Swoon Thursday #2

On one of my favorite blogs, YA Bound- http://yabound.blogspot.com/ - they do a little something called Swoon Thursday. And anyone can join in on all the fun! Here's the directions from YA Bound:

"From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)"

Mine was much too long to post on Twitter. I just couldn't keep it down to 140 characters.

So here's mine:

"In three long strides, Chris was leaning into me, pressing my back up against the building  His palms flattened against mine, our fingers interlocking above my head. "Let me uncomplicate things for you." He closed his eyes, leaned his head forward, and pressed his lips against mine." 

~Face the Music by Andrea K. Robbins

<3 Amanda Leigh

Top 3 Female Characters of 2012

1. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins.
I love Katniss  Sure she's a little rough around the edges, but she is such a strong character. Going into the Hunger Games? In place of her little sister? Definitely my number 1 for the year.

2. Elizabeth Davenport from The Transcend Time Saga by Michelle Madow.
I saw some of myself in Lizzie. Her love of drawing and Jane Austen. She is also shy. She was a tame character and made mistakes but knew what she wanted and was also strong.

3. Chelsea Givens from The Transcend Time Saga by Michelle Madow.
Okay, Chelsea did make a serious mistake and had some flaws, but don't we all? Her loyalty to Lizzie in the end was really what redeemed her for me. She was a great friend to her. And hey, you can't help kind of loving that attitude. 

<3 Amanda Leigh

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Just Finished:

Torment (Fallen # 2) by Lauren Kate

Reading Now:

Face the Music by Andrea K. Robbins

Up Next:

Not sure. Maybe. . .

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles # 1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

<3 Amanda Leigh

Top 3 Male Characters of 2012

1. Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins.
I loved Peeta. He was such a sensitive person and all he wanted to do was protect Katniss. I thought he was a very strong character as well.

2. Drew Carmichael from The Transcend Time Saga by Michelle Madow.
Drew did not necessarily start out likable. But once you know why he acted that way (and he stopped) his devotion to Lizzie was beautiful.

3. Nico from Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder.
This was a beautiful book, And Nico was a beautiful strong person and I think just what Brooklyn needed. 

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Review ~ Torment (Fallen #2) by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment  (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Released: September 28th 2012
Published By: Delacorte Press
Page Amount: 452 pages, Hardcover 1st edition

GoodReads Blurb:
Hell on earth.

That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

Review:
I read this one this year. Just finished a few days ago actually. Like I said, I read the first one 3 years ago and really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars.

This one lost a little bit of that steam for me. I still enjoyed it though. Maybe part of the reason was that I was still sick while reading it. I also tried to read this a while ago and got about a 1/4 of the way through and stopped. I picked it up again and I got back into it.

The new characters were good and quirky and I liked the addition of them. Shelby and Miles were pretty great. Old favorites like Arriane and Roland came back too- which was fun.
 
Daniel and Luce start to face difficulties in their relationship in this one. Besides the whole cursed-for-eternity-reincarnation-thing.

Luce starts to realize they have immense issues actually talking thing out.

Luce also starts to learn more about her past lives and hopefully this will help her and Daniel rework their fate this time around.

I did still feel the love between them. It is such an intense love. I think I feel it more from Daniel though. And I am still dangerously drawn to Cam. Is it bad I'm drawn to a demon? lol.

I hear the next book is an account of Luce's and Daniel's past lives together. I'm really looking forward to learning more about that. Excited to read that one. I really hope this series is not a disappointment.

I gave this one 4 stars.

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Review ~ Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Released: December 8th 2009
Published By: Delacorte Press
Page Amount: 452 pages, hardcover 1st edition

GoodReads Blurb:
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Review:
I read this book about 3 years ago and I remember really enjoying it. It is also where my interest in the Nephilim began.

The main thing that drew me into this book was the feeling of undying devotion I got from Daniel and Luce. I felt it was really powerful in this one. And the concept of Luce being reincarnated throughout thousands of years just drew me in so much.

The struggle between the angels and demons was amazing to me and especially in the final scenes I could picture everything going on.

Cam was such an interesting character. And so enticingly dark. This whole book had a darkness to it that was deliciously enticing.

This series also has some of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. I suggest you go experience this delicious dark tale. It really is "Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic." A delicious darkness (with light thrown in from Daniel and Luce's love - though even that was dark) not to be missed.
I gave this one 4.5 stars.

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Review ~ Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, Introduction by William Carlos Williams

Title: Howl and Other Poems
Author: Allen Ginsberg, Introduction by William Carlos Williams
Released: first published 1956 (my edition release January 1st 2001)
Published By: City Lights
Page Amount: Paperback, 56 pages

GoodReads Blurb:
The prophetic poem that launched a generation when it was first published in 1965 is here presented in a commemorative fortieth Anniversary Edition.

When the book arrived from its British printers, it was seized almost immediately by U.S. Customs, and shortly thereafter the San Francisco police arrested its publisher and editor, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, together with City Lights Bookstore manager Shigeyoshi Murao. The two of them were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and the case went to trial in the municipal court of Judge Clayton Horn. A parade of distinguished literary and academic witnesses persuaded the judge that the title poem was indeed not obscene and that it had “redeeming social significance.”

Thus was Howl & Other Poems freed to become the single most influential poetic work of the post-World War II era, with over 900,000 copies now in print."

Review:
To be totally honest, I had to buy this book because it was in Gilmore Girls. And both Rory and Jess loved it. So I had to see what it was all about. I love Gilmore Girls. I am a lot like Rory I find. And I thought Jess was just awesome.

Allen Ginsberg is certainly a unique poet. He does not go by the "rules". His stanzas and stanzas breaks could be considered strange by some. He does not always use punctuation in the traditional way. I think this makes him a true poet. He was not afraid to color outside the lines. Something else I noticed was that he wrote much longer poems than I personally am used to reading. I enjoyed stepping out of what I am used to.

This is not at all for younger readers. I'd say you should be at least 16 to read this. There is a lot of language and imagery in it not appropriate for younger people. I'm sure his work was ridiculed in his time and it probably is still now. If you are easily offended do not pick this up. If you want to branch out, give it a try. Especially if you are a fan of poetry.

My favorites in this volume were the title poem, "Howl". "In the back of the real" and "Song". I'm glad Gilmore Girls exposed me to this and I decided ti pick this up. It was worth it. I'll have to check out more of his work. Recommended particularly for poetry fans - but not young readers. Give this one a try. Just keep in mind the language. Don't be shocked.

I think it was worth the read. I gave this one 4 stars.

<3 Amanda Leigh