Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

A page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, Nevermore is the story of Varen—a Poe fan and Goth—and Isobel—a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When an English Lit. project pairs the two, Isobel finds herself swept into Varen’s world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams and words can be much more powerful than she’d ever imagined. As labels of “Goth” and “cheerleader” fade away, Isobel and Varen slip into a consuming romance, braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most chilling realities are those within our own minds. When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his nightmares, will she be able to save him—and herself?

OK, so this book was a little hard to get into, but I pressed through & found that it was well worth the few opening pages that I thought were going to kill me! The dynamics of the characters & the social scene of high school were dead on from what I remember! Poe has never been someone that I could get into reading, but through this book I found myself intrigued & curious about some of his works. My only issue with the book is that it's book 1 of a series!!!! UGH! The way it ended.....grrrr. BUT I will be watching for the next one!

The Carrier Of The Mark by Leigh Fallon

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís. But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Honestly, I grabbed this book b/c I thought it was going to be a stand alone book & I have read so many trilogies that are as of yet not complete & it's making me crazy! Well, I was about 50 pages to the end when I realized that there is no waaaay that the book could wrap up in those 50 pages....I was right....ANOTHER amazing trilogy! I love the story. I love the writing! I think all of us at one time or another have searched for a place to belong & when Meg finds it, well it's amazing. Challenges pop up & secrets must be kept & in the end hopefully all will turn out as it should. Prepare yourself for twists around every corner!

The Girl In the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Finley Jayne thought she was the only freak in the world – until Griffin King opened her eyes. But now she also knows that of all the monsters out there, she’s one of the scariest.

So this was my first Steampunk novel. I loved the time, the year is 1897. I loved the setting, London. I loved all the characters. Finley is so interesting & you tend to feel her pain as she struggles to learn what is going on with herself. Each character has their own unique personality & abilities that keep the story moving along at a great pace. I found the modern Machines, Automatons & other gadgets very unique & it didn't "weird out" the whole story! I really enjoyed the book & would recommend it if you are looking for a mysterious adventure!

Interesting Genres I'm Happy I Found

Dystopian - a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

Steampunk - a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world.

Paranormal - of or pertaining to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation, as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernatural phenomena.

Crave by Melissa Darnell

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail. For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

  

This book was an amazing treat. Yes it's a YA Paranormal. The thing that really impressed me was that it wasn't Twilighty (seems a ton of authors are kinda using Twilight for a standard.) This story was different and still super awesome! By the end there was a resolution however you are left with a huge problem and primed for the next installment.....

Fairytale & Forever Enchanted by Maggie Shayne

A chance to believe... As a boy , Adam Reid stumbled into an enchanted forest - and met a magical lady who showed him his destiny. Now he is a sober and serious adult. And memories have faded of a childhood event that could not possibly have occurred...could it? Brigit Malone is on a mission - a dangerous, larcenous quest that leads the mysterious lovely into Adam Reid's home...and heart. For sparks fly when her warm ebony gaze meets his sapphire stare - and a passionate enchantment binds them with invisible chains. But it would be insane for Adam to believe Brigit's arrival had been foretold - or that the sensuous minx is truly half-fairy - even as they travel together down an impossible path toward a dire peril only the magic of love can overcome..  
I thought this was a very fun book! I always was a sucker for a good Fairytale so when I saw a book by the title I grabbed it. It was well written, had a fabulous storyline & great cast of characters. This will be on my list of books to re-read just because it was a great book. 

Bridin’s destiny is to rule a faraway fairy kingdom, but another sits on her rightful throne, so the enchanting lady is forced to flee into the mortal realm. Bridin awaits for the man who can help her return home, but the stranger who shows up is none other than the usurper who stole her kingdom and who now has been deposed by his evil brother. Tristan has to find a way to win Bridin’s trust because only together can they free their enslaved land with the passionate magic of their eternal love…  


Ahhh the 2nd book & the story of the "other" twin! Same great writing. This storyline REALLY kept me guessing. I just find Bridin's commitment to her land & people absolutely beautiful. The strange twists & turns keep you on your "reading toes" and I loved it!  

The Girl of Fire & Thorns by Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do.

So, this story is absolutely magical. I think the biggest selling point for me was that Elisa is not the perfect size 0 proper Princess, but God still manages to use her. (Despite the way she thinks & feels about herself.) She has to discover what it is in her & how to use it. Lots of adventure, mystery and of course, love & heartbreak. The setting for the story is amazing as well. We travel from lush jungle to the hot dry desert. Keep an eye on the countdown....book 2 will be here soon!

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place. 

 

I was skeptical, for real. Someone told me to read this series b/c if I liked Twilight I'd like these books....ummm....I saw NOTHING similar in the two series but once I cracked this first book open I couldn't stop! The drama, intrigue, romance keeps you glued to these pages.

 

I hate when I haven't read a first book & I accidentally read the synopsis of the next book & it tells me what happened in the first book!!! So, I will just say, YES! Each book gets better & better! This book has a whole different kind of drama & intrigue but it's still just as exciting!

The last book to me was still amazing, however it was the hardest to read for several reasons. First of all, I honestly hated that the series would be over once I finished this one. Second, this book made me angry for most of it, so therefore it was hard to get through just b/c I wanted to throw it across the room. I was angry on several different levels for several different reasons. I won't go into detail though so I don't give anything away!

DEFINITE MUST READ.......

1st Movie due out March 23, 2012 

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

I was just totally enraptured by the whole storyline of this book. I couldn't wait to dig in and discover what was buried in these pages! I was not disappointed! The writing still had a different quality to it...I still cant quite put my finger on what it was, but it wasn't anything bad, just the opposite. You do go back & forth from the present to the past but the way its written is very clear & concise. And yes, another trilogy in the making! Sad news, Brodi says it probably won't be out until January 2013!!!!!! 

Eve by Anna Carey

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

After a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth's population, the world is a terrifying place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a bright future in The New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school's real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her. Fleeing the only home she's ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. But when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

This is ANOTHER new author & actually was my first dive into the Dystopian genre. (After the Hunger Games). This book was extremely well written. I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. I LOVE this book! I couldn't put it down! I laughed at some points & cried at some points. I also felt my heart filled with love & then break into a million pieces. This is yet another Trilogy in the making! Next book ....Once coming soon (watch the countdown right here on my blog).

Camille Series by Tess Oliver

 

Wow! I had never really considered werewolves....the how & why of them & I thought for sure it would borenme to sleep! How about I couldnt put it down! Tragic love stories get to me & as I drank this book like a dehydrated person crawling from a desert you knew there was no hope yet, I kept reading! Tess Oliver is a superb weaver of intrigue & adventure! A definite read for anyone who loves paranormal stories!

 

Book # 2 in the Camille Series....Tess is a magic weaver of stories. A lot of the paranormal books have become very predictable. Not her books! I couldn't stop reading but I was also so nervous I desperately wanted to put the book down! You get to travel to Transylvania w/ Dr. B & the twins & tradgedy & drama start following them before they even set sail.....noone could have predicted how the journey would end....

My Blood Approves Series by Amanda Hocking

Ahhhh, In true Twilighty fashion it's another Vampire story & yes, I'm a sucker & fell absolutely IN LOVE with it! Alice "accidently" meets Jack & changes her life as well as the life of her brother & Jacks entire family. Action, drama & a deep fated love all entwine these characters & keep you spellbound from the first book to the last.

Each book just gets better & better. Despite the many grammatical errors & just plain old typos I ABSOLUTELY HAD to keep reading! Many other reviews have knocked the series as a "Twilight" wannabe however the storyline & the drama are much different yes, Vampires are involved & a love story but that's the end of the differences. This book brings you to a very dramatic choice that Alice has to make that alters everyone's existence in a very unexpected way.

  And with each book you think that FINALLY things will calm down! Um, NOT! This book takes us on the emotional roller coaster of Alice's love life as tough decisions need to be made which may hurt someone's feelings as well as may get her seriously hurt. The friend/mother that they've all come to depend on starts a serious downward spiral & we get to travel overseas to save someone that doesn't necessarily want to be saved.....and at what cost?

Travel to the Outback, again possibly hurting someones feelings. Murder & vigilante vampires?!!? I couldn't believe that this book was EVEN more exciting than the first three. I held my breathe through most of the book & sadly couldn't put it down! Work really got in the way of my reading time with this one. You'll see the amazing love & what it can really do in the heat of the moment.....it shocked me, because I never saw it coming. I cried. It was amazing!

A fifth book was forthcoming but according to Amanda's blog "I do not know when Swear, the final book in the My Blood Approves series is coming out. But it won't be anytime soon." So VERY sad I know but in the meanwhile, you can check out....Letters to Elise. Amazing & a MUST read for any My Blood Approves fan.




Alice was NOT Peter's first love, here is the story of Peter & Elise and it explains a lot!

Fracture by Megan Miranda

I have no idea how I even heard about this book, but I waited with total excitement for the release date then when I went into B&N to download it I saw that Megan was going to be in store the next day for a book reading, signing and Q&A. I was very excited! Megan is amazing!!! It was so neat seeing someone who's dream had just come true! The book, was great! I couldn't put it down!! I finished it in just one day. Again a YA book and not my "typical" genre. Paranormal, but a little Sci-Fi/Medical thriller! I was blown away with the fast pace, the bit of mystery and of course the romance. You definitely wanna check this one out!

A Faerie Fated Forever by Mary Anne Graham

This was a fun read! I loved everything about it except for how the author would stay true to Scottish language of the day but then switch to modern day words of endearment. Otherwise very exciting action & romance filled book. I loved the Fey part too because everything wasn't all mystical but then there is that added dimension & I love a little Faerie Tale!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

So my latest vocabulary word is "dystopian." For those of you that have no clue (like I didnt 2 months ago) Dystopian is a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease & overcrowding. This is again another new author & AGAIN I was not disappointed! You will wonder about Juliette, she's such a mystery even to the reader for quite some time. Then you will begin to love this sweet sweet spirit. You'll easily hate her family, her captors even those you can't see. Mystery, adventure, action! P.S. it's a trilogy.....next one out sometime in fall.....I've never wanted fall so bad!

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

In true Kresley Cole fashion this book was A MAZ ING! Lothaire is such an evil & conniving Horde Vampire! He's never been one of my favorite characters and I actually fell in love w/ him! Spellbound is only one way to describe the book, once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down. If you've read the other Immortals After Dark books, you come to actually loathe Lothaire & wonder what his damage is....well, if you read this, you will definitely find out & learn to empathize w/ him. Never disappointed with a K.C. book!

These Highland Hills Series by Kathleen Morgan

 

I love a good romance! I also love a good HISTORICAL romance. I was pleasantly surprised because unknown to me, this was a christian romance!!!!! It didn't need any "smutty"or super graphic love scenes & was STILL a very intense love story! Plenty of adventure, twists, turns & even mystery that has you second guessing yourself to the very end! 

 

 

What a great second book in this series. I was very excited to read Ians story! Not quite as much adventure as the 1st book, but still very fast paced and a fabulous read! He is an amazing man of God & just seeing his quiet assurance in God & what God (or who) God has for him was my favorite aspect. I don't want to give away any of the story so I wont say more.

 

 

This is by far my favorite of the 3 books! I just feel maybe that I identified most with Caitlin. Trying to find God in her life & discovering how He wants to use her was just amazing! Also seeing Dar's struggle with his lot in life and learning to trust in a God he thought basically abandoned him was sweet. Kathleen's male characters are so strong yet they have such soft hearts. Great series overall!

 

Unearthly Series by Cynthia Hand

What if you found out that you were part Angel & you were put on this earth for one specific purpose?! Oh yeah, and you find this out when you are only teenager!!!!!! Well, that's what happens to Clara. So much for dealing with the regular drama of just being a teenage girl, her purpose takes her family to a whole new city & state just so she can fulfill her purpose. I absolutely loved this book & easily identified with her struggles as a teen girl & as someone trying to figure out her purpose! You'll fall in love w/ each of the characters in this book for their own reasons.

The second book in the series is just as good as the first. I caught myself holding my breathe several times. I laughed but then just a few pages later I also cried. You think that Clara has gone through so much in the first book & it breaks your heart what else she will have to endure. The worst part of this book is waiting for Cynthia to write another....it is definitely open ended for that & I will be crossing fingers, toes & eyes waiting....

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

 

 

I have recently started delving into different genres that I never even would have considered looking at & Under the Never Sky turned out to be an absolute gem! The further in I dug the more I saw it shine. Took me a couple pages to get sucked in, but then I couldn't put it down. The characters are personable & although our worlds are very different, they are quite relate able. I really felt the wonder & fear that Aria faced in this, new to her world. I cant WAIT for the next 2

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

 

 

What a fabulous new & intriguing world that Jodi has created. As I continue my explorations into new authors & genres, I can honestly say I was NOT disappointed with this book. Ana is an amazing character that was dealt a crappy hand by being born into a "new" life that she had no control over. You'll learn to love her & the friends she makes on her journey while you come to hate her mother with a passion. You'll find you come to trust some & wonder about others.....definitely worth reading.