Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Winter trilogy by Ruth Warburton has some of the undeniably most beautiful young adult book covers I have ever seen. The colours contrast perfectly and draw the eye to it, making it sure to stand out to readers. I haven't read the first one yet but it is on my shelf, partially thanks to the lovely cover that drew me in.

The blurb 

"The first in a taut supernatural trilogy filled with action, suspense, witchcraft, and complicated romance

Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her—but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain. When love is tangled up in magic, how do you know what's real?"

Find this book on Goodreads 

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Series: Crewel World

Author: Gennifer Albin

Page Count: 368
Published: October 16th, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

5 Stars ★★★★★

Adelice lives in Arras, a world where weather, food, and everything else is monitored and controlled by Spinsters; people who manage the weave that makes up Arras.

Adelice has a secret. She can see and manipulate the weave without using a loom. Her parents have taught her all her life how to fail weaving tests so that when her testing day comes, she will not be taken to the Coventry to train as a Spinster. 

Unfortunately, she slips up during testing and is brought to the Coventry where she immediately makes enemies of Maela and Pryana and befriends Jost, the head valet. With Maela watching her every move and Pryana ready to strike at any moment, Adelice must be careful who she trusts, and she must make sure that nobody knows about her friendship with Jost.

Arras is not as it seems, the ruling Guild may have ulterior motives for every choice that they make, and for Adelice, one wrong move could cost her everything she has left.

I picked up this book because it sounded different. Imagine a world made of what is essentially fabric, controlled by a small amount of people (small in comparison to the entire population of Arras). I have to say, it was most definitely different and incredibly unique!

I loved the conspiracies that revolved around the Guild. Conspiracies are one of my favourite kinds of mysteries, and this book really nailed it. I was always wondering if the characters had secret motives for everything that they did, and about who Adelice could really trust....

The love triangle was perfect. It was balanced and obvious but it did not distract from the bigger story. If anything,  I sometimes forgot about the love triangle because I was so caught up in the mysteries surrounding Adelice's situation. 

Emotions run high in this book! The author has you feeling Adelice's every moment of happiness, fear, sorrow, and disgust as if they were your own feelings. I felt so empathetic for her and I was constantly rooting for her to outsmart the Guild. Other characters (whom I cannot name because it may be a spoiler) also go through situations where I was on the edge of my seat in fear, shock, and sadness for them. 

Adelice was a very likeable character. She had her flaws and her strengths, and I really connected with her. Her bravery and determination were admirable. The other characters were similarly likeable, or absolutely despicable. Others stood in the gray area and I couldn't decide if liked them or loathed them.

I have to mention the diversity in this book. The characters came from different backgrounds, enjoyed different things, were of all ages and had unique relationships. I am so grateful that the author included LGBTQ characters in this novel, and I loved that she used them to illustrate the idea that people are afraid of what they don't know. 

Not to point fingers, but I was looking through reviews on Barnes and Noble's website and came across one where the reviewer was upset that the author had included LGBTQ characters. She claimed that as a society we are losing our "morals". This made me admire the author of this book even more because she took a risk by including queer characters and portraying their relationship as equal to heterosexual relationships, but challenged by a bigoted government. I liked how when Adelice found out, she saw nothing wrong with their love and found the treatment of the couple unfair. Kudos to you, Gennifer Albin, from an LGBTQ person. 

This book also did a great job of reflecting the reality of harmful values, generally placed upon girls and women, often found in society. The author discusses these issues through the treatment of women in this book. Married women are expected to put their husband before everything else. Women are subjected to these ridiculous "purity standards" that they must keep up.

Overall, a great book! I loved it and I was surprised by how much it got to me. 

I recommend this books to fans of YA and dystopia especially if you're looking for a unique dystopian novel. If you want to read a book about questioning what you have been told and breaking free from society's boundaries, this book is for you.

Find Crewel on Goodreads. 

Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine is a popular YA/NA book series. I have only read book one, Glass Houses, but I was very impressed and I definitely recommend it.
There are several different and beautiful versions of the book covers, but these are my favourites for sure! I am a sucker for gothic covers (pun intended) and these draw me in.

 The blurb:

"From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?"

Find The Morganville Vampires on Goodreads 

Splintered by A.G Howard

Series: Splintered

Author: A.G Howard
Page Count: 371
Published: January 1st, 2013

Publisher: Amulet Books

  4 Stars ★★★★

Alyssa's mother is currently residing in a mental institution because she claims to talk to and hear bugs and plants. She was admitted after an incident where she cut Alyssa's hands in the garden, and Alyssa still has the scars to remind her.

Alyssa harbors a secret crush on Jeb, her enemy's boyfriend, and she can also hear the whispers of plants and bugs, just like her mother claims to hear. She dreads her future, fearing that it will be spent in an institution just like her Wonderland obsessed mother.

However, a shocking discovery and an encounter with a figure from her past leads her straight to the supposedly fictional Wonderland, but nothing is exactly as Lewis Carroll described in his works. With Jeb she ventures through perilous landscapes to the heart of Wonderland, hoping to fix all of her ancestor's, Alice's, mistakes. With the mysterious and infuriating Morpheus, they continue on, but something isn't right, and she will soon face a deep betrayal....

I was quite impressed with this book. I really appreciated how it deviated from the "average" YA novel by ditching the "insta-love". I have no problem with insta-love, when I'm in the right mood for it. But the romance in this book was not only meaningful but understandable, concrete, and at times heart-wrenching.

The author described the characters and landscape in great detail, especially the netherling creatures and the outfits sported by them, which really added to the reader's ability to truly visualize Wonderland and it's inhabitants.

There were times when I had to push myself a little to get to the next chapter, but the author made up for that in their descriptions, characters, and other mind-blowing events in the story.

I most definitely recommend this novel! Fans of YA, fantasy, romance, and paranormal stories will really appreciate this book. If you're looking for a unique story full of plot twists and emotion, this is for you! 

Find Splintered on Goodreads

Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Dark Heart Trilogy by Lee Monroe is a paranormal romance containing werewolves and angels, amongst other supernatural creatures.  I may have only read the first book, but the 2nd is definitely on my to-read list. What drew me to this trilogy in the first place were the gorgeous covers! The contrast between the dresses and the background, along with the gothic element to them, makes these covers AMAZING!!!

The blurb:

"Jane Jonas is nearing her 16th birthday and troubled by unsettling recurring dreams where the same mysterious boy her age comes to her, telling Jane that they are each other's destiny. Her mother is becoming anxious about Jane's disruptive sleepwalking episodes, but for Jane her dream world and reality are about to collide."

Dark Heart Forever on Goodreads

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Series: Asylum
Author: Madeleine Roux
Page Count: 313
Published: August 20th, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

5 Stars ★★★★★

Dan is attending New Hampshire College Prep this summer, and his dorm room is located in the old Brookline Asylum. 

He befriends Jordan and Abby, and explores the abandoned area of the asylum, which is strictly forbidden for students to access. Soon after, he finds himself having disturbing dreams and visions, and receiving threatening notes. Researching the asylum brings to light the horrible experiments and practices that the cruel warden subjected his patients to. 

As the dreams, visions, and notes escalate, the unspeakable occurs, and Dan finds himself in the very center of the terrifying situation. Will he, and his friends, survive the summer?

There were so many amazing things about this book, I'm not sure where to start! 

I was captivated from the first chapter. Roux's writing flows smoothly and I instantly liked Dan. I like how I didn't know absolutely everything about Dan, Abby, and Jordan right away.

I need to mention that I was pleased that amongst all of the creepy paranormal and psychological stuff going on in this book, real issues were addressed through the lives of the characters. For example, Dan was adopted and had to spend some time in the foster care system. Abby's family was having problems and she was unsettled for a portion of the novel because of this. Jordan was attending the program secretly because his homophobic parents had attempted to send him to a gay conversion camp.

Another thing I loved about this book is the guessing game that was going on in my head the entire time. I couldn't decide if Dan was crazy, or if he was really experiencing the things he claimed to experience throughout the novel. 

I wondered who could possibly be behind the disturbing notes and why Dan was having such strange dreams and visions. One moment, I was suspecting one of the characters. The next, I had changed my mind and was scrambling to put the pieces together myself, to figure out who was behind all of this madness.

The photographs throughout the book really added to the creepy-factor by giving me visuals of Dan's visions/dreams and of the settings and objects the three friends came across. It enhanced the story because I was able to better imagine what Dan, Abby, and Jordan  were going through and discovering. 

I recommend this book to fans of YA, mysteries and thrillers, and to anyone searching for a genuinely creepy read.

Find Asylum on Goodreads

Ugly Young Thing by Jennifer Jaynes

Series: Stranger Series

Author: Jennifer Jaynes
Page Count: 270
Published: March 3rd, 2015

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

  5 Stars ★★★★★

I received a free copy of this ebook through Netgalley. 

Allie's father walked out on her when she was young, her mother was a prostitute and a murderer when she had been alive, and her serial killer brother just committed suicide in front of her.

Alone and afraid, she runs away and sells her body, her only asset, for money. After returning to her abandoned childhood home, she is discovered by authorities and sent to live with a generous foster mother. 

Soon after she moves in, a woman is murdered near their town. Could this be the start of something awful? And who is behind the murder?

When I started this book, I had no idea what to expect. I downloaded it off of the "read now" section at Netgalley because I was intrigued by the cover, synopsis and title, and it seemed like something unique. A change from the YA romances I usually read.

I was SO right.

First of all, the level of emotion and tension in this book is INTENSE. From the first chapter, I was pulled into Allie's complicated life, and I felt what she was feeling as if I were there experiencing the events of the story with her. This only increased as the book progressed. I felt everything from empathy to anger towards her, and as a character she was very dynamic and believable. 

Secondly, the author made the right choice when she decided to tell the story from different points of view. I witnessed the events of the story through the eyes and minds of Allie, the murderer, and the foster mother. I gained insight on their views and pasts, but I was also kept wondering how exactly they were connected.

This leads to my third point: the mystery surrounding the killer. The author did an amazing job of dropping subtle clues about his identity, and she kept me guessing until the very end. 

One moment, I'm thinking that the killer must be this man.... No! This happened, so it must be the other one. Wait, it can't be!

That was my internal dialogue for the entire duration of the novel. 

I absolutely recommend this novel! If you enjoy mystery, this book is for you. If you enjoy suspense, this book was MADE for you! Those who are interested in novels that take on tough subjects may also enjoy "Ugly Young Thing." 

For those who read mostly YA books but wish to branch out a little, this book is a great start. It's fast paced with a teenage main character, but it also deals with mature subjects and contains no romance besides the mention of Allie's crush.

Find Ugly Young Thing on Goodreads

Sweep: Book Of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Series: Sweep

Author: Cate Tiernan

Page Count: 176
Published: March 22nd, 2007
Publisher: Speak

5 Stars ★★★★★

When Morgan meets Cal, everything changes. Despite her close-minded Catholic upbringing, she finds herself drawn to the fascinating world of Wicca, and soon realizes that she has a gift....

I LOVED this book! I felt like Morgan and I both had so much in common; a Catholic upbringing, and a Pagan transformation. I kept rooting for her to overcome her parents and their judgement, and to choose the right path for herself!

The characters were quite diverse; some ultra conservative Christians balanced by relaxed Wiccans, and gay secondary characters were included as well. I really appreciated this because there aren't enough books out there with such diversity, especially in the YA genre.

This book also dealt very well with the tough subject of family conflict, especially around things like religion. Cate Tiernan is quite brave to openly portray Wicca positively in a world dominated by other religions and disapproval, and I applaud her for this.

I also appreciated the somewhat realistic portrayal of Wicca. Unlike other novels including witches who either call themselves Wiccan or are hinted at as being such, this book portrayed the craft and beliefs rather accurately. I have to say, though, that I've heard of some of the events that occur in the other books in the series which are NOT accurate portrayals of Wicca and Paganism, so I feel that it is important to note that.

I recommend this book to those who want to read a non-cliche YA book, with an interesting mix of reality and the paranormal, and an intriguing plot.\

 Find Book of Shadows on Goodreads

Quotes About Books #1

A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it or offer your own version in return.

–Salman Rushdie

Absolution by Gail Gallant

 Series: Apparition
Author: Gail Gallant
Page Count: 288
Published: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Doubleday Canada

5 Stars ★★★★★

Amelia has a gift. She can see ghosts. 

She and Morris, a paranormal investigator, assist those plagued with hauntings, and in Absolution, Amelia investigates a haunted hotel with a tortured ghost who harbors a dark past. 

This book was great! It completely reached above and beyond my expectations and pulled me into the story from the start! There aren't enough, good quality mystery YA novels out there, but this is one of the few that have blown my mind! 

Amelia was an incredibly likeable character, and I was able to connect to her and her thoughts, emotions, and experiences with ease. She felt like a real person at times, not just a fictional character. 

The author was able to creep me out at the appropriate instances, for example, when Amelia was trying to communicate with the ghost and when the ghost  actually appeared. However, this is one of the YA books that does not override the characters' personal issues with paranormal ones, so I was able to keep track of and remember the relevance of both the "real-world" and the paranormal events in the story.

I recommend this novel to fans of ghost stories and to YA readers looking for something that deviates from intense love triangles and balances romance with mysterious events and happenings.

I received this book in a first reads Goodreads giveaway.

Find Apparition on Goodreads

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Series: Between

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Page Count: 360
Published: August 15th, 2013

Publisher: Dial

3 Stars ★★★

Violet's ex-rich family isn't much help to her and her brother; after all, their parents ditched them for Europe. When a hot, mysterious stranger inquires about renting out the guesthouse..... Violet has no idea what is to come. Supposed sightings of the 'Devil', deranged children and a hallucinating friend is just the beginning, and all of it started when River moved into town.....

I was sort of disappointed when I read this book; I was expecting something a little darker, with more of the horror element to it. I wasn't afraid for the characters like I have been in some other books. 

I also did not like Violet enough to care about her situation and found that she made choices which were not always fully explained and thus left me confused. I did not connect to her and I actually found myself feeling empathetic towards the "villain" of the story, instead.

However, this book was not entirely disappointing. While I love angels, vampires, werewolves, etc.., I appreciated that the author chose to deviate from the stereotypical YA novel's cut-out paranormal type characters and try something a little more original.

I recommend this book to those who are looking to expand away from the angels/vampires/werewolves in many of the other current YA books. 

Find Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea on Goodreads

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

Series: N/A

Author: Annette Curtis Klause
Page Count: 198
Published: October 1992

Publisher: Laurel Leaf Books

  5 Stars ★★★★★

This book is about Zoe; a girl whose mother is dying of cancer. She meets the mysterious and strangely gentlemanly Simon; who also suffered the loss of his mother....several hundred years ago. Amid the struggles that she faces day to day, she finds herself falling for Simon....but Simon's evil brother, who is also a vampire, has murder on his mind. Will they be able to stop him before he strikes again?

I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this book. But when I found it in a little used book shop, I had to buy it. I am very glad I did! The writing is beautiful and  lyrical. I loved the rawness of Zoe and Simon's emotions, and how the author wasn't afraid to explore every aspect of their thoughts. 

This story wasn't cliché or stereotypical at all. The romantic aspect of it was touching and beautiful, and the author made it appear as if the characters' emotions were very, very real and true.

A great read, with a beautiful, bittersweet ending! This read tugs on the heart-strings and pulls you in from the first page!

I recommend this novel to both teen and adult readers looking for an emotional, paranormal read.

Find The Silver Kiss on Goodreads

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Series: The Morganville Vampires

Author: Rachel Caine

Page Count: 239
Published: October 3rd, 2006

 Publisher: NAL

5 Stars ★★★★★

Claire is sixteen years old, and starting her first year of post-secondary education in Morganville. After angering Monica, one of the popular girls in her college dorm, she finds herself battered, bruised, and desperate. 

While going through advertisements for off-campus housing, she stumbles across the Glass House. Shane, Michael, and Eve are looking for a fourth roommate. They reluctantly allow her to stay, but only temporarily...at least, that was their plan.

Monica is out for revenge, and not only does she have her group of human admirers to assist her, but as Claire soon learns, she has connections with vampires as well. But the worst of it is yet to come; Claire will face shocking revelations, brutal attacks, and life-threatening betrayals.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first installment in The Morganville Vampires series, Glass Houses. The synopsis had me prepared for a stereotypical, potentially cliché YA novel, with brooding vampires and spontaneous love affairs. 

While some of the vampires could be described as brooding, it wasn't a common trait amongst every single one of them. I appreciated that Rachel Caine gave each of the vampires their own unique personalities as opposed to the popular "I'm a self-loathing vampire" trope...it made them seem all the more believable. 

As for the non-vampire characters in this book, I really grew to care about some and loathe others. They were realistic; they had their own strengths and beauty, yet they also had their flaws. The characters were diverse and I felt like they complimented each other well and really added to the story.

The plot and pacing were so incredibly refreshing, especially for a YA novel! Chapters didn't drag on and on, yet they didn't fly by either. I was hooked to the story, and to the mystery and danger Claire had to face throughout the book. As for the romantic aspect, I was greatly impressed. There was no "insta-love", and when characters did become interested in each other it was obvious why (and it wasn't just because of looks, money, or paranormal status). In other words, the romance was meaningful.

I recommend this to fans of vampire fiction and YA fiction,  especially fans of Claudia Gray and Melissa de la Cruz. 

Find Glass Houses on Goodreads

The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce

Series: Darkangel Trilogy

Author: Meredith Ann Pierce
Page Count: 281
Published: April 15th, 1998

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company Magic Carpet Books

  4 Stars ★★★★

Aeriel and her mistress, Eoduin, are out one day, away from their village, when the Darkangel kidnaps Eoduin to be his bride. Aeriel hopes to avenge her mistress by killing the vampyre, but she is kidnapped as well, to be his servant.

The Darkangel's castle is dark and depressing, guarded by menacing, chained gargoyles. Aeriel is tasked with tending to the vampyres's thirteen wives, who have now become hideous, soulless wraiths.

The wraiths urge her to kill the vampyre before he chooses a fourteenth and final bride and the magical duarough, living in the caves beneath the castle, helps her devise a plan to lead to his undoing. But will Aeriel have the ruthlessness to truly end the Darkangel's existence? Or will her compassion motivate her to find another way to defeat his evil side?

The first book in this trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce was captivating, magical, and emotional. Despite some wordy descriptions and occasionally confusing dialogue, I was sucked into the story from the first chapter.

I consider this novel to be fantasy, horror, and adventure, a combination of sub-genres I have never come across in the general young adult genre before. It included everything from winged vampires to living water to water witches to talking animals, and it took place in what appeared to be another planet or world. The horror aspect was fulfilled through the wraiths' appearances and over-all condition, along with the vampyre's gothic castle, his unpredictable temper and grisly past times, and the dark tales Aeriel tells to the inhabitants of the castle. As for the adventure, Aeriel's quest to obtain the materials necessary to kill the vampyre is an adventure both excitingly dangerous and breathtakingly beautiful.

I felt like this book was kind of like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. We have the woman kidnapped and brought to a beast's castle, the cast of unique and/or transformed inhabitants, and the incident of the captive running away and later returning, her compassion for her captor overcoming her fear. For this reason, I recommend this book to fans of fairy-tale retellings.

I also recommend this book to fans of fantasy, horror, and adventure stories, and to adults and teens alike looking for a romance-free novel with paranormal themes.  

Find The Darkangel on Goodreads

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I read mostly YA but I enjoy erotica as well.
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