Eve is an orphan. After a nasty plague takes over the country, many orphaned children were put into academies. Eve and her friends were brought up without men and were taught to fear them. After she figures out what is to happen to her after her graduation from the Academy, she runs away. Running for her life, she learns how different her world is than what she was brought up to believe. AFter meeting Caleb, a boy who is living in the wild, she learns not all men are savages. He promises...moreEve is an orphan. After a nasty plague takes over the country, many orphaned children were put into academies. Eve and her friends were brought up without men and were taught to fear them. After she figures out what is to happen to her after her graduation from the Academy, she runs away. Running for her life, she learns how different her world is than what she was brought up to believe. AFter meeting Caleb, a boy who is living in the wild, she learns not all men are savages. He promises to help her find shelter even with soldiers chasing her, putting his life in danger for her. Watching Eve's dreams and naivity crushed was depressing and heartbreaking. After meeting Caleb, Eve began to have more hope for the future. I thought it was too depressing for my taste, but the story had me captivated wondering where it would go next. I will read the second book because I am caught up in Eve and Calebs story.



Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush #3)

Nora wakes up not remembering the last 5 months, including Patch. I loved this approach to the story, keeping the reader in the dark as well as Nora. I could have done without the long drawn out explanations to get Nora up to speed about her life that she couldn't remember, but the reader (if they read the other 2 books) already knew it. I actually found myself skimming through a lot of those scenes. Other than that, I loved the characters. Nora, acting like a dumb 17 yr old, thinking she knows better and very insecure. Patch... well, Patch's sense of humor, style and just plain deliciousness remained unchanged. He could make me blush, that's for sure! Oh and can I steal a few nights in his hidden home? Satin sheets? My kind of place!!!

Another plug for Unearthly.

Unearthly
by Cynthia Hand
Hardcover, 435 pages
Published January 4th 2011
by HarperTeen
ISBN 0061996165
series: Unearthly #1

I know I already wrote a review of this amazing story, but I have read it again and I love it even more!  Angels have been my new thing lately, and this one tops my list!  I also wanted to share the trailer for this book.  If you haven't read it yet, or not sure about it, then maybe this will peak your interest.



Gift Card Giveaway!  is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Attack of the Book

This is so much fun.  I copied this from What's on the Bookshelf blog.  This is a great opportunity to win great gifts and check out other book review blogs!  Someday, when my blog is a little bigger, I just might sign up for my own giveaway.  In the meantime, go Hopping!!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I fell in love with this story. I am a huge Angel fan, and I am a rebel at heart. So without giving too much away, this was right up my alley.
Clara just found out that she is part angel and that she has a certain purpose to fulfill in her life.  When she starts having visions of what her purpose will be, her family moves from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming so she will be able to complete it.  Christian is the boy from her visions, but Clara can't figure out what her purpose with him will be.  She can't afford to be distracted, but when Tucker becomes someone she can trust, she has to make a dicision that could tear her heart into pieces. 

Clara's personality reminds me of myself, especially at that young age; torn between doing what is "right" or expected of you and following your heart. I believe that 17 is a very difficult age;  deciding on education, career, and what "purpose" to accomplish in the future are all thoughts that these kids stress about. I enjoyed how the plot focused on Clara's purpose which I think I could apply in my own life.
This is a clean, fun, and suspensful book. The fact that it took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (near where I live) added to my interest. Can't wait for book 2! Can I say that I am "team Tucker" right now? Who can resist a cute cowboy who loves his horse?

Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (book 3)

WOW! Just when I didn't think things could get any better, this book comes along and just blows me away! This is definitely the best one in the series so far.

The relationship between Kelsey and the 2 princes was front and foremost in this book. I tended to "switch teams" a lot during this one, but my heart had been on Kishan until the last few chapters of the book. I still am not sure who I like best, but Ren's personality stood out the most. Before this book, I felt that Kishan was the pushy, arrogant, bad boy who would fight for Kelsey the hardest. And now I feel like Ren took over that part, being the dominant one.

During all of this, the 3 of them go in search of the 3 gift, Durga's pearl necklace in the 7th Pagoda. Traveling by boat/yacht, and with the help of the 5 dragons, they have to fight with almost their lives to retrieve it in the Indian Ocean. Still having to worry about Lokesh and his determination to get what he wants from the tigers.

This is a series that I will keep and read many times. I have fallen in love with the characters, and I can honestly say this is one of the best stories I have read. I wish there had been more books like this one when I was a young teen or young adult to read. If you enjoy good clean romance, with lots of action, and a place you can leave reality for a while, this is it!           

The Vampire Diaries

I know I am behind the times, and it is really showing now, but....

I just had to read this book. I had heard so much about it and thought "what the hay". I have NEVER seen the television series, so I figured I had nothing to compare it to. It was not what I expected.

Elena seemed to be quite the little brat at first, marching around, demanding things from her friends like she owned the world. I felt so sorry for Matt who seemed to get dumped on and kept giving Elena what she wanted... his trust.
Of course, Stefan was the mysterious bad boy who ends up really being the good guy... Well, good vampire anyway. I do feel like Elena ends up learning about giving instead of demanding from others.
In the end, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. 

Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The movie

This song was so perfect for the whole series! 

Wow, wow wow!  I can honestly say that the movie made the book!  Breaking Dawn, the book,  was very difficult for me to get through.  I loved it until I was half way through the book, then I thought it just got too weird.  I have read the series at least 4 times, but I have only finished Breaking Dawn 2 of those 4 times. I could have lived without the baby in all honesty.  I realize that it explained Jacob and Bella's love for each other, but to me this was a love story.  Now that I have experienced the movie, I was completely moved by the whole thing.  My heart was pounding every minute during the movie, either out of suspense (even though I knew what was coming), or out of emotion. 

Can I just say that I teared up many times?  Especially for my Jacob.  I have always been "team Jacob", but what a sad sad boy! Jacob was so broken, but yet still so devoted to Bella even after she made such wrong decisions, in his mind, every time breaking his heart.

The ending was full of blood, either from Bella drinking it through a straw, or of her own, spilled while trying to save the baby and Bella as well.  It actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, as bad as the book made it out to be, that part didn't bother me. Of course it was fun to look around me and see the faces of others, hands over mouths, squinting, trying not to look, almost like a horror film.  I loved it! 

Action!  There was so much action, fighting, wolves and vampires.  I found myself rocking back and forth in my seat, my hands gripping the bottom of cushion.  I must have looked pretty silly myself! 

As a silly 40-ish Twilight Mom, I have reached beyond the "mid-life-crisis" stage. Is there such a thing as "Post-mid-life-crisis-stress-disorder"? There should be!