Review + Giveaway: Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Book: Inbetween by Tara Fuller
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 400
Source: Review copy provided for blog tour
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Inbetween is a surprising albeit regular paranormal romance with a rather refreshing twist -- reapers. While Inbetween does go above and beyond a regular, 3 starred read, it falls a little short under "ASDFGHJKL;" amazing.

Well let's start off with what was absolutely awesome with this book, yes?

WHAT MAKES INBETWEEN SO SPECIAL? 

• Damn good world building, that is!
• GAH. Just WOW. Inbetween really threw me in for a loop here. Most paranormal romances don't really wow me with the world building but with the romance. (After all, isn't that the point? It is a paranormal romance.) Well, except for this little book here!
• What's so surprising about the world building is how in depth it is. The Inbetween itself, how the system works, and everything else obviously showed the work of someone who took the time and effort to come up with something unique and pretty much awesome.

• The writing is actually GOOD.
• Okay, I guess it's no surprise now that I expected very little of this book besides some cute/steamy romance to gnaw on for the time being. The writing, although redundant at times with the descriptions, is vivid and just easy on the eyes. I LOOOVED it.

• EMOTIONS. 
• There are some pretty heart wrenching scenes in here, I'm not going to lie. I don't know if it was my teenage hormones fluctuating at that very moment or something but I was near TEARS, I tell you. Books hardly make me cry, so that is an accomplishment I tell you!

•  Romance = A-OKAY!
• Not the best, but not the worst -- it's just really, really freaking cute. While I would have LOVED some more romance development between Finn and Emma, the back story and the time they spend together is just adorable and very well written. 

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO RAH

I was going to start my sentence with, "Okay," but that's just really awkward when I think about it since I do it so much. Like the title says, there were little things in this book that just irritated me for a bit.

• Maeve, my dear, you are so cliche that it hurts my heart. IMMENSELY.
• Okay, so, not just "for a bit" but Maeve irritated me throughout the entire book. She is the villain after all, but this villain was so two-dimensional she made paper look like a three-dimensional human. Her character is so predictable, it's gut wrenching. (END RANT.)

WIN WIN WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Pages: 416
Source: ALA copy
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.  

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Yes, folks, it's not just another pretty cover. Throne of Glass actually has some substance beneath this glossy exterior and does surprisingly well in not disappointing me. Personally, I thought I wasn't going to like this book because the universe tends to have me dislike books that everyone seems to just ADORE.

Armed with beautiful prose as well as fantastic, in-depth world building, Throne of Glass and its future installments have the potential to be one of the best young adult fantasy novels. We have a strong yet realistically vulnerable heroine, as well as emotionally evoking scenes and heart racing action packed scenes. There's really a TON of good things going on in this book.

While there is potential and awesome stuff galore, there are two things that fell for me: the pacing and the romance. GAH, the romance.

WHAT THRONE OF GLASS FAILS ON FOR ME

• The pacing -- absolutely slow at times, like "WHY ISN'T MY COMPUTER LOADING I'M GOING TO SMASH THIS TO PIECES" slow. You know, when you get infuriated when your computer just doesn't want to be fast for you? Yeah, that's what I felt for Throne of Glass.
• Well, it's not slow the whole time. For me, it felt like it had more of an irregular pace. It would be interesting and fast paced, then dull and slow paced in the next chapter.

• The romance -- in which certain characters can't seem to make up their minds and the love just feels WRONG.
• The romance can have a huge impact on me when I'm reading a novel -- sizzling, well done chemistry with a suck butt heroine is much more appealing to me as opposed to rather dry and dead with a kick butt heroine.
• Throne of Glass wasn't necessarily dead -- like I said in my title, it just didn't feel right. The main love interest and Celaena just didn't roll with me. The other left out guy of the love triangle was a MUCH better fit with Celaena.
• Perhaps it's just me and it's more of preference why I didn't enjoy the romance in Throne of Glass. Several other readers simply ate up the romance with more enthusiasm than I did!

Throne of Glass and its series makes a perfect potential candidate to become something really GREAT in the future, especially for me. If it works out its small flaws, I think I'll enjoy the next book much more than I did with this one.

Waiting on Wednesday: UNIQUE AS HECK Edition

Hosted at Breaking the Spine and original picture credits go to ハツ子

I admit, my titling skills (Unique as HECK? Really, Gianna? REALLY?) is a bit of a fail right now, BUT these premises just sound so good and fascinating to me that it stunned me SPEECHLESS. :D

Touched by Corrine Jackson

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll be coming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

No senses? How does the romance function then? AND he has to KILL HER? FASCINATING.

 I AM VERY INTRIGUED.

Undeadly by Michele Vail

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

I love it when books are set in academies. AND WHAT IS THIS INSANITY? Necromancy galore? What may seem to be a very hot teacher? I EAT UP teacher x student relationships in novels/manga. (Wait, I don't even know if there will be a relationship between Rath and Molly. AWKWARD.)

 Think Vampire Academy series and Rose x Dimitri. (Although, I can't say that I support that in real life... Well, that's the beauty of fictional novels. It's not real!) Even though there looks like it's going to be a love triangle, I'll still check this ouuut~

Manga Monday: Supernatural Victorian Delight

Manga Monday is hosted by Alison Can Read. This button edit is my own. The image credits go to the manga, Watashi ni xx Shinasai and its mangaka.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to a new feature (albeit not entirely original) at Books to Infinity. :) 

Manga Mondays at Books to Infinity is less of detailed manga reviews and more of manga recommendations/mini-reviews.

Most of the manga I will recommend will probably be the kind that you can only read on websites like mangafox.me (meaning you have to read this on the computer) or on your phone through a manga app. (Manga app I use for the iPhone/iTouch would be MangaStorm)

Manga Spotlight of the Week:

Manga: Hana to Akuma by Hisamu Oto

More information here: MyAnimeList

14 Years ago Vivi, the demon, decided to leave the demon realm and come to the human world. There he found an abandoned baby and on a whim decided to keep it. Since then he lives together with Hana...but having a 14 year-old girl around you, is it really that simple?

THIS MANGA. ZOMG. ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVES.

Art: 9/10 -- Everything is drawn really beautifully, especially the characters themselves! Vivi is definitely hot himself. I cannot STAND reading a manga without at least a hot guy (AKA bishie/bishonen) and Vivi definitely fits that category. (And Hana! SHE IS ADORABLE.)

Plot: 10/10 -- The pacing is normal, not too fast and not too slow. The whole story itself is really interesting, and just perfect.

Romance: 9/10 -- Although a tad slow to my liking, it was very very very well done. The relationship between the two blossoms and deepens throughout the story, with TONS of cute, "KYAAA!" moments as well as heart pounding, blush worthy instances between them.

Characters: 10/10 -- Hilarious and well developed. All I need to make me a happy camper.

Ending: 10/10 -- I can't go into too much detail but it was the absolutely most perfect way to end the tale of Vivi and Hana, and all the loose ends had been tied up.

Manga shots/art shots --

Readathon Time! Bout of Books 5.0

Yaaay! I'm so glad I came across this! I've been in dire need of a readathon because my TBR pile is HUGE! Maybe a couple of you are wondering what Bout of Books is? Here's the official blurb ---

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal.  It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 13th and runs through Sunday, August 19th in whatever time zone you are in.  Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week.  There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 5.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 5.0 team

:D Got the main gist of it, then? Well, here's my goal to read throughout the week:

My main priority ---

Inbetween by Tara Fuller

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

If I finish those, maybe I'll squeeze a two of these in ---

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost 

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Are you guys participating too? This sounds so fun! I hope I can actually finish my main priority books. *-----*

Review: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

Book: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 408
Source: Netgalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

 Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

A steampunk fantasy, eh? You got me THAR!

Yes, THAR. Okay, so it may not be a word, but it's a fun way of saying "there". (Well, at least it is for me!) Now, here's the real question: is this a damn good steampunk fantasy? YES and NO.

WHY NO? BECAUSE INNOCENT DARKNESS IS A TEASE.

 

Reading Innocent Darkness is like an almost kiss in a sense. It could have, would have, should have been freaking hot but it wasn't. It lures me in with its potential to have deliciously written, darn good world building and plot and all that jazz but NO. It just doesn't go in for the kill to WOW me.

Do I even make sense? Okay, well here's the bullet point version.

• This is called a steampunk fantasy, so I DEMAND my steampunky goodness.
• Innocent Darkness severely lacked in terms of world building, especially with its steampunk elements.This obviously elicited thoughts such as, "RAH RAH GIMME MORE".

• This is called a steampunk fantasy, so I DEMAND my fantasy goodness.
• Like I've mentioned earlier, Innocent Darkness fails (for me, at least) in world building. Sure, I got to see the Otherworld and get a quick taste of it but that's all I got. A. QUICK. TASTE.
• I really believe that this book enjoys teasing me. I see SO MUCH potential with this book to be something really unique, and quite possibly amazing but it just hasn't reached that level yet.

• I simply need more. I NEED MORE.

 WHY YES? BECAUSE WHAT I GOT WAS ACTUALLY SATISFYING.

•  We have Noli, Kevighn, and our very own V! (yes, V is a nickname.) They were very enjoyable characters to read about, especially Kevighn and his own mysterious past. Noli wasn't a pain in any body part of mine, so rejoice!
• They weren't necessarily characters that really STOOD out, if you get me. They're interesting, but not keyboard mashing worthy aka ASDFJHSALJKDFHAL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE.

• The fantasy and steampunk elements albeit given in very low doses was FASCINATING. I loved learning about the Otherworld at every chance I was given, and I ate up all of the steampunk ID gave me like a sweet tooth child would devour candy.

• Plot plot PLOT! Not completely engrossed as I would have liked to be, I loved the pace of the story and each little twist that popped up here and there.

Quick overview of my thoughts? I'll state it again: I need MOAR. MORE. MOOORE. There's just SO much potential for this book, there really is and even as in its underdeveloped stage, it's quite gewwd! (I'm seriously in the mood to just misspell everything on purpose, so don't mind that.)

Waiting on Wednesday: Fantasy Goodness Edition

Hosted at Breaking the Spine and original picture credits go to ハツ子

Hi everyone! How's your Wednesday so far? :) I've been spending the past couple of days on a new look for my blog. I decided to ditch the galaxy theme (for now, anyways) and go for a more simple, clean (cutesy ANIME) feel. Anybody detest the changes? Love it? Feel free to send me all of your (not too mean) hate/love in the comments! ♥

This week I'm waiting on:

The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

Mia is torn between two guys—and two worlds—in this epic, romantic fantasy. Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.

REACTION: 

LOLWUT? Is it just me or does this cover SCREAM paranormal romance? Still, I love my fantasy anyways even if their cover looks EXTREMELY deceiving. Besides, I've yet to read some steamy fantasy so this sounds puuurrty fiiiine to me.

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

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart… misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

REACTION: 

More fantasy YAAAY! And swooning elements, eh? I'm intrigued. I might have to bump this up on my TBR pile, even though it has yet to be published until March 2013. (SADNESS.)

 Hey, Poison, COME AT ME BRO. (But really? FRED? FRED? WHY THAT NAME WHY)

Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #1)

Book: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 358
Genre: [Adult] paranormal romance | urban fantasy
Source: Bought
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

I have but ONE word for Bones this book (or more like an acronym): UNF. If you don't know what it means, Urban Dictionary explains it very well here.

Caution: Please proceed at your own risk. Lots of GUSHING ahead.

WHAT IS THIS BOOK FILLED WITH, EXACTLY?

• Badassery at its FINEST.
• Cat and Bones? These two kick ASS. Like, major booty here. The action in Halfway to the Grave bursts with intensity and is simply the epitome of the word, "engaging". (THAT is saying a LOT, if you ask me. I detest action scenes in general...very much.) 

• What is laughing?
• Small, amusing moments do not exist in this book. Okay? Okay. (No, I'm kidding they do.) What exists in Halfway to the Grave is nonstop HILARITY. Good gosh, I do not think I've ever laughed so much while reading a book! (And books RARELY make me laugh.)
• Cat and Bones' dialogue... GOOD LAWDY. I'm laughing as I type about it right now. It just GETS to me. This book understands my humor. IT UNDERSTANDS ME.

• I just love cats. I really do. And you know what? Heroine's name = CAT.
• What I really admire about Cat is how headstrong she is (which is both good and bad). I LOVE how dedicated and determined this girl is. She's been an outcast all her life, but no, she doesn't let it get it to her head and becomes a shut out. No, she becomes a KICK ASS HEROINE. YOU GO, CAT.
• Bones deserves his own bullet, so on to the next point...

• BONES. No, not the "bones" in our bodies, you smart aleck.
• This man, this man right here, is PERFECTION in the world of leading male characters. He's ridiculously charming, seductive, hilarious, a GENTLEMAN (who still manages to be completely bad boy at the same time), sexy, has a BRITISH ACCENT, and did I mention he's smexy as heck?
• When we're first introduced to Bones, I'm like, "Ew. No. I don't like this. What. Just stop. How can I like this book now. UGH." However, it took me VERY LITTLE time to fall super UBER hard for Bones. ♥ 
• I can't even describe how badass Bones is. Really. I'm SPEECHLESS.

• Romance. UNF. UNF. UNFUNFUNFUNF.
• Disappointed is FAR FAR FAR from what I felt about the romance in this book. Halfway to the Grave has everything a romance junkie can dream of -- good ol' panty melting, sexually charged TENSION.
• The chemistry between Cat and Bones...just WHOA. Every touch and sound between these two (both conversational wise and... not so conversational wise) is just done so well. I ship these two so hard. <3 

• And of course there IS a fast paced plot! Halfway to the Grave grabbed me like it was an obsessed kidnapper and didn't let me go until it had their way done with me.

This book, in all, was just so much fun. REALLY. I think the only regret this book would leave any reader would be not having bought the second book in advance. (The ending? Pretty solid, not a major cliffhanger. It's the kind of ending that leaves you like, "RAH GIMME MORE DAMMIT")