Musing Mondays (15) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (12)

MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

Are there any “raved reads” –books that everyone seems to be talking about– that you’re hoping to get read this year, yourself? What books are they, and why are you hoping to read them? Is it because you want to say you’ve read it? Or, would you have chosen to read it, even if you’d discovered it yourself, and no one was raving about it?

There are quite a few "raved books" that I'm determined to read this year...

I recently finished The Hunger Games and am eager to read the other two books. This series has been raved about for several years, but what really prompted me to finally start them was the upcoming movie adaptation. I really want to see the movie but when a film is based on a book, I always try to read the book first.

This is another raved about YA title and I'm super excited to finally read it! I just recieved a copy as an R.A.K gift. Honestly, if this book and it's upcoming sequel hadn't of been so positively reviewed and talked about I probably wouldn't have added it to my TBR pile.

This book has also been raved about and people seem to either love it or have not been impressed by it. I think this is one book that I would have eventually found on my own whether or not it had been talked about so much. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Recently Read

Under the Never Sky Veronica Rossi WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers

Fracture Megan Miranda Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine -despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Currently Reading

Notes to Self Avery Sawyer Two climbed up. Two fell down. One woke up. In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.

Reading Next

Slide Jill Hathaway Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Hatter Daniel Coleman There's nothing wrong with a touch of madness. - Cheshire Cat In a kingdom that doesn't need saving, a young man ignorant of social norms is the unlikeliest of heroes. And despite his extreme dislike of confrontation, Hatta knows his destiny is to mend a rift that doesn't exist. On the other end of the spectrum is Chism, a young Elite soldier who thrives on conflict. How will this rash, obsessive soldier aid the child-like Hatta in his journey? Throw in the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts and other familiar characters as they emerge to fill their eminent roles in the tangled ascent into madness of literature's most lovable lunatic.

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK? THIS YEAR? LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS!

Musing Mondays (14) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (11)

MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, what were they? If you didn’t, what books are you most looking forward to reading (and/or buying) in the new year?

I was a very spoiled and lucky girl this Christmas because my parents and brothers got together and bought me a brand new Kindle Fire!!! Yep, I have the best family evah! In celebration of my new "toy" I bought myself a few ebooks that were on sale: Destined, The Poison Diaries, and Exiled. I also took advantage of the new Kindle Lending Library and borrowed The Hunger Games...yes, I am very late to THG party but I'm totally loving it so far. I was also lucky enough to get a brand new paperback copy of THG from my brother and his girlfriend, which is awesome since I don't actually get to keep the Kindle version. My grandma also gave me some book buying money for Christmas so this week I will blissfully be book shopping online! Not exactly sure which books I'll buy, but I think I may get a couple of books I haven't had the chance to read and maybe a few pre-orders...any suggestions?! 
WHAT BOOKS DID YOU GET?!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I Recently Read

Awkward Marni Bates 1/1/12 Mackenzie Wellesley has spent her life avoiding the spotlight. At Smith High, she's the awkward junior people only notice when they need help with homework. Until she sends a burly football player flying with her massive backpack and makes a disastrous - not to mention unwelcome - attempt at CPR. Before the day is out, the whole fiasco explodes on YouTube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, Mackenzie is an Internet sensation, with four million hits and counting. Sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes, she even catches the eye of the most popular guy at school. And that's when life gets really interesting.. Read my 4 Cupcake Review

Tempest (Tempest #1) Julie Cross 1/17/12 The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun. That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities. But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him. Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world. Look for my review on 12/28/11

Currently Reading

The Hunger Games (THG #1) Suzanne Collins In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love

Reading Next

The Way We Fall Megen Crewe 1/24/12 It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead.  When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?

WHAT ARE YOU READING?!

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)

Musing Mondays (13) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (10)

MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

What’s one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
Hmm, good question. I'm not sure if there is one book that I would or do recommend to everyone. I read and review mostly YA and MG books and these are usually the types of books I'm asked to recommend, often by parents. When it comes to MG and Children's books I always recommend the Harry Potter series first and if a child (or even adult) has read these then I recommend the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Heroes of Olympus series, and the Fablehaven series. I also often recommend the Children's and MG books that I grew up loving, such as Anne of Green Gables, Pippi Longstocking, The Chronicles of Narnia.As for YA recommendations, I recommend Lauren Myracle books to a lot of teenage girls and older female readers. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is one that I cannot recommend enough to those who have not read it and I do find myself recommending this series to just about everyone, even younger readers. Other books I recommend to younger and older readers alike are The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, The Graveyard Book, The Book Thief, and I Am The Messenger.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

What I've Recently Read

Indulge (Warm Delicacy #2) Megan Duncan Claire's heart is torn between her first vampire love, Dmitry, and the Blood Mate, Arrick, that she is eternally bonded to with a powerfully deep and emotional connection. A vengeful vampire is haunting her steps, after Claire killed their mate. An ancient evil threatens to rip her world apart. With the danger of war looming on the darkening horizon, will Claire find the strength to fight back and protect those she loves? Even if it means embracing the darkness inside her? Is it worth it to become the evil she fears, in order to destroy it? Such a great second installment! Read my 5 Cupcake review HERE

Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) Rick Riordan Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth. Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams. Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart. Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven. Ok, technically I'm still reading this but I'm thisclose to being done and I'm LOVING it!

What I'm Hoping To Read This Week

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) Marissa Meyer Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Tempest Julie Cross The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun. That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities. But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him. Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK? WHAT BOOKS DO YOU ALWAYS RECOMMEND?! LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS :)

Musing Mondays (12) and It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (9)

MUSING MONDAYS…is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

What kind of books do you like to read? 
Why? Provide specific examples.

Well, since this is a YA and MG book blog, I mostly read those kinds of books. But I do read a variety of genres within YA and MG. When it comes to MG and even Children's Lit. I read mostly Fantasy and Paranormal, such as:

When it comes to YA, I read a lot of Fantasy, Paranormal/Sci-fi, and Contemporary (usually with a splash of humor). Such as:

But I also read a lot of YA "issue" books (books that focus on a specific issue), such as:

Why do I favor these kinds of books? I have no idea! I guess the fantasy and paranormal books offer an escape from reality, while the contemporary and issue books allow me to view the world through many perspectives.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Last week I read...

Titan Magic Jodie Lamm Mute, heartless, and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world. But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it. Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters, and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return. READ MY 4 CUPCAKE REVIEW HERE

Reveal Brina Courtney Shay Tafford is not normal. Being a cryptid is not normal. Seeing ghosts is not normal. Her father’s disappearance is not normal. Lucky for Shay, Hugh isn't normal either. So when he enters her life through her dead best friend Shay knows he may be her only chance at a normal life. A life she is desperately searching for. READ MY 3 CUPCAKE REVIEW HERE

This week I'll be reading...

Indulge Megan Duncan Claire's heart is torn between her first vampire love, Dmitry, and the Blood Mate, Arrick, that she is eternally bonded to with a powerfully deep and emotional connection. A vengeful vampire is haunting her steps, after Claire killed their mate. An ancient evil threatens to rip her world apart. With the danger of war looming on the darkening horizon, will Claire find the strength to fight back and protect those she loves? Even if it means embracing the darkness inside her? Is it worth it to become the evil she fears, in order to destroy it?

Awkward Marnie Bates Mackenzie Wellesley has spent her life avoiding the spotlight. At Smith High, she's the awkward junior people only notice when they need help with homework. Until she sends a burly football player flying with her massive backpack and makes a disastrous - not to mention unwelcome - attempt at CPR. Before the day is out, the whole fiasco explodes on YouTube. And then the strangest thing happens. Suddenly, Mackenzie is an Internet sensation, with four million hits and counting. Sucked into a whirlwind of rock stars, paparazzi, and free designer clothes, she even catches the eye of the most popular guy at school. And that's when life gets really interesting...

LEAVE LINKS TO YOUR MONDAY MEMES IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK :)

Musing Mondays (11) and It's Moday, What Are You Reading? (8)

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic

Q. Will you be buying books for the holidays, this year? If so, for whom, and why?

Yes! Most definitely! Books are my favorite gifts to give and get! I just love sharing the book love! I've actually been compiling a list of all the booky people in my life and the books I think they'll like. I try to give books that I've actually read and liked, but I also like finding unique, quirky books for the unique, quirky people in my life ;)

I'm actually lucky that I have several people in my life who tend to read the kinds of books I read, mostly YA, so that makes it easier when deciding what to buy. And of course, for those people whose book taste I can't figure out, GC's make excellent pressies, no?! Plus, I've found that a really cool coffee  table book, like an art book or photography book or something funny, makes great gifts for those unexpected people in your life. You know the people that show up out of nowhere during the holidays bearing gifts?! So I try to pick those kinds of books up all throughout the year while they're on sale.

So for the YA bookish people I need to shop for (my lil sis, my female cousins, maybe even my mom) I've narrowed down some choices:

• DAUGHTER OF SMOKE and BONE by Laini Taylor
• ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake
• WHIRL by Emma Raveling
• THE WAKING GROVE by E.S. Larke
• LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

If I could afford it, I'd love to get every YA and MG book lover I know a full set of Harry Potter books, a set of the Percy Jackson books, and a collection of Lauren Myracle books. I know I'd just LOVE to get a full set of hardcover Harry Potter books!

WILL YOU BE BUYING BOOKS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? IF SO, WHICH ONES? LEAVE LINKS IN THE COMMENTS

It's Monday! What Are You Reading... hosted by Book Journey, is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

 I Recently Read...

Hunted Cheryl Rainfield Caitlyn, a telepath, lives in a world where all paranormal talents are illegal. She is on the run from government ParaTroopers. When Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, she must choose between staying in hiding to protect herself or taking a stand to save the world. Read my 5 Cupcake review HERE

The Crystal Bridge Charles M. Pulsipher Kaden is a typical teenage boy, except he can open wormholes to far away worlds. His first trip almost killed him. He’s been afraid to try another. Aren is far from a typical teenage girl. She has the ultimate gift of empathy, seeing into the memories and souls of others. Her gift makes her different and lonely despite how close it brings her to those she knows. When these two meet, the existence of two worlds will be endangered as their abilities plunge them into a planet at war. Their adventure may tear apart multiple universes…or they may just save us all.

This week I hope to read...

Scary School #1 Derek the Ghost You think your school's scary? Get a load of these teachers: Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungryTyrannosaurus rex! Plus Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch And The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost! Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends—including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf—and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky!

Obsidian Jennifer L. Armentrout Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is

HUSHED Kelley York He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her. Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed. Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is. But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK?! LEAVE LINKS IN THE COMMENTS! IF YOU'RE A NEW FOLLOWER LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK!