Book Trailer Thursday: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

So, today is Thursday, and I'm going to post a book trailer for Book Trailer Thursday.

Today's pick is the trailer for Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This book is amazing (if you haven't read it, read it NOW), and the trailer, which is just as wonderful, was made by the awesome blogger Vania.

Without further ado, here it is:

The Dark Divine - Bree Despain

Summary: (from amazon.com)

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.

Info:
Pages: 384
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: Egmont USA
Buy: amazon / indiebound / book depository

This was reviewed as part of the One ARC Tours.

Grade:

Originality: 20/20
Characters: 15/15
Writing: 10/10
Voice: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Recommendation: 10/10

Total: 100/100 = A+

Review:

I LOVED this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down at all. You get so into the story that you can't put it down, you need to know what's going on, you NEED to know how it ends.

The characters were very down to earth and real. Grace faces many problems that normal, everyday teens do these days. She's caught between who she should be - whether she should be like the "pastor's daughter" everyone thinks as her of, or the person she really wants to be, which is a struggle many teens face today.

Grace has a wonderful voice through the story. She's a very likable character, and a character that anyone reading can relate to in some way, shape, or form.

I don't really know what else to say other than that I loved this book. It's a very original concept, it has amazing characters... and Daniel. *swoon* (: I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

hope.

The Christmas Shoes - Newsboys (Piano Cover)

This is me playing one of my favorite Christmas songs ever, The Christmas Shoes.

(:

Stupid Cupid - Rhonda Stapleton

Summary:

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!
Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired?and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

Info:
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Pages: 272
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Buy: amazon / indiebound / book depository

Grade:

Originality: 15/20
Characters: 10/15
Writing: 8/10
Voice: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Entertainment: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Recommendation: 8/10

Total: 77/100 = C+

Review:

Before I start this review, I would like to say that Stupid Cupid is more like a Simon Romantic Comedy than just a regular Simon Pulse book. I went into it thinking that it might be a little bit serious, and a little less predictable, than a regular Simon Rom-Com, but that was not the case.

My main thing with this book was that it was very predictable. I guessed what was going to happen at the end about halfway through the book. It didn't keep me wondering what was going to happen, and that disappointed me. I would've liked to have kept myself guessing at least a little bit.

Another thing that I thought could have been improved was the character's development. To me, none of the characters were really developed as they could have been. Felicity was a bit more developed than the other characters, but still not as developed as she should have been, being the main character.

The last thing that I didn't really enjoy about this book was that I was never really interested or drawn into the book. I didn't really care for the characters or what they were going through, I never really felt what the characters were feeling. It was almost like I was just kind of going through the motions as I was reading because I had to.

Now, onto some good things. The premise of the story was very good. As far as I know, there aren't any young adult books about cupids. The premise was really the best thing about the book, in my opinion. Also, as many of you know, I'm a sucker for cute endings, like the endings in Simon Rom-Coms. Now, I'm not going to give the ending away, but let's just say I liked it. (:

Overall, Stupid Cupid was a good debut novel. I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. I hope that Stapleton works on the writing and making the characters more developed... that would make me enjoy the books much more. I think, besides it's flaws, Stupid Cupid is still a good book to read -- it's just more of a check out from the library book, and not a go buy from the bookstore book.

hope.

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Info:
Pages: 400
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Buy: Amazon / indiebound / Book Depository

Grade:

Originality: 15/20
Characters: 12/15
Writing: 10/10
Voice: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Recommendation: 10/10

Total: 86/100 = B+


Review:

Okay, so I pretty much loved this book. In the beginning, you really get sucked into Nora's story and what she's going through. There isn't many YA books (that I know of) that deal with fallen angels, and it's a really cool topic.

However, I do think that the character's could've been written a little better. Now, don't get me wrong, they were described well and I felt like I could see them in my mind's eye. However, both Nora's and Patch's characters seems really... typical and predictable. They both had their quirks that set them apart, but in the end, both of them seemed like they could be interchangable with another character from a different book that was like them.

Also, some choices that these characters made seemed predictable at times. There were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but it would've been nice to have the few that were predictable to be not as predictable as they were.

Now the bad stuff is over. Because this book was pretty freaking amazing. Fitzpatrick has this way of writing that just keeps you going. You NEED to find out what happens next, what's going to happen to Nora, what is up with Patch. You just HAVE to keep going, you CAN'T put the book down. I was up until four in the morning because I just had to finish reading the book to see how it ended.

Fitzpatrick really created wonderful characters and a wonderful setting. Patch and Nora were really good main characters (besides their predictability at moments). The setting was nice and creepy to go along with the story, too.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It is amazing and you get sucked into the story right in the beginning. Yes, it's quite predictable at times, but the rest of the book really makes up for that.

hope.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

Kristi is running the 2010 Debut Author Challenge next year. This is the one challenge that I really stick with every year, so here's my list!

Don't know what I'm talking about? Here's the guidlines:
What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

* The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
* Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
* The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

* I would like to limit the novels to those released in 2010.

Sooo without further ado, here is what I plan to read for this challenge:

1. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin - Josh Berk
2. Brightly Woven - Alexandra Bracken
3. The Absolute Value of -1 - Steve Breezenoff
4. A Most Improper Magick - Stephanie Burgess
5. The Cinderella Society - Kay Cassidy
6. Tortilla Sun - Jennifer Cervantes
7. Magic Under Glass - Jaclyn Dolamore
8. My Way or the Highway - Trish Doller
9. Scones and Sensibility - Lindsay Eland
10. Everlasting - Angie Frazer
11. Escape from Camp David - Dee Garretson
12. The Red Umbrella - Christina Gonzalez
13. The Line - Teri Hall
14. The Naughty List - Suzanne Young
15. Riker's High - Rick Volponi
16. Incarceron - Cahterine Fisher
17. The River - Mary Ann Beauford
18. Boys Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials - Rosalind Wiseman
19. The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
20. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony
21. Rival by Sara Bennett-Wealer
22. Forget-Her-Nots - Amy Brecount White
23. The Rise of Renegade X - Chelsea Campbell
24. Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler
25. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
26. A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend - Emily Horner
27. All Unquiet Things - Anna Jarzab
28. Sea - Heidi R. Kling
29. Princess for Hire - Lindsey Leavitt
30. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
31. Dirty Little Secrets - Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
32. A Match Made in High School - Kristin Walker
33. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
34. Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves

I'm going to try my hardest to read all of these 34 books next year! (Note: I'll probably add more to the list. xD)

The bolded titles are the ones I already have a copy of.

hope.

Book Trailer Thursday: Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn

Today's book trailer is for Very LeFreak. This is Rachel Cohn's next release, and it'll be out in January of next year. I can't wait for it, it looks fantastic!



hope.