Waiting on Wednesday ~ BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

October 12, 2010

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.
From goodreads.com

I loved Beautiful Creatures and cannot wait for this one, the sequel in the Caster Series, to be released. For those of you who didn't know, the cover has changed from the old one with the gate to the new one you can see above. So happy about the change as well. The old one looked childish, but this one looks amazing, and blends better with the cover of Beautiful Creatures.

While talking about covers, here's a question for the comments. Do you think it's important for books in a series to have covers that look similar, such as those in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Trilogy, or does it not matter, like in Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series?

THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER Review

In honor of the ECLIPSE MOVIE release tonight at midnight, I present you with my review of Stephenie Meyer's newest book, The Eclipse Novella.



Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.
In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagines, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?
From goodreads.com

That summary is the best I've found, and gives general direction of the book, so I don't think I need to give you any more. In case you want more, here's a bit more on the book. The story centers around, obviously Bree Tanner, and her life as a newborn vampire living with Riley's coven. None of the vampires know why they were created, and don't understand the laws that readers of the series know through the Cullens: such as don't leave a scene, blood is not free, and there are other vampires. As the story goes on Bree begins to learn about these things and quickly discovers she has few people she can trust.

Good enough for you? If not, you're just going to have to go pick up the book. You can either purchase a copy, from which one dollar is donated to the American Red Cross, or you can read it online for free until July 5th HERE.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. To be honest, I believe that the writing in this novella was better than the writing in the series. Perhaps it was because Bree had more emotions than Bella ever had, or perhaps it was the pressure knowing what will happen to her in the end. Regardless, I enjoyed the writing of this book, though did find it frustrating that there were no chapters and minimal page breaks, so it was hard to find a place to stop reading.

Another thing I enjoyed was getting to know the newborn army more. In Eclipse, they were minor characters that the Cullens would need to kill, and nothing more. In the novella, they come to life, and, while reading, I became attached to them, even though some of them, like Raoul, I wanted to punch in the face. They became true characters, and not background noise, which I loved.

Throughout the novels, there were slight undertones that were in Eclipse, things that you never really took note to, but that made a lot more sense after reading the novella. And those clips in the Eclipse trailer involving the Volturi and the newborns that aren't in the book? Yep, in the novella.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a book for fans of the series to read if they want a greater understanding of what happened during the battle at the end of Eclipse.

Rating: A-

Music Monday ~ Ellie Goulding

This song has been stuck in my head for several days, so I figured I would share it with you. Ellie Goulding, Starry Eyed.

SWOON Sequel

SWOON by Nina Malkin

Today I recieved a very exciting email from Nina Malkin stating that her book, Swoon, which features the amazing Sinclair Youngblood Powers, has a sequel which is soon to be released. More details will be released during the week of July 12th on Novel Novice which will be hosting a Swoon week filled with interviews, question and answers, and giveaways. I will, very unfortunately, be out of town during that week, but will blog as a reminder before I leave.

In other Swoon news, Nina Malkin's contest for all her written works ends at midnight tonight. You can see the contest details on her blog. I highly recommend entering. Swoon was one of the best books I have read in a long time!

A long time ago, Nina Malkin hosted a contest on her blog for readers to create a playlist for the book. You guys can view my playlist below. I'll try to get one of those fancy player things uploaded to here, but don't know how that works. For now, you can read over the playlist and listen to the songs on youtube.

WARNING: The descriptions of each song in the playlist do have spoilers, especially the final two songs. Read at your own descretion, though most of the playlist only includes minor plot details. Enjoy!

Dead Disco - Metric
Without Lyrics
The beat of this song, the music in the background of the lyrics, plays in the background of the trailer for SWOON, as well as on the main menu of the DVD, proving the intrigue and mystery surrounding the town through the story, as well as the complete infatuation with Sin.

Godspeed - Anberlin
Opening song, creating the anger and complete loathing of the people of Swoon through Sin’s eyes, and the absolute crazing to be back within a human body. Sort of a theme to Sin’s personality (“They lied when the said the good die young”).

The Fear - Lily Allen
Pen’s song, after her transformation and complete flip once Sinclair takes over her body, leading her into doing things that she wouldn’t have done before. The strength, lust, power, and vixen-like qualities that overcome her. This song will play in the background of the party Pen and Dice go to at the beginning.

Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship ft Leighton Meester
Quite obviously Sin’s song, as he winds the town of Swoon around his finger and enjoys every moment of it, the girls, the revenge, the thrill, what is there not to love?

Nara - E.S. Posthumus
Theme to Sinclair’s past, the tumble of emotions he feels towards what happened, and the overall pressure to change what already happened. This song would play in the background as Sinclair tells and shows Dice what happened to him and his life in the past. The clips from the past would be in sepia, fading to the present as Dice and Sin have their moments, back to regular color, though the music stays through both, showing how his past hasn’t completely faded away. Towards the end of this moment, the song slows as the faces of Sin and Hannah fade into the faces of Sin and Dice.

My Skin - Natalie Merchant
I imagined that as Sin gained his human form, human emotions would hit him first, before the lust for revenge, just that brief moment to have the audience mourn for him. Cue the flashback sequence as Sin is released into human form after the ritual, flashes to Hannah’s body, his job as a blacksmith, him being led away to be hung, all the while, the tree remains in the background, a constant reminder of his years trapped.

Readyfuels - Anberlin
Sin’s entire mission, to carry out the revenge that he’s been waiting for for years, and how he controls Dice through everything, though recognizes his attraction to her. He has never been able to forget what was done to him years ago.

Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf
The chorus to this song (“when I arrive”) begins to play the second that Sin makes an appearance at Swonowa, heads turn and everything seems to play in slower motion, cue the casual hair flip and jacket collar adjustment as he parades his strut across campus.

Any Way You Choose to Give It - The Black Ghosts
The obsession the girls of Swonowa have towards Sin as he appears in their school. This track rolls after he makes his first appearance, included with the images of the girl’s faces once he has gone past, the whispered words between them, the blushing smiles, foreshadowing the power and hold he has over the entire town.

Glass to the Arson - Anberlin
Dice as she realizes everything about Sin’s mission, and how he’ll stop at nothing to get his revenge. She can’t see how she was so easily caught up in him to ignore the serious damage he can do to their town.

Not Your Concern - The Hush Sound
Sin’s song, in almost a sarcastic manner, as he teases Dice while she tries to prevent the inevitable points in his plot of revenge, the banter that goes between them though both know they are entranced. Song plays lightly in the background after Dice has foiled Sin’s original plot, and he informs her that he won’t let that one stop him.

Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight
When Sin and Dice travel back to the past, Sin’s desperation to change what happened, to make the dead alive again, and his love towards Hannah. This song would swell to it’s climax (1:05) as Dice realizes what Sin has come here to do, and races after him before he can do something horrible.

The Golden Floor - Snow Patrol
Dice’s final night with Sin, her emotions towards him and how she feels the draw, though knows they cannot truly be together, while at the same time needing his love. The chorus (“I’m not afraid of anything, even time”) plays as Dice stands up to poke the fire, a small smile upon her lips, accepting what has happened, as she had known it the whole time.

Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park
Song for the credit. As Dice’s form in front of the fire fades away to black, this song starts.

SISTERS RED Review

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Twenty-five-year-old Jackson Pearce delivers a dark, taut fairy tale with heart-pounding action, fierce sisterly love, and a romance that will leave readers breathless.
From goodreads.com

The book opens seven years after an attack by a Fenris that left Rosie and Scarlett's grandmother dead, and Scarlett with the need to fight back and avenge her grandmother's death. The sisters live away from town and hunt the Fenris by night, believing it is their duty to protect other innocent girls from being murdered.

But when Silas, a family friend who also hunts Fenris, returns from San Francisco after a year visiting his uncle, a string of murders in Atlanta and an increase in the number of Fenris in the area drive the sisters and Silas to move to the city and hunt down the creatures who are searching for the Potential, the person who, if bitten, will turn in to a Fenris.

Once the action in the book starts, it doesn't stop, and I found myself unable to stop reading this book. For the record, I read it in two days. This isn't unusual for me, but only further proves my interest in the book. It was great to see female characters who held their own and weren't afraid to get in the thick of a fight. In fact, they were the ones causing the fights. And, if I may say so, hunting wolves with an ax makes you a pretty amazing girl in my book. Kudos to Pearce for not being afraid to harm her characters.

And the characters are another thing I enjoyed. Scarlett and Rosie were very close as sisters, and it was great for me to see this as I have a younger sister who is, like Rosie to Scarlett, very close in age to me. I instantly felt a connection with the sisters while reading the book. The characters stood out from the pages, seeming to be real. And Silas? Let's just say I would love to meet him in the woods any day.

But that's besides the point. Any author can write a male character that the reader swoons over. It was Pearce's approach in Sisters Red that caught me, hook, line, and sinker. The book is written in alternating viewpoints, switching back and forth from Rosie and Scarlett in order to tell the story. While Scarlett regarded Silas as a friend, Rosie was practically drooling over him, though all the while pushing those emotions away to save herself from hurting her sister who lives for the hunt.

I mentioned just above that Sisters Red is written in two viewpoints. I have read several novels that switch narrators, many of which do it in a choppy, forced manner, but this book was different. The time moved easily, and none of the scenes seemed to be tossed in just so that the viewpoints continued to alter between the two girls. I would love to know if it was hard for Pearce to capture such ease when writing.

Like I said, the book reads easily, and there is never a dull moment. Usually, I have something I disliked about the books I read, but I can't think of anything I didn't enjoy in Sisters Red. The ending tied things together very well. Sisters Red has a companion novel which will be released in 2011 entitled Sweetly which takes place in the same world as Sisters Red does, but does not involve the same characters. I look forward to reading this book, as Pearce did a wonderful job at crafting realistic characters in a slightly fantasy setting. She is definitely an author to watch!

Rating: A

For more updates on Jackson Pearce, you can follow her on youtube or on twitter. You can also view the book trailer for Sisters Red below.

Things I've Learned Thursday

Your memories can easily be mislead. Don't believe everything you remember, especially if it involves a crazy scientist.

Waiting on Wednesday ~ I AM NUMBER FOUR

I AM NUMBER FOUR by Pittacus Lore

August 17, 2010

John Smith seems like an ordinary teenager, living an ordinary life in Paradise, Ohio.

But John is not ordinary. He’s one of nine aliens from the planet Lorien. John’s in danger and he’s always on the run, but this time he has more at stake than ever before—his girlfriend, Sarah, the only person he’s ever allowed to get close to him, is also at risk.

The evil beings who are hunting him have killed Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. John Smith is Number Four. And he is next.

As John struggles to outrun his past, discover his future, and live a normal life on Earth, he must choose between the legacy he was destined for and the love he never thought he would have.
From goodreads.com

Alright, so here's the deal. I'm usually not interested in alien books, but this one, for some reason, sounds different. I don't even know if it's YA, but it couldn't be too bad, could it?