All I Want For Christmas Is...

All I Want For Christmas Is... is a meme hosted by Danya at A Tapestry of Words to get into the spirit of the holidays!  Basically, all you have to do is post a book that's on your wish list that you would like to receive for Christmas :)

Today, I want...

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz

After their beautiful yet brief bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force are forced to separate. To fulfill the Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler travels to Alexandria to search for Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise. But Schuyler quickly discovers that everything she believed about the Gate to be wrong. Meanwhile, Jack makes the difficult decision to return to New York to face his twin and former bondmate, Mimi. But instead of a bitter reunion, he is faced with a choice for which there is no good option.

Mimi, with a most unexpected travel companion in Oliver Hazard-Perry, jets off to Egypt, too, to search for Kingsley Martin, her long lost love. With all roads leading to Hell, Mimi learns that not all love stories have happy endings. But she'll have to put her own feelings aside if she's going to save her crumbling Coven.

Packed with heartache, twists, and vampiric folklore, Lost in Time is sure to satisfy hungry fans' cravings for more Blue Bloods adventure.

The last book wasn't all that impressive, but I've been seeing a lot of good things about Lost in Time, and it seems to be a lot bigger than Misguided Angel, so, why not?

What do you want for Christmas?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Cover Crazy (33): The Selection

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week, I love the cover for The Selection by Kiera Crass!

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Here's why I love it:

• The dress!  'Nuff said.  Actually, I'll elaborate a little bit.  It kind of reminds be of a cake, but in a good way because it's like one of those really beautiful cakes!  The fluffy skirt is just beautiful.
• The overall color of the cover gives me this cold, shivery feeling, but I really like it.
• It's also really cool how she's being reflected in one of those infinity type mirrors.  They actually really creep me out but it adds a lot to the cover.
• The crown on top of the title really gives you a clue as to what it's about, which is that the book is about a competition for the heart of Prince Maxon and the crown.

Tell me what you're going crazy over today!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Hereafter

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Date Released: June 7th, 2011
Pages: 404
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Description:
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
 
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.
 
Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

Review:
Hereafter was more of a romantic story than a creepy story that was meant to scare you, with some mystery weaved in.  Originally, that's what I thought it was about since it is about a ghost after all, but it was far from that. 

The story centers around Amelia who can only remember three things: her first name, her age, and how she died, but not why she died.  She cannot remember a single thing from when she was alive, but everything changes when she rescues Joshua, the boy with the midnight blue eyes, from drowning at High Bridge which is notorious for its accidents.  The two almost immediately have a connection and as they spend more and more time together, Amelia starts remembering everything from her past life, her mother, her father, and eventually how she died.  But Eli, another ghost who haunts High Bridge, wants to keep her as an apprentice and drag her away from the mortal world that she has become attached to.

The storyline was really cool and was definitely not meant to scare you.  It centers around the love of a ghost and a boy and it was really sweet seeing the attraction grow.  Although, at times it felt a little weird because it made me think, "What if someone saw him making out with no one?  What would they think??" their relationship pretty much worked. 

Where Hudson set Hereafter was perfect as well.  The creepy bridge was perfect and the netherworld that she created seemed just as creepy. 

The thing that kind of threw me off a bit was the plot.  Sometimes, it dragged on a bit and it would get a little bit boring, so I'd start skimming a little bit.  It's not like it was a horrible plotline, but there were just a few things that were sort of not very attention grabbing.  Although, I really loved the whole romance aspect and the the story itself.

I found both Amelia and Joshua to be okay characters.  Amelia seemed like a really cool character.  She was kind of like the lost wandering soul, who was lonely, although sometimes, she would go into that sort of pouty girlfriend mode.  Joshua was pretty cool, too, with his midnight blue eyes, although I found it just a bit weird how he moved their relationship waaay too fast.  There was also one incident that really confused me.  He got really angry at Amelia because she randomly left him on accident, and it was just really... weird how he got sooo angry at Amelia. 

Hereafter was an interesting ghost story mainly concentrating on the romance with a bit of mystery intertwined.  Sometimes it would drag on a bit and I'd lose focus.  However, I think that it was a great story overall and I really liked the idea, so I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book, Arise!

Cover Review:
I absolutely love this cover!  The colors that they chose are just sooo calming, and now that I've read the book, I understand why they have the river in front of Amelia with the forest right behind it.  I think it's also cool how her dress becomes transparent.  It's a really cool cover overall!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from library.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I just want to wish everyone in the US an awesome Thanksgiving filled with tons of turkey, and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes, and apple and pumpkin pie, and anything else that you can think of that is absolutely yummy in your tummy :) 

In the meantime, you can watch this video on Things That Ruin Thanksgiving by nigahiga!  I just watched it and it's pretty funny, so, enjoy!

Nevermind... Apparently Youtube and I do not get along very well together.  Oh well.  But you can click here if you still want to watch it!

Cleo :)

All I Want For Christmas Is...

All I Want For Christmas Is... is a meme hosted by Danya at A Tapestry of Words to get into the spirit of the holidays!  Basically, all you have to do is post a book that's on your wish list that you would like to receive for Christmas :)

Today, I want...

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Is it bad that the main reason why I want this book is because of it's cover?  The story sounds equally amazing, but the cover is just waaay too gorgeous!! 

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Rival

Title: Rival
Author: Sara Bennett Wealer
Date Released: February 15th, 2011
Pages: 336
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:
What if your worst enemy turned out to be the best friend you ever had?

Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.

Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.

The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.

As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?

Review:
I really, really liked Rival.  It was perfect how it alternated between Brooke and Kathryn's point of views.  It really shows how people would think differently of the same situation that they're in.

Rival is about the the relationship between Kathryn and Brooke and how they bonded over music.  Kathryn was like the typical nobody; she had one best friend, who was a geek himself, too, and she was really smart.  On the other hand, Brooke was the insanely popular A-lister who doesn't really know why all of this popularity was handed to her, but she accepts it.  Like most popular girls, she has her insecurities.  When Kathryn started turning into a total popular snob, Brooke decides to end things, but not in the nicest way. 

Now, the two compete for the ultimate prize, winning the Blackmore competition.  As the competition date nears, you see Brooke change and realize that Kathryn was probably her only true best friend while Kathryn can never get over what Brooke did to her, making her even more paranoid than ever. 

I really liked the characters.  They just seemed so real and they put up this facade that's only half of what they really are, like Brooke.  Brooke is probably my favorite one out of the two because she realizes these things and sees how people have changed, like her "best friend" Chloe, and Kathryn after she gets into the crowd of A-listers.  She also has that secret that's really her insecurity.  Kathryn was the type who seems like a really nice girl, and she really was, until she got all... for lack of a better word, weird.  She just started really becoming insecure and almost paranoid that Brooke was going to repeat what she did to her the year before.  It was just very annoying of her to do that.

Plot wise, I love how everything developed and got so much more intensified as the competition got closer.  Throughout the course of the novel, you see Brooke and Kathryn change from the person that they were before, into two different people. 

I really liked Rival overall.  It was a story of friendship and how it can unravel in the blink of an eye.  It kept me completely captivated the whole entire time I was reading it.  I would recommend it anyone who likes contemporary novels, but without romance (I might have forgotten to mention that there is no major romance involved in the book... Sorry!).  It was a really great debut from Wealer and I'll definitely look forward to future books by her!

Cover Review:
I really love this cover!  I love the piano keys with the bold, fiery, redish orange flower on top.  The flower is really beautiful.  I'm also really big fan of the somewhat elegant font with the swirly designs on it.  It's a pretty simple cover, but I really like it!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from library.

Cover Crazy (32): Rapture

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I'm in love with the cover for Rapture by Lauren Kate!

Here's why:

• I'll start off with a simle question, What is there to not love about this cover?
• I love the colors of the cover and how it creates this somber atmosphere.  A somber mood totally fits with the title since who wouldn't be sad about a rapture?
• That dress is absolutely gorgeous!  Even though you can only see the back, I love how it looks all light and fluffy while flowing with the wind. 
• I really like how for all of the covers in the series they have kept with the same theme and basically the same photographer, if that's what you would call her. 
• I think that this maybe my favorite out of all 4!

All of the covers in this series are absolutely gorgeous!  If I were to order them from favorite to least favorite, it would have to be Rapture, Torment, Fallen, and Passion (sorry Passion!).

How would you rank them & Which cover are you going crazy over today?

Cleo :)

*Cover from goodreads.com

Follow Friday!

Today's Question

Letter to Santa: Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

I'm pretty sure that I could go on and on and on about what I want for Christmas :)  I'll just name a few because it is very likely thatmy list will be the size of Santa's not naughty list (if that makes any sense at all...).  So, here it goes:

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (I've actually already read this one, but I want my own copy soooo badly!  This one was absolutely flippin' amazing)
• The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macklyer (It's not even out yet, but I've already heard good things!  Hey!  At least it'll be out before Christmas)
• Legend by Marie Lu (This one's not out yet either, but it will be before Christmas, too!)
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• Reckoning by Lili St. Crow
• Lost in Time by Melissa De La Cruz
• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
• Forgotten by Cat Patrick
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

Those are just a few of the books that I really, really want :D  I also do the All I Want for Christmas Is... meme that is hosted by the lovely Danya @ A Tapestry of Words which highlights books that you really want for Christmas, too.  So, there are a few that I've done in those posts that I haven't put here.

Hope you guys have a lovely Friday!!

ALSO!  Who's going to go see Breaking Dawn today (or tomorrow, depending on when you read this post)???  I KNOW I AM!  Although I'm not a totally Twi-hard anymore :(  Sadly, I have passed that phase, if there is even a phase that you can go through.  It's just really exciting to see how they did it this time, especially since this one has "the scene" if you know what I mean.

Cleo :)

Review: Abandon

Title: Abandon
Author: Meg Cabot
Date Released: April 26th, 2011
Pages: 304
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Review:
Abandon had a really cool sort of modern twist on the Hades & Persephone myth that was really intriguing to read about. 

Basically, this story is about Pierce, who died, met the mysterious John Haden, and then came back to life.  However, coming back to life has its' consequences, especially when that person really wants you back.  Pierce has moved back to her mother's hometown on Isla Huesos, where she tries to start fresh and leave behind the scandal she was involved in at her school and the memories of her death.  However, wherever Pierce goes, John goes, too.

I couldn't stop reading Abandon, although I felt like a majority of the book was mostly made up of the background of her story and flashbacks.  It wasn't until towards the end where things definitely started clicking and getting a whole lot better.  I've got to say though, this one leaves on a pretty huge cliffhanger that will keep you impatiently waiting for the next one!

The characters didn't leave a big impression on me either... Or at least Pierce didn't.  Pierce just sort of seemed to lack personality.  She was a little flat.  I don't know if it's because she was brought back to life or what, but I just found her to be kind of boring personality wise... Definitely not life wise.  Her life is pretty adventurous.  John on the other hand... I think that I'll basically fall for any bad boy, but his love for Pierce was just waaay too cute!  He also sort of fit that bad boy stereotype and had that mysterious-ness surrounding him because, well, he looks like any other teenage boy, but what the heck is he doing in the Underworld?  I thought he was a pretty cool character.

I will say though that the whole idea was really cool and definitely different from some of the other Meg Cabot books I've read, which have only been Teen Idol and All-American Girl, so there's a major difference in genre, too.  Maybe mixing Greek mythology with modern day things wasn't all that clear.  For example, since when did Furies have to do with a guy who is like Hades, but isn't exactly Greek?  Anyhoo, I liked the idea of re-creating the myth of Persephone but in a more modern way.

Overall, I really liked Abandon.  It's one of those books that will completely suck you in and you'll probably end up reading it really fast to find out what happens, but some of it would just be okay, like the characters and what the plot focuses on, which I found to be mainly the background of her story and flashbacks.  I'll definitely be looking forward to Underworld when it comes out though because Abandon left on a total cliffhanger!  I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick read full of intrigue and some suspense!

Cover Review:
I love this cover!!  I really like how the gold swirly designs and accents stand out against the brown background.  It pretty much fits the story with its mysteriousness.  However, I will admit that the little blurb thing under the title is a little corny.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from local library.

Review: The Scorpio Races

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Date Released: October 18th, 2011
Pages: 404
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Review:
The Scorpio Races was absolutely phenomenal! It just simply blew me away with all of its amazing-ness.

This book follows the lives of Puck and Sean as they prepare for the Scorpio Races, which is a race among the water horses that live in the ocean around their little island of Thisby. Puck is the first female racer to ever compete in the races, while Sean has won for the last four years. This year, the two race for personal reasons- Puck races because she thinks that it will keep her brother from leaving, and Sean races to keep his horse, Corr, and quit his job.

The Scorpio Races was super duper fascinating since it was about something that you don’t normally see written about- water horses. I don’t think that I’ve ever heard of water horses until I heard that Maggie Stiefvater was writing another book, but now I know that they’re really cool and interesting mythical creatures.

The writing flowed so well throughout the novel, and it goes at this nice and mellow pace that’s not too fast and also not too slow. The plot eventually built up to that final day and as the day of the race drew nearer and nearer it got very intense.  Twists and turns were absolutely shocking and sucked me into the story even more. 

On to the characters, Puck was okay.  She sometimes had a temper, which was her unflattering characteristic, but what made up for that was her courage to be able to do what she did.  There was never another girl before her and never a normal horse riding in the races before her either, which pretty much just screams that she is one brave girl.  Sean was totally cool.  I kind of imagined him as a calm, but sort of a loner type of guy who can stand up for himself when he needs to.  I think I might have formed a crush on Sean...

Honestly, go and get The Scorpio Races!  I'm sure that it will not disappoint!  Maggie Stiefvater just has this way of crafting amazing stories with romance, intensity, and action.  Definitely pick this up, especially if you love all of her other books!

Cover Review:
Really cool cover.  It's like the cave paintings that were described on the book, but with Puck on her horse instead.  I really like it and I think that it fits the book.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

All I Want For Christmas Is...

All I Want For Christmas Is... is a meme hosted by Danya at A Tapestry of Words to get into the spirit of the holidays!  Basically, all you have to do is post a book that's on your wish list that you would like to receive for Christmas :)

Today, I want...

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever and even worse, he's started spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadnt been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.

Haunted by images of her murdered father, and questioning whether her nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death, Nora puts herself increasingly in dangerous situations as she desperately searches for answers. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.

I've read Hush, Hush already, but for some reason I haven't gotten to Crescendo yet!

What do you want for Christmas?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

2012 Debut Author Challenge!

YEP!  I'm totally participating in the Debut Author Challenge again!  And you should too if you haven't signed up yet!  You can do that here at the lovely Story Siren :)

The main objective of this challenge is to read a minimum of 12 debut author books from January 1st, 2012-January 31st, 2013!

Here are some books that I plan to read next year:

• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
• Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
• Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
• Above by Leah Bobet
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
• Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
• Through to You by Emily Hainsworth
• Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
• The Selection by Kiera Cass
• Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Are you up for the challenge?  I know I am!  It was really awesome getting to read all of the debuts of 2011... A lot of them were incredible and it really surprised me because you never really know what to expect! 

Cleo :)

What's Your District?



Maybe you don't know, or maybe you do know that there's a website where you can get put into a district, exactly like the ones from The Hunger Games!  You can go here to do it if you haven't yet!

My District 11 ID!  I think that I'll be able to fit in, considering that
I'm really tan in this photo :)  But I'm kind of posing and I'm pretty sure
that the people in District 11 wouldn't be posing. 

I got put into District 11.  I don't know if I should be happy about that since the awesome Rue was in that district, or if I should be unhappy since it is one of the not-so-great districts and my job is a farmhand -_-  I think it could be an awesome job if I liked picking things, I guess... If that's what farmhands do. 

On the other hand, lucky Baylee got put into District 5, which should be way better than District 11, right?  She hasn't sent me her ID yet, but once she does, and if she decides to, I'll post it here for you to see.  Or maybe I'll forcer her.  Who knows.  I also just sent the link to

MarMar, so hopefully she'll do it and perhaps she'll be in the same district as me? 

If you've already done this, what district are you in?

Cleo :)

All I Want For Christmas Is...

All I Want For Christmas Is... is a meme hosted by Danya at A Tapestry of Words to get into the spirit of the holidays!  Basically, all you have to do is post a book that's on your wish list that you would like to receive for Christmas :)

Today, I want...

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.

 

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.

 

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.

 

Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes the second book in an epic series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

I totally want this one and wouldn't mind getting it for Christmas!  Anna Godbersen writes the most delightful and romantic, yet suspenseful historical fiction.  If you haven't checked out her Luxe series or this one, Bright Young Things, I definitely recommend that you do!
 
What are you hoping will be under the tree for you this year?
 
Cleo :)
 
*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Cover Crazy (31): Born Wicked

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

Today, I'm really loving the cover for Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood!

Here's why:

• It has this vintage-y feel and I love the woodsy colors!
• I love how the roses really pop out in the cover because of their bold colors. 
• That font for the title is really cool! 
• Her stare is just like... piercing... if that's the right word.  It just kind of sees straight through you.  And those eyes!  They really pop out, too.  I totally wish that I could have eyes like that. 
• The model actually kind of looks wicked, just as the title suggests :)

What cover are you going crazy over today?

Cleo :)

*Cover from goodreads.com

Review: All These Things I've Done

Title: All These Things I've Done
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Date Released: September 6th, 2011
Pages: 354
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Review:
Anya has to take care of her vulnerable little sister, slow older brother, and dying grandmother, as well as go to school, and trying to avoid falling in love with the assistant DA's son and her ex-boyfriend.  She lives in a dangerous world full of crime and poverty, and her life is fairly normal, until she gets caught up in what she had been trying to avoid, her mafia family, amongst other things.

All These Things I've Done was really fascinating.  I was really interested in it because of the whole "chocolate is illegal" thing because I LOVE chocolate.  So, when I heard about it, I was like, "No way!  How could anyone live without chocolate??"  That's when I decided to read it.  And it was really cool how even though chocolate is illegal in this world, Anya's family still manufactures chocolate.  However, chocolate quickly becomes the bad guy when people become horribly disfigured from poisoned chocolate that the Balanchine (Anya's family company) Company distrubtes.

I really liked all of the characters, especially Anya.  She had all those qualities that a person obviously needs to possess to live in this world, and she was sensible, despite the fact that sometimes she'll do something she's not supposed to do, just to get on someone's nerves, which made her funny.  I also really liked Win.  He was Anya's sort of on and off boyfriend, and was just like any other YA male love interest, which is a good thing, not a bad thing.  He seemed cute, with his endless hat wearing thing going on, and he was caring, especially of Anya.

The plot got pretty intense with the mystery of who poisoned the chocolate, Anya's forbidden relationship with Win, and struggling to take care of her family.  It was like a roller coaster ride of suspense!

Overall, I really liked All These Things I've Done!  It had a really interesting storyline with really cool characters.  It didn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but just enough to leave you wanting to figure out what's going to happen next.  I'd definitely recommend this, especially if you're look for a dystopian/contemporary type book.  I'll definitely be looking forward to the next book in this series!

Cover Review:

This cover is okay.  It represents the book well in that it portrays what's going on in the book, with the chocolate shaped as a heart, and the numbered list is kind of like showing the "all these things I've done" part of the book, but it is a bit plain.  The different parts of the cover aren't very cohesive.  I actually rather liked the cover for what I think is the UK edition of the book (if it isn't, feel free to correct me).  That one is very cool because it seems a bit more modern.

Cleo :)







*Description and covers from goodreads.com

Presenting... The Endlessly Cover!

Squee!!  I'm so excited!!  Guess what hit the Internet today? The cover for the last in its trilogy by Kiersten White, Endlessly! This cover is absolutely gorgeous.  I love all of the purple!  The purple flowers and the purple dress- which is to die for!  I think that that's enough fan squealing for now.  But, seriously, you can't disagree with me, can you?

Cleo :)

*Cover from goodreads.com

All I Want For Christmas Is...

Remember this feature from last year?  Well, I'm doing it again! 

All I Want For Christmas Is... is a feature hosted by Danya from A Tapestry of Words.  So, basically all you do in this feature is pick a book that you desperately want for Christmas that is on your wish list!  It's almost like Waiting on Wednesday, but instead, you choose a book that's already out :) 

This week I want...

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Doesn't this sound really good??  I've only heard really good things about it so far.  The cover is absolutely gorgeous, too :)

What's on your wishlist for Christmas?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com