Swoon Thursday #15

Who doesn't love a good swoon?
The ladies over at YA Bound have created this hot and fun meme!
If you want to join in here's all you need to do.
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling and your stomach fluttering?

Then pick a smaller portion of your swoon and tweet it, just don't forget to add the #YABOUND Hashtag to your tweet!

Who would have ever thought that I would be posting a Swoon about a zombie?  Not me that's for sure... but what can I say?  I fell in love with R.  So much in fact that I was going through my saved clippings on my Kindle and couldn't pick just one Swoon so this week... you get the joy of two wonderful moments between R and Julie.  *sigh*

Following the screams, I find Julie at the Departures gate.  She is backed into a corner, surrounded by six drooling Dead.  They close in on her, rearing back a little each time she swings her smoke-belching hedge trimmer, but advancing steadily.  I rush at them from behind and crash into their tight circle, scattering them like bowling pins.

I stand there in front of Julie, brandishing a muscle-bound limb, and the Dead stop advancing.

"Julie!" I snarl at them while pointing at her.  "Julie!"

"Julie!" I say again, not sure how else to put it.  I walk up to her and press my hand against her heart.  I drop the arm-club and put my other hand on my own heart.  "Julie."

I listen to her breathing slow as she falls asleep. After a few hours, with her fear safely tucked away in dreams, she rolls over, removing most of the gap between us. She's facing me now.  Her faint breath tickets my ear.  If she were to wake up right now, would she scream?  Could I ever make her understand how safe she really is?

I won't deny that this proximity ignites more urges in me than the instinct to kill and eat.  But although these new urgers are there, some of them startling in their intensity, all I really want to do is lie next to her.

In this moment, the most I'd ever hope for would be for her to lay her head on my chest, let out a warm, contented breath, and sleep.

What is your swoon worthy moment this week?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know so that I can come and check out your blog in return!

Review: Safe Haven

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Title: Safe Haven
Author: Nicholas Sparks | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: September 14 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 044654759X
Length: 343 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Typical Nicholas Sparks cover... I like the film tie-in cover also but it has a silly sticker about winning a trip to the premiere so I didn't want to use.
Point of View: 3rd person, following multiple characters

My Rating: 4 Stars

Many years ago I found myself reading a lot of novels by Nicholas Sparks.   He does have a way with storytelling and the romance is always so sweet, but then I started to notice a trend.  You are not always guaranteed a happy ending with Sparks and that scares me.  I’m not saying I must always have a happy ending but I seem to gravitate toward them.  I don’t mind characters being put through multiple trials and tribulations but in the end... well in the end I want them happy and together.  I want to see that through it all, the ups and downs, they find their way to their very own happy ever after.

So why now, you may ask?  Why go back to a Nicholas Sparks book when I was unsure as to how it was going to end?  I was at the cinema last week and saw the preview for the film due to be released soon and that sealed it for me.   The story looked great and when I want to see a film and I know for certain there is a book it is based off of then I always want to read the book first so, I did.  And I am very happy to say I was not disappointed.

“That's the thing about life. A lot of the time, it isn't easy at all. We just have to try to make the best of it.”

Safe Haven has just enough suspense, mystery and of course romance.  You can’t help but fall in love with Katie and Alex and cheer for them to make it through all the crazy that is Katie’s past.   What is that crazy?  Katie is running from her abusive, alcoholic husband Kevin.  And to say he is crazy is a true understatement.  The man is a lunatic and the scenes that follow him were intense.  I was on edge waiting to see what he would do next and rooting for Katie to get free.

“I've come to believe that in everyone's life, there's one undeniable moment of change, a set of circumstances that suddenly alters everything.”

Katie is a loveable character and Alex is sweet, caring and romantic.  But above all I fell in love with Alex’s children, Josh and Kristen.  They are adorable and you instantly fall in love with them both.

Sparks has always had his own style of writing.   You not only get drawn into the characters but also the location.  Safe Haven is no exception, it takes place in Southport, North Carolina and it is beautiful.  The cozy cottages, the small town, the ocean... it is lovely and is the perfect backdrop for a new romance.

“‎When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever.”

So... through everything are you wondering if there is a happy ever after?   Well I am not going to give that away because I strongly recommend that you read this if you enjoy Nicholas Sparks or if you enjoy a nice romantic story with great characters.  I have to say that this has probably been one of my favorite books by Sparks.  Yes it took the film being released to get me to read it but thankfully I did because it really is a lovely story.

“I love you, Katie. You might not be ready to say those words now, and maybe you'll never be able to say them, but that doesn't change how I feel about you.”

MORE QUOTES FROM SAFE HAVEN

Waiting on Wednesday #17

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

Expected Publication: May 14 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

Where have I been that I was unaware that there was a new Dan Brown book coming out in 2013?  And to make it even more exciting it is a continuation of the Robert Langdon series. 

Dan Brown's writing is in a word... spectacular.  The research that is involved in writing one of his novels must be overwhelming.  I love the action and adventure, along with the history and romance of the places he takes the readers.

I was lucky enough to visit Rome a couple of years ago and I made sure to visit as many of the places mentioned in Angels & Demons as possible.  Then when in Paris I visited a lot of The Da Vinci Code locations.  His writing makes me want to travel, research and learn more about the history of the people and places.  I can see that Inferno is set in Florence and that has long been at the top of my travel list so I can see another trip in my future filled with places talked about in this novel.

Honestly, I am SO excited about this and I can't wait to go on another adventure with Robert Langdon.

What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Review: Never Too Far

He had held a secret that destroyed her world.

Everything she had known was no longer true.

Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him. Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again. What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately?

You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

Title: Never Too Far (Too Far ~ Book 2)
Author: Abbi Glines | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: February 26 2013
Publisher: Self Published 
Length: 304 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased from Smashwords (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Perfect!  I have no trouble believing that is Blaire and it fits the book perfectly.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Blaire and Rush

My Rating: 5 Stars

“She wouldn't come back.  She hated me.  She hated Nan.  She hated my mom.   She hated her father.   She wouldn't come back here... but God, I wanted her to.” 

I am still a bit breathless...

I was in a fit of hysterics when I saw that this was published a day early on Smashwords.  I immediately purchased it, put it on my Kindle and started right then and there.  The bad news? It was 10:00pm.  The good news?  I had the next day off work.  I am so glad that I did because there was absolutely no way I would have been able to put this book down.  I finished it at around 4:00am and it was oh so worth it.  I didn’t think it was possible but the little crush I had on Rush... well it isn’t so little any more.  Holy smoke was this book HOT! Sizzling...

“It had been three weeks, four days and twelve hours since I'd seen her. Since she'd torn my heart out.  If I had been drinking, I'd blame it on the alcohol.  It had to be an illusion, a desperate one.   But I hadn't been drinking.  Not a drop.  There was no mistaking Blaire.  It was her.  She was actually here.  Blaire was back in Rosemary.”

How great are dual point of view books? In book one, Fallen Too Far, it was all from Blaire’s point of view and to be honest I understand why it needed to be.  There were too many secrets being held by Rush to have been able to share his point of view then.  But now the secrets are out so we can finally get all up inside his head... and oh what a joy it is being there.

Rush is amazing.  He is caring, sexy, kind, hot, gentle, loving, protective... the list could go on and on.  And Rush knows what he wants.  He wants Blaire.  He is furious with himself for letting her walk away and now he will do everything he can to prove to her that he will never let her down again.

“Listen to me, Blaire.  If you try to go anywhere I will chase you down.  I will become your shadow.  I won't let you out of my sight because I can't live without you.  I made so many damn mistakes with you I don't even want to try and count them but I am going to start making things right from here on out.”

I will admit that there were times that I wanted to give Blaire a little slap.  Not a hard ‘I hate you’ kinda slap but a softer ‘wake the heck up’ kinda slap.  However I could never let my irritation get too out of control because somehow I still understood the mixed feelings she was experiencing.

She loves Rush and knows she always will. She had lost everybody in her life and had let Rush in and when all of the secrets from Fallen Too Far came out she was hurt and confused and didn’t think she could trust him again.   I get it.  I think it was only because we are also in Rush’s head and we know he is sincere so I just wanted her to get on the same page so that they could run off into the sunset together and live happily ever after.

“I'll be whatever you allow me to be, Blaire.  Just don't shut me out again.  Please.”

I continued to love the side characters as much as I did in Fallen Too Far.  My favourite though would have to be Woods.  He really stepped up his game and I fell pretty hard for him this time around.   This is made even more exciting because of the fact that Woods will be getting his own story told, Twisted Perfection, which is due to be published in late April 2013.  So we will get to see a bit more of him in the very near future.

Grant has always been lovely. I am happy to report that he will also be getting his own story, which of course I will reading as soon as it is published in the Fall of 2013.  He had a bit of a secretive side to him in this book and I think there is a lot more going on that maybe we don’t know about.   Unfortunately it appears those secrets may have to do with Nan... now if there was somebody that I wanted to give a hard ‘I hate you’ slap to it would be Nan.

“Don’t assume I’m bluffing Nan.  Because this time you’ve fucked with something I care about.  This affects me, so listen and shut the hell up”

What a spoiled, inconsiderate, selfish little child Nan is.  I know she had a rough childhood but honestly she needs a wakeup call.  I was seeing red in parts and really wanted her to just go away and never come back.  I can only hope that as the other stories get published that she finally grows up and becomes a decent human being.

“But I don't fit.  Your family hates me.  I make your life difficult."

That's where she was wrong.  "No, You're my family.  And as for making my life difficult, you, Blaire Wynn, make my life complete.”

oooOOOooohhh and did I mention earlier that this book was HOT?  Holy moly saying that it was sizzling is an understatement.  I was loved the chemistry between Blaire and Rush in book one.  They only had to be standing in the same room for there be sparks.  But... wow.  These two are now off the charts.  I don’t believe this book is being pushed as a Young Adult and I would have to agree with that decision.  The ‘sexy times’ are explained in detail and man oh man...  *fans self*  Rush is... he’s... I can’t even put into words.  He has actually left me speechless.

“She's amazing.  No... she's perfect.  Everything about her is fucking perfect," I said aloud.  "I don't just love her, she owns me.  Completely.  I'd do anything for her.”

So, if you haven’t realized by this point I loved this book!  I think Abbi Glines is a an amazing writer and would recommend this or any of her books to anybody who is willing to listen... heck even to those that don’t want to listen.  My friends don’t call me The Book Pusher for nothing.  If you even think you may even a little bit like the sound of this book then please do not hesitate.  Trust me.  You need Rush in your life.... Hell, everybody needs Rush in their life.

“No man has ever loved a woman as much as I love you.  Nothing will ever come before you.  I don’t know what else I have to do to prove to you that I won’t let you down again.  I won’t hurt you.  You don’t have to be alone anymore. I need you.”

MORE QUOTES FROM NEVER TOO FAR

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Hosted by Broke and The Bookish

This Week's Topic is:

Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List

Colleen Hoover

There will never be a book that Colleen writes that I will not immediately read.  Whether it is Young Adult, New Adult, Romance... it doesn't matter.  She is a genius with words and undoubtedly knows how to tell a story

Favorite: Very hard to choose, I equally love Hopeless, Slammed and Point of Retreat.  But if I must choose then it would have to be Point of Retreat because I loved the story being from Will's point of view, I just love him so much.  Oh but then I love Lake and Will in Slammed so much... and I adore Sky and Holder in Hopeless.  oooOOOooohhh it is just too difficult to choose.

Jennifer L. Armentrout / J. Lynn

I have mentioned in my reviews of her books that I would rad the phone book if I found out that Jennifer was writing it.  Most of the authors on my list know how to write good boys but Jennifer is probably the queen in this category.  Daemon Black, Aiden St. Delphi... do I need to go on?

Favorite: Love them all but I must choose Deity, it was amazing.  It is also where I fell head over heals in love with Aiden.

Karen Marie Moning 

How could I not have the person who breathed life into Jericho Barrons on this list? I love her Fever series... whether it is told from Mac's point of view or Dani's I just love the world she has created.


Favorite: Dreamfever without a doubt.  The first 15% of that book changed everything and it was oooOOOooohhh so hot.

Aleatha Romig 

Wow.  Aleatha managed to blow my mind in her debut novel Consequences and then she managed to flip everything I believed on its head when I read Truth.  I have forced so many people I know to read these books and so far every single one of them have loved them as much as I do.... well maybe not as much because I can officially call myself obsessed.  Tony, Tony, Tony... whatever are we gong to do with you?  I'm not sure yet but I have a lot of ideas.

Favorite: Both were amazing but I would have to go with Truth simply because it was amazing.  If Consequences blew my mind I can't even describe the emotions I went through while reading Truth.  Just wow.

Katie McGarry

Katie has a way with words and she pulls you into the story.  I am not ashamed to say that I cry quite often while I am reading... my friends call me soft but if the writing is amazing I get so engulfed in the story that I tend to feel every emotion right along with the characters.  These books are no exception, you cry along with the bad and you cry along with the good.  Katie also writes very special romantic scenes.  I can't wait for everybody to get the chance to read Dare You To because the scene with Ryan, Beth and the rain will stay will be forever.  Such a special moment between two great characters.

Favorite:  Pushing the Limits was amazing and I simply adored Dare You To so it would be impossible for me to choose.  But again if I must choose then I would say that Ryan Stone slightly tips the scale in the favor of Dare You To.

Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night are spectacular.  Deborah blends magic, science and history effortlessly.  She takes you on a magical ride and you fall in love with every single character.  Marcus, Gallowglass... I could go on and on.  Regardless of who it was if she were to have a spin-off series with any of the side characters I would read them without question.

Favorite: A Discovery of Witches started it all so I would have to choose it.

Michelle Hodkin

The mystery, the intrigue, the suspense... I did not know a lot about the Mara Dyer series before I started it and I am so glad I didn't.  These books were amazing and I am on a serious countdown to The Retribution of Mara Dyer.  Oh, and have I mentioned my absolute love of a things Noah Shaw?  Love him to bits.

Favorite: Even though it is the second book in the series I would have to pick The Evolution of Mara Dyer. 

Abbi Glines 

I am knew to Abbi's work and sadly haven't been able to read them all yet but every last one of them is on my TBR list.  I fell in love with Beau Sawyer in the Vincent Boys first but then... then I met Rush.  *swoon*  Abbi writes good boys.

Favorite: Fallen Too Far without a doubt.  I love me some Vincent Boys but wow oh wow... Rush Finlay.  That is all that needs to be said.

Cassandra Clare 

It may seem strange to have Cassandra on this list when she has a series, The Infernal Devices, that I haven't yet started.  I am waiting until closer to the release date of The Clockwork Princess and yes I know this is showing some major constraint.  Thankfully we are not that far away from its release which means that I will be able to start them shortly...  I can't wait.

Favorite: This is easy, City of Glass.  Loved, loved, loved that book and even though I was happy to see the series continued I kinda wish she would have kept it a trilogy.  It was just so perfect...

Sophie Kinsella

Love Sophie.  There isn't a book that she has written (as Sophie Kinsella) that I have not enjoyed.  Her Shopaholic series is hilarious and Becky Bloomwood will always be one of my favorite characters.  To me she is and always will be the chick lit queen... even though I hate the term 'chick lit'.

Favorite: As much as I love Becky Bloomwood and Sophie has so many books that I love but I would have to go with Twenties Girl.  It was such a sweet book it had been a while since I had read a Kinsella novel so it was a joy to get back into her wonderful writing.

So there you go... this weeks Top Ten! What is yours?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know so that I can come and check out your blog in return!

Review: Warm Bodies

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love — with a human — in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra.

He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Title: Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies ~ Book 1)
Author: Isaac Marion | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: April 26 2011
Publisher: Atria Books
Length: 258 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: I am in absolute love with this cover!
Point of View: 1st person, following R

My Rating: 5 Stars

What a magnificent surprise this book turned out to be.  I am not ashamed to say that it was the impending release of the film that got me to read this book.  Sadly I had never heard of it before and I only wish that I had read it sooner, thankfully the old saying still stands ‘better late than never’.

“In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”

Meet R. He is a zombie, however he is a zombie with a conscience.  He has a hunger in him that he must satisfy but he hates himself for having to do it.

I absolutely fell in love with R.  Yes there I said it, I love a zombie.  I never would have thought it possible for a zombie to be portrayed as a romantic lead or for it to actually be pulled off in such a spectacular way but Isaac Marion has a wonderful way with words and truly knows how to tell a story.   It would be impossible to read Warm Bodies and not fall in love with the characters to be fair.

R struggles with his current state of being.  He walks around all day at the airport where his zombie ‘family’ lives, riding the escalator and then going into the city to feed.  That is where he meets Julie and when everything starts to change.

“...wanting change is step one, but step two is taking it.”

Julie lives in a stadium with the other survivors who have made their way to Seattle, they have converted it into a liveable city.  Her father has worked his way up to being a commander of sorts in the new army that has formed.  He is definitely a shoot first and ask questions later kind of guy.  Julie, her boyfriend Perry and her best friend Nora are all out on a recon mission when they are attacked by R, his friend M and the other zombies in their group.

You may wonder why zombies crave brains so very much.  See... when they eat the brain they get flashes and see a short glimpse into the lives that the ones they are eating lived.  So, R and his band of brothers and sisters attack... one thing leads to another and R eats Perry.  (This really isn’t a big spoiler so please don’t get upset with me.)  He starts to get flashes of Perry’s life and sees Julie in the memories, then he sees her there fighting the zombies and something inside him starts to come alive.  He does the unthinkable and saves her.

“I can feel it...the chance to start over, to live right, to love right, to burn up in a fiery cloud and never again be buried in the mud.”

It was a joy to see the relationship between R and Julie evolve.  It is set in an unbelievable backdrop for a love to blossom but somehow it becomes believable.  You become their biggest cheerleader and want nothing more than for these two to find a way to be together.

The side characters are also great and my favorite would have to be M.

“My friend "M" says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can't smile, because your lips have rotted off.”

M had me in stitches and even in parts where you probably shouldn’t be laughing he brought his sense of humor.  I also loved Nora, she is an undeniable badass and was a really strong character.

I could go on and on about this story, the characters and how much I loved it all but I don’t want to give any more away.  Honestly I can not recommend this book enough.  Even if you are not a huge zombie fan but you can appreciate an endearing love story then please give this book a chance.  The writing is spectacular and it was so very enjoyable.

“I crush her against me. I want to be part of her. Not just inside her but all around her. I want our rib cages to crack open and our hearts to migrate and merge. I want our cells to braid together like living thread.”

MORE QUOTES FROM WARM BODIES

Book Blogger Spotlight: Behind A Million And One Pages

Hi! I'm Gina from Behind A Million and One Pages. I am an Aussie book blogger from Sydney, Australia.  I have been in the blogging world about a year and a bit now and I absolutely LOVE it!  I make my own bookmarks, and if you want to get them for yourself, you can go onto my blog and download your own :D

When and why did you become a book blogger?

Everywhere on Goodreads I saw that everyone had a blog, so I looked into it and found a few that I liked.  Then I saw that my Goodreads friends had blogs and I asked them about it so I decided to join the book blogging world!

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

It might sound strange a bit, but it kinda just came to me...  All of the unique titles came to me, I sat there making the blog and all of the names just came to me.  I wrote down in a notebook how I was going to do everything and it all came together.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Meeting all the amazing authors that I feature on the blog, as well as all the other bloggers I meet as well.

What do you find the hardest about blogging?

Deadlines, especially now because I just started a new job so I'm trying to get used to the time that I need to allocate myself for blogging, and then my personal life as well.

Does your blog participate in any weekly features and if so which is your favorite?

I do two weekly features, my own that I made called Coverday Friday, and a meme called Party Tuesday hosted by Living in a Bookworld.

What has been your favorite moment since you became a book blogger? Which review, interview or giveaway have you been most proud of?

Hmmmm, I've got a whole lot coming up on the blog that I am looking forward to. Just for you though think Julie Kagawa, Karen Healey, Tahereh Mafi, Marianne Curley and Bernadette Azizi (all on the blog). I've got so many other proud moments in my blog, but mainly it is every single moment and author that had been featured was special to me and I am proud of every moment.

What kind of genres do you enjoy reading and reviewing the most?

I love all kinds of YA novels. My favourite sub-genre within YA is Dystopian.  What can I say?  I love the way that it captures what could happen in the very near future.

What is your favorite individual book or series? What makes you love it so much?

Hmmmmm, I love the Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier.  It is the one series that I have read that is flawless every single book.  It's got all the right amount of romance and fantasy.

Who is your favorite fictional male character, why and from what book or series are they from?

Juliet Mariller is my top favourite and all the other authors just fall underneath, including Tahereh Mafi, Veronica Roth, Julie Kagawa etc..

What books are you most looking forward to in 2013?

Untitled (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth
Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver
Elegy (Hereafter #3) by Tara Hudson
The Uprising (The Forsaken #2) by Lisa M. Stasse
Fractured Soul (Fractured Light #2) by Rachel McClellan
and sooo many more!

Paper books or ebooks?

Paperback books all they way! but it's handy to have eBooks as well.

Where is your favorite place to read?

Hmmm, that's a toughie. Well the main place that I read is at one of my cafe's, it's a chocolate bar so the combination of chocolate, coffee, dessert and a great book to read :)

Milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?

DARK CHOCOLATE! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!

Coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate?

Can I choose two?? Coffee (Vanilla Latte) and Tea with honey (favourite is Daintree Tea with honey or Turkish Apple is a really nice sweet tea)

Would you like to give any other details about yourself? How can others find you around the web? Such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc...

Blog: http://www.behindamillionandonepages.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/behindamillionandonepages
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6050729-gina
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/#117622013915328101597/posts

If you've heard about my free downloadable bookmarks you can download them from my blog. Can't find a series that you love? You can request it in the What's Next form at the bottom of the Bookmarks page Tab.

Review: The New Hunger

Julie Grigio drives with her parents through the crumbling wastelands of America – a nightmarish family road trip in search of a new home.

A few hundred miles away, Nora Greene finds herself her brother's reluctant, terrified guardian when her parents abandon them in the not-quite-empty ruins of Seattle.

In the darkness of a forest, a dead man in a red tie opens his eyes. With no memory of who or what he is, he must unravel the grim mystery of his existence - right after he learns how to think, how to walk, and how to satisfy the monster howling in his belly...

Two warped families and a lonely monster. Unknown to any of them, their paths are set to cross in a startling encounter that will change the course of their lives – or deaths – forever.

Title: The New Hunger (Warm Bodies ~ Book 0.5)
Author: Isaac Marion | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: February 8 2013
Publisher: Vintage Digital
Length: 128 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Zola Books

Source: Purchased (eBook Edition)
Cover Love: Even Isaac himself dislikes the cover, he says on his website that the children look weird... I agree.
Point of View: 3rd person, following multiple characters

My Rating: 4 Stars

Wow. This is my first zombie novel and I loved it.

“There’s not really such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ people, there’s just like…humanity.  And it gets broken sometimes.”

Julie is a young girl who with her mom and dad is travelling across the United States desperately trying to find a safe place to call home.  Nora along with her little brother Addis are on their own, they are trying to find other people... nice living people.  The Tall Man is also on his own, after having just woken up... not knowing who he is or where he is.  He only knows that he has an intense desire pushing him forward, he just hasn’t figured out what he is being pushed toward yet.

“It radiates out from him like a cloud of ghosts, countless hands clutching at the air, reaching out for…something.”

Marion’s writing is spectacular. You are pulled into their world and you feel each of the characters emotions. I will completely admit that I am a big wuss and there are a few scenes where I was frightened.  There is just something about zombies... they completely creep me out. The backdrop is set perfectly, littered streets, crumbling buildings and dead bodies. Lots of dead bodies.

“It’s more eerie to be alone in a city that’s lit up and functioning than one that’s a tomb.  If everything were silent, one could almost pretend to be in nature.  A forest.  A meadow.  Crickets and birdsong.  But the corpse of civilization is as restless as the creatures that now roam the graveyards.”

It is hard to describe the emotions you go through while reading this novella. You want to hate the living dead but normally you are not in their head.  They are the ‘bad guys’, the ones you need to run from and or kill.   But what if they are not happy with what they are now being forced to do?  What if inside their minds they can reason perfectly fine but are unable to communicate what they are thinking and feeling?

My heart breaks for Nora and Addis. I think it was their story that touched me the most which I am sure will be the same for most everybody that reads this. You are rooting for them all the way through...

“She remembers sprinting over the thin after-waves that slid over each other like sheets of glass. When she ran with the waves it looked like she wasn’t moving.  When she ran against them it looked like she was flying.  She refuses to believe her brother will never know these things. Somewhere, they will find sand.”

I strongly recommend this novella and I am now eager to start Warm Bodies.  If Isaac Marion’s writing style stays true to this then I know I am in for a great read.

“He is spent. His mind is mercury again, its brief surge of humanity melting into an oily residue on its surface, and he no longer understands the feelings he felt in that strange moment on the overpass.

But he did feel them. They did happen. They rest on the murky seabed of his mind, buried under sand and silt and miles of grey waves. Patient seeds waiting for light.”

MORE QUOTES FROM THE NEW HUNGER

Swoon Thursday #14

Who doesn't love a good swoon?
The ladies over at YA Bound have created this hot and fun meme!
If you want to join in here's all you need to do.
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling and your stomach fluttering?

Then pick a smaller portion of your swoon and tweet it, just don't forget to add the #YABOUND Hashtag to your tweet!

I love Ethan even more after reading Beautiful Darkness... how was that even possible?  He is just so sweet and caring.

I was caught in her drag, struck by the current that bound us together and kept us apart.  I leaned in to kiss her mouth, and she held the lemon in front of my nose, teasing.   "Smell."

"Smells like you."  Like lemons and rosemary, the scent that had drawn me to Lena when we first met.

She sniffed it, making a face.  "Sour like me."

"You don't taste sour to me."  I pulled her closer, until our hair was full of ash and grass, and the bitter lemon was lost somewhere beneath our feet at the bottom of the blanket.  The heat was on my skin, like fire.   Even though all I could feel was a biting cold whenever I held her hand lately, when we kissed -- really kissed -- there was nothing but heat.

I loved her, atom by atom, one burning cell at a time.  We kissed until my heart began skipping beats, and the edges of what I could see and feel and hear began to fade into darkness...

What is your swoon worthy moment this week?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know so that I can come and check out your blog in return!

Waiting on Wednesday #16

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Expected Publication: July 2 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

First the cover, I love it.  The car, her outfit, the way they are standing... it all looks great.

Now the story, I am loving the concept!  Normally it would be the other way around.  Mom doesn't want daughter with bad boy rocker and is pushing her toward the rich boy.  But here the roles are reversed and it sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Top Ten Tuesday #2

Hosted by Broke and The Bookish

This Week's Topic is:

Top Ten Favorite Characters In the Young Adult Genre

Noah Hutchins

Noah is just... perfect.  His story was heartbreaking but he stayed so strong and was always there for Echo.  Such a great character.

Katy Swartz

Stubborn,  fiery and fierce.  That is a good way to describe Katy.  She has done a lot of growing up in this series and she is such a strong character now.  Oh... and she is a fellow book lover and book blogger!

Cas Lowood

 *sigh*  I fell in love with Cas.  Even though the life that surrounded him is very much of the supernatural and unbelievable variety he was such a believe character... if that makes sense?

Kami Glass

Hilarious.  Nobody has made me laugh like Kami.  Such a sweet but very strong character.  Unspoken is filled with great characters so it really was hard to pick my favorite.

Aiden St. Delphi

Holy swoon alert.  Aiden is amazing.  Has there ever been a more loyal character?  I think not.  He is truly to die for and I doubt anybody that reads this series would disagree.  Even though there love triangle those on Team Seth probably still deep down love Aiden more.

Dean Holder

Holder is... hhhmmm... Holder is... Honestly, there are no words.  Amazing maybe?  But even that doesn't do him enough justice.  He stays strong for Sky and is honestly amazing.  Maybe that is the word for him after all.

Will Cooper

Will had me at hello.  Like honestly I fell in love with him so quickly it made my head spin.  Then when I thought I couldn't love him anymore he started reciting his poetry.  Wow. 

Rush Finlay

Rush is the epitome of the term 'Bad Boy'.  However we come to find that he is as soft as cotton candy on the inside and just as sticky sweet.  Isn't that what we all love?  The very bad boy that turns out to be good?

Noah Shaw

Noah, Noah, Noah... *sigh*  Noah is an enigma and the more you get to know him the more mysterious be becomes.  He is loyal and protective over Mara.  His only bad habit is that he smokes, but maybe one day Mara can get him to quit.

Ryan Stone

Ryan is the high school jock we all secretly swooned over in High School.  Although I doubt the boys that I went to high school with were as romantic and amazing as Ryan.  Again I will say one word.  RAIN.  There will never be a more romantic scene written and it is because of that scene that makes me love Ryan so very much.

So there you go... this weeks Top Ten! What is yours?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know so that I can come and check out your blog in return!