US VS UK, Round Fourteen...

There are always two version's to a cover, but in this post we are putting the

US and the UK head to head to see who comes with the best cover.

Our contestants are...

Round 1

Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz

US-UK

What happened to the UK cover!? I gotta say, I don't like it. It's just, it holds no competition again't the US one. I mean, LOOK AT THE US ONE! So gorgeous! The girl in the UK one is pretty, but I like how we can't really see much of the face of the US girl. Not to mention that the US cover holds more allure.

Round 2

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

The same, yet not the same. Same girl, same pose, but different editing. Personally, I like the US one better because it seems more clean in a sense. Usually I am all for having a pretty border, but, on this cover it just doesn't do it for me. And on the UK cover it just looks like it needs a boost of color. I also like how in the US one they kind of cut the girl's face.

This week it was a LAND SLIDE!!!!!!!! US won them all, now, am I right? Or am I terribly wrong?

Contest Finito!!!

Well, rather WE did it! The end of the contest is here. I will spend the next few days going to countless entries, so give me a lil time before I announce a winner, k? Thank you, you are so awesome.

... About 412 entries, and endless extra entries, I have some huge homework to do...

Also I received an award from The Bookoholic Zone, thank you Robsad79.

So cool! Ok ok the rules...

"If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don't forget to tell them they have a blog award!"

Last 5 books Ive read uh?

The Real Real by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus.

Society of S by Susan Hubbard

The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard

Lover Mine by J. R. Ward

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

(Click on the titles and read my reviews)

Mindful Musings

The Book Wars

The Pirate Penguin

Teens Read and Write

The Book Pixie

Reason to choose them? I love these girls! (*cough* and guys...)

Happy Reading,

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead in the Family
Series: Sookie Stackhouse

Book #: 10 (woah)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Reading Level: Adult

Rating:

"Probably that should have made me long for peace above all else. but instead of turning into the Bon Temps Gandhy, in my heart I held the knowledge that there was plenty of people I wanted dead."

-Sookie

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship.

And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

**SPOILER ALERT** If you haven't read the last few books, you will learn a lot you might not want to learn from this review.

Taschima:

So we start a couple of weeks after the Faery War and Sook is all messed up, both physically and mentally. The only good thing going for her right now is that she doesn't have to go through this alone, she has oh gorgeous Eric on her demand and call. But life goes on, no matter how hard it seems at times. Amelia, Sookie's witch friend and roommate, is moving back to her old place, but Sookie isn't left alone for long. New and old people are coming around Sookie's world, for better or worse.

So this book didn't have a very good, solid, plot. It was like, a lot of subplots together. Some of them are:

• Sookie and Eric's relationship.

At times I thought Sookie wasn't going to decide if to be happy with Eric or to sabotage the relationship. A very cold and hurt (physically) Bill is roaming around, and if you have read the last book you can understand how that would worry me- remember the last feeling Sookie felt towards Bill? I don't want Sookie with Bill, I want her with Eric. So this kept me glued to the pages of course. Though I still think Charlaine should have taken more juice out of this sub plot...

• The fairies that were left behind on the human world.

This little plot didn't either worry or entertain me a whole lot. Maybe because the issue wasn't so obvious as Eric's maker coming to town (yeah, seriously). And I never considered whatever faerie was left as such a big threat. All in all, I sort of ignored this part of the book till the very end.

• The werewolve's serious problems.

Is this any news? These guys are always fighting! Sometimes they are worse than the vamps!! I still don't get why Sookie gets involved with them. It's like Alcide comes around so many months at a time just to bring trouble. Alcide, if you are reading this, just go away once and for all.

• Eric's maker comes to town.

Well this was a more obvious and entertaining part of the book. It makes you wonder and worry about how Sookie will takes this, some of you may remember how she took her ex vamp boyfriend's maker... Yeah... Lol.

Yeah, that's basically the book. And, though entertaining, I was expecting more. I was certainly expecting more of Hunter (Sookie's little cousin) but we didn't see much of him. This book doesn't seem complete.

Oh, and we get to see more of Sookie's multiple personalities! In one page she wants to kill every single last vampire on Earth, and the next she is like, 'what the hell am I thinking about! ?Bad Christian, bad!'. Yeeeaaah... But actually this is what makes Sookie, Sookie. She had her bad and good all in one place, and she knows both parts of her exist. She tries to balance it out and be the best person she can possibly be, while trying to mayyybe stay alive. It may seem weird, but it works for her, and for me.

This book has it's ups, and it definitely had it's downs, but it was a good sequel to the Sookie Stackhouse series. Not great, but good enough. I hope next book is better, I really do. As of now I don't know what the next book will be about. Kind of exciting.

**EDIT** I forgot to mention the ending. It was my faovirte part of the book. Not because it ended, but because it had a lot of action and it went pretty fast. By the time you actually were up to speed with what was going on, ZAP! Something else happened! Pretty good ending.

Read the books in order, this is book number 10, so imagine all that you would be missing if you start on this book, or any other book that isn't the first one!!

Happy reading,

If you wish to read the first chapter, click here.

Episode (3) Books and...

Your Brain O.o

The brain is one of the most interesting things ever for sooo many reasons. The main reason for me is because that mushy thing you have up there can create so much, and everything is in an abstract form. Sure science could explain the why's, but it can only try to explain the how's. How do you see? Well light does this and that and that goes through there and blah blah blah... You can talk about the progress all you want, still mere sight is amazing. It's so abstract how you can see colors, but you can't touch sight for crying out loud (well, you can certainly touch your eyes, but you get what I mean; your eyes are only the vessel.) It's like air, or thinking; that little voice inside your head that is there since the day you were born, but, uuugh it's so hard to understand how it can BE there.

But how does this pertain to books you ask? Well, lately Ive been thinking of how when you read something, if the author is very good, you get transported to the scene and you can basically 'see' what is happening, but you are till able to read the lines! It's so cool, and maybe it's only me that thinks this sort of wacky stuff, but for me it's so interesting. You are here, reading my post and you are probably imagining some wacko girl with round glasses, with crazy hair, who from time to time likes to laugh hysterically like a mad genius (and if you weren't, well, you are now!) and that is a picture I just put in your head!!! I didn't really do anything but write what the crazy voice inside my head is telling me to write, and still I hold the power of creating images in your brain. Makes you feel kind of powerful.

Sometimes, when I am reading a book, I start thinking about this, and let me tell you that once you realize what you are doing, how you are creating this image from words, its kind of hard to get back on the horse because you then can't stop seeing the letters.

Do any of you think about this sort of stuff? Read something and then think of what I am saying. Preferably not right after reading this post, but very soon, and let me know how it goes.

PS; I am a very weird girl.

Swooning Saturday #3 (On Sunday)

**Swooning Saturdays Meme; inspired by Waiting on Wednesday which is hosted by Breaking The Spine. Swooning Saturdays however is not only for the upcoming books you wish to read, but for old and new books you wish to read that have beautiful covers. Swooning Saturdays is hosted by Bloody Bookaholic**

Welcome back to another Swooning Saturday!

Swooning definition:

To be overwhelmed by ecstatic joy.

Yeah, Saturday was yesterday right? Well, one day late won't kill anyone xD

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 480 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publish Date: May 25, 2010

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Another guy in YA. Though in this book they are trying to KILL the vampires, I will still give it a try. I mean, I liked Buffy, and we know how that goes. So what do you think? In, out? Will you give Nick a try? I believe the book has potential, if they use the elements well enough =]

And I love that cover, I like how the guy is in the middle, in the spotlight.

AHH! What to do?!?! BEA PANIC!

BEA is in 10 DAYS! You hear me? 10 DAYS!?

I don't know whats to do. Every post Ive read till now it's like, "oh I know what I'm gonna do in/for BEA!", but I am a BEA virgin. I am so completely lost. I will go to NY, and be like, okay, what now?

I was thinking of going to TAC -Teen Author Carnival- which is on May 24th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Jefferson Market Branch Library. They have a website if you wanna check it out. Sounds like fun, and I hope I don't miss it.

And, how do you meet new bloggers?! How do you know they are bloggers? I mean, do I have to take a sign with me that says "Hey, I don't know if you know me, but, I am Taschima Cullen from Bloody Bookaholic! I just thought to let you know." Kind of weird, and just MIGHT scare the kids away...

Well, something good that has happened that is related to BEA. I got my business cards yesterday and they are to die for. Just so pweetty!! So if I do get to meet you at BEA (whoever you are) you will get one =]

So, yeah, I am lost. When I get to The Javitz Center, well, it's not going to be pwetty. I will try my best to not get completely lost in the sea of people, but guys, if I never post again, you know were I'm still at O.o.

So, are any of you going to BEA? Want to exchange phone numbers? I know it's useless to call someone at BEA, but what about texting?

Well, BEA here I come... I will keep you guys posted every single day! May do my first Vlog that week =]

Lover Mine by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Mine
Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood

Book #: 9 (I count the Guide)
Author: J. R. Ward
Pages: 528
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Reading Level: Adult

Rating:

The hot new novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood by the #1 New York Times bestselling author

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown. Taken in by The Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was-or his true identity.

Xhex has long steeled herself against the attraction to John Matthew. Until fate intervenes and she discovers that love, like destiny, is inevitable.

Taschima:

I don't know how to approach this review since this is book #9 of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I guess I can start by saying that Lover Mine was awesome.

Welcome back to the worl of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is the only official group of warriors that defend the vampire race against the Lesser society; Lessers are normal humans who The Omega (The Lesser's God) kills so they can become part of his undead army; this lucky army is sterile, have super human strength, smell like baby powder, and almost of of them have the muscle but not the brains. This unique brand of vampires have an unique culture, religion and history. Not to mention the male and female population could make you drool.

This book concentrates on JM -John Matthew- the only character we have known since the very beginning of the story. John Matthew has a cloudy past, and his present plus future is not looking so bright either. The woman he loves has been abducted by his nemesis, and everyones' hope for her survival is minute, even Johns'. But even though this book concentrates on John we have a lot of other sub plots to concentrate on, like for example Payne (which I loooves), The Lesser Society's future (include Lash here), Thorment (another brother), and a few other things.

Lover Mine was, in a nutshell, not complete. I was expecting some things to happen that never did. The key to John's past never found a lock, it never opened the door, it never saw the light. There was so much tension, and I was so looking forward to it, but it never happened. It was a huge let down. This was John's turn to shine, and even though he did, sort of, it could have been much more.

But even though that certainly was a let down, the rest of the book was AWESOME. The basics for all the books are there (a male, a female, they fall in love and then have to overcome their circumstances to end up together) but J R Ward always has something new for us to not get bored with the same basics.

Xhex gets abducted, but even though the path of abduction has been used before (Lover Awakened) this time it was so much worse. Not going to tell you how, you read the book, but trust me, it was worse. So it's not repetitive and it won't annoy you.

Romance... Xhex and John are perfect for each other really. Though Xhex tries to deny their bond, and John tries to let go, well, who were they fooling really? Certainly not me! They both have inner and external demons they have to overcome, and they manage to help each other without going nuts. Not to mention just how hot they are together (there is EXPLICIT sexual content in these books, so you better watch out).

Subplots were present, and one of my favorites was Paynes'. At the beginning I didn't think much on her story because being on The Fade can certainly be boring, but she is worth giving The Fade a visit or two.

But there is yet another sub plot that was even MORE interesting than Payne's, that one is Blay's and Quinn's sub plot. Man, I love them both! They are just adorable and intriguing. I cannot wait till they have a book together, because if Lover Mine did something is making me believe that they are going to end up together.

I can't say much because this review could be such a spoiler to people who haven't started the series, but if you haven't pick this series up, for the scribe virgin's sake do it! I don't know what you've been waiting for, there is no other series I love more than this one. It has everything; it has action, it has romance, it has a powerful world, a magnificent plot, and amazing characters. I could talk about this book for days, but that would contain spoilers which I am trying so hard to avoid!

Bottom line is, I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and if you give it a try I bet you would love it too.

PS; If you haven't read this series I got some advice for you. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST, start with Dark Lover and move your way up.

PSS; Wrath and JM are taken. They are mine; you don't wanna mess with a bonded female ;)