The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

From GoodReads: Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library— a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That's where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White's stepmother's sinister mirror that talks in riddles.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime—or captured by the thief.

Polly Shulman has created a contemporary fantasy with a fascinating setting and premise, starring an ordinary girl whose after-school job is far from ordinary— and leads to a world of excitement, romance and magical intrigue.

I stumbled upon this book at the library, never having heard of it or having any expectations.  I will admit that I was solely drawn in by the cover.  (Yes, I am a cover-picker, I admit it)  But I was instantly drawn in to this book, loving the storyline, the characters, and the vivd images it brought into my head. 

Polly Shulman does an AMAZING job of mixing legend, fairy tale, and modern day to create a brilliant and complex story that reminds me of the movie 'The Librarian'.  (One of my FAVORITE movies)  I suggest that if you are looking to try something new, give The Grimm Legacy a shot, it won't disappoint you!

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

From GoodReads:The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

So I just, at this very moment, finished Last Sacrifice, and I could not wait to post this review.  I have been reading this series since the day the first book came out and can honestly say that I have enjoyed every book immensely.  

I went through a succession of different emotions during the course of this book, starting and ending with disappointment that this was the final Vampire Academy novel.  (Though I am looking forward to the new series and hope to see if Lissa, Rose, Dimitri, and crew show up now and again!)  Last Sacrifice was a never-ending thrill ride from start to finish.  It was overflowing with plots and conspiracies, tugging you in every direction all at once.  I think every fan of VA will love the way that Richelle Mead wraps everything up, leaving nothing unfinished.  Hats of to Ms. Mead and a huge thank you for a series that never let its readers down. 

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

From GoodReads: Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, I had heard good reviews, but I was still disappointed by the let-down from Halo.  But even after just a few pages, I knew this book was not going to let me down. 
The characters were really enjoyable and really brought the story to life.  I enjoyed the twists and turns, and especially liked the ending.  I hope to see this become a small series, I really want to know what comes next.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

From GoodReads: Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

So, if you're like me, then you've heard all the other bloogers raving about this book.  I can honestly say that I have not heard a bad review of it yet.... until now.
I found this book to be agonizingly long with no real substance to it.  By page 250 I felt like I was getting nowhere.  I regret that I didn't like this book.  After all the reviews I expected better.

Hey Everyone!

So I just wanted to say hey everyone! I know I've been M.I.A. lately, but my laptop died on me and I am waiting on a new one.  Unfortunately, the only time I really get to use a computer is at work and I'm not allowed to blog! So my review of Halo, Bite Me, Personal Demons, and Sea are all on hold for now.  The worst part is that I have my In My Mailbox and my Waiting on Wednesdays all typed and scheduled, but I've been down so long now that I'm even out of those! 

So I may be silent here for a little while longer, but I promise to make up for it as soon as I get my new computer!!!! In the meantime, I decorated a little early for Christmas, I hope you like it! And Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Stork by Wendy Delsol

From GoodReads: Sixteen-year-old Katla has just moved from Los Angeles to the sticks of Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, she learns to her horror that she’s a member of an ancient order of women who decide to whom certain babies will be born. Add to that Wade, the arrogant football star whom Katla regrettably fooled around with, and Jack, a gorgeous farm boy who initially seems to hate her. Soon Katla is having freaky dreams about a crying infant and learns that, as children, she and Jack shared a near-fatal, possibly mystical experience. Can Katla survive this major life makeover and find a dress for the homecoming dance? Drawing from Norse mythology and inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, debut author Wendy Delsol conceives an irreverent, highly entertaining novel about embracing change and the (baby) bumps along the way.

So I read this book in anticipation of meeting author, Wendy Delsol, this coming Saturday.  She is indeed from my home state of Iowa and will be signing Stork at both of my libraries this weekend.  I didn't know what to expect with this book going in, but not far into I realized that it was right up my alley. 
I loved Stork's originality in it's storyline, characters, and even setting.  Not often does an author in the Teen/YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre stray from the typical vampires, werewolves, fae, spirits, etc.  I really enjoyed the mythology behind it, as well as the intermingling of old and young characters.  I found this book to be a really fun read and can't wait to read the next book in this series, Frost.
(Also, not to pimp my libraries, but if you are in Iowa and want to meet Wendy Delsol, she will be signing this Saturday, November 13th at the Pomeroy, Fort Dodge, and Rockwell City Public Libraries!)

Torment by Lauren Kate

From GoodReads: How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

I really, really wish that I could rave on and on about this book, I mean, I had been expecting to rave about this book.  Fallen was so amazing and wildly original that I was anticipating Torment to be AMAZING!!!
Boy, was I let down.  It is my honest opinion that this book was basically just Fallen all over again, only this time on the West Coast.  I was highly disappointed in it.  Although, I will say that I am not giving up on this series.  With the little smidges of clues that Ms. Kate gave us in Fallen and Torment, I expect all the answers to just explode in the third book, Passion, due out next spring. 

Waiting on Wednesday

This week's Waiting on Wednesday is the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series by Jackie Morse Kessler.  If you read my review of the first book, Hunger, you will know that I ADORED this book.  It was brilliant and I truly feel that every young girl should read it.  It put eating disorders into a new perspective and really gave a voice to all girls suffering from anorexia.  I am positive that the second book will be twice as brilliant and am anxiously awaiting it's release in April 2011.  In the meantime, if you haven't read Hunger yet, GO BUY IT!!!!!