January Book Haul

what i want - the nook hd

Only $199 for 8GB, which holds 10,000 books??

PERFECT.

Beta by Rachel Cohn - Review

Elysia is a teen Beta - an experiment made out of a girl's clone...that died in order for Elysia to exist. One island developed out of perfection for the wealthy and elite.

One mission: for Elysia to serve in a household.

And she's NOT supposed to feel emotion. At all.

But what happens when this isolated world of utopia breeds secrets and underlinings of a life so rebellious, the society of the island will do ANYTHING to sweep it under the rug?

Beta was a brilliant idea! I really enjoyed getting such vibrant imagery from the gorgeous settings on the island, titled Demesne (Deh-MEZ-nay). Sounds like paradise, huh?

Well......

Rachel Cohn tugged at my heart with her unpredictable and often tear-worthy plot twists. Elysia is supposed to be the one without human-like feelings, but it turns out, she might be the ONLY one with unbreakable determination and a will to live. The last pages really built up and was soaked with vengeance and the thrills a possible sequel! At times, Elysia's skewed interpretation of the modern teenage lingo made her irritable and seem a lot slower than she actually was. Overall, I really enjoyed such a distinctive plot that is MADE for readers to drool for more.

Did I fail to mention there's a gorgeous hazel-eyed, lean and muscular, coffee-skin-colored surfer in this?

Yeah. :)

 x3.5!

September Book Haul - 2012

The books keep rolling in! It's time to prepare for the Austin Teen Book Fesitval!! :)

Anyone diving into these reads already? Anyone praying for one of these ARCs?

August Book Haul Pt. 2 - 2012

A vagabond decides to travel the world. Anything having to do with free young spirits and beautiful sceneries, I'm sold! (Originally a birthday gift to my 20-year-old sis!)

A boy that travels through time falls in love with a girl from the 90s. Smells like teen spirit.

A girl assassin fights for her freedom, having to defeat twenty-three killers! A girl and a fantasy kingdom! Perfect!

Mini August Book Haul - 2012

The time has come...and I know I haven't finished all of July's Must Haves but hey, I working on it. It's a hassle when you're mixing reading with writing.. (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)

Alrighty. So August has come as the most sizzling month of the year--100+ degrees here in dry-as-hell (literally) Austin, Texas. But with the crazy weather comes crazy good YA books! That's right! Here is my brand new list of my epically small haul that'll make you jolt with excitement!

Four savage-like and orphaned boys compete for the part of impersonating a runaway prince. Who will win? Who will fall back into a life filled with stealing and conning to survive?

A smart boy is asked to join a military academy to be used as the government's weapon. Sounds like a futuristic adventure to me!

Anyone already have these books? How have you enjoyed them? Anything in particular to look forward to? I can't wait to dive into these reads! August, here we come!

The Forsaken - Review

Orphan Alenna Shawcross thinks she will pass the Government Personality test in futuristic North America now called the United Northern Alliance, but she doesn't. In flashing moments, she's found herself banished and in the most dreaded and unlikely place on the planet: the Wheel, an island made to dump children who've failed the personality test, cut off from society to writhe and decay because of crimes they are likely to commit in the future if they mingled amongst the "normal" people long enough. So she is thrust into this world where there are two warring tribes and deadly decisions she has to make on a daily basis to keep herself alive! In a world of roaring allies, beastly enemies, and flying spears, there is bound to be questions in how all of this came to exist. Alenna slowly realizes she doesn't want to be another puny, terrified girl in the background. Instead, she's hoping to become the warrior that her village needs to conquer the rigged system, crack the codes, and team up with hot and rustic Liam to find a way off of the island. But how far will she go to claim freedom and who is she willing to lose in the process?

In an ultimate struggle of friendship, betrayal, enemies, and lies being spewed at her face, Alenna embarks on a never-before-read journey through the unknown, doing whatever it takes to seek freedom and uncover the mysteries of the UNA. Everything she's ever known about her parents will shift and everything she thought about the teenagers on the Wheel will forever be transformed.

Getting into the book, the first pages were already screaming up at me! My eyes were racing across the pages and I was thrown into this action-packed world. I promise, I was never offered a chance to actually rest while reading this book because something insane and attention-worthy was always happening! This book was stuffed with page-turning secrets and wars that pushed the book further into my "Best Reads of Summer 2012" list! It never failed to bore me and if you love a ton of action with surprising outcomes and an epic adventure through an island not one person can predict, then you'll be up for this book! While at times the drama within the story would be filled with immature dialogue and typical teenage romance issues, I fell in love with most of the characters and will never forget this book that took me on a journey and made me second-guess the kind of mind and heart it really takes to have hope no matter what situation presents itself! I picked up a ton of life lessons from Lisa M. Stasse and will never forget The Forsaken.

x4!

The Innocents - Review

It's Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars.

When sisters Alice and Charlie move into "wealthy-beyond-belief" step-father Richard Flood's summer mansion, Serenity Point, Connecticut couldn't seem more unlike these two girls. Confusing and astonishing mysteries of Richard's dead wife and daughter still haunt his world of champagne-tasting adolescents, town gossiping, and designer sportswear. Only now, this lifestyle of the rich and bored has been passed down to his two new daughters. They're suddenly introduced to Tommy, a boy still torn about his dead girlfriend Camilla. With that tags along Jude, an eye-rolling jerk still dealing with daddy-issue demons. But wherever there is Jude, there is Cybill, a bratty model-esque girl sucked into his world of mixed signals. The two sisters couldn't have been drawn in more. Not only that, but they begin to slowly drift away from each other, breaking promises of being eternally close-knit. 

And all because of a dead girl, Camilla Flood, who's spirit is more alive than anyone can fathom.

Fans of Pretty Little Liars will eat this enticing mystery read up and be scraping for more, watching Alice dig further into the supposed "suicide" of Camilla while attempting to mend broken-hearted and adorably handsome Tommy. But with the twisted and ever-changing turmoil of drama that reminds us of Gossip Girl, Charlie will find her attraction to Jude growing by the second, but stunted by Cybill's strange relationship she has with him. An aura of secrets and dark intentions loom over the mystic Serenity Point. Pick up this book when it releases because brand new author Lili Peloquin is offering us a to-be series filled with soap opera drama, murder mystery, and unique characters all searching for answers.

x3.5!

Venom - Review

It's the dazzling days of Renaissance in Venice, Italy. Gowns, heels, embroidered handkerchiefs, and a few wealth-wielders all grace the island of San Domenico in which the confined beauty and orphaned Cassandra Caravello is privileged enough to have a taste of. In the midst of peace, Cass finds herself drawn to jotting down her caged feelings in the darkness of cemeteries where the dead don't judge. But things begin to get complicated...and deadly. Especially when she discovers her dead friend's grave contains the wrong body!

Suddenly, dead bodies of young girls are missing all over town and with some snarky persuasion from "bad boy" Falco, she'll embark on a murderous mystery that could both reveal heart-jerking revelations and the reality of a man stalking her every whereabouts. The mystic nights soon become crowded with the brooding, blue-eyed artist Falco, dangerous Italian locations, and stolen gondolas across skinny waterways. Solving the murders and discovering who the grave-robber is as well as other deepening puzzles becomes a hassle for Cass who constantly worries about strict Aunt Agnese discovering her late-night adventures.

Did I mention she's engaged to a man of perfection in which she hasn't seen in three years? In "Venom", Fiona Paul raises the stakes with each chapter and forces your emotions to hop onto the roller coaster of secrets, lies, strangers, drunken kisses, and page-gripping chases. Cass gradually develops into a much stronger, much more confident female lead. Her easily admirable authenticity is what adds depth and reason to this action-packed, story-twisting debut. Just when you think you know who the culprit is, you've been outwitted by the warped minds of the numerous in-and-out characters. You've never been this paranoid about the true intentions of each person in this chilling first installment in the brand new historical trilogy. I could literally go on and on, but I'd spoil half the exhilarating story! I strongly recommend this to readers who've had a taste of "The Luxe" series by Anna Godberson, "Gilt" by Katherine Longshore, and anyone who has a knack for flowing gowns, sultry boys in masks, and a deathly villain with blood on their hands...

I give this novel five out of five beans!! It's a MUST!

x5!

97 pages into "Venom"...

After falling madly in love with "Gilt" by Katherine Longshore (I totally posted all over Facebook about her and she replied to my blabbers! How sweet is that!?!) I knew diving into another novel based on historical mystery would suck me in like a vacuum.

And let me inform you now: It has done so.

I'm barely skimming the surface of this 400-something paged adventure and it has already wrapped me in. I'm already becoming completely and utterly attached to main character Cass in Venice, Italy who has proven she'll soon be taking on a transformation from shy-perfect girl to confident-risky gal in no time. Also, how can I not already fall for possible love interest Falco (hot name, don't you think?) with his impeccably brooding blue eyes, tan skin, dark hair, and love for art. His eye-winking, snarky commenting personality will surely send sweet and untarnished Cass on an invigorating roller-coaster! I'm ready for the sinful side of her to sprout, but with time.....

These two characters are already diving into a world of murder, secrecy, grave-robbing, and pendants leading to abandoned residences and shadowy places. Even though I talk on and on about how Cass is in for something she's never experienced before as a wealthy teenager living in the large homes Italy has to offer during the 1500s, I'm sure I will be in for an even bigger adventure reading about it.

Here we go...

July Book Haul - 2012

Being associated with Book People's Teen Press Corps where I constantly am in control of Advanced Reader's Copy novels is definitely a HUGE perk for an obsessed YA reader such as myself!

Here's the July 2012 BOOK HAUL! Also, these were FREE copies, so I feel too amazing right now! My once cute but empty bookshelf is beginning to stock itself up quickly!

"Requiem" Cover Revealed!

Is this real to life? It's beautiful, thought-provoking, dangerously brooding. I am instantly pumped every time I glance upon this cover of the final installment of the exhilarating "Delirium" trilogy.

Can't wait for Feb/Mar 2013! The world better not end in 2012 or I'm going to be a pissed girl...

Gilt = Impeccable

Gilt, gilt, and more gilt. I couldn't get enough of the rawness of this novel. It is literally one of the best written young adult novels based on history that I have ever read!

Cat and Kitty are sisters from another mister for life and plan on keeping it that way, regardless of their pipe dreams to be in the court of King Henry XIII. Yet one day, Cat is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, in which she gladly excepts. Being shipped off to live in his gorgeous palaces, travel the country, and experience life as a privileged woman becomes a reality, and she eventually becomes Queen of England. Little did she know, as she drags Kitty into the world she's grown to become infatuated with, secrets and twists and lies and love etch its way underneath the bedsheets of these gossiping and frolicking youngsters. It becomes a power struggle, filled with roaring fights all the way to the very last pages--the edge--of what it means when you've gotten something you've always wanted, and can't let it go.

I give this novel five out of five beans, people! Stock this up on your book shelves this summer because it's going to suck you in to the world of aristocracy, ruthlessness, pain, sworn secrecy, and a dirtiness I've never felt or known until I picked this book up. The psychological attachments are mind-blowing and I can only imagine what experiencing life in the 1500s while being courted by one of the most infamous kings on the planet was like for a young, naive girl like Catherine Howard...

x5!

Black City - Review

What if a cult religion was spreading through your city like a wildfire? What about a vampire-like Darkling with fangs and blood-curdling snarls?

In Black City, disrupted and destroyed after horrific wars found it, Natalie Buchanan is the offspring of a ruling government official. Ash Fisher is a dark-haired, half-Darkling who gets to live amongst humans instead of the other side of the wall where his other kind writhe and yearn for the kill. In a city of tension, Natalie and Ash are managing to fall for each other. Just the slightest idea of such a thing would be considered heinous, unacceptable, and would result in instant death--they've seen it happen before. So why are they falling for each other? Especially since Ash is partly made up of the same creature that slaughtered Natalie's father, a man who was once passionate about helping these souls.

Humans want Darklings out and gone. For good.

How will their blooming love survive when war is vamping, religious leader Purian Rose is taking over, and some dark and dangerous creature seems to be haunting Natalie's every footstep?

Although I was initially sold by the beautiful cover of the book and it's inviting synopsis, while diving into the book I was quickly taken aback by how deep and specific the ideas and emotions that had been springing out of the pages like fairy dust were. It tugged at my heart to see people punished as an example for others, simply for something as natural as love, regardless of their opposing races and beliefs. Elizabeth Richards creates a strong story with other likable friends that tag along in the ultimate tale of keen love and treacherous war. Teens will enjoy this book as much as I did because it interlaces peace and conflict together in the most magnetic and alluring way!

x3!

My New Gig!

I have some exciting news!
I am officially on board with Book People, the largest independent book store in Texas! I will be writing YA reviews along with other book-hungry teenagers with a passion for writing, interviewing authors, artsy festivals, and blogging!
This new opportunity is such a blessing and I hope it expands and exposes me to a world of fun! :)

The Selection Falls Short

I give The Selection two and half beans out of five and here's why:

While America Singer supposedly does not want to be part of the Selection, a fierce competition between 35 girls to be crowned princess and wife of gorgeous and breathtaking Prince Maxon of Illea, she knows her obvious looks and musical talents could save her family from continuous poverty.
A girl has to make her sacrifices, doesn't she?
But as time passes amidst the glorious presence of his Majesty and maids at her service every hour of the day, she begins to realize that her presumptions of Prince Maxon may have been way too harsh for reality.
Not only that, but he two-year long love of poor boy Aspen remains in the back of her mind through out this televised contest.

The problem I had with this new, futuristic novel that's a first in a trilogy is that too many of the other characters (the other girls competing for the crown, the king and queen) were one dimensional. I felt that while reading, I couldn't feel the competition spirit in the air. It was a bit plotless and I felt like these girls were just roaming around the castle, no real competitive things to prove whether they were princess material or if they were clear compatible matches with Prince Maxon. They had to wait around for someone to slip up and be unladylike, then Maxon would ask for them to pack their things and leave.
Honestly, I didn't see the severity. I felt, while reading, that if Kate Brian, fantastic author of the incredibly mysterious drama series "Private", had written this, girls would have broken rules more often, setting up disastrous pranks, and had teamed up to drive out girls for the taking of the crown. If they really wanted it that bad.
The cover of the book says: 35 girls. 1 crown. The competition of a lifetime. Though, it didn't live up to its expectations.
For apparent reasons, I found myself wanting more. There should have been more. It was quite disappointing. On the good side, I saw flashing elements of a good love story. I liked Aspen and America Singer together, but when Prince Maxon walked into the picture and they formed a likable alliance of friendship, I began to second-guess it all. There was strange, misguided, and unresolved dialogue that didn't get anywhere.
Wooops, I'm talking about the negative parts again. I guess they outweigh the good. Regardless, the conclusion of the book felt like I was still on page one. Nothing was solved, no cliffhangers, and no plot-twists, and definitely no gut-churning surprises or omg-worthy secrets coming to the light.
Oh well. Regardless, I'll still come skipping to Barnes 'n Noble when the sequel comes out. It still kept me interested enough to discover whether she will make her decision on who to end up with, if the competition is worth it, and if the dangers of her country will keep her from her dreams.

Insurgent (Divergent #2)

It's coming and I can't wait to find out what will await Tris, Four, and the people that are pulling the strings in the feuding factions of Roth's alluring dystopian trilogy.

Beautiful cover, don't you think? Can anyone take a hint on what this cover (the tree and the colors) represent? < Probably a question for true Divergent fans.

neck crooks from late-night reading and tantalizing books for brain-feeding,

ReaderBean

The Final Delirium Book

"Requiem"

Are. You. Kidding. Me?

This sounds EPIC. And guess what! This trilogy is! And I can ONLY imagine the beautiful and enticing cover that will follow up such a precious name for the final book in the series.

I feel like I'm hyperventilating! Someone bring me more oxygen, please. These books tug my heart in places I'd rather they wouldn't but they do. You know when you begin watching a TV series that just ends up being so FREAKING delicious that you can't get enough of it and you almost want to stop because it's so addicting and emotional and destroys and builds and corrupts your heart all at the same time?

That's the Delirium Trilogy for me, people. It drags me in like pull of the moon on our oceanic tides.

Lethal and beautiful at the same time. And there are only FEW things that can do that to me. So these books are certainly special.

Pick them up, read them, and fall into the pits of obsession with me. I insist.

Divergent - Review

Fast forward, people. It's a futuristic Chicago divided into factions everyone is born into based on selflessness (Abnegation), bravery (Dauntless), honesty (Candor), intelligence (Erudite), and kindness (Amity).

Beatrice Prior, a sixteen-year-old Abnegation girl, must choose the faction she will become part of for the rest of her life.
Will she stay with her family or abandon them for her heart's desire?
Shortly after her selection, she is thrown into a foreign world, including an older boy with a mysterious attitude and a jumbled past. As he deals with his own rivalries and she copes with this unpredictable lifestyle she has thrown herself into, the world of factions in which she lives in is gradually conjuring a scent of war in the air.
Every decision she makes will determine the fate of her life and the people surrounding her.

Full of secrets, pain, staggering discoveries, breathtaking imagery, tear-jerking action, and gut-churning revelations, this book turns you upside down and inside out as you're clawing for the sequel after such an incredibly wicked ending. This debut novel by Veronica Roth ensures that there's world-building to be done, more of Beatrice's transformation to be made, and a strong heroine for the book to elevate in such an already riveting and fresh dystopian trilogy.

Four out of five beans for this brand new author that latched on to the hearts of many YA-loving, dystopian-obsessed fans out there. While there lacks a bit of world-building and an understanding of how Chicago came to be the way it is, I'm hoping for explanations in the sequel to this fantastic epic, titled--interestingly--Insurgent.

The Carrie Diaries Review

Four yummy beans for such a meaningful, frisky, yet memorable novel by Candace Bushnell!
Betrayal. Love. Innocence. Denial. Progression. Blindness. Friendship. Loyalty. Guilt. And the will to strive.
I truly enjoyed this book and I hope every girl checks this out while I slide under the covers for sequel, Summer and the City! :)

goodreads gone bookweed

So they say the first step to an addiction recovery is admitting you are an addict. Well, YA fans: that's me.
I'm officially a pothead for books.
Here's my list of interesting books I discovered while skimming through a list of numerous novels called "YA of 2012" on Goodreads.com. Let's just say my eyes were glued to my Mac screen for, like, 2 hours straight. This is legit, okay? Check it out.

Starters by Lissa Price: Old people are renting out bodies of the youth. This has no choice but to be an epic read. I'm heading to Amazon.com to claim my prize as I type this!!!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil: An island for one purpose: to marry the night. Get drunk, party it up, then suddenly have your friends go missing with a mysterious killer on site? Woah, I'm not usually a YA mystery fan, but I might be able to dive into this to see what awaits me.

Some girls in the courtship of King Henry VIII? With flashes of "The Tudors" going through my head, not much needs to be said for me to snatch this up without even glancing at the title.

I have a strong feeling that my summer will be full of Algebra 2, Spanish 2, and YA novels!!! Bring it on!!

Au Revior, Crazy European Chick

So reading this book is a must. Here's why:

1. Josh Schwarts, co-producer of Gossip Girl, is supposedly making this into a film
2. It's like, 200 pages.
3. It's ACTION ACTION ACTION

Perry, the main character in this fresh read, is being forced to take his family's exchange student to prom. The sudden twist? It'll be a night he never forgets! Hopefully, by the end of it, he'll still be alive!

How's the book so far? I'm realizing that the adventure that awaits me is going to be unlike anything I've ever read! And I'm prepared to take this flight.

More news on this spontaneous read later.

125 pages into... The Carrie Diaries

Candace Bushnell asked for it and now she's going to get it. This legendary-to-every-girl Sex and the City prequel is the pure image of what it means to face the harsh, yet insightful reality of boys, best friends, bitches, and once-you-leave-high-school dreams.
Although my eyes haven't skimmed over the last pages of this already classic novel, I'm drawn in by the fast-paced chapters filled with such informally attractive writing that allows me to slump a little lower in my seat. It's already hitting the target with quick revolutions, never ceasing to bore me with the drama that unravels before young Carrie Bradshaw in her pre-NYC days and post-"I'm-nothing-without-a-boy" notions within small-town Castlebury.
While far from her future of being the epic writer that's begging to flail out from her heavy-smoking body, being that girl attempting to NOT fawn over sexy lonesome-traveler Sebastian Kydd can be a daily hustle.
I'm far from finishing this impressionable title, but once I do, I'll spill on all my rants and raves. Of course, that is if I make time to somewhere in between the stages of shutting this book and clawing for the sequel, Summer and the City, awaiting me patiently on my bookshelf.

...And I have a gut feeling that this is where the real story will begin.

XOXO,

ReaderBean

#booksiwant

Dystopia? A Dauntless boy? Making difficult choices? Count me in, Veronica Roth.

Language-separating class system? A created country? It's a go.

Original dystopia? Becoming "pretty" at 16? Night-long parties with beautiful guys surrounding you? I'm all for it!

Airport? One-day book? A gorgeous guy and a spontaneous adventure? Sounds great to me!

A courting prince? The ultimate competition? One crown to rule them all? This will be fun.