Back to Blogging + February Giveaway!!

Exams are finally over!!!

Well, mine at least! My sister still has to write one exam tomorrow and I'm sure a bunch of you guys still have exams to come, too, but for now I'm home free — which means I'm back on the blogosphere! *cheers*

I just wanted to THANK YOU SO MUCH again for putting up with my hectic schedule! All of your words of encouragement and overall awesomeness just made me more eager to do good so I could come back. ♥

To celebrate that, I thought it would be cool to have a new monthly giveaway thing where each month, one lucky follower will get his/her choice of a book released during that month. At the end of it, I'll draw one winner. How does that sound? :)

The Rules:

1. There will be one winner. 
2. Giveaway ends on March 1, 2012 @ 11:59 p.m.
3. Be a follower (through GFC or RSS).
4. Be 13 or older.
5. Live anywhere that The Book Depository ships to (which is basically everywhere!)
6. Fill out the form.

The Prize: 

One winner will get to choose any ONE book from the list of anticipated near-February releases below! Or if you would like another book that releases around this time instead, I could definitely substitute that in as long as it's under $20 (USD). :)

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Partials by Dan Wells
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

Just fill out the form below:



Thanks again for everything, you guys! I'm really happy to be back! ♥ :)

-Mimi

P.S. I just realized that I reached 1000 followers (eeeeeeeep!)!!! Stay tuned for something BIG I'm going to be planning for the celebration! :D

EXAMS + six Mimi-free days!

I can't believe I'm already at the end of the first semester of grade ten! It feels like only yesterday when I started my blog and began talking to some of the most random, hilarious, and amazing strangers I've ever not-met! :) ♥

But now I have five summatives due, two one-on-one interviews (one of which is in French!), two presentations, and three exams within the next seven days... Needless to say, my schedule is crazy right now! And my mom actually wanted me to post this last week but I kept putting it off until the last possible second.

Because HEY. I love you guys! I love bonding with people over books and commenting on people's posts and swooning over fictional boys with half of the world! But the next six days are CRUCIAL for school, so here it is:

I'm giving you 6 Mimi-free days!

(Or as Mimi-free as it could possibly be. Because even if the world was burning down, you couldn't possibly keep me completely away!)

(Study, Mimi! Study, Mimi! Go, go, go!)

You probably won't even notice I'm gone, but I'll be back on my regular blogging schedule next Tuesday right after my last two exams on Monday, and I really hope to see you then! I'm SO sorry for this sudden break, but trust me when I say I'm counting the days until exams & summatives are over so I can return to the blogosphere with you. :) ♥

Have an amazing week, you guys!

-Mimi

Review: Under the Never Sky

Book: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 384
Source: bookstore
Stars: 4.5/5

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

(summary taken from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS:  

Here's the truth: with the huge amount of dystopians coming out right now, I didn't expect to be blown away when I started this book. But this was one of those times when I wish I'd thrown my instincts out the window and read this sooner — Under the Never Sky was amazing!

The beginning was a little confusing because this book takes place in a whole new world — with Dwellers, Outsiders, Realms, etcetera — and some of the terms weren't fully explained in the beginning. But I actually loved that Veroinca Rossi didn't overwhelm us with information at one time! It helped us get sucked into the twisting and fast-paced plot so much easier.

Aria and Perry were both fierce, determined, and extremely layered characters that I loved so much! The romance between them wasn't a love triangle or insta-love or anything else from the cookie cutter. It sprung from a tentative alliance for survival and grew into something so beautiful that my heart ached. The whole cast was incredibly awesome (like Roar)!

And another thing I loved about this book was that there was never a point in the story when I could say, "Oh, I know what's going to happen next!" It continuously surprised me over and over again with its originality and intensity. Plus, the supernatural aspect was so cool!

Dangerous yet beautiful, terrifying yet totally enthralling, Under the Never Sky was probably one of the most original and compelling books I've ever read! It left me mesmerized and wishing I had book 2 immediately. Definitely a book I'd recommend! :)

BUY or BORROW?: I bought this book on a whim and I LOVE having it on my shelf! You won't find another one like it, I promise — buy it for sure!

-Mimi

In My Mailbox #15

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week. It's a really great idea and I'm excited to take part! :)

BORROWED: 

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Matchev

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

WON: 

Dreamland by Alyson Noel

(Thank you so much to Lulu @ The Bookworm is Here for the book, the shimmery tattoo, and the extremely sweet sticky note attached to it! You're a gallon of awesomeness, Lulu!)

FOR REVIEW: 

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

(A HUGE thanks to HarperCollins Canada and Spencer Hill Press for these! I'm serious — it took every ounce in my body to not read these books with exams coming up and all my summatives being due this week... but I know what I'm doing directly after! ;P)

And because this made me want to dance around like crazy:

YUP. You saw that right: my review was blurbed inside the ARC of Pure!! It just made my year — it was my first time ever getting blurbed in a book!! *happy dance* You should've seen me when I got this. My family thought I was going crazy haha! x)

And that's my mailbox! Thanks again to the library, Lulu @ The Bookworm is Here, HarperCollins Canada, and Spencer Hill Press for making this week awesome! :)

WHAT'S IN YOUR MAILBOX? 

-Mimi

COVER LOVE: Gorgeous Gowns Edition!

I think that pretty dresses on covers is starting to become a trend... and I love it! ♥ (Although it always makes me wish I could find them in stores LOL). Here are some of the covers with the coolest summaries and the most gorgeous gowns! :)

(Click on titles for links to Goodreads)

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

(Soul Screamers #6) 

Release Date: June 22, 2012

Summary: Not available yet.

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London
Release Date: May 29, 2012

Summary: This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Release Date: May 8, 2012

Summary: It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true. 

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers?

 
Arise by Tara Hudson
(Hereafter #2)
Release Date: June 5, 2012

Summary: Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.

Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

~♥~

Aren't they all just GORGEOUS? Kind of makes me wish we were back in the Victorian days when everyone wore dresses everywhere... although I'd probably miss jeans too much anyways! x) 

What book are you most excited for? 

-Mimi

Review: Shattered Souls

Book: Shattered Souls
Author: Mary Lindsey
Release Date: December 8, 2011
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin
Pages: 336
Source: KPL
Stars: 5/5

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

(summary taken from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS:  

When a book has a cover this gorgeous, you want to buy it and just pray that the story inside is awesome enough to match... and that's exactly the case with Shattered Souls! I loved it! 

At first I didn't think I'd really enjoy this book because it starts off like your typical girl-sees-dead-people story. But once Lenzi starts to accept who she is and we get to know all of the amazing side characters, the story picks up quickly and you won't be able to put it down!  

I adored Lenzi! She was a realistic, witty, and easy-to-relate-to girl that grew into such a strong and admirable character over the course of the book. And the summary makes it seem like there's an overpowering love triangle but there actually isn't! Zak represents her hurtful past. Sweet, caring, and totally swoon-worthy Alden just makes everything more awesome.  

The plot and world were fantastically crafted. As soon as you reach that hook, every single page is engaging and addictive... and by the time you get to the last few chapters, you'll be begging for it not to end yet wanting to know what happens at the same time! 

Twisting, original, and intensely heart-pounding, Shattered Souls is a debut that definitely matches up to the beauty of the cover! I recommend it wholeheartedly to people who are looking for a good ghostly reincarnation story, and to anyone who likes YA in general. :) 

BUY or BORROW?: Buy for sure! The cover alone is buy-worthy, but having it on your shelf makes it easy to grab when you're craving to read it again. And this book may be a standalone, but I really wish that Mary Lindsey would make it a series! *hint, hint*

-Mimi

Waiting on Wednesday: Harbinger

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by the awesome Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller.

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast. 

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red. 

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too. 

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

(summary taken from Goodreads)

Release Date: February 2, 2012

Why do I want this book? So many reasons!

1. THAT COVER. <3
2. The synopsis!! After loving The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, another psychological thriller definitely goes on my wish list! 
3. Sara Wilson Etienne is more than a little bit awesome. :)

And that's just the start of the list! 

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 

-Mimi

LIST: Book Boys I Wish Were Real!!

It's no secret that I develop major crushes on fictional book characters, and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there LOL! But I decided it would be fun to show off some of my favourite book boys! :)

So here are a few of many that I wish were real, in no particular order:

Boys I Wish Were Real

1. Will Herondale & Jem Cairstairs from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare: I know I'm not being fair to pick both boys, but they're both just so awesome! x) Will for his humor, snark and love for books; Jem for being one of the sweetest boys out there!

2. Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare: Another Cassie boy! She sure knows how to write them, huh? LOL!

3. Alex from Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson: OH MY GOSH. This is the boy I wish was my imaginary big brother's best friend when I was growing up. I love him too much for words! ♥

4. Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: French/English/American boy extraordinaire! Need I say more???

5. Tucker Avery Christian Prescott Tucker Avery AND Christian Prescott from the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand: Cynthia Hand wrote one of the most amazing, heartbreaking, and totally swoon-worthy love triangles in history, and the world deserves to be indecisive about it!


6. Adam Wilde from If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman: Because the world needs more sweet, amazing, and realistically adoring boys like Adam! 

7. TOD HUDSON from the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent: Oh my gosh, Tod is the biggest testament to the fact that I have a thing for snarky boys! Looooooove him so much! ♥

8. Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines by Richelle Mead: I know there's Dimitri but... I'm Team Adrian. *ducks and hides under table*

9. Zach Goode from the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter: Because I'll forever be a Gallagher Girl and Zach will always be one of the first boys I've ever had a book crush on! :)

10. Four from Divergent by Veronica Roth: Holy moly, this boy is perfection! He's smart, hot, tough, and totally and completely swoon-worthy... I don't think any girl can physically NOT love him!

***

I'm going to stop there because this list could get REALLY long REALLY fast! ;) Also on my list would be Lucas from Fated, Peeta & Gale from The Hunger Games trilogy, Jack & Cole from Everneath, Ash from The Iron Fey series, Ren from the Nightshade series, Archer & Cal from the Hex Hall series, and so many more!

There are just way too many awesome book boys out there! Funny how I've had way more fictional crushes that I've had on the guys in my grade, huh? The immaturity of high school boys ruins it LOL! x)

Who are some boys that YOU wish were real? Introduce me? ;)

-Mimi 

Review: Hunting Lila

Book: Hunting Lila
Author: Sarah Alderson
Release Date: August 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Pages: 320
Source: The Book Depository
Stars: 5/5

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.

After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. 

Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them...

(summary taken from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS:

**AN ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE!!** 

Every once in a while you read a book that swipes you off your feet and takes you on an action-packed, perfectly romantic, and totally heart-pounding ride that you never want to get off of — that's exactly what Hunting Lila was like! I loved everything about it! 

From the very first page, Sarah Alderson sucks you into a super-cool world with various types of psychics like Lila. The way she describes things makes you feel like you're actually a part of the book, which makes all the cool things even cooler and all the intense things exponentially more intense.  

Lila is one of those characters I know everyone will adore as much I do. She's stubborn, witty, fun, vulnerable yet still totally kick-butt when she needs to be! And her childhood romance with Alex — who nearly tops my Boys I Wish Were Real list! ♥ — is the best kind of romance out there: sweet, realistic, swoon-worthy, and 100% free of insta-love! It was perfection! 

Well-crafted, fast-paced, and engaging to the core, Hunting Lila is a book that I'll recommend to everyone I know! It will suck you in until the last page is turned and leave you craving for more. The sequel, Losing Lila, can't come fast enough! 

BUY or BORROW?: Definitely and completely and absolutely a book worth every penny! Buy it for sure, and you'll want to read it over and over again like me! :) 

-Mimi

In My Mailbox #14

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week. It's a really great idea and I'm excited to take part! :)

BOUGHT: 

Fated by Sarah Aldreson

Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent

NOTE: Rachel Vincent is donating 100% of her proceeds from Never to Sleep to St. Jude Children's hospital, which is SO amazing! But it's only for the first six months, so if you've read If I Die — the 5th book in her Soul Screamers series — then please pick this up sooner rather than later! :)

BORROWED: 

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

And that's my mailbox for the week! :) I've been trying to cut back a little because first semester exams are coming soon (eeeeeeeep!) and I have an awful syndrome where I physically have to finish a book within the next two days, which never does any good for studying — but sometimes I can't help it! x)

WHAT'S IN YOUR MAILBOX? 

-Mimi

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop!!

Hi, everyone! :)

This giveaway hop is hosted by the awesome Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. 2012 is already turning out to be a really cool year, and one of the funnest things (I think!) is seeing how happy people get when they win a giveaway. So here I am again! ;) 

The Rules:

1. There will be one winner. 
2. Giveaway ends on January 18, 2012 @ 11:59 p.m.
3. Be a GFC follower (or follow me through RSS is you can't with GFC!).
4. Be 13 or older.
5. Live anywhere that The Book Depository ships to (which is basically everywhere!)
6. Fill out the form.

The Prize: 

One winner will get to choose one book pre-order from the list of YA books below! They're all released sometime this month or at the beginning of next month, so the wait won't be very long. :)

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Fill out the form below:



Have an amazing day, you guys! :) ♥

-Mimi 

***LINKY REMOVED***