Velvet by Temple West Review #89

Author: Temple  West
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Pages: 386
Source: Amazon Canada
Buy: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble / Book Depository/ Chapters
Rating: 5/5

First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love. After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire. Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart? Image and Synopsis from Goodreads

GAHHH this book was A-MAZNG!!! I loved it!! It was so addicting and I could not put it down nor stop thinking about it when I actually did put it down.
So I bought Velvet off of Amazon since my local bookstore did not have it in stock. The first thing I noticed when I received it in the mail was : WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PAPERBACK!!

 Honestly, the book is a) nice to hold in your hands b) smooth c) has little hearts dotting the page numbers :D My favourite paperback to date. Also the cover, just, basically, screams for anyone attention (it'd haunting and beautiful at the same time).
I have not read a vampire book in a LONG time. I actually almost forgot they existed but Velvet pulled me back. When I first read that it was a vampire book and there is a vampire family....I was like OMG this is going to be identical to the Twilight saga. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT  (not that I am against that series or anything but I was looking for originality)!!

Velvet is definitely an original take on paranormal subject of vampires and honestly I adored that.


Yah, they drink blood. Yah, they are technically immortal. However, the myth varies a bit from other YA vampire novels in my opinion. It steers clear from vampires naturally becoming what they are do to vampire bites and moves more in the direction of how vampires are created. Am I making any sense??

Also the vampire love interest is actually TEENAGE AGE!! HE SPEAKS LIKE A NORMAL YOUTH :D NOT A 100 YEAR OLD MAN XD He is also a cute, intellectual and a dork XD
The romance and interaction between the characters are what made this novel so enjoyable. The witty banter and also the plain interaction between Adrian and Caitlin is super adorable (ex; Dead Canadian, little spoon/big spoon)

The first novel spends a lot of time on these two characters going from friendship/bodyguard relationship to having a romantic interest for one another.

The world building is definitely well built and the novel leaves the reader at the end with A LOT OF QUESTIONS that will hopefully be answered in the next book. What is the point of the nightmares??
I liked that there was no love triangle. The novel focuses on one relationship :D The side characters (Trish, Jenny, Stephanie etc;) all have their own personality and they brought Stony Creek to life. The Victoria Secret scene had me laughing out of my seat. And will we see more of Mark in the second novel?

I did not like Caitlin's character for the first fifty pages. I just could not connect and she was so whiny and childish. However, I believe that the reader is suppose to feel like that. Why?  Because Caitlin is not in a very good place when the readers meet her. She is very sad and angry. Sad about her mother's death and angered at her aunt and uncle. Put it blankly: she is not very fun to be around.

Overall I LOVED this book and cannot wait for it's sequel. Adrian is definitely one of my favourite fictional, vampire characters.

And yes...I decided to give gifs a go :D

Waiting on Wednesday - June 3, 2015

Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release: June 9th, 2015
Preorder: Amazon / Chapters / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago. When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble. To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie? Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her. Image and Synopsis from Goodreads

Thoughts: At first when I read this I immediately thought of a zombie apocalypse. However, this is sometime different, it's a soul-consuming demon apocalypse. This book seems like it will be an adventure on it's own and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

What is your Waiting on Wednesday??? Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the spine.

Waiting on Wednesday: May 27, 2015

Author:Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children
Release: September 1st, 2015
Preorder:Amazon/Chapters/ Barnes and Noble/ Book Depository

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world. Image and Synopsis from Goodreads

Thoughts: I LOVE THIS SERIES!! I literally devoured the first two books back to back. Celaena is just an amazing character. I actually haven't read the third book in the series because I am waiting for Queen of Shadows to come out so I can do back to back reading XD And how badass is that cover??

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey Review #88

Author: Melissa Grey
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 357
Source: Amazon Canada 
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository/ Chapters/Indigo 
Rating: 3.8 

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act. Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it. But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

The one aspect of The Girl at Midnight that captivated me the most, while reading, was the use of foreign words (example : tsundoku and callipygian). The words were so beautifully interwoven into the novel and reflected the adventure Echo and her friends faced while travelling to different parts of the world (Japan, New York and Taipei to name a few).

Grey's novel, I admit, took me a while to get hooked onto (maybe about 200 pages in I was addicted) and the ending was fabulously done. The ending had just enough action and excitement that you could not put the book done. I literally ploughed through 150 pages in one sitting.

Echo's world mixes real life settings with paranormal atmospheres (think The Mortal Instrument series) and was well built. I, as a reader, had no trouble understanding the Avicen and Drakharin myth and why they were at war with one another. The world Melissa Grey built was easy to get lost into and I was constantly cheering for Echo and the team. My only complaint is that I wished the Avicen were better described. I had a hard time with picturing what they looked like.

Echo was a well developed character. She goes from feeling like an outsider within the Avicen to belonging to a family of her own. I loved both Echo's rebelliousness and snarky-ness. Echo's troubled past is hinted at in the first book and I hope we, as readers, learn more in the sequel.

Echo, in the first half of the book, is dating Rowan. Rowan is an Avicen and a Warhawk so his loyalty is, obviously, torn in half. A part of him wants to be faithful (and protective) towards Echo and the other half wants to follow through on his duties of being a Warhawk. Eventually Echo falls in love with Caius. Rowan and Echo's relationship do not overshadow Caius and Echo's relationship which is nice. However, I would have liked to seen more of Rowan interacting with Echo because he felt more like a background character in Echo's life.

My favourite characters were: Dorian, Jasper and Ivy. I absolutely loved how these three interacted with one another and was excited whenever a chapter containing the three came up. I definitely thought of Alec, Magnus and Jace's relationship (from The Mortal Instruments) while reading about Caius, Jasper and Dorian's relationship.  I really liked Ivy's and Dorian's relationship. Chapters were told in different character's POV. This allowed the readers to see both Dorian's and Ivy's perspectives on certain events. Dorian is angered and traumatized over events that have happened in his past and takes it out on Ivy who eventually forgives him (even though what Dorian did was horrendous) because staying angry or acting meaner brings about no end.

Due to the multiple character views the readers learn Caius's true identity way before Echo does. I think it would have been neat and a great plot twist to seen the readers learn Caius's true identity the same time Echo does.

The big plot twist at the end wasn't that shocking however, it was nicely done and made the book more interesting.

Overall: I really enjoyed The Girl at Midnight especially the last half of the book. I am looking forward to the sequel :D

Stacking the Shelves (4) : May 23, 2015 and Weekly Wrap- Up

(Images from Tynga's Reviews)

"Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!"-Hosted and Quoted By: Tynga's Reviews 

Bought (From Amazon)

First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love. After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire. Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart? Synopsis and Image from Goodreads

Thoughts: I fell in love with the cover and the synopsis. Currently I am reading this novel and basically devouring it :D I love it!! I cannot wait until it's sequel. Review will be up soon.

Weekly Wrap Up

Monday: Review The Elite (Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Thursday: WoW The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Friday: FF (4): How do you write your reviews?

Saturday: Stacking the Shelves: Velvet by Temple West

#4 FF: Feature and Follow

(Picture from Parajunkee. Meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read)

How do you write your reviews

I just sit down and write them. While writing, I remember all of the points I had felt while reading the book I am writing a review on. Honestly, I am starting to think I should take notes while reading the books. However, I feel if I do that I will distract myself from fully appreciating the book I am reading.

Waiting on Wednesday - May 20, 2015

(Image and Bio comes from Goodreads)

Author: Katie Alender

Publisher: Point

Release: August 25, 2015

Preorder @: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository / Chapters 

Asylum meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, in this riveting tale of ghosts, secrets, and family, from master of suspense Katie Alender. Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere. So the house kills her. Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?

Why? I love the synopsis :) insane asylum, ghosts,  dead main character, handsome ghost boy and a house with secrets :D This book sounds amazing. I also love how creepy the cover looks.

What's your Waiting on Wednesday? 
Sorry for the late post :D I have a tooth infection :( So I did not have the energy to post this on Wednesday.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Elite by Kiera Cass (Selection #2) Review #87

Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 323 (paperback)
Source: Chapters :D
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble/ Book Depository / Chapters 
Rating: 4/5 

The Selection began with thirty-five girls. Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen? America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

I definitely enjoyed The Elite a lot more then I did The Selection. Out of all three books, this one was by far my favourite. The cover is absolute breath-taking and I felt a lot more action happened in this novel then in it's predecessor.
I surprisingly found myself falling in love with Aspen in The Elite. In my review of The Selection (click here) I talked about how Aspen was annoying and dragged the book. However, I found myself more drawn to him in this book and wished there was more scenes of him.

READ MORE

#3 FF: Feature and Follow

(Image from Parajunkee. Meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read)

How do you organize your books? Either at home on your bookshelves or on your reading-device, or on your bookish platform like Goodreads,Leafmarks or Booklikes.-Unconventional Book Views

I use to organize my bookshelf by authour name and series. However, as of lately my bookshelf is very disorganized and nothing is alphabetically correct haha. Thus, I rely on memory of cover art to find certain series or books when I am searching for them once more. 

I don't really use electronic devices (I love physical books) so my kobo is disorganized as well. 

I LOVE GOODREADS. On Goodreads I sort books by read and currently reading. I also mark books in my wish list. I also have in previous years marked books by the year I read them (ex; read-2014, read-2013, read-2012). This is a good track record of what books I have read and in what year I read them. I also really love the progress option on goodreads.

I  don't really use Booklikes and I did not know what Leafmarks was until today haha!!

Musing Mondays- May 11, 2015

(Image from A Daily Rhythm)

Musing Mondays is a meme created by A Daily Rhythm in which we chose and answer a prompt and then answer a random question of the week. 

Up Next I Think I will read...

I already bought a copy of The Heir (Selection #4) by Kiera Cass and Velvet by Temple West comes out this week :D Images come from Goodreads. 

This Week's Random Question

Do you have a “kindred” reading buddy — someone who very closely shares your taste in books? If not, do you wish you did?

Not really. Most of my friends do not read :( and the ones that do have different taste in books. I have one friend who loves Cassandra Clare's books as much as I do though. Both of us are excited for the upcoming Shadowhunter T.V series and have been talking a lot about that lately.

I wish I could have a "kindred" reading buddy (or will find one soon) because then I could actually express my excitement for fictional characters and have them understand what in the world I am talking about.

What is your answer to this question?

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken Review #86

Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 488
Source: Chapters
Links: Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Chapters/ Book Depository
Rating: 4/5

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living. Image and Bio come from Goodreads

Where do I even begin? The world building was freaking unbelievable in this novel. I immediately got hooked and emotionally connected to the USA Ruby found herself living in. The horrors these children faced and the traumatization they received was really well described and as a reader I felt absolutely shocked at times. All the characters were super believable and their individual personalities really stood out. As a reader all I wanted to do was help the characters out of their situation and the life predicaments they were facing. Alexandra Bracken's writing, within the first 50 pages, showed how messed up, and dystopian, the United States has become.  I do not think I have ever read a dystopian novel that has introduced the story world as well as Bracken did.

Read More

Stacking the Shelves (3): May 9th, 2015

(Image from Tynga's Reviews)

"Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!"-Hosted and Quoted By: Tynga's Reviews

For Review 

When sixteen-year-old Lee Capren is spirited away to Faerie, she is forced to serve capricious faeries as a prized portrait artist… and live as their prisoner. A chance encounter with the charming Nasser grants Lee a chance for freedom—but what felt like mere days in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee no longer has a home to return to. Nasser is a Seer—a human with magical powers—and Lee is quickly plunged into his world: a sprawling city teeming with magic and mystery, where supernatural creatures walk hidden among humans. With the help of a rag-tag group of teenage Seers, Lee must master her newfound magical talent and outwit a cunning faerie determined to destroy her. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: I received this for review from the author :D I have just started to read Flicker and man is it addicting. I cannot stop thinking about it.

Bought

The time has come for one winner to be crowned. When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: Finished The Elite and bought The One right after :)

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: I am so excited to read this...just got to finish The One first. I love the cover and I absolutely love the book trailer and the video interviews they did with some of the young men competing.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act. Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it. But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: I saw bloggers talking about this in the book community and loved the bio. I also read some of the sample pages on Amazon and when I saw the words Taipei :) I knew for sure I wanted to read this book. This book also takes the character, Echo, traveling (from Taipei to Japan :D).

What did you guys get this week ??

#2 FF: Feature and Follow

(Image from Parajunkee. Meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read)

How do you decide what books to read? -So Many Books, So Little Time

Usually by reading or hearing about the book synopsis whether it be online, on the back of a book, on book blogs or youtube videos. If the plot piques my interest then I will try to read the first few chapters and if I end up liking it then I will find myself reading the whole book.

Sometimes book covers and book trailers make me want to randomly pick up a book (without look at the bio).

How do you guys decide?

Waiting on Wednesday- May 6 2015

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Storm (Paper Gods #3) by Amanda Sun
Author: Amanda Sun
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: June 30th, 2015
Preorder @: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository / Chapters 
(Image and Bio come from Goodreads)

After almost a year in Japan, Katie Greene has finally unearthed the terrible secret behind her boyfriend Tomohiro's deadly ability to bring drawings to life—not only is he descended from Kami, the ancient Japanese gods, but he is the heir to a tragedy that occurred long ago, a tragedy that is about to repeat. =Even as the blood of a vengeful god rages inside Tomo, Katie is determined to put his dark powers to sleep. In order to do so, she and Tomo must journey to find the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. Gifts from the goddess Amaterasu herself, these treasures could unlock all of the secrets about Tomo's volatile ancestry and quell the ink's lust for destruction. But in order to complete their quest, Tomo and Katie must confront out-of-control Kami and former friend Jun, who has begun his own quest of revenge against those he believes have wronged him. To save the world, and themselves, Katie and Tomo will be up against one of the darkest Kami creations they've ever encountered—and they may not make it out alive.

Why? I loved the two other books in the series (Ink and Rain). Whenever I read these books I am reminded of my time in Japan. Also, I LOVE THE COVER :D Storm is my favourite cover out of all three books. The cover just stands out and in a good way!! I loved the cover for Ink and Rain however, I would not mind seeing them redone to be similar as this one.

What on your Waiting on Wednesday? 

Musing Mondays - May 4th, 2015

(Image from A Daily Rhythm) 

Musing Mondays is a meme created by A Daily Rhythm in which we chose& answer a prompt and then answer a random question of the week. 

I'm Currently Reading:

This Weeks Random Question

What would you do if you wanted to buy a book for someone, but didn’t know what they like to read? Would you ask them? Would you choose something you, yourself, like? How would you go about buying them something?

I am more of a gift-card-kind-of girl when it comes to giving book-related gifts. I never know what people want (unless they have blatantly told me) , or if they already own (or have read) a certain book. I also rather borrow out books I like instead of buy them for other people in case they are not as fond as them as I am.

How would you guys answer this question??

May 2015 Favourites

So the past week has been quiet hectic for me. I haven't really posted much because a) I was finishing off finals b) packing and moving out of my dorm c) leasing out an apartment for the fall and d) taking an airplane back home for the summer. However, now that I am free once again I wanted to blog. I do not have any book reviews or books that I bought this week to show off :D So I decided instead to show you what books I am most looking forward to in May 2015:

The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West (May 5, HarperTeen)

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: Honestly I am just in love with synopsis. It sounds intriguing and immediately made me intrigued on how everything will turn out in the end.

The Cage by Megan Shepherd (May 26, Balzer & Bray) 

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy. When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone. Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans. As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage? Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: I am a big fan of Megan Shepherd's The Madman's Daughter Series. When I saw another, new, book was coming out from her I was really excited.

 The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass (May 5, HarperTeen)

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. Image and Bio is from Goodreads

Thoughts: I am really excited about this one. I loved the book trailer & all the videos that have so far accompanied it (the interview with certain boys from the new selection). I just need to finish The Elite and The One first haha.

 The Wrath and The Dawn by Renée Ahdieh (May 12, Penguin Group USA) 

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thought:  The storyline and the cover really stood out for me.

 A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin (May 19, Tor Teen)

It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war. After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts... Image and Bio from Goodreads 

Thoughts: It is set in a previous era :D And a strong headed lead :) Also the cover is lovely.

 The Angels of Moirai by Nicole Salmond

Since man first walked the earth, the Angels of Moirai have watched over them. Born human, they are taught never to feel, never to become attached, and never to become emotionally compromised. Eighteen-year-old, Lila Kingston, is haunted by dreams of a mysterious angel. Suddenly, the dramas of her broken family and the snobby, rich kids at her school, fail in comparison to the challenges she must face. Hailing from the Angels of Moirai, James Taylor has been intrusted with the fate of lives from around the world for over a thousand years. His soul purpose is to ensure every mortal follows their designed path, but when Lila puts that very purpose at risk, he must make a choice, a choice that ultimately leads to devastating consequences of a love never meant to exist. The choice was never easy, those kind of choices never are…Images and Bio from Goodreads

Thought: Forbidden love :D

 Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles (May 5)

Rowena thinks the Grimm’s infamous podcasts are simply another teen fad until she finds herself trapped in a land of nightmarish storybook characters. She tries desperately to flee Mezzanine and return home, but Dresdem, Mezzanine’s wicked monarch, plans to use Rowena’s access to her world to bring dark magic and absolute rule into Georgia and beyond. But when Rowena’s dear friend Madeline falls into Dresdem’s grasp, her battle with him becomes war, and all hopes of home are temporarily thwarted. With the help of an invisible hero, a beast, and an owl, she sets out to free Madeline from a deadening sleep. But Rowena must become her own hero when she finds herself bound by the kingdom’s darkest family. She must make the ultimate choice – align herself with her enemies or live on the run forever. Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thoughts: love the cover and the bio XD

 Velvet by Temple West (May 12, Swoon Reads)

First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love. After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire. Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart? Image and Bio from Goodreads

Thought: Paranormal: Check :D Vampire Bodyguard becomes BF: Check. Romance:Check XD This book sounds amazing and the cover is so beautiful.

What books are you excited for this month??