Review: Starters

Look at this cover. The poor blue eyed girl looks extremely sad and who can blame her. Callie's parents died during the Spore Wars -- a terrible epidemic that wiped out everyone between the age of twenty and sixty. Sadly, those who didn't have any grandparents were left to struggle on their own. And so Callie who doesn't want to be separated from her little brother must do a crazy thing: she must rent her body.

Please no dirty thoughts. I said rent not sell. What they do is insert a microchip into her head and then the elder who rents her body can operate it while the real Callie sleeps. 

I admit I loved to see the experiment go wrong as Callie woke up and took control of her body. I expected her to do what I would have done: go shopping. But instead she tries to figure out who this  renter is and moves the story from Dystopia to Mystery to Horror, and then sprinkles it with a dash of Romance. 

Needless to say, I devoured this book. Callie is a strong character, never forgetting the huge responsibility   that rests on her shoulders. Helena kept surprising me at every turn. The only character I couldn't warm up to was Michael. Yes, he took care of Tyler but he was so secretive it annoyed me. Can't wait for book two to come out.  

Feature & Follow Friday: Did I do that?

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

 Q: Confess your blogger sins! Is there anything as a newbie blogger that you've done, that as you gained more experience you were like -- oops?

Dear Alice  readers,

Life is filled with oops moments. If I had to go back in time and start this blog all over again I would:

A- Write a review policy early on.  My email wasn't written anywhere else on the site and authors who wanted me to review their books had to go through my Goodreads in order to contact me -- sorry --

B- Stay away from Oreos. Let's face it, late night blogging and sugar filled cookies to keep you up is a bad combo. You are still tired afterwards, only you can't sleep because of all the chocolate intake.

C- I would keep away from Coca-Cola as well, and tea, and Gatorade and fruit filled gummies and ...

No, I don't have a writing/eating problem at all. How dare you :p

Review: Rapture

Ah, the conclusion of the Fallen Series. My hands were shaken with anticipation when they grabbed hold on this book. So many hours invested in this series, I really wanted to know how it ended. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this one more than Torment and Passion. 

Luce's character grew a lot in Rapture (at least she didn't kiss any unknown boy). For once she concentrated on her relationship with Daniel, while he concentrated on the war. 

At least now I know why we had to go through most of Luce's lives : to understand that Luce and Daniel love each other. And although most of the book was spent travelling from one location to another, I admit the ending did carry a surprise that left me speechless and for that, thank you Lauren Kate. 

Top Ten Tuesday: I'm in debt because of you

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hmm, this week's question was tough. I took a look at my bookcase to see which authors appeared the most and was able to draw a good conclusion.

Sorry, Miss Piggy. But I only picked authors who I've read more than one book. No hard feeli-- ouch, that hurt!!

Top Ten Authors on my Auto-Buy List

1. Suzanne Collins I fell in love with The Hunger Games Trilogy before the movie came out and have a Mockingjay pin on my winter jacket.

2. J.K. Rowling Harry Potter is the only series I've ever re-read.

3. Cassandra Clare Can't get enough of her books. I'm about to read City of Lost Souls.

4. Veronica Roth Divergent captivated me instantly and made me a fan.

5. Richelle Mead I always pick up one of her books whenever I need a paranormal fix.

6. Sarah Dessen Her stories are deep and heartfelt.

7. Kelley Armstrong I'm hooked. Her books always carry an element of surprise. 

8. Maggie Stiefvater I have no clue how she writes with such intensity. Every single word counts. 

9.  Deb Caletti For some reason, her contemporary stories always hit close to home.

10. John Green The only man in the list. Not that they aren't many great male authors out there. Simply that John has a way with words that make me pause and think. 

Review: Marking Time

When we first meet Saira she is caught by the police in a dark alley with a can of spray paint. Her mother has disappeared and the only person able to take care of her sends her off to a boarding school. And I thought I had problems.

It turns out that going to that school is the best thing that could happen to Saira. Not only does she get some attention and good friends, but she also learns that she is a descendant -- a time traveler -- and it is possible for her to go back to the 19th century and save her mom.

This is where the story takes a strange twist. You see in 1888, Jack the Ripper was terrorizing the streets of London. And so April White decided to bring him into the story and give us a real villain.

I wish I could travel back in time and read this all over again. It's refreshing to read a paranormal book told in the first person, especially when the main character is strong-willed and exhuberates girl power. April White maintains the tension throughout the whole book. Even the romance is intense.

Recommended to paranormal/romance fans who enjoy a dash of historical fiction.