Waiting on Wednesday 78: Shadow of the Mark

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Name: Shadow of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: July 9th, 2013

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352 pages

 

Life for Megan Rosenberg just got a lot more complicated.

While she evoked the air element, and her feelings for Adam intensified, a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal was spun around her. With the Order tightening its hold, and the reinstatement of the Mark Knights, Megan has more questions than answers as the Marked Ones grow in strength.

New people arouse suspicion, the DeRises start behaving strangely, and Megan begins to unravel a destiny shrouded in mystery. It’s a destiny the Order has struggled to hide, and a destiny someone from the past… far in the past, has already laid claim to.

Alliances will be made, and friends will be lost, as the Order’s dark secrets are revealed by the very thing they sought to destroy.

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Carrier of the Mark, and I can't wait to read this one! The cover is GORGEOUS and I love the colors. I am excited to see what happens next for Megan and all of the other awesome characters we met in the first book.

What are you waiting for this week? Let me know in the comments!

New Year's Blogging Resolutions!

Happy New Years Everyone!!! 

source: http://www.npengage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/new-years-hat-752x483.jpg

Rachel at Parajunkee did a post last week where she listed her 2013 blogging resolutions..so I thought I might do that as well! Below are my blogging resolutions for 2013!

1. Post More!

This past fall posts have been kind of slacking because of me going to college, but now that I am in the swing of things I definitely will make it a priority to post!

2. Comment More!

I really have been slacking in the comment department...I need to pick up my game! This coming year I will try my best to spread the blogger love and comment more.

3. Make a schedule!

I really need to make a schedule with book releases/when I need to review books. This past year I have been a little bit behind on reviewing because I didn't have a schedule.

4. Have fun :)

I just need to remind myself that blogging is fun and shouldn't be stressful! Maybe this year I will try out a new meme or two...or maybe make my own!

Have a great new year everyone and here's to an awesome 2013! Let me know in the comments what you think! 

Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters # 2) by Jessica Shirvington Review

Name: Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters # 2)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: September 4th, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Buy the book on Amazon
438 pages

Summary:
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. 

Goodreads

My Review:

When I started reading this book, I was a little worried that I wouldn't love it, especially because I could not entirely remember everything that happened in the last book.  However, I was surprised to found that I really enjoyed it!  Most of the characters were well-developed and interesting, the plot was intriguing, and everything important from the last book was re-explained throughout the sequel.

I liked how there really was not much of a love triangle in this book.  One of the reasons why I didn't love the previous book was because of the poorly crafted love triangle between Violet, the sweet caring Lincoln, and the mysteriously dark Phoenix.  By the end of the last book it became clear that Phoenix was mysteriously dark because he was mostly an evil man who liked Violet but was not afraid to kill her if she got in the way.  In this book, I really enjoyed how Violet did not continue to like Phoenix after it became clear he was not a nice man, like some authors might have done.  That being said, I loved the relationship between Lincoln and Violet.  It really developed throughout this book and it was nice to see their highs, their lows, and their (sometimes upsetting) realizations.

I also really enjoyed meeting all the new characters!  While I could not remember everyone from the last book, there were a wealth of new Grigori characters in this book that were truly interesting and fun to read about.  There is the fun-loving, party boy named Spense, who is always the first one to throw himself into the fight for the love of it; then comes the frank Zoe, who is not afraid to share her opinions, no matter what they are; last but not least is Sal, the cute Italian boy who does not speak English well but still falls for Violet's best friend, Steph, who is human.  In addition to the kids, there were also two new adult Grigori characters added in this book, named Nyla and Rudyard; these two represented what could have been the future Violet and Lincoln, and it was certainly informative to see how their life could have ended up.

Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!  It was a fun and interesting read and I will definitely be checking out the third book, Emblaze, when it comes out in March!

My Rating:

Divergent by Veronica Roth Review

Name: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Release Date: May 3rd, 2011
Format: Borrowed from Jaime
Buy the book on Amazon
487 pages

Summary:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Goodreads

My Review:
I have heard such amazing things about Divergent but I never got around to reading it. When I came home for college break I had to give this one a shot, especially since I have been a little bit of a reading slump lately. Boy, am I SO glad that I read Divergent!! Definitely a great dystopian read.

What I really liked about this book was the plot. It was really interesting to learn about the different factions and how this dystopian world works. I really liked the different action scenes in Divergent! As the book goes on, the action really picks up which is really great! I also love how there is somewhat of a mystery in the plot...nothing is as it seems and Divergent definitely isn't predictable! The world building that Veronica Roth writes is so amazing, I really felt like I was seeing things going on through Tris' eyes and I could actually imagine what was going on.

I LOVED the main character Tris. At first, I wasn't really sure what to expect of her..she seemed a little bit boring. As the book progressed, however, Tris really started to discover who she is and progressed SO MUCH as a character. The Tris from the beginning of the book is so different then the one at the end. I really loved seeing her grow as a character. I also loved reading about Four!! Everyone this past year in the blogging community made a huge deal about Four, and I hadn't read the books so I had no idea what to expect when starting this book. After finishing Divergent, I could see why so many people love Four. He is so great, he is really a tough guy and can be a little bit scary..but his moments with Tris really make my heart melt.

Overall, I really enjoyed Divergent! I'm really glad I finally picked this book up, and if you haven't you should check this book out.

My Rating:

Follow Friday #46

Hi everyone..Happy Friday!! Follow and Feature Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Hi everyone!! I am back doing Follow and Feature Friday! YAY! Anyways, I hope you all are having an awesome week/vacation! It's nice being home and catching up on my reading :)

Anyways..here's this week's question!

Q: What book do you think everyone should read, if you could gift the entire population with one book? 

A: Hmm...tough question! I think I will have to pick Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Literally I have read this book so many times and it never gets old! It's just a great contemporary romance with a fabulous plot and setting! If you haven't read it PLEASE READ IT!

 If you could gift the entire population with one book..what book would you give? Let me know in the comments :)

Waiting on Wednesday 77: Requiem (Delirium # 3)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Name: Requiem (Delirium # 3)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

400 pages

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Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I loved both Delirium and Pandemonium, and I cannot wait to read the final book in the series!  I am interested to see how Lauren Oliver will write the book in the dual points of view of Lena and Hana, especially since Hana was not even in the previous book.  Also, of course, I cannot wait to see what happens after the cliff hanger from the end of the last book, and what Lena will do!

What are you waiting for this week? Let me know in the comments!