Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: Enjoyable

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.  Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again. - Goodreads

Like a lot of fellow bloggers, as soon as I saw the cover and summary of this one I immediately added it to my wishlist because it sounded like a fantastic read. My contemporary binge also pushed my decision.

Pushing the Limits was a great read, and while I was expecting a light contemporary (I have no idea why, considering the summary mentions the scars), in actuality it covered much deeper issues than I had originally thought.

I really loved Echo and Noah's relationship, as it wasn't just there for the sake of it. The two of them helped each other grow and deal, and it felt like a meaningful romance plot. Noah definitely had more of an impression on Echo's character growth than she had on his, so the sides weren't particularly equal. That said, Echo played an important role in Noah's life as well.

Noah was such a lovely guy. Unlike Alex Fuentes from Perfect Chemistry, who I keep seeing Noah get compared to, he wasn't overly arrogant or pig headed. Echo was also wonderful, and I loved learning about her family and home life, as well as delving deeper into her past. The whole mystery of what happened to her and how she got her scars was intriguing. I thought it was pretty obvious what had happened to her, but I wasn't sure exactly how it had happened and so I was kept intrigued right up until the end.

The tiny references to Greek mythology - Echo and Aires' names - was wonderful. I'm a mythology buff and so this was something I really enjoyed.

Katie McGarry has such a great writing style and I really enjoyed the alternating points of view which she made flow so well. She tackled such important issues incredibly well, and I applaud her for it. I'll definitely be checking out more of her work in the future if she comes out with anything else. If her future books can make me feel for the characters like I felt for all of these - including the secondary ones - then I am sure to love them.

Honestly, the only issue I had with this book was the way Noah kept calling Echo 'mine' and 'baby'. I admit, I cringed every time he said it. But that's just personal preference, right?

WoW: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer #2

Release Date: October 23, 2012 (US)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Goodreads

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in this gripping sequel to the thrilling "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer."

One week after Mara walked into a police station in Miami at the close of "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer," she has been committed to psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe was a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, deeply disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But when no one believes the truth, Mara is totally helpless. The only person on her side is Noah Shaw, as sexy and handsome as he is loyal and cunning. 

Noah is the only person who can help Mara--as long as he doesn't get himself killed in the process.

Have any of you read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer? I ADORED it, and have been dying to read the sequel ever since I finished the first.

As always, feel free to leave your links to your WoW posts below, because I would love to see what you are featuring this week!

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Anna #1
Release Date: July 5, 2012
Publisher: Orchard Books
Rating: Enjoyable

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life. - Goodreads

I have to admit, Anna Dressed in Blood disappointed me a little. I had previously heard amazing things about it from fellow book reviewers, and couldn't wait to start reading it. I even held a poll to see which book I should read next, and Anna got the highest votes. I didn't love this book, and there were quite a few things that didn't hold up to my expectations. I'm going to be writing this review a little differently than I normally do.

Positives

- Creepy factor.
Anna Dressed in Blood had some great creepy scenes, particularly towards the end. There was one specific scene that gave me chills as I was reading it, and then it went on to full on gross me out.

- The lore.
The lore was my favourite element of this book. There is a lot of talk about ghosts, voodoo and other paranormals which I wholeheartedly enjoyed.

- Anna (in the beginning)
She was a BAMF! In her first scene, she literally ripped a guy in half. It was awesome. I really liked her as a character, before she got too involved with Cas, and I loved learning about her sad history.

- Secondary characters.
I loved Thomas, the awkward sweetheart, and Carmel. I also really liked Cas' mum, although I do think she must be a complete nutter for letting her son travel around the country after her husband had been killed by the very same things Cas was hunting.

- Deaths.
There were quite a few deaths. Quite a few GORY deaths. And I loved it. I love it when YA authors aren't afraid to kill off characters and to show a little blood.

Negatives

- Cas.
He's a bragger, and I can't stand braggers. He was tolerable through some of the book, but during most of it he annoyed the crap out of me.

- The love story.
I'll try not to go off on one huge rant about this. The relationship between Anna and Cas felt so contrived, it was ridiculous. The two of them barely had a proper conversation, outside of him talking about killing her and her telling him about her life when she was alive. All of a sudden, they're in love with each other. After (what seems like... see below) two weeks. Also, she's a ghost. He is human. This makes me feel uneasy.

- The time frame.
I got very confused. Cas mentions at the end that he knew Anna for two months, but I had previously thought that this took place over a fortnight or so.

- Silly mistakes.
Cas is constantly bragging about how good he is at his job, and yet he made one HUGE error that nearly cost a lot of people their lives. It had me wondering if he was really a professional ghost hunter, or if he was just pretending. Even I saw this coming, and I don't know the rules about ghost hunting like these characters supposedly do.

Overall

Anna Dressed in Blood is by no means a bad book, it's just not the kind of book for me. I don't enjoy books with insta-love, or little character development.

Anna series:

1. Anna Dressed in Blood

2. Girl of Nightmares

New Releases: June 26 - July 2

1. One Moment by Kristina McBride (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

2. A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

3. Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

4. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

5. Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

6. Just Flirt by Laura Bowers (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

7. A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

8. The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

9. Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

10. Dark Souls by Paula Morris (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

11. Cold Fury by T M Goeglein (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

What do you think? I've heard mixed things about Monument 14, but I still want to read it. I love the cover of The Unquiet as well!

Book Haul: Saint Michael Crichton

Marley and Me by John Grogan

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

Deep Black by Andy McNab

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Readers Digest Select Editions x2

No YA books this time, mostly because there weren't any decent ones in the charity shop, and also because I forgot to record the books I got on my Kindle. If you have a book haul post up, then feel free to leave your links below! Let me know what you got this week, and if you've read any of the books mentioned then let me know your thoughts!

Feature and Follow: Unreading Bad and Amazing Books

Feature & Follow is hosted (obviously) by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 
This week's feature is Roxanne from Books and Blossoms!

Q: If you could “unread” a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

I would unread Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, because those characters are an insult to my literary favourites. *shakes fist at Lily for calling Hermione 'Hermione Potter'* I'd also unread Vampire Academy, because I want to relive the series for the first time again!

What about you guys? Are there any dreadful books that you wish you hadn't bothered to read? Or are there any amazing ones that you want to read again? Let me know in the comments, and feel free to leave links to your blogs/posts below.

Intangible by J Meyers

Intangible by J Meyers
Intangible #1
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Self published
Rating: Essential

Synopsis

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

Opening Line

"Shall she be the first to die, Seer?"

Review

I don't want to keep talking about how this book has been self published, because I don't think that should matter. So I will say it now: This is the best self published book I have ever read. Granted, I have read very few in comparison to the amount of traditionally published books I have read, but still. It's THE best.

Okay, so that's over and done with. On with the rest of the review.

The story is told from multiple points of view allowing the reader to watch the plot unfold from various different angles, views and worlds (that will make more sense when you read it.). I didn't have any problem differentiating between each point of view, as each character had their own unique voice and personality. If I was to compare, I would say that Sera and Luke were the most similar, and that is probably because they are twins.

Honestly, I thought Sera - the healer - was an idiot most of the time. If you have a brother who can see the future, you listen to him! She did grow on me, though, especially towards the end when I started to really like her. I think she's going to become a really strong character as the series progresses.

Luke was okay. I don't really have any strong feelings about him, because he was just kind of there. He spent a lot of the book almost crying, although that's understandable because of what he sees in his visions. I loved the bond he had with Sera, and while I would have liked to have seen more interactions between the twins and their mother - if there was any room for that, which I doubt - I loved what we got.

I ADORED Fey and Jonas. They were, by far, my favourite characters in the book. I can't wait to see more of both of them in the  future, as I want to learn all there is to know about them. Fey is especially intriguing because... Well, that's a spoiler. Just know that she's totally badass and interesting!

I wasn't a fan of the romance that developed between Sera and one of the male characters, mostly because the love interest was keeping secrets and at one point he was rude to Sera. I can hold a grudge if I don't like you.

I also loved the multitude of mythological creatures that were present in this book. We had gifted people, like Sera and Luke, fairies, 'Shadows', elves, vampires... Meyers should just throw in the Loch Ness Monster and be done with it. I can't wait to see what other creatures J Meyers has in store, because this world that she has created has the potential to be HUGE.

As for the writing: it flowed really well and kept me captivated. The author's descriptions were top notch, and sucked me into the story. I think that the dialogue became a little repetitive, though. Well, actually it was just the one phrase:

"Really." he said.
"Really," she replied.

But other than that, I loved it, and it was completely engrossing. No faults at all.

Then, there's the prophecy. Does anybody else love prophecies as much as I do??? They rock.

I'm sure a lot of you have seen this book around, because I know I have seen it all over the place on other blogs, Twitter and Goodreads. I think you should definitely give it a go, because it's an amazing book, and the ending leaves things wrapped up nicely with TONNES of room left for the sequels. Those two people who turned up at the end... Tell me more!

Intangible series: 

0.5) Intuition

1) Intangible

Links

Goodreads | J Meyers' Website | Twitter 

Second Chance Summer Winners!

Random.org has picked out the five winners for my Second Chance Summer and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour giveaway that I was hosting a couple of weeks ago. And here they are:

1. Iffath from Painting with Words

2. Stephanie from Steph Likes Books

3. Sarah Elizabeth from Sarah Elizabeth's Bookshelf

4. Anna from Pocketful of Books

5. Karen from Teen Fiction for All Ages

Congratulations to all of the winners, you've all been emailed! I hope you all LOVE Second Chance Summer as much as I did. And to everyone else, thank you so much for entering! 

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
Perfect Chemistry #3
Release Date: July 5, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Rating: Enjoyable

Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules -, don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk? - Goodreads

Chain Reaction is the third and final book in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy. The focus has shifted to the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis, and his love interest Nikki. While I liked the book, and found it to be an enjoyable read, there were a few things that I didn't like that much about it and I was left a little disappointed.

Firstly, I found that the main plot was waaaaaaaay too similar to the one in Perfect Chemistry for my liking. It didn't feel like anything original, and I found it to be a bit of a drag because it was something I had read before except with a more likeable main character.

That said, I really enjoyed seeing more of the other Fuentes brothers and their mother and their other halves. Alex is adorable, and while I don't really like Carlos that much, he was still fun to read about.

I wasn't a fan of Luis at all. I think I'm tired of the whole arrogant bad boy attitude he - and the other Fuentes brothers - had going on. His character didn't really change that much throughout the book, so that sucked in the development department.

I did, however, really like Nikki, but I think her character suffered from the amount of focus that was on Luis. Nikki had huge issues with sex and love and the male gender, and I would have liked to have seen her deal with those things and to grow more. Instead, the gang plot and Luis took over.

I also didn't really like the epilogue. Call me a sceptic, but I didn't find it very realistic that the series wrapped up how it did.

Anyway, I know it sounds as though this was a bad book, but it wasn't. Not by any means. It just lacked the originality of its predecessors and as I am such a huge fan of the first book, I was left disappointed.

Perfect Chemistry trilogy:

1) Perfect Chemistry

2) Rules of Attraction

3) Chain Reaction

What's Next? #2: Deadly Hemlock or Lies Beneath?

This is a brand new meme created and hosted by Hafsah over at IceyBooks. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and wanted to take part! I won't be taking part every week, but I think I'll be doing the meme every fortnight or so, because then I'll have a chance to read some of the books you guys vote on!

Information (copied from Hafsah's post):

-Every Thursday, starting today, select three-five books (not too many, not too little!) that you want to read but can't decide which one to read first.

-Post the cover, and if you want, the synopsis, the first line, or even a random line from the book, for each of your selections.

-At the end of your post, ask readers to vote on which one you should read next!

Last time I asked you guys to choose between four books: Anna Dressed in Blood, Chain Reaction, Deadly Hemlock and Wentworth Hall. Anna Dressed in Blood won by a mile (shown below)!

This week, I have four more books for you to vote on.

A re-entry from last time. This is about a lupine virus that is taking over the world.

Mermaids! I've heard mixed things about this one, but it's a review book so I do need to read it at some point in the near future!

This is another review book. It's about a girl who moves to a new boarding school, and the woods behind the school are creepy and stuff happens there.

A sci-fi/dystopian. In this world, humans are given computer chips that wipe out their emotions. The main character starts to malfunction, and she discovers that these glitches give her telekinetic powers.

What do you think I should read next?

Deadly Hemlock

Lies Beneath

The Little Woods

Glitch

Create your own poll with LearnMyself

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Everneath #1
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: Enjoyable

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... - Goodreads

Everneath provides a very fresh take on Greek mythology. I am always cautious when it comes to retellings of the Greek myths that I adore, but made sure I went into this one with an open mind. Thankfully, I ended up falling in love with Brodi Ashton's original story and I really liked this book.

The story is told from Nikki's point of view, and takes place both in the past and the present day. In the past, there is a countdown to the Feed, and in the present there is a countdown towards when Nikki has to go back to the Everneath.

I was a little confused in the beginning, because the reader was kept very much in the dark. However, I think this worked well because it kept me reading to discover what the heck was going on with these immortal creatures, and what happened to the main character when she was in the Everneath.

I liked the main character, Nikki, well enough, although she made some really stupid, hypocritical decisions and she was very slow to figure things out. This became quite frustrating.

There is a love triangle in this book, in case you couldn't tell by the synopsis. I have very strong feelings about one corner of the triangle, but first let's talk about Jake.

Jake is my HERO. I love him so, so much. He was definitely my favourite part of the novel, mostly because of the way he handled everything that was happening around him. While his scenes with Nikki were a little cheesy and almost cringeworthy at times, I still adored him.

Then there's Cole. I didn't like him AT ALL. I was hoping nothing would happen between him and Nikki and I hope nothing happens between them in the sequel/s. Cole was abusive, controlling and almost violent. I don't get the appeal. I was hoping he would die starting from the first few chapters. I think if anything can keep me from reading the sequel/s, it would be him.

Overall, this was a very good book and I loved the original take on the Greek myths that were explored. I am really looking forward to seeing what other myths Brodi Ashton explores in the sequels!

Everneath series:

1. Everneath

2. Everbound

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Bloodlines #2
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: Essential

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher. - Goodreads

The Golden Lily was, of course, amazing. I don't think you need me to tell you that if you're a long time fan of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. I've tried to make some notes before writing this review, but as always, expect me to spew out a lot of random thoughts. This is Richelle Mead, after all.

I felt that TGL was a little predictable, much like Bloodlines. This isn't a bad thing, because it didn't make me enjoy the book any less than I would have otherwise, but it did get a little frustrating because the characters seemed to pick things up so slowly.

Despite the predictability, the plot was fast paced and captivating, much like Richelle Mead's other work. The characters were (almost) perfect, and I could have carried on reading for another two hundred pages because I just love this world and this story so much.

There were so many moments that made me squee! I ended up texting a friend of mine at 4am because something happened. She did, of course, mock me, but that's okay!

There was also a lot of talk about an arena. I won't say why, when or how, but when this whole thing started, I nearly jumped out of bed to do a happy dance. That's the Spartacus/Ancient Rome fan coming out in me! EEP!

As for the main characters, I ADORED Sydney in this book. Her character arc is so perfect already, and I can't wait to see more growth from her throughout the rest of the series. She has come such a long way already, and with four more books coming out in the future, I can't wait to see what else happens to her! I'm loving her inner conflict.

Adrian was, by far, my favourite thing about this novel. He is just so flawed, and I love my flawed characters. So flawed. So great. I LOVE HIM.

I did have a couple of problems with this book, which meant I rated it as Essential instead of All Time Favourite. The first was Jill. I honestly can't stand the girl. I think she's pathetic, and her jumping from one guy to another gets on my nerves. She also does such stupid things, it made me want to slap her. I know she's only 15, but still.

And that leads me to my other point - Eddie and Jill. If you read Bloodlines (which I hope you did, otherwise you're going to be spoilt!) then you'll know that Eddie has a thing for Jill. I am not too sure how I feel about this. I mean, she is 15 and he must be nearly 19 by now, if my calculations are correct. I think that's way too big of an age gap. For now, at least. No me gusta.

And the final thing that I hated about this novel was that Sydney kept talking about how good looking Dimitri was. Not just that, she kept going on and on about how he was an awesome fighter. Yes, Sydney, we have been told at least ten times by now. You don't need to mention it fifty more. Seriously, she said something about Dimitri in EVERY. SINGLE. SCENE. he was in. I couldn't deal with it, I had to keep skimming those parts.

Anyway, overall this is amazing. The good outweighed the bad by far, and I am DYING to read the next book in the series because of the way this one ended. There are so many questions raised, and so many answered. I NEED MORE.

New Releases: June 12 - 18

1. Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

2. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

3. Timepiece by Myra McEntire (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

4. Rapture by Lauren Kate (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

5. Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

6. Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

7. Crazy by Amy Reed (Amazon UK | Goodreads)

Which books are you guys looking forward to? I really want to read Flirting in Italian, as well as For Darkness Shows the Stars! I love both of the covers, and that may or may not be causing me to NEED those two books! 

Blog Tour: Morgan Matson Giveaway!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my stop on the tour! If you haven't already, be sure to check out the other stops, which you can find on the banner to the right.

The lovely people over at Simon and Schuster have made it possible for me to host a giveaway, in which you can win a set of books which includes Second Chance Summer AND Amy & Roger's Epic Detour!

I read Second Chance Summer recently, and absolutely adored it. If you want to know more, you can check out my review by following the link. I gave it an All Time Favourite rating!

Rules for the giveaway are simple:

- UK only

- 5 winners to win 1 set of books each 

- 8th June '12 - 16th June '12

- Must be 13 years old or over to enter

- One entry per person

- The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email, or I will pick another

- I will be passing your information onto the publisher once I've emailed you, so that they can send you your prize!

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen
Past Midnight #2
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Rating: Essential

It's taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I'm settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it's not as if Noah is anything more than a friend….But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I've opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences. - Goodreads

One Hundred Candles is a really great read, just as the first novel in this series (trilogy?) was. I loved Past Midnight, and was really excited to finally be able to read One Hundred Candles, and this definitely lived up to my expectations.

Since reading these two books, I have discovered that I love books about ghosts and now I can't get enough of them. I do think that the first book was creepier than this one, whereas One Hundred Candles was more thrilling than Past Midnight. I still got the same shivers down my spine during some scenes, though.

Charlotte definitely grew on me in this book. In Past Midnight, I wasn't too attracted to her personality, but in this one she was a lot more relatable and more interesting.

I still haven't read the third book, but I will have to get to it soon because I want to rediscover these characters and the creepy ghost stories! This series should, in my opinion, be a lot more popular than it is because it's a great, thrilling read that is wonderfully written!

Debut Author Giveaway Hop! CLOSED

I haven't done a giveaway in a while, so I thought I would sign up for this one! I've selected a number of books for you to choose from, but you may also select "Other" and write down your choice. Please make sure it's a book from a FIRST TIME author though, and not just a YA debut. It also has to have been published in 2012. I'll do pre-orders, if you like.

The books I've selected are:

Amber & Daph's YA Survey

This survey was originally meant to go up in April, but I'm a failure and scheduled it wrong. Actually, I did schedule it for April, but April 2010 instead of the current year. I know, I'm stupid! 

Anyway, enough with that. I need to stop before you guys lose every bit of respect you had for me as a reliable blogger!

I came up with the idea of doing a survey, because I am curious as to what my readers enjoy when it comes to YA novels. I see surveys about book blogs all the time, asking readers what they think of the blog and the reviews and the posts etc, but what I really want to know is what you think of the books themselves!

So I thought of a few questions, with the help of the wonderful Daph over at Loving Books. (Who made the button/logo by the way, because I can't even use Paint!) It mainly focusses on the current trends that are all over YA at the moment.

If you could fill in the form, then I would be forever grateful! I want to get some discussions going as well, and hopefully these WILL be posted on time, so once I've collected all the responses together we can go at it. 

tl;dr: Fill in the form, por favor, and leave comments!