Silvia_pi's YA Books

In Some Weeks

2010-08-12T10:09:00.002+02:00

Today I’m going with my family on a small vacation to a camping and I don’t think I will be able to get internet there (I will try though^^) so I probably won't be posting anything during some weeks until when I start college. Just wanted to let you know.

Have fun while I’m out ;)

Silvia*

>>Update<<

Due to some issues I declare an Hiatus status for now. I hope I'll be back during or after Christmas holidays.

Waiting On Wednesday

2010-08-11T18:03:00.001+02:00

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (August 31, 2010)

Series?: Yes. The Infernal Devices, Book 1

Amazon

Goodreads

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Everybody is crazy about this book and I just can’t believe that the release date in on the corner! Less than a month to get this surely amazing book.

Shadowhunters+Cassandra Clare+Will+Magnus+Victorian London= HEART ATTACK!

And what’s with the gorgeous cover? It is beautiful!

From now on I’m counting down the days left till the date this book hits the bookstores^^

Treasure of the Week (9-15 august)

2010-08-09T14:01:00.001+02:00

Treasures of the Week is a weekly meme that consists in posting about the new books coming out that week.

A bit short of books this week… if you know of other book coming out this week let me know and I’ll add them.

*girl parts by John M.Cusick

*Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

*Thirteenth Chime: A Sense of Truth Novel by Emma Michaels

5th and 6th books in The Mortal Instruments Series

2010-08-05T15:55:00.001+02:00

BIG BIG NEWS GUYS!!!!

As you might know, yesterday there was this chat with Cassandra Clare in which she would interact with readers and make an announcement. Well, unfortunately I couldn’t take part in the event but I’ve read something amazing over at Katie’s Book Blog: City of Fallen Angels won’t be the 4th and Last book in The Mortal Instruments series, there will be two more book after it; yeah, you’ve read correctly, TWO more books, a 5th and a 6th!!! The titles are: City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire. As for the release dates… we’ll have to wait but I’m sure we’ll have more of The Infernal Devices to read meanwhile. City of Fallen Angels comes out in April 2011, City of Lost Souls in May 2012 and City of Heavenly Fire in September 2013!!!!

I’m super excited and happy right now, because I finished City of Glass some days ago and was sad that there was only one more book left of what has become my favorite book series. And the covers…… I can’t even imagine how gorgeous the cover will be! Who will appear at them? Simon in the third one and then Alec and Isabel or Magnus, or some other new character?

Really I can’t wait!!! Between this and the movie….. ^^

Waiting On Wednesday (16)

2010-08-04T17:15:00.001+02:00

Deadly Little Games: A Touch Novel

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (December 28, 2010)

Series?: Yes, Touch Novels Book 3

Amazon

Goodreads

Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about...

I loved the two first books in the series so I can’t wait to read the third one. I really like the mystery in these books. Have you read them? Did you enjoy them?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-08-03T10:18:00.001+02:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 384

Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition edition (September 14, 2008)

Tags: Post-apocalyptic, survival, Romance

Series?: Yes, The Hunger Games Trilogy Book 1

Amazon

Goodreads

COULD YOU SURVIVE ONN YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERY ONE OUT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON’T LIVE TO SEE THE MORNING?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling The Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

I committed two big mistakes with this book which I’m going to tell you so you don’t end up hitting yourself as I did.

The first one was to wait this much to read it. I decided to open it after having it decorating my bookshelf for almost a whole year although I had heard amazing things about it. I just never seemed to feel like reading it.

The second one, and in my opinion the worst one, was to start reading it without having the sequel “Catching Fire” waiting in the shelf; right after I finished “The Hunger Games” I headed to the computer to buy Catching Fire.

This book has that “something” that transforms a simple story in a piece of art. The world that Suzanne Collins creates isn’t that different from ours; yeah, maybe it seems crueler with things like the Hunger Games, but really, many little boys die every day as soldiers in Africa. Also, the society is pretty similar, being the rich, unharmed people, the ones living at the Capitol, and the poor exploited workers, at total disposition of the abuse of its governors, the ones living at the districts. That’s one of the things I liked the most about this book, that although both our worlds seem so different, they aren’t.

The whole Hunger games thing has you wondering all the time what would you do if you were Katniss, and I loved learning things about survival from her. I don’t think I would be able to survive much out there. What I still can’t understand is how the people at the capitol not only enjoy this kind of brutal and sadistic reality show, they also prepare big parties and parades the days before the games begin, and even vote for their favorites! How can they bet money on which child will die next!? It made me feel like screaming “HEY! You’re talking about children lives here!”

The characters are well developed, and although there are some that don’t appear much, the little time they do, you get to figure them out quite well. Katniss is the main character, although you could say that Peeta is too, since he’s almost all the time there, living the same things. She is a realistic character, a person I really think I could be friends with because of her strong character and her determination. As for the others, I found myself loving the sweet Cinna and laughing a lot with Haymitch (or should I say laughing at him? ^^).

The other thing I loved the most about this book was the romance. Not by it itself, if not because nowadays most of the books I read are centered in the romance and then following it comes a problem the lovers have to overcome to be together. This book felt different. This book isn’t “Romance then Problem”, it is “Problem then Romance”. The romance is, although a very important part of the book, an excuse to further develop the story and show us the worst face of that world.

Now, if you ask me which team I’m of, it is kind of complicated. While Gale doesn’t appear much, when he did at the beginning of the book and when Katniss remembered things about him during the Games, I felt like I wanted to know more about him because he quite fit her more than Peeta in some aspects. Peeta isn’t your average bad/mysterious boy we’re accustomed to, his sweetness and directness made me love him. Here we had Gale the boy who has known Katniss since years ago and who is similar to her, and Peeta completely different to her, that has been secretly in love with her since they were 5. In the end, as the story kept developing and even though I like Gale quite a lot, I realized I’d go for Peeta. Opposites attract.

The impeccable writing makes it easy to read and understand what happens, and the present tense only adds more emotion to the whole lot. Also presenting it from Katniss point of view was a magnificent guess since that wraps the reader in the same uncertainty as the heroin of who to trust.

If you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet, turn off the computer, get up, and run (RUN) to your nearest bookstore and buy it. And since you’ll be already there, save yourself the trouble of having to run there again tomorrow, and buy Catching Fire, because you will devour this book in hours. The third and last one in the series is Mockingjay, coming out on August 24^th this year. Also, that day is the release of The Hunger Games Box set.

About the author: Suzanne has not only wrote Sci-Fi, as in The Hunger Games trilogy, she is also the author of The Underland Chronicles, a fantasy series. Find out more here http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/.

Also here’s the official Scholastic Press web page for The Hunger Games http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/ and here the UK one http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/.

Waiting On Wednesday (15)

2010-07-28T14:10:00.001+02:00

Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy Book 1)

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (March 22, 2011)

Series?: Yes, Chemical Garden Trilogy Book 1

Amazon

Goodreads

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Doesn’t it sound amazing? Plus it has a very beautiful cover! I just found out about it and I’m already can’t wait to read it!!!

So did you know about this book? What do you think? What are you Waiting On Wednesday?

Kiss of life by Daniel Waters

2010-07-27T11:30:00.001+02:00

Kiss of life by Daniel Waters

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 432 pages

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 25, 2010)

Tags: Zombies, Discrimination, Romance

Series?: Yes. Generation Dead Book 2

Amazon

Goodreads

The phenomenon that’s been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they’re calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.
Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

While the first book in the series “Generation Dead” was mostly centered in the living-dead love story , the second one revolves more around the topic of the discrimination against the zombies and criticizes how the ones with power control and manipulate the others. I found it a very interesting thing to read about and as events occurred I got angrier about how those heartless people made the citizens go against the Different Biotic.

Another topic touched in the book was the sad but true truth about some charity foundations.

For the love story, I need to say that although Adam is very sweet and loves and cares a lot about Phoebe, I wished during all the novel that something happened with Tommy.

Some new characters are introduced to us and (sorry, but I have to say it^^) one of the is DeCayce who is really cute! I loved the whole “club” thing; it was good to see the DB had some place to have fun and meet other people.

The most remarkable improvement of the characters in this book was, without doubt, Adam’s point of view. Thanks to him we experience all the back-from-the-dead process from the beginning.

The writing continues in the same line that in the last book as well as the different points of view. Here I have to say that sometimes I got a bit bored and had to put the book down because while the point of view changes the topic does too, and it was like I wanted to know how one problem was going to be solved and then I had to read two chapters that talked about other things. But well, although sometimes it felt like that, I enjoyed watching trough the different narrators minds so I could contrast the various opinions.

About the author: If you want to know more about this amazing series go check Daniel Water’s Blog, there you’ll find all the information about Blog tours, release dates, contests, new books of the series and the hottest news about the DB. Also, if you enjoyed reading about Tommy’s blog in the books head here My So-Called Undeath, the real blog! It’s an entertaining way of waiting till the newt book is released. But if you’re an insatiable fan and can’t get enough, here you’ve got this forum to let out all your passion for this series.

Treasures of the Week (26-1 July/August 2010)

2010-07-27T00:28:00.001+02:00

Treasures of the Week is a weekly meme that consists in posting about the new books coming out that week.

*Fat Vampire: A Never Coming of Age Story by Adam Rex

*Love Sucks! by Melissa Francis

*Echoes by Melinda Metz

*Jealousy by Lili St.Crow

*Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

*The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

*Manifest by Artist Arthur

So, are you buying any of the books?

In My Mailbox (10)

2010-07-25T10:46:00.001+02:00

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Well, since it’s been a while since I posted an IMM and I have tons of books to show I will try to post about all of them during the next IMM posts so that you can see all the amazing books I’ve been reading during the time I was away from the blog.

First of all I’ll show you what I got this week, which isn’t much but I’m very excited about:

For Review

*Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

3rd in the Generation Dead series. I’m really excited about this book because I absolutely love both Generation Dead and Kiss of Life (click on the names to read my reviews of the books). For those not familiar with the series I’ll tell you they have zombies, discrimination, romance and adventure. These are books you just have to discover since they talk about a society not so different from our (if you take the zombie thing away^^)

Now for the previous IMM:

March 17th, 2010

Bought

*A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker

*oh.my.gods by Tera Lynn Childs

*the abc’s of kissing boys by Tina Ferraro

*Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer

*Half-Minute Horrors by Various

*Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

*The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

*The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

*Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley

*ICE by Sarah Beth Durst

*The Maze Runner by James Dashner

*Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

May 7th, 2010

*Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2nd in the Hunger Games series.

And to finish I would like to tell you about some amazing contests (all of them International) going on in some cool sites:

*Win a $20 Target Gift Card Giveaway (ends on July 26)

*Super Pre-Order contest (ends on August 18)

*Teens Read and Write is actually hosting two great contests, one to win Nomansland and another to win a copy of Jekel loves Hyde. You will see them at the top of the page.

*Win one out of four books over at The Eclectic Reader (ends on July 30)

*Confessions of a bookaholic is having a Forget you (Jennifer Echols) release party with a signed copy of FORGET YOU, ENDLESS SUMMER, and GOING TOO FAR, one for a winner (so 3 winners in total) only open to the US and an additional book for an international winner. Hare’s the button (click on the image to go to the contest post)

*MBS Blogoversary Celebration!

*Finally last but not least, a giveaway over at Girls Without a Bookshelf I am super excited about because you can win wonderful books. Look at this amazing list:

Crescendo (sequel to Hush Hush)

Torment (sequel to Fallen)

Beautiful Darkness (sequel to Beautiful Creatures)

Return to Paradise (sequel to Leaving Paradise)

The Haunted (sequel to The Hollow)

Ascendant (sequel to Rampant)

Sapphique (sequel to Incarceron)

Also you can chose whether you want 1 winner to have all the books ore 7 winner with one book each. The contest will run till Will end on 31st August 2010 and is open Internationally. Here’s the link to the contest: http://withoutabookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/07/birthday-giveaway-sequels.html Enjoy^^

Contest

2010-07-24T12:23:00.000+02:00

Big Big contest over at Books Obsession. To enter you just have to go to this link and fill out the form.

The contest consists in:

It is a pre-order International giveaway so the books you can win are books not released yet. At first there were 3 books as the prize Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, and Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, but now the list has gotten bigger:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Added 7/14)
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Added 7/18)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Added 7/22)

The thing is, for every 25 new followers the blog gets, another books will be added to the prize list, and for every 50 new followers the blog gets, another winner will be added. Amazing isn’t it!?

This is how it is going so far:

*First winner gets their pick of three books from the pre-order list.
*Second winner gets their pick of two books from the pre-order list. (Added 7/18)
*Third winner gets their pick of one book from the pre-order list.
*Fourth winner gets their pick of one book from the pre-order list.
(The scratched out winners above may be added, depending on the amount of people that enter and start following.)

So you know what to do, go there and follow. Also there are a lot of ways to get extra entries.

Remember that the contests runs till August 18 and that it is International^^

BlogFest 2010

2010-07-23T15:19:00.001+02:00

Hey guys what’s up?

I’m here to announce that I just discovered this amazing event called BlogFest going on from September 10 to 12 and I decided to participate. If you want to join you just have to head to this link and sing up for this blogging party hosted by Cinnamon from A journey of books.

It is very simple to participate and it will surely be a blast! Here are the only rules you have to follow to be able to join:

1.Each blog must host a giveaway between 12:00 am EST the 10th trough 11:59 pm EST on the 12th. There are no stipulations as to the monetary value of this giveaway.

2.Each blog must post the links provided to them on the days of the event.

3.Your BlogFest post can remain as a single post over the multiple days, but make sure there is an easily visible link to it from the top of your blog. If people can’t find your giveaway, they certainly can’t enter it.

4.Giveaway rule are up to you.

5.We will have a webpage and database for visitors to use to help track their blogs visits. While it is not mandatory that you direct your visitors there, it is a tool available to you.

Easy right? If you want more info about the event or how to co-host it, go to the link above and find out want you want to know. I haven’t decided on the giveaway yet but I might be giving away at least on book and maybe some goodies. I don’t know. Also, this will be my first giveaway^^ And it will be a great way of having fun just before I start college the 13th!

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

2010-07-22T13:38:00.000+02:00

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (April 27, 2004)

Tags: Romance, Summer, Comedy

Amazon

Goodreads

“Hi Brooke! I'm going snorkeling with Ryan today, wanna come? I know what you're going to say, but he's just a friend, I swear! So when you finally get out of bed, come find me at the spa getting another massage.

xo”

The perfect summer story of a girl, several boys, and a cruise ship full of possibilities.

Lindsay has never been on a cruise, but she knows exactly what she wants to do now that she is: climb a waterfall, snorkel, meet lots of cute guys, and look for one perfect guy for a summer fling.

But her to–do list isn't going according to plan, especially when she discovers that it's impossible to have a fling–when you're actually falling in love.

Fun and romantic, this book has all a perfect summer read needs. Although the characters were well portrayed, what really really got me were the landscapes; those amazing places described made me want to pack all my things and go on a cruise to the Caribbean right away. And indeed, when I finished reading the book, I started looking for cruises^^

She’s got this little trauma about being virgin and she just wants to get rid of it by sleeping with a boy during her summer before starting college. For that, she tries to change her shy personality and starts looking for Mister Right to have a summer fling. So she gets upset when she discovers his stepfather has invited to join them in the cruise a boy, Ryan, so he can be her baby-sitter.

You will also find funny moments as you see how Lindsay (kind of) conquests develop. Romance, friendship, fun, parties and wonderful summer paradises, all in this book. Go check it out. Perfect for a summer reading.

About the author: Check out Rachel’s website http://www.rachelhawthorne.net. There you’ll find all the info about the many books she’s written. Rachel Hawthorne is the author of many chick lit YA novels as well as the author of the paranormal Dark Guardian series.

Silvia?? Who’s Silvia!?

2010-07-20T13:40:00.000+02:00

I don’t expect you to remember me, but for those who do remember me and wonder what kind of monster has kept me from blogging I will give you one name: “School”. Yeah, I know it is no excuse, but it is said that the Spanish high school senior years is one of the most difficult and I can swear it is true. I don’t know how it goes where you live but here students say that getting an university degree is far easier than getting the bachelor one. All school stuff plus some family issues have gotten me crazy!

Luckily it is all over now and I can freely return to my beloved blog. Also I’m happy because yesterday I got an official confirmation from the university I applied for saying I was admitted. It wasn’t my first university choice though if not the second choice, but I’m happy. So, my dear readers, I’m her for good and I’ll make up for all this time I’ve been offline.

Also I’ve been changing the layout because I wanted to give it a summer feeling. I still have to change the top image though. And instead of three columns there are four now so I don’t know if in others screens you can see it correctly (because mine is really big so I can see it all perfectly in place). If not tell me.

Thanks always for your support^^

Treasures of the Week (15-21 March 2010)

2010-03-15T16:04:00.001+01:00

I’m dying to read all the books released this week^^

Princess for hire by Lindsey Leavitt March 16, 2010 Hardcover:256 Publisher: Hyperion Book CH Tags: Comedy, Fantasy Goodreads Amazon

The Body Finder By Kimberly Derting March 16, 2010 Hardcover: 336 Publisher: HarperCollins Tags: Romance, Mystery, Paranormal Goodreads Amazon

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L.J.Smith March 16, 2010 Hardcover: 608 Publisher: HarperCollins Tags: Paranormal Romance, Vampires Goodreads Amazon

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott March 16, 2010 Hardcover: 224 Publisher: Simon Pulse Tags: Romance, Friendship Goodreads Amazon

The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti March 16, 2010 Hardcover: 336 Publisher: Simon Pulse Tags: Romance, Family Goodreads Amazon

Shadow Mirror (Walk of the Spirits, book 2) by Richie Tankersley Cusick March 18, 2010 Paperback: 368 Publisher: Speak Tags: Paranormal Romance, Ghosts Goodreads Amazon

In My Mailbox (9)

2010-03-14T11:22:00.003+01:00

Bought

Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

It arrived on Friday and I read it in one day; I enjoyed it quite a lot. I’ll post the review soon^^

Embrujo by Nina Blazon (Spell)

“Faun, a boy of disturbing black eyes and Nordic beauty, is staying in Larimar, the huge and ruinous pension of Jakub and her daughter Jade. Summer has just arrived and and the city is in deep crisis: at the same time that a group of rebels conspires against Lady Mar, the cruel sovereign that hides her face behind a metal mask, strange magic creatures sow panic by the intricate streets surrounding the river.

And, while they see how the world falls around them, will Faun and Jade be able to resist the spell of love?”

This author has one book published in English called The Pact of the Wolves but I don’t think “Spell” has been translated to English. Lately, the publishers in Spain are publishing a lot of German and Italian books; it’s cool because there are some that sound pretty good.

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.This Thursday I wanted to post about a very special thing that happened where I live but unfortunately I got really sick and I haven’t post a thing during all week. What happened is that on Monday, during all the day, snowed a lot in all Catalonia. Yeah, ok, it isn’t something that special for many people, but for us it was because I think this is the second time in my life that I see snow in my town, and it is definitely the first time that it snows that much in Catalonia since I was born. I wanted to post some photos that I took with my friends:

I am the girl with the red jacket and beige wool cap (in the first photo I’m the second starting by the left, and in the second pic I’m the one in the middle). So now you know why I’ve been sick all the week; Just my craziness for the snow^^ It’s not that I rarely see snow since at least once a year I go skiing or to the mountain with my family or friends to play with the snow and the sleds, but walking by the street and having all this snow falling over me, seeing all the kids in the streets all excited running and playing, and remembering when I went to London two years ago and it snowed (actually, when I went to London I caught a peek of all kind of weather; the day I arrived was really hot, the second day rained, and the third one snowed), I couldn’t help but be happy and smile to every single person I saw in the street. Also there’s the fact that on Thursday the schools closed (first time in my life too) and that thanks to being sick I haven’t gone to school all week.

Well, that’s all that’s happened this week. Now I’m healthy again and very eager to read. OH, and this week I’m waiting for a package full of book to arrive^^

Treasures of the Week (8-14 March 2010)

2010-03-08T22:28:00.002+01:00

Late update today; I’ll explain why tomorrow^^

The sky is everywhere by Jandi Nelson March 9, 2010 Hardcover: 288 Publisher: Dial Tags: Romance, Family, Grief Goodreads Amazon

Keep sweet by Michelle Dominguez Greene March 9, 2010 Hardcover: 224 Publisher: Simon Pulse Tags: Abuse, Faith, Family Goodreads Amazon

Hourglass (Evernight, book 3) by Claudia Gray March 9, 2010 Hardcover: 352 Publisher: HarperTeen Tags: Paranormal Romance, Vampires Goodreads Amazon

Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong March 9, 2010 Hardcover: 224 Publisher: HarperCollins Tags: Family, Poverty, Survival Goodreads Amazon

Flirting with Disaster (Stupid Cupid, book 2) by Rhonda Stapleton March 9, 2010 Paperback: 256 Publisher: Simon Pulse Tags: Romance, Comedy Goodreads Amazon

Scandal (Private, book 11) March 9, 2010 Paperback: 240 Publisher: Simon&Schuster Children’s Publishing Tags: Gossip, Mystery, Wealth Goodreads Amazon

These Boots Are Made for Stalking (The Clique, book 12) by Lisi Harrison March 9, 2010 Paperback: 256 Publisher: Poppy Tags: Gossip, Friendship, Wealth Goodreads Amazon

The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, book 2) by Carrie Ryan March 9, 2010 Hardcover: 416 Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Tags: Post-apocalyptic, Zombies, Mystery Goodreads Amazon

So I have a question: Does anyone know if the cover for “The Dead-Tossed Waves” is reversible? Because I remember reading it somewhere but I can’t seem to find any information about it.. I have the original cover for “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” and I would like to have matching covers. I like the original cover better; I love the different tonalities of blue in the cover, plus in the new one the girl seems to be one of the zombies that end up in the beach.

In My Mailbox (8)

2010-02-21T19:16:00.006+01:00

This is a compilation of all the books I got during the blog-break I took.

Bought

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Vintage Classics) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Éxodo by Anissa B.Damom

I’m gonna give you three tips which nobody gave me.

This is the first one: <<Forget all you’ve been told: Vampires don’t exist, wolfs are only animals and the magicians, faeries and goblins are locked inside big books of worn pages>>.

I want to show you the other side of the world. A World where danger is hidden behind perfect porcelain faces, love is like a bloodthirsty savage beast that lurks and pulls out your heart while you’re asleep and happiness… happiness is a crime that is paid dearly.

Canciones para Paula by Blue Jeans (Songs for Paula)

Paula, a young girl about to be 17, has decided to meet Ángel in person, a 22-years-old-boy who she has met chatting. She is nervous and excited. Minutes pass and the boy doesn’t arrive so she decides to enter a nearby cafe. There she has a funny encounter with Álex, a stranger, who is casually reading the same book as her. Both are young and good-looking… Álex has to leave hastily because he has a commitment. When Paula is about to leave, Ángel appears and apologizes for being late. He is a journalist and this afternoon he has interviewed Katia, a popular singer…

Borrowed

Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, book 1) by Louise Rennison

Not much but enough for a while. So, what did you get?

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Willow by Julia Hoban

2010-02-18T17:04:00.003+01:00

Willow by Julia Hoban

Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Dial Tags: Cutting, Romance, Grief, Family

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy —one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

Review

WOW! This was the first word that slid from my mouth after I finished reading Willow. And it’s taken me time to write this review ‘cause I didn’t really know how to express how I felt while reading it.

This book is powerful; cutting is a sad topic, as well as grief and solitude, so you would expect a depressing story, but the author added a sweet romance to the mix. The result? An amazing story that touches a very serious and doleful issue but that instead of making the reader feel sorrowful it makes him/her hopeful. HOPE. I think this four letters sum up pretty well the main message of this book (at least this is what I felt).

Writing the story in third person from Willow’s point of view was a very wise idea. This way we get to see that chain of sad memories and thoughts in Willow’s mind and what leads her to cutting.

I liked the romance as well. Specially Guy because he isn’t the kind of boy that confesses his love and comforts the girl, no. Guy is determined to stop Willow from cutting herself even if it means having big arguments with her or even losing her.

Also, the design of the book is cool. I like how with the title of every chapter appear some cut marks, and evrery chapter you read is a line that disappears till there are no more.

Willow is a wonderful book, and even if you don't like this kind of stories you will enjoy it.

Waiting On Wednesday (14)

2010-02-17T15:51:00.001+01:00

Quick update because I have to go. I’m going to a shopping mall near where I live to watch “Krabat y el Molino del Diablo” (Krabat and the Devil’s Mill). I’ve searched the net but I haven’t found any information about the US (or any other place) release so I ask you: Has it been released were you life? Or just in Germany and Spain?

·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·*·

Gimme a call by Sarah Mlynowski

Hardcover: 320 Delacorte Books for Young Readers April 27, 2010

A new life is just a phone call away!
Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.
Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!
Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?
Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?
Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise .

Sounds funny doesn’t it? Although the paranormal books predominate in my bookshelf, lately I’ve been reading more chick lit (though this one seems to have some magic in it).^^

So, what are you waiting for this week?

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

So Random: TV (1)

2010-02-16T16:07:00.001+01:00

One of the things I’m addicted to right now is Merlin, the TV series by BBC. I’ve never been a big fan of the story but not long ago (about a month ago or so) while I was looking for a new TV series to watch, I came across Merlin. I don’t exactly know why it called my attention, maybe it was that the story was different from all the other, starting with the fact that this one is based in Merlin’s and Arthur’s youth. Whatever it was I’m glad I started watching it ‘cause I loved it and in less than two weeks I watched the 26 episodes it has right now (1^st and 2^nd season).

The story sets in the years before Arthur becomes king and it is mainly about the relationship between Merlin and Arthur. The series start with the arrival of the young warlock to Camelot and how he meets Arthur. In the first episode Merlin saves for the first time (believe me, during the series he saves his neck a lot) the prince’s life and so, as reward, he is named Arthur’s personal servant (with which Merlin won’t be very happy). From here on, we see in the next episodes how the two of them become closer while fighting monsters, ghosts, witches and many other magical creatures.

The bad thing is that magic is forbidden in Camelot by order of the King Uther Pendragon and any act of magic will be punished with the death sentence, so Merlin has to hide his powers, which is already pretty difficult without having to save the entire kingdom in every episode.

I like the actors, they really fit into their roles and if someone asked me to, I wouldn’t be able to think of any other actors that would look better than they do in the series. And as in every series there has to be a crush, here mine is Merlin/Collin Morgan because I really like his voice. Here they are:

What I like the most about this series is the script. I especially love the conversations between Arthur and Merlin; they are a very funny couple. Here you’ve got some quotes from the first episode “The Dragon’s call”:

And here’s one more quote. This is from episode 2x02 “The Once and Future Queen”. I have to write it ‘cause I just love it:

I really enjoyed this series (and still do whenever I have some time to spare) and while waiting for the third season (I read there’s going to be 5 or 6), which I suppose will start around September or so, I’m going to buy the books. There are the books(left) and the graphic novels (right), plus activity books and things like that. Who knows, maybe I also buy the graphic novels; since they are for children the English vocabulary won’t be heavy so I could lent them to my 12 year old sister to practice and to make her read something because she doesn’t even give books a chance.

So, have you watched Merlin? If not, I highly recommend you to do it right now. Go watch Merlin and fill your life with a little more magic!

Related Links:

Official Web Page

Fan site

Back on the net

2010-02-15T11:54:00.004+01:00

So it's been around three months sincec I last posted and I'vev missed my blog a lot, but I have a good excuse. As almost always school is to blame; i had a to do a very important ans difficult (and thick) research project for my school.
This research project ("treball de recerca" in catalan) is very important because even if I had an A+ in all my subjects, if I don't get a good mark I won't pass my senior year and I'll have to repeat this course.
Here in Spain, it is only done in Catalonia. It is compulsory for all catalan students to do this research project during senior year. At the end of junior year we have to choose a topic for our project and a teacher is assigned to each of us so he/she can guide us during all the procecss of searching information, writing the project and expose it.
In summer we start searching for information, during Christmas we have to start writing the project, and then we have to finish it in January and in February we have to expose it with a power point in a conference room in front of a jury of three teachers and anybody who wants to come. The exposition should last between 15 and 20 minutes (althought it took me 40 minutes) in which we have to introduce ourselves, explain why we choose this topic, who we made the project and explain the contents of it.

My project was about how mass media manipulates the information and I did in english, which means I had to expose it english (I think I'm the first in the story of my high school in doing it in english) and although I was really nervous, when I started talking it all went perfectly.

Now, after all the work I'm happy 'cause I've learnt a lot of vocabulary and I'vev improved my english so I don't regret spending all these ours and days doing it.

But well, the good news are that I'm back^^
Right now I was rembering how it felt when I started writing this blog, with all the insecurities, doubting someone would ever read it and I've realized that I feel that same way now all excited just thinking about writing here!

I am watching New Moon Today YAY!

2009-11-18T10:33:00.004+01:00

Sorry for not posting for a week but I've been with my two exams week and I've barely been able to take hold of my keyboard, and I'm afraid I won't be able to post again until next week.

But anyway, this is worth a post entry. TODAY IS THE PREMIERE OF NEW MOON IN SPAIN so I'm going to watch it. I mean if I'm lucky enought and I can get a ticket because today and tomorrow and so on, cinemas will be full.

That's it, I believe in the US the premiere is tomorrow right? I think they said Spain and France were the countries were it would be relese first because Spain was the place where more people went to watch Twilight. Really, I can't believe it, with all people there's in the US..., I went twice to watch it, one in Spanish and another one in the original version. But yeah, when I think of all these crazy fans there're in Spain I think it is possible. XD

Well, I had to post this. See you next week^^

Treasures of the Week (2-8 Nov 2009)

2009-11-02T17:31:00.003+01:00

Fade Out (The Morganville Vampires, book 7) by Rachel Caine
November 3, 2009
Mass Market Paperback
Goodreads
Amazon

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again... Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

Freaks and revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin
November 4, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

This raw, moving novel follows two teenagers-one, a Mohawk-wearing 17-year-old violent misfit; the other, a gay 13-year-old cast out by his family, hustling on the streets and trying to survive. Acclaimed author Davida Wills Hurwin creates a riveting narrative told in alternating perspectives of their lives before and after the violent hate crime that changed both their futures. This tragic but ultimately inspirational journey of two polarized teens, their violent first meeting, and their peaceful reunion years later is an unforgettable story of survival and forgiveness. This story is inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR.

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
November 2, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

Anluan has been crippled since childhood, part of a curse that has besieged his family and his home of Whistling Tor. But when the young scribe Caitrin is retained to sort through family documents, she brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.But to truly free Anluan's burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life-and their love...

Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron
November 1, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world. Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend. When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?

AWESOME CONTESTS

2009-10-29T19:25:00.006+01:00

I'm writing this just in case you are as clueless as I was minutes ago about this wonderful contest. What do you have to do to enter? You only have to head to Stephanie's blog and in the upper side of the right sidebar you'll se the links to the different posts to enter.
Now, the best part: What will I get if I win?

-The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de La Cruz - hardcover copy
-Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda - hardcover copy
-Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines - hardcover copy
-Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough - hardcover copy
-Everything Asian by Sung J. Woo - hardcover copy
-Isis by Douglass Clegg - hardcover copy
-Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock! - hardcover copy
-One Lonely Degree by CK Kelly Martin - hardcover copy
-The Everafter by Amy Huntley - hardcover copy

You have until tomorrow so run run run to get a chance to win these books! (open to anyone)

Now, the other contest I'm excited about.
Kristi from The Story Siren is hosting a contest where you can win ....tatatatatatatatatata.....

-A finished copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
-A finished copy of Fallen by Lauren Kate
-And a double sided poster of Hush, Hush

You can enter until December 8, and it's open to anyone as well.

Waiting On Wednesday (13)

2009-10-28T14:54:00.006+01:00

Heist SOCIETY by Ally Carter

Hardcover: 304 pages
Hyperion Book CH
February 9, 2010

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

So, doesn't it sounds good?

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Fade by Lisa McMann

2009-10-27T15:47:00.008+01:00

Fade by Lisa McMann

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END. For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both. Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

Review

If I said I loved “Wake” I don’t know how to express how much I liked this one.

In the first book in the series we had: love, a bit of mystery and weird dreams.
In the second one we have: A lot of love, a lot of mystery, more and weirder dreams, strange classmates and odd teachers. All perfectly mixed up.

In “Fade” Janie starts to discover the story behind her powers as well as the good and bad things that they hide, and has to learn how to control them while she tries to discover what is happening at her school.

The mystery factor had my on edge until all was finally uncovered. Although I had my suspicions and at some point I could predict what was going to happen (or so I thought) when the time of the truth arrived I was amazed of what was happening.

Overall: A perfect sequel for “Wake”. I can’t wait to read “Gone”, February seems very faraway.

Another cover for the contest

2009-10-26T22:45:00.005+01:00

So this is the cover I've made for Something like fate by Susane Colosanti.

I can't wait to read this book.
Don't you love the real cover? because I do.

You still can enter the contest here.

Treasures of the Week (26-1 Oct/Nov 2009)

2009-10-26T16:51:00.012+01:00

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler
October 27, 2009
Mass Market Paperback
Goodreads
Amazon

In the tiny village of Rockabill, Maine, Jane True—26-year-old bookstore clerk and secret night swimmer—has no idea that her absent mother’s legacy is entry into a world populated by the origins of human myths and legends. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: vampires are not quite what we think; dogs sometimes surprise us; and whatever you do, never—ever—rub the genie’s lamp. For Jane, everything kicks off when she comes across a murder victim during her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean. This grisly discovery leads to the revelation of why she has such freakish abilities in the water: her mother was a Selkie and Jane is only half human. With this knowledge, Jane soon finds herself mingling with supernatural creatures alternately terrifying, beautiful, and deadly—all adjectives that quite handily describe her new friend Ryu. When Ryu is sent to Rockabill to investigate the murder, he and Jane fall hard for each other even as they plummet into a world of intrigue threatening to engulf both supernatural and human societies. For someone is killing half-humans like Jane. The question is, are the murders the work of one rogue individual or part of a greater plot to purge the world of Halflings?

Tempted (House of the Night) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
October 27, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, Tempted.

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales by Ying Chang Compestine, Coleman Polhemus (Illustrator)
October 27, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories,Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the GreatWall in 200 BCE to themodern day of iPods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them.
At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales—complete with historical notes and delectable recipes—will both scare and satiate

Destiny's Path (Warrior Princess, Book 2) by Frewin Jones
October 27, 2009
Hardcover
Goodreads
Amazon

After an epic battle that left her home in flames and her father dead, Branwen knows that now is the time to follow her Warrior Princess destiny. But she soon finds that those she trusts most are capable of the greatest betrayal. This heart-pounding teen novel takes readers on a mystical adventure as Branwen answers the call of her destiny. This brave female heroine will appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce.

Yet another contest!

2009-10-25T23:14:00.004+01:00

A big contest of http://www.princessbookie.com/

You only have to remake a cover.
That simple. It's fun.

Since this is the first time I do something like this and It's been a verly long time since I last used Photoshop (believe me), the cover I've make isn't something amazing but still I like it.

So head over there and participate!!!!

Click to enlarge^^

Mini challenge (big price^^)

2009-10-25T11:36:00.005+01:00

So I told you about all these amazing contests.
Cindy at Princess Bookie is now hosting a Surprise Contest. It's really easy to enter and you can win breath-taking ARCs.

You only have to make a list of 5to8 things you love.
Here's mine:

-Music (music rules my world, can't live without it)
-Books (my bed wouldn't have this big hole with my body shape if I only used it to sleep. Blame the books^^)
-Computer (with internet of course)
-Vampires (just to clarify, I like the lovely-o-how-hot-you-are type)
-Planes (just used one once but I really have lots of plans for them ^^ )
-Friends (how would I survive to school without them? )
-Asia (since two years ago Japan, Korea and Taiwan have become one of my obsesions)
-Money (not that I am like those people who only think of money, but I cant help to love it and try to save a lot because without it I wouldn't have some of the things above)

So that's it. I'm dying to read everyone else's lists.

Lots and Lots of contests

2009-10-24T22:01:00.007+02:00

I finally got my computer back and I hope starting monday I can start again with all the blog stuff (luckily nothhing happened to my reviews ^^)

So now to the point:
As a lot of you know, READ A THON is here again (I missed it again, so I'll wait till next time ), and there are a lot of amazing contest going on.
Cindy at Princess Bookie is hosting like, I don't know, a lot lot lot of different contests. Some of them are open internationally, so those, who like me, live out of The States check it out as well.
Hurry up, because you can only enter till Saturday 11am.

Some of the contest:

Win The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
Win Captivate by Carrie Jones (ARC)

Also, Katie from Katie's Book Blog is hosting a contest to win HEARTS AT STAKE!!!!
Click here to go to the post.

Treasures of the Week (5-11 Oct 2009)

2009-10-05T19:03:00.012+02:00

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. I just realized that last monday I only included in Treasures of the Week the books of September, so I didn't post the books from 1 to 4 of October.
That's the reason I will put them in the post this week.

The Vampire is just not that into you by Vlad Mezrich
October 1, 2009
Paperback

Are you in love with a vampire? Are you worried that you might not be his (blood) type? Do you wonder whether that cold stare means he isn’t interested . . . or if it’s because he’s been dead for three centuries (nothing personal)? Have you tried to coax him out of his crypt with a flash of your neck or a near-death situation that requires him to save you at the very last possible moment? Have you ever considered what it will be like to introduce him to your mother?Even though your vampire’s skin is transfixingly translucent, he can still be very hard to read. Sometimes he’s simply holding back his true feelings, resisting the urge to bite you in the chance that one day you will truly love him. And other times . . . well, he’s just not that into you. How can you tell? Undead dating specialist Vlad Mezrich has all the answers, utilizing quizzes, Top Ten lists, language analysis, real-life (and real-death) testimonials, and fancy charts to show you what you need to do in order to get your vampire and keep him forever. Once you go vamp, you never decamp – so let this eternally rewarding book show you the way to the vampire of your dreams.

Sounds fun^^

Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
October 1, 2009

Paperback

Remember us, so sing the dead, lest we remember you James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloween—the day of the dead—draws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul.

Ghost in the machine (Skeleton Creek) by Patrick Carman
October 1, 2009
Hardcover

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam. The two move deeper into the mystery they've uncovered, determined to discover the secrets buried in Skeleton Creek, in the conclusion to Patrick Carman's thrilling series.
In this groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

October 6, 2009

Hardcover

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.
Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
October 6, 2009
Hardcover

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

ICE by Sarah Beth Durst

October 6, 2009

Hardcover

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.
Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back -- if Cassie will agree to be his bride.
That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her -- until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

The Van Allen Legacy (Blue Bloods, book 4)
October 6, 2009
Hardcover

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged.

Young, fanged, and fabulous, Melissa de la Cruz's vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the Blue Bloods series.

Waiting On Wednesday (12)

2009-09-30T16:56:00.006+02:00

Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen

Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic and mysterious boy who draws Elizah into his world.
Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret.

I love cementeries and mysterious boys^^
Shape of water (the other book of this author) looks interesting too, and I love it's cover.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Treasures of the Week (29-4 Sept/Oct 2009)

2009-09-28T18:56:00.008+02:00

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

September 29, 2009

Hardcover/Paperback

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon king of the Shadowlands—the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious—and surprisingly cute—messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and he wants her to assume the throne. To complicate matters, a war is brewing between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, her half-demon qualities are manifesting, and her growing feelings for Michael are completely forbidden. Ruling a kingdom, navigating a secret crush, and still making it home by curfew—what's a teenage demon princess to do?

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

September 29, 2009

Hardcover

Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.
Her first kiss.
A trip to Disney World.
Her sister's wedding.
A disastrous sleepover.
In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.
This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death.

Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall

September 29, 2009

Paperback

Kara’s afraid to go to sleep—until the nightmares come when she’s awake . . . .

Sixteen-year-old Kara Foster is an outsider in Japan, but is doing her best to fit at the private school where her father is teaching English for the year. Fortunately she’s befriended by Sakura, a fellow outsider struggling to make sense of her sister’s unsolved murder some months ago. No one seems to care about the beautiful girl who was so brutally murdered, and the other students go on as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, the calm doesn’t last for long. Kara begins to have nightmares, and soon other students in the school turn up dead, viciously attacked by someone . . . or something. Is Sakura getting back at those she thinks are responsible for her sister’s death? Or has her dead sister come back to take revenge for herself?
This first book in a frightening new trilogy will have teens glued the page and scared to go to sleep.

Never Bite a Boy on the First Date

September 29, 2009

Paperback

I've got a few issues:
I'm a vampire now.
One of my classmates was found dead, with telltale fang marks.
I didn't do it! (really!)
Nobody believes me, so . . .
I'm going to have to find the real killer. I've already got three suspects. (three very cute suspects.)
One more problem: I am seriously falling for one of them . . . but what if he's the killer?

Liar by Justine Larbaleistier

September 29, 2009

Hardcover

Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Pastworld by Ian Beck

September 29, 2009

Hardcover

What if all of London were really an amusement park—a whole city returned to Victorian times to entertain visitors from the twenty-first century? That's the wildly original premise of Ian Beck's Pastworld, a high-stakes mystery set in a simulated past.
Eve is a lifelong resident of Pastworld who doesn’t know she’s living in a theme park until a mysterious threat forces her to leave home. Caleb is a visiting tourist who finds the lawlessness of the past thrilling—until he suddenly becomes a fugitive from an antiquated justice system. And in the midst of it all, in the thick London fog a dark and deadly figure prowls, claiming victim after victim. He’s the Fantom, a creature both of the past and of the present, in whose dark purpose Caleb and Eve will find their destinies combined.
Page-turning, complex, and haunting, Pastworld masterfully exposes the human experience of the past, of violence, of technology, and of entertainment.

Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle (Sequel to Bewitching Season)

September 29, 2009

Hardcover

Penelope (Pen) Leland has come to Ireland to study magic and prove to herself that she is as good a witch as her twin sister, Persy. But when the dashing Niall Keating begins to pay her court, she can’t help being distracted from her studies.
Little does Pen know, Niall is acting upon orders from his sorceress mother. And although it starts as a sham, Niall actually falls deeply in love with Pen, and she with him. But even if he halts his mother’s evil plan, will Pen be able to forgive him for trying to seduce her into a plot? And what of Pen’s magic, which seems to be increasingly powerful?

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

September 29, 2009

Hardcover

Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.
Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

Waiting On Wednesday (11)

2009-09-23T16:50:00.004+02:00

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

I don't know if it is because I read Sea Change and I loved it (I'll post the review soon) but when I read "mermaid" I had to check this book.
I haven't read any of the other books of this author but now that I've discovered them I want to.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Treasures of the Week (21-27 Sept 2009)

2009-09-21T15:56:00.014+02:00

Two things:
1-> I think I'm cursed or something like that because my computer broke down again yesterday. I'm trying to find a solution on my own 'cause if I tell my parents I'll get killed for sure (last time this happened ..... RIGHT BEFORE HOLLYDAYS!!!!, my parents told me that next time they wouldn't pay for the reparation, and I don't have money). Now I'm using my sister's computers (she is at school^^) but I have to be careful to avoid arousing suspicion.
2-> Now, new blog meme.
Lately I've been thinking of making a post every month with the books that I want and are going to be released soon. I've seen posts like this in some blogs and I love them 'cause I always discover one or two books I didn't know about. So I was going to make it, but when I started looking my September wishlist I realised it was going to be a huge, huge, huge post so finlay I decided to make one every monday starting today. I haven't seen any blog do it, but if you do, let me know.

So here are my picks for this week:
Pricker Boy by Reade Scott Whinnem
September 22, 2009
Hardcover

Some stories draw blood. Some truths won’t stay buried.He was human once, or so they say. The son of a fur trapper, he was taunted by his peers and tricked into one of his own father’s traps. By the time anybody found it, the trap’s vicious teeth were empty, pried open and overgrown. It was said the brambles themselves had reached out and taken pity on that boy; that his skin had hardened to bark as thorns grew over every inch of his body.Maybe it’s true and maybe it isn’t. But anyone who knows anything stays out of the woods beyond the Widow’s Stone.That used to be enough. But this is the summer everything changes, as Stucks Cumberland and his friends find a mysterious package containing mementos of their childhood: baseball cards, a worn paperback, a locket. Offerings left behind in the woods years ago, meant to keep the Pricker Boy at bay. Offerings that have been rejected.

The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible i by Stella Lennon
September 22, 2009
Hardcover

Amanda Valentino changed everything.
Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie?
Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

Pretty DEAD by Francesca Lia Block
September 22, 2009
Hardcover

People pity me, but mostly they feel envy. I have all the luxury and freedom a girl my age could want.
Something is happening to Charlotte Emerson. Like the fires that are ravaging the hills of Los Angeles, it consumes her from the inside out. But whether it is her eternal loneliness, the memory of her brother, the return of her first love, or the brooding, magnetic Jared—she cannot say. What if it's something more . . .
Something to do with the sudden tear in her perfect nails. The heat she feels when she's with Jared. The blood rushing once again to her cheeks and throughout her veins.
For Charlotte is a vampire, witness to almost a century's worth of death and destruction. But not since she was a human girl has mortality touched her.
In what way will you be transformed? Until now.

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner
September 22, 2009

Hardcover

Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face.Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she’s the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society.

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

September 22, 2009

Paperback

Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed. Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?

Wondrous Stramge by Lesley Livingston

September 22, 2009

Paperback (The hardcover edition was released on December 23, 2008)

17 year-old Kelly Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what shethinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelly's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

Candor by Pam Bachorz
September 22, 2009
Hardcover

In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town’s founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause. But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar’s built a business sabotaging his father’s scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they’re turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?Then he meets Nia, the girl he can’t stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

In My Mailbox (7)

2009-09-20T13:39:00.005+02:00

Well, this is going to be a huge post because here are all the book I got during the summer. So if you have time take a look^^.

Bought

*Glass Houses (MV) by Rachel Caine
*The Dead Girls' Dance (MV) by Rachel Caine
*Midnight Alley (MV) by Rachel Caine
*Feast Of Fools (MV) by Rachel Caine
*Night World 1 by L.J.Smith
*Night World 2 by L.J.Smith
*Night World 3 by L.J.Smith
*Gone by Michael Grant
*Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
*Blue Moon by Alyson Noël
*The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong
*The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler
*Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
*Ruined: A Novel by Paula Morris
*Dead Connection by Charlie Price
*Strange Angels by Lili St.Crow
*Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
*Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
*Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
*The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

*Stealing Heaven by Elizabeeth Scott
*I heart you, you haunt me by Lisa Schroeder
*Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler
*La Cosecha de Samhein by José Antonio Cotrina -> I got this in a local bookstore. I haven't read it yet but I can't wait to. It is a new Spanish release and the reviews give to this book and The Hunger Games the same putuation! If you are curious about it here's my traduction of the summary:

The Harvest of Samhein by José Antonio Cotrina

A group of 12 adolescents accept, under deception, to travel to a fantastic kingdom called Rocavarancolia. This journey, for many, will not have turn back.
Once there they discover that they must stay alive until the Red Moon appears, a few months later. During this time this kingdom, yesteryear glorious but today in ruins, full of dangers, magic and mortal creatures, will try to destroy them.
A lot are the expectations that the creatures that form the Council of Rocavarancolia have in them. Thay are the only hope of the kingdom, if they are still alive when the Red Moon emerges in the sky... But what will happen then?

So this is all I got during this summer.
Wow, on Tuesday I'll have my copy of City of Ashes!!!! I'm really excited, I loved City of Bones^^

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

The Forest Of Hand And Teeth by Carrie Ryan

2009-09-17T16:50:00.012+02:00

The Forest Of Hand And Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Books

In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

Review

A very creepy and sad story.

While reading this book it seemed as my fingers were glued to the pages because I couldn’t put it down.

“The forest of hands and teeth” got me crying out of the impotence sometimes, and other times out of the sadness and of the inevitable.

Since the beginning I knew at least some people were going to die, that it wasn’t going to be a happy ending story, after all it is a zombie apocalypse, still I couldn’t help but to hope and hope for a happy end.

Mary is a brave character with clear ideas and a strong personality and it made me respect her a lot, but there were times when her obsession with the sea tired me a bit.

With the other characters there were times when I liked them and times when I didn’t, depending on the situation I suppose, but basically as the story went on I liked them more. The only one I couldn’t stand and got more and more annoying as things happened was Cassandra, Mary’s best friend.

I loved Carrie’s writing; although it was painfully descriptive it took me deeper and deeper into the story, making it more real.

Overall: If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?

Waiting On Wednesday (10)

2009-09-16T16:16:00.004+02:00

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

[No cover yet]

Zoey’s life in her Florida beach resort town is happy and organized. She’s the captain of her high school swim team, and she works for her dad at his popular water park. Then her dad has an affair with one of his employees, and her mother has a breakdown. But Zoey begins a committed relationship with a hot lifeguard, which makes her feel stable, even if things aren’t perfect at home. Everything is still under control.

Until she has a car accident that she can’t remember. She should have been with her boyfriend that night, but he doesn’t seem to know anything about the accident—and he doesn’t seem to care. The person who does care, and knows more than he’s telling, is Doug, Zoey’s darkly handsome arch-enemy who saved her from the wreckage. As Zoey begins to piece together what happened that night, she finds her sense of control over her life was only an illusion. And she inches closer to discovering the darkest secret of all: why Doug has fallen in love with her.

When I was younger I was the kind of girl that liked reading mystery, fantasy, adventure books only, NO ROMANCE, that wasn't for me.

Look at me now!! I can't resist to this summary.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Wake by Lisa Mcmann

2009-09-15T15:58:00.006+02:00

Wake by Lisa McMann

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Not all dreams are sweet.

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant...

Review

First of all, as an introduction I’ll say that I loved this book!

“Wake” wasn’t at all what I imagined, it was better.
Every chapter is divided by days and hours and that made me feel like I was reading a secret diary, what I really liked.
Also, the parts in which Janie is in a dream are written with a different font so we don’t get lost while reading.

At first there are some flashbacks with memories of when Jamie first discovered her power and how year after year she grows with it so we can actually see how all started and understand why she is how she is.

The writing is precise, giving us all we need to imagine how it is like going trough all that is happening to Janie, and it felt really realistic, as if this could actually be happening to any of us. That’s one of the things I enjoyed the most.

The characters in this book were a funny thing for me. Let me explain myself:
At first, when the characters appear in the book, they give us an impression of what kind of person they are from the way they act or what they say but as the story goes on and Janie appears in their dreams we can see not only how they are in front of the others, if not how they are in reality and what their secrets, fears or wishes are.

Overall: The only thing I regret is not reading this book earlier.

I'm back!

2009-09-14T12:39:00.007+02:00

So yes, I'm back from my holidays. I couldn't say goodbye because my internet conexion failed but now I'm here again.
I have a lot of reviews and post schedule so pay attention!

Well, I'm writing just to let you know that starting tomorrow this blog is no longer going to be on hiatus.

Tomorrow I start my senior year!

Vampire Kisses: The Beginning by Ellen Schreiber

2009-06-30T12:33:00.008+02:00

Vampire Kisses: The Beginning by Ellen Schreiber

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 576 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen

A new guy in town.

Rumors of vampires.

Dangerous first love.

This is where it all begins. . . .

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood empty for years. But one day it seems to be occupied, and its mysterious, handsome inhabitant Alexander Sterling becomes the source of much talk around town. Raven, a vampire-obsessed Goth-girl who has always considered herself an outsider in "Dullsville," is determined to uncover the truth surrounding the secretive Alexander. As she gets to know him, and their spark intensifies, Raven finds herself in some unanticipated situations. Can Alexander make her lifelong dream come true? But love always has its complications—especially when it can only be awakened at nightfall.

The first three books in Ellen Schreiber's bestselling Vampire Kisses series capture the thrill of a most unusual romance.

Review

This new edition of Vampire Kisses includes the three first books in the series: 1.Vampire Kisses, 2.Kissing Coffins and 3.Vampireville

First of all and to give you an idea of how much addictive this series is I’ll tell you I read the whole book in one day and when I finished my eyes kept asking for more adventures of that lovely gothic couple; Raven and Alexander.

What I loved the most about this series is the humor with which is written. There were times while reading I couldn’t help but to LOL. I especially enjoyed the conversations between Raven and Trevor (her nemesis); they two are a really funny pair.

Alexander is a perfect gentleman; he’s so sweet and shy but, at the same time, protective and aggressive when it comes to Raven’s security. He starts as a mysterious guy and bit by bit, as we get deeper in the story, we discover new things about him and about his life as a vampire.

Jagger and Trevor are the principal troublemakers of this story. Both attempt against Raven and Alexander, but while Trevor is the most popular boy, star of the football team who doesn’t have anything better to do than to make fun of Raven (on whom he has a crush), Jagger is a dangerous vampire who claims revenge.

But if I had to choose a character, that would definitely be Raven. She is the perfect stereotype of a Goth girl and while she is marked as an outcast she has the strength to confront anyone who gets in her way. All se needs is a bit of understanding and love.

Overall: With this series, Ellen has created a fantastic new Vampire world full of humor, gothic stuff and, of course, love.

In My Mailbox (6)

2009-06-14T15:02:00.013+02:00

I'm really really happy this week. I was waiting for a lot of books I ordered to Amazon to arrive and I received them the week of my birthday! YAY!

There are a lot so I'm not posting the summaries, only a link to Amazon.

Bought

From Amazon:

*Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

*The Book Of Luke by Jenny O'Connell

*Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay

*Willow by Julia Hoban

*Kiss Of Life by Daniel Waters

*The School For Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

*Swoon by Nina Malkin

*The Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan

*The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

*Skinned by Robin Wasserman

*Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

*The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

*Rumours by Anna Godbersen

*Wake by Lisa McMann

*Fade by Lisa McMann

*The Blue Is For Nightmares Collection by Laurie Faria Stolarz

*Marked by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

*Betrayed by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

*Chosen by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

*Untamed by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

*Vampire Kisses: The Beginning by Ellen Schreiber

*Dance With The Vampire by Ellen Schreiber

*The Coffin Club by Ellen Schreiber

From The Local Bookshop:

*A Tres Metros Sobre El Cielo by Federico Moccia

*Tengo Ganas De Ti by by Federico Moccia

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

B is for Birthday

2009-06-09T14:07:00.005+02:00

So yeah, today is mt birthday. I'm 17 now!

I'm really happy today because I finished classes on Friday but today I had to go to high school to give a document to my english teacher.
I didn't expect anyone there but when I was about to go home a friend phoned me and when I picked it up I listened a lot of "Happy Birthday". I was really really happy!
They were in the playground waiting for me^^.

I just want to add that I'm really glad I have met you all, because if no I wouldn't be heree, writing this right now!

I wish you a very very very happy day!

Waiting On Wednesday (9)

2009-06-03T18:31:00.001+02:00

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

[No cover yet]

“I do have another book in the works. It’s called Jekel Loves Hyde, and it’s another dark-but-fun, supernatural romance about two teenagers who discover they have a shared destiny, related to the old novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Unfortunately, the more the shy heroine, Jill, starts to fall in love with the mysterious hero, Tristen, the more dangerous he becomes to her. There’s lots of mystery and twists and turns to the plot. I’m going to post an excerpt on my website, so people can check it out”

Beth Fantaskey at an interview you can find here.

I found out about Beth’s new book a few days ago and I’m really happy. I loved her writing in Jessica’s Guide To Dating On The Dark Side and though I was waiting to see if there would be a sequel for it, I got really happy to know about her new book.
Jekel Loves Hyde is going to be released on July 10th! Just a month and a few days more!! Even so, I haven’t find the summary nor the cover, so if anyone has found them tell me ok? ^^

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

2009-06-02T13:24:00.002+02:00

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review

A gripping story from start to end. I had read advices of not reading this book at night but I didn’t mind and every night I grabbed Bad Girls Don’t Die and sank in its pages. The first night I discovered the because of these advices. Bad Girls Don’t Die is a Gothic story that will put your hairs on end. Passed a few chapters, the plot turns dark and horripilating. I started looking to the sides every five minutes and every single normal sound (the sound of the clockwise for exemple) sounded 100 times louder than usually.

I really liked the way it was written and the fact that no matter what would happen, Alexis didn’t lose that point of humour in her thoughts.
While there are books I spend chapters and chapters to get into the story, this one caught me since the first one and as it was very well paced it was easier to follow track of the happenings.

I think that what I liked the most was trying to gess how all the events were related and why happened this and that, and how at the end all connect making a great background story.

Overall: I think this’s been the first terror book I’ve read and I don’t regret it. I’ll be looking forward to read more books of Katie.

Gracelig by Kristin Cashore

2009-05-28T15:41:00.006+02:00

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review

One of the things I liked most about this book was that it wasn't predictable at all; While reading I coud imagine what the main story was about and what could happen next but what happened to the characters themselves, was a totally diferent case.

There's the story main line (the cause of the story) and then, the interactions between the character, so while the love's part was well developed, it was left in the background. I must mention too that sex is mentioned in the book, but nothing explicit.

The pace is constant, maybe a bit fast or slow at some point, but mostly it was well paced and easy to read.

The characters were well developed as well. Katsa is a lonely girl who has lived apart from everybody because of her scaring "grace". She accepts what the others think about her and feels they have reason. But Katsa doesn't want to be a a monster, so when, thanks to Po, she finds a new meaning for her "grace" she starts feeling better about herself.

Po, in the other hand, seems to be very proud about his "grace", but he hides a secret about it that can't be revealed. He tries and tries to make Katsa see she isn't as bad as she thinks and that love isn't a chain that imprisons.

Overall: Graceling was a very enjoyable read. An adventurous story about morals, principes and love.

Waiting On Wednesday (8)

2009-05-27T12:52:00.004+02:00

Snap by Carol Snow

Madison Sabatini thought she knew who she was. Then, in a flash, everything changed. Now Madison finds herself stuck in a strange, sleepy beach town, and she throws herself into her one passion: photography. But when bizarre figures start appearing in her photos—people who are later reported dead—Madison begins to question everything about who she is...and who she wishes she could be. Both chilling and relatable, this is the story of a normal girl who finds her life spinning strangely out of control. Carol Snow once again deftly blends teen-angst realism with paranormal suspense.

Doesn't it sound good? I don't really know why , but my interest for Ghost books has increased a lot and this one specially looks thrilling (I love photos in which seems to be a ghost or something like this ^^). I can't wait to read this one.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

In My Mailbox (5)

2009-05-24T13:58:00.008+02:00

This week I'm really happy because I received a lot of great books.

Received

The fabulous Readergirlz sent me this two books I won at their blog:
Pants on fire by Meg Cabot

Katie Ellison is not a liar.
It's just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn't be making out with a drama club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend's back. She should probably admit that she can't stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she's running for Quahog Princess in her hometown's annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a freak was spray-painted on the new wall outside the junior high school gymnasium—in neon orange, which still hasn't been sandblasted off. After all, everyone knows that's what drove Tommy out of town four years ago.
But now Tommy Sullivan has come back. Katie is sure he's out for revenge, and she'll do anything to hang on to her perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now that Tommy's around, she's actually—no lie—having the time of her life.

Better Latte Than Never by Catherine Clark

There's nothing more annoying than working in a coffee shop inside a gas station—and not being able to drive. And having to deliver coffee to your bus driver.
Kamikaze Bus Driver sips his coffee, then charges back into traffic before I can even take a seat. I reach out for a seat back to hold on to, but the bus swerves and I fall onto the end of a seat that's already taken, right into the lap of none other than Mike Kyle.
I'm shocked. Mike's never been on this bus before. This runs against the laws of nature. I'm just so stunned I can't help blurting, "What are you doing here?" completely impolitely. Then I realize I'm still sitting on his lap.

They also sent me two bookmarks (really nice) and four cute pins with the Readergirlz logo.

I also got two book (I really wanted to read this series) from Random house. I won them at Starry Night:

Kiss me Kill me by Lauren Henderson

When Scarlett Wakefield transfers from St. Tabby's, a posh private school outside London, to Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the world-renowed prep school that her grandmother runs in the English countryside, she is relieved that no one knows her dark, haunting secret.
A few months ago, Plum Saybourne, the queen of St. Tabby's "Smart Set", surprisingly invited Scarlett to an elite party with a guest list full of the hottest names in British society, including Dan McAndrew, Scarlett's secret crush. Before the party, Scarlett had only imagined what it would be to have her first kiss with Dan, but on the penthouse terrace, Dan leaned in close and she no longer had to wonder. Their kiss was beautiful and perfect and magical, and then...
Dan McAndrew suffocated in her arms.
No one knows how or why Dan died, and everyone at St. Tabby's believes Scarlett had something to do with it. After all, she was the last person to see Dan alive. But now that she's safely hidden away at Wakefield Hall, Scarlett would rather forget that it ever happened.
Only she can't. Especially when she receives an anonymous note that will set her on the path to clearing her name and finding out what really happened to the first and last boy she kissed.

(Sequel to Kiss me Kill me) Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson

After discovering that someone saw what looked like Dan’s emergency EpiPen in A-lister Plum’s designer handbag, Scarlett and her tough American sidekick, Taylor, sneak into a posh London nightclub, where Plum has a private table. Scarlett is stunned to discover a piece of evidence that might implicate another girl in Plum’s exclusive circle, Lucy Raleigh. Which means Scarlett must cast a wider net in order to catch the right suspect.Back at school, groundskeeper Jase is hoping to take Scarlett’s mind off her troubles with some heart-stopping kisses. Scarlett can’t help but feel guilty for indulging in romantic rendezvous when she should be hunting down Dan’s killer. However, once Scarlett finds out how Lucy is connected to Dan, she knows she must drop everything and travel to the McAndrew estate in Scotland to hunt for more clues. But when she arrives, Scarlett becomes the target of a dangerous hunt herself.

And finally I won this amazing book at Imperial Beach Teen Blog:

Bad girls don't die by Katie Alender

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.
Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

So that's what I got this week, what did you get?

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

"Say It Again" Saturday (2)

2009-05-23T11:57:00.004+02:00

"Say It Again" Saturday was created by the fabulous Karin.

Sometimes while reading a book I find some sentences that I have to write down because for some reason they catch me.
Today I'll post some "quotes" of:

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

" 'They are asleep. You can come over now, but I have to meet you outside'. This was more for my protection than out of consideration for the slumbering children. First of all, I don't know how much more I could take of the unicorn-inspired decor. Their toys were all over the house. Second, Brant and a couch -or worse, an empty master bedroom- were a very bad combo. He morphed from vaguely risqué fling to bad-boy octopus man whenever he was in the vicinity of any marginally promising flat surface." (pg 3-4)

"Just inside the door stood a grungy-looking girl. There were dark, baggy circles under her eyes, her hair was chopped in rough chunks colored a variety of faded-out shades (but mostly black), there were few spots on her face that didn't sport piercings, and the leather cuffs at her neck, wrists, and waist all had metal spikes sticking out. She was wearing about fourteen layers, torn fishnet stockings, and combat boots. She stood there, pigeontoed, face downturned, dragging a rucksack with one hand and a half-filled military-issue duffel with the other." (pg 140)

I really enjoyed reading this book so I hope you do too^^.

I love you guys!

2009-05-22T15:33:00.003+02:00

I'm very happy, I really apreciate all the support you're giving me, it truly is very important for me to know you like my work, and it gives me a lot of energy^^.

Since I'm writing about this topic, I would like to apologise again; This has been an awful month. I've been sick and I've had a lot of exams so I haven't post much, but since now I'm less busier now, I'll do my best and I'll continue spreading all my love for YA books. : )

This award was given to my by Franie from Leer es adictivo. She is a Spanish blogger who has an amazing blog I've just discovered.

And I recived this one from Lilibeth from ChicaReader, a very nice new blog by a girl with good taste for books.

Thanks again*.

Fighting! XD

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

2009-05-19T16:25:00.010+02:00

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

Real unicorns are man-eating beasts with cloven hooves, bulletproof hides, and horns full of deadly poison. They can outrun a sports car and smell human virgin warriors descended from Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for more than a hundred years.

Or not.

And it is up to sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn to hunt them down.

Suspensful, romantic, and witty, RAMPANT is the exciting YA debut of Diana Peterfreund.

Review

First of all I want to thank Lenore again for sending me this wonderful book, which, I have to say, I enjoyed a lot.

I was very eager to read Rampant but since I had never read any book similar to this one before, I didn't really know what to expect.

The plot caught my attention since the first time I read it, I mean, MAN-EATING UNICORNS! I thought it was a very original and promising story. And indeed it was.

I really liked to see trough the eyes and actions of Astrid. She was a great character.

I enjoyed her point of view of all the things that happened to her and, of course, her ironic tone that sometimes made me laugh.

I kind of had a problem with the other girls names; I somethimes found myself looking to the previous chapters to remember who was who.

About these girls' character, there was a bit of everything, I think there weren't two with the same personality.

I would have liked to know a little more about everyone's past and maybe that they had a bit more of action in the story; I know they are secondary characters but they are also important cause they're hunters as well as Astrid so thay could have had some more protagonism.

Apart from that I have no more complains.

The book was written in a nice way with a few touches of Alexander the Great (one of my favourite historical characters).

Overall: If you get this book you won't regret it. It will be out soon*

Reasons Why

2009-05-08T13:24:00.003+02:00

I'm sorry, it's been a while since I posted last time and I haven't written any review lately.
I've been really busy so I didn't have time to check my blog and maybe I don't write anything this week neither 'cause right now I have a terrible cold (yes, I've spend all winter without beeing sick and now that the nice weather is coming I catch a cold).

Again I'm sorry, and well since I'm sick I've some more time to spend reading so I'll return with a lot of energy and new reviews^^

Thank you to you all that keep reading my blog ; )

Waiting On Wednesday (7)

2009-04-29T16:16:00.005+02:00

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.At least, that's what I thought.Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.There was a curse.There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave. Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

This book caught my attention immediately.
I'm really looking forward to reading this one. All this mystery thing has me wanting to know what happens in this place and what is this secret.
Another good book for December!

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Lots of Thanks!

2009-04-27T17:20:00.007+02:00

I'm really happy.

This past week I received a lot of awards. Thanks to all of you people!

Here are the awards I received:

The Zombie Chicken Award from Michelle's Bookshelf

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."

The One Lovely Blog Award from Katie's Book Blog, Kd's Library, Review a Book, Romance Sap, and T.V And Book Addict

"This award is given to new blogs and blogging friends.The rules to follow are:1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award."

The Let's be Friends Award from Michelle's Bookshelf

"Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

So here are my nomines:

For The Zombie Chicken Award
*Reverie

For The One Lovely Blog Award

*Megan
*Emily

For The Let's be Friends Award

*Amy

*Tiqa Khairi

Wow, I've finally ended writing. It has take some time to do this!

So, before finishing I want to thank all of you who gave me the awards, to all of you who visit my blog. At first I wasn't really sure if this was a good idea, I thought nobody was going to follow, comment or even visit my blog and I have to thank you all because everytime I read a comment or I see a new follower I'm really happy, cause I'm making new friends while I write about one of the things I love most in this world: Books!

THANKS!!! ;)

In My Mailbox (4)

2009-04-26T11:06:00.012+02:00

This week I'm very excited cause I got two things I really wanted to have.

Received

I won my first ARC ever at Presenting Lenore

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns…
The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.
Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.
Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother’s stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods – thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom – Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.
However, at the cloisters, all is not what is seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to – perhaps most dangerously of all – her growing attraction to a handsome art student… and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

Lenore it finally arrived! I've just read the first page but I got this feeling of "I think I'm going to enjoy this book". Oh, and thanks for the nice bookmarcks!

Bought

Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)(Spanish Edition)

I don't know if this edition is exclusive of Spain or not. This edition is like a book of the film with the two dvds. It is really nice. I have it with my books in the bookshelf.

So what did you get?

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Sant Jordi (Saint George)

2009-04-23T18:04:00.016+02:00

So as I promised today I'll tell you about Sant Jordi (Saint George).

Here, in Catalonia, we celebrate Sant Jordi every 23th of April.

This celebration comes from an old legend of a knight called Sant Jordi who killed a dragon to save a princess. When the dragon died, his blood became a garden full of roses.

Well, actually this is a very short explanation^^ .

If you want to read the legend here's a document from the Wikipedia that I think explains it very well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George.

On saint george's day it is tradition that the boys give a rose to the girls, and the girls buy a book for the boys (what I find unfair cause I want a book too^^).
This day there are a lot of stands of roses and books everywhere and there are a lot of representations of the legend.

In my High School, there are a lot literary competitions (writting essays and short stories) and today we had a party, with a representation of Sant Jordi and musical performances by the students, where the winners were anounced.

I entered 4 competitions and I've won 3. I'm really happy^^ I was first in Catalan and English and I got the second place in Maths. In the last one we had to do a photo of what we wanted and put them a name related to maths.

The prices are always money to spend in a bookstore. I got 45€ in total (59$ more or less).

Happy Sant Jordi to you all.

Waiting On Wednesday (6)

2009-04-22T17:45:00.005+02:00

I couldn't post yesterday 'cause today I had a big math exam so I didn't have lot of time.

Today I decided to pick a book that has an amazing cover and I really can't wait to know what is that truth the book tells us about.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah is different. She has always been a loner and freely admits to being a liar, but when her secret boyfriend dies mysteriously, her whole life comes under scrutiny. Now she plans to tell you the truth, the whole truth...or so she says.

This is a short summary but it makes me want to know about that mysterious truth.
So what do you think about it?

Ah, I nearly forgot to tell you that tomorrow is Sant Jordi (this event I told you about at In My Mailbox last week) and I'll do a post explainig it.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

You, Me, & Mondays (1)

2009-04-20T15:44:00.005+02:00

Last week, Cupcake witch, started a new meme: You, Me, & Mondays.

I thought it would be entertaining and funny.

That's how it works:

Post the book you are currently reading (you can provide a description if you want), name one of the characters in the book (it doesn't have to be the main character), and then say something you have in common with them.

So here I go:

My pick for this week is Katsa of Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

I like Katsa because she has a lot of things I don't have and I would like to: She's strong, brave and self confident, she doesn't pay attention to whatever people tell about her and, of course, she has Po XD.

There are also things we have in common, starting with the age; we both are 16.

I think the thing in which we are really alike is that we both are really stubborn.

You could tell us what is better to do all times you want, but if we've already done a decision it's saliva that you'rr wasting 'cause unless you force us to do the contrary, we'll rarely change our mind.

So well, that's all for today.

Ah, yes! I've just finished Graceling so I hope I can post the review soon.

In My Mailbox (3)

2009-04-19T15:53:00.009+02:00

Today, in Ripollet, my town, there was a celebration because next Thursday is "Sant Jordi" a Catalonian event. (I'll make a post next week explaining it) It's a great day for literature!

In the streets there were parades of the local book stores, activities for the kids (workshops of book marks, drawing contests, games), music (Çardanes -> A typical dance of Catalonia), shows and parades of jewery, bags, etc.

I went this morning with some friends to go for a walk and look around.

(Sant Jordi has something to do with a dragon)

I had a good time but I didn't buy anything, but when I got home I found out that my mother had bought some books she found that were a little bit cheaper because they were of second hand (she's really good finding bargains ^^) .

And which was my surprise?

She bought:

Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom…

NEWS FLASH: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo meets her at the airport!)

DOWNER: Dad can't have any more kids. (So there's no heir to the throne.)
SHOCK OF THE CENTURY: Like it or not, Mia Thermopolis is prime princess material.
THE WORST PART: Mia must take princess lessons from her dreaded grandmère, the dowager princess of Genovia, who thinks Mia has a thing or two to learn before she steps up to the throne.
Well, her father can lecture her until he's royal–blue in the face about her princessly duty—no way is she moving to Genovia and leaving Manhattan behind.
But what's a girl to do when her name is PRINCESS AMELIA MIGNONETTE GRIMALDI THERMOPOLIS RENALDO?

I've seen the film but I really wanted to read this series.

Thanks Mom!

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2009-04-16T16:33:00.011+02:00

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Reading level: Adult
Hardcover: 624 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Review

This book was amazing. I loved it.
The characters were well developed and the plot was really good.

Our world is invaded by the souls -bodyless creatures that live in diferent planets using the bodies of their populations as hosts-.

Wanderer is a Soul destinated to the Earth. Melanie is part of the human resistance. Both in the same body, both knowing what each other thinks.
Wanda (wanderer's nickname) is a kind character -always putting the others before herself and always worried, thinking about if she's doing the right thing-, while Melanie is very determined and knows exactly what she wants.
But both of them are strong and fighters, and both of them would do anything to keep save Jamie and Jared, without worring about what happens to themselves.

I love Ian. He's such a lovely character. A very nice and cute guy; maybe a little bit too protective, but knowing Wanda it is OK to be like that. My first impression of him wasn't that good but as the story continue you get to know him better.

Jamie and Jared are good characters too.
Jamie is so sweet. I found it very funny everytime he complainend because he thought the others treated him as a child, but the truth was that he was the one that wanted to do things that wasn't for a boy to do.
Jared was a character that sometimes made me be angry although I knew it was just natural for him to act like that because of his strong personality and because all the thing going on was very hard for him.

Jeb a Doc touched my heard too.
Jeb was very bossy and sometimes seemed a bit too impulsive, but in reallity he was the most sensible; he was aware of things that others overlooked and was impartial -he acted in the same way with everyone, no matter what they were-.
Doc turned to be an affectionate person. He tries to find a way to save the humans and return them their body but he feels so bad everytime something turns wrong in his experiments. He cares a lot about the others and is very trustworthy.

The other characters were nice as well, though I couldn't help but to think that Maggie and Sharon were way too stupid and unsympathetic.

The story run in a good pace and with lots of descriptions that made me want to really be there, walking where they were walking, seeing what they were seeing and feeling what they were feeling.

Overall: An amazing book written in a very nice way with which Stephenie shows us again the great writer she is.

Here's a trailer I've just found:

Now I only hope we can soon have the sequels "The Soul" and "The Seeker".
Good job Stephenie!*

Waiting On Wednesday (5)

2009-04-15T00:04:00.010+02:00

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Get ready for CANDOR, where you are what you hear...
...in a town where his father brainwashes everyone, Oscar Banks has found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. But when he falls in love, he must choose whether to let Nia be lost to brainwashing-or risk himself.
Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.

I found about this book few days ago and it sounded interesting and I love the cover, isn't it awesome?

It comes out in september, still a lot to wait.

It's a bit late but thanks Lauren for nominating me for the Sisterhood award. Since I've done it I'm not doing it again but I'm so happy to receive it! Thanks^^

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

Kind of personal interview ¿?

2009-04-14T16:30:00.002+02:00

Well, I've seen this in several blogs so I've decided to post it so you can know a little more about me.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I like Hardback better (I find my book more protected) but recently I'm buying more paperbacks because of the price.
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Since I'm from Spain all I can say is NO ANSWER!
Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark, definitely. I just can't stand bending the pages, I want my books in perfect state.
Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
Amazon.
Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
Random. Sometimes by subject or covers.
Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep. I'm not capable of throwing or selling my books, I feel like something is missing. I always think "What if I want to re-read it someday?".
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep. It's nice.
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove it. I don't want it to get bend or something.
Short story or novel?
Novel.
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I've only read Harry Potter and I've enjoy it, so this is my choice.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
At chapter breaks but sometimes, when I'm really tired, I just fall asleep.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
It was a dark and stormy night. Mystery forever!!!!
Buy or borrow?
I like buying the books. I like to have them so I can re-read them whenever I want or check some information or sentence I like of it.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Well, a little bit of all. If someones recommens my a book and I like the what it is about, I'll may read it, but since I'm the one who reads books from the outside that aren't realeased here I can't rely in this.
For picking a book I read the summary first and if I'm not sure about it I read the amazing reviews all of you write in your blogs.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending but with a little suspense if it is a series.
Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Whenever I can.
Stand-alone or series?
I've always liked series more because I love to know well the characters and all the story.
Favorite series?
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.
Favorite children’s book?
The Tinger Team by Thomas Brezina. I started to like reading because of this series when I was around 9-10 years old and the school gave to everyone in tha class a book of this series to read during the summer. I didn't read it since I didn't like reading (or I hadn't try it) but I remember that a day of the next summer I was very bored and I started reading the book. And now here I am, still buying and reading this books that are from 9 years old onwards.
Favorite YA book?
Twilight.
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Don't really know.
Favorite books read last year?
Twilight XD
Favorite books of all time?
Twilight (too many "Twilights" here but I really love it).
What are you reading right now?
Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
What are you reading next?
Love is Hell by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin and Laurie Faria Stolarz.
Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
The Tinger Team by Thomas Brezina
Favorite book to re-read?
Don't know, just what I feel like reading at that moment. I could re-read any of my favourites books.
Do you ever smell books?
Always!!!
Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
When I need it for class.

If you've post it in your blog let me know and I'll pass by.

Ah, one last thing. Today we have to wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:

Jess of Book Reviews by Jess
and
Cyn Balog author of Fairy Tale http://cynbalog.com/ http://cyn2write.livejournal.com/

In My Mailbox (2)

2009-04-12T11:05:00.008+02:00

This week I've only got two books but I'm very excited.

Received

I received a copy of "Love is Hell" signed by Laurie Faria Stolarz which I won at The No So Closet Geeks. It came with a signed card too!

Love is Hell by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz

Sure, love is hell. But it,s totally worth it.
In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers—Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier (Magic or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (Blue is for Nightmares)—love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all.
From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.

Thanks so much!!!

Bought

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

So this is what I got this week.
In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.