Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: June 8th 2010
Pages: 418
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Fiction
Personal Rating: 4 Stars/ Crave and Covet
Similar Books: 
Mercy Thompson Series


Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. 

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped
So this is not the first time I've read the first and the second book of this series but I reread them so that it would be fresh in my mind when I read the third. I ended up being glad I did I enjoyed this book. Yes, I agree that it is similar to the Mercy Thompson series; but, is that really a bad thing? Mercy Thompson is without a doubt an adult series while Raised By Wolves is for young adults. I liked Bryn as a character and I think she has so much potential. I think the romance was incredibly sudden and therefore somewhat hard to relate to; though, again shows real promise. Overall I really liked this book; but, I only gave it 7 Stars because in many ways I feel like something is lacking. Definitely a book to remember; I will probably reread it again someday though the No.1 con is "I wish there was more Devon time".

Strawberry Mochi

Today I received the gift of strawberry mochi. Why strawberry mochi? I have no idea; although I'm happy. It's very cute and yummy. I love mochi (except for the ones with anko or red bean paste). It reminds me of Okinawa. The box is extremely cute as well. It has this little handle rope thing like a little purse. I am also thankful for the individual packaging. Which means I can eat them one by one for the next couple of weeks. I also received a bag of Konpeito which is also very nostalgic. Although I miss the pink ones.  Now I have these sweet treats to keep my company while I attack my TBR Pile. I think I will start with What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton and Taken By Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Daily Dose of Random

WHERE IS MY TIGER HUG?!!!!!
I want a ginormous kitty to cuddle as well!
Here I am going reach out my hands and hope one show up.
...
....
......
WAAAAHHH!! *cries from a shattered dream.

Siren Song by Cat Adams

Arthor: Cat Adams
Release Date: September 28th 2010 by Tor Books
Pages: 384
Genre: Adult Fantasy Fiction
Personal Rating: 4 Stars/ Crave and Covet
Similar Books:
Blood Song by Cat Adams
Demon Underground Series by Parker Blue








Nothing if not resilient, Celia Graves is slowly adjusting to being a half-human, half-vampire Abomination. But her troubles are far from over. Her best friend’s murder is still unsolved, the cops are convinced she should be in jail, and her old lover, the magician Bruno DeLuca, has resurfaced in her life, saying he has something important to tell her.

The vampire attack that transformed Celia kicked her latent Siren abilities into high gear, and now she’s been summoned to the Sirens’ island to justify her existence—and possibly fight for her life—in front of the Siren Queen. Celia isn’t sure she’ll survive to make the trip. The demon she defeated in Blood Song hasn’t exactly gone quietly—he’s left Celia suffering from a powerful curse.

I may have liked the first book in the series; but, I loved the second. I am giving it 9 Stars. Celia as a character felt much more developed. Also the other characters were given more time in the limelight allowing you to get to know them better as well. Understanding more about Celia's past helped me to connect with her much better. I can now say that I like her very much. Her personality is awesome and I like how driven she is and yet has her own moral code. The only thing I don't like is her taste in guys. Bruno... seriously, I have never liked the guy and in my opinion this book just proves me right. Creede on the other hand...may visit my dreams tonight. Even the unknown character of Gaetano would be a step up in my opinion.
The story progression had a much smother progression and unlike the first book didn't feel nearly as abrupt. I liked the inclusion of politics and learning more about the sirens in Cat Adams world. Overall I find that I loved this book and will be re-reading it when the fifth book comes out next January.


Scene I will not forget anytime soon:
He ate a few nuts with a chaser of beer. I sipped my soda.
“I called Mona, told her what happened.”
Oh, shit. Mona was gonna kill me. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’ve got those secret service types.”
He choked again and this time he wound up coughing. I patted him on the back. A useless gesture, but I was pretty sure he didn’t need the Heimlich.
Tears were flowing from his eyes. “Oh, God, Graves, don’t do that to me.”
“Sorry,” I apologized meekly.
He shook his head. “I told her about the imp. How you stood toe-to-toe with it, damn near bare-ass naked, and fired a One Shot of holy water down its gullet.”
He sounded awed and it made me blush. It sounded a lot more impressive than it was. Honest truth, I hadn’t had a lot of choice. I mean, it was a frickin’ boat. It wasn’t like I’d had anywhere to go.
“You know what the wife said?” He was chortling now, his big body shaking with mirth.
“What?”
He imitated his wife’s voice as best he could: “ ‘Very impressive. But tell me something, Bubba. Why was Celia running around your boat naked?’ ”
“Oh dear.”

Blood Song by Cat Adams

Author: Cat Adams
Release Date: June 8th 2010 by Tor Books
Pages: 364
Genre: Adult Fantasy Fiction
Personal Rating:
Similar Books: 4 Stars/ Crave and Covet
 
Demon Underground Series by Parker Blue










Bodyguard Celia Graves has definitely accepted her share of weird assignments, both human and supernatural. But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a Prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed.

Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an Abomination—something that should not exist—and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends—a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop—Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation…before it’s too late.

I gave this book  6 Stars. Why? Because I love strong chicks who hold they're own after they have been through hell. Why only 6 stars? Celia is a little hard to connect with at first; however I was so interested in what else was happening that it didn't really matter. However if the lore and supernatural happenings hadn't been so interesting I might have put it down for good. There isn't really any romance that is going on in this book. Which is okay I can live with that especially since I never got really attached to any of the male characters. Bruno is definitely not a guy character that ever left the pages for me. 
However I am glad that I kept reading because the more I read the more I grew attached to Celia and really loved the supernatural world that Cat Adams created. Did I grow to love Bruno...no, not at all. But I loved the creatures and the way that Celia takes care of her business and I don't regret reading this book at all; because while this book may have been slightly "meh" for me the rest of the series is worth it.

Live Through This By Mindi Scott

Author: Mindi Scott
Release Date: October 2nd 2012
Pages: 304
Genre: Teen Contemporary Fiction 
Personal Rating: 3 Stars/ Buy
 
Similar Books:
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson








 
 From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . .  whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team  captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her.  Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to  keep her siblings and her happy.
But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a  relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling. 

I give this book 8 stars Coley is a great character and way portrayed very well. Also despite the fact that she is obviously somewhat popular you really get the feeling that she has somewhat of a introverted personality. The story is a good one however truthfully I thought it would be predictable and I was proven wrong. I made it through half of the book thinking I knew what the deal was and then I realized I was very mistaken. not often does a book manage to shake up my misconceptions and I must give kudos to Mindy Scott for that. Other than that I loved the characters especially Noah. I want a friend like Noah! I only wish I had gotten to know them a little better. Also while I accept the ending it was too abrupt for me and it left me with the stinging question of what happens now. It made me feel like the title was inappropriate because the question "how can she Live Through This" isn't answered.

Vampire Academy #2 Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: April 10, 2008
Pages: 326
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction

Published By: Penguin Group
Personal Rating: 4 Stars/ Crave and Covet 

The Stigoi are teaming up and attacking in unheard of numbers. Moroi are dying and there are just not enough Guardians to go around. Fear is growing and tensions are high. So, what does this mean for the students at St.Vladimirs? A ski trip in the mountains of Idaho.

After getting rid of Victor Dashkov and realizing the truth of Lissa’s magic and mental issues you would think things would be easy. However, Janine Hathaway is at St.Vladimirs and Rose has no idea how to deal with the mother who she hasn’t seen in years. Dimitri is acting distant and might be having romantic feelings toward someone else. And to top it off Lissa is extremely distracted with her new love Christian. Rose is left feeling angry, alone and frustrated. So what is she to do when she realizes that her close friend Mason is in love with her? To add another guy to the mix a Moroi noble by the name of Adrian seems to be very interested in her. Which boy will she choose and what is going to happen about the Stigoi who are working with humans to kill off the royals.

Let me just say that I loved this book and adored the series. I really enjoyed the interactions between Rose and Dimitri. I am really interested in Rose's character and thought. Kudos to Richelle Mead for creating such a character. The vampire lore manages to be both interesting and fresh while making sense. I have read this book at least 3 times and plan on reading in a few more.