Review : Out of Body by Stella Cameron

Title : Out of Body
Author : Stella Cameron
Publisher : Mira
Genre : Paranormal Romance
ISBN : 978-0778327622
Series : #1 Court of Angels
Release Date : March 1, 2010
Rating : 3/5 Stars - Good

Description from Amazon :

Born of an ancient family of clairvoyants, Marley Millet finds that her psychic gift is both unsettling and incredibly dangerous. She never wants to "travel" again—but the choice is not hers to make.

After glimpsing the fates of two missing New Orleans jazz singers, Marley knows she has no choice and must speak up before more women disappear. Flinty cop-turned-writer Gray Fisher, who interviewed both chanteuses before they vanished, takes a special interest in Marley's incredible story—and in Marley.

Scouring the wild clubs of the French Quarter, Marley and Gray make an unlikely and uneasy team. But their determination is matched only by the heat between them…and the evil they have uncovered. 

Review : 

Marley Millet and her entire family are each gifted with a different ability.  As for Marley, she can 'travel' to different places and glimpse things that she would rather not see.  In this case, she's been witnessing the deaths of local New Orleans jazz singers.  She can't very well go to the cops, and tell them what she has seen without looking like a crazy person.  Against her better judgement, she does just that, but the only person who believes her is an ex-cop, turned writer named Gray Fisher.

The premise of this book sounded really appealing to me, so I made sure that I got my hands on a copy.  After finishing it, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.  Marley's character was okay, but she didn't strike me the way I wished she had.  I understand that the Millet family is very secretive, and don't trust the outside world, but I personally think Marley was far too shy.

I enjoyed the bit of romance between Marley and Gray.  Especially the little surprise about their romance that you'll have to wait to learn when you pick up the book for yourself.  I expected something along the lines of what was exposed, because of some information strewn along the way.  I however, didn't expect what was revealed about Gray toward the end of the book, and it made me understand more about him as a character.

I read this book a few months ago, but have yet to pick up the second installment to this series, Out of Mind, where we learn more about the next Millet sibling, Willow.  I'm looking forward to reading about her, as she sparked my interest in the first book.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from a swapping site, whether it be Paperbackswap, or Bookmooch.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

In My Mailbox - January 10, 2011

In My Mailbox was started by Krist @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

 Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong (Hardcover)

 July 27, 2010 - Received from Paperbackswap.com

  

The new novel in Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Women of the Otherworld series showcases the fascinating Savannah Levine, a powerful young witch with a rebellious past and a troublesome heritage.

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at twenty-one she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town, as a favour to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

Lady Friday by Garth Nix (Hardcover)

January 17, 2007 - Given a copy from a friend.

Four of the seven Trustees have been defeated and their Keys taken, but for Arthur, the week is still getting worse. Suzy Blue and Fred Gold Numbers have been captured by the Piper, and his New Nithling army still controls most of the Great Maze. Superior Saturday is causing trouble wherever she can, including turning off all the elevators in the House and blocking the Front Door. Amidst all this trouble, Arthur must weigh an offer from Lady Friday that is either a cunning trap for the Rightful Heir or a golden opportunity he must seize - before he's beaten to it!  

 Hush Money by Susan Bischoff (Kindle Edition)
August 3, 2010

Be normal, invisible. Don’t get close to anyone. Kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear when they get noticed. Joss has spent years trying to hide. Now she has an unasked-for best friend, who is the victim of an extortion plot by the school bully, who used to like Joss, who is best friends with her long-time crush, who is actually talking to her. Life just got more complicated.  







Jennifer's Body by Diablo Cody (Trade Paperback)
June 1, 2009 - Bookmooch

Someone needed to put a stop payment on Jennifer Check.

Some people find it hard to believe that a babe like Jennifer Check would associate with a dork like me, Needy Lesnicki. But we had history. We'd been the Wonder Twins since we were preverbal, and sandbox love never dies. Or at least that's what I thought.

But after that night in the woods, Jennifer was different. She looked different. And then the killings began. . . .

A lot of people ask me if I'm sorry I did it. I'm only sorry I didn't do it sooner.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Sunday Kindle Deals : Young Adult Titles under $5 (+1)

Each Sunday come back here to Falling Off The Shelf to find out the latest Kindle book deals in the Young Adult genre!  If you find a deal that you would like me to showcase, please let me know!

**Clicking on Title Links will redirect you to Amazon**

Evermore by Alyson Noel
Current Kindle Price : $2.99
Lending Enabled : Yes

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste… 

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Current Kindle Price : $2.39
Lending Enabled : No

Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Current Kindle Price : $3.99
Lending Enabled : No

In her small town, dubbed "Dullsville," sixteen-year-old Raven -- a vampire-crazed goth-girl -- is an outcast. But not for long...

The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.

Ellen Schreiber's spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
Current Kindle Price : $2.39
Lending Enabled : No

Would you risk everything for someone you just met?

What if he had a secret worth killing for?

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold...

Hundreds of millions of people have already died, and millions more will soon fall-victims of disease, hunger, and dehydration. It is a time of drought and war. The rivers have dried up, the polar caps have melted, and drinkable water is now in the hands of the powerful few. There are fines for wasting it and prison sentences for exceeding the quotas.

But Kai didn't seem to care about any of this. He stood in the open road drinking water from a plastic cup, then spilled the remaining drops into the dirt. He didn't go to school, and he traveled with armed guards. Kai claimed he knew a secret-something the government is keeping from us...

And then he was gone. Vanished in the middle of the night. Was he kidnapped? Did he flee? Is he alive or dead? There are no clues, only questions. And no one can guess the lengths to which they will go to keep him silent. We have to find him-and the truth-before it is too late for all of us.

Lockdown : Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith
Current Kindle Price : $1.99
Lending Enabled : Yes

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. 

Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Current Kindle Price : $3.61
Lending Enabled : Yes


She was just big-boned, big-nose Sarah living in Brenton, Ohio, where, as she puts it, "committing suicide would be redundant." Then she meets Demi, who is trying hard to be invisible--surprisingly easy considering he's black and gay. Alone they are, well . . . alone, but brought together by their love of musical theater, they light up. All this might sound like a stereotypical take on gay men and the women who love them, and there is some of that, but there's also so much more. The renamed Sayde and Demi make their way to a summer theater camp, and that's where things change. Encouraged to become part of the ensemble, Sayde finds she is too opinionated to do that, even as it turns out that she is less talented than she believed. At the same time, Demi is discovering that he's a star who can hang out with actual boyfriends rather than Sayde. Lockhart mixes this all up neatly. Most of the story is told in a bright, bitchy voice that, while familiar, is very smart and very funny; transcripts of tapes made for "posterity" add delicious detail. Although it's hard to say what kids who aren't into musical comedy will make of the myriad detail offered here (Birdie! Cabaret! Cats! ), theater lovers will applaud, and everyone else will appreciate the twists and the ending you don't see coming.

Am I Right or Am I Right? by Barry Jonsberg
Current Kindle Price : $1.47
Lending Enabled : No

Calma Harrison is in love. Not just with herself, but also with the handsome checkout guy at Crazi-Cheep. So stocking shelves at the Crazi- Cheep seems like the perfect job—until that annoying customer tries to hold up the store. . . .

And then there's the small matter of the rest of Calma's life, which is fast falling apart: her absent father turns up after five years and wants to "talk," her mother is clearly living a secret second life, and her new best friend is hiding something horrible.

Calma is sure she knows exactly what's going on. And clearly her direct, personal intervention is required to make things right.
Except . . . if she's wrong. And then her butting in will make everything much, much worse.

Am I Right or Am I Right? is a whip-smart, wise-cracking, big-hearted novel about a girl who is learning that things are not always what they seem, and how to start again when you've gotten it all so very wrong. 

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

E-Book Review : The Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt

Title : The Sevenfold Spell
Author : Tia Nevitt
Publisher : Carina Press
Genre : Fantasy, Romance 
Format  : e-book 
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date :September 27, 2010
Rating : 2.5/5 Stars - Okay

Description from Amazon : 

Have you ever wondered what happens to the other people in the fairy tale?

Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying "good" fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.

Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia's prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation--which plays right into the evil fairy's diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she's willing to make?

Review : 

I've always been a huge fan of a good fairy tale retelling, and when I read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley I had to read it.  Sleeping Beauty has always been one of my favorites, and I wanted to read what Nevitt's take on this story would be.  I was surprised at the approach, but still intrigued.

Normally, the princess is the main character, but not in this retelling.  A young maiden from a tiny village, named Talia, is our main character in this situation.  She isn't remarkably beautiful as most would assume.  In fact, she's quite the opposite.  Talia is described as being ugly, with warts, and most definitely not a looker.  She has even been forced to settle with one young man as her only chance at marriage, because of her ugly features.

When Talia and her mother are forced to give up their spinning wheel, the only source to their livelihood, Talia is forced to use her dowry to keep them alive.  Without that money to offer to her future husband, Talia loses the chance at becoming a wife as well.

I found this part of the Sleeping Beauty tale to be most distressing.  I'm glad the author gave us insight into the lives of the people we had never before seen.  I didn't particularly like Talia's character, but she was good for this part.  There was a lot of sexual content in this story, and at times it felt like it was not necessary.  I just wanted to skip over most of these parts, and get to the real story.

Nevitt's take on Sleeping Beauty was in fact different, but I can still only say that I only enjoyed it a little bit.  I felt like she could have given us a little more magic, and romance, rather than just flat out sexual content.  I would love to give more of her work a chance in the future, because I feel she has great potential.

Where did I get this book? :

I downloaded my review copy from NetGalley.com and read and reviewed this copy for my own enjoyment.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Kindle Deal : Need (Need Bk 1) by Carrie Jones - $1.99

Yet another great deal for the Kindle!  If you haven't started this series and you own a Kindle or are able to read it through one of the Kindle apps than you should definitely go grab this!  It's the first book in the Need Series.  I myself am picking it up, because I have yet to start this series!

**Lending is Enabled for this title.

Current Price - $1.99

Purchase HERE.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits. 

Review : Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Title : Eyes Like Stars
Author : Lisa Mantchev
Publisher : Fiewel & Friends
Genre : Young Adult
ISBN : 978-0312380960
Series : Theatre Illuminata #1
Release Date : July 7, 2009
Rating : 5/5 - Loved It

Description from Goodreads : 

Enter Stage Right

All her world's a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She is not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but has no lines of her own.
Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Open Curtain

Review : 

After being away from reviewing for some time, I'm going back and reviewing books that I read a long time ago and never got around to writing a review for.  Thankfully I no longer have a full-time job, so I can dedicate more time to reading and reviewing.  I wish that were the case back when I had read this book, because in all honesty, it was my favorite read of 2010.  I literally wanted to call off of work, with the risk of being fired, to stay home and read this book.  Knowing how that job treated me when I found out I was pregnant, makes me wish I had done just that.

Bertie was a fantastic character, this much I remember. I loved her from the very start, including her wild ways.  I hated how the Theater Manager treated her, and he quickly became my least favorite character because of this.  Her friends were always there for her though, especially her hysterically funny fairy friends.  They were always doing something outrageous and I couldn't help but laugh myself to tears.

The Theater Manager gives Bertie an ultimatum.  Either she makes herself useful somehow for the theater, or it's time for her to leave.  So Bertie has to figure out what kind of job she can do, before she loses the only home that she has every known.  My personal opinion on that is that it's horrible, why would anyone push someone out of the only home they've ever known, away from the only family they've ever had?  The only clear explanation to me is that he's heartless.

This book was a breath of fresh air for me.  I'm not one to go back and re-read titles, but I can see myself picking this book back up in the future.  Unfortunately I lent my only signed copy to a friend and never received it back.  That's the last time I lend out a book that I want to keep my hands on for a good long while.  I do hope I can have the honors of owning another signed copy of this book someday, because it's something I would love to save in my collection.

Where did I get this book? : 

I won my copy from another blog in the blogosphere.  It's been so long that I don't remember which one it was, but I'm eternally grateful that I was given the chance to read this book.

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Friday Finds - January 7, 2011

Friday Finds was started by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

Check back each Friday to see what I've found, and make sure to stop by Should Be Reading's Friday Finds Post to see what other bloggers have found as well!

 

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney (Pre-Order Paperback or Kindle @ Amazon)

Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN : 9780312622848

Release Date : March 1, 2011

Series or Stand Alone : Unknown

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the Earl and
Countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she
will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if
exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted…by magic. When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever
known or considered important will be challenged. What lies
ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey
into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true
love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of
character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

 

 

Devil Without a Cause by Terri Garey (Pre-Order Paperback or Kindle @ Amazon)

Publisher : Avon

ISBN : 978-0061986390

Release Date : May 31, 2011

Series or Stand Alone : #1 The Devil's Bargain

 

Idle hands are the Devil's workshop...
Temptation and seduction are the tricks of the Devil's trade, and when offered the chance to regain his wings by playing guardian angel, Sammy Divine is hell-bent on doing things his way...

Faith McFarland is in need of a miracle. So desperate to save her sick child, she's willing to make a deal with the Devil: steal a ring worn by Finn Payne, the bad boy rock star who long ago sold his soul for rock n' roll. Temptation and seduction become necessary evils, yet Faith's salvation means Finn's damnation... because the ring is all that stands between him and Hell. Falling in love was never part of the bargain, but now that they've tasted heaven in each others' arms, can they convince the Devil to give up his due?

 

 

Hooked by Catherine Greenman (Pre-Order Hardcover or Kindle @ Amazon)

Publisher : Delacorte Books for Young Readers

ISBN : 978-0385740081

Release Date : August 9, 2011

Series or Stand Alone : Stand Alone

Thea Galehouse has always known how to take care of herself. With a flighty club-owner mom and a standoffish, recovering-alcoholic dad, Thea has made her own way in her hometown of New York, attending the prestigious and competitive Stuyvesant High School. But one chat with Will, a handsome and witty senior, and she's a goner—completely hooked on him and unable to concentrate on anything else.

Always worried that she loves Will more than he loves her, Thea is pleasantly surprised when their romance weathers his move to college and Will goes out of his way to involve her in his life. But then, Thea misses a period. And that starts Thea and Will on a wild ride that neither of them could have possibly prepared for. When they decide to keep the baby, their concerned parents chip in what they can to keep Will in school and give both teenagers a comfortable place to raise their child. But when a freak accident leaves Thea shaken and threatens to upend their little family altogether, Thea is forced to turn to the last place she would have chosen for comfort: her stiff, uncompromising father.

This smart, touching first novel brims with realistic, beautifully drawn characters, and reminds us that love is never as easy or predictable as we might like it to be. 

 

 

Subject Seven by James A. Moore (Pre-Order Paperback or Kindle @ Amazon)

Publisher : Razorbill

ISBN : 978-1595143044

Release Date : January 20, 2011

Series or Stand Alone : Stand Alone

Years ago, scientists began developing the ultimate military weapon: deadly sleeper assassins housed within the bodies of teenagers. Now, Subject Seven, the dangerous alter-ego living inside a 16-year-old boy, has escaped the lab and is on a mission. His objective? To seek out others like him and build an army capable of destroying their creators.

Hunter, Cody, Gene, Tina, and Kylie: five teenagers leading typical lives, until the day they each receive a call from a mysterious stranger--and learn that their destinies are intertwined. Subject Seven holds the key that connects them all. And a vicious, bloody battle for their lives is just beginning. 

 

 

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke (Pre-Order Paperback)

Publisher : NAL Trade

ISBN : 978-0451233882

Release Date : June 7, 2011

Series or Stand Alone : #1 The Dragon Diaries Trilogy

 

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal – well, as normal as a girl with an obsession with drawing dragons can be. The thing is that she’s always been told she’s special and destined for great things. It’s not just because of her good grades, either. Zoë’s the Wyvern, the one female dragon shapeshifter with special powers. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL. Worse, there’s no reference book to consult and the last Wyvern is dead…

Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts. Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, she’s suspended from school and headed to a boot camp for the Pyr guys she’s known all her life. But soon she’s doubting her powers—and even some of her friendships.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday – the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line—unless Zoë and her friends can solve the riddle, work together and save their own kind…

 

Amazon Affiliates : 

Clicking on title links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you happen to make a purchase after clicking these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.