Want Books? is a weekly meme hosted at Chachic’s Book Nook and features released books  that you want but you can’t have for some reason. It can be because it’s not available in your country,  in your library or you don’t have the money for it right now.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.
Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school -- until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

That sounds amazing! I've been itching to read this book ever since I read that awesome summary! Here's what other people say about The Dead And Buried:


"Deliciously spooky and ridiculously fun, THE DEAD AND BURIED reminded me why Kim Harrington is one of my favorite authors." – Rachel Hawkins, NYT Bestselling Author of Hex Hall

"A perfect blend of mystery, horror and romance. THE DEAD AND BURIED both terrifies and seduces. I gasped at the scary parts and cried buckets at the end - I loved it!" – Sophie Jordan, NYT Bestselling Author of Firelight

"Look out Mary Downing Hahn. I've not been this spooked since Wait Till Helen Comes. Kim Harrington skillfully blends the uncertainty of moving to a new town and figuring out how to fit in with dead on humor, sweet romance, and spooky spectres. THE DEAD AND BURIED is a perfect, classical ghost story with a decidedly modern feel. I adored it." – Myra McEntire, Hourglass and Timepiece

"THE DEAD AND BURIED is a clever, fast-paced thriller that grips from first page to last. Jade Kelley is a formidable heroine who attacks problems with intelligence and sheer force of will. The tangible paranormal menace, tangle of clues and suspects, and delicious undercurrent of romantic tension all work to make this novel impossible to put down." – Sonia Gensler, The Revenant

“Kim Harrington has crafted a deliciously eerie mystery that kept me guessing from the first line to the last.” – Leigh Fallon, Carrier of the Mark 

The author is giving away a signed copy of  Clarity, Perception, Sleuth or Dare #1, Sleuth or Dare #2, or the French Clarity. Whichever one you want! Three winners! Anywhere in the world. More info here.

Title: Thorn
Author: Intisar Khanani
Genre: YA Fantasy

Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra begins her journey with mounting trepidation. Betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.

Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.

 Author Website | Facebook | Purchase on Amazon  

Vengeance of the Wolf
by Solitaire Parke
Genre: mystery, thriller
Publication date: February 23rd 2012
Pages: 316 (paperback)
Format: paperback and ebook
Purchase this book | GoodReads

SYNOPSIS: Detective John Yardley and FBI agent, Frank Williams are on a quest. They are determined to stop a manipulative, unknown mass murderer, whose targets seem to be specific politicians in a bizarre and maniacal killing spree...one that draws them into a world of dreams and nightmares beyond their wildest imaginations. Awaiting them are unbelievable terrors, chilling twists and turns, and a scope of destruction that they would never have believed possible.

3.5 stars

Alice Parker's Metamorphosis (Book 1 of the New Adventure Series for Children)
by Nicola Palmer
Genre: fantasy, paranormal
Publication date: March 2012
Format: ebook
GoodReads | Purchase

SYNOPSIS: Feisty thirteen-year-old Alice Parker knows something isn't right. Aches and pains have started, she hardly sleeps and her craving for fruit is out of control. Suddenly she is top of the class in every subject. Feeling at odds with the world and being bullied by the 'coven' at school, Alice can't take much more.

 Only when she collapses and experiences a life-changing transformation does she learn why she is different. But with this new identity comes responsibility and Alice isn't convinced she can rise to the challenge. She just wants to be normal! The fact is she's anything but.

Forgotten tales of a magical society are catapulted into the daily life of strong, memorable female characters who readers will grow to love. An intriguing blend of realism, suspense and fantasy, a must-read for girls of 7+.

THOUGHTS:
Alice Parker was a perfectly normal girl who had average grades and an average life, but then a sudden change happens, and she's introduced to a world of magic and dreams that has apparently been hiding under her nose all this time. Alice finds out that she is a finwip, a creature very much like a fairy from the bed time stories. She then finds herself part of an underground finwip community, which becomes her second home.

The author wrote such vivid descriptions, and I found myself wanting to be Alice, to be a part of her world. The storyline is very well-written and it lured me in from the first page. The story will make you guess and guess, but your guesses are hardly ever right. Alice was also very easy to love. She was a bit reluctant and uneasy at first,  but then she accepts who she is and becomes strong and determined. Her metamorphosis was also well paced, and it never felt rushed.  Alice was very smart, she always thinks before she acts and she shows compassion towards others. She hardly ever complained and she did what had to be done to save the people she cared about.

I never expected much from this book since it is a middle-grade fantasy and I thought it would just be okay. But Nicola Parker proved me wrong! Even though it's a book for middle-age readers,  the book is written in a beautiful sophisticated prose that would put adult fiction to shame. Even though the writing is smart, it's still perfectly understandable by all ages. The book reminded me of C.S. Lewis' and J.K. Rowling's works; smart and opinionated without losing a touch of magic. This book was such a breath of fresh air, and it certainly brought out the child in me.

THE NUB AND GIST:

A Demon Made Me Do It
by Penelope King
Genre: urban fantasy, young adult, paranormal
Publication date: August 1st 2011
Pages: 315 (paperback)
GoodReads | Purchase

SYNOPSIS: Some girls share clothes, a bathroom, or a bedroom. Seventeen-year-old Liora Greyson has to share, too. Only she shares her body--with a demon.

Liora just wants to survive her final year of high school unscathed, her dark secret intact. But the walls she’s carefully constructed to keep people away crack wide open once she meets the sexy and mysterious Kieron, and he lights her world on fire. She can’t let him know she transforms into a demon named "Lucky" at nightfall—a demon with an entirely separate personality who passes out Torment, Justice, and Revenge like Halloween candy.

Turns out Kieron is the one who should be afraid once Lucky discovers his true identity and motivations. Liora wants to love him, but Lucky thinks he’s public enemy number one. And having a demon with a vendetta show up during a romantic date puts a serious crimp in any relationship.

Fighting your demons is one thing. Having one that fights back, messes with your guy, and leaves you with nasty hangovers is quite another.

Being bad has never been so good...

THOUGHTS:
This book in a nutshell: Persona 4 + Dante's Inferno
This book was way better than I expected. I thought it would be a really dark and eerie demon slaying kind of book, but it was actually a tale of acceptance, facing your fears, and coming into terms with who you really are, even the ugly bits that you hate about yourself.

Whenever I read a book with characters with different personalities I always end up loathing at least one of them, but that didn't happen with this book. I loved all the characters, both demons and humans. They all had their own charms. The plot is also well written and unique, although the pacing and switching of POVs ticked me off at times.

It had it's fair share of teen angst, but not enough to make it too annoying, so that's good. Oh, and I have to say, the guys in this book are sizzling hot. I mean, I guess most paranormal young adult books need hot guys to add an extra oomph of, err, paranormal-ness, but the guys in A Demon Made Me Do It had a hotness meter of a burning fury of a thousand suns. And i'm not even exaggerating here. Oh, and I loved Lucky so much, it scared me. She reminded me of Cara Mason from Legend of The Seeker, with her leather outfits, extreme bad-assery, and all that.

Cara Mason had extreme emotional "im supposed to be bad i cant feel this way" monologues too

It's very easy to relate to the story since all of us have a side of ourselves that we don't really like and all that. It also had a lot of adrenaline filled butt-kicking scenes, which I loved. It wasn't too serious though, with the characters' deadpan humor making me chuckle here and there. All in all it was a pretty good book, and I honestly enjoyed it.

THE NUB AND GIST:

Thanks to all the respective authors and publishers who sent me these books !

Open Heart (Farsighted #2)
by Emlyn Chand
Genre: urban fantasy, young adult, paranormal
Expected Publication date: May 25th 2012
Pages: 352 (hardcover)
GoodReads

SYNOPSIS: Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be working as a diet plan. Well, at least her boyfriend, Alex, loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her.

The problem is, she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? And why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Whenever he's around, part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter who she’d hurt or what she’d risk.

Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Who will she choose—the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high as the tension mounts in book two of the Farsighted series.

THOUGHTS:
I was never a Team Simmi girl. She was more of a prop character in Farsighted, and I felt she was fake-ish and shallow. I said fake-ish because I wasn't entirely sure, but Open Heart came along and confirmed everything.

The deal is, Simmi has thins whole self-loathing problem where she has all these negative thoughts about herself like "omg i'm too fat" and "omg i'm too ugly". It's not a problem though, since that's perfectly normal. Heck, even I feel like i'm an ugly sea cow most of the time. My problem with Simmi is how she deals with her problem. She has all these eating disorders, she lies to the people who care about her, she manipulates them for all the wrong reasons, she takes comfort in the insecurities of other people, and she wants other people stop judging her but she keeps on judging other people herself and sizes them up and makes mental venn diagrams in order to figure out who's better or who's more handsome LIKE IT'S ALL JUST A HUGE MISS UNIVERSE CONTEST. And honestly, her "he's dangerous and I shouldn't but something's luring me in" monologues sound exactly like a typical Bella pining for her smexy but dangerous Edward. -end of rant-

It was extremely hard for me to rate this book. Putting my 'hatred' for Simmi at bay in order to write a proper review is just too mentally frustrating. I mean, Simmi is definitely not a character you'd easily love. But because Emlyn is such a sweetheart, here is a bullet list (Emlyn likes bullet lists!) of what I liked about this book:

• Alex Kosmitoras. Need I say more? Err I guess i really should explain this further but I can't without spoiling the story, so you need to read the book. *wink wink, nudge nudge* ;D
• Basically every character in the book except for Simmi. I loved them all. Even the "antagonists" like the popular kids and Dax had redeeming features, and they even had their own little backstory that Emlyn managed to fit in without ruining the whole plot. 
• The writing! I mean, it's not exactly grand poetry or anything like that. It's more of an easy, flowy type and it's really easy to read but it worked. I actually felt like I was reading Simmi's journal and everything was so vivid. And I have to say, Emlyn's writing definitely improves since Farsighted.
• It's perfectly paced. It was a really smooth process without any boring bumps in the road, and the build towards the climax was also steady-sailing. 
• I got a taste of Indian culture yet again! The story was filled with ideas about chakras and Sikhism, and I'm personally really interested in other religions and all that jazz, so it really made my reading experience exciting! And, learning something new is always a good thing.
• It's not white-washed. Open Heart had all these characters from different races, cultures, and backgrounds. It's really hard to find that in YA novels these days.
• Okay, this definitely deserves the last-but-not-the-least pimp spot. I really really liked how Emlyn tackled Simmi's eating disorders and self-loathing. She didn't sugarcoat it at all. I know that it is a common problem, and that it is a problem that is commonly denied. Most girls don't even realize they have eating disorders, or they don't even consider it as a disorder or a problem. That's what made Simmi real, I think. She may not be a likeable character per se, but she is very very real. There's a little bit of Simmi in all of us, I think.

THE NUB AND GIST:

4.5 STARS!

Farsighted
by Emlyn Chand
Genre: fantasy, young adult, paranormal
Publication date: October 17th 2011
Pages: 260 (hardcover)
Purchase | GoodReads

SYNOPSIS: Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

THOUGHTS:
This book in a nutshell: This book has too much complexities and cannot be fathomed into a nutshell.
Okay okay, where to start? First off, here's what I liked about the book:

• The book was like a melting pot of cultures. The author mixed greek and indian culture really well. It was a very ambitious idea, but she pulled it off nicely.
• The book is very easy to read. The story was told in a male POV, written by a female author. It was believable 99.9% of the time. 
• It's really hard to write about blind characters, because convincing the reader that the character is really visually impaired is quite a difficult task to do without visually impairing the reader in the process. I didn't feel visually impaired at all, and I saw the world through Alex's eyes without any problems, so two thumbs up to Emlyn!
• Lovely characters. You'll easily relate to them, and liking them is not hard at all. Alex was a black horse hero, and I liked that about him. He's the kind of guy any mom would be thrilled to have her daughter take home. Don't get me wrong though, he's hardly perfect and he has a lot of problems. 
• And that is another thing that I like about this book. The characters are very human, none of them are described to be 'perfect' or anything like that. Each of them all had their own flaws and it was nice seeing them mature as the story went on.
• No super steamy scenes, just nice, clean, romance. Need I say more?

THE NUB AND GIST:
Great book with a unique plot. I just wish it didn't end like that, with the cliffhanger and all. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

you can also view it here for HQ

geekery

Dark Passage
by M.L. Woolley
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, mystery
Publication date: March 20th 2012
Publisher: Amazon
Pages: 309 (paperback)

SYNOPSIS: Jen takes refuge in a rundown mansion when her life falls apart. To escape reality she finds herself choosing between the world of the living and the dead. She begins having vivid experiences with a beautiful male entity who longs to be her soulmate.

Her childhood friend, 19 year old Ivy, has come from a rough past and has always been different. She learns she has the ability to communicate with the
dead and as time passes other supernatural gifts emerge. Ivy will stand against
the evil that would separate a love that transcends time and her true destiny
emerges.

Jen & Ivy are drawn into the compelling world of the dark side and propelled on
the most important journeys of their lives.

“With one final glance behind her, Jen urged her horse forward, and toward the safety of the mountains. Her heart was heavy and she immediately thought of the other realm. Her hope was that they were aware of what had happened and would help. Chaos was already breaking out; and the world was in danger of slipping back to a time of great darkness, reminiscent of the Middle Ages."

THOUGHTS:
This book in a nutshell:  Not your average paranormal story
I'd like to start off with a big thank you to M.L. Woolley for letting me read this book. It has been a pleasure reading it.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but I chose to give it 4 stars instead because I was a bit confused at the beginning. I was too much of a goldfish to realize that the POV constantly changes between the characters. It was strange at first, but when i settled into it, I was immediately drawn into the story.

Dark Passage is well written and unique, with haunting characters with so much depth, you feel like you've known them all your life. It tells of the struggles of trying to find out who you really are and where you belong in this world. I began to like how the author uses different POVs. It was easier to get into each character's head, and it made me fall in love with them even more.

A tale of tragedy, loss, and dark creatures, Dark Passage  is an edge of your seat kind of tale filled with romance and mystery. Filled with a lot of twists and turns, this is definitely not your average "good vs. evil" story. You'll want to read this book over and over again.

With all honesty, this book was better than most of the published books out there. M.L. Woolley is an indie author that will go places!   


THE NUB AND GIST:
A spectacular read! I'm definitely looking forward to the other books in the series.


Read this if:
you're looking for a page-turning, stay-up-til-midnight-to-finish-this, one-more-chapter-please book.
you're looking for stories with strong messages about believing in yourself

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want Books? is a weekly meme hosted at Chachic’s Book Nook and features released books that you want but you can’t have for some reason. It can be because it’s not available in your country, in your library or you don’t have the money for it right now.

A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.

When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans.
The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red?
The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s
jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.

Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world.
Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.

What A Boy Wants
by Nyrae Dawn
Genre: contemporary, romance, young adult
Publication date: April 6th 2012
Publisher: [ebook]
Pages: 209 (ebook)

SYNOPSIS: Courtesy of watching his mom’s relationships, Sebastian Hawkins knows what girls need to do to get a guy. He has what he considers a PHD in hooking up. When he needs extra cash for a car, Sebastian starts up an online venture as The Hook-up Doctor, to anonymously help girls land the guy of their dreams. Of course, his services don’t offer a happily-ever-after guarantee. He’s seen firsthand getting together never means staying together.

And then he falls in love…

With the last girl he would expect…

Totally not in his game plan.

Suddenly, Sebastian finds himself muddled in the game he’s always prided himself on. He can’t even pick up girls at parties anymore! Why would anyone want to be in love when it turns you into a stuttering, screwed-up, mess with really lame stalker tendencies? Stalking? Totally not his gig.

But the Hook-up Doctor won’t let himself go down easily. He’s always known how to give a girl what she wants and now it’s time to figure out what a boy wants… and he definitely plans on getting it.

THOUGHTS:
This book in a nutshell:  "OMG CAN I PLEASE GET AN ARC OF THE SECOND BOOK"
This is a sweet and fun read that had me laughing, giggling, and crying all at the same time.

The story line nicely paced, it easily flows and the male POV sounded really authentic and believable. Come to think of it, Sebastian talks like me. I guess that's the reason why this was so easy for me to read and finish.
Our boy Sebastian Hawkins is a cocky, funny, sweet, protective. You can't help but love this book because of him. Nyrae doesn't neglect the other characters though, there's a lot of depth to them. You can easily relate to all of them. I think she set the pace for the second book really nicely.

I promise that I will spare you from my fangirling because you might ask for a restraining order.
But umm. Just a little fangirl time? Please? Thanks!
SEBASTIAN LET ME LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!11111! <33333333333333
HEY I JUST MET YOU, AND THIS IS CRAZY, BUT HERE'S MY NUMBER, LET'S MAKE BABIES.
Okay, i'm done.

THE NUB AND GIST:
If it isn't obvious yet, I love this book and everything about it. Nyrae Dawn is the newest addition to my list of favorite authors.


Read this if:
you're looking for a light, refreshing read
you want to fall in love
you are in love

Diary
SYNOPSIS: Misty Wilmot has had it.
Once a promising young artist, she’s now stuck on an island ruined by tourism, drinking too much and working as a waitress in a hotel. Her husband, a contractor, is in a coma after a suicide attempt, but that doesn’t stop his clients from threatening Misty with lawsuits over a series of vile messages they’ve found on the walls of houses he remodeled.

Suddenly, though, Misty finds her artistic talent returning as she begins a period of compulsive painting. Inspired but confused by this burst of creativity, she soon finds herself a pawn in a larger conspiracy that threatens to cost hundreds of lives. What unfolds is a dark, hilarious story from America’s most inventive nihilist, and Palahniuk’s most impressive work to date.

THOUGHTS: 
This book in a nutshell:  level 98 writing + Dan Brown goes to art school
Words cannot express how insanely good this book is. I don't even know how to effectively describe it.
It vivid, disturbing, grotesque, and a bit supernatural. The imagery was spot on.
It was organized chaos. If any other writer wrote a novel with half the amount of twists in this book, it's a one hit KO. Crash and burn. But this is Chuck Palahniuk we're talking about here, he never burns.
This story will keep you guessing. I found myself getting surprised at each turn of the page. Just when I think that I've figured the whole story out, Palahniuk, being the ass that he is, brings up another trump card proclaiming that my assumptions were wrong. And he brings up another one. And another one. And another one. It was like walking towards an edge of the room thinking that it's the end point, but then finding yourself back where you started. Palahniuk, you dick.


THE NUB AND GIST:
This is the kind of book that creeps under your flesh and tortures you with dreams. (In a perfectly good way!)


Do not read this if:
you don't like grotesque scenes. because there are a lot. believe me.
you are sqwirmish and you puke at the sight of needles, blood, etc. (but i say to hell with that, because the book is completely worth it)
you dislike books with vulgar language