaking story, and make him kind, sweet and likeable. The circumstances of his and Lena’s bond are rather sweet. I did feel it was kind of quick for Lena to move on after Alex, but this may be a result of my earlier resolve to dislike Julian.

The new characters we meet are all imperative to the story. The each add to Lena's story. Raven and Blue are two of my favourite characters from the new batch. You'll come to care about these characters as much as Lena does.
Reveals, more shocks and a stronger, even more determined Lena are all things that stood out in this novel. The novel jumps from "then" and "now" in alternate chapters. The "then" is Lena's beginnings in the Wilds, and it is interesting to see how the "then" impacts Lena's "now". I really felt it added to the story and provided a clearer picture of how Lena got to where she currently is.

The ending of Pandemonium will leave you stunned. With one word Lauren Oliver has managed to both devastate and heal you at the same time. So many emotions attached to one word and that is the beauty of Ms Oliver’s writing.

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Release Date – January 3, 2012
Publisher Website –  HarperCollins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 374 pages
My Rating- 8/10
**Obtained from the library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse. 

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive. 

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

A million ways to die. One way to live.The tag line for Under The Never Sky lets you know exactly what you're in for. Veronica Rossi’s world is simply stunning. She’s created a place so full of danger, and yet has a kind of beauty to it as well. The sky itself, cannibals, warring tribes, and even the people in Reverie are just some of the ways you could die. While Rossi’s pace is a little slower, this enables her to really focus on the characters and build real bonds between them.

At first I thought Aria was going to be character I wouldn’t be able to like. I thought she was going to be weak, complain all the time, and be a little annoying. I have never been more happy to be wrong. She was tenacious, feisty, and determined. She was curious and once her mind was set on something she did it. I ended liking her a lot.

It was a similar story with Perry. I thought he would have been too rough, to closed off and was worried about connecting with him. He, while capable and rough, also has a more tender side. He is the type of person that would aide someone, no matter if he liked them or not. His family history, and the blame Perry puts on himself is heartbreaking.

The insight to both Aria and Perry really helped the story. I liked that we got parts of it from each of their point of views. I found myself laughing at some of the thoughts Perry had of Aria in the beginning.

The romance being built slowly, and being based on mutual trust and genuine feelings was a nice change of pace. You could follow the progression and it felt really natural.

The secondary characters of Roar and Cinder ended up being my favourites. Confident, self assured and loyal is what comes to mind when I think of Roar. His easy going manner and willingness to assist Perry won me over. Cinder is a young boy who is broken, disgusted with himself, and my heart went out to him. So young, and so troubled. These secondary characters really shine, and brighten any scene they are in.

Veronica’s dangerously beautiful world, a slow building relationship and characters that surprised me all make Under The Never Sky a fantastic read.