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December 31, 2011

Top 11 Books of 2011







So what are your favorites for this year? Leave a comment below!
we know that there has been so many amazings books released, but we just got into the YA genre so we haven't read that many books. You'll notice many of these books are not 2011 releases, but we have read them in 2011. Some are Farah's favorite, and some are Juhina's favorite!

December 30, 2011

Blog Tour: Coexist by Julia Crane


Today the Keegan's Chronicles blog tour stops here at our blog for a review. The first book of the Keegan's Chronicles is Coexist. At the end check out the giveaway to get your hand on your own copy to enter the world of elves and love!


Coexist (Keegan's Chronicles #1)
Title: Coexist (Book #1 in the Keegan Chronicles)
Author: Julia Crane
Publication date: June 19, 2011
Publisher: Valknut Press
Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)
Source: ebook (blog tour)
Pages: 210

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans. In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known. An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire? 

Coexist was a book about destined love and the calling to protect one's own species from extinction. The book is told from many people's POVs and is told from the third person. I enjoyed reading Coexist because i was really fascinated by the elf world. I've never read a book about elves.  
The destined love between Keegan and Rourk was not forced. I liked how even though they were destined and planned to meet at 18, their curiosity got the better of them and they sought each other. There were the awkward moments, the shy and embarrassing ones and of course the sweet moments. 
I did enjoy the book but one thing that stopped me from truly enjoying it is the multiple POVs and how its told from the third person and the fast switch between POVs. For any reader who enjoys this, you will love this book. The book was also slow at the beginning, but towards the end, it was action packed. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book since the introductions are over and all that's left is the fate of our main couple and the elf community! 
The second book in the series is called Conflicted. Honestly I can't wait to read it because the ending of the first book definitely makes me want to pick this book up!


A great tune, with some adjusting 
The author is giving away one ecopy of Coexist. In order to enter yourself comment on this post and leave your email address. For an additional entry follow Julia Crane on twitter here, and also leave your twitter handle. This giveaway ends on January 2cd, 2012. 
Click here to see the Keegan's Chronicles Tour Schedule

Author Interview: Taryn Browning



Taryn Browning
Books: Dark Seeker
           Dark Beauty

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

What inspired you to write Dark Seeker?
I’ve always loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer so I guess you could say the book was inspired by my love of Buffy. I wanted a kick-butt heroine who can hold her own and does what it takes to get the job done. Life experiences have caused Janie to run from love or the possibility of getting close to someone. Throughout the book Janie is presented with obstacles that cause her to learn and grow. This was also important to me when I first started writing Dark Seeker. I wanted the reader to be able to connect with the characters and care about what happens to them.

How were your feelings when you published you debut novel "Dark Seeker"?
I was so excited to finally get my work out and share this story with readers. I love the characters and could not wait to introduce them to the world. It’s been amazing.

In your opinion, which character from "Dark Seeker" do you like the most?
Hmm, that’s a tough question. I really like Janie’s strong personality, but I also adore Kai. He’s flawed, but strong and without giving anything away, learning how to cope with past events and the unusual being he’s become. Plus, he’s hot, lol!

Are the characters in "Dark Seeker" based on anyone in your life?
I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of strong females. They all contributed to creating a tough female heroine.

Are you planning on writing a contemporary novel anytime soon?
I don’t know. I’m sure I will write one, but I’m not certain exactly when that will be. I’m currently writing book 2 in the Seeker series and my agent has two of my manuscripts that are each the first in a series. One is and urban fantasy and the other is a paranormal romance.

I’m a big fan of Kai, is there going to be another "Kai" in the 2nd book of Dark Seeker?
Kai will definitely be in book 2. He and Janie make an amazing team. Although, they will have quite a few significant obstacles to overcome.

Do you have a special place you to like to stay at while writing?
I usually write at my desk. I like to listen to a set playlist with headphones so that I can fully immerse myself in the story. One day I hope to be able to write on the beach. I’m not really sure how that’s going to work with the sand, but even close to the beach would be awesome.

Thank you Taryn Browning for this awesome interview!! be sure to check out my review HERE! Make sure you read this book before the second book in this series "Dark Return" comes out!! 

December 28, 2011

Review: Getting Over Garret Delaney by Abby Mcdonald - Juhina

Getting Over Garrett Delaney
Title: Getting Over Garrett Delaney
Author: Abby Mcdonald
Publication date: January, 24, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Source: ebook (NetGalley)
Pages:
336
Cover impression: Adorable 
Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock
- all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl!

A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized self-help guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney is about a girl who.. Well, is getting over Garrett Delaney. Sadie has been Garrett’s best friend for two years, however the first time she laid eyes on him at the coffee shop; she believed that he was the one. However, two years later and they’re still only friends, which frustrates her to no end. When Garrett goes away to summer camp and Sadie gets a job at that same coffee shop, she finally decides that she has had enough. The gods of unrequited love aren’t choosing the right moment to grant her wish, they just won’t. Sadie constructs a 12-step process to rid herself of her love sickness. 
I am just SO HAPPY with the ending of the book. Let me just tell you that I was quite conflicted at the beginning, do I want her to end up with Garrett at the end? Or do I want her to finally free herself from him and to finally take pride in her single-hood. 
At the beginning her obsession baffled me, but she grew on me as I kept reading. I loved her determination, and in the end I believe she made the wise and right decision for herself. The book was cute, especially with the coffee shop co-workers she befriends. Sadie definitely gained my respect in the end, and I finally got to read a book where a girl doesn’t need to be defined by the guy on her side. I would recommend this book to any contemporary lover, and for people who have had unrequited loves (who hadn’t?) and fans of realistic contemps. 
Definitely a cute tune!

Waiting On Wednesday (6)




The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Publication Date: January 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Poppy
Find on: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

We have been waiting for this book for ages. The synopsis just sounds so cute and adorable, who wouldn't want to read such a fun read like this one? All i know is that we sure do!
What are you waiting on this wednesday? 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we are excited about. 

 

December 27, 2011

A New Year, with MORE Challenges!

So Juhina and I have decided to participate in more fun challenges! So we decided to look around and entered some! We have already participated in a couple of challenges before. You can see them Here
Here are the challenges that we decided to participate in:


1) First Challenge: 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge hosted by Katie @ Katie's Book Blog



We both love reading Contemporary, and honestly, Meg Cabot is the author that got me into reading. We didn't know the other genres that time, and weren't really interested! So we decided to enter this challenge because we just love contemps!

In this challenge, you can read any Young Adult novel that is published between Jan1-Dec30 2012. You obviously have to read them in 2012! All formats accepted as well (Paperback, ARC, E-book)
So here is the list me and Juhina are planning to read in this challenge:


 The ListWhere It Began (Kindle Edition)  

     Social Suicide (Deadly Cool, #2) Someone Else's Life (Library Binding) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (ebook) The Disenchantments (Kindle Edition) Don't Breathe a Word (ebook)In Honor (Kindle Edition)
Isla and the Happily Ever After (No Cover)
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2) Second Challenge: 2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge hosted by Benji @ The Non Reluctant Reader


Yes! A lovely Dystopian challenge! Me and Juhina enjoy reading Dystopians, but have alot that we didnt get to reading, so this is a wonderful challenge to get us starting with them!

We can read ANY Dystopian book (not only published in 2012) and read them in 2012! All formats are also accepted! We are choosing the Medium level (5 to 9 books), and hoping to upgrade later in the year!

So this is our dystopian list:


Insurgent (Divergent, #2) Article 5 (Article 5, #1)  
Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)   Bumped (Kindle Edition)

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3) Third Challenge: 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge hosted by Reading with Tequila


So there are some books that are recommended by bloggers on her post (check it out), and we chose some of the books part of that list that me OR Juhina haven't read yet! So there might be books here that i read and Juhina hadn't, or vice versa.
Here is our list: 

 Vampire Academy (Vampire Acade...  Starcrossed
 Poison Study (Study, #1) The False Princess (Hardcover)

   
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So this is it! these are all the challenges we are participating in so far! if you guys have other awesome challenges, do link below! we would definitely check it out!!