"Cruel Beauty" (a gorgeous Lexi post)

Our Awesome Readers,

This is a book that is coming out in 2014, called Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. 

Summary: "Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love." (Thanks, Goodreads!!!)

ALL I CAN SAY IS AH-MAZ-ING!!!!!

In Conclusion:

ALERT: BE FIRST IN LINE for this book!!!!! It is the best retelling of "Beauty & the Beast" that I've ever read!!!!!

Rating:

12/5 roses

XOXO,

Lexi

How to Have a Great Christmas!!!!!, a.k.a. Merry Christmas Eve!!!!! (Lexi's Holiday Post)

Readers,

How to have a great Christmas!


1.) Greet everybody with a "Merry Christmas"!!!

Or not...

2.) Answer the phone when your relatives call.

Just like this.

3.) Don't be grumpy.

Or just try not to openly scowl...

4.) Get excited about gifts!!!

5.) Don't spread yourself too thin!!!

But be open to snuggling!

6.) Spread the love, even if you think the person doesn't deserve it.

...even if they're acting like a South Pole elf.

7.) Pretend Santa is real if kiddos are around.

8.) Don't overeat.

9.) Try to avoid too many sweets.

10.) If you wanna be annoying, do it with Christmas cheer!!!

It makes it more annoying to others, hahaha!

11.) No swearing!

12.) Be welcoming!!!

"Does somebody need a hug?"

13.) Try to relax as much as possible so you aren't stressed. When you are, close your eyes and go to your happy place.

Have a great time!!!!!

XOXO,

Alexis

"The Forever Contract" (an everlasting Lexi post)

Hello!

Today's book is actually a dystopian novella: The Forever Contract by Avery Sawyer.

Summary: "In the very near future, the country is plunged into drought and unrest. Scare resources and constant heat are making life completely miserable. Casey doesn't think she can stand slugging back another gel pack or working one more shift at the wells. Fortunately, there's a solution: anyone over the age of seventeen can sign the Forever Contract and enter a utopian paradise. While people's minds take a permanent vacation, their bodies get warehoused and hooked up to a complex array of sensors and feeding tubes. As Casey's brother says, "You upload your consciousness to the system and you're free to live as long as you want, however you want. No more pain, no more heat, no more awful dust, no more work. Just pure thought. It's what our species has always been meant for. Suffering is for philosophers. Not for me."

Casey's ready to sign--a permanent vacation is just what she needs. There's only one problem: her boyfriend James doesn't trust it." (Thank you, Goodreads!)

This actually was a great story that makes you think. Plus, it has some awesome twists! The characters and plot were just wonderful! Wish it was a novel instead of a novella, but I'm grateful for it either way!


In Conclusion: It's short and sweet, so go for it!

Rating:

4/5 slimy stuff

"A Gift of Magic" (a bleh Lexi review)

Readers,

When I got this novel, I did because I used to read Joan Lowry Nixon novels, and it looked like it was going to be similar. Nope. So here's my review of A Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan.

Summary: "When the old woman died, she left each of her grandchildren something very special. For Kirby, the gift of dance. For Brendon, the gift of music. And for Nancy, the most extraordinary gift of all . . . the gift of magic."

This novel truly wasn't good. That's honestly all I can say. It was a big letdown.

In Conclusion: Don't even look at it.

Rating:

0/5 psychics

Six Gifts for/from a Book Lover (a Lexi Sunday post)

Sometimes, it's hard to find gifts for the book lover in your life, especially if you aren't sure which books they own. Plus, gifts should be more personal than yet another B&N gift card. So why not check these out?

Awesome gifts from/for a book lover:

1.) Your top 5 books (even from Half Price Books), plus a note inside each cover on why you chose those books. Even if they already own the book, your point of view could be a whole new way for them to use it in their lives, even kiddo books.

2.) Literary quote blanket. This literally will have you wrapped up in books! Another option, which is sooooo cute, would be this one.

3.) Poetry/quote scarf. Easy and cheap to make, and makes a classy statement.

4.) Secret Hideout Book. This is done by carving out a hardback book! It is harder to make, but so rewarding in the end. Or you can buy it on etsy. You can also do this same thing, but make the spot big enough for the person's e-reader!

5.) Customized Book Messenger Bag. Again, can make or buy.

6.) Library Perfume/Home Scents. This was going to be a five thing list, but I saw this product and had to add this for booklovers! It smells like a library, which is just perfection!


XOXO,
Lexi

"This Wicked Game" (a voodoo-y Lexi review)

Readers,

Any of you been to NOLA (New Orleans)? It is magnificent, whether you're a partier or not. They have plantations (like Oak Alley), all kinds of food (fried alligator tastes like chewy chicken), and just tons of places to explore in the French Quarter alone! I've been three times, two as an adult and without my mother shielding my eyes, lol. It's seriously magical. And that's why I am reviewing This Wicked Game by Michelle Zink.

Summary: "Claire Kincaid’s family has been in business for over fifty years.

The voodoo business.

Part of the International Guild of High Priests and Priestesses, a secret society that have practiced voodoo for generations, the Kincaid’s run an underground supply house for authentic voodoo supplies. Claire plays along, filling orders for powders, oils and other bizarre ingredients in the family store, but she has a secret.

She doesn’t believe.

Struggling to reconcile her modern sensibilities with a completely unscientific craft based on suspicion, Claire can’t wait to escape New Orleans – and voodoo – when she goes to college, a desire that creates almost constant conflict in her secret affair with Xander Toussaint, son of the Guild’s powerful founding family.

But when a mysterious customer places an order for a deadly ingredient, Claire begins to realize that there’s more to voodoo – and the families that make up the Guild – than meets the eye.

Including her own.
As she bands together with the other firstborns of the Guild, she comes face to face with a deadly enemy – and the disbelief that may very well kill her."

First of all, let me say that it doesn't matter if you believe in voodoo or not; this novel is great for everybody! It's a coming-of-age story, in my POV. The main character is the descendant of a high voodoo priestess (if you know anything about NOLA and voodoo, you can already guess who it is), and yet she's not sure whether she believes in the craft or not. However, after knowing a dark force has come to her home, she has to figure out what she does and doesn't believe in quickly!

The characters, tension, etc. is very good in this book. The plot is continually exciting and out there! I think that this is just a great book, for teens and adults alike!

In Conclusion: Go for it! You won't regret it!

Rating: 

5/5 voodoo dolls

"The Naturals" (an undercover Lexi review)

Our awesome Readers,

Summary: "Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don't lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can't tell who you are, where you're from and how you're likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don't get chosen to join The Naturals.

Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilities.

For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother's horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be..." (Thanks, Goodreads!)

This novel was truly interesting! It mixes thriller, mystery, and teen crushes in a cool way. I'm definitely a fan of this novel. The idea of having this natural ability that sets you apart, but it working in a positive way just is a good thing to read about. The characters have depth, and I definitely recommend it!

(By the way, this novel is great for teens and adults, but leans more towards older teens. Could have just been me though.)

In Conclusion: Go for it, no matter what you're in to!

Rating:

4/5 FBI ID's

"The Saints of the Cross" (a saintly Lexi review)

Readers,

I've been reading so much that I have no room in the panel I put them in to blog. It's insanity! So let's start with the novel The Saints of the Cross by Michelle Figley.

Summary: "Seventeen-year-old Evangeline Sweeney has a life most teenage girls would envy. She’s lived in exotic locales all over the world, has a handsome boyfriend and a loyal best friend. Everything seems tranquil on the surface, but recurring nightmares about her deceased mother have her questioning their significance and her own sanity. When her father announces he’s moving the family from her beloved Spain back to Washington D.C., her world is shattered. However, when Evie returns to DC she discovers devastating secrets about her family and the boy she loves that threaten to destroy everything she knows to be true about her life and her identity. With the help of an intriguing, handsome friend from her new school, The Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, Evie begins searching for the one thing she knows can answer all her questions and help her uncover the truth about herself. But, will she find it before she loses everything, and everyone, she loves and cherishes most?" (Thank you, Goodreads!)

This book is full of surprises! Every twist and turn will take you on an emotional thrill ride! This entire book is unpredictable. I could not even fathom what was up next. It was seriously hard to put down. This novel is just really good, and I'm nervous to say anything specific about it because I don't want to ruin it in any way.

In Conclusion: Read it! IT'S GREAT!

Rating:

5/5 crosses

Reading/Book Lover Humor!!! (Lexi's Sunday post)

Our great readers,

I decided y'all needed things to laugh/chortle/smirk/grin at (and cuz it's too damn cold outside), so I grabbed some great book/literature/reading humor...

And, of course, for us Disney fans...

Hope I made you smile!!!!!


XOXO,
Lexi