Tag: book blog

Cover Reveal for Plastic Wings by C.T. Callahan

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Hi everyone! Today I have a cover reveal for you all for C.T. Callahan’s book Plastic Wings. The expected publication date is November 22, 2016 by Three Little Books Co. Without further ado, I now present to you, the cover of Plastic Wings…

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You can read the book synopsis for Plastic Wings by C.T. Callahan here:

When seven-year-old Evie Weiss discovers a strange, sickly boy in her otherwise familiar forest, she has no idea what it holds for her world. He is a dark angel, one of a race of humanoid beings that feed on humanity and tear Evie’s world down around her. Years later, as humanity mounts a counter-attack against the dark angels, Evie remembers the boy in the forest and finds herself torn between her loyalty to her own people and feelings of compassion for these strange creatures that first captivated her as a child. It is the quest of one girl to unite two worlds so separated by war, but how can she close the gap between two races so determined to hate each other?

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Author Bio:

C.T. Callahan is the author of young adult fantasy, sci-fi, and a weird assortment of short stories. Hailing from a mixed-racial background, she’s pledged her writing to contribute to the spread of diversity in fiction and the fight for equality. When away from reading and writing, you’ll most likely find her engaged in art or snuggling cute dogs.

Learn more at CTCallahan.com.

Are you as excited about this book as I am? Have you added the book on Goodreads yet? What do you think of the cover of Plastic Wings?

The Cover Reveal is hosted by Rich in Variety Tours.

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The Melody of You and Me Blog Tour: Review + Playlist

Olivia Chanel1 Comment

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Hi, readers! Today I have a post for Rich in Variety‘s blog tour for The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis. I have been following the author, Maria, for a while now on Twitter and when I saw that you could sign up to be a part of this blog tour, I just knew I had to do it. When I first read the synopsis for The Melody of You and Me I thought this book sounded great and now that I have read it, I can tell you this. I was wrong, it was better than great, it was amazing! You can read my review below and also see a playlist for this book.

About the Book

Author: M. Hollis
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 29, 2016
Genre(s): New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+
Page Number: 82

After dropping out of university and breaking up with her girlfriend of three years, Chris Morrison’s life is now a mind-numbing mess. She doubts that working at the small neighborhood bookstore is going to change that. The rest of her time is spent mostly playing guitar and ignoring the many messages her mother keeps sending her about going back to college.

But one day, an adorable and charming new bookseller waltzes her way into Chris’s life. Josie Navarro is sweet, flirty, and she always has a new book in her hands. The two girls start a fast friendship that, for Chris, holds the promise of something more. But is she reading too much into this or is it possible that Josie feels the same way?

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I can’t imagine a universe where The Melody of You and Me doesn’t get all the 5 planets (or as mundane people call it, stars) in the world, just for being absolutely fantastic. This story blew me away, in the best way possible. It’s funny, it’s cute and it explores so many topics that so many people just like to ignore instead of face head-on. The Melody of You and Me is about two girls, Chris and Josie, who fall in love over time spent working together in a bookstore. Their story will make your heart swell with love and will have you flailing in your bed, making weird facial expressions, from fangirling over how amazingly cute it is. Don’t doubt this for a single second, that’s just the way it is.

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ARC Review of Assassins: Discord by Erica Cameron

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Assassins: Discord by Erica Cameron

Publication Date: September 5, 2016.

Publisher: Triton Books (Riptide Publishing).

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, and LGBT.

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Selling points: Badass and dangerous girls, girls kissing and explosions.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository 

Synopsis: Kindra’s moral compass has never pointed north, but that’s what happens when you’re raised as an assassin and a thief. At sixteen, she’s fantastic with a blade, an expert at slipping through the world unnoticed, and trapped in a life she didn’t chose. But nothing in her training prepares her for what happens when her father misses a target.

In the week-long aftermath, Kindra breaks rank for the first time in her life. She steals documents, starts questioning who their client is and why the target needs to die, botches a second hit on her father’s target, and is nearly killed. And that’s before she’s kidnapped by a green-eyed stranger connected to a part of her childhood she’d almost forgotten.

Kindra has to decide who to trust and which side of the battle to fight for. She has to do it fast and she has to be right, because the wrong choice will kill her just when she’s finally found something worth living for.

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Thank you Erica Cameron for my e-arc of Assassins: Discord. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Assassins: Discord is like those action movies you watch on TV where there are guns, explosions, and car chases. Only in this book, there are more girls than guys. The girls are complex, the girls are kissing and they’re more badass than anyone else. In other words, this book is like those action movies you watch on TV, only a thousand times better. I love Assassins: Discord not only because it’s refreshing and features a storyline that isn’t that often explored in YA but because these teenage girls are flawed, they’re lethal and yet they are just that, teenagers with raw and complex emotions. I also love how inclusive this book is. There are bisexual, asexual, intersex and gay characters and some of them are also of color. Erica Cameron really nailed this book in every aspect there is, it’s sassy, it’s filled with action and once you finish it you’ll literally be begging for more (very much like I am, please when’s the next one coming out *grabby hands*).

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Waiting on Wednesday #3 The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. This week I’m anticipating the release of The Ship Beyond Time, which is the sequel to The Girl From Everywhere. A book I really love. I loved Heidi Heilig’s storytelling and writing in the first book and her characters really swept me away. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the second book.

a1176f21272b19faa8c7e0ce2bae7dcdThe Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Expected publication: March 28, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Time Travel and Historical Fiction

Add to your To Be Read shelf on Goodreads.

Pre-order on Amazon or Book Depository.

Synopsis: The breathtaking sequel to the acclaimed The Girl from Everywhere. Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes. Fans of Rae Carson, Alexandra Bracken, and Outlander will fall hard for Heidi Heilig’s sweeping fantasy.

Nix has spent her whole life journeying to places both real and imagined aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. And now it’s finally time for her to take the helm. Her father has given up his obsession to save her mother—and possibly erase Nix’s existence—and Nix’s future lies bright before her. Until she learns that she is destined to lose the one she loves. But her relationship with Kash—best friend, thief, charmer extraordinaire—is only just beginning. How can she bear to lose him? How can she bear to become as adrift and alone as her father?

Desperate to change her fate, Nix takes her crew to a mythical utopia to meet another Navigator who promises to teach her how to manipulate time. But everything in this utopia is constantly changing, and nothing is what it seems—not even her relationship with Kash. Nix must grapple with whether anyone can escape her destiny, her history, her choices. Heidi Heilig weaves fantasy, history, and romance together to tackle questions of free will, fate, and what it means to love another person. But at the center of this adventure are the extraordinary, multifaceted, and multicultural characters that leap off the page, and an intricate, recognizable world that has no bounds. The sequel—and conclusion—to the indie darling The Girl from Everywhere will be devoured by fans of Rachel Hartman and Maggie Stiefvater. Includes black-and-white maps.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday? Are you also anticipating The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig?

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Six Bookish Confessions

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Every reader and book collector is different, just as we are all different people. However, communities tend to be united in their ways or at least have a certain pattern to things. A lot of the stuff we do, we do without giving it a second thought, but sometimes if you really think about it, you realize you do certain things differently from the majority. Or so you think. That’s why I thought I’d confess to a few bookish things I do that I don’t think the majority of the book community does. But maybe I’m wrong, if I am, I’d love to hear it!

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I hereby confess to the fact that… 

  1. I buy books with my eyes on the price, everything else is secondary. When buying books I’m all about the cash and that’s just the way it is. I’m a student, I live at home and I can’t buy all the new hardcover books every month. So my tactic is to buy books during sales (Amazon kindle deals please and thank you) and to mostly buy paperback books, which I actually prefer. For international readers, such as myself, I have come to realize that when buying a physical book there are few stores with as good prices as The Book Depository. You looking for a book? That’s where you should go first. The way I usually go about buying books is that I look up the books I’m dying to read and those with reasonable prices (reasonable is different from person to person) I buy.
  2. I really like paperbacks better than hardbacks. This is partly because of price, which has been discussed above, but it’s also because I just prefer that format. I hate that with hardback books the cover isn’t attached to the book. It makes the book harder to read (do I take the dust jacket off or do I leave it on seriously) and I think it’s easier to accidentally hurt a dust jacket than it is to hurt a paperback.
  3. When reading I often prioritize shorter books over longer ones. This confession I’m almost ashamed of but I honestly don’t know how not to do it. I think it has something to do with me being stressed a lot but finishing a book during a short period of time just feels better which is why I tend to lean towards picking shorter books. Do I never read long books then? Of course, I do, I read after what the story is about but I love short books. Maybe it’s a bit weird, but that’s just how I am.
  4. The act of rating books is one I have not yet mastered. Rating books? How do you even do that? For the majority of my life I have rated almost all books five stars because if they made me fangirl a bit I loved them, and if I loved them they were getting five stars. I have evolved a bit from that, but I do think that rating a book is the hardest thing ever. Four stars (cake slices in my case) doesn’t necessarily mean the same for one book as it does for the other. However, I like to rate books, it gives me direction but in the end, my thoughts will tell you what you need to know about what I thought about a book.
  5. I act all cool around authors on social media but in reality, I’m fangirling. Why you may ask? Well because their beautiful and magical words have touched my heart and soul, and now they’re talking to me. I know they’re just human, and I’d never think or treat them as anything else but we all have people we look up to and admire. My favorite authors are just that, people who inspire me. So yes, I act cool but honestly, I’m probably smiling like a big goof behind my screen. Also, among my friends, I am known to just get very excited by things, and my favorite authors talking to me is a fabulous thing.
  6. I buy books secondhand. I know some people buy secondhand and others don’t but honestly, I love it. Unfortunately, I live in Sweden which means that people don’t read that many young adult (and new adult) books in English and even less actually end up in secondhand shops. However, that won’t stop me from searching. A book that has a little history outside of the story itself is pretty cool, at least in my opinion.

That was all of my six book related confessions, I bet a few of these are pretty common even if people don’t talk about them much, or am I wrong? I’d love to know what you guys think about my confessions.

What bookish things do you do that you’re unsure about whether others do as well? Do you have anything to confess?

August 2016 Wrap Up

Olivia Chanel2 Comments

August has been a great blogging month for me, I posted x posts all together and have gained a lot of new friends in the blogging community. As August is the last month of summer I have tried to enjoy as many day as I can, especially since I just started university again earlier this week and I have to focus on that. On Friday I leave for an 8 day vacation to Mallorca, Spain and I cannot wait to enjoy this beautiful island all over again. Since Sweden didn’t have much of a summer this year then I’ll definitely make the most out of this week. Updating will be a bit slower than usually but I still have a few posts scheduled for you.

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Lets summarize August, now shall we!

Books Read

As you can see I’ve only read two books this month (I think I’m unfortunately in a reading slump) but I have reviewed them both and the reviews are linked below.

Books Reviewed

Other Bookish Blog Posts

First of all, I decided to attempt ARC August and though I did fail tremendously, you can read about the goal I set up for myself here.

Amy and I did another Moody Book Monday with the theme All Good Things Come in Threes,

This month I decided to join the band wagon and started doing Top Ten Tuesday posts. I love lists and a lot of their themes are just so exciting. I knew I just had to do a few of them. You can read my posts here,

When I started doing Top Ten Tuesday I stumbled upon the meme Waiting on Wednesday which is all about books we are anticipating, I knew I had to join that as well so here are my choices this month,

I of course posted several Freebie Friday posts this month. I definitely recommend you check them out. If you missed a week you might be lucky and find a book that’s still free!

I have also published a few book discussion posts, some book recommendations as well as a book tag I loved making,

Lastly, I introduced the Writing Cave part of my blog,

How was your August? Which books did you read? If you posted something you liked in particular then send the post to me, I’d love to read it!

The Hayley Kiyoko Book Tag

Olivia Chanel5 Comments

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Hi readers, and maybe a few music lovers as well!

Are you seeing what I’m seeing? I created a new book tag! This time it’s all about my favorite artist and singer Hayley Kiyoko. I’m not someone who usually loves all of an artist’s songs but Hayley is the exception, she’s amazing and a real blessing to us all. I’m currently listening to her newest single Gravel To Tempo, which was what made me want to create this tag. The idea is that you should choose a book or a character for the singles that Hayley Kiyoko has released. I’m tagging all of you and I really hope you’ll join me on this fun. Creating this Hayley Kiyoko Book Tag was just the best and I can’t wait to share my answers with you all.

More specifically I’m tagging,

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For Hayley Kiyoko’s song A Belle To Remember you’re supposed to pick a character you’ll always remember. For me that’s Daisy Calloway from the Addicted series by Krista and Becca Ritchie, her bright personality and kind soul is so inspiring. Daisy has never been heard, her voice always forgotten, but throughout the series you see her fighting to find her voice again. I love Daisy because she’s kind and makes everyone else smile even if she’s having a very hard time herself. Listen to A Belle To Remember here.

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For the song Rich Youth you’re supposed to choose a character that keeps on fighting despite the obstacles they’ve faced. For me that has to be Sophie Winters from Far From You by Tess Sharpe. She has been through a car accident, her own drug addiction that followed and the murder of her best friend Mina all while fighting for people to believe her about it. Despite all of this Sophie has always kept on going and never stopped fighting. Listen to Rich Youth here.

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For This Side of Paradise you’re supposed to pick a character with bad luck. I’m picking Jessica Bullock from Anything But Love by Abigail Strom. With her reinvention in high school she lost her best friend and later on in life got engaged to her closeted gay friend. However, as Jessica’s luck would have it, she’s left at the altar. When her old best friend comes back and agrees to go to the Bahamas with her, sparks fly and feelings develop but Jessica is yet again met with bad luck due to terrible timing. Though Jessica gets her happy ending, her luck worked against her. Listen to This Side of Paradise here.

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Hayley Kiyoko’s perhaps most famous song Girls Like Girls is just amazing and here the choice is simple, pick a book with a f/f ship. For me the choice is Riya and Courtney from Keeping Her Secret by Sarah Nicolas, a book that really surprised me by how amazing it is. Riya and Courtney used to be best friends before a secret kiss and Riya moved to another town. Later on they meet each other again at summer camp and old feelings return. It’s complicated, a little bit messy but oh so amazing. Listen to Girls Like Girls here.

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For Cliffs Edge you’re supposed to pick a ship that has had a lot of ups and downs. For me that has to be Kami and Jared from The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan. Their relationship went from hot to cold all through the series, there was heartbreak, loss and somewhat of a love triangle too. Kami and Jared went through a lot, both together and with other people, but somehow in the end all the angst, plot twists and cliffhangers were worth it. If two people are meant to be, they’ll endure endless ups and downs until they both find the place they where need to be. That’s what happened with Kami and Jared. Listen to Cliffs Edge here.

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For Gravel To Tempo, Hayley Kiyoko’s newest single, you’re supposed to choose a female character who finally embraces who she is. Someone who realizes she can be herself without the approval of others. This fits perfectly for Victoria Dinham from We Awaken by Calista Lynne. She has never really been interested in sex, or kissing, and never really understood why. However, with the help of Ashlinn she begins to understand her asexuality and who she really is. I love how hopeful and amazing this story is, and how Victoria really grows to accept herself. Listen to Gravel To Tempo here.

That was it for my Hayley Kiyoko Book Tag! Will you be doing the tag on your blog too? If you don’t have a book blog, what would you have answered? Comment and let me know!

All the headers are made by me and you’re more than welcome to use them for your own blog post. Feel free to grab them and use them however you like!

Top Ten Tuesday #3 Unread Books from Before I Started Blogging

Olivia Chanel4 Comments

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. If you want to read more about their blog feature and join the fun, you can do it here.

This week the theme for Top Ten Tuesday is Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf (Or TBR) From Before You Started Blogging That You STILL Haven’t Read Yet. Considering I just started blogging in April it shouldn’t be that hard to make this list since I have a bunch of unread books on my bookshelf at home. Down below are ten books on my bookshelf that I still haven’t read.

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1. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

2. Legend by Marie Lu. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

3. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

4. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

5. Young, Gifted and Dead by Lucy Carver. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

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6. Run by Kody Keplinger. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

7. The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

8. The Heir by Kiera Cass. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

9. Abandon by Meg Cabot. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

10. Towering by Alex Flinn. Add on Goodreads. Buy on Amazon.

What ten books did you pick this week? Do you have a lot of unread books from before you started blogging?

Freebie Friday #6

Olivia Chanel1 Comment

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Good morning, good day or good afternoon (depending on where you are) my fellow book lovers! Isn’t it just amazing that we are all over the world, connecting and talking to each other with one thing in common, books. I’m grateful to have found so many kindred spirits through my favorite books, and in many ways that’s the best part of being a reader.

We have another Friday on our hands *dances around with my books* and I of course have more free books to recommend to you guys. This lovely Friday is just getting better and better. This week the free books I’m recommending are Crush by S.R. Silcox and Melt With You by Addison Moore. These two are both young adult books and when I found them I was just delighted. The first book is a contemporary coming of age where we have girls liking girls. The second book is a young adult romance that takes place in the 80s which is just the coolest. Read more below.

Remember guys, the books I recommend are free the moment I publish my post but I can never guarantee they’re free for long so once you see it, grab it! That’s what I do.

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Crush by S.R. Silcox

Goodreads. Amazon.

Summertime in Chesterfield means two very different things for teenagers Tess Copeland and Maddie Lambert.

For Tess, spending time with family and anticipating the annual Crush Festival goes hand-in-hand with the country air and the sweet smell of a cane fire. For Maddie, Chesterfield offers an escape from the demands of a reality that she’s just unable to run from.

This summer, however, there is one lit fire that’s even harder to contain than the massive bonfires that characterise the town’s summer spectacle, as young love and awakened passions smoulder in the shadows.

Amidst the turmoil of growing up and the pressures of youth and fame, can these two young women navigate the precipices of adulthood unscathed? Will Maddie and Tess be able to overcome the secrets of a small town and save the beloved festival before it’s too late?

Find out in this touchingly sweet coming-of-age tale from SR Silcox–grab your copy today!

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Melt With You by Addison Moore

Goodreads. Amazon.

Junior year is really shaping up to be something. After three years of trying, I finally made the cheer squad. And on the last day of summer practice the demigod of Glen Heights High, Joel Effing Miller, finally notices me—right after he runs me over and lands my leg in a cast. Yeah, junior year is really shaping up to be something.

I swear I didn’t see her. But I’m making it up to her every way I can. I’m driving her to school, helping her to all of her classes. I’ve never met anyone so down to earth—a girl who actually likes the things I like. Melissa Malinowski is a breath of fresh air. I can’t stop thinking about her. I swear I didn’t see her, but I should have. Melissa is too beautiful to miss.

My name is Kelly Masterson, and nobody messes with me. I’m Joel Miller’s girlfriend. So Joel ran Mouse-akowski over with his truck. So what? He should’ve finished her off. And now he wants to break up? As if. Nobody breaks up with me. Joel is mine, and he’s going to stay that way. And after having a nice little chat with his mother, it’s become clear why he’s bending over backward to please that human speed bump. I’ll make sure Mouse-akowski understands this, too. That will be the end of Joel and his nerdy little plaything. My name is Kelly Masterson, and nobody messes with me.

Want to swim with Mermaids? Here are some Book Recommendations

Olivia Chanel10 Comments

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Hey readers! I have a new book recommendations post and this one is all about mermaids and the ocean. I don’t know why but there’s just something I love so damn much about mermaids, I mean magical swimming girls that rule the ocean (let’s ignore mermen okay, who even needs them anyway right?) are just so damn badass and lovely. Would I give my legs up in order to become a beautiful mermaid? Yes yes yes. I just have to make my kindle waterproof, I’ll let scientists take care of that, so I can still read books because life is just not complete without them.

However, being a mermaid is still not possible (magical mermaids please appear and transform me now, I really want to swim with dolphins) so in the meanwhile, I’ll just have to read books about them instead.

Truth is, I don’t think I have ever read a book where mermaids are the main theme of the book. That feels so weird considering I actually love them. That’s why I went out on a scavenger hunt to find some young adult books about mermaids. Down below is the list of the seven books about and/or with mermaids that I found. The titles are linked to Goodreads.

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