Wicked Winter Read-a-thon! (Feb. 3rd - 5th)

I'm very excited to be taking part in this event. This will be my second time taking part in a read-a-thon and I hope to get lots of reading in since Jay is going away to visit friends this weekend. :)

Make sure that you keep an eye on this post, as this is where I will be doing updates, posting about any of the challenges that I take part in, and possibly even letting you get an early glimpse of what I think of the books I'm reading.

With that said, I bet you're curious to see what I'm hoping to pop open this weekend. As always, I make no guarantee that I will get to all of these, and if something on my shelves grabs me I will go with it. But this should at least give me a starting point.

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Thoughts Going In?: I loved Clockwork Angel, so I'm really excited to see what will happen next. I wanted to dive into this immediately upon finishing that and totally made myself wait for the right time. That could be this weekend. :) Will I remain completely obsessed with Jem or will Will finally win me over?

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Thoughts So Far?: This is actually what I'm currently reading and it will be the first book I finish for the read-a-thon. I was very nervous about reading this book, but at this point I am very glad that I decided to sit down and get it started. I think that this should be required reading for any fan of romance. Why? Because it will serve as a reminder of how precious and important that love is, and it will remind us that love is always worth holding on to and fighting for.

Die For Me
by Amy Plum

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart--as well as my life and my family's--in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Thoughts Going In?: I've been dying to read this for ages and it's about time I quit talking about it and actually did it. The premise sounds intriguing and the cover is gorgeous. I can't wait to find out what I actually think of the book, having waited so long. 

The Iron Daughter
by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Thoughts Going In?: I absolutely loved The Iron King. The only thing that's been keeping me from reading this is how many books I have needed to read. Now that I am pretty much devoting a month to reading stuff I want from my TBR pile, the time to sit down and dive into the next book in the Iron Fey series seems right. :)

Lenobia's Vow
by P.C. and Kristin Cast

The second in the enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Lenobia's Vow tells the gripping story behind the House of Night's enigmatic riding instructor – and one of Zoey’s closest allies against evil

The House of Night is an international publishing sensation; with almost 12 million books in print, and an incredible 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, the series has taken the world by storm. Now, the excitement continues as the Cast mother-daughter duo shares the back stories of a few of the House of Night's most important – and mysterious – characters. The second of the House of Night Novellas brings us Lenobia, the strong, beautiful horseback riding instructor, who guides Zoey through some of her darkest hours, and has a dark secret buried in her own past...

In a small southern town at the turn of the century, young Lenobia is developing into a beautiful young woman with ideas of her own. But when she is Marked as a fledgling vampyre, her world turns upside down, and she is drawn to the musical streets of New Orleans. There, she learns of the city’s dark underbelly, ruled by powerful black magic. As Lenobia experiences her first love – and loss – and discovers a passion for horses to sustain her, she must come face-to-face with Darkness itself. And she may not escape without scars.

Thoughts Going In?: Quick! What's my favorite paranormal series? If you guessed House of Night you are absolutely correct! This is the latest, a novella about the Horse Mistress, Lenobia. The House of Night books are what initially drew me to reading YA and are part of what inspired Moon Dance. They have a special place in my heart and the odds that I will read Lenobia's Vow this weekend, provided it's available for Kindle, are very high.

Tiger's Quest
by Colleen Houck

Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, Tiger's Quest brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them. Winner of a Parent's Choice Award!

Thoughts Going In?: I absolutely loved Tiger's Curse and actually bought Tiger's Quest and Tiger's Voyage before I even had the first book done. Why have I waited to read them? Because I tend to read and review as I go, rather then having too much of an advanced schedule. My readers were asked their opinions about whether they like getting reviews for books in a series back-to-back and the answer to that was a large and unanimous "No!". But it's been a few weeks since I read Tiger's Curse so I should be safe with Tiger's Quest now.

So, that's my huge and extremely ambitious list. Truthfully? I'll be happy if I finish three of those. But we'll see how it goes. :) Look below to see all of my updates for the read-a-thon. Thanks for dropping by!

February 3rd Updates...

5:00 P.M. -- I am 307 / 441 pages through Delirium. I am 75 / 346 pages through Die For Me.

My entry for the Wintery Sentences challenge:

Kaya felt a SHIVER run down her spine as she stood, FROZEN with fear in the WINTER GARDEN, watching THE BLACK ICE prison Tristan had made with his COLD MAGIC slowly form around her. She and Kyrenne, the FROST Prince, would be like two KISSING SNOWFLAKES if he chose to free her with his COLD KISS AFTER THE SNOW Queen had all but demanded that her son forget Kaya ever existed...

Thoughts? I had a lot of fun with that!

7:30 P.M. -- I'm still at 307 / 441 for Delirium, and I'm now 128 / 346 for Die For Me. I also had chicken, bacon, mushroom pizza. :D

Current thoughts: Delirium is incredible but is also very draining because of how intense it is. Die For Me is more fun, when I'm not considering strangling Kate for occasionally doing something dumb. I think I made one slight miscalculation in the books I chose this weekend -- everything is (to varying degrees) really intense! I may need to intervene and get something more light or funny. We shall see. More thoughts as the weekend continues!

11:00 P.M. -- I am still at 307 / 441 pages for Delirium. I am now at 170 / 346 pages for Die For Me.

Current thoughts?: Glad I decided to stick with Die For Me. Kate still doesn't seem like the most well constructed heroine I've ever met, but Amy Plum did a fantastic job on building the mythology for her book and despite its flaws I am enjoying it.

Into The Unknown Challenge

Well this looks interesting. A challenge to talk about where we read, what we're reading and what our reading habits are. The host asked for pictures, but since I only have a video camera -- and have no clue how to get it to take pictures instead of video -- I did a video for you guys instead. Enjoy!








February 4th Updates...

1:00 P.M. -- So I finished Die For Me last night. I'm glad that I stayed with this, because it continued to get better and better as it went on, and it had the whole "Aw, that's so sweet!" feeling going for it that I like to feel when I close a book. I'll likely review this on Tuesday. As for Delirium, I'll likely be picking that up once I choose my dress and my date for the Wicked Winter Ball. :D

The Wicked Winter Ball

It's time to dress in the most gorgeous gown one can imagine, then step out onto the dance floor with the man of your dreams. :D I absolutely love the idea of this challenge and even though I just woke up half an hour ago, my brain was immediately scrambling over what I would wear and who I'd want to go with. I went and saw what everyone else chose, because I want my choices to be original. So, here we are...

My Dress:

There may be lots of ladies wearing this on the cover, but as of the time of this writing, I'm happy to see I'm the only one who has chosen to wear it to the ball. :D I chose this dress because I think it's gorgeous and reminds me of a dress I boutght at a music festival I attended during high school. That dress wasn't as fancy, but it was the exact same shade.

My Date:

Anyone who watched the video I made last night so had to see this coming. :D Of course, Kishan is going to need to switch to being a man because otherwise (1) dancing would be very weird, and (2) we might have some issues with security. :p Plus, I think a few people might panic if a tiger randomly entered a ballroom, and a few of our dates might try to protect us first and ask questions later. So, for anyone not familiar with the Tiger's Curse saga, here is a description:

He was very handsome, but in a darker, more swarthy way then Ren. His skin was antique-bronze, and his hair was ink black, swept away from his face and slightly curled. His eyes were gold with specks of copper.

—Kelsey's thoughts upon seeing Kishan for the first time. Tiger's Curse, page 194

Anyway, thanks so much to Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting such a fun and imaginative challenge. I had a great time with this!

11:00 P.M. -- And Delirium is finished! I'll tell you now, that book is incredible. It was incredibly hard for me to keep reading at times, but I also feel that it was incredibly worthwhile. I'm going to be very excited to get started on a review for it.

Anyway, time for a break from reading until tomorrow. (I don't want to start having my books blur.) I'm going to go play some Star Wars: The Old Republic. Talk to you later!