Jan 29, 2012

Top 5 Sundays: Favorite Ghostly Novels!


Top 5 Sundays is a weekly feature with a different bookish theme hosted by Larissa at her blog Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life


This week's theme is Favorite Ghostly Novels. 

You can join HERE!

When I saw this week's theme, I knew right away which books will be on my list!


So, My Top 5 Favorite Ghostly Novels (in no particular order) are:


1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I love Neil Gaiman's books & The Graveyard Book is one of my all-time favorites. It's set on a graveyard, so of course there are lost of ghosts in it ;) If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it! 


2. The Skinjacker Trilogy by Neal Shusterman


I loved the Skinjacker trilogy. The ghostly world Neal Shusterman has created is quite brilliant, with lovable & interesting characters & it will make you laugh & cry ;) The books are: #1 - Everlost; #2 - Everwild & #3 - Everfound! Now you might wonder why the series isn't called Ever or something like that & why it's called Skinjacker & maybe what's a Skinjacker? Well, read it & you'll find out ;)


3. Morpheus Road trilogy by D. J. MacHale


One more YA series on my top 5 ;) I've already read The Light twice & The Black once & I'm already planning to re-read them again before I read the last book in the trilogy The Blood, which will be published in 2 months ;) So, yeah, I can't wait to see how everything will end for Marshall & Cooper. Oh, and of course there are ghosts in it & if you decide to check out the series, whatever you do - don't read the description for The Black if you haven't read The Light 'cause there are big spoilers...


4. The Restorer by Amanda Stevens


The Restorer was one of my top favorite books in 2011. It's the first book in the Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens & book #2 The Kingdom & book #3 The Prophet are scheduled to be published in March & April. The main character Amelia sees ghosts & this book was just so creepy & I'm already planning to re-read it before reading the sequels ;)


5. Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane

And of course, the last on my list are the Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane. I thought the series was finished, but Stacia decided to surprise us with 3 more books - 2 of which will be published in 2012 - I don't know about the last one. Anyway, great UF series, with quite the unique & uncharacteristic hero & heroine that you can't help it but slowly fell in love with & of course plenty of ghosts in their world ;)

So, that's my top 5 favorite ghostly novels!

What are some of your favorite novels & series that have ghosts in some kind of degree in them?

Leave a comment & recommend me some ;)
 

Jan 25, 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday #61: The Darkest Seduction & Forgiven!




 
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.








The Darkest Seduction
(Lords of the Underworld, book #9)
by
Gena Showalter

Publication date:
February 21st, 2012

Ok, I finally catched up with the series - I finished The Darkest Surrender just a few days ago & now of course I'm waiting for this one! Although not a big fan of Paris (at first I didn't like him, than for I think 2 of the books I felt sorry for him & I liked him, but than I just started disliking him more & more, but I know that Gena will make me like him again or at least to enjoy his & Sienna's story! I have to admit that The Darkest Surrender was the book I liked the least, so I'm hoping this one will be much better.
 
Summary:
At long last, New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter unveils the story of Paris, the darkest and most tormented Lord of the Underworld..

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive - but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he'd thought was forever beyond his reach.until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally - or tear them apart?




Forgiven
(The Demon Trappers, book #3)
by
Jana Oliver

Publication date:
February 3rd, 2012

Ok, so far I've read only the 1st book in the series Forsaken (in USA The Demon Trapper's Daughter) almost a year ago & I enjoyed it a lot, but when the sequel was out, I kept postponing buying it & than I decided to wait for this one & than read all books again, including re-reading Forsaken & reading the prequel novella Retro Demonology, so I just picked up Forbidden (the 2nd book - I have the UK editions, in USA it's Soul Thief) from the post office yesterday & I've already pre-ordered Forgiven & I can't wait to get it so I can read the series :) I don't know if there are spoilers in the summary below - I didn't read it just in case there are, so If you haven't read the first 2 books, don't read it if you don't like spoilers ;) 
 
Summary:
Jana Oliver's third spellbinding Demon Trappers novel - following The Demon Trapper's Daughter a.k.a Forsaken and Soul Thief a.k.a Forbidden - brings all new thrills, as Riley Blackthorne takes on demons, love... and the future of the human race.

The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father's reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican's Demon Hunters that she's working with Hell. So now she's in hiding, at the top of everyone's most-wanted list.

But it's becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta. or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm's way. Riley thinks she might know who's behind it all, but who's going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming - and it may be closer than anyone thinks.

Jan 22, 2012

Top 5 Sundays: Series I Plan to Start in 2012!



Ok, so although reading it regularly, I haven't participated until now in this meme, but now I finally am ;)
Anyway, if you don't know, Top 5 Sundays is a weekly feature with a different bookish theme hosted by Larissa at her blog Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life. You can join HERE!


So, this week's theme is Series I Plan to Start in 2012 & here's my list in no particular order:


Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent


One of the series I've been planning to finally read in 2012 is the Soul Screamers - I even signed up for The Soul Screamers Reading Challenge. I actually already started it this week & I already read the prequel novella My Soul to Lose & the 1st book My Soul to Take & I loved them, so I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!


The Dark Tower by Stephen King

 
One more of the series I've been planning to read for years, so I signed up for The Dark Tower Reading Challenge for this one, too, so I will finally start & hopefully read the series this year, including the new book that should be published this year. 


Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne

 

Katherine "Kitty" Katt by Gini Koch



Living with the Dead by Jesse Petersen

 
Of course, there are a lot more series I'm hoping & planning to finally read or start this year, so here are some special mentions:

Trylle by Amanda Hocking



Sirantha Jax by Ann Aguirre



Sabina Kane by Jaye Wells

  

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

 


Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones

 

John Cleaver by Dan Wells

 

Jan 17, 2012

Dusty Reads #2: "Raven Stole the Moon" by Garth Stein!





Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted by Giselle @ Xpresso Reads, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our home shelf for some time. 
  
Books don't have to be 'x' years old. If you've had the book for a few months without reading it, it's dusty! ;)
 
 
In this haunting debut, Garth Stein brilliantly invokes his Native American heritage and its folklore to create an electrifying supernatural thriller. When a grieving mother returns to the remote Alaskan town where her young son drowned, she discovers that the truth about her son's death is shrouded in legend—and buried in a terrifying wrinkle between life and death.
When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to return to Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. Long ago the home of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mysterey of his death. But the spectacular town provides little comfort beyond the steady and tender affections of Eddie, a local fisherman. And then whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate. Soon, Jenna must sift thourgh the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit— who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness.
There beliefs are shared by Dr. David Livingstone, a practicing shaman who had been hired to "cleanse" Thunder Bay of its resless spirits. The experience alsmost cost him his life, and he warns Jenna about the danger of disturbing the legendary kushtaka—soul-stealing predators that stalk a netherworld between land and sea, the living and the dead. But Jenna is desperate for answers, and she appeals to both Livingstone and Eddie to help her sort fact from myth, and face the unthinkable possibilities head-on. Armed with nothing but a mother's ferocious protective instincts, Jenna's quest for the truth about her son—and the strength of her beliefs—is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss...
Coloring powerful legend with universal emotions, Garth Stein masterfully evokes our most primal dreams and fears. Remarkably vivid and relentlessly suspensful, Raven Stole the Moon marks the arrival of a stunningly imaginative new talent.

Teaser Tuesdays #43!

 
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Kaia’s hands curled into fists, her sharpening nails cutting past skin. Warm - too warm - trickles of blood slid between her knuckles before dripping onto the floor."
 - from The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter.
 
 
 
"The big guy who's pulled me into the crowd stepped forward and I realized he was human. That really pissed me off and I decided he would be the first to get shot."
 - from They Call me Death by Missy Jane.
 

Jan 16, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #70

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is being hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.




This is a great weekly event where everyone can keep track of the books finished last week & the books planning to read this week!

  
Last week I read the following 3 books:

 

I'm still reading The Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter. I enjoyed a lot both The Darkest Lie (Gideon & Scarlet are my fav LotU couple now) & The Darkest Secret & now I'm reading The Darkest Surrender - the last of the published books in the series & I'll finish it soon.
The Teacher's Tales of Terror & Traction City are actually 2-in-1 book. Traction City is a prequel (I think it's a prequel, I'm not sure - but it's a story set in that world) to the Mortal Engines series which I haven't read (I actually bought the book because I own the Tales of Terror series & wanted to have this one, too), but I definitely will read The Mortal Engines series, too, 'cause the steampunk world the author has created sounds really interesting interesting & The Teacher's Tales of Terror is small addition to the great Tales of Terror series with only 3 stories (although I actually count them as 4).
Again I've started so many books, but except for The Darkest Surrender - I don't know which of them I'll continue to read this week ;) As always, it all depends on my mood!

Jan 11, 2012

WWW Wednesdays #50!





To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?
This weekly meme is being hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading!



 
What are you currently reading?
 
 
 

 

 
What did you recently finish reading?
 





What do you think you'll read next?
 
 

"Waiting On" Wednesday #60: Partials!




 
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.








Partials
(Partials, book #1)
by
Dan Wells

Publication date:
February 28th, 2012

Summary: 

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic in training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws threaten to launch what’s left of humanity into civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will discover that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

Jan 10, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays #42!

 
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Eleven warriors stood at his sides, their eyes glowing bright red, their skin merely a mask that concealed the hideous monsters lurking underneath. Monsters with sharp-tipped horns knifing from their skulls, poisonous fangs jutting from their mouths, and oozing scales rather than peach-tinted flesh."
 - from The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter.

Dusty Reads #1: "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon!





Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted by Giselle @ Xpresso Reads, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our home shelf for some time. 
  
Books don't have to be 'x' years old. If you've had the book for a few months without reading it, it's dusty! ;)
 
 
Barcelona, 1945—Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes one day to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a book from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the book he selects, a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last of Carax’s books in existence.

Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love, and before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.
 
 
This one was one of the books that was on my must-buy list for a few years & that I thought that when I'll buy it, I'll read it at once, but although I finally bought it over a year ago, still haven't read it, I just keep postponing, but I decided to (hopefully) read it this year ;)