Stacking the Shelves # 23

 

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.

A few weeks back I visited the Library with my daughter and brought home Bloodlines and Golden Lily. Before I had a chance to start reading them, it was highly recommended that I should read the Vampire Academy series first (Which shame on me, I had not yet done). So, over the last two weeks I have made more trips to the Library.

Here's what I borrowed:

Last week:

 

And this week:

 

 

 

I have just finished reading the first three - Ahhhh, Rose and Dimitri. Now I can't wait to complete the series and find out what happens next and how it all ends.



 

 

Okay! So what did you add to your shelf this week?

I'd really like to know.

Please leave a comment below.

 

 

 

Swoon Thursday #29 Frostbite (Book 2 of VA)

 

 

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.

 

Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

 

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!

 

 

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Today's swoon comes from Book 2 of the Vampire Academy series - Frostbite

First - The Blurb:

 

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Second -  My Thoughts:

As many of you may already know, Frostbite continues straight on from Book 1 - Vampire Academy.

 

With the Moroi Royals now under direct attack from a group of Strigoi, St. Vladimir's is suddenly inundated with Guardians, one of which, is Rose's estranged mother. To say that these two don't get along is an understatement. However, the tension between the two of them does seem to ease towards the end.

 

Other new characters are introduced. One of these in particular grabbed my attention - Adrian Ivashkov - a Moroi with similar abilities to Lissa. He seems to be a classic bad boy, but is he really???? Guess I need to keep reading to find out.

 

Dimitri - what can I say - Rose loves him, he loves her, but due to them both being Lissa's Guardians some where in the future, it's a love which is not allowed to flourish. Damn!!!

 

Once again, there's not a whole heap of romance in this book but there is plenty of action which kept me entertained.

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Third - My Swoon:

"Rose..."

 

I could see his labored breathing and knew his heart was beating as quickly as mine. And he wasn't pulling away. I knew this was wrong---knew all the logical reasons for us to stay apart. But right then, I didn't care. I didn't want to control myself. I didn't want to be good.

 

Before he realized what was happening, I kissed him. Our lips met, and when I felt him kiss me back, I knew I was right. He pressed himself closer, trapping me between him and the wall. He kept holding my hand, but the other one snaked behind my head, sliding into my hair. The kiss was filled with so much intensity; it held anger, passion, release...

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Okay, so what do you think?

 

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!

 

 



Teaser Tuesday # 28 Vampire Academy

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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A few weeks ago, I stopped by the library with my daughter and came across Bloodlines and The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead.  Shortly after, and before I had started reading them, it was suggested to me by several of my blogger friends, that I should read the Vampire Academy series first.

Taking their advice, I went back to the library and brought home - you guessed it - Vampire Academy (Book 1 in the series).


First - The Blurb:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second - My Thoughts:

 

I have to admit, it took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, I really started to enjoy it. The writing is simple making it easy to follow and identify with the characters who are anything but bland.

Rose, from whose POV the story is told, definitely possesses a lot of 'spunk'. She is also beyond loyal to her best friend Lissa. Lissa is a Moroi Princesses who discovers that she has abilities different from other Moroi, and as such, is under threat.

Christian, a social outcast, is probably one of my favorite characters. I'm not sure why, but I found him quite entertaining and looked forward to the parts of the story where he appeared.

And then there's Dimitri. Dimitri is a guardian and Rose's mentor. Tall, dark, mysterious, and incredibly handsome, it is no wonder Rose develops a crush.

Overall, an enjoyable read so far but I would prefer to see a little bit more romance.


My rating for this one : 4 out of 5
 

 

 

Third - My Tease:

 

"Rose!" he exclaimed, stepping back. "What are you doing?"

 

"What do you think?" I moved toward him again, needing to touch him and kiss him and do so many other things.

 

"Are you drunk?" he asked, holding his hand out in a warding gesture.

 

"Don't I wish."

 

I could stop here but I thought I might just give you a bit more from this scene.

 

"Rose, I don't know what's going on, but you need to go back to your room."

 

When I moved toward him again, he reached out and gripped my wrists. With that touch, an electric current shot through both of us, and I saw him forget whatever he'd just been worrying about. Something seized him too, something that made him suddenly want me as much as I wanted him.

 

 

 

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Did you enjoy??



PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or if you don't have a blog, then please leave your ‘teasers’ in the comment section below!

Happy Teasing!