Winners!!!

Update: Sorry I made a mistake its actually Carina from Fictional Distraction. When I went though my followers so that I could link to the winners blog I didn't realize there was more than one Carina. Sorry for the mix-up. 

Winner of Spring Blog Carnival: 

I used Random.Org to pick a winner and lucky number 13 was the winner. 

Carina @ Fictional Distraction

She will win a $15 gift card or book worth up to $15 from the Book Depo.

Winner of the super awesome prize pack: 

I used Random.Org to pick a winner and lucky number 27 was the winner:

The Story Queen: Sonia @ The Story Queen 

She is the winner of 2 books of her choice that I reviewed, a book journal, some bookmarks and a $15 gift card. 

I will be emailing all of the winners later this evening and they will have 48 hours to respond before I pick another winner. Thank you everyone for entering and look out for more chances to win soon. 

Update:

Hey guys

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm posting the contest winners Sunday evening. The past couple of days I had trouble with blogger where it wouldn't let me do anything. Also I'm super excited because a friend of mine made the last minute decision to go to Columbia this weekend and she agreed to take me along so that I could go to the SC Book Festival. I'm beyond excited because I've been dying to go. So Sunday expect a post of me gushing about the awesomeness plus contest winners and a huge IMM. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

~Elaina

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Summary (from Goodreads): Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island. 

Until now. 

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet. 

In The Gathering, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.


My Review:


I love Prologues they are a great way to help readers decided if they want to read a book. It also lends a lot of suspense to the book because it gives a glimpse of things the readers has to look forward to. That said The Gathering has a great start  and I started the book already on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.  From there the book just gets better. I really like the characters they were all really well developed and I was able to get a feel for how I felt about each of them. Maya's character is amazing, she is a strong independent young woman who knows what she wants and goes for it. I love her boldness in situations and kind of wish I could be like that sometimes, combined with her sarcasm it makes her voice really awesome.  I wonder if Maya with let me borrow Daniel as my guy best friend and super hottie? Then there is Rafe mysterious, bad boy who I was falling for but then the ending has me confused about my feelings. We shall see. 


The plot is good, really fast paced. There are  a lot mysterious things happening in this small town! However the main thing that I found most surprising was how cooperative all of the kids were with different things. I know that its because of the way they were raised but they are really accepting of alot of things. The ending...a cliffhanger...those make me so sad because now I have to wait a year to find out what happens next. I've read the Darkest Powers series so it was really interesting to see names that I recognized from that series. 


The Gathering can be read without reading her other series, once you read it then I suggest you read the other series if you haven't. It may help a little with having to wait for the next book. Kelley Armstrong has many, many books. She has an adult series as well as her two YA trilogies.  You can read about her and all of her books at her website. 


My Rating:

Book Trailer:

White Cat by Holly Black

Summary (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.

My Review: 

I picked up White Cat a few times to read it and I have no idea why but it took my 3rd try at the book to finally get into it. I'm not sure why it took me so long because it jumps right into the action. *Excuse me as I go kick myself for taking so long*.

I loved Cassel's character! I like reading books from a guys point of view and White Cat doesn't disappoint. My favorite thing about him was the way he talked about the con. I like his matter of fact tone about his family and their mob like style of doing things. Of all of his family his grandfather is my favorite, for being a Death Worker he is a pretty cool guy. Its hard to talk about the characters I didn't like because of spoilers, but the characters where all beautifully written I just didn't like them as "people".  The plot of White Cat is very well written and fast paced. Holly Black keeps the readers on their toes the whole time. I spent most of the book shocked, especially the end. Dearest Holly Black why must you kill me with that ending. WHY?! Overall the whole book was really good. The story was well developed and very very  original. 


The good thing about me taking so long to read White Cat is that Red Glove the second book is already out! If you haven't already I definitely recommend that you read a copy of White Cat also if you haven't already you should read her Fey series(Its awesome!). What to learn more about the awesome Holly Black? Check out her website! There is also a website for the Curse Workers books here, there you can find a excerpt for White Cat.

My Rating: 

Book Trailer: 

Its Monday What Are You Reading 5/9/11

It's Monday, What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read and the books to be finished this week. 

Sadly last  week wasn't a great reading week for me but this week I plan on having an awesome week. 

Books I finished last week:

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Blood Song by Cat Adams

Books I'm reading now:

Girl in the Steel Corset

A Brush of Darkness

Books to finish this week: 

Divergent 

Between Shades of Gray

Karma

Black Dust Mambo 

So what are you reading??

Happy Friday!

Sorry I haven't been around this past week. As of Wednesday evening I finished up with classes. YAY!! I hope everyone had a fun Cinco de Mayo yesterday. I spent all day outside cleaning my new car, DOUBLE YAY!
But now since school is out I should be around much more.

Don't forget to enter the Spring Carnival Hop   it ends May 8th at 11:59. Also if you haven't already enter my giveaway for a Prize Pack that ends tonight at 11:59.

Thanks to everyone who has gone over to follow my New Blog, there will be some new reviews up on there soon. Also look for a review for White Cat and The Gathering tonight!

 Hope everyone has a had a good week and will have an even better weekend!

Once Upon a Twilight Blow Out Giveaway

Hey guys! The bookshelves at Once Upon a Twilight are on the verge of exploding, so they've decided to share some with us! :D Two people will win 20 books each!!! Super awesome, huh? Go enter! 


Here's what's up for grabs:

1. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (HC)
2. Department 19 (ARC) by Will Hill
3. The Survivors by Amanda Havard (HC)
4. The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group (ARC) by Catherine Jinks
5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
6. The Fallen: Volume 1 by Thomas E. Sniegoski
7. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (UK Paperback edition)
8. Mackenzie, Lost and Found by Deborah Kerbel
9. Girl on the other side by Deborah Kerbel
10. Lure by Deborah Kerbel
11. Venomous by Christopher Krovatin (HC)
12. Drawing the Ocean by Carolyn MacCullough (HC)
13. Eona (ARC) by Alison Goodman
14. Mieradome (ARC) by Kate O’Hegarty
15. Human Blend (ARC) by Lori Pescatore
16. Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman
17. Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter
18. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
19. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
20. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
21. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn 
22. The Thyssen Affair by Mozelle Richarson 
23. Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner 
24. Ghost Night by Heather Graham 
25. Night Moves by Heather Graham 
26. A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore 
27. Marked by Moonlight by Sharie Kohler 
28. Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole 
29. An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris (HC) 
30. Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan 
31. Much Ado about Marriage by Karen Hawkins 
32. One Night in Scotland by Karen Kawkins 
33. Threads West, An American Saga by Reid Lance Rosenthal 
34. A Question of Belief by Donna Leon 
35. Follow Me by Joanna Scott 
36. Relationship Obits by Kathleen Horan 
37. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts 
38. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (HC) 
39. Healing the Highlander by Melissa Mayhue 
40. No Hope for Gomez by Graham Parke