Things+ Book Haul + Weekly Recap

OKAY. This week has been absolutely exhausting. Here's what I've done

• Schedule a ton of posts
• Rearrange my schedule a dozen times
• Start preparing for Bloggy Awards 2013
• Talk blog tours
• Start my 25 question/page 25 page packet
• Find the perfect background for Merp Squad Blog Tours (You should totes sign up) 
• Design the button and banner for Bloggy Awards 2013
• REDESIGNEG MY BLOG (which, I know, isn't perfect. It's still in the works and if my blog is unavailable, it's because it's so hideous at this point that I want no one seeing it.)

So if you'll notice, there are a few changes around the blog. The background is definitely the most obvious one and I absolutely LOVE it. The banner has a new shape and a sort of border thing I really love. Eileen helped me put sparkles on the gadget/widget names and I have new contact buttons! I totally love it so far! 

Seriously, just compare them:

Bleck

ANYWHO. I didn't get anything this week, but I didn't do a book haul last week so here it is. Except I am way too exhausted to do the half an hour process of finding the books, taking a pic, etc. So NO PICS. SO SORRY. 

Bought

Linked by Imogen Howson

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

7 Year King by Kiki Hamilton

Blog Tour/Publisher

The Last Dance by Kiki Hamilton

The Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Linked by Imogen Howson

Gifted

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

LOVED Linked, although the first part definitely wasn't it's best. Excited for Another Little Piece but with so many review books it's gone down my TBR! EEP! Sounds totally creepy though. I love the Faerie Ring series by Kiki Hamilton and can NOT wait to read the next installment!

Excited to read The Last Dance, although apparently few liked it. Hmm. Not going to read The Weather Witch because I can NOT fit the book anywhere in my reviewing schedule and it's gotten a ton of negative reviews which sucks since it sounded wonderful! And yes. Yes that is another copy of Linked. The day after my bought Linked came I got one from S&S. Sigh. Sending the bought one to a friend though! Hoping she loves it!

Awesome dude named Frodo on twitter bought these for me! LOVED Pushing the Limits and desperately wanted Dare You To. I had an ARC of PTL and I NEED matching formats, so after I went begging on twitter, he got me both! YAY!

Weekly Recap

YA Crush Tourney

The Beautiful and Cursed by Page Morgan

Waiting on Wednesday

Summer Solstice Sequels Tour

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Goodreads Blurb

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.
But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.
Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Spirit and Dust is just an amazing book! Possibly one of my favorite paranormal/fantasy I've read in a while! It had...everything. Great worldbuilding, an ingenious plot, twists I couldn't imagine, a great main character, and a swoony love interest.

What surprised me about Spirit and Dust was that was that instead of just using regular paranormal elements, like magic, witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, etc., the main element was Egyptian mythology! Which I think tied a little perfectly with what we learn about the "paranormal" world Daisy introduces us to. The worldbuilding for this was spectacular, why shades were called "remnants" instead of "ghosts, the rules of the afterworld, all that! The only thing I had a complaint about was that we were told that the soul was cut into 3 parts, when I learned that it was 7. So that was a bit weird for me! 

Daisy was such a snarky character! I adored her! She was such a...well, teenager and it was relatively easy to connect with her, despite her freaky powers! She was hilarious and I adored reading from her POV! Not to mention, the Remnants also brought a bunch of humor to the story, as well as her little banters with Carson, our swoony love interest! He had a few secrets of his own, which, by the way, I did not expect at all. He was arrogant and sweet and everything in between! Made better with the fact that it was a pretty slow romance and wasn't all "we're completely destined to be together", thank goodness!

Crazy things that I never expected had already happened before the half mark of the book and I had no clue what could happen next! I read this in one sitting, in the middle of the night, and every time my eyelids would droop, some giant twist happened and I would be completely unable to put it down! It had me wide eyed and literally flipping through the pages! I was absolutely dying (pun intended) to find out what happened next! 

Pages: 304

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Rating: 4.5--->5 stars

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

Waiting on Wednesday

Deception by C.J. Redwine

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive. 

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

I wasn't really the biggest fan of Defiance (giant fan of the cover though!) but I liked it enough that I'm definitely waiting on Deception! This one sounds so action packed and I do love the romance between these two! 

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

YA Crush Tourney: Vote Perry!

Tweet #TeamPerry and get your friends and family to vote for PERRY!
Y'ALL. I AM THE ADVOCATE FOR THIS HOTTIE RIGHT HERE:

Yeah him? Know him? I'll fill you in. 

Perry, our favorite Outsider, is perhaps one of the swooniest YA boys around. And, since I'm me, I'd rather show you than tell you. Be prepared to swoon at the quotes. 

Looks

I asked a few friends on why they love Perry.

"1. His tattoo & his markings bc every time I picture it, I pretty much swoon." -@ _extroadiMARY

Oh my. You mean these?

"He had tattoos, just like in the stories. Two patterned bands around each bicep. When he'd turned his back, she'd seen another design on his skin, some sort of hawk with wings spanning shoulder to shoulder."

Yeah, I would love to touch see them too.

There is hot. And then there is Perry. You don't resist Perry."-@Kami178xx

Truest words ever tweeted. Blond hair, bright green eyes, and one sexy athletic body of course. What's not to love?

Personality

"There're lots of adjectives to describe him but passionate sums it all up -- w his bow, Talon, Aria -- everything".-@LPofimagination

“Your voice sounds like a midnight fire. All warm and worn in and golden. I could listen to you talk forever." 
"I could never do that". 
She laughed at him. He brought his lips to her ear. "Your scent is like violets early in spring," he whispered. Then he laughed at himself because though it was true, he sounded like the worst kind of fool.” -Under the Never Sky

Perry responding to Roar (best friend) - "What do you think we are?" and "You're better than a brother."

"He didn't miss once. His name was never sharper than when his blood was up."

"Vale wouldn't fight for Talon, but he would. He was Talon's only hope now."

Oh yeah. Passionate is definitely something you can call Perry.

Ah, but he's not only passionate. He's loyal and strong and supportive. He'll fight for whatever he believes in and for his people and he'll do whatever he can to help.

The Swoon

Now. Another reason you should totally swoon? He's romantic and sweet. 

“In the afternoon, they stopped to eat on a rocky outcrop. Perry brushed a kiss on her cheek while she was chewing, and she learned that it was the loveliest thing to be kissed for no reason, even while chewing food. It brightened the woods, and the never sky, and everything.” 

"I miss you. I miss you. I miss you, I miss you. Be ready, because when I see you, I'll never let you go again”

"Should we try this again?" he asked. Aria smiled. "The right way," she said, and wove her fingers through his. "Together."

And then...his kisses. Can I have one?

“He kissed her slowly. Everything went slowly so he could follow her temper, and search into her eyes. When they joined, her scent was brave and strong and certain. Perry took it into himself, breathing her breath, feeling what she felt. He'd never known anything as right.” 

“Without thinking, he reached for her hand. Tucked it against her chest, feeling that was where it should be. Perry's heart slammed against his ribs. She had to feel it.” 

“Perry's hand settled on her hip, his grip firm. She felt his kiss settle into something deeper as his mouth moved with more urgency over hers. Suddenly there was more heat between them...” 

“His eyes were heavy with desire, but she saw something else. A gleam that made her suspicious.
"What?" she asked.
His hand slid to her hips. "You're incredible."
"That's not what you were thinking."

"Was so. I always think that." He leaned in, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger as he kissed her bottom lip. 

When the heck do I get to be Aria?

"He smiled and leaned down, kissing her softly, tenderly. She knew she should step away. This was a risk, but she didn't care about anything except him just then. She wove her arms around his neck and parted his lips with hers, stealing a taste of him. Tenderness could wait for another time. Perry went still for an instant; then he cinched her close, momentum sending them thudding into the door behind him. He sank against it, bringing himself closer to her height, kissing her with a sudden urgency. With a hunger she matched. His lips moved to her neck, trailed up to her ear, and the world fell away."

"There are other things I'd rather do when I'm alone with you."

Mmmmm. Perry is definitely the swooniest. Oh, but don't only take my word.

[I love him] because he is my baby. Or is he my baby because I love him? Hmmm-Ananbelle
Bows and arrows and blonds, oh my! Perry is my ideal male protagonist and swoony hero because he is survival strong :)-Alyssa
He is an awesome, protective sexy beast.-Tahereh
You broke me in half when you left sweet Perry-Ammie

Oh, and we have a giveaway by the way! Here it is.
First Round: 10 bookmarks
When Perry advances to the Second Round: 2 Signed Hardbacks of Under the Never Sky
When Perry advances to the Third Round: 2 signed hardbacks of Through the Ever Night 
When Perry advances to the Fourth Round: Signed hardback of UTNS AND Through the Ever Night, plus swag pack for one lucky winner

SO OMG GO VOTE FOR PERRY
HERE'S GIVEAWAY NUMBER TWO! Vote Team Perry and enter to win one of two signed Under the Never Skys! 
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And here's the first giveaway!
OVER
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