Random Acts of Kindness: January Wrap-Up

January was a great month for me all around!  I read a ton of books, and traded/bought/won several books too!  I was also given a couple of books through RAK.

Here is what I received:

Die for Me by Amy Plum

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Both from Bailey at IB Book Blogging

Here is what I sent:



The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

to Cheyenne at The Hollow Cupboards

Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

to Kim at Breath of Life

I am really looking forward to another month of RAK.  I am really excited to look through everyone's wishlists!



REVIEW: Saving June

Saving June

Hannah Harrington

Synopsis: When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

My thoughts: My emotions were all over the place when I was reading Saving June.  I was sad about June, but some parts had me smiling too.  I really liked the romance too.  It lightened things up a little.  I really loved that although I have not experienced a loss like Harper has, I felt like I understood how she was feeling to some extent.  Saving June really had me thinking, both while I was reading it and afterwards as well.  I just feel like there is so much to take from this story.

Harper decides to take her sister's urn to California, where June always wanted to go.  Her best friend Laney tags along, along with Jacob, who neither girl really knows but he has some connection to June and is the driver for this journey.  Harper learns so much about her sister June, and I think she learns a lot about herself too.  I really think this journey to California is sort of closure for her. 

I haven't experienced loss like this, so I was surprised as I began to understand Harper and could relate to some situations.  I couldn't really relate to any of the characters either.  Harper is such a tough character.  She doesn't seem to let anyone in.  A lot of her behavior didn't make sense to me, but I think her grief was just taking over.  I didn't really find anything particularly amazing about Laney or Jacob either.  I think the characters all worked well together though.

I really wish I could have appreciated all the references to music in this book.  I do love music, but I have no musical talent myself...and didn't really know anything about the music they talked about in the book.  I really did enjoy it though.  I loved that Jacob had a real passion for music and shared it with others. 

This was definitely a worthwhile read!  I was so involved in my emotions and focusing on the emotions of the characters that I didn't really notice all of the little things.  I probably won't read it again, but I do think I could have probably gotten a lot more out of this book than I did.  Give it a try!

E-book Addicts: Share E-books!

I created this new feature last month because so many people had requested it.  However, I didn't have too many participants.  I am hoping for a bigger crowd for February, so that we can all read more books!

Rules:

• Fill out the form below if you'd like to participate!
• Create a list of what you are looking for AND a list of what you have to offer.
• Grab a button to show you're participating!
• Email other participants to request an e-book or offer one!

I have decided to use the same form as last month, just because there were so few participants.  So if you signed up last month, you don't need to again. :)

Links:

Sign up HERE.

View other participants HERE.

<center><a href="http://annabellsbooknook.blogspot.com/2012/01/e-book-addicts-share-e-books.html/"><img border="0" src="http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/Annuhbell/ebookaddictsbutton.jpg"/></a></center>

If you need to email me for any reason, you can email me here: annabellsbooknook at gmail dot com 

Top Ten Tuesday (#12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature includes some sort of a top ten list, related to books. I have decided to participate here and there, when there is a top ten list that I can contribute.

Top Ten Books That Would Make Great Book Club Picks

I am pretty lucky in that I get to advise the Teen Reading Advisory Committee at the school where I work.  School gets pretty busy, but we all now have time to work on some books to read as a group.  So the following are books that I have already read that I would recommend to any teen book club.

1. Twenty Boy Summer
Sarah Ockler

2. The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

3. Charlie St. Cloud
Ben Sherwood

4. Stay

Deb Caletti

5. If I Stay

Gayle Forman

6. Unraveling Isobel

Eileen Cook

7. The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

8. The Body Finder

Kimberly Derting

9. Divergent
Veronica Roth

10. Abandon

Meg Cabot

REVIEW: Struck

Struck

Jennifer Bosworth

Synopsis: Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

My thoughts: It was quite refreshing to read something different.  So many YA/Paranormal/Fantasy/Dystopia novels are becoming quite alike.  Sure the details are different, but the main idea is usually the same.  The whole lightning strike thing in Struck really is kind of interesting.  So much of this book could have been real, with the lightning strikes and earthquake.  And although chaos doesn't always develop out of those events, it certainly can.

Mia lives in Los Angeles, where she has found safety because lightning rarely strikes there.  Sure she loves the energy of getting struck by lightning, but she does not want to endanger any more lives.  And she's not too fond of the marks left all over her body by lightning.  An earthquake occurs in Los Angeles, causing quite a bit of chaos.  Two cults develop, and both of them have use for Mia.  She meets a boy named Jeremy who seems to be on Mia's side, but she still isn't completely sure about him.  Mia soon realizes that she needs to make all the right decisions before the final disaster strikes, or risk losing the ones she loves.

Mia's history of being struck by lightning really had me interested....and the fact that she likes it!  She is drawn to lightning when it is near.  She is kind of a loner, and it seems as if she doesn't have much confidence because of her scars, and probably because her mother acts disgusted with her.  Mia is so loving and compassionate though.  She still loves her mother, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure she is safe.  She even risks her own safety to save her mother.  I really enjoyed reading about such a strong character, and seeing her point of view in a lot of this.

The other characters were interesting as well.  Jeremy kind of threw me for a loop...one minute I was sure he was on Mia's side, and the next minute I thought he was against her.  I loved the romance that occured between them, but even that had me back and forth sometimes.  Mia's brother Parker brought a lot to this book as well.  He kind of annoyed me because he seemed to act on impulse when faced with certain situations.  I also didn't like that he questioned Mia so much. 

This book left me feeling very fulfilled in the end.  It was so descriptive, and had many twists and turns.  The characters are developed quite well, and they all play a part.  And of course my own emotions got a little involved!



Cover Crazy: The Beginning of After

This weekly meme is hosted by The Book Worms and is used to show the covers we are crazy about!

The Beginning of After
Jennifer Castle

Synopsis:
Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.
Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

What I love:
* This cover is focusing on the character.  It doesn't make me question why it is the way it is.  It just makes sense.

*  It is so full of emotion.  The girl's body language makes me think she's going through some serious stuff.  This is definitely a case where I want to read a book because of its cover!

*  The colors are perfect!  Her outfit and the background colors really work together.  I also like the bright light at the top of the cover.

*  I love that the title is so big.  The font is plain, but it completely works for this cover.  I really like that the title is right in the middle, but it doesn't really cover up anything either.

Harper Imprint Readathon Update

Well, I did not get as far as I would have liked to.  I am ok with that though, because I just ended up getting everything else done Sunday!  So now this next week I should have plenty of time to read!

Here's what I read:
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Start: 1
Finish 106
Pages: 106

I did read more than that, but the book I finished up doesn't count towards this readathon.  I just couldn't start a new book until that one was finished though. Oh well!  If you participated in this readathon, how did you do?

Dragonswood Giveaway Winner!

I just love this book!  I think I need to plan on a reread very soon!  Anyway, Janet Lee Carey has been so wonderful to give away a copy of Dragonswood!  And the winner is.....

Anastacia!

Congratulations Anastacia!  I will be emailing you shortly.

Harper Readathon

I have been participating in the Harper Imprint Challenge this month, and am super excited for this readathon!  The readathon goes from 9am today to 9am tomorrow.  You can join in HERE.  You don't have to be participating in the monthly challenge to participate in this readathon.  However, the only books that count towards the readathon are Harper Imprint books.

My plan for this readathon is to read Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting.  I would love to read The Last Echo as well, but I will be happy if I can get that one started by the end of the readathon! :)

Here is my progress for the Harper Imprint Challenge for January:

1. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

2. Wings of the Wicked by Courntey Allison Moulton

3. Entwined by Heather Dixon

4. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

5. Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

6. The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

7. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

8. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

9. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

In My Mailbox (#53)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. These are the books I bought or received this week.

Books I bought/borrowed

The Other Life - Susanne Winnacker

Bloom - Elizabeth Scott

Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen

Revelations - Melissa de la Cruz

Untamed - P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

When it Happens - Susane Colasanti

Irises - Francisco X. Stork

Abandon - Meg Cabot

And from NetGalley....



The Vanishing Game - Kate Kae Myers



What did you get in your mailbox?



REVIEW: Awake at Dawn

Awake at Dawn

C.C. Hunter

Shadow Falls #2

Synopsis:

Now that she’s settled in at Shadow Falls Camp, Kylie Galen’s determined to discover the extent of her supernatural abilities. But with a ghost insisting someone Kylie loves is about die, a rogue vampire on a murdering rampage, and her sixth sense telling her someone is watching her, Kylie’s quest for answers is quickly put on hold.
To make matters worse, just when she’s about to give her heart to Derek, a half-fairy, he starts pulling away. When Lucas, a werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past, returns, Kylie’s feels more conflicted than ever. Her weekend with her mom should have been the just the break Kylie needs, but it turns out to be her breaking point. Someone from the dark side of the supernatural world has plans for Kylie--and it'll take all her resources to get back to Shadow Falls alive...

My thoughts: 

I really thought I would be kind of lost in this book, because I honestly didn't remember too much about the characters or how I could relate to them.  I quickly got right back into this story and really felt like I knew them again.  I really enjoyed Awake at Dawn, and it really makes me much more excited for the next book!

Kylie is really starting to accept the idea that she is different.  She hates not knowing what she is, and she really takes initiative and does her own research to find out more about herself.  She isn't the type of character to sit back and whine or let her life pass her by.  She wants to know what she is so she can move on with that.  She actually seems pretty accepting too.  At one point, she thinks she may be a vampire because she likes the taste of blood, and I think she felt more embarrassed than freaked out.  My favorite part about Kylie is that she is kind of a peacekeeper.  She makes sure everyone else gets along around her.  And when someone is upset with her, she quickly gets them on her side again.

I loved the boys too!  Derek is completely in love with Kylie, and isn't being very patient with her.  He wants her to choose him, but she can't because she is still unsure about Lucas.  He also doesn't understand that she needs to figure out who she is before she can love him back....kind of like the saying "You have to love yourself before you can love someone else".  I don't think she can love herself yet because she doesn't even know herself!  I didn't like that Kylie was sort of waiting around for Lucas too.  She was having these weird dreams, that turned out to be sort of real, but even so!  She kept questioning why he went with this other girl and other things, but she still seemed to have a lot of faith in him.  I think maybe the reason why I am not so fond of Lucas in this book is because there was so much more of Derek in this one!

I really love this series.  I love all of the relationships.  I actually feel like I get all of the relationships you would get in a contemporary or romance, along with the supernatural stuff of a paranormal or fantasy.  I really like that although it would be classified as a paranormal, that it isn't completely focused on just that.  I need the relationships!

On My Wishlist (#54)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club
Gil McNeil
Jo Mackenzie # 1

Synopsis:
For every woman who has ever dreamed of starting over, or being a better mother, or just knitting a really nice scarf . . .

When her husband dies in a car crash-not long after announcing he wants a divorce-Jo Mackenzie packs up her two rowdy boys and moves from London to a dilapidated villa in her seaside hometown. There, she takes over her beloved Gran's knitting shop-a quaint but out-of-date store in desperate need of a facelift. After a rough beginning, Jo soon finds comfort in a "Stitch and Bitch" group; a collection of quirky, lively women who share their stories, and their addiction to cake, with warmth and humor.

As Jo starts to get the hang of single-parent life in a small town, she relies on her knitting group for support. The women meet every week at the shop on Beach Street and trade gossip and advice as freely as they do a new stitch. But when a new man enters Jo's life, and an A-list actress moves into the local mansion, the knitting club has even more trouble confining the conversation to knit one, purl two.

REVIEW: Incarnate

Incarnate

Jodi Meadows

Newsoul # 1

Synopsis: NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

My thoughts:

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but I don't think it had anything to do with this book, and more to do with the number of distractions I had at the time.  This is a book that I definitely want to read again, because I definitely think I will learn so much more a second time through.  Once I was able to focus on this book, I couldn't stop reading it.  I was (and still am) so interested in Ana and learning about why she is alive.

In Range, souls are reincarnated over and over.  When someone dies, it is known that they will come back.  They even know when to expect them to come back.  A girl named Ciana died and the rest of society is expecting her to come back.  This is the way things have been for as long as everyone can remember.  Some think it is because of Janan, but others don't even think about why, they just know that's the way it is.  So when Ciana doesn't come back, they are all thrown for a loop.  A "Newsoul" named Ana is born instead.  Nobody knows why, but many of them believe something is wrong about her because they don't want anything to do with her.  Her mother is one of them that consider her a "Nosoul".  She doesn't deserve anything that the other souls have.  She is treated quite badly, and it honestly really surprised me that her own mother couldn't love her like a mother should.

Ana is constantly learning more about herself, even just bits and pieces that may have seemed obvious before.  She never had a problem keeping her head up, which was my favorite part about her.  Even with all of the dangers around her, she sets on a journey of self-discovery and doesn't give up. 

I really enjoyed the romance.  Ana meets Sam when he saves her life, and although they don't seem to be instant friends, they slowly work towards a real friendship, and possibly even more.  Ana and Sam really got to know each other before jumping into anything.  And I don't think they really could jump into anything because Ana is trying to figure out all of these questions, and Sam seems to be searching for something as well. All of the relationships in Incarnate just seemed to make sense.

I really enjoyed this book, and plan on rereading it once it actually releases.  This is a book that definitely deserves my undivided attention. :)

Author Interview: Avery Williams

The Alchemy of Forever

Synopsis: After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

Read my review HERE.

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Avery Williams

1. Where did you get the idea of The Alchemy of Forever?

The Alchemy of Forever started with the image of an immortal girl chasing a human girl through the fog. I didn’t know at the time that it would turn out to be Seraphina and Taryn, but that image turned into the first scene I wrote. So that’s one part of it. And the other, I guess I’d call it the philosophical backstory: I was hanging out in Georgia with a friend of mine, a super hardcore skeptic. And I kept arguing with him that unicorns could possibly be real, that magic was out there. And he kept laughing at me. Some of his arguments formed the basis for Cyrus’s outlook on life.

2. What made you pick Alchemy?

Alchemy is fascinating to me because it’s been sort of co-opted by all these mystical New Age types, but it’s also the basis that modern chemistry grew out of. It seemed the perfect way to have these characters that are fundamentally paranormal, but with a scientific basis for their existence. “Scientific” is used very loosely here! 

3. How long did it take you to write?  Were there any obstacles?

The first draft was completed in about 6 weeks—and I have a full-time day job as well. I didn’t get much sleep during that period of my life! I don’t want to put any spoilers in this interview, so I can’t specifically tell you which plot points were the toughest—suffice to say that the hardest part for me was figuring out a lot the whole history of these characters. 600 years is a long time.

4. How did you develop your characters? Which character can you relate to the most?

I don’t really set out with character sketches at the beginning—I let them reveal themselves to me as I’m writing. They feel so real to me now. I like to pretend they are real, skulking around the Bay Area. Ok, I know that sounds insane. My favorite characters to write were Leyla and Cyrus. He’s bad news, but so delightfully charismatic.

5. What got you to start writing?

Ha. Probably the combination of reading way too much plus being sensitive and angst-ridden as a teenager is what started it. I remember being so overflowing with emotions that I needed to express (in terrible poetry that I hope to God stays hidden!). Writing just seemed to me the best way to do that. As to why I write YA now—well, the books I read when I was young still resonate with me. They affected me in a way that books I read later on just weren’t able to do. I love the idea of connecting with people at such an intense time in their lives.

6. I read that you are also a poet.  Where can we find your poetry, or do you have something to share?

Yes. I have poems published here and there (under my alter ego’s name: Jessea Perry). Here are a few online:

http://www.cricketonlinereview.com/vol6no2/jessea-perry-3.php

http://www.cricketonlinereview.com/vol6no2/jessea-perry-2.php

http://www.cricketonlinereview.com/vol6no2/jessea-perry-1.php

7. What's next for you?

I’m working on the sequel to The Alchemy of Forever, which will be coming out in 2013 (if the world doesn’t end). And after that? We shall see! I’m cooking up an idea for my next series right now, but it’s too early to share.

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