Review: The Candidates

The Candidates (Delcroix Academy #1)

by InaraScott

293 pages

Published August 24th 2010

by Hyperion Book CH

Summary:

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of heraverage grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia'smediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a personthreatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid.Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everythingpossible to avoid g...moreDancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades orher less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, believing this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden.

But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

Thoughts:

I love boarding school stories? Don't you? So the beginning of the story sort of reminds me a bit of Harry Potter and then as the story unfolds there's also some similarities to the Hourglass. But really..I rather liked this one better. I used to attend a boarding school way back when I was a teen and I think the orientation parts in this book is giving me a very bad case of deja vu. It's damn realistic enough for me.

Likes

I love that there are a few supporting characters (Grandma, Henny and Esther) that are funny enough to keep the story interesting. Otherwise Dancia's inner monologues are a bit hard to swallow.

Dislikes

Ugh! Dancia's attraction to all around good guy; Cam is nauseous! It's too predictable! I was rooting the whole time that she end up with Jack. Hey, the guy's homeless. Give him a break.

I know this rehashed plot line of the girl who founds out that she's special is nothing new but I'm really looking forward to the next book just so I can find out what happens to bad boy; Jack. The action and mystery involved is what sets this book apart from all the rest.

Verdict: 4 stars.

Wishlist Wednesday # 5

Wishlist Wednesday is a blog hop by the ever wonderful Pen to Paper where we get to talk about a book we're wishing for.


Tangled Tides 
by Karen Amanda Hooper
328 pages
Published November 25th 2011

Summary:

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.



Babble:
I love mermaids. They're so beautiful and mysterious. And the cover is enchanting to say the least. So this is definitely one to read. After all we do need a break from vampires and witches once in a while.

The one where I watch too much K-dramas

Hi, folks! I totally forgot to post my Sunday Star feature yesterday. Sorry! This is all due to me spending my time attending to my other loves; watching Korean dramas. My BFF Miz Wanie was mentioning about this new drama the other day and it got me totally hooked. With its superb casting, unpredictable storylines and zany antics, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop really is THE K-drama to watch this winter. What would K-drama be without its pretty boys?

There’s Jung Ill Woo; my gorgeous Scheduler from 49 Days. But Lee Ki Woo stole the show. Not only is he damn tall and hot. His character is way funny! There’s a rumour going around the net that he’s a Muslim. Oooh is that true?

On another note. Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Wok is coming to Singapore and Malaysia this December to promote their drama Scent of A Woman. I’ve watched this drama and it’s totally heart wrenching but so romantic. And Lee Dong Wok just came back from the army so there are a lot of scenes showing off his body. Hahaha I’m totally becoming an ahjumma.

Paranormal Turkey Tour

Ah yes, Thanksgiving. Nothing says the holidays like sitting around a fully decked out dining room table with mouthwatering temptations waiting to be gobbled up. Everyone waits anxiously for the big reveal… the turkey!

Lovingly prepared since early that morning, the turkey is brought out in a covered, silver serving platter. Aunt Edith smacks little Tommy's hand as he attempts to steal a candied yam dripping with marshmallow. The collective breath is held as the silver cover is removed… revealing… a zombie turkey!

What—what? That's right folks, this year, we are celebrating this American holiday paranormal style. And what says paranormal holiday better than a walking, talking zombie turkey?

This zombie turkey brings you important tidings of great prizes that shall be for all people… who participate and win of course.

November 25-27 you could win up to $200 in prizes!

Three days. Four YA paranormal books. Five chances to win!

And who are these crazy paranormal authors? Check them out. It's like the Nightmare Before Christmas, Thanksgiving style!

Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

"Psychic or not, you'll never see the end for this one coming! Emlyn Chand is pioneering 'the next big thing' for YA." ~ Emily Reese, author of Second Death

Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.

Monster Mash: Emlyn says… I. AM. WEREWOLF! And why's that you ask? First off, my name (Chand) literally means moon in Sanskrit. Next, werewolves are super cool--we can blend in with common folk, and then out of nowhere, kapow! I'm a werewolf, and I sure am hungry. Lastly, Team Jacob 100%. Now excuse me while I cock back my head and howl at my namesake.

Patti Larsen, author of Family Magic

"Patti Larsen is truly gifted because I read Family Magic cover to cover and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment!" ~ from Goodreads review

Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord, but she just wants to be ordinary. When her coven comes under attack, Syd must face the fact only her power can save her family's magic.

Monster Mash: Patti says… I am a witch. Naturally. I weave spells with my words, cast incantations from my keyboard, mix up the very best potions in my cauldron of documents. You want to stay on my good side. Trust me. Unless you enjoy waking up as something... unnatural.

Kimberly Kinrade, author of Forbidden Mind

"Forbidden Mind is a thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and eagerly awaiting the next installment." ~Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews

Paranormal teens with unimaginable powers. An evil organization with deep secrets. When Sam, a girl who reads minds, meets a boy who controls minds, she discovers her future isn't what she thought. Together they must escape and free the others… or risk losing everything—and everyone—they love.

Monster Mash: Kimberly says… I may look like a demon, but I'm actually a succubus. Enchanting and seductive, I weave stories that will fuel your passions and make you fall in love. But be warned… once you fall under the spell of my words, your world will never be the same.

John Corwin, author of The Next Thing I Knew

Corwin does a phenomenal job of including humor throughout this novel. This book was like . . . Ghost (the movie) meets The Host (by Stephanie Meyer) meets MIB (Men In Black the movie). ~Maryann, Chapter by Chapter

The afterlife is the last thing on Lucy’s mind until she and every other human on the planet drop dead and find themselves in the hereafter. Lucy drags her social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife and, more importantly, to discover who or what killed everyone and why anyone would do such a mean thing.

Monster Mash: John says… I am a ninja. After all, vampires are simply ninjas with fangs. They can hide in plain sight, right in your living room. Jump out and scare the wits out of you. Drop a smoke bomb and poof! All you’re left with is stinky smoke in your house and soiled underclothes.

The Prizes

Four $25 Book Entries: For each of the four books in the contest, you can enter to win $25 (up to $100 in giveaways!) Simply buy a copy of the book (each is priced at just 99 cents for this special promotion) and email the proof of purchase for that book OR submit the first sentence of the fifth chapter for that book to ParanormalTurkey@gmail.com. Winners will be chosen randomly. Each person can submit one entry per book. Here are the links for each book:

• Farsighted by Emlyn Chand : http://ow.ly/7tqhx
• Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade: http://amzn.to/rKraMo
• The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin: http://amzn.to/tSlj8A
• Family Magic by Patti Larsen : http://goo.gl/r2Bsm

And... if you buy all FOUR books, you are entered to win the Grand Prize!

The Grand Prize

One randomly selected reader who enters to win all four book prizes (Family Magic, Farsighted, Forbidden Mind and The Next Thing I Knew) will win the grand prize of $100.

So go on now and pick up a copy of these fantastic paranormal reads before the zombie turkey eats you!

What? Still around? Then enjoy these fun book trailers and Paranormal Turkey Tour trailer. (Then go buy the books.) Also, leave a comment and help your favorite blog host win a $50 prize!

Notes:

• All winners will be chosen randomly using random.org.
• Amazon links are provided, but books purchased through any online vendor will qualify with proof of purchase.

Wishlist Wednesday #4

Pen to paper is hosting this wonderful blog hop where we get to tell others about a book we're wishing for. 

Become (Desolation, #1)

by Ali Cross

ebook, 340 pages

Published November 11th 2011 (first published October 28th 2011) 

Summary:

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other ...moreSixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

Babble:

I had really rotten luck today. For some reason my twitter account was suspended and I missed the whole Dark Carma party on twitter. Ali Cross is part of the Dark Carma tour. So there goes my chance to win this book which has actually been on my wishlist for the past few weeks. This book certainly has an interesting premise. The main character; Desolation is actually the devil's daughter. My what a unique name that is. Desolation. Bad girl gone good? Interesting.

I love cars

My son has this thing about cars. Especially Cars the Disney cartoon. He can watch it over and over again. I'm getting pretty sick of watching cartoons all day. Might just get another TV just so I can watch my favourite shows.

Top Ten Tuesday

I'm so excited to participate in my first ever Top Ten Tuesday. It is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and Bookish. This week's top ten is:

Top ten authors I would want to be at my table on Thanksgiving.

Oooh I don't celebrate Thanksgiving but let's just say hypothetically I would invite:

• 1. Enid Blyton: I have a thing for British writers. I love her books so much and read a lot of them when I was young.


• 2.Agatha Christie: Dame Agatha, the greatest mystery writer of all time. I would really like to know how a nice English lady like her have all this brilliant ideas to kill someone?


• 3. J.K Rowling: Harry Potter anyone? Enough said. And those accents..oh how lovely.


• 4. Stephen King: What an excellent dinner conversation we would have. Had any good scare lately?


• 5. L. M. Montgomery: Maybe she could be my 'kindred spirit' just like her character Anne and Diana from her book Anne of Green Gables.


• 6. Candace Bushnell: Sex and the City is my guilty pleasure. And I love to hear about NYC.


•  7. Kiersten White: She's damn funny and I love her Paranormalcy series.


•  8. Taherah Mafi: I know she's new but she sounds fun according to her blog.


•  9. Suzanne Collins: The genius behind Hunger Games.


• 10. William Shakespeare: Oooh since this is just hypothetical, I would love to have a chat with the Bard. His works are simply timeless.

Dark C.A.R.M.A Tour

I actually featured Exiled last week on my Wishlist Wednesday and I was actually stalking the author's blog when I came upon this. How come I have not found this sooner? It's going to end on 23rd Nov. Oh, no! There's an awesome giveaway courtesy of the three fabulous female writers who wrote these books.

Don't forget to check them out and support these fantastic self published authors!

Review: Forest Born

Forest Born (The Books of Bayern #4)
by Shannon Hale
389 pages
Published September 15th 2009
by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Summary:
Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure.

Thoughts:
I am kicking myself for not reading other Books Of Bayern much earlier. I have no idea that fairy tale retellings are this cool! The start is a bit dull and confusing. What with all the talk about aspens, firs, pines..I'm beginning to transfrom into a squirrel. Thankfully Razo came and knock some sense into his dense sister; Rinna or Rin or Rinna-girl..damn all these nicknames!

Likes
Razo has a nice thing going on with the Tiran ambassador; Dasha. Queen Isi is kind and beautiful but Enna..well Enna overshines everyone. I love her! Rin is supposed to be the star of this book but I fell in love with Enna. She has the best and funniest lines! And to top it all, she's damn kick-ass with her fire speaking ability.

Dislikes
Okay so Rin, Rinna or Rinna-girl saves the day with her uncomprehendable tree-speaking and people speaking powers but she's like this very introvert nerd. Brilliant but so afraid of her own powers.

I just can't wait to read stories about Enna, Isi and Dasha. They're way cooler. I’m so going to get the other books in the series.

Verdict: 4 stars

Giveaway Winner: Freebies Friday #2

Hi, everyone! Sorry this took me awhile to post. The winner of my Freebies Friday #2 is :

Nazeli

http://thesecretdreamworld-n.blogspot.com/

She won a copy of Across the Universe by Beth Ravis. Winner picked through Random.org. Thanks all for entering and being my followers. For those who don't win, don't worry. If I reached 300 followers I might be having a really great followers giveaway for all. Stay tuned!

Sunday Star #4

Sunday Star is a feature I started to highlight the characters that I love from various books. This week it's:

*Jem* from
The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Surprisingly, I'm not that big fan of The Infernal Devices but I do love the Victorian setting and some of the characters, particularly Jem of course! And just to get in the mood for the upcoming release of the Clockwork Prince next month, I decided to talk about Jem..of course.

Why do I fancy him?
Well, he's the opposite to Will. He's polite, soft spoken and a romantic hero. And he plays the violin too.

What does he looks like?

He's half Asian according to Cassandra Clare. His distinguished trait is his silver hair. Cassandra even pick the Japanese actor; Eiji Wentz as her ideal Jem if the book is going to be made into a movie.

Love interest?
He's entagled in a love triangle with Tessa and Will. Oh dear, please let him have Tessa. Given his frail state, I just hope that Jem survived until the end of the series and live happily with Tessa.

Review: Dark Goddess

Dark Goddess (Billi SanGreal #2)

by Sarwat Chadda

376 pages
Published January 25th 2011

by Hyperion Book CH

Summary:
New enemies, new romance, and new horrors,
Billi's back, and it seems like the Unholy just can't take a hint.
Still reeling from the death of her best friend, Kay, Billi's thrust back into action when the Templars are called to investigate werewolf activity. And these werewolves are like nothing Bilil's seen before.
They call themselves the Polenitsy - Man Killers. The ancient warrior women of Eastern Europe, supposedly wiped out centuries ago. But now they're out of hiding and on the hunt for a Spring Child -- an Oracle powerful enough to blow the volcano at Yellowstone -- precipitating a Fimbulwinter that will wipe out humankind for good.
The Templars follow the stolen Spring Child to Russia, and the only people there who can help are the Bogatyrs, a group of knights who may have gone to the dark side. To reclaim the Spring Child and save the world, Billi needs to earn the trust of Ivan Romanov, an arrogant young Bogatyr whose suspicious of people in general, and of Billi in particular.
Dark Goddess is a page-turning, action-packed sequel that spans continents, from England to the Russian underworld and back. This is an adventure of folklore and myth become darkly real. Of the world running out of time. And of Billi SanGreal, the only one who can save it.

Thoughts:

I’ve read the first book in the series a while ago and fell in love with the main character; Billi SanGreal the only female member in the fabled Templar Knights. I was so looking forward to the second book but was really disappointed. Maybe the death of Billi’s love interest in the first book got to me. Without Kay or even the mysterious bad boy; Mike everything seems..well kind of bland.
Battle scenes after battle scenes and the Templar Knights are clearly outnumbered. And then the plot thickens and the Templar Knights are forced to travel to Russia to rescue a gifted child;Vasilisa from being the victim of an age old goddess.
Now this is where things get too weird for me. The book changed from being an urban fantasy to being a Russian mafia novel with the introduction of the Bogatyrs. Okay so the writer tried introducing a love interest in the form of another gorgeous stranger and a long lost Russian prince too; Tsarevich Ivan Romanoff but for me there’s no chemistry at all between Billi and Ivan. It’s like forced romance or something. (Yup, I’m babbling here).

Likes
Not much really. Maybe the exotic locale is interesting. Would love to visit Moscow someday just not during winter. I’m not good with freezing my ass off. But Elaine’s crush on Lance; the new Templar is kind of funny. Cougar alert!

Dislikes
So many. But the ending really left me hanging. I mean..what just happened here? Is there going to be another book? Nothing is really resolved in the end. So did Billi end up with Ivan? I have no idea.
Let’s just say the first book; Devil’s Kiss is very different from this one. This is darker and filled with action from the get go. But not really my cup of tea.
Verdict: 2 stars.

Throwback Thursday #2

Throwback Thursday is a weekly/monthly event hosted by Jenny at Take Me Away . The purpose is to highlight a "throwback" or an older book that deserves some recognition.

Throwbacks can be:

•a book you've read and loved, or a book you've always wanted to read
•a book that brings back memories for you
•from as far back as your childhood, or just from last year
•a classic or a hidden gem

Sabriel (Abhorsen Chronicles #1) by Garth Nix
496 pages
Published September 30th 1996 by HarperTrophy
(first published December 31st 1995)

Summary:

Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorson, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage.Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face to face with her own hidden destiny.

Thoughts:
I can't believe it's been that long since it was published. 1996? My..this is probably one of the first YA fantasy book that I've read. And I'm still a teen back then. Sorry Twilight. Sabriel is a dark book and being written by a guy, the romance parts are few and far between. But I can't help but root for the character. She's so damn cool..mind you. I have always hope that it will be made into a movie or something with Keira Knightley as the title character but nothing.
If only it was published post-Twilight with a dazzling cover in front, I guarantee fans of the hyped YA revolution will be grabbing it with excitement.

Verdict: 5 stars!

Wishlist Wednesday # 3

Pen to paper is hosting this wonderful blog hop where we get to tell others about a book we're wishing for.

This week it's :

Exiled (Connected #1)
by RaShelle Workman
Kindle ebook
368 pages
Published October 3rd 2011 by Polished Pen Press


Summary:
Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become a kelvieri, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.
Now she wants revenge.

First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate. Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.
Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.


Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week. Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.
But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—her.

Babble:
OMG! What an amazing cover! I've read the free sample on BN and absoultely love it. It's already out in Kindle and e-book version but I'm still waiting for the printed version just so I can have the satisfaction of kissing the beautiful cover. (Yup, I'm a big cover freak). I might just hyperventilate if it doesn't come out soon. Aliens' love story is a new genre, no? So does this book qualify as a paranormal romance or sci-fi? Beats me. I'll read it anyway.

Review: Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3)
by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
518 pages
Published October 18th 2011
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:
Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Le...moreEthan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.


Thoughts:
The third book of the Caster Chronicles seemed to follow the same plotline as the first two. Slow moving, tension building, mystery ensues and the action only picked up after a few chapters and then ka-boom everything is revealed in the final chapter.

Likes
As far as characters go, I love Link in this one! He's part Incubus now and he's way funny! He has the best lines. Amma doesn't really shine here and I'm getting annoyed by her constant snooping around and keeping secrets from everyone. And Macon's sister; Leah is cool too.

Dislikes
I don't know why. I'm a fan of the series but I'm getting a little sick of the touchy feely thing going on between Ethan and Lena. Okay so we get that you're in love but enough already! And what the heck is going on with Ethan? How come all these weird things only happened to Ethan in Book 3 not Book 2? I don't get it. He died in Book 1 and get resurrected with consequences. But the aftermath only occured in Book 3. Am I getting old or just confused after reading too much YA fantasy? There's so many twists and turns that sometimes it's hard to keep up. And I really hate the cliffhanger ending.

Thank god for the the budding romance between Liv and John Breed which probably save me from tossing this book aside and giving it 2 or maybe 1 star. I was actually so looking forward for this book but after reading it felt a bit dissapointed. So many fillers just to prolong the series and make us wait for the next book. Yikes!
Verdict: 3 stars.

2012 TBR Reading Challenge

Welcome everyone to my new reading challenge. Another reading challenge? I'm trembling already. Can I make it? Oh dear..I'll try my best. Thanks to Evie for inviting lil ol me. In all the excitement, I totally forgot to post about it. So let's get to the nitty gritty.

Challenge guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.

As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!

Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!

You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)

You can move up levels, but no moving down.

Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.

If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)

December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.

You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake

11-20 - A Friendly Hug (This is my goal, hopefully)

21-30 - A Sweet Kiss

31-40 - Love At First Sight

41-50 - Married With Children

The Awesome Hosts:

Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie

Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown

Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog

Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife

Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss

Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread

Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette

Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks

Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction

Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions

Wrap-up POST Schedule:


January - Donna (Theme: Let It Snow + Book Cover Challenge)

February - Nicole (Theme: Un-requited Love/Love Gone Wrong + Advice Column Challenge)

March - Rie (Theme: Green or Pinched + Green Cover Challenge)

April - Bonnie (Theme: Easter + Mini Challenge)

May - Christa (Theme: MayDay - Disaster Books! + Cover Disaster Challenge)

June - Jenna ( Theme: Camping + Sentence Challenge)

July - Rie (Theme: International Day + Cover Comparison Challenge)

August - Angel (Theme: Summer Memories + Send Your Fav Character On Vacation Challenge)

September - Nicole (Theme: Life Changing Books + Mini Challenge)

October - Caitlin (Theme: Thanksgiving Theme + Share-A-Book Challenge)

November - Vicky (Theme: Spooky Halloween + Book Puzzle Challenge)

December - Evie (Theme: Xmas Bliss + Book Bachelor Challenge)

* My TBR pile is not that much. There's currently I think around 20 books excluding e-books of course. Maybe we can do a book swap or something. :)

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke & Bone 
by Laini Taylor
Hardcover, US
418 pages
Published September 27th 2011
by Little, Brown & Company Thoughts:
A spectacular story about starcrossed lovers ala Romeo and Juliet between an angel and a devil. A devil? Yup you heard me right. I’ve read many positive reviews about this one and the story really is beyond my greatest expectation. I was expecting a typical cool kick ass chick but wow. And I really mean..wow! Karou is not your average run of the mill angsty teenager. Instead she’s a blue haired art student in Prague who was raised by four chimaeras.


Likes:The setting. Prague oh Prague! I can just picture its beauty by the writer’s vivid description. Thank you for making a book setting that is actually located outside the US. And Europe just sounds so dreamy!
Characters. How can I say this without sounding of like an obsessed fangirl? Karou is cool! She can speak many languages even devil tongue, she’s a talented sketcher, martial artist expert and a faithful friend. But I love the four chimaeras the most. Issa; the snake lady, Twiga; the giraffe necked, Yasri; the bird hybrid and of course wise and loving Brimstone with his great ram’s horns. And not forgetting our out of this world gorgeous angel; Akiva. Swoon.


Dislikes:Well except for Karou’s annoying ex-boyfriend; Kaz and the scary war general; Thiago, I like every aspect of this book. Really even Karou’s petite best friend; Zuzana is funny. Okay so maybe I have some issues with the cover. It’s too damn simple. Feature some scary or beautiful monster in front instead.


The cliff hanger ending left me breathless. Seriously, my eyes went all watery reading about the really sad parts between the lovers. Okay, I’m trying really hard not to include any spoilers in this review but gosh I had these vivid images of the movie Underworld while reading this. This is how a love story with angels should be written. Tragic but at the same time action packed and with a twist. Kudos to Laini Taylor for not making an angel love story a bore!
Verdict: 5 stars!

Sunday Star # 3

Welcome again to my Sunday Star. Don't you love that new button? It's way better than my old one, right? This week I'll be talking (or babbling more likely) about:

* Astrid* from

Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1)by Diana Peterfreund

Published August 25th 2009.

Why do I fancy her?

Two words. Unicorn slayer. Yup. Buffy meets unicorn

Why is she so cool?

She has superpowers when it comes to unicorn hunting. Speed, skills and killer instinct. And she's the descendant of Alexander the Great. Also she's a virgin. LOL.

What does she looks like?

Blonde and blue eyed I think. See the cover.

Love interests?

Italian American student Giovanni. While Astrid and friends are on one of their slayers' duty, Giovanni was the driver. Very supportive!

I really like kick-ass chicks. It seems that all my Sunday Stars are sword-welding characters. Oooh..I'll try find someone a bit..ehem softer the next time.

Giveaway Winner: November Giveaway Hop

Hi, everyone! I was so excited to be a part of the November Giveaway Hop and was astounded with the amount of entries that I received.

The winner is :

Tiffy

Congrats and don't forget to check your e-mail. Winner was picked through Random.org. Thanks all of you for participating. Love you guys and thanks for being my followers.

Giveaways Galore

I'm a sucker for giveaways. Yes I am. When I first started book blogging, I never knew that there are so many nice, kind and generous book bloggers out there who are willing to give away books to their followers.

So it totally took my breath away when I won my first book because I never had any luck winning anything (not even a lousy mug during my office annual dinner).

And seeing that my followers have grown overnight, I promised I'll be doing a followers giveaway soon (well as soon as I get my monthly pay).

But for today, I like to feature several giveaways that some very amazing bloggers are having.

Just click on the way cool buttons and check them out. Show them your support gals and maybe you could win a book. Good luck!

P.S: I would appreciate comments whether I should continue Freebies Friday or just have a big followers giveaway once in a while. What do you think darlings?

Wishlist Wednesday #2

 Pen to paper is hosting this wonderful blog hop where we get to tell others about a book we're wishing for.

For me it's :

Always a Witch (Witch #2) 

 by Carolyn MacCullough

Published August 1st 2011

Summary:

The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights.

Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice

Babble:

Oh..where art thou Tamsin? I've always love witches. I blame it all on the Harry Potter books. I've read the first book Once a Witch and absolutely love it. I can't wait to read more about Tamsin's adventures as she try to redo the things that she did in the first book. More time travel? Yes please. Witches and time travel? Way cool!

November Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the November Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Tristi Pinkston from Nov 8th - 11th. I'm so excited to be a part of this and well it's already Tuesday in my country so maybe I'll be one of the first to post this up.

My Giveaway:
1 winner will receive up to $10 (USD) in Books of your choice shipped from The Book Depository.
Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country.

To Enter:
* Just be my follower and fill up this form.

Yup, that's it! Now hop along to the next blog. I might be doing that as well. And don't forget to check out my other giveaway that's going on right now; Freebies Friday which is also International. Good luck!

Review: Supernaturally

I've reviewed Paranormalcy some time back. You can read it here. This is by far my favourite YA urban fantasy series.

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) 
by Kiersten White
Hardcover, US Edition
336 pages
Published July 26th 2011 by HarperTeen

Summary:
Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. So much for normal.

Thoughts:

I love Evie although she seems a bit mopey this time because her boyfriend; Lend is away on college. The introduction of a new character made me nervous. I thought Jack was going to be this new love interest but he's way to hyper and weird for Evie to be attracted to.
We get to know more of Evie's background and where she's from. Maybe a little slow compared to the Paranormalcy but still quite enjoyable.

Verdict: 4 stars!


I just can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. Feast your eyes on the cover. It's bleeping beautiful! Expected publication July 24th 2012. What? We have to wait more than six months for it? God help me.
Maybe I can beg to Miss Kiersten for an ARC copy of this. It'll be like a donation to a third world country. Em..is Malaysia a third-world country? Let me check. Yep..I'm that desperate.

Sunday Star #2

Welcome again to my second edition of the Sunday Star where the spotlight will be on a character that blew me away. I love kick-ass chicks, don't you?

This week my star is:
* Bilqis @ Billi Sangreal*  from
Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Published September 1st 2009

What does she looks like?
She's half Indian so maybe her looks are kind of exotic. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes.

Why do I fancy her?

She's the only female member in the fabled Knights Templar and she's been training since she was ten . She can handle all kinds of weapon so that makes her totally kick ass!

Love interest?
Sort of a love triangle with her albino childhood friend; Kay and the mysterious gorgeous Mike.

Check out my review of the book on Goodreads. I'm still looking for the next book in the series; Dark Goddess. Anyone out there have read it? What do you think?

Mystery Reading Challenge 2011

I've been meaning to post this for a long time. I've completed my Mystery Reading Challenge last week and totally forgot about it. The challenge is to read 12 mystery/thriller books this year. So here goes:

1. A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (Inspector Singh Investigates) by Shamini Flint
2. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1 by Alexander McCall Smith
3. Singapore School of Villainy (Inspector Singh Investigates) by Shamini Flint
4. The Double Comfort Safari Club (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#11) by Alexander McCall Smith
5. Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#2) by Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) by Alexander McCall Smith
7. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#4) by Alexander McCall Smith
8. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#6) by Alexander McCall Smith
9. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#8) by Alexander McCall Smith
10. Morality for Beautiful Girls (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#3) by Alexander McCall Smith
11. The Full Cupboard of Life (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency#5) by Alexander McCall Smith
12. How to Survive a Killer Seance (Party Planning #3) by Penny Warner


Yep, I'm a big fan of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I haven't yet completed my Urban Fantasy challenge to read 24 urban fantasy books this year. Oh, no! So far I've only read about 14. It's time to catch up! Help!

Freebies Friday #2

Hi, everyone. I know some of you have been waiting and wondering whether I'll be making this post again. I'll try to make this a weekly event (I promise) but do forgive me if I'm so caught up with things that I forgot (really sorry) or just too lazy to go to the post office to send off books (slap me) or maybe my book spending habits have taken it's toll and I'm dead broke (pity me).

So this week I'm giving out to one lucky follower my used copy (but still in a pretty good shape) of :

Across the Universe by Beth Ravis

As usual, my giveaway is International and to enter you just have to be my follower and fill up this FORM and don't forget to leave a comment in this post on why do you want to read this book.

Ends on November 18th 2011.

By the way Beth Ravis is having a huge giveaway on her blog which I'm itching to enter so don't forget to check that out.

Wishlist Wednesday

So when I started my Wishing on Wednesday, I never knew that bookrat or pen to paper already have their Wishlist Wednesday.

Pen to paper's Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added, that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente, Ana Juan (Illustrator)

Published May 10th 2011.

Summary:
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.  With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Babble:
Oooh the title's a mouthful eh? I know this is a kid's book but well I read and collect the Harry Potter series so why not? The story seems so interesting and I've read a chapter sample and just love the quirkiness of the book. So this is indeed a book to wish for. :)