Amazing Mara Dyer Book Trailer!

I just saw this and I absolutely had to share it! Just wow. There is no words for it's awesomeness-- the music, the characters, the backround are all so perfect. If this doesn't make you want to read the The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer I don't know what will! Check it out here. 

Book Swap!!

I was cleaning out my bookshelves the other day to make way for all my new books, and I now have a whole pile of books I don't know what to do with!! So I decided to do a book trade-- you email me with what book you'd like and what book you'd be willing to trade with me, and we each mail them to each other (but only US. Sorry!). Check out my list below and if you see something that you're dying to have, then email me! I'll trade hardcover or paperback for not-yet-been-released ARCs. Here's my wishlist: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4710822-emma-hoke?per_page=100&shelf=must-have-books

ARCS: 

How To Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor  
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
Plague by Michael Grant
Forgotten by Cat Patrick 
The Iron Thron by Caitlin Kittredge
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Paperbacks: 

Beastly by Alex Flinn
Gone by Michael Grant
Top 8 by Katie Finn

Hardcover: 

The False Princess by Eilis O Neal
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Misfit by Jon Skovron
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Thanks everyone! My email is thereadinggirl3@gmail.com

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My humble thoughts: Quite honestly, I knew this book would be amazing before I even got it-- Laini Taylor is that good (plus, she has killer hair). In my opinion, it's hard to find a book that separates itself from the usual brand of YA paranormal out there. Not to say I don't like those books, but reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone is like breathing fresh air after being stuck inside a box all day. The writing is gorgeous, for one thing. Laini Taylor really digs deep inside her characters emotions, and never uses those boring cliches like 'she was as beautiful as the sunrise' or 'fear gripped him' to name a few. It's just so original and powerful. The story, too, is unlike anything I've read. We read about angels and humans falling madly in love all the time-- but what about angels and devils? The idea made me blink and wonder. The author plays it out perfectly, though. The storyline bursts with mythological lore and imagination, not to mention Karou, who is a fierce, intelligent heroine who isn't afraid to do what has to be done-- she isn't afraid of anything, really. Anyone who reads this would want to be friends with her (but I already took the title of Best Friend, everyone else will just have to be regular friends).

All in all, this book is definitely swoon-worthy. The foreign setting is lovely and realistic, the characters are wonderful, and the plot is fresh and absorbing. Definitely a re-reader, and a book I'll buy as a hardcover in October. I hope they do the cover with the mask, though-- I like it much better than this one I received.

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Well, Jenny Han did it again, that's all I can say. Every time I read one of the Summer books I tell myself I won't get so sucked into the story that I have to put it down and take a few deep breathes in order to continue without mentally or physically hurting myself. But I did. I mean this is all in a good way, nevertheless. Belly and Conrad and Jere make me want to tear my hair out sometimes; their love triangle is so absorbing and original. In most books these days, the girl supposedly 'loves' both boys but you can pretty much figure out which one she is going to end up with in the end. Not in this trilogy, though! I was guessing until the very end.

I'm also so glad the author decided to put Conrad's point of view in the last installment. He really kind of bugged me before, with his broody detachment and unexpectedness. I was like Belly, girl, move on already! He's not right for you! But you can really see why he is the way he is in some of the chapters. I actually grew kind of fond of him. He has flaws, and Jeremiah does too, which is what makes the characters so real and wonderful. The simple elegance of the writing is what brings everything to life in these books. And it just has this certain Bellyness about it that I adore. It makes me want to go to the beach and roast marshmallows, build sandcastles and swim till I'm exhausted.

Of all summer books, these are my most definite favorite. I loved watching Belly grow up into a thoughtful, charming young woman. It makes me kind of wistful, thinking about it. Jenny Han captures all the wonder and rawness of life and manages to fit it into a mere couple hundred pages. I'm so sad to see this series end-- and the ending surprised and pleased me, I have to say-- but I hope to see much more of this author's talent in the years to come.