Stacking the Shelves #72

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

Another busy week comes to an end *sigh*  This one was full of a lot of work, but also awesome fun!  On Wednesday, "B" and I went to the HarperTeen's Pitch Dark Tour and it was, well, Epic :)  Here are my new goodies this week (trying to control myself and save for BEA):

Purchased for Kindle 

Fall For Me by K.A. Last - I say this book last week in someone's STS and I couldn't resist this cover.

Purchased Physical Books

Signed pretties! Into the Still Blue, Ignite Me and In The Shadows

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi - I LOVE this series!  Into the Still Blue was such a good ending for an amazing series (see my review here.)

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi - I have to confess that I haven't read the Shatter Me series (I do have the first book), but I will start it soon.  

A brief note about the event:  I take my hat off these ladies (never mind that I'm not actually wearing one), they are such strong, wonderful women.  Their roads to becoming authors is different, but they have the same inner strength and resiliency in common.  I could have easily listen to them talk for at least a couple more hours :) I also got my ARC of In the Shadows signed by Kiersten White (and couldn't get Uninvited signed since I bought it in audiobook :(

High five to the YADC group and all the other authors that attended the event! 

For Review

My Life from Hell by Tellulah Darling - This is the last book of the Blooming Goddess trilogy and I can't wait to know the ending!  

Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn - This one is for a blog tour and it sounds really good (obviously!) 

What's stacking your shelves this week?

Stacking the Shelves #66

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

I'm back from vacation gorgeous people!  We spent the past two weeks in the paradise island of Puerto Rico (you can tell is my birthplace, right?) with our big extended family.  We celebrated the holidays, ate a lot, and visited with friends and family.  We had an awesome time! Too bad that it was so cold and snowing when we came back!

Gift 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - Hubby got me this book just before our trip, it looks really good.

Purchased for Kindle 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I already finished this one and it's a tear jerker for sure, really good story!

What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries - I can always read a great romance.

I Spy Dead People by Jennifer Fischetto - A funny mystery is always a good read for me. 

The Woodlands by Lauren Nicole Taylor - A new distopyan series that sounds really good.

A Date of Godlike Proportions by Tellulah Darling - This is book 2.5 on the Blooming Goddess series. 

The Drake Equation by Heather Walsh - Another great sounding love story.

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyke - This book was recommended to me during the Best of 2013 giveaway. 

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - After Arianne's glowing review, I cannot wait to read this one.

Audible

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd - I have been very curious about this book and it's gorgeous cover. 

For Review

We Were Liars by E. Lockheart - I did enjoy The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and I can't wait to read this one. 

The Here and Now by Ann Bashares - Written by Bashares, need I say more?

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for these :)

What's stacking your shelves this week?

Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney: Week #5

Hello gorgeous people!  I'm participating in this fun tournament for the next six weeks to celebrate the second book in the Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling.  You can find a lot more information here.

This weeks challenge is:

See my review of My Date from Hell here

Review: My Date from Hell by Tellulah Darling (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #2)

Title: My Date from Hell by Tellulah Darling

Published: October 31^st, 2013 by Te Da Media

Source: ARC provided by the author for review

Format: eBook

Genre: Paranormal | Mythology | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Challenge(s):

Grade rate: B+

Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break. Yeah, right. With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept? The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first. Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie? The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly. 

My Review

What a ride!  My Date from Hell is action packed, unpredictable and, oh so funny!

I missed Sophie and her snarkyness (yes, I know it’s not a word!).  Our heroine is trying to stay alive, recover her Persephone memories, save her friends, the rest of humanity, all while trying to have a date with Kai.  Sophie is a mix of the old and the new, trying to come together to form a special person that’s full of power and that, above all, tries to do the right thing.  She’s fiercely loyal and in My Date from Hell, that loyalty is tested time and time again.

We have Kai back, in all his tattooed glory and he’s going all out to make Sophie fall in love with him.  He can be sweet when he wants to.  We have to remember that he lost the love of his life in Persephone and it’s trying to reconcile the past with his present. This couple is so much fun together. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Theo and Hannah are trying to help Sophie and keep her safe.  We meet new characters in this installment, some good and some not so good.  I really liked Festos and Pierce, I think they add something to the story and they are definitely in Sophie’s team.

The Blooming Goddess series is so much fun to read.  These characters and full of faults, but also full of life and uniqueness.  The plot, as I said before, is full of action and also very fast paced.  The writing is so funny, sarcastic, and also full of self- discovery and felling. 

What an ending!  It is quite the cliffhanger, surprising and unforeseen, all rolled into one. I fervently hope that Kai comes back to his senses and that something awful happens to Felicia and Bethany (after all, fair is fair and karma is a b*#%^).  I don’t have to tell you that I’m looking forward to My Life from Hell, the conclusion of the trilogy, which will be published sometime next year.

Overall, My Date from Hell is a fast paced adventure, full of twists and turns and characters all and new.  Funny and entertaining :)

Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney: Week #4

Hello gorgeous people!  I'm participating in this fun tournament for the next six weeks to celebrate the second book in the Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling.  You can find a lot more information here.

This weeks challenge is:

Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney

Hello gorgeous people!  I'm participating in this fun tournament for the next six weeks to celebrate the second book in the Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling.  You can find a lot more information here.

This weeks challenge is:

You can find more information about this week's challenge in Tellulah's website here

Week Two: Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney

Hello gorgeous people!  I'm participating in this fun tournament for the next six weeks to celebrate the second book in the Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling.  You can find a lot more information here.

This is the second challenge:

Also, check here for the entries from week #1

Good luck everyone!

Sassy Girl Swoony God Tourney

Hello gorgeous people!  I'm participating in this fun tournament for the next six weeks to celebrate the second book in the Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling.  You can find a lot more information here.

Here is the first challenge:

Since I'm traveling for work this week, I'll get to do the challenge when I get back home.  Please follow along to see how I do :)

Stacking the Shelves #56

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

Hello gorgeous people!  This is two weeks worth of books for me (not much though).  I have an eventfull past two weeks: I had a birthday, a long holiday weekend, we are car shopping (no purchase yet), and school started for the kids.  

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

Buried Secrets by Emme Rollins - I think this one came by to me from a Goodreads recommendation.

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor - I participated in a promotion for this book several weeks ago and it seems really interesting; I also like the cover a lot.

Purchased Books

Origin by Jennifer Armentrout - No explanation needed, right?

Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry - This is book #3 of the Benny Imura series and I need to get caught up soon.

Library

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf - Seems like a fun read.

The Raft S.A. Bodeen - On the other hand this one looks very intense.

Review

The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolf - Received this book for a blog tour, coming soon.  I participated in the cover reveal and I can't wait to read it.

Extrated by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler H. Jolley - This book is about time travel and it looks really interesting. Thank you to Spencer Hill. 

My Date from Hell by Tellulah Darling - I received this book from the author, I really enjoyed the first book of the series, My Ex from Hell and this is the next book of the series. Thanks!

Gift

Just One Day by Gayle Forman - My oldest son, "A", got me this book for my BDay.  I read it already and it is one of the best books I've read so far this year.  Love it! The paperback cover is so pretty too :)

That's it for my!  What's stacking your shelves this week?

Top Ten Books with a School as Setting

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

These are my Top Ten books that have a regular high school or a boarding school as part of the setting:

1.  Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - The school and college setting is more prevalent in other books of the series.  Love it!

2.  Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I don't have to explain about Hogwarts, do I? 

3.  My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling - This book takes place at a boarding school and it's a based on Hades and Persephone's myth.  Hilarious!

4.  Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout - Let me just say that I wouldn't be able to concentrate with Daemon poking me in the back with a pen.

5.  Storm by Brigid Kemmerer - The whole Elemental series applies here. Although, nothing good seems to happen at school for the Merrick boys :(

6.  Guitar Notes by Mary Amato - The main characters meet by exchanging notes while using the same music practice room. Such a sweet story.

7.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - You didn't think that I would forget about this amazing book, right?  Boarding school in Paris, sign me up!

8.  Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - Such a good book!  An intense but amazing read that starts with with Echo tutoring Noah. 

9.  Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday - I love this series!  A mix of school angst and mystery. So funny!

10. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Another magical boarding school. What'ts not to like?

You know me and I can probably keep on going, but I'm in a hurry today, so this is it!

What's on your Top Ten this week? 

Review: My Ex From Hell by Tallulah Darling (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1)

Title: My Ex From Hell by Tallulah Darling

Published: April 1^st, 2013 by Te Da Media

Source: Netgalley ARC

Format: eBook

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Fantasy / Greek Mythology

Challenge(s): 2013 eBook

Grade rate: B+

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following: a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame. Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world. Literally. This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed. Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her. Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe … … and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld. My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

My Review

It’s no secret that I LOVE mythology and Greek myths are my favorite.  My Ex From Hell was a really great take on the Persephone story and it is SO FUNNY!

How can I describe the plot without giving it away?  As always, I’ll strive to do my best!  Sophie is 16 and in reality is Persephone in human form.  She is human because of something that happened in the Underworld that she can’t remember (and reasons better left to your own discovery).  Sophie has two best friends: Hannah, a gorgeous geek and Theo.  As you can read in the description, when Kai comes into the picture and kisses her it unlocks some of her memories, but unfortunately not all of them.  What happens next is a type of quest in search for some missing students and for Sophie’s memories.

The characterization is amazing!  We have Sophie, which is full of flaws, but very feisty and funny.  Hannah is beautiful, but really smart and a loyal friend.  Theo is (gay?) and a bit more than a good friend.  Kai is breathtaking!  Oh, and let’s not forget the bully and ever popular girl, Bethany.

As I said, the story is a modern take on the myth of Persephone, and in this case, Kai is Hades’ son.  The couple finds themselves in the middle of a power struggle between the gods (this happens often in mythology, right?).  The book is fairly short and fast paced.  As Sophie doesn’t have all her memories, we get to experience everything from her point of view.  I really enjoyed the writing.  It is hilarious!  It’s full of modern references, technology, snark, slang and such.  However, the ending was a total cliffhanger, and I’m not a fan of that.  Thank goodness that My Date From Hell, book #2, is due to be published in

October.

My Ex From Hell is a must for mythology fans, especially if you love the tale of Persephone and Hades (er, like I do!).

Some quotes for you (note these are from the ARC):

“The name is Kai”. He corrected.

How to put this without sounding stupid? Aw, screw it. There is no way. His voice made me tingle and shiver and warmed me in placed that definitely should not have been warm at the moment. … Kai’s voice was dark and lazy and slightly foreign and…whoa baby, I’m getting weak just thinking about it.”

“Hannah was staring wide-eyed at the two of us. “Mommy, daddy, please don’t fight”.

“Stay”, he ordered me. [Theo]

“I’m not a dog,” I shot back at him.

“Too bad for me,” he muttered and staked out.

I glanced at Hannah. “Did I miss something at the dance? Who peed in his cornflakes?”

“How did she end up here? This sudden epidemic of Greek figures in teen bodies is a little to Invasion of the Body Snatchers for me” – Hannah

About the cover:  Not really my cup of tea.