Mailbox Monday #15

   In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.  


Very busy week for me. 


Bought:




Library:

Audible:

Netgalley:

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Title: Soulless
Author: Gail Carriger
Publisher: Orbit
Publishing Date: October 1st 2009
Pages: 384
Genre: Steampunk, Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Series: Parasol Protectorate #1
Source: Mass Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Review:

What a fun book. I absolutely loved it. The story is full of mystery, monsters, romance, humor, and even a little action.

The story takes place in London during the rule of Queen Victoria. With a little bit of spice added to the era, London is aware of all things supernatural. Werewolves, vampires, and ghosts oh my! To keep the supernatural in line there are agencies set up to watch the city. One more thing, Alexia Tarabotti is a preternatural, the supernatural cannot touch her.

On the night of a party that Alexia is attending she is attacked by an aware vampire who isn’t aware his strength and his teeth will not work on her. Of course this is not the crime, the crime is that he attacked at all. Now Alexia will join forces with a hot werewolf in the investigation.

Alexia, Lord Maccon, and many more unique characters fill this book. Alexia is an awesome heroine. She is smart, eccentric, and fearless. I have not enjoyed a heroine this much in a very long time. Lord Maccon is hot, sarcastic, and lovable. The banter between these too is possibly one of the most entertaining banters I have ever read. We add this to a flamboyant vampire, a clueless best friend, and a furry second in command and you get an award winning cast that will keep you laughing out loud from start to finish.

I have a very strong feeling this will be one of my favorite series.

Rating:

Follow Friday #15

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by

 Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! 

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A: I really don't have anyone come to mind. I did have a little tift with Edward in New Moon but we made up later.  I fight a little with Jace from Mortal Instruments at times too but we always get over it. I think for the most part I want to end friendships with the heroines more than break up with the heroes. Like Nora in Crescendo. We so did not get along in that book. 

What's your answer?

Review: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Title: The Angel Experiment
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publishing Date: April 11th 2005
Pages: 423
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Series: Maximum Ride #
Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:

Get ready for the maximum thrill ride from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson.

After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids", who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.

Review:

My daughter and my husband both read this series when it first started, I waited forever to read the first book. I have not read it and enjoyed it. The description doesn’t really explain too much about the books so I went into the story not knowing what to expect.

The first book in the series goes into a little detail on the kids and their past. The story has 6 main characters that are children aged from 6-14 and have been genetically altered with bird DNA, they have wings, they eat tons, and they are faster and stronger than the average child. These children have spent a majority of their life living in an experimental institution.

The story takes off after the kids were broken out of the institute by a scientist named Jeb, he has educated them, trained them, and taken care of them for a while. One day he disappears and shortly after the youngest of the “flock” is kidnapped. The majority of the book is from the point of view of 14 year old Max and is about her journey to find and rescue the missing 6 year old, Angel.

I really like Max, she is very sarcastic, witty, and strong. (emotionally, mentally, and physically) She will do anything for her flock and takes care of them as if they belonged to her. She has very a very strong emotional bond with the only family she has ever had. She will not give up on the chance to give these kids a normal life. The flock consists of 14 year old Fang who is basically the second in command, 14 year old Iggy, 11 year old Nudge, 8 year old Gasman, and 6 year old Angel. They are all awesome in their own way. They all have big attitudes, snarky comments, and odd behaviors.

The end of the book concluded for the most part but left me with some questions that encouraged me to read the next book. I will continue with the series and see where it leads me.

Rating: 

Review: Chomp by Carl Hiassen

Title: Chomp
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publishing Date: March 27th 2012
Pages: 304
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Humorous, Adventure
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:

Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one.

When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!” Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out.

They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .

It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival". . .

Review:

This the first novel by Carl Hiassen that I have read and I am glad I picked it up. If all his novels are as funny and entertaining as this one, I have really been missing out.

This book had so much to love, the characters are quirky and lovable, the story line is new and refreshing, and the lines and mishaps are just hilarious. I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud so much.

The story is about a boy who lives on an animal ranch with his dad who is an animal wrangler. They have everything from gators to bobcats. Mr. Cray has been out of work due to an iguana incident and the family is behind on bills, so Wahoo (yes even the names are funny) signs his father up for a wrangler job for a reality television show. Sounds great except for the star of the show is a putz who fakes everything, thinks he knows everything, and complains about everything. Wahoo has to keep everything in check which is difficult to do with all the mishaps and misadventures that happen along the way.

The characters in this book are so zany and ridiculous that I can’t even begin to describe them, but it is the characters that make this book. I found it very difficult not to find something to love about each and everyone except for the villain, and he was just too easy to hate. It is the characters that make this book so entertaining, well the characters and the storyline.

The storyline is so strange and crazy that it doesn’t matter if it’s realistic, it’s still somehow believable. And if you can’t find it believable it doesn’t matter, it will have you smiling and laughing anyway. I am so excited to read more books by Carl Hiassen. I am so absolutely gleeful that I decided to give this book a try.

Rating:

Thoughts for Thursday #10 Book Hoarding

Thoughts for Thursday… Are you a book hoarder?

Once upon a time, when I didn’t read as many books as I do now, I liked to keep every book I bought. Well now I am just running out of space on my bookshelves and running out of room for new bookshelves. So I have been thinking about getting rid of some of my books and trying to come up with a way to make my mind believe it is okay to get rid of some of my books.  I have also started to go to the library more and of course my Kindle helps tremendously. I just need to slowly talk myself off the ledge and know its okay to depart from books. I am just having a hard time choosing which to get rid of. I rarely reread books and so really…. Why am I keeping them all?  So do you make the lifetime commitment to your books or do you stay single in your book relationship?

Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Leviathan
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publishing Date: October 6th 2009
Pages: 448
Genre: Young Adult Steampunk
Series: Leviathan #1
Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Review:

I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t thrilled about reading this book, the synopsis just didn’t grab me, but the hype was there and my husband wanted me to read it, and it was a group read, so…. I decided to read it. I was not disappointed in fact I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

The story is based around the brewing of WWI and mixes some history, some myth, and steampunk all into one story about a girl and boy as their worlds collide.

I really like both the main characters, Deryn is smart, brave, and determined not to let the fact that she is a girl keep her from her dream of becoming an airman. Of course as hard as she tries to stay under the radar she still manages to find trouble and of course a boy. Alek is a prince who just lost his parents and on the run hiding from enemies that want to kill him. He is not about to let his world and his country to be taken over. He just doesn’t know how to save either one. Devyn and Alek meet in desperate situations and learn to work together even though they are on the opposite sides of their belief systems.

This book mainly concentrates on the relationship of trust and friendship building between the two main characters as they learn they need each other to help them reach their goals. I did feel the book was a little slow but the writing was wonderful (Of course it’s Scott Westerfeld) and the characters were very likable. I did not get much of the story and was a little confused but I hope to see it go further into the story in the next installment. WWI buffs will get a little more out of the book as I understand the timeline and some of the story follows along well with history. I was pleasantly surprised and will continue the story.

Rating:

Review: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Title: Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Publishing Date: April 1st 2006
Pages: 279
Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy
Series: Percy Jackson #2
Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Review:

Rick Riordan did it again. I enjoyed the 2nd installment just as much as the 1st. The humor, the story, the action and suspense, it’s all still there.

In the second story of Percy Jackson we start off with Percy having some very strange dreams. What is so strange about these dreams you ask? Well Grover is shopping for a wedding dress, that kind of strange. From the beginning I was laughing out loud with the craziness that Grover and Percy seem to get themselves into. This book had a story within the story. The book didn’t really get into the main storyline to much but did explain some major key parts about Tyson, Percy, and little more about Grover’s race. This book was a lot of fun and I will be reading the next one as soon as I can fit into my ever growing TBR pile.

Rating:

Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Title: Dark Inside

Author:  Jeyn Roberts

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publishing Date: November 1^st 2011

Pages: 329

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian, Post Apacolyptic

Series: Dark Inside #1

Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason’s mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

Review:

I really enjoyed this book.  It’s another dystopian and another post apocalyptic but still different then what is out there. 

The story starts off flashing between multiple key characters, Mason, Aries, Clementine, Michael,  as they try and survive the events all around them.  The characters end up intertwining at different times of the book.  All the characters are strong, determined, and find  it within themselves to keep fighting as their world crashes. They watch as love become violent and strangers are crazier than normal. It is a fight to survive, but for what? 

The story drew me in from the beginning and quickly became a page turner for me. The author did a great job in conveying all the emotions of these characters. The fear, confusion, and hope felt real as I read their stories. I felt myself quietly encouraging the characters to keep moving, don’t lose hope, stay away from that door, and keep away from all strangers. The only downside of this book for me was the end. There wasn’t a conclusion and I still don’t know why everyone is going crazy…. But I found out, there is hope, another book is on the way, which I will pick up as soon as it comes out.

Rating:  

Waiting on Wednesday #13 Smart Girls Get What They Want

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on 

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer 

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren’t the most popular girls in school, they aren’t too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they’re missing out on the full high school experience, it’s time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge—and they will totally rock it. 

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she’ll have to get over her fear of public speaking—and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but always stayed behind the scenes—until now.

These friends are determined to show that smart girls get what they want—but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for....

Teaser Tuesday #8

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. Bloggers choose two sentences out our current read to peak others' curiosity.

 Everything around me was noise and light and confusion. The discordant screams of the sirens, like cries from a jungle where the animals have all gone insane. The white glare of the headlights stampeding toward me. 

The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan

"It's like she's leaving us twice," he remarked. 

"What are you talking about, Pop?"

"I'm seein' double, remember? There she goes- and there she goes again."

Chomp by Carl Hiassen

The truth, the comfort that I felt more strongly than my thirst or hunger or pain, was that they were forever as much a part of us and our world as we were a part of theirs. We shared balance and beauty, the soft breath of spring and the harsh cold of winter. 

Spirit's Princess by Esther M. Friesner

What's your teaser for today?