Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Teaser Tuesdays #7 – Stone Cold Touch


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!

Yess yess yess! I'm reading (or should I say rereading.....because I succumbed to bad habit and skimmed.....just a tiny bit, and now I'm rereading from scratch *whacks self over the head*) Stone Cold Touch, the second instalment in the The Dark Elements by Jennifer L. Armentrout! Let's just say.....it did not disappoint ;) And my review should be up soon enough. Hopefully.
I'm easily distracted xD

Now where were we, ah yes. TT! I won an ebook of SCT, for which I feel especially lucky, considering my lack of accessibility to physical books (including the library at the moment), and no sign of SCT in the Aus iBooks store.
Source of Pic: jenniferarmentrout.com


“He whipped the headphones right off Dean’s head. “Ignoring us is rude.”
The boy on the bed—the boy who’d always been quiet and had held doors open for other students—smirked as he folded his arms behind his head. “Do I look like I care?”
“Do I look like I won’t rip your head off your shoulders?” replied Roth.
“Whoa,” I said, shooting him a look. “That’s not helping.”
Dean looked over at me and sat up. He reached down between his legs and did something that made my ears burn. “You’re more than welcome to stay in here, honey. These two tools can hit the road, though.”
My mouth dropped open. “Okay. Commence with ripping the head off.”
Roth smirked.”

AND:

“I know what you are.” Dean flopped on his back. “Magnam de cælo, et tu super despectus.”
“And now he speaks Latin?” This was going nowhere fast. “What did he say?”
Roth chuckled. “Something that won’t make Stony happy.”

What's your teaser tuesdays post?

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. 

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?




Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand 
My Rating: ★★★
#1 of the Clone Chronicles 
Page Count: 272
Recommended For: Sci-Fi fans. The Island film fans.
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Clones
#Coverlove :D

—————————————————————
When I am called to duty, I will be ready. I will serve my Authentic in any way necessary. 
- Imitation, Heather Hildenbrand
—————————————————————

Anyone.. The Island much?!

Concept: The richer people can make Imitations AKA Clones of themselves. Those Imitations can contribute to organ harvesting, or filling in for events. 

The main character, Ven, was cool. She didn't really stand out against the world of YA female protagonists, but she didn't annoy me too much as well, so I appreciate that. When I say 'too much', it meant that she still annoyed me at parts... especially the romance parts. 

Let's look into that, shall we? *offers arm*

The romance was way too fast in my opinion.
It was like... 
Linc: You're different *cocks head* I can't place it.. but you're not that celeb-y Raven Rogen....
Ven: I HAVE A SECRET TO TELL YOU......... I'M ....A......CLOOONNNEE
Linc: *le gasp* THAT IS SO AWESOMEEE
Ven: :D REALLY?!
Linc:  YES TOTALLY. UN. BELIEVE. ABLE. 
Ven: YAY
Linc: kissy kissy kissy
Ven: Swoony swoony swoony

Me: *rolls eyes* Come on, guys. Get your head in the game. 

It also wasn't believable that she's been training for 4 years. I mean.. even you're still you're own person, you ARE still a clone. And all you've been doing it train train train. Doesn't she have to be at least a bit okay in acting her Authentic? Because she was complete rubbish at it. Sorry Ven, but it's the harsh truth *pats head* Also, I didn't get how Obadiah was an Authentic for her friend.. unless I read it wrong. Because I'm pretty sure you can't change genders with cloning.. o.O

Another down part was that the dialogue between the characters was a little stiff for me to read comfortably. There weren't any parts where I had to go back a few paragraphs because I didn't understand, but more like a '... did he really just say that. Out loud.' reaction. 

There was also an issue with the setting, because I really wanted to know what year this book was set in. Also I wanted to know more about Ven's Authentic, Raven. All that came out about her was that she was a player, and never turned down a boy, and that she's a shallow bimbo who only cares about her appearance and gossip. That's LITERALLY the only information we get about her. Kind of sad, don't you think? 

Apart from that though, I liked the ending, and how it was a cliffhanger. I think the second book will be much better than the first, because things are actually starting to happen :) This book was a bit of a slow start. 

Do I Recommend?: Ummm lemme get back to you on that after I read the sequel... it wasn't that bad though. Just kind of meh.

**Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for review<3**

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Book Trailer: Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy, #1)
Book synopsis:
After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.
This year, it is my turn.
My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power. 
But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.
Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo ** iTunes


Goodreads Giveaway:
There is a giveaway on Goodreads to win The Book of Ivy. 3 copies available, and only in US and CA, unfortunately ;( Here's the link to the giveaway

And now, here's the book trailer!!


Belle: I've heard a bit of hype about this book, so hopefully it's as good as it sounds ;) Perhaps it'll be like The Selection but action-ish and less whiny....if so I'll happily read it xD Because I've skimmed The Selection, but there's no way I'd ever consider properly reading it, sorry Selectioners :P


About Amy Engel:
Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri where she lives with her husband and two kids.  Before devoting herself full time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV.  When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Find Amy online: Website / Twitter

Friday, October 24, 2014

Release Day Launch + Review: The Collector's Society by Heather Lyons!

TCS RDL Banner
 

Holy cannoli! It's here!!! We are extremely excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Heather Lyons' THE COLLECTORS' SOCIETY!! THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY is an Adult Romantic Fairy Tale, full of adventure and fantasy. This is Alice as you have never seen her before...


The Collectors' Society front cover

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo ** iTunes


THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY Synopsis:
From the author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet.
After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though.
Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth. It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings.
Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

TCS Teaser 1

Review:

Just because a story ends, doesn't mean it's finished.

Opening the first few pages, a 25 year old Alice has been in a mental asylum for close to half a year now, but her past and how she ended up in the asylum from when she was in Wonderland is very obscure. Then a mysterious man turns up and urges her to help him save Wonderland. And of course, she accepts, and is taken to New York to join The Collector's Society. And it is there that she learns that everything she thought she knew isn't what it seems.

Oh. My. God.
This book is gold!! The idea of having book characters that have come out of classic books like Alice in Wonderland to appear in our world......it's like Matrix cross Inkheart. It brought me right back to being a kid and wishing characters would come to life, except it's spun so that they learn who they are, join The Collector's Society, and live in secret among us while protecting the other 'story worlds', otherwise known as Timelines.

Sadly I've never read the classic Alice books by Lewis Carroll, but I still kept up with the story because, one, it's not vital to know who the characters are (tho I suppose it would be pretty fun to go Ohh me gosh I know who that is! lol) and two, it's true, Alice is very famous, so whether you've read the classics or not, you should know enough to get the general idea.
I must admit tho, with my main source being the latest Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, I was surprised a couple times.....like when said character turned out to be a weak and grovelling sex crazed lunatic XDD

I don't know how she writes in other books, but Lyons's writing style in this was perfect. It suited the story to a T, and even tho most of the characters are from some earlier century (in a timeline, not our world, but close enough xD), Lyons managed to make them fit in with modern times while keeping their 19th or 20th century way of speaking.

I loved Alice! She's so wise and mature and knowledgeable, and such a far cry from all those whiny girls in YA books xD I liked that when she was thrown into the deep end and her whole world shifted under her feet, she didn't cry or break down, which is a great feat, but I guess she has quite a bit of experience in that area. She did discover Wonderland after all!
Oh, and I adored the friendship between Alice and Mary (one of The Collector's Society members). Those two are so cool together :P
“Aha!” She’s triumphant. “So there is something going on between you two!” Her hands rub together. “The A.D. and I had a bet going. He said there was no way you two were going to get involved. Said you were too much an Ice Queen to even think about hooking up.” She snorts. “Ha! Queen! Get it?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m from Victorian England, not the Stone Ages, Mary.”
“The point is, I’m getting myself a nice, fat pile of money when we get back.”
“I’m glad my emotions are profitable for you.”


I was surprised with the lack of angst surrounding the romance, but in a sense I was relieved after reading so much teenage angst in YA books! There were two love interests, but it wasn't you're usual love triangle because....well, there wasn't a love triangle. XD Sounds a bit weird, I know. But it was because even tho Alice had strong feelings for both Finn and Jace, she knew she couldn't be with Jace, and both Jace and Alice had accepted that they couldn't be together. Which made any potential animosity between Jace and Finn nonexistent. In fact, they sort of became friends. Again weird, I know! I felt really sad for Jace tho :'( *sniffs*

Also, I thought I'd point out that this is definitely NA.
Lunatic Belle: NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, BAATMAAN.
That was totally out of context......*sighs and continues*
So do not touch this book if you're solely a YA reader ;) Mind you, it's not that NAish compared to other books. It was actually more focused on the romance, which was cute :p

And now it's time to look at flaws. This was that special type of book where you don't even think about flaws because you're so enraptured! <3 But, when I looked back, the only problem I found was that the ending seemed too easy. That is, there wasn't really a climax, but no matter. It's only the first book in the series ;) That's right, there will be more books yayy! I don't know how many yet, but I'll definitely read it when them when they come out :)

On a final note....I couldn't help going a step further and thinking, maybe the real truth is that someone called Heather Lyons wrote a book called The Collector's Society, and it's about all these book characters meeting and saving book worlds called Timelines, and someone, namely a reader (*sticks up hand* PICK ME), can indeed disappear into the book to meet them.....hehehe okay, I'm being really evil. And improbable, but I couldn't help myself.....that was too tempting not to write out :p

4.5 stars

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

TCS Teaser 2

Excerpt:
“Do you find my ability to converse lacking, Doctor?”
He chuckles softly, no doubt remembering how I wasn’t chatty with anyone, himself included, for the first month of my stay. To be fair, it is difficult to carry on an invigorating discussion when one is shaking so hard from withdrawals they fear they might shatter into thousands of painful pieces before a single word can be uttered. Plus, there was the whole bit of how once I did open up, I raved liked a lunatic about things no normal person could imagine being true.
“Certainly not,” he says to me. “But as I must stay at the Pleasance and you must go forth into the world, it will do you good to practice on somebody new.”
“Then send in one of the orderlies. Or one of the nurses. I’ll happily chat with a staff member.” One of his bushy, out-of-control eyebrows lifts high into his forehead.
“There are people out there who are quite content being solitary,” I point out. “Who do not need to converse with anybody but themselves and their dogs.”
He sets his pen down. “What about cats?”
Rigor mortis sets in ever so briefly at this question. “You father said you were quite fond of cats growing up. There was one in particular that you favored. Dinah, was it not?”
“I’m—” I have to clear my throat. “Lately, I wonder if perhaps I’m more of a dog person after all.”

Author Photo

About Heather Lyons:
Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Website ** Author Goodreads ** Twitter ** Facebook ** THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY Goodreads


TCS Available now

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Giver by Lois Lowry



Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.


The Giver by Lois Lowry
My Rating: ★★★
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.11
Standalone. (There are sequels but it isn't directly connected to the end of this story, I think. Different MCs)
Recommended For: People interested in unique sci-fi concepts
Genres: YA, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Classic (? Goodreads said so..)
Made into a Film? Yes! (it's really good)

——————————————————
It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. 
No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice.
- The Giver, Lois Lowry
——————————————————

So. I kind of had high expectations for this one, because I watched the film first (the horror!), and the film was amazing. The whole way it was delivered and the ideas behind it were beautiful! So naturally, I thought 'If the FILM was this good, then the book must be mind-blowing! Since books are always better than movies.'  Unfortunately, this was one of those rare cases where the movie was actually kind of better than the book ^^ Even though there were minor things I wished they included. 

THE BOOK: 
I didn't connect to the characters much. Maybe because they couldn't feel emotion (yes you heard me right), or maybe because it was in third PoV, but for some reason, I didn't emotionally feel them. Or make any kind of special bond. That was a bit disappointing. 

If the characters weren't up to par, then the plot must have made up for it, no? No.

The plot was alright, with the exception that Lowry built the tension up and up and up and up.........and then..... wait what? 

I didn't get it! All that building between Jonas and the Giver, and then THAT'S how it ends? 

I was just left in my seat so confused. 

Of course, as I mentioned, I watched the film first, so I knew it was going to end like that. But what I thought was that books have more detail. It's deeper. You understand everything so much more clearly. 

It couldn't have ended that simply! It's just weird. Maybe I was supposed to analyse it or something... *shrugs* Maybe I will someday. 

I spent about half an hour reading up on other people's reviews, working out the ending for myself. Some people loved the ambiguity of it, some did not. I'm in the latter, but I understand the whole 'vague' sense the book also thought was necessary. After all, it's really hard to resolve books with a confusing plot aim. 

Sometimes, open ended endings are great, but other times, they fall flat. Instead of making you ponder your meaning on life, they confuse the heck out of you until you eventually lower the rating.

I haven't talked about the concept quite much, so i'll start now :P

This is a "perfect" world. From when you're born, the government has your life planned out for you.

They stalk watch you until you're 12, and they decide on the perfect job for you based on your personality. You can apply for a spouse when you get older, and they'll give you a perfect match. You then apply for kids, and babies (up to 2) will be handed to you. When you get too old to work, you get sent into the House of the Old until it's your time of Release.

^ your whole life.

Dun dun dun.

People take pills everyday to erase emotions. Of course they don't know that they are because they don't know what emotions are. They're just doing it because it's in the rules. So simple o.o

They also can't see colour. I think that's the worst... colours are the most beautiful things <3 I would die! The book really makes you grateful for this world right now and that you're in it. 

Basically: 
Good- Concept 
Meh- Writing Style, Characters, Ending. 

THE FILM:
I loved the movie. The reason why I watched the movie first and then the book after (normally I NEVER do that. I don't want to be spoiled for the book.), was roughly like: (I have bad memory so everytime I tell this scenario it's different xD Whoops. But whatever)

Mum: Guys let's watch the Giver
Me: But I haven't read the book! :O
Dad: Who wants to watch the Giver?
Mum: ME
Bro: Me
Dad: we're going to watch the Giver! 
Me: XD Outnumbered.
Dad: Just close your eyes and eat your food or something
Me: *actually attempts* ... (yes I did do that. Don't ask me why.. I can be overdramatic)

But of course, I ended up watching it because as soon as I saw one scene, I was hooked :P 
The visuals are done really well, and the casting is also great. I don't think there was enough character development in Jonas' family, but that's alright.

At the end of the film my family was like "That was awesome!"
My dad: Doesn't make any sense
Me: *rushes to grab book*

But yeah, the movie was a liiiittle more amazing. :) I would really recommend you to see it if you haven't. It doesn't matter if you haven't read the book for this one, since there aren't any big plot twists or such hehe ;) If you have seen it, tell me what you thought! :D So curious.

Aand somehow this became a book/movie review! ;P

—MissOddball€ (Too lazy to swap keyboards for the TM) Over and Out. 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

SCT RDL Banner Final

We are thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout's STONE COLD TOUCH! STONE COLD TOUCH is the second full-length novel in Jennifer's The Dark Elements Series, a young adult paranormal romance being published by Harlequin Teen!!


Cold Stone Touch

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** Kobo ** iTunes


STONE COLD TOUCH synopsis:

Every touch has its price.
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay...

SCT available now

Belle: I'm so excited to read this omg! The Aus iBooks store doesn't have it yet so I thought I wouldn't get to read it straight away, but I just won an ebook copy of SCT and I feel so lucky! :D

EXCERPT:
I’d remained in bed after that, trying to sort through the odd tingling in my chest. There was a slight smile on my lips, because Zayne…well, he’d made my day, but then I’d remember what Roth had said to me the night before and the smile would wash away as if it had never been there. I probably needed to get used to the whiplash mood swings. It wasn’t until after dinner that I decided to scrub a day’s worth of gunk off myself.
Gingerly, I peeled the bandage off, happy to find that the cut in my arm was healing as expected. I didn’t need to cover it anymore. The arm was still tender, but the Warden blood in me was quickly undoing the damage from the iron.
After changing into fresh pj’s, like a total hermit, I padded over to my desk, where I’d left my cell phone. It had been on silent all day and when I tapped the screen, I wasn’t surprised to see a slew of texts from Stacey.
Where r u? R u skipping, u ho? A minute later:
Your locker misses u. Guess u sick with the herp? Oh my God. I laughed out loud, grinning as I thumbed through her texts.
Our bio sub is still hot. U r missing this. Bio is lonely. My boobs miss u. How weird is that? That was notably weird and yet not surprising.
If I get my cell taken from me, it’s ur fault. Holy shit, Layla, where r u?!? Air punched out of my lungs as I read the next text and the several following them.
U have no idea who just walked into bio!!! Roth is here! Holy Canola oil, why aren’t u here to witness this? Ok. He says he had mono. Srlsy? Do people still get mono? And who in the duck was he kissing? A second later—Duck? I didn’t mean duck. That’s SO not what I meant, autocorrect.
Another text had come in about fifteen minutes after the last one. He asked where u were. I told him u joined a cult. I laughed. He didn’t.
Finally, the last text was to call her if I wasn’t dead. “What in the Hell?” I tossed my cell onto the bed, mouth hanging open.

StoneColdTouch-YouDecideSharable

And don't forget! The choice is yours...
Beginning today you’ll have 3 weeks to visit the series website, www.thedarkelementsseries.com, to take a poll and decide which guy Layla should ultimately choose in the final book in the trilogy, Every Last Breath. At the end of 3 weeks, we will tally all the votes, and that’s when Jennifer L. Armentrout will start writing Every Last Breath.
The guy who gets the most votes is the one Layla will pick. To prevent early spoilers, we're not going to reveal who won the poll in advance…you’ll have to wait until Every Last Breath goes on sale on July 28th, 2015 to find out whether Zayne or Roth wins Layla in the end. We promise the book will be epic and definitely worth the wait! Who do you want Layla to end up with? Go to www.thedarkelementsseries.com and vote for your choice!

Author Photo

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Series Website | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Lailah (The Styclar Saga, #1)
Source of Pic: Hypable
Lailah by Nikki Kelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 3.98 of 5 stars
Pages: 416
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Over one million Wattpad readers have made Lailah a sensation!

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.
On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely Allie – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.
In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?
Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.


Lailah, the main character in this book (of the same name), doesn't know who or more importantly what she is. She has sudden flashbacks of previous lives and never ages past her 17 years. One night as she's going home from work she stumbles across a young man escaping from certain death......except Jonah isn't a young man. In fact, he's not even human. Jonah is a vampire. Lailah knows what he is, but decides to help him anyway, and is soon running for her life as well.
When Jonah and Lailah meet up with Jonah's friends, led by the mysterious Gabriel, Lailah's life turns upside down. Because she knows Gabriel, knows his smile, his laugh, his love. Just not in this life, or this century. Gabriel is an Angel and he believed Lailah to be human and dead, but she's neither.
As the secrets and revelations start to flow, and Lailah's heart gets pulled in two very different directions, how long will they be safe before the enemy strikes.....and hits their target?
Because it soon becomes clear that the creatures chasing the ragtag crew are no longer after Jonah.....they're after Lailah, and they'll do anything to get her.

So one of my long time GR besties (it's been over a year omg!), the lovely Rachel over at A Perfection Called Books, recommended Lailah to me! Rach is one of the Founders of the Styclar Street Team, so naturally she loved Lailah and ordered me to read it xD

I admit I had a few problems with Nikki's writing. For the most part it was rather good; sure it's a bit raw, but rather engaging, especially for a debut author. What irritated me was these few phrases or words she used once in a while that really rubbed me up the wrong way. Yeah I know, I can be really picky sometimes XD

“That was some good hurling, Cessie! I’ll try to make the rest of the journey a little less bumpy.”
Umm....what?!

My toes were vibrating and had swelled in my shoes. The balls of my feet sighed with relief when I took my weight off them and collapsed into the passenger seat.
o.O Vibrating......

An elated tingle raced through me as he pawed the top of my panties.
Makes 'he' (no spoilers :P) sound like a perverted creep ^^

Do you see what I mean? Those phrases and words just don't fit or meld in smoothly with the rest of the writing. For me they stick out like sore thumbs and, putting it bluntly, I think the words haven't been used correctly.
It's like when I was a kid and looked up synonyms to replace my original words with because I thought that good writing needed a lack of repetition, so I'd replace words with a synonym. And yes, to a certain extent it's true, too much repetition doesn't make for smooth and engaging writing, but trying too hard isn't good either, and randomly replacing words will disrupt the writing.
Not that I'm implying Kelly did that XD but the result is the same, and I'm just putting it out there that choosing the words you use is very important because if you don't have a clear grasp of the definition, or how the word is interpreted in society today, it creates jagged writing rather than the smoothness that surely all writers thrive for.

I adored the plotwork tho! It's pretty unique because we have an abundance of angel books and vampire books, but bringing together them is a rather new concept, and I think that Nikki Kelly did a really good job :)

Also I heard a few people say that this book was dark, but I personally didn't see that at all. Sure there was an attempted rape, but it wasn't remotely graphic so I didn't really feel the severity of the moment and for me, Lailah definitely didn't cross the border from YA into NA.

Lailah wasn't the worst protagonist, but I didn't like her that much because too much emphasis in this book was put on the romance rather than the action and mystery of the situation.
She spent most of her time daydreaming about either Gabriel or Jonah and acting like a pining teenager, and an insecure one at that. Her thoughts literally do this:
I love Gabriel!
Oh no I'm too plain and Gabriel's gorgeous....he'll never love me *wail*
But I know Gabriel loves me!
Noooooo Gabriel doesn't love me!
Errmegoshh Jonah is sooo haawt! *fans face*
I shouldn't want Jonah, but I do. But I must save myself for Gabriel!
What should I do?! *distressed look*

Me:

Isn't she meant to be two hundred years old? I know she doesn't remember a quarter of her previous lives as a source of wisdom but *sigh* xD

Gabriel is an Angel, and Lailah's lover back in her first life. Of course, being a classic vision of an angel, he's all blonde hair and vivid blue eyes ;) I liked Gabriel, I did, but I didn't understand why he didn't just tell Lailah everything from the start. His secrecy seemed kind of pointless to me, as if it was only there to create tension and drama ^^
Plus he's too nice to Hanora aka the vampire he saved years and years ago.....but more importantly the vampire who has the hots for him.
I get it, okay? He saved her, and she's been with him for a 100 years *rolls eyes* But. I. Don't. Care. *huffs*
I hate her, and I certainly don't understand why he lets her just strut around and plaster herself on him! If it's true that he's a light soul, and she's a dark soul, which means he could never like her that way, why doesn't he seem totally disgusted by her antics? It makes no sense >.<
I am leaning towards Team Gabriel tho......I just hope he'll stop being an idiot XD

Jonah. Hmm. At first he got on my nerves because I didn't understand his stalkerish behaviour. I mean, sneaking into Lailah's room when it's locked and she's having a shower? o.O #creepalert Plus at one point he physically restrains her and tries to forcibly make her show him her injured shoulder! #controlfreak
But as it turns out, there's a reason for it. One, because he managed to fall in love with her *whispers* whyyy her Jonah? You could do so much better XDD And two, because he drank her blood (vampire remember?) and that means he became connected to her in a sense.
He's also a self proclaimed bad boy, and by bad boy I mean, he totally rocks the hot jerk role :P But he's a good guy at heart and also has a sweet side *flutters eyelashes* Yup I'm officially a sucker for rude hot fictional characters!

With JLA's The Dark Elements at the forefront of my mind because of Stone Cold Touch's impending release (I'm counting the days!), the love triangle in Lailah suddenly reminded me of the love triangle in TDE! In both series, one love interest in a 'light, pure soul' while the other is the 'dark soul' (bad boys alert ;P), and the protagonist is a 'hybrid' of sorts in both series! :D Coincidence whoa!

And now it's time to discuss the two other female characters......who have both caused a certain level of grief for Lailah with their attachments *cough*obsessions*cough* with the two love interests -___-
Hanora majorly pissed me off because she seemed like one of those characters that have no purpose other than to get in the way of a relationship! You know the type that causes a lot of drama and misconceptions and has a total lack of genuine character personality or arc? Yup, that's Hanora with her ridiculous century-friggin-long obsession for Gabriel. It's soooo annoying! What will it take for her to grasp the concept that he's not into her??
At least with Brooke there was a reason for her possessiveness over Jonah! (view spoiler)
So while Brooke did get on my nerves a couple of times, I couldn't stay resentful because it's not her fault. Hanora on the other hand......well.....let's just say, she's on my hit list for fictional characters ;)

The revelations near the end and Lailah's sudden 180º decision (view spoiler) seemed really rushed and poorly thought through, but once we got past that stage everything seemed to fall into place. And that ending.....ohh that ending!

The very end was so epic I almost forgot about all my earlier misgivings. I got the same feeling I did when I was watching Breaking Dawn Part 1 for the first time, and I hated most of that movie! But the end where Bella is just lying there then her eyes snap open.....yeaaaahh same feeling at the end of Lailah ;)


So yes, while I see substantial room to improve in Lailah, there is certainly great potential, and I can't wait to read the second instalment of the Styclar Saga, Gabriel (maybe it'll be in his pov *fingers crossed*), when it is published :) I'll be on the lookout!

3.5 stars

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

View this review on Goodreads

The Random Questions Tag!!


We were tagged by The Book Of Jules! Go read her answers :) (*whispers* She read in the Louvre omg so lucky!)

In this tag, i'll be answering 18 random questions listed below, so y'all can know more about me! Awesome. So let's start.

1. Have you ever thrown a book?
Noooo!! I mean I wanted to yeah, but I would never hurt a book like that *sniff* 
Mostly because I read on my ipad, and the last time I threw my ipad... it refused to respond for a day (a very very long day,  I might add) so I have my reasons. That scared the heck outta me.

2. Do you like lengthy books or short books?
Depends on if the book is good or not. Because.. if you like it, you wouldn't want it to stop, but if it's mehhh then you want it to be over already! Short books do have that simple magic to them though, don't they?

3. If you don't like a book, do you stop reading it or finish it?
Again, it depends (omg I am just so good at answering these XD) of what level of "bad" it's on. If it's the 'I'll claw my eyes out if I need to read one more page' type, I'll put it down because I'm a nice person and I won't torture myself. If it's the 'this is so stupid it's kind of hilarious; I need to write a review' type, I'll push through. If it's the 'Gawwsh i'm bored to death kill me already' type, I probably won't stop reading on purpose but it'll just happen "naturally" ...AKA forget it exists after not reading a few days because it was so unmemorable. 

4. Do you stop reading when you're tired or when a chapter finishes?
When i'm tired definitely. I read real books mostly in the day and ebooks in the night (A bit opposite?) because it's easier to read on your ipad while lying down (real books will flop on your head) so I just kind of drift asleep midsentence.. I guess that counts as to 'stop reading'.. :D 

5. How do you organise your shelf?
By how much I like the book ^.^ So my favourites are on the top shelf. I don't care much about how pretty my shelf looks.. random shelving always looks best imo :P

6. Paperback or Hardcover?
Weeellll...... I love the feeling of a hardcover but paperbacks are way cheaper and they have this 'used' feeling on it :) 

7. What book can you not wait to read?
IN THE AFTERLIGHT BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN!!! It's almost out!! It's the third and last instalment of the Darkest Minds series, which is totally awesome. I. Can't. Wait.

8. A book you wish could be turned into a graphic novel?
Hm... I don't actually read graphic novels :/ I've only read one before and that was for school.

9. A book that disappointed you?
The most recent one was The Giver by Lois Lowry. It had a great concept, but then the ending fell flaaat. 

10. What book made you cry recently?
Love and Other Unknown Variables xD Yikes. Not a pretty picture

11. Do you prefer buying books online or going to the bookstore?
I wouuuld say bookstore.. but then I've only been to a bookstore twice in my life, and those were really small. (Oh the perks of living in only non-english speaking countries before.) So most all my books come from Book Depository :) My haven!

12. Do you prefer to listen to music while reading or to read in silence?
Depends on if I'm really into the book or not. If i'm lost in the book, I love reading in silence :D If not... I just kind of dance to myself with music while reading, if that's not too weird. 

13. What is the weirdest thing you've ever experienced while reading a book?
I don't think I've experienced anyy..o.O Well I bumped into a glass door once because I was reading while walking but that's about it ^.^

14. What was your first fandom? 
Harry Potter!! I was 8 :D

15. What fictional character do you relate to the most?
Tough! Uhm.. Lilly from Puddle Jumping or Rafi from Louder Than Words . I think those are the characters I connected to a lot.

16. What fictional character do you with you were more like?
Omg Luna Lovegood! I totally worship her! I really just admire her character and independence :) Ever since I read OoTP when I was like.. 9? 10? I seriously wanted to be Luna xD But then I figured if I was trying to be like Luna, that isn't what she's about since she's being herself and i'm trying to act like her.. so then my goal was to be myself. Yes, I was a weird kid. Still am *grins* Growing old is mandatory but growing up is not. 

17. If you could spend a whole day with five characters, who would you pick?
 Luna Lovegood, if that wasn't obvious, Liam Stewart from The Darkest Minds, Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines (He's hilariousss), Ginny Weasley from HP, and Fred and George from HP. Dude I love the Weasley family<3

18. What is a book that exceeded all of your expectations?
Recently? Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas :D I didn't know it was going to be that good!
I'm also reading an ARC called The Walls Around Us, and it also has that creepy setting. It's really good so far :) Perfect for this Halloween mood everyone seems to be in lately!

And that's it I guess? Great fun! My nominations areeeee......*drums roll*

Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books
Éles Veronika @ Reading is Dreaming With Open Eyes
Laura @ Blue Eye Books

and anyone else who wants to do it! Say I nominated you :P
Give a link below as well.. I would love to read your answers :)

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

Friday, October 17, 2014

#FF Feature & Follow Friday! (#1)

I came across this on Parajunkee's twitter and decided to give it a go at least once! :) What can I say, I'm a curious creature *winks* So let's get started!

The Feature & Follow is a blog hop to follow new blogs and just meet new bloggers and HAVE FUN! It's hosted by TWO hosts! Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View & Alison of Alison Can Read you can gather all the details at their sites.

This weeks Question:

Share the song you can’t stop listening to!

Hmm.....*taps chin* That would have to be Cool Kids by Echosmith! It keeps going around and around and around in my head to the point that I was singing out loud in Subway......*rueful chuckle* Yeahh, sometimes I have bouts of insanity xD



I just love it how Sydney (the main singer) has those little quirks with her hands as she sings! I totally do that.....minus the good singing *cringes*

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian (Lux, #1)
Source of Pic: Lux Series Wikia
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Current rating on Goodreads: 4.27 of 5 stars
Pages: 335
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.


LOVEEEEE!!!!!!! I'm in the process of re-reading the Lux series so I can happily gobble Opposition ;) I knoww, I'm a bit slowww......I should have started re-reading last month (3 months ago now xD), but nooo *le siigh*

Anyhoooo, did I mention I loveeeee this book?? XDD
The whole alien thang is a bit off my usual turf, but it's worth it! I love the concept of the Luxens......ookayy, mainly because they're smoking hot *guilty grin* XD But also for their powers, and the shades of grey that start to appear regarding the DOD, Luxen, and Arum......tho in Obsidian it's strictly black and white.....so I say no more *zips lips*

I gotta say, I burst out laughing when I realized 'Waiting on Wednesday' was mentioned! XP Back the first time I read Obsidian, I didn't know what that meant, but now, as a book blogger myself (like Katy), I couldn't stop giggling at the mention of the famous meme :P
It's so cool that our MC is a book blogger! Now that I am one, I can fully appreciate what that means, so yaaahhh, Kat totally earned some brownie points for that *winks*
Plus she's a stubborn, strong-willed MC, and that fact rockets her brownie points sky high!! 'Cause for a book, the way into my heart is to have great female protagonists! :D

Not that all the females were great charries......*glares at Ash* I feel a bit betteh knowing her fate, and yeaaahhh, that probably makes me a cruel hard ass, but I stick to my hatred for the biaatchhh ^^ And tho my hate is starting to distribute to the new biatchhh in Opposition aka Sadi *sneers*, there's more than enough hate for the two of them *smirks and flicks hair bitchily*

Daemonn *sighs dreamily* He was......as hot as I remember XD Charming when he wants to be......sweet when his guard comes down, yet a total prick when he's guarded. Which is most of the time in Obsidian, unfortunately for Katy....*pats head*
But even as a jerk, some of the scenes.....*fans face* Goooo Katemon! <3

5 HOLY ALIEN BABIES! Errr.....I mean.....5 stars XD

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

View this review on Goodreads

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Couch Potato Time #6 - Transformers: Age of Extinction

Autobots must escape sight from a bounty hunter who takes control of the human serendipity: Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime and his remaining gang turn to a mechanic and his daughter for help.

Heey guys....I know I haven't been around recently *grimaces* but I'm making up for it with a movie review :D I just watched this today after my SATs and I have to say that it was really good! 

The last few Transformers I didn't like because I felt like they were just...meh...compared to the first one, but this one, it was an all new movie it seemed like!! There were all new actors and even more transformers!! Good and evil transformers....so many evil humans too :( 

I was a little confused on how everything went to hell in a hand basket so quickly for the Autobots after they saved the world from that one Autobot turned Deceoptacon in the third one, but once I started paying attention more, it made more sense. 

I have to say that Mark Wahlberg did a wonderful job, much better than I had been expecting. The only thing I didn't like in this one was that his daughter always seemed to have her make-up done and fantastic clothing on when they were supposed to be on the run. It didn't seem realistic. And oh my god! When she cried her eyes would get soooo red! O.o it was really weird...I've never seen someone's eyes get that red when they cried before...anyway xD

Besides the fact that some of the things didn't seem real, it was a really cool movie. The man made transformers were freaking awesome! (even if they were evil) When they transformed it wasn't like normal...it was fluid and much more elegant...it was really cool, I'm telling you XDD

So I give this one 4 stars :D I recommend you guys see it if you liked the other ones

~LittleMissTotem Ruffling Your Feathers ;)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. 

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...






Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
My Rating: ★★★★
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.16
Stand Alone. (I think.. there's another book called Dangerous Boys but it isn't connected to this story)
Recommended For: People looking for a good, creepy, more mature YA mystery/thriller novel.
Genres: YA, Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary

———————————————————————
Dispatcher: Miss? Are you there? Miss?
Female 1: (sobbing) She's dead. There's a knife and... Oh God, I can't ... She's dead! 
Dangerous Girls, Abigail Haas.
——————————————————————————

This book started off with a BANG. Straight into the story in the most intriguing way possible.
The best thing?
It ended with a bang as well.

A group of teenagers go to an island to celebrate spring break.
But one fine normal day?
They find Elise dead in her room. 
Her best friend Anna is the leading suspect.
Is she innocent? Or is she actually GUILTY?!
This is.... the Dangerous Girls. *insert theme song here*

I loved how the writing was paced. It kept alternating from BEFORE Elise's death, and AFTER (The trial and that stuff). It was quite awesome to read!

I loved how it was a thriller too, since I haven't really read that many of YA thriller books. This was definitely in that genre though. Maybe not a 'omg I can't sleep: NIGHTMARE' kind of scary but it was honestly creepy. That slow chill you get after reading a shocking sentence or something 0.o Loved it mwahahahah!! I had noooo idea what this book was going to be like before I picked it up. I didn't even bother reading the synopsis and just plunged in blind after hearing one or two good opinions on it (my fav way heh). Awesomeness.

Now I didn't really like the characters, to be honest.. They sucked. Weell maybe not sucked but they were those 'party all night and let's get stoned' kind of teenagers who are "free." Notice the quotations.. *cough* I don't think getting drunk and flirting and getting on with bunch of random dudes in bars count as free but meh. -.- It was like the group of perfect stereotypical rebel rich kids you see in TV shows.

The relationships between the characters were okay.. I got really frustrated with some people at a few points but overall it wasn't too overbearing that I threw the ipad or anything.. Not that I would, because then the screen would go all kazoo (yes I know that's an instrument but I like making up my own meanings. *sticks out tongue*) and it costs too much to repair.

But OMG DEKKER I WANTED TO STRANGLE HIM TO DEATH! He got on my nerves SO much. irsghdufbzru. He is like the worst executer evahhh. Don't know why the judge was so stupid she didn't notice. *dies of unletout anger issues*
...
*revives*

That ending tho 0.o I did not expect that! You know I read a bunch of other reviews and they were all like "Oh yeahhh, I totally called that. It was just soooo predictable."
Me: ._.
XD
Anyways, it's because I don't read enough mystery books, yeah? Okay. Not my fault at all. ;)

Basically, If you want a refreshing YA novel, I am advising you to give this a try.

That is all I need to say.

Bye bye *waves*

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

Upcoming in my new personal sitcom 'Cassie Will Find Something Awesome For You (Eventually)', is The Giver! Stay tuned.