Book Haul - September 2011

My birthday was two weeks ago and these are the books that I got:

• Swoon (Swoon #1) by Nina Malkin,
• Mistwood (Mistwood #1) by Leah Cypess,
• Inside Out (Inside #1) by Maria V. Snyder,
• Outside In (Inside #2) by Maria V. Snyder,
• Darkness becomes Her (Gods and Monsters #) by Kelly Keaton,
• Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey,
• My Love lies Bleeding  (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey,
• Liar by Justine Larbalestier
• Rogue (Shifters #2) by Rachel Vincent,
• If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman,
• The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross,
• All these things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin,
• Darkness on the Edge of Town by Brian Keene, 
• Troubletwisters: The Beginning (Troubletwisters #1) by Garth Nix and Sean Williams,
• Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires #3) by Rachel Caine,
• Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires #5) by Rachel Caine,
• Heat Stroke (Weather Warden #2) by Rachel Caine,
• 30 Days of Night by Tim Lebbon, Steve Niles and Stuart Beattie.
  
  
  

Book Review #67 - The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test #1) By Aimee Carter

Become Immortal - or die trying or....

It's always been just Kate and her mum - but now her mother is dying. And when her dying wish is to move back to her childhood home, Kate agrees. So she starts at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live much longer. 

Then she meets Henry. Dark, tortured and mesmerising. He claims to be Hades, the God of the Underworld. If Kate accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while she attempts to pass his tests. 

Kate is certain Henry is crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride - and a goddess. 

But if she doesn't.......

My Rating: 4/5

The premise of this book was original and it was getting amazing reviews so I had high expectations for this book. I wouldn't say that the book exceeded my expectations but it definitely met them. 

I liked the aspect about Greek Mythology, there was enough of it to create the aspect, but not too much where it would have felt like a non-fiction text. 

I liked Kate at the start, but she became annoying towards the end. Altogether though I thought that she was a fantastic protagonist. 


I didn't like Henry at all. I found him weird and creepy, and I definitely prefer James to him. 


I will be looking forward to the next book in the series as it will probably be about Kate and James.

Book Review #66 - Jekel loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents' rules - especially the one about never opening the mysterious old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered and her college savings disappear, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship. 

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. As things heat up in the lab, though, Jill's accidental taste of formula unleashes her darkest nature and will compel her to risk everything - even Tristen's love - just for the thrill of being........bad. 

My Rating: 3/5

Nowhere near as good as it could have been. The writing was good, but the storyline just fell away as the story progressed. 

The characters were well written, and well developed but they just seemed distanced from the reader. 

Based on the writing alone, I will definitely read the author's other books. 

Book Review #65 - The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is the Replacement. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. 

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass guitar or spend time with an oddly intriguing girl called Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs. 

My Rating: 3.5/5

I was surprised that this is the authors first book, as the writing is very mature and descriptive. 

The book is very, very slow paced, which makes it harder to get into the story. Luckily, the storyline is strong enough to keep you reading. 

It wasn't as good as I thought it could have been, but it was still a very enjoyable read.

Book Review #64 - Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) By Richelle Mead

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line. 

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. 

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning. 

My Rating: 4/5

I was both excited and hesitant  to read this book. I was excited because it is a spinoff from Vampire Academy which is one of my favourite series, and hesitant because I knew my expectations were going to be high. 




The book was slowly paced at the start, and the characters although some were familiar from Vampire Academy take time to warm up to. 




Altogether the book was enjoyable, although at this stage nowhere near as good as Vampire Academy. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

50 Books You Can't Put Down 2011

The 50 Books you can't put down 2011 list is out now.

You can read the ebook version of the list here

Book Haul - August 2011

Books I got last month are: 

• Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) By Richelle Mead;
• Delirium (Delirium #1) By Lauren Oliver;
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff 
• The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) By Aimee Carter;
• Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) By Maggie Stiefvater