The Carnelian Legacy by Cheryl Koevoet Review

The Carnelian Legacy follows the story of Marisa MacCallum as she goes for a ride and then finds herself in a new dimension where she must make tough decisions that challenge her heart. As Marisa falls for a boy in this new dimension, she finds out that love is complicated no matter what dimension you are in. In the end, she must decide if she's going to betray the boy she loves for the greater good of his kingdom or will she abandon everything and risk starting a war.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must say, this book did not do it for me. I hate writing negative reviews, so I'm going to keep this short and as sweet as possible. Frankly, it took me a long while to get through this book. I kept having to stop and put it down before I could pick it back up again. The writing style didn't hook me and the story wasn't anything too special to get me to want to push through it. Frankly, I was disappointed. I wanted so much more from this book and just did not get it.

When I started this book, especially after reading the synopsis, I had high hopes for this story, that it just didn't get up to. It had a really good concept, I just felt like it fell a little flat. Of course, this could just be me. If the synopsis hooks you like it did me, then don't let my poor review stop you from getting yourself a copy of this book. This might just be the kind of story and that needs a certain person to read and fall in love with it. I'm sorry to say, but that person is just not me. And that's what I have discovered after I read this book cover to cover.

Crystallum by Laney McMann Review

**I received this book free from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review**

Crystallum is the first book in The Primordial Principles that follows the story of Kadence Sparrow as she finds herself in the middle of the Primordial race that she has always known about, but never been apart of until now. Here's the full jacket flap summary:

Kadence Sparrow wasn't born a devil's child-she was turned into one. Now, she's hiding from the truth, and running for her life. 

For years, Kade's true nature has lurked behind an illusion, so when her dad gets another job transfer, she knows the drill: no close friends, no boyfriends, and most importantly: don't expose what she is. Ever. Keeping secrets is easy. Lies are second nature. So is the loneliness-and the fear, but when the Shadows attack, and Kade meets Cole Spires, she could expose everything she's trying to hide. 

As one of the Celestial Children, Cole lives by an oath: defend the Ward, protect the Primordial race, guard the gateways, and stick to his own. Everything else is a distraction, and besides, he's lost enough. Cole's job is clear, and no one his age does it better. So, when he meets Kade in a club downtown, he assumes she just wants his attention. Most girls do, but Cole soon realizes ... Kade isn't like most girls. 

The children of heaven and hell are living among us, fighting an age-old war. And falling for someone from the opposition is not an option. But a chance encounter between Kade and Cole will blur the rules, as Kade's journey to keep her truth hidden catapults them together and into a web of lies, forcing her to not only face the demon inside her, but to answer the hardest question of all. 

Which is thicker-blood or water?

I started reading this book and it immediately sucked me in. I am very much acquainted with the ideas of half-angel and half-devil children, but Crystallum took a different approach to the whole idea of it that I really enjoyed.

One of the things that I can't ignore that bothered me, is just how much some of the aspects of the story reminded me of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series. Aside from that, it was a very fun read that had me hooked from start to finish. If you're looking for an enjoyable read that feels a bit familiar at the same time, then Crystallum is the book for you. By the end of it, I was thrusting for more.

The characters in this book were diverse, entertaining, relatable, and had readers really connecting with them. I really love the secondary characters in this book and hope that Lane delves more into their stories in the next books.

Basically, this a good book that deserves a read and I will definitely be picking up the next book when it hits shelves! And that's what I discovered when I read this book cover to cover!

The Vengeful Half Postcard Promotion

Hey everyone, I'm sorry I've been out of the loop lately and way behind on my reviews, but I'm catching up by starting with a review of Crystallum that I will post just after this one! Besides that point, I am promoting The Vengeful Half by Jaclyn Dolamore that is out and available for purchase now! I will have a review up of this super exciting book soon, so don't worry, but in the mean time, this is a book you should definitely pick up.

Here is the summary on Goodreads for The Vengeful Half:
This novel contains interior comics and art by the author.

Olivia might look human, but she’s grown up with a heavy secret: her mother is a potion-maker who fled her home in a parallel world, the Hidden Lands. 

Alfred is the blind, charismatic young heir to the illegal potions trade. When Olivia's mother is kidnapped by the magic dealers with whom she once made a bad bargain, she has no choice but to trust Alfred's offer of help. They travel to a strange new world of bootlegged American pop culture, lifelike doll people, and reincarnation. Alfred finds himself putting his position on the line to defend Olivia against his family’s conniving plans. Maybe he has morals…or maybe he’s just falling in love. 

When Olivia escapes from an attack by a curiously familiar sorceress, she learns that potion dealers weren’t the only thing Mom was hiding from. Dark secrets lurk in Olivia’s past, and now Olivia must kill or be killed by the girl with whom she once shared everything

I don't know about you, but that summary has me already wanting more.

The amazing author sent me this postcard in the mail that I have been meaning to share with all of you because I love it so much!

In case you can't read the quote that well, it reads:

"He imagined what it would feel like if she touched him when she said that. Her touch must be so different from Thessia's. Everything about her was a little sharper. He didn't feel like he had to dance around anything when he spoke to her..."

If this quote is any indication of what the book will be like, then I honestly can't wait to start reading! Who is Thessia? Is this a love triangle? Who is he talking about? Who is he? How completely amazing and heart wrenching is this book going to be? And can we talk about her super cute drawing that brings the setting of the quote to life?

The Vengeful Half is out now, released March 11th, and you should pick up your copy ASAP. This is the first book in a series and I can't wait to to start it.

56 Books You Should Read Before You Die

Books are what make us feel at home and loved no matter where we are in the world and there are so many out there that need to be read. Regardless of what you have already read or what you plan to read, I believe that there at least 56 books/series that should be read at some point in your life.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Lord of the Rings by J. R. Tolkein

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

4. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

7. Little Women by Louisa May Aloctt

8. The Complete Works of Shakespeare 

9. The Hobbit by J. R. Tolkein

10. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

11. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

12. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

14. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

15. Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

16. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

17. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

18. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montomgery

19. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

20. The Iliad by Homer

21. The Odyssey by Homer

22. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

23. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

24. Dracula by Bram Stoker

25. Dante's Inferno

26. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

27. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

28. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 

29. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

30. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

31. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

32. The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene

33. The Giver by Lois Lowry

34. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

35. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

36. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

37. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

38. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

39. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 

40. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

41. Grimm's Fairytales

42. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

43. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

44. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

45. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

46. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

47. Night by Elie Weisel

48. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

49. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

50. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

51. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

52. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

53. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

54. The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

55. The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian

56. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Books are the purest form of magic we have, but there is no denying that there are a few classics. Whatever book you decide to read, whether from this list or not, I hope you read it and enjoy the magic.

The Best Fairytale Retellings of YA

I don't know what it is about this time of year that gets me in the mood for fairytales. Maybe it's because the new year brings hope often felt in fairytales or maybe it's just because I like finding excuses to talk about fairytales. Regardless, fairytales have become an inspiration for many writers and have influenced many aspects of their stories. Popular in young adult fiction is fairytale retellings. Here are some that I've read and loved and recommend for those of you out there that have a soft spot for them.

1. The Lunar Chronicles by: Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles is a series about classic retelling fairytales set way into the future. It's filled with sci-fi and fantasy and is promised to fill all of your fairytale needs.

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by: Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses  is a beauty and the beast retelling. Although Maas has added a fae element, which was something I was unsure of when I picked up this book, I haven't let it influence my opinion of the book in one way. Instead, I was reading the book and I fell in love with it.

3. Throne of Glass Series by: Sarah J. Maas

While this series may not seem like a retelling from first read, there is definitely a fairytale influence to it. It's not really seen at first, so I won't give anything away, but once you continue on with the series, you'll see those aspects.

4. The Selection Series by: Kiera Cass

This series is a bit of a Cinderella retelling. A poor girl gets invited into the palace and ends up winning the prince's heart. However, this is not without Cass's own twists and turns. Our protagonist is only there to keep food on her family's table and she's not a step-child. It's the perfect story that will have you swooning.

5. Entwined by: Heather Dixon

This is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. It's enrapturing and fulfilling for the fairytale lover in all of us.

6. The Hollow Series by: Jessica Verday

 This is the retelling of the legend of Sleepy Hollow. This is one of my favorite books series of all time. There are so many aspects about this book that kept me reading had me up at night thinking about it once I had finished the series.

7. Red by: Alyxandra Harvey

This book, inspired by the tale of Red Riding Hood, follows one girl as she's forced to live with her grandmother at some giant manor surrounded by secrets and monsters.

8. Beastly by: Alex Finn

This book, turned into a movie, is another beauty and the beast retelling. The boy, cursed by a witch to be as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside, is forced to find love to break the curse in the modern world or live the rest of his life like that.

9. Splintered by: A.G. Howard

This series sheds a new light on the stories of Alice in Wonderland. The dark twisty elements make the light tale we all knew growing up more enticing to our older selves. This is, in my opinion, one of the best Alice in Wonderland retellings. If you haven't read this series yet, you must.

10. The White Rabbit Chronicles by:  Gena Showalter

Another fabulous Alice in Wonderland retelling. This one, however, is much darker. Ali has fallen down the rabbit hole and found herself in zombieland.

12. Drown by: Esther Dalseno

This is a very well written retelling of the Little Mermaid, but with so much more. This is a complete reinvention of the original story from Hans Christian Anderson bound to impress readers.










And I'm sure there are many more, but let's be honest, these are just a few that have taken over the YA world. Maybe you've heard of some of these. Maybe you've read them all already. Regardless, these twelve need to be on your book shelf.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween readers! Sorry I've been a little MIA lately. I've been trying to catch up on reading, and have been really busy with school and incredibly thrilled that I have gotten an internship! Anyways, since today is the best day of the year (right next to Christmas), I thought I'd return with a little post. It's nothing special or big, and unfortunately this is not a review, although I promise I will get back to posting as soon as possible! So I thought I would share with you the top ten best things about Halloween!

1. Pumpkin Carving

The icon of Halloween is a jack-o-lantern and few things are better than going to a pumpkin patch, picking out a pumpkin, going home with your friends or family or significant other, and carving the heck out of that thing. Then you get to bake the pumpkin seeds and light the lanterns and show off your creation for the whole neighborhood to see.

2. Apple Cider

Halloween is an odd time to go about drinking hot chocolate (debatable) since it's not really right for the tone of Halloween. But apple cider works. One of my favorite things is curling up with a good book on my porch as I drink a glass of hot apple cider and just take in the majesty of fall.

3. Hay Rides

If you take hay rides away from Halloween, they're kind of a weird event to go on. It's just sitting on bales of hay on a trailer going on a ride through a corn field or trees. But add Halloween and the hired actors who jump out and scare you, and hay rides are actually kind of perfect. And inspiring if you let your mind wander far enough...

4. Haunted Houses

Not everyone enjoys a good haunted house, but for those of us that do, this is one the best aspects of this holiday. Whether it's going to Halloween Horror Nights or your local haunted house, this is the best time of the year to get scared out of your mind by strangers who are getting paid to traumatize you.

5. Ghost Stories

As an avid reader, I love scary stories. And Halloween is the perfect time to get a copy of that newest scary book or one of the classics and read a story that will have you sleeping with the lights on. 

6. The Fall Weather

As basic as this might sound, nothing beats fall weather. It's not cold and it's not hot. The options for clothes are perfect and the ambience of it all is absolutely perfect. It kind of transports you back in time to your favorite historical novel or into the dark crevices of your favorite horror story.

7. Trick-Or-Treating

You are never too old to go trick or treating. Don't listen to what anybody says. It is amazing and so fun to dress up as always and run around your neighborhood or a friends and stuff pillow cases with whatever amount of candy you could manage. And then binge on it for the next week as candy becomes your only diet of importance.

8. The Costumes

Halloween is a day of dressing up in your favorite costume ever and showing it off. For some people that means going down to the local Halloween store and finding the most revealing out fit they can find. For others, this could mean creating your own costume based off your favorite protagonists from your favorite books (E.x. What I'm doing this year). And for the community of book nerds obsessing over the newest Sarah J. Maas, or whatever new book you're currently hooked on, this is the perfect time to bring those characters to life.

9. The Weather

Like I said more than once already, the weather around Halloween is almost guaranteed to be perfect. The cool air, sweaters, and your favorite things all wrapped up into one is perfection.

10. And, of course, The Fall Reads

And you can't forget your favorite books. There's nothing quite like a good fall read, or the new releases around this time.

So grab a book, get some cider and pumpkin seeds, and relax a bit before you go all out this Halloween. And make sure to get some good candy to last you a while!

Illusion by Lea Nolan Review

Hey there everyone! Today, Cover to Cover Reviews is the next stop on the Illusion Blog Tour! And I am sharing with you my review of the book.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As many of you know, Illusion is the third and final book in the Hoodoo Apprentice series. The series is one that comes with intrigue, danger, and of course that charm we all love. It follows the story of Emma and her companions Jack and Cooper, among others, as they find themselves immersed in Hoodoo.

I was new to this series when the publisher invited me to review it, but once I picked it up, it was a series I could not put down. The first two books were enthralling and I was relieved that I had the third and final book to follow them up with. And let me say, Illusion did not disappoint. Between the action and the dark elements that I loved so much, Nolan has found a way to end this series on just the right note.This installment starts off fast, so be prepared. But once it gets going, you almost can't believe you finished this series so fast.

I really like the Hoodoo approach Nolan took. It's completely different from most YA novels and was a refreshing read. However, the characters are much younger than I thought they would be. Normally, it bothers me to see such dark elements thrust upon such young protagonists, but Nolan wrote it well and I don't see a need to complain about that with this series on every note except the romance one. The characters just seem so young for there to be any level of actual love growing between Cooper and Emma. When I was that age, just going to the movies with someone was a big deal. However, Nolan did a good job of balancing that aspect of the novel so that it was satisfying for readers that were into it and manageable to read about for readers that weren't. And really, who could focus on the romance with everything going on in that story! And I say that as a good thing. There was so much action going on that it was near impossible to put the book down because I was afraid I was going to miss something. Emma has a lot of ends to tie up and saving to do.

All in all, Illusion was just wonderful. I wish I would have gotten more involved with the series when it came out some time ago, but I am so happy that I finally got to read it. This last installment is the perfect ending to a wonderful series!

Lea Nolan is having giveaway for her wonderful series! Above is what the grand prize will be for those who enter. If you haven't already and want to enter, please follow this link:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTAyMjM3MzE4ZWE3ZWQ1YzBkZDE2YTA1YzNkOGNlOjMx/?

Thank you for stopping by Cover to Cover Reviews on this fabulous blog tour for Lea Nolan to celebrate the final installment in a wonderful series!