Friday Firsts (5)

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

• Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
• Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
• Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title and the author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
• Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?

The book I'm currently reading is the Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I just started reading it last night, so I'm not very far into it yet. This is the first sentence:

"Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, there was nothing to distract me from my memories."

 

This is a really great first sentence! It makes what to keep reading to find out what's going to happen. The back summary makes the book sound so amazing, so I can't wait read more. I couldn't imagine being put in a jail cell awaiting my death. It would be so horrible and like the first sentence says, I wouldn't be able to stop thinking back on all my memories. I'm really surprised I read and reviewed 3 (4 soon) books this week. Usually, I only read and review one book a week, so this week was pretty good : D

What's your current book's first sentence?

Blue Moon: Immortals Book 2 Review

Title: Blue Moon (Immortals book 2)
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: July 7, 2009
Pages: 304
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Where I got it: Library

Summary from Amazon:

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him.  As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life. Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

Review: 
Blue Moon was a pretty great sequel to Evermore. I actually didn't like it as much as Evermore because it was a little slower paced and a little depressing. It reminded me a lot of New Moon by Stephenie Meyer because it was like when Edward left Bella, and the same kind of thing happened with Ever and Damen. Besides that, I really liked the story and was shocked several times throughout. This one is a lot more dramatic and sad for Ever which made me compassionate towards her and even mad at points to a new character that's introduced. 

Even though it was slower paced than the first book, I just couldn't stop reading. I needed to know what would happen to Damen, Ever, and their relationship. I really love Damen and Ever together because they seem like a very perfect couple! I'm very excited for the third book, Shadowland, coming out in less than two weeks. So far, I've really enjoyed the series and I hope they keep getting better and better!

Rating:

Another Princess Bookie Challenge : D

So Cindy is having a contest to make a blog button for her blog or her new ARC Tour blog here. I made a cute, little button on Photoshop. The two winners will each win a Hardback or an ARC!

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Shadowland by Alyson Noel which is the 3rd book in the Immortals series. I just finished Blue Moon, so I can't wait to read this! Also, expect my review for Blue Moon very soon...probably sometime tomorrow. Shadowland comes out very soon on November 17, 2009.

Shadowland 
By: Alyson Noel
Summary from Alyson's website:

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world's darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just as their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen...one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into a bleak afterlife in the Shadowland, an eternal abyss for lost souls. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source...Jude Knight.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She's always believed Damen to be her soul mate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them from the darkness inhabiting his soul, Ever's connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before...

Liar Review

Title: Liar
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: September 29, 2009
Pages: 384
My Edition: Hardback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Where I got it: Book Divas

Summary from Amazon:
Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Review: 
Wow, Liar has to be one of the weirdest but a really intriguing book I've ever read. It starts off with Micah telling us about the "family illness" and that she tells lies all the time. She says she will never lie to you, but she goes on to fool you several times throughout the book. The ending is so crazy, and it's pretty hard to review without giving away important parts of the story. Also, this book is perfect because long after finishing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. You never know if the ending is the truth or not. 

All I can say is that it made want to keep reading, and I just couldn't stop. The writing is so great and the characters are so well described that it makes the book so good. The story line is really just strange, so I can't really decide if I really liked it or not. It kept me on the edge of my seat til the very end. There are many times you will be like "what the heck!" I would definitely recommend this crazy book to anyone whose up to the challenge of figuring out the truth from the lies. I really want to read Justine's other book to check out a different kind of story and writing.

Rating:

IMMB (11)

The IMMB meme was started by The Story Siren. This week I received many awesome things. Last week the only things I received were three bookmarks and a Cleopatra's Daughter book plate so that's why I didn't do a post for them. Anyways this week I received Ruined, three Secret Society Ankh tattoos, Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, and many other bookmarks/swag. Also, I finally got some sequels I've been dying to read at the library. I got Blue Moon and Being Nikki! The book summaries below are from Amazon.

Ruined
By: Paula Morris
Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair? 

Blue Moon 
By: Alyson Noel
Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him.  As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life. Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day... 

Being Nikki 
By: Meg Cabot
Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts. Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel. But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts. How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side... Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular. But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.