My Status!

     Hey y'all! Summer Break has finally begun and I have a lot of fun things planned to do not only here on my blog but also on the YA Chat that I run www.paperbacksandparley.blogspot.com . I want to do a lot of post this summer consisting not only of reviews but also unique and creative book related post. I have also started to plan some giveaways and readathons for this summer of fun!    
     So as far as Paperbacks and Parley goes Im looking for some people to help me run it. you can read all the details here : http://paperbacksandparley.blogspot.com/2013/06/we-are-starting-over.html

 Whats Going on With Me:
|Right Now Im Currently Reading |
The Rivals by DaiseyWhitney:

Im really enjoying the second  installment and you all should expect a review in the coming weeks!
|Books I Plan On Reading Soon|

Wait...Is He Back?

Yes! That's the answer to the question...not some to be or not to be stuff. Well as you can probably tell I will be  rejoining an oh so changed YA Blogging community. I had to take a break from blogging. I felt as if the weight of school and blogging were crushing me to the point of panic attacks. So I decided to take a break from blogging and focus more on school. Junior year is not small feat so if you haven't reached it yet good luck. During this break though I realized I STILL love reading and no matter what I LOVE to share books with others. Thank you for everyone who stuck by me or maybe you are new but still Thanks! I will be back and better than ever! Please comment below if you have any suggestions or if you know you just want to say Hi! It makes my day!

Book Review: Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: Paperback, 342
Young Adult
Date Published: May 29th 2012

Only sunlight can save us.
We built the wall to keep them out, to keep us safe. But it also makes us prisoners, trapped in what's left of our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.
After the death of my parents, it's up to me--as the newest delegate for humanity--to bargain with our vampire overlord. I thought I was ready. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the monsters. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for Lord Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not all vampires are killers. Maybe it's safe to let one in.
Only one thing is certain: Even the wall is not enough. A war is coming and we cannot hide forever

     
     Yes. This simple word can speak volumes for this book. Yes to the writing. Yes to the characters.Finally Yes to the story. Darkness Before Dawn was a surprising read. When I began this book I thought it would be your average. Girl meets vampire. Girl falls in love with vampire. Girl becomes target of all vampires enemies.Darkness Before Dawn was so much more. It might have some of those elements but it also offers so much more. When I reached the last page I wanted to cry. The last too sentences left me on the edge of my seat craving some more.
     First I want to talk about the main character, Dawn. In this future world vampires kind of rule I guess you could say. Humans have all moved into big cities surrounded by huge walls to protect them from vampire but that doesn't always work. The humans have arrangements with these vampire families to send them blood in exchange for protection from a vampire attack. That's where our main character Dawn comes in.  She is the delegate that makes the arrangements with the vampires. I liked Dawn because she is a strong female character. She is able to stand up for herself both with adults and with the overbearing vampire Lord Valentine. Dawn can also kick some butt and stake some vampires when it is needed. Another thing I loved about Darkness Before Dawn were the VAMPIRES themselves. They were the pictures of vampires I always look for when I read a book. They are blood-sucking monsters that I will do anything for blood. And like always there are those vampires that broke the mold. The ones that were caring monsters I guess you could say. There are also a host of other characters I found enjoyable like the main characters best friend. She was very entertaining.
     If you didn't know that J.A.London is a mother-son writing team. I was not able to tell that at any point during reading. The writing style was consistent and quite enjoyable. I only have one gripe which was one part of the book was quite predictable. I'm not telling you which though. The writing in Darkness Before Dawn was face paced which was something that I enjoyed a lot. Each of the characters had a distinct voice which is always good. I was able to feel like I was actually present in Dawn's world with all the emotion that you can feel in the writing.
     Well if you cant tell from all my praise I highly recommend that you pick up Darkness Before Dawn. It's a surprise book. You think its going to be your average paranormal romance and it turns into so much more. The authors combined both equal parts of romance and action to give birth to the excellent creature which is Darkness Before Dawn. I'm craving the sequel Blood-Kissed Sky to see what will happen in the next installment.

Guest Post with Jeff Strand!

Today I'm glad to have the author of A Bad Day for Voodoo, Jeff Strand, here with us to lay a little This or That Supernatural Edition. So enjoy you all! 

1. Who would win in a fight: a vampire or a werewolf?

Neither. I truly believe that if they just talked out their issues, they could resolve everything without having to resort to violence. Everybody's a winner!

2. Which would you rather have explode, your ear or your toe?

Every time one of my toes explodes it puts me in a crabby mood for at least a couple of days, so I'm going to say my ear.

3. DC or Marvel Comics?

Are DC and Marvel Comics supernatural? Wow. That explains everything!

4. Who would you rather fight in a battle, a magical gypsy or a zombie?

             

A zombie. One good poke in the head with a pitchfork and they’re no longer a problem. Whereas a magical gypsy...well, that’s where you find yourself clucking like a chicken for the rest of your life.

5. Casper or Bloody Mary?

             

Well, Casper the Friendly Ghost has "friendly" right there in his name, so I'd much rather fight him in a battle because he'd probably be all nice and stuff while you were beating him up.

6. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

Is the question still who I would rather fight in a battle? Would anybody pick Mr. Hyde? I mean, that's like asking if I'd rather fight Bruce Banner or The Hulk. Of course I'd pick Dr. Jekyll--he's a total wuss. If that's not what you were asking then I might have to revise my Casper answer above.

Giveaway: A Bad Day for Voodoo by Jeff Strand

 

Hey Y'all,

     Well I have something special for you all today! Part 1 of a blog tour I'm doing for the book A Bad Day For Voodoo by Jeff Strand! Today I will be starting a with a giveaway of the book  and later on I will have a  guest post with the author himself! So make sure you all stay tuned for that exciting stuff.  Here is a little bit about the book. 

When your best friend is just a tiny bit psychotic, you should never actually believe him when he says, "Trust me. This is gonna be awesome."
Of course, you probably wouldn't believe a voodoo doll could work either. Or that it could cause someone's leg to blow clean off with one quick prick. But I've seen it. It can happen.
And when there's suddenly a doll of YOU floating around out there—a doll that could be snatched by a Rottweiler and torn to shreds, or a gang of thugs ready to torch it, or any random family of cannibals (really, do you need the danger here spelled out for you?)—well, you know that's just gonna be a really bad day ...

Sounds amazing, right? Make sure to CLICK HERE to add it to your To Be Read pile on GoodReads. 

Now on to the Giveaway. 

RULES: 

1. You must be 13 or older to enter this contest.

2. You must live in the USA because it is shipped directly from the publisher. 

3. Only ONE entry allowed per person. 

4. Have fun! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MAKE SURE TO CHECK BACK ON THE 18th to see who won and CHECK OUT the guest post by Jeff Strand!

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: Paperback, 335
Young Adult
Date Published: May 8th 2012

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.

      What can I say to make the awesomeness of this book to be reflected in my words. I don't believe I can muster words strong enough to do justice to this piece of literary genius. But, I shall try, without the over use of " awesome" or  " amazing' or the oh so common " awesome sauce" . This book combines all of the things you want in a book: an amazing story, characters that you will love, and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.  Mrs. Armentrout provides the reader with an experience that I haven't seen much in a book before. The idea of Obsidian is unique and breaks the mold of YA trends that are occurring these days.

      First I will talk about some of the characters that are present in Obsidian. The main character is Katy. She is the new girl in town and has no friends yet. Once she moves in she is ready to get back to her one love which is ummm...welllll...the best thing ever Book Blogging! Then she meets one of her neighbors, Daemon, who I hated for most of the book because he was a complete butthole. He lives next door with his twin sister who becomes one of Katy's best friends. Although Daemon doesn't want that to happen because he is  too overprotective of Katy. Dee is one of my favorite characters because she is so full of energy and very funny.( Also never eat her ice cream)

     Jennifer Armentrout's writing was refreshing. She presents a new idea into the YA market that wasn't a part of it before. Her characters all held unique voices. Also her writing was descriptive  but not overly descriptive  which made it an overall great story. Having the main character as a book blogger was a cool and unique part of the story. She participated in writing reviews and memes even receiving advanced copies of books.  Her attention to detail was magnificent.

     If you are looking for a book that will have you both on the edge of your seat in suspense from action and contains that splash of romance a book needs Obsidian is for you. I loved every single second of Obsidian from beginning to end.  I was so attached to Obsidian. I simply cannot wait to get my hand on the sequel Onyx.
       

Out of the Shop

I'm currently out of town with no access to a computer. I'm at a camp in a college. I will be back Tuesday . Thanks guys!

i

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-thon

IT'S SUMMER TIME! So to kick off summer I'm going to be participating in the Wicked Wildefire Readthon hosted by Rebecca @ Kindle Fever, April @ My Shelf Confessions . So this post will be about everything. It will include all my updates and everything!

WHAT I PLAN ON READING!

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

Lies Beneath by Anna Greenwood Brown

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Wicked Sweet by Marcee Merrell

A Bad Day for Voodoo by Jeff Strand

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova 

and if anymore come up I will add them!

Good Luck ALL! 

Waiting On Wednesday

While I get back in the step of posting regularly again I decided to have a double  Waiting On Wednesday! 

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

This Weeks Book Im Waiting on Patiently Is :

Cover Reveal: All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

Hey Guys!  Today I have a cover reveal and an amazing sounding excerpt for you !! Hopefully you all these as much as I do! So without further ado here is the cover.

Amazing isn' t it? And here is something for you to want it even more.  But before we get to it I want to tell you 

All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! 

|:And now on to the Blurb:|

What if your life wasn’t your own? Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.
Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

  

And here is even more...an excerpt! 

Armchair BEA Day #4: There's Life Outside of Blogging?

           Hmmmmm...Hmmmm....Hmmmm, this is going to be a hard topic to write about. Beyond The Blog is

 something that I really never address or think about.  I do participate in the Amazon Affiliate program which

 is one in which you can link to books and if someone follows that link and purchases the book or item you

 get a small percent of each sale. The only place I've been asked to write a review outside of blogging is in 

school and those reviews I earn grades for.  Does that count?

           So now on to experiences or invites to events I wouldn't have gone to or been invited to if I wasn't 

blogging. I can only think of when I was invited to publisher breakfasts or lunches at BEA. But sadly I 

couldn't go to BEA. 

           Also I would love to write book reviews for the newspaper but I'm only 16 and my local newspaper 

doesn't really have teen book reviews. They focus mainly on cookbooks or adult books.  I think it would 

lend to a magnificent opportunity. 

THOUGHTS? 

Armchair BEA Day #3 : In Which My Town Sucks

   
      So today for Armchair BEA I was supposed to discuss offline networking . Well obviously by the title

My Town Sucks. We only have  1 Barnes and Noble and it never has events. Plus I've never been able to

attend the closest author events which are  in Atlanta. The local libraries never have any events for teenagers

 not even a book club which I believe is quite sad. So this post is basically going to be my rant on the town.

     First I believe that the local libraries should start having events. There are always signs on the walls saying

get your children to read but I never see any actions done by the school or library system to interest kids in  

reading I would recommend at least having a book club for us.  I'm sure that would help a little bit to

increase the amount of reading being done in this town. Also they could at least try to have some FUN with

reading events. So maybe if this occurred there would be a chance for my to have some offline networking

but until then I'm just here all by myself.

       Outside of my offline networking my online networking includes the uses of Goodreads and Twitter.

Those are two very important methods of networking and any blogger will find them very important

to have. I have met so many people through them that have become great friends. Also I believe they both

have helped to drive more traffic to my blog. SO if your town sucks like my town maybe you should try

Twitter and Goodreads.

THOUGHTS?

      

Armchair BEA Day #2

Welcome Back or just plain welcome if this is your first time!  This is Day #2 of this amazing event called Armchair BEA. Today's topic is Best of 2012 in which I will discuss the Best Book I've read in 2012 so far and the books I'm Most Excited for featured at BEA. So just sit back,relax,and prepare for a joy ride.

Best Books I've Read in 2012

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes a thousand times Yes! Incarnate was simply amazing! I loved every single aspect about it from the main character to the world created by Jodi Meadows. I was kind of obsessed with it when I saw the cover but then it was just because Im kind of a *cough cough* cover whore* cough cough* .

What can I say about this book as to why it wouldn't have been amazing. I was attracted to this book halfway through the synopsis. Mr. Meyer's did an excellent job in his creation of the story line. I simply can't wait for the second book. 

Before beginning this book I was kind of hesitant. Now I'm glad I picked it up. This was my second Jackson Pearce book and she did not fail me. At first I thought it would be girly but it was a perfect combination of everything. 

2012 Books I'm Excited For

              

Thanks for stopping by! Leave your links in the comments and tell me what you think or if you've read any of these!

Armchair BEA Day 1!

Hey y'all my name is Patrick  if you don't already know me.Im 16 years old and attend private school. Also Im from Georgia (GO SOUTH!) and I love to read. To kick off Armchair BEA Im going to answer 5 questions so enjoy !

• Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

     Well I kind of already did up there but I'll do it again! My name is Patrick and Imma Real Boy....Im 16 and I live in Georgia also I have a tendency of being random. Ive been blogging for a year and a half almost. I got into blogging because I wanted to share my love of books with others. 

• Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

     Yes they most definitely have. Since I've started blogging I have begun to read more dystopian novels which now could be considered my favorite genre. 

• What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)?

     

     I love doing Waiting on Wednesday. It's such a great meme because it helps others find books they might be interested in as well while you can also obsess over a book you are absolutely dying for. 

• What literary location would you most like to visit? Why? 

     I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want to visit the world of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. Its so interesting with all the reincarnation and the description of the society there. 

• What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

     

     I'll answer both parts because I really want to. Right now i am reading Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris. And my favorite book Ive read in 2012 is Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer it was sooooo goood! 

Thanks y'all for stopping by! Leave your links in the comments below and I will be sure to stop by! I hope y'all have a great time this week with Armchair BEA if you are participating! 

May Hiatus

So first of all I want to thank you all for sticking with me during this terrible period of no blogging. But this can not be controlled by me so I am going on Hiatus for the rest of May. The end of the school year is supposed to be relaxed and exciting but no. All of my teachers decided to pile on projects and books that must be read so I'm pretty much drowning in work to be done thus my absence is explained. I really hate this a lot. I have bunches of good books I want to read and review for you guys. Also I have AP exams coming up so I must study (yay for added stress! :c !!! ) so I promise that I will return in line with a bunch of reviews for you guys! Thanks again for hanging in there.

Random Thoughts #3 on A Friday!

... on a Friday!Today I have a very special guest on the blog. She is one of the bloggers that I've met during my time as a blogger and we are basically BFF's. She is Darla from D For Darla's Definite Reads ( You REALLY must check out her blog. I love It) So to keep me from carrying on any longer here is the interview!

"How are you today Darla?”

Doing pretty good.

“ Well thats great to hear, so you have been blogging for about 1 year which is excellent. How have you seen blogging evolve in that amount of time” 

Book Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

Purityby Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages:
Hardcover, 224
Young Adult
Date Published:
April 24 2012
Source:Publisher
|Twitter|

A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity

Follow Friday: Some Number

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. This is a great way to connect with other bloggers in the blogosphere.

This week's question is:

Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?

Waiting On Wednesday:Double Edition!

While I get back in the step of posting regularly again I decided to have a double  Waiting On Wednesday! 

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

This Weeks Book Im Waiting on Patiently Is :

Book Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns

by Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages:
Hardcover, 386
Young Adult
Date Published:
January 10 2012
Source:Bought
|Twitter|

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.

REVIEW:
     Well sometimes the second in a series fails to amount to the greatness of the first in the series. That stops right here. A Million Suns EXCEEDED Across the Universe  in greatness. I didn't think it was possible for that to occur but it did. I was hooked to every single word typed upon the page. I had to force myself to finally close it and get some sleep. A Million Suns has to be one of the most shocking books I've EVER read.
     In A Million Suns our two main characters Amy and Elder begin to change/ develop more in their sort of symbiotic relationship. Amy becomes more adjusted to ship life even though she is still treated like an outcast  and Elder begins to learn more about the life of earthlings. Both of them play a major role in the whole story as a whole. The voices of Amy and Elder are also distinct from one another which helps when a story is told from a dual point of view. Also neither of the voices are annoying which can tend to happen sometimes in books.
     Beth Revis's writing style was one that you can't hate. I enjoy it so much. She keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end of the book. She has you trying to solve who did what and how that happened but its just so impossible because of the amount of action she has in it. That's one of the key factors I love about her writing. Also her creation of the spaceship is one I found amazing. It's so detailed but then not overly detailed.
     If you havent read Across the Universe. What are you doing here go pick that thing up right now. If you have read it pick up A MILLION SUNS right away. You want regret it. IT WILL have you craving the next book right away. I mean I dont know how Im going to survive. Go get it! Right Now!