Eat, Sleep, Read

3.5 rounded up to 4. I didn't love this sequel as much as I wanted to. Sadly, Katy is annoying most of the time. Review to come!

Kind of bittersweet for me. But I think the ending was the closure I needed for this series. Review to come!

REVIEW TO COME!! :)

I badly want to give this book a 5.. but when I look back the first three quarters of the book seems like 3.5-worthy. The climax though made me want to give it a 5 but the ending kind of left me hanging!! It feels like there were still a lot of issues which need resolving. Ugggh. So then it made me settle to a 4. Overall the book was a nice read :) I like George the best from all the characters!! More concrete review to come :-)

Review to come!! :)

Loved every minute I spent reading this book. Even prioritized this one over my academics =))) Made my heart swell with so much love from Noah most especially!!! <3 Visit my book blog for the whole review! http://ireadlikeaboss.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-pushing-limits-by-katie-mcgarry.html

Interpretation: 5/5-- And if a rating such as 100000000/100000000 exists, believe me I would have given it to this one!!! Such an amazing sequel!!! I am left speechless... just go buy this one NOW if you still don't have it!!!


WARNING! HARDCORE SPOILERS AHEAD.



THOUGHTS: Well.... that sequel definitely blew my mind!!!!! When I am using so many exclamation points, I am not exaggerating, it only means that the book was THAT AWESOME! FANTASTIC. REMARKABLE. SUPERB. AAAHHHH. I went crazy over this one! I've had an ARC of this one for a month now, sitting untouched on my Calibre and I don't know what the hell is wrong with me for not picking it up earlier!? The first book was great, but this sequel totally buried the first one! Pure is just f**king awesome!


It totally had me confused whether I'm for Aiden or Seth!!! It's like, most of the time I'm for Team Seth (since most of the time Alex is with Seth) and then the next thing I know I'm pining for Aiden! And then I'm furious at Aiden for being so confusing. I mean, what the hell!? What are you doing to me, Ms. Armentrout!?!? A loooot has happened in this sequel. I can't believe how Jennifer Armentrout was able to put all those bizarre events in just 329 pages! Felt like I've read a 600-page book (or was it just because I'm delaying Pure because I didn't want it to end?).


I will try to make this review as orderly as possible because I'm still high from reading Pure and I think I'm incapable of forming a coherent thought so please bear with me. ;-)

Hmmmm. Well, I think Hex Hall ended well. I must say am a tad bit emotional because I came to love Sophie, Archer, Cal, Jenna and the rest of the characters but sadly we have come to a conclusion. And I was not disappointed, but raher satisfied. It feels sad that we have to part with the series but somehow it also feels right that it ended because a sequel would have ruined this elated feeling. It feels like at the end of it all, everyone was put to where they belong. Like there is this peace of mind Hawkins left us all with. Sophie is with Archer. And together with Jenna they will be spending another year at the newly reformed Hecate Hall. Sophie's parents got back together. Cal and Elodie found peace in the grounds of Hex Hall. A lot of action happened, lotsa confusion regarding their feelings and tons of revelations but despite those unfortunate mishaps they made it through and was still able to pull off a happy ending for themselves. :-) The book was not mindblowing or anything super special that I'd hyperventilate over but it is the conclusion that we expected and wanted. So yeah, every page was worth it :->

The book went at a slow pace in the first few chapters. The terms were hard to pronounce and I'm having a hard time imagining how the setting looks like, how should the characters look like and in what era was the plot exactly set. I don't even know what was going on on the first part but still the book has that effect of keeping the readers interested enough to be curious what the ruckus is all about. In my opinion, I would have enjoyed the first few chapters if I did a little research (which I did when I was in the mid-part of the book) about Shadow and Bone beforehand. The concept was breathtaking and something that was new to me. I am not really into books with historical elements but I like this one very much! I'm glad that I picked this up!

Alina was the heroine that will leave a mark in your heart. She uses her weaknesses in order to build up her strength. I love every bit of her character! Even her weakness of just wanting to belong somewhere/with someone was something you cannot take against her but something you can sympathize with. But after everything she went through she still knows who she is despite the great power and luxury standing before her.

Mal is Alina's bestfriend since they were little children. The romance between them makes sense and tied up pretty well. What they have made their love for each other believable. The story of the scar on Alina's palm which reminds her of Mal was pretty cute :"> And as for every other guy who is willing to risk their lives for the woman they love, Mal is no different.

The Darkling is the type of villain you can't hate... I don't know about you but for me I'm smitten! I love his dark personality. I really think he has special feelings for Alina and deep down I wish they'd end up together though not forever =)) Or that at the end it will still be Mal and Alina but for the mean time, it should be The Darkling and Alina resisting his evil-ish charms.

The last quarter of the book really had my full attention and had me at the edge of my seat! The book had enough action, romance, issues and friendship equally developed throughout the story.

All in all the story left me speechless! The plot was refreshing, it is a diversion from all the cliche YA plots we are used to these days that's why I liked this book very much. I'm surely looking forward for Shadow and Bone's sequel! Kudos to Leigh Bardugo for doing a great job in creating a new addictive world! :-) Make sure to visit her site at http://www.leighbardugo.com/ to know more about Shadow and Bone!

http://ireadlikeaboss.blogspot.com/2012/04/earc-review-of-poseidon-by-anna-banks.html

GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! This book is very very frustrating in the best possible way!!! This masterpiece knocked the breath out of me! Given that I'm not a fan of mermaids, or mermans (or is it mermen!?!?) or syrenas whichever way you want to call the half-fish half-human beings in this world, this book will MOST definitely be included in my Top 10 list of favorite books for 2012!!! This is my first mermaid-themed book and I loved every little detail about it! Really reallyyyyy loved it!

1. The Cover
You gotta admit that cover is very very pretty... and I must say, if you're one of those who judges a book by it's cover, THIS DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

2. Blurb
A tad bit disappointed with the blurb... I mean, come on! That doesn't do the book justice!! As a non-mermaid fan, it did not interest me enough to even pick this book over my mountain-high TBR pile. If not for a Goodreads friend's review which I came across, I won't give this book a chance.

3. Author's style of writing
This book made me laugh my lungs out!!! This, by far, is the funniest book I've ever read! The author is not even trying hard when inserting humor in her writing-- and very few authors can do that. The writing sucked me in right from the very first page!!! Seriously! And that's why I love this book so much because it feels like none of my time was wasted because every second, every minute, every hour I spent reading this book was ENJOYABLE. Unlike other books which take some getting used to in the first few chapters before getting to the fun part.

4. Characters
Emma - I liked Emma's personality! She's bubbly, funny and could be very very stubborn when she wants things done her way.. but even if she's hardheaded you can't help but be very fond of her.
Galen - Ohhhh Galeeeeen!!!! Can I say, swoon? As in swoon x1000000000000. The word swoon can be overused with Galen. swoonswoonswoonswoonswoon. Words can't even describe how I love Galen!! He's hot, funny, sarcastic, a royal pain in the ass, SWEET :"> and dedicated to Emma :""">
Rayna - Rayna may be the biggest bitch you'll ever encounter but deep down she can also be a sweetheart. Her rudeness is like a barrier she put up so she can act tough and all but she can be a softy.
Toraf - I like how he is head over heels in love with Rayna despite her countless rejection! Whatever bitchiness Rayna throws at him doesn't stop him from wooing her.
Grom - is the broken brother who has responsibilities to fulfill. Smart.. but can still be fooled in times of emotional breakdown. I actually pity him :-<<br/>Rachel - I love Rachel!!! She may not be the warm motherly type but she puts sense into Galen and Rayna's head. I don't know how they would live without her <3<br/>*The syrenas' (yep, that how they are called) naivety when it comes to the humans adds to the book's humorous side!!!

5. Love story
Ahh, what's a good book without the heart-warming romance? I admit, Most of my favorite books have something to do with the wondrous romance built by the authors. Some may say it was too fast but for me it was alright. I really reallyyyy hate it when a girl falls in love at first sight!! Emma swooned over Galen at first sight because, who wouldn't!? With the gorgeous face and body, you're insane if you wouldn't do the same! But as Galen pursued her, Emma didn't budge easily. She rejected Galen like she doesn't want to have anything to do with him which makes the love story very very interesting! I always adore the love-hate relationship between the main characters! I love how Emma resisted Galen's charms! That's why when they did fall in love, it doesn't feel like they just met a month ago or that they were just pretend dating for weeks-- the rejection and then acceptance made every feeling of admiration and love real!


Over all? When this book comes out on May 22, 2012.. have no second thoughts and go run on to the bookstore nearest to you and purchase this one!!

Thoughts: *Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* I have once again finished the first book of a series with lots of potential!!!!! We've only spent 1 night and now it's done... I can't believe I've read 3/4 of the book in one sitting!!! If I weren't sleepy and if I didn't have plans the next day, I would have stayed up late and finished the entire book! NOW THAT is an awesome book!! Thanks to this book, I know now how to distinguish a great read from a disappointing one when time is of the essence. I really don't have a 2-month long vacation for this academic year or for any upcoming years in my teenage life because I am soon-to-be a grown up, and part of being a grown-up means a couple of weeks for a "Summer vacation". So you see, I really don't have the time to waste reading the wrong book while the good ones sit untouched. So I have this strategy that if the books weren't working for me with regards to its first few chapters then I'm putting it down & picking up a new read. I might give it a chance some other time but not now when I only have a week left until our mandatory summer classes start!


Going back to this superb book... what can I say? I'm a sucker for love triangles. I am a sucker for 2 guy best friends falling in love with their girl best friend-- because we're not fed with the crap load of BS called "love at first sight". I am a sucker for werewolves. I am a sucker for HEMLOCK!!! I finally found a book wherein I love the two leading men!!!! I am totally confused! If only Mac can have both as her boyfriend! 


Kyle is the stable one, the more organized, responsible and reliable one. Kyle is the safest and best choice!! He is like the best friend who was always there for Mac when it comes to saving and comforting her. He is the guy who was too afraid to confess his feelings that might ruin his relationship with the people he cares most. 


Jason, on the other hand, is the broken one. We gotta admit, the broken ones have a huge spot reserved in our hearts. We've always loved the tortured soul-ed yet brooding and handsome, rich bastard. Just like Mac, we can't help but want to fix them and be the reason why he is doing better. He is reckless, stubborn, spontaneous and just about the most perfect broken guy I've ever drooled over. 


There were unexpected twists but nothing out of the ordinary. All in all it is a great read if you're looking for a good love story :P I can't wait for the next book to come out!!! I don't know how much time I have to wait for it to come out :-< This book hasn't even been published yet. Kyle had his chance and in the 2nd book, it's Jason turn!! With Jason and Mac on the journey in finding Kyle, I'm sure there will be lotsa cheezy moments planned for Jason and Mac :-p

Interpretation: 3/5. Nice plot but not memorable. Still worth reading.
Btw, don't you find the frog in a jar cute!? I found it in a site somewhere and thought, Hey why not use this as my supposedly "star" for rating the books in my reviews!? ;;)





Well isn't the cover lovely!? I am a sucker for breath taking covers so I guess I am easily deceived by what's on the outside rather than what's on the inside. The blurb (for me) on the other hand didn't really scream: "Hey! Read me! READ ME!!!" Unless you're a fan of mythological themed story lines, you won't end up reading this book. But the cover is really really reallyyy nice. Something you'd want people to see on your collection of young-adult reads. Something that made me want to give this book a chance. 


The story was about Elyse who is an orphan and who ages slowly. She has a guardian, Aunt Betsy who, from the beginning of the book, just died. She also has a best friend, Anna who knew about her condition since they were children and although she is now in her mid-30s or 40s and has a daughter while Elyse still looks like she is in her early 20s, Anna remained Elyse's best and only friend. Until one day, Elyse found out that she is not alone, that there are still others and that she doesn't have to live in isolation anymore. They are called the Descendants. Descendants have gods as their ancestors and each and everyone has a "special ability" depending on whom they descended from. Elyse has the power to heal which makes her a healer (duh) and also the "chosen one"-- the descendant who's going to end the war and save them all. Half of her body heals while the other half poisons. Elyse is torn between her decision to fulfill her destiny as the redeemer or to save her best friend Anna who has Cancer. The whole healing thing works when Elyse draws blood and Iosef (the wise old man) told her that the more severe the bruise/sickness is, the more blood she has to draw. And when it comes to Cancer, Elyse will most likely die if she wanted to cure Anna.


Quite frankly this book disappointed me. From the great reviews I have read I was expecting this book to exceed my expectations! That I was wrong to judge it from its blurb. There was not so much of the action I wanted. The romance between William and Elyse happened too fast. One day they were going out on a date and the next day they were kissing and saying I love you to each other. I mean... as much as it's rampant for YA reads to adopt "love at first sight" themes, I still wanted them to take things slowly. As for William, he has a lot of potential but he lacks the swoon factor :-( I wasn't engaged with the plot. I didn't feel connected with the characters. I don't even know what's going on halfway through the book! =)) There was no depth in the story. No surprising twists. The book is plain.. and bland. Although I must say it was well-written (in its grammatical sense). Just that, it wasn't for me. I want to like it.. love it, even. But I just can't find a reason for me to love it. I don't even get the essence of the war. They say they are being oppressed but you can't feel the oppression they were talking about. You can't feel The Council's cruelty. You can't sympathize with them. Mostly the book talks about Anna's confusion in making a decision. I mean, it's reasonable that she wanted to give her life for her best friend's sake but I find the conflict lacking so much depth. But I've got to admit, it's heart warming to know that Elyse will sacrifice her life for her best friend. It's understandable because Anna is the only person (besides her guardian, Aunt Betsy) who knew about her condition and who has been there for her all along. My favorite scene though was the Human Evasion Test. It gave life to the book, made it exciting even if it was short-lived. Towards the last quarter of the book I just can't wait for it to end. I didn't want to give up on it and not finish reading it. I just have to know if towards the end the story gets better.. but it didn't. So there, in conclusion the book was not for me but I'm sure for some people they will come to love and enjoy this one. :-) The plot is light and like-able. I still say you guys should give it a chance and  find out if the story works for you.


 My favorite line:

 “You’ll never lose me, Ellie,” he said with an unexpected brush of his lips on mine. “I’ll always find you.”

Part where I felt Elyse's pain:

“You know, Anna,” I spoke with a shaky voice. “All my life I’ve had to carry around the burden of being the one who lives, watching everyone I love age and die. You don’t know what that’s been like, to feel powerless as the world steals everything right out from under you. Well, maybe you do. But I won’t let that happen to you, to Chloe.”

Hmmmm. My feelings about the book is neutral. Just.... meh. Still, I am thoroughly impressed with the authors' work! And *gasp* they used to go to Harvard (well I guessed that one from the looks of the legit infos they were disclosing about Harvard), were roommates and bestfriends and that some parts of the books were true!!!! Can you please enlighten us? You guys unceasingly amaze me :")

I am very very disappointed with Clint. What a douchebag. What an asshole. What a jerk. What a liar. What a bastard :| I expected more from him!!! Like he was a martyr or a saint who's going to love Callie unconditionally. I can't believe it :| I wanted Bolton's competition to be a saint... not a douche!!!! Someone who has fallen head over heels in love with Callie :(

As for Gregory... why does it feel like everytime the book ends he is always MIA (aka Missing In Action!? I mean seriously, if I recall everything right =)))) And I really really thought that the book would end on the part when they were stranded. I guess not. And when the moment that I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAITING FOR, which is some ALONE TIME FOR GREGORY AND CALLIE, finally arrived it has to end too soon. I mean come on guys!! I need more Gregory-Callie romance here. I can't feel the love! I can't even feel Gregory's pain. All I can feel is Callie's pain whenever Clint does things an awful boyfriend would do. I hope that the next book will not drag. And that I need.. as in NEED more romantic moments between Gregory and Callie. I need to feel their love! I need to feel their prolonged pain for not being together because of a messed up situation. I need to feel their longing!!!! I need more emotions in the upcoming book! Whenever I feel like the book is doing something right it backfires. Like it ends too soon or something is definitely lacking! So please, make me feel what the characters are feeling :)


I am not in love with Rivals but since I'm in love with the series and the first two books I urged myself to read it. And it's not so bad. After all, when you love someone (or something) you tend to over look everything. You tend to feel like everything about it is perfect. Anyyyways, I hopy you guys make the next book more interesting. Thank you! Wondering how many books will there be for this series. Glad to know, though that this series won't be ending soon because for sure I'll be missing Callie and Gregory and Mimi and Vanessa and Matt and OK and fine.... Dana =))))


Thank you authors for sharing your masterpiece with us!! The joy that you share is priceless :D

I liked the story a lot. It's refreshing to read something new. A diversion to all the same plot we are bombarded with these days. And for it to have wrapped up in a single book (no sequel whatsoever) felt right :) I think being it without any sequel made me like the book even more :) So kudos to Jess Rothenberg!!!

I LOVED IT! LOVED IT LOVED LOVED IT. Mercy is definitely going to have a hard time picking the right man for her! Every single male lead is swoon worthy. But! BUT. There's only one guy who has captured my heart from the very beginning and that would be none other than our bad boy.. FLYNN! <3 I really really hope Mercy ends up with Flynn! Please Ms Shannon!! *hopeful look* <br/>
If you want a fresh read that will be worth your time and also if you'd like to have a goofy grin plastered all over your face while reading, well this is the right book! I recommend this to everyone. Can't wait for the 2nd book! When will it be out Ms Shannon?? :D

Just want to say that this was the only book that made me cry NON-STOP. Broke my heart until the end. A very good read! I am urging EVERYONE who haven't read yet this epic masterpiece (who can handle the heartbreak) to read it NOW. Currently, my #1 FAVORITE BOOK even though it has been a couple of months now since I've read this.