Cover Reveals: So Pretty!

I haven't posted very much, but these new book covers caught my attention. I know you've all probably seen them, but I must show them in all their awesome-ness.

 

Ok, I read the first book maybe a month or so ago. (I still need to do my review) I did enjoy it. It did take me a awhile to get into and understand it. However that didn't stop me from liking it. I'm eagerly awaiting the second book. I love when covers keep to a theme and can match the one before it. The cover is beautiful I actually like these colors better then the first one. :) You can go to good reads and add it to your TBR list.  I'm interested to see what the synopsis will be like.

Alright, grant it I haven't actually read these books. (I do have all of them.) I still love the covers. They're intriguing.

Review: Starcrossed: Perigee

AUTHOR: Tracey Lee Campbell
AUTHOR/BOOK SITE: http://www.starcrossedthebook.com
PUBLISHER:
SERIES/STAND ALONE: First book in a trilogy
PAGES: 399
SOURCE: Author
FORMAT: E-book

OUTLINE: Aric Brennan is a whisperer - a perfectly engineered human/alien hybrid, designed specifically to charm and seduce. When Lucy is stalked by his unearthly creators, she has no choice but to trust him to help her navigate a way through a horrifying reality - a reality filled with creatures which should really only exist in nightmares.

THOUGHTS:
Overview:
It's about Lucy, a girl who wakes up in her uncles barn from a very bizarre dream. When she goes into town with her Uncle she meets someone who her uncle later on hires as help. She soon falls for the guy not knowing anything about him. As time goes on she learns that her Uncle meeting him was no coincidence. Aric was there to watch over Lucy and keep her safe from those that haunted her dreams (and apparently real life), the Innaki. Now not only did Lucy have aliens after her she also had an agency of people after her. In order to keep her safe (and her family) Aric and her set off on a journey. Where to? I'll let you read to find out. :) During the journey Lucy learned more about Aric and who he really was, a whisperer, alien/human hybrid made to help the Innaki to subdue humans because after all humans and the earth are just an expierment. Lucy learned why her mother had tried to hurt her at a young age thus sending herself (lucys mom) to an asylum, and leaving lucy to be moved...put in home after home with different family members. Lucy met others along the way that were also part of Aric's world. She learned that being what they were they had special powers/abilities that she too could learn. Now on the run...will they get to where they're going or be stopped dead in their tracks?

Characters:
I know I sound kind of reptitive but the characters were really well thought out. Each one of them had something that captured me. Making me want to know more about them. I enjoyed learning about Lucy's past. Why it is her mother hurt her. Why is it the Innaki wanted her (even though not much of their reasoning was given away) I'm sure we'll find out. I was able to see her grow and accept that things might not be the same for her again. Aric, I tell you what from the moment Lucy saw him in the diner I knew I would like him. I knew I wanted him and lucy together, but was it possible? He had all those qualities that make male characters swoon-worthy. Oh yes I said swoon-worthy! He was protective. (Not Edward protective either. I totally just used a Twilight reference I know. If you don't know what I mean by that. All hope is lost then. Just kidding) Yes, he lied to her, and he felt bad. He was trying to protect her from those meaning to harm her. Getting to meet some of the others that were kind of like Aric was nice to..like Saul (ok I suck at this I usually write down the characters and everything to refer back to but since I usually read it at work or in the car or places other then home I didn't have my notebook and stuff I usually write things down in. Im sorry.) We didn't get to see to much of the Innaki or learn much about them, but all the same it was nice to get a glimpse of what they were like. I'm curious to see if we'll learn more about them and the other creatures. Also I hope we get to learn about the agency that was after Lucy as well..they reminded me of men in black only they were a little meaner.


Plot:
I enjoyed the story very much. Like I said I'm not much of an alien fan, but this had my attention. I still want to know why the aliens and men in suits were wanting Lucy. I felt like I was on some supernatural roadtrip with Lucy and Aric. Going from her family home to some friends of Arics to a secret lab back to more friends houses all while avoiding the bad guys by stealing cars, sheilding themselves. It sounds like it was all over the place but that's just my messy way of writing it out. It is much more enjoyable then how I make sound. So do yourself a favor and read it. :)


Overall:
In the ages or I guess you could say "time" of vampires, werewolves, and fairies it's nice to be able to read about something a little different. Yes, it's supernatural. It has "people" with special abilities, but it's so much more then that. I don't know about you, but I don't see many alien books. (or maybe it's just because I'm not totally into them) I have to say though that this book may have changed my mind. I adored every bit of it. I'm very patiently waiting for the other. :) Oh, and I will definitely end up buying the actual book when it comes out. Just so I can have a pretty copy on my shelf. SO if you're into aliens, and other worldly beings, want a little bit of a romance, and some supernatural action I say you should get a copy and read it. :)

QUOTES:

-Dreams are so peculiar--the strangest things can happen in them, but in the midst of it all, when the world around you is totally upside down and inside out, the mind still thinks everything is normal. It's only when you wake that common sense kicks in and you realized what you dreamed was total nonsense.

-If you're ugly it's creepy, if you're not it's hot.

-Make women...go all gooey over you. (Lucy)
He chuckled and held out his hand. Only the straight ones. (Aric)

-You rate yourself ten out of ten? Great to see a girl with good self esteem! (Aric)
No, I gave myself six out of ten, in my mind and then you....oh never mind! (Lucy)

-A perfect human with the gift of...charming I suppose is the word. Bewitching? Sort of like how vampires are suppose to glamour their victims. (Aric)
-I do not have a name you can pronounce, but the humans call me MH. (Innaki)
Mh? I wondered what that stands for. (Lucy)
I believe it stands for Melon Head. It is an attempt at what humans refer to as humor. (Innaki)

-So are you like totally human? Anyone overhearing our conversation would have thought it ludicrous. (Lucy)
He grinned and didn't miss a beat.
One hundred percent. (Olaf)


BOOK TRAILER:

Book Review: Only the Good Spy Young

AUTHOR: Ally Carter
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
PAGES: 265
STAND ALONE/BOOKSERIES: Series (Book 4)

OUTLINE: When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.
Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.


STARTED: May 15,2011
FINISHED: May 16, 2011

If you haven't read the first 3 books (or my reviews) some stuff might seem odd. :)
MY THOUGHTS:
Review style the Cammie Morgan Way

COVERT OPERATIONS REPORT:
Operative O. begins what she hopes is a semi-helpful review of Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter.

The Operative was able to ascertain the following:
-Operative O. learned more about the "Mysterious Blackthorne Institute for Boys" and let me tell you there's a reason it's hidden and surrounded by mountians, rivers, and forest.
-Why Joe Solomon acted the way he did.
-Sometimes it's better to not know everything because in the end it'll make things worse.
-more info on Zach became avaiable. It's always fun to learn about the hotties. :)
-learned about Bex's family. (always nice to know about a fellow spy)

Alright now that I've had my little fun with "The Report" I actually read the first book last year I think, and loved it. Why it took me so long to read the rest of the books I don't know. Stupid me. I finished the next 3 books. (This being the last for now) in about 2 days tops. I was hooked. Yes, at times it seemed like each book was like the one before: a few weeks before school something happens, get to school to learn something about what happened, mission from teacher, the girls own mission on the side, the major mission for a grade (supposely), back to school with an ending that is or isn't good. Still I loved reading them.


Overview:
This time Cammie started off in London with her best friend Bex and Bex's parents.They were all having fun ice skating when things went south, and then Joe Solomon shows up with a warning/message for Cammie "follow the pidgeons". Poor Cammie has no idea what that means, and why is it her once hot Cove Ops teacher looks mad crazy. Before she can talk to him he takes off. Then she's taken to some CIA people who question her about what happened and what he told her. What a wonderful winter vacation right? When she returns to the academy she learns things have definitely changed for her and the school. The school that she once was able to roam freely about is now a no-roam-free zone. All her secret passageways and hideouts are all closed up, and she's pretty much stuck inside.

Characters:
Really there's not much difference in the characters now then when the books started except maybe that Bex and Cammie's roles have flip flopped. :) Cammie is the one always putting herself in danger and Bex is trying to be level-headed, but when your a spy level-headed sometimes doesn't work. Even though not much has changed with the characters I still enjoyed them very much. The girls are always planning something and the list they make are funny.

It was nice to actually learn a bit more about Zach, the mysterious blackthorn boy from the other two books. We got to see inside the grounds of blackthorne. I like Zach, but then again what girl doesn't like those dangerous type.

We got to see the workings of Joe Solomon, and see what his connection with everything was.

We learned a little about Cammie's Dad through the journals. Is he really still alive after all this time?

Okay I know this wasn't that helpful, but there's only so much you can say about a 4th book in a series. :) I will say this if you haven't read them. I recommend it they're adorable and spies. What's not to love?

QUOTES:
-So Scary? Yeah scary and I go way back. (Cammie)

-If we hadn't hated him alot, we might have liked him a little at that moment, but we did. So we didn't. (Cammie talking about Agent Townsend)

-I'm half tempted to break into the CIA custody just so I can break Joe Solomon out of  CIA custody just so I can break Joe Solomon. (Bex)

-Are you still mad at me? (Zach)
(I didn't say a word-Cammie)
Ooh, the silent treatment. (Zach)

Review: Sean Griswolds Head

AUTHOR: Lindsey Leavitt
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
PAGES: 288
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand alone
SOURCE: R.A.K from Khadija
OUTLINE: According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him. 

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.
STARTED: May 17,2011
FINISHED: May 20,2011

THOUGHTS:
My Overview:
After learning that her dad has MS Payton goes through hard times from learning about it (her parents weren't exactly straightforward), the anger towards her parents, guilt for acting mean towards her parents, and any other emotions that come with finding out a family member or anyone you love is sick with a disease that could be life threatning. When she goes to see the counselor at her school she is told to start a focus journal. The focus journal is mainly a way to keep her mind off what's going on and keep her well... focused. As she sits in her biology class she thinks to herself what could be that focus object she goes through a list of things, and then looking up she sees Sean Griswolds Head. That is when her life changes..sort of. Now with the help of her friend Jac they're on a mission to learn who Sean Griswold is. Oh and to help Payton with her father.

Characters:
I adored the characters in the book.
Payton was a good main character. There were times when I thought you know I understand your hurt because your family lied to you and all, but he's your dad you need to forgive and enjoy the time you have with him. I loved how she was kind of nerdy, and not so much of an outcast. She enjoyed basketball and was on her school team at one point. She did have some of those qualities that alot of other female characters have in books though for example staying away from guys and thinking she's not good enough I guess. Then she has the bet friend that pushes her to act on her feelings. Sometimes that doesn't always work.

Jac is Paytons best friend and again kind of a cliche in books because they are complete opposites. Jac is the outgoing, boy-crazed girl where as Payton isn't. Jac likes to pushes buttons. She likes to go for it and doesn't really think twice about how it will affect her friendship with Payton. Sometimes that's not always the best route. In the end it did cause problems, and because it did I could totally relate to it. I know how it is when your best friend can piss you off, and you go along time not talking to them, trying to avoid them at all cost. That kind of thing happened to me in middle school, and now after 7 or 8 years not talking to her. We talk.

Sean, yes the boys head who caught Paytons eyes. He is an adorable character who's kind of clueless for awhile. After Payton and him start to talk though it's pretty clear that something will happen. I mean how can you not like someone who understands your obsession with Seinfield reruns. He's definitely not the typical "jock". He's a bike rider and rides in marathons (maybe triathalons I'm not sure) and because he's into that soon Payton is bicycling. It's weird because when you have the characters doing something in books like bicycling it makes you want to. Or maybe that's just me? So yeah he's not your typical romantic guy character which to me is a good thing. :)

Payton's Family- I loved how her family was in the book throughout it. They weren't by any means a perfect family, and to me that's what makes good characters.They lied to her and didn't give her a chance to understand. Each of them (mom, dad, and brothers) treated as if she were a little kid. It's not a good feeling at all to have people you love look down on you thinking you can't handle stuff. Her brother quit school so that he could be with their dad during everything. Then treated Payton like she didn't care about what was happening to her father when in reality she did. So I feel like I'm just rambling on now.


Plot:
I enjoyed the plot. Like I said before I'm not much on the contemporary side of books. I more of a paranormal reader, but sometimes you just have to step out of that comfort zone just a little to see what else is out there. The book is focused on a girl who tries to overcome her feelings about her dad's disease, MS. Working at a pharmacy I learn alot about the different kinds of diseases. Whether it's from our customers talking to us telling us what's going on, or our pharmacist talking about them. (yeah we get into some interesting convos) I know of it, but I can say I didn't know a whole lot about it, and the book helps me on some levels. When a book can teach you something that is a sign to me that the book is worth a little more. This book has its serious moments, but it has the comdeic side to help lighten the mood. :)

Overall:
I definitely had some thoughts as to whether or not I would enjoy this book. I must say I was pleasently suprised after finishing it.  I'm not one for the contemporary stories, but sometimes there's that one that just captures you, and this book was one of those for me. So if you like funny yet serious reading this one will definitely capture your heart.

QUOTES:
-Call me tonight. I need you to tell me what happens in A Tale of Two Cities before break ends. Jac
You could read it you know. Or buy the cliffnotes. (Payton)
Forget Cliff Payton. Notes are much better. (Jac)
I bet you wouldn't say that if Cliff was cute. (Payton)
He'd have to be way cute to pull off a name like Cliff. (Jac)

-I can focus. I'm the queen of focus. Well, former queen. Princess maybe. Duchess.. Oh, who am I kidding? These last two weeks I've been lost. I couldn't cook in the royal focus kitchen. (Payton)

-Where do lost socks go? I bet if you corralled all the renegade socks and stitched them into a blanket, it'd cover more of the earth then the waning ozone layer. (Payton)

-That's not crazy it's cathartic. (Payton)
Cathartic? Isn't that like a laxative? (Jac)
No, well yes, but that's not what the definition I meant. I mean catharsis, an emotional purging. (Payton)
You just compared pressing pleats to diarrhea. You are crazy. (Jac)

-I like to bike. I blurt out sounding like I'm reciting from an I can read book. See spot. See spot say stupid stuff. (Payton)

-Not that your cantankerous attitude. (Payton)
Can't-what-a cus? (Jac)

-Right like I have any plans of hanging out with Vampire boy ever again. Schedule it right after my lunch date with Lord Voldemort. (Payton)
-I'll be there...lamebrain. (Payton)
Did you seriously just say lamebrain? (Sean)
I think I did. (Payton)
Is this a word you use often. I meanm should I be offended or flattered here. (Sean)
I was trying to think of something hardcore sounding and lamebrain is what came out. (payton)
Why not buttmunch? I've always been a fan of that one. Even though I have no idea what a buttmunch is. (Sean)
I think it's self-explanatory. (Payton)

Follow Friday (30) BLog Hop (29)

What book-to-movie adaption have you most liked?  Which have you disliked?

Let's see I think I liked The Notebook movie better then the actual book. Don't ask me why because I haven't a clue. i can't really say I've disliked many book to movies because truth be told I have only really watched the movies, and not read the books. Well besides the Harry Potter books (which I enjoyed the movies and the books.) The twilight books (Yes, I didn't love the movies, but I didn't dislike them) I've seen the Narnia movies, but I haven't read those yet. I saw percy jackson, but haven't read those either (But I now have 5 of the books I got from a friend so I'll probably read those in time) Most of the Nicholas Sparks books I've only seen the movies that they have been made into and not read the books with the exception of the notebook.

How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?
I usually try and read maybe one or two. Depending on the book size and how much time I have it changes. Like I said usually 2 books. One paper that I leave at home and read while I'm trying to go to bed or taking a bath. Then one on my kindle which I read everywhere else. I also have a audio book going when I'm laying down trying to sleep lights off, and all that jazz.

What's been going on?

Chills and Thrills Tour

Smallish Bookshelf Tour

Small bookshelf tour

This is what I've had to reduce my books down to since I moved in to a house and all I have is my little room. These are just my YA books. All my others I sadly had to box up.
Sorry if it's sucky I don't know what was wrong with my camera.

Chills and Thrills Tour (My little recap)

May 22, 2011
Hurst, Texas

Alright, I actually got to go to this tour. You can not imagine how excited I was seeing as how I never get to go to any because there are rarely any near me. There were four authors Tera Lynn childs (Forgive my fins), Tracy Deebs (Tempest Rising), Jennifer archer (Through Her Eyes),and Lara Chapman (Flawless) who were there. I only to meet the first 3, but I was still glad. There weren't very many people there so I din't have to wait to long, and I even got a picture with them. YEA! They talked about their books and answered some questions. Although we weren't a very talkative group. We asked some question..they asked us question. FUN! After that we were able to get them to sign some books, and I even got up the courage to ask them a few question while they were signing. I asked Tera L Childs and Tracy Deebs what they thought about the whole e-reader thing, and they were nice enough to tell me what they thought and told me some other things. I was shocked to learn they make a little more from e-books. I asked what they thought about bloggers and they told me. I even recommended a book to Tracy Deebs. I thought that was pretty cool.

So all in all it was an awesome signing. I didn't take to many pictures, but below are a few. Also they had some bookmarks and things so I got a few extra to send to people. It might be for a future giveaway.(which I need to have), or I might send them out in future R.a.ks.

L-R Jennifer Archer, Me, Tracy Deebs, Tera Lynn Childs
I have a few others but this turned out the best. :)

Tracey Deebs talking about a book I think she said she was working on with someone called The international kissing club go check it out on goodreads.

Forgive my fins by Tera Lynn Childs (Mermaids)

In the arms of stone angels by Jordan Dane. She wasn't at this signing, but they had some signed copies.

Oh My Gods by Tera lynn Childs

Tempest Rising by Tracey Deebs (She said it's a darker version about mermaids)

Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer (Ghost story)