Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers like me get the chance to share what makes their hands get all grabby.

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

So if you were on the blog yesterday, you'd notice that I've actually already read this book.  Well, you see, the book I read was a review copy that was passed on from blogger to blogger for the ARC tour.  This means that I do not have a copy of this book.  Which means that I am absolutely dying to get my hands on a nice hardcover copy of this one.  I just--can't--wait. *twitches* 

And have you seen this cover?  Absolutely gorgeous!  And if you have not read The Girl of Fire and Thorns, the first book in the sequel, I suggest you do.

So what are all of you waiting for?

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson ARC Tour

The Synopsis:
In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.
Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.
My Thoughts:
Though she may not think herself completely ready for the role of being queen, life moves on and there's an entire kingdom waiting for her to order around.  However, her destiny isn't ready to let her go just yet.  And this time, there's more at stake.  This time around, she travels far with friends and strangers in search of her Godstone's main power source in hopes of it helping save her crumbling kingdom.  Except, destiny has its own idea as to what  Elisa should do.

I wasn't all that crazy about The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  I loved all the adventure included in it and all of the action.  It was awesome.  Many things happened and I was glued to the book.  However, I wasn't all too thrilled with the religious aspect of it.  But religious aspect aside, I thought the book was pretty cool.  And there was a lot of death.

Maybe I should have reread TGoFT because for some strange reason, I could barely remember a single thing about it other than the Invernos and animagi and Humberto dying.  (I was devastated when he bit the dirt.)  I'm usually good at remembering the names of the people and everything, but when I first opened up The Crown of Embers, I was stumped.  Big time.  However, I might add that I enjoyed the sequel much more than first. 

Elisa is one character I really admired.  Her kidnapping in the first book really changed her into a strong and keen.  She was observant and very smart.  Elisa was totally badass and I loved getting into her mind again in this book.

Fantasy will always be one of my favorite genres in fiction.  It is made of awesome and sparkles.  They're the epics to the Greeks in my mind.  The Crown of Embers is full of deadly adventure, sweet and teasing romance, and unsolved mystery.  It was gripping and magical, everything and more I could have wanted from Carson's writing.  The writing itself was beautiful and poetic with enchanting imagery.  To sum everything up, I immensely enjoyed this book.

Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Thanks, Entangled Pub and NetGalley for this e-galley copy of the book!

The Synopsis:
Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.


My Thoughts:
I'm not even sure what I even want to say about this book.  I loved it, that's for sure.  I haven't read many reaper books, but that could be also due to the fact that there aren't many reaper reads out there.  Not being a fan of death, I was a little hesitant to begin this book.  But not only was I hearing really good things about this book, there was also the fact that this book had an awesome story line.  I mean, how sweet is it that a dead guy is in love with a living girl?

What I really liked about this book was the alternating point of views between the two main character, Finn and Emma.  Not only did I get to see how tortured and love-filled Finn was, but I also got to get into Emma's confused and frazzled mind.  Finn, no matter how stalker-ish he seemed to be, had honest intentions to protect Emma even if he is breaking all the rules.  And then there was Emma who was sweet and determined and . . . falling in love with a dead guy.

I loved this book.  The idea for it was tragic and heart wrenching.  I could not stop reading it on my laptop, speeding through all the pages, waiting to see what will happen for Emma and Finn.  Maeve was such an evil villain and a good antagonist at that.  She created such a problem for Emma and Finna and I would find myself frowning and pulling back from my laptop thinking, 'Man, she is eeeeviill.  Must you do that to poor Finn?'.  Gasping was probably involved in there somewhere, too. 

It was so good I'm not sure what exactly to say about Inbetween.  This wasn't the kind of book I usually read.  The whole book mostly centered around the romance, but obviously I didn't mind it much since I'm writing a positive review about it here.  It was dark with a glimmer of hope surrounding the entire story, sweet and surprising and an entertaining read for those who enjoy both contemporary and action-packed novels.  I can't wait to read more by Tara Fuller and I hope to read many more sweet and dark stories.

Cheers!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a  weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers like me can show what I can't wait to read next.

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

Are you as excited as I am for next year's Breathless Reads?  I mean, have you seen the lineup?  These books just look so awesome, and Origin and certainly the one I'm most looking forward to.

First of all, the cover looks pretty interesting, no?  I love all the leaves and colors in it.  I think, with the blank person taking front and center on the cover that it makes it mysterious, and if the synopsis is comparing this book to Lost, then I know that this book will have a thrilling adventure.

I cannot tell you how much I look forward to reading this book.  It seems wild and untamed, an exciting read I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

Sweet Evil Blog Tour and Giveaway

Welcome! And this is my stop on the Sweet Evil blog tour hosted by Fall Into Books!

And for those of you who didn't catch my review, here it is:



The Synopsis:

Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

My Thoughts:

Sweet Evil was not bad at all. It was grand. I loved it. The beginning at first was a bit slow for me and I thought it highly impossible for our main character, Anna, to be such a Goodie-Goodie. But, I thought I should not judge her because I have been called a Goodie-Goodie throughout high school and much worse. I decided to like our dear and fragile Anna.

Not to take words from my previous review, but this book was not what I expected it to be. Surprisingly, a lot happened in Sweet Evil. A trip across the country all the way to California, another to New York. It all happened so fast. Despite how fast paced it was, I liked it that way. It kept me at the edge of my seat, craving to know what would happen next. And at times, I was just as scared and nervous as Anna. My heart would beat fast and my mind would spin with all the possibilities of what could happen next.

And at other times, the pace would slow down. But it was a good slow-down. I treasured every moment Kaidan and Anna had, along with other moments between others. It was sweet. It wasn't the sappy and mushy kind of sweet, though. It was intense and albeit, brief at times.

And then there was the evil. Demons threaten the normalcy of humans, making them do sinful things. Anna is torn between helping them all, sheltering them all from the evil that lurked around, and joining in with all the wrongdoings going on. It was a constant struggle that had my heart torn. Who wouldn't want to give in here and there? How could others let all of these bad things happen to all those humans? What could be done about it?

Switching the subject, I'll talk about Kaidan a bit. Whoo. He had my heart racing along with Anna's. He was not sweet. He was not innocent. He was deadly. He was scary. But, there was something there that Anna saw in him. It was other than his natural pull he gave off because of his Nephilim sexiness. He was a true mystery that made me question everything he did and why.

I'll make this quick! Five stars! No doubt about it. Miss Higgins, I will be looking out for other books by you! L-O-V-E-D Sweet Evil. It was the right amount of wrong. <------See what I did there?  Sweet Evil . . .right amount of wrong . . .

And here's my interview with Wendy right here:

What inspired you to write Sweet Evil?
Life. :) Truly, everything in my life lent itself - people I’ve known, things I’ve experienced, books I’ve read, heartbreaks I’ve suffered, friendships I’ve embraced...just everything.

Hmm.  That's a really great answer because I feel that in any great story, there's a ringing sense of experience within it.

Did you always want to be an author?
It was always my “dream job” - as in, the job I never thought I’d actually get to do.

It's mine, too!

What does it feel like to be published?
It feels amazing, and surreal, and I’m humbled by it every single day.

Aww!  That's so sweet. :)

I know this, but I'm not sure if others do, but can you explain what is going on with Sweet Hope?
Sweet Hope is my sequel, and it’s under consideration with the publisher. I am hoping to have news this fall.

Le sighh.  I hope so, too!  I wanna know what happens next with Anna and Kaidan!

What has been your favorite part of being an author?
Interacting with readers/fans and other writers. When people get excited about my story, I get all giddy and want to squee with them, lol. I’m a fangirl of these characters, too, so it’s beyond exciting that other people “get” what I’m feeling.

Happy to be a part of your fan club. *bows*

So what do you think of Daemon Black from the Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout? Do you think Kai and Daemon would get along well?

I’m sooo crazy for Daemon. I think Daemon and Kai would be trouble together - they’d probably drive Katy and Anna crazy with their naughty, teasing banter.  I could see them feeding off each other’s energy...rawr.

Mmmm.  I can only imagine . . .

Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate.

Tom or Jerry?
I go back and forth about which one I feel bad for. I think I’m Team Tom. Or maybe Team Jerry. *sigh* Oh, I hate being torn.

I feel your pain.

And now for my giveaway!

• Keep in US only, please.
• Must be 13 years or older.
• This giveaway starts on August 21st and ends on September 2nd.
• And no cheating because that makes me sad. :(  Be decent, people.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

The Synopsis:
Can true love be forgotten?
As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.
Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.
As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.
Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling "Starcrossed" delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

My Thoughts:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Greek mythology.

Dreamless picks up almost just where Starcrossed left off.  Lucas and Helen are 'cousins' and Helen is still getting used to the idea that she's the Descender.  And lemme tell ya, her visits to the Underworld are not pleasant.  Not at all.  And then there's Orion, mystery hand and mouth dude that comes to Helen's aid.  The stakes are even higher and this one and the danger is even worse.

I felt that Helen's character much improved from the first book.  She was stronger emotional wise.  Her mind was more stable without the Furies screaming in her ears and a clear goal in her mind.  Her badass self, a trait I certainly love to see in YA, was awakened with the truth she was so hard trying to hide all her life.  I didn't like her personality in Starcrossed; I didn't find her noteworthy, but she definitely made herself worthy in this book.

Now, I have to say.  I just have to.  I love these demigod hotties!  My heart still goes out to Lucas, but I also liked Orion.  Although he needed a haircut, I loved his intelligent and kind personality and he was a steady center for Helen, who needed someone sane, even if she could only meet him in the Underworld.  They were swoon-worthy boys, indeed.  Although I'm not one to go for the macho men type, they had my full attention every time their name was on the page.  Yup.

Oh, was I hooked on the story.  I could not put this book down at all.  There was just so much....much to it!  Once again, the villains were true villains in all their evilness and darkness.  I seriously would not want to mess with these bad guys, that's for sure.  And the love triangle wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  It was almost one sided since Lucas and Helen are off-limits from each other, or so they think.  Most of the times, love triangles are too soap opera like with all their dramatics and cliches and they do not make me happy.  I did not mind this love triangle, surprisingly.

My only bone to pick with Dreamless is that I didn't feel as if there wasn't enough imagery.  There were moments where I would get confused and would have to reread a sentence or paragraph because it either wasn't delivered right or there wasn't enough description.  Then again, there were moments where the description of Helen's house was described beautifully.  It was like heaven to my mind it was so perfect.

Dreamless is a dark tale of your favorite forbidden romance between Helen of Troy and Paris.  It was wicked and captivating, keeping me glued to each page.  I enjoyed it even more than I did Starcrossed, getting me really excited for the final installment to the trilogy.  My only question is, Why does the release date have to be so far away? 

Cheers, everyone!

My Sorry Post. Sadness. And a Thank You, too.

Sorry I've been absent from the blog lately!  You have no idea how bad I feel for abandoning it for as long as I have.  Especially over the summer with all of the free time I've had, I've been really busy on the blog and reading.  I feel like this blog is my long lost brother and we've been doing a lot of connecting lately. 

Life has been pretty busy, especially now that school will be starting up again this fall, so it's time to finish up all of that summer work, right? (after some tweeting, of course)  ((okay, after hours worth of tweeting)) It's kind of ridiculous the amount of work I didn't realize I needed to do.  Humphh. 

But that is no excuse, right? Right.  I haven't posted on here ever since Wednesday and that was just to post my Waiting on Wednesday that only takes about five minutes to write up and post, and I'm pretty sure I scheduled that one too, so I wasn't even on the blog Wednesday!  What a disaster!  For shame....tsk, tsk.  The patronizing chastisements go on forever.

But this is not the only reason why I am writing this post.  There is a brighter side to this, after all.  I don't know about you, but have you seen my Six Month Blogoversary?  The turnout for it has been absolutely fabulous!  I cannot thank you guys enough.  And all of the new followers on here!  There are seventy of you now!  You guys have no idea how happy you guys have made me!  And this is the part where I thank you all . . . So thank you!

But now I'm on a mission because I have to be a good blogger now.

Waiting on Wednesday

This weekly meme is hosted by Rachel at Breaking the Spine where bloggers like me can rave about what makes my hands all grabby.

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengeance of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

Enticed is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.

Oh, I just love this cover!  Just look at it.  I think its pretty nifty for Violet on the cover to have those 'tattoos' on her arms.  And I love those angel wings she's got there, too.  I think us US folks have it lucky with this cover, for sure.

I very much enjoyed the first book, Embrace.  I thought it was awesome and the angel mythology in Embrace was a big and pleasant surprise to me.  I cannot wait to see what will happen next in Entice and I am dying to see what is going on now between Violet and Lincoln!

What are you waiting on, lovelies?

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini



The Synopsis:
Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.
Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

My Thoughts:
How come I've not read this book any earlier?  Is there something wrong with me?  I just don't understand.  Ever since Little Me sat under the dark dome as I observed and learned about Greek mythology under the projected stars in Star Lab, I've been in love with it.  Not just the name of all the constellations, but the tragic or heroic stories behind them.  I read The Odyssey and loved it because I was drinking in all of the mythology, following Odysseus on his twenty-year journey back to his home, fighting Scylla, a six-headed monster, and steering clear of Charybdis at the same time.  The stories are always of the gods seeking revenge in their own clever and sly ways and I love it.
I'm going to stop there because I could go on forever.  Seriously, I could. 

Helen wants to be like an average girl, but she knows deep down that she never will be no matter how hard she tries not to be.  She tries to hide her freakishness by trying to blend in and act average, but no matter what she does, people always seem to notice her.  And then she meets Lucas Delos and its like some beast is unleashed from her and not only does she attract unwanted attention, but she unintentionally jumps on this roller coaster of events that she was predestined for.  She wasn't a character that really stuck out to me, but she did surprise me every now and again with some of her decisions.
Now I hear that there will be a love triangle in the sequel to this, so before I go any further, I must pronounce that at the moment I am completely Team Lucas.  Usually the uber hot guy in the book turns out to be a total jerk wad.  He's not cocky and overconfident and annoying.  He's absolutely gorgeous and he knows it, but he doesn't care for it.  He'd much rather take care of his family and Helen than get all fascinated in the angle of his jaw.  Umm, if there actually is a guy like this out there, I'd totally be all over that.  Just saying.
However, the story was not something I was content with the entire time.  Especially in the beginning, I was confused.  There was just so much emotion and I didn't feel as if there was enough description or the delivery was off.  I found myself rereading sentences, trying to understand what was happening or how it was happening.  There were many awkward moments, but I didn't mind them all because they were flawlessly dealt with, creating it to be not as awkward as it would have been in real life. 

Other than that, I absolutely loved this book.  I can't wait to pick up the second book to the saga and see what will happen with Helen and the others.  My only issue will be about the love triangle.  I get forbidden love and all, but when you add a love triangle to the situation, I feel as if things get too soap opera drama-like.  I cannot wait to learn more about this new world Josephine has created with the demigods and I cannot wait to meet the villains because they are pure evil!

Cheers!

And don't forget to enter my Six Month Blogoversary!  It ends at the end of this month!

Join the Flirt Squad!

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

There's prizes, of course:

First level (25 points): A Super Sweet bookmark and tattoo

Second level (75 points): All prizes above PLUS a set of trading cards (your very own pocket-sized Lorenzo and Cat!), and a Super Sweet bracelet

Third level (150 points): All prizes above PLUS your name in the acknowledgements of book 2 in the Super Sweet series, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES

Fourth level (250 points): All prizes above PLUS a special note from me inviting you to the sequel to My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, including a special sneak peek!

ALL Participants who Reach Fifth Level (500 points): All prizes above PLUS an entry into a drawing to make a special appearance as a character in a future book.

And the FIRST to Fifth Level (500 points): Wins all the prizes above PLUS a sparkly tiara (you ARE an official Sweet Sixteen diva now after all), and a special necklace with the cover of my book as a charm.

How to join, hmm?

Just email the lovely author, Rachel Harris, at FlirtSquad@gmail.com.  Don't forget to mention to Rachel that I, Millie Dixon, referred you to join the Flirt Squad!  In the email, don't forget to also include your:

• Name
• Blog name
• And your email!

It's simply that simple!  No hurry up and join the fun to win some goodies!  I'm sure we have cookies somewhere.....





Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier

I must apologize for kind of disappearing off the face of blogger this past week.  I've been very busy recently and reading Team Human took much longer than I expected it would.  Luckily, I've had a some giveaways to keep you busy while I was gone!

Winner of the Rift giveaway: Monica Lopez
You have been emailed!

The Synopsis:
Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity
On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.
Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.


My Thoughts:
I don't know if it was because I was busy or the beginning was actually a bit slow, but it took me a while to get into the story.  It could even be a combination of both.  Either way, the beginning half was slow going for me.

Mel is 100% anti-vampire.  Every cell in her body hated even the mention of them.  She's not quite she why other than the fact that they're old and creepy and don't laugh and now one is dating her best friend, Cathy.  I loved the fierce loyalty she had for her friends and she felt as if it were her duty to prevent Cathy from making the gravest mistake of her life. (The pun was intended.)  I loved how set she was in her path to help Cathy see her logic, but I found it annoying at times and it made her look naive, too.  However, what great character isn't without their flaws?  If they don't have them in the first place, how will they ever learn their lesson? 

Kit, our vampire wannabe, was absolutely adorable.  Mel and Anna labeled him as hot somewhere in the book, but I thought he was adorable with his cute quirks and his driving (you'll understand if you read the book).  The only reason why I don't really find him smoking hot is because I didn't get that impression much from Mel and other characters in the book and I feel as if there wasn't enough imagery.  I am not a Team Vampire person, so him being Team Vampire was the only thing that bothered me--but not by much because he's Kit.  He was smart and always smiling and I couldn't wait for him to be on the page because his unwavering happiness and optimism seeped from the book.

There was no action or adventure to this book, but there was detective work and mystery.  Being a huge Monk fan who's read some of the books, I love myself some detective/mystery stuff on occasion.  That being said, I was really glad to read about this mystery that was beautifully spun all the way to the very end.  Along with Mel's witty humor that would actually have me laughing along with the characters and the unraveling mystery, it was what kept me hooked.

Least to say, I almost did a happy dance when I finished the book earlier today.  Surprisingly, even though I was not hooked in the beginning, I became emotionally attached to the characters.  I had a moment.  It wasn't a waterworks moment, but it was a little sprinkler-works moment.  I admit that I did feel ALL THE EMOTIONS.  I'm not ashamed.

If you're looking for a light and entertaining, Team Human is the one.  I wasn't sure what to exactly expect, but I was certainly surprised by the end of the book.  I was happy and sad and confused and upset.  It was also one of the most hilarious reads I've ever read.  Team Human was up there with Croak by Gina Damico on the humor scale, most definitely. 

So, read it, for sure.

My 6 Month Blogoversary! {Giveaway}

Yep, that's right.  It's been around six months now since I first created this blog right here!  So, as a thanks to all of those who've followed me and encouraged me throughout this crazy experience, I have come up with this giveaway.  Below are pretty much all of the things I've allocated ever since I began blogging about.  And in this giveaway, there will be THREE WINNERS! So, good luck :)

But before I did the whole giveaway thing, I thought I'd share something.

If you've noticed, my Twitter name is not the same as it is here on this blog. Here, my name is Millie Dixon, writer of sometimes ridiculous hot-guy fangirling. There, I am Kristen, Twitter obsessed maniac. I know, for some of you this may be very confusing. So, I'll clear the air a little.

Some while ago while I was sitting in some uncomfortable, bland school chair, waiting to take this state exam that I was totally freaking out over because it was Math, I began to daydream like I usually do when things get either boring or unbearable in reality.

Okay, so I went a little media res on you here and I need to backtrack a little more for you all to completely understand (but keep the Math exam Kristen in mind!). It's been over a year since I came up with the idea to write a book. Then I wrote it. And now it's finished. But at the time, I wasn't sure if I wanted to use my real name when sending it off to agents and publishing companies because then I thought, What if I really did get published and I had used my real name and I had the Crazies stopping by my front door? No. I did not want that. Also, I did not want people who knew me to know I'd written a book because also at that time, I was insecure about what people would think of me.

So, in all, I thought I needed a pen name.

And then there I was sitting at that uncomfortable, bland chair waiting to take an exam I was not comfortable taking. And I was daydreaming and brainstorming at my mental lightning speed. Suddenly, the name Emily Dickinson came to mind. I knew she was a famous poet and all and I admired her writer-ness. Then I started toying around with the name, changing it around. I tried out Emily Dixon. No. Too similar.

And then I had Millie Dixon!

Problem solved! That would be my pen name. I knew it. Only problem was, since this was a Math exam I was taking, I had no pen on hand to write the name down, and it's not like I'd write on myself in pen, anyway. Psshh. But I did have a pencil. So, using the pencil, I wrote the name on my nails. Yes, my nails. One letter per nail. And I had to keep retracing it throughout the day to keep the letters dark(ish) on my nails.

So there's the story as to how I got my second name! Now I use Millie Dixon as my alias on here. I still don't want the Crazies coming after me, so don't be selling my name to the black market or anything, please. The Twitter and email spam is enough.

But now, to the giveaway because I know that's what you're really looking forward to.

Grand Prize:

That up there is a SIGNED COPY of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, a Fierce Reads Smoke and Bone poster, Shadow and Bone Grisha army pins, and four bookmakrs, Scarlet being signed.  (I'm giving away a copy of Under the Never Sky because it just so happens to be one of my favorites of the year so far)

Second Prize:

(And that bracelet you see there? It's from that big Auracle giveaway that I won and that bracelet was created by Gina Rosati herself! And it has real Swarvoski crystals, by the way.)

And it kinda looks like this up close:

And up there are signed bookmarks (Shine, Scarlet, and the Fierce Reads bookmarks, Of Poseidon, Monument 14, Smoke and Bone, and Struck), two signed bookplated of Born Wicked, and a Struck temporary tattoo.

Third Prize:

That's an Auracle rubber bracelet up ther, some Struck temporary tattoos, and another signed Born Wicked bookplate.

The Rules:

• This is a US/CA giveaway only (once again, sorry international folks!)
• You must be 13 years or older to enter
• No cheating! (Seriously guys, play nice)
• This giveaway starts on August 11th and ends on August 31st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout Book Trailer--Enjoy!

Are you as psyched as I am for this book?  Just look at all that kissage in the trailer!  This is gonna be one HAWT book.

Cheers!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It's where bloggers can spotlight upcoming books that they cannot wait to get their grabby hands on.

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

I love steampunk.  I definitely think that it is my favorite genre out there in the book world.  I only wish that there was more of it out there, you know?  Luckily, steampunk seems to be a rapidly growing genre and that is making me happy.

I chose this book not only for its obvious steampunk quality. (Though, to be honest, it's a huge reason why I did.)  I was also drawn to the cover.  There's a blimp, a factory, and a girl with blue highlights and sparkles in her hair and goggles on her head.  This can only mean that this book must be hardcore steampunk.  (Score!)  And look at the gears around the title!  You simply cannot have a steampunk book without its cogs and gears.  I think it's nearly impossible. 

Lastly, the reason why I chose this book is because the synopsis sounds interesting enough.  She's going to be a sacrifice--say waahhh??  And some mysterious dude from the Realm of Faerie.  I'm thinking love interest, but that's not what's important here.  I want to know it he's a faerie himself!  I love faeries!

Okay, enough of me gushing about a book I haven't read yet.  Happy WoW!  What are you waiting on?

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

The Synopsis:
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion", "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

My Thoughts:
I've heard so many things about this book.  Good things, too.  There was just so much talk about it and I couldn't wait to read it.  The story sounded cool enough, too.  I've never Persuasion by Jane Austen, so I felt a little left out of the wonder of the story.  So now, obviously, I would like to read Persuasion. 

Elliot had to be one of the most hardest characters to break.  Although I love such strong characters, I felt as if I needed to see other emotions in her so that I could justify she was even human.  She never let herself cry and she was so set in her path of keeping up the farm, that she didn't realize the others around her.  It was like she had tunnel vision and never really let out any of her emotions.  No matter how much I love strong heroines, I would still like to see a softer side to them.

I won't say much about Malakai other than he was a big butt head.  The whole time, I was wishing--begging almost--that Kai and Elliot would have a nice heart-to-heart convo where they reconnected and at least build build up their friendship that fell to pieces four years back.  I understand how he's angry and wants to play hard-to-get, but seriously, that act can't possibly act as long as it did.

Now, I don't know how Persuasion went, but I do know that some things are different in For Darkness Shows the Stars.  I really liked the book's idea and enjoyed the story, but looking back on the book, I feel as if not much happened in it.  For Darkness takes place in a futuristic world where people are governed under a feudalistic structure.  Of course, it is corrupted and unfair for a majority of people and a forbidden relationship had budded between a noble and a servant.  It is sweet and the entire time I was just waiting impatiently for Kai and Elliot to get on good terms.

It really was a great read.  I read it quickly, blasting through the pages.  The writing was great, the imagery vivid.  So, for having the awesome imagery, this book earned a few brownie points from me.  The characters were dimensional--all of them.  None of them were truly what I thought them to be and some of them either surprised me or proved me wrong.  If anyone in in the mood for a more subdued read, one not filled with action and adventure or passionate hookups, this would be your read.  I guess this would be a contemporary, like no other, might I add.

Happy reading!

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

The Synopsis:
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

My Thoughts:
Just recently, I had read the first book to the series, Wither, and I wasn't exactly impressed by it, but I thought the story had a lot of potential that could have been used.  Using my philosophy of always giving a book a chance, I picked up Fever at my local library.  The synopsis really didn't grab my attention, but I was curious to see how the story continues, what with Rhine and Gabriel free of Housemaster Vaughn's grubby-handed grasp.  I needed to know.

I enjoyed Rhine more in this book than I did in the first.  I still don't exactly have the close connection with her as I do with other characters in other books, but I agreed more with her decisions and understood her feelings more than I did in Wither.  Her determination and raw hope for escape was admirable.  Still though, I found some of her decisions infuriating and made me impatient.

Readers got to see more of Gabriel in this book.  At first, I was rooting for Linden in Wither, but now that I really got to meet the true Gabriel, not the servant sneaking around the mansion, I changed my mind.  Now, I won't say much for those who have still yet to read this book, but I much rather prefer Gabriel's personality to Linden's cowardice.  I pitied Linden.  He was like that poor, innocent, homeless puppy that wound up on your doorstep.  Not that little puppied wind up on my doorstep all the time or anything, but you catch my drift.  I cared for Gabriel.  He certainly became my favorite character.

In Wither, not much of anything happened.  Rhine was locked up in the swanky mansion under the supervision of the Creeper 2,000 Housemaster Vaughn.  In Fever, however, there is much adventure.  In the beginning, Rhine and Gabriel get caught up in the Scarlet district and are forced to 'perform' in this carnival-type place.  The first half of the book I thought was slow and boring.  I wanted for things to pick up or for things to get a little scandalous and heated.  I mean, they were in the Scarlet district after all.  Luckily, the story progresses and there is some adventure involved.  The second half of the book is what brought this book from me being okay with the story to me kind of liking it.

Will I read Sever, the final book to the series?  Yes.  Am I excited about it?  No.  Like I've said, the overall story has a lot of potential and I am hoping that things will pick up.  Most likely, things will be resolved by the end of the last book, but I would like to see how things play out. 

Auracle by Gina Rosati

It seems lately that my online book giveaway winning streak has kept up because one morning, I wake up and discover that I was the winner of that huge Auracle ARC and swag giveaway from Storybook Escape.  I can tell you that my muddy morning mind was not able to process this exciting information, but eventually I became pretty pumped about it and was really anxious for all the goodies to arrive.

The Synopsis:
16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.
When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.



My Thoughts:
First thoughts I had when I first read the synopsis was something along the lines of 'WANT.  MUST HAVE NOW.' (Yes, my neurotic book-thirsty mind may sound something like a neanderthal.) and 'Oooohhh, astral projection.  Coooooool.'  I was really excited to read it!  Then, Anna gets trapped out of her own body while astrally projecting herself!  Well, that's unfortunate.  So in all, I just had to read this so I could see how things would go. 

Anna, I thought, was my kind of girl.  I loved her witty sense of humor and would catch myself with a smile on my face.  I thought her to be a bit naive in the beginning, but then who wouldn't if you had the talent to astrally project yourself?  It was originally her foolishness that got her in such an unfortunate position.  But her character was overall a likable one with her humor and driven attitude.  Her unwavering loyalty, too. 

And this story isn't exactly what your normal generic plot line has.  Usually, it's the girl who thinks she normal.  Normal  Girl discovers she's much more than that and goes into denial.  Normal Girl then struggles against Dark Forces.  Fight occurs.  Problems get absolved.  Not that I have a problem with those plot lines, but it's nice to have a change.  Anna throughout the book mostly works on how to fix the problem that she created.  It was all by chance that she got herself in this situation and I love how she never mopes about, blaming herself for what happens. 

Yay, for a strong, practical character!

There wasn't much action and violence in here, but I thought that was okay.  This was a very different read that was highly entertaining.  And Rei was such a great romantic interest, too.  He was exotic and new and all ninja-like since he meditates and doesn't eat junk food!  (He made me feel bad about my diet choices, but then I figured he was fictional so I shouldn't feel all that bad.)  And I just loved how deep a connection Anna and Rei had even when she couldn't talk to him, if anything, their relationship grew with it.  The only thing I wished that would happen was that they would just realize they were Meant to Be.  I just loved the whole childhood best friends-turned-couple idea.

Oh, and the imagery!  I thought it was fabulous, all of the descriptions and such.  Gina used such great sensory words, so I was very pleased with the palpable surroundings of Auracle.

So, if you are looking for something new and quick, funny and interesting, then I suggest you pick up Auracle this coming August 7th.  I loved the idea of astral projection mixed in with an average teenage reality.  It was real, yet unreal.  The characters were likable, but I wish there was just a little more dimension to them.  Other than that, it was a great read.

Waiting on Wednesday

This weekly meme is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I've seen some talk about this book and the synopsis definitely has me interested.  Also, I find this cover to be something fierce, so I'm overall very excited for this one.  Yes?