Confessions of a Readaholic: October 2011

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Release Date: June 8th, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Series: Sirenz, Book 1
Rated: YA 13+
Format: Review Copy
Source: Sent from Author
Amazon ❘ Goodreads

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when the fashionistas find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes-with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, Lord of the Underworld himself. To make them atone for what they've done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld an individual whose unholy contract is up.

Finding that delicate balance between their fashion addiction and their new part-time job in the eternal hellfire biz turns out to be harder than Meg and Shar expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there's the matter of the fine print in their own contracts...

**This Review is based on an Advanced Reader's Copy. The final text and/or cover is subject to change.**

Mix Greek Gods with shoes, and what do you get? Sirenz of course!

When Meg and Shar get into a, well, deadly situation, who should turn up but Hades, the Lord of the Underworld himself? And you know what they say, be careful what you wish for…

Sirenz was absolutely amazing. Modern Greek mythology puts a whole twist on fashion– especially when our two main characters become Sirens working for Hades, and need to send someone to hell, and oh, need I mention that he’s the head of a major fashion company?!

Meg and Shar could not be anymore different, yet still have their similarities. I really love how even though they are complete polar opposites, they manage to come together and use what they have to get through the stickiest of situations.

Meg struck me more as the “goth” type, with her favorite color seeming to be black and her love for punk rock music and such, and Shar was more the girly-girl with love for pink. But Shar is actually really shy (around guys!) and Meg is actually not the silent-and-keeps-to-herself type. Bennardo and Zaman have really gone against stereotypes and built two very original characters.

And then we come to our baddie. Even though I was and still am repulsed by him since the moment he arrived on scene, I gotta admit– the guy has charm. Granting the girls basically an endless credit card, a large apartment WITH the rooms of their dreams; he certainly knows how to treat a girl. You know, besides making them work for him.

And...Jeremy aka Sweet Jeans. He's the main reason why they're in this mess actually. But other than being completely not clued into what he's caused, he's cute :) love the romance that grows!

Several parts of this was HILARIOUS. Like I swear, I couldn't stop giggling. Meg's funny lines, Shar's allergic reactions to feathers, Hades attempts to seduce Shar– everything is written so well. It really does bring back the days of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, mocking the gods and their "godly" ways.

What I don't get, is what's so alluring about a Siren. I mean, they're basically pretty ugly birds, with feathers and beaks an all. I know Shar uses her eyes and Meg with her voice, but I don't see the whole thing about Greek Mythology and the bird thing. Weird, but whatever. Just made the book a whole lot funnier!

Sirenz is everything a mythology-loving-shoe-addict could possibly want. If you're in love with Greek Gods and their ridiculous ways, or just want a good laugh, this book is definitely for you. Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman have once again brought back mythology into YA and have made it enjoyable for readers. Can't wait for book 2, Sirenz: Back in Fashion!

**Thank you to Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman for sending me the book for review!**

If you like this, try...

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ◆ Goodreads
The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder ◆ Goodreads
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White ◆ Goodreads
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini ◆ Goodreads

Movie Reviews (5)

It's the holidays! And you know what that means...more movie watching! Watched a couple lately so I'll be posting some short reviews on them :)

Star Trek (2009)

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto
Rated: PG-13
My Rating: 5 stars

Okay, I've never seen Star Wars or Star Trek episodes or anything of the sort, but this. movie. ROCKS.
Apparently according to my mom, they've done a really good job re-creating the characters for a "prequel-ish" type movie about how they all get together.
Doesn't matter if you aren't a Sci-Fi fan, or if you think this is nerdy or whatever. This movie has been one of the best movies I've ever seen and is great for lovers of action and epic movies (like okay, it isn't probably as good, but pretty close. Think...space version of Lord of the Rings). Can't wait for the sequel!

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan

Rated: PG-13

My Rating: 4 stars

This is definitely my "feel-good" movie. My parents are ABBA fans and because of them, I've listened to their music for a chunk of time (I'm 15, so that's gotta count for something :P). Meryl Streep is amazing and totally can do anything. She absolutely WOW's in this movie. Only thing which I didn't really like in this movie was Pierce Brosnan's singing. No offence, he's a great actor, but his singing is quite...you get what I mean.
This one's for those who need a smile, wanna jump back in the 70's and sing along to the classics. Mamma Mia! is definitely a musical not to be missed.

Which movies have you seen lately?

Halloween Poem!

Hey guys,

Here's a short poem I wrote for Halloween. I'll leave it up to your imaginations as to what the creature is.

Munch, crunch

Go away I said!

Munch, crunch
Get off of my bed!
Munch, crunch
Ouch! that’s my head!
Munch, crunch
Now I am dead.

That was just a little rhyme I thought of under a minute :)

Happy Halloween!

Waiting on Wednesday - Week 31

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I'm DYING to get my hands on.

This week's WoW is:

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Goodreads

Release Date: December 27th, 2011

This one sounds like a totally cool contemp with a hint of magic :) Definitely gotta get my hands on this one this winter!

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday - Week 21

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's top ten is:

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: June 1st, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Series: The Iron Fey, Book 1.5
Rating: YA 13+
Format: eBook
Source: Free Download
Amazon ❘ Goodreads ❘ Website

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

An eBook exclusive story from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

This is a novella from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and it actually takes place during the beginning pages of The Iron Daughter. The ending passage is the same in both books, which indicates when this short journey took place.
It was short, and easy. I realised that I hadn't read the novella in between, so I quickly put The Iron Daughter on hold and took 20 minutes or even less, to read this AMAZING short story.

It was from this novella actually, that I'd leaned a bit more towards the Team Ash side. I was more Team Puck (although it was a hard decision) in The Iron King, I quickly fell for the Ice Prince. Gods, this was intense.

Really would recommend reading this story if you're a big fan of this series and are looking for more of the juicy details of Meghan and Ash's journey to visit an injured Puck.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: February 15th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: The Body Finder, Book 1
Rating: YA 14+
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Amazon ❘ Goodreads ❘ Website

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Before I had picked up this book at the library, I'd been seriously raving about The Body Finder's cover. Gorgeous. Mysterious. Beautiful. All these ran through my head. Of course, when I picked up the book and started on that first word, I was hooked. Seriously? How many paranormal books are there to do with sensing the dead through echoes? Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say.
The Body Finder is truly everything you'd hope for and more. Original, suspenseful, cute and deadly– everything you can hope for in a book!

Violet is among the several of perfect paranormal main characters. She's got her flaws and best traits, and that's what makes her so believable. Other than the paranormal aspect of being able to hear the echoes of the dead or the ones who caused death, she's practically normal, which makes everything more contemp and realistic...other than the fact the fact she has an ability.
JAY. JAY. JAY. Okay, LURV him. Absolutely love love love him. Protective though. Really, really, really protective. But still sweet and amazingly hot. I'm a sucker for the whole best- friends-turns-into-something-more thing. :D And what would be a book without the sassy, smart and badass friend? Chelsea was no exception. Loved her little comments, totally made the book have it's little icebreakers.

The Body Finder is a pretty different paranormal. I found that it was quite similar to Meg Cabot's 1-800-Where-R-You? series as the heroine can sense where missing people are. Definitely loved the creepy feel as Violet feels the killer's echoes more and even more as she gets closer to finding out who it is.
I really liked how that it also showed the killer's perspective as he goes around looking for girls to kill. Yes, it's creepy and totally gave me shivers. I really loved how though it's not only through Violet's, as the main character, perspective, but also includes some POV from the opposing "team".

Overall, just by reading a few words and then being pulled into the eerie and dead-filled world of Violet's, I fell in love with The Body Finder and fabulous author. Kimberly Derting had me sitting on the edge of my seat and had my jaw dropping with close encounters and the unveiling of the killer. This is NOT a book to be passed over. The second book, Desires of the Dead is just as good. A review will be coming soon, but for those of you who are not sure about this series, don't think. Just read.

If you like this, try...

When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot ◆ Goodreads
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White ◆ Goodreads
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer ◆ Goodreads
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl ◆ Goodreads
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini ◆ Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 30

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I'm DYING to get my hands on.

This week's WoW is:

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.

Goodreads

Release Date: March 6th, 2012

I just finished reading Delirium yesterday, and so I totally can't for this one! I NEED to know what happens next, 'cause that ending was just SHOCKING. 2012, hurry up!!

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday - Week 20

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's top ten is:

Top Ten Books I bought because of their Titles or Covers.

(I could only think of 5, because most of the time, it's recommended to me :P)

1. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

Need I say more? Even my MOM adored the cover. I spent ages looking at it in Walmart until I finally decided to buy it.

2. Swoon by Nina Malkin.

Even though the book wasn't as I expected (but still okay...) the cover was what made me buy it. Beautiful!

3. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.

I have and will always be obsessed with historical fiction. I love movies, where everything is so old and grand and need I say more?? Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightly one...haven't seen BBC) is one of my favorite movies. As soon as I saw a girl in a corset, I KNEW I had to get this book.

4. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

This time, it wasn't the cover which caught my attention. The very word: UGLIES. Really makes you wonder what the book's about right??

5. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

So far, I've only read this one in the series, despite the fact that I have ALL of the books, except the last. The cover is absolutely GORGEOUS. I seriously didn't have a second thought on buying it. But the thing is, I didn't like the story too much when I read it first. Since I've kinda forgotten what it's about, I'll have to re-read it.

What's on your top ten (or five...) today?

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Sent from Author
Amazon ❘ Goodreads ❘ Website

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

**This Review is based on an Advanced Reader's Copy. The final text and/or cover is subject to change.**

Okay. One word to sum it all up? Here it is:

MESMERIZING

verb

hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them.

That's exactly how I was during the whole course of the novel.

When I first saw the cover, of course, being a hypocrite and going against the moral of "Don't judge a book by it's cover" I of course, fell in love with it. And that's just by looking at the cover! I found out what it was, and asked the author if I could review her book, knowing I just HAD to get a copy of this. The amazing author, Jessica Martinez sent back a fast reply and a copy of the eGalley.

I. completely. FREAKED OUT.

Unfortunately, due to a whole bunch of deadlines, I had to push this one back to closer to the release date. And I wish I had no other deadlines before, because I was completely shocked (in a good way) of how amazing this book was. I read it one sitting, my laptop fully charged and me just staring at the screen for around 2 hours.

I haven't really read anything to do with fame and teens, except for probably Secrets of My Hollywood Life. But this...was so much more...raw-er. It was so emotional, I could feel Carmen's stress through her perspective, about pleasing everyone and trying to fit everything together. I could feel her frustration with her mom, her violin competition and her feelings so well. Martinez's words are exactly like music: they flow, yet isn't without it's change of tempo and rhythm.

Carmen's character was so stressed, I felt so sorry for her. I'm not prodigious in any what so ever way, so I haven't dealt with the stress and weight of expectations that Carmen has to go through. And then there's Jeremy. Have I ever told you all how obsessed with boys into music?? Well, he was certainly no exception. Loved him from the first sighting of him. No, wait. Scratch that. From the very first mentioning of him. That's how lovable he is. Love both these characters, and the tension is pretty high between them.

I loved how everything sums up in the end. We start the book with an event that happens further into the book, near the end. The story is leading up to this part. Everything eventually makes sense, and you're left thinking, "OMG! How did I not see that?!". That's how 'twisty and turny' this book is.

I used to play the Violin, but I had not so much of a clue of what pieces and operas and various other musical things that were mentioned in this book. Sure, I occasionally understood some of them, such as Carmen and jumped for joy when I remembered what rosin was from my days of playing the violin. But don't worry, it's nothing too major. It's just a very 'informatic' touch to the novel, so give some amazing insight into the world of classical music.

Virtuosity left my jaw-dropping. You'll get sucked into the world of music and drama with this amazing debut novel. Beautifully crude, you won't stop reading when you start. Jessica Martinez has truly captured the not-so-dazzling world behind the glamour of performance and fame.

If you like this, try...

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard ◆ Goodreads
Saving June by Hannah Harrington ◆ Goodreads
Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee ◆ Goodreads

Winner and other news...

Hey guys, loads of notifications and other news to go through so let's get down to business shall we?

WINNER of the Gypsy Knights ebook by Two Brothers Metz is...

Taylor!!

Congrats :) an email will be sent shortly after this post.

Now for some other news: Blog Changes

You may or may not have noticed, but I'm experimenting with review templates... you may have noticed the blurb of the book is now bordered and got that thing which a lot of blogs have, and that instead of the heart border I had, I now have a plain black line. I dunno, I'm just testing out the look of it so :P

That's all for today :)

oh and by the way, I might not be as posting as many blog posts due to the fact that I'm in India for my school's two week break. But I'll try to as best as I can!

Dust Collectors (2)

Dust Collectors is a meme by Alex at Electrifying Reviews. It's to highlight books that have been on my shelf for a while and YOU guys tell me which one I should definitely read!

Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2) by Melissa Marr ♦ Goodreads

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead ♦ Goodreads

Which one should I read?

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab
Amazon ❘ Goodreads ❘ Website

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.

Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

**This Review is based on an Advanced Readers Copy. The final cover and/or text is subject to change**

What do you get when you add American history and a hilariously cute contemporary YA? Past Perfect of course! Your one and only guide to the world of Chelsea's summer, which may or may not blow up in her face. Fun right??
This book was a whole ton of laughs and learning moments, so this is perfect for those of you who need to cram some history and yet want to learn it in the best way possible: through love and giggles.

I liked Chelsea's character to a point. I mean, she was funny and smart (loved her sassiness) and her perspective was fun to look through. But I mean, some of the times she was mooning over Ezra and like, couldn't let go and stuff, and that kinda ticked me off a little bit. I mean, I haven't gone through basically ANY relationship to actually know the pain of being dumped, but all the whining and sobbing over him really annoyed me. OH and the thing where she always just assumes without thinking. Again, pretty annoying. But other than these (which isn't a majority of the book people), she isn't too bad. I mean, sure I wish she thought a little before she acted, but that just adds to the plot, right?

Oh. My. God. DAN is the MAN!! GO DAN! WOOHOO! Totally love him. He's so adorably sweet throughout the whole book. Nothing like Ezra...ughh hated him. Fiona, Chelsea's best friend, was also pretty cool...except I hated her during some parts. It was more like she was obsessed with being in character (for historical reenactment) rather than being a good friend. And Chelsea's parents: Gods, can you ask for a scarier dad?! I mean, there are scarier but this one was quite unsupportive. Only stuck in the world of his work. And the Mom was no help either, to make things worse. What is with weird parents in contemp books?

I ADORED this book. I haven't read a cute contemporary in a while, and this was such a relief from dramatic paranormals and dystopians (I loved those as well!). But this one was such a nice light and my classified "fluffy" books that I could read over and over again, and not get tired of the plot and characters.
Overall, I found Past Perfect absolutely, well, perfect! Fans of Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen will love this fresh new contemp with more than satisfactory results. Hate it, I dare you. You'll end up owing me some money. Take my word for it. Leila Sales has written an amazing second novel (I have yet to read Mostly Good Girls) and it does not disappoint.

If you like this, try...

Saving June by Hannah Harrington ♦ Goodreads
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones ♦ Goodreads
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard ♦ Goodreads
Without Tess by Marcella Pixley ♦ Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday - Week 29

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I'm DYING to get my hands on.

This week's WoW is:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Goodreads

Release Date: January 2nd, 2012

EEEEPPP!! Can't wait for this one! Kinda reminds me a little bit of the movie Serendipity, with fate and all that. :D Love the sound of this!

What are you waiting on?