In My Mailbox (35)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a post where book bloggers share the books they received for review, purchased, won, traded or borrowed each week.

That whole small mailbox thing didn't really last very long. Where last week I only had two books to share, this week I have ten books to share. I may have gone a little crazy on the buying side of things, but I only ended up paying full price for one--yay for the bargain section at Chapters. For those of you Canadians, be sure to check out the bargain books at your local Chapters because they just added a bunch of new ones this week. So here's what I got this week.

Review:

- Grave Mercy by R. L. LaFevers - I have heard nothing but absolutely amazing thing about this book and I cannot wait to be read it. It's about killer nuns in fifteenth century Brittany. What could not be good about this book? And despite the size of the book, I have a feeling it will just fly by once I start reading.

- Teen Boat! by Dave Roman & John Green - This book is actually a comic book about a teenage guy who can transform into a small yacht. I don't normally read comic books so I'm not entirely sure what I will do with this one. But if the mood strikes me some day I may end up reading it. At any rate, it looks absolutely hilarious.

Thank you Thomas Allen & Sons for sending me these two books for review

Borrowed:

- Stray by Rachel Vincent - I've recently started reading Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series and I really like it. As a result Ciara from Lost at Midnight suggested I read Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so she lent me her copy of the first book. I'm hoping to read this one soon and see how the author's YA books compare to her adult ones.

Purchased

- Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen - I bought/won this one through the Authors for Henryville auctions and I was happy to see it show up in my mail on Friday. I'm really excited to read it because I heard it's really good and I love Robin Hood-type stories. Hopefully I will be reading it soon.

- Gone by Michael Grant - I bought this book because of Ciara. I'd heard of the series but had never really known what it was about, so when she explained it all to me I decided it was a series I had to read. I'm hoping to get to it soon. The nice part is that most of the books are out so I can just keep reading them.

- Jane by April Linder - This book came out a couple of years ago, but I remember hearing good things about it. So when I saw the hardcover in the bargain section at my local Chapters I couldn't resist picking up a copy for myself. And with the school year ending I may end up reading it quite soon.

- Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - Before I started reading YA almost exclusively I was a big fan of Sophie Kinsella and had read pretty much all of her books. I unfortunately haven't been keeping up with her most recent ones but when I saw this one in hardcover in the bargain section I just couldn't resist picking up a copy.

- Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz - Despite owning almost the entire Blue Bloods series, I still have yet to read anything written by Melissa de la Cruz. Once again, this one was in hardcover in the bargain section of my local Chapters and I couldn't resist picking it up. 

- City of Bones & City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - I've obviously already read these two books but only owned the UK paperbacks and they clashed with the rest of my Cassandra Clare books which are all in this format. So when I found a gift card I had forgotten I had, I figured I might as well get these two.

So that's it for me this week. If you haven't already you can still enter my giveaway to win a hardcover of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. And as usual, leave me a comment and I'll come see what you got.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: April 25, 2006

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school--that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies.

Cammie Morgan is a second-generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (one of which involves a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for a boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl.

Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser--but can she have a relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie may be an elite spy-in-training but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission--falling in love.

For the longest time, I have been hearing about how good Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series is, but it wasn't until recently that I finally picked up the first book in the series. Of course, I have now discovered exactly what I was missing out on and I will definitely go back and read this series.

To the outside world, it looks like Cammie Morgan goes to an elite boarding school for rich girls. But as often is, everything isn't always what it seems. Because while it is an elite all-girls boarding school, the Gallagher Academy is also a school where girls with genius IQs go to be trained to become spies. Cammie has always embraced her future as a spy, but when she meets Josh, she may be reconsidering the whole thing. Because with Josh, Cammie wants nothing more than to be the normal girl that he sees when he looks at her. But normal is the last thing Cammie can be, and she can never tell Josh who she really is.

While I have read both books in Ally Carter's Heist Society series, it wasn't until recently that I decided to give her Gallagher Girls series a try. I'm glas I did because I was finally able to discover what I was missing out on. It was one of those books that i just fun to read and takes you away from your own life for a few hours. I loved getting lost in the spy world of the Gallagher Academy, and discovering some of its secrets. What I loved best about the story was that it could go from being completely normal one minute to being full of spy action the next. I just didn't know what would be coming next.

I absolutely loved Cammie's voice as narrator. She just had a way of telling the story that made it so she could make me smile at the smallest of things. But she wasn't always that happy person and those other times often made me really feel for her. I could understand her yearning to be the normal girl that Josh saw in her. I could also really see why she would fall for Josh the way she did. He was definitely great and I loved his stubbornness when it came to Cammie. And Cammie's friends were also pretty fantastic, I would love to have them in my own life. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Bex, Liz and Macey in the next books in the series.

After reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You I can say that I will be going back and reading all of the Gallagher Girls books. If they're all like this one, then I'm sure I'm going to enjoy them.

Black Heart by Holly Black

Title: Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

In a world where magic is illegal, Cassel Sharpe has the most dangerous ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object--or person--into something else entirely. He's so valuable, the Feds are willing to forgive his past crimes if he'll go straight. But why does it feel so crooked?

For one thing, it means being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She's the daughter of a mob boss and she's joining the family business. Though Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can't stop obsessing over her.

The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning out of control. But if they want Cassel to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? Is everyone just out to con him? Time is running out, and all Cassel's magic and cleverness might not be enough to save him. With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

The Curse Workers series by Holly Black is one of my all time favorite series so I was beyond excited when an ARC of Black Heart showed up on my doorstep. But as much as I was excited about reading it, I also didn't want to because that would mean one of my favorite series would be over. Regardless of all this, Black Heart ended up being a fantastic read.

Now training to work for the government, Cassel Sharpe has left behind the life of crime he grew up in and has always known. Except that the more he works with them, the more Cassel finds that the good guys may not necessarily be as good as they appear to be. Not only that, but working with the Feds means that Cassel is working against Lila, the girl he has been in love with his entire life. And to make things better, everything seems to be going completely wrong in Cassel's life, both at home and at school. When you grow up in a world filled with lies and deception, nothing can ever be what it seems.

I absolutely adore the world and story that Holly Black created in her Curse Workers series. It's dark and deceiving and I absolutely love it. The story itself will take you to places you never thought it would. The story in Black Heart was packed with twists and turns, every time I thought I had everything figured out, Holly Black would throw something new in the mix and I would have to re-evaluate everything. And of course Holly Black's writing itself is incredible. It draws me in to the story, to a place that I just don't want to leave. Once I started reading I just couldn't stop. And the ending was just perfect, both for the book and for the series. I couldn't have asked for a better one.

I am most definitely at least a little bit in love with Cassel Sharpe. I mean, not falling in love with him would have been a little difficult. In this book, he was the same Cassel that I have come to love in the other books. Once again, he has really good intentions and his heart is most definitely in the right place, but sometimes the follow-through is a little bit lacking or doesn't really turn out quite as planned. But, hey, at least it kept things interesting. And Lila finalled proved to me that she was deserving of Cassel and I was finally able to see what he saw in her. And of course, more than anything, I was happy with the way things turned out for everyone.

I loved Black Heart. In this book, Holly Black wrote an amazing conclusion to her phenomenal Curse Workers series. Though I'm sad this series I love has now ended, I couldn't have asked for a better ending for it. 

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

For those of you who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:
EMBERS AND ECHOES BY KARSTEN KNIGHT

Ashline Wilde is about to discover that when you’re the reincarnation of a Polynesian volcano goddess, “new beginnings” are just a myth. 

Leaving the fiery ruins of her sophomore year behind her, Ash travels to the sizzling beaches of Miami, hot on the trail of the little sister she’s only seen in visions. But her happy family reunion isn’t all palm trees and paradise. A cult of evil gods-on-earth, known as the Four Seasons, has kidnapped her sister to use in its terrifying new religion. Soon, the streets of Miami erupt in chaos and violence…and Ash gets caught right in the tropical crossfire 

Ash isn’t without help, however. Unexpected romance arrives in the form of Wes, an Aztec god of night with his own vendetta against the Four Seasons. As memories of Ash’s previous life begin to flicker into her dreams, the boundaries between ally and enemy, life and death, and love and hate all bleed together. And when a mysterious trickster from her past reappears to derail her new quest, Ash must choose between the echoes of a once-forgotten yesterday and the embers of an uncertain future. 

Because when old flames return from the dead, even a volcano goddess can get burned.

I absolutely adored Wildefire when I read it last year. And that ending was pretty much the textbook definition of a cliffhanger. The book wasn't even out yet and I already wanted to read the sequel, that's how much I've been pining for this book. Basically, there isn't much I wouldn't do in order to get my hands on this book. I just can't wait to find out what happens next to Ashline.

Ember and Echoes by Karsten Knight will be published August 28, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 

Win The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Thanks to Harlequin Teen I am lucky enough to be able to offer one of you lucky readers a finished copy of Julie Kagawa's upcoming book, The Immortal Rules. Julie Kagawa is a fantastic writer and I loved her Iron Fey series (definitely check it out if you haven't already). I've heard nothing but good things about The Immortal Rules and look forward to reading it myself.

So if a lovely hardcover copy of The Immortal Rules might be something you are interested in getting your hands on, be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Canada only. Good luck to everyone who enters!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton

Release Date: January 12, 2012

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Before reading The Fault in Our Stars, the only other book by John Green I had read was Paper Towns, which I had really enjoyed. I don't know why I didn't pick up on of his other books sooner. And then everyone was talking about The Fault in Our Stars and I picked up a copy. I started reading it right away and pretty much didn't put it down until I was finished reading it.

Hazel has cancer and everyone thought she was going to die. But then a medical miracle bought her more time. Now Hazel spends that time either at home watching America's Next Top Model or attending Cancer Kid Support Group. And that's where she meets Augustus Waters. That's when Hazel's life becomes more than just support group and ANTM. Now she spends her time with Gus, and before long she finds herself falling in love with him. For both Hazel and Augustus, life becomes about more than just cancer. But something like cancer can be hard to escape.

Oh how I loved this book. I'm not really sure how to explain all the feelings I have for The Fault in Our Stars, but I'll try. I knew going in to this book that I would be feeling all kinds of different emotions, not because it's about kids who have cancer but because John Green wrote it. The only other book of his I had read was Paper Towns and that one had left me with all these crazy emotions. The Fault in Our Stars was no different, and before I knew it I found myself tearing up almost every other page. The story itself wasn't necessarily sad, but there were often moments where I just couldn't help but feel for the characters. And those characters are most definitely what made the story for me. 

I absolutely loved Hazel. Despite the fact that she had cancer, a lot of the time I almost forgot about her personality. Sure, she had cancer, but she didn't necessarily let that guide all the decisions she made, especially once she met Augustus Waters. But regardless of all that, Hazel was someone for who I wanted nothing but the best because she more than deserved it. And she definitely deserved someone like Augustus Waters. Because Augustus Waters was exactly what Hazel needed. I'll admit that even I fell for him. He just had this quality about him and I just couldn't help but smile any time he showed up. But he was also the cause of a lot of heartbreak brought on by this book, though that didn't make me love him any less. 

I have to say I absolutely loved The Fault in Our Stars. It was a fantastic read despite the fact that it broke my heart just a little. I think I have also finally been convinced to go back and read all those John Green books that have been sitting in my bookshelf for all this time. 

In My Mailbox (34)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a post where book bloggers share the books they received for review, purchased, traded, won or borrowed each week.

I have finally had the slow mailbox week I have been craving (and I never really thought I would ever say this). I only received one book for review this week and I was really good and only bought one. So I may just finally be able to start making a dent in my pile of books that need to be reviewed and the pile of books I bought that still need to be read. So without further ado, here's what I got this week.

For Review:

- I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - It wasn't until recently that I heard about this book and I have to thank Ciara from Lost at Midnight for telling me about it. When I found out more about the story, I knew I just had to read it. I am a huge Criminal Minds fans and so this book sounds like something that I would really enjoy.

Bought:

- The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder - I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time and I finally caved and bought myself a copy when I stopped by the bookstore earlier today. I have heard nothing but absolutely amazing things about this book so I'm really looking forward to finally being able to read it.

That's it for me this week. Let me know what you got in the comments and I'll come check it out!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Purchased 

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

When I read Delirium last year I fell in love and the ending left me completely heartbroken. So you can imagine I was eagerly anticipating the release of Pandemonium. When it came out, I rushed to the bookstore and started reading right away. And once again I fell in love and was left completely heartbroken.

Now that she is in the Wilds, Lena has to learn how to survive on her own. And without Alex. But Lena isn't completely alone and soon enough she is sent to New York City on a resistance assignment. But that assignment doesn't go exactly as planned, and Lena finds herself getting kidnapped and locked in a room with Julian Fineman. As she tries to find a way to escape, Lena finds herself once again questioning everything he has been told. And the more time she spends with Julian, the less she seems to be thinking about Alex. But Lena isn't sure if she can go back to being a person who can love.

I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again: Lauren Oliver is a master of her craft. Right from the first page of Pandemonium I was taken back to the world I had come to love in Delirium. Not only that, but I was also thrown into the story, at first not really knowing what was happening. In this book, Lauren Oliver chose to write two storylines: one taking place immediately after Lena escaped to the Wilds and one that takes place in Lena's present. These two storylines alternate from chapter to chapter and it only served to make me want to read more of the story. And of course this wouldn't be a Lauren Oliver book if the ending didn't leave me completely heartbroken. Because it did. And now I have to wait a year to find out what happens next.

Once again, I loved seeing Lena's growth over the course of the book. Much like with Delirium, Lena was a completely different person by the end of the book. I loved seeing the transformation happen in her. But Lena wasn't the only character to go through a transformation, there's also Julian. And Julian is someone I didn't really know what to make of at first. But the more I got to know him, the more I liked him--more than I ever thought I would. And more than anything I loved the person he became by the end of the book. The addition of new characters was definitely something I enjoyed about Pandemonium, though I wish I could have gotten to know some of them better.

Pandemonium most definitely didn't disappoint me, and I may have loved it even more than Delirium. Lauren Oliver really knows her stuff, and she once again left me completely heartbroken yet I would have begged for more.

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

For those of you who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

TIGER LILY BY JODI LYNN ANDERSON

15 year old Tiger Lily, proud and fierce, wild and misunderstood, doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, big-hearted but hard to reach, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything - her family, her future - to be with the haunted, hunted, courageous boy who loves her. When - as a punishment for her rebellious ways - she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart. 

From the New York Times bestselling author of PEACHES comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories and I love pretty much anything related to it. This books just sounds like it will be an incredible read and I can't wait to see a different side of characters whose stories I new pretty much by heart as a kid. 

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson will be published July 3rd, 2012 by HarperCollins Children's Books.

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Title: The Night She Disappeared
Author: April Henry

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also delivers pizzas part-time. One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete's Pizza, goes out with an order and never comes back. To Gabie's horror, she learns that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Was Kayla's fate really meant for Gabie? Obsessed with finding Kayla, Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete's. Together they set out to prove that Kayla isn't dead--and to find her before she is. 

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry was a fantastic read. It was the first time I read anything by April Henry, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it It was a thrilling read and I just sped through, practically reading it in one sitting. It was jus that good a story.

Gabie works at Pete's Pizza on Wednesday nights, but on that night, Kayla had asked if she was willing to trade shifts with her. That's also the night someone called in a delivery and asked if the girl who drives the Mini Cooper was working but Drew didn't think much of it and sent Kayla to do the delivery. And everything seemed fine until Kayla doesn't come back from making the delivery. When she finds out about Kayla's disappearance the next day, Gabie can't help but feel guilty because she was the one who was supposed to be working. But also because she's the one who drives the Mini Cooper. With Drew's help, Gabie sets out to find out what really happened to Kayla, hopefully without putting her own life at risk. 

Until I read The Night She Disappeared, I hadn't read anything by April Henry. Now I kind of wished I had because I simply loved this one. I may have said this before but I wish there were more YA thrillers being written. And if there were more like The Night She Disappeared then that would just be fantastic. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and captivated me from start to finish. I just didn't want to put the book down. I also enjoyed all the different documents related to the investigation that were included. They really added another dimension to the story.

The story was told from multiple points of view, which at first made it a little hard to follow. But it didn't take too long for me to come around to it. It really helped make the story more mysterious and the story being told in this way is one of the main reasons the story kept me on the edge of my seat. Even with the story told this way, I still feel like I got to know the characters really well, particularly Drew and Gabie. They were both great characters and I enjoyed seeing them come closer together. It was a relationship that I definitely loved to see grow and despite the circumstances it didn't feel forced at all. Most of all, they are definitely characters that I will remember for some time. 

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry was a fantastic and thrilling read. If you are looking for a book that's a little different from your typical YA, this is one to keep in mind. 

In My Mailbox (33)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a post where book bloggers share the books they received for review, bought, borrowed or were gifted each week.

My mailbox was a busy place this week. I received a wonderful package filled with finished copies of books for review as well as one that I had bought a little while back. I was actually good and only bought one book this week, which is good considering how many books have come into my house in the past few weeks. So here's what I got this week.

For Review:

- Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez - This book showed up as a total surprise, and according to Goodreads it's part of a series and quite far into the series. If anyone has read this series, does it have to be read in order or can I just pick any up? If anyone knows, please let me know in the comments.

- Croak by Gina Damico - I've really been looking forward to this book so I was very happy to have it show up in my mailbox. It sounds like a really interesting story and like something that's different from what is already out there in YA. I can't wait to get to it!

- Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler - I've heard really great things about this series but I haven't actually read them yet. Having gotten a copy of the third book, I will now be sure to go back and read it. The premise sounds really interesting so I'm really looking forward to reading this series.

- Illuminate by Aimee Agresti - I have been wanting to read this book for a really long time and it still wasn't in stock at my local bookstore so I was very happy to find a copy in my mailbox on Monday. I've heard nothing but good things about this book so hopefully it will live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Sons for sending me all these wonderful books.

Bought:

- The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen - I really enjoyed Melissa Jensen's other book, Falling in Love with English Boys, so I'm really looking forward to reading this one. It sounds like an adorable read and I can't wait to find out if it is has good as everyone says it is.

- The Painted Boy by Charles de Lint - A couple of weeks ago I read Under My Skin by the same author and really loved it. So when I was at his signing on Thursday I decided to pick this one up as well after having it recommend to me. Hopefully I'll like it as much I liked the other one.

Won:

- Under My Skin by Charles de Lint - I've already read this one and you can check out my review for it here. I was happy to win this one since it meant I had a nice finished copy for Charles de Lint to sign on Thursday. If you haven't, I definitely recommend you give this one a try because it will probably surprise you.

Thank you to Razorbill Canada for this book.

So that's it for me this week. Once again, my TBR pile has grown quite a lot and with the end of the semester quickly approaching it means I will start having less reading time...or I may just end up reading more as way of procrastinating. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Let me know what you got in the comments and I'll come check it out!

Under My Skin Launch Party - RECAP & GIVEAWAY

On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending the launch party for Charles de Lint's new book, Under My Skin. At the event I met up with Meaghan from Feeling a Little Bookish, who I had met before on other occasions. The event was held at the Raw Sugar Cafe in Ottawa which is an adorable little coffeeshop just at the edge of Ottawa's Chinatown. We went in and got seats and proceeded to talk about books while waiting for the event to start. By the time 7PM rolled around the place was pretty packed and the event started.

To start things off, Charles de Lint and his wife, who are both musicians and singers, played some songs from their individual CDs. Everyone, myself included, really seemed to enjoy this part of the evening. I'll say that it was nice to have something a little different from your traditional book-related event. 

Following the music, Charles de Lint talked about Under My Skin, explaining what the book is about and then going on to read from it. So that he wouldn't give too much of the story away, he read different blog entries written by one of the characters in the book. As I've already read Under My Skin, I knew exactly who he was talking about, but to someone who hasn't read the book it was a great non-spoilery introduction to the story.

After that Charles de Lint sat down to sign books. I had brought along my finished copy of Under My Skin to get signed, and bought a copy of The Painted Boy to get signed as well, after Chandra at Indigo Teen Blog recommended it to me. I had also brought along my advance copy of Under My Skin to get signed and give away to one lucky person, so be sure to check out the form below!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable night and I am happy I was able to attend since there aren't that many YA book events in Ottawa.

Giveaway!

As I mentionned, I have one signed ARC of Under My Skin to give away. It was a really great book and if you want more information about it be sure to check out my review. The giveaway is opened internationally.

Dark Eyes by William Richter

Title: Dark Eyes

Author: William Richter

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: March 15, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

A vigilante would fight for justice at any cost. wally could be that fearless…

But for now, she is a runaway. Her identity is a mystery.

Wallis Stoneman was born in Russian and adopted by a wealthy family in New York City. Beautiful and rebellious, she trades a life of privilege for the gritty streets of Manhattan. She knows nothing of her childhood in Russia. Those years are lost forever.

Until she finds a vital clue to her past.

Now she's sixteen and hardened, and she's just stumbled across a harrowing secret that will change her life forever: Wally's roots are deadly. She's the daughter of Klesko, a notorious Russian gangster who's just broken out of prison.

Danger is her destiny.

Klesko is trailing the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago, and he'll stop at nothing to find it…even if it means killing his own blood.

Can Wally find--and save--her mother before Klesko destroys them both?

Despite having seen it floating around the blogosphere, I hadn't really heard that much about Dark Eyes by William Richter before reading it. I am glad I hadn't because nothing could have put into words exactly how awesome Dark Eyes ended up being. Even I may have trouble doing so in this review.

Wally Stoneman had everything she could have possibly wanted but instead she chose to join a crew and start living on the streets of New York City. Now Wally is trying to find information on her Russian birthmother, but that is proving to be more difficult and more dangerous than she ever could have thought. It seems that every new clue to discovering her mother's identity only brings with it more danger and more mystery. And to make things better, two dangerous men are hot on her trail, leaving a string of dead bodies in their wake. Now Wally is racing against time, trying to get to her mother before her birth father does. If she fails, she may never know who her mother was.

Dark Eyes was an absolutely fantastic read. I'll admit that at first I wasn't sure about the book but that was because there were a lot of back stories that needed to be established. But let me just say that once that was done, the story just took off and it was a crazy ride. It was packed with action and full of twists and turns. While there were some parts of the story that I was able to figure out, most of it I didn't see coming. But even when I did see things coming, it didn't stop me from enjoying every moment of the story. William Richter is also a screenwriter and that is definitely something I could see while reading, especially when reading all the action sequences. I definitely loved every part of this book.

One of the things I really liked about the book was the number of characters that were present. The nice thing about them is that they were actually all relevant to the story in some way or other, and at the end of the book they all ended up somehow being connected to one another. My favorite was definitely Wally because there was just so much to her. The was she appeared to the world wasn't everything, the more you peeled back the layers, the more you discovered there was to Wally. All the other characters were also very interesting, and much like with Wally, there was often more than meets the eye to them. The varie cast of characters was definitely one of the reasons I enjoyed the story as much as I did, especially since they really added to all the mystery in the book.

In Dark Eyes, William Richter wrote a fantastic story that was fast-paced, action packed and full of twists and turns. If you are looking for a read packed with action and mystery, then Dark Eyes is the book for you. 

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

For those of you who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

STEALING PARKER BY MIRANDA KENNEALLY

About a 17-year-old girl named Parker who falls for the new 23-year-old coach of the baseball team. 

This is all that has been released as far as summaries for this book go, but it still makes it sound like it will be a really interesting story. I loved Miranda Kenneally's Catching Jordan so I can't wait to read more of her books. Hopefully Stealing Parker will be just as good as Catching Jordan was.

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally will be published October 1st, 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire.

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2)

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: December 29, 2009

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies. 

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld--a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

The main reason I finally picked up this series is because I decided to participate in the Soul Screamers reading challenge. I rally enjoyed the first book when I read it last month and it was no different with My Soul to Save. I am definitely happy to have finally discovered this series.

Now that she knows who she really is, Kaylee is trying to get used to the idea of being a banshee. And to the idea that someone like Nash Hudson would want to be with her when he could have any girl he wants at their school. Now if only Nash's reaper brother Tod would stop popping up and appearing out of thin air unannounced, things would be perfect. But that's unlikely to happen. So when a teen pop star collapses on stage and dies without her soul, Kaylee starts to worry that something might be terribly wrong. With the help of Tod and Nash, she now has to race against time to stop moe young pop stars from signing away their souls.

When I read My Soul to Take last month I really enjoyed it and I can now say that I think I enjoyed My Soul to Save even more. With this one, it felt like the action started sooner and there was more of it which definitely made me happy since I like my books packed with action. I really like the world Rachel Vincent created where banshees, reapers and Netherworlders coexist, though not quite exactly peacefully. There just seems to be so much to that world and every time I think I have it all figured out, Tod or Nash will throw some other detail my way and it changes everything I thought I understood. On a similar note, I often find that with series the story can have a tendency to repeat itself from one book to the other. It was definitely not the case here. The story Rachel Vincent wrote in My Soul to Save was completely different from the one in the first book. The story was unique, but still brought me back to the world I have come to really like.

Once again, I really loved Kaylee and the fact that she is the one telling the story. With the story being from her perspective, I like that as a reader I only find out things as she does, especially when it comes to the world of banshees and reapers. Though what I like most about Kaylee is her willingness to help just about anyone she meets if she feels that person deserves the help. My one complaint about that though, is how willing she is to put her own life at risk, often much to the dismay of the people who love her. Speaking of people who love her, I find myself sort of being torn between the Hudson brothers. While at first I was all for Nash, Tod has definitely grown on me. He may sometimes be a pain in the ass and quite annoying, he is good at heart...he just needs to work on how he shows it. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Overall, My Soul to Save was a really great read did not let me down like can often happen with the second book in a series.  I am definitely looking forward to the next book, which I should be reading quite soon.