Review: The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts (The Unbelievables #1) by K.C. Tansley

Title: The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts

Series: The Unbelievables #1

Author: K.C. Tansley

Genre: YA, paranormal, mystery

Publication date: August 2015

Published by: Beckett Publishing Group

Source: For review from publishers via Netglley

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Synopsis:

Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not because she’s never seen one, but because she saw one too many. Refusing to believe is the only way to protect herself from the ghost that tried to steal her life. Kat’s disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project for an eccentric teacher takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut.

The site of a grisly mystery, the Isle of Acacia is no place for a girl who ignores ghosts, but the ghosts leave Kat little choice. Accompanied by her research partner, Evan Kingsley, she investigates the disappearance of Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe on their wedding night in 1886. Evan’s scientific approach to everything leaves Kat on her own to confront a host of unbelievables: ancestral curses, powerful spells, and her strange connection to the ghosts that haunt Castle Creighton.

But that’s all before Kat’s yanked through a magic portal and Evan follows her. When the two of them awaken 129 years in the past with their souls trapped inside the bodies of two wedding guests, everything changes. Together, Kat and Evan race to stop the wedding-night murders and find a way back to their own time—and their own bodies—before their souls slip away forever.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Overall, I really liked The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts--it had a very interesting premise. Being sucked into a mirror and into the past... how cool does that sound? I'm gonna be honest and say that I wasn't expecting to like this much ‘cause it sounded very historical-ish, and I'm not the biggest fan of that. Surprisingly, I very much enjoyed it. Not only did my love for time travel win out, I actually, genuinely liked the setting!

Literary Nails: Shutter by Courtney Alameda

So it's been over a year since my last bookish nail art, but I finally have one ready, YAS!

This bookish nail art was inspired by...

Shutter by Courtney Alameda

Review: Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula (Cassidy Jones Adventures #1) by Elise Stokes

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Series: Cassidy Jones Adventures #1

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: December 2010

Published by: Elise Stokes

Source: Own e-book

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Synopsis:

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.

After exploring her newfound abilities, Cassidy learns that the geneticist, Professor Serena Phillips, is missing and that foul play is suspected. Terrified that her physical changes and Professor Phillips' disappearance are somehow connected, Cassidy decides to keep her strange transformation a secret. That is, until she meets the professor's brilliant and mysterious fifteen-year-old son, Emery. An unlikely duo, they set out to find Emery's mother, who is key in explaining Cassidy's newly acquired superpowers.

Their lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder — to reach his own ambitious goals.

My rating: ★★★★★
Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula had been on my to-read list for a long time, then I saw it free on Amazon and I grabbed it immediately. I don't know what I was expecting but I was very excited to start it, and I was pleasantly surprised! It did not disappoint! It was just so much fun yet surprisingly thrilling!

Reading Decathlon Challenge: Wrap Up

So, I did the challenge and now it's done. How did I do, you ask? Well...

Review: The Soul Thief (Angel of Death Series #1) by Majanka Verstraete

Title: The Soul Thief

Series: Angel of Death Series #1

Author: Majanka Verstraete

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 2014

Published by: Booktrope Publishing

Source: For review from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.

Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
When I first saw this book I knew I had to have it. I mean, Reapers, Angels of Death, souls? This stuff is definitely my cup of tea! But unfortunately, I did not enjoy it quite as much as I wanted or thought I would.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #79: The Reading Decathlon Challenge!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

[Images take you to books' Goodreads page!]

Sunday Post #100

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week! Let's get started!

Review: Adventures in Murder Chasing (Funeral Crashing #3) by Milda Harris

Title: Adventures in Murder Chasing

Series: Funeral Crashing #3

Previous books in this series: Adventures in Funeral Crashing (#1) | Adventures in Double Dating (#1.1) | Adventures of a Graveyard Girl (#2)

Author: Milda Harris

Genre: YA, cozy mystery

Publication date: September 2013

Published by: Milda Harris

Source: Own e-book

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Kait Lenox is officially Ethan Ripley's girlfriend and she might even be kinda sorta becoming non enemies with her ex-bff Ariel Walker. Everything is going great! That is until Kait stumbles across another suspicious death at her favorite coffee shop, Wired. Not able to help herself, Kait sets out to investigate!

Suddenly Kait's problems go from whether or not she should say the L-word to Ethan to fears that the murder she's investigating might not be murder at all. Should Kait follow her gut or is she just chasing murders?

My rating: ★★★★★
I love, love, LOVE this series! It’s just so much fun and the romance is super cute! I can’t usually stand super cheesy romances, but I felt like this one is different. Ethan and Kait are just so cute together and it’s so adorable I want to cry! Lol.

Review: I'm with Cupid (Switched at First Kiss #1) by Anna Staniszewski

Title: I'm with Cupid

Series: Switched at First Kiss #1

Author: Anna Staniszewski

Genre: Middle Grade, paranormal

Publication date: July 2015

Published by: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Source: For review from publishers via Netgalley

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Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Marcus is a Cupid. Lena is a Reaper. Opposites attract in the exciting new Switched At First Kiss series by the acclaimed author of The Dirt Diary.

When she's dared to kiss the adorkable Marcus Torelli at a party, Lena thinks it's the perfect opportunity to cross First Kiss off her list of "Things to Accomplish Before I Turn Fourteen."

It's only when she gets sent on an assignment the next day that she realizes something went horribly wrong. That ZING she felt wasn't the thrill of her first kiss--she and Marcus have swapped powers! Lena is not your average eighth grader; she's a soul collector with a serious job to do. And Marcus turns out to be a supernatural matchmaker (like Cupid, but without the diaper).

Now logical Lena finds herself with the love touch, and sweet, sentimental Marcus has death at his fingertips. The truth is that Lena should never have taken that dare...because one little kiss has Lena and Marcus in a whole lotta trouble.

My rating: ★★★★☆
I’m with Cupid sounded like so much fun, I knew I had to pick it up! I mean, a Cupid and a Reaper switching powers? How amazingly disastrous is that? It’s just so funny and you know things could not possibly end well. So, yeah, I obviously loved the premise :)

Sunday Post #99: Bookish Nail Art Coming Up!

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week! Let's get started!

Reading Decathlon Challenge: In Which I Try to Read 10 Books in 10 Days... Yikes!

So this challenge is pretty self-explanatory. Read 10 books in 10 days! You can read more about it on Epic Reads here!

Review: Adventures of a Graveyard Girl (Funeral Crashing #2) by Milda Harris

Title: Review: Adventures of a Graveyard Girl

Series: Funeral Crashing #2

Previous books in this series: Adventures in Funeral Crashing (#1) | Adventures in Double Dating (#1.1)

Author: Milda Harris

Genre: YA, cozy mystery

Publication date: April 2012

Published by: Milda Harris

Source: Own e-book

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Kait Lenox is back! It's Homecoming Dance time and Kait is excited. It's her first dance with a date and that date is none other than one of the hottest, most popular guys in her school, Ethan Ripley! For once Kait doesn't feel like a funeral crashing weird girl and it's the most perfect romantic evening ever...at least until a girl gets murdered in the high school bathroom. Rumors fly, panic ensues, and Kait can't help herself, she assigns herself to the case!

My rating: ★★★★★
This was another fun mystery with Kait, the Funeral Crashing Graveyard Girl, in this series that is definitely starting to become one of my favorites! This time, girls at her school are being murdered and it’s up to Kait (and Ethan!) to figure out what’s going on before someone close to her is targeted too.

Review: Loyalist to a Fault (The Dead Kid Detective Agency #3) by Evan Munday

Title: Loyalist to a Fault

Series: The Dead Kid Detective Agency #3

Previous books in this series: The Dead Kid Detective Agency (#1) | Dial "M" for Morna (#2)

Author: Evan Munday

Genre: Middle Grade, paranormal, mystery

Publication date: September 2015

Published by: ECW Press

Source: For review from publishers via Netgalley

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Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

October Schwartz and her five deadest pals are back.

When October Schwartz raises her five dead friends to investigate the cause of Cyril Cooper’s death way back in 1783, she expects a dull research-based journey into the lives of Canada’s earliest British settlers, the United Empire Loyalists. You’d think our favourite teen detective would have the hang of this solving-mysteries thing by now, but when a ghost pirate appears on the scene, October may be in over her head.

The ghost pirate — or someone in a very convincing costume — is thieving key evidence at every turn, beating October to the goods time and again. Worst of all, Valentine’s Day is looming, and October’s friends seem more concerned about secret admirers than secret conspiracies. As October digs deeper into the mystery, she starts to suspect the pirate may be someone very close to her, just as she uncovers facts regarding her long-missing mom and the meaning behind a cryptic message from a past case.

The Dead Kid Detective Agency’s third quest is a veritable bouquet of misadventures that weaves the American Revolution, a beyond-chaotic school dance, a historic sea vessel, and a boatload of supernatural shenanigans into one unforgettable madcap adventure.

My rating: ★★★★☆
So, I’ve never really been a huge fan of history, which is unfortunate because there was a lot of that in this book. It made it kind of bleh for me. But all of that was balanced out with the fact that this is such a fun read with an amazing voice! It also has a great mystery, by the way. You know I always love that ;)

Review: Adventures in Double Dating (Funeral Crashing #1.1) by Milda Harris

Title: Adventures in Double Dating

Series: Funeral Crashing #1.1

Previous book in this series: Adventures in Funeral Crashing

Author: Milda Harris

Genre: YA, cozy mystery

Publication date: July 2015

Published by: Milda Harris

Source: Gift from author

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

For Funeral Crashing Mystery fans here is an alternate POV short story! Ethan Ripley tells the Adventures in Funeral Crashing Double Date scene. This is an Ethan Tells All Short Story.

My rating: ★★★★★
Adventures in Double Dating is a scene from Adventures in Funeral Crashing told in Ethan’s POV! Basically, Ethan and Kait are trying to figure out what really happened to Ethan’s sister, whether she was murdered and who did it. The scene was, as the title suggests (lol), the one where Ethan and Kait go on a double date in order to get some info from a suspect.

Review: Adventures in Funeral Crashing (Funeral Crashing #1) by Milda Harris

Title: Adventures in Funeral Crashing

Series: Funeral Crashing #1

Author: Milda Harris

Genre: YA, cozy mystery

Publication date: July 2011

Published by: Milda Harris

Source: Own e-book

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon (It's FREE)

Synopsis:

Kait Lenox has a reputation as the weird girl in her high school, mostly because of her ex-best friend turned mean popular girl, Ariel, but maybe it has a little to do with the fact that Kait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the most popular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her for all the world to see, he asks for her help, and Kait finds herself entangled in a murder mystery. Not only is the thrill of the mystery exciting, but more importantly Ethan knows her name! A little sleuthing is well worth that!

My rating: ★★★★★
This book, you guys. At first, it sounded kind of weird--I mean, a girl who likes to go funeral crashing? What?? But I gotta admit, this book was fantastic! The quirkiness is actually what called to me (that and the fact that is was an Amazon freebie!) and I am so glad I decided to pick it up!

Review: Paxton Private Investigations by Juli Alexander

Title: Paxton Private Investigations

Series: Paxton Private Investigations #1

Author: Juli Alexander

Genre: YA, contemporary, mystery

Publication date: July 2015

Published by: CrushStar Multimedia LLC

Source: For review from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

Townsey Paxton loves to solve mysteries. It's in her blood. After her older brother leaves vet school to manage the agency and care for her, his sacrifices start to take their toll. With the aid of her diverse group of friends, Townsey decides to help. When she learns a woman is in danger, she can't look the other way. She risks her safety to do what she knows is right, but things suddenly go terribly wrong.

My rating: ★★★★★
I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book! But then again, I seem to love anything Juli Alexander writes--I love her! She is definitely one of my favorite authors! She writes really fun stories with lovable characters and this one was no different.