Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa



It seems like I am handing out 4 stars left and right around here huh?! I guess it's a good thing that I have been reading so many decent books lately! Hopefully soon I will find a 5 star one again!

I don't really know what I was expecting going in, but for some reason this book was nothing like I thought it would be. I guess it's because it was "another vampire series" in my head. I was sooooooo wrong! This was more "I am legend" (which I haven't actually read..only watched) than it was say...Vampire Academy. It was gritty and intense and kind of gross at times honestly. It wasn't lovey dovey or sweet or even romantic, though we do get a couple glimpses of that...but that's all they were..glimpses. If you were to blink you would miss them.

The story takes place in a futuristic society where vampires rule and most of the population has been wiped out by a virus called Red Lung. The people who weren't wiped out have turned into scavengers...or rabids. Allison, our heroine, is a scavenger but when given the choice to die or become a vampire she chooses the latter. She is forced to flee from her home town of New Covington and stumbles upon a group of people on a quest to find Eden. She decides to travel with them while hiding what she really is.

The whole time I was literally just shaking my head. How it could all work out was beyond me, but I was totally rooting for her in a weird way because honestly I didn't think she was that likable. Most people aren't that easy going and friendly when they have been fighting for survival though, and I could recognize that and relate to her because of everything she had been through.

The "love interest", if you can call it that, was Ezekiel Cross aka Zeke. I loved him. I can see why some people wouldn't....he's very good and the trend now a days is a bad boy. While I too can appreciate the appeal of the bad boys in this world, I so love a good hero on occasion. Someone you can always root for because you know their intentions are always good. You never have to wonder about their motives. They are steady and Zeke was definitely steady for me.

I am getting rambly..but I am almost done!!

The vampires in this book are good old fashioned vampires for the most part. They are the bad guys. They kill and hunt and they enjoy it while they do. I know people say they wish there more books like that again and this was one of them. They aren't as creepy as the rabids...but they are definitely not the good guys here.

My biggest complaint is that at times it was slow. There is a lot of descriptive writing, which is nice for visualization, it did make some of the chapters really drawn out. I read somewhere that these were being made into a movie and honestly while reading them, I felt like it was written for that purpose. It wasn't annoying enough to detract from the story..just enough to make it drag for me sometimes.

I haven't read anything else by Julie Kagawa before now but I definitely think I will pick up the Fey series one day soon!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Snagged this Week

Ok...so this week I kind of went one click happy.  It seems like every week there are more and more books on sale! Here's what I snagged this week
See..I seriously went nuts this week! I didn't even spend very much money! The only one I got not on sale is Crush because I just couldn't wait for more Jude. <3 <3  And there will be more next week I am sure.

I so hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead




I seriously was sooo excited when I was approved for this book from NetGalley. I love love love love Richelle Mead. She is one of my all time favorite authors. Everything she does is awesome and has a way of taking me to a whole new place and getting totally lost. When I start a book of hers I always wish I had 12 more to go with it just to lose a week in her world/s.

This book was no exception. It was a totally brand new and unique idea and I loved it. So many books are kind of the same plot, just with minor tweaks. This is so not. It totally a creative and original work and I love Richelle for that!!! She never fails me!

The story takes place in a futuristic society where everything can be explained and controlled...or so they thought. Unknown powers and forces are in the background doing things trying to take back over the world they once owned. They are not wanting to be in the background any longer.

At first I confess I was a bit confused. There were backstories to our two main characters, Justin and Mae, that weren't fully explained until about half way through. Things were hinted at and we were given little snippets here and there, but their main stories were kind of vague up until one point and then everything is finally laid out on the table. When that finally happened I totally sighed in relief...so grateful to finally "get it" so to speak. Up until that point I spent a lot of time trying to piece everything together and get it to make sense.

The story switched between three different point of views. We have Justin and Mae who are working closely together. Mae is Justin's body guard while he is off solving cases and studying religious/ super natural groups. Then we have Tessa who is just a teenager and has been brought to the RUNA. She is still young and I am really excited to see her character develop more over the series. I feel like she's going to have a big part to play in the story as a whole...but I am not quite sure what it is yet. It is done in a way that isn't confusing which I so appreciate. It is great getting to see different things from different perspectives. It gives so much more depth to all the characters instead of just one.

I have read every single series by Richelle and knew I wouldn't be disappointed by this one. My only complaint is that it did start a wee bit slow...but I think it is interesting still. Like I said earlier, it just took me a bit to get that "aha!" moment. Oh and also....I am really annoyed that I have to wait so long for the next ones *sigh* It's like waiting between her Bloodlines series *sob* I need more of these characters and fast!

Don't go in to this book thinking you know what it is. It's totally different from everything else I have read. It's dystopian, paranormal, and sci-fi with some romance thrown in as well. 4 big stars from me!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Up Next | Snagged this week

So I totally ran out of my book budget for this month a week ago...but my hubby loves me bunches and I still snagged some new books this week. Too many deals going on that I could not resist! Here are my snags this week
Not tons..but like I said I am over my budget already! haha! At the beginning of the month I buy a gift card for myself at Barnes and Noble and then when it's gone..that's my budget. Or that's supposed to be how it works. It helps me keep myself in check!

I have decided to go in a different direction for a bit since I have been reading a lot of heavy stuff lately. So here's my currently/up next reads:

Charley Davidson Series
  1. First Grave on the Right
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
  2. Second Grave on the Left
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
  3. Third Grave Dead Ahead
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
  4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
There are going to be two more books in this series that are not out yet. I have already read the first two and loved them so I would totally recommend them!!! If you like Sookie Stackhouse type books you have to read these!

Then I am going to read these two books by Julie Kagawa:
Bood of Eden Series
  1. The Immortal Rules
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
  2. The Eternity Cure
    Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Then I will get back to my regular books full of romance, and angsty, etc. I hope you all have a great book week! I have two reviews coming up this week. Hope to get those up soon!!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Going Under by S. Walden




“I’m talking about the kind of indignity that changes you as a person, makes you withdraw, hide from the world because suddenly it’s turned into something frightening—full of dark corners and monsters.”

So...I have been sitting on this book for a few days. Totally not at all sure how to review/rate it. I have a hard time knowing how I feel about books like this one. Ones that are raw and gritty...and not all sunshine and rainbows.

Warning from the author: This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and a description of sexual violence. The scene she is alluding to is very raw, but it is not over done, nor is it sensationalized.  You kind of know it is coming, but you hope...you so hope...that maybe you're wrong. Maybe there is something redeeming about the "bad guys". Sometimes people are just bad though. Afterwards you totally do feel edgy and shaken. If you have been a victim of sexual violence I don't think this book is for you and I urge you to talk to someone if you haven't. 

I didn’t want my own fucking forgiveness anyway. I wanted Beth’s, and she was no longer here to give it to me.

The premise of the book is that Brooke Wright is trying so hard to atone for the death of her best friend and the wrongs she did to her before she died. The things she never got forgiveness for but so desperately needs. It's her senior year and she moves in with her dad and starts going to the school Beth went to. The school with a sick group of guys who take advantage of girls with their "Fantasy Slut League". Brooke is determined to infiltrate the group and exact her revenge on them. Make them pay for the things they did to Beth and to other unsuspecting girls. 


“It’s always described as melting, and I finally understood why. I thought my body was turning to liquid. I could feel my bones giving way, threatening to dissolve and leave me one big puddle of goo.”

Along the way, Brooke meets Ryan. She cannot avoid him. She knows she should. That she is on a mission and she can't falter. She has to keep going...for Beth. For the other girls. The chemistry they have was awesome to "see". They really are two dysfunctional people who find each other...and they totally work together. I do so wish we had more moments between them, but the mysteriousness of Ryan, and the secrets they are keeping from each other, really get you hooked and keep you guessing. 

However, it's not their relationship that is the center of the story. For me it was Brooke and her revenge and her healing...or lack of healing at times. She is so not a perfect heroine. She's not one that you automatically root for and want to see succeed. She's done terrible things...and to her own best friend. Who does that?! Lots of people do and I think that's why she is so easy to relate to at times. We have all done things to our "friends" in high school or junior high. Maybe not to the extreme Brooke has...but we all have so I think we can look at Brooke and all her flaws and understand her pain and motives. 
 
“You think you know what to expect. You think you have it all planned out. But something in you always surprises you, and it’s a buzzing undercurrent that keeps you silently guessing until your picture is complete.” 

Although this book deals with such strong and awful subject matter, it's not a super dark book. At least it didn't feel like it to me. There are light moments and happy moments. Moments that make you hope...because there is always hope. Always.


I definitely recommend this one, but please go in prepared so you aren't caught off guard. I think if you were it would be really hard to digest.


There are a couple additional scenes over on S. Walden's blog: Ryan Meets Gretchen and Ryan's Reaction. Do not read these if you haven't read the book!