BOOK REVIEW: Angel Burn (Angel #1) by L.A. Weatherly

They're out for your soul. And they don't have heaven in mind... 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 does. 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.

Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
     When you think of angels, what do you think?? Holy & heavenly devine? That they are here to watch over us? Help us? Guide us through life and to our final resting place there after?
 After reading this book, all that will change!
     Willow lives a normal life, but seems to make the most out of it. She has never known her dad and has spent her entire life taking care of her mother. Her mother has had a serious mental condition that just seems to get worse. She is always staring out at nothing, living in another dreamland, while back in reality, Willow struggles to take care of her. Living with her aunt isn't exactly making it any better. All Willow knows is that she is doing the best she can, considering her mom is almost catatonic. Willow also happens to be physic but since her mother isn't really available, there is no telling if she inherited the trait. In fact she didn't realize that everyone wasn't the same way, until she was 5. Just when it seemed like Willow's life was pretty much set the way it was, Beth, the popular girl, asked her for a reading. Lets just say that after what she saw, her life was never going to be the same. Not only did Beth know that angels existed, but she also knew their dirty little secret.
     Then Alex shows up! And you may not know this, but Alex is an angel hunter. When he goes out to hunt angels, he finds Willow, and soon realizes that Willow isn't a normal angel. Nope...Willow is really different. And he really really hates her....but then finds himself slowly falling in love with her.
     This book was like a breath of fresh air. It was so amazing. The way L.A. Weatherly switched up the whole idea of angels was really really awesome.
     Now to the characters! Willow was not my favorite character at first. Actually, I kind of hated her. She was too shy and weak and BLAH!  But she eventually grew on me. She became a strong character. Her eventually grabbed me and touch my heart! Although sometimes I still found her a bit annoying, I eventually realized that I was just getting jealous because I wanted Alex all for me. :/ Whats a lady gonna do? :)
     Alex....is freaking awesome! Alex's life isn't anything like a normal 17 year old boy. He is wise beyond his years sometimes. But he acts so sweet and strong and that was really great! It's like perfect. You can even make him! THE ALEX CAKE: Get a bowl and mix in  a cup of Tough Attitude with a cup of Sweet Attitude. Add a dash of Quiet and a pinch of Talkative. Mix well and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min. Let cool and enjoy your super awesome new ALEX! Plus he's hot, so that like icing on the cake!
     The story line was awesome too! the whole evil angels thing was unexpected.  But really unique and interesting. L.A. Weatherly did a great job with the writing. The book alternates between Willow and Alex, and sometimes some other characters too. So keep an eye out for that. Alot of people hate that, but I've read enough books, with alternating perspectives, that i actually kinda like it now!
     In a nutshell, this book was great! I recommend this book to everyone. What did you guys think of this book?

Warning: Please do not try the Alex cake at home without parental supervision.


Quotes:

“I couldn't meet his gaze. I stared at the table just behind him--the mess of cards on it, the lantern giving off its quiet glow. "When you gave me your shirt to wear that night, I could feel you. I could feel your essence."

The world went still. We were standing only inches from each other, not touching. Outside, I could hear the faint murmur of the wind blowing through the trees.

"What did it feel like?" he asked in a low voice.

"Like...coming home," I admitted.”
― L.A. Weatherly, Angel

“I had my arms around his waist, smiling as I looked up at him. Being with Alex made me so completely happy, in an easy, uncomplicated way that I hadn't felt since I was a small child. "I love you," I said. In the five days we'd been there, it was the first time I'd said the words to him in English; they just slipped out.

Alex's expression went very still as he looked down at me, his dark hair stirred by the slight breeze. I picked up a sudden wave of his emotions, and they almost brought tears to my eyes. Gently, he took my face in his hands and kissed me.

"I love you, too," he said against my lips.”
― L.A. Weatherly, Angel

“A framed photo on a dusty bookshelf caught his attention; he moved closer and picked it up silently. A small girl with long blond hair was standing under a tree, her face tilted up in delight as its feathery leaves brushed across her face, framing it.
A willow tree. Willow.” 
― L.A. Weatherly, Angel

“A good angel is only a dead angel.”
― L.A. Weatherly, Angel

Book Review: Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu

When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England. Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest? The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

My thoughts:
     I usually don't review books that aren't young adult, but for this book, I just had to make an exception, because the author was really nice and she asked me to review it! (I'm talking about you Carmen!)
     This book sparked my interest when I first read the summary, even thought I would usually be like "Nah, this isn't my kind of thing..". Sometimes you gotta switch it up a little, right? When i saw the cover i was like "OMG...... HOT SHIRTLESS GUY!" and then immediately thought it was going to be an adult erotica book. But i was wrong. The romance in this book was very sweet.
      Anne and her husband Neil are trying to rekindle their romance with a week long vacation and some hiking when they get lost in the woods (spooky). Anne starts having weird dreams and visions of a woman that looks alot like her. They soon learn that it is the spirit of Genevieve, a nun from the local Abby with a tragic and lost past. And who is being chased by the one thing she feared most.
     The writing in this book was great! Carmen Stefanescu did a awesome job sucking me into the book. It felt like I was part of the book the whole time. She described people and places so wonderfully. It was just really good.
     I really liked the love aspect in this book. Best part was how the love felt throughout the whole book. Through all the tragic loss and pain there was still love.
     Now to the characters. Anne was a strong headed protagonist. But I have to say that my favorite character was Genevieve. I just loved her character. She faced so many tragedies in her life. She struggled to survive and defend herself from evil. It just broke my heart! :') The book is done in 3rd person, so we don't really get any of the juicy insite of the characters, like we usually do with other books.
     The book alternates between present and past, which was really enjoyable. I tend to stay away from historical fiction, but the whole alternating component got me very intrigued. I got a little confused in the first couple of chapters, and had to reread them to understand the whole alternating thing. But because of that, I deducted a star.
     All in all, this book was really good. Carmen Stefanescu did an awesome job with this story. But really, I still felt pretty sad for Genevieve and Andrew. (NO SPOILERS! READ THE BOOK)

Quotes:

"Our past and our future are tea leaves in the cup of our present."
-Carmen Stefanescu, Shadows of the Past

    

Stacking the Shelves (1)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tyna's Reviews featuring books added to our shelves and sharing our excitement for them.

 

 

Bought:

 

 

 

Exchanged on YA BOOK EXCHANGE:

 

 

 

What's new on your shelves this week, guys? :)

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Claire

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

 

My Thoughts:

     So, this is my first review in almost a week., and I'm a little rusty, so bare with me, kay? I've been so busy lately, that the only time I've had to review my book, is right now! So lets get to it!
     City of Ashes is the much anticipated sequel to City of Bones. The book picks up almost immediately after the ending to the first book, still telling the story about 16-year-old Clary Fray and her new realisation that she was born a Shadowhunter, destined to battle demons in the world full of Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies that she didn't know even existed.
     Now that Valentine (Clary's father and everyone's biggest enemy) is getting stronger after acquiring capabilities of summoning demons, everyone is very... very... worried and on guard all the time. It seems that a war cannot be avoided and is lurking around the corner.
     On the surface, this book (or series) sounds like a typical young adult story about vampires and werewolves. It might even be true to a certain point, but so much is added to the story, that it became a very unique and interesting series. And it also became very addicting.
     All the characters have a meaningful purpose in the book, that most people would not suspect, unless you read all the books. The exploration of the characters is deeper and darker than your normal, every-day romance Young Adult books.
     Describing the characters feels like a lot of work right now, and i already described them in the city of bones review, so I'm just gonna quickly sum them up.
     Clary is starting to act more tough in this book, which is great, because in the first book, she had to be rescued multiple time. Which kinda annoyed me.
     Jace acted like a sad, depresses emo boy in this book, which didn't really annoy me, but I wanted much more action. He still had his snarky comebacks so that was awesome!
     ALEC FINALLY COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET.....sorta......not really.
     Isabelle was freaking awesome, cause' she just is! Deal with it. :D
    Magnus Bane is still his awesome, magicy warlock self! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ALEC AND MAGNUS STAY TOGETHER FOREVER!!
     Valentine is still a freaking jerk who doesn't know when he's gone overboard on his beliefs. I really wanted to punch him in the face multiple time, but seeing as he is a trained killing shadowhunter, my hand would barely graze him before he had a knife through my chest.
     We also have new character like, Maryse Lightwood (Alec and Isabelle's mother), Robert Lightwood (Alec and Isabelle's father), Max Lightwood (Alec and Isabelle's little brother), and Imogen Herondale: The Inquisitor.
     Now let's talk about the "Incest" part of this book. In my opinion, there is no Incest in this book......well....not that much at least. Jace and Clary really do love each other, but that doesn't count as incest, because for a relationship to be called incest there should be sexual act. Kissing doesn't count, sex does. Clearly Clary and Jace haven't had sex yet. So I guess their safe....for now!
     The plot was great, just like in City of Bones. And Cassandra Claire's writing style is great. You get sucked into the books so fast it makes you dizzy! LOL! LOVED IT!! I am definitely looking forward to City of Glass.

Quotes:

“I don't want to be a man," said Jace. "I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead."
"Well," said Luke, "you're doing a fantastic job.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“Well, I’m not kissing the mundane," said Jace. "I’d rather stay down here and rot."
"Forever?" said Simon. "Forever’s an awfully long time."
Jace raised his eyebrows. "I knew it," he said. "You want to kiss me, don’t you?”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“You see, cuckoos are parasites. They lay their eggs in other birds' nests. When the egg hatches, the baby cuckoo pushes the other baby birds out of the nest. The poor parent birds work themselves to death trying to find enough food to feed the enormous cuckoo child who has murdered their babies and taken their places."
"Enormous?" said Jace. "Did you just call me fat?"
"It was an analogy."
"I am not fat.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“No, I'm just a very naughty boy. I do all sorts of bad things. I kick kittens. I make rude gestures at nuns.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“Isabelle drifted over, Jace a pace behind her. She was wearing a long black dress with boots and an even longer cutaway coat of soft green velvet, the color of moss. "I can't believe you did it!" she exclaimed. "How did you get Magnus to let Jace leave?"
"Traded him for Alec," Clary said.
Isabelle looked mildly alarmed. "Not permanently?"
"No," said Jace. "Just for a few hours. Unless I don't come back," he added thoughtfully. "In which case, maybe he does get to keep Alec. Think of it as a lease with an option to buy."
Isabelle looked dubious. "Mom and Dad won't be pleased if they find out."
"That you freed a possible criminal by trading away your brother to a warlock who looks like a gay Sonic the Hedgehog and dresses like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?" Simon inquired. "No, probably not.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“Jace slammed his hand down on the stele. “Clary-“
“She said she doesn’t want it,” said Simon. “Ha-ha.”
“Ha-ha?” Jace looked incredulous. “That’s your comeback?”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

    

   

BOOK REVIEW: Spark (Elemental #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...

Rate: 5 out of 5 starts

 
My thoughts:
     I had my hopes set really high for this book, and if you saw the rate, then you know that this book succeeded in blowing my mind! I actually love this book more than the first! Now, on to the review!
     I'm gonna start with Gabriel. I really really loved Gabriel in the first book, and this book, just made that love even bigger! He's a really complicated character. Gabriel Merrick is your typical bad boy type that has trouble written all over him at every corner. Gabriel has a very difficult power to control. He is often misrepresented as someone who doesn't care about consequences or outcomes. I loved reading the fact that even though Gabriel does have a certain appearance, on the inside, he is still very caring, and doesn't put up with people bullying others. Gabriel usually depends on his brothers for everything, but he starts making friends in this book. Some that you wouldn' suspect.
     Layne is next! Layne is a new character we meet, who is also really troubled. She has scars from a past fire accident that she was involved in, a deaf brother who is constantly being picked on and parents who aren't always around.  When she and Gabriel meet, Iwas literally crossing my fingers and hoping they would end up together! And guess what happenes in the end...JUST GUESS! :D Both can't seem to stay away from each other, and are always seeking the other out.
     Problems start to rise, when muliple houses in town start setting on fire and burning down. People start to suspect it's an arsonist, and all fingers are pointed at Gabriel.......including his own family. *gasp* But he's innocent. And the only ones who seem to beilive him are Hunter and Layne.
     The relationship between Gabriel and Layne was so cute! They were both troubled in someway, and it seemed like they found there escape in each other. Whenever they where together it was either really funny or very different, emotional, and heartwarming. It was so adorable!!
     The plot was great! She story sucked me into the book so quickly, and I loved all the characters in this book  SIMON IS ALL MINE!!  Kremmerer's writing was so great and I found myself lost in a well written, thoughtful and fun book, with great characters and an interesting and involving plot.
     In a nutshell, this book is so addiction. The whole series is!  Unfortunatlly, I don't own a tablet,kindle,or nook, so I can't read the novellas right now. But I'll find a way! I have to! I NEED THESE BOOKS! (Wow, this was a really short review)

Quotes:

“A girl on the cheer squad had once asked Gabriel if having a twin was like looking in a mirror all the time. He'd asked her if being a cheerleader was like being an idiot all of the time - but really, it was a good question.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“He looked up, past her, at the bedroom. Finally, a break to the white - but this wasn't much better. Pink carpeting, princess border along the ceiling, white walls, and a gold canopy bed.
"What," he said, "no Barbie dream castle?"
Layne flushed. "Shut up.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark
    
“Mr. Merrick, I'd like to speak with you."
Mr. Merrick. He hated when teachers called him that, like he was an old man stopping by to learn a few math tricks.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

 

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted @ Bending the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This is the first time I'm doing this event (bare with me), so I hope you all like what I scrambled up! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

My Pick this week:

 

 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

 

PUB Date: September 17, 2013

 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 

Summary:

"COLDTOWN WAS DANGEROUS, TANA KNEW. A GLAMOROUS CAGE, A PRISON FOR THE DAMNED AND ANYONE WHO WANTED TO PARTY WITH THEM?

Tana lived in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Spirit (Elemental #3) byBrigid Kemmerer

 

PUB Date: May 28th 2013

 

Publisher: K Teen

 

Summary:

"With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

 

PUB Date: August 13th 2013

 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 

Summary:

 "In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was—that I couldn't stick around—and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting book, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, that's what I'm waiting on, and I want them NOW! Haha What are ya'll waiting on? :)

BOOK REVIEW: Blood-Kissed Sky (Darkness Before Dawn #2) by J.A. London

Summary:
There's nowhere left to hide.

I thought vampires were our enemies - they controlled our lives, isolated our cities, and demanded our blood - until I met Victor. With Victor taking over as the new Lord Valentine, things were supposed to get better. Instead, they're worse than ever.

Day Walkers, a new breed of vampires who can walk in the sun, are terrorizing the city. Blood supplies are low, and if Victor's vampires don't get enough, they will become infected with the Thirst - a disease that will turn them into mindless killers.

To stop it, I must journey across the desolate wasteland to the very place where the sickness began. I can only hope that the answers that await me are enough to save us all... before it's too late.

Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

My thoughts:
     Blood-kissed Sky starts off shortly after the ending of Darkness Before Dawn, which was great, because I really don't like it when the sequel to a book is way off in the future. It confuses my little brain! Blood-Kissed Sky was a suspenseful follow-up to the amazing Darkness Before Dawn. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire novel, and London threw many surprises at me.
     In the second book, victor has become the new lord Valentine. Dawn thinks that this change will help, but it's gotten worse then ever.There’s a lot going on within the city. People are refusing to give blood, “The Thirst” is becoming more of a threat, and everyone is realizing there are a lot more Day Walkers than anticipated. Dawn must travel to L.A. to learn more about the Day Walkers and about Sin. But things become even more crazy, once she arrives.       Dawn is a great main character. She really grew alot in this installment. She learned  how to stand on her own against anything the world, or vampires, have to throw at her! (Considering that Victor isn't there to protect her in this book)
     Michael really irritated me in the beginning. I kept thinking "You're ruining Victor and Dawn's relationship!!" throughout the whole first book, and in the beginning of the second, but he started growing on me, a little around the middle of the second book.
     Teagan, on the other hand, really got on my nerves! I don't know why, but I just don't like her. She was always causing problems, and I often wished she was gone form the story altogether. 
     The thing I loved the most, though, was how we got to know more about Faith and Richard. I just find them so interesting! And cute!
     PLEASE, J.A. LONDON! GIVE US A SPIN-OFF ABOUT FAITH AND RICHARD!
     I would have loved it if Victor was in this book more often, but that just didn't happen. My wishes were not granted. And this part kinda annoyed me, because I wanted Victor and Dawn's relationship to grow more.
     The plot was intense and action-packed. London kept me guessing the whole time. I figured a some things out right away, but not everything. Just enough that I felt like I knew what was going on. Basically, I was pulled into a false sense of security,and then thrown in a whirlwind of shocking bits of information. IT WAS CRAZY! :)
     In the end we are left with a cliffhanger, which usually gets on my nerves, but in this case, it didn't. Why? Well, the book had a teaser, of the first chapter of the next book. this got me really excited for the next book.
     Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves dystopian and/or vampire novels. It's a bit dark and gritty, but you might get used to it after a while!

PS: the formatting is off in some of the books! Pages 186-220 were out of order. It made it REALLY hard to read that part of the novel. I recommend checking to make sure those pages are in order before your purchase this book. The pages where still numbered, though, so I was able to read through it. it was just really annoying and inconvenient.