Indelible by Lani Woodland

Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by Pendrell Publishing

Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by Pendrell Publishing

Absolutely Amazing!! If you loved Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy,#1) you will LOVE Indelible (The Yara Silva Trilogy, #2). Ms. Woodland has hit a grand slam with Indelible. I will try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible. It will be difficult due to the fact that it was so good, I could just ramble on and on about it. So, here I go...

Yara has spent her summer with Vovo in Brazil. It takes practice to develope the skills and insticts needed to know how best to help a spirit cross over. Three months of Waker training, Yara was ready to be back in the arms of her boyfriend, Brent (who by the way, is outstanding in Indelible). Here is a simple quote to wet your taste buds..."His velvet lips found mine again. He was the oxygen I had been deprived of all summer and I willingly kissed him back."

Back at Pendrell Academy, all seniors attend a recruiting dinner in hopes of being awarded an internship position. From this point forward the story takes off without haste. There are new characters, new ghosts (scary, angry ones at that), new plot with intricate twists and skillful details, lots of action, suspense and plenty of romantic moments.

It is amazing to watch the development of Yara's character grow and ascend into this strong woman. Not only do we see her grow, but the relationship with Brent was deeper and more developed. I loved the fact that there are so many more "memorable" moments throughout Indelible. I am serious when I tell you I have 6 pages of notes written because I surely did NOT want to miss anything or forget pieces of this AMAZING story.

Vovo was a backbone in guiding Yara through her trials and tribulations. Facing her biggest fears, Yara figures out what her true calling is. From beginning to end,I assure you, this story will leave you in awe.

All notes aside, After reading Indelible, Lani Woodland has reserved her spot on my "Most Favorite" Author list. I admire a writer who can handle intense intricate plots and make it come out smooth and desired.

A well deserved Five-Star rating!!

Crave by Melissa Darnell

Rating: 2 Stars

Paperback, 416 pages

Expected publication: October 18th 2011 by Harlequin Teen

 

A forbidden love, Withches/Warlocks and Vampires. This sounds very enticing right? To be honest, I couldn't love this book. It was just okay for me.I had high hopes for this book. I think the storyline was tempting and the idea was promising, but this is irrefragable proof you can't judge a book by its cover.

Savannah was told by her childhood friends, that they couldn't be friends anymore and without explanation. Savannah and Tristan (love that name) were what you would call childhood sweethearts until that day. Savannah Colbert has moved on with her life and now being in high school life has not been any easier. Those "once" friends bully and tease her. She doesn't know why or what she could have done to them for that kind of treatment.
The Clann descendants were advised to stay away from Savannah. Suddenly Savannah develops an illness, so she thought. She finds out that she is something very rare. Her father is an incubus (a special kind of vampire) and her nanna and mother are witches.
I feel that there were parts of the story that were drawn out a bit too long. I did like Tristan and Savannah as a couple. I am curious as to where the author will take them next.

Overall, it was an okay read for me.

(Arc provided by Netgalley)

 

 

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Rating: 4 stars
Hardcover, 304 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by HarperTeen

I was very excited to be able to get a chance to read Vanish right after I had read Firelight(Thank You Crystal). Vanish was a delightful addition to the Firelight series. This is such an original in my opinion. We see tons of books on ghosts, vampires, shapshifters, fairies etc. So when you pick up the Firelight series, we are welcomed to a fresh new genre that has not been written and re-written time and time again. Sophie Jordan invites us into the draki world with a new spin on fantasy.

Jacinda, Cassian, Tamra and their mother are on their way back to the pride. Jacinda is one of the most rare and prized of their kind, but Tamra will no longer be dismissed and worthless. She becomes more useful than ever before. The roles get somewhat reversed as Jacinda is not treated with the same respect as before and now Tamra is. Being back in the pride was difficult. More tense moments and a creepy Corbin, Cassian's cousin. Being under a watchful eye, Jacinda must prove that she is bound to the pride and she has let the thought of being in love with Will, go. But can she convince the pride and herself of this?

I was a bit annoyed by Jacinda in this book, I'm not going to lie. She never seemed to know what or who she wanted. The love triangle was dragged out a little too much. It seemed like the inner battle Jacinda faced with Will/Cassian and her loyalty to her family and the pride was the base of Vanish. I think deep down it was always and will be Will for Jacinda. I totally LOVE Will! Even thought he wasn't in the book much, he still seemed to win me over once again. Cassian is somewhat labeled arrogant and a bit shallow, but I feel deep down he has a good heart. I adored Tamra in this book. She turned out to be an amazing character.

There are a lot of twists throughout this installment and I was rather satisfied with the outcome. I loved where it left off and look forward to reading the Untitled (Firelight #3)

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Hardcover, 338 pages

Expected publication: September 29th 2011 by Dutton

Rating: 4.5 Stars

 

Blurb:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 

I became a huge fan of Stephanie Perkins after reading Anna and the French Kiss. I was totally in love with the characters and the story. So, when I heard she was writing Lola and the Boy Next Door, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to read that book. A special “Thank You” to my friend Arlene, who was so kind to share her copy with me.
Perkins, once again, has delivered another fantastic story.
Blurb:
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
I had so much fun reading this story. There for a while I was having mixed feelings about her “rocker boyfriend.” It seemed like she really had to work to make their relationship work. So when the Bell twins moved in next door, I found myself cheering on the obvious choice, Cricket.

I’m just going to give a rundown of parts that I truly loved about the book…
~Lola: She is such a fun character and the way she expresses herself by design and her own fashion, really made her stunning and captivating. Her creative mind really infuses a special likeability about her.
~Andy: Who couldn’t love Andy!! He was so awesome!
~Cricket’s entrance: I would have just died!!! But loved every second of page 34!! “Cricket Bell grins. “Hi, Lola.” ~SWOON!!! (You will too, when you read this page!)
~Etienne and Anna: They were in this book more than I thought they would be. I was pleasantly surprised. It gave me the wanting feeling of reading Anna and the French Kiss again!
~Window moments: Ah, these were moments I craved throughout the book.
~Heavens to Betsy: Just love the name!
~The Sunday Family Picnic: Way to go Nathan and Andy!!
~Abby: The cute little niece. She opened a window of opportunity for Lola…
~The ending: EPIC!!

Okay, so I can go on and on. The ending of this book had me all goo-goo eyed and sighing. I was totally and utterly in love with Cricket. (He is a man of many talents and will surprise you by his devotion. Who couldn’t love a guy like that!) But what I really got out of this story besides a lasting impression, fantastic storyline and excellent characters, is “being yourself”

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Paperback, 264 pages

Published August 1st 2010 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Rating: 5 Stars

 

I absolutely Loved this book! It has all the right elements of a 5 star to me. The writing was unique but so fun. I haven’t laughed so hard reading a book in quite some time. Seriously, this is a MUST READ in my opinion. I’m not one to write or highlight my favorite parts, but I so would make the exception in this case because there are SO many funny parts! I think 90% of the book would be a glorified graffiti disaster when I was done with it. This was so original and smart. Unlike anything I have read before. Those Aussie authors sure know how to do it right!
Blurb:
It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.
His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.
Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls. But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

Quotes:
~”I’m so close to meeting him, and I want it so bad. Mum says when wanting collides with getting, that’s the moment of truth. I want to collide. I want to run right into Shadow and let the force spill our thoughts so we can pick each other up and pass each other back like piles of shiny stones.”
~“Jazz looks at her chest. I pat her shoulder. Guys care about personality too.” “Girls like me started that rumor.”
~”Don’t get too excited, but I think that might be the guy of your toilet-wall dreams knocking at the door.” (The girls are in the bathroom which is referred to as “the cubicle of truth)
~”Wait, I know, it’s because you’re scared of him, you cockroach-eating-coward motherfucker.” (This scene had me rolling on the floor laughing!)
~"It's eighty-six degrees, and the city's going crazy. Would you help two guys push a pink van?"
~”The guy was a sheddy, one of the kids who spent a lot of time leaning against the back sheds skipping classes.”
~”That’s the way it is. Most people don’t know what they want till it’s right in front of their face.”

The characters in this book are nothing but AMAZING! The friendship between Lucy and Jazz, so fun and cute. The meetings in the bathrooms and the crazy conversations just had me rolling! I loved the fact that Lucy had this image of Shadow in her mind but finally came to realize that the person she was searching for was right there in front of her the whole time. She’s fun and feisty and can pack a mean punch…literally. Ed and Leo, just a perfect combination. Ed was so intriguing and the way he expresses his feelings and unwritten words through his graffiti art was beautiful by description. I couldn’t get enough of the descriptions and the memories associated with each piece. You truly could visualize the work of art he had created. Ed and Leo were like yin and yang. They complimented each other and were best of friends. It was such a cute friendship and a respectful one as well.

The secondary characters were so well written as well. It wouldn't have been the same without good'ol Malcomlm. Even though he's a bad guy, he sure did make me laugh. Oh my, is all I can say about that. Daisy and Dylan, well, they will crack you up. Those boys do some dumb stuff but really they have good hearts.

The girls wanted to celebrate by a late night out. It became that and so much more. They encountered an adventure like no other, I assure you. Have you been peirced with a compass? Didn't think so..
At first when I started this book I wasn’t so sure about it. But it didn’t take but a few pages in to figure out that I was going to love it. Overall this was a big hit in my eyes. I definitely would recommend this book!

A special Thank You to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for allowing the opportunity to read this gem of a book

Lucky Girl by Cate Lord

What a sweet book! It reminded me of an Americanized version of Bridget Jones, although it does take place in England. This book follows this well endowed young lady (practically ancient - almost 30!!) who has been jilted by her fiance and has traveled to England for a vacation. She meets a gorgeous specimen of a man and several embarrassing antics later, she finds herself enamored with him.
I lIke that the main character is not the perfect model, but she is adored and found sexy by many people. I like that the women in the book take control of their own destiny, but there seems to be a bit too much "hey, I need a man to be complete." Not the greatest message for young women.
With a predictable ending, the plot is one that I've seen many times before, but the different characters give it a unique twist. 3 stars!

Julie and Romeo and Julie and Romeo Get Lucky by Jeanne Ray

A modern twist on an old love story. If you haven't read these books, they are "typical" but they have such interesting characters.
Julie and ROmeo are two middle aged single people who both own flower shops in a town. They begin a star crossed relationship (forgive me) which causes a huge problem for their families. I love the backdrop of the flower shops. When I grow up I want to be a florist. In the sequel to Julie and Romeo, Julie and Romeo Get Lucky, there are all kinds of continuing problems with these two families. This story is less predictable than the first and it has some great plot twists and the characters are unique and rounded.
If you want a good redemptive love story - kinda fluffy - these are two stories to pick up. Good beach reads.
Caveats: A little sex here and there

Reality Jane

This was such an interesting tale. I learned so much about reality t.v. and its dark side. Jane was a character with character. There were many twists and turns for her in here, not brought on by other characters necessarily; sometimes, she did it to herself.
I liked the storyline - although I found it a bit over the top with the "men" in her life. It paints a realistic (I guess - I wouldn't know from first hand experience) view of hollywood, t.v. producing, etc. I haven't ever read a book before that had a main character as a producer of a t.v. series. It really is fascinating, although I really have no idea, still, what a producer does.
I'd give it 3.5 stars!
Caveats: it's a little racy at t times and not pg 13. It's R.

A Beautiful DARK by Jocelyn Davies

Author: Jocelyn Davies

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers

Rating: 5 Stars

 

Review to come..

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Author: Lani Woodland

Pages:  Hardcover, 304 pages

Published:  August 20th 2010 by Pendrell Publishing

Rating: 4.5 Stars

URL:  http://www.intrinsicalthebook.com

Series:  The Yara Silva Trilogy #1

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

4.5 Stars! An Intriguing, haunting story with an intense pull leaving you gasping for more. Intrinsical was a tempting read by the cover alone. It’s mystical dark beauty had me curious and I was not disappointed! It fits perfectly with the story and just makes sense.
The writing is smooth and effortless which makes the story fly through your fingers. The plot was fresh and brilliant. Lots of twists and intricate details bring forth a visual reality only a crafted and skilled imagination could create. It was very easy to picture the scenes and feel the mood and connection with where the characters are.
There are many swoon worthy moments, but you will come to be very intoxicated by one particular individual. Need I say more?
Yara is a Waker, which is a name for people who can see ghosts. The ability gets stronger with age as Yara is figuring out. A Waker, though, does more than just look at spirits; they have the ability to communicate with them as well. There is a curse, a soul stealing ghost, a wicked funny best friend, a hot love interest and so much more.
Your most heroic characters as well as the most villainous have secrets. That alone doesn’t make them bad people, only believable people and that’s what Lani does to her characters. They feel believable.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I will most definitely be reading it. Thank you, Alexa for sharing your copy with me.

Coming in September 2011..

Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by Pendrell Publishing

more details...

ISBN

0982729723 (ISBN13: 9780982729724)

series

The Yara Silva Trilogy #2