Enchanting by Alethea Kontis

Title - Enchanted
Author - Alethea Kontis
Series - Woodcutter Sisters
Release Date - May 8th, 2012
Publisher - Harcourt Children's Books
Format Acquired - e-Book

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday's only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland - and a man Sunday's family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

*Was supposed to post this yesterday but Downton Abbey.*
A string of commonly known fairy tales and nursery rhymes have been weaved together to create this incredibly adorable and mischievous story about a family, the Woodcutters, with too much fey magic in their blood. And as everyone in Arilland knows, with fey magic comes lots of unpredictable things; trouble is never too far away, and you never know what's waiting for you around the corner.

As I reading, I couldn't help but think that the storyline was borderline genius! From page one, I got sucked in and wouldn't let myself stop (was also really annoyed whenever I got interrupted during my reading). As I somewhat stated before, a lot of fairy tales and nursery rhymes were put together to create this first tale of the Woodcutter Sisters; so you'd think that with so many different stories, there'd be lots and lots of confusion, right? Wrong. This was so perfectly orchestrated that there was absolutely no mistakes. By mistakes I mean that the author didn't mix names up and whatnot.

Featured was the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, the Princess and the Frog, and Monday's Child amongst others that I don't really know but that's OK because they made this book awesome regardless! A very embarrassing thing that happened, though, was the fact that I kept forgetting the name's of the Woodcutter sisters, so if a sentence said something like, "Friday told Sunday..." my reaction was just like, "What? Why is there a joke in the middle of th-- oh, yeah!" and this happened way too many times. ¬.¬'

One thing I really liked about the way this was written is how from chapter to chapter, time sort of jumps so there are events that you (the reader) miss, but you find out about them soon enough that it's not bothersome. One thing that I didn't like was the prince's name... WHAT KIND OF NAME IS RUMBOLD? AND HOW DID PRINCESS ALETHEA COME UP WITH IT? MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY? I don't know why his name bothers me so much. It just does.

Speaking of names and characters, there are many of them in this book. The Woodcutters have seven daughters, Monday-Sunday xD, two sons named Jack Jr. and Peter, an adopted son who's a relative anyway but they didn't know, papa Woodcutter Jack Sr., mama Woodcutter whose name is Seven (long story... read it to find out), a wicked aunt and her twin opposite. Then there's the king whose name everyone in Arilland has forgotten, the prince, the prince's brother, and a bunch of very helpful people who are also important. The point is, there's a lot of them!

This was a very fun introduction to the Woodcutter family. It made me smile and feel small again. I do wish that we were told what happened to Jack Jr. at long last, and I wish we got to know Mrs. Woodcutter, Seven, a little more.

Link Out - Amazon ˚ Barnes & Noble

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author - April Genevieve Tucholke
Series - Between
Release Date - August 15th, 2013
Publisher - Dial
Format Acquired - Hardcover

River rents the guesthouse behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. 

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be be something more? Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while now, and finally, I gave myself the opportunity by going ahead and buying a copy! I cannot say that I regret it. At all.

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover art. Yes, it is overshadowed by the big and looming letters of the title, but it still speaks to me. The cover art is simply too beautiful to not make someone wonder what's going on beyond the hard cover.

At first, I thought the book was alright; the first couple of pages where the main character, Violet, is talking about her grandmother dragged on a bit too much for my tastes, but I prefer not to judge a book until I've read at least a hundred (100) pages of the story. It soon became clear that I didn't need to go that far before I took a liking to Violet White's peculiar ways, her twin brother Luke's bad attitude, and their neighbor Sunshine's laid-back existence. I was also very intrigued by the Whites' family history!

The storyline seemed as fluid as water to me. You read one page, move on to the next and the next, and before you know it, you're done!! I don't think it would have been possible if the characters weren't molded as they were. Each and everyone of them are quirky (some are even beyond creepy), but they're such irregular people that it just seems normal. I for one think that that is pretty cool. Abnormal things happen in a lot in Violet's little town; the residents question it but at the same time, they weirdly let it roll off their shoulders...

And the relationships? Complex! Violet hates but loves her misogynist brother Luke who seems to blame everything that is wrong in the world on his sister all the while worrying about her? Then there is Sunshine who likes to stare into the horizon for hours while engrossed in her thoughts, wants to be kissed and groped by Luke (it happens all the time) and is Violet's somewhat friend. River is the boy who just popped up in town one day and who brings everything the strange with him wherever he steps foot.

One thing that I didn't like about this book is the amount of times the word "Devil" was used. It was always the Devil this and the Devil that. It was used so many times that it just became extremely annoying. If this was revised and the use of this particular word was reduced to more than half, it would still be a really good story. So the Devil? Unnecessary.

Cannot wait for book number two.~

Link Out - Amazon ˚ Barnes and Noble

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

Title - Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
Author - Katie Alender
Series - None
Release Date - September 24th, 2013
Publisher - Scholastic Press
Format Acquired - Hardcover

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She'll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family's French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everything on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won't believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is in danger...

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this tale of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Title - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author - Holly Black
Series - None
Release Date - September 3rd, 2013
Publisher - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format Acquired - Hardcover

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of a Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

Fearless/Sam/Run by Francine Rascal

Title - Fearless/Sam/Run
Author - Francine Pascal
Series - Fearless
Release Date - January 31st, 2012
Publisher - Simon Pulse
Format Acquired - Paperback

Gaia Moore is brilliant and beautiful. She's trained in three kinds of martial arts, has reflex speed that's off the charts, and can break codes in four languages.
She's also missing the fear gene.
All Gaia wants is to be like everyone else. Instead, she's left wondering about her past, her missing family... and the unavailable boy she's falling for. But everything changes when she learns that someone is hunting her down for her special skills, and they'll do anything to get to her.
But Gaia isn't worried.
She is FEARLESS.

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Title - Vessel
Author - Sarah Beth Durst
Series - None
Release Date - September 11th, 2012
Publisher - Margaret K. McElderry
Format Acquired - Hardcover

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana's goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her. Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god's help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god's tale. The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate -- or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

What really got me to pick this book up at the library was the cover. There's a girl on the cover who's in a beautiful ensemble and the colours are in-your-face... It was made specifically so that I could stare at it and not get bored.

I was not at all disappointed with this storyline. It is different and rich with foreign beliefs and cultures that may or may not be fictional. It deals with the concept of sacrificing oneself in order to save others and dealing with the baggage that comes with knowing that you have no future because you are not expected to live very long. Goodness! While I was reading this, I couldn't help but be impressed with the actions of the characters whose purpose in life is to die so that their clans can survive the Great Drought.

Liyana, the main main character is a very cool chick in my book. She keeps her cool and her head on at all times. "Oh, I'm about to be offered up as sacrifice? That is perfectly OK... You're leaving me in the desert to die a horrible death because the ceremony didn't work and you're blaming it on me? I'll catch you guys on the flip-side." What? Are you crazy, girl? Of course she's crying on the inside a little, but her sense of self sacrifice is so great that she'll really do anything to ensure the survival of her clan. "The goddess who was suppose to invade my body while I disappear into the Dreaming forever is missing? Let's find her." Not to mention that she's really good at almost everything.

Korbyn, the trickster god, is Liyana's main companion for most of their quest to rescue the missing deities. He's a big flirt (tries to impress Liyana at every turn), and he thinks he knows everything. His magic-using (he is a god after all) comes in handy a lot. I think he's a really fun guy. Fennik, for me, is one of those people who just exists; He was interesting for like, 20 seconds, but I don't mind that he's there and I wouldn't mind if he wasn't there... I feel like such a buttface, but it's the truth xD. Pia is one of those annoying "I'm popular so look at me" girls who are just, well, annoying. e.e And I'm not entirely sure what to think about Raan because, yes she's cool too, but I feel like she has no heart sometimes.

Ultimately, what really made me like this book was the concept behind it. I even wish I was the one that came up with it. There's a lot of interesting things that takes place in the midst of the story, but to reveal one would make me reveal that, then this, and so you'd think that I might as well copy and paste the entire book onto here.

My only regret was the fact that the book wasn't longer. There could have been more details somewhere in the middle to make it longer (which is just my opinion). I pretty much didn't want it to end because I wanted more, I wanted more, and dang it I WANT MORE!

Link Out - Amazon ˚ Barnes & Noble

The Sharing Moon by Christy Campbell

Title - The Sharing Moon
Author - Christy Campbell
Series - None
Release Date - September 2nd, 2013
Publisher - CreateSpace
Format Acquired - eBook via Amazon

Elijah is different. He's confused. And he used to be alive. When eighteen year old Elijah Solomon dies, so do all of his memories.  A mysterious message sends his lost soul back to change the life of one girl, and relive a very intriguing world. It isn't easy having a second chance, Elijah soon realizes. Dreams reveal clues from his past he isn't prepared for. Seraphina Adams lives with her emotionally distant mother and battles the darkness in her own mind. After the loss of her father, Sera finds that opening up and learning to trust can be the hardest things to grasp. Until she meets Elijah, the most beautiful boy she's ever seen.

The Rules of Dreaming by Bruce Hartman

Title - The Rules of Dreaming
Author - Bruce Hartman
Series - None
Release Date - May 23rd, 2013
Publisher - Swallow Tail Press
Format Acquired - eBook via Amazon

Nicole P. is a beautiful Irish graduate student pursuing a doctorate in literary theory. She checks herself in to the Palmer Institute (a private mental hospital in upstate New York), seeking help with anxiety and disorientation triggered by a recent breakup and her quest for a dissertation topic. But by the time she’s discharged two weeks later, her life has become dangerously entangled with those of her psychiatrist, who has fallen in love with her, and two schizophrenic patients, Hunter and Antonia Morgan, 21-year-old twins whose mother, the opera singer Maria Morgan, committed suicide seven years earlier on the eve of her debut at the Met. Nicole becomes convinced that the opera Maria Morgan was rehearsing — Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann” — is taking over the lives of her psychiatrist, of Hunter and Antonia Morgan, and of everyone who crosses their paths, until all are enmeshed in a world of deception and delusion, of madness and ultimately of evil and death. She discovers that she too has been assigned a role in the drama, and along with a blackmailer named Dubin she sets out to solve the mystery of Maria Morgan’s death and its uncanny consequences.

The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex #1) by Caitlin Kittredge

Title - The Iron Thorn
Author - Caitlin Kittredge
Series - Iron Codex
Release Date - February 22nd, 2011
Publisher - Delacorte Books
Format Acquired - Hardcover via local library

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day. Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Forbidden by Amy Miles

Title - Forbidden
Author - Amy Miles
Series - Arotas Trilogy
Release Date - November 3rd, 2011
Publisher - Self Published
Format Acquired - eBook via Amazon

Roseline Enescue didn’t ask to become an immortal, to have all of the guests at her wedding slaughtered, or be forced into marriage with a man whose lust for blood would one day ignite the vampire legend.Willing to risk everything for a chance at a normal life, Roseline escapes to America, but her transition into the human world isn’t easy. Mortal men flock after her while cutthroat girls plot her demise. Yet she remains relatively unfazed until she meets Gabriel Marston. As their lives entwine, Roseline realizes he is more than he seems. His ability to grind concrete into dust pales in comparison to the glowing cross tattoo that mysteriously appears on his forearms.Despite the forbidden bond between them, Roseline can’t help wondering what Gabriel is. He’s not human. He’s not immortal. So just what is he?

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Title - Spirit and Dust
Author - Rosemary Clement-Moore
Series - None
Release Date - May 14th, 2013
Publisher - Delacorte Books
Format Acquired - Hardcover via online library

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide. But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

Title - Kissing Shakespeare
Author - Pamela Mingle
Release Date - August 14th, 2012 (e-book)
Publisher - Delacorte Books
Where I got it - e-book via online library

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew.
Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide. Fellow cast member Stephen Langford has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks her if she’d like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to sixteenth century England—the world he’s really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare, who is showing alarming signs of taking a very different path in life. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world’s greatest plays will never be written.
Miranda isn’t convinced she’s the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Still, she reluctantly, agrees to help. After all, Stephen promises that once Miranda’s part is played, he’ll return her to the present and she can get on with her “real” life. What Miranda doesn’t bargain for is finding true love…with no acting required.

Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

Title - Gravity
Author - Melissa West
Series - The Taken
Release Date - October 30th 2012
Publisher - Entangled Select
Format Acquired - eBook via online library

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed—arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know—especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Title - Warm Bodies

Author - Isaac Marion
Series - None

Release Date - April 26th 2011

Publisher - Atria 

Format Acquired - Hardcover via local library

R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.
Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.