Monthly Favorites

So, it's time for another montthly favorites post!

 

October Monthly Favorites:

During October I've read:

Book Related:

• Favorite Book Title - Silence

• Favorite Book Cover - Silence (Hush Hush 03) by Bcca FitzPatrick

• Most Embarassing Book Cover - None of the books I've read in October had a really embarassing cover. :)

• Book You Can’t Believe You Waited So Long to Read - Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

•  Favorite Reading Experience -Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine and Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

• Book with the best Food - Too Hot To Touch by Louisa Edwards. There are recipes in the end. :)

Characters Related:

• Best Male Character - I can't choose just one this month: Dell from Animal Attraction; Alex from Hunting Lila, Carter from Sophie and Carter and Patch from Silence. :)

• Best Female Character - Jade from Animal Attraction and Lila from Hunting Lila

• Best Couple - Jade and Dell from Animal Attraction; Alex and Lila from Hunting Lila and Cam and Katie from Instant Attraction.

• Best Love Triangle -No love triangles this month!

• Favorite Crush -Three crushes this month: Dell from Animal Attraction; Alex from Hunting Lila and Patch from Silence. :)

Plot Related:

• Best Plot Twist - Hunting Lila by Sarah Alserson. Very interesting things happen in this book and some of them are unexpected!

• Best Ending -Hmm... All the books above had an interesting ending. I can't choose one.

• Steamiest Scene -Animal Atrraction by Jill Shalvis has some very nice and steamy scenes. :)

• Best Swoon-Worthy Moment - I can't choose just one! All books have swoon-worthy moments!

• Most Heartbreaking/ Tear Jerker Scene - Carter having to deal with his mother and her problems.

• Most Hilarious Scene - Cam coming home to find someone he didn't put there in his bed! (Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis)

Quote Related:

  

• Best Opening Line - "Come on, baby,” he murmured. “Give it up for me. You know you want to.” - Dell in Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

• Most Memorable Quote - "Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.” - Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

• Best Comeback - " "It's called a shower...," I began automatically, then trailed off. My memory snagged, taken aback by a compelling and forceful sense of undue familiarity. "Soap, shampoo, hot water," I added, almost as an afterthought.
  "Naked. I know the drill," Jev said, something unreadable passing over his eyes.” - Silence by Becca FitzPatrick
  
       

Others

• Series that I’m loving - Hush Hush by Becca FitzPatrick

• Would Make the Best Movie – Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

So, what do you think? Which were the best books you've read during September?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

This week I'm reading: 

Instant Gratification - Jill Shalvis

“I have to clean the wounds,” she repeated.  “All of them.”

Oh, Christ. Dr. Barbie? Try Dr. Evil. She wasn’t backing down, and rather than suffer the indignity of letting her—or even worse, TJ—take down his shorts, he did it himself, and then lay there buck ass naked with his eyes closed. “I feel so cheap,” he muttered. “You didn’t even buy me dinner first.”

“Well I thought maybe it was the only way to get you to go out with me.” When she narrowed her eyes, he offered a smile.

She didn’t return it. “Is there really a baby or not?”

“There’s really a baby. Well, not yet, but soon.”

“On the trail,” she clarified. “Where there are bears and dirt and bugs and oh, I don’t know, a thousand different germs and bugs, not to mention things that could go wrong?”
“Yeah.”
“Shit."

What about you? What are you reading right now?

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

 

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

 

Read this past week:

Too Hot To Touch - Louisa Edwards 

Hunting Lila -  Sarah Alderson

Instant Attraction - Jill Shalvis

 

Currently Reading: 

Instant Gratification - Jill Shalvis

Upcoming:

But I Love Him - Amanda Grace

What about you? What are you reading this week and are you enjoying it?

Author Weekend Giveaway Winners

I have a winner for the Author Weekend Giveaway!

The winner of a pair of a bookmark from WhispySnowAngel is:

Review - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title and Author: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: August 16th, 2007

Paperback/Hardcover: 332

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Review:

It took me a long time to pick this book up. I’ll confess I was skeptical about it but I ended it enjoying Vampire Academy much more than I could ever have imagined I would.

This is a great first book to a series and I actually couldn’t put it down. It kept me entertained and curious.

Vampire Academy is not your usual YA vampire book. The writing is actually quite mature and the types of vampires in this book are not typical ones. There are Moroi vampires, who are the good vampires, are alive and are able to use magic connected with the four elements: air, earth, water and fire. There are also Strigoi vampires, who are the bad vampires, are technically dead and are not able to use magic.

While both types of vampires need blood, Strigoi kill to get it while Moroi don’t.

There are also Dhampirs, who are half Moroi and half human. Dhampirs don’t need blood and are trained to be the guardians of Moroi because of their strength. The vampire academy is where Dhampirs train.

In the beginning of the book, Rose – a Dhampir – and Lissa – a Moroi – are on the run from the academy where something happened that made them need to get away. Rose and Lissa are being hunted and are eventually captured by the academy’s guardians, who take them back to the academy, so they can complete their education. This is the first time Rose sees Dimitri – a guardian – and her future mentor and love interest.

I think I liked almost every character in this book, which is always a plus.

Rose’s a very interesting character. She can be a little arrogant sometimes but she’s also very loyal, feisty, brave and strong. She would do anything to keep Lissa and those she loves safe.

Dimitri was my favorite character, though. He’s swoon-worthy! He’s a little bit older than most characters in the book, so he shows more maturity than others. Dimitri becomes Rose’s mentor, role model and love interest. Some people say he is a God and he shows determination in everything he does.

The relationship between Rose and Dimitri is very interesting. They know they shouldn’t be together for several different reasons but the attraction between them is still too strong to deny!

I also liked the other characters in this book like Lissa, who is sweet and caring and Christian, who is incredibly sarcastic!

All in all I really enjoyed Vampire Academy. The book is well-written, fast paced and interesting. There’s a lot of action, romance and friendship. The characters are well-written and the plot is interesting and different.  I think any YA fan will be able to enjoy this book!

Rating: Must Read (5 Stars)

Goodreads

Bookdepository

Richelle Mead

Hello, how are you all?

So, this weekend's Author we'll get to know a little better is Richelle Mead!

Author's Profile:

"Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens.  Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths. She received a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan, an MA in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master in Teaching (Middle & High School English) degree from the University of Washington. In the end, she decided writing was the way for her but believes all of her education prepared her for it.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When not writing,, she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. Lots of dresses. She is a self-professed coffee addict, fights a constant (and losing) battle with procrastination, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Her adult series are published by Kensington Books.  The Georgina Kincaid Series (Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top, Succubus Dreams, and Succubus Heat) tell the humorous and heart-breaking story of a reluctant succubus who can't touch the man she loves without dire side effects. On top of that, she must deal with Hell's middle management team and the many supernatural threats that come her way.  Richelle's Dark Swan Series (Storm Born and Thorn Queen) follows Eugenie Markham, a free-lance shaman who battles ghosts and fey that sneak into our world from the Otherworld. When an alarming prophecy suddenly makes her every Otherworldly creature's object of desire, Eugenie must dodge their advances while also fighting a dark power rising within her.

Richelle's YA series, Vampire Academy, is published by Razorbill Books (Penguin) and thus far contains Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, and Spirit Bound.  This New York Times and USA Today bestselling series has won honors from the American Library Association and been translated into 30 languages.  It follows the war between two races of vampires, living and undead. Rose Hathaway, a 17-year old half-vampire, is training to be a bodyguard for the living vampires and finds her life complicated by the dangers that involves, as well as an illicit romance with one of her teachers."

Richelle Mead's Books:

The Vampire Academy Series: 

Bloodlines Series:

Georgia Kincaid Series:

Dark Swan Series:

 

You can find Richelle at:
Official Website
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