Of Witches and Warlocks: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford

     Vance has gone off in search of his demon father after he was partially turned into a demon. Portia is determined to catch up to him before he gets into trouble. When she finally finds him, they decide to search for his father together in hopes of discovering some answers for Vance. They find more than they could have imagined.

     The Demon Kiss was just as fantastic as The Trouble With Spells!  I found myself holding my breath and cringing at different intervals. It reminded me a bit of the Sweep series, but it was completely different.
     As Portia's and Vance's relationship deepened, I found myself believing it more. They were fun and cute together, but they weren't the perfect couple. Such a thing doesn't really exist and I could see that from their connection. As with everyone else, they had their problems and disagreements. Nonetheless, they overcame the weaknesses in their relationship to be a stronger couple.
     I liked Portia more and yet less in this book. While she was still the strong and loving Portia I knew from The Trouble With Spells, she didn't seem to develop much further as an individual. It was always in relation to Vance. I couldn't understand Portia as much as I would have liked because of this. I wanted her to have a bit more of her own life that I could connect with. I still loved her, don't get me wrong, but I wanted more from her.
     Vance actually seemed to develop quite a bit in this novel. Instead of just being the cute, mysterious guy he became someone you could know and love. I suppose I couldn't connect with him as much in the previous novel because I didn't know enough about him. Now, though, I can see where he is coming from.
     The plot in this was pretty amazing! It really did keep me on my toes, wondering what would happen. First, will she find him? Then, what's up with his dad? Once you find out what the Demon Kiss actually is, the pages will fly!
     All in all, I loved this book. I cannot wait until I get my hands on Blood of the White Witch!

     Rating: 8.5
     Get this wonderful book from the Of Witches and Warlocks website or Amazon.

*The fact that I received this book from the author did not influence my opinion of it in any way. This was my honest review.
      

More Halloween Treats

     Obviously when you go trick or treating you never get handed a book (which is actually quite disappointing). Instead of going from house to house, hoping and praying that some kind soul (haha) will take pity on you and cough up a wonderful novel, why not enter some fabulous Halloween contest? I see no reason not to!

     I found quite the treat while trick or treating across the internet just now. The Blue Bookcase is giving away a smashing copy of... can you guess? That is right ladies and gentlemen, a beautiful copy of Edgar Allen Poe: Complete Tales and Poems. If that doesn't get you excited, then I'm not sure if anything will. So, enter away and good luck to you all!

Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells by Lacey Weatherford

     This is my first official book that I received for review! You have no idea how excited I was about this opportunity! Thank you so much Lacey.

     Portia Mullins has just turned sixteen and has had a bomb dropped on her. She is a witch, descended from a long line of other witches and warlocks on her father's side. This isn't exactly what she had planned on hearing, especially not on her birthday. That she was being given a car, maybe, but that she is a witch? It would be a bit difficult for anyone to wrap their head around, but she manages. Plus, it means she gets to hang out with Vance Magnum more, and who could resist that?
     Portia and Vance are drawn to each other. They begin to fall in love. When secrets from Vance's past surface, it is up to Portia to save those that she loves.

     Wow! I think that about sums this up. It was an amazing read full of romance, action, and quite a few laughs too. Lacey Weatherford is definitely a talented writer. I felt like I was right there with the characters the whole time. There were no slow spots, but I don't mean to say that it went too fast either. I stayed up all night to read it! :)
     My only complaint is that Portia and Vance fell in love a little too fast. One moment it was sort of a crush and the next they were spending every waking moment together claiming to be soul mates. To redeem this, of course, is that both Vance and Portia realized how quickly their relationship was moving, so it wasn't as if they were oblivious. I just wish they would have gotten to know one another a bit better before they fell head-over-heels in love.
     I loved Portia, I really did. She was independent and fiercely protective of the people she loved. Plus, she wasn't an idiot by any means. She was sweet and honest. I liked that Portia had a good relationship with her parents and grandmother as well. I could feel her joy, her anguish, and every emotion as if it were my own!
     Vance, well, yeah. Sigh. He had the whole mystery thing going for him. That and the good looks! He was great though. Him and Portia were cute together and I loved how much he cared about her. It was so sweet! He made me laugh sometimes too, just the things he would say...
     I thought the plot in this book was fantastic! It drew me in from the first page and kept me reading. Everything seemed so real, as if it could have really happened. The magic was cool too! Portia was immensely strong and it was fun 'watching' her try out her powers.
     Rating: 9.75
     Find this amazing book at the Of Witches and Warlocks website or Amazon!

*The fact that I received this book from the author did not influence my opinion of it in any way. This was my honest review.
   

Haunted Halloween Contest

     Jessica at Confessions of a Bookaholic is hosting a series of contests in the spirit of Halloween! This week she is giving away a copy of Minder by Kate Kaynak. Sounds amazing, right? Well, the fun doesn't stop there! She also has a spooky story written by Kate herself! Other authors are sharing their stories as well.

     Stop by Jessica's blog and see for yourself. Good luck to those who enter!

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

     Erin Channing is a nerd with the highest GPA in her tenth grade class and she is just fine with who she is. She prides herself on her rationality, that is, until her Aunt Kiki mysteriously dies during a thunder storm leaving Erin with a plastic, pink crystal ball. Suddenly, Erin realizes just how boring she is, especially compared to her best friends. Samantha is fun and beautiful and Lindsay is so sweet.

      How can she write a convincing essay that will win her a trip to Italy to study art if she is so boring though? With a little help from a certain crystal ball, her best friends, and a certain someone, Erin is in for quite a bit of... being NOT boring.

     I did not expect to love this book so much. I figured it would be pretty good, something light and fun (which it was), but it was much more than that. It went deeper than your run-of-the-mill girlish novel to tell a story that I couldn't help but love. Mrs. Green did a superb job capturing the essence of her characters, if you ask me.
     Erin was incredibly easy to connect with. She was the perfect nerd! Most nerds in novels are stereo-typical in that they are great at just one thing and spend most of their time doing said thing without having much of a life. Erin was smart, but she had friends and she didn't sit around in her room studying all of the time. I felt comfortable reading about her because she seemed quite a bit like me and my geeky self. ;)  Although, I must say that I can't recite the periodic table in alphabetical order (or any other order for that matter) to the tune of "YMCA". I would really like to see that done, it sounds hilarious! Erin liked being the rational one too. All of this nonsense about magical pink crystal balls really didn't suit her at first. She came around though and realized that sometimes you have to step outside the box a little.
     Samantha and Lindsay are the kind of friends that know you and all of your little quirks, but love you because of them rather than in spite of them. Samantha is definitely outgoing. She's fun and energetic, and she speaks her mind. I wasn't such a fan of Samantha, but she did add to the story line. Lindsay, on the other hand, is more reserved and kind.
     Then we come to the certain someone: Jesse Cooper. Apparently Erin and Jesse were close before his father died. Then he changed drastically and drifted away. Erin's AP Art History assignment throws them back together again though. Erin comes to realize that all of her feelings for Jesse still hold true. If only he would remember their first kiss...
     Erin tells the story in a slightly humorous, and yet slightly serious tone. It's great! I mean, I finished the book in a day which doesn't normally happen unless I can't put the book down. Risa Green kept me turning page after page just so I could keep reading about Erin. I loved how the beginning went back to explain some things before moving forward. It was interesting and not at all annoying or redundant. The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball was quite original. It had everything I was looking for.
     My favorite part:
"There's just one problem," I tell him. His eyes snap to attention.
"What's that?"
"I don't know if they'll let me take my box on an airplane. And I won't be able to think if I'm not inside it."

     Rating: 10

     You can find this great read anywhere including Amazon.

*By the way, this is my 50th post. Yes!

Book Blogger Hop October 22-25

     It's been quite the month for me! I've been busier than usual with book reports, the PSAT (I wanted to cry), and other things for school. I can't believe school is going by so swiftly though. Halloween is days away and just after that is Thanksgiving. I still had a little time to get through a few fantastic books, which is always great.

Thanks to Jennifer at Crazy for Books for the hop!

Question of the Month:

     Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?

Answer:

     I'd have to go with in bed. That's where I usually read and it's pretty comfy. When I wake up in the morning on weekends I grab the book lying next to me on the floor without having to get out of bed. Can it get any better?

I'm sorry I haven't been able to hop for a while, so if I'll be responding to hops from a few weeks ago! :) Have a great weekend!

Tag!

     Awesome sauce, I have officially been tagged! ;) Let's see here...

4 Things in My Handbag

• Germ- X (because you never know when you might need to clean your hands! I am NOT a germophobe)
• Books a Million gift card and discount card
• Sunglasses with one lens missing (I loved them too)
• camera (because I like to preserve my memories)

4 Things In/On My Desk

• Books (duh!)
• Mail (it makes me feel special)
• Fuze drink (the pina colada one that is quite tasty)
• My awesome, brand new phone

4 Favorite Things in My Bedroom

• Bed (on which I do all of that lovely sleeping I am so fond of)
• Bookshelves (need I say more?)
• Radio ( la ti da...)
• Papier mache Hershey's kiss (I made it and it is awesome. enough said.)

4 Things I've Always Wanted to Do  (But Haven't Yet)

• Skydive (why not?)
• Get a degree from Harvard (I'm dreaming big, okay)
• Travel the world (I want to experience as much as possible in the short time I have on this Earth)
• Take a roadtrip with my friends (I can only imagine being stuck in a car, alone, with them for days... ;D)

4 Things I Enjoy Very Much At the Moment

• Sleeping (have I mentioned this?)
• Reading (if you are reading this, chances are you share the same sentiment)
• Going to the Drive-in Movie Theatre (it is out in the woods and absolutely beautiful)
• Writing

4 Songs I Can't Get Out of My Head

• I believe I can fly (which has been stuck in my head since around April but I don't know why)
• The eBay song from Weird Al (great satirical example)
• The Boys of Summer by Don Henley(the only part that is stuck in my head is "Don't look back, you can never look back.")
• Bad Day by someone I don't know

4 Things You Don't Know About Me

• I have been to Mexico
• I secretly love the Hallmark channel and Lifetime (no mocking!)
• I am technologically incompetent (what can I say?)
• My mother and I are very close (oddly enough, I don't think I've ever mentioned her)

4 Bloggers I Am Tagging

• Ellz Readz
• DeRaps Reads
• Down The Rabbit Hole
• Books Are Life

Book Blogger Hop (October 1-4)

     I think my teachers are all in cahoots. I'm serious, they sure do know how to swamp students with work. Anyway, that is why I missed the last hop. Homework and... my birthday! The cake was delicious, I must say. Chocolate with chocolate chips and walnuts in it and cream cheese icing. Yuuum!
     Now, on to the real business of this blog: books! I finished Clockwork Angel and there should be a review for that up sometime in the foreseeable future. I also plan to finally review Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone.
     Thank you to Jen at Crazy for Books for the always awesome hop!

Question of the Week:

     How do you spread the word about your blog?

Answer:

     For one, I participate in the hop. I think that is pretty much the best way I spread the word. Aside from that, I comment on blogs. That's about it I think.

     So, how was your week? How do you spread the word?