Song Stuck In My Head Saturday (21)

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This is one of my memes that I'm bringing back on my blog! We all always have that one song we hear on the radio or we listen to on our iPods that just can't get out of our heads--whether we like the song or not.

It's been almost 2 weeks since Warped Tour and months since I purchased Sempiternal by Bring Me The Horizon. They are on eof my favorite bands but I know they're an acquired taste if you're not used to metalcore.

It's hard to pick one song because the whole album is amazing and I find many of them in my head throughout the day!!! But Empire is one of my favorites! Listen from Spotify:

It's also on YouTube for free streaming FYI.

My Golden Comfort

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For as long as I can remember, I have always been watching Golden Girls.

I can remember every network it's ever been on the times they showed it. Nowadays, it's on the Hallmark Channel every night from 12-2 am and every morning 8-10 am. And this summer TvLand picked it up and it plays at different times every day. It's a dream come true!!

Oh, and I own all the seasons on DVD...

If Golden Girls isn't making me feel better when I'm in a bad mood or down in the dumps, then everyone knows there's something wrong.

When I moved into my dorm last year, my first roommate (who I had never met) bought me a mini poster at the bookstore's poster sale the first week of classes. For my birthday in April, my hall's CA (Community Assistant) wrote a 'Happy Birthday' sign like she did for everyone and she referenced the Golden Girls.

You know how each person is known for something? Well my thing is watching the Golden Girls every night.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano Review

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From Goodreads: Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Rhine and Gabriel have left the mansion and instead of finding the freedom they wanted, much to my disappointment but not shock, they get caught up in another new-world scheme: a "carnival". Madame, a first generation who is an addict and most often fakes a light French-German accent, runs a prostitution ring in a desolate area. All she cares for is money and when Gabriel is saved by Rhine's beauty and ability to gain some of Madame's trust. Rhine, once again, must blend in with her environment in order to escape and get to Manhattan.

Fever was as exciting and rich as Wither and I really enjoyed the new storyline. A lot more information was found out, secrets revealed, and depth was added to the story when I thought it was already perfect.Everything was planned perfectly and I didn't have many qualms about this book. It all seemed to fit together and was believable (for their world anyway). There was so much story packed into this book I thought it could have been 2 books!

I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP!

**SPOILERS**

The one thing I had a minor issue with the past two books of the series was the pro-naturalists. I don't get how anyone would not want to try to find a cure. I feel like, in Wither, a lot of history was condensed and I wish the reader could know more about the history and the first generations.

I always get the feeling that all first generations are creepy. Especially when Rhine, Gabriel, and Maddie stay overnight at the restaurant they find. It seems like they're all corrupted because of the death of their children and the seemingly end of their world.

I loved that Gabriel opened up more and become more dimensional. He and Rhine faced reality and this story definitely wasn't as cushy as the Florida mansion. Even Rhine is learning more about herself and seeing the faults in Rowan and the world; except that she can't accept the fact that she will die at age 20.

Although I was at first disappointed that we weren't clued in more with how Rhine's eyes are so special and what she has to do with a cure, I did come to realize that that wasn't the sole focus of the story and the next book, the last one, should explain everything. I hope Rhine finds her brother early on because there's going to be  a lot going on: finding Rowan, learning about her eyes and her parents, getting back to Gabriel. It's going to be intense but I trust Lauren DeStefano to end this series well.

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi Review

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From Goodreads: Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad. 

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

Rating: 1/5

Plot: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Ending: 3.5/5

I want to start off by saying I read the first book a few years ago and I was much less mature and had not yet experienced better other books. That being said...Stake That! starts off a small time after the first book and is told mostly by Rayne's blog posts. Just the posts by itself makes it all so ridiculous and immature that I, even at only 19, could not stand it. I know Mancusi is trying to be light and funny, and sometimes it comes across, but mostly it's cheesy and ruined the plt for me. When Mancusi tried to be "serious", it failed--which was sad because I think the story and even the characters had a lot of potential.

I'm just not the right person to be reading this series and I will not read any further into it.


BTW, this is my only review (on this blog anyway) that has been this harsh and it kind of sucks!

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer Review

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From Goodreads: Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer–one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack–and the man–she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

It had been a long, long time since I read Nightshade when I picked up this book, but everything that happened came back and Goodreads reviews with spoilers also help (haha). Wolfsbane picks up where Nightshade left off; Calla and Shay are introduced into the world of the Searchers and the reader learns a lot more history of their world. It was all very interesting and, I dare say, I liked that aspect of the book better than anything else.

I was very annoyed the first 70 or so pages and almost didn't bother finishing the book because it seemed like no questions were being answered and Calla and Shay were still in the dark about the Searchers' world/intentions. It was like all the conversations Calla and Shay needed to have were put off. As a reader, I felt like something was always missing and unanswered and I knew it was done purposefully because the characters could tell too most of the time.

The book was well-written, very entertaining, and a good sequel despite everything else. Hopefully I won't be forced to plow my way through the next book, Bloodrose.

**SPOILERS**

I was very suspicious of Ariadne and Shay, and Calla was too but she never looked into it. Which, to me, is a sign that she didn't care that much. Yes she was occupied but I think she would have been more upset if Ren would have moved on than if Shay and Ariadne really were flirting (I'm Team Ren BTW).

It seemed like there were so many times when the Searchers are discussing the past or some plan they have or the first mission where things are left out and Calla obviously has questions and she either doesn't ask or when she does they sidestep her and she lets it go. She's an alpha, why does she let so many things go?!

CALLA MAKES OUT WITH REN. LIKE. YAY BUT NOOOOOOO. She is killing me. I know you want freedom but you also want your pack; you want Shay but you also want Ren. She says she wants Shay but every time they make out memories of Ren come back and she's so attached to his ring? Those are signs. I know she can't get over him that easily, and she'll always love him, but I think it's so obvious that he's the guy for her. She can't just choose Shay and say he's more her type now because he's wolf and an alpha.

I think everything Calla was apparently running away from came back into her life anyway and she enjoyed it. I hope the next book clears things up because I was clearly frustrated with a lot of things. Thank god for Connor!