Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: December 2nd, 2010

Published By: Dutton (A Penguin Group)

Hardcover, 372 Pages

Source: Gift

Summary from Goodreads:

"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?"

My Review: *****+ = 5+ Stars

Anna and the French Kiss is as mouthwatering as the parisian treats that Stephanie describes throughout the pages of this book. As the story goes on, I find myself wanting more and more, the growing and deflating friendships, the budding romance, the adventure of one homesick teen stuck in the city of love. I just couldn't get enough. And now, even after the words on the final page fade from my mind, the story is fully engrained in my brain.

Anna couldn't have been written any better than she was. Beautiful, but not perfect, determined yet still shy, excited and nervous. One of my biggest pet peeves with YA books is when the girl is either completely perfect or she is nothing or has nothing... yadda yadda yadda... you get the drift. Anna is well rounded, and her character grows throughout the book which makes her that much more enjoyable to follow on her journey.

Etienne. I feel like this masterpiece of a male character is best left to be read about, rather than told about. His story is just as beautiful as Anna's, and the growth they have separately, and as two, is a big part of this book. You should enjoy it to the fullest without my snippets of how I feel about him (all very, very good mind you).

One spot that I didn't particularly like, but that was obviously needed for this particular story, has to do with a bit of cheating, nothing major, a kiss... but it was written well enough to where it didn't change my opinion of the story as a whole. (I'm not a fan of cheaters...)

Overall, I am amazed, and in awe of this beautiful book. I said that a lot in this review, beautiful, but this book is nothing but that, and I imagine most of you out there will devour it just as quick as I did. It's nice to hear major postitive hype towards a book, but it's much nicer when you read it for yourself and you can say, "Damn right this book is amazing. More like made of epic." <--- That's what I said, paraphrased. The unparaphrased version is much longer and includes the words, love, awesome and amazing... repetatively.

Nuff said. Check this book out. I don't think you'll regret it!!

Have you already Anna? Share your opinions or links to reviews. I'd love to hear what you thought!

(There is a companion novel coming out next fall, and it's at the top of my 2011 MUST HAVE list. More like my *musthaverightNAOpleasethankyou* list.)

Sherry<3

In My Mailbox: Christmas Edition

In My Mailbox: Christmas Edition

(Credit goes to Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at PopCultureJunkie)

I guess I've been a good girl this year! Maybe I got rewarded for doing so good in school. Maybe this was Santa's way of telling me it's okay I barely posted at all this month... =P

**Forgive the formatting, not sure whats up with Blogger but it just won't cooperate this lovely morning!!!

Christmas Gifts

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

2 things of Nail polish (the other one was downstairs and I didn't feel like going to get it =P)

Many thanks to my best friend Eleni, from Lafemmereaders, for this awesome christmas present!! :)

I also got a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble from my boss! Woohoo can't wait to spend it!

For Review:

Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan

Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen (I already recived a copy of this so I will be sending this to a fellow blogger to review!)

Clarity by Kim Harrington

The Logic of Demons by H.A Goodman

Won from Harperteen Galley Grab:

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern

Special thanks to Scholastic, H.A Goodman and Harperteen.

      Won from HarperTeen Tweetstakes:

You by Charles Benoit

As Easy As Falling off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries based on the books by L.J Smith and the show from Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec

Style by Lauren Conrad

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

(Also Included but not pictured: Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White and The Lying Game by Sara Shepard- I bought two of these myself and got one for christmas so they have moved on to other homes)

Lots and lots of thanks to Harperteen for this super awesome package of books!!!

Follow them on twitter at @harperteen

From a fellow blogger friend:

I Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

Chime by Franny Billingsly

Thanks so much to Kate from I Just want to Sit Here and Read for these great ARCs!

Purchased by Me:

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

Phew! That's what I got these past two weeks! :)

I hope you all have a very merry christmas! :D

Sherry<3

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my wonderful followers. Thanks for sticking with me through school finals and my very lacking blog participation. I am still here, I promise!! Love you all and I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Sherry<3

Win an ARC of The Lost Saint and nail polish!

The sequel to The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, The Lost Saint, will be released December 28th. And now you have the chance to win it before that!

Thanks to Egmont, one winner US/Canada will win an ARC of The Lost Saint by Bree Despain along with a matching blue nail polish.

To enter: simply fill out the form, leaving appropriate links for extra entries.

Extra Entries Available

+3 Old Follower

+2 New Follower

+0 Not a Follower

+2 Follow me on Twitter (@ssalach21)

+2 Tweet about this giveaway

+2 Include in a contest roundup post

+4 Blog Post about this contest only

This contest will end 12/22/10, so that I have time to send it out before the holidays and the winner will get it before the actual release day.

FILL OUT THIS FORM

**No comment entries will count toward the giveaway, but comment love is always greatly appreciated! :)

Good luck!!

Sherry<3

Winners!!!

Sorry for my lateness in announcing winners!

Both the giveaway for a brand new copy of Matched by Ally Condie and a brand new copy of Branded by Keary Taylor have ended! Both winners were selected using random.org

The winner of Matched is:

Deltay (email starting lucidconspiracy)

The winner of Branded is:

Tina (email starting melodiousrevelry)

Congrats to the both of you! I'm sending you an email right now so please respond asap so I can send your address along or order your book!

If you didn't win, no worries, check back later today for a chance to win an ARC of The Lost Saint by Bree Despain, and also some blue nail polish!

Sherry<3

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Published May 1st, 2010 (Originally Published June 1st, 2009)

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Paperback, 290 Pages

Source: Birthday Present

Summary from Goodreads:

"   "Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."

"Okay."

"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"

"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie—-she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

My Review: ***** = 5 Stars

(I'll say minor spoilers, but there really isn't anything you wouldn't figure out if you read the book summary...)

After finishing this book, it immediately became a favorite of mine. Prior to this book, a contemp would have been hard to come by on my shelf. Now it seems like I am looking for books similar to this. Seeking out novels that will make me feel the way I did when I devoured every word from this work. While no two books will leave you feeling the same way, reading this has led me to find more contemporary books that I love, and it is now quickly becoming my new favorite genre. Who needs magic when an author can weave a tale so beautiful, full of love and heartbreak, with the story of three best friends, one lost love and a secret? (Don't worry, it was just a question, I still love you magic, vampires, werewolves and shadowhunters). It's not that I don't love books about magic and paranormal creatures, but I think a book like this hits you harder when you know it is something that could happen to you, or someone you know.

The author managed to engage me into the relationships of Anna, Frankie and Matt. I became interested, and involved. I cared about them and I cryed when one was lost forever. The journey that Anna and Frankie take is full of a wide range of emotions. The story is so natural and flowing, and when I turned the last page I couldn't help but think... "Wow.. what an amazing book. I want to read it again right now."

I feel the best way to review a book that touchs your heart, like this one did, is to keep it short and simple. I love this book and I recommend it to all of my blogging friends and any other reader out there that manages to see this review. It is simply an amazing book, and the authors debut novel at that. I very much look forward to reading Sarah's next book, Fixing Delilah, which after reading the first chapter, left me with no doubts that it will be just as wonderful, if not better. 

To learn more about Sarah Ockler, or her books, check out her website.

Sherry<3

IMM & Across the Universe Winners!!

Instead of bombarding everyone with two posts in a row, I'm going to combine my IMM for this week with the winners of the Across the Universe Haiku contest!!

This weeks IMM is more like this past months IMM. =P

^^^This is what I got in my birthday pacakge from my all time best friend Eleni!

(I've read both Twenty Boy Summer and Amy & Rogers and LOVED them both! The movie was hilarious, and right now Civil Twilight is my favorite CD! It was by far the best present ever!)

^^^For Review:

Minder by Kate Kaynak

Dark Book: A Wereling Novel by Steve Feasey

Warped by Marissa Guibord

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (book & nailpolish for giveaway too!)

^^^From my book fairy:

Entwined by Heather Dixon

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Teeth: Vampire Tales by Various authors

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

*Special thanks to Kate Kaynak, Macmillin, Egmont & my bff!!

^^^Purchased by me:

 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma

Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson

Alias Season 1 & 2

My Boys Season 1

Awesome Harry Potter Bookmark =P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Across the Universe Haiku Contest Winners!

The winner of the AtU ARC by Beth Revis, was randomly selected. In addition, Beth has selected her five favorites and will be sending them all swag packs!

And the winners of the 5 swag packs.....

-Maidenveil 

-Elizabeth

-Througthehaze

-Erika

-Savannah Smith

 

And the winner of the ARC is....

 

Rachel (email starting rachelharris1)

 

CONGRATS winners!

 

I will be emailing you all sometime tonight. If you see this before I send an email out, feel free to send one to me. 

 

Congrats again!

 

If you didn't win don't fret, I still have a giveaway for a pre-ordered copy of Matched going on until the 24th, and a giveaway for Branded ending the 29th!

 

 

Author Interview w/ Joelle Anthony (Blog Tour)

I'd like to welcome Joelle Anthony, author of Restoring Harmony, to Flipping Pages!

I got to ask Joelle a question about her work, so here it is!

***

Flipping Pages for All Ages: Restoring Harmony reads like a contemporary YA mixed with a Dystopia YA. Was it your intention to create the feel of both genres in the book? Also, what are some of your favorite Contemps and Dystopian novels?

*****

Joelle Anthony: I had no intention of writing a dystopian novel. In fact, I didn’t even know what a dystopian novel was until after my publisher put that label on Restoring Harmony. I set out to write a contemporary novel. While the setting is a key factor in the plot of RH, I purposefully set the book ten years after the Collapse so that it would be a backdrop and not the “big event” in the book.

Dystopian is an interesting label for RH. I’m not sure it fits exactly. If you look up the definition, then in actually does fall into that category, but most people who love dystopian have commented that they don’t really find RH all that dystopian. If I had written the book five years ago, before all these exciting books in this category came out, I think probably all anyone would say about it is “it’s set thirty years in the future” and most people would consider it a contemporary novel. It just happened to catch a wave, I think.

Don’t get me wrong though. I’m very happy to have the label on it because I think it has brought me a lot of readers who might not have considered reading it. Also, for the squeamish readers (like moi!) who don’t do well with violence, it’s a nice, hopeful dystopian story!

I always hate to admit this, but since you asked…I haven’t read any dystopian. Not even The Hunger Games. I know, I know…but honestly, I’m really pretty wimpy when it comes to reading any sort of violence, gore, or even (maybe especially) psychological and implied violence. It burns itself into my memory and frankly, that’s just not something I want in my life. I joke about being wimpy, but honestly, it’s a choice I make to keep my life peaceful and happy. I love that there’s so much out there for everyone to choose from though. I would never say people (or kids) shouldn’t read anything. I believe strongly that each person needs to make their own choices and writers should write what they need to write!

Some of my more recently read favourite contemporary novels are:

Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci (which is set in 1982, so maybe it’s historical?)

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

The View From the Top by Hillary Frank

Bow Grip by Ivan Coyote (adult fiction)

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine (NBA finalist! Yay, Kathy!)

(^^^Kathryn is the YPL NBA Winner, Congrats!!)

Anything and everything by Paula Danzigger, Jerry Spinelli, and John Rowe Townsend

*****

That's a great list of contemporary's you've got there and I will definitely by checking out the ones I haven't read.

I want to give Joelle a big thanks for stopping by, and Teen Book Scene for letting me be a part of this tour!!

Sherry<3

Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony (Blog Tour)

Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

Publication Date: May 13th, 2010

Published by Putnam Juvenile

Hardcover, 320 Pages

Source: ARC won from author

Teen Book Scene Blog Tour

Summary from Goodreads:

"The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapse—one of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities.

Molly is relieved to find her grandparents alive in their Portland suburb, but they’re financially ruined and practically starving. What should’ve been a quick trip turns into a full-fledged rescue mission. And when Molly witnesses something the local crime bosses wishes she hadn’t, Molly’s only way home may be to beat them at their own game. Luckily, there’s a handsome stranger who’s willing to help.

Restoring Harmony is a riveting, fast-paced dystopian tale complete with adventure and romance that readers will devour."

My Review: **** = 4 Stars

Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony is a very unique read. It has a dystopian feel, but isn't overpowered by the fact that it takes place in the future and the society is extremely different than it is now. Anthony was able to create an interesting society that survived after the Collapse, but the base of the novel revolves around Molly and her travel from Canada to the States to find her Grandfather and bring him to her family's home. Music was an integral part of this story and I loved how the author combined that with the rest of the story so fluidly. It wasn't forced and made for an exciting side story, that also weaved it's way throughout the lives of other characters, such as Molly's mother and Grandfather.

The book combines adventure, with family, love and determination. I loved taking this journey with Molly and seeing just how things would work out. The author also included some mystery in the novel when she introduced the character of Spill, which we find more about later on in the story.

Molly was a great MC that not only found her way to her grandparents, but also found herself along the way. She went from being a sixteen year old girl to a woman. She's resourceful and like I mentioned above, very determined. I especially enjoyed the other characters of Brandy and Michael, as well as Randall, who really grew on me.

Whether you're a fan of dystopian or contemporary, I think most readers will find something in this novel that will interest them.

Make sure you stop back by tomorrow, when Joelle answers some questions for the blog tour!

Sherry&lt;3

Branded: Character Interview & Giveaway (Blog Tour)!

I am delighted to be a part of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for Keary Taylor and her new novel Branded. Today as part of the tour, Alex, a character from Branded, will be answering some questions for us!

Let's get right to it!

*****

Question 1: What is your favorite song to listen to? to play?

Alex: I’ve loved the Goo Goo Dolls for as long as I remember.  I’ll always love Theory of a Dead Man.  Black Eyed Peas are always great.  There’s not too much music that I really don’t like.  I’ll never get sick of playing Iris.  One of the best songs ever written.  Given recent events it has a whole new depth and meaning to me.  If there was a theme song to Jessica and I’s life it’d be that.

Q2: Thai is your specialty, but what food or meal is your favorite to eat?

Alex: Does an entire Thanksgiving dinner count?  Haha  There isn’t much that I don’t like to eat.  Oddly I’m a big potato fan, mashed potatoes, French fries, baked potatoes, potato chips…  And I’m always a sucker for just a good hamburger or hotdog (as long as I get to grill it myself…).

Q3: What was your first reaction of Jessica when you first saw her standing in your grandparent's house?

Alex: Haha, oh man.  First?  I was just really hoping she wasn’t going to hit me with that baseball bat.  Jessica’s a lot stronger than she looks…  And then there was just a lot of shock.  I didn’t realize she was going to be there.  I’d driven for a whole day straight from Southern California nearly to the Canadian border.  My grandparent’s death was a major shocker so my head was in kind of a weird place.  When I saw Jessica everything just kind of cleared up, the world suddenly seemed a little brighter.

Q4: Did you ever think angels existed before Jessica entered your world?

Alex: Honestly I’d never thought about it that much.  I’m not the most religious person, never really have been.  My dad died when I was little and I always liked to believe that he was still with me somehow but I’d never really given anything to the concept of angels.  Boy did Jessica open my eyes!

Q5: If your Dad was still around, what do you think would be his opinion of Jessica?

Alex: You know, my dad died before I even turned seven.  I don’t remember that much of him.  But I’m sure he would have loved her.  It’s hard to imagine that anyone could not love Jessica.  She’s an amazing girl.  She’s been through so much in her life but she’s managed to keep sane.  She’s by far the strongest person I know.  To Jessica’s ex, Jason, you’ll never realize what you’ve missed out on. 

**********

Thanks so much for stopping by Alex. I look forward to learning more about you in Forsaken, Fall of Angels Book 2!

Giveaway time!!

 Keary is giving away a copy of Branded to one lucky winner! The book will be coming directly from her, so this contest is US ONLY.

It will run for two weeks, and will end on November 29th, at midnight.

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER

No comment entries allowed, but comment love is of course accepted and appreciated! ;)

Good luck everyone!

Sherry<3

Win a Pre-Ordered copy of my favorite book from this year!

There have been a lot of books from this year that I absolutely love and adore, but the one that gets the top spot is Matched by Ally Condie. I attempted to do a mini-review of it a few months ago but it mostly consisted of me going over and over about just how much I loved it. Before I get into the giveaway, let's learn five fun things about Ally!

~Five Fun Facts~

I have one brother and two sisters and I am crazy about all of them.

My husband and I have trained for and finished two marathons together.

I've lived in three different states/countries: Utah, New York, and London.

I've been to four Neil Diamond concerts.

Before writing Matched, I published five other books with a smaller publisher.

 

 

******

 

Ok.. so I'm jealous! I've always wanted to go to London!!

 

You've learned some new things about Ally, and now you can win her upcoming release Matched!

 

As long as The Book Depository delivers to your country, you can enter. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me about what upcoming book you can't wait to get your hands on!

 

Since Matched releases on November 30th, this giveaway will end on November 24th, therefore you have 2 weeks to enter!

 

And to get you excited for it's release, take a look at the trailer for Matched. It's one of my all time favorite book trailers!

 

 

Sherry<3

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 4th, 2010

Published By: Simon & Schuster

Hardcover, 344 Pages

Source: Present from my bestest Eleni :)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself."

My Review: ***** = 5 Stars

I was conflicted with this book prior to reading it. I had heard so many great things that I, of course, wanted it to be great. But I was also worried that maybe it wouldn't be that great and I'd be disappointed since I was expecting so much. But that turned out not to be the case! This was an exceptionally well written book, with not a single thing that I disliked. From the characters, to the format (playlists and such), to the plot. I was thrilled that it turned out to be such a wonderful read.

Amy and Roger meet up when Amy has to travel from California to Connecticut, where the family will now live. Since Amy doesn't drive, Roger, the son of one of Amy's mothers old friends, takes up the task. They travel across the continent, stopping to see the sites, friends, exes, and siblings. Along the way they have fun, find trouble and eventually find themselves. It's full of adventure, romance, love and loss. It's a story with heart that lifts you right up.

I think this is going to be one review that is better left short and sweet then long and obnoxious, because I really just want to ramble on and on about how much I love it. It's books like this one that have probably turned me from a YA Paranormal fanatic to a YA Contemp fanatic (not that I don't love paranrormal.. I do.)

As soon as I finished this I wanted to force it upon anyone that would take it. And I still am. =P It really is a wonderful book and is definitely something I will be reading again.

Have you read A&R before? Opinions?

Sherry<3

Winners!!!

Sorry for the delay! I've got lots of winners to announce!

All winners were randomly selected and have 48 hours to reply to my email with a mailing address.

The winner of

Beautiful Dead: Arizona is-

Dahlia (The Book Shopaholic)

The winner of a preordered copy of

Tyger, Tyger is-

IvaliceAlliance

The winner of

Harry Potter (Movie 1) is-

Sarahem

Congrats winners!

If you didn't win, dont fret, I have a contest still going on for an ARC of Across the Universe until Nov.17th, and will also be having a contest for a preordered copy of Matched later this week!

Sherry<3



Review: Branded by Keary Taylor(Blog Tour)

Branded by Keary Taylor

Published March 4th, 2010

Published by CreateSpace

Paperback, 374 Pages

Source: Keary Taylor, Teen Book Scene

Summary from Goodreads:

"Jessica’s had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she’s a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can’t ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn’t be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will puller her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear."

Review: **** = 4 Stars

The summary alone got me very interested in this novel. The idea of having to undergo a trial for someone elses sins or mistakes, and to be found guilty or not guilty, over and over again EVERY time you fell asleep, is such a unique spin on the whole Angel genre.

Jessica has nightmares every time she falls asleep and the process is always the same. Her hands are tied together and she is escorted down a hall to stand trial for people unknown to her. Ten angels vote against "her" crimes, 5 good and 5 bad. Being found guilty brings about a brand and wings, and falling into darkness with the bad angels, while being found guilty still isn't all that great, no brand but wings and she still falls into the darkness when other angels grab at her. Things start to get stirred up when Alex, the grandson of the couple who owns the house she watches, shows up unexpectedly.

There are many great things about this book. First, the descriptions are very well written. The author allows us to actually see what it is that Jessica experiences, and that is something that doesn't come with ease. Another thing I really loved about this book, was that the romance wasn't rushed. It came together perfectly and after the twist ending that Keary left us with, I can't wait to see how it progresses throughout Forsaken, the next installment in the Fall of Angels series.

I also don't want to exclude how much I enjoyed the other characters in this novel. Jessica's neighbor turned true friend, Sally, her hot new neighbor, and the acquaintance she gains from Yoga, all play pivotal roles in this story. Without any of them, the story would feel like its missing a big chunk out of it.

Overall, this is a great novel and story that I look forward to continuing. The next book Forsaken comes out January 11, 2011!!

Make sure you check back on November 15th for an exclusive interview with the character Alex from Branded, and a giveaway!

Sherry<3

Review: The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Publication Date March 24th, 2010

Published By Obsidian Mountain Publishing

Paperback, 240 Pages

Source: LaFemmeReaders Book Tour

Summary from Goodreads:

"To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves."

My Review: **** = 4 Stars

I'm confident that most, if not all fans of vampire YA literature will enjoy this book. Brenda puts a great spin on the typical vampire and it makes for quite the interesting read. It grabs you right from the beginning and it keeps you enthalled throughout the entire thing.

Julia Parker is your typical high school student, except she isn't. She has the ability to sense feelings. Nick Kendrick is just a hot guy who saves her life... except hes not! We go on an exciting ride as the two get to know each other and certain situations arise.  

I enjoyed every aspect, but at one point I did feel like the feelings Julia had for Nick were somewhat rushed and maybe not all to true. As the book goes on and more interaction between the two ensues my opinion changes but I just couldn't help but feel like when she first "fell in love" with him she didn't even know him. By the end though I completely forgot about how that bothered me because I loved the way everything came together and how the story ended.

Brenda has created a great story that will keep readers eager to know what happens next!

The Sapphire Talisman is definitely added to my must have list and I can't wait until December so that I can fall in love with this story all over again.

Have you read it yet? Opinions?!

Sherry<3