Scarlet Read-Along, Anyone?

Hello lovelies! I know I've been dreadfully absent from the blogosphere for the past couple of months. Unfortunate byproduct of college, I suppose. But I'm back for winter break and I'm partaking in the Scarlet Read-Along in anticipation for Cress! :)

The read-along it hosted by Tt over at Never Ending Stories Book Blog. Here's the info in case anyone else wants to join in!

• Starting: January 1, we will read 2 chapters of Scarlet (or Cinder if you haven't read it yet!) by Marissa Meyer each day and discuss via your blog each day(not an entire post each day maybe just talk about what you read that day and your thoughts) or via twitter! If you tweet or talk about Cinder on your blog that will get you more entries into this awesome Giveaway!!!
• Prizes: We have some awesome prizes for our participants! Macmillian will be Giving-away: 5 winners will get Cinder, 5 other winners will get Scarlet, 5 other winners get Cress, and another 5 winners will get swag bags!!!!!!!!!!!!
•  Pace: There are no right or wrong ways to read with us. If you would like to do two chapters a night, that's great! If you would like to read Cinder in one night and post on your blog or tweet and discuss as we go, more power to you!! If you have not read Cinder you are allowed to read Cinder, tweet, and collect points as well. Beware of spoilers since this read-along is for the second book in the series!

1. Please Leave your: Name,Blog URL,&Twitter  in the comment box below to sign up! If you could spread the word and copy this post you can get more points in the rafflecopter below(You get ten points for signing up to read with us). Once you leave your comment in the comment box below enter in the rafflecopter for your points!) .
2. Start reading and posting on your blog and twitter on January 1, 2014! You can chat about the book and post your favorite quotes from Cinder (If you haven't read it yet) or Scarlet!
3. Tweets: Your tweets must include :  @marissa_meyer @mackidsbooks . You can enter all your tweets into the raffle copter below for more entries to win! If you dont have a twitter, you can blog about Cinder everyday and put your links for the posts in the rafflecopter below for more entries as well!
4. Be Creative: For bonus points you can do a fun post about the Lunar Chronicles and if you need any ideas; here are a few:

 -Make a Lunar Chronicles playlist 
-Fan Art!!!
 - Make a movie/Book trailer for Cress.
-Make a fun post about the lunar chronicles.-  Lunar Chronicle Cast!- Be Creative  Put together clothes, purses,tea or anything that makes you think of the Lunar Chronicles.

-Make a Pinterest board filled with pictures reminiscent of the Lunar Chronicles.

Here is the Schedule:

1/1- Read to Chapter 2

1/2- Read to Chapter 4

1/3- Read to Chapter 6

1/4- Read to Chapter 8

1/5- Read to Chapter 10

1/6- Read to Chapter 12

1/7- Read to Chapter 14

1/8- Read to Chapter 16

1/9- Read to Chapter 18

1/10- Read to Chapter 20

1/11- Read to Chapter 22

1/12- Read to Chapter 24

1/13- Read to Chapter 26

1/14- Read to Chapter 28

1/15- Read to Chapter 30

1/16- Read to Chapter 32

1/17- Read to Chapter 34

1/18- Read to Chapter 35

1/19- Read to Chapter 36

1/20- Read to Chapter 37

1/21- Read to Chapter 38

1/22- Read to Chapter 39
1/23- Read to Chapter 40
1/24- Read to Chapter 41
1/25- Read to Chapter 42
1/26-Done (Last day to tweet)

1/27-Winner'sAnnounced on Twitter/Blog

5 winners will get Cinder, 5 other winners will get Scarlet, 5 other winners get Cress, and another 5 winners will get swag bags!!!!!!!!!!!! 20 winners in one Giveaway!!?? Wow!! 

Review: Scarlet

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: bought

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads l B&N l Amazon l Book Depository 

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

It’s no secret that Scarlet has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2013. I bought this book the week it came out but forced myself to wait because I didn't want to plow through and then face the agonizing one-year wait before the next one.

Ye-ah that self-imposed wait did not last very long.

And now that I’ve finished Scarlet, you have NO idea how hard it is to write a coherent review when all I want to do is flail my arms and fangirl about the book. Because it. Was. SO GOOD.

Sorry, couldn't resist some flailing...

In this retelling, Scarlet (our Little Red) has traded in her cape for a functional hoodie and her basket of goodies for a handgun. One that she is not afraid to use, I might add. This girl is a badass. Not to mention tough and stubbornly determined to find her grandmother, no matter who stood in her way. I found Scarlet to be a tougher and more fiery character than Cinder, and I ended up loving her just as much.

 And speaking of characters that I loved....
Wolf. What can I say about Wolf except

He's definitely not what I expected of a Big Bad Wolf incarnation. He was... shy. And quiet. And very adorable. Well. When he's not being an deadly fighter, that is. I can't even find the words to describe him because all I want to do when I think about Wolf is

I'm sorry. I just have a thing for fictional characters...

(I'd highly recommend reading The Queen's Army before Scarlet because it's going to provide a lot more back story to Wolf's character.)

Cinder's adventure is continued in this book and picks up soon after her arrest at the Ball. She manages to escape from prison with the unlikely help from a fellow prisoner, one Captain Carswell Thorne, flirtatious American pilot. Thorne provided some much appreciated comic relief throughout the story, and OH MY GOODNESS, you guys, I am 95% sure he's going to be the love interest featured in the next book! *Squeeeeeee*  >___<

As interested as I was by Scarlet's story, I was still riveted by Cinder's journey. Slowly, she is learning more about her newfound Lunar abilities as well as her past as Princess Selene. Watching Cinder explore her Lunar gift was awesome. I think it'll only be a matter of time before Queen Levana should head for the hills! (Fingers crossed).

Kai's story is continued in Scarlet as well. There weren't enough scenes to fully satisfy my Kai cravings (and don't even get me started on how much it's killing me that he and Cinder are not together!!) but there were just enough moments to keep me appeased. In the glimpses throughout the book, you see him dealing with Levana in the aftermath of Cinder's escape and his own conflicting emotions towards New Beijing's best mechanic.... Basically the result is me in utter agony. Especially after the way this book ended! I swear, Marissa Meyer is trying to kill me with all this anxiety. Evil, evil author.....(just kidding).

If I thought Cinder was amazing (and it totally was) then Scarlet basically took all the awesomesauce that went into writing Cinder and upped the ante, taking readers from the sweet innocence of the Cinderella retelling to a darker and grittier story. The alternating POVs in this story were handled incredibly well, and the way in which Cinder and Scarlet's arcs converged was flawless. Like a puzzle whose pieces are falling together, I'm starting to see how all these different fairytales are interconnected and it is kind of blowing my mind!

All in all:

For the love of all that is good and holy, I need that next book. I can't even bring myself to start another book because my head is still wrapped up in the world of the Lunar Chronicles, yearning to know what happens next. MARISSA MEYER, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?

Cover Reveal: Scarlet

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

by Marissa Meyer

February 5th, 2013

Actually, I'm not exactly sure when this cover came out, but I was just on goodreads and saw that is finally HAD a cover! I was so excited, I just had to share it on my blog :)