Goodbye

I am really sad to be writing this post today.  I actually got onto my computer here to do my "In My Mailbox" post, but it really made me realize that blogging has become more of a job....a job that I don't want to do anymore.  I love reading, and I really enjoyed blogging for a long time, but I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to.  I feel obligated to get through so many books, and I am just becoming very overwhelmed.  I feel like I am just not getting anywhere.  I have been thinking about this for a few weeks now, but today I just finally came to the official decision.  I have decided to stop blogging.  I want to go back to just enjoying books and reading what I want, when I want, for whatever length of time I want.  I just want to enjoy reading!

For you authors and publishers that have sent me books, thank you so much.  I still have every intention of reading the books you have sent, and reviewing them on goodreads.  This blog has just become too much work.

I am not going to disappear completely.  If you would still like to keep in contact, you can find me on Goodreads!

On My Wishlist (#66)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Cosy Books 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.

Come Home
Lisa Scottoline

Synopsis: Jill Farrow is a typical suburban mom who has finally gotten her and her daughter's lives back on track after a divorce. She is about to remarry, her job as a pediatrician fulfills her---though it is stressful---and her daughter, Megan, is a happily over-scheduled thirteen-year-old juggling homework and the swim team.
But Jill’s life is turned upside down when her ex-stepdaughter, Abby, shows up on her doorstep late one night and delivers shocking news: Jill’s ex-husband is dead. Abby insists that he was murdered and pleads with Jill to help find his killer. Jill reluctantly agrees to make a few inquiries and discovers that things don’t add up. As she digs deeper, her actions threaten to rip apart her new family, destroy their hard-earned happiness, and even endanger her own life. Yet Jill can’t turn her back on a child she loves and once called her own.
Come Home reads with the breakneck pacing of a thriller while also exploring the definition of motherhood, asking the questions: Do you ever stop being a mother? Can you ever have an ex-child? What are the limits to love of family?

Looking for a Blogging Partner

Life has really gotten busy lately, and I have realized that I just don't have the time that I used to have to devote to this blog.  I am enjoying actually having a life outside of this computer, so I have decided to look for a partner to help me with this blog.  If you have been considering starting your own blog, consider joining mine!  Fill out the form below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

REVIEW: Sweet Evil

Sweet Evil

Wendy Higgins

Synopsis: What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

My thoughts: Sweet Evil left me feeling fulfilled in some areas, but completely unfulfilled in other areas.  It was just one of those books that was good, but not amazing because it was missing a couple of things. If you're looking for an emotional read with back and forth romance, this is it.

I really liked the idea of fallen angels and their children living on earth.  They all have a reason to be there, even if it isn't a very good reason.  They are pretty much supposed to be bad influences to humans and kind of give them that little extra push to get them to do bad things.  I think my favorite part in all of this was the light Anna shined throughout the book.  She is so innocent and has the strength to not do bad things.  She has values, and even though she has a pull towards drugs and alcohol, she stops herself.  I got really upset when she was slipped some ecstasy.  I think I was more mad at Anna for not being mad about it.  She really liked the high, which makes sense, but she still should have reacted a little differently I think. 

I also liked the romance, although it did leave me mad several times.  Anna and Kaiden are perfect together, but they really have to be apart.  That part made sense to me, but I think Kaidan could have been a little more straight with Anna.  He did tell her that they just can't be together because it would keep her safe, but it kind of looked like he just didn't like her at all anymore.  Anna was still completely in love with him, and was having a hard time keeping away from him.  Why can't the guys show that they are having a hard time too?  I never see that part!

One thing I was not impressed with was the lack of development of Anna's abilities and essentially her new life.  This book focused on so much of the romance, and it touched base on who she really is, but I was left needing more!  I just feel like she should have been trained more.  It just seemed too simple!

I think that this is just one of those books that is going to have an amazing sequel!  It really set up a lot of background and potential for a great second novel.  It seems as though the second is always better than the first!

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#53)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Here is what I am waiting on:

Taken at Dusk
C.C. Hunter
Shadow Falls #3

Synopsis: Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

REVIEW: A Want So Wicked

A Want so Wicked

Suzanne Young

A Need So Beautiful #2

Synopsis: Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?

My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this series, but A Want so Wicked is so much better!  I was really pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book.  There is so much more excitement and suspense in this book! 

I surprisingly was not confused when I started this book.  I did read the synopsis before picking this book up, and sort of made my own assumptions about this new Elise character. 

I really liked Elise.  It was quite like reading about Charlotte again, but it still wasn't like I was rereading the first book.  Elise has no idea who she is, and weird things start happening to her.  I really liked the psychic lady who comes into Elise's life.  She's really quite scary at first, but then she becomes such a great mentor for Elise.  I also liked having some of the characters from the first book come back in, such as Harlin.

Abe was a really creepy character.  I didn't put two and two together as to who he really was until quite a bit into the book.  So really, I think he is more than just creepy.  He could be very terrifying!  I thought it was so weird (and very frustrating for me as the reader) to have Elise completely not remember the bad things that Abe was doing.  I just wanted her to remember!

The ending to this book was perfect.  However, it makes me think that this book may be the last in this series.  I would be very disappointed if there wasn't at least one more book in this series!  I could really use some more of Elise and Harlin!

REVIEW: Hemlock

Hemlock
Kathleen Peacock

Hemlock #1

Synopsis: Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

My thoughts: Hemlock was a really good read.  I like reading about werewolves, and this one was really different from others I've read.  The cover of this book really threw me off.  Even looking at it now, it just doesn't make sense to me.  I think that covers of books should have some rhyme or reason, and this one seems to be a "just because" to me.  The cover honestly makes me think it is a fairy tale, but this book is far from a fairy tale.  I do really like the cover, but it just doesn't match what is inside the book, not that it really matters anyway.  The book was still great!

I really liked Mackenzie, and her cousin Tess.  I even liked Jason and Kyle, both for different reasons.  Jason made me mad a couple of times because he was acting like an idiot, but it kept it interesting.  I think I really liked all of the characters, except for Amy.  I didn't like her from the start, because she was haunting her best friend's dreams, but I really didn't like her as I learned more and more about her!  The Trackers really ticked me off too.  Their ego is way too big and they are way too powerful!  It was definitely nice to have a wide range of characters though. 

I loved the whole idea of a serial killer werewolf being out there among everyone.  Everyone knew about lupine syndrome, and by the end of the book you realize that some had an easier time hiding it than others.  Some just couldn't control the bloodlust.  I really liked the whole mystery of it all and reading about Mac doing all of her investigating into Amy's murder.  I felt like by the end of this book, I didn't have any questions left unanswered....which I think really works for this book!  I am definitely ready to read the next one and am looking forward to what happens next!

In My Mailbox (#64)

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

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

What did you get in your mailbox?

On My Wishlist (#65)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Cosy Books 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.

Someone Else's Life
Katie Dale

Synopsis: When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.
Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, joining her ex-boyfriend on his gap year travels, to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.

REVIEW: When You Were Mine

When You Were Mine

Rebecca Serle

Synopsis: In this intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo’s original intended—Juliet’s cousin Rosaline—tells her side of the tale. What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything. Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance. Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends….

My thoughts:

I really was not too sure about this book. It came in the mail one day, and it was a nice surprise to have something new that I hadn't come across yet. However, the synopsis had me a little hesitant. It didn't sound terrible, but I knew it was one of those books that would have to be done right. And I have to say, I think it was done right.

Rosaline is a nice girl. She has a couple of great friends, and even a crush who is really starting to notice her. I think she is quite a lucky girl. There were a couple of times that I thought she should be moving past Rob already. She was just too depressed. I had to remind myself of what I was like at that age, which was pretty much the same!

I felt so bad for Rosaline. I think she really wanted to be good friends with Juliet. She hadn't given up hope, and didn't act unpleasant at all when Juliet came back to town. And then Juliet completely back stabbed her and stole Rob, who really wasn't technically Rosaline's boyfriend....but in my world, you don't even go after your friend's crush! I honestly think Juliet must have had something mentally wrong, because a normal person doesn't act the way she did. 

Rob was such an idiot. I laughed when one of the girls said he must be blinded by Juliet's hair....because I think it is so true! He was totally head over heels about Rosaline, and then when Juliet came in the picture, it was as if he didn't even remember who Rosaline was anymore. I just kept hoping he would wake up and realize his mistake and try to get Rosaline back....but I was also hoping that she would turn him town when that happened. 

You guys can all probably guess how the book ends...since Rob is supposed to be Romeo and Juliet is Juliet. I was expecting it, but I really was worried about how it would all happen. And I have to say I am very happy with the ending. I think the best part was that Rosaline was over it all and finally moving on. 

This was a light easy read. I was sad, angry, and even laughing here and there. And after it was over, I was kind of just staring into space feeling as if my own heart was broken, but it was still an easy beach read. I just needed the beach!

REVIEW: The Springsweet

The Springsweet

Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine #2

Synopsis: Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves
Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed
aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing
ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a
“springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of
holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.
Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water.
Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving
and start living.

My thoughts:

I had just finished reading The Vespertine when I got The Springsweet in the mail for review.  The Vespertine didn't amaze me at all, so I probably wouldn't have continued with this series if I hadn't felt obligated to review.  I don't feel any better or worse off now that I have read The Springsweet.  It actually kind of has me feeling "What was the point?".  It was just a story, I didn't take anything else away from it.  It didn't have me thinking about it afterwards, and I couldn't relate to anything in this book.

One thing that brought me to this series in the first place was the time period.  It's the late 1880s.  I really enjoy some historical fiction here and there.  I think my favorite part is imagining the setting and what all the ladies are wearing!  I think this series touched enough on those things, but I wasn't blown away either.

I did like Zora, the main character in this book, much more than Amelia, the main character from the first book.  Maybe that is because I was able to get to know Zora more.  Zora is much more carefree and easygoing.  She likes to have fun.  In this book, we see a different side of Zora.  She has lost so many people, all at once (which I found kind of ridiculous by the way), and she really seems to become a lady afterwards.

This was a decent book.  I don't intend on reading the next one, as it just didn't grasp me enough.  I have too many books on my tbr list to waste my time on just a decent book!



In My Mailbox (#63)

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

A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

What did you get in your mailbox?

On My Wishlist (#64)

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 Fame Game
Lauren Conrad
Fame Game #1

Synopsis: In Hollywood, fame can be found on every corner and behind any door. You just have to know where to look for it. Nineteen-year-old Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door Jane Roberts on the hot reality show L.A. Candy. Now Madison's ready for her turn in the spotlight and she'll stop at nothing to get it. Sure, she's the star of a new show, but with backstabbing friends and suspicious family members trying to bring her down, Madison has her work cut out for her. Plus, there's a new nice girl in "reality" town—aspiring actress Carmen Price, the daughter of Hollywood royalty—and she's a lot more experienced at playing the fame game... When the camera's start rolling, whose star will shine brighter?

Filled with characters both familiar and new, Lauren Conrad's series about the highs and lows of being famous delivers Hollywood gossip and drama at every turn.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (#52)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Here is what I am waiting on:

Belles
Jen Calonita

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

In My Mailbox (#62)

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

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton

Savvy Saving by Melissa Jennings

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist

Forgiven by Jana Oliver

What did you get in your mailbox?