Look What I Got.....

One of the cutest animated movies ever!!!  Puss in Boots is hilarious and a movie that the whole family could enjoy- young or old.

Books I've Read: January 2012

Changeling by Cate Tiernan 

Strife by Cate Tiernan

Seeker by Cate Tiernan

Caprice by Edward Aubry

Origins by Cate Tiernan

Eclipse by Cate Tiernan

Reckoning by Cate Tiernan

Full Circle by Cate Tiernan

Night's Child by Cate Tiernan

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Book Review: Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice)

About the book:

Vampire Academy: St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Frostbite: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…
It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to- hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks…. This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

Shadow Kiss: Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret .... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it-s way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

Blood Promise: The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri. He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Spirit Bound: After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's - and to her best friend, Lissa. It is at long last graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him . . . forever.

Last Sacrifice: Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice.

The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting wrongful execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and to question those they thought they could trust. . . .

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all?

Each other.

*** Book descriptions found at Amazon.com ***

My Review: Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series is powerful, sexy, and enticing.  These novels give the idea of vampires a refreshing new angle with the Moroi, Strigoi, and Dhampir relationship.  From the first page of  Vampire Academy to the last page of Last Sacrifice, I was hooked.  The love, struggles, sacrifices, friendships, and action that Rose, Lissa, Christian, Dimitri, Adrian, etc... are riveting.  5/5 STARS

Vampire Academy- 5/5 STARS

Frostbite- 4/5 STARS

Shadow Kiss- 5/5 STARS

Blood Promise- 5/5 STARS

Spirit Bound- 4/5 STARS

Last Sacrifice- 5/5 STARS

Book Review: Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (Book 3 of the Tiger's Curse Series)

My Review:  I deeply enjoyed reading Tiger's Voyage.  This series has become one of my all time favorites.  Colleen Houck has again amazed me with her ability to write such inspiring and incredible novels.  Tiger's Voyage is funny, touching, enticing, captivating, and filled with adventure, love, danger, magic, and consist with most things that make a novel truly great.

The characters not only entertain, but they also feel real and each have a distinguished voice.  The hardships and struggles that they go through on their journey to break the tiger's curse are riveting as they are captivating.  There is never a slow moment within this novel.  My only regret is that the book had to end, especially with a twist that will haunt me until I am able to read the next part of the story.

I highly praise and recommend this series to everyone, but I request that they start with the first novel, Tiger's Curse, to gain a full appreciation of the novel.  6/5 STARS

Book Review: Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck (Book 2 of the Tiger's Curse Series)

My Review: Once again Colleen Houck has created an endearing and powerful novel.  Tiger's Quest is just as enticing and touching as Tiger's Curse, but with new sacrificed, hardships, adventure, and twists that will keep the reader riveted.  This novel is captivating as it's heart breaking.  The tasks and obstacles set forth for the characters will raptly hold attention from beginning until the end.

Tiger's Quest is held in a more somber note, but it just adds more character and passion to the already outstanding novel.  The love and compassion that fill these pages, along with the dangers and adventure, are truly awe inspiring.  Colleen Houck was able to not just capture my mind with her words, she was also able to create a story that touched my heart.  I laughed, I cried, I was deeply affected by the novel.  I felt the pain and joys of the characters as if it were my own.

I can't wait to see how the rest of this series turns out.  Another   6/5 STARS for being a truly amazing and touching novel.

Book Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck (Book 1 of the Tiger's Curse Series)

A Little About the Book: Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that's exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and  mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

*** Book description found at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Curse-Book-Colleen-Houck/dp/1402784031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328196978&sr=8-1 ***

My Review: From the first chapter, I had fallen in love with this novel.  Tiger's Curse is not only thrilling and compelling, it is also touching and endearing.  the characters are quite distinguished and very easy to like.  Each has an individual voice that is different in it's own way.  The idea of the novel is enticing and magical.

Once I began reading, I couldn't stop until I had finished, and even then I wanted to hear more.

Tiger's Curse had myself yearning to be in Kelsey's place with my own cursed Indian Princes that need my help to finally to be free.  The love, devotion, and power of the characters on their thrilling adventure held my attention raptly.  Even the insecurities of the characters, particularly Kelsey, were quite humoring as they were touching.

Tiger's Curse is definitely a novel that I would recommend to others, and would gladly read a numerous times myself.  I look forward to reading the next novel to such a promising series. 6/5 STARS (The extra star is not a typo.  I just really loved the novel and thought it deserved a little more praise)

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Book One of the Lorien Legacies Series)

A Little About the Book: We may be walking past you right now. We are watching as you read this. We may be in your city, your town. We are living anonymously. We are waiting for the day when we will find each other. We will make our last stand together—if we win, we are saved, and you are saved as well. If we lose, all is lost.

*** Book description found at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Number-Four-Movie-Lorien-Legacies/dp/0062026240/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328113806&sr=8-1 ***

My Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is quite an interesting book, but for me it had it's ups and downs with the pace- some parts of the book seemed to drag on, but then it would pick up throughout the book.  The idea of the story held my attention through out the novel, and I really did enjoy the book, I just wish the pace would have been a bit faster.  I was intrigued with the idea of the novel and it really makes you wonder-what if there really are aliens from other planets here on earth, because we really can't be the only planet that has life.  The characters of this novel are quite likeable and are distinguished. The only negative aspect of the book, for me, was the slow pace in some parts that seemed to drag on a bit. 3/5 STARS