Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!!  We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better!  Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading!  Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun)

So, since I'm a veteran on the YA-Sisterhood, I'll kick this week off!  My name is Amy.  I'm the oldest sister that actually sadly looks like the youngest!  I get weird looks all the time when I'm out shopping because I look like a 16 year old that has 3 kids!  Everyone wants to look 25, but you never hear anyone say, I wish I looked like I was 16!  I tend to get obsessed with things easily which does runs in our family hence the YA book blog!  Blogging gives me a great outlet for my obsession, and lets my husband have a break from hearing how amazing all these fictional boys are!

I'm sure all of you know how to play Desert Island Books.  Basically, what are the 5 YA books or series you would bring with you were to live out the rest of your life on a desert island!  Here are my obsessive favorites!  Warning!!!  All of these books may cause crazy obsessions, drooling, swooning, and/or rapid heart rate!

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Divergent by Veronica Roth

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Very close Honorable Mentions:

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

However, because there are some amazing books that I love dearly that are not YA, I must represent them here with another list!  Here are my 5 Adult Desert Island Books.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

especially books 1-4

Into the Wilderness Series by Sara Donati

especially books 1, 2 and 6

***Be sure to go check out more "Desert Island Books" today over at our good friend Rachel's Blog, Fiktshun!***

***Please leave a comment telling us about your Desert Island books or do a post of your own and leave a link!***

YA Crush Tourney: Jace vs. Kaleb (Match #20) Goes to Jace

AND THE WINNER IS:

JACE

Some general rules before we begin:

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware.

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.

And finally, due to some epic voting and the crashing of multiple websites, the matches will now only be open for voting for 24 hours, rather than 40. So, now it's even more important to get the word out and the votes in quickly.

Jace Wayland (Seed #2)

Jace Wayland is rep'd by me AmyG from YA-Sisterhood.  You can check out my blog here, and follow me on twitter @YASisterhood.  Jace is from the Mortal Instruments series by the talented Cassandra Clare.  You can find out more info about her and her books by clicking on her name on our side bar.

Personality:

I am going to borrow from the fabulous JKR and say, "JACE WAYLAND IS MY KING!!!"

I'd like to at first say that I began reading City of Bones in early 2008, and from that day forward Jace has been my number 1.  Other YA characters have come close, but none have been able to usurp Jace off his thrown!  The thing about Jace is he's that guy that comes across as cool, suave, good-looking, sarcastic and snarkie when in all actuality, on the inside, he's torn to shreds.  He's from as messed up a family as you can get.  He was emotionally abused by the most evil man since Voldemort.  This quote by Cassandra Clare from City of Bones basically sums up his childhood,"The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."  How cannot every fiber of your being cry out to help him, to give him any amount of love to make up for the life he had endured thus far.  He hides his pain and his insecurity behind a "rapier wit".  He can word duel with the best of them, slaying you with his words one minute while cracking you up the next.  Out of all the amazing guys in this tournament, Jace is the most complex of all the characters.  In his case what you see is not necessarily what you get.  To get to the core of this hero, you must look deep and read between the lines.

"My rapier wit hides my inner pain." -Jace Wayland

Looks:

Close your eyes for a minute, picture a tall golden skinned guy, shirtless of course.  Across his chest and arms are these dark marks.  They look like perhaps symbols or characters from a time long ago.  His waist is lean and his chest and arms look as if they were chiseled perfectly by the gods.  His face is as beautiful as a fallen angel, angular and framed by wavy golden-blond hair.  His eyes are a piercing gold that seem ancient in his young face.  Do you need a fan yet?  Yep, that's Jace!  Pretty irresistible, huh?!?  Seriously, how can anyone turn turn down a tall golden haired bad boy with tats?  I'll take 2 please!!!

Talents:

Without being too spoilery, there are some questions about the actual birth of Jace.  Who is parents are, what happened to him in womb or shortly thereafter.  These questions arise because even Jace's superpowers have superpowers! He can run faster and jump higher than any other nephilim.  He's basically like a Shadowhunter Limited Edition!  He's also one of those guys that every girl swoons over.  He walks into a room and all eyes are on him!  If your wondering why this is under talents, sit back and people watch for awhile!  You will notice that there are very few guys that actually have this talent, and Jace has it in mounds!  Lastly, I will have to mention his snarkiness under this category.  In order to be truly witty, it takes talent.  You must be fast on your feet and prepared for a comeback at any moment.

"What are all these?" Clary asked. 

"Vials of holy water, blessed knives, steel and silver blades," Jace said, piling the weapons on the floor beside him, "electrum wire - not much use at the moment but it's always good to have spares - silver bullets, charms of protection, crucifixes, stars of David-" 

"Jesus," said Clary 

"I doubt he'd fit." 

"Jace." Clary was appalled."  City of Bones 

Special Attributes:

Jace is a shadowhunter or nephilim, part human and part angel.  He's actually descended from the offspring of angels and humans mentioned in Genesis 6.  He has incredible powers, powers enough to police the downworlders: vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, faeries, and demons.  Shadowhunters also have the ability to mark themselves with ancient runes for protection, healing, or added super-abilities.  Their purpose is to protect the mundanes, normal humans, from the downworlders.  So, they basically spend everyday saving the world!  

Why is Jace better than Kaleb?

Okay, this match is going to kill me!  When you read a lot of books you get attached to all the characters.  I have read Hourglass, more than once, and I fell hard for Kaleb also.  I will say that Jace does have an advantage because there are 4 books about Jace plus he's the main character, and as of right now, there is only one book about Kaleb who is not the main character.  Kaleb is very similar to Jace which makes this absolute torture.  However, if I have to choose, I mean put a gun to my head and make me answer, at this moment in time,  I would still say that Jace (please forgive me Kaleb) is the most crush-worthy.  He's the broken bad boy that every girl is dying to fix!  He's the sexy male that is hard and cold on the outside but just crying out to be loved on the inside!  So, be honest with yourselves girls, you know that's what every girl wants!  Plus, he saves the world from the bad guys!  Superhero + broken, bad boy dying to be fixed= WINNER!!!

Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, if you have read the first Mortal Instruments you know the monstrous, gargantuan, colossal twist that occurs.  Okay, think about that for a second, and how you felt through the next books!  If you were like me, all of the great, huge, horrible sin of lets just say "I", suddenly didn't seem too bad anymore!!!  I was actually routing for it in my sick mind!  I totally just didn't care!  So, the last think I will say is that if it will make me and everyone else totally okay with "I" then he deserves to win every stinkin' contest that he ever enters or is entered into for the rest of time!!!!

"I know it's wrong - God, it's all kinds of wrong - but I just want to lie down with you and wake up with you, just once, just once ever in my life."  -Jace (City of Glass)

VOTE FOR JACE!  

"LOOKING BETTER IN BLACK THAN THE WIDOWS OF [HIS] ENEMIES SINCE 1234"!!!

Kaleb (Seed #7) 


The steamy Kaleb is from Myra McEntire's Hourglass. You can find out more about Myra and her Hourglass series by clicking on her name in the side bar of this blog. You can also check our Teaser Tuesday for Hourglass and the Hourglass Review posted just below this. Kaleb is being represented by Bethany. Go follow her on twitter @BethanyeLarson and check out her blog, http://www.bookishbethie.blogspot.com/.

Personality: 

Kaleb is the quintessential bad boy—reckless, devilishly charming, witty, physically intimidating, complex. However, his wit and charm and entire bad boy persona are only fronts (not that he isn't holy-hell-I-would-throw-myself-at-him-if-he-said-that-to-me charming ANYWAY, he just really plays it up) to hide the fact that he's really a big softy. Well, that and the fact that there is some serious family drama in his life. Which means that he's reckless, devilishly charming, physically intimidating, complex, and wounded, which is better known as the exact combination that makes girls melt and go nuts for a guy.

Looks: 

Kaleb is physically intimidating—tall, muscular (the incredible Myra McEntire describes his abs as "the most defined abs I've ever seen"), tattooed (three of them. At least, three that we know of.) and pierced (ears), with short black hair, and violet-blue eyes. If that isn't enough a visual, McEntire compares him to a sexy pirate. Yes, PLEASE.

Talents: 

In the Hourglass world, Kaleb is an empath, a person who is supernaturally in tune with other people's emotions. But other than his ability to read emotions and empathize like a champ, he also excels at drinking a lot and still being alive the next day, coming up with fantastically funny and apt nicknames for people, swimming, and making you feel all hot and bothered.

Special Attributes: 

Kaleb abs are an eight-pack, y'all. Just think about running your hands over it. Mhmmmm.

Additionally, have I mentioned that he is an EMPATH? Any time you were feeling sad or lonely or frustrated or angry, Kaleb would not only understand what you were going through, but would know EXACTLY the right things to say and do to make it better. Basically, he's the perfect man.

Why is Kaleb better than Jace? 

Ladies, (and gents!) I'm not going to pretend like Jace isn't a great catch. But let's be honest—he's a little hard to read. Not that emotional transparency is THE thing to look for in a guy, but a guy who is hot and cold will only make you a nervous wreck. Though Jace typically explains his emotions really well when he gets around to it, Clary is normally in a place that is concerned or worried about her relationship with him. In my opinion that is not a healthy relationship.

However, with Kaleb you get a guy who is not only a looker with his brooding good looks, but is funny, charming, and sensitive. Though I wouldn't necessarily call him an emotional fountain, he is an empath, and is thus very in tune with his (and every else's) emotions.

But one of the great things about Kaleb is that he's still kind of mystery to both Emerson and the readers. He wasn't introduced until a little over halfway through Hourglass, and though he made a big ol' splash, he wasn't the main focus. There is still A LOT to learn about this guy, which is all kinds of exciting, whereas with Jace we kind of know who is he and what he's about. (Well, more or less.) And that is a reckless guy with a chip on his shoulder and a dangerous taste for getting himself in all kinds of evil angel trouble. Does that sound like the guy you'd want to come home to? No. I didn't think so.

Anything else you would like to add? 

You know you want to vote for Kaleb. So, do it. Or else. *glares you into submission*


VOTING IS NOW CLOSED. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO BY CLICKING ON THE CRUSH TOURNAMENT TAB AT THE TOP.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Released: June 14, 2010
Published by: Egmont USA
Reviewed by: AmyG


Summary from goodreads.com

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Holy Toledo, Hourglass!!!  I've been hearing about how amazing this book for months now, and not to mention the gorgeous cover!!!  I read it the day it came out, and then read it again the next week!  Let me just say, and I hope I can get the words perfect, UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE!!!  Fair warning, this is just going to be a complete gush festival of fan-girling.  This is just one of those books that require it!  Before I just completely start blubbering about this book, I need to lay down some kind of structure.  Since, I love lists, instead of doing my normal 3 things I like, I'll list the top ten things I love about this novel!

1.  The meltiness, oh the meltiness

Myra McEntire, my friend, you know how to make a girl melt.  I was literally flipping through the pages with giddiness and the goofiest grin on my face!  If you like those butterflies in your tummy, and your insides turning to complete mush, then sprint to get this book right now!  As I was reading this, I was dropped right back into the days of dating my hubby!  That feeling of meltiness is the reason I am married and have 3 kids today!  Thanks goodness these boys are just fictional, I would be in quite the dilemma at this moment!

2.  Emerson

First off, Baby Sister Britt and I have always loved this name!  If I could re-pick a name for myself, I would be an Emerson!  And this Emerson, lives up to her name!  She's a perfect fit!  She's not the annoying naive heroine that graces many pages of these YA novels.  She's real.  She's dealt with pain, tragedy, guilt, and suffering, but through it all she's not a hollow shell.  She can still laugh!  I love the things that come out of her mouth.  I found myself several times say, "She is so me!!!"  I say the same things she does!  "Kill me!"  I think we all love being able to see ourselves in a character!

3.  Time-travel

Man, do I love time travel!  I've been begging Baby-Sis-B to write me a time-travel novel for years!  There's something about the possibility of being able to go back.  To go back to the times and places we love, we've studied about, or we've read about.    How many of us have dreamed about going back to the Regency Era and meeting our own Mr. Darcy or Mr. Rochester?!?  The idea of time travel puts the world at our fingertips!

4.  Michael

, Melty McMeltiness is my new name for Michael.  If absolutely perfect, nice guys are your thing, then Michael is your new YA Man!  After reading this, your mind will be in tatters at the price he is willing to pay for Emerson!  I'm still blown away and its been a few weeks since I've read this novel!  He is suave, handsome, and has a way with words that will bring you to your knees!  Also, I can't forget to mention that his chemistry is literal!  Every time McMelty and Emerson touch, waves of electricity churn between them until lights are blown out!  Now that is setting the place on fire!

5.  Kaleb

Oh Kaleb, my Kaleb!  If only I could put into words the amazingness of Kaleb!  The more he sits in my head, the more I love him!  He is broken!  I mean the epitome of brokenness!  Which means for me, that I am all over that like white of rice!  You know how I love my broken boys!  I could spend the rest of my life fixing him!  His brokenness stems from not only loss but from the fact that he is an empath.  To constantly feel everyone's emotions with no filter would be unbearable.  With that though, he knows what you are feeling without having to say a word!  The reason I am slightly obsessed with broken boys is because they always step up when the time is at hand!  Many times they come off as cocky and aloof, but usually that is just a facade.  When the poop hits the fan, the broken boys come running, in their superman capes!  In Hourglass, when that time comes for Kaleb, it will leave you shattered and moved to the core!  Seriously, if you have not read this book, go read it NOW!!!  

6.  Super-powers

I know I've only talked about Michael, Emerson and Kaleb thus far.  But, there is a whole slew of other characters in residence in Hourglass.  The Hourglass is an X-men type school or place for young people to come for safety and to fine tune their abilities.  We didn't get to see much of them in the this book, but I have a feeling they are all going to come into play in the future books!  Its a great cast of characters that you are not going to want to miss!

7.  Time

Wow, the whole concept of time!  If you just sit back and really think about time, it is completely mind boggling!  Is time always on a plain?  If you change something in the past, will your present or future self even realize it?  Or will it simply just become apart of you, and your mind wiped clean of the differences?  I've been tying by mind in knots trying to come to a concrete understanding of something so very abstract!  Come join me, its great fun!!!    

8.  The South

Tennessee, the backdrop of many of my dreams of living during the frontier days!  There is something about The South that creates such a rich setting for novels.  The history, the plantations, the hot, steamy temperatures make the world in Hourglass come alive.  One of the characteristics of a time-traveler is the ability to see rips, in a way ghosts.  Now, picture being able to see rips in a place with such historical roots as Tennessee!  Walking down the street, you don't know who you will encounter, southern belles, Native Americans, Revolutionary or Civil War soldiers, the lists goes on and on.  I have a feeling the South will continue to be a mainstay for future novels!

MY LAST 2 ARE GOING TO CONTAIN SERIOUS SPOILERS!  PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS NOVEL.  CLICK MORE BELOW TO KEEP READING!

YA Crush Tourney: Tod vs. Michael Goes to Tod

AND THE WINNER IS:

TOD

Some general rules before we begin:

There may be some spoilers in the following post. We've tried to keep it fairly general, but overall, this Tourney will not be spoiler-free. So beware. 

Secondly, You are welcome to write your own comments about either character in the comments section, but we will not tolerate rudeness. The minute it crosses over from logical argument into character bashing, your comments will be deleted and your vote canceled.

And finally, due to some epic voting and the crashing of multiple websites, the matches will now only be open for voting for 24 hours, rather than 40. So, now it's even more important to get the word out and the votes in quickly. 

Tod Hudson(seed #20)

Tod Hudson is from the Soul Screamer by Rachel Vincent. You can learn more about it here. And be on the lookout for a review of the series soon here at YA Sisterhood! Tod is represented by Rachel Clarke. You can reach her at any of the following places:

Blog: Fiktshun.com (But I'll be posting any tourney related posts on my blog annex Fiktshuns-ramblings.blogspot.com)

Twitter: @Fiktshun

Blog FB page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiktshun/167196403318584

Personality:

Tod Hudson may be a reaper, but he is anything but grim. And although he may look innocent, he is trouble. He is a reaper after all. Someone assigned to collect souls. Someone who takes a walk on the wild side and ventures into the Netherworld on occasion. And someone who is no stranger to the Hellions and Demons that call it home.

Now, he may not be your typical bad boy, I don’t know many reapers who are, but he is definitely not someone to bring home to meet the parents. Kaylee Cavanaugh’s Dad certainly doesn’t like him hanging around his daughter and they’re not even dating. Especially when he can just come and go as he pleases - any parents worst nightmare. And it seems to please him quite a bit to visit Kaylee. At night. Alone. In her room. Forever stuck at 17, Tod is an eternal boy.

But Tod has another side. And that one is charming, funny and sarcastic. He is mischievous and has one heck of a wicked grin for someone with such an angelic face. He likes to pop in at the most inconvenient times. And surprising Kaylee is one of his favorite things to do. Well... that and popping in on Kaylee and Nash when they don’t particularly want to be disturbed. Tod definitely has issues with boundaries.

The best thing about Tod isn’t his boyish charm or his sense of humor. If that were all Tod had going for him, he wouldn’t have made made my list of crush-worthy boys. It’s his loyalty. Tod is one fiercely loyal bean-sidhe turned reaper.

He will do anything in his power to protect those he cares about. It makes him brave and foolish and reckless to the point of stupidity at times, but his loyalty makes him completely swoon-worthy. What girl wouldn’t want a boy who would go to the ends of the earth to protect her, do whatever he can to make her happy, or cry for her when he can’t?

Tod quick facts: A total flirt, charming, mischievous, not one to play by the rules, funny, sarcastic, bad boy, loves a challenge, brave, reckless, chivalrous, vulnerable, loyal, self-sacrificing.

Looks:

Tod is definitely mighty fine to look at. He may not be one, but he looks like an angel. Blond curly hair, bright blue sparkling eyes, super sexy thick boy-lashes, perfect full lips, strong, square chin which sports a small goatee. He is total eye-candy.

I usually tend to go for the dark, brooding, dangerous types, but over the course of this series Tod has definitely caught my eye. I’m thinking he’s a stone cold fox. He will be forever young. As a reaper he will never look older than 17. And even though he may be a reaper he has his soul. Just stare into those bright blue eyes and you will get lost. And that’s not from some powers of Influence.

But it’s those kissable lips that are quick with a smile, always ready to quirk up into a lopsided grin, that make Tod the ultimate crush-worthy boy in the looks department. His eyes may be magnetic, but it’s those lips that would be tough to look away from.

Tod quick facts: Angelic, bright blue eyes, sexy smile, perfect, full oh-so-kissable lips, with a lower lip he loves to bite while thinking, thick lashes, pale blond, curly hair, face that expresses his emotions.

Talents:

Oh, Tod is one talented reaper. He can materialize wherever he wants, whenever he wants. And as he doesn’t need sleep he has a lot of free time on his hands to drop in, unannounced, on his friends and family. Whether they want him to or not.

This can come in handy when there’s trouble, but can be awkward when you don’t want company. And it makes for some quick travel options since he can take you along for the ride.

He can choose who he wants to see and hear him. And can appear to only some people and not others if he feels like it.

As a reaper he doesn’t need to eat, but he can taste and enjoy food. No problem with the pleasure sensors or taste buds in his mouth.

He doesn’t age, which practically makes him immortal. As he’s technically not alive, he can’t get older.

He also has the power to end a life and take possession of a soul. For some power-hungry reapers this can be a problem, but for one as good-hearted as Tod, this is nothing to worry about.

He can move between this world and the Netherworld. It may not seem such an important talent to me or you, but if you had to rescue someone’s soul from a demon who had them trapped, you’d want someone who could bring you in and out of that world as quickly as possible. Just sayin’.

A phenomenal kisser. That’s all I’ll say for right now, but for those in the know, you can back me up on that.

Tod quick facts: Instant teleportation, selective invisibility, ability to end a life and take a soul - yeah it’s grim, but it’s still pretty cool - no need to eat or sleep, ageless, awesome kisser and it’s not just because he has such perfect lips.

Special Attributes:

Since I’ve included most of Tod’s attributes in the personality, looks and talents departments, I thought I’d just give a few examples of why Tod is so full of awesome and why he deserves the title, “Hero.”

*His first assignment as a reaper he saved the life of a little girl that was on the list.

*He sacrificed his own life to save someone he loved and kept it a secret so that they wouldn’t have to feel guilty. (If that’s not totally swoon-worthy I don’t know what is!)

*He turned himself corporeal to punch Nash for what he did to Kaylee.

*He watched out for Kaylee’s friend Emma when she was in trouble.

*He went to the Netherworld to try and save the soul of his ex-girlfriend.

*He told Kaylee what she needed to hear about Nash and Sabine, even if it would make her hate him.

*He is frequently willing to put his “life” on the line for those he loves.

*And he is always ready to fight for what he wants.

Tod quick facts: Hero. Seriously, do I need to say more here? He’s a hero in every sense of the word.

What makes Tod better than Michael?

"So why is Tod Hudson better than Michael Weaver?

This is actually a difficult argument to make since I haven’t had a chance to meet Michael. I am certain that he’s swoon-worthy or he wouldn’t have been voted into the Tourney. But even if I had met Michael, I’m certain that Tod would still outrank him on my list of crush-worthy boys.

From what I understand, Michael doesn’t have any special abilities. He is a consultant for Hourglass and actually requires Emerson’s abilities to help him.

Tod has his own wicked cool powers and while he may work with others who have abilities, he does just fine on his own.

I’ve also heard that Michael is kind, smart, dark, with an olive complexion, and mysterious. These all sound like incredibly great qualities to have. Who doesn’t want someone who is kind and smart? And if you like them dark and mysterious then Michael fits that bill.

Well, Tod is kind. So kind that he would sacrifice himself for anyone he loves.

He’s smart. Smart enough to punch his brother for all the crap that he put Kaylee through.

He may not be dark. Tod is all about the light. His angelic features, blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes make this Reaper absolutely heavenly to look at. Dark can be good, but light can be even better.

Mysterious? Tod can be mysterious…when he wants to be. Who really knows what Tod’s up to during those hours when Kaylee or Nash are asleep? He might be hanging out in the Netherworld, stirring up trouble for demons. Tod does a lot of things in secret. Things that are almost always for someone else’s benefit. So yeah, Tod is a mystery.

Michael is also said to be a gentleman and “broody.” Well gentlemanly is always good. Broody, it depends. Brooding can be sexy, it can also be frustrating.

Tod is absolutely a gentleman. If you looked it up in the dictionary you’d probably see his picture right next to the definition. He’s kind of automatically a gentleman since he was willing to sacrifice himself for the ones he loves. Besides, Tod is always willing to help out Kaylee and Emma. And he’s always ready to step in when Kaylee is about to risk her virtue with Nash.

But why is Tod really better than Michael?

1. Because he’s Tod.

2. Because he’s not 1/3 of a love triangle.

3. Because that Reaper has been around a lot longer and has proven himself worthy time and time again over the course of the series and not once has he faltered.

4. Because he’s about to do a lot of somethings that are so totally amazing in the next book that he would knock Jace Wayland off his throne of awesomeness."

Anything else you'd like to add?

I'd like to make a final plea for Tod. Those who've only read the first book or two of the series may not have gotten the warm and fuzzies over him. There may not have been any insta-love connection. I know it wasn't like that for me and Tod. I was a Nash fan all the way...

...All the way through the middle of the second book in the series when that slow anger toward Nash began building.

For those who have read all four books in the series and both novellas you may have a little more love for Tod, but still might not be fully convinced that he is crush-worthy. But let me tell you that he so totally is! And if this tourney was just a few months later, after the release of If I Die, I wouldn't even have to do anything to convince you here and now.

But Tod made me smile, he made me cry, he made me breathless and made my heart stop. More than once. If that doesn't make him crush-worthy I don't know what would.

Thanks so much, and I know that Tod would love your vote!

Michael (Seed 5)

The smoldering Michael is from Myra McEntire's debut novel Hourglass. You can find out more about her and Hourglass by clicking her name on our side bar. Plus you can check out our Teaser Tuesday of Hourglass here. Michael is being rep'd by our own magnificent, honorary sister, Bethany.

Personality:
Are you a literate lady looking for the most delicious fictional crush since Mr. Darcy? Well, look no further, girls… Michael Weaver has arrived!

If you’d like a southern gentleman with an edge, Michael is the man for you. Chivalry, honor and charm
aren’t dead, and Michael’s got them—in spades. He’ll hold open doors and win over your family. He puts his friends and family first, and won’t make promises he can’t keep. He even tips well!

What’s more, he is THE most selfless guy in this entire tournament. If not dying on your dates is important to you, Michael is the way to go. Unlike so many of the other guys in this competition, he won’t even think about killing you! Always a plus. Not only that, but he can—and has—died for love. You’re in safe, strong, big hands with him!

But most importantly, Michael is genuinely loving. He makes the girl he loves feel like the most special person in the world and will, literally, go to any lengths to protect her.
Looks:

It’s probably a good thing that Michael is fictional, because if anyone this gorgeous were real, he’d have an army of stalkers on his hands. Throughout the book, he’s described as, “a prince too gorgeous to be walking around with peasants,” a dark angel, and an old-Hollywood, Cary Grant type.

Plus, he’s BUILT. And, if that doesn’t get you, what about the wickedly arched dark eyebrows, the olive skin, the defined cheekbones? The smell of citrus and clean laundry. The mellow, husky voice. And the mouth. The full, disarming mouth with a smile like “buttered biscuits and honey.”
Talents:

Want a man who is fluent in Italian? He’s got you covered. He can drive a stick. He can understand complex physics.

Oh yeah, and he can time travel. There’s that.
Special Attributes:

Now here’s where it gets interesting, ladies. He generates the most insane chemistry with Emerson that they blow out light bulbs. Literally. He can give a full-body buzz simply by holding hands. Let us imagine the possibilities of that for a second….

Finally, to top it all off: He READS! You know you love a literate man, and Michael’s got a bookshelf full of Byron, Vonnegut, Orson Scott Card and Kerouac. If you think reading is sexy, vote for Michael.

What makes Michael better than Tod?

Now, I'm only on the second book of the Soul Screamers series, but I can safetly say that there is no competition between Michael and Tod. 

My fellow advocate says that it takes a few books for Tod to grow on you. I hope this is the case, because right now I don't see his appeal as a crush-worthy candidate. Sure, he'd probably make a cool friend, but this isn't the "Summer Friend Tournament."

For one thing, he's dead. How much chemistry can you have with a dead guy? He never eats (so dinner dates are out), sleeps (forget about pillow talk), or ages (would you want to be with a 17 year old boy forever?). What's more, even his own brother doesn't seem to like him very much, and says that Tod never does anything unless it's for personal gain. 

Michael, on the other hand, doesn't have to grow on you. He is immediately appealing, and only gets better from there. And, it's always pleasant to know that you don't have to worry about dying around him.  

Anything else you'd like to add?

I’ll just leave you with this passage:

He pulled me closer, trailing his mouth along the line of my jaw and down my neck. I held on to his jacket more tightly, pulling him even closer.

“I’m ready to get out of here,” he murmured in my ear. “Get you someplace I can kiss you properly.”

“This isn’t properly?” I was shaking again. What was it about this boy that made me shake? “If not, can I handle properly?”

“I’ll do my best to make sure you can.” He kissed his way across my cheekbone to my lips, his hands sliding under my jacket, his fingers burning against the cotton of my T-shirt. I couldn’t help thinking about how his hands would feel on my bare skin. “Or that you can’t handle it. Whatever you want.”

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED!