"To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said,

'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader."


- SNOW & ROSE by Emily Winfield Martin


Showing posts with label Lauren Kate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lauren Kate. Show all posts

Sunday, April 29, 2012

A "Fallen" Book Discussion with The Bucket List!

I'm so happy and honored to be a guest at The Bucket List today for their Fallen Discussion event this month! A huge thank you to Gina for inviting me! I am a huge fan and follower of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate and head over heels in love with all of the characters... especially Daniel! 

http://thebucketlist-gn.blogspot.com/
Please stop by The Bucket List today to see my review! 
and do go HERE to see what else is going on and the giveaways that they are offering - signed book and other 'Fallen' related items, woo hoo!!!

Thanks!!! 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Welcome to my first Beehive News Vlog!

Hello bookie friends!!!
It's been a while now that I have been wanting to create my own vlog, and here it is!
It's kind of long, SO sorry!!! I forgot to keep an eye on the time! and the funny part is - I forgot to mention a few things too, lol! I think things would have moved along a lot faster if a) I could read my notes, lol! b) could remember what I want to say without my notes! ha!
I was really nervous while doing it, you can actually see me trying to contain myself from giggling and making fun of myself :) I promise to do better on the next one!
This first vlog was suppose to be a virtual type of newsletter, but like I said, it got too long, so I edited some stuff out and just concentrated on the books that I had received....

So, here it is! You're getting a dose of some of the bumbling madness that goes on around here!
Please feel free to leave me some tips/feedback!!! but do remember be nice to me, please ;)



(ETA: I am unsure as to who/whom to give credit to for my newsletter-vlog type post!
There are SO many bloggers that have inspired me to expand my horizons - too many to list every time! So I have decided that I will add in a few shout outs to those very deserving people :)

Here's a quick summary... 

On the blog last week: 
- Waiting On Wednesday: Three books! 

Books mentioned: 
- Elemental by Emily White (release date 5/1/20102)
- The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (release date 6/5/2012)
- Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (release date 5/1/2012)
- The Selection by Kiera Cass (release date 5/1/2012)
- Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (release date 5/1/2012)
- Embrace by Jessica Shirvington 
- Kane Richards Must Die by Shanice Willliams 
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 
- Ascend (Trylle Trilogy #3) by Amanda Hocking 
- Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (release date 5/1/2012)
- Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino
- Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout (mass paperback release date 5/15/2012)

Thank you to... 
Jac of The Reading Housewives of Indiana, Fire & Ice, Riverhead Books (Penguin), Ashley Suzanne (Donation Post), Tara of Tater's Tall Tails and Ivy of Ivy Reads

Mentions: 
- Loretta of Between the Pages
- Amy of Book Loving Mama 
- Jen and Belle of Reading with Pugs

What to look forward to next week!
- Elemental Review and Book Blast
- Waiting On Wednesday Post
- A Bewitching Book Tour (Interview and Review) for ReVamped by Ada Adams
- The Enchanted Attic: Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame Review
- Waiting On Wednesday Post
- Fallen series review :)

What I'm going to (hopefully) read:
- The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis
- The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
- Frost by Kate Avery Ellison


Thanks SO much for stopping by!!! 

Sooo, what have you been up to??? Let me know in the comments below :) 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

In My Mailbox Sunday #4

"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, they were gifted to you, borrowed, etc.



Oh boy!!! I have such a huuuuge list this week!!! and here it is :)

*RAK'd to me :) ... from Crystal of What R U Reading
- City of Bones (Mortal Instrument Series #1) by Cassandra Clare
Squeee!!! I cannot wait to get started on this series!
Thank you so much, Crystal!!! 
 

*I WON!!! ... from Jump Into Books, thank you!!!
- BeSwitched and BeSwitched Witch by Molly Snow
Oh my, I have been wanting to read these since the minute I found them! and now I can :)
A huge thank you to Molly Snow too, for sending them to me!!!
 


*From my sweet Hubs :) He bought me the first two books of the Hush Hush series when they came out! and he just spotted the 3rd one while shopping the other day! hee hee!!! Yay me! 
- Silence (Hush Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick 

*I bought: 
- Fallen in Love (Fallen #3.5) by Lauren Kate 
{swoon} Aren't the covers to the Fallen series divine?!
I am so ready to 'fall' into this series again!!!

- War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
I've heard great things about the War Horse! 
Small book, quick read :)  I like that! 

*For Review!!! 
- Zombie Love: The Outbreak by Eric J Sobolik 
ZOMBIES!!!
Need I say more ;)


*For Free!!! 
On my Nook:
- Lovely by Allison Liddelle 
- The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (The Steampunk Chronicles) by Kady Cross 

... and on my Kindle Cloud Reader: 
- The Mind Reader's by Lori Brighton 
- Fateful by Cheri Schmidt 


It was truly a fantastic week for me!
I finally also got a pink case for my Nook! Now I will be able to bring it everywhere with me without having to worry about it getting scratched up!!!

lol, kiddos wanted to put their new books in the pic too :)
5yo bought UP, but then realized that it was a chapter book and it is a bit too long for him to sit through, lol! 8yo is in the process of collecting all of the Magic Treehouse Books! I loooove that he looooves to read too!!!
We are going to try to refrain from buying books for a while now! We have more than enough to keep us busy for a few weeks! and I vow to spend more time reading rather than looking for freebies too, lol!
I've got plenty to read now and must get started :) Woo hoo!!!

What did you get last week??? 

Monday, January 2, 2012

My Must Reads for 2012!!!

Happy New Year friends!!! 
I hope that everyone had a lovely weekend and are off to a fresh start :) 

I have to be honest, I am a bit behind on what is being released in 2012... so I am challenging myself to read 52 books this year!!! One per week ;)
I've got to start adding more books to my 'To Be Read' list,
here are a few that I cannot wait to get my hands on this year...

1. Bitterblue (The Seven Kingdoms Series #3) 
by Kristin Cashore 
Release date is 5/1/2012


The first in this series, Graceling, was amazing! It is like no other story that I have read before! I usually have a hard time following new worlds, lands and other types of beings - but the writing was so captivating! I couldn't help myself from falling into their world... 
Bitterblue, a child, was introduced in Graceling - 
her story was barely touched upon and I cannot wait to see what has happened to her... I highly recommend starting the series from the beginning, just so you have a background as to who is what, etc...

A Graceling a person born with a rare skill.
The second book in the series is called, Fire

From Goodreads: 
"Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart."
_____________________________________________

2. The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa 







 I cannot wait to start this series!!! 
I don't have them yet! but they are next on my list ;) 
I first found this series a couple of months ago on my sisters Nook! 
and read Winter's Passage, not knowing that this is an e-book exclusive and is to be read after you finish the first book. There is another e-book exclusive, Summer's Passage, to be read after the third book. 
No matter, Winter's Passage introduced me to their Fae world and I need to definitely start from the beginning! I have never been more excited to learn about Faeries :)
All books are available now, hoping there will be a 5th book later this year! 

From Goodreads, The Iron King
"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. 
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. 
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. 
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart."
_____________________________________________

3.  Now my next "can't wait" read might just be a rumor...
Stephanie Meyer's The Host was released back in January 2001!!!


10 years later - it seems that this is turning  into a series - 2 more books are in the works!!!
The Soul and The Seeker
I'm hoping for at least one! They're suppose to be released sometime during 2012!!!
She owes us!!!
Especially after... you know...
since she refuses to finish that other book that we so desperately want!
_________________________________________

4. An author who needs no introductions...
The Wolf Gift, release date: 2/14/2012

I am quite positive in my prediction, Rice will re-invent and tell this story like no other ever has.
I have to admit, I haven't read any of her other books since The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches. I have very high hopes for this one, and I know that she won't disappoint me ;)
__________________________________________

5. Look what I found!!! I really need to read this one too!!!
Another book by Lauren Kate, Fallen In Love (To be released 1/24/2012) 


Barnes and Noble is listing this book as part 4 of the Fallen Series, but it's really a 3.5 - it's the type of book that you can pick up at any time to read and 'fall in love' even more with the characters :)

From Barnes and Noble: 
"What makes your heart race a little faster?
Just in time for Valentine's Day, it's Fallen in Love, four wholly original new stories colleted in a new novel set in the Middle Ages by Lauren Kate. Fallen In Love gives fans the must-talked about by never-related stores of Fallen characters as they intertwine with the epic love story of Luce and Daniel." 
The stories include... 
Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles 
Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland 
Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane 
Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda 
_____________________________________________________

I didn't think that all of my top books would land in the paranormal genre!
Here are a few quick honorable mentions for 2012,
sometimes you just need a sweet filler here and there, aka non-Paranormal reads:
- I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (2/14/2012)
- Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles (6/5/2012)
- Becoming Edward by Faye Meredith

... and a few children's books that my kiddos and I are looking forward to reading together :)
- Lego Ninjago Chapter Books: Cole and Jay (released yesterday!)
- Dragonbreath Series by Ursula Vernon
- My Mom Hunts Submarines by Julia A Maki (1/24/2012)

Looks like we have a lot of reading to do ;)

Please share what your 'must reads' are for 2012 too!!!
Thanks!!!


Saturday, December 31, 2011

My Top Favorites from 2011!!! and Happy New Year!!!




These are books that I have loved reading in 2011, not all were published in 2011, lol! Most are series that I have started and cannot wait to catch up with all the latest release in each one... in no particular order: 

by Maggie Stiefvater


So this first one might surprise some of you since it is a trilogy about
WOLVES! 
But there is just something about the way Maggie Stiefvater's writing really pulls you into their world. Yes, there is a love story here between Sam and Grace - a very strong bond of commitment and love - but halfway through I started to see that Sam's relationship to Beck was a bit more interesting...
I haven't finished reading Forever yet! I will definitely be reviewing this trilogy in the new year :) 


by Becca Fitzpatrick 




Fallen Angels... a guy named Patch... sigh... need I say more???
I need to catch up and read Silence a.s.a.p!!!
AND before the 4th book is released in the Fall of 2012!!!
Which has yet to be titled :(  So stay tuned ;) 

3. Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros


Ok, so not my typical kind of read, BUT, it is a one of a kind book!
If you're looking for a very simple and very quick read, this is it!
Teresa Medeiros really captured me with her 'tweet-like' writing - I can really see this happening to someone in real life. It's definitely predictable, but sometimes I feel that I need a read like this just to help me relax and not have to figure out what is happening all over the place, lol! If you have an hour or 2 to just veg out, this is your book!

4.  Fallen and Torment by Lauren Kate


Another fallen angel series... need I say more, again? hee, hee!
I do have to admit that I loved the first book, but the second book was a bit 'tormenting'...
I was expecting more, and I feel like it was just a 'bunch of stuff' that could have been made into a few chapters rather than a whole book... but I'm a bit behind with this series too!
I'm hoping that Passion will live up to it's title!!!


Aaaaaand!!! Look what's due to be released on 6/12/2012!!!
Rapture
The last book to the series!!! I am SO looking forward to seeing what happens to Luce and Daniel...
OH! Did I mention that Daniel to me is a blonde version to MY Edward! {swoon!}



5. The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

"One man's unrelenting search for hope."

Evans is one of my all-time favorite authors/writers!!!
He was my first favorite on my list, and will always remain on top!
I have almost all of his books, but have been a bit out of touch with what he's done in 2011...
The first book I ever read of his was The Christmas Box - a definite must read!!!
The Walk is his most recent series... how would you feel if the love of your life was suddenly gone and no matter how much success and money you have, it all means nothing without having your love by your side... I am very much looking forward to reading part 2 in 2012, Miles to Go.



This is all that I have off the top of my head :)
Of course, I could have thrown in the Twilight and Harry Potter series' since I keep re-reading them over and over again - but most of you know me too well and I know that I didn't have to add them in ;)
Besides, who needs any other vamps when you got sparkle-y ones hanging around! lol!

SO, what were your favorite reads from 2011???
Please, share with me! It seems that I have missed out on a lot of good reads this past year!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!!!
xoxo


 
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