ARC Book Review | Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Format: e-ARC

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: March 11, 2014

Goodreads

 Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

 

When I first saw this book on Netgalley it seemed like a fast and fun read so I immediately requested it, because who doesn't like a fun read every now and then? 

Heart LeCour is not like your average seventeen year old girls, and no I'm not just talking about her name.  She has a plan to keep herself from turning out like her mother.  Her mother had Heart and her brother, Phil by the time she was twenty years old, then her mom realized that it wasn't the life that she wanted so she left them.  Heart thinks that if she doesn't date and doesn't let a guy in, then she won't get hurt or end up like her mother.

But Heart's plan is about to go out of the window when she gets asked to prom by not one, but two guys.  Heart has a hard time deciding between the two, but it's not because she really "likes" either one of them, it's because she has a big heart and both guys have a sob story.  Now, you're probably wondering if she doesn't like either of the guys that asks her to prom then how does that lead to her plan getting smashed?  Well, I could tell you, but I won't.  I'm just going to say trust me, it does.

I really like Heart as a character, she was very witty and she has such a huge heart (get it?).  But she didn't really act like any almost 18 year old that I've ever met, well maybe that's a good thing.  I really liked her friends to, they seemed like the type of friends that would be there for you no matter what.

Overall, Ask Again Later is a fast, fun and witty read.  I really liked the twist that the author threw in with the heads vs. tails prom night, we get to see exactly what happens with both options and I really enjoyed that aspect.  If I was to recommend this book to anyone, I think it would be more of the younger YA crowd because at times it did seem a little immature but overall, I did enjoy reading this book.

 

 

 

Booking Into Spring Giveaway Hop | Sign Ups OPEN!

 This is the first giveaway hop that I've ever been a part of hosting and I'm so super excited to be co-hosting with the wonderful Tonyalee from Lilybloombooks

I'm extremely sick of all the snow and cold weather so I can't wait for Spring to get here, so this Spring giveaway hop is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the beginning of Spring.  Since this is a Spring hop, the plan is to giveaway Spring releases but you are welcome to giveaway gift cards or other bookish things.


Details/Rules: 

• Sign ups start today, February 27th and run through March 17th, 2014
• When signing up– Please leave your shipping method after your name be it US or INT  { i.e: Lilybloombooks (INT)}
• The hop will be March 20th-April 1st
• Please have your giveaway UP AND LIVE by 12:01 am EST on March 20th. You may post it up to 24hrs earlier, if you choose to.
• Your giveaway can only have 1 mandatory entry, with a limit of 7 options. Keep it simple, please.
• You are responsible for the prize you are giving away.
• Your post must include the image AND linky. If you are unable to, for any reason, please link back to Christy’s Book Addiction OR Lilybloombooks where the linky will be located.
• An email confirmation will be sent out 24-48 hours before the hop is scheduled to start, with the banner and linky code. If for any reason you are unable to post, please notify me ASAP so we can remove you from the linky. If you post is not up by NOON on March 20th, your blog will be removed from the Linky.

If you have any questions you can email me or Tonyalee

cbookaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

Lilybloombooks(at)hotmail(dot)com

Our goal is to have 25 blogs :D

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Four Pics, One Series | NEW FEATURE!!

 

I'm sure everyone has seen those popular 4 pics, 1 blah blah blah games.  Out of all of the ones I've seen, I haven't seen one for books so I thought it would be fun to do it as a feature here on the blog.  Each week I will post 4 pictures of a book or series and everyone can leave their guesses in the comments and the next week I will announce what the books were.  

I'd also love to hear your thoughts on this new feature! 

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

 

What do you think of this new feature?  Should I open it up to other bloggers?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments along with your answers! 

 

 

 

Book Review | Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me # 3
Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased

Publisher:HarperCollins
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Goodreads

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

After the ending of Unravel Me I couldn't wait for February to come so I could get my hands on Ignite Me, I was dying to find out what would happen with not only Juliette, Warner, Adam, but also with Omega Point and The Reestablishment and thankfully Ignite Me gave me everything that I was hoping for.

Ignite Me begins right where Unravel Me left off.  Anderson has shot Juliette in the chest and she is fighting for her life.  Warner is doing everything he knows how to keep her safe and out of the spotlight until she heals, but Juliette refuses to stay hidden for long.

Juliette has grown so much from the scared and timid girl that we first met in Shatter Me, she has learned so much about herself, who she is and what she is capable of and I've really enjoyed her journey.  Warner is also a different person than the one we first met, well, he shows more of who he really is.  We learn so much more about him in this book and things we thought we knew about him from the first book were completely taken out of context.  I stated my Team Warner status in my review of Unravel Me, and I'm happy to say that my standing hasn't changed.  If anything, I feel more strongly about him than I did after reading Unravel Me.

Overall, Ignite Me was a great ending to a fantastic series.  While I do wish we would have seen more action especially since there was an all out war going on, I was still happy with the overall ending to this story.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Adoration | Before & After Edition

 

 Today I thought I would share some covers that have changed and give my opinions on whether or not that was a good thing.  I would love to hear your opinions on the changes as well so be sure to leave them in the comments!

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

 My Pick: I read this book last year and loved it but I wasn't sold on the cover (left).  I just saw the other day that it was getting redesigned and I have to say that I like the new cover (right) so much better. 

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

My Pick: I actually like the original cover (left) better, I really like the whole shimmery look to it. 

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

 My Pick: I haven't read this book before so I don't know if the newer cover (right) is more fitting for the story but I would be more likely to buy if I came across the older edition (left).  I'm a sucker for creepy books and the older cover fits the bill. 

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

   My Pick: I really like the older cover (left), it stands out more, well at least it does to me.

Which ones are your favorites? 

 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that allows us to showcase what books we got the previous week.

Here's my haul: 

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Split Second by Kasie West

For Review: 

Fire & Flood' by Victoria Scott

What did you get?  

Book Review | Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Series: Night Huntress, # 7

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Avon Books

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Goodreads

There’s always one more grave to dig.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

My Thoughts

To say that reading this book was a tad bittersweet is an huge understatement because this has been my favorite series since I picked up Halfway to the Grave many years ago.  Cat and Bones are one of my all-time favorite couples and while I was excited to see how their story would end, it was extremely difficult for me to say goodbye.   

Up from the Grave starts off with Cat and Bones finding out that some of their friends have gone missing and Madigan is their number one suspect.  Of course, if you know Cat then you can probably guess that it's not long before she throws herself in the crossfire to try and figure out where they are and how to save them, if they are still alive that is.   

What Cat doesn't realize is that Madigan's operation is a whole lot bigger that anyone anticipated and when some of his secrets finally get exposed, they will leave everybody in shock.  I can't really say anything else without spoiling something, so I will just leave it at that. 

This series has some of the best characters that I have ever came across.  I have loved Cat ever since that night she got pulled over by the law with a body in the trunk, she's feisty and stubborn, but she's also fiercely loyal to those she cares about.  Bones has been and probably will always be my number one book boyfriend.  He's stubborn, has a bad temper and he can get really creative when it comes to torture.  But, he's also caring and he will do anything to protect those he cares about.  It also has some of the best secondary characters; I love Ian, Denise, Spade, Mencheres, Fabian, etc. 

Frost done an amazing job bringing this series to an end. While  I hated saying goodbye with every fiber of my being, I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

 

CBA Discussion | Quote Journals

 

So, a couple of weeks ago my 7 year old son, Landon, asked me for a journal with a lock and a key so that he could write down whatever he wanted and no one else would be able to read it (I may have kept the extra key, shhh).

Anyway, when he asked for this I got to thinking that I wanted to start some sort of journal so that when I die (Yes, I have morbid thoughts) my kids can flip through the pages anytime they wanted to remember me. But I knew that I didn’t want to start writing my thoughts and feelings down because I’m sure no one would want to read constant bitching about work and school so I decided to do the next best thing….a quote journal.

My family knows how much I love and cherish my books so I thought it would be fitting for me to start a quote journal so I can keep my favorite quotes all in one place and hopefully, a very long time from now when my kids are going through it they can feel close to me. And I’d like to think that I have and will pick out some quotes will mean something to them too.

　

Want to know some of the quotes I have wrote down? Well, here you go:

　

"One of these days you’re going to fall in love, son. Don’t settle for just anyone. Choose the girl that doesn’t come easy, the one you have to fight for, and then never stop fighting. Never."

- Walking Disaster, Jamie McGuire

"To love is not weak. Love is the strongest thing there is."

- Apollyon, Jennifer L. Armentrout

"The most confused we ever get is when we’re trying to convince our heads of something our hearts knows is a lie."

- Karen Marie Moning

"One often meets her destiny on the road she takes to avoid it."

- Golden, Jessi Kirby

"If there’s one thing I know, it’s that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day…the here, the now."

- Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles

"Fate has her way of getting what she wants, no matter how we try to avoid it."

- Pleasure of a Dark Prince, Kresley Cole

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."

- The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

"The marks humans leave are too often scars."

- The Fault in our Stars, John Green

TALK TO ME

Do you keep a quote journal? What do you think of the quotes in mine?

What to Read: When You Want A Good Mystery

I love recommending books to people so I decided to start a feature here on the blog that allows me to do that. 

Today I want to recommend some of my favorite mysteries!  

Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination.

It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives.

But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined...

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 day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

She has everything she's ever wanted. But not her memory...

When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life.

Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her? Remembering the truth could be more dangerous than she knows...

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

My thoughts on Dangerous Girls, Six Months Later and I Hunt Killers

What are some of your favorite mysteries?

ARC Book Review | Insanity by Susan Vaught

Format: e-ARC

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Publication Date: February 18, 2014

Goodreads

 Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected.

With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital.

I'm a sucker for creepy books so when I saw this book on Netgalley with that ghostly cover, it immediately got my attention and when I saw that it was set in my state, I was sold.  Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.   

Right after Forest's 18 birthday, she took a job working the graveyard shift at the Lincoln Psychiatric hospital in Never, Kentucky so that she could save up for college.  But Forest wasn't expecting that her place of employment would be a crossroads between the dead and the living. 

I found out very quickly that this would be a very confusing book, or at least it was for me.  From the beginning I had a hard time keeping up with what was going on, I thought I might have missed something and I would go back and reread but I never found what I was looking for.  It seemed like one minute nothing was happening and then suddenly with no warning, dogs and geese and darkness, I just really didn't know what was going on by that point.  All I know is that I was very confused by then. 

I feel like this story had promise but between all the POVs and the confusion, it just wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean that someone else won't love it.