Summer Solstice Sequels Tour and Giveaway!

SUMMER SOLSTICE SEQUELS TOUR – 4 books, 4 authors, 4 days of prizes! 

It’s the final stop on the Summer Solstice Sequels tour (*sniff*), where authors Lili Peloquin (THE INNOCENTS), Jessica Spotswood (BORN WICKED), Elizabeth Richards (BLACK CITY), and Fiona Paul (VENOM) have joined forces to celebrate the launch of their summer sequels! 

Today we’re spotlighting Lili’s upcoming novel, THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY (The Innocents, book #2), due out on August 20!

About the Book

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indie Bound | Goodreads

Publisher: Razorbill

Release date: August 20, 2013

Alice and Charlie haven’t stopped fighting since they arrived in Serenity Point two weeks ago. Those two weeks changed their lives. And Serenity Point has changed them.

While the sisters grapple with the terrible truth about their family, the one-year memorial of Camilla’s death looms. The tension mounts and sparks fly as bright as July Fourth fireworks. Alice and Charlie are desperate to find out the truth that everyone seems to be hiding.

Is Camilla their enemy and rival—even six feet under? Or is she their sister, whose memory they have to protect? And what really happened to her that night on the bridge? In a town built on secrets and lies, can the truth stay buried for long? 

Bio

Lili Peloquin is the author of The Innocents. She grew up in New England, where the first breeze of summer still reminds her of a whispered secret.

Find her at: Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway 4: Quotables!

Each day the authors have come up with a fun quiz for you to play. Today’s game is Quotables!

Rules

Each author has selected a quote from their summer solstice sequels. All you have to do is match the quote with the correct book, and then enter your answers in the form below. Simple, huh?  (HINT: Check out each author’s book highlight for a clue. Links are under the ‘Follow the tour’ section)

The contest will close at 12pm EST, June 28. Any entries after this date will not be counted. Winners will be notified by email. US only. Entrants must be over 13 years old. Entrants under that age must have a parent or guardian enter on their behalf.

Prizes

2 x ARCs of THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY

Let’s play!

Quote 1:

Cass couldn't help herself. For a second, the two of them were back on San Domenico, kissing on a bench in her aunt's garden. For a second, desire budded and bloomed inside of her, as scarlet and fragrant as Agnese's roses. For a second, nothing had changed.

 Only everything had changed. 

Quote 2:

Alice could smell the blood even from more than a hundred yards away.  It hung on the air, sweet and sticky and faintly rotten.  And she could hear, above the din of the crowd, the roar of the ocean, the sharp crack of a fist on a face, bone colliding with bone, the dull thump of a knee in a midsection or groin, of a body crumpling in on itself.  In the distance, a police siren wailed, soft but growing louder.  Sickening sounds.

Quote 3:

That night, Elijah finds a bottle of spiced Shine hidden away in one of the cupboards. The boys drink—I haven’t the stomach for it—while we listen to music on the crackling radio, the stars glittering above us. Elijah shows us a traditional Bastet dance, which makes us giggle.

                “All right, your turn,” he says, disgruntled.

                Ash gets up and does a funny jig, which he claims is a Darkling folk dance, but I know he’s just making it up. I burst out laughing, as does Elijah.

                “You mocking my moves, blondie?” Ash teases.

                I nod.

Quote 4:

“I’m so glad to see you! What are you doing in New London?” I demand.

“We might ask you the same question, Sister,” Rory says.

Sachi’s dark eyes rest on my face. “What possessed you to join the Sisterhood, Cate?”

“I don’t know what you mean. I’m very happy here in New London,” I evade, glancing over my shoulder.                            

“Liar.” Rory isn’t one to mince words. “You’ve been crying, plain as day.”

“You don’t have to tell us now,” Sachi says, eyeing me sideways. “Father’s here for the duration of the council meeting. Finn, too. I take it you’ve seen him? Did he speak to you?”

I shake my head, unable to speak past the lump that’s reappeared in my throat.

“Oh, Cate, you look a mess.” She tosses me her bright pink lace handkerchief.

“Has he”—I wipe my eyes, battle my pride, and lose—“has he said anything about me?”

Entry form

Summer Solstice Sequels entry form

Twitter Party! 

Don’t forget to join us tonight, Thursday June 20, for the Summer Solstice Sequels Twitter party at 6.30pm EST (follow along using #SSSequels). Penguin Teen will be giving away loads of ARCs, so you won’t want to miss out!

FOLLOW THE TOUR

17 June

Good Choice Reading

 Spotlighting PHOENIX by Elizabeth Richards

18 June

Book Chic

Spotlighting STAR CURSED by Jessica Spotswood

19 June

Jean Book Nerd

Spotlighting BELLADONNA by Fiona Paul

20 June

Fiction Freak

Spotlighting THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY by Lili Peloquin

The Beautiful and Cursed by Page Morgan

Goodreads Blurb

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.
In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.
And Grayson has gone missing.
No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.
Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

The Beautiful and Cursed was definitely a book I was looking forward to--Gargoyles? In Paris? With that gorgeous cover? How could I not be intrigued?

Oh the atmosphere! It was haunting and chilling and had an absolutely dark tone to it that I had to fall in love with. It had such a gritty feel to it and was absolutely wonderful. This was so much darker that I thought it'd be! It's mysterious and a bit gory, but completely enticing. The mystery is definitely one of the best parts about the story--and the gargoyles? They added a sense of grim allure that just drew me in. Especially in Paris!

Speaking of gargoyles--hello? Who's written about that before! Learning the lore behind gargoyles was absolutely fascinating and I loved Morgan's twist on these old tales! It did seem a bit typical at first, but that's quickly overlooked by, well, the gargoyles. 

With YA you can make pretty much any creature sexy and enticing, huh?

The plot was definitely one of the better parts of the book! It was shocking and twisted, surprising me until the very end. It's a complicated mess--and we all know those are the best when it comes to the plot! The Beautiful and Cursed was definitely at it's strongest in the second half though! Because that's pretty much where a chain of events unfold and where everything just explodes.

The POVs are something of a nuisance for me. I hate multiple POVs, but I loved Grayson's. It added even more of an air of mystery to our already thickening plot and made everything so much more...interesting. But at the same time, I'm no fan of multiple POVs, and this wasn't really an exception.

Now, I should've stopped and thought about the romance when it said "a devastatingly handsome servant". There were almost 2 love triangles (two and a half? Two halves? Does Chelle count? Vander? Ermm...), one for each sister. And the love interests (besides Luc) weren't my favorite. They seemed a bit bland to me in all honesty, and a bit too typical for a YA love interest. (And there were so many guys, I can't remember all their names!) And the insta love between Luc and Ingrid--that just ruined it completely. There was no support for their romance, no building up of chemistry really. It was just...there.

And I didn't even really understand how these two girls could attract so many guys! Ingrid was definitely my favorite of the sisters, but she seemed to...proper for my taste, though Morgan did a wonderful job of creating the perfect attitude for both of these girls! But I usually like my characters more wild--though Ingrid was still, most definitely kickass. But something about her struck me as annoying.
Gabby definitely struck a nerve. She was so naive and irritating--so impulsive too! I'm not sure if she ever really thought before she acted, but it didn't really seem like it. But I did admire her will to fight and to rescue her brother even in the face of doubt!

Just like the title suggests, this novel is truly beautiful and thrilling to its core. While I didn't completely enjoy it, The Beautiful and Cursed definitely had it's good moments and I'll be sitting here waiting for a sequel!

Pages: 352
Genre: Fantasy/Historical
Series: The Dispossessed #1
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 3.5-->3 stars

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

SO I DID ANOTHER VLOG. I hope you don't throw tomatoes like it!

Oh wow. Awkward. I know. You should start bringing out the tomatoes now.

RECEIVED
Our Song by Jordana Fraiberg
Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Nantucket Blue by Leila Howard
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Beautiful and Cursed by Page Morgan
Spirit and Dust by Rosemary-Clement Moore
Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Coda by Emma Treyvane
The Program by Suzanne Young
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Parallel by Lauren Miller
The Ward by Jordana Frankel
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Ink by Amanda Sun
Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Weekly Recap
Chosen at Nightfall by CC Hunter
Reboot by Amy Tintera
Waiting on Wednesday
The Rules by Stacey Kade
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Belladonna by Fiona Paul

Goodreads Blurb

Cassandra follows a trail of clues about the mysterious Order of the Eternal Rose to Florence. There she runs into a few familiar faces, including Falco, who is now working for a nine-fingered woman known as Belladonna. When Cass discovers Belladonna is involved in the Order, she won’t rest until she discovers the shadowy society’s true purpose, knowledge that will put her—and everyone she loves—in terrible danger.

Wow. Oh wow oh wow oh wow. I can not describe how much I love Belladonna, but I promise to do my best. Let me just say though, that I finished this in the morning at school, then put it in my locker (after squealing so much!) so that it wouldn't be harmed, right? During my entire first period, I couldn't stop thinking about the going  ons of Belladonna and went to my locker ASAP to read it again! I never reread books right after finishing. Moral of the story? Belladonna is a must-read, Venom is a must read, you all MUST READ THEM. They're seriously heartbreaking sometimes, and I wanted to cry. A lot. 

Cass definitely sounds like a noble woman dead-set on her goal. She had all the makings and morals of a noble woman, except she had some definite spunk in her that makes you love her instantly! Honestly, she hasn't changed a bit since Venom, though she's definitely wiser and less naive than before. She's still a strong character, in my opinion, but there's definitely a lot of vulnerability on her side in Belladonna. And the things that brought her down? Oh, I wanted to cry. 

Falco. There was a LOT of Falco in Belladonna, thank God. I just...the extent of my love for him is immeasurable. Even with what's happened in this book. He was just as heartbreaking as before, just as swoon worthy as before, and just as sweet as before. But there's an edge to it, now that she's on a mission to save Luca. But, you guys, he still helps her, and they made me feel a heart tug. Falco still helped her because it's what she wanted and I...I...so, if Cass goes with Luca, can I have Falco? Just asking, of course.

But, just in case you wanted to be sure, Falco is all he was in Venom and so much more!

Luca wasn't really in Belladonna as much as I'd expected (sort of hoped? Sorry guys, I was thinking about Falco here!), but from what we do see from him, I think he's shaping up to be a guy who can almost, not quite, rival Falco in my eyes. He was just so incredibly sweet, willing to let Cass go if it meant she'd be happy. I honestly want my own Luca mixed with Falco. Yeesh, Fiona Paul definitely knows how to make guys we swoon about!

The writing? Do you even have to ask? the writing was just gorgeous! It never gave too much detail, but gave you enough so that you could clearly picture the scene in your head. And I'm no expert on Venice or the Renaissance (no matter what my parents want to believe), but everything felt historically correct at least, and that's pretty much what matters! 

Compared to Venom, Belladonna was a very quick read. It went by and I had no idea how I was already halfway into the book! There was a giant twist to the usual historical--vampires. But, you guys, without fully spoiling anything, I'm pretty sure there was a stage during the Renaissance where people did believe in vampires. And don't worry, Belladonna stays purely historical, thank goodness! But it was a fast plot that was quickly delivered that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Belladonna is definitely one of my favorite sequels, ever! Engaging characters, a quick plot, and amazing writing, Secrets of the Eternal Rose is definitely going to be your next favorite series!

Pages: 339

Series: Secrets of the Eternal Rose #2

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Philomel

Release Date: July, 2013

Rating: 5

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

So I made a video. I know. My voice sounds weird. Have fun. And I realized after I filmed that nothing was backwards. IGNORE ME.
Also, I forgot. I got an arc If You Find Me. Also, the poem was NOT by Eileen. O_o Hmmmm

Hannah @ Book Haven Extroadanaire

Montana @ Book Belles

Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain

eARCs
Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
Stung by Bethany Wiggins
The Prince by Kiera Cass
Undone by Elizabeth Norris

Pub
Money Run by Jack Heath
Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (2 copies)
That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
White Lines by Jennifer Banash
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Bought
Shards and Ashes
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Moore

Gifted
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bake Sale by Sara Varon
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Requiem by Lauren Oliver

EILEEN'S GIFT OF EPIC
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Through To You by Emily Hainsworth
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
3 epic letters
A giant fluffy teddy bear
A BFF teddy bear
A BR signed poster
Swag


Weekly Recap
Senshi by Cole Gibson
How to Lead a Lifeof Crime by Kirsten Miller
Waiting on Wednesday
Infatuated by Aimee Agresti
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

Goodreads Blurb

A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.
Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.
Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

How to Lead a Life of Crime surprised me. In all honesty, I was anxious to read this, but I definitely didn't expect anything so conniving!
This book was...wow. A bit of romance, a bit of acting, a bit of betrayal, a bit of sacrifice, a bit of lying, a bit of stealing...well, a bit of everything really! Even a little scientific theory that this entire plot is based on.


There's really no good place to start this review. But let's start with the originality of How to Lead a Life of Crime, because I love its idea. The way Miller pulled this idea off was stunning and original with an engaging plot that captivates you from the first theft. There's a lack of original plots in the YA market, so the fact that I haven't read anything like this is definitely a shock in itself!

Because of the unique idea, the plot ultimately had me twisted in knots. I couldn't predict anything, and these characters' actions were so unpredictable and cold. My heart was beating furiously and if a fire was burning down my house, I don't think I'd really notice; I'd be too busy trying to figure everything out! There were so many complexities, and no question was left unanswered. There was a cause and affect for everything that happened and nothing happened for no reason: that's what happens when you deal with socio/psychopaths.

The characters...I can't even describe how manipulative, cruel, and calculating they were. Miller created the perfect criminals and they were terrifying. They made you realize just how deceiving and cruel criminals could be, and how some criminals may just be pretending to be as cold. The characters weren't lovable, but they were amazing and seemed real, albeit a bit intimidating. Flick, our narrator who had a great, compelling voice, was smart and sneaky, but not necessarily cruel—just desperate, in the way that a lot of people are capable of. He brought a lot of dry humor into the story and was a strong believer in sarcasm which made me smirk, despite of whatever situation he was currently in. However, Joi was by far my favorite character. Her abilities were shocking, to say the least. She could see what Flick couldn't and knew what was wrong and what was right and, unlike many other characters, acted on those instincts.

What was beyond different with How to Lead a Life of Crime was that enemies were allies, allies were enemies, and you never knew whether a friend was a real one or one who'd stab you straight in the back. It was a game of cat and mouse, but you never knew who was in what role. And, while fictional (for all we know!), there's something about this book that just makes you realize just how evil the world can be and how the people we look up to, how almost everyone, has a secret they're willing to kill for. 


Pages: 358
Genre: Thriller/Action
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Razorbill
Release: Feb. 21, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Goodreads Blurb

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

Oh. My. God.This is possibly one of my Top 3 favorite books ever. I'm not even joking. This review will be possibly the most vague and probably won't even begin to describe my feelings for this amazing book. But I promise to try!

(Also, this is probably one of the only times I can't analyze characters, romance, plot, anything. Just One Day was so much more than just those specific things. But I can't explain how! you'll just have to read to see.)

I haven't read If I Stay, Where She Went, or any others. This is my first Gayle Forman book and I can promise that I'll be reading and loving the others. There was not one thing I didn't like about Just One Day. It made me think, it touched my heart, and it was surprisingly deep. The difference between falling in love and being in love really did make sense and I loved how it rang true. I loved how even though Allyson was looking for someone else, she was rediscovering herself all along. And I loved how she wasn't portrayed as some lovesick damsel pining for the guy. The way I saw it, she was looking for answers, for questions, not just for a guy.

So I'm going to try and talk about the characters. These were possibly the most real characters I've ever read about, and that's honestly saying something.They all touched my heart in some way and no matter how small or short their scenes were, I loved them.One thing I found strangely weird though, was that each person was kind and friendly, even though that's far from true. But hey, it's fiction right? And very good fiction too.

Just One Day is a novel that makes us question ourselves in ways we never have before and makes us wonder what love really is and who we really are. It will break your heart, put it together, and do it again and again. Just One Day will make you tear up, and you'll never stop thinking about it, because it just isn't possible to.

Pages: 320
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: Jan 8, 2013
Rating: 7/5 stars

FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012

Hey guys! So this is an awards-type thing I decided to do last year, where I gather up my seven 7 stars, my four 10 stars, and then show you guys which was my absolute favorite book of the year. I HAVE to have reviewed it this year in order for it to qualify though!

(Click the covers to go to my review)

Fangirl Fiction
Books that'll turn any girl into a fan! 7/5 (7 books most)

Burn for Burn was just an amazing read that absolutely stunned me! I loved Jenny Han's Summer series so when I heard about this my interest immediately piqued! This was SO good and I loved how different the girls were! But I really do wish the guys/girl had done something more dramatic to earn this kind of suffering...well that is what prevented a ten, but still! AMAZING book, I loved how devious it was and it was just...wow.








Do I even need to say anything? Sweet Evil was amazing with a unique twist on the Nephilim (trust me, that deserves 7 stars already) and Kaidan? YES. not to mention I loved Anna and she was just adorable! Want to see my entire rant? Click the pic!










Send me a Sign. Oh how I loved thee. I absolutely loved Mia and her superstitious ways! She could read into anything and I just loved how quirky she was, and the fact that she wasn't the average loser/normal in books. She was popular and quirky and she didn't know if she'd be alive in the end. It's a unique...situation for a character and this book just made me cry so many times! I loved the love interest. He was just...awww. Wish I could say more! Send Me a Sign to say I can! 








I can't believe I rated this 4 stars at first! Oh, the young blogger I was. But Meant to Be was a sweet, adorable read that was light, hilarious, and romantic at the same time! Lots of fluff, but the kind that we love! I have almost zero qualms about it whatsoever! This book and I were Meant to Be!









Even the Empress would approve! I loved how we got to read about the apocalypse and not just read about after it. I loved seeing how the suspense increased with each page, and I loved meeting all the other Arcana! I just loveloveloved this book! That's pretty much all I can say right now! Also--Jackson.










Another book that made me sob! I loved the writing, I loved the character, I was with her along the way when she fell in love, relived her guilt, and everything else. This book was just...heartfelt. It was such a Lovely, Dark, and Deep tale!














Fab Fiction
Absolutely FABULOUS fiction! 10/5 stars! (4 books most)


OH MY GOODNESS! THE SQUEES I HAVE FOR THIS. It was just amazing, I wanted to cry at the end and and and...wow the guy she ended up with was so unexpected..and KORBYN. WHHHHYYYYY. Oh I want to cry. I couldn't believe when it was over and...and...OH THE FEELS.








Oh my. Crewel was just simply magnificent! One of the strongest female heroines I met and amazing world-building! Need I say more? It excels at my favorite parts of a book and I could reread this in less than hour because of how much flipping I'd do! And that ending? JUST CREWEL.









You've seen me rant about this on Twitter. Facebook. I'm even doing a Readalong for it! Is it any surprise it's on here? Venom is my absolute favorite historical fiction novel! Jeez, I even did a report on it for school! It manages to weave deceit, romance, and absolutely stunning writing into one historical novel you can't forget!









Fiction Favorite!
My (very hard to choose) favorite book of the year!


The IMAGINATION! The CHARACTER! The LOVE INTERESTS! OH MY GOODNESS I JUST LOVED THEM. The creativity that should be required for all Alice retellings was here. The character was likeable and I didn't really have any negative feelings towards. her. I AM A MOTH GIRL and I just loved how...brooding Morpheus was! Jeb stands NO CHANCE in the long run. MORPHEUS IS SO MUCH BETTER! My heart SPLINTERED when I read this!

How was  your New Year's? What were some of your fave books? I'd LOVE to know!

OMGGGGGG

Oh My Gosh
Oh My Gosh
Oh My GOSH GOSH GOSH
*hums a tune*
(P.S. CLICK for giveaway stuffs.)

ITS ACTUALLY MY BLOGOVERSARY! LIKE, THE REAL THING. Huh. This is where I seriously should know how to use gifs. I fail. I epically fail. 

MY GUSH:

Oh my God. You guys. I can't even...oh my God. Seriously. Do you know how much I love each of you? Whether you're an author, a blogger I follow, a bloggy friend, a publisher, a follower, or even someone who just came for the giveaways (I know I host some pretty awesome ones. Hey, today is a flattery day!) THANK YOU. If you just stumbled across this blog, OH MY GOSH I STILL LOVE YOU. (Although, if you're a friend who just wanted to see me embaress myself in front of people...sigh. I can't hate anyone today. Fine. I forgive you.) But you guys, I've been through my ups and downs. If you haven't heard, actually, I'll be taking a  short break in about a month! But today isn't for sad days. Once, when I first started blogging, I post seriously awful not-thought-out reviews. And while my reviews aren't something good now, they've definitely improved and I'm proud!

And well, here's the thing: I quit blogging for about two months. I had no idea how important it would be, and I barely had 10 followers.So...I quit. But what can I say? I had time on my hands then, so I picked myself out of the dumps, and started blogging again, more determined than ever.

And look where it's gotten me. Although, I can't say I've done this on my own.

Thank you, first of all, to all my bloggy friends and half bloggy friends (a.k.a. Twitter friends!). You guys have lift me out of the dumps when I was down and always squealed when me when I needed it! Support should be y'all's middle names! I can't BELIEVE the rants we've had, the squeals we've had, the OUTRAGE at something, and the "THAT PUBLISHER HATES ME" phase (*cough* Eileen, they SO do not hate you! They just...are in a coma.) we've shared! If you guys suddenly disappeared (since most of my friends lived on the East Coast, I was sort of...kind of scared during Hurricane Sandy!) I have no idea what I'd do besides cry day and night! If you were here, this is the part where I clutch your leg and yell "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

And authors. Oh my gosh. You guys have your very own post, so I won't waste your time. But know that without you guys, I'd have nothing to do, probably be staring blankly into space, and be half dead. Trust me on this.

Followers. There are. NO WORDS to describe how much I love you people who followed me, and more importantly, you people who have looked at my reviews even once, commented even once, and decided I was awesomely crazy. Or just crazy. I LOVE YOU. and if I knew how to work gifs. I would be using that Hunger Games one. You know the one I'm talking about. 

IT'S BEEN A YEAR YOU GUYS. LOVE YOU.
(Lizzy made this, but I edited it since it said Blog Tour! I'll use the original next year though! :D)

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

This week...was...this week. Let's just say, I got tons of books, my TBR is now spilling into 2 shelves, and I have even less time than before!
Also? HAPPY NOVEMBER PEOPLE! Did you know my Blogoversary is this month? That's right. Expect something pretty epic.

Bought

Trade

Giveaway

Publisher

Awesome People

ABSOLUTE BEST THING OF THE WEEK

I got and finished this already! Long story short: I lived for the Kierran, Meghan, Puck, Ash, and Grimalkin parts. I honestly didn't like Ethan and I guess I was hoping that he'd be as awesome a character as Meghan. 4 stars? 3.5? 3 is just TOO low.
SO HAPPY WITH THIS TRADE. Not that I don't want a hardback of Lucid. I've heard absolutely amazing things about it and I can't wait to start! And Evolution of Mara Dyer! Oooh I'm so happy! People are saying it's much more psychotic and creepy than Unbecoming. Heh. As for Stealing Parker...I haven't read Catching Jordan yet, but I'm DYING to, so I thought I may as well read Stealing Parker! Carnival of Souls and Ten are just things I was slightly interested in, so I traded. I'm a bit unnerved by Carnival of Souls though. It seems...not my thing. But I do love Melissa Marr, so we'll see!
I won both of these from Laura Ellen! A signed copy of Blind Spot (with TONS of signed swag! And bubblegum and mints) and a book of my choice from Amazon. I just HAD to pick Finale! I loved Hush Hush. Now, I just need time to read these two! I've been dying for both!
Yes...those are MG books. I'm a YA only blogger, but I got these in the mail from Hachette. I haven't read MG in 2-3 years, and even then I never really read MG. Nancy Drew and those Princess Diaries (Historical fic) were my thing. Yeah, I was a non-modern reader lol! But it sounds interesting and hey, who knows? Maybe a change will do me good! As for Renegade, read and LOVED! Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart is for a blog tour and I'm halfway through and intrigued!
I have some of the best bloggy friends ever who send me so many books. I feel bad that I haven't sent them anything! Don't worry come Xmas, they've packages. Trust me. If they give me their addy anytime soon. ANYWAYS, the awesome Shreya from Chocolate Coated Reviews sent me these 3 beauties! I've been dying for all 3 of these! SO THANK YOU SHREYA AND YOUR HEART MADE OF CHOCOLATE. Because we all know chocolate is better than gold, right?
NO. YOU ARE NOT HALLUCINATING. Because if YOU are, then so am I. And I really don't want to be imagining this. YOU GUYS. THIS IS AN ARC OF BELLADONNA. SEQUEL TO POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE 2012 DEBUT. THIS. IS. MINDBLOWING. AHHHHH!!!!!!! I CANT STOP SQUEALING! THANK YOU SOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH TO Paper Lantern Lit FOR THIS. 

Weekly Recap
Every Day by David Levithan
Blog Tour: Dear Teen Me
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
Mini Freak Out: Touching the Surface

Book Haul and GYDO Wrap-Up!

GYDO Wrap-up
Woot! GYDO is officially done today! (Scroll up to see my interview with Daniel Marks, author of Velveteen) Here are the links of past GYDO posts!

Jay Kristoff
J.A. Souders
Jessica Khoury
Elsie Chapman
Suzanne Lazear
Jeanne Ryan
Mindee Arnett
Tiffany Schmidt
Gina Rosati
Fiona Paul

Lauren Morrill

Kimberly Sabatini

A.G. Howard

Daniel Marks (Scroll up!)

This entire thing was SO fun and I hope you guys enjoyed it too!

Book Haul

Over the course of GYDO I've gotten some AMAZING ABSOLUTELY STUNNING BOOKS!

Why, yes. That is a UK copy of Crewel. (Oh! I also got these JUST today! Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door from the library and Surrender and Possession for the Surrender Blog Tour. I have no pics of my library books, but I managed to take one of my tour books!)

Giveaway

Given

Bought

Traded

Library

    

Signed!

So YES! I actually didn't win the giveaway for Treachery of Beautiful Things! Eileen (Singing and Reading in the Rain) won the giveaway and donated the prize to me! She's SO NICE IT MAKES ME CRY! I can't wait to start it! Defiance is a preorder giveaway I won a while back and I did read it...not as good as I hoped but still pretty good. And CREWEL! OMG I'VE READ THIS AWESOMENESS and expect a review. I actually won an ARC copy too but I dropped it in mud. Yeah. MUD. I hate the rain.

YES. THAT IS SEND ME A SIGN. EEP! I totally read it in one sitting and bawled my eyes out! It's just so heartbreaking! My review''s coming up sometime this week! I can't believe it! My first Bloomsbury book! Dear Teen Me is porbably the only non-fiction book that I've read for pleasure, but some of these are so heartbreaking. I can't wait until my stop on the Dear Teen Me tour! Haunting Violet is from ARCycling, which is one of the best ides EVER. And eep! Such a Rush I got from Jennifer Echols herself! I've been absolutely DYING for this! Surrender and Possession are from (according to the return address) Elana Johnson for the Surrender Tour! I've been meaning to read these and am so glad I can dive right into Book 2 after Book 1!

Kill Me Softly, 20 Boy Summer, and Forgotten. I haven't read Forgotten yet but the other two were pretty "meh" I'm writing reviews on both so wait until those to see what I mean! Forgotten I seriously need to get to! I haven't read Revived (ARGH. NEED!), but I've heard awesome things about her work!

EEP! Tiger's Destiny I traded with Eileen! And. I. Loved it. ACK. I am a bit curious as to how the fifth book will turn out though. Tiger's Destiny seemed to pretty much wrap things up. And yes! That is Burning Blue, The Loop, and Falling Kingdoms! I actually hadn't heard of The Loop or Burning Blue until Montana from Book Belles offered it and I knew immediately I'd want them!I've scheduled my review of Burning Blue, but it's sometime in early October! I can't bleieve I have ALL THE BREATHLESS READS NOW!!! ACK! Oh. Dang. I also traded for an ARC of The Innocents (I KNOW I KNOW) but forgot to take a pic! Eep!

I read Anna, onto Lola! I absolutley ADORED Anna and the French Kiss and can't wait to sink into book 2! Ack!

And oops. Guess I didn't mention that Jennifer Echols also SIGNED Such a Rush for me, did I? Well she did and she threw in a bookmark too! This book is so pretty! I can't decided what to read next! HELP!

 

What's in YOUR mailbox? Leave a link below!