Thursday, December 8, 2011

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake


Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. 


 Summary taken from Goodreads

Anna Dressed in Blood was exactly the spooky ghost story I was looking for! I was so excited about this book and was not let down one bit! It was gruesome, bone chilling, and action packed.

Cas' story had a little bit of a Supernatural feel to it and, since I love that show, I though it was awesome. He learned all his tricks about fighting ghosts from his deceased father. And he's been fighting ghosts ever since he died in hopes of being ready when the time came to face his father's killer. See, a little Supernaturaly. But it was still done well enough that I didn't mind.

All the ghosts that Cas has faced have been different, but none so different as Anna. When we meet her, she is literally tearing a guy in half! How sick is that! And her dress still dripping blood... she was just so incredibly creepy!

I loved figuring out Anna's story with Cas. The mystery was really well done and it ended up being really sad. I felt so bad for this badass killer ghost girl. Not an easy thing to make a reader do. The relationship between Anna and Cas was really well done and I enjoyed watching it develop.

Seeing Cas develop friends for the first time was really interesting to. Carmel was actually my favorite character. I loved watching her accpect the whole scary situation and refuses to be left out of the action, She wanted to help, even if it scared her. She was awesome!

I loved, loved this one. Cannot wait to read the next one! Have you seen this amazing cover??
Ah! So pretty! Cannot wait!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

In this follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas begins seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he’s asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong. These aren’t just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn’t know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn’t deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it’s time for him to return the favor.


My review of Anna is actually set to go up tomorrow, but I completely loved it. I wasn't let down in the slightest and I was so excited when a second one was announced. And will you just look at this cover! How frigging gorgeous is that!  


So what are you waiting for?

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten Childhood Faves

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish



1. The entire Harry Potter series.
This is probably the obvious one that will be on a lot of people's list, but I don't care. Harry Potter was my childhood and I will never stop loving this series.

2. Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch  
I loved when my mom would read this to me when I was a little good. Always going to be one of my favorites and I can't wait to read it to my kids when I have them.

3. Matilda by Roald Dahl
Probably another book that's going to be on everyone's list, or at least an author that will be. I loved all of his books. In fact, I think I need to reread them soon. It's been years.

4. The Pendragon series by D.J. Mac Hale
I loved this series as in middle school, and I still do. They're pretty awesome.

5. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Another middle school read for me but I just loved this book. It was so cool to read about a girl who loved books as much as I do. And could bring the characters to life! How cool is that! It was great =]


6. Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
My best friend and I started reading these together in sixth grade. We both loved them so much. I still haven't finished them since I lost interest in high school but I've been going back and reading them again. They're still pretty great.

7. Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
Goosebumps!!! I loved Goosebumps! Especially the choose your own adventures ones! I had to read them in secret though because my family thought they were too scary for me. I was always such a rebel.

8. The Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
These were so great! This is making me wanna reread all the books I loved as a kid. Might have to think about that...

9. Holes by Louis Sachar
What a fabulous book. I must have read it four or five times when I was in elementary and middle school. The first time we read it for class I had already read it once or twice. Needless to say I aced that book report!

10. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Saddest and best book I have ever read. This book will always stay with me. I remember when we read this one in fifth grade and I started bawling uncontrollably. Seriously. I had to leave the room. Another book I really wanna read again but I don't know if my heart can take it.


So what's on your list? Leave me a link!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons.


Summary taken from Goodreads





Something in Hunger was missing for me. It's hard to pick my finger on what it was though. 


I think it might have just been that I couldn't connect to the story or the characters. Lisabeth was clearly dealing with a very serious disease. I don't know why but I couldn't connect with her at all. 


Death was probably my favorite character. He was the only interesting character in my opinion. He was the only thing that kept me reading even though he was barely in it.


I'm going to read Rage at some point, but if it falls short for me again I think that will be it for me. 


Sadly this is was only a two star read for me.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

In My Mailbox No. 7

As always, hosted by The Story Siren
I'm back! I know, I know. I suck. But hopefully everything in the real world has slowed back down and I can get back to reading and writing (my two favorite things!!). Alright well enjoy my IMM this week. Can't wait to see what you guys got!



Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder 
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones 
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins 
Bite Club by Rachel Caine