Blog 137 - Neferet's Curse

Author: P.C. & Kristin Cast

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 146

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: February 19, 2013

ISBN-13: 9781250000255

About the Book

The White City, 1893: In turn-of-the-century Chicago, with the World’s Fair bringing bustle and excitement to her home city, sixteen-year-old Emily Wheiler should be reveling in her youthful beauty and the excitement around her. But her whole life changed when her mother died, leaving her to be the Lady of Wheiler House. Her father, a powerful bank president, is at the center of an important social hub for the booming young city, and he needs Emily to do everything her mother would have – to be a good hostess and make sure the mansion runs smoothly.

As Emily uneasily tries to replace her mother, she also longs for more… for love and a life of her own. When a handsome young man notices her at one of her father’s parties, it seems that her hopes may finally be coming true. Until her father forbids her to see him – or any other man – and starts revealing a darkly violent side that even he can’t understand.

At last, afraid for her life and with nowhere to turn, Emily is Marked by a vampyre and brought to the Chicago House of Night, where she begins a magickal new life that should allow the wounds from her past to heal. But as she gains strength, and a powerful new name, she carries a dark need to wreak vengeance on the man she trusted most.

From victim to High Priestess, beautiful young woman to powerful seductress, Neferet's journey begins in NEFERET'S CURSE...

My Review

I really enjoyed reading this novella and getting to know more about Neferet’s life before she was marked for the House of Night. I never thought about what her life was like before her being marked as a fledgling. It gives more to the story and the series now that you have the insight as to why she is the way she is in the series.

Things that I liked: I really enjoyed the cover the of book. I like that she was on the cover as well as the spirals that go with the House of Night markings and the meaning of change in one’s life throughout the series. I really enjoyed reading about Emily’s life before she became Neferet after entering the house of Night.

Things that I didn’t like: This is just something minor, and possibly just me. But I really didn’t like the pictures at the beginning of the “chapters”. I mean they were to serve a purpose and they did, for me it’s just that I felt that you had to really look at the pictures before reading the chapters. Because I would look at them and then read the chapter and then reach the part where the picture was describing and had to go back to the picture to confirm what I was seeing was in fact in the chapter. (Does that make sense?)

Overall: I really enjoyed getting the background story to Emily/Neferet’s story and how she came to be what she is in the series. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is reading the House of Night series.

 Until next time, Happy Reading!

Blog 136 - Book Buying Ban/ Challenge

Hey Ladies and Gents,

Today's blog post will be talking about Book buying bans and my alternative to this. So let's get started.

Now I love to read as much as the next person, but lately it seems all I'm doing is buying the books and then never having time to read the books that I buy. I try to read the books when I buy them, but I have so many unread books right now, it's not funny, well it is but it isn't. You know what I mean?

Now I have tried going on those "book buying bans" that you hear about around the blog community and even around the booktube community on YouTube. I've tried and tried, and the end results are usually the same. I break about two days into it and I end up buying books. So I went to my husband for a solution desperate to find a way to get all of the unread books read. He gave me some advice, and I contemplated what he said and made a decision. He and I then put together a plan of action and here it is:

Book Buying Ban Challenge

The challenge is simple. All you have to do is read as you normal would through the months. But instead of not buying books at all. I propose the following:

Not a book buying ban per say but a little challenge to have the unread books read and still the ability to purchase books to add to your collections.

The Challenge: Read 700 or more pages in a month in order to purchase more books.

Reward System:
- Read 350 Pages in two weeks and the ability to buy 1 book
- Read 700 pages in a month and the ability to buy 2 books.
- Read 1000 pages in a month and the ability to buy 4 books.

Rules for the challenge
1. Read during the month. Set up a monthly TBR list if you like. (I usually do)
2. Aim for at least the 700 pages in a month.
3. Only buy books according to the number of pages that you read during the month.

Now I have started this challenge and I'm aiming for the 100 pages books, but I have set up quite a few books for my self to read this month. Here are the titles:

1. (Currently reading) Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan - 406 Pages
2. The Perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - 213 Pages
3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner - 374 Pages
4. A Touch Menacing by Leah Clifford - 313 Pages
5. Showtime by Chloe Kayne - 341 Pages
6. Resonance by A.J. Scudiere - 484 Pages
7. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - 485 Pages

Which gives me a grand total of 2616 pages for the month of August provided that I get to read all 7 books.

So that is book buying challenge. If you are like me then please feel free to try the challenge for a month and see what you think of it. Until next time, Happy Reading. 

Blog 135 - New Moon Graphic Volume 1

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 176

Publisher: Orbit

Publication date: April 23, 2013

ISBN-13: 9780316217487

About the book

In the first installment of New Moon, Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires: the Volturi.

My Review

Things that I liked: I really enjoyed seeing the visual artwork that was made with/for the characters and the storyline for this series. I really enjoyed seeing the way that Young Kim drew and adapted the graphics for this particular first half of New Moon. I really enjoyed it. The fact that there were colors throughout the graphic was pretty neat to see. I wish there was more of it. I liked that this was pretty accurate and very similar to the actual novel.

Things that I didn’t like: I know that there is some color throughout the graphic novel, but I would have liked to see a little more color throughout the piece. 

Overall: I really enjoyed this piece. I would recommend this to anyone who like graphic novels and/or anyone who likes the Twilight Saga and wants to read a little twist to the novels. I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Blog 134 - Daimon by Jennifer L Armentrout

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Format: Paperback

Pages: 62

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: May 6, 2011

ISBN-13: 9780983157250

About the book

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life."For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. According to her mother, that's a good thing. But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. The daimons have found her.

My Review

Cover: I love this cover and the way that the flower looks like it is on fire. I love the black and green contrast to the coloring of the cover.

Things that I liked: I really enjoyed reading this. It was only 62 pages but I love that it was just enough that it makes me what to read more of the series. With this being a prequel and a glimpse of what is to come further into the series. I look forward to reading it in the near future. I really liked the complexity of the main character and the villains (daimons) that she is up against throughout this piece. I love that she seems so normal but not normal enough to quite fit into a human world.

Things that I didn’t like: I wouldn’t have liked to see more into the covenant and why they did have to leave before this started, but I’m sure it will be shown to the readers as they read through the series.

Overall: I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this to my friends and anyone looking to read something supernatural in a sense. I would rate this 5 out of 5 stars.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Blog 133 - July Book Haul

Hey Guys and Gals,


Today's blog post is going to be book haul post. (I know I'm running a little behind when it comes to posting, I promise that there are some changes, but more on that in a different post.)

So for the month of July I received and/or bought 24 books. As always I will list the titles and authors, and then show you the book's covers. Let's get started.

1. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
2. The Longings of Wayward Girls by Karen Brown
3. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
4. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
5. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
6. Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
7. Weather Witch by Shannon Delany
8. Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead
9. Death Note Volume 1: Boredom (Manga) by Tsugumi Ohba
10. FML by Shaun David Hutchinson
11. Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
12. INK by Amanda Sun
13. Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan
14. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
15. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
16. Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene
17. The Hardy Boys: The Disappearing Floor by Franklin W. Dixon
18. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
19. Death Note Volume 2: Confluence (Manga) by Tsugumi Ohba
20. Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
21. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
22. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
23. Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones
24. The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June by Robin Benway

Here are the book covers:


As you can see I have tons of books to read, and there is not rhyme or reason as to what I read. It's mostly Young Adult but there are some adult fiction and manga mixed. That's all for me right now. There will be more posts tomorrow. Happy Reading!