~Waiting on Wednesday~ All the Crooked Saints

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

Out:  10/10

From Goodreads:

                From bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, a gripping tale of darkness, miracles, and family!

                Saints.  Miracles.  Family.  Romance.  Death.  Redemption.

                The book takes place in the 1960s in Bicho Raro, Colorado and follows the lives of three members of the Soria family—each of whom is searching for their own miracle.  There’s Deatriz, who appears to lack feelings but wants to study her mind; Daniel, the “Saint” of Bicho Raro, a miracle working for everyone but himself; and Joaquin (a.k.a. Diablo Diablo), who runs a pirate radio station at night.

                “The Soria family are saints as well, and the miracle they perform for pilgrims to Bicho Raro is as strange as most miracles are:  They can make the darkness inside you visible.  Once the pilgrims see their inner darkness face to dace, it’s up to them to perform another miracle on themselves:  banishing the darkness for good.  It can be a tricky business to vanquish your inner demons, even once you know what they are, but the Sorias are forbidden to help with this part.  They’ve all been told that if a Soria interferes with the second miracle, it will bring out their own darkness, and a saint’s darkness, so the story goes, is a most potent and dangerous thing.”-Maggie Stiefvater, EW interview

Why I’m Waiting:

                Maggie Stiefvater of course.  She’s an auto-buy author for me!  I have enjoyed all of her other works so I’m ready to get my hands on something new.  This sounds very interesting for sure.  

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)

                Hello happy readers!  My first review of 2017 was Blue Lily, Lily Blue where I admit I had almost skipped over it and went right for the finale, The Raven King but had to back track a bit.  Now a little while later I am happy to finally get to post that review of the fourth and final book in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, The Raven King.  Spoilers ahead for the series thus far, duh. 

Rating:  5 Ravens

                So I dove into this audiobook ready and nervous.  I wanted to see where all these books and stories and events would lead my friends.  Because they had become my friends through it all.  I cared for each of them deeply and I worried if what I knew from book one was to truly come to pass or if there was a way around it.  I had hope but I also had this leery sense not everyone would make it out happy and unscathed.  So I listened carefully and dreamed this world as Stiefvater painted it before my eyes.

                I loved this book.  This series.  Basically everything I said last week about Blue Lily, Lily Blue here is still true.  The characters are a real strong point.  You are so deeply invested in your core you feel everything with them.  I loved getting to know more of Henry Cheng, he was just entertaining and the way he talked and thought.  So very much like one of our group.  Artemus, Blue's daddy, is interesting to say the least.  He's a bit off.  I am glad though that Maura didn't go searching for him to be with him, I much prefer her assassin boyfriend but still it was nice for Blue to get to meet him and for her mother to have a sense of closure.  Plus Orphan Girl whom we’ve seen bits and pieces of since book two   We also got to see more of the world of Ronan's father and in part more of Declan. 

                Relationships.  That is how I would describe this book.  Magical.  Unique. Amazing.  Beautiful.  So many things encompass this series but I feel it was the relationships.  Between friends.  Between lovers.  Between family.  Between you and your past.  Between you and a place, it all comes down to relationships.  I could talk about the group: Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Adam for hours and never fully grasp the depth of it.  It just is.  Now I was sad to see less of Noah with him fading away but he was still there in their hearts.  Still no matter the romantic relationships of our core they were best friends and all loved one another.  That was beautiful.  Blue and Gansey just meat your heart even they were nearly outshined.

                The world of this book is so well balanced between reality and magical that you feel like they are real.  That 300 Fox Way really exists full of astounding women with abilities and sharp wits.  That you could swing by Monmouth Manufacturing and see Gansey’s model of the town and the mess that is their rooms.  The Barns full of sleeping dream objects in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and purposes.  And most of all Cabeswater, where time is lost and thoughts can be made real.  It was both beautiful and scary at times but I'd still give anything to visit.

                These books were really something different.  They don’t try to be something they aren’t.  They just are.  I can honestly say I can't think of another story similar to these.  Things are dark in points.  Death and possession on the rise.  It just breaks your heart each time though to see these character suffering.  To see the turmoil in those being possessed, forced to do things against their core self to hurt those they love and those attacked forced to defend themselves and risk hurting someone they care about.  The feels!  And the demon trying to unmake Cabeswater, to unmake our dreamer Ronan Lynch.  So many feels were happening in this book I'm thankful for the audiobook that I could listen through the shock and tears. 

                The Raven King was a conclusion. The journey started back when Blue first saw Gansey on the corpse road then met her raven boys searching for their sleeping king.  The story is wrapped up.  It was fitting.  The journeys end fit.  I loved how it wrapped up.  At first it took  me a moment and I rewound some to make sure I had heard it properly but once I was sure I was correct and took a second to think on it, it did fit.  The story is not what I expected but still all that I hoped for.  It was beautiful and I'm happy to have been on the journey. 

                Overall I have to say I loved this book and this series as a whole.  I'd love to hear what everyone thought about it especially the end.  So many feels.  I cried at several points throughout.  Just so many things happening and concluding.  I love this world and I'm sorry to see it end no matter how wonderfully and faithful it was to the journey. 

                Until next time..

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Rave Cycle #3)

                Hello happy readers to the first review of 2017.  This will come as no shock I’m still catching up on reviews of books I did read last year.  The first is BlueLily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater the third book in The Raven Cycle.  First I went to start my review of The Raven King and series as a whole when I realized I went straight from book three to the final book and never got to review it.  How this happened is beyond me but still.  I finished the whole series last year and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the last book and series as a whole but first we have to catch up.  My previous reviews for The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves.  This will contain spoilers for the first two books in case you’re new to this.  Also I listed to this on audiobook.

Rating:  5 Stars

                Blue has more than she has in most of her life in the form of friends and a place with them where she feels she belongs.  She among her Raven Boys the last place she ever would have expected.  Still even though her mother disappeared on a personal quest, leaving her new assassin boyfriend Mr. Grey with them Blue has much and is scared to lose it.  We have still have Gansey’s fate she saw back in book one and her own curse hanging over her head.  Ronan has this huge ability to dream things into life, and we are still searching for Glendower our Welsh King hoping he will grant a wish. 

                Blue Lily, Lily Blue had so much happen in it yet it still seemed to have a bit of a slower pace and focus more on characters which I enjoyed.  There was so much character work in these and I really enjoyed it because the characters of this story are what really drive it home.  Blue and her Raven Boys.  There is a quote in the book which I have seen many mention as a favorite from the book and for good reason, it just fits.

“But what she didn’t realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another.  She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another.”

                The story is so otherworldly and complex and yet some simple and true that it’s hard to really explain it to anyone.  At least that seems to be how things go with me.  Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Adam all must go back to school adding a sense of contrast to their summer spending all day and night looking for the sleeping king.  Now they have to focus on mundane tasks like school as well. 

                Blue is still Blue.  She is the character I fell in love with in book one.  She has this quality about her that makes you want to hug her and be her friend.  Even more so now as Mara is missing and she has to deal with many other emotional issues from boys, deaths, evil bad guys, supernatural evils and so much more.  A girl could really use her mom.  Still the rest of the ladies in 300 Fox Way really help balance the story.  Each one is unique and has a personality more than just to help the story along. 

                Gansey is much the same as the guy we got to know.  He has a good heart and soul.  He’s determined to find his sleeping king.  He doesn’t always understand how others take his words but he is never cruel. You grow to love him even more which only breaks your heart.  The romance developing between him and Blue, their moments of togetherness.  They are so sweet and adorable you want nothing more than to have them kiss but you also are terrified of that same thing.  It wrings you heart all up for sure.  Plus with that we also get to see more of Gansey and his panic attacks, more of who he is which is always desired.

                Noah is fading and it breaks your heart to see him sometimes.  Still his presence is always welcome and wanted.

                Ronan is….well he’s Ronan.  I don’t know how else to describe him.  He is who he is and after learning about him in the last book and seeing things from his perspective, seeing him again from others eyes really shows more.  He has so much more to him than being angry and jerk like.  He is there for his friends no matter what and he will take on any punishment or pain to protect those whom he deems friend.  So much depth to him, I mean he has been through so much.

                Adam was a character who in the last book kind of had me wavering on him as he was so quick to anger and his pride was too strong that it hurt him in many cases. But in Blue Lily, Lily Blue he really came back around for me.  He seemed to open up more as a character and grew so much.  He also started to see past some of his issues which I loved him for.  The majority of the scenes he shares with Ronan and the combination of them really works on balancing one another off.

                We also had some other great characters in this we got to see Greenmantle and Piper who were flat out insane.  I wanted to hate them because they were just so down right bad but they were so damn funny about it I kind of wanted to see more of what they would do next.  The back and forth between them was just on point.  Plus Mallory came for a visit with Dog which not only gave a view into the Gansey of the past but gave a more contrast of ideas.  Jessie Dittley and his curse and constant yell speak to Gwenllian whom is crazy and also due to the audiobook why I keep repeating “Blue Lily, Lily Blue” in a sing-song voice.  To all the women at 200 Fox Way.  Cabeswater is a character in and of itself between working through Adam and learning more and more of what it is and what it can do it just draws you in as a real living thing. 

                The story continues to draw you into the world.  You want to keep on the search for the sleeping king but motivations and desires change at every turn.  Why you searched in the start and why you still search.  So many subplots all working together for a much larger picture.  The audiobook was amazing for me in that it allowed me to simply close my eyes, when I wasn’t driving that is, and just envision it.  Let Stiefvater’s words flow over and into me in that magical way like I was there with Blue and the Raven Boys.  So many things happened throughout and the deaths and twists came as a shock and brought a tear to my eye even while I felt conflicted by some.  I was eager to dive right into book four when I finished and that is just what I did.  I highly recommend. 

                Until next time…

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)

                Hello happy readers!  I finished The Dream Thieves (Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater this morning and wanted to share my thoughts on it.  This will contain spoilers from book one which I reviewed here.

Rating: 5 Stars

                So I read book one, The Raven Boys (review) back when it first came out a few years ago.  I never finished the series, wanting to re-read the first book and marathon them once complete so I wouldn’t miss anything.  I re-read The Raven Boys and started in on The Dream Thieves but RL and having a million open books pushed it back but I was determined to finish.  Given the time lapse a re-read was pretty much needed or I feel I wouldn’t have remembered so many of the details built into this world.  We pick up where we left off before, Adam made a sacrifice that no one really fully understands.  Blue is dating a boy she can’t kiss or risk him dying.  Ronan has some serious secrets held within and so much more is happening. 

                So Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.  How flipping cool is that?  I mean this is flipping awesome.  Think of the things you could bring out?  Okay maybe not so good if you’re not good at controlling it and you bring out nightmares but the positive side is pretty cool.  As they start to unravel things with Ronan and his past and understanding how it relates to Glendower you follow along for the unique and often creepy ride.  Like most of her books, Stiefvater manages to bring such magic into her writing and not simply with the magical aspects but the words themselves.  You really feel you are part of the gang struggling along with your own issues as you try to keep your group on task and from falling apart.

                This book focused on all aspects of our group and the dynamics within.  Adam still has some serious issues about his circumstances.  He’s had it bad, no doubt, but he’s angry at those who didn’t in an almost irrational way.  It’s so surreal because I’ve seen people who act out in some ways so similar.  Blue and her confused emotions between liking more than one boy, especially when kissing one could end up in death.  Plus can we just say the emotional damage that could do to a girl, if you kiss your true love they will die, that being all you know growing up not interested in anyone is hard enough.  However, when people come into your life that you find yourself wanting to kiss…well one way ticket to sucksville.  What is crazy here though is that even though there is no epic kissing scenes that we all seem to love some of the scenes where kissing may take place in other stories are so intense and intimate. 

                In The Dream Thieves we also get to meet a new character, They Grey Man.  A hit man with more to him than you might expect.  He wasn’t painted as a saint by any means but he had some depth.  As he began to interact with character we know and love we saw more to him, and maybe more than he saw of himself.  We also get to learn more about another elite private school Aglionby boy, one with a much darker side than even our somewhat dark boys. 

                This one continues the dark mystery and adventure we started in book one but keeps upping the ante with romance, and keeps the heart racing with twists and turns.  Still in the end my favorite part, aside from the beautiful writing, are the relationships.  Be it Blue and her Raven Boys or her and her family of eclectic psychics, and each boys relationships with family as compared to that of the group dynamic.  I loved this continuation and can’t wait to read more and figure out more of the mysteries of this world and what power it holds and how it will affect everyone I care about.   Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ The Raven King

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Out:  4/26

Book 4 (final)

From Goodreads:

                The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death.  She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in a strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared:  “Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close.”

Why I’m Waiting:

                 Okay so I’m behind on this series.  I LOVE her writing style and the beauty of it all and the story of the first book was intriguing for sure.  When book two came out I was in between jobs and didn’t have the money to spend on it right away.  Once I got settled again and I was able to purchase it I decided to wait until closer to book threes release so I could read them together.  Then I found it was a four book series not a trilogy and given I had other books to read and really wanted to re-read the first book as well I decided to wait and read them with a friend of mine and with our Goodreads group, Perpetual YA Bookworms, the month of the release and read all four books back to back!  It seems like the best idea then there is no waiting and everything will be super fresh between books!  Plus come on these covers are awesome!  I’m also still waiting to get the tarot cards Maggie made with the series, so beautiful!

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

~Top Ten Tuesday~ Auto-buy Authors!

               Hello everyone!  It’s Top Ten Tuesday time.  If you don’t know Top Ten Tuesday is just how it sounds, a topic is picked and we put our Top Ten for that in a post and share and check out everyone’s answers.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke andthe Bookish.

The top today is a Freebie:  Top Ten Auto-buy Authors!

Richelle Mead - So many amazing series and one of the few on this list I haven't yet had the pleasure to me (hoping to change it at YALLfest this year!) I just love the different worlds she creates and brings to life.

P.C. Cast - I got into the HoN series when I got back into reading again and just couldn't stop the humor she weaves through her story where I just suddenly snort with laughter or have to put it down because wow that was just wow I need a tissue I'm cry laughing. I also adore the way she mixes the different gods and goddesses in her series.

Maggie Stiefvater - Can we just say cover love.  I fell in love with Shiver by the cover and then knew with the way she writes that I would read anything she put out.  She is also a fascinating person who wears so many different hats but is still totally down to earth and hilarious.  

Jennifer L. Armentrout (J Lynn) - I fell in love with the Lux series and just knew I had to read more by her.  I own several of her books, though I am still making my way through them because, seriously, this woman can put out some books.  Between two names I'm constantly buying a new book of hers and trying to catch up.  But they are all so different and fun I like the game!  

Sarah J. Maas - Do I really need to explain.  I jumped on the Throne of Glass bandwagon last year and OMG is all I can say.  It's amazing and then she came out with another series and it also blew me away so whatever she does I'll read. 

Cassandra Clare - The Shadowhunter world is amazing.  I'm so glad when she started this that she knew she had many different series to tell in the same world.  Each one is fun and I just love how some of the characters overlap.   

Ink Monster - Technically it's a publisher but the authors work together and have several series that are just amazing so anything they put out I buy!  Christina Bauer & Aileen Erin They are amazing.  I am so glad I found them on NetGalley because this series I have re-read a few times.  Just the best.  

Rainbow Rowell - I own all of her books, though I've only read two thus far but they were amazing and I've heard just as many good things about the others and I'm dying to see for myself.  

Marie Lu - I marathoned the Legend series after it took me a while to start them and I just loved the whole set up and world.  They were also rather short and quick reads.  Then when she had a new series coming out I knew I had to try it as well.  Now The Rose Society is one of my most anticipated books!

Krystal Wade - I discovered her on NetGalley with her first series and I was just in love.  Cover love.  Story love.  OMG the Wilde's Fire series is just...amazing!  She's also an amazing person as well and I finally got to meet her in person at UtopYA this year, kind of the reason I found out and went lol.  She also has other books along with a creepy take on a fairy-tale retelling and another in the works!

As You Wish

                Trying to keep on pace with things even as real life is being stubborn, I have another review for you.  Also don’t forget to check my previous post, interview with author Sarah Negovetich and enter the giveaway that’s open until 4/29.  This post will also serve as a heads up of sorts if you live near the Atlanta, GA. area.  There is a cute book store called Little Shop of Stories; they are amazing for so many reasons, the best of which is that they usually host amazing authors there for talks and signings.  I live about 4 hours away but I’ve made the round trip drive for a few different events and have two planned for the start of May.  I’m mentioning this because, yes there is a point to my randomness sometimes, on May 12^th Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pearce are going to be at an event there!  I adore Maggie’s work and loved meeting her last year.  I am stoked to see her again but also to look up this new author, clearly cool in my book by association. 

 

                Turns out I had a book by Jackson Pearce.  I had bought it on sale because it looked cute but had not gotten around to reading it and as such the name didn’t click for me.  Looking up her books I saw a familiar cover and realized, “I have that.”  Then proceeded to read it.  So I’ll be discussing my thoughts on that book, AsYou Wish, with you today.

                As You Wish is a super-fast read.  I realize I can sometimes finish a book in a shift at work depending on how things are that day, grant it I do work 12 hour shifts, but this one was fast for anyone.  It doesn’t feel like the 304 pages it says it has.  I started it late in my shift thinking I wouldn’t be able to finish it but it only took a few hours, appx. 4-5 for me with work stuffs in between.  I found the whole thing captivating and engaging and I wanted to know what would happen next. 

                The basic storyline to give you a feeling for it focuses on Viola.  Her boyfriend broke up with her and she has spent her days since silently wishing to have someone love her again.  More than that she wants to feel she belongs again.  Then one day of mindless wishing she summons a young genie out of his world and into hers and he’s stuck there until she makes her three wishes. 

                Jinn is impatient to get back home to his world but he’s stuck with Viola, who is afraid she’ll wish for the wrong thing.  This forces them to spend time together.  After making her first wish she realizes that after two more wishes Jinn will disappear from her life forever.

                Doesn’t that just sound like a cute fun read?  It was!  First I’ve never read a genie book before and I like it.  I have always been caught up in the idea of the genie and being the one to grant wishes, I believe it’s all Robin Williams fault for being such an amazing Genie in Aladdin.  I just got a bit teary thinking about it now if I’m honest.  Like one of my childhood classics I still enjoy today, Viola and Jinn are special.  I respected Viola right off the back, even when she was down over a breakup.  The circumstance is worth being down over.  Plus the overall point of wanting somewhere to belong rings true to not only high school but in life.  We all want somewhere we can belong.  And Viola didn’t want to rush.  She wanted to think things through which is more than I can say for some people. 

 

                Overall the characters were interesting and though they had their moments, I overall loved them.  It was cute seeing Jinn spend more time on her world than he was used to and his freakish worry about aging by the minute.   The development between the characters grows as the story speeds along and while it was quick it wasn’t insta-love which would have detracted from it.  The whole journey through the story was really one of self-realization and to be with Viola as she discovers who she is and finds her place, even if it wasn’t what she expected, was sweet. 

                This book is not what I was expecting.  I went in expecting an average cute totally predictable book and I came out with a unique little tale witch characters I just adored.  This is my first Jackson Pearce book but I have a couple more on order now after enjoying this one so much and I can’t wait to meet her and hopefully discuss them with her in May.  I recommend this book for a super quick fun read. 

Rating: 4 Wishes

                You know the deal.  Please take a moment down below and share your thoughts.  What would you wish for if you had your own Jinn?  Also if you’re going to be at the Little Shop of Stories event let me know so we could maybe meet up, I know I’ll be meeting one book buddy there.  Enjoy.  Until next time; Keep Calm and Read On!               

YALLfest!

                This is just a brief little post because I've been MIA.  I've been to another signing with Maggie Stiefvater and have been preparing for YALLfest.  Sarah Leigh and myself leave tomorrow evening (Thursday) and are pumped for Friday!  I have been trying to read as much as possible before hand.  I was also convinced to join in for NaNoWriMo 2014.  This is made more difficult because my computer outer case is having a slight problem.  Thankfully nothing is wrong with the guts of the computer, that is just fine.  Some casing to hold the screw came loose or some jazz, I don't know but a tech savvy friend at work has agreed to fix it for me.  He has only had it 2 days but it feels like forever.

                In the mean time until I get it back and can do some real reviews, I wanted to share some photos of meeting Maggie Stiefvater and give a shout out to anyone going to YALLfest.  Send me a message, we'd love to say hello to you if you're there.

She doodled in my book!

Before hand she was 'Invisible'

Book Events! My First experience and more to come!

                Today is about book events.  I am new to the world and have some things to share and some things to ask my fellow book lovers.  I had the pleasure of meeting P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast on Thursday on tour for Redeemed, the last book in the House of Night series.  I have been reading these books since 2009, after book 5 came out.  I was just getting back into the reading for pleasure game and a friend had them and loaned them to me.  I remember I was working that Friday-Sunday 12 hr shift nights and it was pretty dead so I finished all 5 in that time, then I wanted more and had to wait.  The story of a book lovers life, right?  When a new one comes out, I go and get it.  P.C. Cast is what I consider an auto-buy author.  I have all the HoN books with novellas and other books, her Divine/Parthalon series, and her romance series The Goddess Summoning series, and I love them all.  

               I have never been to any book event before, because, well honestly I live in South Georgia and no one comes around here and when I hear about them coming within a reasonable distance its either too late or something comes up.  So when I found out they were going to be in Atlanta I was excited.  Grant it, not the closest but 3.5 hours was doable.  I got the day off with work, had a dentist appointment in the first half of the day too, and drove up then back after it was over.  A long day in the vehicle but it was so worth it.

               My first book event was a huge success.  First and foremost, P.C. and Kristin were so amazingly sweet and funny to listen to.  They answered a ton of questions for the audience and made jokes but also kept the spoilers down for those who didn't read the new book yet, having had to purchase it there, I'm a fast reader but not that fast lol.  I got my book signed by both of them along with the poster I won.  Yes I totally won a poster, 1 of 3 and I got first dibs.  That was so hard, choosing which picture I wanted more.  I also got some photos of them and me with them while they were signing!  But even more fun than that, I made some new bookish friends!  Yes my normally shy self decided if I was going to go to these events I was going to be chatty and put myself out there and make friends, it’s the only way to go and I am so happy I did.         
     
              While discussing books with my new friends, I learned another favorite and auto-buy author of mine, Maggie Stiefvater is going to be in Atlanta this month.  I was beyond elated at the news.  The day is not so easy, work wise and I thought I wouldn't be able to do it but my wonderful shift partner said she'd be willing to swap days off with me for it!  Happy dance.  Now I'm planning to make the drive up once more in just over a week.  Bright side, trips so close, probably won't get lost.  Hopefully!

  

                Aside from Maggie Stiefvater coming to Atlanta and hopefully seeing her, I have another event I'm super stoked about: YALLfest.  I found out about YALLfest and I started planning right away to make sure I could have the money to make the trip and of course the time off to do it as well.  Everything is lined up and my good friend Sarah Leigh is even going with me!  If you guys don't know about YALLfest don't worry I didn’t know about it either until earlier this year.  It's a book lovers event.  It's 60 of the most popular YA authors coing together and doing signings, panels, presentations and such.  The best part, the event is FREE!  Yes the major event is free, there are a few things that have tickets, a few talks and jazz but that’s due to limitations on the space and such but they are like $7 tickets so totally affordable. This wonderful even will take place in Charleston, SC on Friday Nov. 7th- Saturday Nov. 8th.  It's going to be at Blue Bicycle Books and surrounding venues. 

                 How cool is that?  The list of authors, here, is insane.  I have read a bunch of these and so many others I have the books but haven't made it to them yet.  Now I'm motivated.  I want to have something to talk about when I get to meet them and ask them to sign my books!  Also, if any of you watch Team Epic Reads who do Tea Time on Wednesdays they will be there as well hosting the YA Smackdown I believe.  I'm stoked and have my ticket for that.  

                Anyways I don't know where everyone is from but if you are planning to be there send me a message in the comments or e-mail or whatever.  It'd be great to see everyone and make meet more friends!  I don't have everything planned out but we have our few tickets and hotel and everything else is going to be a new experience.  I'm currently deciding the best way to transport all of my books.  So yes if anyone is going or wishing they could go, which author going would you be most excited to meet?  Comment below, I may have a giveaway afterwards if I get some goodies!  Also if anyone has advice for me I'm all ears as well.  I'll update when I know more.  

Finally!!!! Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

                We’ve all been there.  The end of a series we love and the author saying that is the end.  No more.  We’re happy to have the books the books we got but still, as with anything good, we would always like more.  That was The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy for me.  I may be more emotionally attached to these books because I fell in love with Sam and Grace’s story in Shiver when I first started reading for pleasure again.  Over the years as the other two books, Linger and Forever, came out I grew to enjoy not only them but I grew rather attached to Cole and Isabel.  I always felt their story left so much open at the end and I wanted more but was left to use my own imagination.  Then I heard the news that there was going to be a companion novel following Cole St. Clair.  I did my happy squeal of delight that scared my cat, apparently the pitch is rather high, and marked it in my calendar on my phone to start my count down.

 

See my special copy :) Yes I'm
showing it off!

                I re-read Forever to get ready for it.  It came out July 1^st but as I pre-ordered my physical copy so I could have the special additional dust jacket Maggie was kind enough and artistically inclined to draw as well as get my copy signed, I am very proud of it, I had to wait a few extra days to get it.  I received it July 3^rd and had to restrain myself not to start it that night.  See I had to work at 7:45am the next morning and I knew if I started it I wouldn’t stop to sleep.  Plus I was warned the day would be dead so I should be prepared to keep myself entertained.  That is easy enough for me.  Sinner kept me entertained.  I read through work, minus taking time to take a small test I was required to take for my job that took about an hour and a half I read the whole time.  I was so excited to have Cole and Isabel back in my life. 

               

The Wolves of Mercy Falls (new cover design)

                I reviewed the trilogy as a whole back when I first started my blog here.  I am not a spoiler-y type of person so I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible.  If you haven’t read the original trilogy you will probably be a bit confused and there will be spoilers for those, so be warned. Now this story does have the supernatural element of wolves but it is more of a contemporary story in a whole.  Sinner takes place some months after Forever where Isabel was being moved to LA and she told Cole, when he called to say he wasn’t dead, not to lose her number.  Cole is in LA to record a new album and to do that he signed on to do a reality TV show known for getting people to drop to their lowest levels.  And he is there to see Isabel. 

                We see this story from both Cole and Isabels’ POV.  We were in their heads in the other books sure, but this is only about them.  Sam and Grace do make somewhat of an appearance which was a nice homage to where this all started but it is completely about Cole and Isabel.  They are both screwed up.  They each have their own inner demons to deal with and they can bring out the worst and the best in each other when together.  Isabel the ice queen who doesn’t let anything get through her protective shell and who certainly doesn’t believe in love or happily ever after.  And this wars with the way a certain guy makes her feel despite her best efforts not to.  Cole on the other hand is struggling with who he is and the mistakes of his past.  Can he change the destructive parts of him and keep who he is or is he doomed to spiral out? 

Pretty cover Maggie drew! 

There are no cute and fluffy moments with these two, not traditionally at least, but there are scenes that for them are cute and fluffy.  They don’t have the relationship that Sam and Grace had that if they had each other and love that is all that mattered and they could make it through the hard times.  They are different people and that isn’t who they are.  Isabel doesn’t want to let Cole in again and risk getting hurt all over.  She has enough going on in her life and is unsure if she even believes in the concept of happiness and trust.  Cole doesn’t make it easy because he is so rash and frenetic, which is part of what makes him so much fun to read, and that overshadows his deeper self sometimes.

Overall I have to say I love this book just as much as the others if not more.  I readily give this book 5 Pairs of Leggings.  I can’t praise this book enough and I was not disappointed at all.  So share your thoughts below.  What do you think of the companion novel or the original trilogy itself?  Tell me what you think, I really want to know what everyone who takes the time to read my reviews thinks.  I want interaction so we can discuss!

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

My first real decorating job!
Pretty proud of it.

I got my signed copy of The Raven Boys for Christmas from a wonderful friend, and sadly I only just finished it (more like last week but I had a family event and a Bachelorette party to bake for).  Though part of the delay for reading was purposeful, me trying to hold off and have less time to wait for Book 2.  I made it what 4 months, that's it, but hey that's 4 less months to wait.

I'm a big fan of Maggie's other works so I was of course ready to check this one out, on past history alone but seeing the beautiful cover and the summary sealed the deal. 

"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said.  "Either you're his true love…or you killed him."

Interested yet?  Well this is made even more interesting because for as long as Blue can remember she has been warned that when she kisses her true love she will cause his death.  Talk about killer cooties!  Still when Blue meets Gansy and his crew of 3, Adam, Ronan, and Noah all four of them, Blue and the Raven Boys, so called because they are students at the school for the local boys private school Aglionby.  This also makes them off limits, not just because of her rule, no boys, but especially no Raven Boys.  But meeting him, after she saw him on the Corpse road, she is drawn to him.

Despite her rule, Blue joins the boys in their quest to uncover something of myth and legend.  A non-seer in a family full of them, she feels left out but strangely perfectly at home with the boys on this adventure. 

                One of my favorite parts of this book as with all of Stiefvater's books, are the complex characters.  Each one has a different personality and motivation for everything not just moving the store along, you feel like they are doing things for a deep purpose.  Gansy, the leader of the pack, beyond rich, privileged, good looking, devoted friends, he has the perfect life yet he is restless always seeking something that to most is impossible.  Then you have Adam, a poor kid from town attending on scholarship working his behind off both in school and work and trying to help in the search, even as he struggles with a rough life and some resentment issues of those with money.  Ronan, is also a rich kid who goes back and forth from anger to despair who has dealt with more than his fair share of darkness.  Last but not least, it Noah, the quite one who doesn't say as much but somehow sees more than anyone else and holds them all together and so much more.

The book centers around their search for the sleeping King and what finding him would mean for each of them.  I don't want to give anything away, but this book is full of mystery, adventure, suspense, magic, and just the right amount of creep thrown in with amazingly complex characters and plotline.  Pick it up and check it out, though be warned you must wait till September for book 2!  I give this book 5 Ravens!

The Raven Boys­ Trailer

                So this is just a quick post about a book trailer.  Now this isn’t just any book trailer to get excited about but this book comes out the week after my birthday.  Okay so that’s not a real reason every one should excited I just happen to be a bit partial to that one.  This book is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.  Yep and not only does she write awesome books, she is also an artist and musician.  Talk about multi talented.  Maggie uses her other talents to create an awesome trailer for this book and haunting music to accompany it.  So I implore you to check it out.