Button: Hayz's BooksPhotobucketButton: ReviewsPhotobucket

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2011

Hey Everybody!


I hope your holidays were wonderful! But its that time again! A new year! Post what your new year resolution! We all know the usual: Go to the gym, spend more time with family, get organized. But this time we only want to hear what your reading resolution!

Hayz- To finish our 100 Book Challenge (And win!) And to start the new ABC Challenge!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Fast Women

Fast Women
Jennifer Crusie
2004

Nell Dysart's in trouble. Weighed down by an inexplicable divorce and a loss of appetite for everything, Nell is sleepwalking through life until her best friend finagles a job for her with a shabby little detective agency that has lots of potential and a boss who looks easy to manage.

Gabe McKenna isn't doing too well, either. His detective agency is wasting time on a blackmail case, his partner has decided he hates watching cheating spouses for money, and his ex-wife has just dumped him...again. The only thing that's going his way is that his new secretary looks efficient, boring, and biddable.

But looks can be deceiving and soon Nell and Gabe are squaring off over embezzlement, business cards, vandalism, dog-napping, blackmail, Chinese food, unprofessional sex, and really ugly office furniture, all of which turn out to be the least of their problems. Because shortly after that, somebody starts killing people. And shortly after that, they start falling in love...


-Hayz's Review-

I give this one 4 stars because I did get a little confused with the characters, and it was a little hard to get into. But in the end it was another charmer. I wonder whats next

-Hayz's Rating-

****

Other books by Jennifer Crusie:

The Cinderella Deal ~ Getting Rid Of Bradley ~ What The Lady Wants ~ Manhunting ~ Welcome To Temptation ~ Maybe This Time

Butterface

Butterface
Gwen Hayes
2010

When love isn't lucky...or pretty.

The scars on Beth's face aren't nearly as deep as the ones she nurses on the inside. She was born with hemifacial microsamia and was supposed to feel "lucky" that she wasn't as disfigured as some people.

One boy, Lucky O'Leary starts to find the cracks in her hard shell and finds himself falling for her. Only Lucky has a secret--he needs to bring Beth to a "dog dinner" or lose his spot on the team. She can't find out that the guy who brings the ugliest date wins a prize.

-Hayz's Review-
Oh, this was such a cute story! I can't wait to read more by Gwen Hayes!
-Hayz's Rating-
****

The Unwritten Rule

The Unwritten Rule
Elizabeth Scott
2010

He's looking at me like—well, like he wants to look at me.
Like he likes what hes sees, and he's smiling and hiw eyes are so blue, even in the faint flow of the porch light they shine, and I nod dumbly, blindly, and then grope for the door handle, telling myself to look away and yet not able to do it.

-Hayz's Review-
Another charmer by Miss Scott. Although the friend was kind of a bitch to her!
-Hayz's Rating-
***

Other books by Elizabeth Scott:

The Reckoning

The Reckoning
Kelley Armstrong
2010

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.

But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.


-Hayz's Review-

Yah! Finally some Chloe and Derek! I loved this book! So going on my top favorites! What else? Idk what to say other than loved it!

-Hayz's Rating-

*****


Other books by Kelley Armstrong:

The Summoning ~ The Awakening

Rules Of Attraction

Rules Of Attraction
Simone Elkeles
2010

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

-Hayz's Review-
Ohlalala! This book was 5 stars all the way! I love the Fuentes Brothers! I can't wait for Luis! Why can't I be Kiara? Sometimes I wish someone would write my life for me.
-Hayz's Rating-
*****

Other books by Simone Elkeles:

Not Lost Forever

Not Lost Forever
Carmina Salcido
2009

Twenty years ago, one man's murderous rampage destroyed his own family . . . and devastated a community. Now the only survivor—his daughter—tells her story at last.

On April 14, 1989, for reasons still debated today, Mexican immigrant RamÓn Salcido went on a violent rampage in the idyllic Sonoma Valley wine country where he lived and worked. In the course of just two hours, he killed his wife, Angela, her two younger sisters, his mother-in-law, and the man with whom he suspected Angela was having an affair. He then slashed the throats of his three young daughters—four-year-old Sophia, three-year-old Carmina, and twenty-two-month-old Teresa—leaving them for dead in the county dump. A little more than a day later, the bodies of his daughters were discovered. Miraculously, tiny Carmina was still alive and able to tell her rescuers, "My daddy cut me."

In Not Lost Forever, Carmina Salcido explores the events surrounding these headline-making murders with extraordinary clarity and composure. Reaching back to understand the events that traumatized her in childhood—and weaving them together with the recollections of detectives and witnesses—she reconstructs the story of her father's crimes, and their aftermath, in sobering detail.

Yet Carmina's story doesn't end there. Those who remember her as the tiny victim of these murders will also be shocked by what followed: how she was adopted by a Catholic extremist family who tried to change her name and bury her past; how she tried to escape their sheltering influence by joining a Carmelite convent and then a ranch for troubled girls; and how the psychological trials she endured along the way nearly broke her spirit—until, at last, she found peace by turning to the one relative still alive to share her grief: her grandfather.

As a young woman, Carmina returned to California to share her experiences and discover the family that was brutally taken from her. The devout Catholic also returned to look into her father's eyes on death row and confront the man who took away her entire family. With clear-eyed candor, courage, and grace, this brave young woman takes readers along on her miraculous journey of survival, discovery, and hope.


-Hayz's Review-

Omg, I have no words. This book was, good but I don't know what to put. Terrible? Thats not the right word but it will work. I can not even fathom what Carmina went through. I am inspired by her story. If I was her I don't think I would have the courage to visit him, or even look at him for that matter. All she went through. Her "foster" parents, omg.

Really I just don't know what to put. I saw this story on tv one day and watched it, then I saw a different story on it and watched it and then I got this book, and so I guess you could say that I've been following it. It just intrigues me what Ramon did.

I feel for you Carmina, I hope that your life has started to turn around for the better.

-Hayz's Rating-

*****

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
Cassandra Clare
2010

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

-Hayz's Review-
Not bad, I thought while I was reading this "Haven't I read this story but with different names, and in a different time period?" I thought it was to much like the Mortal Instruments.
-Hayz's Rating-
***

Other books by Cassandra Clare:

Elixir

Elixir
Hilary Duff
2010

Clea Raymond lives an extraordinary life. The daughter of renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC figure, she has been in the spotlight her entire life. Followed by the paparazzi, she resents the attention that is lavished on her for her looks alone because she has so much more to offer.

Clea Raymond has a unique gift. A proficient photographer, in all her pictures, there is little something extra, and it's not just a result of her talented eye. There is always an extra photo that she didn't take. And, as she discovered at a young age, those photos always lead to a place where some tragedy is about to occur that Clea can prevent.

Two years ago, her father disappeared while on a humanitarian mission and is presumed dead, but that doesn't stop Clea and her mother from continuing to do good throughout the world. On one such trip to Columbia, she meets Race, the guide for the trip. She feels a connection to him but cannot explain why. Was it something in their past or possibly in their past lives? Whatever has brought them together is threatning to tear them apart forever. As the mystery of her father's disappearance unravels, Clea discover that she has powers that are bigger than anything she could have anticipated.

-Hayz's Review-
Wow! I am a total fan of Hilary Duff! From Lizzie McGuire to music and now to her book! I can't wait to read the next one, I quite enjoyed this one.
-Hayz's Rating-
****

Returning To Paradise

Returning To Paradise
Simone Elkeles
2010

Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

-Hayz's Review-

Oh! So cute! I liked this book!

-Hayz's Rating-

****


Other books by Simone Elkeles:

Leaving Paradise

Perfect Chemistry ~ Rules Of Attraction

Monday, December 13, 2010

Immanuel's Veins

Immanuel's Veins
Ted Dekker
2010

This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.

It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.

Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.

With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.

Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.

Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.

But remember, not everyone is for this story.


-Hayz's Review-

I can say that I was not for this story. The book trailer was good. But the book was not.

-Hayz's Rating-

*

Maybe This Time

Maybe This Time
Jennifer Crusie
2010

Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything.

When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiancé thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie’s dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that’s not the only haunting.

What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-inlaw, and, of course, her jealous fiancé. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them.

If Andie can just get rid of all the guests and ghosts, she’s pretty sure she can save the kids, and herself, from the past. But fate might just have another thing in mind…


-Hayz's Review-

Oh so cute! I love Jennifer Crusie's books!

-Hayz's Rating-

*****


Other books by Jennifer Crusie:

The Cinderella Deal ~ Getting Rid Of Bradley ~ What The Lady Wants ~ Fast Women ~ Manhunting ~ Welcome To Temptation

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Grace

Grace
Elizabeth Scott
2010

Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.

-Hayz's Review-
Really? I did not like this book! Don't get me wrong, I love Elizabeth Scott, she is an amazing writer and I read all of her stuff, but man... this book was just... awful. Really, I thought it repeated itself to much.
-Hayz's Rating-
*

Other books by Elizabeth Scott:

Halo

Halo
Alexandra Adornetto
2010

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?


-Hayz's Review-

Pretty cute. I don't know why I've heard so much bad about it.

-Hayz's Rating-

***

Chill

Chill
Stephanie Rowe
2009

Alaskan bush pilot Luke Webber finds a bleeding woman on his doorstep and realizes the past he tried to leave behind eight years ago is about to catch up with him-in a very deadly way.

-Hayz's Review-
Oh! So cute! Really I liked this book a great add on to Ice!
-Hayz's Rating-
****

Other books by Stephanie Rowe: