My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking

Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham's life feels out of control after she meets Jack. He is unlike anyone she's ever met. Then she meets his brother, Peter.  She can barely breathe when he's around. She's drawn to him in a way she can't control or understand. Falling for two very different guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between the love she feels for one and her blood's yearning for the other.

Let's be honest, vampires have been done. And done, and done again. Alas, I can't help myself. Was it a little Twilight-ish? Yes. Did it kind of remind me of Vampire Diaries? Of course. However, it was an original take on vampires that I hadn't seen yet. Will I read the whole series? Duh.

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission. After being forced out of a government quarantine by a zombie attack, she must travel across the country to find her little brother. America is a wasteland due to the lyssavirus, a horrible infection turning humans into zombie like monsters. Remy has been trained to fight and she'll have her hands full with flesh eating zombies, spoiled rock stars, and violent humans. If anyone can survive a zombie apocalypse, it's Remy King.

This is the first "zombie" book I've ever read. I really love the way Amanda Hocking has written Remy King. Her take charge and kick ass attitude had me rooting for her right away. I was happy to find out that this is a series and I've already started reading the second book, Hollowman.

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael never imagined they would team up with the vampires of Morganville for anything. However, the enemy that has taken over their town is the worst they've ever faced. The draug feed on humans and vampires alike; more than anything, Magnus the draug leader, wants Claire. Things are looking grim, especially with the founder Amelie infected by a draug bite. With most of the town evacuated, this shaky alliance will have to be enough to save them all.

This is the 12th book in the Morganville series. I was thrilled when I saw that a new book had come out. I am amazed that Rachel Caine continues to find new, exciting situations for Claire and her friends. You would think after twelve books I would be over these, but I still love them just as much as I did when I read the first one!

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Alchemist Sydney Sage and Moroi Princess Jill Dragomir are still hiding out at a Palm Springs boarding school. As new enemies are discovered, forbidden romances blossom, unexpected spirit bonds are created, and the threat of Strigoi moves ever closer.

Once again I am pleased with this new series. I am loving Sydney as a main character. Richelle does an excellent job of developing these characters, while weaving their lives together. Again we are visited by familiar folks from the Vampire Academy series. Can't wait for the next one!!

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

R is tired of the same old thing day after day: shuffling around the same airport, bumping into the same bodies, even wearing the same clothes. But then, R is a zombie. He has no memories of his life before he was a zombie and this is just what zombies do. One day, R goes with a hunting group to find food and something amazing happens. As he's eating his victim's brain, he sees the victim's memories. The memories are mainly of a girl, and R becomes obsessed with finding her, which isn't hard since she's in the same room. R protects her from the other zombies, and so begins a very complicated relationship between R and Julie, zombie and human. Little do they know that their relationship just may change the world.

First off, I am not a zombie person. At all. I almost didn't read this book because zombies? Really? I am so glad that I did! The story is told from R's point of view, which brings some much needed humor to the book. Of course, there's the whole eating people thing in there, but you almost overlook it while you're reading because you're so enthralled with this complicated character. I know, I know, how can a zombie be complicated? R manages it, and then some. Definitely don't miss this one!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

After Jace went missing along with Sebastian, Clary, Izzy, and Alec want nothing more than to find him. When they find out that the two are bound and it is impossible to hurt one without inflicting the same damage on the other, it becomes their new goal to find a way to safely separate the two. Meanwhile, Alec and Magnus are having relationship issues, Simon's mom thinks he's a monster, and Clary rushes headlong into her own plan for rescuing Jace without any thought for the consequences.

Yet again, Cassandra Clare has outdone herself! This book is heartbreaking to read, while keeping the same sense of humor as all of her others. The cliffhanger this time is not near as intense as the last one, but thank goodness for that! Very excited to see how this series ends (March 2014... AAHHHH!) with City of Heavenly Fire.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Tessa continues to try to find answers to her many questions: Who is she? What is she? And why is the Magister so interested in her? To find these answers, she works with Will and Jem, two Shadowhunters, to learn more about the Magister. What they find, though, is that the Magister knows everything about them, including their every move. Tessa is also struggling with her feelings for these two boys. She is inexplicably attracted to Will, despite his attitude, but she also feels a growing attraction to Jem.

I love Cassandra Clare, but this book had the feel of a 'middle book.' Don't get me wrong, it was still a great book, but it felt more like it was building to something than anything else. Definitely can't wait for the last book in the series, Clockwork Princess, due out in March 2013.

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie has just escaped the destruction of the Prodigium Council, not knowing if her father, her best friend, or her love interest survived. All she has is orders from her friend Cal (who also may not have survived) to find her mother at a specific location. She is confused when she gets there and finds that it's the headquarters of the Brannicks, a family of female warriors with the sole purpose of hunting down prodigium. She uncovers a lot about her family history while there, which is shocking enough, but she also learns of a plan to use prodigium as vessels for raised demons. Even worse, she discovers that she may be the reason that the plan works.

I absolutely love these books! I am very upset, though, because the ending of this one felt very final. I haven't been able to find out if there's plans for any more, either, which is making me think that this may have been the last one. I will be extremely bummed if that is the case!

The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy was 6 years old, her mother tried to kill her. She was convinced that Wendy was not her daughter, but a monster who took the place of the son she was supposed to have. Wendy ended up with her aunt and her brother Matt, who stopped their mother from murdering her. They are constantly on the move because Wendy never seems to fit in anywhere. After their newest move, Wendy notices Finn, a cute guy in many of her classes, who is constantly watching her but never speaks to her. When he finally does, he reveals the truth to Wendy. At first, she thinks he's crazy, but as events unfold, she has no choice but to accept who she really is. 

I really enjoyed this series. The characters are very well-developed (Loki is my favorite!) and the storyline kept me guessing. I'll admit that it's hard to say much about it without giving things away, so my suggestion is to just go and read it!