Meme: Top 10 Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesday is an original feature/regular meme hosted at The Broke and The Bookish!

 Top Ten Things That Make Your Life As A Reader/Book Blogger Easier

I can't wait to see everyone's posts this week! Hopefully I'll learn something new!

1. The Library: Libraries are amazing. I especially love that there are online catalogs. I can log on, download e-books, audio books or I can open up my GoodReads to-read list and search for books I'd like to read and request them! I love going in and having all my books waiting for me. I love libraries, but I don't like imposing on anyone trying to find some peace and quiet in the library with my spawns of uncontrollable noise (my children).

2. BlogLovin'. I recently came back to blogging after a long break and discovered BlogLovin'. I really love the layout of it and I've been subscribing like a madwoman! It's so much better than my Blogger feed! Leave me a link to your blog on BlogLovin' and I'll follow! 

3. RaffleCopter: Makes giveaways incredibly easy peasy. Heck yeah!

4. Kindle: I have moved. A lot. And when I say a lot, I really mean it. In the past year I've lived in Russia for a while, Colorado, Kansas and then we finally drove our car to Virginia and settled here last month and it's not out of the cards that we might leave the country again in the next year. My Kindle really keeps me happy because my books stay with me and not left behind because they are too bulky or heavy to drag along. I did have a dark moment last year with my Kindle though. It died completely on me in Moscow at my cousins right before a flight to New York. It was very, very sad. I wouldn't be lying if I said I might have shed a tear or two.

5. GoodReads: As I mentioned in #1, Goodreads. I'm 100% sure anyone reading this post is aware of GR since it's such a valuable website for those of us who love to read. It's great for keeping track of what you have read and what you would like to read. Before I read a book I always go to GoodReads and check the rating. Most of the time I scroll down and see what some of the people on my friends list had to say before/during or after I've read. I love exchanging opinions with others on what I've read and that is why I began book blogging. 

6. Twitter: If you do not have a twitter account, wait no longer. Go sign up! It's so, so important if you want to keep up with other bloggers, authors, publishing companies, etc. People tweet book news, news relevant to the books, giveaways, reviews, etc. Tons of great material to be had there, as well as a chance to spread the word of your blog! I have had some really fun conversations on twitter!

7. Amazon.com and The Book Depository: Amazon.com is where I go for all my e-books, of course. I also sometimes buy used books there as well. For instance, my IRL bestie needs to read Vampire Academy or else we decided last night on the phone, so I hopped over to Amazon while we were talking and ordered it for her for $4. Total. With shipping! The Book Depository ships to many, many countries for free. And sometimes the deals there are really good. I love using them for giveaways, because it opens up the giveaways to international readers because the shipping is free and therefor affordable!

8. Calendar: I'm no longer planning on really bogging myself down with ARCS, because that is a part of what burnt me out and caused me to take a break. Now I only request on NetGalley if I really want to read something and not because I feel I have to to keep up or be successful or what have you. But for those requests, a calendar can be a very useful tool in reminding you when you post a review. Especially helpful if you use Blogger, because my schedule post "helper" has been acting like a dick lately and I have to double check it posts because it's so unreliable. 

9. Nap Time: I'm running out of helpful suggestions, so I'll definitely say that for those of us who have children, nap time is a very beneficial time to get in some blogging and reading!

10. Coffee: The energy it gives is undeniable! And one of my favourite things to do upon waking is to get a cup and sit at my laptop to see what's new with all the blogs I love to read! 

Link me your Top Ten Tuesdays! I want to see! 

Review: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Published: May 14th 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Page Count: Hardcover, 297
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Find the Author: Twitter, Blog, Tumblr
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.
Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.
Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 
Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as theNew York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance! - Good Reads

Based on my previous experience with Rachel, I knew I had to grab this book. I loved her Hex Hall trilogy. And this book even managed to exceed my expectations! The first few pages of a book are almost always tough for me to get through. Usually once I make it past, no one can pry the book away from my face, which is what happened with School Spirits.

Rachel Hawkins is a fabulous writer. Buckets full of green envy splurges out of me when I read her books, because she has such a knack for writing humour and banter! 

I absolutely loved Izzy. I found it very easy to relate to her despite us being wildly different. You know, since I haven't had the opportunity to kill any monsters and the lack of red hair. I loved Izzy's development throughout the book and I found the relationship between Izzy and her Mother to be a very nice touch to the overall storyline as well. 

The romance of the book was nice and light. As usual, I'm always shipping the "wrong couple". But seriously, Izzy + Torin = THEY NEED TO GET TOGETHER RIGHT NOW! MAKE IT HAPPEN! I'm serious. 

I would recommend School Spirits to those that enjoy a lighter paranormal read laced with plenty of humour and romance. Please read it and tell me I'm not the only one daydreaming about Izzy and Torin ending up together! 

UPDATE: I was under the impression that there would be more than one book. After further investigation I have discovered that this will be the only book. 

Review: A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young

A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young

Published: June 26th 2012
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Page Count: Hardcover, 282
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Blog, Twitter, Facebook
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is. 

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really? - Good Reads


Second books are often a big slump, but not this one! I liked reading A Need So Beautiful, but I felt it was too rushed for me to truly love the characters like I could have and I was disappointed it felt so short. I might not have been so harsh in my review had I known it would continue into this book. I barely skimmed the blurb before diving in, and I assumed it was about a different Forgotten, and that Charlotte and Harlin's story was over. It is so not over! and I now officially have Harlin fever! This book also featured a lot of character growth and a more in-depth look at the characters from the last book and their back stories, though it still felt much too short, just like the first book in this series. Seriously, Suzanne - WRITE MORE! YOU'RE KILLING ME! 

I have to say that, despite the shortness of the book, I still couldn't put it down. It was glued to my face until I finished! I'd definitely recommend this to those that are drawn to paranormals that contain angels - while the A Need So Beautiful series isn't about an angel in the classical sense, it is very similar, but without an almighty deity, religious structure or wings.


                                               

                                                          5 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Waiting on Wednesday: This Wicked Game by Michelle Zink

Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Breaking the Spine! It puts a spotlight on upcoming releases we're anticipating! 

THIS WICKED GAME BY MICHELLE ZINK
Release Date: November 14th 2013

Claire Kincaid’s family has been in business for over fifty years.
The voodoo business.
Part of the International Guild of High Priests and Priestesses, a secret society that have practiced voodoo for generations, the Kincaid’s run an underground supply house for authentic voodoo supplies. Claire plays along, filling orders for powders, oils and other bizarre ingredients in the family store, but she has a secret.
She doesn’t believe.
Struggling to reconcile her modern sensibilities with a completely unscientific craft based on suspicion, Claire can’t wait to escape New Orleans – and voodoo – when she goes to college, a desire that creates almost constant conflict in her secret affair with Xander Toussaint, son of the Guild’s powerful founding family.
But when a mysterious customer places an order for a deadly ingredient, Claire begins to realize that there’s more to voodoo – and the families that make up the Guild – than meets the eye.
Including her own. - Good Reads

As she bands together with the other firstborns of the Guild, she comes face to face with a deadly enemy – and the disbelief that may very well kill her.

I adore Michelle Zink and her writing and I'm really looking forward to this book! I'm actually not even that interested in voodoo and normally I'd probably skip over that subject, but because Michelle wrote it, it's a must-read! 

Review: A Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful #1) by Suzanne Young

A Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful #1) by Suzanne Young

Published: June 21st 2011
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Page Count: Hardcover, 267
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Blog, Twitter, Facebook
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...
Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences. - Good Reads

I've been enchanted by this cover since this came out and it's always sounded like it's right up my alley, and I've had in my possession more than a few times, but it always ended up going back to the library without being read for various reasons.  

A Need So Beautiful is about a girl named Charlotte who has "The Need", which are random compulsions to talk or help someone. It's definitely in the angel realm of books, which I really love! 

Charlotte's character was likable enough as were the supporting characters: her best friend, foster family and her boyfriend Harlin. I liked that she had an existing boyfriend. When I read books, I often expect a romance to unfold within the book - it bodes well for feeling invested in the romance, but in this one it did work well for the story. This is a story about Charlotte and the struggles she needs to overcome, not just Charlotte and Harlin and their love, even though he is a great addition to the book.  

I think that the biggest issue I had with this book is the length. A Need So Beautiful could have been much more fleshed out. It felt very short and rushed. Had it been longer, I think I could have rated it much higher. Despite feeling rushed though, it did bring me to tears towards the end and was touching.

I am definitely interested in reading the next book, A Want So Wicked. I'll be picking that up next. 

                                                 3 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

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Waiting on Wednesday: Shadow of the Mark (Carrier #2) by Leigh Fallon

Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Breaking the Spine! It puts a spotlight on upcoming releases we're anticipating! 

SHADOW OF THE MARK (CARRIER #2) by LEIGH FALLON
Release Date: July 9th 2013

Leigh Fallon’s Shadow of the Mark, the sequel to Carrier of the Mark, is a captivating love story set against the lush backdrop of Ireland. Megan knew she was destined to be with Adam from the first moment she saw him and now they are determined to be together. But Megan and Adam are Marked Ones, and a romance between two Marked Ones is strictly forbidden…and could cause worldwide devastation. Leigh Fallon’s Shadow of the Mark is a great choice for readers who love Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush.

I really did enjoy the first book in this series and it seems like it's taking FOREVER for this one to come out. I need it now! 

Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Published: April 2nd 2013
Publisher: Poppy/Little Brown
Page Count: Hardcover, 416
Source: Bought
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter
Buy This Book: Amazon , Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

This book totally slipped past my book-dar until earlier this week, when I stumbled across it on HelloGiggles. I cannot tell a lie, I nearly had a miniature heart attack, because I seriously adored Jennifer E Smith's book The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, which I read last summer.

As you can see in the summary above, this book has the makings of a modern day fairy tale. An ordinary girl, a celebrity boy that meet accidentally through the internet. The internet factor made You've Got Mail pop up in my mind, which is in my top 10 favourite romantic movies of all time. I also had a little internet romance myself that turned into a 10 year and two children relationship, so naturally I was drawn to that story line! 

Jennifer E Smith has writing a believable unbelievable story down pat. This Is What Happy Looks Like And The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight both have very "unbelievable" story lines, but she has the talent to twist them in a way that is realistic and believable. I loved the fact that Ellie not only feared the media and publicity for the simple fact that she's an average girl and it's invasive, but because she has deeper reasons that added a nice twist to the obstacle of the romance in this book. 

Overall, this was a sweet book. I can't say that I loved it quite as much as The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight, but I still like this quite a bit and would recommend it to those that enjoy Young Adult Contemporaries. 

                                           4 out of 5 Hello Kitties!