Book Haul #27

Hey guys! My post should have went up this morning, but since I was seeing Catching Fire today, I decided to post this afterwards to share my feels because there were so many!!!! Oh, my, you guys! This movie... I have no words. I literally thought that Twilight had doomed every single YA adaption, but no! This movie held its own and I loved every moment of it. I read the books ages ago and didn't re-read them because I didn't want to be disappointed by the movie, but I'm pretty sure that even if I had read 'em, I still would have enjoyed it thoroughly. It was so good that I wouldn't change a thing. I laughed, cried and was anxious to see what happens next and it was just.. fantastic! Anyhow, you're here for my haul, so let's get on with it, shall we? If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen these, but this haul is so worth sharing again and again :) If you've read any of these, let me know what you thought!

Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton (my review here)

French Kiss (Diary of a Crush #1) by Sarra Manning

The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redmerski (my review here)

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa

Losing Hope (Hopeless #2) by Colleen Hoover

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover (my review here)

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1) by Susan Dennard

That's it for me this week. I hope you guys enjoyed Catching Fire and if you haven't seen it, you'll see it soon. It. Was. Pure. Perfection!

Also, dear followers, if you want to win yourself a paperback of Lola and the Boy Next Door, do give your luck a try over here. Good luck!

What did you get this week? Leave your links below and I'll check out your goodies :)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Mod Podge Bookshelf and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Review: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everbound (Everneath #2)
Author: Brodi Ashton
Published: January 22nd 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.
Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.
Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.
In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

I waited pretty long before picking this up, didn't I? I had such a bad luck with my previous reads before Everbound and I wanted to read something I knew I'd enjoy. Well, ladies and gents, Ms. Ashton does not disappoint. Everneath's sequel was action-packed from the very first page and didn't stop surprising with its twists and turns until the very last one.

“I waited for you."

"But it's a race. Why did you wait for me?"

"I always wait for you. I'm always waiting for you.”

Everbound takes us into the world of the Everliving and it was such and original take inspired by ancient mythology and different classic authors, but it came to be something I've never seen before. This world Brodi Ashton has created is wonderfully crafted to these tiniest details and I'm so glad I got to be a part of this. All these challenges Nikki faced in the Everneath were well-written. Oh, and our beloved heroine was up to complete every challenge to save her man and even though some of the challenges were so gruelling they almost broke her physically and emotionally, she never gave up. Nikki Beckett has secured her place among my favorite heroines. She's kick-a!!!

What I loved about Everbound was that we got Cole's history and how he became and Everliving, although, I don't know whether to believe that story anymore. When I started this series, I was so sure I was going to love Cole and not feel a thing for Jack. I couldn't have been more wrong. I adored Jack in Everneath and I loved him in Everbound as well. We got more of his and Nikki's history and it was wonderful to read about. I am completely team Jack. No joke! 

And then we have the ending. Ahhh..!!!!! I was so surprised and taken aback by what went down. I think it was a clever way of ending it. It wasn't fully a cliff hanger, more of a set up for book 3, but I can't help but feel anxious and worried. I was convinced that I knew his motives and that he truly cared about her, but now I don't know what to think. If some of you have any theories, mail me on Goodreads. I'd love to chat about it. I didn't want it to be this way and I have no clue what's about to happen next and even though I dislike the situation we and Nikki were left in, I like the feeling of jumping into unknown with Evertrue. 

Overall, Everbound was hard to put down, I kept turning page after page to find out more. If you enjoyed Everneath, you're bound to enjoy its sequel which was crafted with wonderful ideas, well-written plot and well-developed characters. There were twists and turns waiting on every corner and Nikki is a great heroine to spend time with. The ending sets the tone for Evertrue perfectly even if I'm not happy with the way it happened, I knew it was coming at some point. I hope you guys enjoy(ed) this pretty just as much as I did. Read on, lovelies!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Mini-Review: Neverfall by Brodi Ashton

Title: Neverfall (Everneath #1.5)
Author: Brodi Ashton
Published: December 26th 2012
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Jack is trapped for eternity in the Tunnels while Nikki has managed to evade Cole's grasp . . . for now. But Cole is more desperate than ever to find answers about Nikki, his best chance for taking over the throne of the underworld. How did she survive the Feed? Can Cole find another Forfeit like her who can survive it too?

Cole's quest leads him to the other side of the world, to a mysterious, dangerous society known as the Delphinians, whose price for information might be higher than Cole can pay—a price that could destroy Nikki. But when Cole attempts to steal the answers instead, his mission ends in disaster. Faced with centuries in a Delphinian dungeon, Cole is confronted with questions he's been too scared to ask himself: Is he really obsessed with the throne—or is he obsessed with Nikki? And can she really give him a new beginning as the Everneath's king . . . or will she instead bring about his tragic end?

Since it's such a short read this review will be short too. I'm most definitely team Jack although when I first heard about this series I was sure I would be on team Cole, because at least in books I tend to like the bad boys better and Cole is the definition of a bad boy. Jack quickly gathered me on his side though, but it doesn't mean I'm not intrigued by Cole, who, in my opinion, is the most fascinating character in Everneath series. He is layered, dark and twisted, but there's something really different about him and by that I don't mean his abilities and immortality.

“Which one's the brunette?” I asked.

She eyed me suspiciously. “Nikki.” 

Nikki. Nikki Beckett. I saw the letters of her name in my head. I could’ve written a song about how vines emerged from the Ks in her name, branching out as if from a tree and wrapping around the inside of my brain.

...

“They’re actually coming over,” Meredith said, averting her eyes. “Max, you be the one to say something. Divert them.” 

“It’s fine,” I interrupted. “Let them come.” 

Again, Meredith looked at me as if I’d grown a third eyebrow, but she didn’t argue.

Alternating between past and present, Neverfall is Cole's story and we get to see another, hidden side of him. We already know he cares about Nikki on some level, but this novella gives us an insight to the story which seems to become even more complex. We meet creatures that are frightening and disturbing to read about and get to know Cole as a friend as well as a warrior of the Everlivings. This novella was the perfect set up for Everbound and I'm really excited to see what happes now that Cole has this information to work with. He is not giving up on Nikki and he will do whatever it costs to bend the scale to his advantage.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday #26

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• 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!

My teasers

He pulled me toward the door.
“He needed to,” the girl said defensively. “And he had fun.”
“Excellent. I’m sure he’ll remember it clearly and document it in his diary under the heading, ‘What the Hell Was I Thinking.’”
I swung my head back as we went through the doorway. The blond girl raised a hand and waved at me. I lifted a finger in response.
What the hell was I thinking? I hated blondes.

~ 4% of Neverfall by Brodi Ashton

IMM/StS #7

These are the books I got throughout the past two weeks. Leave me a comment if you've read any of these and tell me whether or not you liked it so I know which books to pick up next. Also, make sure to leave your StS/IMM links in the comments so I can visit you back. Thanks!

 Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor *this book is probably the most beautiful book I have ever seen. Like EVER. And it's a real beast! It's huge and I can't wait to start devouring it soon:)*

Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Soul Screamers Volume 2 by Rachel Vincent

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton (you can read my review here)

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater in Estonian *I have already read all of the three book in this series, but it was in harcback and for ~8$ so I felt like I needed to get that since I really love love love that trilogy and I first read them when I borrowed them from a library, so yeah.. I think you can get my point, ha* (you can read my review here)

What did you get this week? Leave your links below and I'll check out your goodies :)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

Waiting on Wednesday #9

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Even though it's a weekly event, I post my entries biweekly.

This week we have:

1. Dirty Red (Love Me With Lies #2) by Tarryn Fisher
2. Neverfall (Everneath #1.5) by Brodi Ashton

Top Ten Tuesday #8

 

Top Ten Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines

It was such a tough choice that I chose 10 of these lovely ladies and then put the others on a honorable mentions list down below. All of them deserve to be in the top ten and I think they're all absolutely fantastic! They've sacrificed a lot for their loved ones, been to battles beyond our imaginations, have great personalities and are just exceptional role models.

I'm not quite sure what captures me on this picture, but her kick-ass
attitude and determined expression definitely do our heroines
justice. Love it!

1. Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead)
2. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins)
3. Karou (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor)
4. Alex(andria) Andros (Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
5. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling)
6. Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare)
7. Meghan Chase (The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa)
8. Nora Grey (Hush Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick)
9. Beartice Prior (Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth)
10. Anna Whitt (Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins)

Honorable mentions:

Sookie Stackhouse (Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris)
Sydney Sage (Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead)
Lena Duchannes (The Caster Chronicles Saga by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)
Nikki Beckett (The Everneath Trilogy by Brodi Ashton)
Katy Swartz (The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Theia Alderson (Falling Under Series by Gwen Hayes)
Georgina Kincaid (Georgina Kincaid Series by Richelle Mead)
Tessa Grey (The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare)
Grace Brisbane (The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater)


Do you agree with my list? Would you add anybody else? Who did you pick as your top ten kick-ass heroines? Leave your links below and I'll check out yours :)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish.

Everneath

Original Title: Everneath (Everneath #1)

Author: Brodi Ashton

Published: January 24th 2012

Add it: Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s...

This is another great YA story and what's more important, it was original. I read a lot of the same material, but I'm actually so sick and tired of it. This was something fresh. I wasn't amazed by it, but I liked it. The reasons, you ask? Well.. I liked it because it wasn't your typical YA story where the heroine stumbles  upon a icy hot guy who needs to be saved by that special girl. No! I adored that Nikki was in love with Jack and Jack was the only reason for her Return from the Everneath since the only thing she remembered was his face and his brown hair.

If you like happily ever afters, I think it's not for you if you can't wait for the sequel, because this book left me in tears. I really hope the second or the final one will be happier, although I can't imagine what would there be to smile or laugh about.

The book itself is written in Nikki's point of view, but we get glimpses of her past with Jack. It's sweet and really gives the story a touch of love and happiness. Right now, Nikki is supposed to catch up with school, be a volunteer in a soup kitchen (due to her father's elections), say goodbye to her loved ones before her six months on the Surface is over and on top of that be tyrannised by Cole - the Everliving who fed on her for a hundred years.

Now that we've finally came to Cole, I can say that I expected to like him more than I did. He somewhat grew on me by the end of the book, but he was still the underdog, because Jack has suprisingly won my heart 100%. Cole is manipulative and sneeky, he has his moments of greatness, but he isn't that honorable. Jack, on the other hand, is like a prince on a white horse and he's the guy you want to end up with. Does that happen? Well, you may want to find out. Let's just say that his and Nikki's moments from the past aren't the only ones that make your heart beat faster.

Nikki was selfless, kind, protective and I liked her. She said it perfectly that you can't blame anyone else for the choices you make. They might've pushed you in that direction, but at the end of the day, you're the one making the choice.

So.. If I liked the book that much, why didn't I give it a 4 (or a 5)? I thought it could've been a little more action packed and there were moments where I figured out everything before Nikki and her companion did. I got to point out "ha, told ya!!" which isn't exactly what I want, I look forward to being suprised with my mouth left open and my thoughts speeding on a highway in my head. But.. It was a pretty good book and I will definitely be reading the sequel (which by the way has a gorgeous cover just like the first one).

Rating: 4/5

Excerpts:

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

“Heroes don't exist. And if they did, I wouldn't be one of them.”

“Tell me why you care," I said.
He put his hands on the windowsill. "Because it's you. Despite what you think of me, your pain will always be my pain.”

“You," I said. "I remember you."

“Tell me, friend. Is there more for us?"
I looked into his eyes, "There is everything for us.”

Reading order:

1. “Everneath“
2. “Everbound“ (2013)
3. TBA

Teaser Tuesday

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• 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!

 My teasers:

“I’m here, Becks. Whatever it is you’re scared of, I’m here.”

~ p. 198 "Everneath" by Brodi Ashton

Top Ten Tuesday

I found this amazing weekly meme “Top Ten Tuesday“ that I’d be delighted to participate in. If you think it’s something you would want to take part in, I advise you to jump on the train and come along!

Top Ten Books For People Who Like Richelle Mead

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This book has a very similar society, as well as the plotline, as in the Vampire Academy series. Aiden is like Dimitri, Seth is like Adrian and Alex – well, let’s just say she’s Rose 2.0 (Rose Hatthaway is the original badass-sexy-little-warrior and no one can compete with her in her awesomness, but Alex is a very similar, somewhat an updated version of her and she’d give Rose a tough time on a battlefield). Covenant series is pretty much like VA only without vampires. At first I was a little dissapointed by the fact that these two series had so much in common, but now that the Covenant series has progressed, it’s becoming more and more original. I love it!

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The fabulous JLA has another awesome series and its first novel is “Obsidian“. It was the very first book I read written by her and I absolutely fell in love with it! Daemon is a hot sarcastic-don’t-give-a-damn-about-you-if-you’re-not-my-sister kind of a guy/alien and he totally rocks my world. Katy is a strong girl and gives Daemon something to think about besides his great looks and protecting his sister. It’s a wonderful book and I can’t wait to get my hands on my own “Onyx“ (Lux #2) copy.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instsuments #1) by Cassandra Clare

If you haven’t read it, I really don’t know what you’re waiting for! Go on: grab it, read it, love it! Clary is as strong as Georgina and Rose, she’s artistic, funny, protective. Jace is witty, swoon-worthy and the best Shadowhunter the world has known since the beginning of times. Simon, Clary’s best friend, is one of the funniest characters I know and I’m totally in love with him. Cassandra Clare’s world consists of vampires, werewolves, fairies, warlocks, demons and, most importantly, Shadowhunters and there are so many great characters that you just cannot get enough of them.

Clockwork Angel  (TheInfernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Another fantastic series by Cassie Clare. If you loved TMI series by her, you’ll love TID as well (or vice versa). I know I did! Cassie Clare is one of the most amazing authors I have come across and her books are to die for! While TMI characters live in NYC and are fighting for their and our lives right now, TID characters are working against some pretty dark creatures in Victorian England. All Magnus Banes fans should definitely read it, he’s as wicked in this one as he is in TMI series.

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris

If you’re looking for another vampire series, this is it! I’ve been a fan of “True Blood“ since it first aired on HBO and read “Dead Until Dark“ last summer. It’s a bit different from the TV-series, but it’s still absolutely brilliant!

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

This book doesn’t have vampires, but it has Meghan – a brave girl who discoveres the world of fairies; the lovely and famous Robin Goodfellow aka Puck – the master of sarcastic jokes and positive attitude; Ash – a cold, but sweet (well, the sweet part is actually hidden from public) and a gorgeous Winter prince; Grimalkin – the most wicked cat I’ve ever read about. It’s a wonderful adventure these four are setting their sights on and it’s a pure pleasure to follow them on that dangerous, but oh-so-fun trip.

Falling Under (Falling Under #1) by Gwen Hayes

This is a pretty dark, but an interesting book. It’s very original and captivating. It has its flaws, but the highs outweigh the lows, plus Haden is as hot as the guys in VA. In this two-book-series we follow the journey of Theia and Haden – a human and a demon – who fall in love and try to beat the odds in surviving the wrath of Hadens mother – a very powerful demoness. In addition, Theia’s in high school, which means that there’s plenty of teenage drama going on on a daily basis.

Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick 

An angel story about Nora, a teenage girl, and Patch, a fallen angel, and their growing feelings towards each other while someone’s out there trying to kill her and for all she knows, it might as well be Patch himself that’s after her. It’s mysterious, thrilling and romantic! Patch is a great character and even though Nora’s not my favorite heroine, she’s still pretty cool. Vee, Nora’s bet friend, will probably make you laugh with her absurd comments, Nora will probably make you a little mad with her stubborn decisions and Patch will DEFINITELY make your heart beat faster.

Once Burned (Night Prince #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my TBR pile. I’ve heard great things about this book and it’s been voted as the book of month on a group I’m in on goodreads. The description sounds captivating and dangerous, doesn’t it? Plus, the cover’s not so bad either ;) While you’re at it, you might as well check out Frost’s Half-Way to the Grave series.

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Haven’t read this one yet either, but I’m planning on reading it this month. This book has a heroine Nikki (love this name) and two guys fighting for her: the love of her life and the reason she’s Returned from the Everneath – Jack – and Cole – the demon who fed on her during the Feed in the Everneath and who’s doing everything in his power to take her back with him as his queen. Sounds exciting, huh? I’m looking forward to reading this book, that’s for sure.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekley meme hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish.

Some Cover Reveals by Different Authors

I bet some of you have already seen these, but incase you haven't, I hope you're as happy to see them as I am. I'll just gush over the covers right away so.. if you don't want to read it, that's fine, scroll down a little bit and you can see all three of those beautiful covers :)

When Brodi Ashton put this up, I almost drooled over my keyboard. I haven't been able to read "Everneath" yet, but I'd love to read it next month (keeping my fingers crossed I'll get a check after this sentence by the end of July). Brodi Ashton has an amazing cover artist and I'd like to get my hands on her books just so that I could look at their covers and hold those gorgeous books in my own hands. Love them!

Elizabteh Reyes' books are like guilty pleasure: they're not the best books I've read, but they're smooth, easy to read, make you smile and make you fall in love with the characters. She's writing a new series (which I believe is sort of a spinn-off of the Moreno Brothers series. Can't wait to read them!) and her first book "Fate" had its cover reveal on her blog a few days ago. I'm in love with this cover and I hope (/think) this series will be as good as her previous work. Looking forward to reading "Fate" as well as "Noah" (I've had it for a while now, but haven't found the time to read it) and "Gio".

Richelle Mead just published her second novel "The Golden Lily" in the Bloodlines series and in order to praise her fans who've liked the Bloodlines facebook page (26 000+ fans, what do you say?!), she revealed the cover for the third book in the series: "The Indigo Spell". It's in its early stages and doesn't have the Golden Lily tattoo on it, but it's still sooooo beautiful, don't you think? Now that I have my own copy of "The Golden Lily" on my bookshelf, I can tell you that it's even more beautiful than I thought. I cannot wait to see the final cover version of "The Indigo Spell". Loving it so far :)

All right, so the covers are in the next order:

1. "Everbound" by Brodi Ashton
2. "Fate" by Elizabeth Reyes
3. "The Indigo Spell" by Richelle Mead

Oh, and while I'm at it, maybe some of you don't know but Jennifer L. Armentrout's "Obsidian" trailer will be out soon (presumably on July 6th according to JLA's twitter). I'm so, so, so excited, I can't even express myself.. Daemon Invasion has just ended and thanks to Sztella and Pepe, the cover models for the Lux series, we'll get to enjoy the trailers pretty soon :) You can check out the pictures from Daemon Invasion and some teaser pictures on JLA's blog.