Waiting on Wednesday [5]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme highlights a future release that you are eagerly waiting to come out.

'Shattered Souls' by Mary Lindsey
Length: 336 pages (hardcover)
Expected Publication: Dec. 8th 2011
Publisher: Penguin

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon. 

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

  
A lot of people have been featuring this for their WoW, but for the people that haven't heard of this, this is for you! [: I cannot wait for this to come out and hopefully it will be as amazing as it sounds. Comment below on your thoughts about 'Shattered Souls' and link your WoW, if you participated this week.

'Held' by Edeet Ravel

I want to start out this review by saying that this isn't a mainstream YA novel and for that reason definitely will not appeal to everyone. It is about a girl named Chloe who is abducted while volunteering in Greece for the summer. The book follows her ordeal and the emotional and psychological effects that follow from being captured.

When I first read the back of this in the library I was very intrigued. I had never read a book about someone being kidnapped and held for ransom. I picked it up and dove in, expecting to be a YA thriller surrounding her ordeal and struggle. Although the back of the book made me think that way, it actually led down a very different path that surprised me.

Without giving away too much about where the story goes, I do want to say that I did enjoy where the book went the structure used throughout. The author created the world that Chloe was confined to very realistically and I couldn't help but feel for her. I also loved how fast paced the story was, I never got bored or wanted to put it down.

Although, what makes this a different genre than the typical YA is that it is not focused on the storyline and plot at all. The reader still gets a progression of the storyline but the book focuses a lot more on the psychological and emotion  developments of Chloe through her ordeal. I was completely intrigued by all of it, I am guessing because I absolutely am fascinated with psychology, especially of those that have gone through uncommon experiences. I loved watching and reading about the development of how she dealt with everything and the conclusion of her trauma.

I definitely recommend this book to YA readers, but with an important side-note. Not everyone who reads YA will connect to the aspects it focused on, but I think those that have an academic interest in psychology and human development would find it absorbing. I personally am not studying psychology in school so I cannot say on how true parts of it is, since it is a fiction story, but I did find it to be an enjoyable read.

Overall rating: 4 / 5 stars

It's Monday! What are you reading? [9]

'It's Monday! What are you reading?' is a meme hosted by Book Journey and consists of sharing what you have read this past week, what you hope to read this week, and whatever else fits in too. So here are my books for this week:

Just Finished:
The other day I finished up reading 'Elixir' by Hilary Duff. I have had this on my bookshelf for quite a while so I finally decided to pick it up and read it. It was pretty good and I should have a review up in a bit.

Currently Reading:
Yesterday I started reading a review book that comes out in October. 'Ashfall' by Mike Mullin follows the story of Alex after a supervolcano eruption that disrupts everything. So far I am really enjoying it and cannot wait for the story to really start.

Currently Reading:

Right now I am also reading 'The Demon Trapper's Daughter' by Jana Oliver. I had been hearing so much good about this for months, that I finally gave in and picked it up from my library.

To Read Next:
As of now, the next book I plan to read 'Unwind' by Neal Shusterman. Every review I have read of this makes it sound amazing and the synopsis is so original. I cannot wait to dive into this one.

So there they are! Comment below if you have read any of these and let me know your thoughts on them. And also make sure to link your 'It's Monday! What are you Reading?' if you are participating this week. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

'Eve' by Anna Carey

Length: 336 pages (hardcover)
Expected publication: October 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: netgalley.com

I couple months ago I started seeing this book on a lot of people's blogs. I quickly added it to my wishlist as well once I learned what it was about. Dystopian novels are currently what really spark my interest, so I was very excited to get a review copy of this through netgalley.com.

'Eve' follows the story of Eve who lives in a furture society where a deadly virus has wiped out most of the population. As a result, Eve and other girls in the society are taken to a school until graduation, where they can live in the City as productive members of this damaged society. The story picks up with Eve escaping right before graduation, after being warned of the truth of her future.

Early in the book, Carey does a great job of making you feel for Eve, a naive girl who doesn't know anything beyond the walls of the school. Even though she knows nothing about the world after the virus, her fear and will to change her future, she has the power to escape into the unknown. I liked how she had the guts to leave, but didn't complete buy that she would be convinced so easily. Seeing first hand what happened to the girls though, makes sense to be the breaking point.

An aspect that bothered me early in the story came with her first interaction with a man on the outside. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but felt that her reaction wasn't really realistic. She had been taught to fear and not trust men, but here and in other parts, her teachings are completely flipped and it felt like a different character.

I also found that first interaction to be very cheesy, with the bear and horse. She sees this bear and knows it is dangerous but stupidly presses on with it. And then the whole savior to her rescue I found to be a little corny and thought it could have be handled better, it felt a bit like a bad romance novel.

Most people I have talked to about this book weren't a fan of the ending, but I actually was. I like when authors leave me wanting the next book and this definitely did. Although I had some issues with the book, the ending was successful in pushing me over to wanting to know what happens.

Overall, I did enjoy where the story went and the unlikely relationship that developed. I think I was just hoping for this to be so amazing and original that the I couldn't help but notice the aspects that I didn't like. This was one of my most anticipated books on the fall, but sadly it did let me down a bit. I would recommend giving it a go though if you have been planning to though because it was a good story that left me wanting to know more about the world.

Overall rating: 3 / 5 stars

**An ebook copy of this book was provided by the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions, and overall review. I received no compensation for this review.

On My Wishlist [4]

 'On My Wishlist' is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It involves a list or post of some sort where are highlight books you are desperately wanting. They can be old, new, or even future releases. So here are my two books for this week:

'Awaken' by Katie Kacvinsky
The thing that first attracted me to this book was the cover, it is absolutely gorgeous. And then I read the synopsis and I was hooked. I am completely in a dystopian mood right now so I really hope to get my hands on this soon. I have been hearing mixed reviews on this one, so I really want to give it a go myself and see what I think.

'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' by Ransom Riggs

This book is like nothing I have ever read before and for some reason that really intrigues me. I love how there are photos through the book as well, something you don't really see in books that often. So far I have only read good reviews on this one so hopefully I will get my hands on it soon.

Make sure to let me know in the comments if you have read either of these and what you thought. Also make sure to link your 'On My Wishlist' so I can make sure to stop by! Happy Reading!

'The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don't Mind' by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

So I picked this up on a whim a little bit ago, mainly because it was cheap at my used book store. I think I got it for like $3 and wasn't really expecting much from it. The synopsis on the back was enough to pull me in though, it sounded very different and just the type of book I was in the mood to read.

Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised by this, I ended up loving it. It felt so realistic and I loved the real issues that it dealt with. It was a story of acceptance, forgiveness and finding yourself.

I loved the tone it was written in as well, it was both serious when it needed to be but also light and sarcastic. Cronn-Mills captured the essence of the characters so well that I felt they were real. The main character, Morgan, was beautifully written and always left me laughing with her quirks. And what is there to say about Rob, other than he is completely swoon worthy.

Unlike a lot of contemporary novels these days, I loved how the whole story wasn't about some love interest that the main character was dreaming over. Instead it had a great amount of family and friends within it and the main climax of the story actually was very emotional and had to do with her family.

I don't want to give away too much though. I think that may have been a little bit of the reason I loved it so much, no one had given me any spoilers that could ruin the story for me. Instead, I was completely surprised and sucked into the story the whole way.

Overall, I do not have anything bad to say about this one, but wish Cronn-Mills had more books out. I definitely recommend this to all contemporary YA readers, but will say that sex is talked about in an honest and frank way so just make sure you are okay with that before picking it up. I loved this so much that it has already become one of my favorites for the year. [:

Overall rating: 5 / 5 stars

Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaway Hop -- WINNER!

Hey everyone! So the Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaway Hop ended yesterday so now I can announce the winner of the giveaway I hosted! [:

The winner of a copy of 'Bright Young Things' by Anna Godbersen is...

Suz @ A Soul Unsung

Congrats! I will be emailing you shortly so keep an eye out for that! And for those of you that didn't win, I still have another giveaway going on so go check that out.

Top 10 Tuesday [6] : Everyone but me!

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish so head over there if you want more information or want to participate. This week is a list of the top ten books that you feel that everyone has read but you. I limited my list to those I feel everyone in the blogging world but me has read, since some of these are as popular in mainstream. So here is my list:

1. 'The Iron King' by Julie Kagawa: For some reason the whole fey genre does not appeal to me at all. But, I have heard good things about this series.

2. 'Shiver' by Maggie Stiefvater: This one I may give into soon since everyone seems to love it. Although I am also not really a huge fan on werewolves so I am still on edge.

3. 'Gone' by Michael Grant: This one just seems a bit young to me, but the concept is definitely intriguing. And I really do not like the covers either. ]:

4. 'Clockwork Angel' by Cassandra Clare: Haven't finished the Mortal Instruments series yet so I have even thought about this one yet. Hopefully I will pick up City of Glass soon though.

5. 'Hush, Hush' by Becca Fitzpatrick: I only seem to hear bad things about this one, so as of now I don't plan on ever picking this up.

6. 'Perfect Chemistry' by Simone Elkeles: I really want to read this one, but keep forgetting to pick it up. Hopefully my library will have it available soon because I really don't like the cover and don't have much of a desire to add it to my collection.

7. 'Marked' by PC and Kristin Cast: I have heard mixed things about this one, so I may pick it up at some point. BUt right now, I have too many vampire series that I am in the middle of.

8. 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate: This one does not seem to appeal to me at all. I hear the first in pretty okay but the series gets worse from there.

9. 'Matched' by Ally Condie: I really want to dive into this soon. I believe the second in the series is coming out soon, so I really need to get on top of this one.

AND

10. Pretty much everything by Sarah Dessen: I plan to pick up some more of her books soon, but right now I am not in a contemporary type of genre mood. [: I have only read 'Dreamland'

Now some of these I don't plan to read (#1, #5, #8) but some I just have not gotten around to or are unsure about. So comment below if there is one you love on this list and I may bump it up on my tbr pile. [:

In My Mailbox [10]

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren and consists of a post/video about books you have either bought, received, or borrowed during the previous week.

This week I just have two ebooks to report. I am still on my book buying ban so it still may be a little while before I have a nice big book haul. [: Both of these were free through amazon.com for the Kindle version.

'The Abbey' by Chris Culver

'The Emerald Talisman' by Brenda Pandos

And that is it for me this week. Comment below and let me know if you have read either of these and what you thought. Thanks and hope everyone had a good weekend. [:

'Cold Kiss' by Amy Garvey

Length: 336 pages (hardcover)
Expected Publication: Sept 20th, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.
That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”
- excerpt from Goodreads

'Cold Kiss' follows the story of Wren, who possesses paranormal abilities, which lead her to bringing her boyfriend back from the dead after she loses him too soon. That is where the story starts, so don't worry, that isn't a spoiler.

One thing that I really liked about the set up Garvey used was the fact that when you start reading, the big paranormal event has already happened and you really get to focus on the characters and development of relationships. At first I thought this would be a straightforward paranormal romance like so many others out right now. But I was wrong.

Instead, this story is heavily focused on Wren and the aftermath of what she has done. Yes, it definitely has paranormal aspects to it, but it definitely doesn't overshadow the characters and development within it. It really is more of a story about pain, acceptance, and letting go of a first love.

I loved how you are there through all the heartbreaking ups and downs and really get to see the development of Wren's understanding of what she has done. It gave a realness to the story that you cannot help but go on the roller coaster of emotions with her.

The only thing that felt me a little unsatisified was with the family back stories that created so much tension through the book. I absolutely love when authors pull in a back story that affects the present, but was still a bit confused with the story about her dad. At first I thought that it may be a cliffhanger to the next book, but I believe it is a stand alone book.

I think this book would really appeal to the contemporary fans out there that still enjoy some paranormal from time to time, but aren't a fan of how they sometimes don't dive deep enough into characters and issues that form. Overall, I really enjoyed 'Cold Kiss' and recommend getting your hands on it when it comes out later this month.

Overall rating: 4 / 5 stars

Books + Photography = ♥ [1]

Hey everyone! Hope everyone has been having a good week. Just wanted to start something today that I will randomly be doing, combining two things I absolutely love. Books and photography. [: Credit for the pictures can be found through clicking the photo.

“The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade.” - Anthony Trollope

It's Monday! What are you reading? [8]

It's Monday! What are you reading?' is a meme hosted by Book Journey and consists of sharing what you have read this past week, what you hope to read this week, and whatever else fits in too. So here are my books for this week:

Just Finished:

Last night I finished up reading 'Cold Kiss' by Amy Garvey. This comes out next week so I will have a pretty quick turn around for my review, it should be up by the weekend.

Reading Now:

Today I started one of my library books that I had been wanting to read, 'Held' by Edeet Ravel. This is a 2011 release about a girl who is kidnapped while volunteering in Greece for the summer:

To Read Next:

I have only heard amazing things about 'Beauty Queens' by Libba Bray and as of now it is the next one I plan to dive in. I recently read my first Libba Bray book and loved her writing, so I cannot wait to see what I think of this one.

So there they are! Comment below if you have read any of these and let me know your thoughts on them. And also make sure to link your 'It's Monday! What are you Reading?' if you are participating this week. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

In My Mailbox [9]

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren and consists of a post/video about books you have either bought, received, or borrowed during the previous week.

This week I actually picked up quite a few books, mainly from my library though. I have been on a bit of a book buying ban for the past couple of weeks, but did end up buying a few things from Borders since they were so cheap.

BOUGHT

'Return to Paradise' by Simone Elkeles
'The Lo-Down' by Lo Bosworth
'Gossip Girl Manga #1' by HyeKyung Baek & Cecily Von Ziegesar

BORROWING
'Jellicoe Road' by Melina Marchetta
'Unwind' by Neal Shusterman
'Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List' by Cohn & Levithan
'Vixen' by Jillian Larkin
'Across the Universe' by Beth Revis

And that is it for this week! Hope everyone has had a good weekend and got in some reading time. Make sure to link below your IMM so I can stop by and check it out.

Also don't forget to enter both of my giveaways that are going on now: win 'A Certain Slant of Light' and also one for the Bright Young and & Luxe Giveaway Hop where you can win 'Bright Young Things' by Anna Godbersen.

Bright, Young & Luxe Hop -- GIVEAWAY!

Hey everyone! For those of you that follow Let's Evaluate, I am hosting a giveaway for the next 10 days as part of the Bright, Young & Luxe Giveaway Hop. For those of you that found my blog through this giveaway, feel free to look around, through using the Pages links above. I hope you enjoy. [:

So for those of you that haven't heard of this hop, it is being hosted by the wonderful Tiffany at For Those About to Read and Lea at LC's Adventures in Libraryland. This hop is in celebration of her newest book 'Beautiful Days' and its release later this month.

I will be giving away a copy of 'Bright Young Things' by Anna Godbersen which is the first book in her Bright Young Things series. In case you are not familiar with this series, check out the Goodreads page to see if it interests you. The second book of this series is set to come out on September 20th, the same day that this and all other giveaways in this hop will be ending.


So here are the rules for this giveaway:

• open to US only (sorry INT!)
• must be 13 or older
  (13-17 must have parent/guardian permission)
• must be a follower of Let's Evaluate
• ends September 20th, 2011
  
  > I am not responsible for lost or damage to item
  > winner picked using random.org
  > posting announcing winner up within week of ending

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is fill out the form below!

And do not forget to check out all the other giveaways going on during this hop, as well as interviews and discussions.

P.S: I have another giveaway going on right now, so make sure to check that out here.

Want to win other great prizes? Go check these blogs out:

Bright, Young, & Luxe Giveaway Hop

1.	For Those About to Read...(HOST)	8.	Morgan (Smitten With Books)
2.	LC's Adventures in Libraryland (HOST)	9.	Live To Read ~Krystal
3.	Erin @ Let's Evaluate	10.	Gilbert & Gomez
4.	Jessica @ Chapter Chicks	11.	Amanda @ Not Another Book Blog
5.	Michelle Madow	12.	Katrina @ Novel Nonsense
6.	Theresa @ The Book Nook	13.	Diana @ Little Miss Drama Queen
7.	Brenna @ Esther's Ever After	14.	Rebecca's Book Blog

(Submissions close in 9h 42m)

URL:	(URL of your blog post)
Name:
Email:	(Not visible)
	Trouble linking up? Try here

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TGIF [4]: 09/09/2011

TGIF was started over at GReads! where the blogger re-caps their posts during the past week and answers the question that is proposed for that specific Friday. If you would like to check out my post from the last Friday I participated, you can do so here.

Books to Television: Which books would you love to see made into a tv series? Or a movie?So this definitely is not a hard question for me because I would love to visually be able to see almost any book I've read. But there is definitely a difference for me in ones that I would want to see as a tv series and as movies. I have decided to separate them by those two aspects and just as a heads up, for all I know the movie rights may have been bought for some of these. [:

Books => TV Series
1. Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine
2. Dream Catcher Trilogy by Lisa McMann
3. Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
4. Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson

Book(s) => Movie(s)
1. 'Candy' by Kevin Brooks
2. 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green
3. The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
4. 'The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don't Mind' by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
5. 'Dash & Lily's Book of Dares' by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
6. 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry
7. 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

And now for the re-cap of my last week of posts. Sadly I didn't have a lot of posts this past week, school is already overwhelming, plus I went home for Labor Day weekend. So I promise to right a few this weekend to have some to post next week. Click on each one to be taken to that post, if you wanna check it out.

1. Review: 'Inside Out' by Maria V. Snyder

2. Meme: In My Mailbox [8]
3. 21st Birthday -- 21 Questions
4. GIVEAWAY: Birthday Month Giveaway
5. Review: 'A Great and Terrible Beauty' by Libba Bray

And that's it! Make sure to leave a link to your TGIF or post in the comments your answer to the question! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

'A Great and Terrible Beauty' by Libba Bray

Everyone had been telling me lately that I needed to pick up this book and I recently caved in and bought myself a copy. As I started I was a little hestiant though because I wasn't really relating to the main character, Gemma. Luckily, about half way through I found her to be a bit deeper and more real.

This is actually the first Libba Bray book I have ever read and can now say that I love her writing style. She makes things seem so real and vivid, that you cannot help getting wrapped into her world. I definitely need to dive into my copy of 'Beauty Queens' very soon.

I really enjoyed how much of a roller coaster this was while I read it. At times it broke my heart, especially parts with Gemma's mother, while the next scene was still mysterious and suspenseful. The characters definitely make this story though, it is very character development driven. I also loved that it took place in London, somewhere I have always wanted to travel to and every time an author describes it makes me want to jump on a plane.

There were a couple of aspects that I didn't enjoy as much though. One of those being the pace, like I mentioned above. I loved the ending of the book but felt it was very slow getting there. There were also scenes and things that the characters did that I found very repetitive, something that felt me wanting a big plot change. Luckily the end did deliver on that though, I just wish that it started a bit earlier.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and have picked up the second book in the trilogy to dive into, hopefully, soon. If you enjoy the typical YA historical fiction with aspects of paranormal, I would definitely say give this a go. [:

Overall rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Birthday Month GIVEAWAY -- US only

Hey everyone! So yesterday I did a post of 21 questions that had to do with books and reading, inspired by my 21st birthday that is later this month. If you would like to check out that post then click here, but don't forget to come back to this post. But, I also wanted to do a small little giveaway to go with that. [:

The book up for grabs is a paperback copy of 'A Certain Slant of Light' by Laura Whitcomb. If you are not familiar with this book, then make sure to stop by its Goodreads page to learn some more and see if you would be interested in it.

Here are the rules for this giveaway:

• open to US only, no PO boxes
• must be 13 or older
  (13-17 must have parent/guardian permission
• must be a follower, old or new!
• ends September 30

> I am not responsible for lost or damage to item
> winner picked using random.org
> posting announcing winner up within week of ending

All you have to do is enter is fill out the form below. There will only be one extra entry for this giveaway and that will be being my friend or following my reviews on Goodreads. Link to my Goodreads page can be found under the about me tab or in the sidebar to your right.

Email me or comment below if you have any questions. [: Thanks and good luck!!

21st Birthday -- 21 Questions

In honor of my 21st birthday later in the month, I decided to compile a list of 21 book/reading related questions and answer them here on my blog. These questions are compiled of ones that I wonder about other readers and I would love it if you would like to answer these as well, but no pressure.

Feel free to link to a post of your answers or answer in the comments below. So here they are:

1. Paperback or Hardcover? paperback
2. Brand New or Slightly Used? brand new
3. Female POV or Male POV? doesn't matter to me
4. Vampires or Werewolves? vampires
5. Cassandra Clare or Suzanne Collins? no competition...Collins
6. Amazon or Book Depository? Book Depository
7. Physical Copy or Ebook? physical copy
8. Goodreads or Shelfari? Goodreads
9. Stand Alone or Series? usually series
10. Romance or Action? a little bit of both please [:

11. Favorite place to read? in bed or on a couch
12. Favorite book to movie adaptation? Fight Club
13. Favorite bookstore? right now it would be Half Price Books
14. Favorite non-fiction book? The Butterfly Garden by Chip St. Clair (a memoir)
15. Favorite cover you own? Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
16. Favorite 2011 read so far? Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk or The Hunger Games

17. What book are you currently reading? Eve by Anna Carey
18. Are you okay with significant characters dying in the end of a book? yes, in the right context
19. Do you have more than one copy of a book? nope
20. Can you have background noise while you read? a little, but not a lot
21. Do you like listening to audio books? I have only tried one, but so far not a fan

So there they are! I would love it if you would like to answer these for fun, but no worries if you don't! I hope everyone had a good weekend!

In My Mailbox [8]

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren and consists of a post/video about books you have either bought, received, or borrowed during the previous week.

This week I actually only have one book to report. I guess that means I am doing quite well on my book buying ban. [:


'Ripple' by Mandy Hubbard
So I actually won this book from a giveaway that Ruby from Ruby Reads hosted. I'm sure many of you are already familiar with her blog, but if not, definitely stop on over there. So thanks again Ruby! I cannot wait to read this since I have been hearing so much good about it. [:




And that is actually all I have for this week. I may crave in and buy some books as Borders is closing, so I may have more to report next week.

Sidenote: I will be hosting a giveaway next week for the Bright, Young & Luxe Hop so make sure you keep an eye out for that! [:

'Inside Out' by Maria V. Snyder

For months I had been hearing so much praise for this book, but for some reason didn't pick it up until recently. I ended up borrowing it up from my library and diving in shortly later. Overall, I flew through this book, really wanting to know what was going to happen and understand this world more.

One aspect that I really loved was this crazy, mixed up world that Snyder created. I loved the mystery to world, not only to the reader but also to the characters of the story. It left you wondering throughout, about their society and was really original how she made the characters as uncertain about the truth as the reader.

I did at times feel as though it was a little slow, with many scenes being the same as the one before. Luckily though, it did pick up for the second half of the book and really started to make the reader invested in the world.

The only aspect that I was a bit disappointed in came through the characterization. I never really related or connected to Trella. I did find her to be very unique though, since she was one of the out casts and loners within Inside. I just wish I felt a bit one connected to her and some of the other characters, like Riley, a character that I wish she devoted more time to and developed further. Hopefully that will come in the next book though, 'Outside In.'

Overall, I definitely did enjoy this read and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I often got so wrapped in the world of Inside, since it was described so vividly. I have really been loving books with setting so unlike our own, that the world of Inside really drew me in.

Overall rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

2011: August Recap & September TBR

Hey everyone! I first just wanted to say sorry that I am not posting as much as I was over the summer. *sad face* College started back up for me last week and I am already boggled down with school work. Hopefully I will get better at managing it as the semester goes on, but for now you may not be seeing as many posts from me. :[ But, hopefully I will still be able to get up between 3 and 5 every week. [:

I randomly decided the other today to start a monthly recap when a month comes to a close. So each, hopefully, first of the month, I will be posting a recap of the previous and a to be read list for the upcoming month. Of course what I read in September may be a bit different, but I thought it would be fun to post what I hope to read.

For the monthly recap, I will be listing the books I read that month and linking to a review if one has been posting on my blog. And the tbr will be linked to its Goodreads page, in case you want for info on that book. So here it goes:

AUGUST RECAP

'Carpe Corpus' by Rachel Caine
'Heist Society' by Ally Carter
'Inside Out' by Maria V. Snyder
'The Giver' by Lois Lowry
'A Great and Terrible Beauty' by Libba Bray
'The Sky Always Hears Me...' by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
'Dash & Lily's Book of Dares' by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
'Chasing Brooklyn' by Lisa Schroeder

SEPTEMBER TBR PILE
'The Knife of Never Letting Go' by Patrick Ness
'Eve' by Anna Carey
'Held' by Edeet Ravel
'Beauty Queens' by Libba Bray
'Ashfall' by Mike Mullin

Just as a heads up, my review of 'Inside Out' is actually scheduled to go up on Friday, so keep an eye out for that. Also comment below if you have read any of the books on my tbr pile and which ones I should start with. Hope everyone had a good August and has an even better September. [: