Pardon our dust during our re-vamp, and while you're here be sure to stop by the Faceless Fancy Page! The Etsy Shop and the Faceless Fancies Facebook are now live!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Jenny Reviews The Summer I Turned Pretty Series

This is review is going to be a little different since I'm tackling the whole series at once instead of seperating it into a post for each book. Here we go.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
 
The Summer I Turned Pretty 
by Jenny Han
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Release Date: May 5th, 2009
Edition: Paperback 276 pages (purchased)

 What the back of the book has to say ...

Some Summers are just destined to be pretty.
When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything? 



It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2)        We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) 


I want to start by saying that I don't usually read contemporary YA unless it involves a lot of mystery, spies, and a dead body or two. Morbid? Maybe. I love a good romance story, I do, but give me some action and suspense, and I don't mean the kind behind a bedroom door. Yuck. There's a reason I stick to YA. I'm talking gunfire, close calls, and that almost kiss while hiding from the bad guys. Be still my heart. 
OK, so we're clear on where I stand with stories that focus mainly on romance? Now, let me tell you ...
I LOVED THESE BOOKS!!1
I picked this series up on a whim. I had seen it on several blogs that just raved about how good it was and became intrigued. So when I found them on sale I figured what the heck. I'm so glad I took that chance and if you're anything like me and you steer away from these types of books, make the exception for these! These books brought out my inner girly girl. NOT that that is a bad thing. All through the series I found myself smiling at times and shaking the book at other times, pretend I had a hold of one of the characters. I may or may not have even yelled at them while reading in a public place. Yeah, it got that intense lol.
   
   The story is told mainly from Belly's point of view and and she alternates between telling us present events and past memories from the Cousins Beach with her family and the boys. I think this was one of the things I loved most about the books. You got to see the history that all these characters had together. All the traditions, the inside jokes and shared memories. The traditional Belly Flop is among my favorites. It all pulls you in and makes the story that much more real. I've heard the alternating between past and present gets confusing, but really it all fits together nicely in my opinion.
  We also get to see chapters from Jeremiah's point of view in It's Not Summer Without You  and then a bit of Conrad's pov in We'll Always Have Summer. These chapters added so much to the story. I love being able to see what the guy is thinking and feeling. It really creates those moments where you know both sides of the story, but the characters are being silly and lying to themselves and each other, you know, those moments where you want to bang your head against something, but in a good way.
  Also, how great is Belly's name? Isn't that one of the cutest nicknames ever? I have a thing for unique names. Like I saw a cat named Fondue at the pet store, and now I want to name my next pet Fondue.
   Even the titles are great. Really, what could make for one of the most memorable summers for a girl? How about the one where she goes from being the little tag along sister to finally feeling pretty and having everyone notice. That sounds like a pretty epic summer to me.
   There was very little I didn't like about these books. I was not fond of Cam in The Summer I Turned Pretty, but he was necessary. While Belly was entertaining thoughts of Cam I was silently shouting at the brothers "You need to Step. UP." Lol. And while I enjoyed how the series ended and who ended up with who, I was hoping for a slightly different execution.
 All in all, The Summer I Turned Pretty series was absolutely wonderful and perfect for that summer time reading.

Interested in reading the series? Read it, loved it, and want the series for your very own? Check out our 100 Follower/Summer time Giveaway!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Nick reviews Divergent


Divergent
by Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
Edition: Hardcover 487 pages (purchased)

What the inside flap says...

     In Beatrice Prior's Dystopian Chicago, society is divied into factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue-Candor (the honest), Abnegation (theselfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On a appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beattrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is-she can't have both. So she makes the choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
      During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are-and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves... or it mighty destroy her.


Likes:
WOW! I was really surprised by this book. Right from the first page, this books grabs you and pulls you in. The pacing was excellent. Very fast-paced and wasted no time diving into the nitty gritty of this story's dystopian world. I love this author's writing style. This author makes you feel the emotions the characters did when they went through them. All the characters in the story are very well written. Beatrice Prior, the protagonist of the story, is a very strong female character. Though at times she seemed kind of cruel, she was an excellent character that fought for the faction she believed she belonged to.

Dislikes:
There were some small gripes here and there that I didn't really care for too much. Like I mentioned before, Beatrice sometimes came out like a jerk but I understood why she thought or said what she said. My main gripe was that I thought the initiation part of the book took a bit longer than I thought it should have taken. It did make up for it with an amazing last 100 pages. It just seemed like it could have probably been a bit shorter and hit the awesome part of this story a bit sooner.

Who would I recommend this to:
If you are any kind of a fan to dystopian YA novels like Hunger Games, this book is so easily for you. The idea of the factions keeping things "so-called" perfect in dystopian Chicago is intriguing. Especially since there is a bit of corruption going on under everyone's noses. I won't spoil it for you but it is very good. While this book has the label of being like Hunger Games or what not, it is very different from it. I enjoyed this book very much and I cannot wait to get my hands on the 2nd one. I also might have a crush on the author of this book. Oh Veronica Roth, you are so librarian adorable. Just don't tell my wife I said that. ;)



Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Jenny reviews From What I Remember . . .

From What I Remember...From What I Remember ...
by Stacer Kramer and Valerie
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Hardback Edition, 462 pgs (purchased)

What the inside flap says . . .

Kylie: MEXICO? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is  TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger??

Max: It started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics, and ended in Ensenada. It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.

Will: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border. But there's no reason to rush back home right away -this party is just getting started!

Lily: This CANNOT be happening. It's like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes, and when i reopen them, they're still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together. If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong.



I absolutely adore this book. From the cover to the characters and the plot. This was just a fun read.

First off, the cover. I'm not sure why I'm in love with this so much. Maybe it's the colors, or how the looks all four faces go great with the title. Or maybe it's the Chihuahua in the corner. Whatever is, its great. And I love it more after reading because the cover models are pretty close to how I pictured the characters.

The story, oh the story. It made me smile, it made me laugh, and it made me really feel for the characters. I love it when I can get to know characters. It makes reading so much more enjoyable. I really liked seeing all the different points of view, including Kylie's brother Jake. Outside of Kylie and Max who the story mainly revolves around, Jake was one of my favorite povs. He has Asperger's Syndrome and I just loved seeing how his mind worked. You also get to understand alittle more about what Kylie's life is like at home. One of my only complaints is that I would have like to see Will's and Lily's view points a little more.

There were a few things that were predictable and the ending was what I expected, but not at bad thing. I definitely enjoyed myself with this book between Kylie's outbursts, the banter between her and Max and all the movie references. I wish my high school graduation had been half as exciting as the one these guys had.

If you're looking for a fun, entertaining read  I definitely recommend From What I Remember...

~Jenny

Teaser Tuesday (2)


Teaser Tuesday is weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading! You can play along too! All you have to do is grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two "teaser" sentences. Just be sure there aren't any spoilers!


Nick's teaser:


My biology textbook said that dogs can smell fear because of a chemical secreted by human glands in a state of duress, the same chemical a dog's prey secretes. Smelling fear leads them to attack. The dog inches toward me, its nails scraping the floor.
(Divergent by Veronica Roth, Hardback edition pg 14)






Jenny's Teaser:

"I dare you to marry me, Langston," Kylie says. "You're on," I say. "Let's do this." 
(From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, Hardback edition pg 294)




What's your teaser this week? Let us know in the comments below.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Nick reviews Rot & Ruin


Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: September 14th 2010
Edition: Paperback 458 pgs (Purchased)

What the back of the book has to say...

In the zombie-infested world Benny has grown up in, teenagers must work once they turn fifteen-or they'll lose their food rations. Benny isn't interested in taking on the family business, but he reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with is boring big brother, Tom. He expects a dull job, whacking zombies for cash. What he discovers is a vocation that will teach him what it really means to be human.
    As his worldview is challenged again and again by the lessons he learns from Tom, Benny is forced to confront another horrifying reality: Sometimes the most terrible monsters are human.


Likes:
Oh man, I think I could go on for awhile on what I liked about this book. The writing was fun and the author sucked you right in with on the first page. It flowed so well. Not a single part of this book drags or slows down. The author does a wonderful job of explaining what has happened in the world without it being a huge info bomb. The characters were wonderful and very easy to like. Especially Tom. I really enjoyed his this book really gives you a different perspective about zombies and what they are. It truly makes you feel sorry for them. I really the loved the so-called "cliffhanger" that appears before the big finale that makes you think, "Holy crap, where did that come from?" It will make you crave the 2nd book, Dust & Decay.


Dislikes:
Okay, so I thought really long and hard about what I disliked about this book. This took me a good 30mins just to even muster some lame reason just for the sake of having one. Even though the author did a wonderful job of explaining everything that went wrong with world that Tom and Benny live in, he did happen to leave one very small thing out that I really hope he clears up in the next book. You know, just for a small clarification. Nothing huge though.

Who would I recommend this to:
This is easily quite possibly one of the best zombie stories that I've come across since the whole zombie craze came about. I was a hesitant about reading this because I'm really burnt out on zombies. It's just everywhere and it was honestly becoming stale. Though if you like zombies in any way shape or form, this book is very much for you. I was certainly surprised by it and if it wasn't for my Good Reads group, Rated YA-MA, having this title as the read of the month, I would have never picked it up. I am so very glad I did. It was such a wonderful read.

It's Monday! What are you reading?



Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling her how many you visited.  **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell her how many in the comment area.

Nick is reading:

The Name of this Book Is Secret (Secret #1)
by Pseudonymous Bosch
Published October 1st 2007


Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.




Jenny is reading:

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer#3)
by Jenny Han
Published April 26th 2011


It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.



Recommend a ... (2)

Recommend A 

Recommend a ... is a weekly event hosted by Shanyn over at Chick Loves Lit! Anyone interested in participating simply recommends a book that follows the prompt provided for the week. 
 
This week is Recommend a ... Book by a Male Author.


This week we're recommending two middle grade reads. 

The Name of this Book Is Secret      The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)


The Name of this Book is a Secret by Psuedonymous Bosch and The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan are excellent books. They're easy reads and super fun. No matter what you're age, we definitely recommend taking a look at these. 


What are your recommendations this week? Let us know in the comments below. We love adding books to our ever growing TBR pile.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

In My Mailbox (5)


In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by the lovely Kristi at The Story Siren where in which book lovers get share the bookish-ness they've recently bought, borrowed, won. (With links to GoodReads)

Apparently we didn't learn our lesson last week and made the mistake of going to Books-A-Million for a "quick trip." In case you're wondering they DON'T EXIST! Quick trips BAM that is,especially during their big summer sale.

This week in print we bought...

 Fury (The Fury Trilogy #1)Gone (Gone, #1)Beastly Deluxe Edition 

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Gone by Michael Grant

Beastly ( Deluxe Edition including Lindy's Diary) by Alex Flinn 
This is to replace my poor copy of Beastly that's falling part =( If you enjoy a good Beauty and the Beast tale I highly recommend. Alex Flinn's A Kiss In Time and Cloaked are both great reads as well.


In eBooks we bought ...

The Fake Boyfriend ExperimentThe Mind Readers (Mind Readers, #1)Crossroads
Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles, #1)Matched (Matched, #1)




The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton 

Crossroads by J.J. Bonds
 
Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

Matched by Ally Condie


We also picked up a book or three for a giveaway for all our awesome followers so stay tuned for that!! We'll be revealing it here soon. <3

What books did you receive this week? Let us know in the comments below.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

WOWZERS²

On another surprise of yesterday, we were nominated for The Liebster Award by Karen at Cheerful Book Reviews. This was Jenny's reaction.

Yes, this is literally how Jenny reacts sometimes depending on the level of excitement.

Anyway, this award goes to any blogger who has 200 or less followers

Here are the rules:

1)Each person must post 11 random facts about themselves.
2)Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you tagged.
3)Choose 11 people and them in your post
4)Tell them you've tagged them
5)Remember, no tag backs.

Our 11 Random facts:

1) We were married on Pi Day - 3.14  March 14th, 2009

2) Nick is double jointed in his elbows. Jenny thinks it's weird.

3) We both LOVE to play Disc Golf.

4) We have 2 dogs. Both of them were named after something book related. We have a mini dachshund named Seeley. We named him after Seeley Booth on on the TV show Bones that is based on Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan novels. In case you are wondering, our dog is very much a cocky wiener like the character he is named after. We also have a Chihuahua/min pin mix named Mortimer "Mo" Folchart after the main character in Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy. 

5) Nick loves to eat at Outback. Jenny loves to eat Chili's

6) Jenny is addcited to "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Her favorite pony is Fluttershy.

7) We both work at competing retail stores.

8) We almost have a 5 year age difference between us.

9) At our wedding, instead of traditional wedding music, we used mostly orchestrated video game music.

10) We both loves comic book superheroes. Marvel and DC.

11) We both love Disney.





Our 11 questions from Karen

1) When did you start reading? 
Jenny's answer: Very young. My mom used to read to me when I was little. One day she stopped while reading and I starting reading instead. Come to find out, I had the book memorized because she read it to me everyday. (That still counts, right?)
Nick's answer: I don't really remember when I started. I just always seemed to have read. I would stop reading for awhile, pick it back up and stop it again. Since Jenny got hooked on YA, I haven't stopped since.

2)What is your favorite book character EVER?
Jenny's answer: This one is tough... I'd have to say Mortimer Folchart from the Inkheart series. He could literally bring words from books to life.
Nick's answer: Oh man, this question is brutal. I have so many favorites that I would have to say I don't have an "All-time" favorite character.

3)Do you prefer YA or Adult? What genre?
Jenny's answer: YA, of course! Paranormal and Mystery Thriller.
Nick's answer: Science Fiction and Dystopian.

4)What is your favorite stand alone book and book series?
Jenny's answer: Favorite stand-alone: "The Little Prince by Antone de Saint-Exupery
Favorite series: "The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade" & "Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Nick's answer: Favorite stand alone "War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells" Favorite Series: "Gunsmith Cats by Keni Sonoda. (Manga counts, right? :D)

5) What is your biggest fear and biggest dream?
Jenny's answer: Biggest Dream - Being a successful author
Biggest Fear - Never ever finishing a manuscript
Nick's answer: Biggest Dream - Living comfortable and being able to take care of my family.
Biggest Fear - Death

6) One thing you cannot live without?
Jenny's answer: Internet.
Nick's answer: Internet.
(We know, it's very sad.)

7) What is your favorite animal?
Jenny's answer: Polar Bears
Nick's answer: Bears

8) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Jenny's answer: Alaska
Nick's answer: Alaska

9) Vampires or Werewolves?
Jenny's answer: Werewolves duh!
Nick's answer: Werewolves without a doubt.

10) How often do you read?
Jenny's answers: All the time. Sometimes I take a break for a day or two but it's not long before I'm immersed into a book again.
Nick's answer: Lately, ever chance I get.

If you could marry any book character (boy or girl), who would you pick?
Jenny's answer: Patch from Hush, Hush
Nick's answer: Amy from Across the Universe. Red hair, pale skin, freckles? Mmm. :D




Our 11 questions to our nominees


1) What is your "go-to" YA recommendation when meeting new YA book readers?

2) What is your favorite blogging meme?

3) Be honest, does a book cover effect the opinion of the book for you? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. :D

4) Do you have any pets?

5) Where is your favorite spot to read?

6) Do you think reading is going the way of the eReader? Do you have an eReader?

7) What kind of shampoo do you use?

8) Can you rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time?

9) How do you organize your bookshelves? 

10) If you were stuck on a desert island with 3 book characters, would they be?

11) Do you let your food touch or does it have to stay separated?



The 11 people that I nominated
10) Book Doll

I hope I also didn't tag someone who was already tagged. I'm sorry if I did. I had a lot of fun doing this and I hope everyone else too. Please leave me a link to your post so I can read and enjoy your fun answers. :D








WOWZERS!!!


This is how we felt last night when we saw how many followers we had gained in the past 24-36 hours. We were just literally at 7 people the other day before we participated in the Feature and Follow presented by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Thank you so much for stopping by and making us feel super special. Parajunkee and Allison Can Read, without you two, it would have taken us a bit longer to achieve this many folks.

Now that we have recovered from the shock of all the followers, it's time we start to keep this place interesting for you folks to want to return back and see us. :D

Friday, July 13, 2012

Feature and Follow

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read and gives bloggers a topic to discuss each week while discovering new blogs! 


This week's question: What drove you to start book blogging in the first place? 


To tell you the truth, my wife drove me into blogging. She was sucked in YA a few years back and has had a couple blogs here and there. She always seemed to be part of some kind community. That was something I wanted to be in with my gaming world so I decided to give the blogging thing a try. It didn't work out too well. I felt like I was talking to myself  and it felt pointless. I decided to give up. Then, my wife got the bright idea of us combining our blog ideas together to make one blog for geekery everywhere. Before we got the blog off the ground, I started getting sucked into YA. I then decided that we should just create a blog mostly for YA and such but with occasional nerdy thing it is as well. It's only a few weeks yet I feel like I'm part of the community as well and I've had alot of fun with. :D

A horse of a different color!





This trailer just fresh from Comic-con 2012. I happen to dig James Franco and Mila Kunis. It also has one of my "man-crushes," Zach Braff doing voice work. Jenny and I look forward to seeing it. :D

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Awesomesauce

You know you have a good significant other when she texts you saying, "Hey, we have a coupon from Barnes and Noble in my email." I reply back with, "Ohhh!" and then she sends you a picture of this.




And then says, "It should be here by Tuesday." I knew I married the right lady. :D

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Read-a-thon Update Day 3

   Hey everyone! So we're on day three of Once Upon A Read-a-Thon and I think we're making good progress despite work and other unavoidable life things. That pesky life.

   Nick is still chugging away at Rot & Ruin. He's totally sucked in and hoping to finish the book by tonight. That's his goal. Or at least get really, really close. He reads a little slower than most. He says it's for "maximum retention." (Really Honey? Dolores Umbridge of all the characters in that series?) But really guys I think he's onto something. Sometimes I feel I read to fast and miss details.

   My goal started off being to complete Arise by Tara Hudson and then close my eyes, reach into the TBR shelf and read whatever I picked up, then repeat. It didn't quite work out that way, but that's ok. I got to about chapter 5 and realized I just wasn't enjoying myself like I had hoped. I don't blame the book. I just don't think I was in the mood. So I set it aside for another day.

   I made the most random decision and grabbed The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han of the shelf. Oh My Gosh!! I'm so hooked on this series. I usually don't do contemporary. Usually. Especially if it doesn't have spies or something. But really guys, I'm totally in love. Ah! Totally in love with Conrad and Jeremiah. I stayed up late Monday to finish The Summer I Turned Pretty. I couldn't put it down. Then stayed up late with It's Not Summer Without You. Now I'm moving on to We'll Always Have Summer, I'm so excited! Why am I even still typing??


The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3)

 How are you all doing on your Read-a-thon goals?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Read-a-thon Day 1 and 2 update

Day 1 progress: 100 pages
Day 2 progress: 100 pages
(I swear, I didn't do that on purpose. LOL)

I'm reading:


Hey guys. Just wanted to post a quick update about my Read-a-thon stuff. I'm still reading the heck out of Rot & Ruin. I wish I was further but due to work and those people who find it fun to interrupt me while I'm reading in the back of the break room by myself. WHAT THE HECK??? I'm obviously back there for a reason.

In other news, because of Rot & Ruin, I haven't turned on my Xbox in 3 days. What the french toast?

Monday, July 9, 2012

Recommend a ... (1)







Recommend A 

Recommend a ... is a weekly event hosted by Shanyn over at Chick Loves Lit! Anyone interested in participating simply recommends a book that follows the prompt provided for the week. 
 
This week is Recommend a ... Book Published in 2010.


Jenny recommends ....

The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth, #1) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade 
Published June 2010

What the inside flap says...
The Ghost 
   It's not my fault that I was born with it all -Good looks, silky blond hair, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing. My life isn't perfect, though, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks -could there be a worse fate? As it turns out yes -I'm starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. To top it off, the only person who can see or hear me is Will Killian, TOTAL loser boy, and he refuses to help!
   I need to get control of my afterlife, and fast, before I'm dead AND gone for Good. If I can get Will to talk to me, I might have a chance. But that means trusting him with my secrets. . .  and I don't trust anyone, living or dead.
The Goth
   My mom basically thinks I'm crazy. My shrink wants to lock me up. Basically, my life sucks. And that was before the homecoming queen started haunting me. Alona Dare was a pain when she was alive; dead, she's even worse.
   Yeah, I can see, hear, and touch ghosts. With just a few weeks of school left, all I want to do is graduate and get out of here, find some place with less spiritual interference. But with a dead cheerleader who won't leave me alone, and a violent new ghost who wants me dead . . . I'm screwed.
   Alona and I might be able to help each other . . . if we can stop hating each other long enough to try.
   Yeah, right.

   I absolutely love, LOVE this book. I have no idea how many times I've read it. Let's just say a lot! The plot is great and the characters are even better. I love a good ghost story, almost as much as I love a story that involves a cheerleader with possible mixed emotions for a goth. Put the two together and I'm sold! There are three books total in the series, the third released just this past May. Each is just as wonderful as the previous. And aren't the covers lovely?

The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth, #1) Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth, #2) Body & Soul (The Ghost and the Goth, #3)


Nick recommends . . .

Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura, #1)
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Published September 2010

What the back says ...
  
 In the zombie-infested world Benny has grown up in, teenagers must work once they turn fifteen -or they'll lose their food rations. Benny isn't interested in taking on the family business, but he reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with his boring big brother, Tom. He expects a dull job, whacking zombies for cash. What he discovers is a vocation that will teach him what it really means to be human.
   As his worldview is challenged again and again by the lessons he learns from Tom, Benny is forced to confront another horrifyingly reality: Sometimes the most terrible monsters are human.
   Critically acclaimed author Jonathan Maberry crafts a terrifying future vision of a zombie apocalypse, brought to life through the rich emotional struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in a tumultuous new world.

Ok, so Nick is currently asleep thanks to an early shift at work so that leaves me to do the typing. 
   So this may be cheating because Nick hasn't actually finished this book. In fact, he just started reading it yesterday and only picked it up because it is his GoodReads reading groups discussion pick this month. He's so not into zombie books. Not a good way to start a recommendation huh? But hear me out.
   This book has barely left Nick's hands since he started it. After chapter one he started looking for the sequels and it's all he's talked about. He even passed up playing Battlefield 3 with the guys just so he could get in more reading.The plot is super interesting and you get invested in the characters from the beginning. It's not your typical Zombie story, but in a good way.

What's your recommendation this week? Let us know in the comments below. We love getting ideas for new books to add to our ever growing TBR pile.

Once Upon A Read-a-Thon!




 Hello Everyone! It's super early Monday morning here on the East Coast which means Once Upon a Read-a-Thon has BEGUN!! Wahoo! This is our first Read-a-Thon and we're really excited to be participating. Want to participate too?? Head on over to Pure Imagination and sign up! You have until midnight tonight before sign ups close.

Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura, #1) 





Nick got a head start early tonight and went bed with Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.










Arise (Hereafter #2)




 While I have just started Arise by Tara Hudson.














    We never know what book we're reading next since we have so many choices so stay tuned! We can't wait to see what everyone plans on reading over the next few days.Feel free to leave us some love in the comments below and may the reading odds be ever in your favor!

In My Mailbox (4): Sale and eBook find Edition


In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by the lovely Kristi at The Story Siren where in which book lovers get share the bookish-ness they've recently bought, borrowed, won. (With links to GoodReads)

This week we really weren't planning on picking much up since our TBR shelf is over flowing. Seriously I think it may collapse any day now, but when you come across great book deals you just can't help yourself ya know?

This week we checked out Books-A-Million's huge Summer book sale and managed to walk away with only 4 books. Trust us, it was hard to narrow it down.

  The Awakening (The New Heroes/Quantum Prophecy, #1)This Dark EndeavorI Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies, #1)We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) 


This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han 


Then we stumbled upon these awesome eBooks deals!
(As of today prices are as listed, but they Barnes&Noble and Amazon may change the prices at their discretion)

 $2.99

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)Angelfire (Angelfire, #1)A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark, #1)
Variant (Variant, #1)The Demon Trapper's Daughter (The Demon Trappers #1)


Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
 (Nook/ Kindle)

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
 (Nook/ Kindle)

Variant by Robson Wells
(Nook/ Kindle)


$0.99 
 The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny




That's it for us! What did you get in your mailbox?? Let us know in the comments!!