Happy New Year!!! 2012

Top reads of 2011

I've read so many amazing books this year! There were also many great debut books that released this year, too. It was hard to pick my top books that I've read for 2011, but here goes:

# 3. The Viper by Monica McCarty ( It's no secret that I'm a Highlander lover. And plus, Lachlan is my favorite out of the Highland Guard. I loved his story. )

# 2. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout ( I was never into aliens, but boy did this book change my mind! It was one of the most refreshing and entertaining books I've read in a long time. )

# 1. The River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren ( I just adored this series! It was something new and different and I completely fell in love with it! )

I'm quite surprised that my top two reads are also the last books that I've read this year. Yet again, they were the ones I was most highly anticipating. Well, I guess I really did save the best for last.  :)

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads synopsis:
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

My Thoughts:
I have been dying to read Obsidian, and I have to say it didn't disappoint, not in the least. I loved everything about it! Katy is definitely one of my favorite heroines. It was so easy to relate to her. She's hilarious, spunky, smart, strong, loyal, brave and doesn't take any of Daemon's crap. All in all, I just plain adore and admire her. Daemon is one hot alien. He is a complete douche and jerk, but you can't help but love him. I mean come on, it's Daemon. He's just that awesome! He's arrogant, annoying, but also sweet, and caring. *sigh* I just love him!

From the first encounter, you can definitely see the sparks that fly between Katy and Daemon. They argue and insult one another almost all the time, but it never gets boring. It's one of the things in the story that I actually look forward to because it's just that good and it's also hilarious. The chemistry between the two is also great. You definitely feel the tension between them and the "I hate you but want you" vibe that comes from them both. There were plenty of cute and steamy scenes in this story. The whole alien and Luxen story was also very fascinating and captivating.

I enjoyed each and every moment of Obsidian. It was such a fun and entertaining read. I couldn't put it down. I loved it! I can't wait for Onyx to come out and read more about Katy and Daemon.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Good Reads Synopsis:
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My Thoughts:  
Half-Blood did not disappoint. I loved everything about it, from the mythology to all the characters. Alex is one tough girl. She was lots of fun to read about. She reminded me of Rose from VA, strong, sassy, brave, etc. She's one heroine that you won't soon forget. Aiden is like the perfect hero. He's charming, sweet, courageous, loyal and strong. If only there were guys like him in real life. A girl can dream. And Seth and Caleb are just awesome. I love those guys.

I really thought that the storyline was great. There were plenty of drama, romance, and scary monsters. Some things were a teeny tiny bit predictable, but I still enjoyed and loved the story. What I really loved though was the mythology. I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, so yeah, it was my favorite aspect of the story, besides Aiden and Alex. And the forbidden romance; it just made things all the more interesting in Half-Blood. There were lots, and I mean lots, of great scenes with Aiden and Alex. Half-Blood is most definitely one of my favorite reads of 2011. I can't wait for the next book Pure to come out!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer

I am a HUGE fan of the Lord of the Rings series. When I heard they were going to make The Hobbit into a movie, I was ecstatic. A few days ago the first trailer was released, and I loved it! It made me so excited for the movie, which unfortunately won't come until December 14, 2012. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out. It's pretty epic. Well, for me anyways. :)

Upcoming Reads

I am way behind on my reading. I have three books that have been sitting on my shelf for the past month that I need to read before break is over. So, my top books to read this month are: The Iron Knight, my sister keeps telling me that I have to read it, Silence, and The Faerie Ring.

Very Brief Description:
The Iron Knight: It's book 4 in the Iron Fey series, and is told from the handsome Prince Ash's point of view after the events that take place in the Iron Queen.
Silence: Patch and Nora faces more obstacles as enemies threaten to destroy all they hold dear and their love for one another.
The Faerie Ring: Takes place in Victorian London and revolves around a thief named Tiki who steals a ring that holds the peace between England and the Faerie realm.