30 Book Giveaway at Bloody Bookaholic!!

Tashima Cullen at Bloody Bookaholic is giving away thirty books to say goodbye to 2010!! The contest ends on February 1st at 11:59 and extra entries are available. Click HERE to be linked directly to the contest! Here is a list of the books in the giveaway:

1. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

2. Desired of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

3. Firelight by Sophie Jordan

4. My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

5. The Ivy by Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur

6. Changeless by Gail Carriger

7. Hero by Mike Lupica

8. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

9. Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

10. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

11. Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

12. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

13. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

14. The Season of Risks by Susan Hubbard

15. Splendor by Anna Godbersen

16. The Gift, Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

17. You by Charles Benoit

18. The Enemy by Charlie Higson

19. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

20. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

21. Vordak the Incomprehensible: How to Grow Up and Rule the World

22. The Steps Across the Water by Adam Copnik

23. Vampires: The Occult Truth

24. Ask Amy Green Boy Trouble by Sarah Webb

25. I'll Get There. It Better Be worth the Trip. by John Donovan

26. Virgin Territory by James Lecesne

27. Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart

28. Plain Kate by Erin Bow

29. Murder Afloat by Jane Leslie Conly

30. Scumble by Ingrid Law

I am so excited for this contest!!! Good luck everyone!

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Flinn

Series: -

Book #: 1

Release Date: October 1st, 2007

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Page #: 304

I am a beast.

A beast!

Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll,stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.


Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Crazy for Books: Book Blogger Hop!

Jennifer at Crazy for Books puts on an event every week called the Book Blogger Hop. This event connects a book blogger to other book blogger, and it seems fun! Anyone who has a book blog can enter if they primarily post about books. Click HERE to read more about it and enter the list. You do not have to enter the list every week, you can do it whenever you like. Every week that you enter, you have to answer a question from another participant.
This week's question: There isn't one yet :)

Follow Friday at Parajunkee's View!

This is my first time participating in Follow Friday. :) It is an event hosted every week by Parajunkee's View, letting members of the blogging world connect with each other. Here are the rules from Parajunkee:

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:



1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://www.loganeturner.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog! 

There will also be a question every week, letting the readers get to know the blogger a little better. This week's question is:

Who do you cheer for?

This is a hard question, because I don't really follow sports. If I had to choose, I would say Manchester United Football Club. What can I say? My parents are huge fans and their best friends are fans of Man. Utd's rival, Manchester City. It's quite amusing to watch. :D

US Giveaway: Win a copy of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles!

This will be my first giveaway ever!! :D For my first giveaway, I am giving away a copy of Perfect Chemistry to one lucky winner! The contest ends on February 20th, one month from today. Here are the rules for the contest:

1. You must be a follower of my blog (A Reader's Ramblings).

2. You must be at least thirteen years old, or have parental consent.

3. I will choose one winner on 20th of February, 2011, using random.org.

4. You must live in the US.

5. I will email the winner. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours(2 days), I will pick a new winner.
6. There will be extra entries available for this contest:

    - +3 for following my affiliate, Amber Skye's blog, Reading Addict.

    - +2 for being my friend/adding me as a friend on Goodreads (Eliza Mellark).

Click HERE to fill out the form for my giveaway! Good luck :)

About the book:

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.


In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart

ARC Review: Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Title: Vesper

Author: Jeff Sampson
Series: Deviants
Book #: 1
Release Date: January 25th 2011
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 304


Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.


The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?


As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

This book was part of the werewolf-vampire craze that has been happening since Twilight. The thing I enjoyed about Vesper was that it wasn't "Oh my, that person is so weird...there must be something strange about them". This was just a normal, geeky girl, who started doing things out of the ordinary for her the same night one of her classmates died. The story about murder mixed in with high school drama was interesting...but maybe a little too predictable.

Emily was not the usual protagonist, and I liked that about her. She wasn't a special, popular, beautiful person, she was just a normal sixteen year old. She made the story more believable and realistic. At first, I thought Emily was like me: she likes to read, watch movies, and she isn't the most talkative person with everyone at school. My connection with her was frayed a little when the story twisted and turned, but because of the initial connection, it made me more interested in the story.

The plot was pretty good, but as I said before, it was a little predictable for the most part. However, their was a part of the plot that I did not see coming. Throughout the novel, Emily was searching for something, but she didn't know what or why. When she finally found it, I was shocked. It was the best part of the story, for me.

Overall, the main storyline was average. The entire book seemed to be setting up for the next book, but I'm not sure I'm tempted enough to bother reading it. I have given this book a rating of three masks.

ARC Review: The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier

Title: The Floating Islands

Author: Rachel Neumeier

Series: -

Book #: 1

Release Date: February 8th 2011
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 400

When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings.


Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself. The only one who fully understands his passion is Araene, his newfound cousin. Prickly, sarcastic, and gifted, Araene has a secret of her own . . . a dream a girl cannot attain.

Trei and Araene quickly become conspirators as they pursue their individual paths. But neither suspects that their lives will be deeply entwined, and that the fate of the Floating Islands will lie in their hands. . . .

Filled with rich language, and told in alternating voices, The Floating Islands is an all-encompassing young adult fantasy read.

Imagine being told you couldn't attain your only wish, something you had been dreaming about. That's the problem the two protagonists face in The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier. This novel was a cross between the past and future, highlighting the lack of women's rights and also showing a world where you live on a floating island and men fly with wings...only a few men, though.

Trei comes to the island after the death of his three family members. On his way to the island, he sees the Kajurahi, the men who have wings to protect the islands. As soon as he sees them, he wants to be one. He wants to be able to soar above the clouds, and let go of the sadness that is pushing him into the ground. Trei is a great character, who learns to overcome a disaster and start his life again. He was a great friend and support for his cousin, Areana, also, making him my favourite character of the novel.

At first, I did not like Areana. I thought she was stuck-up and rude, but when I read on and got to know the thoughts that she was battling in her head, it was hard not to feel sympathy for her. Her dream to become a chef was unattainable because of the lack of rights given to girls on the island, and she resented it.

Overall, I enjoyed the split point of view, which swapped every chapter. It was a nice book about new friendships and battling with your internal desires, although the plot didn't seem entirely new. There were elements from other stories melded with the new imaginings of the author. I'm giving this book a 3.5 mask rating.

.5

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post where you share the books you can't wait to read! Check out the Waiting on Wednesday posts on my affiliate, Amber Skye's blog, Reading Addict! This week's Waiting on Wednesday post is about the upcoming novel, Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe!

About the Book:

The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.



Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?
No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…
But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?
With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.
But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.
Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.

My thoughts:  The reason why I was drawn to this book is the age of the author. The author, Steph Bowe, is only sixteen! After reading the premise for the book, I am now even more excited to read it. I think the author's age will show in the believablility of her characters, because she can relate to them easily. This book is out now in Australia, and should be published in the US later this year!

Review: Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson

Title: Invisible Things

Author: Jenny Davidson

Series: The Explosionist

Book #: 2

Release Date: November 23rd, 2010

Pages: 261

Sixteen-year-old Sophie knows there is more to the story of her parents' death. And she's on a mission to find the truth. To aid her in solving the decades-old mystery, Sophie has enlisted her best friend, Mikael, whose friendship has turned into something more. It's soon clear that Sophie's future is very much wrapped up in the details of her family's past, and the key lies with information only one man can provide: her parents' former employer, the elusive billionaire Alfred Nobel.

As the threat of war looms in Europe, dangers to Sophie and her loved ones grow. While her determination to solve the mystery doesn't waver, forces beyond her control conspire to keep her from her purpose. Then, news of her great-aunt Tabitha's death sets off a chain of events that leaves Sophie questioning everything.

The more Sophie learns, the more she realizes that nothing—and no one—in her life is what it seems. And coming to terms with the dark secrets she uncovers means imagining a truth that she never dreamed possible. Full of gorgeous settings, thrilling adventure, and romance, invisible things is a novel that dares to ask, what if?

Invisible Things things sounds like it would be fantastic...I'm sorry to say, it was not. There were several times during the book when I didn't think I could even read any further. Thankfully, I read it quickly and moved on.


I don't mean to be rude, just honest, when I say that it is clear that the author is a non-fiction writer. The sentences were extremely long, I counted one and it had ninety seven words!! The lengthy sentence structure combined with the lack of climax and scientific terminology did not make for the best read.


The plot was average. It wasn't too bad, but the amount of sentences that I had to reread to understand the experiments and science being developed had piled up by the end of the book. There were a few exciting parts mixed in with less energetic parts. The exciting plot twists jolted you all of a sudden, waking you from the stupor you had been sent into by Sophie's story, but sadly, they passed very quickly and the book became dull again. <- That sentence seemed long, didn't it? It was 32 words long. If you thought that was long, imagine sentences three times that length!!


Sophie bothered me, for some reason. She seemed too interested in the sweet table than the events playing out around her. Her relationship with Mikael was sweet, yet lacked any romance at all. They would hold hands, but decide it was too racy...I enjoyed reading about Mikael, for the most part. He seemed like a sweet, sensitive, caring young man. He was my favourite character by far.


I thought this book would be wonderful, judging it by the cover and the blurb. Unfortunately, it was not my favourite. I'm sad to say that, in my opinion, this book has earned a 1.5 rating.

.5

ARC Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Title: Desires of the Dead

Author: Kimberly Derting

Series: The Body Finder

Book #: 2

Release Date: February 19th 2011

Pages: 368

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.

ARC Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Series: -
Book #: 1
Release Date: March 29th 2011
Genre: Historical Romance, Fantasy
Pages: 480

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.


The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Update: Film Friday: Alex Pettyfer

Okay, I have had some time to think about and research Alex Pettyfer (yes, look up a ton of pictures of him), and I think I have changed my mind about some of the things I said about him in my Film Friday. To see the original Film Friday featuring Alex Pettyfer, click HERE.

One thing that I have changed my mind about is Alex Pettyfer playing Jace Wayland. At first I wasn't thrilled by the idea, because, in my mind, absolutely no one was worthy enough to play possibly my favourite male book character ever. Jace is supposed to be fantastically good looking, sarcastic and funny. I couldn't see anyone be perfect for the part. Now, I have come around and I think the only person who can play Jace is Alex Pettyfer!! Part of the reason why I changed my mind are these picture and a youtube video which will be at the end of the post.

I think he looks like Jace in both of these because it shows he can be serious (and seriously good looking), but also playful. Also, he has abs like the model on the cover of City of Bones.

I also may have changed my mind about the definite no I said to him being Peeta Mellark in the upcoming Hunger Games movie (click HERE for my Film Friday about the movie). I'm not saying I think he is the perfect Peeta. I still don't exactly agree that he could be so innocent...but, having said that, I think he looks perfect in this picture.

Thanks to my affiliate Amber Skye at Reading Addict, I am now in agreement with her about Alex Pettyfer. Also, thanks to Amber for enduring many, many hours of Alex Pettyfer pictures and videos with me...although I'm sure she wasn't too put out by it! Haha. What do you think of him playing Jace? Peeta?

Here are some of the Youtube videos that also swayed my view:

I love Alex Pettyfer at :37! Hahaha! It never gets old. I have seen this video about one hundred times, and I still laugh out loud at that part.

I find this one absolutely hilarious too! I like the comment about Alexpettyfersaurus. Enjoy.



Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post where you share the books you can't wait to read! Check out the Waiting on Wednesday posts on my affiliate, Amber Skye's blog, Reading Addict! This week's Waiting on Wednesday post is about the upcoming novel, Cloaked by Alex Flinn!

About the Book:

Think you know paranormal romance? Alex Flinn gives the genre a twist in this modern fairy-tale mash-up!

Johnny’s not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it, he is on a mission in the Everglades, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch. (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:
I have recently been introduced to Alex Flinn by my affiliate, Amber Skye. She told me I had to read Beastly, which is a modern day take on Beauty and the Beast, but in the Beast's perspective. Beastly is being made into a movie, so I decided to give the book a try. I bought it today, and so far I am enjoying Alex Flinn's style of writing. It's easy to get into, it doesn't take three chapters to get into a steady for of reading. I think Beastly will be a great read and now I can't wait for her next book to be released next month. I love that her two "fairytale" novels have the same type of title and a matching theme. Cloaked is definitely a book to be watching out for!

ARC Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe

Book #: 1

Release Date: January 11th 2011

Genre: Young Adult/ Science Fiction

Pages: 398

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a meme created by MizB at Should Be Reading and it's open to everyone! Here are the instructions from my affiliate, Amber at Reading Addict:



-Grab your current read.
-Open to a random page.
-Share a couple of “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Er - I don't want to be rude or anything, but - this isn't a great time for me to have a house elf in my bedroom.

*Spoilers*

Poor Dobby! I loved him so much throughout the series. I couldn't believe it when he died in the last one! I saw the first Deathly Hallows movie twice, and I cried both times when Dobby died. Although he tries to save Harry, he almost kills him, which is quite cute and annoying. He is adorable in the movies and I was so happy when Harry managed to make Mr. Malfoy present Dobby with clothes, freeing him! :) What do you think about Dobby?

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!

I recently went to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios, and it was amazing!! The cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade and the snow on the roof of Ollivanders...it was exactly how I had imagined it!

I enjoyed going to see the Owl Post, Zonko's, Honeydukes, Dervish and Banges, and Ollivanders, but I think my favourite part was the ride inside Hogwarts. As you line up for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the pictures move and speak to you, you visit Dumbledore in his office, listen to the Fat Lady's prediction of the upcoming Quidditch game, and sneak along the corridors with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

It was fantastic to be able to immerse myself in a world that is loved by so many, including myself. The only two downsides to the mind blowing park were the prices and the lines. Every single thing in Harry Potter World is expensive, but it's Harry Potter World, so they know you will buy it anyway. The lines were crazy! There was a three hour wait outside of Ollivanders. I waited for almost two hours to go into Dervish and Banges and when I finally got inside it was packed. The only upside to waiting in lines for so long is meeting the people around you. I met a nice couple who were getting a Ravenclaw scarf for there daughter. They waited for two hours and then when we got inside they were sold out of all the houses except for Gryffindor. :(

Overall, I found Harry Potter World mesmerizing. It was perfect, every detail was exactly as it was in the movie! I could barely close my suitcase for all of the souvenirs! When I got home I couldn't resist reading the series for about the tenth time! :)

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and new Year! I honestly can not believe it is 2011! There are tons and tons of fantastic books that are coming out soon. I think 2011 will be a fantastic year for debut authors, there are tons of books by debut authors that I have on my to-read list. Here are a few of the many books I can't wait for that are due to be released this year:

• Desires of the Dead- by Kimberly Derting
• City of Fallen Angels- by Cassandra Clare
• Water Wars- by Cameron Stracher (Check out my affiliate's blog for her review and author interview!)
• The False Princess- by Ellis O'Neal
• Vesper- Jeff Sampson
• Angelfire- by Courtney Allison Moulton
• Falling Under- by Glen Hayes
• Wither- by Lauren DeStephano