Christmas Loot! +Updates

Part I: Christmas-y Fun
This year, I got more books than I anticipated. And hell frigging yes I am crazy happy and excited about it! Compared to last year's response to my bookish requests, my family did pretty darn well in snagging me some goodies this fine Christmas... Of course, it had nothing to do with my writing mixed wishlists and targeting various members of my family who I had even the slightest hope they would give in and get to their nearest book store to make me happy... It looks like I got my wish! Because, TADA!

My entire Christmasy book loot!

Pretty awesome, right?

Now, let's get down to the business of laying out some facts and deets on these books!

Kissed by Angel (Books 1-3)

"Ivy always believed in angels. When she meets Tristan, it's the love of a lifetime. When he dies, her heart is broken and her belief in angels vanishes. And without that belief, she is unable to feel Tristan's presence when he returns--as an angel. Now Ivy is in terrible danger, and Tristan is struggling to save her. How can he protect her if she's lost her faith in angels?" Goodreads is this way»»

This book was published in '95, then later republished 2 years ago, so yes, it is an 'older' novel. But who cares, right? KbA is jammed packed with all sorts of cool crap, like guardian angels and true love and a thrilling mystery that could have some fatal consequences! Boy, I'm starting to sound like a pepped up narrator...If I could slap down a rating right now, (because yes, I've read KbA) I'd give this beautiful trilogy only 5...0000000 smileys! But that's just me...

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

"Years ago, I was crashed in Gram's garden and Big asked me what I was doing. I told him I was looking up at the sky. He said, 'That's a misconception, Lennie, the sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet' (117).

"Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes part of you, step for step, breath for breath. I will never stop grieving Bailey because I will never stop loving her. That's just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy." Follow me to Goodreads to maybe read an actual summary»»

When I saw that I got this novel for Christmas, something ached inside me. I don't know how a review will go over when I get around to re-reading this, because how can I measure something so breathtaking, moving, something so close to my heart? Impossible... So, if you see a review for this one, don't expect any smileys.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?" Goodreads here we come»»

*smiles, rubs hands together* Now, ANNA I haven't read and I'm super duper excited to get started, though my fellow readers you won't see a review 'till probably Feb. of '11 *shrugs* Sowwie. The only major complaint about this one, from the throngs of reviews I read, is that the cover doesn't do the novel justice... As in, you and me we see cute, light, & fluffy because of this cover, but I've heard that there's a little more depth in Anna than meets the eye...

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

"Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal." Hop over to Goodreads for more info»»

"Can you say different, unique, extraordinary maybe?" Yeah, I just quoted myself. Yep, I reviewed this fantastic novel and you can get a glimpse of my awesome writing abilities right (here) :P Paranormalcy was a super fun, fast-paced, and such a very REFRESHING/EXCITING read! I'm so thrilled to have it on my bookshelf!

Sequel Alert: According to a very reliable source, Supernaturally by Kiersten White is going to be hitting the shelves in September of '11!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?" Goodreads will tell ya more»»

You should probably know that you're never going to a)read anything like Nightshade and b)encounter characters quite like the phenomenal ones running around in this novel. Want the low down and/or my opinion? Read my review (here). "If your thing is werewolves, romance, and the importance of individuality, then you should head off to your local book store and pay for a copy of Nightshade." (Uh huh, I did it again, I quoted myself.)

Sequel Alert:

Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer 

"Betrayal, loss, pain, fear. How many trials can love endure and still survive?"

Expected to hit the shelves on July the 12th of next year! Pay attention because you do not want to miss out on this book (and its cover) this upcoming year!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

"When sixteen-year-old Jacinda, who can change into a dragon, is forced to move away from her community of shape-shifters and start a more normal life, she falls in love with a boy who proves to be her most dangerous enemy." (1) Get the Goodreads description here»»

Ladies and males, you'll actually be seeing a review for Firelight by the end of the month... I cannot wait much more to read it! It's fascinating! Jordan tackles a whole new paranormal concept (that now that I think on it, should've been written about a LONG time ago) in the YA genre. I'm getting into once of my Agitated states just thinking about the wait!

Part II: Blogilicious Updates
Now, that I'm not angry anymore I'm coasting a wave of immense disappointment. Last last Sunday, I attempted to purchase a domain name for my blog. Long story short, it went horribly awry and I lost a good week to post on the blog. It's frustrating among other things.
But, on the bright side, I edited some pages, which you now have access to above. The only one that won't turn up is the Other page, and that's because I haven't finished yet...Other, smaller changes were added also. I'm hoping to get back on track and hopefully finish out Christmas break with a slew of blog posts, especially as far as reviews go...

Part III: Coming soon
Stay tuned for my upcoming reviews of The Mermaid's Mirror (up tomorrow) & Crave, among others!