Waiting on Wednesday #97 - Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown

Deep Betrayal
(Lies Beneath #2)
by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publication Date: March 12th, 2013
Publisher: Random House/ Delacorte

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . . (Goodreads)

I read Lies Beneath over the summer last year, and found it to be a very interesting read. I hadn't read many books at the time about mermaids, and thought it was very fascinating. Especially since it was from Calder's point of view.  I'm really looking forward to getting back into the story again!

What are you Waiting for this week??

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures
(Caster Chronicles #1)
by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Publication Date: December 1st, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 563
ISBN: 9780316042673

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

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. (Goodreads)

I do believe I was one of the last people in the world that had not read Beautiful Creatures. It had always been on my to-read list, and I kept putting off reading it, for some unknown reason. After seeing the trailer for the upcoming movie for the book, I decided to go ahead and give it a read. Here is what I thought…

Ethan has lived his whole life in the tiny town of Gatlin, a town full of secrets and lies. He wants nothing more than to turn 18 and move away to college. That is until the niece of the town’s recluse, Lena, shows up and changes the small town forever.

We read the story through our main character, Ethan’s, point of view. I always find that interesting, because I haven’t read many books from a male’s POV.  I found Ethan to be a very likeable character. He was very calm and level headed. He knew what he wanted with his life, and he didn’t believe in being a part of the town clique.  I love that he stood up for Lena, even when he didn’t know her at all. He didn’t allow her to be bullied. Why can’t all guys be that way?

Lena is the character that I had more of a problem with. I found her to be very dramatic. I can understand her questioning everything in her life, but after a while of her just complaining about everything, it got really old.  I actually ended up liking more of the secondary characters more than I liked Lena, her uncle Macon, especially.  I found him, and Amma to be the most interesting characters in the novel. 

The thing I love most about the book was the descriptions.  I can imagine the world that the authors created for these characters. The flashbacks to the time during the war were very descriptive.  I had a clear vision in my head of the setting. I enjoyed that. The storyline was interesting as well. I always enjoy books about witches, they are fascinating.

Overall; I found this to be an enjoyable read. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and seeing the movie as well.

Happy Reading!

Weekly Book Haul #22

Bought:
Through The Ever Night - Veronicc Rossi
Just One Day - Gayle Forman

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks


So excited that some of the books I've had pre-ordered for FOREVER are starting to come in!
I can't wait to read Through the Ever Night and Just One Day.

And I'm SUPER happy that I finally found an edition of Pride and Prejudice that I like.
Although I saw a few more I liked as well. Maybe I should have more than one??

I picked up Safe Haven as well this week. The movie looks pretty good!
That's all for me this week. What new books did you get?

**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**

Happy 2nd Blogoversary, TheReaderBee! * Giveaway *

Image from Weheartit.com

TheReaderBee.com is now 2 years old!
I can't hardly believe it.

It's been an amazing 2 years!
I haven't been able to be as active as I was this time last year,
but I appreciate all of my wonderful followers and friends having patience with  me.


Over the past 2 years, TheReaderBee has...

Published 522 posts
Read 10,211 comments
from my wonderful friends and followers
Read 188 Books
Gained 1600 Awesome Blog Followers
Rambled 5,936 times on Twitter to 1,614 followers

Check out Last Years Blogoversary Post to compare!

Whooo hooooo!

It still amazes me that so many people read my blog.
Thank you guys, SO MUCH!

As a way to say THANK YOU, I'm sharing the lovin' with you guys!






THREE LUCKY WINNERS
will get to pick ONE my most anticipated winter/spring books listed above.

So what are you waiting for? Go enter now!
Good luck, and thank you again!

The Rules:

• THREE winners will be chosen to win ONE of the books listed above.
• Open to US and International Followers
• Must be 13 or older to enter
• If the book you choose has not been published yet, it will be pre-ordered for you.
• Giveaway ends January 31st, 2013
• Winners will be contacted via email. If you do not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
• By entering this Giveaway, you are agreeing to the terms listed above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday #96 - Dance of the Red Death

Dance of the Red Death
(Masque of the Red Death #2)
by Bethany Griffin

Publication Date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.

In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.

Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.

With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget. (Goodreads)

This is another series that my dear friend Kathy (A Glass of Wine) introduced me to. I am SO glad she did! Masque of the Red Death was such an intriguing read. Everything about the book was awesome, especially the flawed characters. I cant wait to read Dance of the Red Death!

What are you Waiting for this week??

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter
(The Madman's Daughter #1)
By Megan Shepherd

Publication Date: January 29th, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062128027
From Publisher for Review

Barnes & Noble  | Amazon | Goodreads

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect. (Goodreads)

The Madman’s Daughter is a novel by Megan Shepard that was inspired by H. G. Wells's novel The Island of Dr. Moreau.  Having never read The Island of Dr. Moreau, I really didn’t know what to expect from this book. I wasn’t expecting to be taken on quite the journey that the author took me on.

The story is about 16 year old Juliet Moreau. Left to fend for herself after the scandal and disappearance by her father, and the death of her mother, Juliet is just trying to survive. Everything soon changes for her once she discovers that her father may still be alive, and that his former assistant, Montgomery, may know exactly where her father is.

I found Juliet to be quite an interesting character, even when I felt that something was ‘off’ about her early on in the book.  I did find her to be a strong and smart character. She did what she had to do after the abandonment by her father, and the death of her mother. All she wanted was to survive. I found her to be a very determined and stubborn character as well. She was definitely interesting.

There are two love interests in the novel for Juliet. The first being Montgomery, who Juliet has known almost all her life, and the second being Edward, who Montgomery and Juliet pick up along the way. Both boys were interesting for their own reasons, and I had a hard time choosing who I liked more. I’m super curious to see who Juliet ends up with.

I have to say, Juliet’s father was really quite mad.  Seriously, in all the books I have read up to this point, he has to be the craziest father ever! He was brilliant, but he was pure crazy. What’s even crazier is that we see a small part of him in Juliet. I still can’t get over how he treated Juliet. 

The book ends with a major cliffhanger, which frustrated me a bit, because I really wanted to know what was going to happen! Ah, the brilliantness of the cliffhanger endings. I will definitely be waiting to get my hands on the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read more than I expected to. It was definitely a unique read. It also makes me want to read The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, just so I can read the book that inspired this novel.  I am really looking forward to reading more in this series.

Happy Reading!

Weekly Book Haul #21

Gifted:
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Bought:
Easy by Tammara Webber
Such a Rush - Jennifer Echols
Going too Far - Jennifer Echols


Hey Guys!!

It's been way too long since I have done a Book Haul post!
I haven't really kept up with the books I've bought/recieved over the past 2 months.
So I'm starting over from scratch. Here are the books I've gotten in the past two weeks.

The wonderful Kathy at A Glass of Wine sent me a copy of Gone Girl as a Christmas gift. I can't wait to get started on it. Thank you again, Kathy!

My mom gave me a gift card to Barnes & Noble for Christmas, so I picked up a few books there. I had already read Easy, but didn't have my own copy.  I am SO excited to add Such a Rush and Going to Far to my Jennifer Echols collection. I love her books, and I can't wait to read them!

That's all for me! What new books did you get this week???


**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**

Review: Sacrifice by Cayla Kluver

Sacrifice
(Legacy #3)
by Cayla Kluver

Publication Date: October 23rd, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 438
ISBN: 9780373210442

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

This is not the time for the fight to end. Now is when the fight will begin. This is the time to regain what has been lost.Alera

Queen of a fallen kingdom, secretly in love with the enemy.

Shaselle

Daughter of a murdered father, rebel with a cause.

One lives behind the former Hytanican palace walls and walks the razor's edge to keep the fragile peace in her beloved homeland. The other slips through the war-torn streets, seeking retribution for her family's tragedy, following whispers of insurgency.

Both face choices that will separate them from those they cannot help but love. As their stories intertwine, a conspiracy ignites that may end in slavery or death—or lead to freedom anew, if only each can face what must be sacrificed. (Goodreads)

I have really enjoyed reading the Legacy series over the past year and a half. Sacrifice was a brilliant ending to the series that I really enjoyed, much more than I expected to.

Sacrifice picks up right where Allegiance leaves off. Alera is now the Grand Provost, under the command of the Cokyrians. Stress levels are high, and a rebellion is imminent. Alera, with the help of the Narian, must keep the peace between the Hytanicans and the Cokyrians, in order to keep her people safe. But what can she do when her people take matters into their own hands?

Alera is a character that I have always loved. Over the series, we have watched her become a very strong woman. I could think of no better character to be the Queen of Hytanica. I love the relationship between Alera and Narian. They are perfect for each other. The way that Narian cares for Alera is so sweet. They make a perfect pair together.

In the book, we also get to see a secondary viewpoint from Shaselle, whose father was murdered by the Cokyrians in the previous book.  I thought it was interesting getting to see a viewpoint from a character other than Alera. Shaselle is another strong young lady. While she didn’t always make decisions that I agreed with, I loved that she was so stubborn and headstrong.  If Kluver wanted to write a spin-off series about Shaselle, I would definitely read it!

We also get to see a bit of our favorite characters from the previous books.  London has got to be my favorite character in the series. He is so dark and mysterious, I never know what to expect from him. I can’t get enough! Steldor is another character that grew on me the more I read of this series. I will admit that I didn’t care for him too much in the beginning of the series, but he has worked his way into my heart the more I get to know about him. There are so many wonderful characters in this series, I could go on and on about them.

When I got towards the end of the book, I was starting to expect an anticlimactic ending. I should know better. The author managed to leave me speechless, hand over my mouth, with tears in my eyes at one particular part. (Don’t worry, I will not ruin that moment for you.) That is another thing I love about this series. Just when you think everything will go the way you want it, the author will throw you a curveball. I love the unexpected. (Well, most times!)

Overall, I have really enjoyed reading this series, so much more than I expected to. Cayla Kluver is an insanely talented author, and I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #95 - Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed
(The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)
by Jessica Spotswood

Publication Date: June 18th, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England. (Goodreads)

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!

I've been waiting for this book to come out for a while now. :)

My dear reading buddy Kathy, (A Glass of Wine), sent me a copy of Born Wicked in early 2012 to read, and I absolutely fell in love with the story. I can't wait to get back into the pages with these wonderful characters. :)

Sigggggggh.  Is it June yet???

What are you Waiting on this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Happy New Year * 2013 *

Happy New Year to all my fellow book loving friends and followers!

I can't believe 2012 has gone by so quickly.
I'm ready for all the wonderfulness that 2013 will hopefully bring!

As with last year, I have come up with a few resolutions for the New Year...



Read More.  Blog More.  Tweet More.
I haven't been able to be around much lately, and I really miss reading and blogging and tweeting with everyone. It makes me sad that I don't have time to do these
things much lately. I am really going to try my hardest to change that, and I
appreciate you guys being so patient with me. :)



I would really love to do a 365 photo challenge.
I love photography, and it's a passion of mine that I have put on the back burner over the years. Be it with my iPhone, or my trusty DSLr... There will be pictures. :)



I am so out of shape and have gained quite a bit of weight over the past few years.
I need to start eating healthier, and working out a bit.
This is something I need to stop putting off!



Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful life that makes me so very happy.
However, I am not happy with myself. I have many major issues, and I
really need to work on them in 2013.



My life always feels rushed.  I need to stop and take time to enjoy it more.
This is a must as well!

Sooooooooooo....



Goodbye, 2012!!

And to all my dear friends...




Happy New Year!!!