Book #22: Kalona's Fall

Title: Kalona's Fall (companion novella to the House of Night series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: July 31, 2014
Date finished reading: August 1, 2014

Publish date: July 2014
ISBN: 978-1250046116
Number of pages: 160

Official summary: "FROM WARRIOR AND LOVER TO ENEMY AND BETRAYER, THE TERRIBLE SECRETS OF KALONA’S PAST ARE REVEALED He was laughing with her as he spread his wings and lifted her from the ground, twirling her. Nyx gasped and clutched his neck. Kalona tightened his arms around her. 'Trust me, Goddess. I would never let you fall.' From the Sun and from the Moon, two winged brothers are born: golden Erebus, playmate and friend, and mysterious Kalona, Warrior and lover, companions of the Goddess Nyx. From the first, Nyx loves them both deeply, but differently. With Erebus, she can talk and laugh and dance, and take joy in the games he plays among the humans of the Earth. With Kalona, the fire in her body burns bright, and she can rest in the solace of his strength and protection. But for Kalona, Nyx’s nights are not enough. Every second he is not with her he is filled with doubt and longing, and every time he fails to please her, he cannot forgive himself. Ruled by anger and jealousy of his brother, and consumed by his love for his Goddess, Kalona seeks the power to prove his worth, and to claim once and for all that Nyx eternally belongs to him. And at the edges of the Earth, a Darkness is stirring, waiting for its chance, for the doorway in through a heart that it knows will welcome it…" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $8.18 from Amazon using a gift card I got free through Plink.com.

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: Kalona's Fall: A House of Night Novella (House of Night Novellas)

Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as a book set in the past on the YA card.

Book #21: The Angel Stone

Title: The Angel Stone (Book #3 of the Fairwick Chronicles series)

Author: Juliet Dark (Pseudonym of Carol Goodman)

Date started reading: July 16, 2014
Date finished reading: July 24, 2014

Publish date: September 2013
ISBN: 978-0345533395
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "For Callie McFay, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove — a sinister group of witches and their cohorts — many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust. With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school — a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to 17th-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear." (http://www.carolgoodman.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• "Do you believe in fairy tales?"  ~ Student to Callie
• "This guy's got more degrees than a thermometer." ~ Frank about Duncan
• "The plaid can withstand anything." ~ Mac 
• "The house wasn't haunted by a ghost; it was haunted by time." ~ Callie

Buy on Amazon.com: The Angel Stone: Book Three of the Fairwick Trilogy (The Fairwick Trilogy)



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book at the bottom of your to be read pile" on the normal card. I literally wanted to read almost anything before finishing this series, so that works.

Book #20: The Water Witch

Title: The Water Witch (Book #2 in the Fairwick Chronicles series)

Author: Juliet Dark (Pseudonym for Carol Goodman)

Date started reading: June 30, 2014
Date finished reading: July 14, 2014

Publish date: February 2013
ISBN: 978-0345524249
Number of pages: 352

Official summary: "After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the honeysuckle forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine stream, more trouble is stirring... The enchanted town of Fairwick’s dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie’s grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter’s compliance; but Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college. To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring academic who cultivates her vast magical potential — but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit — risking all, even the needs of her own heart." (http://www.carolgoodman.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: I only read the first book in this series (The Demon Lover) because the cover was pretty, and now I feel like I have to finish the series. The author basically threw every single mythical creature ever created into this series, and I feel like it's really overdone. She should've stuck to, I don't know, 10 or less supernatural creatures instead of everything possible. It's like really bad alphabet soup but for fictional creatures.

Also, another thing bothers me about this series. Why bother creating a fake name to write a book if you're just going to put your real name on it to? Someone please explain that to me!

Memorable quotes:

• "You have only to love me to make me human." ~ Liam to Callie
• "The danger of Faerie is that the longer you stay, the harder it becomes to leave." ~ Liam

Buy on Amazon.com: The Water Witch: A Novel (Fairwick Trilogy)



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book with non-human characters" on the normal card.

Book #19: Toxic

Title: Toxic (book #15 in the Pretty Little Liars series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Date started reading: June 21, 2014
Date finished reading: June 28, 2014

Publish date: June 2014
ISBN: 978-0062287014
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "High school seniors Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna barely survived their most recent encounter with A. And it’s not over yet. . . . The police don’t believe that the real A is still out there, but the girls know what — and who — they saw. If they don’t track down this final tormentor soon, A will silence them forever." (http://alloyentertainment.com)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $14.68 on Amazon using a gift card I earned through Plink.com.

My commentary: How is this series still going? I guess it must be everyone else's guilty pleasure like it is mine. The ending of this book was totally predictable to me. I hope the final book in the series (#16) is more surprising.

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: Pretty Little Liars #15: Toxic



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as a book set in summer. That's honestly one I didn't think I'd get to cross off.

Book #18: The Immortal Crown

Title: The Immortal Crown (book #2 in the Age of X series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: June 8, 2014
Date finished reading: June 20, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-0525953692
Number of pages: 432

Official summary: "Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect — special humans marked by the divine — are turning against one another in bloody fashion. Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity. Meanwhile, Mae — grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine — has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission — and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret." (http://richellemead.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: Part of me really wants to hate this series because it's all about alternative religions and stuff, but Mead's writing is so good that I can't help but love it.

Buy on Amazon.com: The Immortal Crown: An Age of X Novel


Reading Bingo Challenge: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "the second book in a series" on the normal card.

Book #17: While We Run

Title: While We Run (sequel to When We Wake)

Author: Karen Healey

Date started reading: June 3, 2014
Date finished reading: June 6, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-0316233828
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Abdi Taalib thought he was moving to Australia for a music scholarship. But after meeting the beautiful and brazen Tegan Oglietti, his world was turned upside down. Tegan’s no ordinary girl – she died in 2027, only to be frozen and brought back to life in Abdi’s time, 100 years later. Now, all they want is for things to return to normal (or as normal as they can be), but the government has other ideas. Especially since the two just spilled the secrets behind Australia’s cryonics project to the world. On the run, Abdi and Tegan have no idea who they can trust, and when they uncover startling new details about Project Ark, they realize thousands of lives may be in their hands." (http://www.karenhealey.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary:

• I think the author chose the wrong narrator for the book. Abdi isn't near as interesting as Tegan's narration would have been. Abdi's point-of-view left me bored through about 75% of the book. I really wish it would've been Tegan's voice I was reading.

Memorable quotes:

•  "Tegan was good at becoming the center of everything, without even trying. The center of attention, the center of a publicity campaign, the center of a movement. It would be so easy to let her be my center, too. But if I did that, I might finally lose myself." ~ Abdi
• "I thought the future was going to be so much better than this."  ~ Tegan

Buy on Amazon.com: While We Run


Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book set on a different continent on the normal card. It's a YA book, but it doesn't fit what I have left unmarked on the YA book, and I sort of doubt I'll read any other books this year that are based on different continents.

Book #16: The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

Date started reading: June 1, 2014
Date finished reading: ------

Publish date: January 2012
ASIN: B005ZOBNOI
Number of pages: 337

Official summary: "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten." (http://johngreenbooks.com)

Official movie trailer:



How I obtained the book: Checked an eBook version of the book out of the library. I kept trying to find a cheap print version of the book, but I couldn't find a cheap one, and I really want to read it before seeing the movie later this week)

My commentary:

• I'm shocked that this is the first book I've read by John Green. I've been meaning to read his books for quite a while. I got acquainted with his books through tumblr, and I love watching his YouTube videos, but I've been putting off reading his books because I know they're heartbreaking. 

Memorable quotes:

• “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” 
• “My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” 
• “You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world ... but you do have some say in who hurts you.” 
• “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” 
• “The marks humans leave are too often scars.”  
• “It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” ~ Augustus to Hazel
• “The world is not a wish-granting factory.” 
• “You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.”  
• “I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.” ~ Augustus
• “Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them.” 
• “Pain is like fabric: The stronger it is, the more it’s worth.”  
• “You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you.” ~ Augustus to Hazel

Buy on Amazon.com: The Fault in Our Stars



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book that became a movie" on the young adult card. That's probably the most obvious choice. It could probably also fit the "book that made you cry" square, but I knew the ending to the book before reading it, so I'm not sure how much it will actually make me cry.

Book #15: Dangerous Creatures

Title: Dangerous Creatures

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Date started reading: May 27, 2014
Date finished reading: June 1, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-0316370318
Number of pages: 384

Official summary: "Ridley Duchannes is nobody's heroine. She's a Dark Caster, a Siren. She can make you do things. Anything. You can't trust her, or yourself when she's around. And she'll be the first to tell you to stay away -- especially if you're going to do something as stupid as fall in love with her. Lucky for Ridley, her wannabe rocker boyfriend, Wesley "Link" Lincoln, never listens to anyone. Link doesn't care if Rid's no good for him, and he takes her along when he leaves small-town Gatlin to follow his rock-star dream. He teams up with a ragtag group of Dark Casters, and when the band scores a gig at a hot Underground club, it looks like all of Link's dreams are about to come true. But New York City is a dangerous place for both Casters and Mortals, and soon Ridley realizes that Link's bandmates are keeping secrets. With bad-boy club owner Lennox Gates on her heels, Rid is determined to find out the truth. What she discovers is worse than she could have imagined: Link has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay. With their lives on the line, what's a Siren to do?" (http://www.dangerouscreaturesnovels.com/)

Official book trailer:



How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary:

• I really had forgotten how much I loved Ridley in the original series. Having Ridley and Link be the focus of this new series was the right choice for sure. Both of those characters have way more depth than Lena and Ethan.
• In the original series, I was often annoyed at having to deal with it being written in Ethan's accent. This series doesn't have that strong accent, so it made it much more enjoyable to me.

Memorable quotes:

• “What can I say? Payback’s a bitch. But here’s the thing: So am I.” ~ Ridley
• "Let's get something straight: I'm supposed to be the bad guy. I will always disappoint you. Your parents will hate me. You should not root for me. I am not your role model. I don't know why everyone seems to forget that. I never do."  ~ Ridley
• "Being good Ridley was so dull that sometimes she was tempted to make new friends just so she could lose them later." 
• "As far as I'm concerned, I'm the CEO a your business, Wesley Lincoln." ~ Link's mom
• "Our love is rare, medium rare."  ~ Link to Ridley
• "When it came to relationships, the truth never set anyone free. The truth only sets things on fire." 
• "Love is an open door." ~ Ridley
• "Love, Nox, is awful. It's painful and humiliating and it involves songs -- horrible, sappy songs -- about hearts breaking and tears falling and following people into dark places. ... It's like a disease, Nox. A Mortal disease. A complete loss of spine. The emotional equivalent of projectile vomiting. And way too much acoustic guitar." ~ Ridley
• "When you're in love, you're not in control of what you think or say or do. And there is nothing I love more than control, and nothing I love less than not having it." ~ Ridley

Buy on Amazon.com: Dangerous Creatures


Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book with music" on the young adult card. Link's in a band, so I think that works.

Book #14: Winds of Salem

Title: Winds of Salem (Book #3 in the Witches of East End series)

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Date started reading: May 21, 2014
Date finished reading: May 27, 2014

Publish date: August 2013
ISBN: 978-1401324704
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "Freya Beauchamp is trapped in 1692, in Salem of all places, with no recollection of her past. A powerful enemy spell has sent her spiraling away so that she is separated by centuries from her mother, Joanna, and sister, Ingrid. This is not good news for a twenty-first-century witch. Not to mention the immediate threat she faces from the wealthy and influential Putnam family. When little Annie Putnam is one of the first to make accusations of witchcraft, her landowner father jumps at the opportunity to consolidate his power and expand his holdings in Puritan Salem Town. If Freya is caught using magic, she will be forced to relive the witch trials, and this time, even her immortality is in question. Meanwhile, twenty-first-century North Hampton has its own snares. Joanna and Norm consult the Oracle for advice, and Freddie and his pixie allies search for a missing totem that could reopen the passages of time and help bring his sister home. When Ingrid bumps into an old flame, she finds that her new love for Detective Matt Noble is in doubt." (http://melissa-delacruz.com)

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My pre-reading commentary:

• I have no idea how I've went almost a year without reading this book. I didn't even realize the third book in this series was out until this week. That shows how little I really like this series. If I don't keep up with all the upcoming books in a series then I really don't care about them. 
• I was pretty happy with the TV series made based on these books. The show is so much better than the books. I'm excited for the second season of the show, which starts on July 6. The promo for next season looks awesome (watch below)

My post-reading commentary:

• God, this was so boring. I have to admit that I skipped several chapters because I just couldn't take reading them. The first two books in this series were bad, but this one was horrible. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I'd give this a negative 2 stars.

Memorable quotes:

• "To lose our memory is to lose our identity." ~ James

Buy on Amazon.com: Winds of Salem: A Witches of East End Novel




Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book by a female author" on the normal bingo card. It's the first square I've knocked off the normal card, and I'm sure it's the easiest category to match.

Book #13: Unmasked

Title: Unmasked (13th overall book in "The Vampires Diaries" series. Third book in "The Salvation" trilogy)

Author: "Created by L.J. Smith, Written by Aubrey Clark"

Date started reading: May 7, 2014
Date finished reading: May 15, 2014

Publish date: May 2014
ISBN: 978-1477823354
Number of pages: 310

Official summary: "Love is the most powerful force of all... Elena Gilbert is dying. When Damon Salvatore avenged his brother Stefan’s death, he broke the sacred deal he’d made with the Guardians — and put Elena’s life at risk. She should be dead, but instead, the Guardians are offering Elena a once-in-a-lifetime chance: to start over. Ever since she met the Salvatore brothers, Elena’s love for them both has caused endless death and destruction. But if Elena can return to the beginning — her senior year of high school, when she first met Damon and Stefan — and prove that she can exist alongside them without either of them killing a human, then Elena can live. But the Damon of years ago is unpredictable, rash, and dangerous. The only way for Elena to save everyone — including herself — might be to give up the Salvatores forever. Will Elena be able to sacrifice her own desires for the greater good? Or is her path to tragic love already written in the stars?"

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $8.26 from Amazon using a giftcard I got free through Plink.com

My commentary:

• I really hope this is the last book in this series. I thought the series was over a long time ago. This book was great, and I like this new author, but the story is just ready to be over. It's just time to be done. 
• SPOILER ALERT: I'm really happy that Elena ended up with Damon in the end. I'm happy that everyone is more or less happy. I'm glad that Stefan's alive and safe. But having Elena go back in time and change history was just ridiculous. The Guardians had already changed history when they changed Elena's life making it where she had never died and become a vampire. So why did we need another history-changing storyline? 

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: The Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: Unmasked



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book with a lion, a witch, or a wardrobe." Bonnie's a witch, so I think that one will work for it.

Book #12: Daylighters

Title: Daylighters (the 15th and final book in the Morganville Vampires series)

Author: Rachel Caine

Date started reading: April 10, 2014
Date finished reading: May 1, 2014

Publish date: November 2013
ISBN: 978-0451414274
Number of pages: 368

Official summary: "While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place - a deadly one ... Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans — they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better. It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation — even for the vampires themselves — the truth is far more sinister and deadly. Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end ..." (http://www.morganvillevampire.com/)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $13.28 from Amazon using a gift card I earned through Plink.com.

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “As far as I know, Hitler had a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t vote him to be in charge.”  ~ Claire
• “You brought me grenades. You are officially the best girlfriend ever.” ~ Shane to Claire
• “There were a few things scarier than a bipolar vampire off his meds, but to be honest, not that many.” 
• “In the end, loving Myrnin, really loving him, could be like living with an unexploded bomb - sooner or later it was bound to go off, and for someone fragile and human, it would be fatal.” 
• “The unknowns wasn't full of terrors, it was full of undiscovered advantages. Better to run toward something than from something.”

Buy on Amazon.com: Daylighters: The Morganville Vampires



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge I am going to mark this book off as "a book with an epic love story." Michael and Eve's love story would have to be called epic. He was killed and became a ghost, then became a vampire, then got healed back into a human, all while being with Eve. If that's not "epic," I don't know what is.

Book #11: Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me (third and final book in the Shatter Me trilogy)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Date started reading: March 30, 2014
Date finished reading: April 06, 2014

Publish date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-0062085573
Number of pages: 416

Official summary: "With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world ... but that’s not all he wants with her." (http://www.taherehbooks.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.” ~ Juliette
• “Words are like seeds, I think, planted into our hearts at a tender age. They take root in us as we grow, settling deep into our souls. The good words plant well. They flourish and find homes in our hearts. They build trunks around our spines, steadying us when we’re feeling most flimsy; planting our feet firmly when we’re feeling most unsure. But the bad words grow poorly. Our trunks infest and spoil until we are hollow and housing the interests of others and not our own. We are forced to eat the fruit those words have borne, held hostage by the branches growing arms around our necks, suffocating us to death, one word at a time.” ~ Juliette
• "Maybe your lady bits are scientifically confused.” ~ Kenji to Juliette
• “I am no longer afraid of fear, and I will not let it rule me. Fear will learn to fear me.”  ~ Juliette
• "For so many years I lived in constant terror of myself. Doubt had married my fear and moved into my mind, where it built castles and ruled kingdoms and reigned over me, bowing my will to its whispers until I was little more than an acquiescing peon, too terrified to disobey, too terrified to disagree. I had been shackled, a prisoner in my own mind. But finally, finally, I have learned to break free." ~ Juliette
• “And we are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives we did not choose.” ~ Juliette
• “I will be unapologetic. I will live with no regrets. I will reach into the earth and rip out the injustice and I will crush it in my bare hands.” 
• "Water that never moves. Its fine for a little while. You can drink from it and it'll sustain you. But if it sits too long it goes bad. It grows stale. It becomes toxic. I need waves. I need waterfalls. I want rushing currents." ~ Juliette
• “I’d rather be shot dead screaming for justice than die alone in a prison of my own making.”  ~ Juliette
• “You’re not an ape. Don’t just throw your shit everywhere.” ~ Kenji to Juliette
• "I'll buy you a balloon the minute the world stops shitting on itself" 
• “My heart has just expired and my mind has gone to hell for the day.”  
• “You’re absurdly, mathematically perfect.” ~ Juliette to Warner
• “How strange that we can go from friends to inseparable to hateful then casual all in one lifetime.” ~ Juliette about Adam
• “If we were naked right now, I’d be dead.” ~ Kenji to Juliette  
• "I have never claimed to live by any set of principles. I've never claimed to be right, or good, or even justified in my actions. I have been forced to do terrible things in my life, love, and I am seeking neither your forgiveness nor your approval. Because I do not have the luxury of philosophizing over scruples when I'm forced to act on basic instinct every day." ~ Warner

Buy on Amazon.com: Ignite Me (Shatter Me)



Reading Bingo: I am marking this book off as "a book with an incredible fight scene" on the Reading Bingo Challenge.

Book #10: Deadly

Title: Deadly (Book #14 of the Pretty Little Liars series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Date started reading: March 21, 2014
Date finished reading: April 9, 2014

Publish date: December 2013
ISBN: 978-0062199744
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "High school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have all done horrible things — things that would put them behind bars if anyone ever found out. And their stalker "A" knows everything. So far A has kept their secrets, using them to torture the girls. But now A's changed the game. Suddenly the girls are hauled in for questioning, and all their worlds begin to unravel. If A's plan succeeds, Rosewood's pretty little liars will be locked away for good. In Rosewood, news vans lurk outside gated drives and FBI agents are knocking on every mansion door — and it's all because four very pretty liars simply don't know how to be good. Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Aria have been keeping killer secrets for an entire year ... things that could land them in jail if A ever told. And now A has. One by one, the girls' worst deeds come out, and their worlds come crashing down around them. Spencer gets kicked out of Princeton. Hanna gets kicked out of her dad's campaign — and his heart. Emily gets kicked to the curb. And Aria may get kicked out of the country. The girls are the lowest they've ever been. They've lost everything. But A's not done yet. If A's deadly plan succeeds, the liars will have told their last lie." (http://www.epicreads.com)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $14.78 from Amazon using a gift card I earned for free through Plink.com.

My commentary: I can't believe this series is still going. It took me months to finally read it, and it took a lot of convincing to get myself to actually read it once I selected it for my 10th book. But once I started reading it, it was instantly addictive. All the books in this series are like that. Sara Shepard's brain is so twisted, but it's amazing.

Buy on Amazon.com: Pretty Little Liars #14: Deadly



Reading Bingo: I am marking this book off as "a book without a love triangle" on the Reading Bingo Challenge.

Book #9: Allegiant

Title: Allegiant (third and final book in Divergent trilogy)

Author: Veronica Roth

Date started reading: March 12, 2014
Date finished reading: March 19, 2014

Publish date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-0062024060
Number of pages: 544

Official summary: "The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered — fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature — and of herself — while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love." (http://theartofnotwriting.tumblr.com/)

Official book trailer:



How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $11.99 from Amazon using a giftcard I earned on Plink.com

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: Allegiant (Divergent Series)



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "last book of a trilogy" square on the young adult card.

Book #8: Revealed

Title: Revealed (book #11 in the House of Night series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 3, 2014
Date finished reading: March 11, 2014

Publish date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-0312594435
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "Drastically altered after her fall at the end of Hidden, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever — and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans, as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall?" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book trailer:



How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $13.94 from Barnes & Noble using a gift card I got free through Plink.com. I'm just now getting around to finally reading it.

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “People suck. They do stupid things and they're not nice. The end.”  

Buy on Amazon.com: Revealed (House of Night)



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "book with magic" square on the young adult card.

Book #7: Unite Me

Title: Unite Me (contains two "Shatter Me" companion novellas -- "Destroy Me" and "Fracture Me," plus "Juliette's Journal")

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Date started reading: February 27, 2014
Date finished reading: February 28, 2014

Publish date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-0062327963
Number of pages: 224

Official summary: "Destroy Me tells the events between Shatter Me and Unravel Me from Warner's point of view. Even though Juliette shot him in order to escape, Warner can't stop thinking about her — and he'll do anything to get her back. But when the Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment arrives, he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner cannot allow. Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective and bridges the gap between Unravel Me and Ignite Me. As the Omega Point rebels prepare to fight the Sector 45 soldiers, Adam's more focused on the safety of Juliette, Kenji, and his brother. The Reestablishment will do anything to crush the resistance ... including killing everyone Adam cares about." (http://www.taherehbooks.com)

Trailer for Destroy Me:

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: As you can tell by the quotes I put below, my favorite was Warner's story -- "Destroy Me." I loved getting to see things through his eyes, especially the scene when he encounters a stray starving dog. That scene was described from Juliette's perspective in the main books, but getting to see what Warner's thoughts were was really nice.

Memorable quotes:

• "Love is a heartless bastard." ~ Warner
•  “She is a soft, deadly creature. Kind and timid and terrifying. She's completely out of control and has no idea what she's capable of. And even though she hates me, I can't help but be fascinated by her. I'm enchanted by her pretend-innocence; jealous, even, of the power she wields so unwittingly. I want so much to be a part of her world. I want to know what it's like to be in her mind, to feel what she feels. It seems a tremendous weight to carry. And now she's out there, somewhere, unleashed on society. What a beautiful disaster.” ~ Warner
• “This girl is destroying me.”  ~ Warner
• “My mind is a warehouse of carefully organized human emotions. I lock away the things that do not serve me.” ~ Warner
• “Torture is not torture when there’s any hope of relief.”  ~ Warner
• “That this girl would know exactly how to shatter me.” ~ Warner
• “In just two days, one girl has managed to cripple me.”  ~ Warner
• “I have an extremely low threshold for disorder; it offends my very being.” ~ Warner
• “What's the point of screaming if you'll never be heard.”
• “I’ve come to believe that the most dangerous man in the world is the one who feels no remorse. The one who never apologizes and therefore seeks no forgiveness. Because in the end it is our emotions that make us weak, not our actions.” ~ Warner
• "There's something so personal about this journal; it looks as if its been bound together by the loneliest feelings, the most vulnerable moments of one persons life." ~ Warner

Buy on Amazon.com: Unite Me (Shatter Me)




 Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "book with a female heroine" square on the young adult card.

Book #6: Evertrue

Title: Evertrue (third and final book in the Everneath series)

Author: Brodi Ashton

Date started reading: February 26, 2014
Date finished reading: February 26, 2014

Publish date: January 2014
ISBN: 978-0062071194
Number of pages: 368

Official summary: "Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself ... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die. Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?" (http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/)

Official book trailer:


How I obtained the book: Checked out of library

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• "Truth. Pessimism. They're sort of one and the same lately." ~ Nikki
• "Nothing is as it seems in the Everneath." ~ Nikki
• "Nothing good could come out of 'Pop Goes the Weasel.'" ~ Nikki
• "I'd rather die than be your queen." ~ Nikki to Cole
• "You're delusional." ~ Nikki
  "I'm the delusional guy who's going to keep you alive." ~ Cole
  "You're the delusional guy who killed me in the first place." ~ Nikki
• "I'd rather overthink than underthink." ~ Nikki
• "There are some things that you just can't apologize for. Some things are too big for an apology." ~ Nikki
• "Google can destroy worlds." ~ Will
• "I feel like I need to go home. But I don't have a home." ~ Cole
• "I'm going to tear through your chest and grab the nearest thing to a heart you have inside there, and then I'm going to rip it out, and it will make that scene in Alien look like a kid's movie." ~ Jack to Cole
• "It turns out I have nothing to live for. And everything to die for." ~ Ashe
• "Deep down I knew you would be my beginning and my end. My moral consciousness began taking shape the moment I met you. In that way, my own soul began. And then when I fell in love with you, my own heart began." ~ Cole to Nikki

Buy on Amazon.com: Evertrue: An Everneath Novel



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "book set in another world" square on the young adult card because it takes place in the Everneath, and I can't imagine I'll find another book that easily fits this category that I'd actually care to read.

Book #5: Teardrop

Title: Teardrop

Author: Lauren Kate

Date started reading: February 12, 2014
Date finished reading: February 25, 2014

Publish date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-0385742658
Number of pages: 464

Official summary: "Never, ever cry. ... Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before. But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance — a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth ... and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined." (http://www.teardropnovels.com/)

Official book trailer:


How I obtained the book: Checked out of the library

My commentary:

• On no level would I call this book good, or even bad, but I can't venture beyond just saying that it was OK. On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give it a straight-up 3. It's a pretty typical first book for a young adult paranormal series. It's also on the same level as Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series, which also had a first book that was merely OK but it got better throughout the course of the series. I hope that this series will be the same and will get better with the next book. The story has potential to be really good or even epic, but only time will tell.
• The book did have more memorable quotes than the other books I've read so far this year. That made me happy.
• Eureka being the * SPOILER ALERT * one person who can unlock the door between this world and Atlantis by crying was a fun idea, at least compared to all the vampire, angel, werewolf, etc. stories of recent years. A teenage girl not being able to cry because her tears could end the world is also one of the saddest things I've ever heard of... because holding all those emotions can be devastating (which, of course, it is in this book since Eureka attempts suicide).

Memorable quotes:

• “Wisdom holds a candle to experience, but you've got to take the candle and walk alone.”  ~ Eureka's mother writing in a letter after her death
• “Love was a dance floor where everyone you loved left a mark behind.” ~ Eureka
• “First kisses were about discovery, transformation, wonder.”  
• “I try to hook you up every day. What's the point of calendars without dates?” ~ Cat to Eureka
• "Save the world, or save the girl." ~ Ander
• "(Eureka) was his life. (Ander) had to kill her." 
• "What kind of suicidal nut wants to be cracked?" ~ Eureka
• "I'm not your friend. I'm a sounding board for your anxieties and depression." ~ Brooks to Eureka
• "Knowledge is power; power corrupts. Corruption brings shame and ruin. Ignorance may not be bliss, but it is perhaps preferable to a life lived in shame." ~ Madame Blavatsky
• "She would never admit it, but sometimes Eureka thought she was owed a new life somewhere else. Catastrophes were like sick days you should be able to spend any way you wanted."
• "Silence is what causes most of humanity's problems." ~ Ander
• "You were a lot cuter before you started talking to me when you were just a guy who hit my car." ~ Eureka to Ander
• "If being weird is a crime, we should both turn ourselves in while we're here." ~ Eureka to Cat
• "Ander is good at changing the subject when the subject is himself."
• "You're just the kind of crazy every boy wants to wreck his life." ~ Cat to Eureka
• "Nothing is real. There is only what we believe in and what we reject." ~ Madame Blavatsky
• "Curiosity is a cunning paramour. He has seduced me well." ~ Madame Blavatsky
• "You know, you and Brooks should get together. You seem to be all the other thinks about." ~ Eureka to Ander
• "Trust wasn't something born from an experiment." ~ Eureka
• "Life is one long surprise." ~ Brooks
• "You have to survive because I won't live in a world without you." ~ Ander to Eureka

Buy on Amazon.com: Teardrop



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "first book in a series" square on the young adult card.

Book #4: Frozen

Title: Frozen (book #1 of the Heart of Dread series)

Author: by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

Date started reading: February 4, 2014
Date finished reading:  February 11, 2014

Publish date: September 2013
ISBN: 978-0399257544
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature — freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows. At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she’s heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light. But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all." (http://melissa-delacruz.com)

Official book trailer:


How I obtained the book: Checked out of the library

My commentary: I totally expected to hate this book. The book summary did not appeal to me in the slightest, and I haven't liked de la Cruz's books other than the Blue Bloods books. But "Frozen" was able to grab my attention within the first 20 pages and kept it most of the time. There were some slow spots, but overall it was great. I can't wait for the second book in the series.

Memorable quotes:

• "There are worse things than being shot and dying quickly." ~ Wes
• "Those who were marked by magic were marked for death." 
• "(Wes) was soft, he'd always been too soft; it was his Achilles hell, his heart."
• "I'd rather die fighting than starve in the ocean." ~ Nat
• "There's always just a fraction of a second between life and death. Take every second you can." ~ Wes

Buy on Amazon.com: Frozen: Heart of Dread, Book One



Reading Bingo: On the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "a book set in the future" square on the young adult card.

Book #3: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken (book #2 in The Salvation trilogy in The Vampire Diaries series)

Author: "Created by L.J. Smith, Written by Aubrey Clark)

Date started reading: January 23, 2014
Date finished reading: February, 3, 2014

Publish date: November 2013
ISBN: 978-1612184623
Number of pages: 308

Official summary: "Elena Gilbert’s entire world has shattered in a single moment. Her true love, Stefan, is dead, staked through the heart by their so-called friend Jack. Now the only thing Elena cares about is destroying Jack and his race of scientifically created vampires. But Jack’s creations are impossible to kill — immune to sunlight, stakes, and every traditional weapon against vampires. Elena and Damon set out to uncover the mystery of Jack’s dark past in hopes of finding his weakness. As they spend more time together, Elena and Damon can’t deny that their connection is stronger than ever. Can she face her feelings for him without betraying Stefan’s memory, or are some things better left unspoken?" (Amazon.com)

How I obtained the book: Ordered for $9.98 from Amazon using a giftcard I got free through Plink.com

My commentary:

• I really get sick of being told to tweet things with specific hastags, and this book does it at the end of almost every chapter, as with the last book in the series. They need to quit that. If I want to tweet, I'll tweet. 
• This was, by far, the best of this series since the first four books. I continue to be pleased with what Aubrey Clark is doing with the books. This one kept me interested right through to the end, and boy that ending just made me want to scream. Can't wait for the next one.

Memorable quotes:

• "Without Stefan, it's like I'm dead, too." ~ Elena
• "Damon was a Salvatore -- the last one of the Salvatores, now -- and that meant he wasn't afraid of anything."

Buy on Amazon.com: The Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: Unspoken



Reading Bingo: While this book fits plenty of categories on the Reading Bingo Challenge, I'm going to mark it off on the "a book based on a myth" square on the young adult card. Vampires, of course, are myths.