The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight
By: Julie Kagawa
4 Stars

From the back cover...Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Thoughts...While this book was a great ending to a great series, it did not suck me into the story as did the other two books. I didn't object that they story's point of view was written by or told by Ash, but I did miss how much the story lacked Meghan. That is why I fell in love with this series, it was becasue of Ash & Meghan's relationship. While this book was about Ash becoming a human so that he could be with Meghan I missed Ash & Meghan's interactions with each other.

Perfect Chemistry

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Day 21

So my husband has been gone for 21 day. Only 161 more days until he will be home. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. This week he is Kabul, I am not sure he might be back to Bagram by now. I miss him tons.

The Liar Society

The Liar Society
By Lisa & Laura Roeckel
3.5 Stars

From the back cover...Kate Lowry didn’t think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, who died mysteriously a year before, she’s not so sure. When the emails continue, Kate is forced to confront her school’s resident druggie, a sketchy administrator, and even her own demons.

As Kate moves closer and closer to the truth, she teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not so)shining armor–the dangerously attractive, bad boy, Liam and her love-struck neighbor, Seth. The three uncover an ancient secret lurking in the halls of their elite private school with the power to destroy them all.

But the truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes it’s only the beginning.

My thoughts...the ending bothered me! There are great cliffhangers and then there are not so great ones and this book falls into that catorgy. I need to be left wanting more, but all I felt with this ending was disapointed. Review to come.

Desires of the Dead

Desires of the Dead
By: Kimberly Derting
4.5 Stars

From the back cover...Voilet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

My thoughts...Wow, could not put this book down. Finished in less then 24 hours. Review to come.

Demon Glass

Demon Glass
By Rachel Hawkins
4.5 Stars

From the back cover...SophieMercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My thoughts...Ugh cliffhanger big time, can't wait for the next book. Review to come.

Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy
By Kiersten White
4 Stars

From the back cover...Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

My thoughts....Review to come.

Shadowspell

Shadowspell
By: Jenna Black
4 Stars

From the back cover...On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

My thoughts...Loved it, review to come.

Afterlife

Afterlife
By:Claudia Gray
4 Stars

From the back cover... Destiny awaits Bianca and Lucas . . .
Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling.

Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help . . . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her.

A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

My review to come...

Contest!

Lauren DeStefano, the author of Wither (read this book if you haven't already), is giving away an ARC of Wither, AND the second book in the series FEVER. Never hurts to enter, you might actually win.

Somber Island

Somber Island
By T.Lynne Tolles

3 Stars

From the back cover....Phoebe MacIntire, who is a servant to her father and sisters in her own house in Scotland in 1855, is an ordinary girl, with no big dreams for the future. She's perfectly happy in her humble life, with her cot in the basement and her little garden in the backyard. But when her father up and sends her to Newfoundland to be the lifelong servant to Lord Jacobs, she finds her life gets turned upside down.

Her journey across the Atlantic to her new home is long, scary and very unpleasant. When she arrives at the manor on a small island, she finds the beautiful place abandoned and only a note waits for her explaining her duties, the strange dietary requirements, and sleeping habits of her new master.

The very first night in her new home she's haunted in her dreams by a woman who clearly does not want her there and a strange blue-eyed man-wolf creature that follows the woman. Her dreams become more and more violent and mysteries start to be uncovered about a woman who was killed in a fire on the island, a creature that preys on anyone that comes to the island and a love story gone wrong that dates back over a hundred and twenty two years.

Join Phoebe as she explores the past, delving into witchcraft, and vampirism to help a brother save another from a life of sadness and misconception, making some amazing and surprising friends along the way.

No review of book from me. It was an okay read.

Where She Went

Where She Went
By Gayle Forman

4.5 Stars

From the back cover...It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My thoughts….Breathless, this book is just beautiful. I am going to be brief because I feel anything I say will spoil this book. I was a little hesitant with the story being told from Adams point of view, since I had already attached myself to Mia. But listening to Adam broke my heart. I found myself pissed at Mia, how dare she hurt Adam like this?? What is wrong with her, he loves her so much, why is she doing this? she came back to her body because of him?

 Like the first book, I laughed, I cried, every emotion possible I felt it.

Darkest Mercy

Darkest Mercy

Melissa Marr


5 Stars


From the back cover...The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My Thoughts…What a perfecting ending to a great series! There was closure for every characters story. I loved how each character was a narrator in this book. If you’re a fan of this series you are going to want to read this book! I am very sad for this series to end, but I think Melissa Marr ended it perfectly.

Angel Burn

Angel Burn

By L.A. Weatherly

4.5 Stars

From the back cover…Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L.A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

My thoughts….Loved it, loved it. This is the first ‘Angel’ book  I have read. I am broadening my paranormal reading.  I have a huge to be read list, and probably over half of the books on my list I can’t remember why I put them on my list or what the book is even about. So when I decided to read this book my first thoughts was the normal perception of Angels, which are beautiful heavenly creatures that look over human’s best interests ….BUT that if the complete opposite for this book. The dimension where the Angels live cannot sustain them anymore. The Angels substance that the Angels feed off is not being created anymore and the closest substance the Angels can find to feed off is human’s energy. Alex is a badass---super sexy, confident, and the best Angel Killer (AK) out there. You are attracted to Alex from the get go if for no other reason than he is a bad boy. But you fall in love with Alex when his walls come down and you see what makes Alex tick. Since Alex was 5 years old he has been trained to be an AK, in one way or another he has lost he entire family at the hands of Angels. He now hunts them with a vengeance. When he gets the order to kill Willow, it is like any other hunt. But when he sees Willow he realizes that she is not full Angel, she is half human as well. Alex can see she isn’t like the Angels he has killed, she doesn’t even know she is part Angel and she doesn’t feed on humans.  Until Alex can figure out what is going on and speak to someone at the CIA that gave the order to kill Willow he just stays in the shadows and watches her.  Alex finds out that the CIA has been compromised by the Angels and it is the Angels themselves that gave the order to kill Willow. Alex is now protecting Willow with his life while he figures out why the Angels want her dead so bad. The more they feel in love with each other the more I feel in love with them. I could have cared less that the Angels were the badguys in this book, they could have been aliens for all that it mattered to me, I loved Alex & Willow and there stories. The action in the book was a plus. I can’t wait for the second book to come out, but since this book is an ARC it is going to be a while before I can get my Alex & Willow fix.

The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test

By Amiee Carter

4.0 Stars

From the backcover…Every girl who has taken the test has died. Now it's Kate's turn. It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.           If she fails...

My thoughts…What a great book! Very different from anything else that I have read or have on my ‘to be read’ list so it was a nice change in from my normal paranormal reads.  Very refreshing to read—a Greek Myth, with a twist. I felt drawn to Kate right away. For the last four year Kate has taken care of her sick mother who has cancer. Kate’s mother seems ready to let go of all her pain and die, but she is holding on for Kate’s sake. She wants Kate to be ready when she dies, she wants to make sure Kate will be okay but after 4 years of the illness Kate is still having a hard time facing the truth of what is to come.  Enter Henry aka Hades. Henry has had 100 years to find a girl that will take the 7 tests and pass them all. If he is unable to do this then he will cease to exist and his successor will take over ruling the Under World. Henry has all but given up but will try one last time…. After a horrible accident happened to a classmate while Kate was with her, Henry offers to bring her classmate back to life if Kate accepts his bargain. Kate agrees without even finding out what she has really agreed to which is to go to Henry’s house/world/dimension and take 7 tests. If she passes she will be Henry’s bride and a goddess.  If she fails she will go back to life as she knew it and will not remember Henry or anything that happened while with Henry and Henry, he will cease to exist.  But so far every girl who has taken the test has been murdered, no failing the test, no going back to life as they know it, but gone for good. Henry’s character is a little harder to figure out. I never really understand how he feels about Kate. At times I feel like he is falling for her and other times I feel like he could care less about her. I get that he is tired of the girls getting murder, that he wants it to stop, that he feel guilty, that it is his fault but I feel that he could of done more to stop  or prevent or figure out who was doing the crime.

Even though most of the story happens at Henry’s house, I love it, it is somewhere I would love to visit, mingle with the different people--- stay a couple of days and explore. Almost every character is connected to person of Greek Mythology and it was interesting trying to figure out who was which Greek God. The book kept you guessing right to the end.

I would recommend this book to those of you who are into YA/paranormal who want a book that is a little different than the current best sellers.

The Vespertine

The Vespertine

by Saundra Mitchell
3 Stars

From the back cover: It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

My thoughts…A Victorian era story  meets paranormal, what’s not to like?.  From reading the reviews and the back cover of this book I thought this book was going to be great,  but I did not feel the book lived up to all the hype. I liked it, but I didn’t like it. I was drawn to this book because of its cover, it is beautiful, I also liked the concept of the story. The book was beautiful written, easy to understand and was very detailed, but there was just a lot of open ended starts in this book. I found myself bored waiting for the 'big bang' in the book, the reason why Amelia had these powers or how she got the powers, etc.  I got to a point where I was just skimming through the book looking for the reveal but the part where the book grabbed my attention but it never came. I am not sure if there is going to be a second book---maybe if there is  that book will answer all the questions the first one left unanswered.

If I Stay

If I Stay
Gayle Forman
4.5 Stars 

From the back cover: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My thoughts…I loved this book. 90% of the time a book cover is what draws me to pick it up and read what it is about, and I loved this cover. This book had it all---I found myself laughing, crying, having my breathe taken away, my heart melting or  hurting, every human emotion I felt while reading this book. When reading the back cover you really don’t know what this book is about, but after reading some reviews I went ahead and bought it.

Mia was in an accident that she has no memory of. You are with Mia as she pieces together what happened. She has an “out of body” experience. She can see and hear everything that is going on but that is it. She doesn’t know how to get back in her body and she doesn’t know if she wants too. As she is piecing together the present events, you learn about her past. The author flows in and out the present to past with ease. When something in the present triggers how she met someone, how she felt about someone, a characteristics that defines one of the characters or Mia herself you are brought back to the past to find out about that person and what they meant to Mia. You learn why every character in the story is important to Mia; how in one way or another Mia loves them and they are part of her, an extended family. In the end Mia has to decide will she stay alive, will she fight to be with all the people that love her, or will she go be with those of her family that died in the accident….the story keeps you on the edge to the very end, I had no idea which choice Mia would make….

Smoke Free

Yesterday marked my seventh week of being cigarette free! Yay me! This has been a constant battle for me. I quit without hesitation the 1st time. I wanted to get pregnant and wasn't chancing the money we were paying to do In Vitro. I was smoke free for 19 months. Then started up again....The second time I quit, I didn't really quit, I did good, and was down to one or two a day, would go with out for a day or two here or there but never fully quite. This time I am quitting for good (knock on wood).

Things I love about no smoking:
1. My hair smells awesome.
2. My clothes smells awesome.
3. Not HAVING to have one.
4. No more telling the girls "wait one min and we will go....mommy has to smoke real quick".
5. No more of the girls asking "when I become a mommy I can smoke?".
6. No more throwing money away.

Things a miss:
1. I miss smoking, I do, it was my vise. Some people eat, some will work themselves to death, some are adrenaline junkies, everyone has a vise and that was mine.
2.Smoke Breaks!! I miss smoke breaks at work...I need to still take breaks but can't yet I am afraid I might go find a cigarette from someone.

I know this will be an on going battle and hopefully I will win, I smoked the majority of the last 13 years. I want to be healthies...I want to do it for my girls.

Past Midnight, Raising the Dead & One Hundred Candles

Past Midnight

Raising the Dead

One Hundred Candles

by Mara Purnhagen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Past Midnight

From the back of the book...Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Raising the Dead

From the back of the book...Charlotte Silver's world is like no one else's...

As the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators, Charlotte Silver is used to all things weird. But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.

One Hundred Candles

From the back of the book...It's taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I'm settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it's not as if Noah is anything more than a friend….

But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I've opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.

My Thoughts…I would rate all of these books a 3.0-3.5 stars. I love Young Adult Books, but sometimes it is hard to tell which books are actual Young Adults and which books are actually Teen Books, since both genres are for the most part grouped together. I found this to be more of a Teen book---maybe middle school age. It was a very easy read, easy to understand, easy to follow, easy to read without realizing how long you had been reading but I also feel it would appeal to a younger reader then me. Charlotte Silver wants a normal life. After moving around from state to state, country to country, Charlotte’s parents have agreed that they will stay in one city, the same house for an entire year in order for Charlotte to have her senior year of high school at just one school. Charlotte’s parents are paranormal-normal gurus, they write books, they investigate, and they even have their own TV show. They have been around the world and back conducting investigations. Charlotte just wants normal, maybe a chance to have friends and go on a date or two. I can relate with Charlotte’s character for wanting normal for just one year, her senior year. I think it is great that she has finally has someone she can consider a best friend, and also that the best friend is not freaked out about Charlotte and her families occupation. Charlotte as likes Noah, which Noah is good for Charlotte but he doesn’t seem to return the affection except in the friendship sense. Charlotte doesn’t seem to like confrontations, and there was several times where if she would of just opened her mouth and told her parents what was going on some of the events would not of happened….but then I guess there would be no story then and then where would we be? Charlotte’s life was normal for about 2 months and then the paranormal were unleashed.

I probably would read the next book in this series to see how the characters grow. I am not sure how many books the author has wrote but book 2 was better than book 1.5, which was better than book 1, so hopefully book 3 will be just as good.

View all my reviews

Always a Witch

Always a Witch
by Carolyn MacCullough


4 of 5 stars

The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights.

Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.

My thoughts…This book was just as good if not better then the first book. It started off a little slow but then I could not set it down. Tamsin character really grows & matures in this book. Now that it is known that she has a talent, one would assume that life would get better for Tamsin and that she would start to feel as if she belonged with her family, but it is the complete opposite. Since Tamsin has the talent to not only stop you from doing your own talent but can also take / borrow your talent from you, her family is somewhat avoiding her or avoiding using their talents in front of her because they don’t want her stopping or taking their talent.

A big chunk of the book is Tamsin discovering herself and what she must do to save her family forever. While she is in the nineteenth century she has no one with her and she has to figure out what needs to be done to save her family alone. With Alistair & Tamsin in the past each warning their families the future it constantly changing…at one point there is no longer a Greene family in the future. Tamsin never gives up though. Once she stops blocking Gabriel from finding her, he too travels to the past to help and protect the Tamsin, the girl that he loves and would give his life for. At the last moment Tamsin pulls together all the pieces to the puzzle, makes a selfless choice and hopes it will save her family. You will have to read the book to see if it Tamsin saves her family or it the Alistair succeeds, you might be surprised by the ending.


ISBN:0547224850 (ISBN13: 9780547224855)
Title: Always a witch
Series: Witch #2




View all my reviews

Once a Witch

By Carolyn MacCullough

4 out of 5 Stars

From the back cover: Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

            
My thoughts....Wow, talk about a couple of late nights reading. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. If it wasn’t for work I would have finished this book in a day. I loved Tamsin’s character. I know how hard it is being a teenager, trying to fit it, trying to figure out who you are….then throw in being in a family that are all witches, powerful ones at that, and you have the magic at all. That must have been devastating for Tamsin. She seems to make the best she can out of it; she tries to be “normal”, goes to a private school, and is planning her future as a “normal person”. She still spends weekends and breaks from school with her family, which is how she meets the professor and agrees to help him even though she has no magic to help with. By agreeing to help the professor her life and her family’s life change forever.
But wait there is more! What’s a story if it doesn’t have a love match? Enter, Gabriel who is Tamsin childhood best friend. They haven’t spoken to eat other for about 10 years even though they promised they would, they promised they would write to each other every week, but what happened? Gabriel sure wants to know why his letters went unanswered. Tamsin is hesitant to tell, but Gabriel doesn’t give up so easy. He is funny, sexy, and sarcastic and most of all actually cares what happened and is currently happening to Tamsin.
Tamsin has some hard choices to make that may alter the past/present/future in ways she has no idea.
I can’t wait to start the next book!!

ISBN: 0547223994 (ISBN13: 9780547223995)
Original Title: Once a Witch
URL: http://www.onceawitch.com/
Series: Witch #1

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
by Elizabeth Laird

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What I liked most about this book was that some of the characters, places and events were real. The author is related to a few of the characters, did research on their history, and visited places where they lived.

Growing up in Scotland during 17th century was not easy. Maggie Blair was 16 years old and was convicted of being a witch. Maggie’s mother died during child birth, and her father died in an accident when she was young. Maggie’s grandmother raised her. Her grandmother wasn’t an affectionate person to say the least. You didn’t get much information on Maggie’s grandmothers up bringing but you could tell she had a very hard life. Everyone thought her grandmother was a witch….I guess being a hard, practical woman living off what the land has to offer, being superstitious and believing in / practicing all the old wife tales makes you a witch. Since Maggie’s grandmother was a witch she had to be one too, and was sentenced to be hanged, then burned next to her grandmother. Maggie escapes….with help of friends she travels to her uncles.

At her Uncle’s she is greeted with more turmoil as her Uncle is arrested, and the only person that can help save him is Maggie.

Maggie is betrayed first by her community, then by a family friend, who she thinks of as an uncle. She is faced with trial after trial that would break any ones spirit but Maggie make is through it, and chooses the path that will make her happy.

I am a new reader to historical fiction, which I think this book falls under. At first I thought this book was going to be paranormal in nature, but it isn’t. Also you don’t find out that the author is related to the characters until the end of the story----I would have liked to have known that going into the story. This was an easy read, it was steady paced and I didn’t lose interest in the story.

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Locks of Love

Today I chopped my hair off (12 inches) and I am donating to locks of love. The organization makes hairpieces for financially disadvantaged, that are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. It feels great to do something good for someone else (smile).

The Vampire Voss

The Vampire Voss

By: Colleen Gleason

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is probably the longest it has taken me to read one book. I found this book was hard to get sucked into but wanted to give it a shot. I am torn between 2 & 3 stars, I am going to give it a 3 for effort. This book was a mix between historical fiction and paranormal love.

Voss is a vampire, he cares for no one but himself. Life is a game to him since his life is never ending. He loves to find out secrets and weakness about other vampires and flaunt that in their faces or charge others for he knowledge, which has caused him to have enemies. As he tries to gain knowledge from the sister of a vampire hunter that he plans to sale, something happens….he falls in love with the vampire hunters sister Angelica. Angelica has what is called the sight. She can see into the future and see when one is to die, she can see the exact moment they die. This gift is usual to both humans and vampires which has put her in danger and Voss feels protective of her but also has the bloodlust for her that comes with being a vampire.

This book was very descriptive, I found it to be too descriptive at times, it was as if words were just being used to fill the page not to enhance the story. Also the story went back and forth between the present and past a lot. It was distinctive when it was done though. I would be half way through a page, confused non the less, before I realized that we had changed from the present to the past or vise versa and would have to go back and reread to apply that part of the story to wear it belong.

Overall, I like the underlining moral to the story.

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Boys that Bite by Mari Mancusi

3 Stars
From the back of book...Technically Sunshine can't get killed-because she's immortal. Well, not quite yet. Due to the worst case of mistaken identity with her dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth club called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for Sunshine's innocent neck. Now if she doesn't reverse it in time, Magnus will be her blood mate forever and she's doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. That would seriously bite.

And now, after the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, Sunshine, her sister Rayne, and Magnus must find the one thing that can solve her problem: the Holy Grail. They wish it were a joke but it's not. It's absolutely necessary that Sunshine gets out of this in time, because somehow she scored the hottest prom date in her school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. So she just can't be a vampire for the prom-let alone the rest of eternity.

My thoughts...The book was an easy read. I love the relationship Sunny & Raine have, that they really love each other even though they are complete opposites. They are very sarcastic to each other, which reminds me of the relationship I have with my own sister. The back of the book gives you the rundown of book and I don't have much to add to it without spoiling. I thought that it was silly that the one thing that could turn Sunny back into a human was the Holy Grail. Also the valley girl talk was a little bit much for me which may be my age speaking. This is a book that either you like and will kept reading the series because it is a fun easy read or you will stop with book one and not think twice about it.

I will probably give book two a chance to see if I can overcome the few things a didn't like about book one.


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Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

3.5 Stars

From the back cover:

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

My thoughts: Two years ago Andi's brother dies. Everyday since then she blames herself, she is in so much pain and constantly thinks about ending her own life to end the pain. To numb the pain she drugs herself up daily. And the only other thing that keeps her sane is her music, her guitar and even lately that does not seem to be helping. Her mom is worse off then Andi is, hardly talking, never leaving the apartment, hardly eating and painting portrait after portrait of Truman. Andi's dad has never played a big picture in her life and after the death of her brother is never to be seen....Until he receives a letter from Andi's school about being expelled or not graduating if she doesn't turn her grades around and start on her senior thesis. Andi's dad comes home, put he mom is a mental hospital and takes Andi with him to Paris where he is working on a big project for work. Andi's thesis is on composer Mahlerbeau who is French. Since Andi is in Paris she can do a lot with her thesis, research, go see the house Mahlerbeau lived in etc. While in Paris Andi and her father is staying with a family friend that is going to be opening up a museum with the French Revolution artifacts. One of those artifacts is going to be a journal that Alexandrine Paradis wrote with her account of the Revolutions. With reading the journal and the accounts that Alexandrine went through it hurts but also start to help health Andi and she see the world through someone elses eyes. Also why Andi is out and about in Paris she meets a young man that she is drawn too, he loves music as much as Andi does. He also sees that Andi is in pain and won't give up until he now why. He also helps Andi start to heal.

I really enjoyed this book. You feel, really feel for Andi and the pain she is going through. I liked that everyone’s story (Andi, Alexandrine, Truman) is pieced throughout the entire book, so you are constantly wanting to what happens next. Towards the end there are several chapters that I didn't care for, but overall I would recommend to read. I am new to historical fiction but I am liking it.





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It's the small things

99% of the time it is the small things that make me happy. There is nothing like coming home to flowers and a card after along trying week. My husband can be a manchild of few words....so cards mean the world to me...words that he can't seem to say but can find in cards. January was a hard month and actually February will be as well. In January I think Josh was home a total of 8-10 days. So with work, the commute, the girls, housework, cooking, cleaning, grochery shopping, laundry, walking the dog, shoveling the drive way clean of snow, etc..etc.. etc..., I can get warn down quite fast. It is nice to feel appricated for all that I do :) Thank you baby, I love you always.

Snow Day

So those of you that are from NOVA know that when the weatherman even mentions snow, it could be in passing or a joke, the entire state shuts down. I find this to be funny and ridiculous all at the same time. It is GREAT when it actually does snow and I didn't sit in traffic for hours to drive the 23 miles from my work home because everyone wants to get home and to the grocery store to buy cases of toilet paper, frozen pizza and milk. Last week we actually had snow....not the 5-10 inches Mr. Weatherman promised but it was snow none the less and I got a snow day with the girls. We made snowmen, actually a whole family, did some sledding in the front yard and made snow angels! Then we had to have hot coco milk.

Madison on the Left and Kaitlin on the right

Yay for snow angels

Ready Set Go!!

Even the Puppy got to play

Flecks of Gold by Alicia Buck

3.5-4.0 Stars.

My thoughts: Overall I liked the story line. It has everything I like in a book, adventure, girl meets boy, secrets and the twist---magic. I loved Mary's strong, sarcastic, but loving character. I did feel the plot was easy to figure out, it didn't really keep me guessing once you connected the first couple dilemma’s Mary was in and the rest where easy to figure out. There were several typo's & repeat sentences in the book, which bothered me for whatever reason. At times I felt there was too much detail that then confused me and at other times I felt there wasn't enough detail. About a third of the way in I figured out the parts that confused me and then I didn't mind the overage of details. But with that said I did enjoy the book.
From that back cover: Mary Margaret is not the type of girl to fall in love, especially after seeing what a string of bad relationships has done to her mother. That's why it's so weird when Mary finds herself strangely attracted to Kelson, a guy at her new school. It's almost . . . unnatural. What she doesn't know is that she's been put under a spell. And when Kelson kidnaps Mary's mother and takes her to his home world, Mary will have to rescue her by relying on something she never knew existed, magic. Flecks of Gold is an enchanting blend of fantasy, action, and even a little romance. Get lost in this world where magic is commonplace and danger lurks where you least suspect it.
My Summary: Mary has always stayed in the shadows, with one thing standing out her gold eyes. Her dad left before he knew her mom was pregnant. As long as Mary can remember she has always been more like the adult and took care of her mom. Mary doesn't mind and she has a great relationship with her mother. Mary has always seen 'flecks of gold' on the outside of her vision but never understood what it was until Kelson kidnapped her mother. Mary follows Kelson to another world to find her mother. She finds out that this world has magic there. Also that the color of one’s eyes, is a way of telling/showing your status (King/Queen, Noble, etc.) There is a language barrier Mary runs into, as well as this new world is nothing like earth. There are no cars, TV’s, radios, nothing that is technology related. Books are rare but there is the magic. Mary learns to use the magic quickly with the help of others. She is a fast learner and has rare magically powers. She surprises everyone she meets since she should not have any magic at all let alone the rare magical powers she posses. Mary has a long trip ahead of her to get her mother back and discover who she really is and meant to be.
I believe this is the authors’ first published book and look forward to reading more from her in the future as she grows her writing.

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Crusade

4.5 Stars

From the back of book: For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.

My thoughts....there is a lot more to this book then the back cover can even begin to cover. Jenn is constantly fighting with her Dad over their difference in opinion about the vampire race. Her Dad is supporting the vamps, playing safe, and will not allow Jenn to speak unkindly of the vamps for fear of what might happen. That sad part is that I believe her Dad actually wants to or does believe there are good vamps not all are bad. Jenn cannot believe her Dad since he was raised to stand up for the better Cause, which in this case would be the human race. Jenn has always been close to her grandparents and respect who and what they have done.

Jenn runs away to train at Spain's Sacred Heart. She wants to be a hunter; actually she wants to become The Hunter. Jenn is always second guessing herself though. Every class that passes the rigid training has one person that is chosen to get a special elixir that gives the human great strengths. This class is different than the rest though, one person will become "The Hunter" and 5 others will become "hunters". With the Vampires gaining more strong holds there is a high turnover rate of hunters, so hopefully sending team out will help solve that problem.

When Jenn has to return to the US for her grandfather’s funeral, she realizes how much worse of the US is then Spain,  the vamps have taken over in the states and the humans have let them. Jenn fears for her little sister. The story sucked me in at the point that Jenn returns to the US and I could not put the book down until it was finished. Once in the US she is betrayed, loved ones die, someone special to her is taken, and Jenn is going to have to trust herself or more people she loves could be hurt.

This book has a little of everything....Falling in love with the wrong guy, vampires, werewolves, witches, magic, priests.....and then some. For those of you that are love reading about the supernatural this is a great book. Just start it early in the day so when you get to about pg 50 or so and get sucked in you have time to finish book at a decent hour of the night.

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The Lost Saint

4 Stars

From the back cover: A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with he werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger -- in more ways than one. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her -- not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

My thoughts...Daniel and Grace's relationship is going great. Daniel is training Grace on how to use her new found abilities and teaching her the balance those abilities so that the wolf doesn't have too much power over Grace. Life is starting to get back into a normal pattern for every one. Grace's Dad is constantly gone following up on leads to where Jude might be. Grace's Mother is not taking well that Jude ran away, so she is either completely withdrawn ignoring the whole family or being a hyper protective parent involved in everything, this changes on a daily basis. But Daniel starts to be secretive and seems to be pulling away from Grace. Which in turn sends Grace running to Talbot for help....then the trouble all begins.

A couple of things that bug me, I know this is a young adult/teen read so this might just be my age speaking but it bothers me how fast Grace runs off to Talbot, It was a week maybe of Daniel being secretive, and all Daniel said was that he just need a little time and he would explain everything to her. But the first chance she gets she is off with another boy, and keeping just as many secrets from Daniel as he is keeping from her, I thought Daniel and Grace loved each other. The other part that bothered me as well was that when Daniel became secretive it was very abrupt and mean to Grace, if he needed a little time that is all he should of said. But I guess that is teenagers for you.

I can't wait for the third book to come out and see what happens next.