Fraterfest Read-A-Thon: Wrap Up!

Hello everyone! So today marks the end of another awesome read-a-thon. I had a lot of fun reading my books, doing mini-challenge, and chatting with other read-a-thon'er. Below you can see what progress I made during the read-a-thon. 

A HUGE thank you goes to my friend, Kimberly for hosting such a delightfully fun event. I would also like to thank all of the mini-challenge hosts. You all totally rock!

Fraterfest Read-A-Thon: Starting Page

Completed Goals:

• Read 2-3 Books  (read 2)
• Do mini-challenges.
• Don't get stressed feeling I am not reading enough.
• Be more consistent with daily updates.
• Meets new people, make friends but most of all have fun! I did have have as much time this read-a-thon to meet new people. :( 

Completed Books:

• Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs
• Vaempires: Revolution by Thomas Winship (Review will be posted 11/23)
• Why Much I Lie by M.M. Lake (completed only 1/2)

Completed Mini-Challenges:

• Name That Vampire hosted by Kody@ The Fabled Crossroads
• Cover Sleuth hosted by Barbara@ Basia's Bookshelf
• Tune this Title hosted by April@ My Shelf Confessions
• Fraterfest Bash hosted by Christy@ Love of Books
• Books to Movie Madness hosted by Fran @ Books and Beyond
• The Texas Crossword Massacre hosted by Kristen @ My ParaHangover
• Fraterfest Raffle hosted by Kimba@ the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Well that's about it. I think I did pretty good and really had a nice time reading. :) 

Thank you for stopping by and checking my progress. Please leave your links and I will come by and check how you did.

Cover Reveals: YA Books // 10-8-12

Hello readers! So I have been seeing so many stunningly beautiful new book covers popping up everywhere around the web. I wanted  to share with you all a few of my favorite. Yes, I admit...I am a cover whore. Nothing is more pleasing than seeing a gorgeous brand spanking new book cover released. All book cover are either new or ones you may have missed seeing.

Check out these beauties:

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath #2)

by Anne Greenwood Brown

Expected publication: March 12th 2013 by Random House/Delacorte

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . . 

Phoenix (Black City #2)

by  Elizabeth Richards

Expected publication: June 2013 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

Engaged to be married, Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together, when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of the turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth. 

Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings. The only way to save everyone is to escape Black City and find the Ora, a powerful weapon that could take down Purian Rose for good. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon is easier said than done, if it even exists, and becomes a quest that could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

The Elite (The Selection #2)

by Kiera Cass

Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 by HarperTeen

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

When We Wake

by Karen Healey

Expected publication: March 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my first lifetime, I was so, so happy. 

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027--she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies--and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

Tegan is the first government guinea pig to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity--even though all she wants to do is try to rebuild some semblance of a normal life. But the future isn't all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future?

Award-winning author Karen Healey has created a haunting, cautionary tale of an inspiring protagonist living in a not-so-distant future that could easily be our own.

Zombies Don't Forgive (A Living Dead Love Story #2)

by Rusty Fischer

Expected publication: April 1st 2013 by Medallion Press

Following Barracuda Bay’s homecoming cum zombie Armageddon, fellow zombies Maddy, Dane, and Stamp have fled to Orlando where they work at a theme park, hiding in plain sight at their jobs in the Great Movie Monster Makeover show. The three spend most of their time together in their apartment trying to avoid curious Normals and Sentinels—humans and zombie cops. While Dane and Maddy draw closer, Stamp drifts away, falling for a mysterious blonde. But when the mysterious girl puts their existence in danger, all Maddy cares about is hunting the blonde down to separate her from her head.

Are you excited as much as I am about all of these new books to come out? Personally I can't wait for Zombie's Don't Forgive. I absolutely loved Rusty's first book in the series and have been waiting a long time to read this one. If you are a zombie fan be sure to check out Zombies Don't Cry. All of the other covers are amazing as well. I can't wait to read The Elite .

 Which ones did you love? Did you find a new book to add to your TBR List? Let me know in the comments area below. 

I hope everyone has a nice Monday and Happy Reading this week.

Book Review: Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell

Title: Hollywood Car Wash
Author: Lori Culwell

Number of Pages: 320

Published: May 5th 2009 by Simon & Schuster 

Source: Author (paperback)

Genre: Contemporary > Chick Lit

Reading Level: YA - Adult

Star Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads | Purchase

College drama student Amy Spencer dreams of starring in independent films. When her roommate signs her up for a mysterious "television project" audition, she blows away the competition with her girl-next-door looks and impressive acting chops, inadvertently getting a starring role on a major TV show and going from Michigan teen to Hollywood starlet overnight.

To keep the part she didn't even know she wanted, Amy finds herself taking a spin through the "Hollywood Car Wash" to make her more marketable. First, she'll have to lose twenty pounds (don't ask how). Then it's new clothes, new teeth, blonder hair, new friends, and a megastar, high-profile boyfriend (though hers comes with a big secret). Bombarded by jealous, two-faced colleagues, overeager plastic surgeons, and manipulative network executives, Amy slowly learns that the only way to survive in Hollywood is to lose her identity. Will Amy get too caught up by the glitz or will she get a grip on her life before it's too late?

Hollywood Car Wash is the second book I have read by author Lori Culwell. The first being her latest novel "The Dirt".  I was not sure what to expect going into this one but I will say I did hope I would love it as much as I did The Dirt. I was right, so right! This book has everything from interesting characters to a fun and engrossing story-line. I mean I know everyone loves hearing some juicy gossip. It's all about the world of fame and fortune and how one young woman rises to to the top and what she does to get there.

When Amy Spencer gets the chance to audition for a major role in a TV series called Autumn Leaves. She goes to California for the audition hoping this is her break to make it big. When she gets a call back for another audition then another for the TV series. Amy now has high hopes that they loved her acting and will ask her to sign a contract. So when Amy gets "THE" call and finds out that the studio was blown away by her auditions and wants her to be the newest STAR and Amy is beyond thrilled. She will now have the chance to be a real actress and help her family with their financial problems as well. At first everything is great. Amy has just about EVERYTHING handed to her on a plate. Free food, new clothes, a huge room in a fancy hotel and is always being showered by gifts. Amy is living the high live and knows it. One day when she is called in to speak with one of the network executives. Amy is told she needs to make major changes in order to boost the shows ratings. They want her to lose weight, chance her hair and many more aspects of her body but the biggest change comes when they asks her to chance his name to STAR instead of Amy. While Amy feels she looks fine the way she is and likes her name.  She ends up doing as told, only to find out she really likes the new Amy Star. As Autumn Leaves becomes more and more popular, so does Star. She will she risk everything to continue to climb the ladder to fame and fortune even if it means losing her true self along the way.

I personally never watch TV shows about actors and actresses like Entertainment tonight. I could really care less about them. This book really opened my eyes and gave me a real inside look how today's celebs live and deal with their fame and fortune. Lori Culwell really did a excellent job at portraying the life of a celebrity and making the reader understand it. The book is very face paced and highly entertaining that I could not put the book down. 

Although I did have a couple problem area's for me in the book, one being how Amy did anything and everything she was told, whether she liked it or not. I felt like she lost her soul when she signed that contract deal. I literally was "shaking my head" when she agrees to do certain things to her body when the network asked. I had a deep sense of pity for her and wanted to she her be true to herself. 

I give this book much praise and would so recommend Hollywood Car Wash to my readers. I feel it is a really great and eye opening story for anyone who enjoys watching or reading about celebrities. Author Lori Culwell has definitely written a superstar novel.