Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nothing Says Forever Like Our Own Grave

-I know this is a book blog, but hey, who said this couldn't be a story kind of blog as well! :] This isn't the whole story/chapter, just something I've been experiencing.

It's a snippet of what my writing is like. I see all these weird vampire and werewolf stories and I wanted a crack at it! So, if you don't mind, can you read it? I love feedback with a passion! 

~Think of it as a finished book and you are reviewing it! :D
------


     The wind blew through my dark auburn red hair, lifting it up off my shoulder blades. It flopped in the cold wind, as if it was a leaf flying in the breeze. My breathing came out of my mouth in jagged short breaths. I tried to close my mouth and breathe only through my nose, but I couldn’t. From the speed that I was going, it wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t get enough oxygen in my lungs to survive. The idea of only having two small rounded airways was worst then having my mouth open. 

     It wasn’t as if it could help me hide.

     Even if I breathed through my nose, they could still hear me. If my breaths were silent, they would still pinpoint me.

     As long as I’m alive, I can be found without a doubt.

     The sun shone brightly on my head, making the top of my body warm, but the freezing air was prickling my face. I could see my breath in the air, a cloud of coldness. 

     My heart continued to beat frantically, increasing every second. I knew that my heart could burst any minute now, just for the simply fact that I was overworking my organs. I needed to stop and take a breather, but I couldn’t. That would mean the risk of getting caught. If they catch me… 

     I couldn’t even finish that thought in my head. 

     I tried to control my breathing, I closed my mouth, but not my eyes. Even with my enhanced speed and vision, I could easily run into a tree. If that event was to happen, this whole running-away thing would be for nothing. 

     I leaned against a tree for a few seconds before breaking into a sprint again. If I could reach humanity, then there will be nothing to stop me. I’ll be able to go change my name, adapt to my surroundings, and be normal. All I had to do was reach a human town.

     Closing my mouth didn’t help my heart at all. I exhaled a huge amount of air before trying to increase my speed. Fast enough so that no one could automatically smell my scent or be on my trail. I tried to throw them {people chasing me} off, by zigzagging through the forest. However, when my master finds out I ran away, he’ll find me in a nanosecond. That’s the worst part : having someone who knows you better than you know yourself.

     Stealing a glance behind me, I saw that no one was there. I relaxed at the glorious sight. They stopped chasing me. But, I could of swore I had just seen them getting closer to me. What would make them stop in their tracks? 

     I am worth more than that. It’s as if they don’t even know what they are dealing with.

     That’s a lot of truth in that sentence. They don’t. My villagers only know what my master told them, but he forgot one little important information. 

     I come from a descendent of werewolves. 

     That valuable piece of data is the only reason I am still alive today. My master may know me more than I know myself, but he has yet to find that out. The reason he hasn’t is because I never let him. I only come from them, but I’m not actually one of them. Only the men in my family can become one. The women only get a trait. The trait I received was enhanced senses. 

     After my master bit me, I had extra enhanced senses.

     Becoming a vampire was one of the best and the worst times of my life.

     “I hear her!"

     My eyes widen at the sudden, and nearby, voice. I shut myself off from my thoughts. I let out a gasp, which I knew I shouldn’t have. Continuing to run, I still threw glances around the sides of me. But, like before, there was nothing. Only trees with dark brown bark and a slimy green mold. No leaves had fallen, so I didn't hear any crunching.

     I felt the urge to slow down and try to find them, but that idea made me want to pinch myself. Why would I slow down? That’s just a trap in the making. I’d rather run into them full-on then wait around into they come into view.

     It didn’t stop me from twisting my head to my sides, trying to hear anything. The only sounds came from my foot steeping on leaves. My eyes darted around, looking for something unusual. But it was still quiet.

     Except an unexpected voice.
----
The End! Well, not really, but that's all I'm posting. :] 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Crank by Ellen Hopkins {4th Review]

Crank (Crank, #1)


Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.
Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.









Title - Crank (Crank #1)
Author - Ellen Hopkins
Pages - 537
Published & Publisher - October 5th, 2004 ; Simon Pulse


I have things I need to do, but I just wanted to post this! :]




-I love this book. I know, you'll probably hear me say that about a load of books, but it's true! This book is unlike most books you'll encounter. For the fact that it's written in a poetic form! It's not a standard book, where you read left to right (that is the way you read right? :P); you can read from top to bottom, diagonal, criss-cross, etc. 


This book, about a perfect (nobody is really perfect, but I hope you get what I mean) girl who turns bad. Pretty simple blurb. But, that's not all. Kristina turns into Bree, a monster. Bree is Kristina's alternate self. Bree does things Kristina would never dream of -- for example, taking crank a.k.a drugs. The first encounter with crank was when Kristina ran into a boy named Adam. He introduced her to it. A funny and ironic thing that happened was when Adam had asked her what her name is, she said Bree. And that's how it all happened.


She tried to get off of them, but unexpected things happen. I can't say anymore because I might just start spoiling things for you. But I recommend this book 100 percent! It could happen to anyone; even the Goody-Goody Two Shoes do bad things. This book is an example of it. 


Plus, how could you pass up on an opportunity to read a story told in a poetic way! :]


You were a summer gift, one I'll always treasure. You were a dream I never wanted to wake up from. You opened my eyes to things I'll never really see. You're the best thing that will ever happen to me.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Questionn...

-First off, here's a question I was wondering. I don't know if it's just me, or does anybody else tend to read a couple of books at one time? I know I do, and I'm doing it right now. Three books actually. It's not that hard; I enjoy it! I'm on page 100 in about each book. :]

Second, I have five followers! Woohoo! Now there's more people that'll get to read the posts I make at 1am! {check the post below this to see one of them} :]

Thank you all that have stopped by! I check out all my followers blogs!
Bye, for now! Im itching to do a review, but I don't know which book to pick! :P
Happy Easter by the way! Disregard that if you don't celebrate it. 

New Books! Hooray!

In an email, someone asked me if I would like THREE free eBooks.

My first reaction: Seriously?!
It's not common for me to get things so I was surprised! And ecstatic! My heart increased beats and I was cheesy a lot. It's 1am in the morning, I should be asleep, but nope. I'm wide awake! 
Thank you Book Soulmates for your ah-mazing Random Acts of Kindness. I didn't believe people would be so nice to actually buy you a book, but I know now that it's true! :]

So, without farther ado... I introduced the newest books to my collection:
-Thank you Ivy! :]

Matched (Matched, #1)

Firelight (Firelight, #1)

My Blood Approves (My Blood Approves, #1)

Now, just because I told you about them doesn't mean I'm going to read them right away. Well, not right right away. I need to finish a whole bunch of other books first. But, I just wanted to share with you guys my new books. 

And when it gets to be a decent time, say...12PM, I might write a review. Look for it, if I do. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Halo (Halo, #1)
Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?


This book is now on my wish-list. Not only does it have a pretty cover, I saw the sequel's cover and I thought: Why haven't I read the first one?!
This book isn't a GOT-TO-HAVE-NOW book. It's just a I'D APPRECIATE IT book.
Plus, I've heard great reviews about this book. I can't wait until I get my hands on it!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl {3rd Review]

 

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Title - Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
Author - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Pages - 563 pages
Published & Publisher - December 1st, 2009 ; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers




-I remember when I first got this book. I was at the store and I just picked a random book of the shelf and begged my mother to buy it for me. To be truthfully, I didn't even want it at first. I wanted the fourth book of the Twilight series. They didn't have it, so I picked this one. I love to read long books, and this one was long, and it had a beautiful cover. I didn't even read the book.

I'm happy I picked this book.

Beautiful Creatures is one of my favorite books of all-time. I'm a huge Twilight fan, but Beautiful Creatures beats Twilight by far. I have never read a book that has actually brought tears to my eyes (not trying to be a spoiler!). With the combination of the scenic writing and so real characters, this book is a masterpiece.  It's probably the best paranormal love story I have ever read. It's more than just a love story though, way more.

It's told in a guy's POV, which is unusually. The books that I've read are told, or are led, by a girl's perspective. So, this one caught my attention right away. Especially the beginning, where the guy, Ethan Wate, is trying to save his dream girl, literally. And it all goes uphill from that. The dream girl, Lena Duchannes happens to be the niece of the city's freak. She's real, and she's different. 

The ending shocked me. I really didn't expect it! And that's what I love when stories can do that to me. Beautiful Creatures made me laugh, smile, and cry all around the same time. Ethan is a hilarious character, always saying silly things. 

My favorite thing that he said, and I'll probably always remember: "You climbed into my window in the middle of the night. So, either your some kind of Vampire or some kind of Perv. Which is it?"

My overall of opinion of this book is that it is one of a kind. Different from your average book. No vampires (despite the saying by Ethan listed above) or werewolves. Shape-shifters, witches (casters are what they are called), and more supernatural beings. 



"Mortals. I Envy You. You Think You Can Change Things. Stop The Universe. Undo What Was Done Long Before You Came Along. You Are Such Beautiful Creatures."
-Macon Ravenwood

Monday, April 18, 2011

What's next? My choices..

-So, after I finish The Luxe, I get to read another book. Hopefully The Luxe will be finished and reviewed by the end of the week! I'm up to page 100 already. When it's over and done with, I'll probably order or buy the next book, but as I wait for the next book, I get to read another one!


It's going to be hard choice, because I have a lot of unread books! The ones that are below are the books that I will choice from. 





When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. And a curse. When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?          



 Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Sometimes life-ending. Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.


            




For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.



In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.




A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.  





Intresting choices, eh? 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer {2nd Review]

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.



Title - Twilight (Twilight, #1)
Author - Stephenie Meyer
Pages - 498
Published & Publisher - October 5th, 2005 ; Little, Brown and Company






-Despite all the negativity that this book (and it's movie) have been through, this is actually a great story. It kind of brought back vampire stories. Dracula was written awhile ago and people didn't really write as many vampire based novels, but now that Twilight has become a bestseller, you see a lot of vampire stories being published.

Anyways, in this story, we first meet Isabella Swan, the chief's daughter. She seems like your normal and average new girl, and she is. Until she enters Biology II. Her first encounter with 
him . Who is this him I am referring to? The infamous Edward Cullen.

You've all heard his name, and if you haven't, where have you been?? It's not as if I'm going to spoil it for you if I say that Edward is a vampire. A blood-sucking, dangerous, supernatural creature.

The first time he gets a whiff of Bella's scent, everything is set in stone. Including Edward's undeniable urge for her blood. Bella is special. Different. She's unlike any human Edward's encountered with, and that's why he wants her. That's why he can't stay away. Vampires and Humans are 
not allowed to be together. But Edward and Bella don't listen to the rules. And you know what that means? Consequences.

I love Stephenie Meyer's writing. Her stories are so descriptive and it's like having the whole scene play out in my head. Her writing style is original, and lots of people can learn from it. Use adjectives instead of those short and choppy words.



"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..." he murmured. 
I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word. 
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed. 
"What a sick, masochistic lion."

Giveaway - Entire Mortal Instruments {SIGNED]



Aren't those books so pretty? Well, they could be all yours [or mine] if you enter this giveaway. Plus! They will be signed by Ms. Clare herself. 
I've never read them before, and I really want to. Everybody has been obsessing over City of Fallen Angels and I'm sitting on my computer thinking: What is that?! So, I decided to enter this giveaway! 
Here's the link. Check it out. =]

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Mara Dyer

Giveaway {The Iron Thorn]

I really, really, extremely want this book! You don't know how BAD I want this book. 
  




In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.
Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different. 


-You can not tell me that this does not look like a good book? I know it does, you know it does, we all know it does.
This book has been on my wishlist for a long, long time. I swear, I have been saving up for this book for awhile, but I tend to use my money for some other book and forget all about this one. So, I try to enter a lot of giveaways that are for this book! You don't know how much I want to win this book! So, here is a giveaway that features this book. Enter if you want, I know I am! =]

Willow by Julia Hoban {1st review]



Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen-year-old Willow's parents drank too much wine and asked her to drive them home. They never made it Willow lost control of the car and her parents died in the accident. Now she has left behind her old home, friends, and school, and blocks the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when Willow meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is, she begins an intense, life-changing relationship that turns her world upside down.Told in an arresting, fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl's struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy's refusal to give up on her.

Title - Willow
Author - Julia Hoban
Pages - 329
Published & Publisher - April 2nd, 2009 ; Dial


-I think I'll start off the review with four words: I love this book. No exaggerations.


When I first picked it up, I was a little sketchy. I had never read any of Julia Hoban's works, so I had no idea what to expect, but I was impressed. 



In the book, Willow is a cutter. She killed her parents. That's her reason for cutting herself. It's her way of releasing her frustration. She doesn't cry, she's said that a few times in the book. Willow doesn't have any friends; she doesn't open up to anyone. Nobody knows about her cutting. Her guardians, her brother and his wife, don't talk about the accident, so Willow never really brings it up. Therefore, she doesn't have a real reason to tell her brother that she cuts. It would, and I quote, "Kill him," if he knew about her cutting. 

That was until she met Guy.

I love Guy. I wish I had my own Guy. He is the nicest, and most sweetest guy there is. He finds out Willow's secret about cutting.

No, he doesn't tell her brother, but he wanted to. He almost did, but he promised to Willow that he wouldn't. So not only is her cutting affecting her life, it's also taking a toll on Guy's. His whole life changed as soon as he find out about Willow. 

This story was a masterpiece. It left an impact on me. It shows what goes on inside a cutter's mind - what they feel when they cut, why they do it. The story was mixed with sadness as well as joyfulness and humor. I admit, I teared up a little bit, but other than that, this story has got to be one of my favorites.

It's Hard To Keep A Secret When It's Written All Over Your Body...

Friday, April 15, 2011

Currently Reading - April 15th, 2011

First post ever! And to honor it, since this is a book blog, I plan to tell you what I'm reading nowadays. I tend to read multiple books at one time, so why not I list them here. I plan to write my reviews for them, after I finish them.

Current

-Willow by Julia Hoban
-The copy I have is my friend's. She urged me to read it, so I did. I'm 20 pages from the end.-



-Delirium by Lauren Oliver
-Barely started this one, but the first chapter is great. I'm in loving with this book already!-


The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
-Heard so many good things about it, so I'm going to give it a try.-