Book Review-Shadows in the Silence

I finished reading Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire #3) by Courtney Allsion Moulton on Monday night for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

While I enjoyed the first two books in the Angelfire series, this book had a hard time keeping my attention.  There was too much religion stuff, names of Angels and Demons and things I couldn't remember or keep straight.  And there was lots of action but I couldn't remember why certain things had to happen.

I found a lot of the things Ellie said or thought to be cheesy.  And I feel like everything came to Ellie too easy.  She needed some hard-to-get item from some scary angel yet the angel gave it up easily.  She needed to find a relic--she found it and was given it freely.  It just seemed all too neat.

Maybe I'm just in a cranky mood, but I was hoping for more in this final book in the trilogy.  Unfortunately, I just couldn't stay interested.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Shadows in the Silence will be released on January 29, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 5
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 4
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 4
2013 Mammoth Book Challenge: 1

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

In My Mailbox- January 14, 2013

In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox last week


MONDAY
Heartless (The Parasol Protectorate #4)- Gail Carriger--Bookmooch











FRIDAY
Obsidian Mirror- Catherine Fisher--for review from publisher

The Sunday Salon- January 13, 2013

The Sunday Salon

On Saturday, my friend and I ran our second half marathon, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.  We dressed up as the Cheshire Cat.  We finished 30 seconds over my goal time of 2 hours and 45 minutes.  But my Runkeeper app said we ran 0.16 miles more than we did for the other half marathon, but we were 5 minutes faster.  So that's good!  My knee started bothering me a Mile 1.5 when we went up the first curved overpass.  It bugged me the rest of the race, but not enough to slow me down.  After I got home I could barely walk though.  I had to walk straight-legged, with a limp.  Luckily, I felt much better the next day.  We have a 5k at Universal next Saturday so we'll see how it feels then.  Oh, and we signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare which is a race at Disneyland over Labor Day Weekend.  Its a 10k on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday (my birthday!)

I finished and reviewed the following books last week:
Dualed today by Elsie Chapman











I fulfilled items in the following challenges last week:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 4
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 3
2013 Debut Author Challenge: 2
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 3
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 2

I read Shadows in Silence (Angelfire #3) by Courtney Allison Moulton next and am currently reading Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano.

Book Review- Dualed

I finished reading Dualed today by Elsie Chapman for an Around the World ARC Tour.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman's suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

Well, this was one action packed book.  Which I don't normally completely enjoy, unless it has a lot of character-ness (is that a word?) about it too.  Which this one didn't.  I never really got West.  She was always distant.  And usually that puts me off but for some reason, I enjoyed this book.

Maybe it was the premise was so unique.  To have another person out there, a twin in a sense, that you have to kill to survive and become an adult.  And once you complete that kill, a whole new world opens up to you.  Yup, pretty unique to me.

I liked Chord.  I liked how protective of West he was, yet he still let her go through with what she felt she needed to.  Like I said earlier, West seemed pretty cold to me.  I know that she was portrayed that way because of what she went through in life but it still made it pretty hard to feel sympathetic for her.  And I find it kind of odd that she was so heartless in killing as a Striker yet when it came time for her own completion, she took so long to do it.

But I'm definitely interested to see what happens in the next book, Divided.  There wasn't a cliffhanger at the end of the book and it could easily be a standalone.  I'll be looking forward to reading it though.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Dualed will be released on February 26, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 4
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 3
2013 Debut Author Challenge: 2
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 3
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 2

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

In My Mailbox- January 7, 2013

In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox last week

MONDAY
Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire #3)- Courtney Allison Moulton--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










Lust for Life (WVMP Radio #4)- Jeri Smith-Ready--PaperbackSwap











The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: The Call of the Forgotten #1)- Julie Kagawa--PaperbackSwap










Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)- Lauren DeStefano--PaperbackSwap











He’s So Not Worth It (He’s So/She’s So #2)- Kieran Scott--PaperbackSwap











WEDNESDAY
Lovesick (Ghostgirl #3)- Tonya Hurley--PaperbackSwap











Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)- Kasie West--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










FRIDAY
Dualed- Elsie Chapman--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

This Is So Not Happening (He’s So/She’s So #3)- Kieran Scott--PaperbackSwap

The Sunday Salon- January 6, 2013

The Sunday Salon

I can't believe it's already 2013!  For New Year's Eve, we had a pajama party at a friend's house.  It was fun times!  The WDW Half Marathon is next weekend.  I'm excited but nervous about my knee!

I finished and reviewed the following books last week:
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard











Crash (Visions #1) by Lisa McMann











Pug Hill by Alison Pace











Pivot Point by Kasie West











I fulfilled items in the following challenges last week:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 93
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 74
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 80
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-18
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: 6
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 19
2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge: 10
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 1, 2, 3
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 1, 2
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 1, 2
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 1
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 1
2013 Debut Author Challenge: 1

I am currently reading Dualed by Elsie Chapman and up next is Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton.

Book Review- Pivot Point

I just finished reading Pivot Point by Kasie West for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

I really enjoyed this book.  I liked the premise of there being a secret Compund where all the paranormals live.  But its not paranormals like we normally think of--vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.  These are all mind paranormals--people who can move things with their minds, erase memories, detect lies, persuade people to do things, or see into the future.  Addie's power was a new one for me--she can see both sides of how a choice will work out.  But her Search feels like that whole time.  So most of the book takes place during the Seach, each chapter alternating between the two.

I liked Addie.  She seemed pretty normal. (okay, well for a paranormal).  And while I won't say which one, I definitely liked most of one Search over the other.  But it was not meant to be.  There were some twists and turns and one of them I saw coming.  But the other I didn't. 

I liked how the story ended.  It wrapped up nicely but left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Pivot Point will be released on February 12, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 3
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 2
2013 Debut Author Challenge: 1
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 2

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Pug Hill

I finally finished reading Pug Hill by Alison Pace.

From Goodreads:

For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany’s. For me, there’s always Pug Hill. For as long as I’ve lived in New York, whenever I’ve just wanted to think, or relax, or be happy, or even sad, my destination of choice has been, without fail, Pug Hill. For Hope McNeill, pugs are love, unconditional friendship, happiness, and freedom—all qualities currently in short supply in her own life. She’s also short on time and apartment space, and for those reasons she doesn’t have a pug of her own. But she does have Pug Hill in Central Park, where pugs (and their owners) from all over New York City convene.

She also has a serious crush on one of her co-workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a flailing relationship with her squash-playing, cold-weather-loving boyfriend, and an unspeakable fear of public speaking. When Hope’s father calls with a daunting assignment--to make a speech at her parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary party--Hope is completely taken off guard. As a last resort, she signs up for a public speaking class, but can't help wondering, will it be enough?

Some fears are so big that even all the pugs in the world might not be enough...

Yes, I have to admit that the puppies on the cover drew me in.  I love dogs so I couldn't wait to read this book.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Often times, I'll feel sympathetic for a character which usually makes me like them more.  But in this story, I just felt that Hope was pitiful.  I never really liked her.  It might sound mean, but I found myself thinking that she was pathetic.  And that doesn't really make me want to root for her.

The very end was nice and happy and you can imagine a happily-ever-after situation in the future.  So there's always that I suppose.

I gave this book a rating of 2.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 2
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 1

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Crash

I finished reading Crash (Visions #1) by Lisa McMann early this morning for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

This is the 6th book I've read by Lisa McMann and definitely my favorite.  I easily jumped into the story.  It was set up in such a way that I got completely engrossed.

And I loved Jules.  Her thoughts and saying sometimes cracked me up.  I could see myself saying those things as a teen, or a teen now saying those things.  And I liked Sawyer, Rowan and Trey too.  I could tell right away that Sawyer still wanted to be friendly with Jules (the whole family feud thing made me think of Romeo and Juliet...not sure if was supposed to, but it did).  And Rowan was a great younger sister.  Often times, the slightly younger sister can be portrayed as annoying, but not in this story.  And Trey--Trey was great.  I have to say that I absolutely loved that the author never came right out and said that he was gay.  You knew right from the beginning that he was and its great that the author made it so normal that it didn't need to be said like its some big revelation.  And it cracked me up when both he and Jules were talking about how hot Sawyer is.  Such great sibling relationships.

As for the visions.  I can't even imagine how creepy it must be to see them everywhere you look.  I can't believe Jules didn't go insane from it.  But I liked how the visions changed as she went into action.  It showed that she could change fate.  The only thing is that I want to know WHY she had the visions.  That wasn't explained and I wish it would have been.  And I'm not too sure about the very very end.  I guess I'll have to wait for the next book, Bang, to find out what that's all about!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Crash will be released on January 8, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 1
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 1
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 1
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 1

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2013 than you did in 2012. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels: Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books


I am not going to keep a list of the books I'm reading.  I am just going to keep track of how many books I am up to for each month on the last day of the month.  I read 93 books in 2012.

~I am going to try for the Getting My Heart Rate Up level first.

January: 7
February: 12
March: 19
April: 24
May: 29
June: 31
July: 38
August: 44
September: 48
October: 54
November: 58
December: 60