Book #28: Betrayed

Title: Betrayed (Book #2 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 1, 2012
Date finished reading:  March 2, 2012

Publish date: September 2009
ISBN: 978-0312596293
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "Zoey, High Priestess in training, has managed to settle in at the House of Night and come to terms with the vast powers the Vampyre Goddess Nyx has given her. Just as she finally feels she belongs, the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves." (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

How I obtained the book: Received through the Paperback Swap book club. (I had to pay to mail a book to another member in order to receive a credit to request this book)

My commentary:

•  It really does bother me how badly Christians are portrayed in this series. It's not flat-out insults, but it's quite apparent that Christianity is supposed to be viewed as negative. It shows pagan/Wiccan rituals as the main spiritual element. That wouldn't bother me much if Christians weren't often shown negatively. I keep trying to remind myself that the books are set in Oklahoma, and here in the so-called Bible Belt, the churches may actually react the way they do in the books if vampires were revealed to be real in true life. 
• In this book, there is a scene in which a girl has a vision of a boat hitting a bridge and the bridge falling into a river thus killing all the people in the cars which were on the bridge. The deaths were averted. This is clearly based on the "I-40 Bridge Disaster" from 2002 near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma. Fourteen people were killed. I'm not sure if using this scenario in the book is ok or not. Maybe the authors were wanting to create a situation in which those people were saved, like re-writing history through a book... or maybe they just wanted to create a plausible disaster for Oklahoma. I'm just not sure what the real-life victims' families would think about it being used in a horror book.
• I've noticed that love triangles seem to be very prevalent in teen paranormal books. In "Twilight," Bella is torn between a vampire and a werewolf. In "Vampire Diaries," Elena is torn between a normally "good" vampire and a normally "bad" vampire. In "Vampire Academy," Rose is torn between vampire Adrian and half-vampire/half-human Dimitri. In this "House of Night" book, Zoey is actually torn between three guys, which is sort of refreshing because it adds a fourth element to the romance. One guy is an adult, a part-time teacher, and vampire. One is another teenage fledgling at the House of Night, and the third is a human teenager whom she dated before being "marked."
• Considering that Zoey is a virgin, there sure is a lot more focus on the books so far about sex than I expected. I could seriously live without the sexual references. At one point, Zoey is kissing Heath, and she rubs the "bulge in his pants." I should be relieved at least that it wasn't called his "throbbing member" like many cheesy romance novels.

Buy on Amazon.com: Betrayed: A House of Night Novel

Book #27: Marked

Title: Marked (Book #1 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: Feb. 28, 2012
Date finished reading:  Feb. 29, 2012

Publish date: May 2007
ISBN: 978-0312360269
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: After a Vampire Tracker Marks her with a crescent moon on her forehead, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx and has affinities for all five elements: Air, Fire Water, Earth and Spirit. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends (or Nerd Herd, as Aphrodite calls them). (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

How I obtained the book: Bought for 81 cents at thrift store

Memorable quotes:

• "Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse I saw the dead guy standing next to my locker." ~ Zoey
• "If I died, would it get me out of my geometry test tomorrow? One could only hope." ~ Zoey
• "Darkness does not always equate to evil. Just as light does not always bring good."

My commentary:

• I've heard a lot about this book series over the years mainly because the authors are from my state, and the books are set in the state. I didn't think I'd want to read them, but I thought I'd go for it. It's really odd because most of the places and all of the towns mentioned in the book really exist in real life. It's odd for me to read about vampires existing in towns that I know very well, and I've been to some of the places where scenes take place. It's so surreal. Nothing is as weird as the books saying that country music superstar and Oklahoma native Garth Brooks is a vampire. That was crazy. I really wonder what Garth thinks about being made into a vampire
• The beginning of this book was rather confusing to me. It jumped right into the action without explaining any background first. It felt like I was reading the second book in a series, not the first. The background of the vampire legend is being explained slowly over the course of the book, so at first, it was confusing trying to figure out what the authors' take on vampires was
• One of the reasons I like reading young adult genre books is I normally don't have to deal with much sexual content.  This book talks about oral sex very early on, and I cringed. The authors are a mother and daughter. I can't imagine them sitting down and writing about teenagers engaging in oral sex. 
• I've said before that I always find it interesting to see how each author I read interprets the vampire legend. The "House of Night" vampires don't have fangs and instead are "marked" with magical tattoos. Vampires without fangs? That seems pretty odd, but at least it's not stupid like how the "Twilight" vampires sparkle when they go into the sunlight. I guess it could be worse than no-fanged, tattooed vampires... 
• The book included many negative references to Christianity, which bothers me in many ways. It speaks a lot about Christians who are really judgmental. It portrays Christians as the enemy. I'm trying to overlook that

Buy on Amazon.com: Marked (House of Night, Book 1)

Book #26: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Title: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Author: Catherine Jinks

Date started reading: Feb. 20, 2012
Date finished reading:  Feb. 23, 2012

Publish date: September 2010
ISBN: 978-0547411668
Number of pages: 384

Official summary: "Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves. Nina Harrison became a vampire in 1973, when she was fifteen, and she hasn't aged a day since then. But she hasn't had any fun, either; she still lives with her mum, and the highlight of her sickly, couchbound life is probably her Tuesday-night group meeting, which she spends with a miserable bunch of fellow sufferers, being lectured at. But then one of the group is mysteriously turned to ashes . . . and suddenly they're all under threat. That's when Nina decides to prove that every vampire on earth isn't a weak, pathetic loser. Along with her friend Dave, she hunts down the culprit ─ and soon finds herself up against some gun-toting werewolf traffickers who'll stop at nothing. Can a bunch of feeble couch potatoes win a fight like this? Is there more to your average vampire than meets the eye?" (http://www.catherinejinks.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Bought for $2.16 at used book store. I had never heard of the book, but I spotted it in the clearance section and after reading the cover description, I just had to buy it

Memorable quotes:

•  Critics quote on the cover from "The Bulletin" -- "Jinks takes readers on a wild ride... a first-rate comedy with equal appeal for avid vampire fans and those who wouldn't be caught dead with a copy of Twilight"
• "The plain fact is, I can't do anything much. That's part of the problem. Vampires are meant to be so glamorous and powerful, but I'm here to inform you that being a vampire is nothing like that. Not one bit. On the contrary, it's like being stuck indoors with the flu watching daytime television, forever and ever."
• "There's only one thing worse than being a vampire, and that's being an elderly vampire with bad hips."
• "When someone’s rattling on about blocked toilets, collapsing marquees, and penis-shaped birthday cakes, it’s hard to convince yourself that you’re in a life-or-death situation."
• "Welcome to my world. It's the kind of place where you can't do the simplest thing without risking a full-blown hemorrhage. God I'm sick of it."
• "As a vampire, the very worst thing that you have to deal with -- worse than the isolation, and the indignities, and the health problems -- is the fact that a large chunk of the world's population wants to kill you. For no good reason."
• "Don't ever believe that vampires are fearless. ... When the whole world hates you, fear becomes your friend." 
• "Never in my wildest dreams had I ever expected to run afoul of a genuine vampire slayer. Blade and Van Helsing are fictional characters, after all; they're not supposed to be walking around in real life." 
• "I've become more and more disillusioned, as I've discovered that glamorous vampires don't exist except in books"
• "Vampires make untidy houseguests"
• "In a dingy, well-worn, utilitarian environment like my mother's kitchen, vampires are all of a piece with the discolored grouting, the ancient electric jug, and the baked-on grease stains in the oven"

My commentary before reading it: Normally vampires are supposed to be scary or sexy or some mix of scary and sexy. This book goes totally against that, so I was interested in it from the minute I spotted it. The critic's quote on the cover (see the first quote shown above) really caught my attention. Anything that slams the "Twilight" crowd amuses me

My commentary after: MOST BORING BOOK EVER. Okay, maybe it's not the most boring book I've ever read, but it was damn close. I wanted to like it. I really did, but I couldn't. Maybe there is a reason that vampires are normally scary or sexy. These vampires are sure not scary or sexy. They are flat out pathetic and annoying cause all they talk about is how pathetic they are. The reviews talked about how funny the book was, but I don't see it. The first couple chapters were amusing to see the jokes cracked at the vampires' expense, but that got old quickly, and there was nothing funny from there. I was also a little annoyed by how it uses many slang terms/nicknames used in Australia. It makes sense just because it's set it Australia, but I had to drum up everything I've learned from talking online to a woman I've become friends with in Australia. It bothered me for some reason that they called drinking someone's blood "fanging" them. Saying "fang" them is so odd. Why not "bite" them or "drink their blood"? The vampires drink blood from guinea pigs. That's not even interesting at all. On "The Vampire Diaries," Stefan drinks blood from squirrels or rabbits or other small creatures that are at least somewhat interesting because you have to hunt them. Guinea pigs just sit in a cage. There's no hunt. There is no struggle. There's nothing interesting about that. It's just sad and pathetic, and kinda gross...

Buy on Amazon.com: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Book #25: Two Truths and a Lie

Title: "Two Truths and a Lie" (Book #3 in "The Lying Game" series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Date started reading: Feb. 19, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 20, 2012

Publish date: February 2012
ISBN: 978-0061869747
Number of pages: 304

Official summary: "My killer is out there. And my sister might be next. Two months before I died, my best friend’s brother disappeared. I have no idea where Thayer went or why he left, but I know it’s my fault. I did a lot of horrible things while I was alive, things that made people hate me, maybe even enough to kill me. Desperate to solve my murder, my long-lost twin, Emma, is pretending to be me and unraveling the many mysteries I left behind — my cryptic journal, my tangled love life, the dangerous Lying Game pranks I played. She’s uncovered my friends’ darkest secrets, but she’s never had the chance to dig into Thayer’s past — until now. Thayer’s back and Emma has to move fast to figure out if he’s after revenge... or if he’s already gotten it." (http://www.harperteen.com)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $13.76 from Barnes & Noble

Memorable quotes:

• "One thing I'd learn about being dead was that I'd made a lot of mistakes when I was alive. Mistakes I could never set right." ~ Sutton
• "This one-way-communication thing was a serious flaw in the whole being-dead thing." ~ Sutton

My commentary:

• With all the supernatural type of books, movies, and TV shows I enjoy, you'd think I'd have no problem getting into a story about a ghost and her alive long lost teenage twin sister, but somehow I still have issues with the storyline. Don't get me wrong... I love the storyline. I love Sara Shepard's books. She's creative and constantly throws in plot twists that are very interesting, but I keep getting hung up on the idea that Sutton's spirit is just following Emma around as she tries to solve Sutton's death. I have a strong feeling it's because I'm so obsessed with the TV show that it crosses over into the book series. It's hard for me to think of Sutton as being dead because both teens are alive on the show. I don't usually have trouble separating books from shows or movies based on them, but in this case I do. Sometimes I wish the books were more like the show, but in the end, the books are still a good read
• Sara Shepard is so good at interweaving current events and trends/fads into her writing that it almost surprises me. Sometimes I wonder if she has teenage girls acting as advisers telling her what's popular in the world of teen music, clothes, TV, etc., or maybe she reads all the teenage magazines herself. Regardless of how she does it, I REALLY love that she references Kelly Clarkson's song "Mr. Know It All" during a nightmare Emma has about Thayer. It was a perfect song to refer to considering the nightmare's topic and it's a very recent hit song. I get lost sometimes on all her fashion references (more so with the "Pretty Little Liars" series than this one) because I'm just totally not up on fashion designers, but it's still very impressive
• I wonder how many books Shepard can crank out in this series without Emma solving the murder. Three books and the murderer is still a mystery.

Buy on Amazon.com: The Lying Game #3: Two Truths and a Lie

Book #24: Bloodlines

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 16, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 18, 2012

Publish date: August 2011
ISBN: 978-1595143174
Number of pages: 432

Official summary: "Blood doesn't lie... Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning..." (http://www.richellemead.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

• UPDATE: Ended up buying for $9.58 from Barnes & Noble on March 20

Memorable quotes:

• "The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do." ~ Adrian
• "The complications just kept growing. Repeat high school. Live with a vampire. Keep her in witness protection. And even thought I'd talked up how comfortable I was around vampires, the thought of sharing a room with one ... was unnerving." ~ Sydney
• "I didn't trust any guy who used more (hair) styling products than I did." ~ Sydney about Keith
• "The next time you decide to go rogue with vampires and dhampirs, get a little back up so you don't get in as much trouble." ~ Keith to Sydney
• "The Alchemists' job was important. Knowing vampires existed would create a panic. Worse, it could drive some weak-willed humans into becoming slaves to the Strigoi in exchange for immortality and the eventual corruption of their souls." ~ Sydney
• "He's a few pints short of  a blood bank" ~ Keith about Clarence
• "If I'd learned anything, it was that things were never simple when Abe Mazur was involved. He was a puppet master of sorts. He not only wanted to observe things, he also wanted to control them." ~ Sydney
• "Everything's about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up -- you're becoming a star performer in the show." ~ Adrian to Sydney
• "Never thought my biggest cheerleader would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural." ~ Adrian to Sydney
• "My high school experience wouldn't be complete without the quintessential football hype." ~ Sydney

My commentary: I wasn't sure how I'd feel about starting this book considering how much I loved the "Vampire Academy" series. I figured it would just barely mention Rose and Dimitri from the original series, but they both actually play a part in this storyline, even if they're small parts. I didn't like Sydney all that much in the original series, but she grew on me very quickly with this book. I'll be looking forward to the next book which comes out in several months that's for sure

Buy on Amazon.com: Bloodlines

Book # 23: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, book 6)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 15, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 16, 2012

Publish date: November 2011
ISBN: 978-1595144409
Number of pages: 608

Official summary: "It all comes down to now. Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting wrongful execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and to question those they thought they could trust... But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other." (http://www.richellemead.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

• UPDATE: Ended up buying for $2 at Friends of the Library charity booksale on Feb. 26

Memorable quotes:

• "I don't like cages. I don't even like going to zoos. The first time I went to one, I almost had claustrophobic attacks looking at those poor animals. I couldn't imagine any creature living that way. Sometimes I even felt a little bad for criminals, condemned to life in a cell. I'd certainly never expected to spend my life in one." ~ Rose
• "I've also done my fair share of rule (and even law) breaking. Cold-blooded murder, however, was not in my repertoire." ~ Rose
• "I'm not supposed to die this way. I'm not supposed to see it coming. My death is not some appointment penciled in on a calendar." ~ Rose
• "Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don't seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving is the hardest thing of all." ~ Abe
• "Tatiana was as annoying in death as she had been in life." ~ Rose
• "You have an interesting set of morals. Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged." ~ Dimitri to Rose
• "I loved you! I loved you and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked me!" ~ Adrian to Rose
• "What was love, really? Flowers, chocolate, and poetry? Or was it something else? Was it being able to finish someoneʹs jokes? Was it having absolute faith that someone was there at your back? Was it knowing someone so well that they instantly understood why you did the things you did—and shared those same beliefs?" ~ Rose
• "It's not just the dress or the hair. It's you. You're beautiful. So beautiful, it hurts me." ~ Dimitri to Rose

My commentary: I'm so sad to finish this book series. The books were so amazing that I've been completely entranced since I started the second book of the series last week. I haven't wanted to do anything but read them since I picked up that book. I haven't wanted to sleep or eat or go to work, just wanted to read. Mead is such an amazing author. I had read enough websites/reviews about the books to know all the big things that happened throughout the series, but somehow the author made everything so incredibly amazing that I never got bored even for a minute. I treasure every word of all six books. Onto the "Bloodlines" series....

Buy on Amazon.com: Last Sacrifice: A Vampire Academy Novel

Book #22: Spirit Bound

Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 15, 2012
Date finished reading:  Feb. 15, 2012

Publish date: May 2010
ISBN: 978-1595142504
Number of pages: 496

Official summary: "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." (http://www.richellemead.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

• UPDATE: Ended up buying for $2 at Friends of the Library charity booksale on Feb. 26

Memorable quotes:

•  "There's a big difference between death threats and love letters -- even if the person writing the death threats still claims to love you." ~ Rose
• "One of the few downsides to being awakened is that we no longer require sleep; therefore we also no longer dream. It's a shame, because if I could dream, I know I'd dream about you." ~ Dimitri
• "It figured. Undead creatures didn’t surprise me, but one flippant royal moroi could." ~ Rose
• "You want diamonds? I’ll give you diamonds. I’ll shower you in them. Hell, I’ll get you a gown made out of them. But it’s going to be skimpy." ~ Adrian
• "This is going to sound really weird ... well, maybe not compared to my normal weirdness." ~ Rose
• "That which is dead doesn't always stay dead..." ~ Robert
• "Sorry. My eternity doesn't involve being part of the undead mafia." ~ Rose
• "You're beautiful in battle. Like an avenging angel come to deliver the justice of heaven." ~ Dimitri to Rose
• "That was the best not-sex ever." ~ Adrian

My commentary: The book series starts out awesome and just gets better and better as it goes. I'll be sad when I finish the sixth and last book in this series. At least there is the spinoff series "Bloodlines" to move onto after this one, but it will never be the same. I don't want to leave Dimitri and Rose's love story behind...

Buy on Amazon.com: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5)

Book #21: Blood Promise

Title: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 13, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 14, 2012

Publish date: 512
ISBN: 978-1595141989
Number of pages: August 2009

Official summary: "Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same. The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters... Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa — her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess — or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? Now, with everything at stake — and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend — can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?" (http://www.richellemead.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

• UPDATE: Ended up buying for $2 at Friends of the Library charity booksale on Feb. 26

Memorable quotes:

• "A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don’t you think?" ~ Rose
• "No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we'd been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do?" ~ Rose
• "Moroi and dhampirs are not evil. Not like Strigoi." ~ Rose. "That’s true. Strigoi are more evil." ~ Sydney
• "Studying’s overrated. Just find someone smart to copy off." ~ Adrian
• "I totally ruled my high school. I was worshipped and adored — not that that should come as a shock." ~ Adrian
• "I’m like a fine wine. I get better with age. The best is yet to come." ~ Adrian
• "I’m running out of things for you to heal. Unless we start cutting off limbs or something." ~ Lissa
• "Love wasn’t a fling in a back room at a party. It was something you lived and died for." ~ Rose
• "You kill me, Rose. Everyday is agony without you. Empty. Alone. I pine for you, wondering if you're even still alive." ~ Adrian

My commentary: I am so enchanted with this series that I couldn't wait until I found books 4-6 on sale somewhere, so I decided to bite the bullet and check them out of the library. I will still search for copies of the books to keep though because any time I feel this strong of a personal connection to a book or books, I want to keep them forever.

Buy on Amazon.com: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4)

Book #20: Shadow Kiss

Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, Book 3)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 09, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 12, 2012

Publish date: November 2008
ISBN: 978-1595141972
Number of pages: 448

Official summary: "It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all...might be seeing ghosts. As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line--and choose between the two people she loves most." (http://www.richellemead.com/)

How I obtained the book: Received through the Paperback Swap book club. (I had to pay to mail a book to another member in order to receive a credit to request this book)

Memorable quotes:

• "I was testing dorm security. It sucks." ~ Rose to Dimitri
• "Oh my God. A kind word from Rose Hathaway, I can die a happy man." ~ Adrian. "What are you saying that I'm normally an ungrateful bitch?" ~ Rose
• "You two are a match made in heaven. Or somewhere." ~ Victor to Rose and Dimitri
• "And I thought the whole point of my education was that violence is the answer." ~ Rose
• "Rose is in red But never in blue Sharp as a thorn Fights like one too." ~ Adrian

My commentary: I think the story of Rose and Dimitri is one of the best modern day paranormal love stories (if not the absolute best). I am totally in love with their love story

Buy on Amazon.com: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, Book 3)

Book #19: Frostbite

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy, Book 2)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: Feb. 06, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 09, 2012

Publish date: April 2008
ISBN: 978-1595141750
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian. (So not cool). Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she ever could have imagined..." (http://www.richellemead.com/)

How I obtained the book: Received through the Paperback Swap book club. (I had to pay to mail a book to another member in order to receive a credit to request this book)

Memorable quotes:

• "Things die. But they don't always stay dead. Believe me, I know." ~ Rose
• "I tend to punch first and then find out who I actually hit later." ~ Rose
• "I didn’t think my day could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy. Again." ~ Rose
• By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway. I'm seventeen years old, training to protect and kill vampires, in love with a completely unsuitable guy, and have a best friend whose weird magic could drive her crazy. Hey, no one said high school was easy." ~ Rose
• "If you'd teach me to swear in Russian, I might have a new appreciation for it."
  ~ Rose to Dimitri
• "Rich people suck." ~ Rose
• "You're one of those people who either has soul mates or mortal enemies, aren't you? No in-between." ~ Adrian to Rose
• "Karma's a real bitch." ~ Rose

My commentary:

• Since the release of this book, every single time I saw the cover of this book in the store, it always reminded me of a photo from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." It's pretty similar to that photo because there was a pretty young girl in the front with her head tilted just so with an attractive, somewhat creepy looking guy behind her. Obviously there are differences between the photos, but I just can't stop comparing them

• I absolutely love Richelle Mead's writing. It's totally addictive. I almost literally want to sink my teeth into these books. Once I start reading, I don't want to put her books down even for a minute. 
• This book has one of the saddest happy endings I've ever read. It had just enough good to be considered a happy ending, but dear God, it was so sad...

Buy on Amazon.com: Frostbite (Vampire Academy, Book 2)

Book #18: The Chosen

Title: The Chosen (Book #3 of the "Nine Lives of Chloe King" series)

Author: Celia Thomson (a.k.a. Liz Braswell)

Date started reading: Feb. 05, 2012
Date finished reading:  Feb. 06, 2012

Publish date: January 2005
ISBN: 978-0689866609
Number of pages: 245

Official summary: "CHLOE KING MAY BE THE ONE. Despite a rocky few weeks, Chloe King is starting to get it. She's figured out who she is (a girl with catlike superpowers), where she belongs (at home with Mom), and what she wants to do (chill with her friends). Yes, she's got funky superpowers, and yes, two rival groups think she's some 'chosen' leader. But no, she's not buying all that ancient-warrior crap. And she's definitely not developing a superhero alter ego like in those old comic books. For Chloe, being the One means she can have whatever she wants -- i.e., more goof-off time and fewer 'cat people' conventions. Then she finds her friend bleeding in an alley. All at once Chloe realizes that the years of bloodshed are not over. In fact, they never will be. The Mai and the Tenth Blade are going to persist in their dangerous rivalry. Unless Chloe accepts her destiny -- and takes control. (http://lizbraswell.com/)

How I obtained the book: Bought at a used book store for $3.05

Memorable quotes:

• " 'Sorry about the whole not-showing-up-at-school-for-a-few-weeks thing,' Chloe pictured herself saying to the principal. 'You see, I'm a cat person and had to hide with others of my kind in a gigantic mansion called Firebird that also houses a real estate firm while this ancient Masonic-like cult tried to hunt me down because they think I killed one of their assassins. Oh, also, I have nine lives and am apparently the spiritual leader of my people, who believe they were created by ancient Egyptian goddesses.' Nope Chloe couldn't imagine it would fly."
• "Vampires are so passe. Cats are in now" ~ Chloe 
• Chloe trying to explain to her mother why a pizza party for both her human and Mai friends is a bad idea (it may be not funny to people who don't know a lot about the four TV shows mentioned): You know how, like, Angel and Buffy used to do crossovers? Like, Willow showing up on Angel and Angel appearing in the last episode of Buffy? Well, Smallville and The O.C. don't -- and this is like that." 

My commentary: After finishing up the trilogy, I'm even more mad that the Chloe King TV show was cancelled. Not only could the TV show have continued and been awesome, the author could have written more books to add to the series and capitalize on the TV show's fame. The books, in the end, were just as awesome as I thought the show was.

Buy on Amazon.com: The Chosen (Nine Lives of Chloe King, Volume Three)

Book #17: The Stolen

Title: The Stolen (Book #2 of the "Nine Lives of Chloe King" series)

Author: Celia Thomson (a.k.a. Liz Braswell)

Date started reading: Feb. 02, 2012
Date finished reading: Feb. 04, 2012

Publish date: August 2004
ISBN: 978-0689866593
Number of pages: 288

Official summary: "She argues with her mother. She occasionally skips class. And she alternately crushes on two totally different boys. But Chloe King is by no means your typical teenager. The girl can scale buildings and see in the dark. Sometimes, at night, she even likes to leap from rooftop to rooftop. Yes, Chloe has the instincts and ability of a cat. And that makes her unique indeed. It also makes her a wanted woman. Because the Order of the Tenth Blade does not deal kindly with people like Chloe. It stalks them. Preys upon them. And wants many of them -- like Chloe, for instance -- dead." (http://lizbraswell.com/)

How I obtained the book: Bought at a used book store for $3.05

Memorable quotes:

• "Trust me, Chloe. ... Survival is difficult and often unpleasant." ~ Sergei
• "Living here is worse than being in a Russian novel." ~ Chloe 
• "Who needs movies when you are a mutant?" ~ Chloe
• "Life wasn't like TV, and (Chloe) had definitely not been whisked away to her Happily Ever After. No one could do that. ... There were no real superheroes." 
• "Life, when (Chloe) returned to it, was pain."

My commentary:

• I read the first book in the series last year, but it took until last week for me to finally find the second and third books in a store. Part of my problem is that originally the books were written under the pen name Celia Thomson, but then once it became a TV show, the first book was re-released under the author's real name (Liz Braswell), and the TV show even said the real name in the opening credits (as you can see below). So I spent months trying to find the second and third books with her real name, but had no luck. I had no clue until a few weeks ago that the books weren't originally written with the pen name. I don't get why authors do crap like that. It just confuses people. 

• I am still ticked off that the ABC Family channel canceled the TV show, and reading this book has made me even more mad. There were so many possible ways they could've taken the TV show if the network had given it a chance. It was a much better show than many of the other shows on TV currently
• For once, I feel like I got my money's worth with this book. Normally when I spend more than a couple dollars on a book, I get annoyed that I spent anything on it, but this one was definitely worth the time and money. I hope the third book is just as good
• Without spoiling it for anyone else .... I was so shocked by the ultimate betrayal on the very last page of the book. I literally said "oh my God" out loud when I read it. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised but I was totally surprised. I didn't see it coming

Buy on Amazon.com: The Stolen (Nine Lives of Chloe King)