Month in Review: March

My reading stayed strong this month with seven, which would normal not be very good, but I got the flu this month and spent about a week unable to read. I read one PNR, three UFs, and three YAs (two Paranormal, one Steampunk). It was definitely an interesting month. :)

March: 7

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge 3.5 Stars
Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep 5 Stars
License to Ensorcell by Katherine Kerr DNF
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones 4.5 Stars
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz 4 Stars
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison 3 Stars review coming soon
Chime by Frannie Billingsley ARC 3.5 Stars review coming soon

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So what did everyone else read in March?

Random Act of Kindness

I just found this very cool idea over at the Book Soulmates via Tynga's Reviews call Random Acts of Kindness. Basically, book bloggers sign up with their wish lists and other generous book bloggers can send them a gift from that wish list. I think it's a really cool idea and am going to participate for the month.


Here are the details for April's Random Act of Kindness.

Rules:
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month. (Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.)
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K! Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

This will be my first time participating! It sounds like so much fun!

Wishlist:
Devil's Playground by Jenna Black
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Crimson Wind by Diana Pharoah Francis
The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Taste Me by Tamara Hogan
Crossing Over by Anna Kendall
Crossed by J.F. Lewis
Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe
Betrayal by Lee Nichols
Crux by Moira Rogers

***Note: I do not have an eReader, but I am all for used books and ARCs.

Review: Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Title: Deadly Little Secret
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 12/23/08
Buy the Book:

Summary:

Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia’s life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She’s reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. She’s inexplicably drawn to Ben... and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help -- but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

Plot: 4 Stars
Although the majority of this novel feels contemporary, as compared to paranormal, the element of mystery kept me engrossed. The small touches of paranormal mixed into the story were very interesting and I hope they are expanded on in future novels. I liked the way the author alluded to the paranormal aspect a number of times before actually going into a detailed explanation. It allowed me enough time to try to figure it out on my own. The mystery aspect of this novel reminded me of The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (which I also loved). The two stories had the same dark and twisted atmosphere. My favorite part of the novel was the chapters written by the bad guy as he watched Camelia from afar. It helped mold the book into something darker, and allowed for a nice glimpse into the bad guy's mind. Without these glimpses, the novel wouldn't have been nearly as effective.

Pace: 5 Stars
This novel flew by. I finished it in less than a day, which is an accomplishment for me. I think a big reason the pace worked so well for me was the chapter length. There were over fifty chapters and very few were over eight pages long. I do not understand why, but books tend to flow better when the chapters aren't fifteen or twenty pages long. But besides the chapter length, there were other aspects to the novel that made the pace really work. There was never a point in the novel where the pace slowed down. It didn't succumb to the dreaded "nothing is happening" that hits so many novels around two-thirds of the way through. There was also the who-dun-it factor. Throughout the novel, it was alluded to that a number of characters might be the bad guy. I became very engrossed as each of these characters did something that seemed slightly suspicious. In the end, even after suspecting these different characters, the identity of the bad guy was a complete surprise.

Characters: 4 Stars
Camelia was a strong and interesting main character to add to the Paranormal Young Adult genre. In regards to the mysterious phones calls and packages, the way she reacts feels very real. She was freaked out the right amount: she didn't shrug it off until the very end, but she also wasn't looking around every corner with a mirror. She tried to continue on with her life, while still trying to figure out what was happening. Ben was a very mysterious stranger, and I hope we get to learn more about him in future novels. The relationship between Camelia and Ben never feels rushed. I didn't think Camelia's interest in Ben was too clingy, too fast. My least favorite characters were Camelia's two best friends. Although the group seemed pretty tight in the beginning of the novel, Camelia not dismissing Ben as soon as the rumors broke seemed to pushed the friends apart a bit. They also annoyed me a bit when they told Camelia she was being self-centered, because I felt they were being just as self-centered. Hopefully, after the conclusion of the mysterious stalker, everything can go back to normal and the three will get along better in the next novel.

Cover: 4 Stars
This cover confused me a little. I like the cover. I picked up this novel based mostly on the cover. I had never heard of the series before, and the cover was interesting enough for me to grab off of the shelf and read the blurb on the back. But this cover doesn't really resonate with the story I enjoyed. It's not depicting a specific scene from the novel, and the dress the cover model is wearing does not say Camelia to me. There are a lot of elements I do enjoy about the cover, despite not matching up with the story. The intricate design around the title draws the eye to the middle of the cover and allows for the simple font of the title to stand out. The cover model's bare feet in the lush grass is a very eye catching contrast. And I always enjoy when a cover leaves the main character's identity for my imaginatino to shape.

Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.

Great Deals (April 1)

I was browsing the Book Depository today and found some great deals on some recent releases. Even ordered Red Glove for myself.

Young Adult:

Title: Afterlife
Author: Claudia Gray
Price: $9.99 (41% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Title: Chime
Author: Frannie Billingsley
Price: $11.99 (33% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Title: City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Price: $10.49 (47% off)
Release Date: 04/05/11
But the Book:





Title: Clarity
Author: Kim Harrington
Price: $11.49 (32% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Title: Faerie Winter
Author: Janni Lee Simner
Price: $9.49 (44% off)
Release Date: 04/05/11
But the Book:





Title: Huntress
Author: Malinda Lo
Price: $10.49 (41% off)
Release Date: 04/05/11
But the Book:





Title: Invincible
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Price: $10.49 (41% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Title: Red Glove
Author: Holly Black
Price: $10.49 (41% off)
Release Date: 04/05/11
But the Book:





Title: Steel
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Price: $9.49 (44% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Price: $9.49 (47% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Urban Fantasy:

Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
Price: $15.35 (43% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:





Paranormal Romance:

Title: Blood Sin
Author: Marie Treanor
Price: $7.99 (42% off)
Release Date: 04/05/11
But the Book:

April Fools Giveaway

April Fools is one of my favorite days of the year. Normally, I find a way to prank at least one person, but this year I just couldn't come up with any good ideas. So instead, I've decided to host a giveaway. This giveaway is not a joke. I repeat, this giveaway IS NOT A JOKE. A couple months ago, I won a copy of Lover Mine from Kristin at Nocturnal Bites. Due to a shipping mishap with the Book Depository, I ended up with two mass market copies of Lover Mine by J.R. Ward and she said I was free to give one of the copies away on the blog.

To enter, all you have to do is comment with your e-mail address and answer the following question:

What is the best April Fools Day prank you've ever played on someone else, or had someone play on you?

Giveaway Rules:
1. Open to the US and Canada.
2. Must leave a valid e-mail address.
3. Giveaway ends Saturday April 9th at midnight.