Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: November, 2008 by Razorbill
Thanks: Penguin, AU
Pages: 443
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa – the last Dragomir princess – must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken…

Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose’s mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy’s iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most… but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Final Thoughts:
It’s hard to really settle on one feeling for this series. They can be thrilling, sending you speeding through the pages, but that only seems to happen once you reach the fourth quarter of the book. The majority of it just seemed to drag on, with little to no action in the plot to keep it interesting. I spent over a month trying to get through this book. It was more of the same—academy drama, Rose keeping things from Lissa in order to ‘protect her’, and the Rose/Dimitri forbidden-relationship tension.

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: April, 2008 by Razorbill
Thanks: Penguin, AU
Pages: 327
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose has serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor, Dimitri, has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

Then a nearby Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir’s on high alert, and the Academy whisks its students away on a mandatory holiday ski trip. But the glittering winter landscape and posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose – and her heart – are in more danger than she ever could have imagined…

Final Thoughts:
Not a lot was achieved throughout this instalment. It felt more like a side story on the way to something bigger. For the most part, I felt like I was waiting for the plot to happen. There’s a fair bit packed into the last quarter of the book, and when it got going, it was good, but in leading up, I thought we spent far too much time with Rose worrying about where her non-relationship with Dimitri was going. Where was all of the Lissa/Rose bond stuff (or more importantly—their friendship) that was introduced in book one?

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews 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!

Titles link back to Goodreads
• Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (thanks to Publisher)
• The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Rapture by Lauren Kate (purchased)
• Unrest by Michelle Harrison (thanks to Publisher)

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the two paperbacks this week. Werewolves, and body snatching…sounds fun. I preordered The Golden Lily ages ago. It was a suprise when it arrived, actually. I still haven’t read beyond the first book of the Vampire Academy series so this one will end up waiting on my shelves for quite a while before I get around to it. Rapture, on the other hand, is one I’ve been waiting to get to. I’m really hoping it brings this series to an exciting close. It’s a hit and miss series for me, but I do love angels. So what did you pick up this week?

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Damico, Gina Croak #1, Croak
Kane, Ashlyn & James, Morgan, Hair Of The Dog

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews 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!

• Vampire Academy: Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Frostbite: Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Fury by Rebecca Lim (purchased)
• Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck (purchased)
• The Industry by Rose Foster (purchased)

I stopped by a shopping centre on my lunch break last week and ended up walking out with another five books I wasn’t looking for. I saw the second Vampire Academy graphic novel was out so I decided to just pick them both up. I still have to read the actual Frostbite sometime though before I get into these. Fury and Tiger’s Voyage are both additions to series I’ve haven’t yet started on, but felt like grabbing for whenever I actually do. The last book, The Industry sounded like something different from the usual paranormal romances I keep getting sucked into, so it made it onto my stack too. I’m still reading Red Glove at the moment. I’ve been on it for over a week, but just haven’t gotten the same connection I had with the first book. I’m hoping to finish it in the next day or so though.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Green, John, The Fault In Our Stars
Lord, Gabrielle Conspiracy 365 #6-9, June to September

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (purchased) – My Review
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (purchased) – My Review
• Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (purchased) – My Review
• Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake (won – thanks Jena @ Shortie Says)
• Mammon by J.B. Thomas (purchased)
• My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares (purchased)
• Unwelcome by Michael Griffo (thanks to publishers) – My Review
• Forbidden by Jana Oliver (thanks to publishers)
• Twisted by Gena Showalter (purchased)
• Guardian Of The Dead by Karen Healey (won – thanks Ange @ Moonlight Reader)
• Beastly by Aliex Flinn (won – thanks Holly @ In Interest)
• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart (purchased)
• Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (purchased)

I met Maggie yesterday and got eight books signed, the five paperbacks I had, and this hardcover set. She even signed the front of the box that they go in. I got a few of my giveaway wins this week. I especially can’t wait to start on Anna Dressed In Blood. I received a couple review books too. Thanks to Kensington for Unwelcome, which I just reviewed a few days ago. I’ll be reviewing Forsaken and Forbidden next week after I finish Burn Bright which I’m half way through at the moment. I’ve been waiting on Twisted for a while. I love the Intertwined series so I’ll be pushing that up in my TBR so I can get it to it soon. I bought My Name Is Memory on a whim, it looks like a clone of Fallen with matching character names and similar blurb. And lastly Blood Bound, it’s another I have to make time for. I love Rachel’s books, so I’m hoping I’ll get just as addicted to her new series.

Here are my reviews from the past week:
Griffo, Michael Archangel Academy #2, Unwelcome
Stiefvater, Maggie Books Of Faerie #2, Ballad

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Winter’s Shadow by M.J. Hearle (library)
• Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (library)
• Entice by Carrie Jones (library)
• Soulless by Gail Carriger (library)
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (won)
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead (won)
• Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (won)
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (won)
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (won)
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (won)
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (purchased)
• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (purchased)
• Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (purchased)
• Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (purchased)
• Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr (purchased)
• Chime by Franny Billingsley (won)

I forgot I’d gone to the library on Monday, so that’s why my first picture is clearly patched together, I didn’t feel like getting all the books back out for a new photo. I managed to pick up the complete Wicked Lovely series this week for $25 from Big W (if you’re in Australia). It was so cheap, and comes housed in a nice hard box, I just had to get it. I’ve only read this first book in the series so far, you can find my review here. Thanks to Jess from She Known As Jess for Chime, which I won in the Midsummer’s Eve giveaway. You probably also noticed my signed Vampire Academy book above. I entered a competition with Penguin Australia at the end of May where you had to come up with a question for Richelle Mead in 25 words or less. I just happened to be one of the ten winners. In addition to having my question answered in an upcoming video, I also got sent the whole series – Thanks so much Penguin. All of the books are personally signed with a different message in each. I’ve only read the first book, so I’m very excited to have these.

If you haven’t already entered my INTERNATIONAL Giveaway, check it out for a chance to win one of the books in The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy. (Ends 17th July 2011)

My Reviews from the past week:
Hearle, M.J. Winter’s Shadow #1, Winter’s Shadow
Mitchell, Todd The Secret To Lying
Rees Brennan, Sarah The Demon’s Lexicon #3, The Demon’s Surrender

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Wake by Lisa McMann (purchased)
• Gone by Lisa McMann (purchased)
• Die For Me by Amy Plum (purchased)
• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (purchased)
• The Devouring by Simon Holt (purchased)
• Soulstice by Simon Holt (purchased)
• The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross (purchased)
• My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent (purchased)
• Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (purchased)
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (purchased)
• Intertwined by Gena Showalter (purchased)
• Unraveled by Gena Showalter (purchased)
• Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins (purchased)
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (purchased)
• Fallen by Lauren Kate (purchased)
• Torment by Lauren Kate (purchased)
• Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon (purchased)
• Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon (purchased)
• White Cat by Holly Black (library)
• The Secret To Lying by Todd Mitchell (library)
• Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (library)
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead (library)
• Captivate by Carrie Jones (library)
• My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey (library)
• Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward (library)

As you can see, my mailbox went into overload this week. Lots of my bookdepository orders arrived (every single book packaged individually), but I still have a couple more I’m waiting on. I went to the city this week with my friend Brittany from Nice Girls Read Books and we stalked all the bookstores we could find. We nearly got stuck in a back alley tow away zone trying to find a park for one of the little independent bookshops. City driving, not fun… On top of the 12 books that arrived in the mail, I grabbed 6 at the shops on impulse and picked up 7 more from the big library in the city. Out of all of these, I’d read six already (Wake, My Soul To Take, Intertwined, Unraveled, Clockwork Angel and Infinity) but I needed them for my collection. I especially love the shiny foil coverslip on Clockwork Angel, it looks great sitting beside my TMI hardbacks.

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!