The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass, #0.2) by Sarah J. Maas

Another great prequel to The Thron of Glass.

After freeing the slaves despite the commands of her master, Celaena is sent to the Red Dessert to train with the Silent Assassin and try to gain a letter of recommendation from their Master. When she arrives there she is surprised to find that despite the toughness of the desert this place is a welcome and warm home to lots of assassins and their caring master. There Celaena will start to make friends and train in order to catch the eye of the master. But besides her training Celaena soon discovers that there are more improtant things she should worry about while she is there. The Silent Assassins have an enemy and this enemy has a spy inside the city walls.

I really loved this story. As much as I did the first one. This had a more bitter feeling and I can't wait to learn a few things about Celaena's past. Reading about her adventures makes me want to know her story and how she become who she is. Can't wait for the third prequel that will be out tomorrow and the actualy book in August...I think.

★★★★★

book 20             book 15

You can get both prequels from Amazon. They are only $0.99 each.

IMM [Apr.23 - Apr.29]

IMM is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Story Siren, where you post all the books you received this week.

After I come home from my Easter vacation there were lots of books waiting for me. So this is what I found in my mailbox.

Gifted, Out of Sight Out of Mind by Marilyn Kaye
I read a review about this book in goodreads and even though it was a 3-star one, I got curious and read the blurb, then I got even more curious and when I found a used version of this book for 3 euros I ordered it in a heartbeat. I can't wait to read it.

The Named by Marianne Curley
One day I was searching for time traveling books, cause I love them but I haven't read that many and this one seemed like a great read and since I found this used too I got it.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
I was dying to get my hands on this one, especially a hardback edition. My shelves are starting to fill with epic fantasy books. And yes I found it used too.

Possessions by Nancy Holder
Boarding school. Need I say more. I love stories with boarding schools. I always dreamed of going to one...Never happened. And now I am out of school so it never will either. Anyways, I think this is going to be very interesting. Its blurb begins with "The It Girl meets The Exorcist", really intriguing. Yeap, this was a used version too. What can I say I love used books, they are so cheap. So instead of buying one new book I can buy two or three used.

In case you are wondering where I get all my used books it's awesomebooks. It's based in the UK so everything arrives really fast.

But wait, there is more...

This week I won two ebooks.

Just One Drop by Quinn Loftis

I still don't have the first two books, this is the third book in The Grey Wolves Series, but it's great motivation for me to get the other two too.

Here by Denise Grover Swank

This book seems so creepy and I adore the cover. It's like the little girl from The Ring movies. Creepy!

And finally I got Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer for FREE from Amazon

It's still free so go grab it while you can from here. I can't wait to start these series, I just ordered Storm from the bookdepository.

What was in your mailbox this week?

Masquerade Read Along Week 4

I know I've been MIA for the past few weeks, and I wasn't able to participate in last week's Read Along post (shame on me), but I'm back and ready for this weeks questions.

Chapters 24-31

Week 4

1. Heven develops a new “supernatural power”. She remarks that it isn’t that exciting of a power. Is this a power you would like to have, if not what kind of supernatural power would you like to have?

If I could pick a super power it wouldn't be Heven's. I love fire, so I would love to be able to control fire. But Heven's power is not that bad either. I think it would come in handy eventually.

2. Which character do you think makes the biggest internal change throughout the course of this book? Is there a situation in your life that you can reflect back on as an experience that changed your life for the better?

I think that's both Heven and Sam, even though we don't get to see how much Sam changed I believed he came a long way since the beginning of the book. He used to think that he's no good and that he didn't deserve being happy but I believe he found out the truth about him eventually. And obviously Heven had changed a great deal too, from the carefree cheerleader to the insecure girl who used to hide behind her hoods and finally the strong and confident person who realised that life is so much more than scars.
I can't really pick one moment that changed my life dramatically for the better. I went step by step. So every little thing that happened has helped me grow as a person.

3. Who is your favorite character and why?

Sam! He is adorable, I love him so much. If only real guys were more like him.

4. When the book ends the reader has an idea of what the next book will involve. Do you think the book ended in the appropriate place?

That's actually a great question cause when I was almost done with the book, right after Heven and Sam "died" I was thinking this has to be the end, but the chapters just kept on coming and I had no idea what was  we were waiting to happen but before I could feel that the ending was dragging on a lot of things happened, new characters, a possible plot for the next book, so yes I believe it ended in the appropriate place.

5. Do you have any predictions for the next book in the series, Charade?

One word: Dragons. I have no idea what's going to happen but, hell, I can't wait to start reading it. I just got the ARC (thank you Cambria) and when I am done with what I'm reading right now I'll start it.

6. Did you enjoy participating in this read along? Will you join in future read alongs?

Even though I missed third week's post and made a rush second week's post I really enjoyed it. I think it's something I would do again and again in the future.

Link up your posts with the linky tool at the end of this post.

Next Thursday there will be a post over at Cambria's with the winners of the Read Along Giveaway.

IMM [Apr.16 - Apr.22]

IMM is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Story Siren, where you post all the books you received this week.

I honestly didn't expect to get any new books this week cause I was in Rome. But there was a bookstore right next to my hotel and a line of used books' little street shops a few feet away. So ofcourse I visited both and in the mist of italian books I managed to find a couple of english ones I wanted to read.

From the Bookstore:

I got The Catastrophic History of You and Me. I really love the blurb of this book and the cover is obviously breath taking. Unfortunately I am going to leave this one back at my hometown cause there is no room in my suitecase. So I will not get to it at least until X-mas.

From the little street shops:

I got The 10th Kingdom for only 2 euros, so it was a great buy. I loved the movie when I first watched it, years back. So I was very excited to find this one. In the middle of the book there are images from the movie too. Anyways this is staying back home too.

What was in your Mailbox this week?

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas

I haven't posted for a few days now but I had a great reason about it, I was in Rome! I just got back last night and I hoped I had 5 more days to spend there. It was great and I loved everything about my trip, the city and the people in it. Everyone who is thinking about going there, you have to.

Anyways, on to the review...

This is the first of a series of prequel novellas for the Throne of Glass. In this story we are intoduced to Celaena, a 16 year old assassin. She is the best and most feared assassin of her Guild after her master. In this novella she is send to a remote island to claim something for her master without realizing that what she is there to collect is slaves. With the help of the assassin she despises the most in her Guild, Celaena will try to find a way to free the slaves and get away with it too.

I loved this first story so much. Celaena is a very strong, smart and independent person. Everything you would expect from an assassin. Also I loved the connection between Sam and her, I could really see those two together.

This little novella is full of suspence, action and of course sword fights. Loved every bit of it. Also it starts to set the mood for the world that everthing is taking place, gives us a little bit of information of what to expect in the future.

I already started the second novella and I love it too, though there is no Sam in it.

★★★★★

book 19             book 14

Cover Reveal & Excerpt of Taste by Kate Evangelista

Taste

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Taste Book Trailer Taste Excerpt

I sat up and followed Calixta’s gaze upward. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t know what I was seeing at first. A statue? ¬My brain refused to snap together coherent thoughts. I didn’t realize I’d fallen so close to one of the garden benches until I stared up at the boy that sat on one. He was strikingly beautiful. His tumble of blonde hair curled just above his sculpted cheekbones. He wore a silk shirt and a loosened cravat, like he’d become bored while dressing and decided to leave himself in disarray. His ivory skin and frozen position was what had me mistaking him for something carved from marble by Michelangelo. Then he sighed—a lonely, breathy proof of life. If I had to imagine what Lucifer looked like before he fell from heaven, the boy on the bench would certainly fulfill that image. My brain told me I had to look away, but I couldn’t. “Luka,” Calixta said again, her voice unsure, almost nervous. It no longer contained the steel and bite she had threatened me with, which made me wonder who the boy was. He leaned on his hands and crossed his legs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the night sky. His movements spoke of elegance and control. I’d encountered many people with breeding before, but his took on the air of arrogance and self-assuredness of someone used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. I only realized I’d been holding my breath when my lungs protested. I exhaled. My heart sputtered and restarted with a vengeance. Luka tore his gaze away from the stars and settled it on me. I’d expected pitch-black irises, like the other Night Students, but blue ice stared back at me. “Human,” he whispered. He reached out, and with a finger, followed an invisible trail down my cheek. I stiffened. His touch, cooler than Demitri’s, caused warm sparks to blossom on my face. He lifted his finger to his lips and licked its tip. He might as well have licked me from the way my body shivered. Luka’s curious gaze held mine. “Leave us,” he said, but not to me. “But—” Calixta protested like a spoiled child. He spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before, remaining calm yet firm. The words had a rolling cadence I couldn’t quite follow, like rumbling thunder in the distance. They contained a harsh sensuality. The consonants were hard and the vowels were long and lilting. Footsteps retreated behind me. Luka reached out again. It took me a minute to realize he wanted to help me up. I hesitated. He smiled. I smiled back timidly and took his hand, completely dazzled. Even with my uniform soaked from melted snow, I didn’t feel cold—all my attention was on him and the way his callused hand felt on mine. Without moving much from his seated position, he helped me stand. “What’s your name?” he asked. He had a voice like a familiar lullaby. It filled my heart to the brim with comfort. I swallowed and tried to stop gawking. “Phoenix.” “The bird that rose from the ashes.” Luka bent his head and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.” My cheeks warmed. My head reeled, not knowing what to think. I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to him. And the strange connection frightened me. From behind, someone gripped my arms and yanked me away before I could sort out the feelings Luka inspired in me. I found myself behind a towering figure yet again. Recognizing the blue-black silk for hair tied at the nape, relief washed over me. Calixta hadn’t come back to finish me off. Demitri’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. Unlike the night before, no calm existed in his demeanor. He trembled like a junky in need of a fix. The coiled power in his tense muscles vibrated into me. “What are you doing here?” Demitri asked. I didn’t know he’d spoken to me until I saw his expressionless profile. I sighed. “Phoenix.” I flinched. The ruthless way he said my name punched all the air out of me. “You owe me answers,” I said with as much bravado as I could muster. “I owe you nothing.” He glared. “In fact, you owe me your life.” “I don’t think so.” Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who’d remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. “Why is she with you, Luka?” “I wasn’t going to taste her, if that’s what you’re implying,” Luka said. “Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn’t mind if you left us alone.” There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn’t funny. “The sins of the father …” Demitri left his sentence unfinished. Luka’s smile shifted into a snarl. “Obey my command.” His chin lifted. “Kneel.” Demitri’s stance went rigid. His grip tightened around my wrist. Okay, weird just got weirder. Why would Luka want Demitri to kneel before him? I thought back to Eli and the others bowing to Demitri when he questioned them, but they didn’t kneel. Seriously? Were they all living on a different planet or something? “Kneel.” Luka’s detestable smirk made his features sinister rather than angelic. The real Lucifer: a fallen angel. Without letting go of my wrist, Demitri knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, his free hand flat at the center of his chest. “Your command has been obeyed,” he said formally. Luka nodded once. Demitri stood up and pulled me toward the school without telling me where we were going. Not having the time to thank Luka for saving me from Calixta, I risked a glance back. Luka smiled at me. His smile spoke of whispers, secrets, and promises to be shared on a later date.
Author Bio

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels. 

***
Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com 

Twitter: @KateEvangelista 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202 

Find Taste on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-taste 

Crescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html

IMM [Apr.9 - Apr.15]

IMM is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Story Siren, where you post all the books you received this week.

From NetGalley:

I love both covers. They were the first thing I noticed when I was browsing netgalley. Both books seem to have a unique storyline, I hope I enjoy them. They are both for September so I won't be reading them any time soon.

(Click the images to go to their Goodreads page)

From Amazon:

This is the second prequel novella of The Throne of Glass, I am almost done with the first one and I loved it so I will be reading this one next. Both novellas are only $0.99 so be sure to get them.
Physical Copy Bought:

I got this one last week but I forgot about it so I am adding it in this week's IMM. I was at the airport waiting for my enxt flight and of course I visited the bookstores there. So when I saw it I just had to have it.(Click the image for the Goodreads page)
What was in your Mailbox?

The Abandoned (Graveyard Queen, #0.5) by Amanda Stevens

Ree is working in a phychiatric clinic and on the day of the death of Violet, a patient, she overhears a conversation conserning her, an old Order and a secret about Ilsa, Violet's mother. After she leaves the hospital she feels strange, like there is someone watching her, she has a song stuck in her mind. The same night she sleepwalks for the first time in her life and end up kissing a stranger in the graveyard. As sock as she could be she tries to forget about everything, but when she finds out that one of the two men she overheard in the hospital was found dead she realizes a war has started to protect a secret from the past and she is in the middle of it.

This is a short novella before The Restorer. We don't get to see Amelia Grey much but I didn't really mind. I liked Ree and Hayden and their struggle to find the truth about Ilsa and the Order while trying to stay safe. The story was really good and I desperately wanted to find out what happened to Ilsa and who was to blame. I loved how everything turned out although I hoped we could learn a little bit more about the Order. Now I can't wait to start reading about Amelia and her adventures.

★★★★☆

book 18             book 13              book 3              book 9

Masquerade Read Along Week 2

Welcome to the second week of Masquerade Read-Along. 

This Weeks Discussion Questions:

Week 2/ Chapters 8-16

1. Sam is admittedly drawn to Heven before they even meet. Why do you think this is?

Hmm... I thought about it when I read the prequel, Before, when Heven was still her old self and Sam was just watching her from a far. I think Sam is drawn to her because she is what he wishes he could be. Surrounded by friends, enjoying every day without having to hide, normal, happy teenager. I guess Heven represents this part of his life he lost and that's why he feels drawn to her.

2. In an earlier chapter The Hope states that Sam must prove himself. During there chapters Sam does some things - bad things- (covering up murder, fighting, hiding a body, etc.) all to protect Heven and his true identity. Do you thin he was right to do these things?

I haven't really thought about it. I believe that Sam is pure good no matter what. And I never really had any objections to his actions so I think that yes, he was right to do these things. His actions never made me question him and his good heart. He is the sweetest.

3. In cahpter 12 Kimber says some things to Heven that make the reader wonder about their friendship. Do you think there is any truth in Kimber's drunken confessions? If so where do you think Heven and Kimber's friendship goes from here?

I believe that everything Kimber said was exactly how she felt. Maybe it was the heat if the moment that made everything come out, of course the alcohol helped too, but I think she mend every word she said. She and Heven are becoming more like frienemies than friends. I remember reading this chapter and being mad at Heven for not speaking her mind, but I totally saw what Kimber said coming. As for where their friendship is going I have no idea, I really don't know how Heven got over it eventually, I know I wouldn't.

4. Heven is changing, becoming more confident. Do you think that after something like this happens to someone that she can ever go back to the person she was before? Do you think she will want to?

Heven is getting not just more confident but stronger as well. She is not going back to who she used to be but evolving to someone better. And besides I don't think that she wants to go back. I think that when someone has something like Heven's accident and then overcomes it he becomes more strong than ever more confident and more sure of himself. (BTW I love Forever Strong. Go watch it!!!)

5. Toward the end of these set of chapter, Heven finds out Sam's secret, who he really is. She has a strong reaction. Do you think you would react the same way? Why or why not?

I have a bad habit of frozing whenever I am in a situation of extreme fear. So if the whole transformation in front of my eyes was terrifying I would just froze. Wouldn't talk or anything. My mind getting numb. After a few minutes hopefully I would accept what was going on and start taking, but I'd be more calm. I am not big on screaming and over-reacting. 

DreamKiller, The Longest Day (DreamKiller, The Specials #1) by Heather Hildenbrand

Marlena has been protecting the secret of the Little Hearts Orphanage for the last years. Everyone in there has special powers and the headmistress, Azura, doesn't want anyone from outside to know. So everytime Marlena dreams of killing someone, Azura asures her that this person wants to hurt them and Marlena goes after them in real life too, following her dreams. She is the DreamKiller. But one day a stranger pays her an unexpected visit telling her that everything she's been told is a lie and the next dream Marlena has is of her killing him. Now she has to go after him and the answers he seems to have in the questions she never knew existed.

What's not to love about this book, beside the fact that it's tiny. I shouldn't even call it a book, it's more like the first chapters of an amazing book and I want more. Needless to say I'll be reading the next one soon. Even in these few pages there were tons of action and a great mystery to be unraveled. Great if you want to read something in a few minutes from home to work or wherever else you may found yourself.

★★ ★ ★★

book 17             book 12             book 8

Interview & Giveaway with Katherine Lowry Logan

Katherine is a distance runner and an avid reader who turned her love of reading into a passion for writing and has completed a sweeping time-travel romance The Ruby Brooch. She is currently working on two additional time-travels and a contemporary romance.

A graduate of Rowan University in New Jersey, she earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Following graduation, Katherine attended the Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training earning a General Practice Certification.

She returned to Central Kentucky and worked for twenty years as a paralegal and law firm office manager.

With an educational focus on psychology and the law, Katherine’s plots typically present a mystery for the hero and heroine to solve while on an emotional search for love and forgiveness.

Katherine is a grandmother and spends several weeks every year in New York City with three of her five grandchildren. The other two live about ninety minutes away in Northern Kentucky. Her job is to spoil them, and she takes her responsibility seriously. 

Question: Let's begin with your book. Tell me a few things about The Ruby Brooch.

The story has an eclectic cast of twenty-five characters, including two precocious little girls who resemble Laura and Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie; a golden retriever, a Maine Coon cat, and a Thoroughbred who travel back in time and cause a ruckus; an old codger for a wagon train captain; a lawyer who whistles Bach and quotes Shakespeare; a best friend who keeps secrets, a fiddler, murderers, a fort commander, and a 21st century paramedic, plus disease, childbirth, bad water, a stampede, a two-thousand-mile journey, and an overarching mystery. Oh, and I can’t forget the passionate and sensual love story in the vein of Somewhere in Time.

Question: What triggered the idea of it, where did it all begin?

In September 1996, I read my first Elizabeth Lowell’s book Winter Fire. I loved it. Over the next several weeks, I read her entire back list. Then I moved on to Linda Howard, Beatrice Small, and several other romance authors. By September 1997, I’d read over 250 romance novels. Prior to 1996, I was an avid reader of mystery and suspense.

I sat down at my computer and started writing. Ideas had been germinating in my head. I wanted to write a time-travel romance with a mystery element that would take place in the American west in the mid-nineteenth century. The Oregon Trail popped into my head, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ten weeks later, I wrote The End to a 115,000-word saga.

As I thought about the method of time-travel, I considered a ruby bracelet I had and was able to work the piece of jewelry into the story. Over the years the jewelry has morphed into a 14th century Celtic brooch.

Question: The Ruby Brooch is about time-traveling. If you could go back in time, which era would you visit?

That’s a tough question because I like my creature comforts, but that aside, I’d like to “visit” Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Those were places of my childhood and to see them as they were in the 1700s with our country’s patriots walking the streets would be exciting.

Question: How did you start writing?

I started writing poetry as a teenager. The idea of writing a book came about in my thirties. It was on my bucket list along with running a marathon. Something I wanted to do but wasn’t really sure I had it in me to accomplish. My first attempt at writing a book in 1997 result in a completed manuscript that sat in my drawer until five years ago. Since then, I have rewritten The Ruby Brooch several times. It’s been through a critique group and three professional editors. I’ve taken on-line classes and seriously studied the craft of writing. It’s been a journey, but one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

Question: Any tips or suggestions for new authors?

Believe in yourself. Write, rewrite, and write some more. Study the craft of writing, develop a supportive network, grow a thick skin, and don’t give up. Today, there are more options for writers than ever before.

Question: What should we expect from you in the future?

There are two more books planned in the Celtic Brooch Trilogy, an emerald and sapphire, both using characters from The Ruby Brooch. I’m currently working on a contemporary romance The Last MacKlenna. It’s a baby boomer story dealing with breast cancer and childhood trauma, and it’s a companion story to The Ruby Brooch.

I released The Ruby Brooch on the same day I ran my first half-marathon. My plan is to release The Last MacKlenna on September 15, the day I run the Air Force Full Marathon, also my first.

Distance running and writing are both solitary endeavors and are physically exhausting. They have pushed me harder than I’ve ever been pushed. Trainers/editors have helped, but the hard work is mine alone. To get to this point, it has taken dedication, belief in my abilities, and a fantastic support team.

WHERE TO FIND KATHERINE ON THE WEB:

Website: http://www.katherinellogan.com

Blog: http://www.katherinellogan.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katherine.l.logan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KathyLLogan

WHERE TO BUY THE RUBY BROOCH:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007QMSONK/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_8.yEpb1BTCEEX

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1109853003?ean=2940014182850

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146790

***

GIVEAWAY

The Ruby Brooch

From the white-plank fence pastures of Lexington, Kentucky to the nineteenth century Oregon Trail, Katherine Lowry Logan weaves a story rich in detail and mystery as it follows Kitherina MacKlenna’s physical and emotional journey as she searches for her identity in a time not her own.

As the lone survivor of a crash that killed her parents, Kit, a paramedic and pioneer-era re-enactor, makes a startling discovery that further alters her life. A faded letter reveals she was abandoned on her father’s doorstep as a baby. The only clues to her identity are a blood-splattered shawl, a locket that bears a portrait of a nineteenth-century man, and a Celtic brooch with mystical powers.

Soon, Kit is swept back in time to the Oregon Trail in the year 1852 where she attempts to solve a murder of her birth parents and discover her identity. She adopts the persona of the Widow MacKlenna and joins a wagon train where she encounters Cullen Montgomery, an over-bearing, egotistical lawyer with a penchant for seducing widows and intolerance for liars. If she can survive his accusations and threats, she might be able to find the answers she seeks and return home without changing history, but escaping his passionate embrace may be a too much of a challenge for a first responder like Kit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IMM [Apr.2 - Apr.8]

IMM is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Story Siren, where you post all the books you received this week.

I got some freebies this week for which I was very curious. They are still free so go grab them if you are interested.


Also, finally, the first book in the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb arrived.

I got two books for review. I will start Dark Lake by the end of this month so there will be a review up soon.

Finally I got one of the prequels of the Throne of Glass. It was free then but I see that now it is. So if you are interested in the Throne of Glass you cen go grab it and get a little pre-taste.


Click on the images to go to the Goodreads page and the Amazon link to grab the books.
So these are all the new books I got this week.What was In Your MailBox?

Masquerade Read Along Week 1

This is the first week of Masquerade Read-Along. It's the first one I am participating in and I have to say I am truly enjoying it. It's really fun answering questions and then reading other people answers too.

Every week we get to answer new questions and read more chapters of Masquerade. I loved this book and even though I read it a few months back, when I answer the questions I find myself remembering a whole lot from the book.

This Weeks Discussion Questions:

Week 1/ Chapters 1-8

1. If you were disfigured like Heven (by some sort of accident) do you think you would have reacted the same way as her? (loss of self-confidence, hiding yourself, etc)

Hell yeah. Let me explain... Teenage girls, or even girls in their twenties feel disfigured every single day of their lifes and without having any great scars like Heven. It's easy to loose your confidence when you are not exactly as you want to be. And trust me you probably won't ever be. You just have to learn to accept and love yourself no matter what. I think an actual disfigurement would be hard for me in the beginning, but I wouldn't walk away from my friends as Heven did. And after time I would accept my scars and maybe even treasure them, cause every single scar on us tells a story and usually the bigger the scar the greatest the story.

2. Do you think that Kimber’s plan for revenge against Cole (for kissing another girl) is a good idea?

I am not big on revenge. That being said I think that you only go after revenge when you still have feelings for someone. Kimber still loved Cole and it was ovbious that they would eventually get back together, no matter  what. So even though I hated the games she played I guess she needed to do it, cause she was in denial about her feeling and had to be able to say she did something to hurt him back. If she really didn't want to get back with him she would have done what I do. Ignore him and move on.

3. In the beginning chapters, Heven is very drawn to Sam but won’t admit it due to her own insecurities. Kimber begins to “date” Sam… do you think that Heven should have spoken up? Do you think Kimber should have seen Heven’s real feelings?

I found myself doubting Kimber intentions and friendship a lot. She is only happy if she gets what she wants. If she was a true friend she would have seen it no matter what. My best friend always knows these kind of things like I do too. And I guess Heven didn't speak up cause she thought a hot guy like Sam would never go for her and it would only be embarasing, which is perfectly understandable, but if she thought that Kimber was really her best friend she wouldn't care about something like that. Oh... now I found myself doubting Heven friendship towards Kimber too. 

4. Masquerade is broken in four separate POV’s: Heven, Sam, The Hate and The Hope. Do you think having multiple POV’s adds depth to the story? Why or why not?

Yes. As simple as that. I think that the book wouldn't be the same without Sam's POV, I loved being in his mind and Hope and Hate added a mystery in the whole story. I really wanted to figured out what part they played.

5. A great source of strength for Heven is her grandmother. Who do you think yours is/would be?

Ok, this would be a big answer for me that peopla probably won't like. Here it goes. I am a firm believer that if you do gain something with help you don't deserve it. I never ask for help from anyone, doesn't matter if it's homework or depression or whatever. I believe that in order to find all the strength you need, you don't have to search for it to family, friends, religion or whatever else, I believe that if you look inside yourself (hard enough) it's there, everything you need. That being said it also bugs me when people around me give up and ask for help. Don't get me wrong I always help them, but I try to do it in a way that I would only help them solve whatever problem themshelves. The feeling that you are doing everything on your own, that you are standing on your own two feet and accomplish all you want and follow your dreams without fear and without help is the greatest. So no source of strength for me besides myself.