CITY OF LOST SOULS!!!!

So, if you follow me on Twitter or Tumblr or anywhere else I've been talking about this, you know: I'm dying to read City of Lost Souls. By the time I realized my library had it in their system (a while before its release), when I put it on hold I was ninth in line. NINTH. This was not acceptable to me, but I decided to attempt to wait. 


THIS DID NOT GO WELL.


Because here we are, 23-ish days since the release, and I STILL HAVEN'T READ IT. Still. And all I can see anywhere is how amazing it is, and I am dying.


So today I went to Target. 


And there it was. 


And I could not resist.

(Besides, it was the special Target edition, with a bonus story featuring Alec and Camille!!)

(That is the book in the Target, with my hand [left] and my brother's hand [right] because we are super excited)

(Another picture with cameo by my feet)

(And the side of it, because I was just like OMGosh CoLS I NEED MORE PICTURES BECAUSE ASDKLJFALK)

Anyway, the point of this post (yes, there is a point) is to say that I'm going to go read City of Lost Souls, so I won't be writing/posting a review today, because I simply can't wait. Since I'm trying to post 3 reviews a week, to make up for today's lack I'll be posting tomorrow, and hopefully Saturday. 


So. That is all.


*Runs shrieking to cave to finally read*


(:D)
~Mag

Waiting On Wednesday: Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "Not a sequel (for once) but this looks COOL" is a book by Tiffany Truitt: Chosen Ones

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival? 

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly. 

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger. 

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Sounds cool, right? I'm totally looking forward to reading it :)


What are you waiting on this week? Leave me your WoW links!!


(:D)
~Mag 

Teaser Tuesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook (#4)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm doing something a little different today! The teasers I'm posting aren't from my current read, but instead from the not-yet-released Mirage by Kristi Cook! I'm so excited to be a member of the Winterhaven Warriors, the street team for Haven and Mirage. Kristi has been awesome enough to provide us with some teasers to share with you guys!!

She's provided four altogether, and I've posted three already. You can find them HERE, HERE, and HERE. Now, for the last one!!

1.     "Thank you," I murmured, breathing in his scent, allowing myself to experience the full brunt of the Aidan effect. "God, you smell so good."
     "Better than Dr. Hottie?" Aidan asked huskily, one hand pressed into the small of my back, steadying me.
     "Way better," I shot back, before I'd thought better of it.
     -ARC, page 65

What are you reading this week? Leave me your TT links!!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: Destined by Aprilynne Pike

I've always loved the Wings series--Wings was one of the first Paranormal YA books I read, back before it was almost ALL of what I read. While the series had its ups and downs, I was really, REALLY excited to see what happened in the last book (sob): DESTINED.


[And people--this is the FOURTH BOOK in the series. In the synopsis and my review, there WILL BE spoilers for the first three books. NOT FOR DESTINED, but for the first three. You've been warned.]

Destined by Aprilynne Pike 

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. 

He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching. 

She hated how much it felt like good-bye. 

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series.

------ 

The fourth installment of the Wings series picks up right where the third left off, so we're tossed directly into the story, with Laurel and her friends trying to figure out Klea's plan--and stop it. If they can't, Avalon will come crumbling down. Oh, and they'll probably all die. They need to come up with a plan. But to save the faerie world, they're going to have to think way outside the box, and invoke powers that haven't been accessed in centuries. Powers that not everyone will approve of.


But because it's me writing this review, what I really want to talk about is the romance. Even though Laurel and David are kind-of-sort-of broken up, and she and Tamani have been growing even closer lately (never mind the fact that he's been in love with her since before she can remember), Laurel is still caught between the two of them and unsure who she loves most. Throw in the added bonus of Chelsea's feelings, and everything is tangled up in knots. Even in the middle of a war, emotions can't stay bottled up very long, and truths and feelings come out and love is declared and lost. 


Aprilynne Pike did an awesome job mixing in the romance with the action of the book, and neither one overpowered the other. There wasn't a boring moment, and I simultaneously couldn't wait to finish and see what happened and didn't want it to ever, EVER end. And while I'm sad to see the series over, I love the way everything came together. The ending was beautiful, and it was real, and it WAS bittersweet, especially the Last Word that was added at the end. 


So, who does Laurel choose? Does Avalon last long enough for her to GET to choose? Can Klea be stopped? Who will have to die before the war is over? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN??


Find out all of this and more in Destined, a FANTASTIC ending to a FANTASTIC series!!


Destined obviously gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

Geek Chic This Week (5/20/12 + 5/27/12)

Geek Chic This Week is a feature here at Geek Chic to talk about the books I received this week, whether bought, borrowed, or chucked at my head! It's inspired by the Story Siren's In My Mailbox. 

Since I didn't post a GCTW last week, I have two weeks worth of books to show you guys!


WEEK OF 5/20/12


FROM THE LIBRARY

-Ascend by Amanda Hocking. Third and final book in the Trylle series! It didn't end the way I had been expecting/hoping, but at the same time I thought it was a pretty good ending!


-Endure by Carrie Jones. I'M SO SCARED TO READ THIS ONE. Mostly because of the love triangle. I'm worried about who Zara will choose...Mostly because I don't know who I WANT her to choose...


-First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky. I wasn't expecting to get this one, I saw it randomly on the shelf at the library and got super excited. It was good!


-Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris. THIS. BOOK. You guys--THIS BOOK!! I've been looking forward to it ages, and it was SO GOOD! I was so relieved to find out there would be a sequel, because I am NOT ready for that story to be over. Seriously, you guys, go read this book RIGHT NOW. Gah.


-Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Another one I've been dying to read, and another awesome one whose sequel I can't WAIT for!!


-Revived by Cat Patrick. It sounds really cool, and I enjoyed her first book, Forgotten, so I'm looking forward to reading this one!


ON MY KINDLE

-Intangible by J. Meyers. I received an e-copy of this one for review from the author. I haven't moved it to my Kindle yet, which is why there's no picture, but I'm really excited to read it!!


WEEK OF 5/27/12


FROM THE LIBRARY

-Destined by Aprilynne Pike. EEEK! The Wings series was one of the first real YA paranormal series I read, back when I mostly read contemporaries and younger stuff. AND I LOVE TAMANI THIS SERIES SO MUCH!! It was a great ending, in my opinion, though there was some bittersweetness that made it refreshingly realistic, without thoroughly depressing me :)


-Above by Leah Bobet. Another one I'd heard of and stumbled across at the library. Looks cool!!


What's in your mailbox this week? Leave me links to your book-sharing posts!!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

As soon as I heard about it, I thought Darwin's Children sounded like a really cool story--and it was!! The characters and the world were really interesting!

I received an e-copy of this book from the author for review.

Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry 

Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening; especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts! 

Jaycie Lerner's family isn't the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie's mom is MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in trainer, is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie's godfather John is more than persuasive; he can literally convince anyone to do anything. 

As far as the rest of the world's concerned, Jaycie's on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie's paediatrician father, but she doesn't fit in with "normal" kids, and she doesn't really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there's one thing she can't control; and that's her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of... 

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose! 

------

Imagine, for a second, that you're a teenage girl. (Well, maybe you actually are, but that's not the point.) Take all the drama of high school, cliques, and general crap, and add in the idea that you can read minds and know what everyone thinks of you--the good AND the bad.

Welcome to the life of Jaycie Lerner, teenage psychic. Of course, it isn't all bad--It's pretty cool to have a dad who can read minds (even if it causes privacy issues), a trainer who's pretty much indestructible, and a godfather who can get anyone to do what he says. But on the other hand, sometimes Jaycie wishes she couldn't read minds. Because then she wouldn't know that her best friend Matt has feelings for her. Like, THOSE FEELINGS. Of course, Jaycie likes him, too (LIKE THAT)--but how can she keep her secret from him when big emotions make her telekinesis act up?

Then there's the new girl in town, Haylee. She's got problems of her own, and a past that she'd like to leave back there. At first glance, she and Jaycie don't have much in common. But according to a strange woman who keeps appearing to Jaycie, she and Haylee are destined to become friends.

There were definitely a lot of things to like about this book! A psychic family isn't something you see a lot, so that makes it an interesting read by itself. There were also a lot of POV switches--almost every main character (and even some of the not-so-major characters) got some POV time, which was interesting, if a little confusing.

One thing I didn't get was that everyone at school supposedly didn't like Jaycie/thought she was weird but everyone in town loved her and her family. Maybe that's just the teenagerness talking ;) But still, I liked Jaycie's character and thought she was fun to read about.

I liked the other characters, too, especially Matt and Haylee and Allison. Each one brought something interesting to the story, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next for all of them in Unnatural Law, the second book!

Altogether, Darwin's Children gets <*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag

Waiting on Wednesday: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "Eeeek this book will be FANTASTIC, I know it" is none other than the sequel to the AWESOME Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake: Girl of Nightmares.


[REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A SEQUEL!! SYNOPSIS HAS SPOILERS FOR ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD!!]

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with. 

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. 

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

*Fangirl shriek* I loved loved LOVED Anna Dressed In Blood! Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far!! I loved everything about Anna and Cas and all his friends. The story rocked, the characters rocked, it all rocked, and I can't wait to see what happens next!


What are you waiting on this week? Leave me your WoW links!!


(:D)
~Mag 

In case you were wondering...

...where I've been lately, I'm still here! I've been pretty busy with non-bloggy stuff, so unfortunately I haven't been able to be here or other places online as much as I'd like.

Luckily, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to start posting and chatting more again, pretty soon. I don't know exactly when, so please bear with me!! I'd LIKE to post every day except Saturday, so six times a week, with at least three of those posts being reviews. Not quite sure yet how well that will work out, but here's hoping!

Anyway, that's the reason it's been pretty quiet around here, and why I haven't been replying to comments and such--actually, I'm going to do that now, so if you've commented recently and want to see my response, feel free to check :)

Also, as long as you're here, you should totally vote on my poll on the sidebar ----->

Or, you could go play an INTERACTIVE GAME I created for the Max Ride Reading Challenge.

So, be on the lookout for more content coming soon, and thanks for sticking around!!

(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook (#3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm doing something a little different today! The teasers I'm posting aren't from my current read, but instead from the not-yet-released Mirage by Kristi Cook! I'm so excited to be a member of the Winterhaven Warriors, the street team for Haven and Mirage. Kristi has been awesome enough to provide us with some teasers to share with you guys!!

She's provided four altogether, and last week and the week before I shared the first two with you guys. So enjoy today's, and I'll be posting the last one next week!!

1.
     He leaned toward me, his voice a harsh whisper now. "For Christ's sakes, Violet, he's a vampire. How can you even..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Just...never mind."
     What had he meant to say? Trust him? Touch him? Kiss him?
     ARC, page 225

What are you reading this week? Leave me your TT links!

(:D)

~Mag

Maximum Ride Reading Challenge: Interactive Game

You guys are probably all sick of me blathering on about the Max Ride Reading Challenge (NEVER TOO LATE TO SIGN UP!!), but I have exciting news.

I've finally fulfilled my promise and created an INTERACTIVE Max-Ride themed game. It's (in my [perhaps biased] opinion) pretty fun and kinda cool!

Basically, the goal is to choose one of the members of the flock and fly around as them, avoiding Erasers.

Sounds simple enough, right? At first. But as the game goes on, more Erasers appear, faster, stronger...and harder to evade.

Anyway, check out the game right HERE at the official MRRC site, and let us know what you think!!

[Incredibly huge thanks to the ever-fantastic CJ, without whom that game would have never gotten done. Okay, maybe it would have, but it would have been waaay lamer. And half the scripts wouldn't work.]

(:D)
~Mag

MIRAGE TAKEOVER

Hey guys! As I've mentioned before, I'm so super excited to be part of the WINTERHAVEN WARRIORS, the street team for Kristi Cook's awesome book Haven and the sequel, Mirage!

Why am I excited? Because Haven ROCKED, and I know Mirage will, too!

Imagine a school full of kids who have above-average powers. Kids who can read minds, move objects without touching them, feel other people's emotions. Welcome to Winterhaven, a school for psychic kids--And Violet McKenna's new school.

Some of the best things about Haven:

-Psychic powers. These suckers are awesome, so a whole school full of them? Super. Awesome.
-Violet. She's an amazing heroine, and fun to read about.
-Cece, Kate, and Violet's other friends. They're the kind of friends you love to read about and wish you could meet yourself!
-Violet's visions. Trying to piece together what's going to happen after seeing what Violet sees is probably impossible...but impossible to resist.
-Mystery. Something is up with a...certain student at Winterhaven, and Violet is determined to find out WHAT IT IS. What is it? Read and find out for yourself!
-Aidan Gray. Saved one of the VERY BEST for last. AIDAN. Hot. Mysterious. Dangerous? There's something off about him, yet at the same time, Vi can't seem to resist "The Aidan Effect."



Some of the things to most look forward to in Mirage:


-A lot more of everything above! Especially Aidan--AIDAN!
-New characters
-New mystery
-New dangers
-An awesome, AWESOME story!

So really, you guys, if you haven't read Haven yet, go do so IMMEDIATELY! And then you'll want to go straight out and preorder Mirage--so do so!!






(:D)
~Mag

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

STORM!! Oh my word, Storm. From the moment I heard about this book, I was absolutely dying to read it! I mean, think about it. Control over the elements is a favorite theme of mine. Seriously,  my favorite superpower EVER, not to mention just COOL. So, if you give that power to a bunch of hot guys?

Yeah, count me in.

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer 

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream. 

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death. 

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca. 

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. 

The storm is coming . . . 

------

There was so much awesome in this book, it's hard to know where to begin. So I guess I'll continue with where I started in my intro--ELEMENTALS.

So, meet the Merrick brothers: Michael, Gabriel, Nick, and Chris (oh, CHRIS <3). They have power over the elements. (I say again, COOLEST POWER EVER!!!) Because of this fact, they are more powerful than anyone can ever imagine--which is why they're marked for death.

Becca is an average girl, but when she meets the Merricks, its pretty obvious from the get-go that they are far from "average" themselves. And when she gets sucked into their world of secrets and danger and power, secrets will be revealed that nobody saw coming--especially not us, the unsuspecting readers.

I loved everything about Storm. Everything. The story was fast-paced, the whole idea intriguing, and the characters the sort you fall in love with before you even realize what's happening. And once it's sucked you in, this book is not going to let you go. As soon as I finished reading it (which didn't take long, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN), I wanted more. Quite desperately. Luckily, my copy of Storm (well, my library's copy, but you get what I mean) contained both a sneak peak of Spark, and the novella, Elemental. (At least, I think it was the whole of Elemental. I thought it was, but if it was a sneak peak I want to read more of it, so let me know if you know!)

I fell in love with Chris from the instant he was introduced. (It doesn't hurt that water is my favorite element and I love basically every character trait Chris has.) I loved Becca and Chris's chemistry and the way they acted around each other. Romance is usually one of my favorite parts of a story, and Storm had an excellent balance of romance and other plot features that I loved. And I loved the other Merrick brothers as well--they all had something interesting about them that made them unique and cool and lovable. I'm really looking forward to learning more about all of them, and seeing what happens next with them (most of all Chris and Becca) in the later books.

Of course, I should probably address Hunter, as well. Hunter was awesome, as well. He was interesting and well, hot, and kind of awesome. But of course, I had to kinda-sorta hate him, because I chose Chris as my love and I was angry at anything standing between him and Becca.

But anyway. I can objectively admit that he is awesome, as well :)

ANYHOO, Storm absolutely gets <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook (#2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm doing something a little different today! The teasers I'm posting aren't from my current read, but instead from the not-yet-released Mirage by Kristi Cook! I'm so excited to be a member of the Winterhaven Warriors, the street team for Haven and Mirage. Kristi has been awesome enough to provide us with some teasers to share with you guys!!


She's provided four altogether, and last week I shared the first one with you guys. Keep checking back the next couple weeks, and I'll post them!!

Mirage on Goodreads

1.
     Together, we slid down in the seat, away from prying eyes. I heard him sigh, felt the muscles in his relax. "Was that for Tyler's benefit, or mine?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.
     "Take your pick," I answered coyly. But speaking silently inside my head, I told a different story. For you, I said. Always for you.
     ARC, pages 151-152

What are you reading this week? Leave me you TT links!!


(:D)
~Mag 

Review: SHINE by Jeri Smith-Ready

It's Shine, you guys!! SHINE! I was so excited when this book finally arrived at my door. I started reading it ASAP, and it totally met my sky-high expectations!!


{Usual disclaimer: SHINE is the third book in a series. THE SYNOPSIS AND MY REVIEW WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS (But no SHINE spoilers, promise ;D)!!!


Also, my review is certain to have lots of CAPTIAL LETTERS, exclaimation points!!!!! and other forms of fangirl squealing. You've been warned.}

 

SHINE by Jeri Smith-Ready


In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.


As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.


------

Right after I finished Shine, I posted by immediate thoughts on Goodreads, and I'd like to start out my review by sharing those:

I really did intend to pace myself while reading this book to make it last as long as possible, but obviously that did not happen. But really, this book was INCREDIBLE/AMAZING/PERFECTION. It's one of those books that makes you think, "Goodreads really needs a magical and secret sixth star, because this book so deserves it."


A real, entire, full review will be coming sometime with in the next couple days, at whatever point I can turn my raw emotions from "!!!!!!!!! Asdkjahsdjfha holy cow omg asdfafsaehj <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 ZOGAN sdofixhj <3 <3 <3" into actual coherent thoughts that can be understood and hopefully get across the awesomeness that is SHINE.

All of that--still feeling it. This book was absolutely, totally, and entirely AWESOME. Full of action, romance, and definitely some laugh-out-loud moments, SHINE has it all, just like the first two books in the series. 


That isn't to say, however, that it wasn't sad as well. Logan may have passed on, but that doesn't mean everyone's going to forget him instantly, or be over his death. People are still suffering from his tragedy, his family especially.


Yet at the same time, he's given people hope--because he's proved shades can come back, that shades can come back and PASS ON. This changes everything the world knew about shades.


But really, this last installment in the SHADE trilogy isn't about Logan, not as much: It's about Aura and Zachary. (Oh, ZACHARY!! <3) Can they escape the demands of the DMP? Can they figure out the secrets of the Shift and the Shine and what really happened the day they were born? And most importantly (at least, to the romantics like me,) can they finally be together and stay together without any more DANG complications?? 


These are the questions; SHINE has the answers. And you KNOW you want to know what they are!!


Another awesome thing about SHINE is the "supporting" characters. I use quotes around the word supporting because they're all so alive and have such depth they almost feel like main characters themselves. From the Keeleys (Dylan, Mickey and Siobhan) to Megan to Gina to Zachary's parents...even to people like Becca, I love reading about them all. Jeri Smith-Ready has created a world and a set of awesome characters that it's simply impossible not to fall in love with.


So go--go now. Get a copy of SHADE, or SHIFT, or SHINE, whichever one you haven't read, and READ LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! You will NOT be sorry!! <3


Do I even have to clarify this? SHINE absolutely gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

Geek Chic This Week (5/13/12)

Geek Chic This Week is a feature here at Geek Chic to talk about the books I received this week, whether bought, borrowed, or mysteriously found on a park bench! It's inspired by the Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

First things first--Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Seriously, you guys absolutely rock!! (:D)


Also, I just wanted to mention the fact that I've been practically non-existent here for the last week. That's because of various things, but the point is that next week will be better--I've been having exceeding writer's block when it comes to reviews, but I'm determined to push past that and gets some reviews written. So look out in the coming week for reviews of SHINE, Storm, Darwin's Children, and maybe some others :)


Now, on to the books I got this week! I didn't get many, but I got some nonetheless ;D


FROM THE LIBRARY

-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I already read this book last year (it was actually the last book I started in 2011--I finished it a little while after midnight on New Year's Day), but with all the excitement over the sequel, the Evolution of Mara Dyer, plus some awesome Mara pictures drawn by the awesome ice-ridden, I was dying to read it again. So I did. (Just finished it this afternoon ;D)


-Storm by Brigid Kemmerer. Storm, you guys! STORM!!!!! I've already read this one, as well, and I am thoroughly dying to read Spark, and of course, Fearless, the novella coming in August. Absolutely anything to get back into this awesome, AWESOME world!!! I completely fell in love with Becca and Chris, just so you know, and the other Merricks (just not as much as CHRIS)! Like I said above, review of Storm is coming later in the week :)

-Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter. I've been looking forward to this one for quite a while! I love Greek mythology and all kinds of retellings of it, and Goddess Test was awesome! I'm very excited to see what happens next, and if Kate will get her happily-ever-after with Henry :D


So, what's in your mailbox this week? Leave me links to your book-sharing posts!!


(:D)
~Mag

Waiting on Wednesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated. Today, my pick under the category "Oh man I absolutely cannot wait for this awesome book" is the sequel to the AWESOME Haven by Kristi Cook: Mirage

Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together. 

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Have you read Haven yet? If you haven't, you absolutely MUST! It's an awesome, awesome read and Mirage comes out June 5th!! I can't wait to see what happens next with Aidan and Violet and everybody else.


Also, if you didn't see my Teaser Tuesday yesterday, it's from Mirage, as well, and my next three TTs will be, as well! 


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


(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm doing something a little different today! The teasers I'm posting aren't from my current read, but instead from the not-yet-released Mirage by Kristi Cook! I'm so excited to be a member of the Winterhaven Warriors, the street team for Haven and Mirage. Kristi has been awesome enough to provide us with some teasers to share with you guys!!

Mirage on Goodreads

1.
     I must have dropped the barrier around my thoughts then, because I heard the sharp intake of his breath, felt his fingers dig into my hips as he dragged me backward, pinning me against the wall in the blink of an eye.
     -ARC, Page 36

Ooooh! Doesn't that make the wait for Mirage even more impossible? If you haven't yet, you MUST go read Haven. Seriously, go! Now!!


What are you reading this week? Leave me your TT links in the comments!!


(:D)
~Mag