IMM #11

What do you guys think of this format?!  I put a lot of hard work into it!  Let me know what you think in the comments! :)

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Bethany and Xavier are even closer since battling Jake Thorn and his evil influence (in Halo) and Beth and her angel siblings must still protect Venus Cove from the Dark Forces. 

When a party game – a séance – inadvertently releases Jake from the Underworld, he disguises himself and tricks Beth into taking a ride on his motorcycle. When the highway opens up and swallows them, Beth learns too late that she’s now a prisoner in hell. What happens to angels there? As her archangel brother, Gabriel, her sister Ivy, Xavier, and her best friend, Molly search for her, Beth must weigh Jake’s bargaining for her freedom: one night with him, and she will be released back to Earth. 
Can Jake be trusted in this wager? And is he also using Beth to engineer the fall of the archangel Gabriel? Xavier has already lost one love – when Jake tricks him into thinking that Bethany is dead, his grief and anger result in a betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if he is so good after all. 

It will be up to Beth to use everything she’s learned about her powers as an angel – and about love – to free herself and those she loves from the clutches of Hades.

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy: The Book Depository

     I’m a huge fan of Halo, so when I received this review request from Fiewel & Friends I felt two things: Honored and extremely ecstatic!  I replied immediately and couldn’t wait for Hades to come in the mail!  When I finally received Hades, I was extremely enthusiastic to find out what was in store for Bethany Church and Xavier Woods.

     When I started, it took me a while to get used to Alexandra Adornetto’s style of writing once again, but I adjusted.  Alexandra Adornetto differs highly from other writers.  She brings something to YA that many others do not; she writes poetically.  Her words are graceful, fluent, and descriptive, without becoming overwhelming.  It is always a pleasure to read her work.  Ms. Adornetto just writes so beautifully.

     The end of the first book in the trilogy, Halo, definitely left some clues as to the occurrences in Hades.  I had suspected that Bethany would end up in Hell eventually, due to Jake Thorne’s “obsession” with her, but Ms. Adornetto definitely made Hades unpredictable.  Unfortunately I can’t share those instances with you :( (I’m keeping this review spoiler free :] )  I was pleasantly surprised by some of the humor in the book.  I really enjoyed some of Xavier’s sharp comebacks directed toward Molly.  Even Ivy and Gabriel exhibited some humor that actually made me laugh!  

     One thing that bothered me about Hades was that both the cover and the summary gave away the first few pages of the book and by few, I mean about 20 pages.  That was really disappointing.  At first I wasn’t really motivated to dive right in because I knew what was going to occur but, Bethany’s friends’ plan for a seance on Halloween definitely jazzed up the storyline and made me want to keep reading.  With that being said, I have to say that Ms. Adornetto definitely made Hades much more action-packed than Halo.  Of course Bethany and Xavier were battling Jake Thorn before, but this was just a whole different ball game.  I really enjoyed Hades.

     I’m not going to do much of a character critique since most of the characters were also in Halo, but I will do my best!  I really enjoyed getting to see another side of Ivy, although Gabriel mostly remained a Static character.  I still find Xavier extremely dreamy, so nothing’s changed there :) .  I really enjoyed both Hanna and Tucker’s characters and the fact that they were human.  I also really liked Jake’s girlfriend.

     I really enjoyed both Halo and Hades and I can’t wait to see what happens in Heaven! Final Grade:

     

Top Ten Tuesday

Today I'm Participating in The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday Feature!  The topic for today, August 30 is Top Ten Books That Are On The Top Of My TBR List For Fall.   I'll leave comments on my top three.  Here's my list:


10. Sweet Venom by Terra Lynn Childs
9. Eve by Anna Carey
8. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
7. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
6. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
 

Static Blog Tour

During the summer before her senior year, 17 year old band groupie, Salem Vale, has been following her favorite punk rockers, Malice, from gig to gig hoping that one night she might get backstage and meet the guys.   One fateful evening she gets her wish. It’s a dream come true.  Except the dream turns to a nightmare when she wakes up in a dumpster, tossed away like yesterday’s trash, with no memory of what happened the night before. She feels strange, different, as if something is trying to get out. Soon she realizes she’s changing...turning into something not quite human.  Now a hunger deep inside claws at her to feed, to siphon energy from those around her. Before she can do just that, Trevor, the band’s roadie shows up and stops her from killing. With his help she learns to control the hunger inside, because he’s just like her. And in return he wants her help to do one little thing...

Help him kill the members of Malice.

Hey!  I've been participating in the blog tour for Static by Tawny Strokes.  Today I have a short exerpt of the book for you all!

STATIC EXCERPT:

Some Good News!

First of all we have a new header!  Let me know if you like it, hate it, love it- either way I wan't to know your feedback!!!!  Second- The Paypal Donation button at the bottom of the page is up and running once again!  I have now been verified!  We have already received a donation that will definitely be put towards our next giveaway!  I've also added a new About tab!  Let me know your thoughts on our new header below in the comments and if you'd like to make a donation, scroll down to the bottom of the page!  Thanks!

PS- I'm not home right now so I will be posting my IMM tonight or tomorrow!  Sorry for the delay!!!

WWW Wednesdays and Waiting on Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays 

I recently finished: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroedor

I'm Currently Reading: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Next I will be reading: Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Waiting on Wednesday

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

NEWSOUL 
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why. 

NOSOUL 
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame? 

HEART 
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Let me Know what you think, right here in the comments!!

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Girl meets boy. 

Girl loses boy. 

Girl gets boy back... 

...sort of. 

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here. 

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Release Date: January 8th 2008

Publisher: Simon Pulse, Imprint of Simon & Schuster

Age: Young Adult

Source: Borders

Buy it: The Book Depository, The Dolphin Bookshop, The Open Book    


     I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder  is a story told through verse.  It is also the first book I have read that was written in verse.  After reading it, I know that I will without a doubt be reading other books in verse such as: Crank by Ellen Hopkins, After the Kiss by Tera Allan McVoy, along with You are Not Here by Samantha Schutz.  

      I finished this book within an hour or two, so if you’re looking for a quick read to finish a challenge, etc, this is definitely a good choice.  Since it only took my a short while to read this book, I don’t have that much to say about it, but I will still share whatever thoughts I had about it with you.  Ava Bender could definitely be relatable to most because of her loss.  Almost everyone has lost someone they love, or will eventually have it happen to them.  Lisa Scroedor did a great job at creating a character that the average person can connect to.  Ava’s experiences tugged at your heart strings.  She went through many stages of grief, just like we do.  Ava also went through many times where she was having mixed feelings, which was also an extremely relatable quality.  Jackson’s character seemed a bit needy and clingy towards Ava in the beginning, but the end of the novel does show a different point of view.

    I heart you, you haunt me is a touching novel about loss and letting go.  It is a beautifully written quick read by Lisa Schroeder.  If you are looking for an emotional or quick read, make sure to pick it up!

Final Grade:

IMM # 10

Bought: 

Beautiful Creatures
Incarceron

Across the Universe

Above is the bookmark that Sarah Darer Littman sent me!
Want to Go Private?
Forbidden

Thirst ( Bind up)
The Forbidden Game (Bind up)

I Heart you, You haunt me

hush, hush
crescendo

Traded:

I traded my copy of The Gray Wolf Throne for a copy of Delirium.

I traded with: Celise

Sorry about the late post!  I had no computer this weekend, but better late than never!  Here is what I received this week!  Let me know what you got in your mailbox and what you think of what I got!

Saturday Swap

For Swap:




My Wishlist:

Goodreads

Other Wishlist


I'd love to swap!  Just Email me (Check the contact me tab) or leave a comment! :)

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

Lymstock is a town with more than its share of shameful secrets - a town where even a sudden outbreak of anonymous hate-mail causes only a minor stir. But all that changes when one of the recipients, Mrs Symmington, commits suicide. Her final note said 'I can't go on'. Only Miss Marple questions the coroner's verdict of suicide. Was this the work of a poison-pen? Or of a poisoner?

     I'd like to begin this review by telling you that I am an Agatha Christie fan. I absolutely loved her book And Then There Were None and I was really looking forward to reading another one of her books. When I began reading, I was enthusiastic, but after a few pages, I was already disappointed. I continued reading with a hopeful attitude and faith in Ms. Christie's work. 

     I continued through the book and realized that my interest in the story was fading. I dragged through most of the story. Around page 150 of only 216 pages, the story picked up a bit when one of the characters commits suicide after receiving another anonymous letter. Unfortunately it didn't pick up as well as I hoped it would. There are two reasons that I continued to read. Number one was that The Moving Finger was assigned reading for school, so I was required to read it. Number two was a self inflicted reason- I was almost sure that Agatha Christie would wrap up the story with a perfect and completely unexpected ending. Thankfully, she did!  The ending was great and I would have never guessed who wound up committing the various crimes throughout!   

     One of the main reasons that I didn't enjoy the majority of the book was because of 

all the characters in the book. Agatha Christie made it so that almost every person in the town of Lymstock had received an anonymous letter. Unfortunately that meant that almost every one with a letter had to be written into the storyline. So many characters were introduced until I had no idea who was who!  Every other character besides Jerry( the narrator) and his sister Joanna became almost nonexistent in my mind. Everyone just blurred together. Unfortunately that weakened my understanding of most of the story.  

     Overall, I didn’t really enjoy The Moving Finger.  It dragged a long too much for me, but maybe you’ll have some luck with it.  Let me know what you thought, or if you have anything to say in the comments.

Final Grade:

Lets Talk: What's Your Reading Speed?

Hey, Remember how last week I did a post called "Lets Talk: How do you Save Money on Books?" ?  Well if you don't, scroll down and click it in the Archives!  Anyway, I'm thinking of making it a regular feature here at Remarkable Reads!  If you want to comment or blog about the topic, just fill out the linky! So here goes my second Lets Talk Post!

     Today I was sitting on my bed reading, when I realized that I am definitely not a fast reader.  Upon discovery, I attempted speed reading.  It worked, but unfortunately without much comprehension of the text.  Then, I tried that form of speed reading where you skip all the unnecessary words.  That just confused my eyeballs and gave me a headache.  If you haven't noticed, so far Lets Talk just seems like a reverse advise column ;).  So.....My Question for you this time is:

How fast can you read?  If you read slow, have you tried methods to make you read faster?  If you can read quickly, do you naturally read that fast or did someone teach you?  Do you know a method to make you read faster?  Than how about sharing it!  

IMM #9

Swag:

Pictured: Lisa Mangum bookplates

Not Pictured: Want to go Private? Signed bookmark

Won:

Dead End in Norvelt from Bibliopunkk

For Review:

A second copy of Glow
Eve by Anna Carey

Bought:

Its not summer without you by Jenny Han
Naomi and Ely's no Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

ARCs For Review:

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Entwined
After Obsession

True (sort of...)
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

(I will trade these two if anyone is interested)




What Did you Get in Your Mailbox?  Tell me in the Comments!!!

WWW Wednesday and Waiting on Wednesday

I recently finished: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

I'm Currently Reading: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

I'll soon be starting: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie and Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

Publication Date: August 23rd

Pre-order it: The Power of Six

Check out my review for I am Number Four here

What are you Waiting on?

New Rating System

My New Rating System:

What do you think? Let me Know Below! :)

Bookshelf Tour

Teaser Tuesday

Bethany and Xavier are even closer since battling Jake Thorn and his evil influence (in Halo) and Beth and her angel siblings must still protect Venus Cove from the Dark Forces. 

When a party game – a séance – inadvertently releases Jake from the Underworld, he disguises himself and tricks Beth into taking a ride on his motorcycle. When the highway opens up and swallows them, Beth learns too late that she’s now a prisoner in hell. What happens to angels there? As her archangel brother, Gabriel, her sister Ivy, Xavier, and her best friend, Molly search for her, Beth must weigh Jake’s bargaining for her freedom: one night with him, and she will be released back to Earth. 
Can Jake be trusted in this wager? And is he also using Beth to engineer the fall of the archangel Gabriel? Xavier has already lost one love – when Jake tricks him into thinking that Bethany is dead, his grief and anger result in a betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if he is so good after all. 

It will be up to Beth to use everything she’s learned about her powers as an angel – and about love – to free herself and those she loves from the clutches of Hades.

"Bethany's friend or not, this girl could make a preacher curse."-Ivy, Page 177

 I know that's not a lot, but if I posted more, it would give the story away!  The book is great and around 170 and on, there are some pretty funny lines.  I'm really enjoying Hades!

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile , Imprint of Penguin

Age: Young Adult

Source: Local Library

Available Now:  The Dolphin Bookshop The Book Depository 

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

     This book left me speechless.  I’m writing this review about two weeks after I finished the book because at first, I didn’t know what to say about it except “WOW.”  I know that I’ve said this about a few books, but Imaginary Girls was completely different from anything I’ve ever read.  It was like a horror movie spread out on paper.  Usually I hate horror movies, but Nova Ren Suma crafted a story too mysterious and intriguing to resist.

     The beginnings of each chapter were also interesting.  Each time a chapter began, it would start with an interesting sentence fragment such as “Ruby never said.”  I really liked the feeling of the book.  It was definitely very unpredictable and I really enjoyed that.  Its unpredictability kept me focused on the book because I really wanted to know what would happen next. 

     I was never really interested in Horror before because I happen to be a “scary cat.”  I really can’t watch a horror movie, etc., but Imaginary Girls was so great that I might actually give Horror a try once again (and that’s a big deal for me)

     I actually didn’t have a favorite character in Imaginary Girls.  I didn’t like Chloe because I thought she was too much of a follower.  She failed to question her sister  no matter what happened.  She just always looked up to her, even when she realized how manipulative Ruby was and no matter what, she never liked being separated from Ruby.  I found Chloe to be clingy and she followed her sister around almost mindlessly.  Ruby’s ex-boyfriend was also very clingy and did whatever she wanted without question.  On to the characterization of Ruby.  I felt Ruby was extremely manipulative.  I actually found her to be very annoying how demanding she was.  It seemed like Ruby’s unsaid motto was “My way or the highway,” and it happens to annoy me when people behave that way.  I couldn’t relate to any of the characters.  I know I didn’t like the characters, but please don’t misunderstand- Imaginary Girls was amazing, I just didn’t really love each character’s qualities.

     Imaginary Girls is a haunting YA debut that is sure to make you speechless.  You need to read it!

Final Grade:

 PS- Check out my new rating system!  The Key will be up very soon!

In My Mailbox #8

I received a review coy of:

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
ARC for Review

Okay so this week, I stopped by the Borders sale once again, after the liquidation discount was increased.  I picked up a copy of Beauty Queens by Libba Bray there.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

 I also picked up a copy of City of Ashes because it was only $3 at Borders.  I've yet to read any book in the mortal instruments series, so I figured that I'd buy the first book some time after.  Then, I went to TJ Maxx and regretted my purchase immediately!  I found a boxed set for only 10 dollars!  Oh well, now I have two copies of City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Also Won an E-Copy of Remembrance from Tamara @ Tamara's book ramblings

and a physical copy of The Gray Wolf Throne from Jennifer

What did you get in your mailbox?  Leave me a Comment!

Lets Talk: Saving Money on Books

Hey, I wanted to do a pst today because I usually don't post later in the week.  Today I wanted to ask you guys a question:

How Do You Save Money on Books?

Do you buy only during sales or use coupons?  Do you go to Half Price Books or Shop at Thrift stores?  What do you do to save?

     I'm asking you because unfortunately there is no Half Price Bookstore anywhere in the entire state of New York, which upsets me very much :( .  I want to know how you guys save.  I like to watch bookshelf tours and lately I've realized that I really don't have as many books as my fellow book bloggers.  I want to know how you get all those books (Besides ARCs)!  I always check thrift stores, yard sales, and library discard shelves, but its very difficult to find new books that way.  I've been going to the Borders liquidation sales but 25% off isn't that amazing.  Before I go on a trip to the bookstore, I always search online for coupons.  Thankfully, even my local Indie Booksellers do offer coupons!  I've also noticed that the Book Depository has great deals and free shipping, but I do like to support my local Indie Sellers.  Let me know how you save in the comments!

PS- Do you want me to do a bookshelf tour?

Waiting on Wednesday and WWW Wednesday

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about what it means to be a family and the many roads we can take to become one.

WWW Wednesday:

Currently Reading: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Recently Finished: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Reading Next: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

 

What are you reading?  Let me know in the comments!