manda-rae's Haul

Stacking the Shelves consists of books we received in the last week, hosted by Tynga's reviews.

I have a weekend free of work.  A weekend to read a lot and do absolutely nothing.  I'm so looking forward to it.

For Review:

• Guardian by Heather Burch
• Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
• So, angel books tend to not always spark my interest.  And I believe the only bad part of Halflings was the major love triangle.  After receiving a request to pick this one up and looking over the reviews (that state this one is better than the first), I figured why not?  Crossing my fingers that this is the awesome angel book I've been waiting for.  Thanks goes to Heather Burch and Zondervan for providing me a review copy.

Borrowed:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
• I was never required to read this in school.  I've always wondered what it was about and if it was good.  So don't throw your shoes at me for having never read this.  I'm going to...

manda-rae's Past Two Weeks

Reviews:

• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Interviews:

• The Devil's Triangle by Toni De Palma

Author Interview: The Devil's Triangle by Toni De Palma

The Devil's Triangle by Toni De Palma
Genre:  YA Paranormal Fantasy

Toni De Palma's website

Goodreads

Description (taken from Toni De Palma's webiste):

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

Toni De Palma Interview

Q:  Vanilla or Chocolate? 

A:  Coconut with chocolate chips and gummy bears :) Like my fiction, I need something to chew on.

Q:  Driving or flying?

A:  Flying because I can't drive to Rome or Paris.

Q:  Vampire or werewolf? 

A:  Since I like a hairy guy, werewolf.

Q:  Photographer or photographee? 

A:  I actually used to work as a photographer and had my own darkroom. I am definitely more comfortable behind the camera.

Q:  Batman or Superman? 

A:  Because I was born in the late 60's this translates into Adam West or Christopher Reeves for me. So Batman. POW!

Q:  Ice cream or cake? 

A:  Cookies. Again, it's that whole chew factor.

Q:  Contemporary or fantasy? 

A:  No, No, No! Don't make me choose. I go both ways.

Q:  Age you received your first kiss? 

A:  You're killing me and because I am honest, I will admit that I was a late bloomer. Eighteen! Eeek! I can't believe I just admitted that.

Q:  Most embarrassing moment? 

A:  Having a huge crush on my seventh grade Vice Principal and going as far as creating a fan club for him, complete with a theme song. Needless to say, I was the only member.

Q:  Dream date? 

A:  Okay, making up for lost time, I have had some amazing dream dates that have included fast speed motorcycle races on the curving, narrow streets of a Mediterranean island.

Q:  What degree did you graduate with (or want to graduate with)? 

A:  B.A. in Psychology, M.S.W (Masters in Social Work), M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I like school.

Q:  Describe your book in two sentences. 

A:  After Lucy, the Devil's sister, gives him another shot at heaven, 17 year old Cooper is sent back to earth to meet a girl named Grace. What he doesn't know is that the two of them have a shared history.

Q:  Who is your book meant to be read by? 

A:  While it's young adult, I think adults and anyone with a warped sense of humor, a big heart, and a desire for a fun story will enjoy it.

Q:  Who was your favorite character to write about? 

A:  Cooper, my main character, is the perfect combination of sweet and screwed up. A good boy, who is trying so darned hard to be good. I also love Lucy, the Devil's sister. She definitely reflects my naughty, vain side.

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Unraveling Series, Book 1

Elizabeth Norris' website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Elizabeth Norris' website):

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed — as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing.

Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows – with every fiber of her being – that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something – but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened – the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life – points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

So, um, when I picked this book up, I thought I was reading some kind of dystopian.  It's been so long since I wanted to read it that I kind of forgot what it was supposed to be about.  Well for all those who are a little book genre challenged like me, this is a young adult science fiction novel.  Now we don't see those everyday, do we?  Especially when it gets my seal of approval...

Right away, this book jumps into action.  Janelle is in an accident that should have left her dead.  But she isn't.  And Ben's involved.  But no one's answering questions.  Then we get introduced to some weird occurrences that all seem to be related.  This book slowly weaves details and slight subliminal messaging to prepare you for the ride to come.  And while I read right through it and had the book figured out pretty quickly, I'm glad those slight clues were thrown in.  Otherwise, my opinion of the book once everything started unraveling might have gone down.

I do have to say the ending was the make it or break it for me.  This book is set in the real-world which means we don't get the fairy tale endings where everything ends all honky dory.  In fact, I want to continue this series due to the ending.  I'd definitely recommend this book to dystopian/paranormal lovers who are looking for something a little different.

Challenges:  TBR Reading Pile Challenge

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Genre:  YA Paranormal Fantasy

Caster Chronicles, Book 1

Kami Garcia's website

Margaret Stohl's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Margaret Stohl's website):

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

We enter a very small town in the South.  There's a boy who has a boring life, and he's counting down the days until he can get out of this dead-end town.  But a new girl arrives and begins to shake things up.  Somehow, she's become the most interesting thing out there and he's fallen under her spell.  Does this remind you of another book?  Like Twilight, maybe?  Only, the genders are reversed.  You heard me, this book is from Ethan's point of view.

To be brutally honest, this book is totally long-winded.  It's five hundred pages, and I felt like I could have spent my time doing something more worthwhile.  The romance is kind of instant love, and I just couldn't believe it (especially when I'm seeing it from Ethan's point of view).  Ethan is the human in love while Lena is the paranormal one, the witch.

It's an epic battle between light and dark.  Good and evil.  Problem is, I never really had a reason to side with one or the other.  Lena was so freaked out about turning dark.  And I kept asking, "What's so wrong with going dark?  It's kind of hot if you ask me..."  Lots of intrigue, lies, and small explanations to keep you going.  But the explanations just weren't enough for me.  And the final battle at the end fell way short for me.

In all honesty, the movie for this book caught my attention.  I picked up the book to prepare myself for the movie and kind of wish I hadn't.  I'm really hoping this has an opposite effect than Twilight (I'm hoping to like the movie - Twilight: I loved the book but absolutely hated the movies).  Anyone interested in reading this book should probably check out other reviews since mine did not end on a good note.

Challenges:  Paranormal Reading Challenge

manda-rae's Haul

Stacking the Shelves consists of books we received in the last week, hosted by Tynga's reviews.

It's snowed quite a bit this past week and gotten very cold outside (it's currently 8 degrees outside).  I'm sick at home with a sore throat right now (that will probably turn into a nasty cold).  So, hopefully everyone's having a better weekend than me...

Purchased:

• Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
• Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
• I've been wanting to read this book ever since I put down the second one.  I've heard awesome things about the last book, and I can't wait.

manda-rae's Past Two Weeks

Reviews:

• Scorch by Gina Damico

Memes:

• Waiting on Wednesday: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
• Waiting on Wednesday: MindGames by Kiersten White