Last Days of my Giveaway

Remember Today and tomorrow is the last day to enter my giveaway.

Duration: December 20, 2011-January 1, 2012

Prize: one $15 amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Informative But Enjoyable

First Thoughts:

What to say? This book pulled me in from the very first page, it made not want to stop, I read this entire book in one sitting; yes it was that good.  The one thing to draw me into this world was the fact the main character Teagan was so unique and strong; you can’t always find a character like Teagan; someone you wish you could be. I felt the instant connection to her, there wasn’t one moment where I felt disconnected or cheated, she stayed true to her character. And the transformation she made was amazing; she transformed from someone with little confidence to someone filled with high self-esteem and a new outlook on life. Though I believe she was strong from the beginning others might have a different view. Yes she may of have had a few weak moments but when you’re battling her battles you’re bound to have a few weak moments. As for the other characters in this book I found them to be just as lively, the other key characters each had a distinct personality and almost like their own sub-plot but each one came together and created something so beautiful and inspiring. And they too made transformations; a transformation that can both be easily seen and detected. In this story I learned so much about what Epilepsy really is. Though I had a few key ideas of what it involved I never knew more than half of what was taught in this book.  I can take from this book both an enjoyable experience and information that could help me one day help someone else and that makes this scary world just a little bit less scary. One thing I didn’t like about this book was some of the wording was awkward; some of the sentences didn’t seem structured quite right, like the transitions were abrupt and less smooth.  But it wasn’t like that throughout the entire book so I pushed that to the side and was able to really enjoy the book. As for the description I found it perfect, there wasn’t too much and not to less, the author did a great job on both describing the descriptions of the characters and the scenery. As for the writing style besides some of the transitions I found it really good. It was able to help move me in a way into which I connected with the characters. This book brought out the emotions; at times I was joyful while others I was sympathetic. I really enjoyed the connections I had you don’t always get that any more, it’s like a lot of the books published today are becoming more and more distant and the readers not always able to connect with the book. But this book definitely didn’t disappoint, it was beautiful and informative.

Goodreads Summary:

Teagan Kavanagh’s life is shattered when her parents are killed in a car accident. She must move in with her brother and is forced to attend public school for the first time in her life. As if starting a new school her junior year wasn’t hard enough, she continues to battle epilepsy and the constant unknown of when and where her next seizure will occur. As this new chapter in her life opens, she gets more than she bargained for. Torn between playing it safe and risking her life to be normal, Teagan must make a life changing decision.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to people who don’t know anything about epilepsy and to those who enjoy books that both help the reader make a connection and get informed at the same time.  I would also recommend this to people who enjoy realistic book; this definitely is very life-like. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you don’t enjoy realistic type books and have a hard time reading books that both educate and inform you. Though this wasn’t like in your face informative, there were parts that really informed of what you should do. But in the end I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to discover what more this author has to offer. Her story certainly drew me and executed a great and action packed plot.

My Rating: 

Collection of Short Stories and Poems....

Quick Message:

Before I begin my review I have to fair warn that this isn’t going to be the typical review I do, on a count of this is a collection of 40 short stories and some poems. I’m going to base my review on the overall view of the authors writing style and then depict my favorite pieces and add in a few tidbits here and there. With that said here’s the review:

First Thoughts:

First thing you must understand about his book/short stories is this isn’t classified in any way as Young Adult and therefore the review has to be adjusted to fit the needs of an adult fantasy book. The first thing I noticed about this authors writing is the fact that all ordinary thoughts/notions/ideas are out the window. What these stories contained was far from anything I’ve read before and I think that’s what threw me off at the beginning. It really took me awhile to adjust the authors writing style and ideas. Some of the stories I’ll never even dream of ever understanding while others I’ve taken to heart and enjoyed quite a bit. While the authors writing can be a bit disorienting and disorganized at times it was magnificent at others. My favorite part of this collection of writing had to be the poems. Some of them had such an impact on me as a person that I found it quite enjoyable. I mean the way the author worded some of the ideas and stories was both creative and clever. I remember in my creative writing class just last spring when my teacher told us the key to writing a good poem is to find a different way to say something so simple and this author certainly did just that. His poems were original and dark; they evoked both memories of mine and the feeling of awe. But as for the stories though I did enjoy a few most I found too confusing and weird; they either ended too abruptly or ended with no message made clear. Now some of these stories did have a feel of authentic reading; like something you could perhaps find in a classical novel. It had that old worn out feel and I loved that about the few I enjoyed. One that I both found amusing and so relatable was “Death and the Merchant” it had a clever idea and story that I found myself nodding alongside it. My favorite poem has to be “I Heard the Mermaids Singing”. My favorite set of lines is,

“ “Come, walk into the sea,”

and all the waves that break are like

White horses sent for me.”

There’s just something very poetic about it, especially when he talked about the waves and comparing them to white horses, there’s so much hidden and in depth perception in those two lines; I’m very impressed. I wished I could have enjoyed the rest of the book more; perhaps it’s my age that’s preventing me from seeing the true beauty hidden within these stories and perhaps when time has had its way with me I’ll be able to re-read this and see a new light in them. Just for now I found the stories to be too weird and too confusing.

Goodreads Summary:

Death gets a roommate...

An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...

A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...

44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?

Last thoughts:

I would recommend this to readers who have a keen eye for unique literature such as this. I would also recommend poetic lovers, the poems themselves are worth reading in this book, and some were really well written and betrayed. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to readers and lovers of YA; this is something you won’t enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who don’t have an open mind and to those who don’t like disorganized and confusing stories. Though I didn’t particularly enjoy most of this book, I do give it three stages of blooming, for the poems themselves; they were very much enjoyable.

My Rating:

Quote Me Tuesday...

Hello fellow readers,

I've created my very first Meme and I hope that all of you will participate with me. It's simple really, here's the list of guidelines to go by:

1. Each week and anytime during tuesday pick up the book you're currently reading and open up where you left off.

2. Quote a sentence on the current page you are reading; try to be spontaneous, don't look for the "perfect" quote.

3. Then post it on your blog along with the author and title of the book it came from.

4. (optional) choose an image to go with the quote.

5. Publish the post and you're done :

(You can post this meme along with any other post or meme; like if you did a review and didn't want to do a double post for the day.)

Now, don't explain anything about the quote, don't even put the page number or percentage it's at. Use the button below on the top of your post so that others can do it with you.

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If there's any questions or concerns message me I'll answer you however I can.

Here’s my “Quote Me Tuesday” Meme:

“Love is strictly forbidden in the infernal realms, or rather happiness derived from love.” From “The New Death and Others” by James Hutchings.

Eye-Opening and A Mystery

First thoughts:

After reading this book it definitely has evoked the fear of being published, though I haven’t even begun the long journey of “Rejection” I have had thoughts of aspiring to be an author one day and after reading this book and learning about the real publishing world it has given me a new perspective.

This entire story is filled with mystery and “who done its”, not one stone was left unturned, and though I found the main character hard to connect with for a while I was finally able to understand her by the end. The dialogue was at times a bit off, I found it to be a little fake; as if the character themselves was lying. But the story itself was exciting and I found myself learning more and more about how it is to be bi-polar. The overall view of the characters to me was I found them to be relatable and people who could very well be people I know. The best friend was one of my favorite characters, I found him to be well-rounded and full of life, I enjoyed that he was included thoroughly throughout the story. One of the best things about this book is that it wasn’t easy guessing who the serial killer was, the author always provided you with false leads and when you have an idea of who it could have been you were proven wrong. And the ending, wow is all I can say; there were so many twists and surprises that I was left stunned. The plot like I said was great, always paced right, there weren’t enough slow moments to keep you from straying far, there was always plenty of action and detective moments to keep you interested. As far as the character herself, though like I mentioned she was a bit hard to connect with she did have a life about her; she was filled with so much rage and energy and for a while there I really couldn’t understand her but in the end she was bi-polar and the authors intention was for us to only understand her near the end. When you know someone with this disease you have to understand that they aren’t always who they’re normally are, they can’t control themselves all of the time and that’s what I took from this book. I’ve learned that these people are just as good as you and me but they have so much more to overcome than we will ever have to. The description in this book was good, there wasn’t too much and I found that most of the description was to help us see where the character was and help describe some of her ideas and feelings. The transformations of the characters were minimal in this book, though the main character did change her views she didn’t necessarily change in this book which in this case was okay. What needed to be transformed was her viewpoint and that did happen.  As for the other characters some did change but they were minimal and didn’t necessarily change the impact the book had on me. As for the writing style I found it to be good, there weren’t poetic moments like in “The Heritage” but it did have a good quality about it that it drew me into the story and kept me wanting to read more.

Goodreads Summary:

All Serial killers are different--but with one that stalks literary agents--mere words are not enough.

To someone else, the rejection letter might be perceived as a simple piece of correspondence. But when Amy, who suffers from bipolar disorder receives a form rejection letter from Edward, an agent she had an affair with at a recent convention, she takes the rejection as both personal and professional—in short—a declaration of war.

Amy quickly embarks on a plan to get revenge by destroying Edward’s literary agency. However, Amy is soon not the one to be feared the most. Her actions create a copycat, a serial killer, who targets literary agents and viciously murders them. Living with the knowledge she has created a monster, a serial killer, is one thing, while doing nothing to stop the madness is another. But how could she track down a killer when she has no training in such? Thinking like a mad man might be the only way—but could she go there and survive herself?

When the winds of fate rekindle the romance with Edward, thus making him the next target—she really has no choice but to help the FBI. But will she be too late?

Last Thoughts:

I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, if you’re looking for a mystery where it’ll keep you guessing than this is a book I’d recommend. I wouldn’t however recommend this to anyone who has trouble connecting and understanding characters, if you’re someone who expects to instantly click with the main character than this isn’t something I’d recommend. It was however a fun and fast read for me. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to read it, it’s one of those books you can read and just sit back and relax. This was definitely one I enjoyed and can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us.

My Rating:

Dark or Light?

First thoughts:

What the hell? Did that just happen? I’m still reeling from the last scene the author left us with; this whole book has had me see everything in a new light; which of course in this case was a really cool and good thing. And though I wanted to literally just push away my kindle and forget about reading for a while I know that I have books to read and reviews to write.

This book literally ended in a high strung cliffhanger, I actually tried pressing the next page button to read on but of course it only taunted me saying book 5 comes out next spring, like that made me any happier…sigh, I guess I can admit that this has by far been the book the fans of “Experiment in Terror” have been waiting for.  All that tension that was building up from the first three books all spiraled out of control in Lying Season. It was yet again different than the first three books though it really still had all the same elements but a more storyline based around the main conflict. Before I go off on all the things I loved about this book I can say how amazing the cover for this book is? It fits the book so perfectly and helped draw me into the story even more. And for all you readers out there who say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover I think in some ways you should. If a book doesn’t have a good cover it goes easily unnoticed and doesn’t help set the reader in the right element/atmosphere. Now don’t read it and hate it for the cover that’s not what I’m getting at, just know that a good cover always helps a book get read and draw in the reader. And with that said let’s get into the meat of the book. The romance in this book was definitely spicier than the others, I wouldn’t recommend this for immature eyes, and the author does have a way with describing things with simplicity but adding so much more to it. As for the characters themselves, they changed even more and though I wouldn’t say they all changed for the better they did transform more. Dex for instance really changed, by the end of the book I was more stunned than anything, and I couldn’t believe how much he changed near the end. And Perry, well she definitely changed though I’m still trying to determine if it was for the better or not. Also some new characters were introduced, they were definitely full of life and added much to the story and book itself. And I have to admit the author had addressed the issues I had with the first and second book, I felt that some of the characters that were more prominent in that particular book were left behind and the next one after and well in this book I do believe we are going to be privileged to more of them. And there were some things hinted in this book that I do believe will happen in the next book, I can’t wait to read on and find out if some of my theories will come true and let’s just say if they do I will be one happy girl.  As for the pace of this book it was fast, there were some slower moments in this one; it really allowed us as the reader to grasp more of the beauty of the conflict and situations. The description was priceless; it was planned and described perfectly. Without the description this book would have lacked a great element and I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much. The plot was perfect though the ending like I said earlier left me wanting more; a lot more. And the writing style itself was just as great as the others; this is one book you won’t want to miss.

Goodreads Summary:

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she's ever cared about.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to any fan of the series and to anyone who has yet to discover this series, though you need to read from the beginning starting with “Darkhouse” but it’s worth it if you enjoy a nice complicated romance with paranormal added into the mix. I wouldn’t however recommend this to anyone who is sensitive to foul language, though it isn’t overwhelming it is there but without the language it would take a special element away from the characters. I also wouldn’t recommend this to a young audience more like older teens; it does have a little romance in it and with that comes certain terms. But with all that happened in this book it has to be my favorite, the characters were exposed and some of their past was released, we finally got to see what Perry’s accident was and man does that set up for future stories! But this author definitely created a fun filled world that could last for many books more. And one last thing this book was neither light nor dark, it’s like they both fought over each other, I’m still trying to determine its cover. But it definitely had the creep factor, one that you will not soon forget.

My Rating:

Coming February 14, 2012

First Thoughts:

Now that I’ve taken a few moments to pull myself together I can finally write this review…there was a moment where I had to stop reading and grab a tissue, I seriously couldn’t believe I found myself crying for a fictional character, but there I was blubbering like an idiot crying over something as trivial as a book but I guess some books can do that to you and it’s such a new and interesting experience.

This book was so much different than “The Iron Thorn”, for one it definitely was more emotional, so much happened good and bad. There was literally so much going on in this book, there really wasn’t a slow moment and when there was it wasn’t what you and I would consider slow, it was more of okay let me just think for a moment about it and poof! You’re on to the next scene. I guess books like this one take an avid reader; I literally found myself re-reading scenes because I couldn’t take in all the information. The concept of the story is very complex in this book it took it to another level, I found myself brought to whole new concepts, it took me awhile to accept, I mean it almost contradicted all the ideas I had of things and forced me to see it a different way; I liked it! As for the characters themselves, I definitely saw transformations of them, especially Conrad, I didn’t think I’d see the day where he would become this whole new character and as for Dean he changed in a way that wasn’t noticeably different but there was some tweaking going on there. As for Aoife she did change, like I mean a lot and at times I did kind of find her annoying in the end I fell in love with her personality all over again. You have to be a strong person to go through all she does, and as always the characters were lively; a bit too realistic, kind of freaked me out. The feel of the book was darker than the first book if that’s even possible. As for the plot it was well played out, I thought the author did a great job at creating all the elements required to make a satisfying novel, and though there is going to be another book in the series she has a way with ending the book to where you’re satisfied for all that happened in that book; you’re definitely left with questions but at least they are ones that can wait to be answered. The writing style is just as beautiful as always, she has a way of describing ugly things and making them awesome to read. As for the description in the book it was definitely detailed, she didn’t leave a scene unpainted but though I found it at times a little overwhelming I ended up enjoying it in the end. This book will definitely leave you stunned by the end at least that’s how I found it to be by the last word.

Goodreads summary:

Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.

When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the first one, you’ll definitely learn more about the characters themselves and ideas in this book and I’ll rest assure you that you’ll want to know the ending to this one. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and dystopian type stories; it definitely deals a lot in those genres. I would also recommend this to anyone who is a lover of books that mess with your mind; it definitely digs deep into the subconscious. I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like to read detailed writing and don’t enjoy having to actively read the entire book but it’s so worth it when you put forth the effort. And though I found the beginning lacking spark it did pick up later on. I’m still reeling from this book and as far as stories go I’d give it 4 stars, it did have potential to be 5 if only I could have grasped onto some of the ideas better…but I can’t wait for this story to continue, it’s definitely one I’ll keep an eye out for.



100 Followers Giveaway!!

Hello Fellow Readers,

I am so happy to announce my first giveaway; I have reached over 100 Followers and thought to give something special away to prove how grateful I am of your commitment to my blog. I really can’t believe how far I’ve come with my blog it seems just yesterday I started my blog with high hopes of success and now that I am here I can’t fully grasp the whole ideal. I hope that all of my reviews have given your insight to some very wonderful books out there and helped you decide whether the book was for you or not. My main goal is to provide reviews that critique the book to the point where the reader of the review can see if the book is worth reading or not. I do hope that if you have chosen to read a book based on my review that you ended up enjoying it, if there is ever anything questions or concerns about a review do not hesitate to contact me, I’ll do my best to address the issue. But anyways I hope you all have enjoyed my posts and will continue to read them for future ones to come. And I hope you will spread the word of the giveaway and enter yourself. I plan to do many more giveaways as time progresses; I see some author interviews in the near future!

 Below all you have to do is fill out the form and enter, there are some options to help up your chances of winning and I hope you’ll take full advantage of it.

Giveaway Duration: December 20, 2011- January 1, 2012

Prize: one 15 dollar gift card

Good luck to all that enter and may the chances ever be in your favor!!

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More Frightening and Darker

First Thoughts:

What to say about this book…it was yet again different than the first two books in this series; it surprised me even more than the first two. So much happened between the two main protagonists, things were said and done that couldn’t be taken back and once they were out there it caused the domino effect on future events. There were things in this book that were subtle in the first two books, for one I found that she described in even greater detail of everything, there were times in this book that I had to literally look away because the description was so gruesome and frightening, which in my book is amazing but still some of those images I’ll never get out of my mind *shudders* This book was definitely darker than the first two, it’s like the author is divulging even deeper into the  characters minds and souls, bringing to the surface things about them that they had suppressed to the deepest part of their minds. Something I found in this book was that we learned more about the characters pasts, I learned some really pretty serious things about Perry; things that shocked and saddened me. As for Dex there too were some shocking revelations and also some somewhat speculations. And as I said before the description was very deep, every little description of the island was revealed through imaginary words and images, she did a fantastic job on creating a movie like reading with her description and making it both enjoyable and unique. As for the plot in the story, I thought it to be fantastic, the sub-plots were even greater than the other books, so much happened and by the time I read the last page I wanted more but it left me satisfied with the conclusion of that story. As for the writing style I think it’s changed from the first two,  the author has morphed her two styles from the first two books and experimented into a more sinister and dark style. The style itself was fun and frightening to read, I literally felt fear from this book, the attention to description helped bring the story to reality; it made me think I was in the story.  Now as for the pace of the story I thought it was fast; so much happened that there were very few slow moments, so if you’re a thriller seeker this book could be for you. As for the characters themselves they transformed even more but not always for the better. You might expect when a character to transform that they change for the better but in this story I think they’re reverting to a darker side of themselves; creating a version of themselves that needs to be re-transformed. But as always each and every character was very much lively in this book. What made this book different was the fact that it was just the two of them as the main protagonists in this book; giving them more room to transform and translate. One thing I wish could be added to this series is the continuation of the sub-plot characters, I felt drawn and attached to them but I miss them in the next books. It’s not like its necessary just something in my opinion would add to the texture and levels of the book and storyline. But I enjoyed this book immensely and it has become the favorite out of the three.

Goodreads Summary:

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.

Last thoughts:

I would recommend this book to any seeker of a good ghost story, to be honest the authors partake on them is so much different than the ones I’m used to reading. It’s like she’s broke the rules and stereotype of them and created a newer and fresher version. I would also recommend this to any fans of the series; this is definitely not one you’re going to want to miss out on. I wouldn’t however recommend this if you’re sensitive to foul language(for some reason I found it to be more abundant in this book but I know it’s part of the characters and it didn’t bother me in the least) or sexual contact(though there wasn’t an outright descriptive scene it could be sensitive to certain readers.) This was overall a really good book, one not to be read alone at night. This author has a lot of talent in both creating a new world but also switching and morphing her writing styles from book to book.  I can’t wait to continue reading about their story in Lying Season, where the characters will once again be put to the test.

Featured Friday

Hello my fellow readers and followers,

So I have partaken in Sara-Sadiya’s Featured Friday where we interviewed each other about ourselves and our blogs.  

                                              

Sadiya is a 14 year old girl who is an Ahmadi Muslim and proud of it. From the short time I’ve known her she’s been the sweetest and most helpful person and isn’t afraid to tell the world who she is. Her blog is called Random and Booky and is full of fun and excitement. She does posts from up-coming movies or movies she’s found to be enjoyable to posting reviews on books she’s read and wants to share with her fellow followers. She also posts a whole bunch of meme’s from Trailer Thursdays to Music Mondays. They’re fun, spunky and knowledgeable in every form. Her blog is an awesome place to go and dip your fingertips into a splash of fun. Her button is adorable and awesome and it actually inspired me to start posting buttons of others bloggers on mine.  Anyways I had a great time interviewing her and hope that you too will enjoy her answers.

The Interview:

Me: What do you hope your follows gain from your blog?

Sadiya: Well I hope my followers can get good recommendations from blog. Whether if it's for the books or songs, and sometime movies I post on it. I also hope they try and see the person ((me!)) writing this. I like to put as much of my personality in my blog posts as possible. I think it makes it easier to connect with the reader.

Me: What inspired you to start your first blog?

Sadiya: Well I saw a bunch of bloggers on GoodReads and they were so good and I thought it was a pretty cool way of getting out the word for good and bad books. So I thought why not start one! And I really loved it. Blogging is so much fun. It's kinda like a public diary about books. LOL.

Me: What is the hardest thing you've found about blogging?

Sadiya: Keeping up with the memes. I always have trouble with that. I participate in 5 memes and most are on school days, so I'm always late with that, trying to keep up with homework, blogging and an actual life. LOL

Me: If you could choose any book to review in advance what would it be and why? What are its attributes?

Sadiya: Hmmm. I want to read the next Percy Jackson book, The Mark of Athena. I've been a huge fan of Percy Jackson since I started reading them in 7th grade. And The Son of Neptune left off just before Percy was reunitited with his friends and Annabeth and I want to read them being together and stuff. Not to mention that the next one has to be about Annabeth, since the title's the Mark of Athena and she's the only daughter/character of Athena it talks about. So I really really want to read that book.

Me: If there was one thing you wish you could do with your blog what would it be?

Sadiya: I want to find a better back ground to upload, make the gadgets and stuff look cooler.

Me: What is your favorite favorite type of books you enjoy reviewing? If it's in YA be more specific, like fantasy, paranormal, werewolf, vampire, ect...

Sadiya: Actually I read YA and don't really read a specific genre. I'm like all over the place with it lol. But I really like action/adventure books or realistic fiction books. They're both really awesome.

Me: When you review things what are the key points you make sure are critiqued in every book? For ex. Plot, description, character development, ect....

Sadiya: I always try to comment about everything. But I always make sure I have the summery that's used on the book in it. ALWAYS. lol. I like to comment on the pace of the book, like if it was too slow or too fast. The writing style is something I like to compliment on too.

Me: If there is one thing you want your followers to know about you what is it? or What is one thing you want your followers to know?

Sadiya: That I'm an Ahmadi Muslim. It's got nothing to do with books I know, but I like to put it out there that I am a Muslim and extremely proud of it. There are a lot of stereo types about Muslims out in the world and this is my way of showing it's not all true. It's one of the reasons I think I started my blog.

Me: You review music, movies and books, what made you do all three?

Sadiya: I don't review music, I have no idea how you can either. Music is simply good or bad. But I decided to post about all three because I'm a fanatic for each. I'm always listening to music, I love reading and I always loved movies. Especially movies that have songs in them that I like and are based off a book. LOL ^^

Me: Besides blogging what do you do? What's your other passion?

Sadiya: Well reading of course! Lol. I also love to watch movies, listen to music, text my best friend Cora, eat! I like to eat sweet stuff. I like to surf online, and just relax. I'm trying to write. I've been told I'm a good writer, so I'm trying to make that a habit.

Me: Who do you consider your loyal followers? Like do you have anyone perhaps outside of your blog that helps support you?

Sadiya: Yeah. My best friend, Cora! If I ever want someone to check it out and give me they're thoughts she's the one! Also my other best friend from my mosque, Linta! I can rely on both of them.

Me: What do you think it takes to be a blogger?

Sadiya: Dedication. To be a blogger, you have to be dedicated to it and keep posting on it. You have to sacrifice some of your time to post the memes and reviews, add pages, make it look nice and stuff.

Me: What is your favorite part of reading?

Sadiya: My favorite part of reading is getting lost in the book. It's in a way teleporting out of our world into the book. I like imagining everything and pretending to be there. =)

Well that’s the conclusion of the interview; I hope you learned something about her and will follow her and learn even more.  Also to check out Sadiya’s interview with me click here.

Thanks for reading our interviews and we hoped you enjoyed them!

Coming January 10, 2012

First Thoughts:

I can’t believe I’m already writing the review for this book I just started it last night and couldn’t put it down, I found myself reading late through the night only my own will power stopped me from reading the whole thing in one sitting. But as soon as I woke up, I dug right back in and didn’t stop till the last sentence was read and man this was such a great book, so different from the books I’ve been reading lately. The story itself was full of surprises and jam packed emotions, I felt at times on the verge of wanting to take control of the character and make her teach the other characters some very hard learned lessons. But in the end it was the main character who taught me the lesson, to be perfectly honest few books get me to feel the way this book did. The self-control Addy had was past amazing, she was a character I wish to meet out in person, someone I believe everyone should look up to. The best part about her was the beautiful transformation she made; she went from this weak low self-esteem person to this person with so much confidence and grace. As for the rest of the characters they were no doubt filled with personality each one had their own attitude and frame of mind and it really pulled me in and made the story that much more real. There was one character I wished I could have learned more about and that was Eric, I would have loved to have learned a little about his past and what brought him to work where he did, he in fact was one of my favorite characters, he just radiated so much warmth and happiness that I would love to confide in him. As for the plot of the story it was fast paced and really there wasn’t a dull moment and the climax had me wanting to read as fast as I could so I could learn the resolution. This book definitely brought out all the emotions of me and allowed me to grasp onto the story even more and understand the underlying message. As for the description I felt the author did a good job describing the scenery though some scenes lacked in some ways but it didn’t subtract from the beauty of the book itself and the author did do a good job at capturing the beauty of Tennessee. As for the writing style I found no issues with it, I did find some grammar issues, like some sentences were formed awkwardly but I was able to fix those few places in my head and move forward. This book is full of beauty and great adventure; this is definitely a book to put on the “To-Read” list.

Goodreads Summary of “First Date”:

Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.

The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.

The lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show "for such a time as this."

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this book to any Christian and lover of romance; though this wasn’t a full out romance novel it really dealt with the Christian way of romance. I also would recommend this to any lover of “Fluff” books because this definitely has all the elements to please any lover of them. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who are uncomfortable reading about God, this does deal with God and the religion of Christianity. I also wouldn’t recommend this to people who don’t like reading about fluffy romance, it does have plenty of those moments and if you feel it’s too “cheesy” then this is not the book for you. But I would also recommend this to people who aren’t really sure about Christianity I believe this book will make a believer of you! This author did a great job in execution of a book that sent a silent message that could change the hearts and minds of many. This is a story I wouldn’t mind seeing continued.

And if you want to read "First Date" too, sign up to Netgalley and follow the link below to grab it yourself(This only applies if you're a book blogger)

Here's the link: http://bit.ly/sUNHyg

More Complex and Beautiful

First Thoughts:

I was very excited to start reading this next book, “Dark House” left you off with such a wanting need to know what happens next, I wouldn’t have considered the ending to be a cliff-hanger but it definitely left you wanting more. And so when you start this book it’s exactly where the first book left you off. Immediately I felt drawn in, the setting and characters were both dark and cynical. So much happened in this book, I thought this book was way different from “Dark House” it seemed to have a more complex and deeper conflict than the first one. I loved the fact that so many issues that were buried in the first book were brought to the surface. As for the plot itself I really thought this one was more cared for, I thought the first book’s plot was great but this one was better, there were better sub-plots and the climax was one that left me on the edge of the seat unsure of the fate of the characters. As for the characters themselves there were a few in this book that seemed flat, I felt that they could have added more texture to the book, like the character Miguel, it would have been cool to see some of the reasons he acted the way he did; he in my opinion was one of the most interesting characters in the book. But as for another character I felt could have added more POW! To the story would have been Will, though he had life and character I didn’t feel like he transformed any in the book, I really thought it would have powered the book more by adding in him changing, this book was about him after all. But as for the main character Perry I felt she transformed some more though she’s not all the way to where she needs to be but she has more stories to do that. But as for Dex I felt that he really changed in this book, more so than in “Darkhouse”. I fell more in love with his character and the choices and actions he made in the book added another level in my opinion. As for all of the characters together I felt they were as realistic as they could be in their world, though there were a few in this book that could never exist out of their world they were very well created to fit in their environment. As for the description itself I felt the author did a great job on describing the scenery of New Mexico, I’ve been there so I know exactly how it looks, feels, smells, tastes like and sound likes. I felt she added in the right elements and captured the feel of a small town in the desolate New Mexico territory. As for the writing style in this book I felt that it matched that of “Darkhouse” It flowed smoothly and I found very little grammar issues. I also felt that the dialogue was real and wasn’t fake or forced. I’ve found that some books that the dialogue can really make or break the success of execution; it is a very important element in a book. But overall this book executed a great storyline and set up a nice place for the next book “Dead Sky Morning” to start up.

Goodreads Summary:

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico.

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shape shifting decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to those of you who enjoyed “Darkhouse” and to those who have an interest in the paranormal. I felt that the author had a creative mind when it came to creating such interesting and paranormal characters while adding a sense of history and heritage into it. I don’t know if the author meant to add that much depth to the characters but she sure did. Now I wouldn’t recommend this to those who shy away from books that deal with the paranormal and to those of you who don’t particularly enjoy stories in which seems too unbelievable there are scenes in here that made me stop and re-read just to make sure I read it right but I thought that element have the series character.  But in the end I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book “Dead Sky Morning” because it looks like this girl here is addicted to these characters and wants no needs to know what happens next.

Liebster Award

So I was notified that I won the Liebster Award today and was quite excited to see that all the hard work I put into my blog and reviews haven't gone un-noticed. I want to thank Tana from:

http://tana-someofmyfavoritebooks.blogspot.com/

For awarding me with something as fantastic as this. She herself has a wonderful blog full with honest and thought out reviews, so I'd suggest going on and ahead over to her blog and check it out when you get the chance.

And as per the rules here are the chosen 5 I pick to be the next holders of this fun and exciting award:

Coral Russell: http://alchemyofscrawl.wordpress.com/

Sara-Sadiya: http://www.randomandbooky.blogspot.com/

Vicky: http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/

Valerie: http://thegothicballerina.blogspot.com/

Jude: http://www.inbetweenwritingandreading.blogspot.com/

I picked all of these people because they are dedicated to their blogs and are trying their best to please not only the readers of today but also bring to this world books that have been swept under the rug; slowly to be forgotten. I am very happy to have met these people without them I wouldn’t have the fire to do the reviews I do today. These guys are the best and deserve this award for all of their dedication and hard work!

Now For these 5 who have won this award here is what you do now:

 So, as per rules for this award (copied from Suzanne):

In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to:

·                Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person's blog

·                Copy and paste the award to their blog

·                Reveal the 5 blogs they have chosen to award, commenting on their blog to break the news!

·                Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding "The Liebster Blog Award" to bloggers they would like to honor.