The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

loved this book! Found it easy to read and follow and didn't want to put down! There are a lot of mixed reviews about it but I really enjoyed it. I am a fan of Kimberly Derting's writing style and her books generally make fast reads for me. Again its a Dystopian book so maybe that's just what I'm really into right now. Everyone is divided into class and each class has its own language. The communal language is Englaise. The lead character can understand all languages even though she is not supposed to. Looking at another in the eye while they are speaking their language is punishable by death. I don't really know what to say about this book. I just loved it so much! Book Summary: In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins *re-read*

What an awesome series. I love it! The cliffhanger was crazy but I have the next book so it just makes me want to pick it up and continue reading. I'm so glad I read this! *Read for the 2nd time in April 2012. Loved it just as much as the first time!* If you haven't read this series. Do me a favor.. GO READ IT. It really is a great book series. I am not going to really review but I did rate 5 stars because I love this series so much!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In case you haven't noticed I have been REALLY into the dystopian genre. I LOVED this book. I found it super easy to follow and flew through it pretty quick. I can't imagine being as brave as the main character and leaving my family and joining a new faction. Its been a few weeks since I read this and I will try my best to remember everything I can. Beatrice aka Tris is the lead character. When you turn a certain age you test to find which faction suits you the best. Tris comes back as "Divergent" which isn't a faction. She is told to keep it quiet and they recommend her for her current faction. Which she doesn't feel "selfless enough" to be in. She ends up going with a different faction then her family and leaves them behind. They get put through a series of test where they are tested repeatedly and pushed to their limits. In the end a big secret is revealed and Tris is in the middle of it. Its really hard to review this book without giving A LOT away. At least for me. I thought it was GREAT. And can't wait to get my hands on Insurgent! Book Summary: In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

DESTINED by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

This one starts where book 8 leaves off. Zoey and her Nerd Herd are down in the tunnels. Kalona is banished from Neferets side and Ephraim is now half boy and half bird. Zoey's mom is dead and was murdered my Neferet. I rated 4 stars. I found parts of it good but I got bored at points and would set it down and read other things. That is why it took me so long to get through it. I love this series and will always be loyal to it but I think it HAS to end soon. Just seems like things are moving a long kind of slow. The ending left us with another cliff hanger and sitting on pins and needles waiting on that books release so we can find out what happened. I love these authors. They are great story tellers and to come up with an original story like this well you definitely have some talent. Check these out. But start with Marked if you haven't done so already. Looking forward to book #10!

PULSE OF HEROES BY A JACOB SWEENY

After all my friends reading this book and talking about it I downloaded it onto my Nook. It was on there for a while before I finally got to it. Once I started reading it I found it hard to put down. My only complaint was some parts seemed to drag on but I think it kind of had to to get the point across. Michelle the main female character can be annoying but I have to remind myself she is still a teenager and teenagers can be pretty annoying LOL! It was a great story and totally different then anything I've ever read. I look forward to book two and the short story thats out as well! Here is a summary: WINNER OF 2011 INDIE BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!! At Paranormal Reads! A suspenseful, passionate, paranormal romance that sweeps through the emotions of first love and heartache as it traverses centuries and continents. Michelle used to feel like she was behind in everything, especially school and relationships. Her great aunt from the old country says she is like a bland meal, "no salt or pepper". But in junior year, everything changes. Her father takes a position on the Town Council, a popular boy in school becomes interested in her, and most importantly, the Hekademos Learning Center, a private school for 'troubled' students, moves into her quiet neighborhood amidst the protests of the entire town. After an embarrassing fall over the school wall, Michelle meets Elliot and her ordinary ‘bland’ life changes its course forever. Elliot is no ordinary human. In fact, no one at the Hekademos Learning Center is. Beautiful and fierce, they have survived throughout the millennia by weaving in and out of human events. Through them, Michelle learns that history and myths from around the world are dotted with references to their kind. Michelle falls madly in love with the ever-striking and mysterious Elliot and, as much as he tries to fight it, he develops strong feelings for her as well. Although Elliot carries numerous painful memories from his many pasts, he disregards his own better judgment and the advice of his friends, and finds himself falling for Michelle‘s offbeat personality. Their feelings grow in intensity, but when History catches up with them, the difference between their life paths threatens to destroy any future that they might have had together. Michelle learns that there are infinite shades of gray between black and white, and has to deal with the bundle of contradictory emotions called love. She has to trust her intuition in order to face the danger and uncertainty of being drawn into Elliot’s wondrous world. Ultimately, it is up to Michelle to make the split-second, life-altering decision that will either tear them apart forever, or give them another chance. RATED 4 STARS!

ANATHEMA BY K.A. TUCKER

I got this for free off of the Barnes and noble website. It had high reviews so I thought ok I'm going to give it a try. It sat on my Nook for a while as I was reading lots of other books. The Nook also said there was over 700 pages so I was a little intimidated. My first night reading the book I flew through 180 pages in ONE HOUR. I probably could have stayed up half the night reading! When I got to the middle of the book it got a little slower but didn't deter me from reading it. I'm looking forward to the next book and can't wait to find out what happens. Here is a summary: Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone. When Evangeline meets Sophie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to do anything to keep it, she accepts a job as Sofie’s assistant and drops everything to fly to Manhattan, where she is thrust into a luxurious world of Prada, diamonds, and limitless cash. With such generosity and kindness, it’s easy for Evangeline to dismiss certain oddities... like Sofie’s erratic and sometimes violent behavior, and the monstrous guard dogs. She’s even willing to dismiss her vivid dreams of mob-style murders, beautiful homeless people living in caves, and white-eyed demons that haunt her each night as figments of her imagination—especially when one of those figments is the gorgeous Caden. When she wakes up with bite marks on her neck, the fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare. She slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sofie and friends, and the reality of the bites and the “dreams.” What she discovers is far more mysterious and terrible than anything she could have imagined. In a world where everyone has motive to lie for personal gain, Evangeline must decide which deception is least likely to get her killed. I GAVE A 4 STAR RATING!

Love In A Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

This book was just meh. It wasn't great and it wasn't horrible. It fell to just "ok" Maybe its me getting over the whole romance genre. Who knows. It wasn't a thick book by any means so realistically I should have been able to finish in a day maybe two. Well I kept setting it down. I liked the characters for the most part but I felt like the book was lacking something. Just not sure what. I am a HUGE fan of Janet Evanovich books. Her Stephanie Plum series is one of my faves. This book almost felt forced. Like maybe there was a deadline and lets hurry up and get a book out kind of forced. She worked with another author so maybe that's why it felt "different" Here is the Summary: Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a Bed and Breakfast. Problem is, she needs cash, and the only job she can land is less than savory. Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees. Someone has been sabotaging his company, and Kate is just new enough in town that she can insert herself into Culhane’s business and snoop around for him. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will pay her a $20,000 bonus. Needless to say, Kate is highly motivated. But several problems present themselves. Kate despises beer. No one seems to trust her. And she is falling hard for her boss. Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate’s family home, and keep a killer from closing in…all while resisting their undeniable attraction to one another? Filled with humor, heart, and loveable characters, Love in a Nutshell is delicious fun. Rated 2 stars.

The Hunger Games

FANTASTIC BOOK. If you haven't heard of this series or haven't read it. GO READ IT NOW. Read it for the 2nd time. Loved it just as much as the first time! Summary: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Matched and Crossed by Ally Condle

Matched: This book came highly recommended to "The Hunger Games" fans. So I thought ok I'm going to try this out. From the beginning it was like an addiction. I started reading and was in this world that Cassia (the main female lead) lives in. The whole time thinking I can't imagine! Having my whole life chosen for me. Not getting to make my own decisions or picking who I want to marry. In this society people that choose to be matched do so on or around their 17th birthday. They all wear the same clothes and their food is prepared for them. Anyway Cassia is matched to her Best Friend Xander which is strange because it is not very often you are matched with someone so close. They are basically neighbors. When Cassia goes to view her card (everybody gets a card with info on their match) another face pops up and its not Xanders. Its Ky Markham's face and she knows him too. Now she is curious about Ky and wonders about him and who her match really is supposed to be. Cassia drove me nuts at parts because she was just so undecided. She knew what she was feeling and it should have been admitted long before it was. Good book! Here is a summary: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. Rated 4 Stars!!

Crossed: review Book 2 in the "Matched" trilogy. I rated 4 stars even though in my opinion it wasn't as good as book one. BUT I still liked it. It was entertaining and had excitement. Plus now I can't wait for book 3 so I can find out what happens. New characters are introduced and I found myself growing attatched to them as well. Here is a summary of the book: THE SOCIETY CHOOSES EVERYTHING. THE BOOKS YOU READ THE MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO. THE PERSON YOU LOVE. Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him. And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to he wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope. But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems . . . A REBELLION IS RISING. And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything. Rated 4 Stars!

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

This was my first Darynda Jones novel. This book was mentioned to me on my Coast Guard Wives forum. Someone there was raving about it and I thought I would give it a try. I REALLY liked this book. Its totally different then anything I've read lately. And I can honestly say I've never gone the "Grimm Reaper" route. So I was pleasantly surprised! Charley Davidson is a private investigator and works in her fathers bar part time. I felt bad for her because her life was pretty hard and she had a "Wicked" Stepmother. Well at least I thought she was wicked lol. And there is some freaking hot action in here. Not going to give anything away but o.m. gee!!!! Here is a summary: A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense. Rated 4 Stars!!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

I LOVED this book! LOVED IT! Greek Mythology and the whole DemiGod thing has never been son fascinating to me! From the beginning it had my interest. I didn't even have to get to a certain point of the story to find myself wondering what was going to happen. I was that way the whole time! If you like Greek Mythology and all that definitely give this book a go. It really is great! I love Lucas and Hector and Jason and Ariadne and Cassandra. They are all unique in their own way. I just really liked this book. Summary: Helen Hamilton has spent her entire 16 years trying to hide how different she is--no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. I rated this 5 stars!

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding by various authors

I know some people really liked this book. Maybe I just don't do the whole short story thing who knows. But I had a HARD HARD time getting through some of these. In fact I think I actually fell asleep a few times reading this. However thats JUST ME though and some people would probably really dig these short stories. I guess I like more "Meat" to my books and need a longer story. Here is a summary: An "ordinary" wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What's the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives---who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who's just a little too good at impersonating Elvis? · L. A. Banks · Jim Butcher · Rachel Caine · P. N. Elrod · Esther M. Friesner · Lori Handeland · Charlaine Harris · Sherrilyn Kenyon · Susan Krinard Shape-shifters, wizards, and magic, oh my! Rated 1 star

Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire by Michelle Bardsley

Fun chick lit vampire book. Great for a beach of plane ride. Or if you just want something quick and fun to read. I enjoyed it for the most part. And don't really have any complaints about it. Summary: being a mother is never easy-especially when you're undead. Eva LeRoy, Broken Heart, Oklahoma's librarian, got "vampified" when everyone else did: during a rogue vampire's feeding frenzy. But books still make her undead heart beat-and, strangely enough, so does Lorcan the Loner, the vampire who killed her... P.S. I read book 1 a year or two ago and read it in one day. Rated 3 Stars.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead

I have been reading this book kind of off and on for a while. Recently I decided I needed to go ahead and finish it. All of my friends have talked about this series and I hear random people raving about it all the time. So I figured I would join the club. It wasn't a book that was so awesome to me I couldn't put it down. But it did hold my attention and did keep me interested. And it was a different look into the Vampire world. I did enjoy reading it and will probably finish the rest of the series as long as it stays interesting. I liked that they had such a strong female character Rose. It really is an interesting book. Here is a summary: St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger... Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

BEHIND!!

Sorry followers! I am so behind on updating this. You know how it is life gets in the way. I will try to update in the next couple of days and get all my books posted! XOXOXO AMBER

Take One and Take Two (Above the Line Series books 1 and 2) by Karen Kingsbury

Book 1: This series has been on my shelf for awhile now. I've been reading the Bailey Flanigan series and felt like I needed to read the books before so I could get caught up on everything. This book started out slow for me. New characters were introduced and it took me until about halfway through the book to start "liking" them for lack of a better term. Bascially two missionaries decide to make an inspirational film. And they want all creative control so they get "backers" to help them finance the movie. They have lots of trials that seem to get in the way and make it really hard for them to make this movie they feel like they are being led to make. One of the mens daughter Andi is introduced as Bailey Flannigan's college roommate. She has grown up a missionaries child and has always been a relatively good kid. However she is starting to feel like she is missing out and starts putting herself in less then stellar situations. ie drinking at a frat party and alone at a lake with a movie star who is known as a player and having his way with the ladies. In the end they are faced with not having enough money to finish the movie. Will God give them a way to finish or is this God's way of telling them this is not His will. It is an ok book its definitely not my favorite Karen Kingsbury book. I will read the rest of the series but I really think this is going to get better as the series progresses.

review book 2 was a lot better then book 1. I feel for Kelly and Chase and hope that in books 3 and 4 they figure out a way to make things work better. Andi drives me nuts because she is so uneducated when it comes to life. I wish Bailey would just get over Cody Coleman. And I wish Cody Coleman would just get over her. LOL. Its a vicious cycle. Really! Still not my favorite series of books. But they are still pretty good. They are not awful by any means. I decided to combine these into one long post instead of two since it was a series and I read these back to back! Rated 3 stars for both!

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper

Before reading this book I glanced at some of the reviews and they were a bit all over. So I was kind of leary thinking I wasn't going to like it. I was pleasantly surprised! Its a chick lit vampire book. So in other words it was a fun easy read. And that is exactly what I wanted. Something fun and that I wasn't going to have to think about or absorb. I rated 4 stars. Here is a summary: Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood. Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Book 4 in The Mortal Instruments series.

I really like Cassandra Clare and her ability to tell a story. This book took me a long time to finish only because I didn't always have access to my Nook (Thanks Angry Birds)

This book was like a crazy ride at the amuzement park. One minute you are crusing along checking out the scenery then the next thing you are plummeting down a hill because its like the ground has been taken out from underneath you. One minute I was reading it thinking everything would be resolved and life would be ok then the next I'm thinking OMG. HOLY CRAP. Is the next book out yet?

This one starts off where the last left off. You have Clary and Jace and Jace is having dreams of killing Clary then he tries to. Simon is having his own issues and Clary is training to be a shadowhunter.

There is just so much to say about this book. Its great really!

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Book 18 in the Stephanie Plum series. I love this series and this book was no exception. I laughed out loud several times. This one starts after a LONG flight back from Hawaii where obviously something has happened with Stephanie and the two men in her life Morrelli and Ranger. As the book goes on you kind of piece together what happened. As usual someone is after Stephanie. And she finds herself looking over her shoulder on a daily basis.

With action, hilarity, wise cracking granny Mazur, and the hysterical Lula you can't help but love this book and the characters!

Look for the movie "One For The Money" in Theaters later this month. The first novel in the Stephanie Plum Series!

4 Star rating!

SLEIGHT (AVRA-K BOOK 1) by Jennifer Sommersby

How can I review this book other the WOW.

I have a few friends who have read this book and they all raved about it. I promptly downloaded it onto my nook and added it to my to-read list. Months went by and I kept reading other books but this cover called to me and I knew I needed to read it soon. Over the holiday break I decided I wasn't going to take any extra books and read only what was on my nook. I'm so glad I did! From the start it was like crack to me. Or what I imagine a crack addiction to be like. Only this addiction was in the form of a book and wanting to know what happened. I started reading it and thought Holy cow this is 772 pages. How am I ever going to get through this? It only took me a few days LOL.

Ghosts follow Gemma around. They have her whole life. Gemma has grown up living in a Circus. In a short time span her whole life changes and she is going to attend regular high school with regular kids. Her first day she meets Henry and the attraction is INTENSE. But Henry has a secret and Henry's father does NOT want them together.

If I keep going I'm going to give things away so I'll stop there. Just know its REALLY good and I know I for one CANNOT wait for the next book!

5 star rating!!!!