Judging for Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Written By: Kellie - Sep• 03•11

This year I volunteered to judge a group of blogs for this years BBAW Awards, and I just wanted to say I had so much fun doing it! I didn’t get to judge anything in my own genre’s which was a bit of a bummer (I wasn’t nominated anyways… bias free, I swear!) but I still ended up spending a ton of time just reading random articles and reviews that I really loved. Anyways, I was judging Literary Fiction blogs and I may even end up branching out in my reading sometime soon just to check out a few of the titles I saw mentioned.

Anyways, thank you thank you for allowing me to be part of BBAW this year and best of luck to everyone who was nominated.

Posted in Fun Stuff & Promos , | No Comments »

This summer in YA

Written By: Kellie - Sep• 02•11

This summer I feel in love for the first time, three times. Each time with a different Fuentes brother.

This summer I learned to love the chimpanzee my parents brought home as part of a research experiment.

This summer I came to understand the inner workings of a young Helen Keller.

This summer I fought for my survival in The Hunger Games before leading a revolution.

This summer I fought alongside pirates in the Caribbean.

This summer my cellphone broke, giving me the opportunity to talk to a younger version of myself.

This summer I, a human girl, became Alpha of a werewolf pack of misfits.

This summer I moved into a house of seven brothers and tried to hold on to my sanity.

This summer I fell in love with YA books all over again.

Have I mentioned I love summer?

Posted in Reading, Young Adult Books , , | No Comments »

Chain Reaction- Simone Elkeles

Written By: Kellie - Sep• 01•11

Synopsis: Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?
-Goodreads

Review: Somehow I had the wrong idea about what Luis’s story was going to be like. For some reason I thought this time the girl, Nikki, was going to be the bad-ass and Luis was just kind of a happy go lucky kid who actually learned from his brothers mistakes. It would have been an interesting change but instead we got more of the same. Thankfully, I love this series so it was still a lot of fun to read.

The Fuentes brothers Alex, Carlos and Luis are all essentially the same, bad boys with heart. That being said they each have their own flavour and Luis is definitely a charmer and a thrill seeker. Nikki on the other hand was pretty unexpected and I really liked her. She’s been through a lot and can hold her own. Their relationship isn’t all wholesome and wonderful and their is a lot of deception, miss trust and kept secrets but the two of them have obvious chemistry and it’s a lot of fun to watch it develop.

Another big plus is that Alex and Carlos both play big roles in this book. Since Luis never really factored into their books, it was nice to really see the dynamic between the three brothers. They’ll defend each other no matter what and can be pretty hilarious to watch when they’re giving each other a hard time. I love these guys!

This book is obviously a must read for anyone who has enjoyed this series in the past, and even if you haven’t read either of the first two books Chain Reaction is its own story so don’t be afraid to jump right in and then back track later. Luis and his brothers have been some of my favorite YA hotties this summer and you will love them as much as I do.

Rating

 

 

 

Second Opinions
@Girls In The Stacks
@Books Complete Me
@Total Bookaholic

Posted in Young Adult Books , , | 2 Comments »

Operation Bookshelf Part 1- The Mission

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 30•11

Pretty soon I’m moving for school. Not too far, so I’ll be home pretty regularly. I still have to narrow down my stuff to the stuff I just can’t live without. I will only have one medium shelf set for books, movies, TV shows and video games… so how do I choose what to take!?

Here is what I’m starting off with… These shelves are in my room and mostly for books.

 

 

 

 

Plus these, which are in my basement and have more books, all my TV on DVD, movies and video games.

 

 

 

 

 

Annnd… these. A bag of books from the used book store, my LOTR DVD’s and the book I’ve been reading in the tub.

 

 

 

 

And all of that needs to get narrowed down to this one shelf which I’ll empty of whatever is on it now and try to get it all prettified. Not a lot of space to work with, I really don’t know how I’ll decide!

Posted in Fun Stuff & Promos , , | 1 Comment »

Favorites Month Wrap Up

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 29•11

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who came out and participated in my Favorite’s Month. It was so much fun getting to share my all of the authors I love with people who love books as much as I do. Of course, a big special thank you to all four of my favorite authors Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn and Rachel Vincent. Your characters feel like old friends who I always know I can go back and visit whenever I need them. Double thank yous go to Carrie Vaughn who provided an interview for her week and Rachel Vincent who RT’d about her week to get the word out there. Having some of my favorite authors interact with me like that is just toooo cool for words. Thank you, thank you.

Having a month full of favorites was easy to write about and was a great chance for me to do some guilty pleasure rereads (*coughtwilightcough*) and to get ready for my move which is now just a couple days away. I’ve been keeping so busy that I’ve barely made a dent in some of the awesome new teen titles that came out this month so I’ll be spending my last few days of freedom (before going back to school) reading Chain Reaction, Bloodlines and The Power of Six.

Thanks again to everyone who came out and I really hope some of you continue to stop by from time to time and say hello!Maybe we will do this again next year?

<3 you all!
-Kellie

Posted in Fun Stuff & Promos , | 2 Comments »

Patricia Briggs Quotes

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 28•11

Some of these I hadn’t heard before but they’re actually pretty funny. Enjoy!

“MS. THOMPSON, it said in heavy block letters, PLEASE KEEP YOUR FELINE OFF MY PROPERTY. IF I SEE IT AGAIN, I WILL EAT IT.”

“Women are the bloodthirsty sex, said Ric sadly. We get the reputation, but it is only because the women stand behind us, and say, ‘Kill it. Squish it.”

“Sometimes I have the urge to conquer large parts of Europe.”

“Love thy enemies, it says in the scriptures. My foster mother always added, “At the very least, you will be polite to them.”

“Stefan: “Indian with a dot, not a feather.”

“A man says a lot of things in summer he doesn’t mean in winter.”

“He was obviously dead. But since he was a vampire that wasn’t as hopless a thing as it might have been.”

Posted in Fun Stuff & Promos , , | 2 Comments »

Patricia Briggs Giveaway

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 27•11

This is it, the last giveaway of Favorite’s Month here at ReaWrite. Congrats to both of our winners so far and there are still two more chances to win!

I’ve spent all week delving into the wide selection of books Patricia Briggs has to offer and there are a lot! So, since it is the last week, the winner will get their choice of any one of the five books I’ve talked about this week which are….

1. Moon Called
2. Raven’s Shadow
3. Dragon Bones
4. Masques
5. The Hob’s Bargain

To learn more about these books you can check out Patricia Brigg’s website or read back over this weeks post where I give a little bit of background on each of these books.

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post with the following…
This contest is open anywhere where The Book Depository ships.
It would be much appreciated if you could tweet/promote this giveaway as I have lots more coming this month and would love, love, love to get the word out.
-Your name
-Your email address
-Which option you’d like

Posted in Favorites , , | 9 Comments »

Patricia Briggs Showdown- The Final Round

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 26•11

So, I’ve narrowed it down to two books, so this is it! This round decides which of Patricia Briggs many fantastic novels will be my next read. I had been limiting my Patricia Briggsyness to her wonderful Mercy Thompson series and today, I branch out! So, here are the contenders!

Masques
-First in a series of four
-Highly recommended by fellow bloggers
-Involves wolves, yay!
-Patricia Briggs debut novel
-Strong willed, female MC

 
Raven’s Shadow
-First in a series of two
-Very pretty cover art
-Fulfilling ancient oaths
-Epic love story

 

 

And the winner is…
Masques
I’m going with my gut on this one as Raven’s Shadow seems more like my kind of story but there is just something about Masques that appeals to me and I have been wanting to check it out for a little. It will also be pretty cool to see where Patricia Brigg’s writing started and how it has grown since then. And hey, no rule saying I can’t read Raven’s Shadow a little later on =D

Posted in Favorites, Fun Stuff & Promos , | No Comments »

Patricia Briggs Showdown Round 1, Part 2

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 25•11

Yesterday, in round one, Raven’s shadow came out on top. Now to decide who which other book will go head to head against it in the finals! For round two I will be facing a standalone book against the first book in a series of four. So, here goes! The Hobs Bargain vs. Masques!

Premise: Her gift of sight has shown her visions of mayhem and murder. So, to save her village from ruthless raiders, Aren of Fallbrook strikes a bargain with the magical Hob, who will exact a heavy price to defend the village—a price Aren herself must pay. -Goodreads
What appeals to me: I am always looking for good stand alone books as everything these days seems to be part of a series. I love the cover of this one and want to know if the horse actually factors into the story or if it’s just there for effect. The storyline sounds pretty interesting. Overall, sounds promising.

VS

Premise: After an upbringing of proper behavior and oppressive expectations, Aralorn fled her noble birthright for a life of adventure as a mercenary spy. Her latest mission involves spying on the increasingly powerful sorcerer Geoffrey ae’Magi. But in a war against an enemy armed with the powers of illusion, how do you know who the true enemy is-or where he will strike next?
What appeals to me: I’m pretty sure wolves factor in heavily in this series, which is always a yay for me. And on the flip side of the other book being a standalone, this is the first of four so if I like it there is more too read. The cover is so-so, but not a turn off and I’m not sure how into the idea of a mercenary spy I am. Something to think about.

The Winner…
MASQUES!
I have heard such great things about this book and the rest of the series, there has got to be something there.

Posted in Fantasy Books, Favorites , | 1 Comment »

Patricia Briggs Showdown Round 1, Part 1- The Duologys

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 24•11

I am trying to decide which book out of Patricia Brigg’s extensive fantasy works to read next. I have four options (there are more than four obviously, I am only counting the first in any series and I have read anything set in the Mercy Thompson world). Today, I’m going to have a look at Raven’s Shadow and Dragon Bones, each of which is the first in a Duology (set of two).

The Premise: Seraph is a Raven mage who left behind her responsibilities for the love of the ex-soldier Tier. But when Tier disappears, Seraph must use her magic —and fulfill her ancestors’ oath to protect humanity from destruction. -Goodreads
What appeals to me: This book has two different cover version, both of which are very pretty and I definitely prefer that over either Dragon Bones cover. As for the plot, it sounds like something I would definitely enjoy. Love, ancient oaths… sign me up!

 

 VS

Premise: Riding into a war that’s heating up on the border, Ward, the new lord of Herzog, is sure he’s on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep. The bones could prove to be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them.
What appeals to me: Magical artifact based around dragons… hmm, sounds pretty cool! This book has the higher rating on Goodreads, although not by much. I like fantasy stories based around wars as long as it focuses on the political side rather than the military, so this could be promising.

The Winner…
Raven’s Shadow!
I’m sticking with what I know on this one. Despite Dragon Bone’s higher rating, this sounds more like my kind of book so that’s the one I’m going with. Now for round 2!

Posted in Fantasy Books, Favorites , | 1 Comment »
<<4344454647>>