Top 10 Books I’ve Read In 2011

Oh my gosh, here we are - the last week of 2011. I can't believe it, this year seriously flew by. I know, lots of people probably say this at the end of every year but for some reason, this year really flew by in the blink of an eye!


Top 10 of 2011 is a week long event hosted by the awesome Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun and Patricia and Jaime from Two Chicks On Books where we look back on all the awesome books of 2011 and look forward to all the amazing new releases of 2012.
TOP 10 BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2011
Let me just say that I had a really hard time making this list. Well, it was hard until I took a look at my little scroll box down there on my sidebar where I listed all the books I read this year. And if you take a look, there are only thirty books there, lol. Then my choices were really narrowed down but it helped me out a ton too, so shall we get to it? Also, although I have my list numbered, there really isn't any particular order to them...besides the first three. ;)

1. The Crescent by Jordan Deen - I had read The Crescent way back in March, during the weekend of my birthday, to be exact, and instantly I fell in love with it. I'm not sure if it was because of my sister's constant raving that rubbed off on me or what, but the storyline of this series was unique and really captivating. I don't think many have heard of this series but I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone who can read. And I love it so much that my number two is:

2. Half Moon by Jordan Deen - Yeah, I love this series that much. Jordan Deen did amazing stuff in book two. I can't even express why I love them so much. Of the two though, this one is definitely my most favorite but who knows since book three hasn't been released yet. You know those kind of books where after you finish it you don't even know how to think or function? Yeah, these two stunned me breathless! I am still blown away by them because I still haven't gathered my thoughts completely to write my reviews for them. That amazing!



3. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton - Aaah, I get so excited when I, or anyone, talks about Wings of the Wicked. It doesn't release until February 1st of 2012 (all of you should go pre-order it right now) so not a lot of people have read it yet but man oh man, this book did things to me. I think it was the emotional turmoil that took me over the edge. This book is action packed but I was hooked by the heart to Ellie and Will's relationship. Courtney Allison Moulton is a genius. A genius, I tell you!



4. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I love this book solely for the leading female, Alex. Man, I feel like I've been raving about this girl for a decade now. ;) She makes the Covenant series what it is and I mean, the guys are a total plus but Alex is what makes this series shine! Also, the mythology behind it is also very interesting and nothing like I've ever read! Total favorite!



5. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead - Any book that can make me bawl my eyes out immediately make the list for me. And man, I cried like a little 5 year old throwing a tantrum at a grocery store. I'm serious. If any of you have read this series, you might be able to understand why I was furious towards the end of this book. I was furious because...it was one those situations where I was like, "YOU CAN'T UNDO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! WHAT THE HECK WAS RICHELLE THINKING?!" Yeah, I was uber sad and pissed at the same time so my tears were full of fury and pain. And this book was totally my favorite from the entire series.

6. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes - Like I mentioned above, I'm a sucker for books that stir my emotions straight to tears and this book was another one of those. Gwen Hayes surely knows how to write a creeptastic novel. I just remember being seriously creeped out by this book but I loved it at the same time. And the ending was intense...hence the tears!

7. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford - This book is definitely a dark and twisty read. Whenever I think about this book, I see darkness, lol! Deep sigh....this book was surely something. I really enjoyed this read because it was different; Leah took angels and demons to a whole new level! And look at that cover - gorgeous!

8. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - Omg, I know this book is not even out until May of 2012 but the awesome author sent me a copy to read and asdfjkl;asdfjkl;! ;) I can't even...blerugh! It's such a terrific read, maybe because I haven't read anything with mermaids before, but either way, make sure you guys include this into your "Must Read for 2012" pile.

9. Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers - Original Sin was one hot, sizzling read! As most of you probably know, I am a ginormous fan of Lisa Desrochers's books. The guys in this series are to die for, I mean, Luc Cain - humananah humananah and Gabe definitely has his appeal too! The dialogue of the different points of views just flowed off the pages and it was very entertaining to read.

10. Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly - First off, I absolutely love Weatherly's writing! It was just...beautiful! I was completely blown away by the different take on angels, like they were seriously scary! I am also madly in love with Alex Kylar because he was just the normal human boy but he was oh so very hot and sexy!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

What are some of your top ten books of 2011? Are some of your top ten the same as mine?! Do share in the comments below! I would love to see your top picks! :)

Also, be sure to check back tomorrow for my top ten book covers of 2011! Don't miss it!

Merry Christmas From Me to You!

I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but where I'm from, it's kind of a big deal. ;) I hope everyone has a fantabulous Christmas and that Santa grants all of your wishes! Especially all of your bookish wishes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS. <3

VOTE ALEX TODAY! #HEROINETOURNEY

My name's Momo and I'm the blogger behind Books Over Boys. I got the honor of being the advocate for the awesome Alexandria Andros from Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series for this tournament. You can connect with me via twitter and facebook to stay up to date with the #HalfBloodLegion as we support our girl, Alex!





About Alex Andros:

First off, according to Aiden, this is what he thought of Alex when he first saw her...after those three years:

Long, thick chestnut colored hair fell past a chest that had grown in the last three years. Her face was oval shape; lips full like a pure-blood’s. Cheekbones high and eyebrows delicately arched over two wide, brown eyes. Even with the faint purplish bruises marring an otherwise flawless complexion, she was… unbelievable.

Beautiful.

And in Alex's own words:

With all the dirt and overall grossness gone, I looked just like my mom. Long dark hair fell down my back; I had those high cheekbones and full lips most pures did. I was a bit curvier than Mom's willowy frame and I didn't have her amazing eyes. Mine were brown, homely old brown.

Alex is irrational, unstable, out of control, wild, crazy, rash, and stubborn but that makes her everything that she is, which is a fighter. She is unpredictable and very quick to act but she believes strongly in what is right versus what is wrong. She hardly ever lets anything faze her and that makes her high lariously funny. She says the darnest things at the most inappropriate times, lol, but what's life without some humor? She's uber sarcastic and tough and edgy and all-out fierce. She lives in this world where all that matters are the pures and their safety. She doesn't want to be forced into servitude so she is in the process of training to be a Sentinel - one who fights and kills daimons → the scary, looking things that will suck the life out of you. Alex isn't a fighter just physically, but she's also a fighter internally...if you get what I mean. She won't take anyone's B. S and she won't ever give up, you can count on that. Plus, Aiden said this ↓ ↓ ↓ about Alex's...qualities that I had listed above:

...I always thought your irrational nature was a flaw. It's not. It's what makes you so strong.

*nods* Uh-huh, what he said.

Alex's Best Attributes:

Alex stands out to me among all the other female characters because she's funny. I know, anyone can be funny. Okay, not anyone but it doesn't take a mad scientist to crack a joke here and there. Alex is such a smart mouth; she speaks without thinking and that totally comes with its consequences, haha, but you can't help but think, "Omg, I was so thinking that!" She says stuff that you wouldn't say out loud or stuff that you would bite back. She's definitely hard to forget because she has such a character; that's why when the nominations for this tourney began, Alex immediately came to mind. You won't be able to forget her if you tried. Also, she stands out to me because she can definitely hold her own. She'll take things into her own hands when needed; she won't back down and she indubitably won't take no for an answer. Alex is rebellious and at times, that might sound like a bad thing but like I've mentioned, she believes in what's right and if a little rebellious-ness is needed, where's the harm in that?!

What makes Alex a true heroine?

As defined by...dictionary dot com, a heroine is:

1. a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

In my opinion, a true heroine is someone who isn't afraid to be heard, someone who speaks up and fights back when they see something that is unjust; someone who isn't afraid to dive head first into a difficult situation. Also, a true heroine is courageous and brave and strong; someone who will step up when needed. And according to that, Alex is all of the above. Alex is a fighter, she's resilient and always bounces back after a horrible tragedy occurs. Like they say, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Because of what she's been through, it has shaped her into the kind of character that she is. You can count on her to save your butt whenever you're in a dire situation, that's for sure. Alex is a true heroine to me because she doesn't need a man to get her out of a ditch when she falls into one. She'll tire out all possible chances of saving herself before she'll resort to a man. Did I forget to mention that Alex can stab stuff? Oh yes, absolutely! She's a feisty little thing! Heck, she don't need no dagger or blade, she'll take you down with a garden spade! (OH WHAT?! That rhymed right there! I'm a genius! ;))

Why should we vote for Alex instead of Rose?

Oh sweet goodness! Why should you guys vote for Alex instead of Rose?! REALLY?! I love both of these girls oh so very much and I think they both share the same attributes that we all look for in a heroine. They are such strong girls; they have both been through the toughest life battles that you could imagine, they love so hard, and they're just flat out, awesome. Rose's story is now over but Alex's has just begun and already she's so top-notch and hardcore. Now just imagine how much more powerful and kick-butt she will become by the time Apollyon releases.

And I totally agree with Jaime and Patricia! I think that if Alex and Rose met in real life, they would be such a force to be reckoned with. If I ever saw them...like, down the street or something, I would totally turn and start running the other way, lol. NO. JOKE.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I actually have a few things to add so bear with me, it might be a little bit overwhelming. ;) First of all, I had organized this...thing (I still don't have a name for it) with a few bloggers about why you should vote for Alex so I'll post all their blog links below and you guys should totally head over to all of their blogs and read their post. And let me include, a few of them are hosting some giveaways....so you know, don't miss them! Additionally, I am hosting a giveaway of the Covenant series; I'll be giving away a copy of Daimon, Half-Blood, and Pure so head on over to this post and enter! It won't end until Friday, January 6th! And lastly, for this round of Alex's match, Jennifer L. Armentrout has broken down her rewards with vote numbers and it goes something like this:

500 VOTES: If Alex reaches 500 votes, I will give you a juicy scene from Pure. It involves a pool, but will be edited to avoid spoilers.

750 VOTES: If Alex gets 750 votes, I will give you Chapter 16 from Half-Blood in Aiden's POV. Yes, that chapter.

1000 VOTES: If Alex gets 1000 votes, I will give you Chapter 26 from Obsidian in Daemon's POV.

Yes, that chapter.

WINNING VOTES: If Alex wins against Rose, I will write a very lengthy scene/basically a freaking novella from Aiden's POV about a trip he and Leon took that involved searching down a certain daimon that got away at the end of Half-Blood. Now. If she wins, all of this will take me some time, of course.

JLA rocks! So you people, ya'll better vote for Alex because...because that's a whole lot of awesomesauce!

List of blogs that you should totally check out:
1.) Shellie from Creative Reads
2.) Donna from Book Passion for Life
3.) Jena from Shortie Says...
4.) Erika from Moonlight Book Reviews
5.) Kayleigh from K-Books
6.) Amy from Book Loving Mom
7.) Linda from Mission to Read
8.) Valerie from Stuck In Books
9.) Sophia from The Book Basement
10.) Alexa from Collections
11.) Ecey from Ece Red: YA Book Blog
12.) Cate from Going from Nobody to Somebody
13.) Heather from Putting Pen to Page
14.) Fran from BookChowDown
15.) Deea from Deea's Journal
16.) Amy from Amy's Book Den
17.) Vivian from Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
18.) Kate from Nomalicious Reads
19.) Zareen from Reach for the Stars...and the Books
20.) Taneesha from A Diary of a Book Addict
21.) Amanda from Stuck in YA Books
22.) Darla from DforDarla's Definite Reads
23.) Autumn from The Autumn Review
24.) Valia from Words are things...

I know, there are a lot of blogs to go through (that's probably an understatement) but if you need some more convincing, hey, you know where to go! ;)

VOTE ALEX. VOTE ALEX. VOTE ALEX.

Covenant Series Give Away + Vote for Alex | #HeroineTourney

Last Monday, was Alexandria's first round in the Heroine Tournament hosted by The YA Sisterhood. She was battling it out against Nora from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush Saga. The post went live at 9pm, my time, which meant I had a few hours to spare before I had to go to bed. Immediately, when the post went live, I was tweeting like crazy! The next day, I had school, so I tweeted from my lame phone and then there was homework, so I didn't have much time to check out the match post, but from what everyone had kept telling me, it seemed like Alex was in the lead. When 9pm was rolling around, I was sitting in the living room, doing my marine biology homework, I believe, and then I had tweeted if Alex was still in the lead and she was. Finally, when the clock struck nine, my phone was flooded with tweets that pretty much said, "ALEX WON!" I was stoked! I pretty much did a dance like the one my husband did.

    

THAT EXCITED.

And like Jennifer L. Armentrout had promised, she posted the extra, sexy scene between Alex and Aiden here. If you haven't read it yet, you should totally go read it. Like, now. Go, I'll wait.

Okay, sooOooOooOOOooOooo, what did you think? I know, right? I was like, "O__O zomg, is it going to happen?! Aah!" Anyway, I am oh so very proud of the #HalfBloodLegion; you guys did Alex proud. Like, SO proud.

Woot, so are you people ready for round two of the Heroine Tournament for Alexandria Andros?! Oh man, we need your help more than ever for this round because...Alex will be going up against the powerhouse, Rosemarie Hathaway from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. *bites nails* *breathes in* We can do this! The #HalfBloodLegion is a force to be reckoned with! ;)

Seriously though, for this round, you guys will need to spread the word as far as your mouth can reach. Go beyond the social networks, reach out to your neighbors, your grandparents, friends, cousins, people you see at the store, coworkers, fellow classmates - anyone!

Jennifer L. Armentrout has promised the #HalfBloodLegion that if Alex is triumphant in this second round of the tourney, she will post chapter sixteen from Half-Blood in Aiden's point of view.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN, PEOPLE! CHAPTER. SIXTEEN.

Now, for those of you who haven't read Half-Blood, you're probably like, "What the eff is chapter sixteen? I don't know what the heck happened during that chapter!" And you would be completely right...but trust me on this, once you read it - which will be soon, right? - you will not regret voting for Alex and in turn, getting that chapter from mister Aiden St. Delphi's point of view. It will be...possibly, the best thing you've ever done. ;) It's not even an i-want-this-chapter sort of matter. It's more like I-FREAKING-NEED-THIS-CHAPTER-LIKE-A-DAIMON-NEEDS-AETHER. Yes, that badly. So, ya'll betttttter vote! ;)

And that's not the only thing that JLA has promised her fans. If Alex wins this round of the tournament, she will also post chapter 26 from Obsidian in Daemon's point of view. Now, you're probably like, "Oh goodness, she's going to do the whole caps lock chapter twenty-six thingy just like she did for the chapter sixteen thingy for Half-Blood!" OH. THE. HORROR. Sadly, you'll be disappointed. See, the thing is, I have yet to read Obsidian so...I'm flying fairly blind here on what the heck chapter 26 is but like I mentioned above, I'm sure we won't be disappointed because chapter 26 from Obsidian is probably an uber steamy scene. I'm just sayin. SooOoOooOoOoooOOoooo,

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Okay, now you read through all ↑ ↑ ↑ of ↑ ↑ ↑ that, yes? Well, guess what? Wipe all of it from your brain. RIGHT. NOW. Okay, is your brain a white, blank slate right now? Are you sure? I don't want to have you all confused. Four hours earlier, (HA! That totally reminded me of a movie where it starts off showing you the climax of the movie and you're helluh confused and RIGHT. AT. THE. CLIMAX. it goes to another scene and at the bottom of the screen it says something like, "3 Days Earlier." Damn, I digress.) the awesome, amazing, fantastic, terrific, and brilliant Jennifer L. Armentrout had emailed me some pretty epic news. News that I'm going to share with all of you...like right now. But I just have to make sure that you guys forgot everything I had posted up ↑ ↑ ↑ there. Seriously, I don't want to get you guys confused. Okay, are ya'll ready for this? JLA had said:

OMG, I'm dying over here! ROTFLMAO!

I thought I was a genius because I had taken a screen shot of JLA's email and that's where the image came from but right when I pasted it...I realized that the font is to freakin' tiny, you can barely read it. I thought it was going to save me some time from typing up the words and whatnot and guess what? I ended up having to anyway. I fail.

Anywho, JLA had broken down her rewards with vote numbers. It goes something like this:

500 VOTES: If Alex reaches 500 votes, I will give you a juicy scene from Pure. It involves a pool, but will be edited to avoid spoilers.

750 VOTES: If Alex gets 750 votes, I will give you Chapter 16 from Half-Blood in Aiden's POV. Yes, that chapter.

1000 VOTES: If Alex gets 1000 votes, I will give you Chapter 26 from Obsidian in Daemon's POV.

Yes, that chapter.

WINNING VOTES: If Alex wins against Rose, I will write a very lengthy scene/basically a freaking novella from Aiden's POV about a trip he and Leon took that involved searching down a certain daimon that got away at the end of Half-Blood. Now. If she wins, all of this will take me some time, of course.

HOLY SMOLY OLY POLY! People, we're doing it big this round because well...because Rose is going to be Alex's toughest competitor yet! And this isn't ALL that the #HalfBloodLegion has planned.

And as another incentive, I will be hosting a giveaway for the Covenant series, for all the books that are out thus far....sorta. I will be giving away a copy of Daimon, Half-Blood, and Pure.

Yes, these pretties. Right here. ↑ ↑ ↑

Deets:

• You must be 13 years or older to enter.
• Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM, Pacific time, on Friday, January 6th, 2012.
• Giveaway is open to the US, Canada, and internationally (if the Book Depo ships to you; check here).
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.
• Voting for Alex is not required.
• Fill out this FORM.

Good luck and Alex FTW!

Now, let's go get Alexandria Andros a victory!

VOTE ALEX. VOTE ALEX. VOTE ALEX.

Alex vs Rose in the #HeroineTourney

I have a little fan-fiction to share with all of you about Alex and Rose written by the awesome Izzy. I had asked her if she wanted me to link back to her somehow and she had told me that she's on the twittah, but she's not on often, so she said to just leave her email (isobelmcvilly@yahoo.com). If you guys enjoy this little fan-fiction of hers, please let her know via an email. :)

Update: Izzy had just emailed me and told me to link her here: www.fanfictionmashups.blogspot.com; you guys should check it out. She also has a fan-fic of Katniss vs Sophie.

Izzy had sent this to me a few nights ago and I loved it and thought, "I should totally share this on the blog!" So, that's what I'm doing. This is just a little fun thing; makes you think, "What would really happen if Alex and Rose actually met in real life?!" LOL, enjoy!

Note: Please excuse all the grammar errors and whatnot. Thank you.

Rose stood in the shadows below the massive pine trees, one eye on the manor, the other on Eddie (who was taking a quick patrol around the garden). This was getting ridiculous. How was she supposed to "check out" the house if she wasn't allowed inside it. The guardian leading the raid had told her, "Sit tight and wait to see if anyone comes out. DO NOT come in, understand?" She thought this sort of attitude would have stopped when she finished up at the academy. She replied with a mock salute and stalked off to her position.

Alex slipped up to the girl waiting by the tree. 
"What's taking so long?" The girl continued to sweep the area with her eyes as she turned, "Don’t know, but none of these usually turn out the way they’re supposed to anyway.” 
Grinning the girl said, "Watch my position, will you?" and crept off to the house. Alex wasn't getting the boring task dumped on her that easily. She gripped the dagger in her belt to be sure that it was still there and silently sped down the path. She was fast so she moved between some trees and stood waiting. 

Rose crept around the garden after she signaled to Eddie that she was heading off. She rounded a corner and there was that girl, long brown hair, deep brown eyes and full lips. If this was anything other than a stakeout she may have been intimidated. Now she was just annoyed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you; I want to see what's going on up there."

"Well thanks for the offer but I can handle this myself." The girl raised her eyebrows, with the height, Rose would have thought she was Moroi, but she wasn’t as light and willowy as them. Still there was something different. "What are you?"

"Half Blood." So a dhamphir. Why didn’t some people just keep it simple? Oh well, maybe she’s clumsy enough to catch the attention of another guardian and get sent back to her post. But with the way she just appeared there, Rose doubted it. "Don’t slow me down."

Alex followed the girl up to the house, she couldn't sense any daimons nearby, but no one had said it wasn't a possibility. She studied the girl ahead of her, she was agile. Alex could tell from the way she held herself and moved that they were both at similar skill levels. They stopped, the other girl - Rose - was still. Had she seen a daimon? 

Rose paused, she saw a flicker of movement, another guardian or a strigoi? She wouldn’t risk calling out, Rose headed forward, slowly, quietly. Then all of a sudden it was upon them a tall mass towering with those cold red eyes. The strigoi was fast and had the advantage of surprise. Before she had time to act, it had raised its arm preparing to send her flying - Alex was there, knocking him away. She had her blade in hand and practically sliced the strigoi’s arm off. Rose had to give it to her, it was a tough move and she executed it perfectly. 

He lunged out at Alex teeth bared, Rose was on her feet delivering a roundhouse kick to the guy's stomach, sending him back a touch enough for Alex to slip out of arms length. The strigoi turned, his face ablaze with cold anger. Now focused on Rose but she was ready, dodging his blows, rolling under his arms and kicking away punches. Rose looked towards Alex and realized that she had no stake, but was advancing on the strigoi from behind. 

Alex grabbed him by the back of the shirt and sent him slamming to the ground. Rose saw her chance, launching onto the strigoi and driving the stake into its target with a perfect hit. He had one moment of life left as he looked up at Rose in shock and surprise. She stepped up off him and removed the stake. Alex watched Rose as she stood and cleaned her stake; it was silver and quite unlike the weapons she would normally use. Rose looked at her, a sort of unwilling-respectful look in her eyes, "We make a pretty good team."

"The hottest team to take down one of these guys." Alex grinned.

"Come on, someone would have heard that, we’d better get up to the house."

Who will triumph in the tournament of Heroines? Alex or Rose? Votes must be getting in and maybe they can tell us, who ends up being the real hero of this story.

Merry Christmas, hope the reading wasn't a bore!

SoOooOoooOooOoOoooOoooOOooOoo, what did you guys think of that fan-fic? Doesn't it make you think, "Rose and Alex - in combat?! I would totally read that!" I think Jennifer and Richelle should totally get together and write like....a short novella including Alex and Rose, eh? Who's with me?! ;) Also, a ginormous thank you to Izzy for writing this up; it was super awesome! You rock!
Well, if you didn't realize it, Alex vs Rose in the Heroine Tourney is coming up tomorrow, no actually tonight, at 11pm, central time. Pacific time will be at 9pm and eastern time will be at 12am. So according to where you live it will either be tonight or tomorrow. For me, it's tonight so, Alex would really love your vote!
Also, check back here at 9:05pm, my time (pacific), for another greeeeeeeat post in honor of Alex's second round in the tournament! You'll love it, I promise.

Teaser Tuesday (12)

This meme is brought to you weekly by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

Anyone can play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 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!)
• Share the title and the author, too, so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR List if they like your teaser!

My Teaser

Aiden's lips parted as his gaze drifted over me in a way that made the glass tremble between my fingers. When his eyes made their slow journey back to mine, all the air fled my lungs. The silver burned so fiercely, so hot, that a warm blush swept over my skin. My hand fell to the side, the barely touched glass of champagne forgotten as it hung from my fingertips.

- ARC → Page 242, Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am crazy in love with this scene and just reading it made me lose my breath! Like daaaaaaaaaaamn, Aiden! ;) There's more to this description...like two more paragraphs but you know, I figured this was enough of a tease, haha!

Anyway, I absolutely cannot wait for all of you to get your hands on a copy of Pure! Happy Tuesday and always, happy reading!

P dot S dot → if you have a Teaser Tuesday, link it in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out!

A fun little tidbit for all of you. Right after I read that scene, I tweeted:

That describes this scene straight to the core, lol. Enjoy!

Forbidden Book Club: First Five Chapters

Okay, I just read the first five chapters of Forbidden and all I can say right now is wow. Tabitha Suzuma surely knows how to pull at one's emotions. I don't know what to think right now...it's definitely different. Suzuma's writing is very deep and it makes your brain think.

At this point, I am surely hooked and it was a struggle to just stop at five chapters but I didn't want to get too ahead because then...it wouldn't be fun. Forbidden is told from both perspectives of Lochan (pronounced LOCK(the gard)EN) and Maya, which I totally appreciate.

Anywho, Lochan. <3 Man is he a tortured soul or what?! He's just so sad; I haven't read a lot about him but there's something haunting and empty and lonely and melancholy about him. I don't know...but maybe it's just the simple fact of how messed up his whole...everything - school, life, family, etc. - is but like I had tweeted, I just wanna pull him into my embrace and hug him forever. Lol, no joke.

Within these first few chapters you totally see Lochan and Maya step up to the plate of taking care of everyone. I just felt so bad for both of them; what they have to go through day after day, it just rips my heart apart.

Right now, I am very curious as to what's going to happen. I like it a lot, already. I can't exactly put into words how or what I feel about the book but there's just something completely and utterly captivating about it; I guess just the whole premise of the book is...interesting and trippy and crazy and amazing and weird and icky and asdfksdkfkljdlkasklfks - aah!

So, what did you think of the first five chapters?! And for those of you who have read the book already, what were you thinking and how were you feeling when you read the first five chapters?!

VOTE ALEX TODAY! #HEROINETOURNEY

My name's Momo and I'm the blogger behind Books Over Boys. I got the honor of being the advocate for the awesome Alexandria Andros from Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series for this tournament. You can connect with me via twitter and facebook to stay up to date with the #HalfBloodLegion as we support our girl, Alex!

About Alex Andros:

First off, according to Aiden, this is what he thought of Alex when he first saw her...after those three years:

Long, thick chestnut colored hair fell past a chest that had grown in the last three years. Her face was oval shape; lips full like a pure-blood’s. Cheekbones high and eyebrows delicately arched over two wide, brown eyes. Even with the faint purplish bruises marring an otherwise flawless complexion, she was… unbelievable.

Beautiful.

And in Alex's own words:

With all the dirt and overall grossness gone, I looked just like my mom. Long dark hair fell down my back; I had those high cheekbones and full lips most pures did. I was a bit curvier than Mom's willowy frame and I didn't have her amazing eyes. Mine were brown, homely old brown.

Alex is irrational, unstable, out of control, wild, crazy, rash, and stubborn but that makes her everything that she is, which is a fighter. She is unpredictable and very quick to act but she believes strongly in what is right versus what is wrong. She hardly ever lets anything faze her and that makes her high lariously funny. She says the darnest things at the most inappropriate times, lol, but what's life without some humor? She's uber sarcastic and tough and edgy and all-out fierce. She lives in this world where all that matters are the pures and their safety. She doesn't want to be forced into servitude so she is in the process of training to be a Sentinel - one who fights and kills daimons → the scary, looking things that will suck the life out of you. Alex isn't a fighter just physically, but she's also a fighter internally...if you get what I mean. She won't take anyone's B. S and she won't ever give up, you can count on that.

Alex's Best Attributes:

Alex stands out to me among all the other female characters because she's funny. I know, anyone can be funny. Okay, not anyone but it doesn't take a mad scientist to crack a joke here and there. Alex is such a smart mouth; she speaks without thinking and that totally comes with its consequences, haha, but you can't help but think, "Omg, I was so thinking that!" She says stuff that you wouldn't say out loud or stuff that you would bite back. She's definitely hard to forget because she has such a character; that's why when the nominations for this tourney began, Alex immediately came to mind. You won't be able to forget her if you tried. Also, she stands out to me because she can definitely hold her own. She'll take things into her own hands when needed; she won't back down and she indubitably won't take no for an answer. Alex is rebellious and at times, that might sound like a bad thing but like I've mentioned, she believes in what's right and if a little rebellious-ness is needed, where's the harm in that?!

What makes Alex a true heroine?

As defined by...dictionary dot com, a heroine is:

1. a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

In my opinion, a true heroine is someone who isn't afraid to be heard, someone who speaks up and fights back when they see something that is unjust; someone who isn't afraid to dive head first into a difficult situation. Also, a true heroine is courageous and brave and strong; someone who will step up when needed. And according to that, Alex is all of the above. Alex is a fighter, she's resilient and always bounces back after a horrible tragedy occurs. Like they say, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Because of what she's been through, it has shaped her into the kind of character that she is. You can count on her to save your butt whenever you're in a dire situation, that's for sure. Alex is a true heroine to me because she doesn't need a man to get her out of a ditch when she falls into one. She'll tire out all possible chances of saving herself before she'll resort to a man. Did I forget to mention that Alex can stab stuff? Oh yes, absolutely! She's a feisty little thing! Heck, she don't need no dagger or blade, she'll take you down with a garden spade! (OH WHAT?! That rhymed right there! I'm a genius! ;))

Why should we vote for Alex instead of Nora?

Just kidding, well...not completely. I mean, if Aiden would, I totally would because I don't want no gods or Furies screaming at me, "I SMITE THEE!" ;) You and you and you should all vote for Alex because:

• she's funny
• she's smart
• she's tough
• she's fierce
• she's strong
• she's determined

and last but not least, she can kick some daimon booty...so you know, if you had one of those after you, Alex would know what to do! Lastly, you should vote for Alex because I mean, who doesn't wanna see the underdog rise?! #underdogsFTW

Anything else you'd like to add?

Today, on my blog, along with several others, we have revealed the cover to Deity (Covenant, #3) so...you should totally head on over to my blog to see it in all its amazing glory! And lastly, if after reading my defense, you're totally rooting for Alex Andros, you should totally rock a button. Here, I'll make it easy for you and provide the code and everything. ;)



<br /> <center><a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll255/mollymxiong/Icons/half-blood-2-1.jpg"/></a></center><br />
See, how easy was that?! Oh shoot, I almost forgot! *facepalm* Here, check this out, from the author herself: 

 
 
 Did you see that?!
 
 SooOooOooOooOoooO, you know wassup! ;)ALEX FOR THE WIN, FTW!
Now, GO VOTE FOR ALEX! Click on the image below to cast your vote for Alex!

Cover Reveal: Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Aaah, all sorts of amazing is happening today, one of them being this awesome cover reveal. The other amazing thing happening today is Alexandria's first match in the Heroine Tourney hosted by The YA Sisterhood. Trying so hard not to freak the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeak out. Breathe Momo, breathe.

I am an enormous, huge, big, large (large?!), humongous, [pause, I had to go to thesaurus dot com to find more synonyms for big] colossal, tremendous, massive, immense, gigantic - okay, I think you guys get the point here - fan of anything and everything written by the magnificent, Jennifer L. Armentrout. Seriously, no joke people, once you read something by her, you'll be hooked and addicted for life. There won't be any return to normalcy after reading her books; you'll want her to write and write and write and write and write and write forever. Well, I do anyway, lol!

Aah, I digress. Again. I tend to do that quite a bit when I'm supposed to be doing something very important. Such as revealing the third cover of the Covenant series to you guys.

O. M. G. people...I don't think you guys are ready for this. Are you guys absolutely sure you guys won't lose your eyes after seeing the cover?! Because...I nearly did. It's so awesome! My eyes nearly lost its socket after seeing it! But first, let me prepare your eyes for the brilliance that is Deity by showing you guys the covers to the first three books in the Covenant series.

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

KACHOOOOOOW, BABY!

This was you, right?! After seeing those three? Or how about this:

I know. I totally feel you. This is major jaw-dropping schmidt. ;) Spence Hill Press is that mind-blowing. SooOooOooOoooOooOoooOooooOoo, what do you guys think of those three?! Awesome, right?! Now at this point in time, you guys are probably thinking, "Why is Momo getting so hyped up about the first three?! We've all seen the first three! We came here for the Deity cover! Where the heck is it?!" But heeeeey, I like to be a bit torturous when I get to be. But I promise, the cover is coming...but I just don't think you guys are ready for this awesomness.

Wait, what was that?! You guys are ready?! Oh what?! Are you absolutely positive?! And this is where I picture your face like this:

Me: ARE YOU READY?!

You:

 

Haha, oh for sure! I'll show you guys the cover now...and only because if I don't, I have a feeling you guys might just skip all of this, lol. "Straight to the cover, this is too much reading." Haha!

I now present to you, Deity, the third book in the Covenant series:

I don't know about you, but after seeing this cover, I was all sorts of faces like these:



TOTALLY ME:

And because a visual is always nice, here's a view of all the covers side by side:

O___O Wow, that's gorgeous! I love these covers! I just wanna give 'em all a big hug and hold them tightly, lol!



SooOooOooOoooOoooOoooOooo, what do you think of the Deity cover?! How about all the covers in the Covenant series?! Which one is your favorite?!

Hello?! *knocks on the screen* Is anyone there?! Darn, I knew I shouldn't have made this post so incredibly long...but I had so much fun putting it all together; that's ↑ ↑ ↑ what I call hard work! ;) If you're still here and you read this whole entire freakin' post, POUND THIS:



I wuv you.

HAH! You probably thought that was the end of my post. I even did, for a second. But then I totally remembered a very, very, VERY, crucial part of this post: the Heroine Tourney.

Like I had mentioned earlier in this post, like the second sentence, at the very top, today is Alexandria's first match in the Heroine Tourney. She is going up against Nora Grey from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga and...eep, don't freak out Momo. And I need all of your help in gathering people to help vote for Alex. Tweet, facebook, blog, tumblr this link → http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/12/match-11-nora-seed-10-vs-alex-seed-23.html and get people to vote Alex. If they know nothing about the book...well then, tell people to VOTE ALEX because...you said so, haha!

Jennifer had said that she would:

And....*swallows* you know...when Alex and Aiden are together, a lot of hot and heavy goes down. ;) Go to this link → http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2011/12/match-11-nora-seed-10-vs-alex-seed-23.html and VOTE ALEX!

ALEX FOR THE WIN, FTW!



Links to purchase Daimon: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Links to purchase Half-Blood:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Links to pre-order Pure: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Find Jennifer L. Armentrout Online: Blog | Twitter | Website | Facebook