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Friday, March 11, 2011

Review: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers


Personal Demons (Personal Demons #1)
by Lisa Desrochers
Paperback, 365 pages
Published September 14th 2010 by Tor Teen

Summary from Goodreads.

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.


What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.


But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.

My mind was absolutely blown. This book most definitely did not disappoint. It had me captivated from beginning to end. Its funny, witty, and exciting. Lisa Desrochers did an amazing, amazing job.

There was tension. There were challenges. There was action and danger. There was sexyness. There was squealing. Oh, wait. That was just me. There were so many good qualities that together, made this book into such a great read.

I really liked Frannie. She has character. She's smart, funny, feisty, and flawed. The fact that she go kicked out of Catholic school just cracks me up! She is such a lucky girl to have Luc and Gabriel chasing after her.

Luc! Luc! Wherefor art thou Luc? I did not expect to love him as much as I did. "Tall, dark, and sorta dangerous", indeed. He's ironic, a bad boy, and protective of her. He was torn between duty and love and he chose to somethingsomethingsomething instead and became somethingsomethingsomething in the process. Insert dreamy sigh here.

Let's not forget Mr. Dominion himself. Glory, Hallelujah! Gabriel is such a sweetheart. He'd the perfect guy if he wasn't such an angel.

I admit I was torn between the two for the first third of the book. I didn't know which one I wanted Frannie to pick! Luc won me over with his "charming personality". I'm one for the bad boy to keep things interesting. I still love Gabriel though. =)

I need to read the sequel. ASAP.

Short and sweet. Now, go read it. Go. Shoo!

Final Verdict:


++++++

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Giveaway: Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Expected publication: May 3rd 2011 by HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
 
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.


Sounds intriguing, yes? 
Now, want to win it? 

Jill Hathaway is giving away a copy of Divergent on her blog. It ends tonight so hurry and enter!!




Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where we talk about an upcoming book we're dying to read. This week's book is:
WILDEFIRE
By: Karsten Knight
Publication: July 26th 2011 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster






Summary from Goodreads

Ashline Wilde never received an instruction manual on how to be a 16-year-old Polynesian volcano goddess. If she had, it might have contained helpful warnings such as:

• Dreaming about your (thankfully) mortal boyfriend may cause your bed to spontaneously combust
• Oven mitts should be worn at all times during heavy make-out sessions

Instead, Ash has to learn these life lessons the hard way as her dormant powers erupt at the most awkward times. In the wake of a hometown tragedy, Ash transfers to Blackwood Academy, a boarding school nestled in California’s redwoods, where a group of fellow gods-on-earth have mysteriously convened. As if sophomore year couldn’t get any worse, her storm goddess older sister, the wild and unpredictable Eve, resurfaces to haunt Ashline. With a war between the gods looming over Blackwood, Ash must master the fire smoldering within her before she clashes with her sister one final time, which leads us to life-lesson #3:

• When warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm. 



I really can't wait for this book. I'm really into mythology so this it's really exciting to read a book with a goddess as a main character. I also like fire. Just sayin'. 

The cover is so beautiful. It was made with a special technology, I think he said. Its in his last vlog. He's really funny and if  you haven't entered his contest for an ARC of Wildefire, you have until the sixth. Peace!





Thursday, February 24, 2011

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver


The Demon Trapper's Daughter (The Demon Trappers #1)
by Jana Oliver
Paperback, Original, 340 pages
Published February 1st 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin

Summary from Goodreads.

Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself – and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on…

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?


This was actually an interesting spin on the whole demons issue. Different and interesting.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter is set in 2018 Atlanta and while its not post-apocalyptic, the future seemed rather dark and depressing. The schools were in places that we couldn't imagine in this time: old grocery stores, old Starbucks, warehouses even. Metal was rare and many places were demon infested. I think she did a good job in creating and describing that world. I wouldn't want to live there.

It started out a little bit slow for me until I hit the end of chapter six when something happened to someone who will not be named. That drew my attention. After that, the fun began.

There are many types of demons. I liked that. I liked that there was not just one type of demon and that they are all literally very different from the next. Some are deadly while others not so much.

On characters: I loved Riley Blackthorne. She was fiery, driven, stubborn, and funny. She was wonderfully portrayed and very dynamic.

Simon was kinda meh to me. He was just there. The cute little Catholic boy who can do no wrong. He wasn't my favorite character. Harper is a bastard. Nuff said.

Is it bad of me to say that I want Riley to end up with Beck? Because I'd love that. They have chemistry. He pisses her off, she throws her shoe at him. He's there at her time of need (even if she doesn't want him there). He even tries to change his bad habits in order to protect her when she doesn't know that she needs protecting. I want them together.

I'm not too sure about Ori. I know that he's a Demon Hunter but that's as much that I can say. I hope we learn more about him in the sequel. He had better not make a move on Riley. That's all I'm saying on that.

The ending isn't a big cliffhanger but it leaves you with unanswered questions. Which I think is a good thing. I will definitely be reading the sequel because I need to know what happens next. The say never make a deal with the devil, but what about one with Heaven?

Final Verdict:


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (1)




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* 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!



Today's teaser is from page 195 in The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver. Please note that it is called Forsaken in the U.K.

"Give the main girl a few years and a boob job and she could pose for pictures like the one in Harper's bathroom.

Tattoo and all.

Riley suspected they would not be great friends."

Monday, February 21, 2011

Leah Clifford's Epic ‘Too Big For A Tweet’ Contest!

Heeeyy, you. Not not you. You with the taco! Yes we can all see you. You're not that stealthy. You should buy A Mortal Touch by Leah Clifford when it comes out February 22. Mmm hmm. Yes, you should. It's amazing. Lookie!


Even the cover is amazing. =D

Anywho, on to business. As some of you may or may not be aware, Leah Clifford is hosting a massively amazing contest. It's so big and epic that it wouldn't fit on a tweet. Hence the title of "Leah's Epic ‘Too Big For A Tweet’ Contest!". For deets on the contest, check out the post on her blog.

For an extra entry into the contest, we have to blog about the craziest thing we’ve ever done in 300 words or less. This is were this post comes in.

I had to choose between the "Batman" story and the "Rape" story (please note that no raping of anything actually occurred). I'll tell the "Rape" story, but if anyone wants to hear the "Batman" one, let me know and I will.

One afternoon last year, my friends and I were hanging out in the giant lobby of the college. We were sitting at one of the high round tables just talking and goofing off. Behind us happened to be the Security Guard HQ.

I was bored so I stole the license of the friend who was sitting next to me; a ginger named Rachel. No one noticed. They never do.

I’m a bit of a klepto so they should know not to leave their things unattended with me around (cell phones, licenses, and cash are not safe). I got tired of waiting so I ratted myself out.

Rachel demanded her license back but was too lazy to get up. In comes my other friend, Cori, a fearless blond and my best friend. Cori being herself decides to come take it by force. I jumped off my chair and hid behind Rachel’s whilst putting the license in my butt pocket.

“You know that’s not going to stop me,” Cori had smirked evilly before grabbing me and reaching for my pocket. Before my brain caught up with my mouth, I yelped, “RAPE!” Loudly.

We all froze. We didn’t know what to do or say but no one panicked more than my friend, Ethan. His expression screamed “OMG I’m going to die”. He looked like he was about to bolt. As the only male there, he would be the one to get busted if a guard came over.

We peeked at the Security Guard HQ to see if they had heard, but they hadn’t and Ethan sighed with relief.

And then the laughter hit. It was the knee slapping, doubled over laughter that lasts five minutes when we would have to stop to catch our breath then look at each other and laugh again.


This is one of my fondest as well as funniest memories. Why? Well, not long after this, maybe a few months later, my friend Ethan died in a car accident. He died in August. We haven't been the same since...

Friday, February 18, 2011

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton


Angelfire (Angelfire #1)
by Courtney Allison Moulton
Hardcover, 464 pages
Published February 15th 2011 by HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books

Summary taken from Goodreads

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.


Okay, first let me hogtie my inner fangirl and stuff her into a closet at the corner of my mind. She went all Lord of the Rings on the book (my preciousssss *cackles*) when I bought it. I need to write (or type as the case may be) without her squealing in my ear.

I honestly really and truly loved this book. It drew me in immediately. The dynamic characters and the overall plot were well thought out and cleverly written. Let's not mention the action scenes and the chemistry between Will and Ellie. Ah-may-zing. It's definitely a book I can gush and squeal over when I reread it over and over again.

The ending wasn't a big cliffhanger and yet it still left me moaning in despair that I have to wait until next year for the sequel. The one-liners in this book just killed me. They were amazingly hysterical and quirky. I nearly busted a gut laughing.

Courtney's action scenes were the bomb.com. I was awed at how well they flowed together seamlessly. It felt like I was watching a movie. They kind of got a little repetitive at times but not enough to take anything away from the book.

The mythology behind this was well explained even for those who might not be familiar with the lore behind it. The reapers are detailed and unique and very freaky. I loved it. She gave them depth and I appreciate the fact that they weren't some random beasts with no personality. Ragnuk was a bastard that I wanted to hack into a million pieces. That's a goal in writing a good book I think; making the reader feel what the characters are feeling.

On characters: Ellie. I felt a sort of a kindred spirit in her. No only do we have similar interests (Disney movies, Sailor Moon, etc.) but I love her interactions with her best friend, Kate. It kind of reminds me of me and my best friend. When I read about her parents, I thought to myself, Finally! A mom who's not invisible and actually gives a damn! That's rare. Her dad may have been a bit of a douche, but I think that there is something hidden there. I guess we'll see.

I think that Ellie adapted to the situation as well as anyone else would have. She wanted to keep a semblance of a normal life outside of reaper hunting. Can you really blame her? I would have found it a little weird if Ellie just dropped everything and disappeared off into the world with Will (not that I'd blame her. HA!). I think we could have been great friends if she was real. Haha.

And Mr. Just call me Will. Be still my beating heart. He's tall with gorgeous eyes and a brooding, tortured personality. He has a big, shiny sword and who doesn't like a man wings? His dedication to her is - I can't even find a good enough adjective. It just warms the heart. He doesn't want her to die again. His love for her is so strong that he is willing to help her, be there for her until the day he dies. I wish I had a man like that.

You see a little more to Will in the extra scene that was revealed in A Good Addction blog. When she dies, the only thing that pushes him forward it that he'll see her again, one day. Its tragic.

One thing that bugged me about Will is how much he with held information from her. I think that somethings might have gone a bit smoother if he had shared more information with her. I'm one of those people who like to be in the know. Like it did Ellie, this frustrated me a lot.

Their relationship is forbidden but just not in the way you'd expect. Lucifer fell from grace because he loved God. Will is in love with Ellie and bad things may come from it because of what she is. Similar situations? I think yes. I want to see how this unravels and what the consequences would be. Call me a sucker for forbidden relationships.

All in all, there weren't many things that I disliked about this book. It was good and something I would totally reread until the book itself starts breaking apart.

Frustration or no, I am absolutely on Team Just Call Me Will. Also, I can't wait to see more of Cadan in the next book. Hee. I liked him bunches, too. I want him to live in my closet. ^_^

2012 suddenly seems so far away. If the would ends next year, I will be terribly upset. I have books to read in 2013, yo. Example: Angelfire #3: Hymn to the Fallen (Fancy titles. I love them.)

Final Verdict:


Go buy this book. Shoo! Go now. Peace! =D

Cover Reveal: Supernaturally

Holy Polka-dotted underwear Batman! Has the cover for the sequel to Kiersten White's Paranormalcy been released yet? I think so, Robin. Lookie!


Tic tac toe, two beautiful covers in a row for Kiersten White (we'll make it three some day yet).

HERE is the original link in which the author herself announces the cover.

Supernaturally comes out September 2011 and you can find out more on this book and Paranormalcy on Goodreads

Cover Reveal: So Silver Bright

The cover of Lisa Mantchev's newest book So Silver Bright has been revealed!



Isn't it pretty?

It's the third book in the Théâtre Illuminata series and will be released September 13, 2011. It's so far away! D:

HERE is the cover reveal from the author herself.

You can find more on So Silver Bright and Lisa Mantchev's other books on Goodreads HERE

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Everything has a beginning.

Everything has beginning. This is mine. Welcome to A Bookaholic Complex!

To make this simple, I like books. I like sharing books. This is a place where I hope to inspire other people to go out and read the books I also adore.

There will be reviews and sometimes random things. My reviews will be my opinion and there will be no sugarcoating. I will say things as it is but I will not bash anything or anyone. Please keep in mind that just because I may or may not like a certain book doesn't mean that you will share my sentiments. I want you to go out and discover that for yourselves.

I'll post a review as soon as I spruce up the blog a bit. Ha!

Thank you for listening. Peace!