The Beehive Book News #31: The Christmas, Book Haul and Wrap-Up Edition

Hi there! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and week full of books :) 

I am overflowing with wonderful reads right now and couldn't be happier! 

So sorry about this vlog, 

it was recorded past midnight and I had to be quiet so I wouldn't wake anyone up, lol!

What I received for review...
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver (YA)
- Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver (YA)
- The Fellowship For Alien Detection (ARC) by Kevin Emerson (MG)
- The Trouble With Flirting (ARC) by Claire LaZebnik (YA)
- Nobody (ARC) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA)


What I purchased, traded, won...
- The Road to Jericho by Steven J. Carroll (MG)
- Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick (YA)
- Close to Famous by Joan Bauer (YA)
- Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks #2) (ARC) by Miranda Kenneally (YA)
- Fang Girl by Helen Keeble (YA)
- Annabel (Delirium #0.5) by Lauren Oliver (YA)
- Hana (Delirium #1.5) by Lauren Oliver (YA)

My Secret Santa and other Christmas gifts :) 
- The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors (YA) from Geraldine of Starian72 :)
- Goodie bag from Spence Hill Press :)




Mentions and THANK YOU's...
- Harper Teen/Epic Reads ---> See more about the "End is Here" right here! More info to come soon!
- Walden Pond Press, Bloomsbury and Egmont
- Lindsay of TheBookVlogger :)
- Melissa of Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf :)
- Montana of The Book Belles via ARCyling
- Danny of Bewitched Bookworms :)
- Mandy of YABC :)
- Bunny Cates of I'm Reading It :)


RAKs I sent out for December via Booksoulmates...
- To Loretta of Between the Pages, Entice (ARC) by Jessica Shirvington
- To Becky of Becky's Barmy Book Blog, The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted (Paperbacks) by Aimee Carter

RAKs received :)
- From Ashley of Dr. Pepper Diva, Cinder (eBook) by Marissa Meyer (YA)
- From Cassie of Vamps, Weres and Cassay Oh My!, Cinder by Marissa Meyer (YA)
- From Julia of Juliababyjen's Reading Room, Echo (The Soul Seekers #2) by Alyson Noel (YA)

Thank you SO very much Julia, Cassie and Ashley :) 

December Wrap-Up...
- Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole (YA) 
- Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole (YA)
- ReAwakened by Ada Adams (YA)
- Home Front Girl by Joan Wehlan Morrison (YA)
- The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab (YA)
- Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes (YA) 
- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (YA)
- Death of a Kleptomaniac by Kristen Tracy (YA)
- The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (Adult re-read)
- Hollyweird by Terri Clark (YA)
- Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (YA)

And that is everything for December!!! 

Please be sure to leave a comment, and your link(s), 

so I can visit you too!!!

Hope you all have a safe and wonderful New Year's Eve :) 

See you next year!!! xoxo 

I'm linking up to: The Sunday Post, Showcase Sunday 

and Stacking the Shelves.

The Beehive Book News #12: The Much Too Much Edition

Hello everyone! 

Here is my update for this week :)

I was trying to keep the video short, lol, sorry!
And why does YouTube always pick the most unattractive stills to portray??? Ugh!!!
I hope everyone had a good week!!! 

I'm participating in Tynga's "Stacking the Shelves" too!!!

Last week on the blog...

- Grown-up Sunday #2: Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos 
- My "Once Upon a Time Read--a-thon" updates and results. 
- Empty Net (Assassin's #3) by Toni Aleo Cover Reveal! 
- My review of Fated by Alyson Noel
- I'm waiting on... Echo (The Soul Seekers #2) by Alyson Noel
- My review of The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
*Christmas in July Giveaway (still going on!)
* My Follower Appreciation Giveaway is still going on too!!!

What I received for review...
- Send by Patty Blount (YA) 
- The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley (Adult)
- A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry (Adult)
- Spellbinding (eBook ARC) by Maya Gold (YA) 
- The Encyclopedia of Me (eBook ARC) by Karen Rivers (YA) 
- Blind Spot (eBook ARC) by Laura Ellen (YA) 
- The Burning (eBook) by Jessie Lane and Crystal Leo (YA)

What we got this week...
- Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (YA)
- The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (YA)
- Clarity by Kim Harrington (YA)
- Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (YA)
- Hourglass by Myra McEntire (YA)
- The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black (MG)
- Whisper of Souls (eBook Novella) by Michelle Zink
- Unenchanted (eBook) by Chanda Hahn (YA) 
- Double Dare (eBook) by Rhonda Nelson (Adult)

Thank you to...
- Sourcebooks, Scholastic and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Erica of The Book Cellar
- Ashley of Ashley Suzanne
- Cierra of The Book Lover's Report for nominating the "Versatile Blog" Award to me :)

Next week on the blog...
- My reviews of Goosebumps: Wanted, Everneath, Ghost Buddy #1 & #2 and
Cold Fury.
- My Grown Up Sunday Post and my Waiting On Wednesday Post :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am really looking forward to seeing how everyone's week was :)

Happy reading!!!

Waiting On Wednesday #18: Echo by Alyson Noel

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine. 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and make our shelves look all pretty :)

Echo

The Soul Seekers Series #2

by Alyson Noel

Release date: November 13th, 2012 

SUMMARY

(from Goodreads) 

The second book in the Soul Seekers series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Timesbestselling author Alyson Noël!

Daire Santos just saved her grandmother's life—and her soul. But at a cost. The Richters, a dark family of sorcerers, have been let loose in the Lowerworld, and Daire and her boyfriend, Dace, must once again work together to find them before they upset the balance between good and evil, and destroy not only their small town in New Mexico, but the entire world.

As Daire and Dace's relationship deepens, Dace’s evil brother Cade grows stronger than ever, building his power and forcing Daire to confront the horrifying prophecy that has brought them all together. One that will leave Daire no choice but to claim her true destiny as Seeker, but only by making an unthinkable sacrifice for the greater good of all.

The Soul Seekers Trailer

Why I'm waiting on Echo...?

I just finished reading Fated a few weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about it. 

It's similar to The Immortals series as far as world-building goes, but, the writing, imagery and characters are even better - it all kind of stays with you. 

I don't want to spoil anything, so very vaguely I am going to say that I am really looking forward to finding out why and who is 'fated' and why so-called person is being referred to as the 'echo'.

You can see my review of Fated right here :)

PLUS!!!
ALL four books in The Soul Seekers series have been optioned for film by Cheyenne Enterprises!!!  

I am crossing my fingers!!!
As I was reading Fated, I kept thinking, "Wow, I wonder how they would portray this in a movie?" or
"How cool would this be in a movie!!!" and so on, lol!

Yes, I'm a fan of Alyson Noel! She is definitely one of the few authors that I will pick up her book without even knowing what its about ;)

You can learn more about The Soul Seekers on it's own website found here!!!

SO, what are you 'waiting on' this week??? 

A "Nobel Beehive Award" Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Fated

The Soul Seekers Series #1

by Alyson Noel

Release date: May 22nd, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Genre: Young Adult

Format read: Hardcopy

SUMMARY

(from Goodreads) 

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

Fated Book Trailer



MY REVIEW

I had been anxiously waiting on the release for Fated after having read The Immortal Series and the Riley Bloom Series. I was also trying to keep my expectations on an average level since The Immortal Series was a bit up and down for me (I have issues with book 3, lol) but really enjoy reading about Riley Bloom. Alyson Noel's writing and world-building is astounding! The story-line is somewhat similar to The Immortal Series in that both main characters learn that there is much more than just the world that we live in. But the similarities end there. The Mexican and American Indian influence and folklore to it was so interesting to follow which gives the book such a distinct supernatural feel. I cannot even imagine the amount of research that was done to create such a story. 


The main character, Daire, travels the world with her mother, Jennika, who is a celebrity make-up artist. While traveling, Daire starts to have visions that would cause any person to never want to leave their house again. As time goes by, while in Morocco, the vision gets worse, more graphic and scary to which she finally has a break down. Trying to keep Daire safe and out of the hospital, Jennika agrees to let Daire stay with her grandmother who live in Enchanted, New Mexico. While there, Daire learns about her dead father's family, why Daire has these visions and who she really is.
It is fascinating to learn everything alongside with this main character.

And yes, there is a love interest. It is a combination of it being insta-love and not. It is hard to explain and one to definitely read and follow along. I don't want to give any spoilers, just know, I really loved how they came together.

I am really looking forward to learning more about who and why a certain someone or someones is 'fated' and why a particular someone is referred to as the 'echo'.

Go here to see my thoughts on book 2, Echo, and the rest of the series here! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Alyson Noel

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she's lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California where she's working on her next book.

Official Website, Soul Seekers Website, Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter 

The Beehive Book News #5: The one with a few adult books, eek!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all of our local U.S. friends :) 

We're having a wonderful time relaxing and hanging out with our family! 

Managed to squeeze in a quick vlog today with my boys, we hope you enjoy it! 

Here's a quick summary... 

On the blog last week:

- Giveaway of Wander Dust by Michelle Warren, enter here!
- Waiting On Wednesday: Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Tales
- My review of Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
- My review of Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

Books We got! 
- The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova (YA)
- Fated by Alyson Noel (YA)
- Whisper by Alyson Noel (YA)
- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (YA)
- Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (YA)
- Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (YA)
- Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch by Lara Parker (Adult)
- The Taker by Alma Katsu (Adult)
- Big Nate: On a Roll by Lincoln Peirce (MG)
- Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka (Children)

Thank you to....
- Amanda of Book Love 101 for the Goddess Interrupted Giveaway :)

Mentions:
- Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program (for grades 1-6)

What to look forward to on the blog next week:
- Possible reviews: Obsidian, Can I Get An Amen?, What a Boy Wants... and maybe The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen (I'm still reading it, hee hee!)
- Waiting On Wenesday :)
- The Secret Garden Read-a-long with Book Journey... and more bumble-y stuffs!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by! 

Happy reading :) 

Waiting On Wednesday #9: Fated (The Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  

Breaking the Spine. 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and make our shelves look all pretty :) 

Fated by Alyson Noel

The Soul Seekers #1 

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012 

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

"Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy."

I'm a big Alyson Noel fan! 

The Immortals was a fabulous story to follow, yes, it did lull a bit in the middle (3rd book), but I like Ever and Damen's story... I still have to catch up on the Riley Bloom series, which I am enjoying even more.
What I really like about Noel's books is how she is able to overlap them and gives the characters to these three series 'guest appearances' here and there! Making them and their stories unforgettable!

I am truly looking forward to starting a new Alyson Noel series this year!!!

How about you?
What are you waiting on this week??? 

My Saturday In My Mailbox #15: The New Bookshelf Edition

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme created by 

The Story Siren 

The idea is to post whatever 'books' you may have received from the week (before), whether you purchased them, gifted to you, borrowed, traded, etc.

First, I must show off the new bookcase that my sweet hubs got for me this week! Isn't it pretty :)

Here's what I treated myself to this week... 

I couldn't take my eyes off of Entwined by Heather Dixon - gorgeous cover for a beautiful story, can't wait to read it!  

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare - Yay! I now have book 1 to read before reading book 2, lol!

Fire (The Seven Kingdoms #2) by Kristin Cashore - I really needed to get a finished copy of this before Bitterblue is released!

Dreamland (A Riley Bloom Book #3) by Alyson Noel - I have turned into a huge Alyson Noel fan! I've been trying to catch up on both the Immortals and Riley series before the new series, The Soul Seekers, is released!

And lastly, Portrait of a Starter: An Unhidden Story by Lissa Price - I just finished reading Starters, this was an awesome prequel to it, best $1.99 I've ever spent :)

For review: 

A finished/signed copy of The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols!

Frost (eBook) by Kate Avery Ellison 

I won some books recently :)
From Magan of Rather Be Reading...
The Storyteller (arc) by Antonia Michaelis

Thank you so much, Magan :)

And I also won, That Boy (eBook) by Jillian Dodd via Twitter :)

Thank you, Jillian!!!

What my 8yo received this week: 

Weird School Daze #9: Mrs. Lizzy Is Dizzy! by Dan Gutman,
Stink #1: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald  and
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

What my 5yo received this week:
Splat the Cat and the Duck with No Quack and
Splat the Cat Takes the Cake by Rob Scotton

A BIG thank you to my sister, Sarabeth of Chronicles of Sarita,
for getting them books for Easter :)


Lots of good books stacking up around here :)
Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

What did you get this week???

In My Mailbox #10

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme created by 

The Story Siren 

The idea is to post whatever 'books' you may have received from the week (before), whether you purchased them, gifted to you, borrowed, traded, etc.

I wasn't planning on buying any books this week, none at all, lol! 

but I saw this one on sale at our local discount book store and have seen good reviews for it! So of course I just had to get it! 

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale 

My kiddo's school had another book fair this week - 

at the bottom of this post you can see their haul from the book fair (they've been upset with me for not sharing their awesome finds too, lol!) and from the discount book store too... anyways, I treated myself to these 2 books from their school book fair! Gotta support, right :) 

Radiance and Shimmer from the Riley Bloom Series 

by Alyson Noel 

And, Ivy from Ivy reads shared these ARCs with me,
thank you so very much, Ivy :)

Partials by Dan Wells (I. Cannot. Wait. To. Read. This!)
Amplified by Tara Kelly
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Another must read now!!!)
and
Pink Smog: Becoming Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block


Quick Question!!!
Has anyone read the Weetzie Bat series???
Do you suggest that I read the first book or two of the series before I read this???
 There are such mix reviews about it, I have never heard about the series until now and it sounds like a good one, but I want to do it right - where should I start, please ;)


Thank you SO very much for stopping by and checking out my haul this week!

Please leave your links with your comments too!
I looove seeing what everyone new reads are :)

PS, don't forget - you can enter my giveaway HERE for your chance to win a hardback copy of Bewitching by Alex Flinn from The Book Depository!
and, you can scroll down to the next post and see how "The Bumble Girl" got her name :)

PSS, here's what my boys got this week!
I'm really excited to start the Stink Series by Megan McDonald, more known for her Judy Moody books;  and all of these Weird School Daze books (by Dan Gutman) with my 8yo!
My little guy is 5, he loooves dogs! and I was really really really surprise when he picked up a Splat the Cat book, lol!

Lots of fun here :)