What I have been up to this last month

So August was a fairly busy month for me book challenge wise. I was doing two main challenges.
The first is an Indie book reading challenge where the challenge was to read as many indie books as possible in the month of August. This was just recently extended though the month of September as well. I think my count is at 11. I'm also doing a monthly challenge where there are different specifications of books that you have to read.
1). Book released in August: Crimson in the Very Wrong Fairy Tale- Liz Jäger DONE August 24th/12
4/5 Stars
I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts off with Crimson, a soon to be sixteen year old anxiously waiting for her sweet sixteen party. Her mom starts acting extra weird and places even more crystals around their house and even on Crimson's clothes for no apparent reason other then she is a hippy. Then we learn it's because Miranda (Crimson's mom) is trying to keep her safe from her father. Crimson is told by her mother that her father had perished in a fire when she was only one, then low and behold her shows up on her sixteenth birthday and drags her back to the underworld where she came from stating her mother had stole her. She learns that she is actually the Princess of darkness, but since she hasn't been there she has a lot to learn.

The story goes on to talk about how Crimson wins over her father and the rest of the demons in the underworld, and defeats her "evil" cousin, aunt and uncle and their plan to get her out of the running for the Devil title.

I liked the story, I found it original and fun. I found that most of the characters were well defined and that I liked them. There is more that I want to learn from this story but I will have to wait for the next installment.         


2). Book about witches: Taken- Charlotte Abel DONE August 1st/12
5/5 Stars
I received this book for the author for free for an honest review.

Okay Charlotte Abel you are now one of my favorite authors!! I loved this book. It was better then the first one because the characters are coming into their own. We get a more mature sense of Channie and Joshes relationship, even if it includes a lot of sex lol. I like how we get to see Josh learn and grow with his powers. I liked how Hunter, even though he was in love with Channie step down and let Josh be her man and helped josh when he needed it. I like how we learned more about their families and heritage and how they came to be where they are. I liked how Abbey was so willing to help Channie sneak out to see Josh.

I still can't believe how abusive verbally, mentally and physically Channies parents are to her. Her mom is even going to try and kill her. It's sickening. Even so, I can't wait for the next one. I want to know what happens after the ending Charlotte put on this bad boy. It was so mean to have an ending like that!! Now I want the third book today!! Oh well only a month away.

Thanks Charoltte!!!


3). Sitting on shelf for a long time: Slumber- Samantha Young DONE August 25th/12








4). Wouldn't normally read: Infinity- Sherrilyn Kenyon DONE August 22nd/12
3/5 Stars

So I realized that this book was popular when every times stepped into the bookstore it was there. I picked it up a few times read the synopsis and put it back because I really didn't want to read a book about a fourteen year old boy even if it had paranormal creatures in it. I did finally give in a by it one day but only because it was on the bargain shelf for $5.99 instead of the $19.99 listed price. I am definitely glad that I didn't pay full price for it.

Infinity is the first in the Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I didn't hate the book I just didn't overly enjoy it either. I liked the beginning and the end but the middle fell flat for me. And I got somewhat confused with all the characters and some things I found weren't clearly described. After reading the book I learned the author has other novels featuring the same characters, so maybe by reading those I would have learned more about this series.

The main character Nick is fourteen and I guess you would call him a loser. He is poor and his mom is a stripper. He doesn't have friends at school, he just gets made fun of. One night he is saved by a vampire (he doesn't know he is a vampire) and thus is introduced to a world of the paranormal even though it takes Nick being almost eaten by zombies to end he denial about the whole thing.

I did enjoy that fact that it had more then just say vampires, the book had vamps, zombies, daemons and pretty much annoying else you could think of, even flying monkeys, I kid you not. The ending left a ton of unanswered questions, but I guess that is to get you to read the next one. By the way I heard there a ten books, overkill? But I will most likely read the next one just to see if the series will get better.

5). About zombies: Dearly, Departed- Lia Habel DONE August 5th/12
4/5 Stars
This story is about sixteen year old Nora dearly, who recently became an orphan when her father succumbed to his illness leaving Nora to live with her mean old Aunt Gene. Nora goes to an all girl school with her best friend Pamela. They are returning home for the holidays when they learn the world is falling apart around them.

Shorty after Nora is kidnapped as she is fighting zombies for her life. The irony is she is kidnapped by zombies, the good kind. She learns there are two types of zombies, good and bad. The good ones keep their minds after they die while the bad zombies go animalistic and eat brains and infect others.

Lots of secrets about Nora's family arise throughout the novel. And Nora starts to fall for the kidnapper Bram, and he is a zombie.

I really liked this story it was a cute love story that even involved zombies. I loved the Victorian/ Steampunk element to it. I really liked the characters they were all very brave and would do anything for one another. Even the secondary characters are amazing. I didn't like all the POV's that were in the story. But at the same time I liked them because you learned what was going on from every angle. Can't wait for the next book!

6). In a school setting: Firelight- Sophie Jordan DONE August 7th/12
5/5 Stars
I just finished reading this amazing story by Sophie Jordan, about a sixteen year old girl named Jacinda.

Jacinda is a very special girl, she is a Draki, someone who has dragon in them and can change into a dragon. Jacinda is the first Fire-breather to be born in 400yrs so her pride wants her to stick around and marry Cassian, the next leader.

Jacinda's mom takes Jacinda and her twin sister who is human, back to normal living after an incident where Jacinda was almost captured and killed by hunters. They want Jacinda to kill her Draki by ignoring her urges like her mother did. Jacinda refuses. She hates her new life until she meets Will a boy from school who has a secret.

Jacinda and Will fall for each other. Then Jacinda learns his secret and he learns hers. Everything's gets complicated after that.

I really liked this story. It keeps you interested right to the end. Jacinda is an awesome character. She is strong and proud. She loves being Draki and is proud to show it, but she is also humble. Will is actually a nice guy, and that's who Jacinda likes it not the bad boy type.

Overall it's a good book and everyone should read it.
7). Cover has black background: Anathema- Megg Jensen DONE August 1st/12
4/5 Stars
** spoiler alert ** I really liked this book right from the start. I loved the concept about slaves with an evil master. Two of the slaves Ivy and Reychel were best friends. Reychel had been a slave her whole life while Ivy remembers when she was free. In this world there are slaves, the rulers and also gifted people who are wire free or slaves to the rulers. There are a lot of politics in this book between rulers, slaves, the free people, also the people who want to revolt. There is a prophecy that states all slaves will be free when to prophet comes and saves them.

She gets help to escape from her cature, but must gointo hiding for quite awhile until she finds out that the people need her help. Reychel finds put she is the prophet which puts her in a lot of danger. Later on she finds put that her old owner is actually he rather, he just couldn't tell anyone because he would be killed for being with a slave.

In the end Ivy shows her true colors and try's to use her gift to marry Reychels dad so she can rule the kingdom, but Reychel folks her plan by letting the people know she is a slave. Then the slaves are freed and the prisoners are freed. Reychel has to fulfill a promise to go and train to learn how to use her gifts.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, exciting read. And I look forward to the rest of the series.

8). About shifters:
9). Has a purple cover:

10). About fae: Neverdark- C.S. Einfeld DONE August 5th/12
3/5 Stars
This book was okay. I found it kind of weird because it was about faeries, but it was really nature orientated. There is Princess Fiera and she is one day betheolled to Lord Darkwater in order to save her kingdom from his huge army. Then she learns that he is evil, he made all these oak syrup rigs that are killing all the trees. Fiera try's to stop him. Her and her trusty firefly, Sparky and some fiends they met along the way find Old Mother Oak and save the day.

I think the book has a good underlying story about saving nature but that's about it. It might be better for a younger audience. The characters all have weird names that were nature orientated, or very unoriginal. Like Sparky for a firefly lol. Also there were pictures in some of the chapters that were really weird, like the cover.










11). Dog on the cover:











So only a few more to read. I am currently reading Slumber- Samantha Young. It will be the sitting on a shelf for a long time book. The September list is already out so I have been trying to compile that also. I will start this blog with the first review being of Slumber.