Review - Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan

Title and Author: Love is The Higher Law - David Levithan

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

Paperback/Hardcover: 176

Genre: YA

Summary:

First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.

Review:

This was the first David Levithan I read and I’m glad I did. In this book Levithan tells the story of three teenagers living in New York on 9/11 and the effect the day had on them.

Claire lives close to the World Trade center and on the morning of 9/11 she’s in school. She helps taking care of the little kids and her brother in the elementary school as she waits for her mother to show up.

Peter is waiting for a record store to open so he can buy a cd when the attacks happen.

Jasper is sleeping.

Love is the Higher Law is about dealing with events that somehow or another change your life. I’m not American but I do remember where I was and what I was doing when I found out about the attacks. Like most people I saw the second plane hit the tower on life TV. In my opinion, it’s important to remember 9/11 so we can learn. History has a way of repeating itself, after all.

I found this book incredibly moving and captivating. The characters emotions are very raw and you can’t help experiencing the events of 9/11 and the aftermath of that day with them.

One think I really like was the three different points of views and the three different time periods (before, during and after) present in the book. Levithan is able to explore the after perfectly, giving enface to the necessity of moving on even after a terrible event.

The book is beautifully written. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding the emotions brewing inside of people on 9/11.

Rating: Must Read

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Cover Vs Cover

So, last week people chose the German cover of The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson as their favorite.

This week's cover comparison is: Looking For Alaska by John Green

                             German Cover                                    New Zealand Cover

                             Portuguese Cover                                      UK Cover

                               US Hardcover                                   US Paperback

I have the UK cover of this books so I guess that's why I'll choose it as my favorite. I do like the US Paperback cover as well, though. It's very pretty. 

Which cover would you choose as your favorite?

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Which cover do you prefer?

German Cover New Zealand Cover Portuguese Cover UK Cover US Hardcover US Paperback

Review - Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Title and Author: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Publisher: New American Library

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 324

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Summary:

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review:

I’ve read a lot about this book in the last few weeks and was really excited about it. Gladly, I wasn’t disappointed. Falling Under is a fast read that was able to keep me interested and entertained.

Theia Aldersons life changes completely when she sees a burning man falling from the sky.

Theia has always lived a very sheltered life but when she sees the new kid at school for the first time, she immediately knows something is very wrong. That new kid – Haden Black – is the same person that she saw fall and that haunts her dreams every night…

When it comes to the characters, Theia is extremely likeable. I was immediately able to connect with her. She led a sheltered life and it was great being able to see her grow into her own person.  She was willing to do anything for Haden, even switch places with him, which I think shows exactly just how she felt about him.

One other thing I liked about her was that she  was prepared to believe in what was unbelievable from the start.No beating around the bushes here.

Haiden was my favorite character, though. He is wonderfully sexy and extremely complex. He’s a mix between a bad boy and an innocent boy and the mystery surrounding him only made him more interesting. Even when I found out what he was I could still see the boy in him. I couldn’t help but to root for him.

Theia’s friends were also very good characters. All of them brought something interesting to the story.

The romance between Theia and Haden was a little too similar to Edward and Bella in Twilight but I was able to overcome that. (I like Twilight!) It felt right to have them both together and it was obvious how they felt about each other

Falling Under is a well written book. Hayes is capable of describing situations and things in a very realistic way. The world she created was very well described and her characters were believable.

I enjoyed this book very much and I think that if you are a Twilight and paranormal fan you will like this story.

Rating: Worth Your Time

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Cover Vs Cover

So, last time there was a tie between the US and the Bulgarian cover of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.t

This week's cover comparison is: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

 

                                German Cover                                        UK Cover

                                 US Hardcover                                     US Paperback

I like the German cover. It's simple and it's pretty.

What about you? Which cover do you prefer and why?

pollcode.com free polls

Which cover do you prefer?

German Cover UK Cover US Hardcover US Paperback

Blog Hop (16) & Follow Friday (17)

The Book Blogger Hop is a meme sponsored by Jennifer at Crazy For Books.

This week's question is:

"Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

It depends on the books I'm reading. I tend to read one book at a time, though. Maybe it's stupid but sometimes I'm afraid of mixing up the plots. :P

HI! Welcome to my blog! I am participating in Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View.

Hop on please leave comment, link your blog, and follow, and I will follow you as well.

 

This week's question is:  

"How did you come up with your blog name?"

Oh, it took me a while to chose this name. I obviously wanted something connected to books. I ran across a livejournal page once that was names mosaic and dealt with books, The name Library Mosaic come from that. :P

Recent and Future Releases

March 1:


       Falling Under                    Clarity                 Sean Grisworld's Head




     DemonGlass                 Sing You Home             A Lot Like Love


March 7:

     The Vespertine


March 8:

          Afterlife                       Like Mandarin


March 15:
 
        Shimmer                           Steel                           Subway Girl


March 22:

         Wither                             Invincible


March 29:

        Entwined


March 31:

    Wake Unto Me

On My Wishlist (05)

 

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. 

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.
le t
And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

--

Sounds interesting, doesn't it? For some reason this book has captured my attention and I can't wait to actually be able to read it.

Review - The Betrayal by Sheila Hendrix

Title and Author: The Betrayal by Sheila Hendrix

Publisher: 

Publication Date: October 6, 2010

Paperback/Hardcover: 219 Pages

Genre:YA, Paranormal

Summary:

One brother races against time to save the other before it's too late. When Matt has a dream, it sends two brothers on a hunt for a cave. Matt doesn't know why they have to go there; he just knows they have to go. When they arrive, Matt finds out that the vision turns out to be a trap. A Darkness like no other wants to control Matt and kill Zack. When a demon asks Zack a question, "How far will you go to save your brother," Zack replies, "As far as I have to." Now something like they've never faced before is on a deadly mission to destroy everything the brothers hold dear and if they are not careful, neither of them will be able to escape. (goodreads)

Review:

Zack and Matt are brothers who were abandoned by their parents at a very young age. They’ve been drawn into a life of demon hunting.

Matt has supernatural powers and so it is up to his older brother Zack to protect him from a demon who wants to use Matt’s power. The demon is determined to get the powers he wants no matter what and is up to Zack to save Matt.

The Betrayal is the first book  in the Dark Circle series and in it the brothers are led to a mysterious cave. It is a little darker than most YA Paranormal novels.

As the main characters Matt and Zach are well-written. They’re good people dealing with a hard past. They’re likeable characters and the bond between them is palpable. I liked the way they dealt with each other. I am a sucker for the protective type so Zach deifnitely won me over.

The betrayal is a fast read. It is well written even thought it dragged on sometimes and the descriptions of the imagery is wonderful. It did remind me of the TV Show Supernatural, which I enjoy watching very much.

All in all this was an enjoyable story. I would’ve liked a little more action, especially in the beginning, and more information about the boy’s past but in the end I was able to get involved in the story.

If you like YA Paranormal stories, you might like this one.

Rating: Readable

Thank You Tracee from Pump Up Your Book Promotions for the opportunity to review this book.

Goodreads

Review - An Offer From a Gentleman by Jullia Quinn

Title and Author: An Offer From a Gentleman by Jullia Quinn

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

Paperback/Hardcover: 358

Genre: Historical Romance

Summary:

The Bridgerton family is wealthy, well born, and universally admired. And with six of the eight Bridgerton children already mingling with society, it's no wonder they're mentioned so frequently in the most popular (and accurate) source of social news, Lady Whistledown's Society Papers. But not even the mysterious Lady Whistledown can identify the masked maiden who completely captivated the Bridgerton second son, Benedict, at his mother's masquerade ball -- a silver-clad beauty who vanished on the stroke of midnight. It was a magical night for Sophie Beckett, orphaned, illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood. Attending the ball was a beautiful dream, sharing the evening with Benedict Bridgerton was the stuff of fantasy -- and returning home to her role as unpaid servant to her father's cruel widow and stepdaughters was a nightmare. Then she lost even the small security of that position, and things went from bad to worse. By the time Sophie met Benedict again, she was in truly desperate straits. He made her feel precious, even in rags, but Sophie had grave reservations about accepting.

Review:

Every now and then I enjoy reading a Julia Quinn novel. They never fail to entertain me. 

An Offer from a gentleman is darker than most Julia Quinn’s books but it was still able to make me laugh and feel all warm and fussy inside.

An Offer From a Gentleman's plot is based on the fairy tale of Cinderella. There’s a wicked stepmother, stepsister and a handsome prince. There is also a masquerade ball where our heroine meets her prince but, unfortunately, is forced to leave him when the clock strikes midnight.

Sophie is a strong character. She has a very good sense of who she is. She takes proud in her dignity and sensibility. She could just have accepted to become Benedict’s mistress but she didn’t. She refused to be a kept woman. She sticks to what she believes in.

Benedict was definitely my favorite characters. He’s more serious than his brother’s but he’s also very charming and in possession of a subtle sense of humor. As the plot develops, Benedict has to deals with his feelings for Sophie and his lady in silver and by doing so his character grows a lot. In the beginning of the book he was trying to find himself and by the end I think he finally understands that he’s not just The Second Bridgerton. There’s much more to him than what meets the eye.

I highly enjoyed the romance between Benedict and Sophie. Their relationship was sweet and, at times, heartbreaking. The loves scenes between them were sizzling. Plus I really enjoyed reading about Benedict’s unraveling feelings for Sophie when he was determined to stay true to his lady in silver.

The moment he finally realized who the lady in silver is was a great one.

One other thing I enjoyed in this book was the fact that you see and learn more about the Bridgerton clan.

All in all this is a very well written book. Julia Quinn doesn’t normally disappoint me and I loved the way she managed to write a more serious story that deals with the differences between classes in a time where those differences where extremely important and accentuated.

Once more Julia Quinn managed to draw me into the story right from the start.

Rating: Worth Your Time

Goodreads

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Cover Vs Cover

Last week the US Cover of Unearthly won the voting. 

This week's cover comparison is: City of Bines by Cassandra Clare

Bulgarian Cover                              German Cover

                                     Italian Cover                               Portuguese Cover

                                       UK Cover                                        US Cover

I like something in every cover but isn't the Italian one amazingly pretty? The people on the cover are definitely not how I imagined the characters but I just can't help liking the cover. Maybe it's their position (they seem very intimate) or maybe it's the black background. I don't know. I simply like the cover a lot!

What about you? Which one would you choose as your favorite?

pollcode.com free polls

Which cover do you prefer?

Bulgarian Cover German Cover Italian Cover Portuguese Cover UK Cover US Cover

Blog Hop (15)

The Book Blogger Hop is a meme sponsored by Jennifer at Crazy For Books.

This week's question is:

"Who's your all-time favorite book villain?"

Am I the only one who had to think hard about this? I love villains! When they are well-written and complex they are one of the best parts of a story. What would some books be without their villains?

That being said, President Snow in The Hunger Games is one of my favorite villains. . He's smug, full of himself and responsible for way too many deaths. He is simply detestable
Of course I can't forget Lord Voldemort! How amazing is he as a villlain? :)

Review - Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Title and Author: Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Dell

Publication Date: December 27, 2005

Paperback/Hardcover: 400 Pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary:

Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her.

Review:

Can you Keep a Secret is a fun, fast read that will keep you entertained right from the start.

Emma Corrigan has been working for Panther Cola Company for a year and is expecting to be promoted. Unfortunately things don’t go exactly as she expected. She ends up messing a business meeting and on her return flight she ends up confession all her secrets to the stranger sitting beside her.

Much to her horror that stranger turns out to be Jack Harper, American CEO of Panther Cola and her boss, a mysterious man who now knows all her most embarrassing secrets.

Emma is a great, relatable character. She’s been through a string of bad luck but she’s always extremely funny. She herself says she can sometimes be a moron but even when she is she’s still likeable and even hilarious. Her character develops nicely as the story goes own and she deals with her problems.

Jack Harper is also a great character. He’ mysterious but he’s also well intended. He’s romantic and funny and able to tease Emma like no one else. He finds himself in love with the strangest woman he ever met and he is completely fascinated by her.

The secondary characters are very convincing as well, especially Lissy, Emma’s best friend who is smart and hard-working and just a little insecure.

Emma and Jack’s romance develops well and as you read you find yourself rooting for them. They balance each other well even though Jack really screws up at some point.

This is a well-written, funny and easy to read book. The plot is quite simple but it develops in an interesting way without being forced.

Sophie Kinsella is able to make you feel connected with the characters and want to laugh and cry with them.

Any fan of chick lit and contemporary romance will definitely enjoy this book.

Rating: Worth Your Time

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