Weekly Book Haul #24

Bought:
Requiem - Lauren Oliver (YAY!!)

Review:
Goddess - Josephine Angelini (O.M.G!!)

Galleys:
Walking Disaster - Jamie McGuire
The Girl With The Iron Touch - Kady Cross
The Eternity Cure - Julie Kagawa

The Deepest Night - Shana Abe
Of Triton - Anna Banks
True - Erin McCarthy

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've done a Book Haul post.
(My apologies for that.)
Here are some books that I have gotten over the past few weeks. :)

Goddess and Requiem! SOOOO Excited to finally read both of these!!
Walking Disaster as well. I can't wait to read Travis's story.

So many great books! I can't wait to read them ALL!

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.**

Waiting on Wednesday #100 - Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After
by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: September 17th 2013
Publisher: Dutton

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new. (Goodreads)

Yay! I am so excited to finally see a cover for Isla and the Happily Ever After! While I think it's a very nice cover, I'm still a bit bummed that it won't match the other books in the series that I already own. I really dislike when publishers do this. I will just have to deal with a mismatched set, because
I MUST HAVE THIS BOOK! :P

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 Murmuring by Carly Anne West

The Murmurings
by Carly Anne West

Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781442441798
For Review

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn’t believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.

As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not…. (Goodreads)

I was so excited to get a chance to review The Murmurings by Carly Anne West. I have recently started to really enjoy creepy books, and creepy is definitely what you get with this read.

The main character in the story is Sophie, who is in mourning following the tragic death of her sister, Nell.  Everyone thought that Nell had gone crazy, and now they think the same about Sophie. With the help of her school mate Evan, Sophie sets out to find out exactly what happened to her dear sister, and why the same seems to be happening to herself as well.

Sophie was an interesting character. While I liked her for the most part, there were times when I wanted to reach into the book and shake the girl. But I found her determination admirable. She was determined to find out what happened to her sister, and what exactly was going on with herself as well.  I found Evan to be a bit confusing at first, I couldn’t figure out his angle. But it does become clearer throughout the book.

The romance in the book between Sophie and Evan seemed a little bit rushed to me. In parts, it even seemed forced. I’m not saying that I didn’t like the characters together; I did. I just wish that the relationship had grown a little bit more than it actually did.

The book started off a little slow, but by the middle, I was definitely turning the pages as quickly as I could to find out what was going to happen next.  Some parts of the book were super creepy, and to be honest, not exactly what I expected when I first started reading the book. It’s kind of like the book took a completely different direction that I expected to. Again, not that this was a bad thing; it was just not what I was expecting. 

Overall, I found The Murmurings to be a very interesting read. I do believe that fans of creepy books will definitely enjoy this read.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #99 - Deception by C.J. Redwine

Deception
(Defiance #2)
by C.J. Redwine

Publication Date: August 27th, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight. (Goodreads)

I loooooooooved Defiance when I read it last year. Rachel is such an amazing character, so strong and determined. The ending of the story definitely left me hanging on, so I can't wait to get my hands on this sequel!

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.**

Waiting on Wednesday #98 - Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Teardrop
(Teardrop #1)
by Lauren Kate

Publication Date: October 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away. (Goodreads)

It is a well known fact in TheReaderBee household that I LOVE Lauren Kate. She is such a wonderful writer, and I am always drawn to her stories. Her newest book, Teardrop, sounds insanely amazing! I've already pre-ordered my copy. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

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: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To
(Pushing the Limits #2)
by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 28th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780373210633

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

For Review via Netgalley & Harlequin (UK) Limited

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... (Goodreads)

I read Pushing the Limits in 2012, and enjoyed it so very much. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Dare You To, and I was very thankful to have managed to get a review copy from Netgalley. I enjoyed Dare You To just as much, if not a little more, than Pushing the Limits.

Dare You To picks up not long after Pushing the Limits leaves off. The main character for this story is Beth, who we met in PTL. Beth has quite an interesting story of her own, especially the story of her past. I did find her to be a bit frustrating at times, at one point I wanted to reach into the book and shake her! But I thought she was a very complex, detailed character. The girl has definitely been through a lot, and Beth has major issues as a result. It was these issues, and how Beth overcomes them, that kept me so engrossed in the story.

The love interests in the story are totally yummy. The first interest is Isaiah, who we met in the previous book, and is a total bad boy.  The second love interest is Ryan, the baseball jock at Beth’s new school. It really wasn’t much of a love triangle, so to speak. It’s pretty obvious that both boys care about Beth, but I found it easy to choose a team pretty early on, and stuck with it.

The thing I liked most about Dare You To is that the author kept me guessing. I totally expected the book to go in a completely different direction than the direction it took. I was pleasantly surprised by this.  The characters were very likeable and were easy to relate to, especially Beth.  I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which will be Isaiah’s story.

Happy Reading!

Weekly Book Haul #23

Bought:
Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Breaking Point - Kristen Simmons
The Indigo Spell - Richelle Mead

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've done a book haul post.
I haven't actually been keeping up with what I've gotten lately. (shame!)
These are the books I've gotten in the last two weeks.

Unravel Me is AMAZING!
If you haven't started the series yet, you definitely need to.

I can't wait to get started on the rest of the books I bought.

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: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me
(Shatter Me #1)
by Tahereh Mafi

Publication Date: February 5th, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 480
ISBN: 9780062085535

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

tick

tick

tick

tick

tick

it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life. (Goodreads)

Tahereh Mafi has once again managed to blow me away with her insane writing skills. After pining away for Unravel Me for over a year, I have finally read the book, and I am torn on if I love this just as much, or more than Shatter Me. 

Unravel Me picks up a few weeks after Shatter Me left off.  Juliette is trying to cope with her new surroundings after being locked away for so long. She is free; free of the asylum and free of being Warner’s captive. But things aren’t as she hoped in her new surroundings. People still avoid her, she feels like an outcast, and Adam is being distant, dealing with his own issues.  But with the help of some unlikely sources, things soon start to look up for dear Juliette.

Juliette is such a great character. I have always really enjoyed how strong a character she is. Adam, I think, is one of the most perfect male leads ever.  I have always loved the relationship between Juliette and Adam. They care about each other deeply, and at times their love can be fierce. There were some moments in the book between Juliette and Adam that had me tearing up, they were so intense. Ok, tearing up is putting it mildly… I literally had to sit the book down and go in search of a hanky!

Ms. Mafi made such a very interesting character in Warner. I didn’t really care for him too much in Shatter Me; I found him to be such a heartless character. Then I read some from his point of view in Destroy Me. From there, I started to care for him just a little bit. We get to see yet another side of him in Unravel Me, and I must say, it was a completely unexpected side of him. While I am definitely not Team Warner, I do care for him, just not as much as Adam.

Kenji was an unexpected joy in this novel. To be honest, I didn’t really pay much attention to him when we first met in Shatter Me. But in Unravel Me, he proves to be such a great character, and definitely one of my favorites. He is hilarious, but he also does what he has to do for the greater good. I love Kenji.

I found the storyline for the book to be very realistic and engrossing. I could definitely feel all the emotions that Juliette was going through, and I am glad to see that things weren’t perfect for her right away. While the self loathing did get a little old at times, I am glad that she went through it, because it made it feel more real to me.   Ms. Mafi did an excellent job with the descriptions as well; I could picture the setting perfectly in my mind.  The story definitely had me on the edge of my seat at times, especially at the end!

Overall, I think I enjoyed Unravel Me even more than I did Shatter Me. (Which happened to be one of my most favorite books of 2011.)  This is definitely a series that I will reread over and over again. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!

Happy Reading!

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!