Book #35: Destined

Title: Destined (Book #9 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 11, 2012
Date finished reading: March 13, 2012

Publish date: October 2011
ISBN: 978-0312650254
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa’s House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side – and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow. But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness?" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Checked out of library (I will however be buying a copy of my own at some point once I can find a cheap copy) 

• UPDATE: Ended up buying a copy for $8.54 at used book store on March 29   

Memorable quotes:

• "My mama always said eight hours of sleep, drinking lots of water, and not havin' any kids was a better anti-aging recipe than anything a doctor or L'Oreal could ever cook up." ~ Stevie Rae
• "You're not just covered with awesomesauce. You're what awesomesauce is made of." ~ Stark to Zoey
• "I'm beginning to understand that there is only one real difference between Darkness and Light, and that is the capacity to love." ~ Rephaim
• "That sounded like I thought the nerd herd and I were turning into a redneck Okie paramilitary group. ... Why couldn't those groups be more attractive?" ~ Zoey
• "Kalona + a new and improved Rephaim = track wreck." ~ Zoey
• "I read in People magazine that negativity gives you wrinkles. You may wanna consider your attitude when you look in the mirror 'cause I do know you love some mirror time." ~ Kramisha to Aphrodite 
• "Over more than one hundred years the one consistent thing I have found is that there really is no normal when it comes to women." ~ Dragon to Aurox
• "If I didn't have my horses I think I would get very tired of living." ~ Lenobia
• "That's how Darkness works. It turns love into something bad." ~ Stark
• "There are worse things than death. Being trapped by your fear of it is one of those things." ~ Rephaim
• "We each decide what we are by the life choices we make. How we were made, who our parents are, where we are from, the color of our skin, who we choose to love, all those things do not define us. Our actions define us, and will keep defining us even after death." ~ Thanatos

My commentary:

• This book is more confusing than the others because it switches the point of view that it's told through so many times. There are 11 different people's who take over the point of view in this book. Sometimes I have trouble remembering whose perspective I'm reading
• One thing I find intriguing about this book series is that each book ends with some closure to the current storyline but then everything is blown apart by the last page. It's like things seem ok, but then one line says that the war is just beginning or something. It keeps you craving more, which in the case of this book kind of sucks because the next book doesn't come out until October

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

Book #34: Awakened

Title: Awakened (Book #8 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 10, 2012
Date finished reading: March 11, 2012

Publish date: January 2011
ISBN: 978-0312650247
Number of pages: 290

Official summary: "Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over her immortal consort Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either. .. And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart? In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

How I obtained the book: Bought for $1 at a Friends of the Library charity book sale


Memorable quotes:

• "I just came from the Otherworld, but that doesn't mean I have a death wise." ~ Stark
• "Beauty doesn't last. Friends and family decay. Power is the only thing that goes on forever." ~ Neferet ... "No, love goes on forever." ~ Jack
• "If cats understood technology and had opposable thumbs, they'd rule the world." ~ Sqiach
• "Once you've known Darkness, real Darkness, there's always a shadow on your soul." ~ Stark
• "Darkness is territorial, possessive. Once it's had a piece of you, it doesn't like to let go." ~ Stark
• "If there was one thing the immortal understood, it was the power of patience." ~ Kalona
• "Terror could be satisfying." ~ Kalona
• "Neferet is slicker than hen crap on a tin roof." ~ Stevie Rae
• "We do not have time to tiptoe around Zoey's feelings. She needs to put on her big-girl High Priestess panties and deal." ~ Aphrodite
• "Evil wins when good folks do nothing." ~ Stevie Rae

My commentary:

• I was trying to figure out how much time has supposedly passed from the first book of the series to the beginning of this one. I think it's only like four months or so. It seems like it should be a long time, but I'm pretty sure everything in the first seven books took place within about four months. It's a lot of action packed into four months

Buy on Amazon.com: Awakened (House of Night, Book 8)

Book #33: Burned

Title: Burned (Book #7 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 08, 2012
Date finished reading:  March 10, 2012

Publish date: April 2010
ISBN: 978-0312606169
Number of pages: 323

Official summary: "Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird’s soul has shattered. With everything she’s ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey’s fading fast. It’s seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left.. Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own. The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy for his own good. The truth is, Stevie Rae’s hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey home but also threatens to explode her whole world. In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, human, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She’s always been blessed (if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess’s own voice, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite’s loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey’s fate hangs in the balance. Three girls... playing with fire… if they don’t watch out, everyone will get Burned. (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

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

Memorable quotes:

•  "She'd almost burned up on that rooftop. For a second she remembered the excellent season two 'True Blood' episode where Goderick had burned his own self up on a fictional roof. Stevie Rae snorted a laugh. 'It looked way easier on TV.'"
• "If its ass is feathered and waterproofed, it's a duck" ~ Aphrodite 
• "Did ya see how high-waisted his pants were? No one under the age of eighty with a big brain wears grandpa pants pulled all the way to their underarms. Pea brain, I'm just sayin'." ~ Stevie Rae to Rephaim about security guard
• "Zoey isn't dead. And believe me, I know dead. I've been there, done that, and got the frickin' T-shirt." ~ Stevie Rae
• "To be allied with Death is not an easy career path." ~ Thanatos
• "That's an ignorant stereotype. Just 'cause I'm not from a big city does not mean I automatically know about cows and stuff. Heck, I don't even like horses." ~ Stevie Rae to Aphrodite
• "Sometimes he almost like Aphrodite -- not that he'd ever admit it." ~ Stark
• "Celebrity Barbies would only be important if they had interesting accoutrements you could buy with them. ~ Aphrodite ... "You sound like you swallowed a French guy and are trying to spit him out. ~ Erin
• "That immortal blood of yours is like the Energizer Bunny inside me." ~ Stevie Rae to Rephaim
• "Venus, you need a lot more than a gold card to fix the mess you've turned into." ~ Stevie Rae
• "You do use your words like a dagger, and a drawn dagger often causes trouble." ~ Darius to Aphrodite
• "As Stevie Rae would have said, Kalona was as wrong as manboobs" ~ Zoey

My commentary:

• When I was looking at this book on Amazon, I cracked up at this part of one of the reviews: "These books are like Twinkies. They're really terrible, yet are a sometimes delicious guilty pleasure. I hate myself a little more after every one I buy, yet I can't seem to stop myself either." ... That totally explains how I feel about the books in a way much better than I could ever put into my own words
• One thing I've forgotten to mention that I like about this series is how some of the editions of the books in hardcover include posters on the back of the book jackets.  I've noticed that not all the editions have them, but many do. It explains why many of the hardcover books are missing their jackets when I see them in the local used bookstores. If I was teenager reading the books, I'm sure I'd be putting the posters up on the walls of my bedroom. It's always fun when publishers add in some sort of surprise for readers like that. (You can see what I mean below. The first image is the poster from "Burned," and the second is showing the one that was wrapped around "Tempted")

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

Book #32: Tempted

Title: Tempted (Book #6 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 07, 2012
Date finished reading: March 08, 2012

Publish date: May 2011
ISBN: 978-0312609382
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: "So… you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul?" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

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

Memorable quotes:

• "If I shot an arrow and thought about an ass, would it surprise you that I hit Erik?" ~ Stark
• "Oh, don't mind me. I talk to myself. Even when I'm not alone. It's kinda like my own version of therapy." ~ Stevie Rae
• "'Holy crap' is that a curse? 'Cause if it is, I'm afraid I'm going to have to wake up the Potty Mouth Police and have them make an arrest." ~ Aphrodite to Zoey
• "Suddenly I was feeling very guy-claustrophobic. I mean, a buffet of boys sounds like a good idea in theory, but I was quickly finding out that, much like straight-leg designer jeans, it's only in theory that the idea is good." ~ Zoey
• "Here's what happens when your city loses light: it doesn't look right. It sounds simplistic, especially coming from a kid who is supposed to be one of the children of the night or whatnot, but the world doesn't look the same when the lights go out." ~ Zoey
• "Life's about messing up. And I'm startin' to think it wouldn't be exciting if we were perfect." ~ Stevie Rae

My commentary:

• This book is different from the ones before it because it is told from the point of view of six characters: Zoey, Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, Rephaim, Heath and Stark, instead of just Zoey's perspective.

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

Book #31: Hunted

Title: Hunted (Book #5 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 05, 2012
Date finished reading: March 07, 2012

Publish date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-0312577995
Number of pages: 336

Official summary: What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you? At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face? (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

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

Memorable quotes:

• "My mama told me don't trust no white boy, even a pretty one. I'm thinkin' a pretty white boy with wings explodin' up from the ground in a mess of blood and ugly-ass bird things is double trouble." ~ Kramisha
• "I would tell you that you looked really hot today when I saw you naked, but that probably wouldn't be appropriate, being as we're in bed together but not doing anything." ~ Stark
• "As your girlfriend, you've just pissed me off. As your High Priestess, you've just insulted me. And as someone with a working brain, you've made me wonder if you've lost every bit of your sense." ~ Zoey
• "Reality shows could make the world a better place and bring peace to all mankind." ~ Zoey
• "Have credit cards, will decorate." ~ Aphrodite
• "Aphrodite -- she crazy even when she not drunk and Imprinted" ~ Kramisha
• "Last time I saw you, I said that it hurt too much to love you. But I was wrong about that. The truth is it hurts too much not to love you." ~ Heath to Zoey
• "Life isn't a book, Heath! There's no guarantee of a happy ending." ~ Zoey
• "Pain was good. If I hurt, it meant I wasn't dead." ~ Zoey
• "You could stick a fork in me and call me so done with all this stress." ~ Zoey
• "The world is falling apart. It's really okay to cuss a little." ~ Aphrodite. "The world falling apart isn't an excuse to take up bad habits." ~ Zoey
• "I do not belong to you. I don't belong to anyone expect myself and Nyx." ~ Zoey to Kalona
• "What is so wonderful about free will? Humans eternally misuse it. Life can be so much happier without it." ~ Kalona
• "Purses are my spiders. Really big spiders you can open up and they're filled with a whole nest of baby spiders." ~ Stark
• "Battle scars from the war of good versus evil have a unique beauty all their own." ~ Lenobia
• "Here's the life lesson I've really been learning: If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking, they can make you laugh." ~ Zoey

My commentary: I can honestly say that even though I have issues with it, I'm totally obsessed with this series. I can't stop reading it or thinking about it when I'm not actually reading.

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

Book #30: Untamed

Title: Untamed (Book #4 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 4, 2012
Date finished reading:  March 5, 2012

Publish date: September 2008
ISBN: 978-0312379834
Number of pages: 352

Official summary: "Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey’s adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened." (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

Official book "trailer:"

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

Memorable quotes:

• "Aphrodite makes us understand why women have drowned their babies." ~ Shaunee
• "Sometimes chaos and love seem like the same thing." ~ Aphrodite
• "Free will sometimes sucks." ~ Zoey
• "I started hearing police and fire sirens, along with gunshots, which made me smile grimly. This was Oklahoma, and us Okies did love our guns. Yep, we exercise our Second Amendment right with pride and vigor. I wished I had a clue if modern weapons would make any difference to creatures born of magic and myth" ~ Zoey's reaction to hearing people shooting at Raven Mockers (It was really spot-on when it comes to how many Oklahomans are with their guns)

My commentary:

• Aphrodite has become my favorite character in this series. Her personality is surprisingly like me in many ways. She's often rude and mean. She's moody. She hurts a lot of people's feelings, but in some ways it's mainly just because she's so blunt and honest. She's probably the most honest person in the series. Sometimes honesty hurts. I've always said I'd rather be called a bitch than have someone think I'm weak and don't speak my mind, and Aphrodite portrays this attitude well. Deep down she is a good person, but she uses the rudeness to shield herself from pain due to a troubled childhood with nightmarish parents. I totally get how that is...
• Cats play an important part in the series. I guess that makes sense because cats are often portrayed as familiars to witches, and the vampires in the series perform magic all the time. If the books ever really get made into a movie, it will be interesting to see how they handle the cat situation. Each cat has such a distinct personality in the books, and each one looks a specific way. Anyways, Aphrodite's cat is such a perfect fit for her character. I'm glad she found a cat... or rather a cat found her.
• With the previous book, I said I was getting annoyed with Zoey's love life. She was seeing three guys. In this book, she is basically single for two days before a fourth guy comes into the picture. Seriously can the authors not put so much focus on being in a relationship?  It puts a bad light on single girls... despite the girl power message in all the other aspects of the series. I really think Zoey should be single until she figures out who she is and what she wants from life.
• I really hate how I started reading this series because it was about vampires, but things just keep getting odder as I'm going through the books. Now there are bird demons (called Raven Mockers). Why can't authors stick with just the vampire theme without throwing in other random types of creatures into book series? Isn't a bird creature why I started hating L.J. Smith's "Vampire Diaries: Return" series? Why, yes, it was. I was really glad L.J. got fired from writing more VD books because of all the whimsical elements she was throwing in. The "House of Night" books are getting as stupidly whimsical.
• As much as I complain about various details of the series, it is so oddly addictive. I'm enjoying the books as much as I hate them 
• *Spoiler alert* --- I mentioned above that cats play an important role in this series, and at the end of this book after Neferet releases ancient demon Kalona from the earth, as Zoey and her friends are running out of the trap door in the school's surrounding wall, there is a line of cats waiting there for them. I have to admit that would be a really hilarious scene if this book is made into a movie. A bunch of people stumbling through a wall's trap door only to find all the cats from the House of Night sitting there. I'd laugh at that scene.  It does make sense because cats do seem to sense evil, so they'd want to get away from the place BEFORE Kalona is released, so I'm sure the cats would've all known something evil was about to happen

Buy on Amazon.com: Untamed (House of Night, Book 4)

Book #29: Chosen

Title: Chosen (Book #3 of the "House of Night" series)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Date started reading: March 3, 2012
Date finished reading: March 4, 2012

Publish date: March 2008
ISBN: 978-0312360306
Number of pages: 320

Official summary: "Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare situation of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely affects the truth…" (http://www.houseofnightseries.com)

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

Memorable quotes:

• "That man is such a damn turd monkey." ~ Zoey's grandmother talking about Zoey's stepfather (I want to call someone a turd monkey now)
• "Lies don't fix things. They don't even make things easier, at least not in the long run. Best to tell the truth and then clean up an honest mess." ~ Zoey's grandmother 
• "I'm in the middle of some deep poo. The negatives in my life totally outweigh the positives, and you know what's weird? I'm starting to actually get used to it." ~ Zoey

My commentary:

• *Spoiler alert* ---- I know I said with the last book that I found it interesting that Zoey was torn between three different guys, instead of the typical love triangle, but with this book, it has become clear that Zoey really isn't a good role model for teenagers due to her love life.  I do think authors of books aimed at teenagers have some sort of responsibility to provide positive role models, so having Zoey dating two teenage boys then going off and losing her virginity to an adult who is a teacher at her school just isn't responsible. It's one thing for her to crush on (and even flirt with) a teacher, but to have sex with him? That's just messed up for many reasons Plus, there was no mention of condoms or birth control before she sleeps with him (yes I know, vampires shouldn't necessarily need condoms or birth control, but I really think the responsible thing would've been to somehow mention them). I just don't get why everything in society today has to center on sex. I know "sex sells" and all, but it doesn't sell with me
• As much as this book series annoys me, it's also entertaining me... so far. I see a lot of negative things about the books, but I'm also weirdly intrigued. This book was as entrancing as it was bothersome

Buy on Amazon.com: Chosen (House of Night, Book 3)