The Library of My Dreams

Hello all!! So I have gotten myself into another one of my predicaments. I just got a new bookshelf from my Grandparents a couple of months ago. Now, I was moving rooms so I had to get rid of a smaller bookshelf because it didn't fit, but still! You would think that a nice big bookshelf would do the job since all of my books fit on shelves before the move. However, after my recent acquirement of a LOT of books (to be shown this upcoming Sunday!), I am once again out of room on my shelves for my books... I hate it when this happens. It's times like these when I wish that I could just have a nice big library for all of my books. Like the library in Disney's The Beauty and the Beast or the library in the PS2 game Kingdom Hearts II. Just a nice big room, with plenty of shelf space, big windows which overlook some beautiful landscapes like gardens or forests or somesuch, soft squishy chairs, a fireplace maybe, some tables with sweet smelling candles on them, bookshelf ladders, flowers and old epic artifacts interspersed between the books, some window seats, some staircases to reach the second level, and then moving bookshelves so that you can literally get lost amidst the wonderful stories of literature. I dream of the day when I can attain such a magical room (and yes, I realize the moving bookshelves part will forever stay in my dreams but hey, I can hope right?). Pretty sure I would spend the majority of my time in there. Although I think I would come up with a different name for it. Whenever I think of 'library' I think of a public library where you can only check out a book for a certain amount of time and you have to wait for others to return books. Now don't get me wrong, I adore libraries, but for my own 'library' I think I would have to come up with something new....like My Escape or something...but regardless of the name, a room full of my favorite books would be a dream come true. (Sorry I couldn't find a picture of the Kingdom Hearts library for those of you who haven't played the game) Below are some pictures of some BEAUTIFUL libraries. Enjoy!

So my question for you, is what is your dream library like? Or do you already have your own dream library? If you're an avid reader, then I know you've imagined what your own library would look like. So let us know!!  We'd love to hear from you :)

Review'd: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Book Review:
Title: Shattered Souls
Author: Mary Lindsey
Published December 8th 2011, by Philomel/ Penguin

Goodreads Summary:

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.

DeLibrarie Review: 
Take a moment and just look at that stunning cover!! It's it perfect!! (sigh) This was a great book. I was sucked in almost immediately. Things I loved: The LORE. I loved the Protector/Speaker/Hindered mythology. It was a really unique idea, and I was really into it. I also really adored Alden. I mean how can you not?! Thing I didn't love: Zak, Mary Lindsey starts to set you up to believe that there is more to Zak than just him being an overprotective, clingy boyfriend... and I was left a little disappointed with his addition to Lenzi's story. I felt like he could have played such a big role... and he just didn't. I was a little underwhelmed there. I also wasn't a fan of the developing relationship between Alden and Lenzi. I understand him being in love with her, he's had lifetimes to do so... but Lenzi doesn't remember Alden and then all of a sudden she's like magically SO in love with him that she can't imagine life without him. It was a little bit of a stretch for me. I'm a fan of stand alones... I am... but I feel like this could have been a big epic series and it was all squeezed into this one book. There is going to be a second... but from what I understand, it is just going to be a companion novel. I'm anxious to read it, and I really hope that Lenzi and Alden still make an appearance.

 

Review'd: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Book Review:
Title: Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Published July 3rd 2012, by HarperTeen

Goodreads Summary:  

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything--her family, her future--to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Peaches" comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

DeLibrarie Review: 
I was so ready to be head-over-heels for this book, but I just wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it is a great book and totally worth the read, but for some reason I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I  was REALLY expecting to fall in love, and I'm pretty sure the crazy high expectation I had was only really setting it up to fail. I did really love the fact that everything is through Tinker Bell's eyes. That was fun to read. I also thought that Jodi Lynn Anderson did a fantastic job of staying true to the characters that existed well before her book. Never once did I think, "Peter would never have actually done that" or "Tiger Lily wouldn't say that." My only real problem with it was that I felt like the story was missing something. I don't know exactly what...but I do know that I finished it and wanted more. Not necessarily more story, but more out of the story. More developing of Tiger Lily and Peter's relationship maybe, or more specifically more on the Tiger Lily/ Peter Pan/ Wendy love triangle. It just really isn't a love story, there is love in it, but just barely. It was a super good read, it just wasn't what I was expecting. 

 

Review'd: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Book Review:
Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Published June 12th, 2012 by Delacorte Press

Goodreads Summary: 
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

DeLibrarie Review:
This one was hard for me to decide how to rate. Typically, I'll get about 3/4 of the way through a book and I'll pretty much know how many stars I'm going to give it. Sometimes I get surprised and change my mind, but honestly, it usually stays the same rating that I thought it deserved at the 3/4 point. This one was tough because I was thinking 4 and then after I finished it I was thinking 3.5, but because I round up... It's still technically a four. I didn't really have high expectations with this one, I'm not a big mermaid book fan, I feel like they are pretty much all the same. Lies Beneath was really not an exception to that theory. All I told my boyfriend was that it was about a male mermaid who's family is trying to kill a man... and he seriously figured out the plot from that. It is a super predictable book, there are a few surprises in there mind you, but for the most part the important things are very predictable.

I also was really annoyed with Lily. She wasn't a very strong leading lady in my opinion... she started off being a sort of rebel, who has a secret tattoo and dresses super artsy. Then as the book progressed and she fell in love with Calder... she got boring, she became the same leading lady that every other YA paranormal romance book seems to have: the self-sacrificing, deadly monster loving, helplessly annoying girl. It was uber frustrating to read because she started off being so off the beaten path, and became so cliche.

Ok here is where It's going to get spoilery so if you don't want to ruin any MAJOR plot points you should scroll down. This book had a lot of incest in it. Not blood incest mind you, but like that kind of uncomfortable feeling that you get when two adoptive siblings hook up, and you aren't really sure if it's super gross or just bizarre because they aren't blood related. First off, the four siblings seem to be totally fine running around naked together, Pavati evidently likes to seduce Calder to mess with his head, and then Tallulah goes all crazy jealous and trys to kill Lily when we find out that she is in love with Calder... her younger brother... weird... not to mention... we later find out that Lily is in fact Calder's niece... double weird. (again, all of this is not by blood, but seriously... still weird.) I just found it odd that she had all the love interests related to eachother.

SPOILERS OVER! Overall, it was an entertaining read. I'll probably read the second one, but mermaid books really just aren't my thing. I've read a lot of them and I just don't find them as unpredictable and entertaining as other creatures.

Shelf Candy

The final day of joint posts is basically going to be Nic doing a shelf candy, because I (Del) did last weeks and it's only fair. :) BUT... don't worry I'm sitting right next to her... totally counts!

Shelf Candy is hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews. And today I choose... RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier. (She means WE chose... remember we did this TOGETHER... sort of)

After seeing this cover, it made me want to read the book so badly. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when you have one that is THIS pretty while knowing that it's supposed to be a fantastic book, it's just perfect. I love an unforgettable, mesmerizing cover (like this one), makes me love to sit and look at my books all the more. :) What cover has you staring at it all night long? (I like the Ferris wheel in the background.- Del)

Freaken Hot Fridays

It's Day 7 of Delilah/Nichole duo posts of togetherness! Yay! Aren't you impressed?! You totally should be this like never happens. Today for our Freaken Hot Fridays we are going to do something a little different we typically do. Today we are going to list off the five books that we plan to read next. (Cross your fingers) There are many reasons why we wouldn't read these in order... mainly because Del can't ever make up her mind as to what book she is reading, and Nic is always out of town gallivanting around the world so she doesn't have ample time to sit and read... but if everything goes according to plan (ha cause that happens all the time) we plan on reading these five books next and in this order.

Delilah:

1. Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown.

 I need this review out ASAP for my uncle. Anne Greenwood Brown is a friend of his and he wanted to have me read it first to give him my opinion before he read it. So that is definitely next on my TBR list. 

2. Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

I was going through my books the other day when I was looking for a book to do my Time Will Come post and happened across this one. Nic laughed at me because I was so excited to get this one back in December and I "haven't even broken the spine yet" as Nic so eloquently put it. I'm not super excited about the fact that the next one doesn't come out until 2014, which may have been part of the reason why I've been waiting so long to read it, but I think the time has finally come.

3. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I wasn't all that excited for this book until I read some of my blogger buddies posts who had the same concerns going in that I do and ended up loving the book. Phrases like "Best Book I've Ever Read" have been thrown around, and for a blogger who reads YA books everyday... that is quite the accolade. I am a big fan of Peter Pan but not to the point that a deviation in the story would break my heart. I'm ready for a new take on the old classic... and it's pretty. Also a huge fan of the fact that this book is a stand alone. Thank God!

4. Supernaturally by Kiersten White

I've been about 50 pages into this book for a couple months now. I just haven't been able to get into it, mainly because I haven't tried. SO... after I read Tiger Lily, I am going to sit down and get into it because Endlessly comes out in less than a month and then I'll have another completed trilogy on my shelf... that's the BEST feeling seeing a pretty completed trilogy next to another completed trilogy. 

Nic: 

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

I am being forced to read this one against my will by Del, but I am VERY ok with it. It looks like a fantastic read and I've only heard good things so far.

2. Destined by Aprilynne Pike

The final installment... I'm hesitant to finish this series because I loved it soo much, but I have to know what happened to I'll have to finish this one soon.

3. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

My copy of this book has a different cover and honestly, after seeing the cover below, it makes me want to read it even more. This book just looks so different and new that I think it will be a nice change of pace from what I've been reading.

4. Die For Me by Amy Plum

I HAVE to read this one again in order to read Until I Die because I want to get caught up on what happened PLUS it was just SO incredibly good that I can't help but want to read it again and in my opinion, this is a nice excuse to do so. :)

Still On My Mind

Day 5. I know that our little calendar thing says that we do a Can't Stop Gushing about... but this meme, Still on My Mind, hosted by YA-aholic is basically the same thing. So we chose to do that one instead this week. How can you participate?

1. Think of a book that you read a while ago that you can't stop thinking about. 
2. Post a summary of a book.
3. Post why you can't get it out of your head. 

Here is what is Still On Our Minds: :)

Goodreads Summary:
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again

Nichole: Not only do you get caught up in this book because of the stunning cover, but as soon as you begin reading it, you literally cannot put it down. Mrs. Plum is a wonder with words. She makes you feel as though you are the main character, enduring what she is enduring. The way she writes is mesmerizing and the characters are unforgettable. Plus, the story itself is so remarkably unique and fresh, like a breath of fresh air. And having it set in PARIS... that's also a nice change. Makes me want to go for a visit :) If you haven't read this one, you should, because you will never be able to get it off your mind.

Delilah: I've been thinking about this book a lot lately. Mainly because I finished reading the second book in the trilogy about 2 weeks ago. One of my favorite things about these books are how subtly creative Amy Plum is. She follows the same general YA paranormal romance plot but her mythology is super creative and I just wanted to keep finding out more information about Revenants. I also love that this book is so full of French culture. I speak french and so every once in a while when she threw in something French I felt like she was writing it especially to me, which when you think about it is silly... I'm not the only person who speaks French... just ask France. :) I just adore this series. It's so entertaining! I can't get it off my mind.

Waiting on Wednesday

Day 4!!! Waiting on Wednesday Day is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Sunday was books we have just received, Monday was books we own but haven't read, Tuesday was books we are currently reading and today... books we are waiting for!!

Delilah:

I'm super excited for this book... and i'm double excited because I don't have that much longer to wait. Double YAY! I really enjoyed Wildefire and if you read it... you are very aware that it ended on the most cliffhangery cliffhanger off all time. That being said... I am mega excited to get my grubby little hands on this one. Well... and because... Have you seen this cover?! It's fricken beautiful, I can't wait to get it next to Wildefire on my shelf of lovely covers. :)









Nichole:

Every single time I see a book from this series, it takes my breath away. The covers are SOOOOO beautiful and intense! Not to mention the incredible stories contained inside of them... These stories are wonderful and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the final installment. The third book left off so dramatically and unexpectedly that I have been counting the days until this one comes out. SO EXCITED!!! Its release cannot come fast enough.

Teaser Tuesday

Day #3 of Delilah and Nichole spend time together to write posts, and what a lovely day it is. Sunday we raved about books that we recently added to our every growing libraries, yesterday we discussed those books that we are anxious to read but we just haven't quite gotten around to yet, and TODAY... today we get to talk to you all about books that we are currently reading. YAY. We're going to shake things up a bit and Del is going to go first this time because Nic is currently french braiding her hair. :) Yea, so what we're 22 and still braid each others hair... we're drinking margaritas if that makes it anymore adult. Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. How do YOU participate? It's super simple. Grab your current read, turn to a random page (I always use the portion of the book that I've read to avoid causing any spoilers), pick 2 sentences. See really easy.

Delilah:

Title: Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

"This must be what an addict feels like I think, trying to fight the pull of one last, quick read. My fingers itch toward the binding, and finally, with a sigh of regret. I just grab the book and open it, hungrily read the story. "  p. 33

I love this! It pretty much sums up exactly how I feel every time my clock reads 3:00 am and I only have 80 pages left in a book and I set it down telling myself that I will just finish it in the morning only to pick it up again 30 seconds later.




Nichole:

Title: Ripple
Author: Mandy Hubbard

"As the icy water slaps against my skin, the feeling of wrongness just won't leave. For a reason I can't quite name, I twist around to see behind me, and look into the woods. Eyes." p. 120

This book, so far, is SO sad, but SOO good. I can't put it down. If you have ever felt distanced from others or had to lose people you love, you'll really be able to relate to this book (like me!). I have no idea where the story is going and I love that! I'm excited to see where this book goes and how it's going to end. :)

Review'd: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Book Review: 
Title: Between the Lines 
Author: Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Published June 26th 2012 by Simon Pulse


Goodreads Summary: 
New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her teenage daughter present their first-ever novel for teens, filled with romance, adventure, and humor.What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?     Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.     And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.     Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.


DeLibrarie Review: 
This might be the cutest book I've ever read. It was just so sweet! It reminded me SO much of The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley, which I loved as a child. It was really adorable, but that is really all it is. Don't go into it thinking that you'll be wowed, or that you'll be chomping at the bit to find out what happens... it's just not that type of book. It is one that kept me entertained while I was reading it, but I was never pulled into it, if that makes sense. I also think that it might be geared toward the younger side of the YA spectrum. I totally recommend it though, I really enjoyed it. 

Time Will Come

Welcome to Day #2 of Del and Nic actually post things together! YAY! Today is Time Will Come hosted by Books for Company. This meme might be Del's favorite meme mainly because she can look at all her pretty books that are gathering dust and get excited about reading them all over again... only this time hopefully.. ya know... read them. This week we are rediscovering:

Nichole:
When I first heard of this book from Del, I got really excited and went out and bought it. Alas, I have yet to find the time to read it. It is an incredibly unique storyline and a fascinating one in my opinion because I love the premise of Anastasia having survived. But this will, for now, be a book for another day... at least until I have completed all of Del's books and catched up on my own which I've started and never finished.

Delilah: 

It was a hard decision considering I have a gazabillion (it's totally a number) books on my shelf that I haven't even touched since I bought them. Tear. Alas, I had to pick Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey. This is one of those that I was SOOO excited to read and then when it finally hit the shelves I was slammed with finals and put it on my shelf to wait patiently for its turn to be read. Sadly, that time still has yet to come, but I think i'm going to move it from one shelf to my glass one where I will stare at it everyday... and ultimately read it. I'm thinking I'll read this one after I finish Lies Beneath... which i'm reading after Between the Lines. SO MANY BOOKS! Look at the pretty cover... it's PRETTY!!!!!!!!