Brad About Books: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

OBSIDIAN
Published: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 335 pages
Series: Lux, #1
Source: Amazon.com

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

What can I say about OBSIDIAN? I can say that it is one of the best novels I have ever read. The romance isn't rushed, the storyline is original, and the entire novel itself is just brilliant. If you have not read OBSIDIAN, get on it. You're missing out on a lot.

First off, this novel is so different than other YA paranormal romance novels in the YA market. Jennifer L. Armentrout delivers an amazing alien novel. Yes, you heard me right: aliens. But they're not green, slimy and ugly; they look like us (look at the picture above; that's Daemon, the alien). I have never read a novel about aliens, but Armentrout makes me crave other novels like this one.

Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing style captivated me from the very first chapter; which is totally awesome when an author does that to me. And even though Daemon and Katy encountered loathe-at-first-sight, the events that occurred in OBSIDIAN made up for everything. Especially the ending; the sparks between Daemon and Katy just flew off the page.

I loved how Katy was a book blogger in OBSIDIAN! So cool! Even Waiting on Wednesday -- a weekly meme -- is in this novel! I thought that was really great how Armentrout incorporated that into this epic novel.

And I'm so glad that I owned ONYX (the sequel) after I finished OBSIDIAN, because the ending almost killed me inside. Seriously. I'm not even joking. The final fifty pages in OBSIDIAN were filled with action, romance, drama, and everything you could ever want in a novel. If you haven't read this novel, it is a must read for paranormal romance lovers.

Overall, OBSIDIAN is one of the most original and greatest novels I've read of 2012. Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series totally started off with a bang! 

M Y    R A T I N G:

Brad About Books: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

 ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD

Published: August 30, 2011

Publisher: Tor Teen

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 316 pages

Series: Anna, #1

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

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.

Oh wow, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is definitely one of the most creepiest and scariest books I've ever read. Ever.

Cas Lowood is one of the most snarkiest characters in YA literature to me. He makes jokes and snides when killing off already-dead-ghosts; he was just hilarious for me. And Kendare Blake has crafted some great characters. His mom was protective, caring and great; his friends were always helpful and always there for him.

And Anna. Oh gosh, Anna. I don't know if anyone else felt this, but I felt sad for poor Anna. If you read the book, you'll understand why. And even though she's a murderer, deadly and vicious, once you find out her true story, it makes you want to give her a hug. If she hasn't ripped your head off by now, that is.

From about page 7o to page 85, my heart was racing, my head was spinning, and I was legitimately terrified. No joke. During that entire chapter, so much was happening and everything was so freaky and scary, I had to set the book down to collect my thoughts. And after reading that scene, I thought it was EPIC. Don't read that scene at night, though. It will give you nightmares for weeks.

The friendship (if you could call it a friendship) between Cas and Anna was absolutely stunning. The way that Cas immediately is accepting of Anna, and she him, was wonderful to read about. Kendare Blake hit it out of the ballpark with everything in this book. She truly has writing talent, and I'm so excited to read more of her other works. (*cough* ANTIGODDESS *cough*) 

The ending of this book was just insane, creepy, frightening, touching, and emotional. All of those different elements combined into one makes a great ending of a book. And it occurred in this one. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD would be the perfect Halloween read.

Overall, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD was simply awesome. And I'm not that big into horror stuff. So excited to see where Kendare takes it in the next book!

Brad About Books: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER
Published: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 452 pages
Series: Mara Dyer, #1

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

SHE'S WRONG.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER is definitely one of those "what the crap is going on?!" kind of books. And I LOVED that. Michelle Hodkin kept me entertained the entire way and always had me on the edge of my seat.

First off, this book is insane. And I'm not sugar-coating that. This book starts off with action from the prologue and barely contains any slow moments. And I loved how the main character, Mara Dyer, has had something tragic happen to her, and she can't remember what it is. I was in a book slump when I read this, so when I first picked this up, it threw me out of that slump instantly.

Michelle Hodkin's writing style was perfect for this kind of book. It's eerie, creepy, but still contains some light-hearted elements in it. She made this book almost disturbing at some points; again, it was perfect for this novel. And oh wow, can she create some fantastic characters. Mara's brothers were so quirky and hilarious; they were definitely some of my favorites in the book. But while they're all fun and games, they still have the protection element that all brothers should have for their family.

Unfortunately, this book took a downfall in the middle of the book. Why you may ask? The romance. For me, the romance in THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER overshadowed the true plot-line too much. At first, the story was about Mara trying to piece together what happened to her, and then all of a sudden, we're focusing on the love interest, Noah Shaw, and how he's so "dreamy" and "caring". 

That whole middle portion of the book annoyed me so much. I was truly enjoying the story a lot, and then a romance blooms, making Mara forget what she's suppose to be doing. But I do understand why the romance was there (the ending really supported the romance); I just feel like there was too much "lovey-dovey" scenes in this crazy book.

THAT. ENDING. For the entire last chapter, I chewing at my fingernails. I knew something insane would happen, and then BAM, Michelle Hodkin throws at us something crazy and unexpected. That's what really made me love this novel; how she took the problem and potentially made it bigger, setting us up for the second novel in this trilogy. And that last page? My mouth was open the entire time. It just blew my mind.

Overall, I recommend that you pick up THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER. If you don't really like the romance part, keep reading it because the ending is totally worth it.

M Y    R A T I N G:

Waiting on Wednesday (5): The Diviners by Libba Bray

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!

So I'm having surgery right now, but I thought I would go ahead and make a Waiting on Wednesday post. This week, I'm waiting on . . .

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Expected U.S. Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

So excited for this one! I usually don't like historical books, but I really want this one. The Roaring '20's + murder mystery + New York City equals a happy reader in me.

And I am so happy that it's 608 pages! I am really into long books nowadays, and this book is a beast.

What are you waiting on this week? Leave links in the comments below! 

Wake by Amanda Hocking Audiobook!

So you all know how much I loved Wake by Amanda Hocking, right? (click here to see my review) Well, there's an audiobook out! If you don't know what Wake is all about, here's the synopsis:

LOSE YOURSELF TO THE WATERSONG

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

SOUNDS AWESOME, RIGHT?! Well, it is awesome. 

I highly recommend you buy this book; whether it's in physical form, e-book, or audiobook.

Do you want to hear a sample of the Wake audiobook? You've come to the right place!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO GO TO MACMILLAN'S WEBSITE AND LISTEN TO THE WAKE AUDIOBOOK

Here's all the places that you can buy Wake in audiobook!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Audible

Again, you MUST buy this book. I'm dying for the sequel, and I know that you will be too! 

Brad About Books: Mara by Richard Denney

MARA
Published: April 28, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: Kindle edition
Page Count: 52 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Read on: July 23, 2012

Mara, a high school dancer, begins to mentally unravel when she starts to hear a voice telling her to what to do and who to kill. In Richard Denney's fifth novel, Mara takes your mind for a ride and leaves you with an ending that you never will suspect. 

Richard Denney's newest novel, MARA, is such a crazy book. But in a good way. MARA has action, drama and an insane ending that left my mouth hanging open. 

The character of Mara actually made me mad, just because she was so critical on herself. And it actually was necessity that she was so hard on herself in the book; I just didn't like that she did it to herself. The names "Stupid, ugly and fat" pop up many times in MARA, but it does play sort of a major role in the novel.

And oh wow, THE VOICE. So. Creepy. Richard Denney's writing style for "the voice" in this novelette was just so awesome. He put scenes into this novel that made me shiver, made me feel sorrow, and made me check over my shoulder a time or two to make sure that Mara wasn't behind me. Seriously. It's that crazy.

Even though this novelette is so short, so much is packed between these pages. I appreciated how the author made every scene important and crucial to this story. I don't really like it when some books have "filler" chapters that aren't necessary to the book; I can always count on Richard Denney to make sure that that never happens in his books. Absolutely wonderful!

And that ending. I had to re-read that last page to make sure that I understood, because it was that weird. But again, it was that good type of weird. The whole scene was just plain out scary. I was on my seat the entire time.

Overall, if you want a book to mess with your mind, MARA is definitely the way to go. Richard Denney's newest novel is one not to miss! 

M Y    R A T I N G:

Brad About Books: Wake by Amanda Hocking

 WAKE
Published: August 7, 2012
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Format: ARC
Page Count: 309 pages
Source: ARC via Publisher
Series: Watersong, #1

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

First, I want to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of WAKE!

Was I blown away by WAKE? ABSOLUTELY. I should also start off by saying that I first read Amanda Hocking when she was self-published, and I fell in love with her books then. So when I first heard about WAKE coming out, I did a fan-boy dance.

The concept of WAKE is very engaging. I've always loved being in the water and swimming, so a character who swims constantly plus Amanda Hocking's incredible writing style and story-telling makes for a happy reader in me. And I absolutely loved how she described the trio of the girls who are beautiful and deadly. Her details (she didn't over-detail, though) of every single character -- especially the trio -- were absolutely fantastic.

Gemma's sister was by far one of the best siblings I have ever read about in a book. She's very protective of her little sister and only wants the best for her. Unfortunately, Gemma doesn't always listen to her sister, which results in something deadly occurring to her.  And once you find out what exactly what that thing is, I guarantee you that your mouth will fall open.

Amanda Hocking's writing style makes you feel like you are walking around this city with all of these characters and swimming in the ocean with the main character, Gemma. And I seriously read almost half of this book in one sitting -- which is actually very rare for me to read so much of a book in just one sitting. But come on, IT'S AMANDA HOCKING. One of my favorite authors of all time.

And after that ending, I am dying for the sequel, LULLABY, so bad. WAKE leaves on a pretty big cliffhanger and LULLABY is a necessity in my reading world.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up WAKE. This book promises to be the start of an epic and fantastic series!

M Y    R A  T I N G:

Liebster Blog Award!

So I was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Carson @ Reader with Voice! Thank you so much, Carson! 

"Award winners share 11 facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who tagged them, come up with 11 of their own questions and tag 11 more bloggers with the award." 

-The Headless Owl Blog

My 11 Facts:

1) I'm fourteen years old and I'm about to have a foot surgery

2) My favorite book of 2012 so far is Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (FANTASTIC. BOOK.)

3) My favorite genre of music is pop

4) I have two dogs: Max: a cockapoo and Ollie: a dachshund. 

5) I really don't like celery. Nasty.

6) I love to sing and act. I've been in loads of plays at a professional theatre in my state.

7) I'm part of a collab channel on YouTube called BookishDays (click on the name to go to the channel). I post my videos on Sunday! :D

8) I seriously hope that the Gone series by Michael Grant becomes a movie or TV show. It deserves to be a movie or TV show.

9) I'm addicted to ordering books off of Amazon.

10) My most anticipated novel for the rest of 2012 is a tie between What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang, Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter and Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes!

Carson's Questions:

1) What's your least favorite book cover?

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

2) What is the first book you remember reading?

Junie B. Jones and the Smelly School Bus by Barbara Park. I was addicted to that series!

3) What is a book you feel you will never read?

Probably Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

4) What's your current favorite song?

Good Time by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen! :D

5) Have you been to any author signings?

ONE. Haha. I'm most likely going to Southern Festival of Books and Y'all Fest, so I'll get some books signed there if I go. I went to an Amy Plum and Myra McEntire book signing! :D

6) Do you play an instrument?

Yes! I play the piano and I love it! 

7) Do you listen to music while you read?

I get distracted kind of easily when other things are going around me, so no. I wish I could though.

8) Do you like bacon?

Heck yes! :D

9) Do you separate your TBR books or put them on the same shelf?

On my shelf, my books are organized alphabetically by author's last name. So they're all on the same shelf. 

10) Who is your least favorite male FEMALE love interest?

I changed this question to fit me. I really do not like Bella Swan (from Twilight, obviously) or Mia Price (from Struck by Jennifer Bosworth). Those characters annoyed the crap out of me. Just . . . no.

But for who I think is wrong for a female protagonist, Aspen from The Selection by Kiera Cass is probably one of the worst characters I've read about. He's just such a jerk to her. 

11) Who is your least favorite female character?

Because I changed the question above, I'll choose different characters this time. I'm choosing Mattie from Slide by Jill Hathaway. Mattie is the main character, Vee's, little sister and she just bugged me so much. And she did something pretty bad to another character, which added more annoyance to this character.

MY QUESTIONS:

1) What's your favorite book of 2012 so far?

2) What's your least favorite book of 2012 so far?

3) What author do you want to meet the most?

4) If you could choose two authors to write a book together, who would they be?

5) What book do you want to be seen made into a movie?

6) What place do you want to travel to the most?

7) Do you read e-books? Do you prefer them over physical books?

8) What do you love and hate to admit it?

9) Which book made you cry?

10) What's your favorite cover of 2012?

11) What's your least favorite cover of 2012?

WHO I TAG:

RJ @ RJ Does Books

Ridge @ Young Blood Reviews

Amanda @ Pearl the Book Girl

Bunny @ Bunny Cates

Ali & Daphne @ Winged Reviews

KC @ KC Hilton

Thanks for tagging me, Carson! It was so much fun to do this! :D

Waiting on Wednesday (4): Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!

This week, I'm waiting on:

Ten - Gretchen McNeil

Expected U.S. Publication Date: September 18, 2012

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Murder mystery + teens + a creepy DVD tape with a horrific message? Count me in.

You have no idea how much I want TEN. It sounds so awesome, and I'm positive that I will love it. I do believe that it is loosely based on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (which I have never read), but after reading the synopsis of TEN, I may just have to pick up one of Agatha Christie's books!

So excited for TEN!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave the links to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Happy reading!