Review: Onyx (Lux Series #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

So this book has only solidified my need to read anything and everything that JLA writes.  In fact I'm pretty much ordering each one every couple weeks from the bookstore where I work.  I am going to need to own all her books.  If I ever have time to re-read, I'm pretty sure these will be the books I want.  First I have to share each of my Goodreads updates as I read.

The main character is just so true to being a blogger, as you can see from my 2nd update. And then there is so much about her that is like me.  Like the coat quote above!  If you haven't read the first book, Obsidian, you probably should stop reading here, as there will be some spoilers for the first book in my review probably.

In book 2 Daemon and Katy still have their connection from when he had to heal her.  And it is a kind of glow that his kind and the enemy, the Arum, can see.  But soon it's clear that Katy has some residual powers from the big battle at the end of the first book.  And she can't seem to control them.  That's when she finds out from the new boy in town, Blake, that she isn't the only human to have developed powers after being healed by the aliens like Daemon.  And so Blake says he will help her to get control and learn to use these powers.  But his training seems dangerous, and Daemon at first refuses to leave her alone with Blake.  And when it gets really dangerous, Daemon tells Katy she needs to stop, but she refuses.  Soon they find out it isn't just the Arum that are after them, the government is also after humans like Katy.  Turns out that what happened to Daemon's brother and human girlfriend may not be exactly as they thought.  Things get even more dangerous, and we learn that there is another type of stone, onyx as the title suggests, that has power over the aliens. 

Daemon and Katy must continue to work on their feelings.  Katy is sure that the only reason Daemon seems so interested in her now is because of the connection from the healing.  No matter how much Daemon tries to tell her it isn't.  It will be this connection, and these feelings, real as they may or may not be, will lead to someone close to the family dying, and Katy risking her life to try to keep Daemon safe in the only way she knows how.  There will be betrayal by people that you don't expect, and betrayal by some that you do.  There will be someone who was kind of an enemy, or at least didn't like Katy in the first book who now may be more of a friend.

The ending will leave you so ready for the next book.  Thank goodness I've already bought it!  Now to figure out when I can fit it into my reading!  Another great story by Jennifer L. Armentrout, with sexy guys, Daemon, and such knowledge of the life of a blogger. 

Review: The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

First thanks to Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins, and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this title.  I have followed this author as a blogger for a while now, and was very excited to be able to read this book when I saw it was available. 

This was a pretty quick read.  It had lots of action, and not a lot of time spent explaining things when it wasn't needed.  I think this helped the story move along very quickly, although I spent probably the first half of the book wondering, okay what is causing all this?  That's not a bad thing at all though, that is what kept me turning pages, the need to know more. 

The main character is Meadow, she is 15, and her whole life her father has trained her to be able to not only defend herself if needed, but to kill in the cases it might be required.  The reason for this is that at a certain point she will try to jump on a train and be taken to the Initiative to get a job.  Getting a job there means extra rations for her family.  Her family is her father, her older brother, and her younger sister.  Her mother was killed by the murders that seem to be happening during what is called the Dark Time, when all people are supposed to stay home and be safe.  This is a future where no one gets sick. they have these tags in them that have nanos that cure any injuries. They don't necessarily save them from scars, but at least they heal quickly and don't get sick.  Meadow's brother Koi didn't pass the test to work for the Initiative, because he was unable to kill, the final test.  Meadow is sure she can do it, as she wants to get in and try to solve the murder of her mother.

The other main character is Zephyr.  And he has killed.  What he doesn't know is why he kills.  He is a Ward, which means that he has no family and lives in a tent with other Wards.  He works every day helping to pick up the bodies of the people murdered over night.  He has dreamed of a beautiful girl with silver hair.  And one day he will run into her, because she is Meadow.  Meadow will be drawn to him, and together they will find there is a conspiracy of some sort.  One that puts Meadow in trouble, so that she must go on the run.  But she doesn't know if she can trust Zephyr, since he tried to kill her. 

As they're on the run, you could use the old saying, "the plot thickens".  More and more things are brought to light about this dystopian society.  We learn things about Meadow's family that make even more questions for Meadow and Zephyr to try to answer. 

While I got a lot of answers by the end, I still need to know more and what else is going to happen.  So, I'll be waiting for another book, and also plan to read the novella, The Fear Trials.

A great dystopian read full of action and mystery, really hard to put down once you pick it up.

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #4

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Looks like I've been kind of lax with this meme this year.  Yikes!  Here's to participating more often now that school is out for the summer!  And now, this week's question:

Q: What blogger would you most like to meet in real life? Tell us about him or her.

So, this is a REALLY hard question. Because honestly, I would love it if I could meet ALL my blogger friends that I follow, or that follow me, or both, at some point.  And I've gotten to meet several, first at BEA last summer, then at RT Convention earlier this month.  I think, to go along with this event, I'm going to say that I really would love to meet the hosts of Feature and Follow Friday, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!!  I've followed them both because of FF, and how they bring us bloggers together through this is just an awesome thing!  One other blogger I'd love to meet because of how much she does for bringing other bloggers together is Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.  She was so busy last year with some kind of giveaway, or two running pretty much every day of the year!  She's taking some time off this year, and I say it is well deserved!  Oh yeah, and I'd also like to meet Mary at Bookhounds, because she is a dachshund lover like me!!

How about you?  What blogger would you like to meet?  Or maybe who are some cool bloggers that you have already met?

Stacking the Shelves - 2013 RT Convention Edition

This week my Stacking the Shelves post hosted by Tynga's Reviews will be not only about all the books I got the past two days at the Romantic Times Convention, but also some stories about the convention itself.  I'll share the books first, then the stories after.

The picture above shows the books I was shocked and delighted to get for free at the Red Slipper Party put on by Avon Books.  From what I'd heard about past conventions, you were limited to how many free books you could get in different events like this.  But, it wasn't that way!  Here's what you see in the picture:

Possess by Gretchen McNeil, Wings by Aprilynne Pike, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, Slide by Jill Hathaway, Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier, So Close to You by Rachel Carter, Die for Me by Amy Plum, Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs, Hereafter by Tara Hudson, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, and Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza.

I actually got a few more books than  you see here, they were ones I'd already read, so didn't put them in the picture, they were:  The Selection by Kiera Cass, Eve by Anna Carey, Invisible Sun by David Macinnis Gill, and not sure why I didn't put it in the picture but a new one by Melissa Marr:  The Arrivals.

This next picture shows the books that I bought at the Giant Book Fair on Saturday morning.  I had hoped to buy a few, 5 was my limit, but I wish more of these had been available in paperback.  Once by Anna Carey was in paperback, and I had to buy it because I loved Eve, and have been waiting to read on.  Dirty Little Secrets by CJ Omololu was one I planned to buy after hearing her talk about it in a panel on Friday, but I had expected it to be in paper back as well.  Now, I totally fell in love with Sarah Rees Brennan during all the panels I saw her during the convention, and I had already been a fan due to getting to read Unspoken as an egalley from Netgalley a while back.  So, I gave in and bought the book, even though it was hardcover.  Plus, she gave me a necklace like the one in the book, so how could I not?  Ten by Gretchen McNeil was the one I'd really wanted a lot, and while I had wanted to read Possession that I got for free the night before, I gave in and bought this too.  And finally, Shades of Earth by Beth Revis.  The 2nd book in the series, A Million Suns, left off with such a cliffhanger I couldn't wait to read this.  But, I'd been trying to win it so I wouldn't have to buy it.  I gave in and bought it.  So I stuck to my 5 book rule, but price-wise, it wasn't the paperback price I'd hoped for.  

I need to crop my pictures next time, sorry about the vacuum cleaner you see in the back.  These are the books that I got at the Teen Day Party Saturday night.  At first didn't think I'd get any because it was supposed to be "only" for the teens.  And maybe if anything was left over, the adults could have some, well, soon that changed, and we got to get some too!  The ones you see in the picture above are Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton, and I've been a fan of hers with her Blood Journals series, so am excited to see something new by her, even if it's not in the same series.  Then Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  I've heard so much about this, but it doesn't seem my kind of book, but for free, well, I guess I can give it a try this summer.  Transcendence by CJ Omololu is one I've already read, and loved, and if you remember my posts from BEA last summer, it was one I'd really wanted, and I was kind of given a raw deal on getting a copy of it, which made me irritated.  Not to the author, but to the publisher.  So I was very excited to get a copy of it Saturday!  And then I now have all the books in the Eve series by Anna Carey because I got the final book, Rise!  One of the teens sitting at the table we were at gave it to me, so that was very nice!  I also got a copy of Firelight by Sophie Jordan, I figured I would give it a shot as I'd heard such great things about it. And if it doesn't turn out to be my favorite, it can be on my shelf for students at school, or I can have a giveaway here for it.  The one book that was sought after the most I think last night, and I felt a little bad because I wouldn't trade with a teen for it (because I wanted it!) was an ARC of 3:59 Gretchen McNeil.  Another book I've been curious about for awhile was Crewel by Gennifer Albin, so I picked that up.  And finally, The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan.  I have been interested in reading more gargoyle stories and this seems as if it is one.  I also got a paperback copy of Across the Universe by Beth Revis that I can leave in my classroom for my students to read.

It was soooooo awesome!  I recommend if you ever get the chance, definitely go to this convention!  If you're like me and are a YA fan, just choose to go to the Teen day, and possibly the day before like I did, where there were a lot of teen authors there.  I also got books I already had signed while I was there, got to meet Veronica Roth, and several other authors.  Authors I saw but didn't buy or get free books from were:  Carrie Ryan, Victoria Scott, Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia, Nancy Holder, Heather Brewer, and Ally Carter.

I also got to meet some great fellow book bloggers who were attending, and I don't know about you guys, but meeting fellow bloggers is almost as cool as meeting favorite authors!!  I got to meet The Book Nympho,  The Jeep Diva, The Book Savvy Babe, Kelly from Demon Lover's Books and More, The Bawdy Book Blog, Carmel from Rabid Reads, and Amber I from AwesomeSauce Book Club, and I know I'm forgetting someone!  I met up with them for dinner Wednesday night, even though I wasn't attending until Friday.  And then I ran into them on Friday and Saturday throughout the day as we passed on our way to panels and the book fair, etc.