Review: Hourglass (Evernight #3) by Claudia Gray

Title:  Hourglass (Evernight #3)
Author: Claudia Gray
Read: 30.1.11
Finished: 31.1.11

Goodreads Synopsis: Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

- took out some spoilers-

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes.

Review: Okay, I'm kind of stuck with this review because its late, my eyes feel constricted and I have uni tomorrow. *le sigh* But I will try my best to write at least a good review for your pleasure.

I was pretty excited to start reading Hourglass even though I wasn't too enthusiastic about the first book.

The events in this 3rd installment were more whole and exciting to the extent that I couldn't stop reading. Though the series started out with a book that was very predictable; Gray's writing slowly improved and became more unpredictable. The tension between Bianca and Lucas completely took me by surprise and it kept me wondering whether or not they'll actually make it together (not that their relationship is failing or anything like that)

Even though I was completely rooting for Balthazar to be the main hottie. It didn't happen much. *disappointment* You can't have everything you want now can you? I really love Vic and Ranulf. Their characters just crack me up so much and I love how weird and laid back they both are. Especially Vic. Hes just so freaking cool! I heart you Vic!

I think the only character that annoyed me the most is Raquel. Shes just stupid sometimes. Just her overall pessimistic attitude makes me want to go on a murder spree. Lol.

Overall, I never thought a third book of the series would actually be unputdownable mostly its either just the first and then fades with each book or goes on throughout the series or never happens in a series. But I'm glad this was something different. Honestly, I rather found this book to be very unique in different ways. Though the writing seemed a bit rushed. Gray's work still is great. I can't wait to get my hands on Afterlife! I can not believe what a huge cliffhanger Claudia left behind! This book was unputdownable! 4/5 stars!! :D

Goodreads | Evernight -Evernight #1- (Review) | Stargazer -Evernight #2- (Review) | Review List

It's Monday, what am I reading? #8

This is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books. It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

It's Monday! This is what I'm reading: 
 

Goodreads Synopsis: Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

- took out some spoilers-

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes. 

Comments: I'm really enjoying this third book! Me like ! Me like. I can't wait to see what happens. Hope I can finish this week. Got Exams next week so I shall try my best! I wanna finish reading this before that. *determined*



What I've read last week:

 

Stargazer Review

What are you guys reading this week? Let me know below! I'll be commenting on them all when I get back from Uni! :D

Review: Stargazer (Evernight #2) by Claudia Gray

Title:  Stargazer (Evernight #2)
Author: Claudia Gray
Read: 21.1.11
Finished: 29.1.11

Goodreads Synopsis: The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas— They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning...

Review: At the beginning, I felt like I was dragging my feet trying to finish the sequel to Evernight until I got to the middle and it started getting me hooked. Which happens in the beginning of almost all the books I've read. So nothing unusual there.

I enjoyed reading it until the end. The relationship between Lucas and Bianca still annoyed me. Lucas, despite the fact that he says that hes not very good at the emotional crap he sure is with his long preaches of the heart. I laughed several times at his remarks. Corny much?

I'm actually a bigger fan of Balthazar. I totally picture him all hot and gorgeous while Lucas is scrawny and okay looking. I think I need more time to let Lucas grow on me. Okay, enough about my fangirl remarks.

Towards the end, excitement sparked which added to a basic allure of the book. I actually liked this installment better than the first. The end of Stargazer made it seem like just the beginning of the series which makes it hard to believe that Afterlife is the end of the series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was waaay better than the first book. I'm really glad I continued to read this series. It wasn't unputdownable but it sure was a good read! I'm going to start reading Hourglass right now! 3.5/5 stars! :)

Goodreads | Evernight (Review) | Review List

On my wishlist #7

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click HERE.

 

Goodreads Synopsis: It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…
Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie. 
 Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

The Sequel! I also want. :D 

 Comments: This was actually the second Fae book I've ever heard of since I got into YA. The first being Need of course. :D I would really love to get it. The covers are so pretty and the synopsis sounds really intriguing.

Whats on your wishlist this week? Comment below with a link.

Bookshelf Showcase

Update: BookShelf Show Case is a once a month meme hosted by AwesomeSauce Book Club You can show off your personal book shelf or another book shelf you find really fun or that you love. Each Month on the first I will post this and we can link up here and see what changes we made. This will be a cool way for us all to get ideas on how to display our books more creatively.

 Yay! Its now a meme! :D

 ---------------------------------------------------------------

A little thing Awesomesause is doing here.

This should be a meme done once a month so we can see all the changes on our bookshelves and show it off to everyone! haha. :D Me like. Here is my bookshelf pictures. I have like 2 bookshelves but I only use 3 shelves for all the literal bookies! I also have a shelf for magazines and Design books. But I didn't show it off here. Anyways! onto the pictures!

First self! All YA related books. :D

All the classics on this shelf. 

Then a mix.

Nothing special I know.  I really need to install more shelves. I ran out of space. T-T My dad promised us we'll be getting wall shelves and all for the past 3 months but nothing has happened yet. Oh well! 

Hope you guys like. :D Tell me what you guys think. I know I don't have much YA books just yet. I'm still new. :D Haha. But its getting there. I really love looking at other peoples bookshelves. 

Waiting on Wednesday #7

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.)

 

Goodreads Synopsis: Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Comments: After reading this synopsis. I wanted to read it reaaall bad. It'll be the next thing I'll read for the debut authors challenge. :D 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday #7

 Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading, wherein we share teasers (not spoilers) from the books we're currently reading.

 

"I know it's been way too long. I hope you haven't been checking your email all this time hoping to hear from me." - page 28

Comments: As you can see, I haven't been reading at all this week. *sad face* I feel like I'll be going through cold turkey soon if I don't have my next reading fix. *sad face x2* I have 4 quizzes on Thursday so hopefully on the weekends I'll be drowning in the world that is Evernight.

Whats on your teaser this week? Let me know with a linkage! :D

It's Monday, what am I reading? #7

This is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books. It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This Monday I'm reading: 

 Goodreads Synopsis: Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....

*removed some spoilery parts*

Comments: I'm not even half way done with this yet. Which is sad and I don't think I'll be able to get much reading done this week because of our constant quizzes, assignments, presentations and exams. T-T Oh boy! Good Luck to me! I hope I finish this though. :D So I can start Hourglass and wait patiently for Afterlife. 


What I've read this week:

You can find the reviews I've written of Unearthly and The Host here.

Let me know what you've been reading all week in the comment section. :D

In My Mailbox #6

A weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we post all books we have received where in the mail, bought or got from the library.



Bought:

• Stargaze by Claudia Gray

Won:

• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (THANK YOU SO MUCH MANDY @ Well Read Wife)

Review List

What did you guys get this week? Comment with a link. :D

On my wishlist #6

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click HERE.

 

 Goodreads Synopsis: 

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Comments: This is the next upcoming release I'll be getting from TBD. I loved the synopsis and I can't wait to read it. I'll also read it for the Debut Author Challenge and others. I wonder if there's a paperback edition of this book. *goes and checks*

Whats on your wishlist this week? Let me know in the comment section below. :D

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Started : 18/1/11

Read: 21/1/11

Released: Jan. 4, 2011

Source: The Book Depository

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Review:

To be honest I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t like this book even after reading many positive reviews. Some people appreciate books more than others and some just have different tastes even when we’re reading the same genre. Okay, I know I’m babbling. I’ll get right to the chase.

Unearthly started out slow, easy and captivating. It wasn’t dragging it was light and steady. There wasn’t much “action” in the beginning but it wasn’t bad at all. It was still exciting in its own way and kept me reading word for word.

Clara is an excellent protagonist. (I totally see Dakota Fanning playing her) She wasn’t too overwhelming and angsty and despite the fact that she’s an angel-blood or a nephilim. She and her brother is left ignorant by her mother about the how deep the angel stuff can get. So mainly, she just knows the basic stuff like purposes, flying, the super strength and smarts other than that she is left oblivious which I think was kind of stupid of her mom to do but then again she is just protecting her.

I won’t go into the secondary characters because it’s hard for me to do so without spoiling it for you guys… so I’ll leave to you guys to read the book and find out.

To wrap up my review, I say that I loved the book from start to finish. It was literally captivating to the point where I couldn’t stop reading even when it started slow. Cynthia took care of that and simply wrote a beautiful book. I love her writing style so much that it simply took my breath away. Unearthly is an unputdownable book and I highly recommend it to you all. 

More from me here. Also, if you've read Unearthly and wrote a review about it. Share it in the Mr. Linky below so I and many others can comment.

The Friday 56 #1

Meme hosted by Freda's Voice. More info here: The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.

I'm joining a new meme this week since I don't post anything on Fridays if I don't have a review to write. I was supposed to finish this last night but I was so beat that I passed out after page 200. Haha. I was that tired. Anyways, on to the 56th page!

""Impressive attempt at flirtation." "I guess I was inspired," I say a bit dazedly."

Whats on your books 56th page? Let me know below.

Third Sentence Thursday #2

My Third Sentence Thursday is from Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. 

"I think you must be some kind of freak. Either that or you're trying to convert me to your secret horse religion."

I found this sentence funny and at the same time very much like something I would say.

Whats on your TST this week? Let me know in the comment section below.

Waiting on Wednesday #6

"Waiting On" Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about (created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.)

Goodreads Synopsis: The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning....

Comments: I have hourglass already on my shelf all I need to get is Stargazer and I'll be good to go with two books to read. I'll be getting it this weekend. Can't wait.

More:

• Evernight by Claudia Gray (Review)

 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Let me know in the comment section below.

Teaser Tuesday #6

 Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading, wherein we share teasers (not spoilers) from the books we're currently reading.
 

 "The first time, November 6 to be exact, I wake up at two a.m. with a tingling in my head like tiny fireflies dancing behind my eyes. I smell smoke..." - page 1

Comments:
I haven't started this book yet. Because I'm taking a day break from reading. Orders from the boyfriend. I should have kept my mouth shut when I said my eyes hurt. -.- I can't wait to get started on Unearthly. It sounds so goood! :D