Favorite Couples of 2011

This is very different then my last videos, I used fan art for the novels and made a little slideshow video to music. I'm very proud of how it came out, I hope you like it as much as I do!




Tucker and Clara (Unearthly) (Only in Unearthly, I have a new favorite couple in Hallowed)
Four and Tris (Divergent)
Ky and Cassia (Crossed)
Adrian and Sydney (Bloodlines) *Kind of couple, but if they don't get together, I will die.
Belly and Conrad (We'll Always Have Summer)
Trella and Riley (Outside In) *The picture for this one is my favorite out of them all.
Jace and Clary (City of Fallen Angels)
Lena and Alex (Delirium)
Amy and Elder (Across the Universe)
Emerson and Micheal (Hourglass)
April and Hudson (Ten Things We Did)

**Hourglass and Ten Things didn't have an photos so I just put the cover.
***I don't own the pictures, I got them off of google and deviant art. All credit go to the owner. To find the owners just type the couple and book title into google or deviant art. (I am letting the owners know i used their photos, so if they don't want it here I will take it down)

Yes there is a ton on this list. I even narrowed it down. You should have seen it before.


Who are you're favorite couples?? And did you like the video?

Favorite Paranormal and Fantasy of 2011

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Legacy by Cayla Kluver
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

What were your favorites of 2011??

Favorites of 2011: Contemporary

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
We'll Always have the Summer by Jenny Han
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
For Always by Danielle Sibarium
Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson


What were your favorite contemporary novels this year?

--Danielle

Cheap E-books!

Hey guys! I just wanted to met you know about the amazing sales in e-books today. Whether you have a Kindle or a Nook. I.already bought a bunch and you should go get some before its to late! Here's some examples ... .


Such a fantastic book, if you have yet to read it now is your chance for just $.99!



















This is FREE! How can you get any better then a free book? Well by that book being an AMAZING story. This is another one of my always recommended novels, so go read it for FREE!.











This one I haven't read yet but I've been wanting to for awhile so I'm taking Harperteen up on their offer of $.99 for this one! You should too!

These are just a few of the great deals you can find in e-books right now. Go and take advantage of them before they are gone till next year.

Favorites Of 2011 - Dystopian

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Crossed by Ally Condie
Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
Legend  by Marie Lu
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

IMM - After Christmas

Happy Holiday's everyone!

What did you get this week?

--Danielle

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed
by Ally Condie

Summary: In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Review: Crossed is the sequel to Ally Condie's debut novel,  Matched.  While I was not the biggest fan of Matched, I did think that it set up a new exciting dystopian world with an opportunity for a great sequel. Well, Crossed was that great sequel that Matched led up too. Since the world had been set up and explained in the first novel, Ally Condie was able to go right into the action and suspense of Crossed. 

Crossed also had an extra point of view that Matched didn't have. Ky's. I love Ky, he is a great character and I loved getting to see inside his head for just a bit. It also added to the suspense. You would see were Ky was and what he was doing then in Cassia's point of view you would see how close they are, yet they just couldn't find each other. Cassia has the hardest decision to make, between the two greatest guys in the world Ky and Xander. I wouldn't be able to pick. 


In my opinion, Crossed was a huge improvement to Matched, Ally Condie went above and beyond with it. Now i'm officially on board with this series. I'm -no so patiently- waiting for the next installment. 

Waiting on Wednesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine < Check it out 

 

Summary: 

The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own.

This one just sounds great but I'm really just excited for so many 2012 books. Yet i don't know how they will be able to stand up to the amazingness that we had this year.

This cover reminded me so much of one that I've seen before, it took me awhile to place it. I finally figured out where I remembered it from....



The same color scheme and flowers, white dress with a girl running. They don't really tell you what the book is about at all. I don't know how I feel about these covers being everywhere.


--Danielle

Review: Jessica Rules the Dark Side

Spoiler if you have not read Jessica's Guide To dating The Darkside. Go read it first! Really, you should it is AMAZING!

Jessica Rules the Dark Side

By: Beth Fantaskey

Source: Around The World ARC Tours
Release Date: January 10th 2012

Summary: It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Review: The first book in the series, Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side was dark, romantic, and suspenseful. The sequel was all of that and more. At first, I was a bit worried about picking it up. Most of the time, for me, sequels do not hold up to the first book. Especially with one as good as Jessica's Guide. Also with the long wait in between both books it just made me unsure of a sequel. However, I am so glad that I signed up for the ARC tour. Jessica Rules the Dark Side was a fantastic sequel to Jessica's Guide.

Jessica's Guide left so many unanswered questions about Jessica and Lucius's relationship. A girl who knew nothing of vampires throughout her whole life going to go rule them? It couldn't have been easy. This book showed Jessica's struggle and how she over came it. Throughout the novel you get to see Jessica grow as a person and learn so much.

One thing Jessica Rules the Dark Side was missing was romance between Jessica and Lucius. Sure there was a bit, but I felt there could have been more. Well while Lucius was not in jail, anyway. The novel was also missing the sarcasm from Lucius that was present in the first book. We did get romance in the form of Mindy and Raniero. They were an unexpected couple added to the series. Their story was a bit different from the typical romance. If Beth Fantaskey were to write a prequel about them, I would be first in live to buy it!

Once Lucius was thrown into jail, I was able to figure out the mystery to the murder. It was pretty obvious. That was my only problem with Jessica Rules the Dark Side. Yet, the story did throw me for an unexpected  loop every once in while. Beth Fantaskey also kept the suspense and mystery with her excellent writing style and made for an over-all great story. If you enjoyed Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side you will love the sequel!

--Danielle

Also while you are waiting for Jessica Rules the Dark Side, go check out Jessica's and Lucius's wedding that is on Beth Fantaskey's website HERE.

In My Mailbox (61)

Hey guys! This is my first IMM in over a month! That's a bit shocking, but it is due to the fact that I have not been accepting review copies because I have so many to read already. I"m very behind and now I'm finally getting back into a blogging schedule again. I've really missed this and talking to all of you.

 This week I received one book from the Harlequin Teen Panel-

This looks interesting and I hope I get to it during Christmas break. I'm not crazy about the color, the girls face is just weird. Sometimes I wonder what the cover artists are thinking.

Have you read the Goddess Test before? Did you like it?

Actually I also have one more question. I haven't been keeping up to date with the blogging community for awhile, I just started to noticed to many moving to word-press. Why is that?

--Danielle

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor
Source: BEA

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

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

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

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

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

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone has been very popular with bloggers this year. I can name a ton of bloggers who said it was their favorite of the year. While I wouldn't go that far, I did enjoy the novel very much. 

Laini Taylor built this world of Brimstone and his shop, while it was complex and descriptive, I still had a hard time following in the beginning. The different names and descriptions sent me for a loop and I couldn't help but feel like I should have been taking notes. That might have been different if I could have read the book in one sitting.  However once I got a feel for the story and remembering each character, the story sucked me in. Karou and Akiva's background stories were surprising and the plot twists shocked me. Laini Taylor made a beautiful world and characters that I can't wait to learn more about. 

Waiting on Wednesday: (Kind-of)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine < Check it out 

(I decided not to talk about a book this week, but a highly anticipated movie) 

Last month I finished The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in my English class and I fell in love. The book was just fantastic and if you haven't read it yet, you should. It really is an amazing classic that everyone should read. It has to be one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. 

Anyway this post isn't about the book, it's about the new movie coming out NEXT Christmas. SO EXCITED. If you haven't heard it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. He's such a perfect choice for the role. I can't wait to see how he portrays Gatsby. He's not the only big star in the movie Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Isla Fisher can also be found in the movie. 

The still to the right is the first one that has been officially released and below is the other. 

Have you read Gatsby? Are you just as excited for the movie? 

--Danielle

Books to Movies: City of Bones

Hello followers who I haven't talk to in awhile. Life has just been crazy from being sick repeatedly to my huge amount of school work, not to mention that I've recently started looking at colleges. However, I've missed blogging and all of you so much. I have not even been on Twitter! Really I'm just going through book blogging community withdrawals. Anyway, when I saw this news (which I saw just a little late haha) I had to blog about it.

For those of you who haven't heard, City of Bones is being made into  movie. The leads have been picked and etc, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about about.

For those of you that know the movie coming out in the near future, I'm sure you noticed the lack of filming going on. I just learned that is because of the script. Or the lack of a good one. The script that they had left out MAGNUS!


That is just not acceptable! At. All. He is my favorite character (or well one of them, who could dislike Jace?) and part of the major plot point. Honestly this just scares me, if they left out Magnus what else could they have possibly done?


The studio realizes now how wrong that was and is working on a new script.  Now there's another this that worries me that I found out in the same article (on pagetopremiere.com). Marlene King is the screen writer for the movie. Most of you know the T.V. show Pretty Little Liars, while that is an amazing T.V. show ad one of my favorite it doesn't follow the books that it is based on. I know that's a bit different with the T.V. show, yet I can't stop but worry about what she'll do with one of my favorite books.


I could probably talk about this movie for hours, I didn't even get started on the actors but this post is already getting to long. Maybe next week....


What do you think about the upcoming City of Bones movie? 

Review: Starcrossed

I'm behind on my reviews and blogging so I thought the next few reviews would be quick and short. Straight to the point reviews. Some of you might prefer this. I've had a few people say my reviews were to long anyway. However once I catch up, I will probably go back to that. I like the long reviews and getting my whole point across. 

Starcrossed 

by Josephine Angelini 

Summary: How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review:The swirling blues and pastel purples on this glossy cover is what made me pick Starcrossed up, and the summary made me buy it. Including the Greek mythology didn't hurt, that is always interesting to read about. Yet Starcrossed sadly did not lived up to my expectations. My first disappointment was the beginning. There was nothing there to grab me. I was forcing myself to tread through the pages. The story was dry and the main character did not help. Helen didn't have any passion to her, no emotion and just no personality. 

Now there was one thing that I did like, the connection between Helen and Lucas. When they were both in the same room together is when I enjoyed the story. Lucas's family was also another part of the book that I enjoyed; they were interesting to read about. Each member of the family had a different personality and actions. Getting to meet them all was the best part of the book, in my opinion. 

Will I be reading the sequel? Maybe, The story did get more exciting and addicting toward the last 50 pages (of 500) and I would like to know what happens with Lucas and Helen next. 


--Danielle


And I guess that wasn't as short as I thought it would be. When I didn't like a part of the book I have to explain why or I feel horrible. But longer is better right?