Still on My Mind (#1): Poison Study

Still on my Mind is a weekly meme hosted by Haley at .YA-Aholic where we feature a book that we read a while ago but can't stop thinking about because it was so good.

My pick this week:



Author: Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #1

Goodreads / Amazon

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…

A while ago, one of my book-fanatic friends gave me this book to borrow and told me it was amazing.  I read it in like a day and was completely blown away.  This book was just amazing.  It had action, romance (I <3 Valek) and an extremely kick-ass female character.  This book is just so amazing, and seriously guys, if you haven't read it, YOU NEED TO NOW!  I don't just say this kind of stuff, this book is one of a kind.

What are you guys still thinking of?

Link me up!!

Release Day Party: Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Hello lovelies!  Today I am joined by Intisar Khanane to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Thorn.  After all the deets about the book and the author, I have a sweet giveaway for you all to enter so I hope you'll stick around! :)

~The Book~

Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra begins her journey with mounting trepidation. Betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.

Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.

Goodreads | Amazon

~The Author~

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and young daughter. Intisar writes grants and develops projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which is as close as she can get to saving the world. Her approach to writing fantasy reflects her lifelong passion for stories from different cultures. She is currently writing a trilogy set in the same world as Thorn. This is her first novel.

Goodreads | Facebook | Website

~Giveaway~

The tour hosts of this release day party are having a fabulous giveaway over at their.  Below is the Rafflecopter form so you can enter! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (#33): Ironskin

This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Ironskin, by Tina Connolly

Goodreads / Amazon

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Tor Books

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discover just how far she will go to become whole again.

What are you waiting on?

Link me up!!

Dusty Reads: (#7)

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme hosted by Giselle at .Xpresso Reads where we feature a book that has been sitting unread on our shelf for a long time.

My pick this week:

Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Series: Angelfire #2
Goodreads / Amazon

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

I read the first book in this series, Angelfire (here's my review) and loved it, so I freaked out when I found out there would be a second one. I pre-ordered it, got it from UPS, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since.

What's getting dusy on your shelf?

Link me up!!

Teaser Tuesday: (#27)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can do it. You just have to do is:

(1): Grab your current read.

(2): Open it to a random page.

(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!

(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers

Add on Goodreads

#1: "I should do something.  Search through his things, or try to escape to my own room, or...in truth, my wits have left me, for I cannot think what I ought to do.  My back is burning and my heart still races.  In the end, I decide to remain seated and try to compose myself.  Surely recovering my wits is the highest priority."

#2: "His skin under my fingers twitches and suddenly I no longer see the scars, but the shift of taut muscle and the broadness of his shoulders.  Heat rushes into my cheeks and, unable to stop myself, I look up to meet his gaze.  He lifts my hand and kisses it."

What's your teaser this Tuesday?

Link me up!!

Review: The Son of Neptune



Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Heroes of Olympus #2

Pages: 521

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5

Summery:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Review:

The last book of Rick Riordan’s I read was The Throne of Fire, and, to put it lightly, it sucked.  So I was kind of nervous before I started this book because I really wanted it to be amazing.  It was.

Rick Riordan is a magician.  Seriously, he is.  He has ten mythology books out, and somehow, in each book, he comes up with a completely original, imaginative, action-filled story.  I honestly have no idea how he does it, and the best guess I can come up with is that he really is a magician.  This book had an amazing idea, amazing story line, AMAZING writing, and perfect staging, all leading up to a breathtaking climax.  A perfect story.  I will admit that at some points I was lost because I completely forgot most of what happened in the first book, The Lost Hero, because I read it so long ago, but as the story progressed, my memory, like Percy’s, gradually returned, so I eventually caught on.  The ending set up a third book perfectly, and I am expecting an amazing story.

I haven’t read many books with guys as the main character, but I must admit that Percy is my most favorite.  He is soo fierce, CUTE, and kick-ASS.  I just love him!

While I didn’t like him as much as Percy, I did like Frank.  I loved how he grew over the course of the story, from a low-confidence sap to a fierce warrior.

I also really like Hazel.  She’s so kick-butt and feisty, she is my second favorite character in this story.

This book is a huge improvement over Riordan’s last book, and I really can’t wait to get my hands on another of his stories.

What do you guys think?

In My Mailbox: (#24)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

FOR REVIEW:

Burn Mark, by Laura Powell (From Bloomsbury USA)


SWAG:

Signed Touching the Surface bookmarks
Signed Touching the Surface postcards
(From Kimberly Sabatini)

Touching the Surface mini bookmarks
Touching the Surface sticker
Touching the Surface bracelets
Touching the Surface magnet
(From Kimbery Sabatini)

Huge thank you to Bloomsbury USA and Kimberly Sabatini for making my week such a great one.  I recieved Burn Mark on Tuesday for a blog tour so I'm super-excited about that one.  My stop is June 24 and I might be doing a giveaway so make sure you check in.  And thank you Kimberly Sabatini for sending me all this fabulous swag, and for signing most of it.  I can imagine your hand must have been pretty sore afterwards ;p

What did you guys get this week?

Link me up!!

Review: Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J.A. London
Series: Darkness Before Dawn #1
Pages: 342
Format: ARC
Source: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 2/5

Summery:
This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Review:
When I first started this book I loved it.  It had huge potential, was fast-paced, and kick-butt.  And then it…wasn’t.

This book had everything going for it: plot, idea, setting, everything.  And then, it kind of ruined it.  The writing was never amazing, but I was willing to overlook that if the other aspects of the book lived up to their full potential.  They didn’t.  The idea was amazing.  I loved the setting, a dystopian world where vampires don’t kill you in exchange for a monthly blood supply.  Ingenious.  And the story line was really good too, and then…okay, so I’ve done a lot of thinking about this and have finally come to the conclusion that the romance ruined it.  Dawn looked like she was going to be the completely kick-ass character that I love…and then she falls in love and gets all helpless.  I hate it when the authors do that.  And there was one event that really made me angry: Tegan meeting Sin.  Literally, they met and then five minutes later they were holding hands.  It’s like the authors said “Okay, I don’t feel like putting a lot of effort into this part of the book so they’ll just meet one minute than be making out the next.”  It freaking pissed me off.  I hate it when authors do that, and the only conclusion I can come to is that they were too lazy to develop the romance.  And, what should have been the best part of the book, the ending, fell completely flat.  There wasn’t any real build towards it, and it was over like *snaps fingers* that.  No, just no.  The ending was hugely disappointing.

In the beginning, I loved Dawn.  She could take care of herself, knew how to fight, and could use a stake (the things they use to kill vampires).  And then…she met Victor.  After that, I hated her.  First off, when she first meets him, she really likes him because she thinks he’s human.  Then, when she finds out he’s a vampire (don’t worry, that isn’t a spoiler) she hates him.  Do you see what I’m trying to say?  He’s obviously a good guy because he just saved her from five bloodthirsty vamps, but since he’s one himself, she hates him, but if she didn’t know he was one, she’d love him.  That.  Is.  Horrible.  And then, after she finally gets past her prejudice and starts liking him, she’s so freaking sappy, I really wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her.  She was weak, useless, and could only stand around helplessly while Victor fought to the death for her.  No, just no.
I will admit that from the second he was introduced, I loved Victor, despite the fact that he’s a vamp.  In fact, that made me like him more because he was doing what was right, which is getting rid of the bad vamps.  He was cute, sexy, and totally kick-butt.  I honestly don’t know why he put up with Dawn the fifty pages she hated him.  She was so freaking mean to the poor guy and he was just trying to help her.

I had such high hopes for this book, and at first it lived up to what I expected, and then mean heroines turning weak and totally cute guys putting up with her crap, not to mention the climax, or lack there of, and because of that this book fell flat for me.

What did you guys think?

Review: Dreamless

Author: Josephine Angelini

Series: Starcrossed #2
Pages: 487

Format: ARC
Source: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 3.8/5

Summery:
Helen needs to get through hell in two ways: by night they reflected the underworld, even worse torments her day that Lucas and they may possibly love. In the underworld, Helen meets Orion. The more time they spend together, the closer they come to. Then something totally unexpected happens, the forces calculated for holding and Lucas Orion: The four houses are combined and Scion, a new Trojan war seems inevitable.

Review:

*Warning: If you haven’t read the first book in this series, Starcrossed, there may be some spoilers.*

After reading and hating the first book in this series, Starcrossed, I was expecting this book to be as bad, if not worse.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.

While this book was by no means perfect, I still really enjoyed it.  It started where Starcrossed left off, so it was already a pretty complicated plot.  While the writing was okay, I really liked the story line, with all the events leading up to the climax, which, I have to say, was amazing.  I loved how Angelini twisted the mythology around, but I do think that she took it a bit far.  She loaded the powers on people, and it got to a point where the plot was too complex.  You know how when you read a history book, they give you facts and are all business?  That’s how I felt while reading this book, especially since she switched the points of view a few times.  I still don’t like the whole flying thing, but I do like the lighting.  One thing that I found completely unnecessary was the creepy cousin romance.  It’s just wrong, and I have no idea why Angelini would put that in this book.  But, I do have to say, it is a huge improvement over the first book, and it leaves so many things to be explained in the third book.

Going into this book I thought there was going to be a love triangle, and when I read that I was like “Oh crap NO!!!” but I got lucky because there is no love triangle, or at least not in my opinion.  However, there are still two guys, so…

I HATE LUCAS!!  HATE HATE HATE HIM!  He’s so annoying.  He’s sappy, doesn’t think Helen can take care of herself, and is creepy in how he sneaks into Helen’s room when she’s sleeping.  No, just no.

On the other hand, I love Orion.  He’s cute, actually thinks Helen is good for something, and is just an all around nice guy.  And at least he doesn’t stalk her.

And now we come to Helen.  I can’t honestly say that I like her.  I know I said I hated Lucas because he thinks she can’t do anything, and I do, but I think he also might be right.  She is so sappy over Lucas, it’s like she can’t breath without him let alone make herself dinner (first thing that popped into my head :P).  She was annoying, and even though I’m sure Angelini meant for her to be a strong character, I’m sorry, but she wasn’t.

So really the reason that I liked this book isn’t because I liked the characters, but because of the story line.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not…I guess we’ll see! :P

What do you guys think?

Want Blog Tour: Author Interview

Hello book lovers!  Today I am particiating in the Want Blog Tour!  I'm super-excited to share it with all of you.  Today I just have an author interview for you but I hope that's okay! :)

_______________________________________________

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche.

Julianne can’t understand why Isaac suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it before she inherits her mother’s madness. Isaac knows he must resist his attraction to a student ten years his junior, but loneliness and jealousy threaten his resolve.

Their indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

_____________________________________________

~Author Interview~

1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I can sneeze eighteen times in a row; I'm allergic to sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent in soaps, shampoos and toothpastes; I made out in a hotel room in England when I was 18; I've been skydiving; I have a small tattoo (my dad still doesn't know about it!); Disney movies with dogs make me cry; I hate airports and stinging insects; my favorite color is periwinkle blue; I love to make people laugh; and I once dated three Jasons in the same week. (I married the second one!)  

2. Why did you become a writer?

Books have always been my biggest love. I was just waiting for a story to come along, and moving from Ohio to the Gulf Coast kicked that into high gear! I think it was culture shock that made me finally begin putting words on the screen. Before that, I'd only done nonfiction writing (academic, TV news, newspaper copyediting, blogging, etc.).

3. Who were your biggest influences?

In general, my biggest influences are/were my mom and grandmother. In writing, I adore Jane Austen, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, Jennifer Donnelly, and the late L.K. Madigan.

4. Where and how did you get the idea for Want?

I got the idea at a Mardi Gras parade in Mobile, Alabama, for one of the oldest, most elite mystic socities. One of the members' wives was standing next to us in her full fur coat (it does NOT get cold enough down here to warrant a fur coat!) and heels and pearls and she made sure everyone around her knew that we were commoners compared to her. She was very rude and it made me wonder what it must be like to live that kind of life with all those pretenses. I wondered if she had any kids, because I would feel sorry for them. And that's when Juli started talking in my head. :)

5. What is the craziest thing you've done while researching a book?

I haven't really done anything crazy ... yet. :) I've visited locations (museums, the Mobile Symphony, etc.) and taken lots of pictures, searched through online archives and even grilled people who've been to Mardi Gras balls, but nothing illegal. I do plan to go on an actual ghost hunt, though, and I was recently "read" by a psychic. This summer I plan to dive into the world of homesteading for research.

6. What's your favorite food?

My mom's homemade stromboli. No one in the South knows what that is!

7. Favorite movie?

I have three and they couldn't be more different: Fight Club, Pride and Prejudice (2005), and Sixteen Candles. I can quote almost all of them!

8. Favorite season?

Unfortunately, we don't really have seasons on the Gulf Coast (hot, hotter, and OMG-someone-shoot-me-now), but autumn in Ohio is my absolute favorite. I love the crispness and the smell of falling leaves.

9. Team Peeta or Team Gale?

Both and neither. I really couldn't make up my mind, though I agree with Katnis's reasoning at the end for why she chose who she chose. I think the other one (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here!) was more of a brother.

10.  Is there another book in the works?  If so, what can we expect?
I have a full manuscript that I'm currently querying. It's a fast-faced Southern ghost story set in modern times at a real antebellum mansion here in Mobile, Alabama. It's very different from Want, and would probably be a hit with fans of FX's "American Horror Story." I'm just starting a third manuscript.

________________________________________________

Isn't she so much fun?!  I literally laughed out loud when I read her answers to the questions.  Seriously, I love it when authors are funny!  Thanks for hanging out with  me today Stephanie Lawton!  It was soooo fun!!  And I hope all my readers enjoyed it too!  Oh, and btw, I LOVE COMMENTS *hint**hint*

Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop!!

YAY it's almost summer!!  Okay, it's summer in a month, but that's still close enough. ;p

I absolutely love summer because I can finally fix my horrible shin guard tan I get from playing soccer all the time, and I get to read whenever I want to.  When I think summer, I think suntan lotion, lakes and swimming pools, and bathing suits.  Can't wait baby!!!

This amazingly summery hop is hosted by Kath @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Page Turners Blog.  Make sure you stop by and say hi because they have some seriously awesome blogs.

The Rules:

~There will be one winner.

~Giveaway ends on June 1, 2012 @ 12:01 AM

~This giveaway is US/Can

~Must be a GFC follower

~Must be 13 years or older.

~Fill out the Rafflecopter

The Prize:

Today I am giving away an paperback edition of the 8th instalment in the House of Night series, Awakened, by P.C. and Krisin Cast.



Awakened, by P.C Cast & Kristin Cast

Fill out the Rafflecopter below and you're done:



a Rafflecopter giveaway



THANKS FOR ENTERING AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!

P.S. For a complete list of all the blogs participating in this hop click here.

Review: The Nightmare Garden

Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Series: Iron Codex #2
Pages: 417
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3/5

Summery:
Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.

When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.

Review:

After reading and loving the first book in this series, The Iron Thorn, I had really high expectations for this book.  Sadly, it fell short for me.

When I read the summery for this book, I was like, Okay, looks interesting.  This should be an exciting read because The Iron Thorn was that great.  But, the story didn’t really get going until literally half way through the book.  Everything before that was all just pointless nonsense that, while thrilling, didn’t work.  If those events had happened after Kittredge introduced the point of the story, to find the nightmare clock, it would have been fine.  But looking back, it was pointless to have Aoife run back to Lovecraft to get her mom.  It didn’t help the book in any way, except maybe to add fifty pages to it.  And, while the writing was still amazing, I didn’t feel like this book was as complex as The Iron Thorn.  You guys don’t understand, I LOVE The Iron Thorn because it was fast-paced and thrilling, but this book had none of that really.  The ending was a snooze-fest that lasted this long *snaps fingers*.  And then, on the very last page, the very last page, Kittredge slips in at the last minute a little tidbit so that she can write a third book.  That’s bull-crap.  You had three hundred pages to develop a sequel, and you save it for the last page, where, I must admit, it’s pretty obvious what you were trying to do.  So, to me, that was a hugely epic fail at staging for a third book.

Like in the first book, I really really like Aoife.  She’s so strong and kick-butt and she really has a smart mouth, which I really like because I do too.  She’s just like a little fire-cracker and I love that.  I just hope she doesn’t turn wimpy in the third book.

Once again, like in the first book, I.  LOVE.  DEAN!  Love love love love love Dean.  He’s so cute and sexy and totally cool.  Why oh why can’t he be real?

And then there are the bad characters I don’t like.

Conrad would have to be my first pick.  I jus don’t like him.  He’s such a jerk.  He tries to control everyone and won’t let anyone get a word in edgewise.

I also don’t like Aoife’s father, Archie.  Seriously, I think that, in real life, if she had spent more time with him, she would be some weakling who has no self-esteem.  Archie tears her down all the time, saying “You’re not strong enough.  You can’t hold your own in a fight.  You’re useless.”  What the heck man?  She’s your daughter.  You should support her, not tear her down.  I’m sorry, but I just don’t like this guy.

So, sadly, this book was nowhere near as amazing as The Iron Thorn.  This book is pretty much everything The Iron Thorn isn’t, and that’s not very good because The Iron Thorn was amazing.

What do you guys think?

Waiting on Wednesday (#32): Rift

This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



Rift, by Andrea Cremer

Add on Goodreads

Release Date: August 7, 2012

Publisher: Philomel

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

What are you waiting on?

Link me up!!

Cover Reveal: Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel

Dearly, Beloved
by Lia Habel
#2 in Gone with the Respiration
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Number of pages: ----
Format: Hardcover

This cover is stunning!  I love it.  Both of the covers in this series are really good, as a matter of fact!

The Gone with the Respiration series:


What do you guys think?

Teaser Tuesday: (#26)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can do it. You just have to do is:

(1): Grab your current read.

(2): Open it to a random page.

(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!

(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

The Nightmare Garden, by Caitlin Kittredge

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#1: "We struggled to our feet, and Dean went first along the narrow span of corridor that hadn't been blown away.  To the side was open air, and below I could see down at least four decks, sparks and escaping aether mingling to create tongues of short-lived blue fire amid the twisted wreckage."

#2: "My Weird came as intolerable pressure against my skull.  My vision skewed and filled with the glow of the aether lamps, but I pushed the pain back.  I grabbed the pressure and squeezed it out through my pores, my tear ducts, my nose and mouth, funneled the thing in my blood into the lock.  It popped open, dead bolt flying back so violently it bowed the iron of the door, which in turn swung back and hit the cell wall with a sound like a gong."

What's your teaser this Tuesday?

Link me up!

Cover Reveal: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century

Hello book fanatics!  Today I have been asked to participate in a cover reveal for My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, by Rachel Harris.  As if the title wasn't enough to lure you in, the cover is completely gorgeous.  Today I won't only be revealing that cover, but also the book trailer and an excerpt!  I hope you stick around because it's gonna be good!! :P

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~Cover Reveal~

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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~Book Trailer~

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~Excerpt~

"    “I thought I’d teach you a dance from where I come from,” I tell him. “One that’s much easier than that multi-step mess inside.”

            I place my left hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder and slip my right one into his. I pause to listen to the music floating over the tinkling voices and bubbling fountain, and begin counting the three-beat tempo. “One, two, three. One, two, three.”

            I stand still, only my head moving, slowly nodding with my words so he can hear the rhythm.

            When his head begins subtly bobbing with mine, I show him how to add his feet. He takes a tentative step forward with his left while I step back with my right, then we side step, close, and repeat the steps with our other feet, all while I lightly whisper the beat count.

            The breeze picks up, blowing my skirt and skimming my veil across the back of my neck. Chills run down my spine, but the warmth coursing through my veins from being in his arms provides a delicious contradiction.

            Lorenzo continues nervously darting his eyes to our feet, but he is dancing. As he relaxes into the movement, his shoulders rising and falling with the steps, the confidence he always seems to exude creeps back on his face, and he tightens the hold around me. Our faces are kissably close, our lips a hairs breadth away from touching. I stare into the chocolate depths of his eyes and the rest of the ball fades away. The only music guiding our steps is my light whisper and the erratic rhythm of our breathing. Time slows. Lorenzo grins.

            “I think you got it,” I say breathlessly, running my hand along the soft fabric of his shoulder, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath.

            My body curls inward, pressing against his. The proper form for the waltz is a straight spine and shoulders back, but if there was ever a time to break the rules, this is it.  "

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~The Author~

As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.

When I'm not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find me homeschooling my two beautiful princesses, hanging out with my amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Google+

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Thanks so much guys for stopping by!!!!  Personally, I think this is the coolest cover reveal I've ever done.  Okay, so it's the first I'v ever done but whatever ;p  Feel free to watch the trailer over and over again, and make sure you visit Rachel Harris on the many social networks she is a part of.  Oh, and btw, I love comments *hint hint*

In my Mailbox: (#23)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

FOR REVIEW:

Envy, by Elizabeth Miles (from Simon & Schuster)

Don't You Wish, by Roxanne St. Claire (from Random House Children's Books)

Becoming, by Raine Thomas (From Lambe Books)

Central, by Raine Thomas (From Lambe Books)

Foretold, by Raine Thomas (From Lambe Books)

Defy, by Raine Thomas (From Lambe Books)

LIBRARY:

The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan (I <3 Rick Riordan!!)

Grave Mercy, by Robin LeFevers (SO.  FREAKING.  EXCITED.  ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!)

SWAG:

Signed Daughters of Saraquael bookmark

Signed Firstborn bookmark

2 badges

Daughters of Saraquael magnet

(From Lambe Books)

SIGNED PRETTIES:

Finished copy of Foretold

  

Finished copy of Becoming

Finished copy of Central





Finished copy of Defy



What's in your mailbox?

Link me up!!! :)