Monthly Wrap-up: July 2012 + In A Nutshell: August 2012

This is my first month of really consistent blogging, guys! Woohoo! I have really fallen in love with the book blogging community, I'm looking forward to the many more years to come. As for July, I haven't really gotten into business with my review requests and summer reading because, if you haven't seen my recent posts, then I'm in kind of a reading slump. A bad one, in fact but I still managed to read couple of books over the month and I did love some of it!

Books I reviewed:

1. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer on July 2nd

2. Love's Rhythm by Lexxi Couper on July 4th, this is an Adult book.

3. Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake on July 6th, and I'm looking forward to Girl of Nightmares!

4. Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss on July 7th, which I received from the author through Goodreads giveaways and loved! I still have to read it's sequel, The Keeper's Flame.

5. Painted Blind by Michelle A. Hansen on July 9th

6. Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter on July 12th which I also loved!

7. Risking It All by Jennifer Schmidt on July 15th as an early review and this is an Adult book as well.

8. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu on July 17th and this is an early review. The book is coming out this upcoming month of August!

9. Defiance by C.J. Redwine on July 21st which is also an early review. The book is coming out this August as well.

10. Awake At Dawn by C.C. Hunter on July 25th, this is the sequel of Born At Midnight.

11. Halfway To The Grave by Jeanine Frost on July 27th which is an 1 book of the Night Huntress, an Adult series. Loved this one!

Movies I reviewed:

1. Step Up 3D Revolution on July 31st

Stuff I got in the mail:

1. From My Mailbox #2 which is Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss

2. Spy Mom: The Adventures of Sally Sin by Beth McMullen. It's a bind-up of Original Sin and To Sin Again. Won this also through Goodreads giveaways, she autographed my copy and gave me some book swag.

Teaser Tuesdays:

1. Providence by Jamie McGuire

2. Through To You by Emily Hainsworth which I still have to finish

3. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

4. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, I still have to continue on August!

Waiting on Wednesdays:

1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

2. Black City by Elizabeth Richards

3. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Breenan

4. Gravity by Melissa West

My Book Boyfriend(s):

Carmine DeMarco

Features:

Musings from A-TO-C #1: Goodreads Love

Musings from A-TO-C #2: Reading Slump, No More!

Intro for All About Covers!

Cover Face-Off: Days of Blood and Starlight

Cover Reveal: Colonization

Cover Reveal: Rua

Reading Challenges:

Intro post for August Reading Challenges

First Impressions:
Vampires, Banshees and Angels

Miscellaneous:

Small Update on July 5th

Top 5 July releases of the week

Well, classes are starting soon so I can't say much. I am participating on Summer Wrap-Up Read-a-thon, Review Copy Clean-up & The Ultimate Review Challenges though! I'll be adding 2 new additional features in our usual routine here in Everything A-TO-C. Hopefully, I can organize a giveaway for you guys soon.

These are my Young Adult review requests or personal book lists. I do read Adult books from time to time but usually the idea of reading them just pop out of nowhere so I figured I'd come up blank listing them.

Review requests:

What's Left Of Me by Kat Zhang

Through To You by Emily Hainsworth

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

The Keeper's Flame by Barbara Kloss

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel

What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal

Covet by Melissa Darnell

Personal books:

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Crave by Melissa Darnell

Taken At Dusk by C.C. Hunter

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

ARC Tours:

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Touching The Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

My wishlist for the month of August!

Upcoming month releases:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

Renegade by J.A. Souders

Flawed by Kate Avelynn

InBetween by Tara A. Fuller

The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

Every Day by David Levithan

Old releases:

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

To all my fellow students, enjoy what's left of summer 2012 before the dreaded classes start! But either way, I'm still looking forward to August. Hope you guys have a good one!

Movie Review: Step Up 3D Revolution

To be honest, I'm not much of a theatre person. I love comfortably snuggling up in the couch or the bed when watching movies instead. So yesterday, my friends practically surprised me with an all-expense paid experience and there's no way I was gonna say no to that! We also took photobooth pictures after the movie. This was the only picture that we ended up looking half decent! We couldn't stopped laughing like psychos :) If you guys have instagram, feel free to follow me @annejhoycexo. 

I figured I could make a review out of this, so here you go!

Movie Stats:
Step Up: Revolution
(Movie #4 in the franchise)
Duration: 1 hr. 40 min.‎‎
Rating: PG-13‎‎
Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance‎
Director: Scott Speer
Main Cast: Ryan Guzman, Kathryn McCormick, Misha Gabriel, Peter Gallagher, Stephen Boss
Status: Currently showing
Info and showtimes: IMDB

Movie Summary: Emily, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, but soon falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the MOB, strives to win a contest for a majorsponsorship opportunity, but soon Emily's father threatens to develop the MOB's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. Emily must band together with Sean and the MOB to turn their performance mobs into protest mobs, and risk losing their dreams to fight for a greater cause. In 3D at select locations.

Being a book blogger and a dancer myself, somehow I really got critical when watching this. With the same aspects in reading, I found myself looking out for the plot, the characters and any devolopment. As a dancer, I looked closely to all the production and of course, any cool factor that will make you say "WHOA! I haven't seen that before!".

The movie felt flat for my taste. The story was poorly executed and the character relationships and their dilemmas we're painfully cliche. The things that they did here was almost downright impossible if you think reality-wise. Honestly, they could just added a unicorn to complete the effect. The whole mob thing was cool, just not believable. I'd love to talk more about the story but there isn't really much and I wouldn't want to tell you the whole thing myself.

The main actor was definitely an eye-candy. He's handsome and those abs are definitely lickable but nothing about his acting really made me like him. He's a good dancer though. The main actress was.. annoying. I don't know if her voice was always like that but it reminded me of puppy-love-induced-teenagers who think its cute to try to baby their voice. It's a personal pet peeve. Anyways, she's a great dancer too. She had contemporary style at most but her acting sucked! They did make a steamy couple though when they danced together.

This is a new Step Up world set in Miami, so it's a whole new cast but I can't really get into them as well since they we're mostly in the sidelines of the movie. There was this one guy though that said he couldn't talk and in the end, he just instantly did... I was like "seriously?". Moose and the asian girl from Step Up 2: The Streets does make an appearance though.

I'd have to say whoever was in charge of the production and choreography in this, I'd have to give them a thumbs-up. Step Up movies always try to outdo its own predecessors and of course, the effects are better here but I believe the movie acting could not get better after the first one.

We did watch this in 3D, some effects worked but nothing too amazing. The ending was the one that actually probably saved this movie from being atrocious. I apologize for my review turned rant. I didn't necessarily disliked it, it was just okay. If you're looking for a feel good summer movie with beats that would make you want to dance or if you just want to look at cool dance productions, then this is the movie for you but there are SO many more better movies you could spend your time with.

 

★★★

Cover Reveal: Rua by Miranda Kavi

Today in

we are featuring....

RUA 

BY MIRANDA KAVI

Expected Publication Date: 9/13/2012

Book Summary: 
A girl with an unknown destiny. 
A boy from a hidden world.  
When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. 
The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. 
He knows what she is . . . 
Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 

Author Bio:

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Please visit her website: http://mirandakavi.com/Home.html

Twitter: @miranda00writes

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10592745-miranda-kavi

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MirandaKavi

Musings from A-TO-C #2: Reading Slump, No More!

Hello everyone! Welcome once again to one of my blog features. This is not a weekly meme and I will not be posting these in a consistent manner. It's more of "when I got something to say" type of thing! I might not have much most of the time but when I do, expect me to put it on under here.

So what do I have to say now? I hate reading slumps.

I know, I know. This is the type of confession avid readers like me dread from saying and I know this all too well because I really do go through it a lot. It's like some unexplainable phenomenon that seems to just come out of nowhere and bite your reading ass. Yes, laziness included but you know, even if you've been wanting to read all the books in the world but your mind just won't cooperate? Times where you go from this...

To this....

I'd read for very little to not being able to finish a book or just not reading at all when I'm in those types of phases and trust me, it can get really frustrating.

Oh Hades, I think I'm beginning to see some family resemblance.

Theoretical approaches against it:

1. Read from your comfort zone if you've been venturing out to try other genres lately.

2. Read OUT of your comfort zone if you've been sticking with the same genre for far too long.

3. Maybe read an old favorite?

4. Try reading short stories instead, less than 150 pages so you won't be too overwhelmed!

5. If you are always reading within time limits, it's easy to feel pressure which leads to stress. Remember that reading should be considered a pleasurable leisure and if anything, it shouldn't give you any bad vibes. Take your time, go with the pace you're comfortable with.

6. Don't force yourself. If all else fails, ride it out. Maybe you just need a break!

You can also check these articles posted by fellow bloggers on this:

Beat That Reading Slump! Some Tips on How To Do It; Loving Books

How to get out of a Reading Slump; Unputdownables

Hopefully you guys are having a smooth take on reading lately and if not, that these tips will be some of help for you!

Till the next one!

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Colonization by Aubrie Dionne

Today in

we are featuring....

PARADISE 21: COLONIZATION 

BY AUBRIE DIONNE

(Book #1 of Paradise Reclaimed)

Expected Publication Date: 11/ 7/ 2012

Book Summary:
Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.
Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.
But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus. 
Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus. Can she save the colony and discover her true love? 

                       Author Bio:

Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fable, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press , and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She's also a professional flutist in New England.

Please visit her website: www.authoraubrie.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne

Twitter: @authoraubrie

Blog: www.authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Giveaway!- Open for US and UK only

We have a very cool keyring as a giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want your cover revealed in Everything A-TO-C? E-mail me: annejhoycexo(at)gmail(dot)com
More info about All About Covers? Click here

Cover Face-Off: Days Of Blood And Starlight by Laini Taylor

Today in

we are featuring....

DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT

BY LAINI TAYLOR

(Book #2 of Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

Format: Hardcover, 528 pages

Publisher: Little Brown & Co.

Expected Publication Date: 11/16/2012

Reading Level: Young Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Add to shelf: Goodreads

Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary: In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone", Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

What is cover face-off? 
Basically this is where I compare covers of US vs. UK, the new vs. the old, paperback vs. hardcover and etc! We'll be keeping a tally for all of them.

I'm only in the process of reading Daughter Smoke and Bone. I've stopped but I'm going to resume soon since the sequel is nearly up for grabs in the next few months! Ms. Laini Taylor has revealed Days of Blood & Starlight cover for the US for a while now and she recently revealed the UK version. I also added its predecessor's covers, so let's both compare them, shall we?

US Covers:

Cover on the left is the final cover of Days of Blood and Starlight. It stayed very similar to how the first one was composed. Though gorgeous and more clean, I think this one lacked the "interesting" factor that pulled me in to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The red is just very bland from the electric blue in the first one.
Rating: ★★★★
Cover on the right is the cover of Daughter of Smoke and Bone that I really like. It's weirdly interesting, with all the feathers plus the title but I wasn't really a fan of the font. I just think it was overkill. 
Rating: ★★★★

vs.

UK Covers:

Cover on the left is the newly revealed UK cover of Days of Blood and Starlight. Although I'd have to say I like the simplicity format and font of its cover, the stock images are too boring for my taste. For a Young Adult book, this would seem to me, if I was a 16 year old walking in a bookstore, that this could be a boring Adult book instead.

 Rating: ★★★
Cover on the right is the hardcover of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Again, I like the simplicity but its not something that would have wanted had me to stop and stare!
 Rating: ★★★

Ding-ding-ding! The winner of this cover face-off by one-star downfall is... US! 



Tallies: US-1 UK-0
New-0 Old-0
Hardcover-0 Paperback-0

Hope you like my very first cover face-off, I'm sure there will be many more to come.
More info about All About Covers? Click here

Adult Book Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost

Book Stats:
Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost
(Book #1 of Night Huntress)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 394 pages
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: 9/1/2007
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery

Goodreads Summary: Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This adult paranormal series have been long talked about that I knew I just had to see what the fuss was all about and I think, Halfway to the Grave deserves every bit of its hype. Well surely, I've taken prejudice over it's title and its cover, that this is will be a very cheesed out albeit adult novel. I was amazed by how easily I got into the story! I've read too much vampire novels to be surprised about the content but I liked every bit of the world Jeanine Frost created here in the first book of the Night Huntress. Most of all, I fell in love with its characters!

Let's start with the protagonist, Cat. Oh Cat.. I loved her feisty character! She was strong and determined but also compassionate. She has issues and she has insecurities which showcases her human side then there is also the vampire side that is just straight up bad-ass! 

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you my favorite word as of the moment and it's… BONES. Jeanine Frost sure knows how to make a girlfriend swoon over a fictional character. He was just perfect to me. The descriptive image of his white blond hair and that Australian or British accent won't surely leave my perverted train of thoughts for a while. Oh also, another favorite word of mine as of the moment is SHAG. Was that inappropriate?

Anyways, the romance was… *insert dreamy sigh* was nicely executed. It developed not too fast but not achingly slow from my preference. It was so swoony and steamy that it makes me wanna cry! As you can probably tell, I love this couple! There is sex but it was written in a tasteful but suggestive manner. I really don't think this was meant to be erotica anyway.

"I love you, Bones.” 

A weight seemed to lift from me I hadn’t known was there.

 Funny how much I’d feared something that shouldn’t have frightened me at all. 

“Again.” He started to smile, and a beautiful, pure joy filled up the emptiness I’d carried my entire life. 

“I love you.”

I found myself laughing out loud with this book. Again with the prejudice, looking at the cover, I would have thought otherwise but there's so many things I really thought wrong. This has pretty dark content like rape and gory murders but Jeanine Frost seemed to have balanced that with the perfect touch of romance and the light mystery. The action was sufficient enough for me. It wasn't all ass-kicking. I love me some crime related books and this gave me a nice paranormal twist. 

I don't think it was a good idea to have read this though because I just found another book to fangirl about. A girl can only take so much squealing!

★★★★★

Connect with the author

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Book Links

Add to shelf: Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble