The Wrapping Up 2011 Read-a-Thon Updates

Summary:

Total Pages: 300
Updated at: 12/29/11 1:40 am

Currently Reading: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Finished Reading: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Looking For Alaska by John Green

The Books I'm Going To Read:

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

I've had a bit of a late start with Christmas and stuff but I hoping to read about 4 or 5 books from the list.
<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

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

From Goodreads:

Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills --- only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little bit. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse ---much worse--- before they get better.

This book comes out Januaray 3, 2012; and I miraculously got on the Debut Author Challenge ARC tour for it!! I am so excited to read this book! I love books from this genre so I'm expecting to enjoy this book a lot!!

<3 Shannon

Top Ten and Teaser Tuesday (11) + Tune In Tuesday (7)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Childhood Favorites

1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingles Wilder

My great grandmother gave me a box set of these books when I was really young but I didn't read them until I was in the fourth grade and my friend Stephanie and I decided to have a competition to see you could read them all first (I won!).  But they quickly became one of my favorite series and I reread them the following summer.

2. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

This was the other series that I had a competition with Stephanie (she won) and thankfully I did or it would have taken me much longer to discover the wonders of Harry. This is my favorite series!! When I need a reading pick-me-up these are the books that I go to! <3

3. The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques

The library in my middle school was sucky to say the least and I miraculously found five of these books which I read at least five times before I made my parents buy me the series . Which I have read multiple times and I am due for a reread as soon as I find the time.

4. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

I had to do a project on this book in the third grade and I really enjoyed reading it and I ended up rereading  after I was done with the project.

5. Heartland by Lauren Brooke

I have no idea how I stumbled over this series but I loved it!

6. The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B Cooney

I found this book at a book fair at my middle school and instantly fell in love with it before I was even halfway through with it. I still love it so much that it is still on my bookshelf and not packed up with the rest of my childhood books.

7. Dear America: Voyage on the Great Titanic by Ellen Emerson White 

This is another book I found at a book fair and I am really glad that I bought it because I really did like it. 

8. The Berenstain Bears by Stan Berenstain

This was one of the series that I absolutely loved when I was in elementary school.

9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

I really love this book! It is so sad and sweet; it never fails, every time I read this book I always get teary eyed. 

10. Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini

When I was real little I would make my dad read this to me almost every night because he did "a good witch voice"!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser:

"I want to scream, but I can't.
Because none of this is real.
It's just another nightmare."

-pg. 49 "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis

A weekly feature hosted by Ginger at GReads! that showcases music!!

This week kicks off a month of long tribute to bands (or singers) you've seen in concert -- or have always wanted to!

I almost had the opportunity to go to the SPACEtour but sadly I couldn't come up with the money in time, so here are my favorite songs from the Starkid plays!

Not Alone - A Very Potter Musical

To Have A Home - A Very Potter Sequel

Kick It Up A Notch - Starship

Get Back To Hogwarts - A Very Potter Musical

Voldemort Is Going Down - A Very Potter Musical

Harry Freakin' Potter - A Very Potter Sequel

Happy Tuesday!

<3 Shannon

December TBR

Books Read in November:
-The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
-The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman
-Divergent by Veronica Roth

Books Going To Be Read In December:
-Across The Universe by Beth Revis
-Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
-Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
-The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
-Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
-Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
-Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
-Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
-Specials by Scott Westerfeld
-Extras by Scott Westerfeld

<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

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

From Goodreads: 

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

This book comes out on December 6th, 2011, 6 days from now! Clockwork Angel was really good and in some ways a little bit better than the Mortal Instruments. I've already pre-ordered this book and hopefully I will get it before December 10th because Cassandra Clare is supposed to be signing books about 45 minutes from where I live then!!!! Super excited!!

<3 Shannon

Review: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

• Reading Level: Adult 
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• ISBN-10: 0374193681
• ISBN-13: 978-0374193683
• Received From: i bought it.

From Goodreads:
basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

My Thoughts:
When I bought this book I had no idea that this was an Adult book and I couldn't tell it was when I was reading it either; so the reading level is moot. This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! It has now been placed on my list of favorites and my rereading list as well.

This is such a short book and has very little words on each page but that does not hinder the book at all. On page 21, in 45 words, David Levithan breaks your heart when the narrator's girlfriend tells him that she cheated on him. The book may not have a completely happy tone; but it's real and could actually happen in real life. It's amazing that David Levithan can tell a love story in about a 1/4 of what it takes other authors and it is just as good as their books!

I cannot praise this book enough! I would recommend this book to anybody because it is just that amazing. So I give it 5 Quills! :)

<3 Shannon

Review: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray
• ISBN-10: 0062060716
• ISBN-13: 978-0062060716
• Received From: Won in a contest at Candace's Book Blog

From Goodreads:
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

My Thoughts:
Creepy books are usually not my cup of tea so I wasn't really expecting to like it as much as I did. McNeil wrote this book really well, there was one part that had me so creeped out that I wanted to stop reading it but I am glad that I did not. During the middle of the book I was a little bit confused but things eventually came together. The ending of the book really takes off and has you at the edge of your seat. 

The relationship between Bridget and her 8 year old brother Sam is really endearing and softens Bridget's hard edges and makes her more relatable to the reader as well. Bridget's love interest Matt is such a nice guy and their relationship progresses at an actual real pace, even though Matt's over protectiveness was a bit weird at first.. Also Bridget's best friend, Hector, was definitely my favorite character in the book!

All in all this was a pretty good book and it was very well written. McNeil also put a lot of time in researching the demon part of the book and that is what really pushed this book over the edge. So overall I give this book 4 Quills!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

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

From Goodreads: 

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

This title sounds absolutely fantastic! Also the love interest is British?!? That just makes him all the better, I mean who doesn't love a good British accent? I haven't heard too much about this book but it sounds like it's going to be really good read.

Top Ten and Teaser Tuesday (10) + Tune In Tuesday (6)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors I Want At My Thanksgiving Dinner

These are basically all of my favorite authors and that is why that I would want them at my Thanksgiving Dinner!
1. J.K. Rowling

2. Ellen Hopkins

3. Cassandra Clare

4. David Levithan

5. Sarah Dessen

6. Scott Westerfeld

7. Cinda Williams Chima

8. Beth Revis

9. John Green

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser:

"Measure the hope of that moment, that feeling. Everything else will be measured against it."
-pg. 3 "The Lover's Dictionary" by David Levithan

"These kinds of fights can never be won -- even if you're the victor, you've hurt the other person, and that has to be some loss associated with that."
-pg. 8 "The Lover's Dictionary" by David Levitathan

A weekly feature hosted by Ginger at GReads! that showcases music!!

Cmon Talk by Bernhoft

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

 What You Know by Two Door Cinema

Happy Tuesday!
<3 Shannon

Review: The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman
*Book 2 of the Verona Trilogy

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Fiction Studios
• ISBN-10: 1936558084
• ISBN-13: 978-1936558087
• Received From: Given for review via Pump Up Your Book

From Goodreads:
What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!
Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.
But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.
Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone. Do they have a future in this past? 

My Thoughts:
In this book the characters matured a lot, so I connected with them a little more than I did in the first book; but, they are still not my favorite characters that I have read about. The plot was also a little bit more gripping as well. The last part of the book really took off and was very intersting.

However, I still had the same problems with this book as I did in the first one. It still took me a long time to read this book, but not as long as the first book. There were a lot of descriptions in this book as well. If the author had condensed all of the information that he put in then it would be a much faster read. I also did not really see the chemistry between Hansum and Guilietta, even though they're married.

Overall I give this book 3 Quills. Still an average read but this one probably isn't going to go in my pile of books that I HAVE to reread.

 <3 Shannon

In My Mailbox (5)

 

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades.

 

 

Books From The Y'all Fest:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (new book from Lilly @ Lilly Road)

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (new book)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (new book)

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (new book)

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Books I Bought:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Books I Won In A Contest:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (from Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner)

So the reason that I have been so MIA from this blog is because school and NaNoWriMo are kicking my butt. However, in December I should be back in full force!!

<3 Shannon

October RAK Wrap Up Post

This is my October RAK Wrap Up Post:

Books Recieved:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis from Lilly at Lilly Road

Books Sent:

I sent The DUFF by Kody Keplinger to Jennifer

<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

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

From Goodreads: 

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I have read some really awesome reviews about this book and I want to read it so bad! I absolutely loved 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, I haven't really read anything by Carolyn Mackler, so I can imagine that this book would be really good! It comes out November 21st, 2011!!

<3 Shannon

November TBR Vlog

I've seen this on Reading Angel and Katie's Book Blog and I thought that I would give it a go.

I'm not going to be reading very many books this month because I am going to be participating in NaNoWriMo, which I am so very excited about :)!

Books Mentioned:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Matched by Ally Condie

<3 Shannon

Review: The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
*Book 1 of The Verona Trilogy

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Fiction Studios
• ISBN-10: 1936558025
• ISBN-13: 978-1936558025
• Received From: Given for review via Pump Up Your Book

   From Goodreads:
There's hope for the future, but what about the past? It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.
In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.
These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

My Thoughts:
This book was a very very slow read for me. I could not quite figure out the direction the plot was heading and so that also made it a little harder for me to read as well. The author also put a lot of descriptions in the book. Most of them were unnecessary; I could skim two to three paragraphs and still be able to follow the storyline just fine. I also found the sudden setting switch from 2347 to the History Camp to 1347 Verona, quite jarring and abrupt.

The characters were not easy to connect with either, it took me awhile to get used to Lincoln's personality and I still don't quite know Shamira's at all. There was one character that I didn't like at all and that was Ugilino. Throughout the book I was repulsed by him and I couldn't get over it.  I liked Hansum's character better than the others but he's not on my favorite character list.


The story did pick up and get better at the end of the book. I also really like the idea of this plot a lot. So overall, I give this book 3 Quills because it was an okay book. I probably won't be rereading it but it was still an average read.

<3 Shannon

Updates for The 24-Hour-Read-a-Thon

I'm going to post my updates/mini challenges on this page :)!

Summary:

Total Pages: 915
Total Hours: 21 hours

Currently Reading: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (214 pages read)

Finished Reading: Possess by Gretchen McNeil
The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

Beginning Meme:
1)Where are you reading from today?
South Carolina
2)Three random facts about me…
-I've been to England twice.
-I used to swim competitively
-My new obsession at the moment is: TERRA NOVA!! <3
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
11 to choose from and I'll probably finish three
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
Read three books, do some challenges, and comment on some blogs
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
 This is my first time doing this read-a-thon.

Hour 6 Mini Challenge:
What are the 5 books you are looking forward to in the next few months or really into next year?
-Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - I LOVE this series!!
-Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - I just got done reading Clockwork Angel and I LOVED it!!
-The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler - I've heard great things about this book!
-The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - The title and synopsis sound amazing!!
-City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - I can't wait to see where she takes IMS next!!

Hour 9 Mini Challenge:

This is a simple challenge, using the books you have in your home make a complete sentence out of the book titles.

Across the universe Leviathan hunted Guitar Girl, the wizard heir.

Hour 13 Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?

-I'm about to start the Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
2. How many books have you read so far?
-One, Possess by Gretchen McNeil
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
-Across the Universe by Beth Revis, if I make it that far, I have two books that I have to read before that one
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
-No, I didn't have any plans for this weekend
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
-I had to go outside to see my dog for a little bit and my sister's toy poodle kept wanting attention. I played with Apollo (my dog) for 30 minutes and I put Amelia (my sister's dog) on my bed with me while I read.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
-All the comments I have gotten and how fast I am reading, I usually get more distracted.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

-Not really, it seems to be running just fine in my opinion
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

-Make sure that I don't get distracted as much in the first half (as a reader).
9. Are you getting tired yet?

-No, it's only 8:30 pm where I am
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
-Not really, since I am sort of behind on the schedule that I set for myself

Hour 16 Mini Challenge:
A list of your top favorite reads of all time.
-Harry Potter by JK Rowling
-The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld
-The Impact Zone Series by Todd Strasser
-The Diary of a Crush Series by Sarra Manning
-The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
-The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima
-The Redwall Adventures Series by Brian Jacques

Hour 19 Mini Challenge:
1. Leave a minimum of two sentences and max of two paragraphs of how your pets have helped or hindered your reading.
 My dog Apollo is and outdoor dog so I will have to go outside and spend time/play with him for 30 minutes or an hour. My sister's dog Amelia is an indoor dog and she will come scratch at the place where I am sitting so that I will pick her up and put her beside me so that she can sleep. Finally my dad's cat, Mr. Bigs, will come and sometimes lay in front of me or on the book until I move.
2. Share a picture (or two or three) of your pet with us!

 I have one dog, Apollo :)! I adopted him from the animal shelter he's a border collie, golden retriever mix. ----->

My sister's dog Amelia. She's a toy poodle.
<-----

My dad's cat Mr. Biggs. He's a stray that randomly showed up at our house.

----->






Unfortunately our dog Daisy died Friday of heart failure while she was in the vet's office :(

R.I.P sweet Daisy girl!

<3 Shannon

The 24-Hour-Read-a-Thon!

Yikes! I've heard about this read-a-thon and I told myself that I wouldn't do it because it seems daunting...and yet here I am. I don't have the willpower to say no to a read-a-thon...it's a problem, why must I be competitive? I'm going to give myself a wide selection of books to choose from and if I fully commit I will hopefully get three read! *fingers crossed* So here goes nothing!

The Books I Am Going To Choose From:
Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Across The Universe by Beth Revis
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Eulalia! by Brian Jacques
Doomwyte by Brian Jacques
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
Thirst No. 1 by Christopher Pike
The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

<3 Shannon

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
*Book 1 of The Infernal Devices Series

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: McElderry Books
• ISBN-10: 1416975861
• ISBN-13: 978-1416975861
• Received From: Checked out from my library.

   From Goodreads:
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Thoughts:
This book is fantastic!! When I first read the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded like it would be similar to her Mortal Instruments series, but it is very different. There are some themes that are similar but if they were they had their major differences. 

For example there are the three teenage shadowhunters, two boys and one girl, but the characters couldn't be different from each other. Isabella and Jessamine couldn't be different; Jessamine wants nothing more than to get out of the shadowhunter life and get married, while Isabelle seems to thrive in it. Alec and Jem are very different as well; Jem is welcome and inviting but holds just enough back to be mysterious, while Alec is cold and closed off to anyone but his family or Jace. Jace and Will have more traits in common than any of the other characters, they both keep people at a distance but for different reasons (though Will's isn't revealed yet). Finally the main characters Clary and Tessa; Tessa lives her world according to the books that she has read and proper etiquette, while Clary is more defiant and obviously more current.

Another thing that I liked about Tessa is that she was a little less damsel-in-distress than Clary was in the first book.She seemed to handle herself better with the new world that she was thrust into. Henry is by far my favorite character that Clare has thought up so far. He's a little ditzy and clueless but when it really counts he makes it work. It is also very endearing how Tessa's knowledge of the world comes from books. Jessamine's character is very fascinating. She's fighting her heritage of being a shadowhunter with everything that she has, she would rather go shopping than even go near a weapon. But there has been a few situations when she's pushed to it she will kick some ass. Oh and Charlotte's fantastic, much better than Hodge!

This book also has a very dark feel to it; that the Mortal Instruments series doesn't have. The book is more intense and has less humor but it has a few quotes that have you laughing to break up the tension. I also like how she sticks with the etiquette of the time period and doesn't make them go completely against it. The shadowhunters are a little more relaxed but they still use it. And holy crap does it have a twist at the end!! Another plus is that it wraps up one of the main problems of the book but it nicely lays out another problem for the second book. It's not some; BOOM! cliffhanger ending.

All in all I think I like this book a little more than I like City of Bones. The characters seem to have more layers to them than IMS' do and I can't wait to see the direction that Clare takes them in! I give this book 5 Quills!!

<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

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

From Goodreads:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

I've heard some awesome things about this book from other bloggers and it has me wanting to read this book so badly!! This book comes out on Novemeber 21, 2011!! 

<3 Shannon