Review: 5/5 for Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Hardcover, 481 pages

Published October 5th 2010 by Simon Pulse
Source: Purchased
Buy the book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

This series keeps getting better and better. I waited to read this one until Goliath came out because I knew I'd want to head straight for it. The world that Westerfeld created within our own past is a piece of perfection.

Characters, characters, characters. I feel right at home with these. It is like we all have went to school together since kindergarten and know each others' every move. The relationships take sweet little twists and turns this time around. Ins and outs are shown and we learn more about our little friends this time. Now, in fear of releasing to much, I will say that Goliath will definitely epic on this level...

The storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat in this one. There's many plot lines going on at the same time, but they intertwine in some small and big ways. And, oh, the tangled web we weave as Alek and Deryn are both challenged to stand up into positions that are way beyond their years. Their shortcomings and successes make this a definite win for anyone!

Waiting on Wednesday - October 5, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To join in, share the book or books that you are currently drooling over as you await their release and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. The gorgeous badge above is brought to us by Lindsay at The Violet Hour!

I've not seen this one around too much, so I thought I would throw it around a little. I see a lot potential in it and hope it holds up to it. From what I hear it could be the little book that could for the first part of 2012.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Hardcover, 326 pages

Expected publication: February 7th 2012 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

In My Mailbox - October 2, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a great way for bloggers to socialize and network their blogs and to share upcoming releases! To join in all the fun, simply:

1. Make your own IMM post! You can post about books you've bought, gotten from the library, received for review... books don't have to arrive via your mailbox.
2. You can post weekly, every other week, or one week out of the month, it’s up to you and it doesn't have to be on Sunday.
3. Once you have your IMM posted, go to The Story Siren on her Sunday post and add your link to the list.
4. Comment on other bloggers IMM posts.

Hello! Long time no see on IMM!! LOL It's been a day or two because of school, but I have been blessed to be bestowed with some awesome gifts and round up a couple of my own.

Nook Book:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
-I will definitely be buying this one to have on my physical shelf after looking at a friend's. It's just too beautiful, inside and out!









Won from Giveaway:

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

-Thank you, A Night's Dream of Books!









Now, for real haul of books....These are all thanks to my best Book Buddy, Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter!

ARC's:












Want To Go Private by Sara Darer Littman
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Envy by Gregg Olsen












Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
The Scorpio Races - ARC by Maggie Stiefvater (*happy dance*)

That's all for now, friends! But, be warned. I have a load of books I'll be buying for the Southern Festival of Books and making a trip to my favorite used bookstore today. Watch out for a nice IMM next week or so!

October & Halloween Events!

The True Book Addict is hosting this on her horror blog, Castle Macabre. It starts at 12:00am Monday, October 3rd, and runs through 11:59pm Sunday, October 9th. To join in the event, add you name to the list on blog, read at least one (1) scary book during the read-a-thon. This can also be a mystery or thriller if you're not a big fan of horror. Doing this automatically gets you entered in the giveaway! There will hopefully be mini-challenges and giveaways during the week. Go grab the button and use the hashtag #frightfall when tweeting about it!





Ramblings of a Daydreamer is hosting this month-long event. From her blog:

For every paranormal book you read and review in the month of October, you’ll be entered in the giveaway to win one of the paranormal books below. All you have to do is sign up between now and October 7th, then starting October 1st, whenever you read and review a paranormal book, come back here and post a link to the review in the Mr. Linky. This post that you’re reading is just for sign-ups - starting October 1st, there will be a new post where people can leave their review links. Each review is an entry in the giveaway, and on November 1st, one winner will be chosen. All reviews must be posted for the first time between October 1st and October 31st, 2011.

The challenge part: you have to read and review a minimum of THREE paranormal books during October. You don’t have to choose them ahead of time, but you have to read at least three. For many of you, this will be no problem at all. If you don't think it's possible, don't sign up for the challenge.

The challenge says paranormal, but I’m going to go with a loose definition: basically, if it has any 'otherworldly' element to it, I’ll accept it, which means that I’m not going to say no to books that may fall into the category of fantasy or urban fantasy. Think faeries, vampires, werewolves, shifters, mermaids, angels, demons, witches, sirens, banshees, etc.

So go enter the Mr Linky, grab the button, make a post about the event, and dive in!

Review: 4/5 for Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hardcover, 404 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by HarperCollins
Source: Gift from my good friend, Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Can there truly be love after death?
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Loved, loved the idea behind this book. I was so happy to read it from Ameilia's POV, the ghost's side. It seems like there's not many written in that direction or I just don't get my hands on them often enough. This is a great ghost story with a side of attraction and intrigue.
You can't help but love these characters. Amelia grows throughout the book and it's an interesting journey to watch. She only stumbles a few times because she'll get meek and a little timid. Joshua I adored. He's an all-around good guy that lets little phase him. I'm sure he'll win more than a few hearts more. Eli. Eli is a snot bag. I didn't care for him from the beginning and the rest of the book only confirmed it. He does help the story along, but that is his only redeemable trait. Believe it or not, I like that in character. So annoying or aggravating, but makes the book flow well.
The plot flows like a roller coaster. Slow in spots, twists and little turns, then flies trough at the end. It has just enough to keep you caught up in it. I do have some issues with the idea of Amelia and Joshua's relationship. Without going into too much detail, it's too unrealistic in too many ways. I like the way it's written, just not so fond of the idea of it. The last few chapters are absolutely addictive. So much is wrapped up in a short amount of time. When you hit the end, you sit back and just stare at it...I know this won't be appealing to everyone, but I think in this case it works out pretty well.