In My Mailbox (3) - Highlander Week =)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book blog feature hosted by The Story Siren. This meme gives bloggers the opportunity to share what books they bought, or received in the mail. =) 

 This week was highlander week for me. I bought two new release that I have been waiting for for a long time. =) 

 

I love reading historical romance, especially about men in kilts. I've never read any of Victoria Roberts books before so I hope it'll be a 5 star book. Maya Banks is one of my favorite historical romance writer. Maya does write contemporary books too but I just LOVE her highlander books.  =)

  

Review: Spark (Elemental #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Spark
(Elemental #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Paperback, 1st Edition, 432 pages

Published August 28th 2012 by K-Teen

 Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking. 

The fuse is lit… (From Goodreads)

This is by far one of the best books I've this past summer. It was a HUGE emotional roller-coaster ride. Gabriel has been my favorite Merrick brother from book one, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I love how Brigid was able to write a story where the readers are able to connect with the characters in the book. Gabriel and Layne are not the perfect type of people, they have problems just like anyone else would. They both have their secrets, feel lonely, and have family problems and from that they connect on a different level. I know Gabriel was going through a lot in the book but there were times when I couldn't help myself and want to yell at him, other times I just wish I was there to be there for him and comfort him. Ugh. My emotions were all over the place, which is a good thing. There are not a lot of books that would make me feel connected to a certain character or sympathize with. These problems that the characters in this book goes through are real life problem that many people are going through or have been through. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to people. 

OPAL by Jennifer L. Armentrout Cover Reveal!!!

The wait is finally over! The cover for OPAL, the third book in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux Series, is finally HERE! Check it out! Doesn't it look AMAZING!!!

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page!

http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/p/october-1-2012.html

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

 

For nearly a month, Enna Isilee has been celebrating her birthday by interviewing a TON of authors, and having a TON of giveaways. You can click here for all there is to know about the birthday bash. But here's the sad news: it's almost over!! You only have until 10:01pm MST on 9/21/12 to enter to win all of these amazing books. What are you waiting for?! Click on the the book you want to win to be taken to an interview with the author where you can enter to win that book! While you're there, stop by and say hi to the author and wish Enna Isilee a happy birthday. It's the party of the year! And it's almost over. Don't miss out!

DreamWorks + Leigh Bardugo’s bestseller Shadow and Bone = movie!!!

I don't know if you guys have about heard this yet , but I am pretty sure it is all over the web and I just HAD to blog about it! DreamWorks has picked up the movie rights to Leigh Bardugo’s bestseller Shadow and Bone!!!  Read about it here!  I am so excited and yet worried. I love Shadow and Bone (and The Darkling!) because it was a total different read for me, (you can check out my review here (Shadow and Bone)) but I am also worried because I don't want DreamWorks to screw up the movie. I know they didn't produce Twilight, but I loved the books and hated the movies! BUT!!! Since it is the producer of Harry Potter ( and I loved Harry Potter) I hope they will do the book justice! Wow, a lot of buts there. lol So what do you guys think about it? Excited or no?

Waiting On Wednesday: Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

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

 This week's WoW selection is... Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

Expected publication: October 16th 2012 by Entangled Publishing, LLC 

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war. (From Goodreads)

In My Mailbox (2) - The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner

In My Mailbox is a weekly book blog feature hosted by The Story Siren. This meme gives bloggers the opportunity to share what books they got in the mail. =) 

 This week I got... Books 1-3 of The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner 

Book 1 - The Thief  
Book 2 -  The Queen of Attolia
Book 3 -  The King of Attolia

 The Thief introduces us to Eugenides or Gen who claims to be able to steal anything. His journey begins here and takes us through three more amazing periods of his life, all from varying perspectives.

Where The Thief is told from Gen's point of view, The Queen of Attolia places us on the shoulder of many characters and then in The King of Attolia we watch Gen struggle with himself as he accepts destiny mostly from the second hand perspective of a common soldier in the palace of Attolia. A Conspiracy of kings is both the continuation of Gen's journey and more particularly a chance for us to see his world through the tribulations and triumphs of a young friend, Sophos.

In the first four books Turner has tugged us by the hand and flown us over many parts of her world. She has pulled us deep into court intrigues and held us distant as we watched countries war. She has given us a romance that is both hard to understand and yet perfect for the man Gen grows up to be.

Turner gave us a series that is unexpected, heart rending and triumphant. This librarian for one can't wait for the fifth to come out. What more does Gen have up his sleeves?

But more importantly, what more do the Old Gods have planned for this favourite of the God of Thieves? (From Goodreads)

Bought these from Barnes&Nobles. So far there are 4 books (A Conspiracy of Kings, the 4th book) in this series, but there will be a 5th and 6th book coming out soon.
 

Cover Reveal: Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by R.L. LaFevers

Amazing Cover Reveal!!

Check it out! The cover for Dark Triumph is finally here! I can't wait for this book to come out. I love Grave Mercy. It is one of my favorite reads for this summer. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?? =)  You can check out my review of Grave Mercy here. 

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by R.L. LaFevers

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dun geons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

Expected publication: April 2nd 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Waiting On Wednesday: Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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

 This week's WoW selection is...Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Expected publication: November 6th 2012 by Spencer Hill Press 

 "History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "


Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...(From Goodreads)


I seriously cannot wait for this book to come out! I love the Covenant series! The books in this series just gets better and better. This series is a MUST READ! 

First book in the series is Half-Blood and the second book is Pure. 

Review: Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed In Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Hardcover, 316 pages

Published August 30th 2011 by Tor Teen 

 

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life. (From Goodreads)

This book was definitely a different read for me. I'm not usually into horror stuff. I can't even stand watching horror movies. I'm a chicken! But when my sister told me about this book, I was hesitant because she said it was suppose to be a creepy/scary book. When I finally got the book in the mail, it sat on my bookshelf for a few days. One night I finally decided to read and Oh man! The first few chapters freaked me out, but I got over it. After that I was just so into the book that I didn't really care anymore. 

I really like that the story was from a male's POV. That's just something you never really get to see in a lot of books. Kendare Blake is definitely an author to watch! This wasn't just your typical boy-meets-girl and fall in love. Through out the book you can see that Cas was just slowly falling for Anna. Anna's story is so sad. You can't help but feel sorry for her. I loved all the characters! They were all a bunch of funny characters that kept this book together. You can see that in the beginning Cas was a lonely teen who kept others at arms length because of his lifestyle, but when he became friends with Carmel and Thomas, he started to open up and live an actual teen life.(well just a little) =)

Overall, I love that this book had a little of everything, romance, horror, humor, thriller, and mystery. I found that it did not lack in anything at all. Certain parts of the book definitely creeped me out and other parts had me laughing. It was an awesome read. I'll definitely be checking out the next book for this series. 

Random Acts of Kindness hosted by Book Soulmates

This is something I've been wanting to do for awhile but just never signed up for. So when I saw that the sign-up link for September's R.A.K was up, I figured, why not? =) This is my first time, so I hope it'll be a good experience. 

What you have to do is create a wishlist of books that you have been wanting to read, and head over to Book Soulmates and sign-up to participate in that month's R.A.K. Then check out other participants wishlist and select someone you would like to send a book to and contact the person. "There's nothing like the feeling you get when doing something thoughtful for another person without expecting something in return." -Book Soulmates. With that I totally agree! =)  At the end of the month you do what's called "R.A.K wrap up" post and show everyone what you received (if you received anything) and who you sent gifts to. For more info check out Book Soulmates.

Links you will need:

Sign up for September 2012 [HERE]
See who else is participating [HERE]
If you have any questions regarding RAK, please contact Book Soulmates via the following: rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com