2009 December

A New Year and A New Feature!

December 31, 2009 By Lori 7 Comments

Can you believe that this year is over? I can’t! I can remember exactly what I was doing 10 years ago! I was 13 so the y2k stuff wasn’t very scary to me. I stayed the night with my grandmother because my parents were in the process of building our house and we had no TV. The reason I wanted to watch TV and not go to bed you may find a little humorous. See I was totally in love with the Backstreet Boys. So much so that I stayed with my grandmother a lot just to watch them on MTV. *Sigh* the good old days…..Anyway BSB was on MTV’s New Year’s Bash that year so I had to watch. But I digress….

I’ve been thinking about starting a new feature here on PI. Here’s my idea: Sometimes us book bloggers focus a lot of our posts on new books or yet to be released books. I want to do a weekly feature to spotlight books that are awesome but don’t get a lot of attention. Books that maybe came out years ago. Before you were blogging so you couldn’t share it with the rest of us. I would really like to have a different book blogger every week with a different book. Of course I’ll spotlight some of my favorite books too. For this to work I need your help! First off I need a name for this feature and I’m terrible with names. If you suggest a name and I pick it you might get a $5 Amazon gift card….Second I need you guys to write some guest posts for me! I know you all have a book that you absolutely love. Maybe you read it a long time ago and you would like to share. If anyone is interested please email me. All you have to do is talk a little bit about why you loved the book or even a review! I would really like to have the first post next week! Email me if you want to participate: pureimagination77(at)gmail.com and leave your name suggestions in the comments!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

My Favorite Books of 2009

December 31, 2009 By Lori 10 Comments

I originally was going to do a top 10 reads and cheat a little by counting the series that I read as 1 pick(since I did read the whole Harry Potter series this year)but i have decided to include more than 10 because it’s so hard to narrow it down. Don’t worry I’m not going to go crazy and post like 50 books! Anyway, here are my favorite reads of ’09 in no particular order:

Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stievfvater
In which I fell in love with Maggie’s writing. I read this very early in the year but it still stands as my favorite Faerie book of the year. Maybe of all time.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
I loved this book. It was a haunting romance like no other. I think this story will stay with me for a long time to come.

Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann
Anyone who has read these books knows why it’s on my list. They are incredible! I don’t know if I have ever came across a author with a talent for sucking you into a story like McMann has.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Zombies how can you go wrong? Add to that Carrie’s unique writing and you have a gripping book. Although it’s probably not for everyone. I loved it.

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
This is a story not to be missed! It was funny it was smart it was incredible! It’s not for people that like fluffy reads or the very young.

The Summoning and The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong
I can’t say enough good things about this series. When you get tired of vampires and ditzy main characters pick up this series!

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Yes I know, I was the last person on Earth to read these books and it took my husband twisting my arm to get me to read them. Once I started there was no looking back. I read them all back to back and loved every minute of it!

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
This is the most amazing and well written series I have read in a long time. You won’t be able to put them down.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
This just might be my favorite book of the year. Maggie’s writing is extraordinary and simply beautiful. I will say it again that Maggie is going to do for werewolves what Stephenie Meyer did for vampires.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A fellow blogger described this book by saying “It destroyed me” That pretty much sums it up. I loved it! I cried for the last 100 pages. Any book that makes me that emotional is a winner.

Graceling and Fire by Kristen Cashore
If you love fantasy read these books. If you don’t love fantasy read these books. The world that Cashore creates is for everyone. Don’t miss these!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
This book is a classic in the making. I read it in one sitting. There was no way around it, after I started it.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
I was a little skeptical at first. I kept hearing all these great things and thought can they all be true? They were and then some! Make sure you have a lot of time on your hands when you start this one because you won’t be able to put it down.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
I don’t know if I ever read a book to compare this one to and anything I say won’t do it justice. It was a truly amazing love story!

The Mark by Jen Nadol
This just barely made it in. Not because it wasn’t good enough but because I just read it this week! It was an incredible read that you should go out and get right away! My review will be up tomorrow!

Filed Under: Favorite Books of 09

Free Download of Wake by Lisa McMann!!

December 30, 2009 By Lori 9 Comments

I think everyone knows how much I LOVE this series so when I heard you can download the first book, Wake for FREE I was super excited! If you haven’t started the series yet, here is your chance but hurry the download is only available until 12/31!

Go Here To Download Wake!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Books I need NOW Not 2010

December 30, 2009 By Lori 11 Comments

In stead of doing a WoW post this week I’m going to compile the books I am most looking forward to in 2010. Not all of them because that would take forever but the ones that I can’t live without. First up are the:

YA Series:

The Hunger Games Book 3 by Suzanne Collins
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Gone by Lisa McMann
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

No cover available yet but…Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Others:

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning(no cover)

Of course there are many many many others but it would take all day to post them! What books can you not wait for?

Filed Under: 2010 Books, Waiting on Wednesday

Review: Darklight by Lesley Livingston

December 29, 2009 By Lori 8 Comments

Title: Darkilght
Author: Lesley Livingston
Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: Wondrous Strange Book 2
Received From: Kindle Store
IBSN: 9780061575402
Blurb:
Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom…or part them forever.

My Thoughts:

I loved Wondrous Strange when I read it earlier in the year. So I have been looking very forward to reading Darklight. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some! Darklight starts off about 6 months after the end of the first book and it starts off with a bang. There is never a moment without suspense and action.

Livingston’s writing is superb. I’m in love with it! It flows so smoothly that you forget you are reading a book. I also love that you don’t just get the story for Kelley’s point of view but also from Sonny’s. Which was especially nice in this books since they are in two different realms for most of it.

I love the Faeries in this series. They are perfect! Not overly mean. Not sugar sweet. They are cunning and sly and mischievous. I was thrilled with all the characters in this book. None of them lost their luster from the first book. There was a lot of development with the characters. And some old characters being shifted to new interesting roles.

There was of course a huge twist! I didn’t see it coming at all! And it definitely makes me hungry for the next installment. Overall this is one of the best YA series out there. Lesley’s writing is excellent. If you haven’t read them yet, what are you waiting for? 4 Stars!

Filed Under: Faerie, Lesley Livingston, Young Adult

Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

December 28, 2009 By Lori 3 Comments

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain
Reading Level: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
IBSN: 9781606840573
Blurb:
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared–the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood–but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude’s high school. Despite promising Jude she’ll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel’s shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy’s dark secret…and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it–her soul.

My Thoughts:

I have been drooling over The Dark Divine for months now. I wanted a copy so bad. So I was trilled when it arrived on my doorstep. Did it live up to all my excitement? Why yes, it did.

The werewolf story has been done a million times. Person is bitten by wolf. Person turns into wolf on full moon. The Dark Divine isn’t your mama’s werewolf story. Bree Despain has created her own mythology for her mythical creatures. It’s wrapped up in religion and intrigue. I always love stories that have their own history and this one did. Despain did not rely on the “history” of the werewolf. She made her own. She did a excellent job too.

Grace is what you would expect of a pastor’s daughter. She’s a bit naive. A bit sheltered but she is still full of surprises. I so often find things that annoy me with main characters but I was completely happy with Grace. Daniel was perfect! He was a bad boy….or was he just misunderstood? You will have to read to find out!

The mystery starts with the very first page. All sorts of questions are asked. So I never had time to be bored. This book was a wild ride. With a gripping mystery and a romance that you have to root for. I can’t wait to read more by Bree! 4 Stars!