What I've been reading {mini reviews}

Since I've been gone and haven't written any reviews, I wanted to update everyone on what I've read during that time {and possibly do wee little bitty reviews... or at least say if I liked them ;-)}:

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead.  Yep.  I finally read all of them, and they were SO good.  I almost went out and bought Bloodlines and The Golden Lily that day, but with prepping for Baby {ie buying tons of stuff because its cute or "we might need this" and/or missing work because I'm so tired or nauseous} I reminded myself that the Hubs and I just really don't have that kind of money laying around anymore.  So I've been hitting up my local library for some good reads.  One of which I will need to write a review for, because I just loved it!:

Jodi Meadows is a brilliant author, and Incarnate is right up there with Brightly Woven for me.  Absolutely loved it.  And I'm so happy that, unlike Brightly Woven, this is not a stand alone!  Now to have patience until the next one comes out...

I also finally found myself picking up Aimee Carter's first two books in the Goddess Test trilogy {one from Half Price Books, and the other from the library}.  Great reads, very quick {which was so bad in this case, because I really loved them!}.  I loved the characters and how they portrayed each of their Greek counterparts so faithfully {also the fact that Henry tends to talk a little more old-fashioned makes it seem much more like he is from another time}.  Now I just need to get my hands on the two little novellas to attempt to tide me over until the last one comes out!

Another subject I attempted to love was that of angels.  The book Halo completely turned me off to them.  I know some people {bloggers} who loved that book, and good for them.  I think most every author deserves to have people love their books.  Two books that made me really love angels were ones with angels not quite as we think of them:

This was a great find!  Scott Speer is a wonderful writer and he made it realistic to think of angels "coming out" and being known in the world in Immortal City.  It was a little hard to wrap my head around at first {and I was still being skeptical of the topic of angels in the first place}, but he did good.  And there are some shockers in this book like you wouldn't believe.  Way to keep us readers on our toes!

Branded by Keary Taylor was the last book I read.  Again, an angel book.  I actually got this free for my Kindle a while back, and just now picked it up to read {I honestly really just love reading actual physical copies of books so much better}.  The story line itself promised to bring in a whole new kind of angel to my world, which was promising in and of itself.  I wasn't disappointed.  I loved Jessica and Alex like you wouldn't believe, and I kept cheering for them to win and discover a way for her to stop having her nightmares.  And Cole... well, I knew who he was from the beginning ;-)... I think this one is only $.99 right now for Kindle, and the next two are pretty inexpensive as well.

I'm hoping to write full reviews for a couple of these, so be on the lookout for that.  And, guys, I am finally going to be posting a giveaway very, very soon!  I feel like such a bad blogger, but when it comes down to reading the books or reviewing them, I'm going to read.  Also, growing a baby is life-draining work!  I'm attempting to finally be productive and pregnant ;-).

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules {Blood of Eden 1}
Author: Julie Kagawa
Pages: 480
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
My rating: 5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.24 stars
Published: April 24, 2012

Description:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

First off, this does a really good job at kind of summing up the story, so I'm not even really going to bother with that.

Oh. My. Bleep.  Guys, this book is awesome.  Julie Kagawa has amazing writing skills, and when she uses them in book format, she has the power to transport you to another world!  {Is that nerdy enough for you?}  My only disappointment was I was so sick for almost two weeks, right in the middle of reading The Immortal Rules, that I could hardly even look at a book, much less pick it up to read.  It was torture.  Pure, teeth clenching torture.  I now can see why everyone was/is obsessed with her Iron Fey series {which I still need to read... don't judge me}.

Her characters are pretty amazing.  Allie doesn't become some superhero once she's Turned.  She works for it.  She learns, fights and bleeds for it.  And she's still tormented with the Hunger.  Oh, that's inescapable.  You know how that Other Vampire Book/Series {which I honestly adore} has vegetarian vampires?  Not an option for Julie Kagawa's vampires.  They have to have human blood, no matter what.  Which can be pretty difficult if you're a vampire, wandering around outside "civilization" {I use that term loosely, because its really not very civilized}.

From the get-go, Julie had me admiring almost every character.  Allie for her drive and desire to live and retain her humanity.  Zeke for his need to see everyone as good {even though a couple times I wanted to pull those shutters up and let him see a character for who they truly were}.  Kanin for his unerring desire to be truthful {even if that means he just won't speak of something so as not to lie about it}.

Speaking of Kanin... I so wish there would have been more of him in this book!  I'm looking forward to the possibility of more in the second.  Plus, since I participated in the Immortal Rules Party on Twitter forever ago, I had the pleasure of the mental picture of Henry Cavill for Kanin {although, it just wasn't quite right, if you know what I mean.  Honestly, I know I tweeted about Paul Bettany playing a great Sarren, but I think he would be an even better Kanin}.

Guys, the world building, the characters, the writing... everything about this book was awesome.  It was worth the wait and torture of seeing it next to me while I was sick and unable to read.  Julie, I cannot wait for the second book to come out!  In the meantime, I will have to placate my need to read with The Iron Fey series...

Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel
Author: Richelle Mead
Illustrator: Emma Vieceli
Adapter: Leigh Dragoon
Pages: 144
Publisher: Razorbill
My rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.09 stars
Published: August 23, 2011

Description:

After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It’s filled with intrigue, danger—and even romance.

Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

This was a pretty well put together graphic novel adaptation.  I've read a few graphic novels in my time, and some have been the adaptations of books {both Twilight graphic novels of book one, as well as most of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, thanks to the awesome deals when Borders was closing their doors}.  Its been a while since I read Vampire Academy {and I have to admit, I haven't finished the series... it was too much when *SPOILER* Dimitri was turned Strigoi, after him and Rose finally admited their love for each other... yeah, that means I still have half of the books left to read...}, but this honestly did a great job at refreshing my memory.


The illustrations were wonderful - most of the characters were very well described by Richelle Mead in her Vampire Academy books, and this graphic novel brought them to live gorgeously.  And Dimitri?  Yeah, that's pretty much what I pictured.  Lissa is not quite what I pictured, but I"m sure that's how many a person has pictured the last of the Dragomir royalty to look.


This graphic novel literally took me all of maybe an hour to read, and that was mostly because I was talking to my hubs during that hour as well.  Its a great visual companion to the Vampire Academy novel, or {in my case} a great refresher as to why I liked these books and need to finish the series.

Another giveaway!

I've been kind of looking forward to this release since Taschima posted about it on her blog... Julie Kagawa is giving away a signed ARC of her son-to-be released book The Immortal Rules.  Looks very interesting...

 Want to enter to win as well?  Just go over to Julie's blog and comment!

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Description:
Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she's starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it. Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger?

This is the second time I've read this book... its been a while since the first time.  Most of you are probably sensing a pattern with my odd interest in most things vampire {if you personally know me and have talked books with me, you know this to be true}.  This is another "its about vampires, but what you know about those creatures from books such as Dracula is completely false."  Kind of like Twilight, but very different.  Confused?  Yeah, I thought so.

Okay, lets first start with a background to the vampires in the book.  Its really quite intricate, actually.  Because, like most books, there are good and bad vampires {except, of course, in Dracula, where all vampires are just horrible}.  The good vampires are *you guessed it* the Blue Bloods.  Like the description says, they quite literally have blue blood.  You know how ours turns red when it hits oxygen?  Theirs doesn't, and it creates intricate patterns on their skin {they have a special doctor that helps them cover this}.  They are also New York City's elite families {as well as elite families from other New England places}.  And the whole family thing is quite weird, but I'll get to that.

How many of you are familiar with the fall of Lucifer?  How he and 1/3 of the angels were cast from heaven because of his conceit and because he wanted to be God?  Well, in this book, 400 of that 1/3 {which is supposed to be most of them, actually} decided they wanted to be on God's side again?  The trouble?  Well, first off, they were cursed with the need to feed on human blood to survive.  They don't drain humans {like you come across in most other vampire stories}, nor do they "infect" those who are bitten {unless you count the strange attachment the humans get to the vampires as being infected}.  Second, there are "evil" vampires {those who still sided with Lucifer} who love draining the other "blue blood" vampires of not just their blood, but their very soul.

You see, vampires in these books {yes, there are more} all age.  If they want to.  Some of them don't, but they have to have special permission to stay in the "shell" of that cycle.  Most live 100 years, then they expire for that cycle and their soul is captured in some of their blood, and they begin again after a breif resting period.  Yeah, a little weird {I personally like the whole "live forever and never get old" aspect of the vampire myth}.

Anyways, I'll move on with the story.  The book revolves around a few key characters, the main being a girl named Schuyler {Sky-ler} Van Alen, a girl who happens to be half human and half vampire, the vampire part being more dominant.  This book seems to be just the tip of the ice burg as far as the whole story goes.  It introduces the reader to everything in this new version of a vampire world - aging, cycling, sunshine {some of them are actually tan. Weird}, Silver Bloods.  The short version?  I'm pretty sure something is seriousl wrong with the character Bliss {she's having breakdowns}, I think Schuyler is throwing off the newest cycle {everything always happens the same: the same vampires marry, they all work towards the goal: getting on God's "good side"}, and somehow Schuyler is also going to bring them peace and get them their goal.  But the most powerful vampires {two of whom chose to be cast down to keep on eye on the others, and who are on God's "good side"} are almost all trying to off her.  Her mother is the angel Gabriel {Gabrielle in these books}, who is comatose after choosing her human "familiar" {a human she "fed" off of and fell in love with}.  Gabrielle {known as Allegra Van Alen in this cycle} vowed not to take another familiar after her human husband died, hence the comatose state.

All in all, I would suggest it if you enjoy easy to read books on vampires {like myself}.  Don't worry, I won't always write about books concerning vampires and Harry Potter ;-).