rampant

Rampant
$11.98
just recievd Nazareth Rampant love it been looking for it for a long time found it here got it for a good price.

Fire (Graceling)
$17.99
I'd finished Graceling the same day that I had started Fire. So I jumped right into this. And yes, we meet a young Graceling, first thing. However, this book isn't really about Gracelings. The review blurbs peg it as a prequel to Graceling. Time wise this may be true. It would almost be more true to say that while written first, Graceling is a spin-off of this story.

In this story, the Graceling is almost irrelevant. At the times he makes his appearances, he seems pivotal to the story, but truth be told, this story could be told without him. It's more a story of a land of monsters. A land where a Graceling fell through a mountain and made cameo appearances.

Fire is the main focus in this story. She's half human, half monster -- literally, her father was a monster. Being what she is, causes her to be so beautiful that everyone is drawn to her. Monsters want to eat her. Humans just want her. Her flame red hair is something she hides, as it amplifies this effect. She attempts to cover her body. But nothing she does can truly hide who she is, they all know. She's essentially alone, despite everyone knowing her, as she's the last human-monster being in existence. Her parents dead. All she has is her best friend Archer and his father, who helped to raise her. And her music.

And then one day, she's called away to help the Dells, the land of her mother, the land which her father nearly destroyed. Fire, she has the power to get into people's minds. The royal family in the Dells fear a war is brewing and they need Fire to get into the minds of prisoners, for they want to try to get insider information.

Fire has trouble with this, not wanting to become a controlling, manipulative monster as her father had been. But could she do this? Make up for what he once did to them? Show their prince (whom she's started to fall for) that she's not her father? Help him save his land? Save her new friends? Or does she just let the war happen naturally? She'll have to decide, before it's too late.


Fire was a good novel, but because I had Graceling so fresh in my mind, I can't help but compare the two. For me Graceling was 5/5. I think I'd recommend reading Fire first. It technically being a prequel. It's the weaker story. 4/5. It's good, just not as good as Graceling.

Hush, Hush
$17.99
Nora is not the type of girl to do senseless things. She is responsible and caring. But when she gets a new partner in biology, Patch, all of Nora's straight facts and truths start to get a little muddied. There's something strange about Patch, and it's not just that he seems to know all of Nora's secrets can appears everywhere she is. It's not the utter gorgeousness or the fact that nobody knows anything about him. It's something much more sinister and unusual that Nora senses, that tells her nothing good can come of Patch. But even as Nora tries to force herself to believe that, she can't deny that she's attracted to Patch as he is to her. The only things standing between the two now are Patch's past and fate. Because along with Patch's arrival, something else even more dangerous came, something bent on destroying both of them.

Though I have no idea where the title comes from, Hush, Hush is an enthralling paranormal read. It's about a seemingly impossible romance hindered by multiple supernatural threats that makes for an attention consuming story. When first introduced, Patch is an annoyingly arrogant hottie, the type of guy who gets under every girl's skin and remains mysteriously alluring. The hind of a violent past only encourages his sexy bad boy persona. Even though this makes him slightly unrealistic, it also endears him especially to female readers who will want him to be able to find some form of happiness. Nora is a straight shooting girl who needs a guy like Patch to shake up her life, and readers will be able to relate to her hesitant personality. Without the supernatural element, this romance would still be good, but with it, it's even more interesting. I love how events from Patch's painful past carry over into the present to complicate Patch and Nora's relationship; these connections make the plot more complex and fascinating. The story is an exciting and intriguing one and the ending is incredibly sweet, one that speaks of redemption and the power of true love; I definitely cannot wait for a sequel!

Hush, Hush appeals to any reader who likes the idea of a fallen angel, especially those who enjoyed The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare and the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz. I greatly look forward to more exciting storytelling from Fitzpatrick.

Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big
$15.99
I'm sorry, but I could only make it through about 75 pages of this. I am so thankful that I didn't purchase it and only have it on loan from my library.

I was really interested to hear about this guys take on steroids, but this book is so poorly written--think of a memoir by your obnoxious brother in law who didn't graduate from high school but knows what's best for everyone--and you'll just about have it. Mr. Canseco is more in love with himself than Oprah and more self deluded than Dick Cheney. The 10 or 12 pictures in the middle of the book are all of---guess who?!

Jose is not bright or creative enough to sustain the interest of any mildly intelligent reader. This is fare for Junior High Schoolers, which is kind of terrifying if you think about it.