Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Dark Divine series by Bree Despain has dark, simple covers with a pale model and a burst of colour, provided by the mysterious and beautiful scarf-like fabric wrapped around the model. They are sure to catch your eye when displayed in the bookstore; unique, appealing and intriguing, these covers are simple yet elegant.

The blurb:
 "Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul."

Find the Dark Divine on Goodreads

Salem's Vengeance by Aaron Galvin

Series: Vengeance

Author: Aaron Galvin
Page Count: 252
Published: July 25th, 2014

Publisher: Aames & Abernathy 

  4 Stars ★★★★

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.

In this historical fiction novel, Sarah lives with her sister, mother, and father. She discovers a group of people who dance to hypnotic music in the moonlight and who wish for her and her friends to join them. She receives a mysterious journal and reads about Thomas Putnam's experiences in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials.

When her friend Ruth becomes afflicted after coming into contact with a mysterious powder, things take a deadly turn. What appeared to be an innocent yet unusual past time turns out to be the work of a vengeful woman who goes by the name of Hecate. She leads a large group of witches out for revenge, and she herself seeks revenge against Sarah's own father.

With the help of Bishop and the mysterious Priest, she hopes to defeat these bloodthirsty witches once and for all. But will she, and those around her, live to tell the tale?

I haven't read a book quite like this one before. Historical fiction isn't a genre I read often, but when I saw this on Netgalley I thought I'd give it a try.

First of all, I was impressed with the writing style. Most of my experiences with historical fiction have included rather dry writing, but the author of Salem's Vengeance surprised me with detailed descriptions that were perfectly balanced. They weren't too extensive but provided enough information to form a clear picture of the settings and specifics of the situations which arose.

I also appreciated that I was able to connect with Sarah, the main character and narrator. I found myself understanding her decisions and feelings, and I was rooting for her survival throughout the whole book. As for Bishop, I found him an asset to the story as he brought humor to the more serious events and was an overall entertaining character. Priest was a juxtaposition of Bishop: unlike Bishop, Priest was quiet and reserved, and much more secretive. I thought this was a great way to balance the humor and mystery in the story as depending on which character was the focus, the mood shifted.

This novel also contained a lot of violence. There were attacks, sacrifices, murders, ambushes, and more. This didn't bother me personally, however I feel it is important to mention this because some readers may be offended by such content. So if you are easily upset when it comes to violence, you may want to steer clear of this book.

In conclusion, it was overall an interesting read with lots of action and a likeable main character and narrator.

I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, those who like stories with action and violence, and to readers interested in books based on the superstitions surrounding the time of The Salem Witch Trials.

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Altered by Jennifer Rush

Series: Altered
Author: Jennifer Rush
Page Count: 323
Published: January 1st, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown, Books For Young Readers

5 Stars ★★★★★

Anna lives with her father and four boys. The four boys, Cas, Trev, Sam, and Nick, all reside in their own individual cells in the basement of Anna's house, as a part of The Branch.

Anna knows there's something different about them, but she doesn't know the details. They're potentially dangerous; after all, she isn't even allowed in their cells unless they have been exposed to a sleeping gas. Sometimes at night, she sneaks down to see them, especially Sam, with whom she has a special yet mysterious connection.

When Connor and Riley, Branch officials, arrive with the intention of taking the boys away, Anna fights back and she and the four boys flee. Together they journey from place to place, following cryptic clues and piecing the truth together.

What is The Branch? Why have they kept the boys locked away for so long? What has The Branch done to them?

What has The Branch done to Anna?

I bought this book on impulse. It was on sale in the kobo store and I was in a book-buying mood. 

I'm so glad I bought it.

I loved the writing style! The author described things in intricate detail and the relationships between the characters evolved significantly throughout the book. I found myself stepping into Anna's shoes every time I resumed reading, and I absolutely understood every single one of her decisions as if they were my own.

Each of the boys were unique and I often found myself appreciating the fact that they weren't the cliché boys you find in YA books all too often. They weren't perfect, they weren't strictly good or bad, and they each had their own personalities. They weren't "copies" of each other or other YA characters, they were original and that made this book very interesting.

I also found the plot of this novel incredibly original and intriguing. The mystery of the characters' situations, identities and futures were explored thoroughly, I was constantly forming my own theories on their life stories and circumstances. While I'm a big fan of paranormal stories, this sci-fi mystery was a pleasant surprise and a breath of fresh air. It had me wondering if I should pursue more sci-fi novels in the future. 

Another thing I appreciated was the lack of love triangles. Love triangles can be engaging and emotional, but sometimes they can become cliché, and the idea of romance, ruined. While there was definitely some tension between Anna and the boys, there was no real love triangle. There was romance for sure, but it was balanced and didn't overpower the other aspects of the story.

A very enjoyable read! I am looking forward to getting hold of the sequel.

I recommend this book to readers of YA, sci-fi and mysteries, and to those tired of love triangles. If you want an intriguing mystery with a hint of romance and amazing characters, this book is for you.

Find Altered on Goodreads

Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

I remember the first time I saw Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton at the bookstore. I was drawn in by the cover immediately and with an intriguing synopsis, it found its way onto my to-read list. While I may not have attained my own copy as of yet, I certainly hope to someday!

Each of the covers in this series remain gothic but play with colours and tones in a way that is pleasing to the eye. I also get a badass heroine type vibe from the way the model is posing, and from her outfits and weapons.

 The blurb:

"First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember."

Find Angelfire on Goodreads

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

Series: The Morganville Vampires

Author: Rachel Caine
Page Count: 248
Published: April 3rd, 2007

Publisher: NAL Jam

  5 Stars ★★★★★

 

 

In the second book of the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine, Shane's father is determined to kill as many vampires as possible. However, being under Amelie the vampire's Protection, this isn't exactly a good idea, because the inhabitants of the Glass House worry that they will be blamed for the actions of his anti-vampire biker gang.

Nothing is as it seems, and nobody can really be trusted. 

This book was intense. 

Rachel Caine really knows how to draw her readers in from the very beginning. The action started in the first chapter and continued non-stop throughout the whole book, with a good balance in terms of both physical action and mental plotting.

The Dead Girls' Dance was also very emotional. Because the author succeeded in making me care about the characters in book one, the misfortunes that fell upon them in book two were heart wrenching and shocking. 

I also like how Rachel Caine blurs the lines between good and evil. Very few characters are one hundred percent good or one hundred percent evil. I find myself switching back and forth over whether I want them to lose and surrender, or to succeed in their endeavors.

I don't have any negative comments or criticism regarding this novel. Very entertaining and thought-provoking, I recommend this book/series to YA readers looking for a great vampire book with complex ideas and elements of mystery.

Find The Dead Girls' Dance on Goodreads

40 FOLLOWERS!!!

Hey everyone! I just want to give a big thank you to my 40 followers.... I can't believe I already have so many! It means so much to me to know that people are reading my posts, and I've even gotten some comments, which I was so proud of. I'm happy to know that others who share my passion for books are interested in my ideas about them.


Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Book Haul

I love to show off my book collection. These are the ones I bought in my last two shopping sprees. Admittedly, it was challenging finding space to store them, but that won't stop me from buying books like I'm stocking up for the apocalypse!

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Series: Goodnight Family

Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Page Count: 416
Published: July 12th, 2011

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

  4 Stars ★★★★

Amy is a member of the Goodnight family, although she does everything she can to distance herself from the fact that her family uses magic. She just wants to live a "normal" life. 

When she and her sister, Phin, agree to take care of her aunt's farm while she is gone, a bunch of old bones are discovered on the next ranch over, and Amy finds herself giving in to the Goodnight side of herself and giving magic and the paranormal another chance. She might even find love along the way.

I quite enjoyed this book. Very spooky and mysterious at times yet funny and romantic at others, it caught my attention from the very beginning.

I was guessing and wondering, theorizing and pondering the events of the story the whole time. Were the happenings paranormal in nature? Or were they hoaxes, tactics used to scare off superstitious citizens and discourage them from investigating? 

While it was occasionally a little slow at times, it was still a great, captivating YA paranormal read overall, which dared to stray from the usual insta-love and love triangles found in many other novels of the same genre.

I recommend this novel to YA readers looking for a great mystery with paranormal elements. 

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