HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last year was filled with bumps and had barely anytime left to do any pleasure reading– trust me, it was filled with… You know what? It matters not! The point is: I barely read anything I was actually interested in, and there was not any productive writing done by me, which I am deeply ashamed of and honestly? It is driving me insane! When I read I escape from reality to a completely different world, and when I write I enter my own Neverland! So.. Without any escape I guess you can imagine how fed up with reality I have been, right? Right! I decided the situation had to change and it is a new year, I have a new attitude and want to join my book world again. I have been missing it.

I have no idea how I am to get in “reading” shape again, but I believe it is not impossible– Time to get my hands on some books ASAP because I am waaaaayyy behind on reading. Oh my! *EXCITED* I have Blood Cursed by Erica Hayes waiting for me and Alice by J.C. Noir to read right after. Fun times ahead! =)

Well… I am outtie!

Hope everyone has a lovely night– and WELCOME BACK!!!! (Including myself there)

<3

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Graphia; Original edition (October 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547341245
• ISBN-13: 978-0547341248

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Hunger is the story of Lisa, and how she went from having eating disorders to being one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse- Famine. We see how she shuns every person that was important to her despite her better judgment. After fighting with her boyfriend she decides it is time to end her life, but things take an unexpected turn when Death shows up. She is now Famine and to get out of it and change things for good she must start with changing herself.

Hunger was a very intense read regardless of how short it is. It talks about serious issues that many people try to ignore, and what I really liked is the fact that we can see the troubles it causes and it is not preachy. Quite the opposite actually, we are able to relate to Lisa and feel confused with her about everything that is going on.

I enjoyed Lisa’s character- strong, yet there was also weakness and conflict. The way she managed to carry herself amongst her friends and family even though there were issues deep within here was fascinating and something that drove the book home for me. I cried with her. My favorite character though was Death- so indifferent to everything and even if he just appeared few times, it was always powerful.

Hunger is a MUST read; you learn things as you get into the story. It is a very intense story and beautifully written. It carries a great message of perseverance and change, not to mention values as well. Ms. Kessler has shared with us one magnificent story here, thank you! I sure cannot wait for RAGE, which is coming out next year.

You can visit Ms. Kessler HERE!

Hope y’all have a lovely day!

XOXO

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345515587
• ISBN-13: 978-0345515582

For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.

Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.

Since the City of Ghosts release day was two days ago, I sneaked into my cousin’s pc to re-write my Unholy Magic review since I lost it with my laptop…

 Unholy Magic is the second book on the Downside Series. Miss Kane books just keep getting better and better. Chess’ life has been a rollercoaster since she was a kid—going through many horrible foster parents and now a junkie. And despite everything that is happening around her she keeps composure by her side and tries to help everyone, all the time whilst battling her own demons—her past—and her desire of being a better person.

 Most than everything else, what boggles me the most is how “real” the characters feel. They are so rounded that it is easy to relate to each one of them in one way or another—it fascinates me! We do get to know more of Chess’ past and Terrible’s as well; we even learn more about Lex. Ms. Kane has an ability to create male characters and romantic situations without being mushy. We have Chess that makes mistakes over and over again, and owns up to her actions—then it is easy to understand her addiction and accept it because it helps her deal with her emotional baggage.  

 The story is easy to follow and even easier to read (all it took me was one sitting—an allnighter—and it was so VERY worth it.) Everything that happens flows nicely and at a pace that keeps the reader perked up and wanting to know what is going to happen next.  

 Once again Chess’ secret is threatened by Bump—Chess’ dealer—who wants her to find out what is it that is killing hookers at Downside. Chess gets torn up between her relationship and feelings for both Terrible and Lex… Add all of that and the Church business and *BAM* -grandness ensues in the most marvelous way. EPIC I tell you!!! Be ready to yell, shed tears and bite your nails all through the story.  

 Unholy Magic can read as a standalone, yet I advice to first read Unholy Ghosts because they do mention things that happened on the first book. Trust me, this book is freaking amazing! It is like crack for me—yes, I am a junkie now *grin,* and proud of it. Once again Ms. Kane exceeds the expectation with yummy greatness. LOVED IT! *Starts reading City of Ghosts right now.*  

Now go and visit Stacia Kane over HERE!

I know it seems as if I have been a bad, bad faery– and to some extent: yes… I have not been able to post any reviews because my laptop is (still) dead *insert creepy music.* But just so you know: I do have a lot of reviews that I just have to pass as soon as I get said laptop back, I promise!

Well… I have to go– posting from a phone is not too comfortable! Hope y’all have a good day, and a good book to curl up on the couch with.

XoXo

Are there any books I should check out?

So, earlier this month I decided to do the “New Books” post a montly thing- considering I get them whenever I can… Though after yesterday, I am not sure I am going to buy much on July *cringe.* Not going into details for this one, but knowing my book buying addiction- I am not so sure it will be an easy task to achieve.

June 6

• *The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (An Eclipse Novella) by Stephenie Meyer
• *Changes (The Dresden Files, #12) by Jim Butcher
• Kiss of Life (Generation Dead, #2) by Daniel Waters

June 8th

• Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (Signed)
• *Blood Song (Bloodsinger, #1) by Cat Adams

June 19th

• *The Last Angel by Steven Savile

June 23rd

• *Keys to the Repository (Blue Bloods) by Melissa de la Cruz
• *Dark Flame (The Immortals, #4) by Alyson Noel

June 29th

• Kraken by China Miéville
• Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton
• Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, #2) by Nicole Peeler
• Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, #1) by Richelle Mead
• Succubus on Top (Georgina Kincaid, #2) by Richelle Mead
• Sisters Red (Sisters Red, #1) by Jackson Pearce

June 30th

• The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Pat Rothfuss (Signed speshul ed. )

And my Super-Special batch thanks to a friendie who passed by the BEA 2010:

• Hold Me Closer Necromancer (ARC) by Lish McBride
• Hunger (Horsemen of the Apocalypse, #1) (ARC) by Jackie Morse Kessler
• Sapphique (Incarceron, #2) (ARC) by Catherine Fisher
• Married with Zombies (Living With the Dead, #1) (ARC) by Jesse Petersen
• Halo (ARC) by Alexandra Adornetto
• Flu by Wayne Simmons (Not from BEA)

(*) Booksies I read

Gabriel Rush takes a photograph of a beautiful sad-faced hooker in a down town bar and is stunned by what he sees when the picture is developed. At first he thinks it is a flaw in the photograph, but then he recognizes it for what it is, the mark of the Trinity Killer. It is the same mark that scars the faces of mutilated corpses that are turning up all over New York City.

Racing to warn the woman, Gabriel instead finds himself haunted by visions and fighting against time to save his future, the woman he loves, his friends, and – when the killer’s identity is finally revealed – his own sanity.

This is actually my first book in the Horror genre, and I have been corrupted with no chance of turning back– That is how good it was. Savile takes us through this picturesque and disturbing journey in which Gabe Rush tries to save his own life, his girlfriend, and his sanity from the “Trinity Killer.”

The Last Angel was so unlike anything I have ever read before– in the best way possible, of course. What fascinated me the most was the way Savile plays with words, making the scenes so easy to picture. The writing is so enticing that at times I would go back to re-read some scenes and examine the way the author phrased it. Of course, there are parts that are grotesque and disturbing, but it just makes them even more captivating [or does it make me a sicko?] It is one of those books that makes me wish I were a film-maker so I could bring it to the big screen. The POV changes made the story flow neatly and it kept me biting on my lips nervously.

This might be a short book, but it is not an easy read. It keeps the reader thinking, yet not in a distractive sort of way. The only problem I had was my greediness– I wanted more! So thank you very much, Mr. Savile, for introducing me to the genre with such a  thrilling read– I LOVED it!

PS: Is this not one of the most amazing covers ever?

You can get this book HERE or HERE. And do not forget to visit Steven Savile’s site.

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won’t join him, he won’t rest until he’s silenced her… forever.

I find it impossible to talk about Spirit Bound without spoiling anyone- I am sorry! If you have not read the book and do not wish to read spoilers then I am sorry, but I just need to gush about this one.

Rose and Lisa graduate then go looking for Victor and get him out of prison with a friend. They get him to contact his brother in Vegas- another Spirit user. Victor’s brother tells them what Rose wanted to know—how to save Dimitri, but while they are going out Dimitri and his gang of strigoi attack and Victor runs free with his brother. They all go back to their lives while Rose sulks a bit because she thinks it will be impossible to rescue her lost lover. But soon enough the day comes, Lisa and Christian get abducted by Dimitri and while they are distracted Lisa makes the move and Magic happens—Dimitri is once again alive… I will leave it at that for the time being…

I was so worried about that part; I did not have the slightest clue as to how Mr. Mead planned to redeem Dimitri. She did it amazing and it was so easy to picture as well. Once again Richelle Mead exceeds every expectation—the series get better and better with every book.

On this book we see how much Rose has grown as a character—how mature she has become. We get to know the characters a bit more, and surprise: Dimitri has a vulnerable spot. Adrian is as crazy as ever and even sweeter than before [I Looove Adrian.] Lisa and Christian? Let’s say I was not a fan of Lisa in here—even when I knew it was not her fault that Dimitri looked up to her as a goddess… But hey, I was feeling like Rose, [jealous much?] I mean, Rose left everything behind for him; he was brought back thanks to her despite Lisa’s touch on it. I was so pissed at that. I understood why Dimitri kept pushing her away, but that did not take away my desire of kicking him in the… In a place that would hurt, that is. Also, I love Rose’s dad, he makes the book so much fun since he appeared for the first time; and Rose is just like him! And I am so proud of how Adrian is doing; I love how understanding his is and how he is trying to be better for Rose.

Spirit Bound was ah-mazing. I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot; and also how little we can foresee of what is actually going to happen. I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next one to come out! I am telling you, I read this book in one sitting—I was not able to put it down at all.

• Mass Market: Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; Original edition (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345515579
• ISBN-13: 978-0345515575

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

Chess, a ghost debunker hired by the Church of Real Truth, must do what she can to figure out why ghosts are out of control these days; if she does not do so her dealer is threatening to expose a secret that might ruin her life. The following days are full drugs, threats, deaths, sexual release and a pinch of caring which will make the situation even more confusing and harder for her to get out of it.

Unholy Ghosts is the first book of the Downside Series by Stacia Kane. I admit that I had very high expectations on this one; which you would understand if you have read the Megan Chase Series by Ms. Kane as well. Let me just say that these book did not disappoint and exceeded those expectations. Once again I have fallen in love with Stacia Kane’s writing—and characters, of course.

First of all, the world-building was fantastic! I was amazed by how well crafted it was, and I want to read more of it (which makes the wait for book #2 quite excruciating.) Everyone there needs the church in order to survive and get the ghosts shipped to where they belong by the debunkers that work for it. I liked the magic and darkness of this world, how there are creatures lurking and living there as well. From the intricacy of this magical world to the language and characters that live on it, everything is fascinating.

The characters- what can I say about them? It is impressive how in 352 pages Ms. Kane was able to create very well defined characters! Granted, I would have liked to know a bit more about each of them; most of all Chess and her history with drugs—but hey, there are two more books coming out next month *thrilled.* I loved Terrible and how sweet he was in a twisted way. And about Lex… I liked him because he was different, sexy with a hint of tenderness that made him alluring to some extent; but I am sorry, I am still “Team Terrible.” I cannot wait to see how everything is going to finish between Chess and the two yummy men.

As twisted as this sounds, I loved the worms parts! It was a bit yucky I admit, but it made everything even more interesting—so much so that I stayed up until the wee hours of dawn just to finish it, even with it being finals wee. Though let me tell you something: it was SO worth it! So yeah… Make sure to get this book as soon as you can, you will not be able to put it down until you finish it. Yikes! I cannot wait for Unholy Magic. I am telling you, Stacia Kane’s stories are like freaking crack.

Go and visit Stacia Kane in HERE! (Join the Downside Army, too)

So, here I am, ready to throw myself out there and odds are that you guys will likely be raising torches and pitchforks after I am done with these (I will go slow and just mention 3 major YummyFails) So I ask nicely, please- be careful not to burn my hair; I am quite fond of it as it is. Thank you very much! LOL

1- Stephen King-

I have never read any of his books… Shameful? Maybe, but please keep in mind that I did not grow up in the US and books were very expensive where I grew up. And even if some of the movies that have been brought to screen from his books, but I did not know who he was until a few years back. Please do not get your panties in a bunch, Mr. King is already on my TBR list; so sooner rather than later I will read his writingzzz.

2- Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse Series-

Okie, this is the hardest part–> I really do not like this series much. I have the first seven books and I only got to the fourth one. Before you start saying something, I am not saying that Charlaine Harris’ writing is bad; not by a long shot. Her writing is awesome and the plot in the books so far was pretty amazing, so it is easy for me to understand why a lot of people love these books– I really do. But it is just not my cup of tea, or water, or whatever I feel like drinking at a given moment. Should I give the books another try? One day soon, hopefully before classes begin. I promise I will try to read them again soon, so please do not hate me. *grin* I do love the HBO show though

3- L. K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series

I have not read this series yet, despite the fact that I have the first 4 books and other 2 that a friendie got me for Christmas last year. This is another series that I hope to read (or at least part of it) before next semester begins. But yeah, I guess you can call this a ReadingFail just like with Stephen King. =)