Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help
spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational
quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so
that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.
This week, I thought I'd post another book funny. This is for all you old folks out there, like me! : )
Woo hoo!!! It's time for Blogfest 2012! Just click on the tab above labeled "Blogfest 2012" and you'll find a great giveaway, plus links to the next 5 blogs as well as a link to the host blog, A Journey of Books. You can also click on my link to go straight to the tabbed page. Good luck!
Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.Savannah
Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons.
Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities.
But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces,
Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means
for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into
making a terrible mistake.
Tristan can't believe Sav won't even
talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him
to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves,
forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could
have foreseen or prepared for.
A reckoning is coming… and not everyone will survive.
MY REVIEW
Initial impression
Holy bloodsuckers, Batman!I did not see that coming!!!
Title and Cover
The title is alright.I don’t love it but I don’t hate it.I don’t really care for this cover.The first one had a really pretty cover, but this one looks like the
model is losing a battle with static electricity in her hair.At least the colors are nice….:shrugs::
What’s the Story?
BE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN
THIS SERIES, CRAVE!
So, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t remember enough
from the first book, but I decided to just dive right in and see what
happened.This was a good idea because
the beginning of the book gave me enough info from the previous book that I
remembered enough to just keep on going.
So, we pick up as Savannah, her dad and Tristan are
returning from Paris and Savannah is dreading that she will have to break up
with Tristan.Now, at this point I’m
hoping that she’ll change her mind, but of course, that doesn’t happen.I started setting myself up for a New Moon
situation, but luckily for me, they both stay right there in town so I can keep
hoping for reconciliation.
Now, at this point I do need to stop and ask, just what the
hell is wrong with all these emo vampires breaking up with humans “for their
own good”?::rolls eyes::I’m so done with that.Just stop it, ok?
Anywho, the book continues and switches back and forth
between Tristan and Savannah’s points of view.It was cool to see the transformation into a vampire and Savannah’s
discovery of all the things that her unique parentage allows her to have.
Of course, there was a good deal of relationship angst, but
it was nicely balanced out with a suspenseful plotline and the development of
other relationships in the book.I
really did not want to put this book down and, truth be told, if I didn’t need
to work during my planning this semester with my student teacher, I probably
would have read it during my planning for the last couple of days!::hides head in shame::
For some reason, I really like Tristan and Savannah.I know the whole star-crossed lovers theme is
getting overdone, but these 2 characters seem to be so much more mature for
some reason.Being inside their heads does
not make me want to poke my eyeballs out with a fork and thank God that I will
never have to be 17 again.Even though
they are both hurting a lot, there is not a whole ton of teen drama to go along
with it.
There is a nice mystery murder plot going on along with
everything else and the whole storyline really kept my attention and kept
making reach for this book when I had a free moment.I definitely cooked a meatloaf while reading,
which might explain why the meatloaf was so darn ugly.
There is one thing about this book that bothered me and it’s
really nitpicky.I hated it when all the
teen characters used the word “dang” instead of “damn”.Now, I spend all day with high school
students and I can assure you that 99% of them are not making that
substitution.For that reason, it really
stood out every time it was used and I really wish the author had just chosen
to use the “real” word.I don’t think
that people are horribly offended by that word any longer.
Otherwise, this was a really fun, enjoyable read for me and
I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.
The Soundtrack
To me, a good portion of this book is about the heart fail, so here is my totally emo soundtrack.
My final grade for this novel is an A.I loved it!I felt like it didn’t fall into that second novel slump at all.Instead, it was a heartbreaking story that
kept me flipping pages with bated breath to see what would happen next.It had a killer ending and I cannot wait to
read the third book.In fact, Melissa
Darnell, I would trade both my children for a copy of that right now.Want to take me up on that offer? : )
“There are only two
reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said.
“Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every
year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the
soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this
year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His
name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at
Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away
from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But
Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it
all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much
more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven
Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege
around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and
Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but
says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been
warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this
would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the
strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races,
comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and
the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.(cover and description from www.goodreads.com)
MY REVIEW
Initial reaction
::breathes a sigh of relief::Thank God there’s another book after this
one!
Secondary reaction
How damn long am I going to have to wait for the next
book???
Tertiary reaction
What on earth does that last line mean????
Title and Cover
I have major title and cover love for this book.I mean, just look at it!It somehow is able to be both creepy and
beautiful at the same time while managing to capture so many images from the
book itself.Why can’t they do this with
all the covers?And the title is perfect
and it’s catchy. This one is 2 big thumbs up!
What’s the Story?
Ok, let me outline my reactions as this book progressed.
Before reading:I’m
not sure about this one.Everyone else
seems to love it, but honestly, I didn’t really like Shiver all that much and I’m
afraid I might not like this one.
Around 40-50 pages in:Maybe I just don’t like Maggie Stiefvater’s writing style….::shrugs::I’ll keep reading.
Around 100 pages in:I’m really glad I kept reading.
Around 200 pages in:Why do I work again?And why did
I say yes to that student teacher?I
could read this baby during my planning period if it wouldn’t get in the way of
actually doing my job…..
Around 275 pages in:Why, oh why didn’t I just take a sick day today????
Around 325 pages in:Will you people just shut up so that I can read this?I don’t care if you need to eat.And honestly, brushing your teeth before bed
when you’re 4 years old is completely overrated.
Around 375 pages in:Thank God they’ve all gone to bed!Now I can read like I need to!
On page 407:What the
hell does that last line mean and just how long am I going to have to wait to
find out?Oh and I think that I will
definitely pick up the second book in her Faeries series now……
So, this is how my opinion changed and progressed as the
book did.Holy cow!This book totally owned me by the end of
it.There is such a wonderful mix of
mystery, the supernatural and the complexities of human relationships and human
nature.This book became impossible to
put down.I’m only halfway joking when I
wrote that comment for around 325 pages.And I think that cereal is a perfectly acceptable dinner, don’t you? : )
At first, the quiet meandering of this book and plot were
hard for me to deal with, but as she added more and more bits and pieces, I
suddenly found that the tone and voice of the book was just about perfect.I don’t know how she managed to create such a
wonderful mix of a plot, but it was absolute genius.I felt like I was one of the characters in
the book as well.When they were blindsided
and surprised by things, I was as well and just like them, I could go back and
see her perfectly placed clues and realize that it was so evident if I had only
known what to look for.This plot
construction was pure brilliance.
I loved the characters also.They are such a colorful cast.They were all so different and yet so believable and I find that I
really care about pretty much all of them now at the end of the book.I cannot wait to see how this story resolves
itself for them and I am so worried about all of them making it to the end of
the story unscathed.
I could continue this fangirl rant for days, but let me just
suffice it to say that The Raven Boys is pure and simple genius.If you like mysteries and paranormal plots
that immerse you in the world of the novel, this book will not disappoint you.
The Soundtrack
The Raven Chant by Of the Wand and The Moon
The atmosphere of this song perfectly captures the atmosphere
of the novel.
Loch Raven by Animal Collective
The Old Ways by Loreena McKennitt
Never Ending Road by Loreena McKennitt
This song made me think of the idea of the ley lines/corpse
road.
The Final Grade
My grade for this book is an A.I loved this book.It was a slow arriving love, but once it was
there, it really took hold of me.Actually, Mr. Darcy expressed it best (no surprise!) when he said “I
cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the
foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had
begun.” (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)That is how I felt about this book.Go get this book now and read it.
Top Ten Series I Haven't Finished Because I Didn’t Like Them
or Just Lost Interest
Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater
I know that everyone loves this series, but it just didn't do that much for me. I've had the second book sitting around forever and I just don't care if I ever read it.
The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
I know that there are some major devotees to this series out there, but I really did not like this first book at all. Rose got on my nerves and her voice was just irritating to me and it felt like she was TRYING too hard to be a bad ass. It didn't ring true for me. Also, the story line felt a little, well, silly.
The Vespertine series by Saundra Mitchell
I had too much trouble suspending disbelief for the romance in this book to make it enjoyable for me. And I hated the ending, so I knew that I would not read any more in this series.
Mercy series by Rebecca Lim
I got really bored reading this one and I had to make myself finish it. I had a hard time identifying with the main character and in the end, I just didn't care what happened to anyone, so I just never went back to it.
Full Moon series by Ellen Schreiber
I think this may be one of the silliest books I've ever read in my life. I actually finished it by just making fun of it. Sorry. This is the type of book that makes people think that YA lit is just fluffy teen girl fantasy.
House of Night series by P.C. Cast
It is seriously time to end this series. This has become a big money milker. The series could have ended around book 5 or 6.
Immortals series by Alyson Noel
This is another series that just started dragging on and on and on. I lost interest around book 2.
The Flappers series by Jillian Larkin
The whole romance/relationship felt forced in this one because the author was trying to make a statement. I'm all for breaking relationship norms, but I didn't buy this one. Now, if I can suspend disbelief for a vampire and a human, I should be able to easily buy into a forbidden love based on race, but the author never sold it to me.
Matched by Ally Condie
This is another one where I didn't buy the relationship that the author was pushing. Cassia seemed childish and the relationship again felt like it was there to make a statement instead of being a love that was defying all the odds. And I'm totally Team Xander. Ky feels like a big ol' nothing to me. I don't know if I will ever finish this one, but out of this list, it's the only one that I might go back to just out of curiosity. Or I might just let someone else tell me what happens. Regardless, I'll be checking it out at the library.
Vampire Diaries: The Return by L.J. Smith
I really like the original Vampire Diaries series and I read the first one of these. I just sort of lost interest in them. It's not that they're bad, I just stopped reading them.
Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help
spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational
quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so
that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.
This week, I wanted to share some funny. I actually found this on a post at Good Choice Reading and they found it at the Netgalley Facebook page. If you want to find lots of book inspiration and book funnies, go check out their Facebook page.
No one
is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around.
Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through
the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from
the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not
sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the
truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing
and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of.
The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely
source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn
back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
USA TODAY Bestselling
author, Jennifer L.
Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors
you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing,
she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies,
pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell,
Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent
most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in
math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and
contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.
