In My Mailbox {14}

I can't believe it. This is blog post number 60. I have done so much and gone so fart is such a short amount of time. I know that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my amazing followers putting up with the fact that I am just too busy for life sometimes. You have all stuck around and we've made it this far already. So for post 60 and almost 5 months of blogging, I'm sure you all know what this is about, so here's this week's IMM

Bought

Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Infinity - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Wings - Aprilynne Pike

13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson

The Heart of Memory - Alison Strobel

Review

The Demon Kiss - Lacey Weatherford

Yeah that's right. Book number 2 Blog Tour here I come!

Haven - Kristi Cook

Everlost - Neal Shusterman

Given

The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey

So I have to say, overall it was a pretty good book week. Especially because both of the books I bought were less than 20 dollars together. That's a deal let me tell you! Yeah Kmart haha. 

What did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is an idea created by the amazing Kristi of The Story Siren 

Follow Friday {11}

After a very stress filled week I am glad to say that I get to work this wonderful Holiday weekend. I am going to be so tired this weekend! I have been trying to find time to read The Iron King though and it's so good! But for now here is this week's Follow Friday post!

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?

I listen to so much stuff it's not even funny. I'll just do some of the songs in my top 25 most played in my iTunes right now haha. Also don't judge me my tastes are random!

1. E.T. - Katy Perry
2. Bills Bills Bills - Warblers
3. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. Teach me how to dougie - Cali Swag District
5. Pretty much a whole bunch of Big Time Rush
6. Lay all your love on me - Mama Mia cast
7. Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa
8. A drop in the ocean - Ron Pope
9. Cry me a river - Michael Buble
10 - Your Favorite - T. Mills

There's kind of a top ten right now, if you want to know more I can tell you haha. Just comment below.
What songs do you listen to??

Hosted by Parajunkee, just so you can get to know me a little more

In My Mailbox {13}

I actually got books this week! Exciting right?  I also plan on buying some Sunday (I guess today when I post this) because I'm going over to Indiana for the day and will have no reservations about buying books. But here's the books I got this week.

For Review

Happy Birthday to Me - Brian Rowe

Wild Child - Mike Wells

The Adice Girl - L.A. Shaw

What did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is an idea created by the amazing Kristi of The Story Siren 

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly - Alex  Flinn
Release Date: October 1st 2007
Publisher: Harper Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Overall: 5/5

I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll, stay this way forever ruined unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.

Every book is supposed to be better than the movie right? So of course after seeing Beastly and falling in love with it I knew I just had to read the book. Of course, I was not disappointed. Sure a few things were changed because of how they had to film it, but reading the book helped to fill in gaps here and there that the movie left and of course, make me fall in love with Kyle/Adrian and Lindy all over again.

When I was little my favorite Disney adaptation was alway The Beauty and The Beast. So this book had a lot to live up to, and man did it. I love how fresh the take is, placing The Beast in our own time, with our own problems, and making him seem just like the original. Sweet and caring once you get to know him and get past his beastly exterior. Then Lindy, being just your average girl who's father gets into some trouble with The Beast and she is sent to live with him.

Thankfully there is no Gaston in this book though. I really loved getting to see how quickly Kyle falls in love with Lindy. Getting to know the words he wants to say to her, what he wants to do, to show her how much he loves her, and the fact that he's changing without him even realizing. You also understand his relationship with his father a bit more than when watching the movie. There are some stories that help you realize what  a horrible man he is.

The ending is really different from the movie, so I suggest anyone who saw the movie to read the book as well. Whether you liked the movie or not, the book is worth reading. It illustrates their love so much more, and I kind of liked the book ending better than the movie ending because of how fast paced it was. I read the ending so fast, when I was done and got to read the prologue I finished it just as quick, still wanting more. So if you are looking for a book that you've seen everywhere, then this is the book to get. It's worth the read, and the re-read, and the re-re-read, so if you haven't yet, go and read Beastly

"Waiting on" Wednesday {11}

So this week have flown by already. I missed out posting a teaser yesterday and I apologize. But I am still currently reading Beastly and I posted the teaser for that about 2 weeks ago. But the good news is I'm almost done and should have a review up of it soon! So here's this week's WoW post

Wildfire - Karsten Knight

Publication Date: July 26th

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!  

Bookcase Tour

So this week, I didn't buy one single book, I know, it's depressing. I'm not sure how I let this happen, but unfortunately it has, so I came up with a different idea. I'm going to show you all my bookcase! Don't judge though, because I have a little system with bright orange and zebra duck tape on them. Also when I was younger I would mark books I read with a dot of white out, I'm pretty sure that was some sort of my OCD coming out haha. But I don't do that to my newer books, I couldn't ever mess them up! So here's my bookcase, sorry the pictures are blurry I had to use my phone.

That's technically not even really a shelf. It's the top of my bookcase. I've really run out of room for any book now so I try to put them where they will fit. Now you see why I need a new one! The pile on the right are all borrowed books and the pile on the left are all books you've seen me blog about for IMMs. YES, I have my Twilight Saga next to my Harry Potter series. They are the two big series of books I own, and all of them are in hardcover. Also, yes, that is an Edward Cullen action figure still in the package on the far left. I'm Robsessed what can I say.

Here is the first actual shelf of my bookcase. It's mostly Meg Cabot books, I like to keep each shelf organized by height, which you will see haha. I also have the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, as well as some Lauren Conrad, Snooki, and more Stephanie Meyers on the left side. I also have The Lotus Eaters on this shelf which is the first book I've ever won before!

Here's my second shelf. This one is mostly Vampire books. I have the Vampire Academy series as well as the Vampire Diaries series. The first two books in the Morganville Vampires series as well as the first Night World. This is also my Sarah Dessen shelf. I have all the books I own by her on this shelf. I also have some more random books on this shelf like Lipstick Jungle, My Sister's Keeper, and Midnight Bayou.

So I guess this shelf is Vampire continued haha. I have some of the House of Night series, the other ones I have on my Kindle. I also have the Blue Bloods series on this shelf. There's the Maximum Ride series, Alex Rider series, and Wicked. I also have City of Bones, It's Kind of a Funny Story, The Time Travelers Wife, and some more random books.

This self for the most part is completely random and most of my TBR books. Hence the orange duck tape. Also all of my Ellen Hopkins books are on this shelf. I'm missing my Wicked Lovely so I only have Ink Exchange so it's sad. Most of these books I really need to get around to reading.

So this is probably the worst picture and worst shelf. It is so crammed because I really have nowhere else to put my books. Most of these ones though I have read. I have the Sookie Stackhouse series, Gossip Girl series, It Girl series, Georgia Nicolson series, Narnia series, Charmed series, and so many more. But that's what is mostly on this shelf. 

I hope you all enjoyed this slight tour of my bookcase. I plan on editing the post a little later with a total of all books that I have read and all the books that I have to read. Or I might do it in a seperate post. If there's anything that you would like to see on my book blog then feel free to comment this. I'd love to hear what you would like to see. 

Follow Friday {10}

Q. DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER?

Yes Yes Yes I am a coverist. Guilty as charged. I can't help it though. If the cover looks really good then it is going to pull me in and make me want to read it. If the cover doesn't look very good than the story better really make up for it. I need something that pulls me in right away. So if the jacket does it great, if the cover does it, even better. I'm more likely to pick up a book I haven't heard about that has a good cover than one that has a bad cover. Just being honest haha.




P.S.
I was thinking of doing a picture tour of my bookcase and tallying my read and TBR so I was wondering what everyone would think of that.

What is your Follow Friday answer?

Hosted by Parajunkee, just so you can get to know me a little more

Review: The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford

The Trouble With Spells (of Witches and Warlocks #1) - Lacey Weatherford
Release Date: March 9th 2011
Publisher: Global Authors Publication
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 244
Overall: 5/5

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life

What an amazing book! That's all I can seem to think of right now. I was hooked from the instant I started reading it. Lacey did such a great job creating these characters, and even though there were days and events that were skipped, it felt right and kept the story at a pace that kept me interested the whole way through. There were times when I had to physically stop myself from reading and walk away because I needed to go to work or school.

Now hear me out on this next part. It slightly reminds me of Twilight. I know I know, there are a lot of people who don't find that series very interesting, and if you are one of them then you need to pick up this series instead. Portia is a very strong character and she is the polar opposite of Bella, although Portia and Vance's relationship is what really drew the comparison to me.

Portia and Vance's relationship rockets off because of the strong connection they have. They have a bond that  no one else has hear of and are able to do things that no other witch or warlock has ever heard of someone else doing. They are completely inseparable and their love for one another pulls at your heart. I absolutely love them together, and when they were apart and Portia felt pain, I felt it too.

Again, this book was such an amazing read. If you like anything dealing with magic, love, or action, then you need to check out this book. I know I'm already planning on when I'm going to get the next one. I cannot wait to see what happens with this series and I'm so happy I joined the Bookish Snobs Promotions and was able to be part of the blog tour for such an amazing book. I hope you all check it out, because it really is a good read.

"Waiting on" Wednesday {10}

It's Wednesday! Half way through the week and closer to the weekend. So of course you know what that means. This week's Waiting on Wednesday post!

Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma

So this is one that I just found out about recently but it sounds really good. The cover of course is really cute which always helps. Also, it comes out the day after my birthday! How exciting is that, I know what I'm going to ask for. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads.

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby. But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood. With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! 

Teaser Tuesday {7}

Since this book seemed to go over so well this Sunday, I decided that I would read it next and use it for today's post. It's also so freaking gorgeous I can't stop staring at the cover!!

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

pg. 128

"She was shorter than me by a foot, with large hazel eyes that matched her curly hair. I tried to keep my eyes away from her furry lower half, but it was difficult, especially when she smelled faintly like a petting zoo."

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read

• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In My Mailbox {12}

So this week I actually went book shopping! I know, what a huge surprise. So I have a few books to show you this week. I really hope some of you don't disown me because of one, but I just couldn't help myself.

Bought

Cryer's Cross - Lisa McMann

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

The Rules According to Jwoww - Jenni Farley

My mom also got a book this week that when she bought it, she looked at me and said "If I get this, will you read it?" My first thought was, you do know who you are talking to right? Of course I'll read anything haha. So here's the book my mom got that I will end up reading once she is done

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Hakness

What did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is an idea created by the amazing Kristi of The Story Siren 

The Trouble with Spells Blog Tour

Hey Everyone! So I'm stop 13 on this amazing Blog Tour. I just want to welcome anyone that is new to my blog, and to also let my current followers know that they can start the blog tour here. I hope you all are having an amazing time following this blog tour, and that you are all as excited as me about the Kindle Giveaway at the end! If you want my review on the novel, check back later, it is scheduled to post! Now it's my greatest pleasure to share a Guest Post from the Author of The Trouble with Spells, Lacey Weatherford!

I want to speak to you today about something very important, an epidemic if you will, that is sweeping our world, devouring the minds of millions, if not billions, of individuals.  This epidemic moves silently, infecting the bodies it inhabits, seeping into every pore until it has its host gripped in its throes, never to be released again.

There is no hope for recovery, no miracle cure, no medicine to treat it with, yet everyday people continue to move blindly forward, marching in vast numbers to become the latest victims of this curious condition, not even recognizing that the person next to them may be infected with this syndrome as well, because maybe they just don’t care.

Welcome to the world of Book-a-holic-ism. 

How can you recognize the signs to see if you are a victim?

Try answering these simple questions.

• Do you disappear for long periods of time to hang out with a book?
• Are there signs of paper cuts on your fingertips?
• Are you constantly receiving unexplained credit card statements from Amazon?
• Do you sigh wistfully every time you drive past the Barnes & Noble?
• Is your cell phone/digital device filled with book apps?
• Do you go on vacations for the sole purpose of standing in long lines to have someone you’ve never met before sign a book?
• Is your calendar filled with release dates?
• Is the food in your cupboards being slowly replaced with books?
• Do the neighborhood children show up at your house mistakenly thinking it’s the library?
• Do you organize your clothing labels according to the Dewey Decimal system?
• Did your exterminator tell you that your house is infested with bookworms?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you may be a book-a-holic.

Hello! I’m Lacey Weatherford and I’m a book-a-holic!

I became addicted at a very young age, and like many I was unaware that I suffered from this syndrome until later in my life, after I was married.  It was during this time that my addiction to the particular genre of romance became apparent.  I couldn’t get enough.  I was seeking it out anywhere I could get my hands on it, reading it at all hours of the day and night, at work, at home, on car trips, even in other people’s houses.

At times I was ashamed of my addiction. I would go to the store to buy my romance, placing my novels in the cart under other items so other shoppers wouldn’t see them.  At home I would hide the books with the trashiest covers where I thought no one else would find them, lest they point the finger and look upon me with disdain over my secret habit.  When I was visiting at someone else’s house, I would read in the dark after everyone else had gone to bed to avoid getting caught.  The signs should have been clear.

As my pile of books grew, so did everything else in my life.  My piles of dishes grew.  My piles of laundry grew.  My children grew filthier, and my husband’s complaints over the lack of dinner when he came home grew as well.  Everything else was neglected for my beloved books.

But I was soaring high!  I was wrapped up in my own little world of delights, day dreaming the hours away over gorgeous strapping heroes, bent on saving the women they loved.  Tales of good versus evil, where treachery was served fast and revenge was served cold, but kissing….oh the kissing…was served boiling hot, and perfectly sizzled.

If you’re wondering how I overcame my addiction.   I didn’t.

I’m thrilled to say I’m now an out-of-the-closet book-a-holic! My romances novels sit proudly on the shelves right next to all my young adult novels, (yeah I’m addicted to those too) and I even carry them to read wherever I go.

No more will the censorship of book-a-holic-ism weigh me down.  I will read here.  I will read there.  I will read anywhere! 

I even write it now, pushing my drug of choice onto junkies old and new alike.  I’m that voice in your head telling you to go ahead, it’s okay, EVERYBODY is doing it! (Hmmm…did I just sound like Satan?)

So join with me my fellow book lovers!  Relish in the fact that we love to read!  Share it!  Show it!  Embrace it!  And let’s thank our lucky stars that there is no cure in sight! 

I’m Lacey Weatherford, and I’m a book-a-holic!  Are you?

Tomorrow's Blog Post can be found at Narratively Speaking

Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight.  She resides in the White Mountains of Arizona , where she lives with her wonderful husband, six beautiful children, one son-in-law, and their energetic schnauzer, Sophie. When she's not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time writing, reading, blogging, and reviewing books

Win a Kindle Treasure Hunt!

We want to reward all the wonderful followers of this blog tour, so what better way to do that than to give away a free Kindle and Of Witches and Warlocks Swag!  Being entered to win is easy! All you have to do is follow the tour each day and search for the highlighted words in the post.  There may be only one word on some days or two or more on others, so be sure to read the whole post.  They could be anywhere…even in this description! Keep collecting the words each day to build a certain phrase.  At the end of the tour on April 22nd, bring your completed phrase to The Delusional Diaries and submit it into the form to be entered into the Kindle drawing!  Did you miss a day? No worries!  Just follow the linky list on The Delusional Diaries to the post for that day and search for it. After you have submitted the special phrase, add up all the times you commented on the different posts during the tour and add that number for extra entries! Lots of chances! So come join in the FUN!