Sunday, June 24, 2012

STACKING THE SHELVES (3)

Hi all, Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Annnnnnd here are the books I got this (and last) week!!


List of Books:  Croak by Gina Damico
                         Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
                         Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
                         Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
                         The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
                         Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
                         Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers


From NetGalley: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

First up to read:


Don't know how Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles got left out of that pic...but I did buy it this weekend, and I pretty much read through it in a day!  It was great, review to come shortly.  Got a lot of great titles up there.  Right now, I am LOVING the Ilona Andrews series (have already read through the first three books ;D).  P.S. Netgalley rocks!

Hope everyone has a great week,

Ninja Girl

Thursday, June 21, 2012

THE GHOST AND THE GOTH SERIES by Stacey Kade


I cannot believe it's over :**(  This series is great for so many reasons.  It totally deserves its own post.  Body and Soul, the last book in The Ghost and the Goth trilogy, came out recently, and I just have to say: It. Was. Awesome!

There are so, SO many ways it could've gone wrong.  With a truly impossible romance, a ghost and a living person, I could think of at least about 100 ways the story could've gone off the rails.  But the way Kade wrote these books, the stories were always believable and such fun to read!

In this third installment, we get to see how the characters have grown from Book 1.  (i.e. Alona, though still being fierce, isn't just the bitchy cheerleader.  And Will Killian isn't just the goth who wants to ignore all the ghosts around him)  Alona and Will have such a great chemistry.  "The cheerleader" and "the goth" have never been quite as well-rounded while still maintaining the funny.  I felt like I knew them.

Loved how Will was loyal/loved his mom!  That's right, he was a big old mama's boy, but it made him that much cooler in my book J  Loved how Alona used her Mean Girl powers for good instead of evil.  She defended Will, even stuck her neck out for Lily (the girl whose body she took charge of in Book 2; see why you need to read the entire series??)

The writing is pitch perfect teen, with two very different, yet equally awesome, main characters.  You'll always know who's speaking b/c, as I said, Alona and Will are so real.  Fun stories that never leave the laughs behind in favor of drama.  You'll be smiling throughout these books!

So…Reasons You Should Read (in a nice, tidy list J)

1) Kade's great writing!  She's in touch with her inner-teen, and they seem to have a very close relationship.

2) The humor.  Leave all the angsty angst behind and try a taste of the funny.  It'll make you smile, promise.

3) Great covers and titles!!  Just look at those pretty pics... *___*

4) Alona Dare.  Here's a cheerleader you'll actually like, and not for because she defies all the stereotypes.  No, Alona takes those stereotypes (mean, diva, thinks she's the ish) and brings them to a new level, especially in Book 1.  But you'll love her anyway ;)  Her brutal honesty is actually one of her best traits.

5) Will Killian.  Still love the name, still love him.  With a nickname like "Will Kill," the Goth had already won me over.  I loved how he wasn't the typical male lead.  Will was so anti-perfect.  No Ken dolls here!  And he and Alona were, as I said in an earlier review, "perfectly unperfect together."

Definitely recommend this series, couldn't have been happier with the ending--but I still wish there were more Ghost and the Goth books!  Thank you Stacey Kade for a great finish to a great story!

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

Monday, June 18, 2012

SUBMISSION DAY!!!

So it's a big day for me :D  Huge.  Today's the day that Awesome Agent T and I go on submission with my manuscript!!!  Wish me luck you guys.  I didn't think anything could be scarier than querying, but I've been proven wrong again.  But even with all the scary, I am over the moon excited!!


(Not sure which one's me and which is Taylor LOL)  Hope everyone has a great week!  And if you're feeling extra nice, could you keep your fingers crossed for me? :)  Thanks!

Ninja Girl

Friday, June 15, 2012

THE VINCENT BROTHERS by Abbi Glines


If you like steamy YA romance set in the South, you NEED to read these books!  Humor, hot guys, feisty females, enough Southern flavor to give the reader a firm sense of place/setting.  Oh, and drama!  Loads and loads of it J.  This is going to be a review of The Vincent Brothers, Glines's second book in the series, but I highly recommend reading The Vincent Boys first.

And it's not just because I liked Beau better J

Nah, it's totally because you need to read it to understand Sawyer's POV.

The Vincent Brothers starts six months after book one.  Sawyer Vincent, the all-around good guy, has been single a while--but he's still not over Ashton, the girl that got away.  His cousin, Beau, just up and stole her right out from under him, but Ashton had loved him back.  So Sawyer did the honorable thing and stepped aside.

(Which kinda proved he wasn’t right for her in the first place, but I digress…)

Even though Sawyer played nice and gave up Ashton without a fight, he's still spittin' mad.  Everywhere he turns, there they are.  His best friend and his girl.  And he let it happen.  Sawyer hasn't made peace with seeing them together, and he needs a distraction.  Badly.

Enter Lana McDaniel, Ashton's logical, level-headed cousin, who's staying at Ashton's house over the summer.  Lana has one goal: Make Sawyer Vincent fall completely head-over-heels, hot-under-the-collar, wipe-the-drool-off-his-chin in love with her.  She's been in love with Sawyer forever, and with Ashton out of the picture, he's fair game.  But can Sawyer fall for her when he thinks he's still in love with Ashton?  And why is it that polite, kind-hearted Lana makes the good Vincent brother suddenly want to be a bad boy?

The romance is mature (MCs are 17+), so I'd recommend for older teens.  But man, does Abbi Glines know how to write some smokin' hot romance!  I'm telling you the scenes where Lana breaks through Sawyer's "nice boy" image were some of my faves.  I loved him so much more with her than with Ashton.  Lana brought out his wild side, and I enjoyed every minute!

I'll admit, after book one, I wasn't a big Sawyer fan.   He was a bit of an ass, and even if Ashton did fall for Beau, I hated how Sawyer treated her.  And let others treat her without standing up for her.  But I'm glad I got to read his side in The Vincent Brothers.  Though I still love Beau, I was able to get past Sawyer's earlier jerkiness and enjoy his story.

And I think that was because he was a little more "Beau" in this book.  Sawyer was never as perfect as people thought.  He just needed the right girl to make him let loose.

I usually roll my eyes whenever a girl MC undergoes a transformation like Lana did, and basically pretty-fies herself for the guy.  But I didn't here.  It was actually sweet how Lana finally worked up the confidence to try and attract Sawyer instead of hiding herself.  That took some real lady balls (or should I say ovaries?J), and it made me like her.  A lot.

Glines's writing has a great flow and quick pace.  If you want a great summer read, look no further!  Loved The Vincent Boys, really enjoyed The Vincent Brothers.  Can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

P.S. This is my big 50th Book Review!!! Whoohoo!  Must do something to celebrate :D

Friday, June 8, 2012

ANYONE FOR A LITTLE...ESPIONAGE?


No review this week L , BUT I do have this!!

Gail Carriger's new YA series about a finishing school that trains young women in the fine arts of curtsying and espionage?   Oh my...I…I'm sorry, my mind was just blown there for a second J  The concept alone is killer, but add in Carriger's fantastical sense of ridiculousness and steampunky goodness, and it's a sure thing.  This.Is.Going.To.Rock!!

Oh, and isn't that cover model a dead ringer for Keira Knightley???

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ninja Girl