Breaking Dawn and The Hunger Games Pictures

Hey all! 

*Squeeeeeeeeeeee* Look what we found......how great is that poster. It been released for Comic-Con and we so wish we there. Hopefully they will release some more information over the next few days so if they do, we of course will let you know. 

Also last night we posted a photo of the boys from The Hunger Games on the cover of Entertainment Weekly on our Facebook page so for all who didn't see it.........

here it is! 

What do you all think? Leave us your comments below.

A review for Exile (Mercy #2) by Rebecca Lim

Published Date: May 12th, 2011
Finished Date: July 27th, 2011
Source: From Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 292
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Mercy’s search continues ... Mercy is an angel with a shattered memory, exiled from heaven for a crime she can’t remember committing. 

So when she ‘wakes’ inside the body and life of eighteen-year-old Lela Neill, Mercy has only limited recall of her past life. Her strongest memories are of Ryan, the mortal boy who’d begun to fall for her – and she for him. Mercy soon discovers that circumstances have forced Lela into waitressing at the Green Lantern, a busy city café frequented by suits, cab drivers, strippers, backpackers and the homeless, while caring for her terminally ill mother. Just as Mercy is adjusting to Lela’s life, her beloved, Luc, reappears in her dreams, and she begins to glimpse her true nature and true feelings for Ryan. What she does not know is that her attempts to contact Ryan may have explosive consequences for everyone around her. Meanwhile, ‘the Eight’ — the angelic beings responsible for her banishment — remain determined to keep Mercy and Luc apart, forever 

The Review: “It doesn’t matter if we have to wait. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left. I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to.” 

When I read the first book ‘Mercy’ I rated it 2 out of 5…yep just 2, I bet your wondering why I continued with the series if I only rated it a 2? Well….even though I didn’t think it was great; I still feel this series has a lot of potential. Angels are always great to read about and Mercy’s situation is completely unique and I felt that Rebecca’s work would get better with each book…..and I’m so glad I’m right. 

Exile starts with Mercy in the form of another body, that body being an Australian girl named Lela. Of course, Mercy doesn’t remember anything from her previous life and most of all she doesn’t remember Ryan. Mercy tries to get on with Lela’s life but with the arrival of her beloved Luc, Mercy starts to see glimpses of her past and slowly starts to remember Ryan. How could she forget him, the boy she loved as Carmen? Mercy is determined to find Ryan but why has Luc got a sudden interest in him and why the Eight are so determined to keep her away from Luc? 

Exile for me was a more enjoyable read than Mercy…that’s why I’ve rated this 3.5. The story takes a few interesting turns and new characters are introduced. I also felt the story developed a bit more and even though there aren’t many answers still, I think we all know that Exile was nicely set up for Muse. Not only was the story more enjoyable but I enjoyed Mercy as a character that much more too. It was nice to find out how she feels and that she finds it hard to deal with the body jumping and is desperate for some answers too. My fingers are crossed for the next book and I pray Mercy get the happy ending she wants. 

The relationship between Mercy and Ryan is completely different this time around. With her not being able to remember him and then finding out there in different countries, it takes a while for them to finally meet up. But when they do…..oh, it’s short but oh so sweet. Their reunion is full of emotion and you can really feel the love the characters have for one another. It was really nice to be able to see the connection has grown between them even though they’ve been apart. 

What I’m hoping from the next book is MORE ANSWERS! I need more! We’re heading into book 3 now and I feel that if I don’t get some answers, I’m going to go crazy. I have an idea in my head who Luc is and why what’s happening to Mercy is happening, but of course only the author can tell us. 

Overall, Exile was a much better improvement than Mercy. I’m now more than ever to find out where the author will take the series and the next release date couldn’t come soon enough. 

My book Boyfriend (#8): Alejandro 'Alex' Fuentes

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme, hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. What is My Book Boyfriend you might ask.  Well it is a weekly meme where we talk about a literary crush including stats, a picture of what you imagine he looks like and some quotes from him that make you swoon.  If you are interested in participating please check out the My Book Boyfriend Introduction Page over at Missie's blog The Unread Reader.

So this weeks My Book Boyfriend, I wanted to do someone who I've just fallen head over heels in love with. And who's the epitomy of bad boy by being in a Mexican Blood Gang...

Sexy heart throb-Alejandro 'Alex' Fuentes

Alex's Stats:

Status: He's a Mexican who lives on the wrong side of town. He has 2 brothers and lives with his mother. His father died when he was 6.

Age: 18

Eyes: Chocolate Brown eyes

Hair: Raven Black

Physical Description: He has a heart melting smile, wears a lot of black, is tanned due to his Mexican decent. His hair is described as 'raven' black, with chocolate brown eyes. Has tattoos, wear black and read (the symbol of his blood gang), and rides a motorcycle he named Julio.

Brittany: "I'm losing control."
Alex: "Mamacita I've already lost it."

Brittany: "The reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, um...' 
Alex: 'You've never seen a guy with his shirt off?' 
Brittany: 'Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don't have anything I haven't seen before.' 
Alex: 'Wanna bet?' he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open. 
Brittany: 'Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on."

Alex: "And what do you want right now?" Right now I itch to heal his wounds and forget my own.
He touches my cheek with the tips of his fingers.
My breath hitches. 
Brittany: "Do you want to kiss me, Alex?" I whisper.
Alex: "Dios mio, I want to kiss you ... to taste your lips, your tongue." He gently traces my lips withthe tips of his fingers. 
Alex: "Do you want me to kiss you? Nobody else would know but the two of us." 

I know, I know, its not the most original Alex model but after seeing the Rules of Attraction book trailer, I felt that Alexander F Rodriguez was perfect. And he is.

Thank you to Alexander F Rodriguez for being such an incredible look-a-like. Alex really appreciates it. So if you want a piece of Alex yourself you can catch him in Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. I hope you enjoyed. 

What do you all think of Alex? Have you read Perfect Chemistry?

Thanks to Missie for hosting this great meme.

Tune in next Wednesday for another installment of My Book Boyfriend.

Teaser Tuesday (#20)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1) Grab your current read

2) Open to a random page

3) Share one (1) OR two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Donna's Teaser Tuesday: Exile by Rebecca Lim

1) " Do you think it's possible to fall for someone you've never even really....seen?"


2) " Tell him.....that Mercy shall come again."

Jessica's Teaser Tuesday:  Tempest Rising by Tracey Deebs

Note: I've only just started this one, so not many quotes to share as of yet. I was hoping to give you quotes from Perfect Chemistry, but I finished that before today lol. Hope these suffice though.

1) "Kissed him until I could barely remember my own name, let alone everything I had to face in the next few weeks."


2) "Why do you have to be such a dork?" Rio asked Moku with a big-brother smirk.

"Why do you have to be so mean?"

"I'm not mean, just honest. "

What's your Teaser Tuesday this week? 

Leave us a comment below.

Dragon's Oath: A House of Night Novella by P.C & Kristin Cast

Posted by Donna
Published Date: July 12th, 2011
Finished Date: July 24th, 2011
Source: For Review from Publishers 
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Before Zoey is Marked and arrives at the House of Night… before she rises in power to confront utter darkness, and the House of Night is divided… there’s Dragon’s Oath, the thrilling story behind the House of Night's formidable fencing instructor and warrior – the love that will transform him, and the mercy that will come back to haunt him…
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The Review: I've always been a fan of the House of Night series so I was looking forward to reading more about another character. Admittedly when I found out this book was Dragon’s story, I was a bit hesitant but I actually really enjoyed his story. With this novella only being 160 pages, I flew through the book and found I enjoyed Dragon’s story a lot more because it didn’t drag. It was a nice short and simple read and just what I needed. 

Dragon for me has always been a likeable character and after losing Anastasia he did start to change, especially in Awakened….I felt like he kind of lost his way. I actually started to dis-like him in the last book with how he treated Rephaim and turning his back on Zoe so I felt this was a great time for the Cast’s to introduce Dragon’s past. 

Dragon’s story shows you he was marked and how he matures into the person you see in the House of Night books but most importantly, we find out how he met and fell in love with Anastasia. Although I felt they were quiet brief and short scenes, I do feel they showed the readers what they were meant to show…it’s all about love. The bond the couple share is strong and unbreakable, so to lose Anastasia the way he did, no wonder Dragon’s struggling with her death. I actually glad we got to see how they fell in love because now, I feel I can sympathize with Dragon more as a character and have a better understanding of what he’s going through. The end of the book does leave readers wondering what choice’s Dragon will choose in the next House of Night books and I for one am looking forward to seeing what happens. 

Overall, this book is a great addition to the House of Night Series and I highly recommend it to any fans of the series. 

Help us choose a new name...

Afternoon everyone,

So we've been discussing a few things between us, and one thing that came up was the name for our blog. Now, when we first created Book Passion for Life, we didn't know what we were doing; no clue. So we just sort of just picked a name that was quick and easy. Over the 4 months that we've been blogging, we've come across such awesome blogs with really catchy names; and it got us a thinking about ours. We came to the decision that ours...is...well...it sucks, lol. That's about the only word we can think of. 

So our point is, we've been thinking about possibilities for a new name. We're just changing the name; the blog layout and design will remain the same (even though we both like it with a black background). Anyway, we need your help. We've thought up of a few new names for the blog and we wanted your opinion on them, or if you have any catchy name ideas for us we'd be happy to take those into consideration. So the new (possible) names are as follows:

Too Many Books

Shelving Books

Stacks of Books

Readable Kingdom

Back to Books

Fictional Readers


Bookracks


Book Binders

So tell us what you all think, and please feel free to let us know of any names you've come up with that you think would work. 


If we decide to use one of the names that you have come up with, we will send you the book of your choice priced up to £10/$10 from the TBD (make sure they deliver to your country please) as a thank you for helping us choose a new name :) so get your thinking caps on bloggers and help us choose a new name! 

Thanks bloggers!

Happy reading

A review for Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: September 6th, 2011
Finished Date: July 13th, 2011
Source: ARC - NetGalley
Format: E-Galley
Pages: 304
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The Blurb from Goodreads: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love? 
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The Review: *Squeeeee* Imagine my excitement when I found this lovely book on NetGalley. Yeah, I was over the moon! The first book in the series Firelight blew me away with its completely unique story line and its amazing world that Sophie Jordan has created and of course, Vanish was just as good. 

This story starts off where Firelight finished. Jacinda and her family are on their way back to the Pride after Caspian has found them. But no sooner are Will’s cousins on their trail after they have discovered what Jacinda really is. Luckily for Jacinda, help appears in a person that was once written off by the Pride giving them chance to make their escape. 

Once back at the Pride, things are harder than ever and rules have now been enforced. Will trying to settle back in, Jacinda must now prove to the pride that she does belong amongst them but how can she do that when she still loves Will? But when Jacinda and Cassian become closer, she has a choice to make…….Stay at the Pride with Cassian or leave forever and be with Will? Who will she choose?

It was so great being back in the Draki world. Sophie Jordan has one incredible imagination and if you thought Firelight was great, then you’re going to love this. Jacinda for me became a much more likable person this time around, not that she wasn’t likable in the first book but she goes through so many different emotions during this book, I felt I connected with her that much more. She is always going to be an awesome character but I loved we got to see so many different sides of her. Cassian, I also liked him more this time around too and honestly, sometimes I was just as torn as Jacinda is but then Will….ahhhh Will but pop back up into the story line and for me Cassian was forgotten. My only complaint and why I rated the book 4.5 inside of 5 was NOT ENOUGH WILL in this book! I needed and wanted more of him but things are looking up for the next instalment. 

The storyline itself has twists and turns throughout and honestly some of the things that happened left me totally shocked. I’m not going to say much; however the book cover for one……is a shocker…..but a fantastic addition to the story. But what shocked me the most was Cassian’s and Jacinda’s story. My heart broke for Jacinda as she is forced into something she doesn’t want but is left with no other choice. Yeah like I said SHOCKER!!! We also finally get to see what Pride life is really like and it’s a lot harder for our characters this time around. With all the new rules and dictation amongst the Pride, I really felt you seen the nastier side to Pride life. And honestly, I don’t think I’d want to live their either. 

Overall, Sophie Jordan has created another book with the same amount of captivity and imagination as the first book and honestly doesn’t disappoint. I’m dying to find out some news on book 3 as that cliff-hanger will leave you wanting to know more. 

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

US vs UK (#16)

Welcome to Book Passion for Life's 16th US vs UK book cover battle. We've seen this posted on a few other blogs, and thought we'd jump on the band wagon!

The idea of this battle is once a week we'll post 2 sets of books of our choice, one US cover and one UK cover, and we'll just give our opinion on which one we love the most. Which cover captures the story, which one would catch our eye if we saw it on the shelf in a shop. The US cover will be on the left, and the UK cover will be on the right.

The Scores so far are: 

US: 4  UK: 6  Draw: 5 

US vs UK Round 16

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

vs 

Jess says:  This is easy. I pick the US. The UK cover is creepy and it would freak me out! I think the US cover is just beautiful, its subtly more mysterious and not creepy in anyway.

Donna says:  There's really no contest for me with this one. I have this book with the UK cover which I bought a while ago and being honest....I HATE THE UK COVER!! Erghhh! The girl on the cover really looks scary. Lol. What I love about the US cover is I find myself more interested in the story, it leaves me with questions about the people standing on the rocks and honestly its a lovely cover. So US for me! 

Which do you prefer?

_______________________

Witches of East End by Melissa De La Cruz

vs

Jess Says: I like the UK one for this one. The model is pretty and it's just a more attractive cover. The US one is just slightly dull and doesn't really do anything for me.

Donna Says:  I really love the UK addition. Does anyone else agree the US one is a bit.....weird and boring? Not to sure what's going on with that girl down there but the UK one reminds me of something from Bewitched. The women looks elegant and she's really pretty but I also like the wording and the little sparkles on the cover. UK for this one.

Which do you prefer?

__________________

Okay guys, this weeks US vs UK goes to.....Neither! It's a draw.

Come back next week for more US vs UK! :) 

A review for Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Posted by Jess
Published Date: January 1st, 2011
Finished Date: July 24th, 2011
Source: RAK 
Format: Paperback
Pages: 360
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The Blurb from Goodreads: When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. 

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

The Review: Ohmigod! I am actually in LOVE with this book! 

It was actually my co-blogger Donna that recommended this book to me, she said I just HAD to read it and fall in love with it. And my god did I fall. Hard. 

Perfect Chemistry isn't like any sort of book I read, I like fantasy love stories, forbidden love stories. So I wasn't expecting to like Perfect Chemistry as much as I did. As I said, I fell hard. 

At first I wasn't sure if I would like Britanny, she's that sterotypical-like ohmigod!-American cheerleader, perfect hair, perfect face, rich parents, just perfect. But Britanny turned out to be one of the most genuine and down to earth characters I've read about. She isn't perfect; its a facade. Yeah she's rich, but her family is totally dysfunctional. She's had to grow up pretty quick and look after her disabled older sister Shelley. I just found Britanny such an easy character to like, and I got emotionally caught up in her. She's a wonderful heroine and the best evidence of not judging someone based on looks. 

Now Alex, ah Alex. What can I say about Alex. I can't get him out of my head! We all know I'm partial to a bad boy, and Alex is the epitomy of bad-he's a gang member for crying out loud!- you don't get more bad than that. I fell in love with Alex straight away, there was nothing I didn't love about him. He's gorgeous, tanned, muscled and he speaks Spanish, what more could you want? Except his real name: Alejandro. Say it with me...Aleeejaaandrroo...mmm, that name just rolls right off the tongue doesn't it? Melts in your mouth like chocolate, oo I could just spread him all over crackers...*ahem* sorry got a bit carried away there. Yeah Alejandrooo, he's fiiiine. 

Ahem, moving on. Great book. All the characters were likeable except Colin, I wanted to punch him. Really hard. 

Perfect Chemistry is fun, light and very funny I found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. Simone Elkeles has created a wonderful story about love. Two very different people brought together by a mutual understanding of having a hard life. 

The only thing I would change about this book is the Epilogue, I just felt it did nothing for the story and wasn't that necessary. Other than that though it's a fabulous read and I recommend it. Although I will recommend this to 16+ readers as there are some scenes and certain words that are probably not suitable for the younger YA majority. Otherwise definitely, definitely read this book!! 

I look forward to reading Rules of Attraction and Chain Reaction to find out more on Carlos and Luis. 

Anyway, I hope this review didn't suck too much. I'm going to go think about Alejandro Fuentes.