I'm a hypocrriiiiiite.

EDIT: This post was called "Until then, my friends!" but I feel like a hypocrite! A couple of posts ago I was being all sappy about my bloggy birthday and now here I am taking another break. AAGHHHHHH.


I am freaking out. Summer break is almost over and that means that it's nearly time to go back to school. I want to read my ALA books, my adult romance "crack", my review books, and just relax. Blogging has become a chore and it's not just what it used to be before.

(*insert sarcasm* Racquel from The Book Barbies offered me some advice and said I should drop out of school. It's a very lovely idea and I think I shall take her up on it.)

I'm going to take a few days to a couple of weeks off. Part of me REALLY dreads this because all of these breaks and hiatuses makes me feel like I'm losing readers and I'm not acting as dedicated to my blog as I should be.

Hopefully you guys will be around when I come back to blog and stuff. :) Until then, bye! (Or not since I'll probably be lurking on Twitter or on Goodreads.)

Excerpt + Giveaway: Unguarded by Ashley Robertson

Yet another blog tour stop here at Books to Infinity & Beyond! :) I'm hosting a very enticing excerpt of Unguarded and I have a giveaway at the bottom! <3

------------------

Book: Unguarded by Ashley Robertson
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Guardian angel Selene was so close to becoming an archangel—the supreme of all beings—until she fell in love with Cole, a forbidden dark one. Once she discovers her vampire lover has been kidnapped and the only way to save him is by abandoning her number one priority—Caitlyn, her human charge—there really is only one answer in Selene’s mind, even though leaving Caitlyn unguarded will most likely cause Selene to fall from grace.

But her choice to save Cole doesn’t come without a price…and now Selene is racing against time to not only save her dark lover, but find a way to keep Caitlyn alive as well.

With the help of a new vampire ally, Luke, Selene will push her diminishing angel abilities to the point where her very existence lies in the balance. Now threatened with the chance of becoming a fallen angel or even dying, Selene can only pray she’ll have enough time—and good grace—to save the ones she loves.

Sounds great right? Well, here's the excerpt! <3

EXCERPT TIME

Still, Raphael was here to give me another chance. Maybe I could get it right this time around? Even though I was marked by darkness, there was still a way out. Hope for a new tomorrow. And Cole would be there with me—once I’d fulfilled whatever my punishment was. Unless my new lease on life, so to speak, came with the terms of leaving Cole forever. But at least he wouldn’t be dead, and I could move on knowing that he was somewhere out there. Unlike Caitlyn or Luke.


“Selene,” Raphael called out. “Come now. We must go.”

I looked at my archangel with love and admiration. He’d dealt with so much from me, and he was still willing to fight for me. Unconditional love. Something humans weren’t able to give. Nor were dark ones supposed to even know what love was, and yet, that had been proven wrong by two vampires.

DID YOU HEAR... GIVEAWAY?!

Well, yep! You heard right. ;D Enter below to win some SIGNED bookmarks AND your choice of an e-book copy or a paperback copy of Unguarded by Ashley Robertson. :3

Now, as far as I know, it's INTERNATIONAL for the e-book copy but I'm not too sure about the paperback copy and the signed bookmarks. :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review + Giveaway: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Hello all! My blog is the first stop on the Wake blog tour! I hope you enjoy the review and if you stick around to the end, you can go enter a giveaway to win an ARC of Wake!

----------------------------

Book: Wake by Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 309
Source: Review copy for blog tour
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

I knew right off the bat that I was going to adore this book! As I have read Hocking's previous works (specifically, Hollowland and Hollowmen) and really liked them, this one is yet another addition to the list!

I'VE BEEN AWAKEN TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE AWESOME MERMAID READS

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I came up with yet ANOTHER cheesy title header for my review.

• Enchanting and mesmerizing is one way to put it for Hocking's storytelling.
• SERIOUSLY. The storytelling is smooth and almost lyrical; it had me turning pages ravenously as if I couldn't get enough! This book was definitely a real treat to savor and enjoy.

• Don't you just love it when you can relate to characters?
• I was just giddy and smiling throughout the whole book because Gemma is a SWIMMER. (Psst! I'm a swimmer too!) I also really liked Gemma as a character. Strong and passionate about her goals and those she loves is definitely a winning quality in a heroine.
• While she is strong and passionate, she could also be very...headstrong as well. It was frustrating for me to see Gemma make really dumb decisions (Which was like, two! She's actually very clever) and it just felt like the author was trying to create tension and drama out of nowhere.
• Of course Gemma doesn't hog all of the spotlight! Harper was an equally awesome character.
• The way she's so loyal and protective of her sister is really admirable! I feel the exact same way for my siblings, so I can say that I have an inkling of what she feels.

• TWO swoon worthy love interests obviously amounts to double YAYs!
• And the best best best thing is...it's not a love triangle! Each of our girls have their own love interests and their own love problems. <3
• While Gemma and Alex's relationship with each other was sweet and fuzzy, I enjoyed Daniel and Harper's relationship a lot more! WITTY BANTER GALORE. Daniel, in all, is just a really great secondary character. He's charming and sweet and buff with tattoos! YUM.

• This book is not your typical mermaid read.
• Or, well, maybe it is? This is my first mermaid read after all. Anyways, the point is that Wake has very interesting lore, one that I absolutely loved learning about! 
• I can't say anymore (unless you guys LOVE spoilers), but it felt definitely original and I can't wait to learn more in the next book.

So...do I recommend this book? HECK TO THE YES! It was such an awesome mermaid read, and now I'm really itching to read other mermaid books as well. (Preferably the sequel to Wake? Pretty please?)

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for...(or not)... THE GIVEAWAY! *waits for applause*

Rules, rules, rules! 

1. U.S. only. (UGH, I know. It sucks butt that it's not international.)
2. You've got to be at least 13 years old to enter.
3. Giveaway will end on August 17 at 12:01 AM EST.

Well, get at it, folks! :) I know y'all want an ARC of this dazzling beauty named Wake! ;D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves: EPIC Books GALORE Edition (7/20/12)

 Stacking the Shelves is hosted by the lovely Tynga!

AAAHHH. It has been a DREADFULLY long time since I did a Stacking the Shelves post. Well, this week's book haul is an accumulation of all the books I got from the past weeks and this week. :)

 I BORROW BOOKS LIKE IT'S NOBODY'S BUSINESS, YO

Defiance, Keeper, and Ten were all borrowed from the ever lovely AVAAAA. She was so nice to let me borrow such awesome looking books. ;~; (By the way, Ten was AMAZINGLY good. I just finished it today!) Thank you thank you thank you thank you Ava! <3

And... MORE BORROWING! Thanks to my lovely library, I got the next two books in the Night Huntress series, Dark Lover (ugh, don't get me STARTED on that book), and The Night Circus (!!!) :D

I BOUGHT BOOKS WHICH I HIDE IN FEAR OF MY MOTHER

I also bought my first two adult romances AND I succeeded in hiding them from my mom. *^* I know, BAD GIANNA, but I was so tempted and I wanted them and yeah. ;~; I bought Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost and The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. (Darkest Night was SUPER steamy and hawwwt.)

REVIEW BOOKS ARE ALWAYS COOL TOO

 And last but not least, FOR REVIEW, I got Stormdancer (which, holy SHIT, just happens to NOT be available for reading on the Kindle but I'm nonetheless excited as heck), Silver (Got rejected the first time, and accepted the second! WHOOP WHOOP), Inbetween (for le blog tour), andddd The Mephisto Kiss (EEEEEEEEP.) THANK YOU NETGALLEY and EGMONT. <3

The one I am MOST excited to read is The Mephisto Kiss. I TOTALLY adored the first book in the series, and I cannot wait for this one!

HOW I SUCCESSFULLY GOT DARK LOVER AT THE LIBRARY WITH MY MOM

Have you guys even SEEN the cover for Dark Lover? DUDE, it's so suggestive and I think my mom would lock me up if she saw me reading it.

I know y'all probably don't want to read my short story, so I...HID IT! (For the sake of saving space and stuff.) Feel free to click the button to read. :) (I wonder if the button will work.)

OKAY, so, I was at the library with my mom and I managed to sneak and borrow a copy of DL while she went off on her own. It also seemed like the universe was against me that day and there were SO many hilarious close calls with my mom! XD

What makes me super sad though is that I just marked Dark Lover as a DNF book, aka "did not finish". Romance sucked butt, and if romance sucks butt in an adult romance, Gianna SHALL DROP LE BOOK. Kay kay, thanks for reading. :)

Also, I'm very very sorry for not posting so much recently! ;~; I have a TON of commenting as well as REVIEWS to catch up on... (Thanks a lot, AP prep classes!) x__x

Woah. My blog is one year old?

That is really really really weird. Books to Infinity and Beyond turned one on July 9, 2012. YAAAY. I promise I'll treat all of my followers to a nice (international) giveaway...soon. :) Purpose of this post today then?

A RECAP OF MY ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING! :D *waits for applause*

*silence* ....Well, anywaaaays~

Why did I start Books to Infinity one year ago? Simply, I was bored, I wanted to get back into reading, and I had a LOT of time on my hands. (Go to the bottom if you want to see where I'm at NOW, and if you want to skip ALL of this boring blog recap stuff. XD)

MY LONER DAYS

Back then, my blog was called A Neverending Fantasy. :O *LE GASP*

The first few months of blogging was a bit tough and lonely. I was struggling to find the perfect blog design, attempting to have more readers on my blog, trying to find the right way to format my reviews and make them interesting, etc. I also had barely anyone to talk to in my baby months, which was a little saddening.

I know blogging isn't all about numbers. It's to HAVE FUN! It's hard to have fun when it's a one man party. XD </3

SO, I blogged on and off. I'd have hiatuses for months, and would neglect my blog. :(

AND THEN THINGS STARTED GETTING BETTER

Blog was still A Neverending Fantasy.

After the first few months and hiatuses, I was determined to make my blog better! I did a complete blog makeover, and I had actually reached a small readership of around 200 followers. YAAAY! :D

I think, if I can recall correctly, I was going through another bad time in my life and was just not feeling it. So, I blogged less and less, and then, 2012 came rolling around.

BLOG: REBORN!

On January 26, 2012, I renamed my blog and gave it a totally different feel. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I once again failed at posting for another 3-4 months. :(

Around late March, I started posting again. In early April, I had my first giveaway and I was nearing 250 followers, so I decided why not?

GUYS. That giveaway changed my life. I'm not joking. (Heck, I made a post about it and y'all can read about it.) Without that giveaway, I would have NOT met all of the people on Twitter who I can truly say I'm REALLY glad to be friends and even internet besties with, my blog would NOT be where it is right now, and I would probably be in a depressed state right now from everything that's been screwing with my real life.

Is it weird to be tearing up right now? Gosh, I'm so lame. 

WHERE I AM TODAY

TOTAL PAGE VIEWS (as of 7/16/12, 11:18 PM): 34,780

TOTAL FOLLOWERS (as of 7/16/12, 11:18 PM): 601

TOTAL TWITTER FOLLOWERS (as of 7/16/12, 11:18 PM): 521

There are so many people who have helped me throughout my one year of blogging, I can't begin to name. 

All of my readers and commentators, thank you. THANK YOU. It makes me ridiculously happy to read every single one of your comments and I always try my best to comment back.

Jen from The Dancing Reader, dude. I just love you. Seriiiiously! <3 If you didn't help me back then on Twitter, I don't think I'd be blogging or even reading. I sound SO dramatic, but I really feel that way. :') You always gave me the best support ever.

Cindy from Oodles of Books was my first friend evverrr during blogging. <3

Racquel from The Book Barbies, um, yeah. You're freaking hilarious, my fellow "slut" in crime! (Inside joke, don't worry. Racquel isn't a slut.) Thank you for being there for me and having awesome talks on Twittahh~ :)

AVA FROM TWITTER, DUDE. One of the many new additions to my friends list of the internet world, but I love her already. The most adorable, fun thing EVER. <3

Sophie from Sweet Sweet Pages and Alice from Twitter were also one of my first friends too! Good gosh, they DEFINITELY need to get mentioned in these kinds of sappy posts. :') 

And that, folks, is my one year recap of blogging. Thanks for reading! :D <3

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Book: The Duff by Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy
Pages: 280
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

GAAHHH, where has Kody Keplinger been all of my life?!

Contemporary isn't my favorite genre, but this book gives me hope that I will ADORE other contemporary novels just like this one. *silence* NO, I KID, *chuckles* but seriously, WHAT an awesome contemporary novel.

WHY THE DUFF GIVES ME HOPE

• BIANCA and her hilariousness.
• Who is Bianca? Why, everyone, she is the heroine of this novel! Armed with a cynical voice, sarcastic remarks, intellect, and tons of hilarity, how could I not like her? We're practically the SAME! I pretty much fell in love with her when she made her statement of teenagers can't possibly fall in love at this stage because love takes YEARS. THAT, my friends, is my mentality on love and Bianca stating my exact thoughts sold me on her!

• Bianca's best friends are not dumb bimbos. YAAA to the AAAAY!
• Going into the book, I completely expected that this novel would consist of Bianca's annoying "best friends" who use her, are hot, are completely dumb, and create drama. Yeah, COMPLETE opposite of that! 
• Casey and Jessica (the best friends) are three-dimensional, lovable characters. SERIOUSLY. Their friendship with Bianca was something I totally adored throughout the whole novel!

• This book was FILLED TO THE BRIM with panty melter moments. GOOD GOSH.
• Romance, romance, romance! I cannot live without it. Wesley and Bianca's relationship started off really rocky, but seeing it blossom throughout the novel with their back and forth (HILARIOUS, if I may insert) banter and the events that allowed them to connect was just "EEEEP" worthy!
• NOW, onto the panty melter moments. The sexual tension, hot kissy scenes, just YUM. Fans of  contemporary romance will REJOICE when reading this book, just like I have.  (I cannot say anymore, due to my fear of sounding inarticulate like this: SLAHJDJLDSHJ IT WAS SO GOOD AND HOT GIMME MORE.)

• I finished this in a day. SAY WHHHAAA?
• I kid you NOT that I, the slowest reader ever, finished this book in a day. It was SO addicting, I just literally could not put it down.

• While The Duff has many of its light hearted moments, it also touched on some more mature subjects as well. Being able to mesh together more airy, lively scenes as well as serious topics in a novel is SUCH a big win for me. 

And, my friends, that is why The Duff gives me hope. Read this, be enlightened by its awesomeness, then come tell me about it on Twitter or through the comments.

Looking for a Co-Blogger!

Or would it be co-BLOGGERS? I'm not too sure yet. Heck, I don't even know if someone even wants to co-blog with me! XD

 Anyways, hello all! I've been meaning to post, I really have, but AP prep classes have been really demanding of my time and I'm going insane over the amount of work I have to do. Never mind me though, that's not the point of this post.

I realized I'm going to be REALLY busy throughout the school year with school and such, and so, I decided to open up the floor for anyone who would like to be my co-blogger! :) I love my blog, I really do, and I do not want to have to neglect it or even shut it down! D:

If I'm like THIS from an AP prep class:

Then only GOSH knows how MORE tired I'll be from an entire day at school with AP CLASSES. XD Heck, I don't even have any reading time lately. D:

So... I need someone's help. :( I really do. 

Fill out the form HERE if any of you are interested. 

Do you DETEST forms? Then shoot me an email instead at babygeebookreviews(at)gmail(dot)com and tell me why you want to blog with me, a bit about yourself, and yep. :)

*awkward silence*

No takers? Okay then...

Top Ten Steamy Recommendations

Welcome to another day of Steamy Reads Week! Here's a recap of what's happened so far:

What's an insanely hot read with dual perspectives of both the sexy boy and the mysterious girl? Read my review of Pushing the Limits here!

-------------------

Today, I'll be borrowing The Broke and Bookish's idea of Top Ten Tuesday, but with an entirely different topic: STEAMY RECS. C'mon, everyone, we all know you love a little smexiness in your reads!

1. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare -- If you haven't read these series yet, I HIGHLY suggest you do. This book has SUCH good plot, delicious writing, and it's HISTORICAL. The romance is also to die for as well. It definitely has its sexy times, but can be sweet and also heart wrenching. <3

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo -- I WAS TORN apart between the two boys! It's such well written romance that had me rooting for both of the boys! In the end, they each took a piece of my heart. :'(

3. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins -- If you haven't read this yet, I only shake my head in shame at you. THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. 'Nuff said.

4. Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear -- I totally ate up this steampunk fantasy's romance. I was swooning over the majority of the time I was reading this book.

5. The Duff by Kody Keplinger -- FINISHED THIS IN A DAY. There were so many panty melter moments I just died. <3 (And it's freaking hilarious and good and "ASFADJFH" worthy as well.)

6. The Angelfire Series by Courtney A. Moulton -- AHHHHHH. This romance had me swooning SO HARD that I almost fell off the face of this earth.

7. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles -- HAAWWTTT, smoldering goodness.

8. The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen -- HAAWWTTT, smoldering goodness with a paranormal touch and more sexy boys.

ANNND, those are all my recs for you guys! :) See anything you liked? Read any of these already?

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Book: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.  Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

GOSH. This book is SO deceiving. Do NOT be deceived, guys. It may seem utterly boring and completely cliche, but it is FAR from that and it is ah-maziiing!

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THIS BOOK?

 Um, EVERYTHING? Of course if I just said that, then this review wouldn't really be a review, now would it? SO, let's start off with the story itself.

• Personally, I totally thought this was going to be a really cliche story with a girl who got abused and boy comes in to save the day. Hint: IT WASN'T. **
• The BIG mystery: what the heck happened to Echo? I loved how it was a bit hard to figure out and the answer to the mystery itself was rather shocking!
• What was also a really great aspect of this book is that there's some pretty dark, edgy topics that are touched upon in this novel, and to see Noah and Echo overcome all their trials separately and together was so great. It was emotionally touching, just as it was riveting.

•  I'm actually beginning to enjoy dual point of views.
• I got to see what Echo felt when she was emotionally distraught from the real truth, understand how Noah felt when he was with Echo, and it was really great to grasp their thoughts and what makes them tick.

• Now, what really makes this book shine is the ROMANCE and the two characters stuck in the middle of it.
• I really liked how the tension between Noah and Echo gradually builds up, and explodes with a burning inferno. There's so many small yet electrically charged moments between these two I just felt like my heart was going to explode from swooning! McGarry does not disappoint on delivering!

•  Noah and Echo? I loved them both together, and each as an individual!
• First off, NOAH. Dude, this guy is one of the most swoon worthy men I have ever had a chance to read about. Fiercely loyal and protective, charming and seductive, this guy has it all! Did I mention that he's really really hot too? SCORE.

• YAY for Echo! Ahhhh, I really really liked this girl. She didn't make it to one of my all time favorites, but she had an awesome personality and was really strong which is a PLUS.

**(NOT that I'm saying that getting abused in real life is boring and cliche, I'm just saying it's predictable to see that kind of twist pop up in stories.)

Do yourself a favor, and just read Pushing the Limits when you get a chance to. The words in my review does not do this book any justice on how utterly beautiful yet emotionally raw this story is.

 EQUALLY STEAMY READS:

 OH WAIT. Pushing the Limits doesn't come out till near the end of this month... Poop. Well, I have some GREAT recommendations for you to check out:

• In for something equally steamy, engaging, with a HOT male lead except on the paranormal side? Read Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. (It's one of the BEST romances I've read by far.)

• In the mood for something more contemporary and light hearted with a few sexy times thrown in? Read The Duff by Kody Keplinger.

Stacking the Shelves (7/8/12)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by the lovely Tynga!

 

This week, I got:

For Review

Wake (Watersong #1) by Amanda Hocking

Unguarded by Ashley Robertson

Library

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's Happening this Week

SO, I'm going to be starting THEME weeks on the blog. :) Of course they won't be every week (or else I'd be out of ideas for LIFE), but once in a while. 

Theme Weeks at Books to Infinity will have a few (hopefully FUN) posts AND at the end of the theeme week is a small giveaway of the books that go with the theme. :D (I'm not sure if this idea was taken by anyone yet, but feel free to correct me on that!)

This theme of the week for  is:

STEAMINESS GALORE, featuring your own and VERY only Kaidan Rowe from Sweet Evil.

Of course if it was ALL about Kai this week, I think it would put off a LOT of readers! That's why I'm including other steamy reads and ideas, but Kai/Sweet Evil will definitely be incorporated into each post. ;)

WHY am I featuring Kai from Sweet Evil specifically?

Well, he's in the YA Crush Tourney! He's going to be up against Finnick on July 13, and I really hope I have your guys' support and vote. :) Sweet Evil is one of my top favorite books for this year, so it makes me so happy to see that Kai is being discovered by new readers!

I hope you all have an awesome week! ♥

Waiting on Wednesday: "OOOH Blue Light!" Edition

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week, my picks are:

In this riveting debut, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world--before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She's skipped multiple grades and doesn't really connect with the older kids at school, but she's not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret--she's a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she's not alone. He's a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well...she isn't. Fitz opens Sophie's eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death--and time is running out.

Summary from Goodreads.

MG! EEEEP! Yes, this book is totally MG but that doesn't stop it from sounding adorable! ♥ :3

 -----------------------

Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn't at all surprised by Miranda's shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn't easy--especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can't remember loving. Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn't seem to matter...when there may not be a future.

Dan Krokos' debut is a tour-de-force of non-stop action that will leave readers begging for the next book in this bold and powerful new series.

Summary from Goodreads.

Doesn't that cover look particularly...epic? c: I've been wanting this book ever since I saw it on Netgalley, and I managed to snag a copy at ALA! ♥

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! ♥ Hope y'all have a SPECTACULAR day! :D

P.S. Please please please vote for the smexy Kaidan from Sweet Evil on July 13 at the YA Crush Tourney. It would mean the WORLD to me if you guys did, and even MORE if you guys grabbed the button or changed your avatars to show your support! ♥ Thanks for reading! :)

(Also, the button isn't as big as it seems! I just made it look larger to make it a bit more easy on the eyes.)

<a href="http://www.taterstalltails.com/p/ya-crush-tourney-team-kaidan-official.html"><img border="0" width="110%" src="http://oi49.tinypic.com/xf156p.jpg"/></a>

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pages: 358
Source: ALA
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

REASONS WHY THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME:

• Emotionally evoking read? YES.
• Guys, this book made me feel the FEELS. I laughed at Alina's almost snarky, sarcastic humor, I felt my heart do TEN THOUSAND leaps during the steamy/cutesy times, I teared up (which is something that does NOT happen often) MANY times, and I had my heart pummeled and crushed into billions of pieces.
• Oh yes, everyone, this book pulls many Cassie Clare-like tricks on you. Anyone read Clockwork Prince? Yeah, my heart was ripped out and stomped on as many times when I read CP. *sniffle* (And, I secretly enjoyed it but don't tell anyone that.) 

•  ALINA. You awesome heroine, you!
• Yes, that one word is a key aspect of why I loved this book so much! Far from those vapid ninnies YA books seem to call heroines nowadays, Alina was such a well written character. Realistic with a humorous voice, it was so so fun to read things from her perspective. 
• The way she acted in her situations was so realistic. The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking, "OH! I WOULD DO THE SAME THING TOO!" I love it when I can relate to characters.

• I actually ADORE this love triangle.
• Well, it's not necessarily a love triangle, but I seriously could not stop myself from rooting for both guys! When you haven't picked a side because you're so TORN between the two, that... THAT is when you know that it's a good romance.
• Pushing the two equally sexy men my heart pines for aside, I am so happy to say I hardly found any trace of instant love. The steamy scenes were practically BUILT on damn good  romantic tension, and the scenes where it made my heart go "AWWW!" were absolutely adorable and completely believable.

• Pertaining to the love triangle up above, Mal and Darkling. ENOUGH SAID.
• Well, I will say that each have their own attractive qualities which made me fall hard for both of them. The Darkling has more of this mysterious, infuriatingly sexy allure to him, while Mal's allure is just plain cute and charming.

• THE WRITING. OH MY GOSH.
• The prose in Shadow and Bone doesn't necessarily elicit the kind of vibe you get from elegant, beautiful writing, but more reminiscent to that of Suzanne Collins: engaging and compelling where it didn't let me go after I read the first sentence.

•  Surprise, twists, and shocks, oh my!
• Shadow and Bone definitely threw me in for a whirl. I practically did not see half of the things coming, and some of them were so shocking that it actually made my heart tear itself in half!

•  This Russian inspired high fantasy KICKS BUTT.
• Why does it kick one's arse? Well because of the world building! Filled with lavish descriptions and rich settings, Shadow and Bone was a book I wanted to take my time delving into. From the kefta to the kvas to the Grisha themselves, I loved every single aspect!

Point is? This book is like a sweet, sugary treat. I savored every last bit I could get out of it, and I cannot wait for more!