Goodbye Halloween Challenge and Hello NaNoWriMo!

So, from the 26 books (so unrealistic but whatever lol) I had planned on reading for my Halloween Challenge this year I ended up reading 7. Wait what? I swear there was more than that! 2 that aren't part of that 7 I marked as DNF. But like I said, there are some titles I'm still looking forward to reading so I'll continue on for awhile longer into November. Though now I don't feel so bad for reading something other than ghost stories lol!

From one challenge to another...

This is my 4th year doing NaNoWriMo and I have yet to win. I'll be updating my word count here and probably here too.I'm hoping to at least get to 30k words this year. Maybe 25. No, 30. Let's go with 30. Even though I have nothing once again planned out for this year! I'm still debating on if I should finish an older project or start a new one. All I know is that I need to write. My summer was full of hurt, changes and betrayal and I need to pour those emotions into something else and be rid of them. I have these characters but I don't know what to do with them or where to put them or what is going to happen to them.

So here we go, another NaNoWriMo ahead and another Halloween Challenge behind!

Are you going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year?

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Review: The Other Lamb by Katie Young

The Other Lamb by Katie Young
Release Date: August 28th, 2014 by Curiosity Quills Press
Genre: Young Adult > Paranormal
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Curiosity Quills Press)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

Incarcerated on Earth as punishment for breeding with humans, the Watchers found a way to escape. Zach is living proof of that…even though someone has cut out his heart.

When Zach turns eighteen he develops an insatiable thirst for blood, but he tries to bury his fears and go on enjoying his birthday. His best friend Kim has scored them tickets to the hottest gig in town. But a charged encounter with his idol, the enigmatic rock star known as Grigory, leads to a revelation that shatters everything Zach thinks he knows about himself and the world, and places everyone dear to him in grave danger.
Zach is a Naphil, the forbidden offspring of a mortal woman and a Watcher. When those who seek to destroy him snatch Kim, Zach is forced to embark on a journey of discovery spanning continents and ages. With the help of a mysterious stranger named Sam, Zach must unearth the truth about his parentage, find Kim, and discover who has stolen his heart…before he triggers the apocalypse.

Okay, I know the blurb sounds super dang interesting which is why I requested it and it started off pretty well but then it got kind of weird. Then it got confusing. Then it got even more confusing and even more weird to the point where I didn't even know what the heck was going on anymore.

I think I would had enjoyed this read it it was a little easier to understand since you weren't really aware of whos point of view you were in and who was who and all of these other angels are caught in the mix too. I don't know, it just got really confusing.

Needless to say I didn't finish this.

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Review: The Vines by Christopher Rice

The Vines by Christopher Rice
Release Date: October 21st, 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction > Paranormal
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & 47north!)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

The dark history of Spring House, a beautifully restored plantation mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans, has long been forgotten. But something sinister lurks beneath the soil of the old estate.

After heiress and current owner Caitlin Chaisson is witness to her husband's stunning betrayal at her birthday party, she tries to take her own life in the mansion's cherished gazebo. Instead, the blood she spills awakens dark forces in the ground below. Chaos ensues and by morning her husband has vanished without a trace and his mistress has gone mad.

Nova, daughter to Spring House's groundskeeper, has always suspected that something malevolent haunts the old place, and in the aftermath of the birthday party she enlists Caitlin's estranged best friend, Blake, to help her get to the bottom of it. The pair soon realizes that the vengeance enacted by this sinister and otherworldly force comes at a terrible price.

I'll admit, I was a bit scared going into this one. Only because...  I mean, come on! His mother is Anne Rice! I was seriously preparing myself for the worst!

But the worst never really came. 

This follows Caitlin who has just inherited a mansion and caught her husband cheating on her. In the bathroom upstairs. Did I mention it was her birthday? I mean, we don't know much about her husband or the tramp he's with at this point just that dude is doing some major no-no crap right now. Come on man, it's your wife's birthday. You gotta be kidding me! Not knowing what else to do (though I don't really remember why she didn't just bust in there and shank a beezy) she attempts to end her life out in the garden. Only problem is, the garden doesn't want her to die. But it does want her blood. Next thing we know, lover boy and skank girl are sneaking out into the shed. Guess the bathroom wasn't big enough (that's what she said)? And I suppose we can assume the garden can read minds of those who just had their blood licked cleaned because the vines wasted no time eliminating her husband replacing him with a very peculiar looking flower. And whore bag? Well she went bat sh*t stumbling out of the shed.

The rest of the story pretty much follows not just Catlin but the vines and their victims. It also follows Blake, Caitlin's use-to-be-BFF before they had a really bad falling out and Nova, the housekeepers daughter. Nova knows something is up, she's always suspected something off about the property but no one wanted to listen to her. No one until now. Blake and Nova team up trying to uncover the secrets of the mansion and what it is the garden actually wants and how far it will go to get what it wants.

While this read didn't scare me or creep me up and it provided a lot of information about slavery, fiction or not, I admit I really really enjoyed this read. I don't usually stick to adult fiction but this one was a pretty good read for a night in October.

I may or may not be looking into two other titles by Christopher Rice.

"I would like a...  I would..."
Like a what? he wants to ask her. A Bible? A gun? A Valium?

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Seasonal Event: Halloween 2014

Wow, haven't been here in awhile, right?! Well, I'm back and with my Halloween Challenge List! Now if you've been here for the last 4 or so years, you know I do this every single year. It's like I HAVE to. It's tradition! 

[ photo credit: Me! I love the glitter on these leaves I found at Michaels! ]

Now the list for this year is.... really long. I don't expect to read ALL of these titles (though that would be pretty nice wouldn't it?) especially because some of them just straight up scare me... but we'll see how this goes..... it can't be that bad!

• The Other Lamb by Katie Young
• Falls The Shadow by Stefanie Gaither
• Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday
• Fallen by Lauren Kate
• Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff
• Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper
• Guardians (Seers #3) by Heather Frost
• Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy #3 *sobs*) by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Genevieve Tucholke
• The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• Made For You by Melissa Marr
• Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto
• Servents of the Storm by Delilah Dawson
• The Vines by Christopher Rice (seriously, I'm a little scared)
• When by Victoria Laurie
• Once Upon A Time by Marina Warner
• Suspicion by Alexandra Moni
• The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco
• The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel
• Fractured Dream by KM Randall
• The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott
• Creed by Trisha Leaver
• Blood Entwines by Caroline Healy
• The Beast Within by Serena Valentino
• Dream Boy by Mary Crockett
• Strings by G. Miki Hayden

Now this list is subject to change! I thought of trying to take on the tale of The Headless Horseman again but decided to read The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe instead. I might still try to fit it in there --- just to have another classic on the list.

*sigh* I've been away from this blog for too long. I need to vamp it up and stay active!

So what are you guys reading in honor of Halloween?

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Review: Falls The Shadow by Stefanie Gaither

Falls The Shadow by Stefanie Gaither
Release Date: September 16th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult > Dystopia
Source: Bought on Amazon
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

When Cate Benson was a kid, her sister, Violet, died. Two hours after the funeral, Cate’s family picked up Violet’s replacement. Like nothing had happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to give their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth—which means this new Violet has the same smile. The same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all of the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

At least, that’s what the paparazzi and the anti-cloning protestors want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that. She’s used to defending her sister, too. But Violet has vanished, and when Cate sets out to find her, she ends up in the line of fire instead. Because Cate is getting dangerously close to secrets that will rock the foundation of everything she thought was true.

In a thrilling debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

When Cate Benson was a kid, her sister, Violet, died. Two hours after the funeral, Cate’s family picked up Violet’s replacement. Like nothing had happened.

With a blurb starting like that how can you NOT want to know what this is about?! Cate's sister had died, Cate's sister who was her best friend and now with no time to even mourn, her parents are on their way to pick up the new Violet who's suppose to be exactly like the one that they lost. Let's think for a moment that somewhere in a lab is an exact replica of you floating around. Growing, downloading your thoughts and your memories, "someone" whos only job is to replace you when you're gone to give your loved ones the satisfaction of thinking you're still here when you're not. Despite all things, I would still feel replaced a little offended if my parents were picking up my replacement not even 24 hours after I was buried.

Of course Cate had to get use to this new Violet because how exactly do you react to someone who's suppose to be your sister but isn't? Also this Violet, while she had the memories downloaded did not have the same intentions as the first Violet. And in the middle of it all, Violet has just disappeared and the media is keeping a close eye on her as well as the rest of her family to find out where she went (so close in fact that they're parked on her front lawn. Yeah.). 

Then the guy who she thought never noticed her is suddenly noticing her and offering her a ride home. Into basically a trap. Good job Jaxon. You have a cool name by the way. So Cate learns a bit of the truth that her family has hidden from her and now has a choice to make.

With the help of Jaxon and Seth (who isn't really into the idea but he's funny as hell so thank goodness someone with a brain went along with this ridiculous plan) they track down Violet in order to find out what really happened to the popular girl at school who was Violet's best friend.

There's a lot of action that goes on and a lot of secrets revealed. A LOT. There were moments where you'd have to choose one path or another and choosing the right path no matter how right doesn't make it less painful especially when it involves someone you love. I loved the relationship between Cate and Violet and I loved that Violet wasn't some perfect clone. 

Falls The Shadow wasn't what I was expecting but it was still one hell of a ride!

My mother walked on as if they weren't even there, because she treated everyone the same, whether they loved us or hated us. You don't want to give anyone the illusion, she always told me, that anything they do can affect you. You can't give them that control, because there's no telling what they'd do with it.

"Good thing we don't have anything important to be doing right now," he says, raising an eyebrow. I feel myself blushing. Jaxon kisses my forehead --- lets his lips linger there  for just a few seconds --- before stepping away. Seth clears his throat. "And I'm not only complaining because you two just took my role as third wheel to a whole new level of awkward," he adds. "We're just on a bit of a tight schedule here."

"I almost shot you, idiot." "I know," Seth says, still eyeing the gun nervously, "I was there. Saw the whole thing, complete with my life flashing before my eyes."

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Review: Dream Boy by Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenberg

Dream Boy by Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenberg
Release Date: July 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult > Paranormal
Source: NetGalley (Thanks NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire!)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.

 

Dream Boy was a title I was looking forward to; it sounded a little bit like my all time favorite book Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan. However Dream Boy didn't really satisfy my expectations.

We're introduced to Josh while him and Annabelle are just hanging out in one of her dreams. No big deal. I'm not able to do lucid dreaming but apparently Annabelle is. Interesting. We get glimpses of Annabelle's life at school, at home... but the main focus is when she's dreaming because that's where she wants to be, constantly dreaming and constantly being with Josh.

Until one day Josh walks into her classroom. Except his name isn't Josh, it's Martin.

And things start to get a little weird.

Dream Boy has a plot that will grip you. It takes a bit of time to get into it but once you do it makes it hard to put down. Apparently people that Annabelle thought were people, weren't. They were being dreamt up and coming to life. Upon realizing this they also realize that a nightmare could very well be the next thing introduced to their reality and so, they find a way to put an end to this before it's too late.

I was personally rooting for Will and Annabelle the whole time. Martin just seemed... I don't know, like he's too perfect for her where as Will seemed more like a real person. 

There isn't much else I can say without spoiling the book but if you're looking for something that isn't too paranormal and has a pretty epic twist, I would highly suggest Dream Boy.

Also, can we just admire this cover for a minute? Seriously. It's eye catching. 

His T-shirts were kind of like mood rings. And even though his moods were generally in the meh range, there were slight fluctuations: giddy meh ("Free Shrugs"); grumpy meh ("There Things I Hate: T-shirts, Irony, Lists"); annoyed meh ("Dear Math, I'm not your therapist. Solve your own problems."); annoying meh ("It's Tuesday!" which he only wore on Wednesdays). And the War T-shirt? Well, maybe I should have expected a little more edge from the offfset.

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Seasonal Event: Halloween 2013

It's that time of the year agaaaaaaaain! Where I do my Halloween Challenge. Whoot whoot! Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Oranges/purples/blacks, witches, bats, cats, and the sign of Autumn! And everything that comes with it! Well except the cool weather and changing of leaves since this year I'm in Orlando and you know, apparently Florida doesn't believe in seasons. Legit people are still sunbathing at the pool as I type. Bummer. But I've been decking out my apartment and blasting the fans/AC to make me think it's Autumn in Cali. Whatever makes me happy yo! On to the books I plan on reading this month.

• Waterfell (The Aquarathi #1) by Amalie Howard
• The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1) by Mindee Arnett
• Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate
• Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington
• School Spirits (School Spirits #1) by Rachel Hawkins
• Hysteria by Megan Miranda
• Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke
• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
• After Eden by Helen Douglas
• Recalled by Cambria Hebert
• Relativity by Cristin Bishara
• North of Nowhere by Liz Kessler
• Some Quiet Place (Some Quiet Place #1) by Kelsey Sutton
• Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
• Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2) by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The Legend of Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving

This isn't a set in stone list for this year. I've decided to go with more on the paranormal genre than the scary this year. Just because I dunno, switching it up. So some of the titles might change. And as always, it would be nice if I actually managed to cross everything off the list. We'll see!

What do you plan on reading this month?

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Freebie Friday -- Halloween Challenge Update

I never ended up doing a recap of my Halloween Challenge so I thought I'd do one now! Let's see how I did!

• Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1) by Kiersten White
• Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep
• Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy
• Demons (Seers #2) by Heather Frost
• Spellbound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins :(
• Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan & Justine Larbalestier
• Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed
• Goosebumps Most Wanted #1: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes by R.L Stine*
• The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade
• Under My Hat by Various Authors
• The Legend of Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving
• Unraveling Isobel by Aileen Cook

I read all the books I intended to read except for four. Not bad right? I'm a bit sad I didn't get around to Under My Hat and The Legend of Sleepy Hallow (for the record, I read a few pages) this year but I'm still pretty proud :P

So I'll be offering a giveaway! One winner will win a paperback copy of Hex Hall and an ARC of Team Human! 

Also, I may or may not be having a giveaway every Friday this month... :P

RULES

• Must be 13 years or older to enter and must have parents permission to accept prize if under 18
• Must be in the U.S.
• This giveaway will run until November 23rd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Seasonal Event: Halloween 2012

It's that time of year again where I do my yearly Halloween challenge! As always, I'm excited for Halloween, cooler weather, delicious scented candles and finding an excuse to stuck caramel in my mouth at any possible moment and be able to justify it lol! And like every year, I have a good feeling I'll finish the majority of the books on this years list. Let's hope I actually do this time lol!

• Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1) by Kiersten White
• Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep
• Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy
• Demons (Seers #2) by Heather Frost
• Spellbound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins :(
• Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan & Justine Larbalestier
• Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed
• Goosebumps Most Wanted #1: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes by R.L Stine*
• The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade
• Under My Hat by Various Authors
• The Legend of Sleepy Hallow by Washington Irving
• Unraveling Isobel by Aileen Cook

I'm actually going to be away this week but the reviews will still be up! Not many spooky titles this year and I actually had to cut down my list! Oh how I wish October were longer! 

Also, totally off subject but today is 9 years since me and hubby's first date. Yes I keep track of silly things like that :P

What do you plan on reading to get you in the spooky mood this month?

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This is Halloween... Halloween... Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you all are having a wonderful and safe Halloween night filled with candy and fun!

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Halloween Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Halloween Giveaway is...

Kristy Nicole!

Congrats Kristy! And thank you to everyone who entered (:

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As you guys can probably tell, I ended up taking this week off from blogging (which was a bit of horrible timing since it's almost Halloween and I'm nowhere near finishing my challenge, but I'll live). I think I overwhelmed myself a bit by jumping back in and trying to take on everything I didn't have time for in Florida. Whoo, I need to listen to my husband a bit more and slow down when he thinks I should.

I'll be back and hopefully a bit more organized next week. 

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Seasonal Event: Halloween 2011!

It's that time of year again! Halloween! I'm excited it's finally going to cool down and all the pretty autumn things are near like the changing of leaves, the smell of earthy candles, cold nights (perfect for snuggling under a blanket and reading), limited edition caramel apple EVERYTHING, Halloween candy and being one step closer to the holidays :)! Last year I gave myself a Halloween challenge and I plan on doing the same this year. Hopefully I'll get through more than I did last year!

• The Mediator by Meg Cabot
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
• The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
• Unnaturally Green by Felicia Ricci
• The Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
• Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• Dark Souls by Paula Morris
• Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
• Seers by Heather Frost
• The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith
• Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

So that's my list for this year! At the end of the month I might be doing a little giveaway, we'll see (:

I would love for you all to join me! Are you planning on doing a challenge? If you are, let me know what books you're planning on reading!

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Spooky Swap!

I know I'm super late in posting this! I got my Spooky Swap a few weeks ago and I'm excited to share what I got!

Ah! I feel so spoiled! I got Bad Girls Don't Die which my husband picked up first when I poured all the things out of the bag. He always picks it up and flips through it in the bookstore and I always say how creepy the cover is lol. I got Casper (my favorite childhood movie! Thank you!), Peeps (which I've never had, can you believe that?!), nail polish and a nail polish pen (which I've wanted forever!), a notepad, a booklet of stickers (I love stickers!), and a ton of swag.

Thank you to Sarah from Addicted2Reading! Omgosh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I feel a little bad I didn't get my swap buddy more stuff. I wasn't expecting to get so much. I tried to cover every point though. Ah, sorry! This is the first swap I've ever done.

Thank you to Inked Books for hosting!

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Seasonal Event: Halloween! Winner!

Happy Halloween!!

The winner of my Halloween reading challenge giveaway is...

Nicole!

Congrats Nicole! I'll be emailing you soon for your address.

*Thank you to Scholastic for their donation!

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Seasonal Event: Halloween update!

October is coming to an end and so is my reading challenge. I'm a little upset that I pretty much failed but I'm happy that I at least tried!

• Evermore by Alyson Noel
• Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller, Jordan Orlando
• Intrinsical by Lani Woodland
• Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris
• Wake Unto You by Lisa Cach
• Manifest by Artist Arthur
• The Wizard Of Ooze (Goosebumps Horrorland) by R.L. Stine
• Little Shop Of Hamsters (Goosebumps Horrorland) by R.L. Stine
• Sweep Series: Vol 1 by Cate Tiernan

I'm reading the Sweep Series tonight and should have my review up tomorrow. I still plan on reading these books and reviewing them at some point, hopefully soon! 

The prizes are:

• Evermore by Alyson Noel (signed)
• Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris
• Little Shop Of Hamsters by R.L. Stine
• Heads, You Lose by R.L. Stine
• Swag
• Bag of goodies

I'm also going to be doing a comment giveaway for those who didn't participate in my challenge for a copy of Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen and a bag of goodies just because I like giving things away :)

Maybe I should had set that up a little earlier... October has been a hectic month! I hope November is less busy!

Happy Halloween everyone, enjoy your weekend!

*Thank you to Scholastic for their donation!

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Seasonal Event: Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I decided to do something fun with my blog for the month of October (because really, I think my blog is a little boring)! And because hello! It's finally Autumn! And I think that, in itself, deserves something fun (I'm most active in the Autumn/Winter and less active in the Summer)! So I decided to review only Halloween related books all October. And just to keep myself on track, I'm saying it out loud (because that makes it official!) to all my readers. Yay! I've decided to review the following books.

• Evermore by Alyson Noel
• Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller, Jordan Orlando
• Intrinsical by Lani Woodland
• Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris
• Wake Unto You by Lisa Cach
• Manifest by Artist Arthur
• The Wizard Of Ooze (Goosebumps Horrorland) by R.L. Stine
• Little Shop Of Hamsters (Goosebumps Horrorland) by R.L. Stine
• Sweep Series: Vol 1 by Cate Tiernan

I haven't decided if I'll do the Sweep Series bind-up as one whole book or separate. I know the Sweep series is hard to review separately because books 2 and 3 spoil book 1. Hm, I'll figure something out!

I would love for all of you to join me! If you do plan to, be sure to sign the Mr. Linkey with your links, I'm curious to know what books you'll be picking! And of course, there will be a giveaway :)

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