Best of the Bunch January 2013

Best of the Bunch is hosted by Always Lost in Stories.  Best of the Bunch is a monthly wrap-up and award ceremony hosted here on the last day of each month, where we can look back over the books we have read and give a Best of the Bunch award to our favorite book of that month.

It is also a blog hop for bloggers to showcase their pick of "Best of the Bunch". I always put up my post on the last day of the month, but remember, you can add your link anytime in the following month- please join in, I love hearing about which books you thought were the most amazing!

For more info and to grab the button and stickers visit the BOTB page here, then all you need to do is write up your post showing us your Best of the Bunch and add your linky to the list below. Don't forget to check out the other blogs to find out which books other bloggers have awarded the best.

I outdid myself this month!  It was really hard to pick a Best of the Bunch, so I had a tie!

What I read this month

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi--4.5 stars--My Review
A Look of Love by Bella Andre--3.5 stars--My Review
From This Moment On by Bella Andre--4 stars--My Review
Tempest by Julie Cross--5 stars--My Review
Today & Tomorrow by Julie Cross--5 stars
Across the Universe by Beth Revis--5 stars--My Review
Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi--4 stars
Can't Help Falling In Love by Bella Andre--4 stars--My Review
Vanquished by Nancy Holder--5 stars--My Review
Shadowhunters and Downworlders by Cassandra Clare--4 stars--My Review
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier--4 stars--My Review
The Essence by Kimberly Derting--5 stars--My Review
If You Were Mine by Bella Andre--4 stars
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead--5 stars--My Review
Hysteria by Megan Miranda--3 stars--My Review
Ruled by Caragh M O'Brien--4 stars
Me, Him, Them and It by Caela Carter--4.5 stars--My Review
Promised by Caragh M O'Brien--4 stars--My Review
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs--4 stars--My Review
Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs--4 stars--My Review
Notes From Ghost Town by Kate Ellison--5 stars--My Review
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey--3 stars
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang--4.5 stars--My Review
Clarity by Kim Harrington--3 stars
Gates of Paradise by Melissa De La Cruz--4 stars--My Review
Ten by Gretchen McNeil--4 stars--My Review
If I Stay by Gayle Forman--5 stars--My Review
A Millions Suns by Beth Revis--5 stars--My Review
Shades of Earth by Beth Revis--5 stars--My Review
Breathe by Sarah Crossan--4 stars
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry--5 stars--My Review
The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater--4 stars--My Review
The Diviners by Libby Bray--4.5 stars
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons--4 stars--My Review
Crown of Embers by Rae Carson--5 stars
The Shadow Cats by Rae Carson--4 stars
Glitches by Marissa Meyer--4 stars
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor--5 stars--My Review
Hooked by Liz Fichera--4 stars--My Review
Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa--4 stars--My Review

AND THE WINNERS ARE.....

Goodreads

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Goodreads

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.


RUNNER UP WINNERS!

Goodreads

They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

Goodreads

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Goodreads

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Which book won your bananas?

Fire Country by David Estes Book Blitz + Giveaway!

Fire Country

In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely. 
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with. 
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.

Title: Fire Country (Country Saga #1)

Author: David Estes
Publisher: ShareAread
Release Date: February 1st, 2013
Formats:  E-book
Goodreads TBR: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160701-fire-country
Cover Artist: Regina Wamba

On February 1st, the ebook is on sale for only $2.99!

Amazon Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-The-Saga-ebook/dp/B00B7VTXFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359662347&sr=1-1&keywords=fire+country+estes

Barnes & Noble Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-country-david-estes/1114268064?ean=2940015975475

Smashwords:http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/280371

Amazon Print: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-Volume-David-Estes/dp/1482055988

Early praise for the author

“David created a world I was excited to learn about and characters I cared about. I'll remember this story for a very long time!”

Alexandria Nicole ~Goodreads

“Estes delivers a winner with confident writing that truly draws you into the story. “

Think ~ Goodreads

“The author, David Estes, has forged his name into writers to be watched and read.”

Marni ~Goodreads

“David is such a fantastic author and he really knows how to pull at the heartstrings.”

Kay ~K-Books

About the Author

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table

You can follow David at:

Blog

Author Facebook Page

Twitter

Goodreads

Goodreads fan page

The author is giving away a signed copy of Fire Country!
Thank you, David!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa

Goodreads
368 pages, YA dystopian
Blood of Eden # 0.5
My rating: 4 stars


This books includes 3 short novellas, all with a dystopian theme.  The first one, Dawn of Eden is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series.

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis

Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems.... 

My 2 cents

I love the Blood of Eden series!  The Immortal Rules was on of my favorite book of 2012!  So I was really looking forward to reading this prequel.  It was good, and I enjoyed it, but as far as I can tell, it only included one of the characters from the book, one of the vampires.  And his was actually a small part.  But I did enjoy getting to know Kylie and Ben!  The most important part of this story was how we learned how the rabids were created.  This was a gripping, chilling story, just like the book!


Thorn & Thistle by Ann Aguirre

Synopsis

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside-in the Red Zone-is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they'll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside...for good. 

My 2 cents

This was my favorite of the three stories.  I really connected with Mari and Thorne, and their plight.  It felt like a really honest story between two people who are trying to survive any way they can in a hopeless situation.  I loved the characters so much!  There was still a lot of story left by the end, I am hoping she turns this one into a series!


Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Synopsis

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms-in the cosmos and beyond. And she's not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She'll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

My 2 cents

This was my least favorite of the three stories.  I liked the concept, and I really liked Ian, but it felt like it would have been better as a full length novel.  There is too much that happens in 120 pages, so if felt very rushed.  I would love this one as a book or series instead!  

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Goodreads
424 pages, YA Paranormal (Angels)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My 2 cents

Oh my gosh, I LOVED this book!  I'm so glad I finally had a chance to read it!  The writing was beautiful, and the words just came alive on the page!  I also loved the setting of Prague.  It made me really want to go visit!

I've read loads of angel books--fallen angels, good angels, bad angels, but this book took it to a whole other level!  And normally, in an Angel war, there are demons.  Well, this book had demons, but not any demons that I've ever read about.  Its funny, because at some point, one of Karou's friends says something along the lines of, "This isn't Narnia!"  But it really felt like it at times.  It was a whole other world nestled in our own, and it was done so well!

I loved Karou.  She is one of the most interesting kick butt characters I have read about!  And it was kind of crazy how much I liked Brimstone.  I got the feeling early on that he had to be a bad guy, but he really felt almost like a Dumbledore type figure to me.  I hope we learn more about him later in the series.  I must admit, I wasn't very fond of Akiva.  I realize that he and Karou were in love, but he seemed like such a jerk!

And when we finally learn who and what Karou is...it was just devastating to me!  Suddenly the whole novel made perfect sense, but I bet we have even more to learn in future books! I can't wait to read Days of Blood and Starlight, I'm going to have to go pick it up soon!

Hooked by Liz Fichera

Goodreads
368 pages, YA Contemporary Romance
Hooked #1
My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done. 

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.

My 2 cents

This book was very different from most contemporaries I've read, just because most of the story centered around golf.  I'm not a huge golf fan, but I do know how to play a little, and all the terminology  so it was kind of fun!   If you don't know any of the golf lingo, there is a "Golf Tips" section in the back of the book.  The story is told from a dual POV, between Fred and Ryan.

So Fred lives a fairly horrible life.  She lives on the reservation, and like most families, they don't have much money. She plays with a horrible old red plaid bag, and doesn't have the proper golf shoes.  Her mother is an alcoholic, and makes home in their double wide trailer very stressful.  Her older brother is awesome, but he isn't home much, and her father is clearly the best person in her life.  But he is worn down my long working hours and life, although he does everything he can for his daughter.

Ryan seems to have a perfect life.  His family is rich and he's pretty spoiled.  He has lots of friends and a very cute popular girlfriend named Gwyneth.  But his home life isn't any better than Fred's.  His dad cheats, and his mom puts up with it and is almost never home.  His girlfriend is a horrible snob, and his best friend, Seth, is one of the biggest jerks I've met in book world!

Seth is actually the one who wants revenge on Fred for taking his spot.  At first, all of the other boys on the team, including Ryan, make things pretty hard for her.  Then she starts to help them actually win their tournaments, and Ryan's attitude starts to change.  Unfortunately for him, everyone else things he should stay away from the "Indian girl."

There are a lot of racist comments in this book.  Obviously the rich white kids don't understand the dozen or so Rez kids that attend their school.  Ryan is one of the few who doesn't say any comments, but at the same time, he doesn't try real hard to get others to stop, either.  Seth is definitely the worst, and I couldn't understand why Ryan put up with him for so long.  I really though Ryan was an arse for a lot of the book.  He would try to play nice with Fred, and then get sucked right back into his white world.  He was not good against peer pressure.

I really loved Fred.   Her chapters were definitely the most fun to read.  The story mostly felt like it was her journey.  I think the author did the dual POV just so we could see Ryan's side, and not hate him too much.  The story felt very real to me, and I enjoyed the romance.  The golf tournaments were the best scenes in the book.  That's were Ryan and Fred were truly themselves.   This was a fresh new contemporary read!

Breaking Point Book Tralier

Breaking Point has a book trailer out!

Breaking Point releases Feb. 12th! I can't wait!

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Goodreads
362 pages, YA Dystopian
Article 5 #1
My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My 2 cents

I fell in love with this book.  It surprised me, because I didn't expect to like it this much!  It was , at times, very horrific.  Bad and violent things were happening to innocent people.  The story was so compelling!

Ember's mom is arrested and Ember is sent off to a rehabilitation center.   The kind with a tyrannical matronly woman in charge with lots of soldiers to back her up.  The ideas this society presented were just awful.  Basically, it sets feminism back in time about 100 years!  Woman are expected to be sub servant  obedient, and chaise.  And men were allowed to use physical force if necessary.  It was just sick!  

Poor, poor Ember.  She's never had a man long term in her life, other than her best friend turned boyfriend, Chase.  But Chase has been gone in the army awhile now, and Ember doesn't even recognize him anymore.  Ember doesn't take well to the new attitudes her government is expecting her to be, so she gets punished a lot.  Then the unexpected happens--Chase breaks her out of there and goes AWOL, as a favor to Ember's mother.

This is where the story really took off.  It become a lot more about Ember and Chase's relationship, and less about the tyrannical society.  Of course, they are on the run and there is danger everywhere, so there is still plenty of action!  Lots of love angst and action make me happy!

Like typical love struck teenagers, Ember and Chase were just so STUPID with each other!   Sometimes I just wanted to knock their heads together!  I understood both of their point of views, though.  Ember goes from a semi-normal life to a world where she cant trust ANYONE.  So its really hard for her to trust Chase, especially when his soldier training kicks in.  And I figured he's been through a lot, considering how this government treated its citizens.  

The ending almost seemed a little too easy to me.  I'm guessing the next book will start off with a bang!  The sequel, Breaking Point, releases Feb. 12th, and I will be buying and devouring it!