Follow My Book Blog Friday (12)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to make it to the big screen, and who would you cast as your favorite character? 

Answer: 

I would LOVE if Vampire Academy was made into a movie or show, as long as it doesn't end up being like Twilight (where it was a really good series until the movie ruined it). I really love the world Richelle Mead made and the characters are AMAZING! And the story doesn't get boring and it's never perfect and happy, which adds reality to the paranormal mix. As for the characters.....

I would definitely say that Ben Barnes would be a good Dimitri (he's Prince Caspian from Narnia). He has that whole dark, tall, and handsome thing going for him. I tried to choose someone for Rose, but honestly this book is all about Dimitri for me, so I didn't really care who was Rose. As long as there's a Dimitri it's all good :)

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

Destined
By Jessie Harrell
Release Date: November 17th 

Summary: When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. 

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. 

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

I'm not familiar with the myth this novel is based on, but the story sounds so good! Falling in love with someone you know is bad for you is so much fun to read about, but what makes it better is that Psyche knows that it's going to happen. Love stories are my favorite, so I can't wait to see how Psyche ends up falling in love with this bad creature. Not to mention this cover is so gorgeous! It looks so pristine and just plain awesome that I'm sure it will make anyone read its story. Destined sounds like such a good read and I don't know how I'm going to wait until November for it! 

Vampire Diaries: What team are you on?

 

Vampire Diaries is by far my favorite show ever. I've gotten all of my friends obsessed with it but the one thing we don't' agree on is who we love most: Stefan or Damen? We all know that both of them are madly in love with Elena (after both being madly in love with Katherine), so there's a huge gap between the fans of Stefan and the fans of Damen on the show. 

 

So who really is better? The dangerous and brooding Damen who's been bad since the beginning? Or the sweet and caring Stefan who gives himself over to the evil Klaus to save the brother he's not exactly fond of? Well, to me, the answer is obviously clear....

STEFAN

and here is why :)

 

Not only is he attractive, but he's insanely sweet and cares about Elena so much! Honestly, I wish I could climb through the tv every Thursday night and take him home! Gahhhh I don't think any more words can explain how much I love him. Damen is just mean and selfish and he doesn't care about anyone! There's really no choice here. Stefan is the definite winner. And I'm completely in love with him <3 

And he obviously loves me too :) 

Yeah.....that pretty much sums it up

Blog Tour/Book Review: Wedlocked By Bonnie Trachtenberg

Summary: On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she's just pledged to love for the rest of her life.

Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother's footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love-a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents' house.

But Rebecca's mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they're all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but!

Review: When people think of their wedding day, they think of it has one of the happiest moments of their lives, but right off the bat you can tell that's not the case for Rebecca. I think this aspect of Rebecca's outlook on her wedding day is what draws readers to her as a person. I really liked how she would always go for what she wanted yet was still a likable person. Instead of listening to what others wanted her to do, she did was she really wanted to do. I think everyone can relate to Rebecca and her desire to be her own person. Nothing was ever easy for her to get and she really had to work in getting into the acting business, which made the story more believable. I sometimes felt like the first half of this book was just background story, which I wasn't all that thrilled about reading, but it was still entertaining. I think this was a really sweet romance (though there wasn't really any romance in the first half) and I enjoyed the book for the most part. Sometimes it was a bit slow, but other than that it was a cute, fun read!

Blog Tour: Flawless by Carrie Lofty

Summary: Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies’ man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire . . . and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward? ***Review soon to come***

My Thoughts: I love this cover so much and I seriously can't wait to read this book! Historical romances are one of my favorites, and this one sounds like it's going to be another great read! Running away from an arranged marriage with a man who sets her veins on fire with desire sounds like a juicy plot that is sure to have many twists and turns. Needless to say I'm excited to get started on this one and I will share my thoughts on it as soon as it's done! 

Publication Date: September 27th

Find more information here: 

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a meme that I picked up from The Story Siren's blog. It's where we share the new books that we've gotten for that week with our readers. These books could be from the library, the store, or from the writers/publishers for review. Whatever the reason, I will share my new books every Sunday!

From Author/Publisher 

 

I got these two amazing looking books this week. I'm really excited to read these because I'm long overdue for a nice romance. I've been reading so many other genres, like sci-fi or general fiction that I really miss reading romance. When I saw I got these in my mailbox, I got really excited and now I can't wait to get to reading these! 

That's it! What all was in your guys's mailboxes this week? Please share!

Shelf Candy (7)

Shelf Candy is a meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews and every Saturday, bloggers choose a book whose cover really catches their eye. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I always do, so I'm choosing books whose cover alone made me pick it up. So I hope you enjoy my shelf candy!

This cover just creeps my out every time I look at it, but definitely in a good way. Why is the girl floating in the water? Is she coming out of the water? And the reflection of her face makes the whole thing even more creepy. Then, when I read the summary it said "the It Girl meets The Exorcist" and it really has me shaking in my boots. I'm normally not one for scary movies/books, so maybe that's why this cover is so scary to me, but the reason I like it is because a simple picture can get that emotion from me. Not only is it a cool cover, it really captures what the book is about. 

Follow My Book Blog Friday (11)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a little bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it? 

Answer:

I know it's not a series, but I've read this book more than I've read any other book. I normally don't reread books because I have no time to fit it in my HUGE to-be-read list, but I always make an exception for this one! Jennifer Echols is one of my favorite authors and this was actually the first book that I read by her (which explains why I love her so much). I literally love everything about this book and always wished I could be Lori (mostly because I wanted Adam for myself :) ). Whenever I needed a sweet romance to cheer me up, I would pick this up and read it. I think I've read it 5 times now, which is a lot for me. So if you haven't already, you should definitely read this one now! Because it's amazing :) 

Book Review: Seven Point Eight by Marie Harbon

Summary: Seven Point Eight: The most powerful number in the universe. The number that connects everything. A physicist begins a quest to measure the soul but soon finds himself drawn into the world of the enigmatic Max Richardson, where research is sold to the military at the highest bid. However, he soon discovers another purpose when an extremely talented young psychic enters his life. He devises a project and builds a team to stretch the frontiers of exploration, only to make a reality-shattering discovery… The First Chronicle is the beginning of a 5 part epic which follows the spiritual and emotional journey of five people; their quest to understand the universe and our place within it. Along the way, they address the fundamental questions we all seek answers to: Why are we here? What is the purpose of the universe? Is there a God? Quantum physics meets spirituality in a tale which begins in the 1940s, unfolds during the 1960s; an era of social and spiritual transformation and reaches its conclusion in the modern age. It interweaves the human dramas of love, betrayal, bitterness and above all, courage in a world where everyone must face their own dark shadow.


Review: I really really wanted to give this book four starts, but there were just one too many problems I had with it. So I'd say this gets a three and a half star rating. This was an enjoyable enough story, about an institute researching with people who have psychological powers, such as "viewing" any place in the world at that time, seeing into the future, and reading minds. I liked the characters, but I felt like we didn't get enough time to really know them. Like I liked Ava's character, but I didn't feel like I got to know her as well as I got to know Max and Tahra. Then, the storyline got really jumpy, skipping from year to year and person to person, so you didn't really know who was talking and what happened in the time that the story skipped. It started in 1950, maybe even earlier and ended in the late 1960s (at least I think because the timeline was sometimes vague and, like I said, jumpy). Also, the story would randomly switch from being 3rd person to a character's almost diary-like account of what happened, which I felt was confusing and not necessary for the story. I did really like the idea of this book and how they were trying to make psychological advancements, but sometimes the story got lost to boring, scientific passages and it was hard to follow along with during that time. It's a book you have to stick with, but eventually you'll start to enjoy it and want to know what's going to happen next. Oh, and the little romance added wasn't a bad touch either :)

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

Still Waters
by Emma Carlson Berne
Release Date: December 20th

Summary: Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget.

But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety.

Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

I saw this book on someone else's WoW a couple of weeks ago and instantly fell in love with the cover. The girl in the blue dress looks sooooo pretty against the black water. And it goes so well with the title! Then, when I read the description, I was instantly interested in the story. A mysterious town that a couple goes to for a romantic getaway? Sounds spooky and so good! This book sounds so unique in it's story and thrilling in what happens that it's unlike what I normally read. I can't wait until this one comes out! 

Blog Tour/Book Review: Perfectly Crazy by Mitzi Penzes

Summary: Sexy, stylish and successful, Nell always prided herself on her common sense. So why is she suddenly crazy for David, her married best friend of twenty years? With a single kiss, Nell s perfect Californian life turns upside down. All the safety of her well-adjusted marriage to a respected plastic surgeon and her growing fashion business pale in comparison to the passion experienced in that kiss. Can she go on as before, or will she make the biggest change of her life? Will she face disaster and tragedy, or perhaps adventure and a second chance? Or possibly both? Find out from this fast paced book where the sceneries are changing as fast as the movies. Life is full of surprises and challenges that anyone would call perfectly crazy yet they may become reality one day. Or will they?


Review: I was expecting so much more from this book. Starting with the writing style, it was just okay. Some of the things that the characters said I couldn't imagine people actually saying to each other and I felt like the author told us the story instead of showing it to us (you know, showing vs telling....). And I was not that big of a fan of the main character Nell. She didn't seem to care when her husband died and she always knew she looked super hot because guys starred at her when she walked by. Yeah right. And with a 16 year old daughter, she is not as young as she acts and she isn't a good mom. Moms don't spend every night over at their boyfriend's house and they don't fly to France because their love life has issues. So the story was not really believable or even likable. A woman who barely cares that her husband dies and gets with someone else not even a week later is not someone I like to read about. I wish I could have liked this more, but I just couldn't.

Book Review: Families and Other Nonreturnable Items by Claire LaZebnik

Summary: Despite her name, Keats Sedlak is the sanest person in her large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics. Her parents, both brainy academics, are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone anyone else, and her two uber-intelligent siblings live on their own planets. At least she can count on one person in her life, her devoted boyfriend Tom. Down-to-earth and loving, he's the one thing that's kept Keats grounded for the last decade. But when Keats's mother makes a surprise announcement, the entire family is sent into a tailspin. For the first time, Keats can't pick up the pieces by herself. Now she must re-evaluate everything she's ever assumed about herself and her family - and make the biggest decision of her life.


Review: This was the first book I've ever read by Claire LaZebnik and I really enjoyed it! Keats was a really likable person and you really felt for her when she had to deal with her crazy, dysfunctional family. When I first realized that Tom and Keats had a huge age difference and they had started dating when she was 15, I was a little creeped out, but it really worked with the story. I really hated Hopkins but I loved Milton, so LaZebnik did a great job developing her characters and defining who they are. I enjoyed following Keats and watching her discover how she really wants to live her life. Her family sounds so crazy that I understood completely how Keats felt towards them. Keats really learns to understand the value of family and how you're stuck with what you have, so you should make the most of it. There were some slow parts to the book, but in the end it was a nice story.