Top Ten Tuesday (8): Bookish Resolutions/Goals for 2013

Top Ten Tuesday (8): Bookish Resolutions/Goals for 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more information and a list of past and future topics, go here.

1. Read 155 books this year: This is my goal on Goodreads, and I read 150 books in 2012. I think I can accomplish this, as there are many wonderful books coming out in 2013!
2. Complete the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge: Since paranormal is my favorite genre (most days, it changes depending on what I’m reading sometimes), I felt I definitely had to join this challenge. Find out the super awesome details here.
3. Meet the amazing authors that write the books I love: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Cassandra Clare (I know…freakin’ amazing) and Ally Condie. There are some events, such as the Dark Days tour and the Breathless Reads tour that are coming up soon, which I’m dying to go to!
4. Read more books outside of my comfort zone: Since I sometimes only stick to the paranormal genre and the like, I want to try and read more contemporary books and other genres. There are books out there that could end up being my favorite book ever if I just put myself out there.
5. Read more NA books: I have starting to read some books by Abbi Glines and Jessica Sorensen, and I have loved them all. I definitely want to continue exploring this genre.
6. Meet more bloggers: I have loved all the bloggers I have met so far, and it is definitely a wonderful community out there. I want to meet more friends!
7. Comment and follow more cool blogs: I like commenting on other blogs and hearing what others think about books. This is one of the best parts about blogging!
8. Don’t be afraid: I resolve not to be afraid to reach out to bloggers, publishers, and authors, and to not be afraid to request books from publishers or Netgalley.
9. Host my first giveaway: I want to host a giveaway whenever I get a certain amount of followers!
10. Be unique: I resolve to be unique in my posts and everything associated with my blog! My biggest fear is being monotonous and boring!

Review: Undeadly by Michele Vail

Undeadly by: Michele Vail

Goodreads Synopsis:

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath.

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble...

Review:

Although I did have higher hopes for this book, it was a nice, easy read, with some really interesting mythology. Plus reapers…I now love reapers.

Molly has just turned 16, and on the night of her birthday, her wanna-be boyfriend dies…and she brings him back to life after she is chosen to be a reaper. She is then sent to Nekyia Academy where she trains to be a reaper with Rath, a hunky dude. She has a personal ghoul that will do whatever her heart desires, and she makes some nice friends. She must find out why students are dying at the Academy before she becomes dead herself.

Molly was very young and somewhat annoying. Some of the things she said and the way she acted sometimes was very juvenile. I suppose that she did have some rough changes trust upon her, but that didn’t give her any right to act like a brat. Below that, she has a sweet heart. She was quite funny and enjoyable at times, and she definitely had an interesting voice.

Rath, in my opinion, was my favorite character. He was sweet and funny and charismatic and very good-looking. He was a good mentor to Molly. He also a pretty kick-ass fighter. I wish he could have been more present during this book, and I hope we see much more of him in book 2.

Rick, her semi-boyfriend, was actually pretty sweet. He clearly liked Molly, and I felt bad for him. At first, I didn’t like her grandparents because they were snobby, but they were just looking out for Molly’s best interests. I thought her sister was a typical little baby sister. Molly really looked out for her, just like I look out for my baby sis. I liked her father and his mother; they cared for Molly, despite everything.

I was so excited to read a book about reapers, so I absolutely adored the premise, especially the mythology about Anubis. The plot, at times, was hard to follow, so it was difficult for me to fully immerse myself into the book. The romance was not as big of a part as I would have liked. There were some cute scenes between Molly and Rath, and I can’t wait to see where that goes in the next book. I love that he calls her brown eyes...adorable.

While this was not one of my favorite books, I am really looking forward to Unchosen, the next installment. I'm hoping to see an increase in Molly's matureness and much more romance. This was a cute, light read with some very cool mythology thrown in.

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: “Are you coming back to independent study?” He looked down at me, his gaze glittering with that odd, dark emotion. It set my heart to tripping. “Do you want me to?” he asked in a soft voice. I could’ve been a smart ass. I could’ve been a liar. But instead, I said, “Yes, Rath. I want you to.” The arm around my waist pulled me in tighter, and I was pressed more firmly against him.

Rating: 3.5/5 Tar Heels!

Showcase Sunday (16)

Showcase Sunday (16):

Hosted by the lovely Books, Biscuits and Tea, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books bought in bookstores, borrowed from the library, or ‘stole’ from a friend!

Bought:

~Hunting Lila (Lila #1) by: Sarah Alderson

~Devoured (Devoured #1) by: Emily Snow

~Fallen Too Far (Fallen Too Far #1) by: Abbi Glines

~My Life Next Door by: Huntley Fitzpatrick - Already read, loved, and reviewed. See review here!

~Just Listen by: Sarah Dessen

~Jane by: April Linder

~Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by: Beth Revis

~A Temptation of Angels by: Michelle Zink

Won:

~Lucid (Brightest Kind of Darkness #2) by: P.T. Michelle - Thanks for the giveaway P.T.!

What did you add to your bookshelf this week?

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by: Huntley Fitzpatrick

Goodreads Synopsis:

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review:

I have no idea why I have waited so long to read this book. I had heard amazing think about it, and it definitely lived up to the hype. It was all around astounding and wonderful.

Samantha is a good girl, with perfect grades and she never gets into trouble. With a seemingly perfect home life with her mother being a senator, she has always wanted more love and rightness from her family. After watching her rowdy neighbors with loving parents, she meets one of the Garrett children, Jase. Sam finds herself making excuses to spend all her time with Jase and his sweet family. After tragedy strikes, Sam must make a choice between the family she has grown up with and the friendly family she has recently discovered.

I really liked Samantha, most of the time. She was really sweet, and I am glad that her mother’s values did not affect her. She was crazily well-rounded, excelling in academics and athletics. She always finds the best qualities of a person and does not give up when all is seemingly lost. There is one point in the book where she does make me mad because she takes too long to come to a very obvious decision. Other than that, I found her to be a pretty awesome protagonist.

Jase, my new book boyfriend. He is beyond sweet and caring, This boy does not have a selfish bone in his body at all. Although I have it bad for bad boys, there is definitely a lot to be said for the good boys. He is very hunky, thanks to the hard workouts for football he does. He gets along and takes care of his younger siblings so well; it’s inspiring to watch. He is kind and considerate with everyone and their feelings, and he just loves with his whole heart. I honestly can’t say enough good things about Jase.

The whole Garrett family was perfect. Every child was integral to the family and how they connected together. My favorite was cutie pie George. It was great to see a family in YA that was not broken or dysfunctional. Their parents clearly loved each other and each of their kids unconditionally. I felt that they did not deserve the hatred of stupid people; they are too good of a family for that. Another character I loved was Tim. At first he annoyed the mess outta me, but he definitely redeemed himself after hanging out with the Barretts. I guess that family impacts anyone it touches. His sister, Nan, was the exact opposite. I liked her to begin with, but then she got a permanent spot on my people-I-don’t-like-in-this-book list. But who tops that list is Sam’s mother and boyfriend Clay, more specifically Clay. Her mom wasn’t that bad in the end, but Clay was just a political climber.

The plot was intriguing and exciting, and I was hooked from the beginning. There were many things that I didn’t expect, which I always enjoy. I thought the writing was cute and being inside Sam’s head was funny and interesting. The romance was so sweet and adorable. Jase was exactly what Sam needed to break out of her shell and let loose. It developed at a nice pace, and it didn’t feel rushed at all. It just felt right and natural.

Between a perfect romance and an exciting plot, I couldn’t put this book down; I read it in one sitting. Jase is pretty much the most perfect boy ever and this book will be on my mind for a while. My only regret is that I wish I had read it earlier.

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: “Oh my God,” Jase whispers. “It’s like I’ve just gotta…I can’t help myself…I-“ He hooks his index finger into the waistband of my shorts, moving me closer. His lips descend on mine, familiar now, but more and more exciting.

Rating: 5/5 Tar Heels!