Infinite Days

Book: Infinite Days (Vampire Queen #1)
Author: Rebecca Maizel

Blurb:

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish. 

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

My Review:
I have been waiting forever to get my hands on this book! I had heard so many great reviews (and as a vampire-book lover I couldn’t resist). Infinite Days was a very different read, not in a bad way, but it was different because of its originality and extremely unique plotline. I found myself being sucked into the story right away; literally after only reading the first few lines, and I couldn’t put the book down till the final page. The writing was beyond amazing! It was almost indescribable at times, the way Rebecca Maizel was able to portray Lenah’s feelings and emotions; as well as showing the mere fact of a vampire becoming a human again, all the tiny details that would be involved in that transformation and everything in the aftermath is baffling—but they were ALL covered. It was remarkable being able to see her change and grow, and simply just feel again.

The novel sucked you into Lenah's mind, her emotions, which made you start to like her, even if she used to be well…kind of evil. Something that really developed this story were the flashbacks throughout the novel, giving you small glimpses into Lenah’s vampire past; which was anything but how “glamorous” vampires are portrayed today—in this world, being a vampire isn’t lavish, romantic, or cool—it is like being a stone statue feeling pain 24/7 with the only way to get rid of the pain being to kill someone; which you enjoy; for a few moments at least, until the pain takes over again. There is definitely no “vegetarian diet” in this vampire world. So, you can see why Lenah might have wanted to become human again.

The romances, the action, the twists & turns, and amazing cliffhanger made this book a 5 star rating, no questions asked. If a book can make you swoon, make your jaw drop, and make you completely forgot your surroundings for just a few moments—all by its words and storyline…well it cannot get any better than that. I would suggest this book to any vampire lover out there, as well as paranormal/YA fantasy lovers.

Rating:
*****
This book is the first in the Vampire Queen Trilogy. The second novel, Stolen Nights is expected to be published June 22nd 2011. Until then, can we just marvel at how beautiful the cover is? Yes, please!


So so so pretty! (:

Finally back!

Hello blog—I have missed you so much—you have no idea. So it is a little crazy around the holidays. I had Nanowrimo in November (first time doing it and only wrote 25,000 words; however that was my mini goal & I was happy to reach it, because I had never written that amount of words on one story before. It was a great experience but I am happy it is over—my sanity is thanking me haha)

Now it is December, school is almost ending—I just have finals to study for—which I currently am putting off to the side by reading the new books I got at the library. Good idea, right? Probably not.

So, while I was away I managed to read 5 books. 5 REALLY good books. I didn’t have a chance to write a formal review for them, however I am still going to give a little blurb about what I thought—as a way to catch up and start this blog once again. (Click book image for link to Goodreads.com)

Not That Kind Of Girl
By: Siobhan Vivian

My Review: I loved this book! It was ridiculous how much I related to the main character. It had a little bit of drama here and there, and romance that will make you SWOON uncontrollably. All in all, I am adding this book to my favorites and would recommend it to anyone. This was the second book by Siobhan Vivian, her first Same Difference, was really great as well; she is definitely an author to look out for.

My Rating:
*****
The Reckoning (Darkest Powers Series 3)
By: Kelley Armstrong


My Review:
I finally got around to finishing the series! It was so amazing—I had completely forgotten how much I loved The Darkest Powers series. The conclusion was amazing—however left some questions—which is why I was so glad to hear Kelley Armstrong has started a companion series—that will hopefully shed some light on the questions I still have. The romance was amazing, the action was heart pounding, and the girl power made me smile. Overall I was very pleased with the concluding novel in the series, and can’t wait to get my hands on The Gathering, the first novel in the Darkest Rising Series. 

Rating:
*****
The Iron King
By: Julie Kagawa


My Review:
I was jumping up and down when I saw this on the shelf at my library (it was kind of embarrassing—but I didn’t care I have been wanting to start the Iron Fey Series FOREVER!) I have read nothing but good reviews about this book & they were all right. It was AMAZING. It was actually my first faerie novel, and I was nervous I would not like it—but I loved it & now I want to get my hands on all the other faerie books out there. The action & girl power was evident throughout the novel but the dark forbidden esc/ bad boy romance made my heart pound—you have no idea. I loved this book! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

My Rating:
*****

Shadow Hills
By: Anastasia Hopcus

My Review:

I have heard such amazing things about this book—it has been on my wish list forever and I finally got around to reading it. It did not disappoint my high expectations. In fact it blew them away and was even better than I thought it was going to be! This novel is like no paranormal book I have read—it was different paranormal that I have ever read before, with a rich history to back it up. There is a large amount of romance and action in this book, as well as an original and relatable voice. All in all I am PRAYING this is a series because I would love to read more into this great story—I would recommend to any paranormal YA lovers!

My Rating:

*****
Glimpse
By: Carol Lynch Williams


My Review:
Another novel in verse! I seriously am in LOVE with verse novels right now—makes me want to try writing them. This story was so dark and powerful, it made me read this book in 1 night, staying up till the sun rose to read the last word on the last page. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. This story was meant to be told in verse—I could never imagine reading it any other way. I have never read a novel by Carol Lynch Williams before, her other popular novel The Chosen One, has been on my wish list for some time and now I am eager to pick it up and read another great story by this great author. All in all- this book is a quick read, but feels nothing like it-you become transformed into this dark story which makes you eagerly turn the pages to find out what happens.
My Rating:
*****
So, I just realized I managed to rate all these books 5 out of 5 stars—its kind of funny but I wouldn’t rate these books any other way—I had a lucky month and was able to read some great books. Hopefully the books I picked up at the library are just as great! Happy reading!

-Jenny (:

All Unquiet Things

Book: All Unquiet Things 
Author: Anna Jarzab

Blurb:

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

My Review:

I knew this book was going to be amazing before I even read it. I am not sure if it was because of the beautiful cover, the intriguing description on the back, or the great praise I have read about it—but after setting this book down I was glad to know I was right (for a change). This book is so hard to explain, because it was so different and unique. I have never read a book like this before, but I loved it! The story of Carly, Neily, and Audrey is told in such a way that it lets you take a glimpse into each characters background and current emotions to really contribute to the story.

This story is so thrilling, at times it gave me goose bumps and literally had me hungrily turning each page to read more. I am kind of nervous to really dip into the story without giving to much away. Before I say anything know this; I am always someone who knows what will happen at the end of a book, or what the big “twist” is in a movie. I am not sure why, but whenever I guess I usually am right. This book really had me guessing. Each time I thought I knew something (and was 100% certain) I would read something else and change my guess; and let me just say this—all my guesses were wrong. My mouth literally dropped when I finished this book. BUT it also made me so happy that I finally did not spoil a book for myself. It was just so good!

All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I loved it’s uniqueness and thrilling story. To be honest, I think anyone would think this book was as awesome as I did. I would recommend it to anyone!

Rating: 5 stars

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Book: I Heat You, You Haunt Me
Author: Lisa Schroeder

Blurb:
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
...sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
My Review:
WOW. How can I describe this book? The phrase "hauntingly beautiful" comes to mind. It is just so gorgeous, and poetic, and has such raw emotion.
While I will admit at first I was nervous about reading it, because I had never read a novel in verse before, I ended up absolutely loving this book! The story of Ava and Jackson's love is timeless in its originality and the verse format really drew me into the story. This book made me become Ava, I felt the same emotions as Ava, I felt the same pain...it was a strange experience..but in a good way. The thing I loved the most about this book though, is that the writing tells a certain emotion but makes the reader feel a different emotion.
For example the fact that Jackson is a ghost, Ava is so happy her love is back, and the reader is so happy her love is back, but at the same time it tells it in a way that the reader is a little creeped out (at least I was!)The writing in this novel is superb beyond words. There are many parts of this novel describing the presence of Jackson, the cold air and his breath on her skin, it just gave me the chills and goose bumps. I just want to write down every quote from this book that I loved, but it would basically be the whole book. Every single sentence, every line, every word, was just so beautiful--I wish I could find another way to describe it.
This book was just so haunting and so emotional when I stepped into Ava's world for those couple hours of my life. I just loved this book, I want to read it over and over again. This book is fairly a quick read and I would recommend it book to anyone. I could not think of a reason to not enjoy this book. (:
Rating: 5 stars

Daily Dose (1)

Daily Dose is a meme created by Good Golly Miss Holly, where you post aspiring images every Monday. Hope you enjoy! (:

Nanowrimo!

So….I signed up for Nanowrimo this year (for the very FIRST time ever) and I am sooo excited & a little bit nervous. (cue the butterflies)

In case, you don’t know what Nanowrimo is (this is the description from the Nanowrimo website) :

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

If your interested read more about it here.

Anyways, it is starting in 16 days…eeeh! I am so nervous haha. I first discovered Nanowrimo last year but it was halfway through November so it was to late to sign up & I vowed I would this year…so we will see how it goes. I am thinking about adding this to my blog for the month of November because: 1) it will be a place where I can write about my progress and possibly vent haha & 2) I most likely won’t be reading many books because I will have writing on top of school work and school activities (ugh senior year is soo hard!) so I don’t want my blog to go MIA for a whole month.

So that is all the news for today, are you going to be doing Nanowrimo this year or know anyone who has or is going to?

Happy reading! –Jenny (:

In My Mailbox (1)

In my mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren. It is a list of books you bought, won, received, etc. over the past week.


I Heart You, You Haunt Me
by Lisa Schroeder


All Unquiet Things
by Anna Jarzab


Someone Like You
by Sarah Dessen

All books from the library (:

The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor

Book: The Life of Glass
Author: Jillian Cantor

Blurb:
Before he died, Melissa’s father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful—that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn’t only skin deep, the people around her don’t seem to feel that way. There’s her gorgeous sister Ashley who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school, there's her best friend Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney, and there’s Melissa’s mother who’s dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.

To make sure she doesn’t lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal her father began—one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present, as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.

My Review:
I have wanted to read this book for a while and was so excited when I saw it at my library. It was definitely not what I expected; I thought it was going to be really sad (because of Melissa's father’s death) but it was more focused on moving on, with a little romance thrown in from time to time. I loved the little facts that were throughout the book from Melissa's deceased father, they really added substance to this book and I could really relate to Melissa. Her best friend Ryan was so adorable--I love him! Although, her relationship with her sister annoyed me (her sister was just so ugh! invigorating at times--but it made me laugh because it was kind of like my own relationship with my sister & even though Melissa and her sister fought they still loved each other; their relationship was very different and unique and I liked it. From start to finish this book had me so engrossed-wanting to know what happened next. Needless to say, I finished it in one day. Overall, this book just really made me happy and had my mind in a fresh perspective when I read it. I would suggest it to anyone.

Rating: 5 Stars

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Book: This Lullaby
Author: Sarah Dessen
Blurb:

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

My Review:
This was probably my 5th time reading this book- it is definitely one of my top favorite novels. Every time I tell myself, “You know, Jenny your getting older, you probably won’t like this book as much as you did before…” but each time this book is better and better. Sarah Dessen is my all time favorite author, and it is not only because of her amazing writing style, but because her book (The Truth About Forever) was the first book I remember reading as a teen that I loved—which started my lifelong passion for reading.
This Lullaby is one of my top favorites by Sarah Dessen. It is about Remy Starr, who after seeing her mother go through divorce after divorce, does not really believe in love. This is also due to her father, a famous one hit wonder musician, who was not involved in her life. He is the man behind the famous song “This Lullaby”, which he wrote about Remy in a motel room after he found out she was born. Remy is about to go to college at Stanford and wants to have a carefree summer with her friends. All of this changes when she meets Dexter, a boy who is completely against her organized manner and standards. He is a musician, who is kind of a dork (though I adore that about him) and for some reason or another their paths keep crossing. He is 100% different than any of the previous guys she has dated and she is certain that she hates this guy, who annoys her more than anything. However, with a long summer ahead and endless possibilities, Remy might finally let her guard down. 

This is the most comical novel by Sarah Dessen, in my opinion. I always read this book to get such a laugh at how much of a dork Dexter is and I always fall in love with him again and again. This book is full of laughs, heartbreak, romance, friendship, and love. Overall, Sarah Dessen never disappoints—as this book shows.
Rating: 5 Stars

Summer of Sarah Dessen!

So today, was one of those random days where I was sitting around and for some reason decided to start a blog. A book blog to be exact, and I am so excited. I have been following book blogs forever and I decided….”hey I like books! I like reviewing books! I like writing! I can make a book blog myself too!” So we will see how this turns out. Anyways, speaking of reading, I am currently reading This Lullaby by (the wonderful) Sarah Dessen (a.k.a my favorite author) as apart of my “Summer of Sarah Dessen” project, where I went through my bookshelf and re-read all of my Sarah Dessen books; and fell in love with them all over again. Right now I am back in school, so I obviously went a little behind the deadline of ‘summer’ but I decided to stick with it.
So far I have read:
Along For the Ride
Keeping the Moon
Just Listen
Being back in school (while taking photography and a creative writing class) has been very stressful and taking up a lot of my time so I have been kind of slacking on reading. But after this first quarter I am going to start reading as much as I used to (with the inspiration and dedication to now writing a blog; helping me out along the way). So hopefully  I will be finishing my re-reading of This Lullaby and will be posting my review soon!
-Jenny