October TBR Pile!

Book Blogger Hop! (3)

It's Friday! Which means that it's time for the Book Blogger Hop! Yay! Just in case you didn't know, the Hop is an awesome weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books!

“In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?”
Click here for 2010-11 list in PDF format. You can also click HERE to view past years and choose from any of those titles!


My favorite banned book is Perks of Being a Wallflower. I feel that the book is filled with powerful messages and is written beautifully. I highly recommend everyone to read it!

Follow Friday! (5)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme created by Parajunkee and co-hosted by Alison Can Read where bloggers hop around meeting and following other bloggers. This week's featured bloggers are Starcrossed &The Bookaholic

Q: What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

A: I'm not a big fan of books being made into movies. I just feel like they get too over hyped and popular. I'm one of those people who hate things that become the new "thing", especially when it comes to books. Maybe it's selfish but I really do like it when I read a book and I'm the only one out of my friends that has heard of it. It makes me feel like I am indulging in a secret story no one else had touched yet. I also feel that most times movies don't do the books justice. Its rare when a movie outshines the book.

I suppose the only one I'd like to see would be Divergent by Veronica Roth. I think it would make an epic movie! No idea who I'd pick for the cast though!

IMM/Book Haul (4)

                                 

Bought:

Stray by Rachel Vincent
My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent
Genius Squared by Catherine Jinks
Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses and Spells & Sleeping Bags by Sarah Mlynowski
Daughter Of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Won:

Ghost on Black Mountain by Ann Hite
Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink

Library:

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Thats all I got this week! What did you get? :D

Review: This Dark Endeavor By Kenneth Oppel

Title: This Dark Endeavor
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Release Date: August 23rd 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 304
Source: Library

"Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. With their friend Elizabeth, Henry and Victor immediately set out to find assistance from a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another" (Goodreads)


I adored Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and when I heard someone was making a YA prequel I knew I had to read it! One of the reasons I was so excited to read it was because I wanted to know why Victor decided to do what he did in Frankenstein. Kenneth Oppel tackled that idea and created a wonderful story that even Mary Shelley would be proud of! 

In the prequel, we are introduced to a fifteen year old Victor, his twin brother Konrad, their fiery cousin Elizabeth and their poetic friend Henry Clerval. Life was grand for the young group considering the time period. Victor, Konrad and Elizabeth have always loved going on adventures. It isn't until Victor, Elizabeth and Konrad stumble upon a secret passage way leading to a hidden library underneath the chateau that things start to progress. The library contains book after book about alchemy, all of which interest Victor immensely. When Konrad falls victim to a mysterious deadly illness, Victor is determined to save him by discovering the formula needed to create the mythical Elixir of Life. Will he be able to succeed in being able to create the elixir and save his brother before its too late? 


This book was fantastic! It had so much action and the romance was just the right dose. Not to mention the humor thrown into it! Especially with Henry. There was also quite a few passages that held the same tone as Frankenstein, which made me very happy! Even the psychology of the book was grand. It was fascinating to see how Victors mind worked, his internal struggle to combat good and evil.  I could slowly see the personality of this Victor slowly start to change into Shelley's.


Overall this book was amazing. If you're hesitant about reading Frankenstein then I recommend reading this first and then see how you feel about it. Totally recommend everyone to read it! 


Rating; 5/5

Follow Friday! (4)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme created by Parajunkee and co-hosted by Alison Can Read where bloggers hop around meeting and following other bloggers. This week's featured bloggers are Librarian Mouse & Alaskan Book Cafe

Q: It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

 A: Most  of the imaginary books I read have scary settings! I'm not sure I'd want to live in any of them, I'd be too afraid I was going to get killed! LOL!

In My Mailbox (3)

• In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Let us know what books you've bought, borrowed or received for review!

I didn't get anybooks for review this week but the wonderful RJ from RJ Does Books gave me Ripple! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I bought:

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Soulless by Christopher Golden
Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe
Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Dust & Decay by Johnathan Maberry
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Haunting by Shirley Jackson
A Girls Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin


So I got some good books this week! What all did you guys get? :)

Review: I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale

Title: I Am Not Esther
Author: Fleur Beale
Release Date: July 1st 2004
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 256
Source: Library

"Imagine that your mother tells you that she is going away. She is leaving you with relatives whom you have never heard of-and they are members of a strict religious cult. Your name is changed to a biblical one, Esther, and you are forced to follow the severe set of social standards set by the cult. You don't know where you mother is, and you are beginning to lose your own identity." (Goodreads)


When I heard about this book I knew I had to read it. I have always been interested in what it is like to live inside a cult. And that is exactly what this book does, it offers a glimpse of what its like to be raised and dropped off inside of a strict religious cult. 


Kirby is only 16 when her mother suffers a break down and ships her off to live with her uncle and cousins. All of which she never knew existed beforehand. A sense of normal is completely lost when she arrives and is forced to take on a new identity. All Kirby wants is to go back home to her mother. Will she be able to or will ''The Rule" completely take over her life? 


I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't nearly as dark as what I thought it was going to be, but it still had some intense moments that made me go WOW! It was really interesting to read about how someone raised outside of the cult views it as opposed to someone actually raised in it. The book itself was believable. I could picture Kirby as a real girl fighting for her freedom. Although the book was good I didn't think it was anything too amazing but it definitely was not bad! Overall the book was good and insightful! I recommend reading it, especially if you also want an insight into what is like being in a cult!


Rating: 3/5

Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Release Date: September 21st 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 343
Source: Library

"Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs." (Goodreads)


The Replacement is a book I have been looking forward to reading for a long time, and when I finally got my hands on it at the library, I was ecstatic. Although The Replacement has one of the most original plots I have read this year, I found myself having mixed feelings throughout the book. Before I get into that I want to tell you a little about the story. 


Mackie Doyle just doesn't fit in with the people around him no matter how hard he tries. It probably is because he isn't like everyone else. Mackie is a changeling whom replaced the real Mackie Doyle when he was just a baby. All his life Mackie was told by his father to stay hidden and to not call attention to himself in fear of people finding out about his secret. If people were to find out, they would kill him out of fear like they did to another changeling a long time ago. It was never hard for Mackie to say in the shadows until Tate comes into the picture. Tate's little sister has just died, to everyone else it's just a tragedy, but to Tate it was mistaken identity. Tate swears that wasn't her sister she found dead, it was something else entirely. Mackie also knows the truth but is he willing to return from where he came in order to help save Tate's sister? The rest you all will have to find out for yourself!


The way Brenna writes is intriguing. I was captivated into the story by the first sentence. When I first started I thought it would an action packed story filled with gruesome things. While there were corpse-like fey and bloody scenes, it wasn't nearly as action packed as I thought it would be. I also found myself confused often to what was going on. 

I loved the friendships Mackie had with Rosewell and the twins. I wish there would have been more about the friendship then the relationship with Tate. Although I did find the relationship cute, It just didn't seem believable to me. I also never knew why Tate was compelled to talk to Mackie all the time in the beginning. Like I said, confusion! 


The story did keep me entertained though. I ended up liking it at the end and wanted to see how Mackie's life would change in Gentry. Over all I say this is a good fey book and encourage you all to at least try it! 


Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blogger Hop! (2)

It's Friday! Which means that it's time for the Book Blogger Hop! Yay! Just in case you didn't know, the Hop is an awesome weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books!

Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?

My Answer: I already am pretty eclectic in what genres I read. The main genre I tend to pick up is YA and if authors stopped writing it I feel like I would be lost for awhile! I would probably start reading Adult Fiction more. Hopefully it never happens! 

Follow Friday! (3)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme created by Parajunkee and co-hosted by Alison Can Read where bloggers hop around meeting and following other bloggers. This week's featured bloggers are Drying Ink & Pendantic Phooka 

Q: Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

A: Frankenstein! I wanted the monster to win in that book. That's the only one I can really think of. Usually if I end up liking a villain it is because the protagonist seems under developed. I consider it a flaw when I am reading but luckily I haven't run into that often!

I'm Still Here

Hey guys! I'm still around, I've just been so busy with school! I am hoping to get reviews up this weekend. School is just taking over my life right now! Blah. Hopefully next week will be better.

• In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Let us know what books you've bought, borrowed or received for review!

I did not get anything for review this week! I did jump on that Half-Price Books Labor Day Sale though.

I bought:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
An Acquaintance with Darkness by Ann Rinaldi
The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Dark Mirror by M.J Putney

Match Made In High school by Kristin Walker 

Illustrated Guide to Mad Men by Dyna Moe

Library: 

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale



What did you guys get this week? :D 

Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon

I am going to participate  in the Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon this weekend! You can check out Katie’s Book Blog for more information! I am not sure how many books I will actually get through, but I am going to try my best to read as many as I can!

I am going to start out with a low goal of books because I don't want to get myself freaked out over having too many LOL! I will update my progress through twitter!

I plan on reading:

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings, #1) by Jackson Pearce
I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale

Random Acts of Kindness (September)

This will be my first month participating in RAK! I am so excited to be a part of it. If you don't know about what it is, Vanessa and Isalys over at Book Soulmates have created a program, called the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)! Basically, you donate a book to anyone off the sign up sheet....without expecting anything in return. Its a super fun way to get to meet new bloggers!

Here are the rules:
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wishlist and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wishlist and contact that blogger for their address.

*NEW* Please, once you receive a RAK, email or tweet @BookBrunette so that she can update the Google doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU EMAIL HER. SHE WILL BE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR UPDATING THE GOOGLE DOC.{Thanks @BookBrunette for accepting!!}

*NEW* E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble as well.

At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K! (Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

THIS IS OPEN TO EVERYONE! ...Lets's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts. Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!
=====================================================

Seeing as it is September I thought I would leave my wishlist here. Thank you to all who decide to send me a RAK! I really appreciate it.

I have not received anything this month as of yet but have shipped out two books!

I gave Wake by Lisa McMann to RJ @ RJ Does Book

I gave Darkest Hour (Mediator 4) by Meg Cabot to Shanyn @ chickloveslit

Leave your wishlist down below so I can check them out too! ^_^

Book Blogger Hop! (1)

It's Friday! Which means that it's time for the Book Blogger Hop! Yay! Just in case you didn't know, the Hop is an awesome weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books!

Q: What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation?

A: This fall I am super stoked for all the awesome new book releases coming out! Especially this month. I just can not wait! I am also excited for Halloween. Who doesn't like to be someone/something else for a day and get free candy? Thanksgiving is also another holiday I am looking forward too. I love family time and the food isn't bad either!
What are you all excited for?  

Follow Friday! (2)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme created by Parajunkee and co-hosted by Alison Can Read where bloggers hop around meeting and following other bloggers. This week's featured bloggers are Once Upon a Prologue & Alison Can Read            

Q: If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? And, why?

 

A:  Really, I wouldn't change anything to most stories. An author chose to end a story a certain way because he/she felt that was the perfect way to end it. I am not going to lie and say I have enjoyed every ending to a book I've read, because I haven't. Sometimes a bad ending to a book can completely destroy how I feel about a series.

Take Twilight for an example. The very first book had a lot of potential. It could have turned into something amazing and yet in the second book I could tell the plot was starting to fall apart. The last book, Breaking Dawn was a train wreck. Everything felt so rushed and not even a little bit realistic at all.
 
Mockingjay was also another loss for me. The Hunger Games was probably one of the best YA Dystopian books I have ever read. Catching Fire was just as good too but I got a sense of the plot beginning to weaken by the end of it. When Mockingjay rolled around my expectations were sky high for it being the last book. I was let down. Katniss was supposed to be a strong heroine and willing to fight for what she loved, in Mockingjay all that determination seemed to leave her and she was just a depressed teen who gave up. I loved Katniss's determination and will to fight, when I read about how moody and emo she was it just irritated me. Suzanne killing off so many characters also infuriated me. It was just too depressing for my taste. I would have atleast kept Prim and Finnick alive, and given Katniss back her strong will.

 So what do you guys think? Anything you wanna change?

Mimi Valentines 300 Follower Giveaway!

I know everyone loves giveaways! So I thought I'd share a really awesome one with you all! All you have to do is be a follower of Mimi and bam! You could win one of several cool releases coming out this fall! :)

Enter HERE! :D

GOOD LUCK!