Book Haul + Weekly Recap!

WOOT! IT HAS BEEN AN AWESOME WEEK! UPS has finally stopped hoarding my beautiful ARCs and I have so many to show you!!!


Publisher

Giveaway

Borrowed

SWAG













Signed



















First of all, sorry y'all for the sideways/blurry photos! I took these on my smartphone. And YES. I know! EPIC haul right? I'm reading Death and the Girl Next Door at the moment, and it's SO GOOD. So, in order from left to right then bottom left to right, those books are Echo; Splintered; Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Ironskin; and Death and the Girl Next Door! I'm SO happy I got Splintered! It's like.. MAD that I got it! I'm so excited and I'll go BONKERS READING THIS! I bet my teacup and my Cheshire Cat! Lovely, Dark, and Deep wasn't one I requested, but it definitely sounds good! I can't wait to read that one as well! Ironskin? Sounds like a Faery version of Jane Eyre mixed with Beauty and the Beast, no? Woot! And Death and the Girl Next Door...WOW is all I can say!
EEP! YES! I won an ARC of Time Between Us and YOU GUYS! This is one of those books I've been absolutely dying for! I. Love. Twitter. Giveaways. Like, SERIOUSLY.
I borrowed this from my friend! Sounds 13 Reasons Why-ish right? Any of y'all rad it? Like it? Hate it?
I GOT SOME AWESOME SWAG! The Origin bookmark (and a magnet and bookplate I forgot to take pics of) I got from the Origin Olympics, ALL that Time Between Us swag from that giveaway I won, and a KEY NECKLACE that came with Splintered! It's SO prettyful! SERIOUSLY. And that blobby colorful square is a CD that holds the playlist for Time Between Us! EEP!
Why YES MY COPY OF TIME BETWEEN US IS SIGNED. HAPPY NIKKI.

RECAP
Review: The Innocents by Lili Peloquin
Waitng on Wednesday
Review: Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck
Send Me aSign by Tiffany Schmidt

Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt

Goodreads Blurb

Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.

I’ve read so many heartbreaking stories this year, you guys know that, but Send Me a Sign…heartbreaking is a total understatement. A mind-blowing story made of heartbreaks, and breakups, hope and understanding.

The amazing thing about this debut us that, if you hadn’t read the story, skipping to the tear-jerking parts, you would be completely dry-eyed. Using her writing talents, Tiffany Schmidt deftly creates characters that you learn to care about, tight, unbreakable bonds that you feel, not read, and a subtle romance that’s all too endearing.

“I make my own luck.”

The romance was definitely one of my favorite parts. There was Ryan, Mia’s perfect, popular, sort-of boyfriend who’s sweeter than he seems, and then there’s Gyver, her best-friend-nest door who’s been there through thick and thin. But he’s strictly a friend. Right?

The romance was so sweet, both interests caring and protective. While it wasn’t a live triangle, per say, it was definitely more than Ryan’s old reputation that made Mia hesitate in dating him. I honestly had no idea who Mia would end up with in the end, but the guy I rooted for in the beginning…let’s just say he totally lost my vote. Then gained it. Then lost it.

“I wouldn’t know until I went inside.”

The characters. Oh. My. Goodness gracious. I completely fell in love with them. They each had their own distinct personalities, their own flaws, and I loved them for it.

Mia seems like a shallow girl at first, I admit, but when you got to actually know her, she was sweet and kind and a bit insecure. She refused to tell her closest friends, and look read at how that turned out. I loved how her character (and her friends’ characters) really did fit “their season”. Mia was sunny but she got her own summer showers once in a while, and she was always there to cheer her friends up.

Out of all of Mia’s friends, I really didn’t like Lauren. She was that girl who told secrets behind a person’s back, the one who was always asking for reassurances, and made me feel as if she was just fishing for compliments daily, even when Mia had cancer. No. Just no.

“I didn’t want to know anymore.”

What I didn’t like was that Mia was so secluded. I mean, I get why she wanted to keep her cancer a secret, but instead of weaving all these lies (knowing her friends were bound to find out), she could’ve just told them and saved herself from a lot of suffering. I also wonder: if Hil, Ally, and Lauren were such good friends, why hadn’t they noticed that Mia was never as active and that all these sudden things were happening? It made no sense, they didn’t question it. There were just a few holes in the thinking, but all in all, it was an amazing read that all contemp lovers should read!

“At the hospital, it was the first time I realized I might not beat this. I might die.”

 

Pages: 384

Series: Stand alone

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Walker Children Books

Release Date: October 2

Rating: 7 stars

Tiger's Destiny by Collen Houck

Goodreads Blurb

With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.  It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all.

Let me start this off with the question that’s been  bugging me since I finished: How. Is. There. A. Fifth. Book?!  I mean, the ending of Tiger’s Destiny pretty much wrapped things up…but I guess we’ll see, right? I’m totally curious. Anyways.

Kelsey annoyed me. I mean, she was not the best MC in the other books, but in Tiger’s Destiny…who cries over killing a tree? And I mean sobbing. And her indecision between Ren and Kishan irritated me as well. I mean, I get that she’s afraid of being with Ren (read it and find out why.), but really? I felt so bad for Kishan throughout the entire book. Even though Kelsey was serious with Kishan, it felt more like she was stringing him along rather than treating him like a boyfriend…I guess the ending didn’t shock me as much as I thought. But…those were only a few moments. She wasn’t as bad most of the time.

Anamika (you’ll find out who that is later!) was another character who just irritated me. She was nothing like you’d expect and, quite frankly, she seemed…bitter. Not like the _____ we know. And that…well that just made it harder to believe that what happened, happened.

The twist was, in all honesty, too sudden. There were very few hints in the last three books that it would happen. And when I reread a few sections of the other books, things didn’t add up. I can’t list examples since it would be a dead giveaway but…the ways that certain characters acted didn’t fit. They really didn’t. But it made me cry (you guys know I’m an emotional reader, but I am so not the only one.) and it was…heartbreaking. I really hate the 5 sacrifices.

Plot wise…it was amazing. Each book has its own element, right? Tiger’s Destiny deals with the remaining two, fire and space/time, which makes Destiny possibly the one book with the most twists and the most surprising details. I guess you could really split Tiger’s Destiny into two separate books, but it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting. I love the way things happened in quick succession, although I admit, sometimes it happened too quickly.

The romance. Oh my God. (Not sure if that’s a good OMG or a bad one.) the romance is a smexy one, but God! I hated Kelsey’s indecision. Like I said, it seemed she was stringing Kishan along, and also Ren. She was technically with Kishan, but didn’t feel much for him. She loved Ren, but wouldn’t be with him. She was naïve, thinking she was protecting them both, when she was basically killing them inside. It was horrible and I still have no idea how Colleen Houck could’ve dragged out the romance, although I admit, it did add some tension to the story.

This fourth installment wrapped things up nicely, so I am a anxious to see how Tiger’s Dream will turn out, and what the story line will be. Almost as amazing as the last three in this epic saga, Tiger’s Destiny clearly showcases Colleen Houck’s classic writing style that has stunned hundreds of fans. If you haven’t started the Tiger’s Saga yet? Start it soon.

Pages: 464

Series: Tiger's Saga #4

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Publisher: Splinter

Release Date: September 4

Rating: 3.5 --->4 stars

"Please don't die," I whispered."

Waiting on Wednesday

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.

And then it comes true.

Now the Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

I've been absolutely DYING for this since I discovered it (2 months before the cover release) and doesn't it just grab you in? I mean, it definitely sounds original with her being a nightmare and this guy who just happens to dream of a murder--that comes true. WOW. Can I say WANT?

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.

(this will be a long review due to two main characters and two love interests etc.)

My Summary

Alice and Charlie’s mom just married Richard Flood the Third, an insanely rich man who’s wife died of cancer and who’s daughter, Camilla, died merely months after. They almost immediately move to Serenity Point, a beach area filled with rich people, all with their own sinister secrets surrounding Camilla and her demise. But even more creepy, Alice happens to look exactly like Camilla and there’s no way she can let those secrets stay hidden. Not when her sister is pulling away and these secrets seem to affect her family personally. But maybe the people at Serenity Point aren’t the only ones with secrets.

Writing

The writing? There was just something I can’t pinpoint that made me completely love the writing. It was just…gorgeous. I mean, I could read one word and be completely sucked in immediately. I could barely put it down!

And yes, The Innocents is written in the 3^rd person POV, and maybe sometimes it seemed that it should be in the 1^st, but this way The Innocents could switch between Alice and Charlie’s POV without any confusion and much more ease. It may seem weird at times that in the beginning one chapter was all Alice, another all Charlie, and that after it would switch between one then the other in a paragraphs, but they switched at exactly the right time if that makes sense. But mainly, Alice was our narrator and I found it so much more enjoyable!

The Sisters

Which leads us to characters. Alice was definitely my favorite sister. She’s a bookworm (Which basically everyone reading this can connect to), quiet, shy, but she watches. She’s the one who notices the little things, the one who can usually catch on before anyone else, and it was just amazing that we went through 80% of the book from her perspective. Because she caught the details when Charlie blew them off as paranoia. Alice is the older, more wiser sister you could say. She knows when enough is enough and she won’t bend to ANYBODY’S will. Completely the opposite of her sister.

Charlie.  Oh Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Most of these characters I loved to hate, but especially her. She was just so…agh. I don’t whether it was because I liked Alice more, but Charlie just annoyed me so much especially when abandoning her sister for a guy (who I’ll talk about later) or told Alice that she was just being a downer. Please. But when you read from her point of view…you just can’t blame her (no matter how much disdain you’re nursing). She’s the wild, unpredictable one. She always fits in.She’s never had much trouble in guys, until Jude. More on that below. I definitely think both of these sisters are two characters all readers can relate to. If not one, then the other!

The Love Interests

Since we started with Alice, let’s start with her love interest. Tommy. Yes, the name sounds a bit awkward lol. But Tommy is such a sweet guy, with such a nice personality. Like incredibly incredibly sweet. He fit Alice perfectly, quiet and understanding. But of course, the Innocents is all about secrets. And he has secrets of his own. Ones that could maybe, and quite probably, change everything.

Jude. Can. I. Kill him? Pretty please? Okay, I totally wanted to murder Jude. He was such a tool. He played with Charlie, drawing her away from Alice, and not even really caring about her. And Charlie knew that. But she was just so desperate for him. I don’t even know why! He was cute. His personality isn’t exactly a gem. Jude was, quite frankly, a son of a bleep. He’s the other character I loved to hate. He strung Charlie along, but the worst part is…well, you’ll have to read and find out.

Plot/Plot Twists

They weren’t so much as twists as things that were already there. Secrets that become unveiled, reasons and intents become clearer, and all of them are slowly leading up to the big giant, juicy plot twist that’s just waiting to be read. While some people think that there was only the one twist, there were so many more subtle ones that would’ve been hard to catch if you weren’t looking for them.

All of these…ohmygoodness, there were so many hints lying around. I would collect them but I wouldn’t connect the dots and was so shocked! You guys…be sure you aren’t in a squeal-free zone like the library when you finish the last hundred pages or so. Also, ghosts. Yes. Ghosts.

The Bad

With a few grammar errors, my complete lack of understanding as to why Jude was such a catch, those were pretty much my only complaints on the novel. While it was uber amazing, it didn’t affect me quite as much emotionally as I’d hoped. But still. Amazing.

Overall

The Innocents is a stunning debut with gorgeous writing and even more gorgeous content. This debut is definitely a favorite and takes a whole new meaning to “dangerous secrets”. With main characters the readers can relate to, the Innocents will both shock you and make you giddy for more. Filled with secrets, lies, and…unrequited love? The Innocents is one to grab for those who are looking for something new in the contemporary section. One that will make you grit your teeth and squeal at the same time, this is not a book to be taken lightly! After all, when everyone has a secret, who can you really trust?

Pages: 288

Series: Innocents #1

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: October 16

Rating: 4.5--->5 stars

 

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

OKAY, it's been a pretty slow week and the reson is...UPS IS HOARDING MY PACKAGES. I'm missing 4 packages that were shipped via UPS that should've arrived DAYS ago. UGh. And they were awesome books too! But I did get one book (and I totes forgot to take a picture of it) and it's indie! Possibly the only one I'll be reading and reviewing, since I'm swamped with books anyways. But I couldn't resist! It sounds AMAZING and the author even signed it!

Given


NetGalley
    

If you go on goodreads and read the blurb...OMG IT SOUNDS SO AWESOME DOESNT IT? :D Also, SIGNED! Eep!
YESYESYES. PRINCESS OF THE SILVER WOODS! I absolutely LOVED the other two, Princess of the Midnight Ball and Princess of Glass, so getting this was awesome! But it is an eBook so it's going to take a LONG time before you see my review! Same goes for The Raven Boys. I'm pretty sure this one released though. Weird

Weekly Recap
52 Days of 52 Reasons to Love jessica Brody and her Book (AND GIVEAWAY!)
Mini Freak Out: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Review: Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her newfound powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?

Kylie knows what she is now, but not what it means. She’s a chameleon? She’s a lizard? She has no idea what’s going on now and has more questions than answers. And to add to that, why did that ghost have Holly’s face? Holly isn’t dead yet…but does that just mean that she will? (ok, so there’s a spoiler in my review which means if you don’t want to know this tiny spoiler, avoid all paragraphs with a *) Not to mention that even though Kylie’s finally chosen Lucas, she can’t deny her feelings for Derek or that Lucas is hot one second, cold the next. What’s a not-so-human girl to do?

*I think this was definitely my favorite book out of all of them. It was different in the way that it wasn’t action-y and was more a mystery. This was basically the book where most of our questions were answered while at the same time, Kylie and the rest of the gang were trying to figure out who killed Holiday’s twin sister. And jeez! They went one some awesome traces/leads and I loved guessing who killed her, why, and everything else. As morbid as it sounds, this was definitely my kind of book!

What I didn’t like? I didn’t get why Kylie didn’t tell Holiday about the ghost with her face. It just seemed weird. I mean, sure it would’ve scared her but Holiday had the right to know plus it would’ve been easier and faster to figure out why the ghost had her face if Holiday had known. It just really annoyed me to hell and back. But hey, that only lasted 1/3 of the book!

While Kylie was a little annoying when it came to romance in the beginning you’ll eventually forgive her when it’s clear she’s literally torn apart between her feelings for Derek and the ones she has for Lucas. I mean, they’re both awesome guys and honestly? While I’m Team Lucas, I did fall for Derek. He’s the complete opposite of Lucas and I was just as torn as Kylie was. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SWOON WORTHY THESE TWO GUYS ARE?

Characters? This is going to be long…

You guys, my favorite character absolutely has to be Della! She’s so snarky and fun that you just have to love her! If possible, she’s more snarky in this book than in any other! And she was an amazing friend besides, no matter WHAT she says/acts like. Miranda was too! And I loved how she kept squealing about Perry after they (finally) got together! It was too cute!

I’m not even going to mention the boys. That would take too much squealing. Sigh. I’m totally crushing on too many book boyfriends.

Kylie is definitely a great MC. She wasn’t as stupid as some other characters; she figured (most of) the things out and I loved that she would give the benefit of a doubt and that she always, always, understood. Err…well, most of the time!

OMG. You guys! The ending. The ending! AGH! Can I choke someone? You could hear my jaw drop half way around the world. I was not expecting that at all and loved that this book could surprise me right when I had things figured out! I can honestly say that I’ve never been more surprised! And I’ve never read a more cliffhang-y cliffhanger.

As stunning as the first three, C.C. Hunter writes an amazing fourth installment that will answer some questions, but raise even more. A thrillingly satisfying read, Whispers at Moonrise will keep you guessing until the last page, leaving you shocked and aching for Chosen at Nightfall!

Pages: 400

Series: Shadow Falls #4

Genre: Paranormal/Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's

Release Date: October 2

Rating: 5 stars

AAAAAHHHH!!!

WORST NEWS UPDATE EVER

1) my sidebar is down at the bottom of my blog because, I think, of a broken link hiding somewhere on my blog. Of someone can find it and email me THANK YOU 1000X!!! PLEASE help"

2) All of my email subscribers have disappeared! Feedburner has SHUT DOWN. So sorry y'all! I'd recommend subscribing via GFC!

3) UPS HAS LOST 4 OF MY PACKAGES!!! ACK! And awesome books they were. :'(

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Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Goodreads Blurb

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.
That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.
Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.
Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.
Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.
Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Crewel. Biggest. Mind fuck. Ever.

And I mean that in the good, awesomely, best way. Because it seriously was. The world-building was so complex and amazing. And I actually did get it. Barely. It’s one of those rare and awesome books that you have to pay attention to. You can’t have your mind sidetracked or else you’ll have to backpedal and reread. Trust me, I did. The world-building was completely thought out. It was so scientific, and I totally wouldn’t be surprised if…no. I will not spoil it. no matter how many times I want to. But it was just so believable and the fact that there were no flaws (I bet even Eileen wouldn’t be able to find any!) just made it better. I couldn’t find one hole in the logic really and I loved discovering how things worked (even if I was a tad creeped out. I mean, anyone could rip my thread just to prove a point and…no.)

OMG I LOVED ADELICE. (first of all, awesome name! And it represents her wonderfully. It sounds pretty but it’s special and actually sounds pretty independent.) was stubborn and independent, and you guys know that can often get on my nerves, but this time is was the perfect mix of stubborn! She listened to people’s warnings and made sure to be more careful, but didn’t trust anybody completely and that was a good thing. Because honestly, who can you trust when everyone’s out to get you or use you? She wasn’t afraid to look for answers and she knew what to do to get what she wanted. But she was far from ruthless. She knew it was wrong what the Spinsters were doing and she was passionate! She didn’t trust easily, but when she did, she was loyal to the core. Adelice is possibly my favorite MC of 2012!

And I loved the other characters. I mean, they were stereotypes taken to a whole ‘nother level. They were creweler (DID YOU CATCH THAT?) and they were more secretive. They had more to risk and more to gain than anyone else. But it’s extremely scary how power-hungry and blood thirsty these people were. And they could live almost forever. It was scary. And they always had an ulterior motive to everything. It isn’t just about control. There’s something deeper than that going on. And I can’t wait to find out what, exactly, it is.

Plotness. Oh my goodness gracious, can you even believe the plot twists in this? There were secrets upon secrets upon secrets! You would think you know something and something completely random would pop out, but…it made sense. Why this could happen, why this didn’t. the plot twists were many but they didn’t overwhelm the main aspect of the book, and the ending? GASP. I did not expect it, but I realized that I should’ve. I can’t give you any more than that, but remember what I said, read each page carefully. And remember every. Little. Detail.

This is just amazing. I give 5 stars easily…but this one? It got 10. Yep. In all of my reviewing, this is only the third book. And it deserves every one! Every. Single. One. This is one that will make people run around crazily going “ACK! I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT HAPPENED.” You guys have to grab this. Like seriously. I mean, I have a wide taste and…think of this as an epic Divergent. With more science that sounds like magic. I’m not kidding.

With a stunning MC, swoony love interests, and evilly awesome antagonists, it’s definitely one for everyone who loves strong leads. Which is, you know, everyone! There were so many secrets I was suspicious of everyone and the world building was…magic. Sciencelly magic. Pick it up, you will not regret it!

(P.S. My other tens? Venom. If you loved that, you’ll adore this!)



Pages: 368

Series: Crewel World #1

Genre: Dystopia/Sci-fi/Romance

Release Date: October 16

Rating: 10/5 stars!

Mini Freak Out: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Mini FREAK OUT!

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.
But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

So I’m going to have this new feature about once a month I’m going to call “Mini Freak Outs” which may sound like a mini review, which I guess it is, but it’s more like my reactions throughout the book, a one-paragraph review and a rating. That’s it. So my first Mini Freak Out is for…Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff! Sorry if I cuss.

Page 179—Ooooh BEAT DA BITCH!

Page 193—OOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THIS MY FRIENDS, is where the loyalty shifts and the truth is shown. God I sound cheesy. Dang, I'm talking to myself...this is not good...

Page 205—SHIT

Page 211—Oh God, I am HORRIFIED by the Shogun. Seriously. Can i kill him myself?

Page 236—I feel so bad for Buruu...but... BAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOLOL i'd like to see Buruu with that idiot of a guy for 5 minutes too!

Page 238—DUDE THIS SURPRISED ME TOO

Page 239—Lol Hiro is SO CUTE

Page 247—Shit. Shitshithshitshitshitshitshit. SHIT

Page 254—Oh. Oh NO. NONONONONONONO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (You guys. I'm actually screaming this. At midnight.)

Page 268—GAG.

Page 273—Ierwjfdsiocxkmlzcqowiefn. I love Kin. I do. But GOSH Hiro is so much better!

Page 275—*cries*

Page 282—Oh. He's going to do something irrational. Something that's going to kill them all. DAMMIT (edit: Oh...never mind.)

Page 295—Ohhhhh...I KNEW that Hideo would be trouble

Page 305-306—Oh no. *sobs*

Page 307—GOD. NO. PLEASE

Page 311—Yes, yes, and yes.

Page 313—I NEED BOOK 2.

Stormdancer, while a bit slow in the beginning, was a great read! I mean, Japanese steampunk? YES PLEASE. It sounded exactly like my kind of book and I loved the intense feelings that Yukiko, Kin, Buruu, and the rest of the gang…sprouted? Haha, anyways the writing definitely matched everything else—intense, well thought out, and it had that aloof-ish feeling that seemed to match the plot and world. Oh. And Buruu? He’s definitely my favorite. Snarky? Yes. Proud? Yes. Hilarious? Yes. Adorable? He’d kill me, but yes. Caring? Yes. Brotherly? Yes. Best-mythical-creature-ever? Yes.

Original, new, and amazing, Stormdancer is a must-read and a definite pleaser! It made me scream (Did you not read the mini Freak Out above?) and you’ll have so much fun reading it! Anticipation is a normality for this book and anxiety attacks are bound to happen. If you see it in the bookstore, gasp at the cover, grab it, awe over its shininess, and buy it! Although if you don't like steampunk...stay away.



52 Days of 52 Reasons to Love Jessica Brody and her Books

52 Days of 52 Reasons to Love Jessica Brody and Her Books

1 of the 52 Reasons to Love Jessica Brody and Her Books…for 51 other reasons, visit I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (September 16th), Good Choice Reading (September 18th) and The Story Siren (September 19th).

 Jessica encourages all aspiring writers to *be* writers! According to Jessica, it's a "state of mind!"

I'm so excited to be a part of this tour! I read through 52 Reasons in a sitting and absolutely loved it! It was hilarious and sweet at the same time and Lex wasn't as annoying as I expected. Quite the opposite really!

***Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (BYR) have donated a copy of 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and a copy of Unremembered for a giveaway! You want to win these!***

 

About 52 Reasons to Hate My Father (FSG, July 2012)
Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteenth birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

52 Reasons to Hate My Father Excerpt

52 Reasons to Hate My Father Trailer:

The Making of the 52 Reasons to Hate My Father Book Trailer

About Unremembered (FSG, March 2013)
The only thing worse than forgetting her past . . . is remembering it.When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten. More details: http://www.jessicabrody.com/books/teen-fiction/unremembered-series/unremembered/about

Giveaway!

• Rules:
• US only! (Sorry INT folks!)
• One set of entries PER HOUSEHOLD
• All false entries will be deleted
• All entrants must be 13+ or have parent's permission

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GYDO: Daniel Marks

Danny Marks, Author of Velveteen (2012)

Why did you decide to write about the afterlife?

It's not so much a decision as it comes naturally. I've always been a fan of horror and had written about just about every kind of supernatural creature in my adult series (written under a pseudonym which I'd rather keep separate), but when it came to writing for young adults, I went back to basics. That first scare when you're a kid: ghosts. My inclination is to worldbuild and I knew I wanted to do something that was heavy on the fantasy aspect so setting a large portion of the book in a sprawling industrial Purgatory appealed to me.

Velveteen (the girl) has been called "sassy" and "kickass"! So how much fun was it to write from her POV? And was it hard or easy to write in her POV?

Velveteen is awesome fun to write, but probably not fun to hang around. She's violent, aggressive and lets very little get by her without a comment. She's a super strong heroine, which is exactly how I like them, in fiction and real life. As to whether it's difficult to write from her perspective, I'd say no. I'm pretty comfortable with a dark, dramatic voice and when I worked as a counselor, the majority of my clients were adolescent girls so I can mimic pretty well at this point...I think. I guess the reader will be the judge of that, though I hope they'll find Velveteen’s dark perspective refreshing.

What are your opinions on the cover? (I personally LOVE it!)

I was super excited about it. It's subversive (like the book). At first, you're drawn in by the familiarity, the CW-ness of it, but the closer you look the more it reeks of death. The characters are gray and emaciated, the pretty dress is worn and the girl's gloves look like they've seen a fistfight. I just can't wait to feel it in person. The title is supposed to be embossed and the whole thing is supposed to be buttery!

If you only had a two word pitch for Velveteen, what would it be?

Ghostface Killah!

What has been your favorite book of 2012 so far?

Definitely John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Green has this uncanny way of creating unique characters that look at the world in such a vivid, funny and poignant way that you can't help but like them. His treatment of cancer and the shifting of the whole paradigm was fresh and fantastic. Loved that book!

Can you name the best thing about writing?

The flexibility. I'm able to take care of my wife and the house and write on my own timeline. I'm accountable to myself, which is sometimes the worst thing about writing. But overall, it suits me.

Any last words to all the readers?

Just that VELVETEEN comes out on October 9th and If you like snarky, violent heroines, hot boys, ghostly revolutions, serial killers and tentacle monsters, then this is the book for you! Also, come visit me at my YouTube channel! There's a thriving YA book community over there and we'd love to have you visit!

Velveteen Blurb

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.
The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.
Bonesaw.
Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It’ll be brutal... and awesome.
But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.
Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules... or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

Short Author Bio

Daniel Marks writes young adult horror and fantasy, spends way too much time glued to the internets and collects books obsessively (occasionally reading them). He’s been a psychotherapist for children and adolescents, a Halloween store manager, a cafeteria janitor (gag) and has survived earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons to get where he is today, which is to say, in his messy office surrounded by half empty coffee cups. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Caroline, and three furry monsters with no regard for quality carpeting.

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