In My Mailbox (1)

So, I've seen so many blogs that I follow do this, and I've never taken part.  Well, I actually got a book in my mailbox this week, and decided to participate.  I notice that it doesn't have to be something you actually received in the mail, it could be something you purchased or check out at the library, and I'm going to hope/assume that egalleys work as well?  Because I'm going to list the ones I got this week.  Like Kristi at The Story Siren, who hosts this says, I don't always get around to reviewing all the books I get, so this is a way to share some that maybe others will be interested in.  So here goes.  This week, I'll just share the photos of the covers if possible.  So let's start with the book I actually got in the mailbox: 

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The Weepers:  The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker (egalley)

Swipe by Evan Angler (egalley)

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (egalley)

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne (egalley)

Now to go link up my very first In My Mailbox blog post at The Story Siren!



My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All I can say is, why has it taken me so long to read this book? And I'm guessing, any book by Rachel Vincent is going to be this good! Reading this book reminds me of when I found Mara Purnhagenand her ghost series. I fell right into it, in love with it, and can't wait to read the rest of the series! First off, not sure why I didn't guess right from the series name: Soul Screamers, that this was about banshees. But what a cool new supernatural creature to develop into a story! The main character is Kaylee. Kaylee gets this uncontrollable urge to scream when she sees this black cloud surrounding people, and somehow she just knows that they're about to die. She had an episode in a mall,and I guess I have to get the prequel novella to read about that, but her aunt and uncle, who she lives with because her mother died when she was little and her father has moved back to Ireland, well, they put her in a psych ward and get her on meds to try to help with these "episodes". Only it happens again when she's snuck into a local club for 18 and older with her best friend Emma. The night starts off good, as one of the hottest guys in school, Nash, seems to have eyes for only her, and really be into her. But then this happens again, and she has to hold back the scream, and doing so makes her look like she's having a fit. Only, Nash doesn't seem to be too freaked out or scared off by this. In fact, he seems to know what's going on, and he does, he lets Kaylee in on what her heritage is. The cool thing, banshees aren't quite what we think of them as. In fact they have a cool Irish name that is interpreted as banshees, bean sidhe. The females scream/sing because they can tell when the soul leaves the body. And they are able to hold it and keep it from leaving the body, so that the deceased can see his family say their goodbyes, etc. The males don't do the screaming, but they can get the soul to move, back into the body, towards where it should be going, etc. But you're not supposed to bring someone back to life this way, because it means someone else will take their place. And what Kaylee soon learns, is that this rash of deaths of young people isn't supposed to be happening. They aren't on death's "list" to die. Someone is taking their souls for a nefarious purpose. And we do find out who, and Kaylee's father does come back, and we learn a lot about her family, but I won't tell you that, you'll have to read it for yourself.
I just have to say I love the connection between Nash and Kaylee. Can't wait to read on and find out where it goes. I do also like the character Tod, a grim reaper, which reminds me of one of my favorite shows, Dead Like Me. I can't wait to keep up with him too. I got this book as a strip cover that was going to be thrown away at the bookstore where I work. Now I have to go back and buy the compilation that has this, as well as the prequel novella: My Soul to Lose, and the 2nd book in the series: My Soul to Save. I'm hoping that they'll put the next 3 in a compilation as well.
This counts as my "M" in my A-Z Reading Challenge.

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Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is another time when I wish Goodreads would let us give half stars. This was good. Not quite a 4 for me, but really not as low as a 3 either. I did enjoy this book. When I had to put it down, I was eager to pick it back up, and that is a good sign for me. I have really been into dystopian stories, and this was a good one. I could tell that there was something more to the relationship between the main character Eden and her boss Bramford from the first time they had an interaction in the book. The relationship between them was so much like the few real romance novels I've read. Even though we never really got the story from his viewpoint, it was always from Eden's, I could tell by the things he said, and the things Eden saw him do, that he had feelings for her. And I'm okay with that. She felt attracted to him, and so even though she fought her feelings for him, she really wanted him too. Which, kind of textbook romance novel. But again, the rest of the story was okay enough for that to work.
In this future world, it seems as if something like global warming has occurred, because anyone with light skin, or most people with light skin, died because of the heat and the sun's rays. Those who were left, even the darker skinned people, had to move below ground. Now the white people, or "Pearls" are the minority, and treated that way. The darker skinned people are called "Coals" and are considered the superior race. It is so bad that the Pearls even color their skin to look like Coals. People are given mating ratings, based on their skin color, skills, etc. Pearl is pretty low. Now the reason this is so bad, is that if by the time you reach a certain age you aren't married, you are no longer allowed to live in society and use their rations and supplies. They take you to the surface and leave you to fend for yourself. Which usually means death. Eden's father is a scientist that works for Bramford, where he also got Eden a job. Eden knows only one Coal who treats her fairly and makes her feel attractive, his name is Jamal. She finds out that Bramford is having her father work on a genetic cure for the light colored skin. A way to make it darker. But when they are attacked by a very prejudiced group, her father's work is compromised, Bramford agrees to be the test subject, and they must leave and run into a rainforest to hide. Bramford begins to change, because part of the cure contains the genes of a jaguar to start with, and he changes physically into almost a beast. But he is still human enough to use his resources to get them free, into a village. Pearl finds out Bramford once was mated, and this leads to some interesting discoveries of what kind of a man he really is.
This is going to be a series I guess, which is good, because while this ends on a pretty good note, we're also kind of left wondering what will happen next, with Bramford, and how will Eden be able to be with him, now that he is not really a man anymore.
I'd like to say thanks to Netgalley and Bookmaster for letting me read the egalley of this book.  I will count this as the "E" for Eden on my A-Z Reading Challenge.

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Linky Follower Party Hop 2/19/12

Many of you have probably already heard that GOOGLE Friend Connect will go away on Feb 29 for any one that is not with blogspot, and rumor has it that it is being completely phased out for everyone soon.  BUT there is good news:

There is a NEW awesome tool–Linky Followers

It has so many amazing features (that GFC never had). If you have not signed up you should. (yes you can have both.) I love the new tool so much and want everyone to enjoy all the new features.

…and did I tell you it's super easy and FREE!

What better way to celebrate a fun new blogging tool than to have a party, so break out your poodle skirt and saddle back shoes cuz’ we’re having a LINKY FOLLOWER PARTY HOP

RULES:

1. You MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

If you see that your link has been deleted you need to add the LINKY FOLLOWER tool to your site and then come back over and re-enter your link

{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–

just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE

Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.

You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)

–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

Its So Very Cheri has and will continue to visit every entry-I try to leave comments but this party has had so many entries and in order to get to everyone I had to change things around. I will come by to make sure you have the Linky Follower tool and follow you. If I mess up and forget to come over and follow you please leave me a comment and I will come back over to do so. You will see my button in your list of followers.

(I got this post info from It's Time To Read Mamaw)

Rebirth: An Aftertime novel by Sophie Littlefield

Rebirth by Sophie Littlefield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book kept up with the first in the series. Although I found it a little slow to get into. There was a big event at the beginning that got you hooked though, you found out that the library Cass had first arrived at in the first book had been burned and people killed by the Rebuilders. Which meant that Dor's daughter had been kidnapped. Cass thinks she could just stay at the Box with Smoke, but Smoke is so angry about the Rebuilders that he goes to infiltrate them for Dor. It's basically a suicide mission. And Dor is going to go too, it is his daughter. Cass wants to go as well to find Smoke, although she feels that Smoke has betrayed her and her daughter Ruthie by just leaving like that. Cass really just wants to find a safe, normal place for her daughter Ruthie to have a chance to grow. So after a trip filled with danger to the Rebuilders, Cass feels she might have found a good place. As an Outlier, someone who has the immunity to the disease that has caused the zombies, she is highly valued, and would live a life of "comfort" in the Rebuilders' colony. However, it turns out all is not as great as it seems. What the scientist in charge of the rebuilders wants the Outliers for is a bit creepy, and Smoke has gotten himself into a situation that must be saved, and then they do find Dor's daughter Sammi, and she also is in a precarious situation, although being Dor's daughter, she feels she can take care of herself. It definitely leaves off on a huge cliffhanger, and I know the 3rd book is out. I may have to actually buy that one, as I got the other two as an ARC and the first came with the 2nd ARC to introduce to the series. I got both from the Barnes and Noble store I work at.
Personally, some of Cass's decisions I don't quite know that I would be like that, so at times it is hard for me to connect to her. But the story is one that is interesting and keeps you reading on. I just think it'd be nice to have a little more zombies in it.  Although, we do learn that the zombies seem to be evolving.  So that could make for some interesting events in the 3rd book.
To count this in my A-Z Challenge I'll have to go with it as the "L" book for the author's last name.  It also counts on my TBR Pile Challenge.

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BBRAW 2012 Inspire Me!

Now I'm back on track! Although I wish I had more time, because I'd love to do an interview like one like one of the choices today, but oh well, I'll just have to choose one of my readers to spotlight!  Here is today's prompt:
Today I have two spectacular choices for you! You could do a reader interview with a reader of your choice OR (if you're not the interview type) you could highlight a blog that you enjoy reading. What is it about this blog that you enjoy, what is it about the reviews, the blogger, the style, the look, etc? If you don't feel comfortable highlighting one blog, be general in regards to a few blogs you enjoy and what you enjoy about them.
So this is another hard one! But I am going to choose Molli at Once Upon A Prologue.  First I want to thank Mollie for reading my blog and giving me lots of comments.  I like her blog because she reads so many of the same types of books as I do, and I can go read her reviews and learn about ones I've never even heard of.  I wish I had more time to go through and mention a bunch of my awesome readers!  But just know that if you're following me, I try to keep up with you too because I appreciate my readers, and know that I can learn so much from all of you!  Who would you feature if you were doing this?

BBRAW 2012 A Memorable Reader/Moment

So, I'm already a day behind, and I did actually have time yesterday I could have blogged.  I'll blame it on the snuggly puppy that was on my lap that I didn't want to disturb.  So I'm going to do two posts today, starting with yesterday's prompt:
Today commemorate a specific reader or moment in your blogging career that has made a significant difference in your IRL or blogging life. It might be that first comment you ever received, the first follower, the first interaction with a reader of your blog on Twitter, the first time an author commented on a review, etc.
This is kind of a hard one for me.  I appreciate all my readers, and I'd have to go back and look at who were the specific ones, but I know it is the readers who come and comment on my blog, whether it is a review, or maybe a Waiting on Wednesday, or Follow Friday.  The idea of meeting other people through that was great.  I would say I really enjoy talking to my readers, of whom I am also probably their reader, on Twitter.  I know I've had a couple authors comment on my reviews, and that is really exciting.  Again, readers, I'm so glad you're there, and I do LOVE all your comments.  I'm trying to figure out how to use the reply that is finally here on Blogger, so that I can reply to your comments easier, but haven't quite got it figured out.
What do you appreciate about your readers, or do you have any readers that specifically stand out for you?  Please leave a comment and share!

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Okay, first, I want to let everyone know that my opinions on this may not be yours.  And I appreciate that, I am the first person to say everyone should be allowed to have and express their own opinion.  I just hope that if you are offended in any way by what I say, you will choose not to criticize me or tell me I'm wrong.  I definitely don't mind hearing what you think if you've read this book though, even if your opinion is completely opposite of mine!  I'm only choosing to review this on my blog, as opposed to Goodreads, because I feel that my followers are all readers who feel the same as I do about opinions, and I know there are some people on Goodreads who don't value or respect others' opinions.  So here goes.
I first picked this book up one night last month when I was standing bored on a very slow night at the bookstore where I work.  I was working at the cash register, where you're kind of stuck there when you work, especially when you're the only one working.  We're not really supposed to read, but it was a week or so after I'd put my dog Sydney to sleep, and it was hard for me to not have something to occupy my mind without getting all teary eyed.  I picked this up, and was sucked right in. 
The story is very easy to read, in that it's told very straight forward, and in an every day person way.  It is told by Todd Burpo, who is a pastor, but how he learned this was from his 4 year old son named Colton.  When Colton was almost 4, he had been to the hospital for a burst appendix.  The story of how that all happened is scary in itself, of how the doctors kept saying there was nothing they could do, until they got him somewhere a different doctor realized what had happened.  Scary to think it had burst, and then for a while he'd felt better, so his family had thought it was just a flu bug and gone on vacation.  Todd tells us how he had gone through so many health scares right before all this just for himself, and how Colton being this sick had been the last straw.  How he'd felt like Paster Job.  He'd railed at God when he was alone in the chapel at the church.  Then calmed himself down and gone out to be there for his family.  A year later, after all had been over and seemed to be fine, Colton spoke up with a very unusual statement.  He remembered the hospital where he'd been because that was where the angels had sung to him.  And he'd sat on Jesus's lap, and he'd seen relatives. 
Now, you'd be thinking, as many naysayers on Goodreads said in their reviews, of course Colton had heard all this stuff somewhere, his dad was a preacher!  But some of the stuff was very remote, and it would be interesting to know how he'd heard it.  And what was kind of the kicker, and really hard for me to read after recent tragedies in my own family, was that he met a girl who claimed to be his sister.  And it turns out his parents had a girl that was miscarried before he was born.  Something he would not have known about. 
Okay, I don't know if this convinces me about heaven, or worshiping God, which is currently the issue I have.  But it does give hope.  I currently don't attend church, or know what or how I believe.  I grew up at a Lutheran school from 1st through 8th grade.  Every other weekend I was either there, or with my dad and stepmom at a Catholic church.  So my mind is pretty much trained that there is a god.  I just have felt myself a lot like Job, everything going wrong, seeming like my life is pointless.  I even tried going back to church two years ago, hoping to be inspired or something.  At first, I fell in love with my brother's church, and if I do go back, I'll go back there, but nothing came about, no feeling of peacefullness, nothing that helped me.  So I'm still in a state of wondering.  I think this is a good book to read though.  I liked what Colton had to say.  I liked that it even seemed like God/Jesus had a bit of a sense of a humor, that is what I'm kind of looking for.  I liked how it seemed heaven would be.  Some people who didn't like it commented on how the "wings" was ridiculous.  But what do we know?  If there is a heaven, we don't know. 
I guess I just have to say this was an interesting book that made me think, and I think could give hope to my brother and sister in law in their loss.  I will probably pass it on to them at some point.
I'd love to hear any thoughts you have if you've read this.

BBRAW 2012: An Introduction and Thanks!

I got this idea from Miss Remmer's Reviews.  I think it is a great idea, especially as I'm working to build my following.  I know that it makes me feel good when I reply or respond to another blogger's post, and I get even more excited when I get a comment on a review that I've posted.  It has been so great following people, and I learn so much from those bloggers.  And I have really appreciated all of you who have stopped by and read my posts and shared your opinions on those books.  So, I'm going to do my very best to keep up with all the prompts this week.  The first one is: 
Introduce yourself for new readers that will be stopping by. Take today to explain what BBRAW means to you. This is the ideal time to thank your readers for their comments, support, and post a giveaway if you plan on having one. Remember, as BBRAW is supposed to celebrate readers, requiring a "follow" for the giveaway would be in relatively poor taste.
Well, again, taking my lead from Miss Remmer, I began this blog back on August 9th, 2009.  I had blogged on and off, but without any real theme.  Then as you can read in the blog link, a movie inspired me to blog more regularly. I didn't quite keep up with my goal of blogging every day, especially once I established the main theme of book blogging.  I got my first comment about a month later, September 5th, 2009. What helped me really get into blogging all my books was that I was helping my state library association pick the award nominees for the following year, so as I read them, I blogged about them, and helped myself keep track of what I thought. 
I am a middle school science teacher, and I have a library science master's degree, and hope one day soon to get a school library job.  I love inspiring my students to read.  In fact this year I've had two separate parents thank me for getting their students to read, and that is what makes my heart happy.  I've loved reading my whole life, and want others to feel some of the joy I feel when reading.  I want to thank all of my readers for making this more worthwhile.  Yeah, I would keep doing it with no one reading, but it wouldn't feel as important.  So thanks to all of you, and I hope you'll stay with me as I continue to read and review and improve my blog.

Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2) by Amanda Hocking

Torn by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I actually read this as an ebook just like the first one in the series, Switched. When I enjoyed the first one as much as I did, I went ahead and purchased the 2nd and 3rd as ebooks, I believe for only about $2.99 at the time. Like with the first one, I read this on my iPhone Nook app whenever I was somewhere and didn't have a book with me. After I finished my last book, I decided to go ahead and finish this book. These are now coming out in actual "books" so I thought I'd go ahead and get my reviews done on them.
At the beginning of this Wendy has run away, back to her human family, to get away from having to be the Trylle princess. She just wants her normal life back, and believes she can actually do that if she leaves. She brings home Rhys, the child that she replaced as a changeling. So her human brother Matt gets to meet his "read" brother. But of course, she can't just go home, as it turns out there are other trolls out there, the Vittra, who come back to try to kidnap her, and do succeed. They take her to their king, who turns out to be her father. But while she is being held there, she learns about why the Vittra want her, and meets her stepmother. She learns the Vittra can't have children, and hope that she can come in and help them, as she is a mix between them and the Trylle. Finn comes in as a Tracker to rescue her, along with her brothers Matt and Rhys. They all are taken back to be safe in her mother Elora's home. Wendy learns that she must become the princess in order to save her people, and must even become betrothed to help. But there are some mysteries she must solve while she's there, like why did it end up being so easy to escape the Vittra, it was like one of them just let her walk out, a Markis named Lucas. And why then does he show up at her mother's home?
I enjoyed this book, and will probably read the 3rd one in the next month or two. I look forward to seeing how it will end. As I mentioned in my review of the first one, I'm glad we still don't really have a love triangle, at least not to the point of other stories these days.
This goes in my A-Z Challenge as my "T" book.  And because I've had it so long on my ereader, I'm counting it as part of my TBR pile challenge as well.  And the 3rd one, Ascend, will count towards that challenge as well when I get to it, as I've had these books probably for close to a year downloaded to read.

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