Waiting on Wednesday- Incarnate

Waiting On Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Incarnate

Author: Jodi Meadows
Release Date: January 31, 2012

Dystopia/Fantasy

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Monday's Question of the Day (on Tuesday...again)- Romance Novels

This meme was started by Eleni over at /- LA FEMME READERS -/. I always enjoyed answering and reading the responses to the questions she comes up with, so I decided to start some of my own!

What do you think about romance novels?

You know the ones I am talking about. The ones with scantily dressed female models about to faint being held up by a muscular guy wearing an unusually low cut v-neck. Okay first, lets discuss these covers. Aren't they so hilarious. I mean what woman in her right mind (and right health of course) faints on a daily basis with no legit reason. And oh so coincidentally there is always a guy in tights and a white v-neck there to catch her. So yeah, I usually assume if the covers of these historical and contemporary romance novels are a reflection of the content of the book, I best not pick it up. But that is the total opposite of what I find is most of the paranormal romances I read. Sherrilyn Kenyon whom I would like to crown the Queen of all paranormal romances has a way of making her books not like any typical romance novel. With characters that are so incredible and strong and romance that is so sweet, coupled with kick butt action scenes, and actual dynamic plots; I think without Sherriyln Kenyon, the whole romance novel realm would be foreign to me. I seriously recommend her dark hunters series, if you have somewhat of a laughable mindset when it comes to  romance novels, her books will surely change your mind. Anyways as a final thought, I find the covers of romance novels to be extremely funny most of the time, but some authors have really redeemed the genre for me.

How do you feel about romance novels? Do you like them, do you find the covers funny, or do you think they are a fun indulgence?

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Maureen McGowan Giveaway Winners!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for one of Maureen McGowan's New Books!!! 

And the winner of Cinderella Ninja Warrior 

Jennie -un3xpected***

  and the winner of Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer is

Misty Martin- mistyblue*** 

 Congratulations to the winners!!! Please reply to the email I have sent both of you with the address you would like the books shipped to!!!

Thank you again to all who entered!!! 

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Review: Runaway (Airhead #3) by. Meg Cabot

Title: Runaway (Airhead , #3)
Author: Meg Cabot
Publication Date: April 20, 2010
Pages: 310
Genre: 

Rating:

Synopsis from Goodreads: Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself. With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can't explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year's Eve to look forward to, Em's reached the end of her rope... what's the point of even going on? But when she discovers the truth about Nikki's secret, she knows there's only one person she can turn to. Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees, there's every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed—this time, permanently? Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running. 

Review: Runaway is the final book in Meg Cabot's Airhead Series. Meg Cabot raps up old ties and finally reveals the secret that is behind the infamous Stark Corporations.

I doubt this review is going to be able to completely convey the awesomeness of this series but I'm going to try my best to do just that. This book takes up a little later after the end of the second book in this series where Lulu, Nikki Howard, Em Watts are kidnapped by Brandon Stark and forced to live in one of his secluded vacation homes. No huge paragraphs pf introduction or anything like that, the characters get right to business as soon as I open the first page of the book. Em, Lulu, and Christopher think up a master plan so that Em, Lulu, and the Howard family will be able to escape the clutches of the Brandon Stark and stop Stark Enterprises (though they are not sure what about Stark enterprises they are actually stopping, but they were determined). What is revealed about Stark Enterprises was so shocking, I couldn't believe it until I read it over and over again.

I would like to say that Meg Cabot is the queen of character characterization...if that makes sense. There is no way that you can compare the individual personalities or the individual growth of any of the characters in this series with that of others. You have Em Watts the stubborn and headstrong "force model" who is in love with Christopher (he best friend turned boyfriend who she just dumped for a guy she hates), oh yes, life is going great for Em. And there's Christopher, whom I thought couldn't get more annoying at times, but he comes through in the end. I doubt there is anyway a person could hate Lulu, she is so naive it is laughable sometimes but I doubt Em could ever find such a die-hard best friend anywhere else. Even the supporting characters are so much fun to read about. Especially Nikki Howard, who is, to put it lightly, having a difficult time adjusting to life being "average looking".

Love is definitely in the air throughout the book. Sure Em is going through a "difficult" time with Christopher but she keeps hope alive no matter how stubborn she finds the male population to be. But not only is love in the air (kind of) for them, but EVERY single other character in the books has a love interest. There is pretty much romance on every corner, especially between characters you would never expect.

The ending wrapped things up perfectly and all loose ends were tied. But.. at the same time the ending felt the slightest bit lackluster to me. I have no idea why, but I was expecting a fight, heated confrontation, or maybe gunshots...okay maybe not that last one but still I wanted something just a little bigger. But at any rate I still loved the ending, it seemed perfectly fitting!!!

If my review didn't give it away so obviously, I would like to point out that I am completely in love with this entire series!


Recommendations: All Meg Cabot fans are extremely encouraged to check this entire series out because it is AMAZING!

Overall: 5/5

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Entertainment: 5/5
Ending: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Cover: 5/5

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Review: White Cat by. Holly Black

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)
Author: Holly Black
Publication Date: May 4, 2010
Pages: 310
Genre: Paranormal

Rating:

Synopsis from Goodreads: Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen. Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

Review: Without a doubt, my favorite book of 2011...so far. White Cat is an unbelievable read that adds something to the paranormal spectrum that I never could have imagined. Every minuscule detail, character, and circumstance is related to this incredibly intricate plot. This  books plot line gives new meaning to the saying, there's no such thing as coincidences.

Cassel, poor disillusioned Cassel comes from a family of "workers" these could be compared to that of a witch or warlock, except for the fact that the workers in Holly Black's White Cat's are specialized in specific things. As in there may be a memory worker who can transform or delete memories, or an emotion worker who can change the emotions of people. And Cassel is the only one in the family who is not a worker. Besides being the family leper, Cassel also has a secret buried that only his family knows about. He is a murderer. More specifically, he murdered his best friend when he was little. And that has torn him up to the point where he has accepted the fact that he is not a good person, so he decides to run with that. But when his sleepwalking "habit" gets him kicked out of school and having to move back in with his family, things take a turn for the bad...I mean the murderous mob assassination scheme bad.

Right from the beginning of the book I loved Cassal. It was so hard to imagine him killing anybody, let alone his best friend who he happened to be in love with. Sure, he is a master con artist, but that doesn't necessarily constitute murderer...does it. Cassal was one of my favorite characters in a long time. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He is so clever, what he figures out, what he is able to piece together from nothing more than a little evidence and a strong hunch, is unbelievable. With the schemes he comes up with, he would be a perfect candidate to work for the CIA or the Russian Mafia...scratch that last one.

The whole book is a mystery unraveling in itself, and you can tell that every little bitty moment, and detail of the book is just building until Holly Black springs up some major shockers.

I don't remember ever getting so into a book as I have this one in a very long time. It is just phenomenal. Something that I guarantee you have not heard of. And did I mention how clever I think Cassal is, you will be shocked with the things he is able to come up with. One thing that sort of made me sad in the beginning of the book is that I thought that Cassal was going to go through this whole journey all on his own. I was so happy when Holly Black gave him some backup in his journey, and I ended up loving the supporting characters as much as Cassel!

In the end, to say I recommend this book would most definitely be the understatement of the year. I am forcing you to relinquish all of your preferences when it comes to books, to me; and go and read this book immediately!!!

Recommendations: EVERYONE MUST READ THIS BOOK. It has everything a person could want in a book and more!!!


Overall: 5/5

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Entertainment: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Cover: 5/5

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