Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Day 3 Update

So, I was able to meet my goal, but by the time I got there I was ready to just relax and take a break, and it was getting to be kind of late. Anyway, I did read Hourglass today.

This means that throughout the entire thing I was able to read three books: Saving June, Crusade, and Hourglass. I think I'll call that pretty good for my first read-a-thon. Hopefully during the next one I'll get more  books read.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon: Days One and Two

On day one, I finished reading Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks.
On day two, I read Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore and then began reading Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover which I will finish on day three.

The Reader Bee Challenge:

I'd have to say my most anticipated book is Nevermore by James Patterson. I love the Maximum Ride series, and am sad to see it come to an end. Can't wait to see how he'll end it though.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon: Days One and Two

On day one I read: Saving June by Hannah Harrington.

On day two I read: Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié. 

I feel like I might be moving at kind of a slow pace, but I took a kind of long break after Saving June because it kind of gave me a little bit of a book hangover. Also, Crusade was 470 pages long! Anyway on day three I hope to at least finish Hourglass by Myra McEntire.

The Reader Bee Challenge:

It's really hard to choose my most anticipated book of 2012, but I think I'm going to have to go with Endlessly by Kiersten White. I'm not sure if the reason I'm choosing this is because I'm more excited now because it's coming out so soon, or if it's simply because the first two books in the trilogy were so awesome (which they were). 

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Goals

Ally and I will be doing the Once Upon a Read-a-Thon! It starts tomorrow and goes through Wednesday. For more information on the read-a-thon or to sign up (there's still time!) go here.

Katie:

I'm going to try to read at least three books, but I'm going to list a couple of extra books in case I finish the first three.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

And my extras are:

13 Curses by Michelle Harrison

Seven Sorcerers by Caro King

Ally:

I'm going to try to read at least three books as well, in case I finish them, I will include extras.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas

Extras:
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut
Star Wars : Episode VI - Return of the Jedi by James Kahn
Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone by Dora Machado

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Katie:

From Harlequin Teen Panel:

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Ally:

From Goodreads First Reads Giveaway:
Not All Out of Love by Jamie Schoffman

A Place Called Armageddon: Constantinople 1453 by C.C. Humphreys



What did you get this week?

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

From goodreads.com

I have read Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy and I loved it, so I went into The Gathering with kind of high expectations. I ended up disappointed; this book did not live up to my expectations. I felt like the whole book was just set up, and because it's the first book in a series, maybe the rest of the series will be better. It was just one of those books where the main character (Maya) is trying to figure out what she is/what's going on with her and I had it figured out pretty early on in the book. So I spent most of the book pretty much just waiting for Maya to figure it out.


However, Maya's reaction was pretty realistic. I just feel like the plot could have moved at a faster pace. I did like Maya well enough though; it wasn't her fault that she couldn't figure things out faster. I felt that she was a strong female lead who always seemed to know what needed to be done and did it. I also reallly liked that she didn't fall in love with Daniel (there are so many books out there where the main character falls in love with their best friend) and I loved Maya's relationship with Rafe.


Overall, I really feel like this book had potential, it just didn't live up to my high expectations. I will definitely be reading the other books in the series sometime though, because I feel like they might be better. I give this book a 6.5/10.

Book Blogger Hop #10

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books.

The question is:
If you could be a character from any book, who would you be?

Katie:

I think I would want to be Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series. She's just so fun and doesn't really care what other people think about her. She just kind of does her own thing and doesn't let other people get in her way of having fun. Also, it might be kind of fun to be a witch.

Ally:

I think I'd probably want to be Stevie Rae Johnson from the House of Night series. She loves country music and cares for her friends.  Sure, she may have been a red fledgling for a period of time, but because she cared for her friends, they helped her out in return to bring her back to who she really is. She's who she wants to be, despite what others may think of her.

If you're visiting from the hop, be sure to leave a comment!

Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

         From Goodreads.com


I really enjoyed reading this novel and think that Mr. Grahame-Smith did an excellent job writing it. I was immediately intrigued by the introduction, knowing that it would be a great read.

The first of three parts of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter describe Lincoln's childhood through his twenty-first year. This part of the novel describes how he came to be the vampire hunter that he was. He trained himself for the most part to face the vampiric scourge that was taking over America. When Abraham was sixteen years old, he came across a character, whom I very much like: Henry Sturges.

Over the course of the novel, Henry was always there for Mr. Lincoln. He'd helped train Lincoln for future vampire encounters and sent him information about vampires that he felt Lincoln should destroy. Henry was a very likable creature, giving Abraham condolences during his times of grief and despair. If it hadn't been for Henry, Abraham Lincoln probably would have committed suicide, for which I like Henry even more. I really like one of Henry's quotes that is used throughout this book: "Some men are just too interesting to die."

When it got to the point of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter where Mr. Lincoln would hunt no more (due to his age and wanting to care for his family), I was slightly saddened. Even more saddened when Lincoln makes a certain remark in the third and final part of the novel, which causes Henry to disappear.

I couldn't help but love the introduction and ending of this novel. The ending actually left me grinning widely. Henry was indeed a remarkable man. In the end, I give this book 8.5/10. I can't wait to see the movie and recommend this book to anyone who loves things having to do with vampires (and by vampires, I don't mean vampires that are immediately in love at first sight and sparkle like in Twilight) and things like this fictional twist on American history.

Review: Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.                                                                                                     

from goodreads.com 

I'm just going to start by saying that I LOVED this book. Once a Witch is one of those books that you just can't put down. It pulls you in with its unique take on witches and continues to keep you interested with its unexpected plot twists.
I really did find this to be a unique take on witches, and considering all of the different witch stories, that's really saying something. I loved how each witch really only had one thing (called a Talent) that they could do wit their powers (without making a potion or something).
I also really liked Tamsin. She seemed like the kind of person I would want to be friends with. Also, I thought it was really cool that she was the only Talentless person in her family, it made the story a lot more interesting. Also, Gabriel seemed amazing (enough said).
Another thing I really liked about this book is how the plot ends up being completely different than what you would expect from the first few chapters and the plot twists were unpredictable. I hate it when I can tell what's going to happen in a book. I mean, it's fun to guess, but it's not fun to be right all the time. With this book, I couldn't figure out any of the twists ahead of time.
Overall, Once a Witch was an amazing book filled with fun characters, a little bit of romance, and had a great plot. I give it a 9/10.

In My Mailbox #9

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Katie:

Bought:

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Crusade by Nancy Holder

Seven Sorcerers by Caro King

Ally:

Bought:

Snakehead (Alex Rider #7) by Anthony Horowitz

Already Owned:

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks (felt the need to list because I'm listing the rest of the series)

Library:

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut
Star Wars : Episode VI - Return of the Jedi by James Kahn

Goodreads First Reads Giveaway:

Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone by Dora Machado
Tom e. by William Gallaty
One Last Lie by Rob Kaufman
The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace

What did you get this week?

Hello!

Hey everyone, I'm Ally! I've known Katie for a while now and I'm glad to now be her co-blogger. I love to read fantasies and science fiction novels. I am a large fan of Star Wars, Taylor Swift and Falling Skies. Before joining Katie's blog I had thought about starting one of my own, but wasn't entirely sure of what to blog about. I'm excited to be here with all of you to share my reviews and be a part of the revival of this blog!

Big Changes

Hi, everyone! I know I haven’t blogged in forever (it’s been almost a year!), and my reasons for not blogging aren’t really all that great, but I will tell you anyway. First of all, as I already told you in one of my last few blog posts, I moved. Now, I know that moving obviously isn’t a big enough reason, but keep listening. I continued blogging up until August. Once August came around, I had so much to worry about: getting ready to start a new school, a visiting relative, getting ready to start a new school. (Yeah, I was really nervous about starting a new school.) Even once school started though, I started participating in more activities in my search for new friends. At one point in the fall it seemed like I didn’t get home until ten almost every other night. I know I still could have been blogging during this time, but the truth is, I just had lost all motivation to blog. I was having a hard time making friends (I didn’t really have a group of friends until November).

That still really doesn’t explain the rest of the year though, and honestly, I don’t know what happened. I feel that all I can do is apologize and hope that some people still wish to read this blog. I am sorry for my long absence from the book blogging community and it’s something I’ve been regretting lately.

Now, not only does the title of this post refer to the big changes in my life, it also refers to big changes on this blog. First of all, yes, I hope to start regularly posting reviews again. The other big change is that I will no longer be the only person posting reviews to this blog. My friend Ally will now be my co-blogger and we will both be adding our reviews and thoughts to this blog. So please be patient as we make any changes to various things on this blog over the next couple of weeks. I think Ally will be doing a post here really soon to introduce herself so you’ll get to know her better really soon! I hope you are all as excited about this as I am!