Evernight by Claudia Gray

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EVERNIGHT
Author: Claudia Gray

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTeen (May 27, 2008)
  • ISBN-10: 0061284394

SYNOPSIS (From author’s site):

When the story begins in Evernight, Bianca has just left the small town where she’s spent her whole life. She’s a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn’t fit in.

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the “Evernight type.” There’s a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can’t be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart… and to make Bianca question everything she’s ever believed to be true.

MY TAKE:

When I opened this book and read the prologue, I was ready to jump right into this book! Talk about capturing my interest on the first page! WOW! But, as I started reading this, I kind of got bored. It was just about teens trying to fit in at a new school and having to try to fit in with different groups in an odd school. Then WHAM! Halfway through the book the author pulls the ace out of her sleeve. She drops the vampire surprise on the reader. Now I knew this was going to have something featuring vampires, simply because it was in the paranormal vampire section of the library, but the author just surprises you with it in the middle of the book. Then of course you are hooked and can’t put it down. It’s like the author does a complete turn around with the writing and you become so engrossed in this book that you forget to feed your family dinner. (Yes, I almost forgot to cook until my 4 year old was whining about dinner). Then as if the one surprise wasn’t enough, she pulls out more ace’s from up her sleeve. I couldn’t finish the chapters soon enough. I was desperate know what else would happen and what else the author had up her sleeve! I will say that I was a little disappointed in the ending. Yes, I had small tears in my eyes, but that wasn’t what disappointed me. I was upset that there wasn’t a tidy clean ending. You HAVE to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next. So now, I am going to have to wait ever so patiently for the library to finally reach my name on the wait list before I can continue the story. So, if you decide to read the book, I would recommend having the next one in the series ready to read! The next one had better have the ending I have pictured in my head or I will be in trouble. The third doesn’t even come out until March 2010 and that is a lot of waiting!!

MY RATING FOR THIS BOOK:


Very Good! You have to read this book!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

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VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Author: Richelle Mead

ISBN13: 9781595141743
ISBN: 159514174X
Edition: Bk. 1
Series:Vampire Academy Series
Series #: Bk. 1
Age: 12 and up

SYNOPSIS:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

MY TAKE:

Another young adult read that I heard wonderful reviews about and I knew I had to give it a go. This book started slow but quickly sped up and caught my interest. I was hooked on finding out the romance between the teens and the angst of highschool. As if I didn’t get enough of the teeny-bopper hoopla when I was in school, I still devoured this book in nothing flat. An actual plot, interesting characters, and wonderful writing that you don’t find in many young adult books. At least when you are an adult reading them. I am quickly finding that the young adult genre has greatly improved since I was a young adult and i am finding these books capturing my interest just as easily. I have the rest in the series of these on hold at the library and I will have to hurry and pick them up so I can see what happens! A great book to add to your TBR pile!

MY RATING:


Very Good! You have to read this book!

Cry of the Wolf by Karen Whiddon

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CRY OF THE WOLF

Author: Karen Whiddon

  • Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Silhouette Nocturne (January 1, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0373617542
  • ISBN-13: 978-0373617548

Synopsis:

Her ability to shape-shift into a wolf. On the run now from the dangerous mobster who destroyed her special gift, Jewel faces even deadlier stakes. For she will die if she doesn’t change into a wolf soon. Arriving in west Texas, Jewel strives to complete her transformation. But as she lies naked in a grassy area and the animal in her is crying out for release, a handsome stranger intrudes. Brooding Colton Reynolds appears to be a man who knows a good deal about secrets…and the power of keeping them to himself. A man equally unable to trust. As her urge to shift awakens burning carnal desires, Jewel must put everything on the line. For if she gives her body to Colton, can she truly free her soul?

My Take:

Evey once in awhile I love to sit down with a good Nocturne book to break up all the long novels that I read. Every single one that I have read has given me a short break filled with paranormal suspense and romance that Harlequin is famous for. This book did just that. Even though there wasn’t much, ahem, sex in the book, I still could feel the romance in the characters and in the way that Karen Whiddon wrote the book. It had suspense, romance, a few short sex scenes, and had me devouring this book in about an hour. Nocturne books always refresh my mind and get me back on the reading track again.

In this book, Jewel, a shifter, has divorced her ex husband who is also a shifter. She is on the run from him and ends up in a small town trying to restart her life. She is also not able to shift into wolf form due to something that her ex has done to her. She can’t figure out what though. She meets a local reporter named Colton and they soon fall in love even though neither one wants to admit it. Together they try to find a way to out smart her ex, while the whole time she keeps her shifter secret from Colton.

I know same old stuff just a different book right? NO! I love my Nocturnes and I love how Karen wrote it. For once the paranormal person was the girl, not the male! I think I will have to scrounge around for some more of her books to read.


Outstanding Book! A definite favorite!

I KISSED A GIRL & PLAYGIRL by Regina Perry

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Hi fellow readers! Today’s review is featuring some great ebook reads from author Regina Perry. Regina is the author of some great erotic books that are hot and touch of subjects that might be uncomfortable for some readers. With that being said, I am going to review her ebooks Playgirl and the newly released I Kissed A Girl.

First up, I Kissed A Girl. WOW! If you don’t have a fan blowing on you before you start to read this, be sure to break it out! This book is an anthology of different short stories of Lesbian encounters. Now, I know I am only into men, namely my hubby. So I was comfortable with my sexuality enough that I had no problems or hesitancy in reading these erotic stories. They are well written, and they show how lesbian relationships are not something to be embarrassed by. This book breaks the wall down on sexual relations and the people who are afraid to admit their sexual fantasies.

Here is the SYNOPSIS:

You’ve heard Katy Perry’s hit song. Now read thirteen hot, enticing stories of women’s first same-sex encounters. Women, ever ingenious and imaginative, find multiple solutions to enliven college life, survive the workday, rescue a tedious vacation, mend lonely hearts, or spice up a relationship.


Next up is Playgirl. This one is a bit different. This one explores a married couple that have been together for awhile and have grown kids. We find that sometimes marriages of convience truly do not work in the sexual aspects. You may think you are right for eachother at the time, but the sex can get a little mundane. The main character finds herself in a chat room and meets a gay man who is willing to teach her about gay lifestyles, music and pornography. Tony gives her the confidence to leave her husband, go back to college and live her life of dating again.

Here is the SYNOPSIS:

When Alena Conner discovers an interactive nude model chat room, she finds a new best friend, Tony, who becomes her teacher, guide and confidant. He broadens her horizons, exposing her to a new world of gay lifestyles, music, and pornography. Alena lives vicariously through his dates with men and cyber-sex at the nude models’ web site.

With Tony as her mentor, she gains the courage to leave her family ranch and aloof husband, return to graduate school at The University of Kansas and enter the dating scene. Could she find a man who will appreciate her for the dynamic, sexual woman she has become? Will she want to give up the benefits of being a Playgirl?



I encourage all of my readers to come back tomorrow when Regina is here for a Q&A session and contest. I will have a bio and giving details of the contest. Regina was nice enough to donate to me 4 gift certificates to giveaway to 4 of my lucky readers. So be sure to check back tomorrow for more info and an awesome look into the mind of these great reads!

Until then…