ARC Reading Challenge

I've started out at the Bronze Level: 12 ARCs in the year of 2012

January:

1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
2. The Hangman in the Mirror by Kate Cayley
3. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
4. Slide by Jill Hathaway

February:

1. Partials by Dan Well
2. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
3. Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz 

March:

1. Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
2. The Thirteenth Sacrifice by Debbie Viguie
3. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
4. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
5. Emerald City by Alicia K. Leppert
6. Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
7. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
8. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

April:

1. The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry 
2. Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
3. Underworld by Meg Cabot
4. Until I Die by Amy Plum
5. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
6. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
7. The Selection by Kiera Cass
8. Gilt by Katherine Longshore
9. The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

May:

1. Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
2. Dead Time by Anne Cassidy
3. Endure by Carrie Jones 
4. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
5. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
6. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
7. A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer
8. Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
9. Timepiece by Myra McEntire
10. Rapture by Lauren Kate
11. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
12. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
13. Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti 
14. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
15. Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

June:

1. Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
2. One Moment by Kristina McBride
3. Once by Anna Carey
4. On the Day I Died by Candace Fleming
5. Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
6. The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman
7. The Asylum Interviews: Bronx by Jocelynn Drake
8. The Hunter and the Hunted by Kelley Armstrong 

July:

1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard 
2. The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter
3. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
4. Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein
5. Otherkin by Nina Berry
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 
7. Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards 
8. Burn Mark by Laura Powell

August:

1. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
2. Defiance by C.J. Redwine
3. Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
4. Inbetween by Tara Fuller
5. Spark by Brigid Kemmerer
6. Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught
7. The Asylum Interviews: Trixie by Jocelynn Drake
8. Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield
9. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
10. The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox
11. Auracle by Gina Rosati
12. Ten by Gretchen McNeil
13. Beneath a Rising Moon by Keri Arthur

September:

1. Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout (add to linky)
2. Speechless by Hannah Harrington (add to linky)
3. Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (add to linky)
4. Covet by Melissa Darnell (add to linky)
5. What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (add to linky)
6. Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (add to linky)
7. The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini (add to linky)
8. Velveteen by Daniel Marks (add to linky)
9. Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed (add to linky)
10. Through to You by Emily Hainsworth (add to linky)
11. Breathe by Sarah Crossan (add to linky)
12. Into the Woods by Kim Harrison (add to linky)

October:

1. Mystic City by Theo Lawrence (add to linky)
2. Skies of Steel by Zoe Archer (add to linky)
3. All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin (add to linky)
4. Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake (add to linky)
5. Conjure by Lea Nolan (add to linky)

I just won an award!

I just won a Versatile Blogger Award from Daydreamer3 over at The Daydreamer's Book Obsession!

Thank you!

 Rules :

• Thank and link to the blogger who bestowed the award
• Share seven random facts about yourself (see below)
• Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers--and be sure to let them know

7 Random facts about me :
  1. I play piano, bass, and I sing... along with writing music 
  2. I was a musician up until I was 27 years old, then I started college
  3. I have a black rescue cat named Joey who I love more than anything
  4. I generally read a book in one day... If it's a long book, then my eyes are killing me the next day, but I don't care
  5. I miss Chicago every day, and I want to go back, but I know I can't until I finish school. 
  6. I also write stories, and I'm working on a book.
  7. I love sushi and coffee




I wish to give this awesome award to(Go visit , and say Hello! )  :
1. Books Ahoy
2. Bookcase to Heaven
3. Bibliophyte
4. Coz Even Pretty Girls Need To Read
5. Chick Lit = The New Black

Awesome giveaway

Smitten Over Books is having an amazing giveaway this month! You can choose from THREE amazing prize packs. Head on over and enter the contest!

100+ Books in 2012 Challenge

Another reading challenge that I'm taking part in is the 100+ books in 2012 hosted by Book Chick City. I'm sure I read more than 100 books in a year, so I should be fine with this. Here is a link if you'd like to participate as well: http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/12/sign-up-100-books-in-year-reading.html

Good luck to all who participate!

2012 Challenges

Hey guys, I will be taking part in the 2012 ARC challenge. Since I've never done this before, I'm starting out at Bronze level and going up from there. Would you like to take the ARC challenge as well?

http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-arc-reading-challenge.html

So far I've read:

1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton

I'm in the process of reading:

1. The Hangman in the Mirror by Kate Cayley
2. Alias Dragonfly by Jane Singer
3. The Happenstance Marshall by Michael O'Gara
4. In Shadows by Rebecca S. Foote

Another reading challenge that I'm taking part in is the 100+ books in 2012 hosted by Book Chick City. I'm sure I read more than 100 books in a year, so I should be fine with this. Here is a link if you'd like to participate as well: http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/12/sign-up-100-books-in-year-reading.html

Good luck to all who participate!

Yet another challenge I'm doing is the A-Z Book Challenge because it sounds like a lot of fun! I'll be doing the "Lazy Way" of listing my books as I read them. I'll keep a running list here on my blog and update it as I read the books!

 


Head on over and sign up!


I'm also doing the 2012 YA Mythology Challenge because I love Mythology and YA books!






And the last challenge I'll be joining is the E-Book reading challenge because I love my Kindle! If you'd like to join it, feel free to join it here: http://www.workadayreads.com/2011/11/2012-ebook-challenge-sign-up.html

The Hollow Blog Tour is coming here!

Be sure to check back January 5th for my review of Everneath!

The Hollow Blog tour is making a stop here at Fall Into Books to celebrate the January 24th release of Everneath. If you haven't ordered your copy, go do it now! You do NOT want to miss this book! My review will be complete with links to the pre-order pages. I can't wait to post this review! Thanks for reading!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade
Andrea Cremer

Grade: A-


Description from goodreads.com


Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?


My thoughts on the book:


I enjoyed Nightshade quite a bit. The cover is obviously gorgeous (probably my favorite cover of all time), and Calla is an amazing heroine. However, I cannot stand Shay. The song "Don't Be A Girl About It" by Kelly Clarkson keeps coming to mind when I think of Shay. Ren, on the other hand, is wonderful. 


Calla saves Shay from getting killed by a bear and then is plagued by him everywhere she goes. She broke th rules to save him, and she is terrified that he will tell the Keepers (basically witches who are in charge of the wolves) what she's done and she'll be killed. Of course she's curious about him because the Keepers treat him as if he's important, and since her entire destiny has been decided for her by the Keepers (she's betrothed to Ren and destined to be co-alpha of a new pack), she wants control over her own life. Because of this, she can't seem to stay away from Shay. 

To me, Shay comes across as a pansy. He's weak. I mean I know he's human, but he's an overly emotional twit. Thankfully, Calla is a strong character. After Bella Swan and the 900 other weak-minded/emotionally dependent characters that followed her, Calla is very refreshing, and I like the fact that she saves Shay repeatedly and not the ohter way around. However, Shay is just clingy and overly emotional. He got on my nerves a lot. 

Ren is a lovely character, and he embodies all of the characteristics that a hero should have. However, Shay, I think, is supposed to be the hero. Yucko. Ren is brave, strong, and hot. He's also loyal to Calla and would risk his life for her. Shay, on the other hand, cowers behind her every chance he gets. 

Calla reminds me a lot of myself. That's probably why I could relate to her character so well. She's a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, and she is not a romantic at all. She's very practical, and until Shay comes and mucks things up, she is content with her decided future. I do think it's good for Calla get gain her own freedom and make her own decisions. I just feel that associating with Shay is a bad decision. 

My irritation with Shay aside, Cremer has created a wonderful world, located in Vail, CO, that is dark and somewhat terrifying. I don't mean ghosts jumping out at you terrifying, I mean terrifying because of the society Calla lives in. Her every move is dictated by the Keepers who use Wraiths (think evil spirits) to torture those who go against their rules. They decide who marries whom, and the women of the pack can't touch a man until they are married. Going against that rule would get the women tortured or killed. Furthermore, the Keepers can basically force anyone in any pack to have sex with them, and there is nothing that any of the wolves can do about it because of the Wraiths. The Keepers have absolute power, and it has corrupted them absolutely. 

In the novel, there are a few phrases that are worded awkwardly, such as, "Did he hit you with his flesh or a weapon?" But over all, the entire story was well-written. The awkward phrases made me give this book an A- because they stood out and distracted me momentarily. Awkward phrasing and Shay aside, I loved this book. The story itself is fantastic, and I could not put it down until I finished it. You will be kept on the edge of your seat with this one. 

Want to read Nightshade?