Book #51: Hereafter

Title: Hereafter (Second in the Reaper novella series)

Author: Jennifer Snyder

Date started reading: July 25, 2013
Date finished reading: July 26, 2013

Publish date: February 2013
ASIN: B00BBWNWDS
Number of pages: 104

Official summary: "In Death I could finally see the importance of Life. ... After being forced to become a Reaper Council member and being torn away from the one she loves, Rowan Harper must learn to accept her altered Fate as well as her death and move on. A task easier said than done, especially when witnessing those you love suffer in the wake of your death. When an unlikely alli provides information that could change everything, Rowan sets out on a journey through Purgatory with her beloved by her side and a nonchalant Tracker to learn the true meaning of the word sacrifice. Another task which seems easier said than done, especially with the threat of Purgatory’s ability to corrupt your soul the longer you’re in its grip looming above their heads. " (http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com)

How I obtained the book: Got an eBook free through Amazon

My commentary:

• I swore and swore for years that I would never read eBooks. I am a book purist, and I love print books. I'm very loyal to printed books, but I recently got a smartphone (my very first smartphone -- I know I'm way behind the tech curve), and I saw a deal posted on Facebook to get this eBook free through Amazon. I loved the cover, so I looked into it. The storyline intrigued me, so I sold out and got the eBook. I'm glad I did it, but it's hard not to view myself as a eBook sell-out. 

Memorable quotes:

•  "Complete emptiness swam through me as depression darkened my thoughts. How does a soul go on when they’re stuck here after death?" ~ Rowan
• "Maybe when you’re dead there’s nothing left to be afraid of." ~ Rowan
• "Although we hadn’t had a lot of time together while I was still alive, the fact was, we hadn’t needed it for either of us to know the depth of our feelings. Some say love at first sight is a ludicrous belief. That it’s only for those who are lustful and dim-witted. I disagree strongly. With Jet, it had been love at first sight, and that had been all the proof I’d needed to believe in it." ~ Rowan
• “Death has a way of making things feel eternal." ~ Jet
• “Nothing is ever final. Life and death are intertwined always, each woven by a blanket of transitions, of changes. For something to be final, it would have to be stagnant, never changing, never transitioning, never moving— ended. This is something you are not. Don’t accept what has happened to you as an end, because it’s not. You have shifted to a new lesson for your soul. Your soul is young; it is ever learning. Its full cycle has not yet been completed. As to when it will, no one can say, and until that time, nothing is final." ~ Evelyn to Rowan
• "In death, I could finally see the importance of life." ~ Rowan

Buy on Amazon.com: Hereafter (A Reaper Novella)

Book #50: Touch

Title: Touch (First in the Reaper novella series)

Author: Jennifer Snyder

Date started reading: July 24, 2013
Date finished reading: July 24, 2013

Publish date: August 2011
ASIN: B005JKMWRU
Number of pages: 74

Official summary: "Seventeen-year-old Rowan Harper knows her life is forever changed the moment her schizophrenic mother commits suicide. What Rowan doesn't realize is how much her mother's choice altered her own fate. It's not until after meeting Jet, a sapphire-eyed dead boy, Rowan begins to learn of her new destiny as becoming her mother's replacement for something she never knew existed." (http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com)

How I obtained the book: Got an eBook free through Amazon

My commentary:

• I swore and swore for years that I would never read eBooks. I am a book purist, and I love print books. I'm very loyal to printed books, but I recently got a smartphone (my very first smartphone -- I know I'm way behind the tech curve), and I saw a deal posted on Facebook to get this eBook free through Amazon. I loved the cover, so I looked into it. The storyline intrigued me, so I sold out and got the eBook. I'm glad I did it, but it's hard not to view myself as a eBook sell-out. 
• Regardless of how I feel about this book's status as an eBook-only publication, I frankly loved it. The book was great. The story was engaging and so well-written that I got addicted one chapter in. 
• The fact that Rowan's mother saw spirits and spoke to them because she was a "link" between the living world and the afterlife led to her being diagnosed as schizophrenic. I love when I can find books that combine my interest in the paranormal and in mental illnesses.... especially while also having beautiful covers.

Memorable quotes:

• "My mother had ended her life five months ago, and, to be perfectly honest, my dad should have ended his right alongside her. Since then, he’d barely even looked at me. Ever since my mother’s suicide, our house had felt as bitterly cold and gloomy as a moonless night in the dead of winter." ~ Rowan
• "I’d never given much thought to my future before, but now, as the certainty of becoming like my mother tainted my mind like poison, my future didn’t look too wonderful. A never-ending supply of monotone shrinks and colorful pills — this was what my mother’s life had consisted of." ~ Rowan
• "In the end, it was almost ironic how all the pills doctors had prescribed over the years in an effort to save (my mom's) sanity had eventually been what she’d chosen to end her life with. Who knows, maybe in her eyes they’d finally done their job." ~ Rowan
• "It was all real, (Jet) being Death made perfect sense in some strange way. All of my confusion , annoyance , anger, and fear melted away like the disappearing snow outside. The reality of what I was doing sank in. I was standing alone in my bedroom with Death… and he had the face of an angel." ~ Rowan
• “The best part of me died a long time ago.” ~ Rowan's father
• "Cemeteries are meant to be places where you bury the dead, but what people often don’t realize is that they’re also a place where old memories lay buried — memories that don’t resurface until the very moment you step inside." ~ Rowan
• "Even if it meant keeping it our own little secret, because Love is the only thing that not even Death can kill." ~ Rowan about her and Jet

Buy on Amazon.com: Touch (A Reaper Novella)

Book #49: Happy, Happy, Happy

Title: Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

Author: Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach

Date started reading: July 20, 2013
Date finished reading: July 27, 2013

Publish date: May 2013
ISBN: 978-1476726090
Number of pages: 240

Official summary: "If you’ve watched the exceedingly popular A&E program Duck Dynasty, you already know the famed Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the Robertson clan and creator of Duck Commander duck calls, he fearlessly leads his family in a responsible work ethic and an active faith. But what you don’t know is his life before the show. In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the 'happy, happy, happy' life he leads today. Before the 'happy,' Phil’s passion for the outdoors and wild living led him down some shady paths. As a young husband and father, he became the proprietor of a rough bar and lived a life, as he says, of 'romping, stomping, and ripping' for a number of years. He even left his wife and young boys for a short period of time. Through it all, Phil Robertson has lived his life as a 'called' man. Called to live off the land, called to leave a starring role in Louisiana Tech football (playing ahead of Terry Bradshaw) for duck hunting, called to wild living, called to create a new kind of duck call — and finally, called to follow God and lead a life of faith. In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it." (simonandschuster.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Got through Listia.com (It's like eBay, but it uses a credit system instead of money)

My commentary:

• Pre-reading comment: I don't know why in the world I'm going to read this. 
• My mom's reaction to me reading this book: "Why the heck are you reading that?"

Memorable quotes:

Buy on Amazon.com: Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

Book #48: Shadowhunter's Guide

Title: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - Shadowhunter's Guide

Author: Mimi O'Connor (Based on the movie, which is based on Cassandra Clare's book)

Date started reading: July 11, 2013
Date finished reading: July 11, 2013

Publish date: July 2013
ISBN: 978-1442493995
Number of pages: 128

Summary: "Delve deep into the world of the Shadowhunters with this ultimate guide that’s based on 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' movie. This comprehensive book features full-color photographic portraits and profiles of the film characters, quotes from the script, detailed information on downworlders, Shadowhunters, the Clave, and more. Fans of the movie won’t want to miss this must-have guide to the realm of the blockbuster City of Bones movie!"


Official movie trailers (I'm posting them all because they are all somewhat different, and I frankly can't pick a favorite.):












How I obtained the book: I read the entire book standing in Barnes & Noble (That wasn't my intention. I planned to look at it and buy it online, but ended up just reading it there)

My commentary:  This was, obviously, a very fast easy read. Other than getting to see stills from the movie (which I've already seen online), there wasn't much to this book for people who read "City of Bones." It would be a good book to give someone to introduce them to the shadowhunter world before he or she watches the movie.

Buy on Amazon.com: Shadowhunter's Guide: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments, The)

Book #47: When We Wake

Title: When We Wake

Author: Karen Healey

Date started reading: July 10, 2013
Date finished reading:  July 12, 2013

Publish date: March 2013
ISBN: 978-0316200769
Number of pages: 304

Official summary: "My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my first lifetime, I was so, so happy. ... Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027 – she’s happiest when playing the guitar, she’s falling in love for the first time, and she’s joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice. But on what should have been the best day of Tegan’s life, she dies – and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened. Tegan is the first government guinea pig to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity – even though all she wants to do is try to rebuild some semblance of a normal life. But the future isn’t all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future?" (http://www.karenhealey.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary:

• Before thoughts: I love this book's cover. It was definitely drew my attention as it sat on a table with all the other books that the newspaper had received from publishers. I'm pretty good at judging books by their covers, and I hope this is one case where my first impression is right.  I wish the newspaper's editors would've let me review "young adult" books because this one would've been one I'd have reviewed. (The paper only covers "adult" books and children books, not stuff they view as geared toward teens.)  This book is similar enough to the genres I normally read -- which are usually either paranormally or psychologically based -- so that I would be a good judge of the book's plot. The science fiction storyline has a more widespread appeal than just teenagers, so the readers of the paper could've really enjoyed it.
• Thoughts at half-way point: Tegan's point of view is given as though she's telling the story to someone who already knows about the futuristic society, so she seems really out of place, but, of course, she is out of place since she was "asleep" for 100 years. Writing it this way, the author really drew me in because I can see myself in Tegan's place. I'm learning about the future world as Tegan is learning it. I've struggled somewhat because of the Australian terms/phrases being used. Some words are used in Australia that just aren't used much here in the U.S. I have one online friend from Australia, and I have the same issues when we have a conversation. I have to figure it out as I go.

Buy on Amazon.com: When We Wake

Book #46: Crushed

Title: Crushed (Book #13 in the Pretty Little Liars series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Date started reading: July 6, 2013
Date finished reading: July 8, 2013

Publish date: June 2013
ISBN: 978-0062199713
Number of pages: 352

Official summary: "It's springtime in Rosewood, but while everyone else is searching for the perfect prom dress, Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria are on a different kind of hunt: They're looking for A. ... Hanna puts her campaign for prom queen on the back burner to volunteer at a burn clinic, where one of A's victims is recovering. Emily digs into Ali's past at the mental hospital with some very crazy consequences. Spencer contacts an amateur private eye to help her stalk her stalker. But when their sessions get a little too private, they may forget to keep their eyes on A. And Aria's worried that A is even closer than she thought. When her dark secret from Iceland comes to light, she discovers that maybe, just maybe, the one person she's been trying to hide the truth from has known all along. The liars are finally taking the fight to A. But no matter what they do, A's always one step ahead, ready to crush the girls completely." (http://www.epicreads.com)

How I obtained the book: Bought for $14.53 from Barnes & Noble using a giftcard I got basically for free through Plink.com

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: Pretty Little Liars #13: Crushed

Book #45: After Daybreak

Title: After Daybreak (Last book in the Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy)

Author: J.A. London

Date started reading: July 4, 2013
Date finished reading:  July 5, 2013

Publish date: June 2013
ISBN: 978-0062020673
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "Dawn grew up behind a wall, terrified of the vampires outside who controlled the lives of humans and demanded their blood. But when she became a delegate for her city and met Victor, she realized that not all vampires were the same, that maybe one could be trusted. Now Day Walker Sin is infecting his followers with a disease that turns them into mindless killers. Dawn and Victor will have to convince humans and vampires to band together to stop him, because alone they will all die. ... Our last hope lies with our oldest enemies. When we lost the war with the vampires, our world changed. The Old Family overlords trapped us in a few scattered cities and demanded our blood. Then Victor — the first vampire I've ever trusted, ever loved — came to power, and I hoped for peace between our kinds. Only now a new type of monster, Day Walkers, has emerged, and their maniacal leader is threatening to destroy us all, human and vampire alike. The Old Family Council is stubborn and proud, unwilling to acknowledge the danger. But once I claim my birthright as the last living member of the Montgomery line, they will have to listen to me. Neither fully human nor vampire, I am the bridge between both. Even if I'm not sure where I belong anymore, I know that the only way any of us will survive is if we stand together." (http://www.epicreads.com)

How I obtained the book: Bought for $8.98 through Barnes & Noble using a giftcard I got basically for free through Plink.com.

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes: --

Buy on Amazon.com: After Daybreak: A Darkness Before Dawn Novel

Book #44: Unseen

Title: Unseen (The eleventh book in the overall Vampire Diaries series, first in the Vampire Diaries: The Salvation trilogy)

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

Date started reading: June 30, 2013
Date finished reading:  July 3, 2013

Publish date: May 2013
ISBN: 978-1477809679
Number of pages: 306

Official summary: "The greatest threats are the ones unseen... For what seems like the first time, Elena and her friends are happy. Elena and Stefan have built a home for themselves in Dalcrest, and all of Elena’s friends are as in love as she and Stefan are. Even Damon is enjoying visiting his favorite old haunts in Europe, and is more surprised than anyone that he’s traveling with Katherine. But lately, Elena’s Guardian senses are on edge, and she can’t ignore the feeling that danger is coming. When a new threat arrives in Dalcrest, Elena’s worst fears become a reality. Soon, she and Stefan are battling a vicious Old One who is always just out of their reach. And when Damon and Katherine are confronted with a strange and mysterious enemy, Elena worries the attacks are linked. As dark forces close in, Elena, Stefan, and Damon struggle to survive the only way they know how — together. But their lives are hanging in the balance, and every moment they share could be their last..."

How I obtained the book: Paid $9.98 through Amazon using a gift card I basically got free from Plink.com.

My commentary:

• I am ticked off that I didn't hear about this book before it was released. I'm shocked that I didn't hear about it earlier, but I guess it's a different publisher. I looked up the publisher's name, and it appears to be owned by Amazon, so you can only get it on Amazon. I couldn't understand why I didn't see it on epicreads.com or on any other website. I spend tons of time looking at books on Amazon, and it finally showed up in the "people who bought this, also purchased these" section.

Memorable quotes: --

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

Book #43: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent (second book in Divergent series)

Author: Veronica Roth

Date started reading: June 27, 2013
Date finished reading:  June 30, 2013

Publish date: 544
ISBN: 978-0062024046
Number of pages: May 2012

Official summary: "One choice can transform you — or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves — and herself — while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable — and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so." (http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com)

Official book trailer:


How I obtained the book: Bought for $2.50 at a Friends of the Library charity book sale

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.”  
• “People, I have discovered, are layers and layers of secrets. You believe you know them, that you understand them, but their motives are always hidden from you, buried in their own hearts. You will never know them, but sometimes you decide to trust them.” 
• “We both have war inside us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us.”  
• “It reminds me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.” 
• “Like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged.”  
• “The truth has a way of changing people's plans.” 
• “Sometimes, people just want to be happy, even if it’s not real.” 
• “Killing you is not the worst thing they can do to you. Controlling you is.” 
• “The Candor sing the praises of the truth, but they never tell you how much it costs.”  
• “I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Most of the time, they seem like the only thing I am.” 
• “I think we cry to release the animal parts of us without losing our humanity.”  
• “I feel bare. I didn't realize I wore my secrets as armor until they were gone and now everyone sees me as I really am.” 
• “You die, I die too.”  
• “Evil depends on where you're standing.” 
• “Nothing else is all right. But we are.”   ~ Tobias to Tris
• “Arrogance is one of the flaws in the Erudite heart -- I know. It is often in mine.” 
• “No factions? A world in which no one knows who they are or where they fit? I can't even fathom it. I imagine only chaos and isolation.”  
• “Something about him makes me feel like I'm about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames.” 
• “I get the strange urge to hit my head against the wall. Other people's sobs make me feel uncomfortable.”  
• “Inquisitiveness is self-serving, Johanna.” ~ Marcus 
• “Blood is a strange color. It's darker than you expect it to be.”  
• “No matter what you believe, there's a technology out there for you.”

Buy on Amazon.com: Insurgent (Divergent, Book 2)

Book #42: Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Date started reading: June 24, 2013
Date finished reading:  June 26, 2013

Publish date: February 2012
ISBN: 978-0062024039
Number of pages: 487

Official summary: "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue — Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is — she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her." (http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Bought for $2 at a Friends of the Library charity book sale

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”  
• “I might be in love with you. I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.” ~ Tobias to Tris
• “Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.” 
• “I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that different.”  
• “Politeness is deception in pretty packaging.”   ~ Tris' mother
• “I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent. And I can’t be controlled.” ~ Tris
• “Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up” ~ Tobias to Tris
• “Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again.” 
• “People tend to overestimate my character. They think that because I'm small, or a girl, or a Stiff, I can't possibly be cruel. But they're wrong.”  ~ Tris
• “Two things you should know about me; The first is that I am deeply suspicious of people in general. It is my nature to expect the worst of them. And the second is that I am unexpectedly good with computers.” ~ Tobias
• “Human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it.” 
• “If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong.”   ~ Tris
• “Learning how to think in the midst of fear is a lesson that everyone needs to learn.” 
• “Leaving us with Eric is like hiring a babysitter who spends his time sharpening knives.”   ~ Tris
• “Humans can't tolerate emptiness for long.” 
•  “What's worse: to be idle while someone dies, or to be exiled and empty-handed?” ~ Tris
• “There is power in controlling something that can do so much damage - in controlling something, period.” ~ Tris
• “What do I believe? I do not know; I do not know; I do not know.”  ~ Tris
• “Half of bravery is perspective.” 
• “Sarcasm is always at someone's expense.”  
• “Sometimes it isn't fighting that's brave, its facing the death you know is coming.” ~ Tris
• “What good is a prepared body if you have a scattered mind?” 
• “I would rather be dead than empty” 
• “Sometimes pain is for the greater good.” 
• “No one is fearless, that's impossible. But learning how to control your fear, that's something even your Stiff family should learn how to do.”  ~ Tobias to Tris
• “She is well practiced in the art of losing herself.” 
• “I would only go if there was cake.”  ~ Tobias 
• “I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.”  ~ Tris
•  “I will be my undoing. If I become my obsession.” 
•  “We believe in the ordinary acts of bravery.” 
•  “If you don't like something, change it. You are not a tree.”

Buy on Amazon.com: Divergent

Book #41: Goddess

Title: Goddess (Third book in Starcrossed trilogy)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Date started reading: June 14, 2013
Date finished reading: June 17, 2013

Publish date: May 2013
ISBN: 978-0062012036
Number of pages: 432

Official summary: " After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas's life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores." (http://www.josephineangelini.com)

Book trailer:

 

How I obtained the book: Paid $14.67 using a Barnes & Noble gift card that I got basically for free through Plink.com.

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• “In order to save (Lucas), she’d made him stop loving her. Tears spilled down Helen’s face.” 
• “The queen may be the most versatile piece on the chessboard, but if she gets taken out the game doesn’t end. It’s only over when the king gets cornered and someone calls checkmate. Belatedly, Helen realized that she was the king in this game, not the queen.” 
• "It's like I woke up the other day with this whole new bunch of magic tricks to deal with, but no instructions for getting the blasted rabbit back in the hat." ~ Helen
• "An honest buck may not buy any more groceries than a dishonest one, but it'll always be worth more." ~ Helen
• "I'm so glad testosterone isn't contagious." ~ Helen
• "Just when (Helen) thought she was getting accustomed to how blindingly beautiful (Orion) was, she'd see a new expression on his face, and a huge part of her nervous system would seize up."
• "I can't think of anyone in the world who deserves to be loved -- loved more -- more than you." ~ Helen to Orion
• "(Helen) had power over the most magnificent forces on Earth, but she still didn't feel like she had power over the most important thing of all -- her own heart." 
• "It doesn't matter that the Furies are gone -- you all still act like a pack of wild dogs. Everybody's got to sniff everybody else's butt." ~ Noel
• "You may be all-powerful, but nothing beats plain old logic." ~ Lucas to Helen
• "I had to ask myself, what would make me do anything? Love, obviously." ~ Daphne
• "It's like the gods are getting off on watching people who love each other fight to the death." ~ Ariadne
• "It's like I have a built-in heckler in my head. I can't even make out with another guy without hearing this stupid voice, telling me I'm an idiot and I'm screwing everything up. You're the only one I'll ever love. The only one I'm capable of loving completely. You're it for me." ~ Helen to Lucas
• "I don't want to be immortal. I'm terrified of forever." ~ Helen
• "How powerful you are. The clouds twist with color at your command, but they still pale in comparison to your beauty. They'd cry with jealousy if you'd only let it rain." ~ Zeus to Helen
• "I figure spending eternity trapped in any one place, even paradise, is the same as hell after long enough. In a thousand years, I bet even a field of wildflowers begins to feel like a festering bog." ~ Helen
• "Forever is a long time, Helen." ~ Poseidon

Buy on Amazon.com: Goddess (Starcrossed)

Book #40: Elegy

Title: Elegy (Third book in Hereafter trilogy)

Author: Tara Hudson

Date started reading: June 11, 2013
Date finished reading: June 13, 2013

Publish date: June 2013
ISBN: 978-0062026811
Number of pages: 400

Official summary: "A stalker ghost, misguided Seers, and spellbinding wraiths — Amelia Ashley has faced them all. Now her greatest hope is to spend the rest of her afterlife with her living boyfriend, Joshua. But the demonic forces return to give her an ultimatum: turn herself over to the darkness or watch them murder one living person per week until she does. Amelia fears she might really be doomed, until the forces of light give her another option. She can join them in their quest to gather souls, with a catch: Once she joins them, she can never see Joshua again. Faced with impossible choices, Amelia decides to take her afterlife into her own hands — and fight back." (http://www.tarahudson.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Bought for $13.03 using a Barnes & Noble I got free through Plink.com

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

•  "I love you. And hell itself won't stop that. Sorry to put it so dramatically but, well, it's the truth." ~ Joshua to Amelia
• "In our world, love is most certainly a weakness." ~ Belial

Buy on Amazon.com: Elegy (Hereafter)

Book #39: The Host

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Date started reading: June 3, 2013
Date finished reading:  June 11, 2013

Publish date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-0316218511
Number of pages: 864

Official summary: "Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When Melanie, one of the few remaining 'wild' humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading 'soul' who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves — Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love." (http://www.stepheniemeyer.com)


Official movie trailer:

How I obtained the book: Got through Listia.com (It's like eBay but uses credits as currency instead of money)

My commentary:

• I'm surprisingly not going to read this book just because I liked the movie. But I did really love the movie. 

Memorable quotes:

• “It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that body, but the thing you do with it. You are beautiful.”  
• “I, the soul called Wanderer, love you, human Ian. And that will never change, no matter what I might become.” 
• “Perhaps there could be no joy on this planet without an equal weight of pain to balance it out on some unknown scale.”  
• “No point in ignoring the truth. Doesn't make it worse to have it said out loud.” 
• “Sometimes the best hiding place is the one that's in plain sight.”  
• “Storytelling was the most honored of all talents, for it benefited everyone.” 
• “Humans were always surprising me.”  

Buy on Amazon.com: The Host: A Novel

Book #38: Warm Bodies

Title: Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Date started reading: May 27, 2013
Date finished reading: May 28, 2013

Publish date: December 2012
ISBN: 978-1476717463
Number of pages: 256

Official summary: "R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world." (http://www.isaacmarion.com)

Official movie trailer:

The Hillywood Show's "Warm Bodies" parody (Mainly just posting this here because I want to save it, but it's hilarious):



How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary:

• Pre-reading: I am not at all a zombie fan. I decided to read this book for two reasons: 1) I was bored and watched the movie which didn't suck as badly as I expected, and 2) I got a free copy. 
• Post-reading: Ok, so I'll admit it. For a zombie story, this book was really good. I liked it a lot. Not quite as much as the movie, but a lot. I'm glad that the movie people cut out the things they did because it made the movie flow a little better than the book.

Memorable quotes:

• “I want to change my punctuation. I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses.”  ~ R
• “In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”  ~ R
• “Writing isn't letters on paper. It's communication. It's memory.”  
• “I am Dead, but it's not so bad. I've learned to live with it.” ~ R
•  “My friend "M" says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can't smile, because your lips have rotted off.” ~ R
• “Once you've arrived at the end of the world, it hardly matters which route you took.” ~ R
• “It's hard to take your life so seriously when you can see it all at once.”  
• “I'm not a general or a colonel or a builder of cities. I'm just a corpse who wants not to be.” ~ R
• “Even in my bravest moment, I am a coward.” 
• “Why is it beautiful that humanity keeps coming back? So does herpes.” ~ Nora
• “I want life and in all its stupid sticky rawness.” 
• “She is Living and I'm Dead, but I'd like to believe we're both human. Call me an idealist.”   ~ R
• “It's a shitty world and shit happens, but we don't have to bathe in shit.” 
• “The world is a liar. Its ugliness is overwhelming; the scraps of beauty make it worse.”  
• “It doesn't matter. We are where we are, however we got there. What matters is where we go next.” 
• “Life only makes any sense if we can see time how God does. Past, present, and future all at once.” 
• “There's no rule book for the world. It's in our heads, our collective human hive-mind. If there are rules, we're the ones making them. We can change them whenever we want.”  
• “The future is as blurry to me as the past. I can’t seem to make myself care about anything to the right or left of the present. You might say that death has relaxed me.” ~ R
• “Miracles don't exist. There is cause and effect, dreams and reality. Living and Dead. Your hope is absurd. Your romanticism, embarrassing” 

Buy on Amazon.com: Warm Bodies: A Novel

Book #37: Gameboard of the Gods

Title: Gameboard of the Gods (Book #1 in the Age of X series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Date started reading: May 19, 2013
Date finished reading:  May 26, 2013

Publish date: June 2013
ISBN: 978-0525953685
Number of pages: 464

Official summary: "In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board." (http://richellemead.com/books/ageofx.htm)

How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary: --

Memorable quotes:

• "Sex and battle were each dangerous in their own ways." ~ Mae
• "I can't shut my brain off. It's like a hamster wheel." ~ Justin
• "Friction offers no danger. Only its followers." ~ Mae
• "Voices inside my head are just as grating as ones outside." ~ Justin
• "Everything about me is a lie." ~ Mae
• "Passion born from emotional upheaval never ends well." ~ Justin
• "Wise men don't need concrete answers. By definition, they need wisdom." ~ Geraki

Buy on Amazon.com: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X)

Book #36: True

Title: True (Book #3 in the Elixir series)

Author: Hilary Duff

Date started reading: May 15, 2013
Date finished reading:  May 17, 2013

Publish date: April 2013
ISBN: 978-1442408579
Number of pages: 304

Official summary: "Following the harrowing events of Elixir and Devoted — and the ceremony that almost killed Sage — Clea faces a new reality: With Sage’s soul in Nico’s body, the love of her life looks an awful lot like her best friend’s boyfriend. Can Clea and Sage really be happy under these circumstances? Clea wants to try to enjoy their new life together, but Sage is acting different — angry — and she struggles to keep her friends from finding out what has happened to him. Something is clearly haunting Sage, and Clea is losing control. Can she trust her friends with the dangerous truth, or will she have to risk losing Sage to madness?" (simonandschuster.com)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $10.98 through Amazon using a giftcard I earned using Plink.com so ultimately it was free to me.

My commentary:

• "Note to self: When a man takes over someone else's body, probably best to brief that man on what the previous resident was like." ~ Clea
• "When a man with memory loss says you're the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, I believe you have to take it with a grain of salt." ~ Clea
• "If you love me, you won't let me become a monster." ~ Sage to Clea
• "I think you believe no one but you and Sage can truly love each other in a life-altering way." ~ Rayna to Clea
• "For Rayna, falling in love is like breathing -- she can't live without it." ~ Clea
• "Life isn't all about Clea Raymond. The rest of us aren't extras here to fill in your life story." ~ Rayna
• "Eternal peace is boring. Deathly boring. The living world is far more exciting." ~ Magda

Memorable quotes:

• I was slightly disappointed to how this trilogy ended. For some reason, I'm wishing it would've ended with a sad ending instead of a happy one. I love the series overall, but I think it would've been better to end it with a really sad tragedy. I think Duff (and the person who helped her write the series) wrapped things up too nicely. The point of the series was this tragic love story that was epic and always brought heartbreak. I suppose I should be happy that Clea and Sage got a happy ending, but I think it would've been better to end up with the two of them not together... like Sage should've died. Despite that, I think Duff did an excellent job for her first series, and I hope she continues to write books like these.

Buy on Amazon.com: True: An Elixir Novel

Book #35: Make Good Art

Title: Make Good Art

Author: Neil Gaiman

Date started reading: May 12, 2013
Date finished reading: May 12, 2013

Publish date: May 2013
ISBN: 9780062266767
Number of pages: 80

Official summary: "In May 2012, bestselling author Neil Gaiman stood at a podium at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts to deliver the commencement address. For the next nineteen minutes he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength: he encouraged the students before him to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he encouraged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to make good art. This book, designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, contains the full text of Gaiman’s inspiring speech. Whether bestowed upon a young artist beginning his or her creative journey, or given as a token of gratitude to an admired mentor, or acquired as a gift to oneself, this volume is a fitting offering for anyone who strives to make good art." (http://www.neilgaiman.com)

How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary:

• My husband is a fan of Gaiman, so I've heard a lot about him since we started dating, but I don't have much personal experience with his work. I grabbed this book for my husband, but I ended up really loving it myself.
• The book takes Gaiman's 2012 speech and displays it in one of the most creative ways I've ever seen using different typography. After we both read the book, my husband and I watched the speech online (I've posted it below). We agreed that it was a little more interesting seeing the speech in this printed book than listening to him actually giving the speech, but in the end, it is the most profound graduation speeches I've heard (and I've heard lots that were so boring I wish I could've missed out on them). I can definitely see why it was turned into this book.

The speech:

Memorable quotes:

• "Looking back, I've had a remarkable ride. I'm not sure I can call it a career, because a career implies that I had some kind of career plan, and I never did. The nearest thing I had was a list I made when I was 15 of everything I wanted to do: to write an adult novel, a children's book, a comic, a movie, record an audiobook, write an episode of Doctor Who... and so on. I didn't have a career. I just did the next thing on the list."
• "The problems of failure are hard. The problems of success can be harder, because nobody warns you about them."
• "Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art."
• "Be wise, because the world needs more wisdom, and if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would." 
• "Make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art."

Buy on Amazon.com: Make Good Art

Book #34: Fall of Night

Title: Fall of Night (Book #14 of The Morganville Vampires series

Author: Rachel Caine

Date started reading: May 11, 2013
Date finished reading:  May 14, 2013

Publish date: May 2013
ISBN: 978-0451414250
Number of pages: 352

Official summary: "Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big-time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble... Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane. Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires. But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make..." (http://morganvillevampire.com/)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered for $9.98 through Amazon using a giftcard I earned using Plink.com so ultimately it was free to me.

My commentary:

• This book made me miss how the first 8 books in the series were much smaller, which led to less filler. The first 72 pages of this book were so boring that I wanted to just quit reading it. It wasn't until the appearance of Dr. Anderson that things picked up and were interesting. 
• SPOILER ALERT: I was absolutely shocked at how this one ended. Claire, Shane, Eve, and Michael (along with Dr. Anderson, Myrnin, and Oliver) return back to Morganville and get met by the human cops at the town's entrance. The human's take down the vampires and say that Morganville has been taken over by the humans thanks to the Daylight Foundation. The vampires are no longer running the show. This makes me a little happy because I've known for a while that the next book is titled "Daylighters" and I had figured that meant suddenly there'd be vampires who could easily walk around in the sun ... because that seems to be the way all the vampire series are going. Somehow they're all adding in at least one vampire who can walk in the sunlight, but this means "Daylighters" is referring to the foundation, not sunlight-loving vamps, and I'm happy.
• I'm glad in this book there are only two points-of-view -- Claire and Shane -- but I'm still annoyed at how Claire's is in third-person while Shane's is first-person. It was at least less confusing with two POVs instead of three or more. Why do everyone else's in first-person but do Claire's in third-person? It pisses me off.
• MORE SPOILERS: I totally knew Dr. Anderson was going to end up betraying Claire and everyone else who supports vampires. I don't know how it would've surprised anyone. I think in the Morganville world, you shouldn't trust anyone new. It was just too obvious that she wasn't on Claire's side of things from the time she showed up in the book.

Memorable quotes:

• "Morganville would go on without her. That seemed weird." ~ Claire
• "Romance is for idiots." ~ Liz
• "You come back to us or I swear, I'll find you, dig up your stinky corpse, and kick its ass until it freaking disintegrates." ~ Eve to Shane
• "You know (Myrnin); he's brilliant, and he's the living embodiment of chaos theory."~ Dr. Anderson
• "Working for Myrnin means being zookeeper, nanny, and best friend. Trouble is, knowing when each of those things is necessary, because making a mistake means you become a Happy Meal." ~ Dr. Anderson
• “Not a good day for Team Vampire.” ~ Shane
• “The world out there isn’t like it is here. I know it hasn’t been easy for you here — and I’ve been a significant part of your challenges, as well. But Claire, I do know something of the world — I have been in it for hundreds of years, and although technology changes, people are little different, then or now. They are afraid, and they use that fear to excuse their own actions — whether it is theft or hatred, violence or murder. People bond themselves into families and groups for protection, and strangers … strangers are always at risk.” ~ Myrnin 
• "Maybe the normal world isn't as normal as I expected." ~ Claire
• "Man, the real world sucked. And it sucked even more that I actually missed Morganville." ~ Shane
• "In real life, you don't get a reset, and you don't get extra lives, and I got the crap pounded out of mine." ~ Shane
• "Nothing here is like fighting vampires. It's more like fighting smoke. I think I liked it when I had an actual enemy to face." ~ Shane
• "I love it when you talk dirty physics." ~ Shane to Claire
• "Anybody who believed vampires couldn't feel things like living people did had never met Michael Glass." ~ Claire
• "Science doesn't fix everything. Sometimes, it just screws everything up." ~ Eve
• "We watch each other's backs, Morganville style." ~ Claire
  "You can take the girl out of town, but you can't take the town out of the girl." ~ Shane
• "When everything went crazy, when nothing made sense... Claire made sense. I just had to trust even when I couldn't see." ~ Shane
• "You could kill somebody with a bar of soap, if you tried hard enough." ~ Shane

Buy on Amazon.com: Fall of Night: The Morganville Vampires

Book #33: How to Be Interesting

Title: How to Be Interesting

Author: Jessica Hagy

Date started reading: May 6, 2013
Date finished reading: May 6, 2013

Publish date: March 2013
ISBN: 978-0761174707
Number of pages: 272

Official summary: "You want to leave a mark, not a blemish. Be a hero, not a spectator. You want to be interesting. (Who doesn’t?) But sometimes it takes a nudge, a wake-up call, an intervention! — and a little help. This is where Jessica Hagy comes in. A writer and illustrator of great economy, charm, and insight, she’s created How to Be Interesting, a uniquely inspirational how-to that combines fresh and pithy lessons with deceptively simple diagrams and charts. Ms. Hagy started on Forbes.com, where she’s a weekly blogger, by creating a “How to Be Interesting” post that went viral, attracting 1.4 million viewers so far, with tens of thousands of them liking, linking, and tweeting the article. Now she’s deeply explored the ideas that resonated with so many readers to create this small and quirky book with a large and universal message. It’s a book about exploring: Talk to strangers. About taking chances: Expose yourself to ridicule, to risk, to wild ideas. About being childlike, not childish: Remember how amazing the world was before you learned to be cynical. About being open: Never take in the welcome mat. About breaking routine: Take daily vaca- tions . . . if only for a few minutes. About taking ownership: Whatever you’re doing, enjoy it, embrace it, master it as well as you can. And about growing a pair: If you’re not courageous, you’re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about the guy that actually is." (http://how2beinteresting.tumblr.com)

How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary:

•  I've read (and glanced through) tons and tons of self-improvement books, and this one stands out totally from the entire genre. It not only dispenses awesome advice, it does it in a graphical way that is unique and interesting. 
• With the things that have happened in my personal life lately (if you've noticed, I haven't read a book in like 3 weeks or so, which isn't like me), I needed a pick-me-up, and this was it. 
• The way this book presents information reminds me of a "music" video by Baz Luhrmann for "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)." I have absolutely loved the video (watch below) for many years now because the profound -- and somewhat random -- advice, and this book made me think about the video. It's such a classic...

Memorable quotes (Doing this a little different this time -- some will be typed in, some will be scanned in as they appear in the book):

• “Feel greater than fine. Do better than just okay. Amazing is rare, if only because so few people reach for it. Risking the ordinary is the only way to get something extraordinary.”
• "If it is unappetizing: Do not eat, date, or sign up for it. If the mere thought of it is depressing: Do not major in it, sit through it, or devote your life to it. If it is not important to you: Do not do it only because it is important to someone else. You will thank yourself"
• "Mistakes happen. Often. Sometimes they're your fault and sometimes they're your misfortune. Freely admit to both kinds."
• "Avoid people who make you feel crappy."
• "Maybe your past isn't perfect. Maybe it was brutal. Maybe you were brutal. Maybe you've got more scars than you thought one skin could hold. You can't linger on these thoughts. You will drown in them."

Buy on Amazon.com: How to Be Interesting: (In 10 Simple Steps)

Book #32: The Temptation

Title: The Temptation (Book #6 of The Secret Circle series)

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

Date started reading: April 09, 2013
Date finished reading: ------

Publish date: March 2013
ISBN: 9780062130471
Number of pages: 277

Official summary: "It's always darkest before the dawn. Cassie hasn't felt this alone since she moved to New Salem and joined the Circle — the closest thing to a family she's ever known. But now that the Circle has been possessed by powerful evil spirits, Cassie is left with no choice but to turn to her dark side to rescue them. As she struggles to get through to her friends and her soul mate, Adam, she finds an unexpected ally — one who will tempt her more than ever before. With her enemies quickly closing in, Cassie fights to keep her heart true and her soul pure. But she knows better than anyone that all magic comes at a price, especially when Black John's Book of Shadows is involved. Will Cassie defeat the darkness once and for all ... or will the Circle be lost for good?" (http://www.epicreads.com)

How I obtained the book: Pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble $13.92 using a giftcard I earned through Plink.com.

My commentary:

• I've read somewhere that this book is supposed to be the final one in the series. That's probably for the best. I really liked the last two that Aubrey Clark wrote, but this one sort of dragged on and I am glad there probably won't be another one that I'll feel like I need to read because I'm invested in the series. Clark wrapped things up too nice with this book. I wish it wouldn't have ended with a happy ending. The happy ending was too predictable.
• I really wanted Cassie to end up with Nick instead of Adam. The whole soulmate principle in L.J. Smith's world pisses me off sometimes. I wish Clark would've went against that.

Memorable quotes:

• "What could be worse than needing someone you couldn't stand, someone you literally never wanted to see again?" ~ Cassie
• "My Circle is my destiny." ~ Cassie
• "Sometimes bodies could communicate in a way language couldn't Adam's mouth on Cassie's said all there was to say." 
• "I guess you're all I have left, Cassie. You're my only chance of saving myself. How's that for pathetic?" ~ Scarlett
  "We're each other's only chance, Scarlett. Pathetic or not." ~ Cassie
• "Cassie had changed in the past year. She'd grown up. Being a witch was normal to her now, and there was no going back. A regular life would never be enough anymore, even if it would be easier."

Buy on Amazon.com: The Secret Circle: The Temptation