IMM (16)

 In my Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

This week I got:

ARC of Without Tess by Marcella Pixley

Thanks to, Alexis, who I cupcake (...inside joke! :P)! Haha. :)

So, what'd you get in your mailbox?

Giveaway Poll

So, I might be able to go to a signing soon. If I do, you'd better believe that I'm bringing back something to give away. Since I've kind of already got a lot to get signed and I don't want to be that awkward girl who's got like, way too many books to get signed (As of now, I've got 10 at the most. *bites lip* Oops. I really hope I don't get glared at.), I want you guys to pick the book you'd most like to win. Also, I'll be going to one of two signings, so please vote on both polls, that way I can get the one that's most popular no matter which one I go to.

Which book would you most want? It's going to be signed, as well, but not personalized.
	Across the Universe by Beth Revis
	The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
	Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Results

Which book would you most want? It's going to be signed, as well, but not personalized.
	Across the Universe by Beth Revis
	The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
	Hourglass by Myra McEntire
	Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
	The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
	Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Results

So, hopefully I'll get to go. If not, this is going to suck for us both. :| But I will be having a giveaway for 200. I don't know what if not one of these, but something!

Rant: Hype, Part Two

     Recently, I did a rant on how hype could be a bad thing. Yesterday I was thinking about it and I decided that I should be doing another one, defending the opposite side, as well.

Looking for Alaska by John Green


    I just reviewed this one a couple of days ago, but I did enjoy reading it. I am a nerdfighter, yes, so maybe I would've looked into this one anyways, but still. I was actually looking for reviews of this book when I found the vlogbrothers channel.
    I don't think this book was hyped to the point where I was scared to read it. A lot of people loved it, but not all of them, and they weren't yelling at you to read it.
   
    Oh, by the way: DFTBA :)



Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins


   I went on a major fail with this one. I thought Demonglass was the first book and it was all pretty stupid of me. I'm pretty sure that if my friend hadn't read it, I'd still be wandering around, wondering if Hex Hall would be a good sequel. 'Nuff said.

    But hype brought the sequel to me through a review. I don't know who reviewed it, but they didn't mention anything about a sequel in their review and I somehow missed the "A Hex Hall novel" on the cover. I added it to my wishlist and then Riley read the first one.



Across the Universe by Beth Revis

    I really loved this one, but, at first, I didn't want to read it. I hadn't gotten into science fiction in YA yet, and I didn't know how I'd like it.

    At one of the chats I went to, AtU was brought up and raved about and it ultimately convinced me to grab a copy. I bought mine around two days after it came out.

    I did read it before I saw too many reviews up. I'm glad about that.


    In all seriousness, hype is fickle. It can be good for one person and bad for another. I certainly don't think we should stop building up books so others can find out about them. I wouldn't have read some of my favorite books if I hadn't joined this community.

Daily Dose (15)

Daily Dose is hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly.

I hope your week is as awesome as one of these paintings! :)

IMM (15)

 In my Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

So, I totally can't find my camera. Sorry, guys. I'll just do cover images.

This week I got:

Received:

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (Amazon - Goodreads)

Thanks to Momo! :)

So, what'd you get in your mailbox? Leave a comment!

Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green


Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

Page Count: 221 Pages
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. 

    I will start out by saying this: Looking for Alaska is a slightly vulgar novel. There's a lot of casual cursing and drinking and talk of drugs and talk of sex. Some people, those of you who are not comfortable with reading those things, might not want to read this. I can honestly say that it didn't bother me nearly as much as it normally would've, because I feel like, in this case, it pertains to the novel. I don't think the characters swore just to be swearing. I honestly think it was a fairly necessary thing. Looking for Alaska is gritty, but in a wonderful sort of way.
    It's going to be hard to review this one without ranting. It kind of leaves you breathless and it's one of those books you just need to hand to someone and the only thing you can say is, "read this." You know?
    Also, this will sound silly, but I can't think of a book with a cover that represents its book any better than this one. That probably sounds extremely strange, considering that it's mainly a curl of smoke, but that's a good way to think of this book, I think. Actually, that's a good way to think of Alaska, in my opinion.
    The writing, while gritty, is flawless and amazing and, overall, beautiful. If you don't believe me on that one, check out the quotes on goodreads (Warning: There's probably going to be some spoilers...). It's rough around the edges, but, in an odd way, sort of lovely at the same time.
    I'm sure a lot of you guys have read this one, considering that it's kind of old and popular, but I hadn't and I don't know that I would've if I hadn't had multiple people, to some extent, put the book in my hands and tell me to read it. I'm glad that I read it, because it's one of those books that will, whether you agree with it or not, change you. There's a lot of symbolism and awesomeness in this book and you just have to read it to understand.
    I'll be looking into some other John Green novels, because I'm very interested in what else this writer has to say. And that's a bit more than I can say for some others.

 

Songs I listened to while reading:

 

Giveaway! Imaginary Girls!

So, as a few of you might know, I didn't exactly love Imaginary Girls. It was pretty highly anticipated, though, and I'm always up to hear other opinions, so I'm giving away my copy. Since I didn't have a 100 follower giveaway (I totally didn't think I'd get to 200 that soon! I was waiting to go to a signing! 200 follower giveaway, I guess!), we'll just use that for the occasion! ;)

Update: I'm currently reading Imaginary Girls (Don't worry, I'll be finished before the contest is over.) and it gets a lot better after about 100 pages. I'm enjoying it a lot more, but I still don't know what my overall rating will be. But it will be higher than what I would've given it before.

Before you enter, make sure you check out my giveaway policy!

Rules:
Must follow my blog.
Must fill out the form below.
Contest will end August 1st, 12PM CST.
Winner will be contacted through email. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, new winner will be drawn.
One entry per person! Extra entries will be offered to those who want them.
US only! Sorry, guys. Can't afford to ship anywhere else! :(




Hope you guys enter!

A Rant: Hype.

   Today, I will be ranting again. I'm not sure why, but it seems you guys like it when I rant, so here goes.
   Recently, I picked up a books that I loved a lot. Everyone seems to love it. I scooped up a copy as soon as it came out. But, the thing is, I was genuinely scared to read it. Everyone loved it so much and they've all raved about it so much that before I could ever open the book, I always wondered what would happen if I didn't. I know that's a silly fear, but, honestly, who ever wants to be the odd person out?
    But my friend, who has all sorts of ways to make me do things I'm scared to do (which mainly include sending her rather small dog to come eat me. Which isn't scary, but, you know.). She talked me into reading that book and I ended up seriously adoring it.

In case you have no clue what book I'm talking about, it's Divergent.

    Seriously. I don't know what kept me from reading this one, other than the sort of iffy fright I got when I thought about hating it. I love Dystopian. I love action. I love stuff like this book.

    Yes, hype is good stuff, and, while it helps many people find books, I also think it could cause some to shy away from a book. Books are lovely things, that's something I'm certain of. But not all stories are, and we're bound to not like something eventually.

    For me, Divergent sort of began to take on this big name and it was like one of those things where words like "the" and "that" and "you need to read this book. It's called" became part of it's title, wedging themselves in front of the actual title. It was like Divergent was a big celebrity that everyone adored and I had to choose whether I did, too. How do you tell all of your friends that you hated something they loved?

And, while I didn't hate Divergent, I was certainly a bit timid about reading it before I started.

Let's move on.

Nightshade is another one of those books. Everyone seems to have really adored it and they talk and laugh and discuss the book all the time. I have a lot of friends who have been trying to talk me into reading it for the longest time.

I haven't finished it.

I started Nightshade, for the first time, around October, when it came out. I lost interest and let my friend borrow it and then just moved on. I read other books and I forgot about Nightshade.

About a month ago, I picked it back up. I read it for three days.

It's been sitting on my shelf ever since.

I really should like Nightshade, I suppose. I can't review it, but, as of now, it's just...not for me. And there's not really a reason why it shouldn't be. I adore werewolves (just ask any of my critique partners!) and love triangles and all of that. I just can't get into it, though.

I really wish I could.

You see, it's one of those situations where everyone is bugging you to read it because they want your opinion and you honestly just don't want to give it, because it's not the same. I know it's okay to have my own opinions, I do. But, when it comes to books, something that's as personal as they are to me, it's hard. I don't want to down anyone's favorite book.

The problem is, how do we get over hype? It's not always a good thing, at least not for some readers. I love reading. I love books. But I don't like going into a book, knowing that it has to be amazing, waiting for the moment when it becomes life-changing. Reading a book and knowing how it's supposed to affect you? That's like putting on a hoodie before your shirt. It's not right and it won't feel right. I don't think the point of books is to sit and obsess over what's supposed to happen.

I don't know, guys. What are your opinions on hype?

Review - I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder


Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

Page Count: 227 Pages
Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

    I read this in about an hour. It was a seriously breezy read and I guess that's because it's written in stanza. I've never read a book written in the style and I'm not entirely sure if I'll return to it often, because I didn't totally love this book.
    I'm not saying I hated it, either.
    Sadly, this is just one of those books that lacked in descriptiveness. I understand that books written in verse obviously have to be shorter and, therefore, less detailed, but it bothered me how short the story was. I kept looking at what I had left and sighing, because they story just hadn't given me enough yet and I really, really wanted it to.
    Let me put it this way. Usually, my reviews are kind of long and ranty. I rave about everything. This one? I'm having so much trouble writing it because the book just didn't leave a mark on me. I didn't feel as much as I usually do with books. I don't know, it's odd.
    Something else that bothered me was the fact that the way Jackson died was kept from the reader until the book was nearly over. I understand trying to keep an element of surprise, but this just felt forced. It was like the character was trying to turn half of her brain off. You can't really control what you think about that much, can you?
    Honestly, this is is going to be the shortest review ever because I can't even form coherent thoughts about it. I just don't get it. I didn't feel it and that makes me sad, because I had a lot of hope for this one.

    Guys. This is one of those books that everyone seems to love and I just didn't feel. Oh, the hype. It sometimes lets you down.

IMM (14)

 In my Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

This week I got:

Received:

Looking for Alaska by John Green (Won)

New England Witch Chronicles by Chelsea Bellingeri (For Review)

Thanks to Audrey and Chelsea! :)

Also, Riley made me this awesome little bookmark. I think it's cute. :)

So, what'd you get in your mailbox?

Short notice.

So, guys. I don't know for sure, but I might be gone for a little while. I don't know. I got in an argument with my parents and they might ground me from the internet. I hope not, but it might happen. So, if I'm MIA from here and Twitter, that's where I am.

Daily Dose (14)

Daily Dose is hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly.

I hope you're all having fun in the sun! :)

IMM (13)

 In my Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

   So, since I haven't posted an IMM for 3 weeks (Is that right?), I decided it would be fair to sort of...make myself remember next time. Considering that I am socially awkward, I figured doing a vlog would suffice.

    Something I did not count on was how awkward I actually am, how loud my bathroom can be, and how many weird hand gestures I make. I am weird. I make some weird faces. I ramble about books.

    So, I'm warning you. Also, the audio is fantastic, thanks to the vent that I was sitting under. Thanks, vent, for making my video sound stupid. Also, my pipes randomly make sounds, as well. Thank you, too, pipes. Couldn't let the vent steal your thunder, could you?

    I'm going to stop talking to inanimate objects and just get on with the post.

Don't lie. You're jealous of my pose.

Stuff bought:Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren SumaHarry Potter #1 by J.K. RowlingMatched by Ally Condie
Stuff received:Bumped by Megan McCafferty A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Thanks to Jenny and Tiffany! :)

So, what'd you get in your mailbox?

Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth


Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

Page Number: 487 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

   For some reason, I had it decided in my head that I wasn't going to enjoy this book. I don't know why. The summary was interesting. I love Dystopian. Nearly every review I saw was positive. I honestly have no clue why I thought I wouldn't like it. I just did.
   I bought this book the day after it came out. I've just finished it. Now, I regret taking so long to get around to reading it. I'm glad several people made suggested that I should read it. After seeing my friend rant about the awesomeness of the book, I promised her I'd read it next. I'm really, really, really glad she told me to, because I'm not sure when I would've gotten around to it, otherwise.
    It took me two days of reading to finish Divergent. I'm going to say this, though: Divergent is a beautifully compelling novel that refuses anything but your undivided attention. I read this after 11PM both nights, and read several hours on each. I finished Divergent at about 7AM this morning. Worth every minute.
    Something I highly enjoyed about this novel was how much it could send at you and still make sense. Normally, when I read a book with this much going on in the plot, it feels overdone. Divergent pulled it off and then some. Veronica Roth truly has talent for plotting. Each and every thing that happens is relevant, woven intricately into the plotline. It all matters. There's no fluffy nonsense in this story.
    Speaking of Veronica Roth's talent, can we please discuss how awesome she is at getting inside my head? Seriously. She's seemed to have crawled inside my mind and figured out how I tick - between how I think and how I tend to worry, Beatrice, or rather, Tris, and I have very similar minds. The thing I love? I can't tell if Tris and I are actually alike, or if that's just how awesome the book is.
    Divergent is full of emotion, action, and depth. There's a little of something for everyone. If you like coming of age struggles, there's that. If you like action, there's plenty of that. If you like emotion and internal struggle, there's that, as well. I promise, you'll be able to find a least one thing that you like.
    There's a lot of growth, as well. The overall amount of growth, both emotional and physical, is particularly stunning. I completely adore how much Tris grew and flourished throughout the novel. It's an interesting thing to oversee.
   Something that was interesting to me was how unique the feel of the writing is. Usually, when I read a book, I try to find a song that matches the feel of the book and I can usually find one about 5 chapters in. Divergent took a lot longer to match, but I kind of adore the song that I picked, so I'm happy with it.
    And, not only did this book make me cry, but it made me genuinely cry. Sometimes, in books, there are moments where you're just... supposed to cry and you do, but it's forced upon you and unnatural. This novel had been building up for a while, not forcing things on you, but simply telling the story, and it eventually got to me. And not in that hard, "I've got to stop to get a tissue" way, but the "this book is too good to stop, so I'm letting the tears roll" way.
    There are a few things I have mixed feelings about: the somewhat predictable plot turn (I've been told that I wasn't the only one to guess it.), the sometimes too gory events that make me cringe, the partially-annoying repeated things. None of those things bothered me enough to lower the rating, even by half a star. Those were things that I just noticed more than I did other things, to the point where it sometimes distracted me.

    I really adore this book. I can not wait for the sequel.

Songs I listened to while reading:

Review - A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Amazon Link
Goodreads Link

Page Number: 272 Pages
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be forgotten.

Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

   After reading the summary, this seemed like my type of book. However, after I read the first chapter, I was a bit wary. The use of teenage slang was a bit obvious and a little overused. I'll admit that I was a bit turned off, because this is something that usually carries throughout books and it always grates on my nerves. I put it down for a while, partially because I was busy, partially because I wasn't completely excited to jump back into it.
   However.
   I did pick it back up, and I'm very happy that I did.
   The book itself was lovely, probably my favorite thing I've ever discovered was a gem when I was wary of reading it (Yes, there are more of them. Maybe I'm too judgmental?). I really enjoyed the idea. I don't think I've ever read anything like it.
   At first, I wasn't entirely sure of Charlotte. One of the first things I read was, "I rarely trust her promises, and yet I'm still here." That just made me angry. It sounded snobbish and I just wasn't fond of that line. But it turned out that Charlotte wasn't a snob, far from it. I ended up rather liking her, in the end.
   I didn't know whether to like Sarah or not, for a while. I decided on the former. Harlin and Charlotte are adorable. Alex is hilarious and Mercy is super sweet. Monroe is interesting and Onika was both frightening and awesome. The entire bunch of characters were all amazing and full of depth.
   Something I particularly loved was the characters that came into the story as Charlotte had Needs. Each one had hit rock bottom. Even though I could only picture it, I adored that Charlotte was changing these people's lives.
    Now, to talk about the thing I always mention, but never explain when people ask me how I like this book. The reason I do this is because it's just hard to explain without sounding like an insult, which it's not. The writing style is unique. A Need So Beautiful isn't necessarily filled with "beautiful" quotes, because it doesn't use heavy metaphors or a lot of complicated similes. I'm not saying that in a negative way. In fact, it's sort of refreshing. As much as I love metaphors and similes, they get a little old after you read a book that's completely weighed down by them. This novel isn't bogged down by them. It's straight up.
    I cried. Like, my dad was giving me weird looks because I was laying on our couch, reading. I totally cried. I don't think I've cried reading a book since I read Delirium.
   I really feel for Charlotte. I wish she could just have her cute little apartment with Harlin, the one with the painting studio, and that she didn't have to be in this situation. She deserves to be happy and normal and I can't even go on, or I'm going to start bawling again.
   The epilogue was confusing, but I think it was meant to be. There's a cliffhanger, so I'm anxiously waiting for the sequel. I have hopes for what'll happen, but I obviously don't know. I'm so confused!

 
   Overall, I really hope you guys pick this book up. I really loved it.

Songs I listened to while reading this book:

Cursed - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

How excited are you guys for this? Because I am so excited! The cover is pretty freaking awesome, the synopsis is interesting, and I'm already a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout.

If you guys aren't excited, then...well, I'm sending the army of ninjas (they have lightsabers) to get you. Because you have, therefore, broken the rules of cooldom.

I'm joking, of course. But still. Look at it. *pouts*