Tag: book blog

Waiting on Wednesday #1 As I Descended by Robin Talley

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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 eagerly anticipating As I Descended by Robin Talley. This book has been said to be based on MacBeth, a bit dark and creepy, and totally about girls.

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As I Descended by Robin Talley

Expected publication: September 6, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Retellings

Add to your To Be Read shelf on Goodreads.

Pre-order on Amazon or Book Depository.

Synopsis: Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday? Are you also anticipating As I Descended by Robin Talley?

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Freebie Friday #5

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Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone else too, in case you hadn’t noticed (which seems impossible) we have another Friday on our hands *drumroll* and I have more free books to recommend. This is my fifth Freebie Friday, and if you’ve missed one of my previous ones you can check them out here. If you’re lucky some of the books are still free!

This week for Freebie Friday I have two young adult books for a change and I’m really excited about that. They’re quite different but lovely, we have Holding On by Rachael Brownell which seems cute, a tad bit sporty and has two guys the girl is torn between. The other book is Introductions by C.L. Stone which is about a girl from a troubled home who finds comfort in a group of boys that has secrets she can never know. Holding On I haven’t read yet, but am dying to, whereas Introductions is actually one of my most fascinating reads from last year. Read their synopses 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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Holding On by Rachael Brownell

Goodreads. Amazon.

For five years Becca has been struggling to hide her feelings for her best friend, Brad. Now she finally has a chance to move on. She’s in a new city, she’s attending a new school, and she’s met the first guy besides Brad who’s held her attention in a long time. Not only is Ethan attractive, he’s an amazing tennis player, and he might just be Becca’s match on and off the courts.

Brad has loved Becca for as long as he can remember. Now that Becca’s family has moved two thousand miles away, Brad may finally be ready to lay his heart on the line and do whatever it takes to hold on to Becca.

But is Brad too late? Or will Ethan’s secret drive Becca back into Brad’s arms? Torn between her love for Brad and the promise of something new and exciting with Ethan, Becca has an almost impossible choice to make, the choice between letting go or holding on.

introductions1Introductions by C. L. Stone

Goodreads. Amazon.

With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone.

When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends.

Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they’ve sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she’s forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she’s traded one house of secrets for another?

Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy.

The Academy, ever vigilant.

Book Review of The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

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The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Publication Date: February 23, 2016.

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books.

Genres: Young Adult and Historical Fiction.

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Selling points: Captivating story as well as raw and relatable characters.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled.

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Thank you Wendy Lamb Books for my advanced review copy of The Smell of Other People’s Houses. 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.

The Smell of Other People’s Houses is a rarity you don’t see often. There’s something about this book that’s so incredibly captivating. The way it’s written and the voice Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock has in this book is so incredibly magical. She draws you in and makes you take the same journey as the characters you read about. Something we don’t often think about is how everyone and everything around us has a distinct smell. Your mom, when you hug her, the smell of her hair is the smell of security. The smell of your house, your school, your lover’s house. Even if you don’t think about, they all smell different and they all represent something different to you. These four main characters that we follow through the book convey this and shows us how something as trivial as the smell can mean so much and how it can play such an important part in one’s life. A perfect example of that is a quote from the first chapter:

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What is the “Writing Cave”?

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I bet some of you are wondering, what is the Writing Cave part of my blog? I thought I’d tell you guys and thereby introduce that part of my blog to you. For those of you who don’t know, I write. I have been writing for a while now, around 4 years and I’m currently working on two stories I love a lot. However, due to school and other circumstance I just don’t write as much as I would like to. Not nearly enough honestly, but I thought that by having this part of my blog I can write about my struggles, all of the ups and downs of my writing experience. I’ll update about my process, how I build characters and worlds. What works for me in terms of plotting etc. I probably won’t update often but I believe that it might motivate me to actually sit down and spend more time with these stories that I love with all of my heart.

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Another exciting part, that is more on a personal note, is that this fall I’m starting a creative writing course at my local university. This is something I have wanted to do for such a long time but when I ended high school I went with on another path and started studying business administration instead. After having done that for two years, and the second year not going as I wanted, I realized that it was time for me to stop doing what I can’t stand and start doing something I love and have loved for such a long time.

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Writing is my dream, my passion, and it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to read books, I want to write them and I want to always and forever enjoy the magical stories that come my way. Words are magical, you can read and you can write them. I’ll be doing both in my little writing cave.

Freebie Friday #4

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Happy Friday my readers!

I hope it’s a good one, and if not then tomorrow is another day and I have a few free books that’ll hopefully make it at least a little bit better. To be honest, sometimes when I don’t know what to do or just feel down I love going on Amazon to look for free and/or cheap ebooks. There is nothing like book shopping to brighten your mood, am I right? One day I’ll have to show you my kindle library, it’s enormous and mostly unread, but you know what they say, you just can’t have too many books!

This week for Freebie Friday I have two books from the The London Lovers series. The series currently consists of five books which can all be read as a standalone. The ones I’ll recommend here today is the first and the third book in the series, Becoming Us by Amy Daws and London Bound by Amy Daws. Both of these books are good old New Adult romance books that you just can’t get enough of.

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.

becomingus1.jpgBecoming Us by Amy Daws.

Goodreads.

Amazon.

The dreaded friend-zone…

The last place I ever want to be with college basketball God, Jake LaShae. I am losing my mind trying to figure out what this gorgeous and confident man wants from me. I need to break through his walls. What is it about me that makes him not go there? What am I lacking?

When a mind-blowing betrayal knocks the wind out of me, and I think I can’t feel any lower… Brody stumbles into my path-barefoot no less, and sexy as hell. His direct and mouth-watering swagger is a breath of fresh air. The feelings this man gives me are like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

But Brody has a past.

A past that makes it nearly impossible for him to trust me and let us become us in whatever capacity that may be. Just when Brody and I truly connect, just when I think that finding my soul-mate in college isn’t a total joke, Jake comes back into my life… and messes things up… possibly for good.

londonbound1.jpgLondon Bound by Amy Daws.

Goodreads.

Amazon.

When Leslie Lincoln, a spunky, red-headed American, suffers an awkward moment with an arousingly-sexy British man—she thinks her life can’t get any more pathetic.

She’s done with men.
She doesn’t need them.
She especially doesn’t need their muscular thighs. No siree, she’s going to forget all about the brooding, complicated, and seductive “Theo” who captivated her on the dance floor of a London nightclub.

Keep telling yourself that, Lez…

Immersing herself into a new type of romantic cleanse, Leslie thinks she’ll never lay eyes on Theo again. But somehow, he’s managed to bulldoze his way back in—her cheetah-print onesie pajamas be damned.

He wants more. She wants to run. But he can’t seem to let her go. Both of them have a past—and neither want to share. How can love possibly survive in darkness?

ARC August 2016 TBR

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Today is the first day of August and I’ll be partaking in an event called ARC August created by Octavia and Shelly at Read.Sleep.Repeat. I really couldn’t be more excited, I have quite a few couple of ARCs that I want to get through this month and joining this event will really push me to get those review copies behind me.

So which books will I be reading? Well first of all we should look through which ARCs I actually own. Mostly I have a bunch I got throughout the year on Netgalley, and the ones I currently have on my Netgalley shelf are,

Another ARC I also have, which was given to me by the author is,

All in all I have 9 ARCs that I can choose from and read but considering the fact that August is going to be a pretty busy month for me I’m not sure I’ll be able to get through them all. The goal I’m going to aim for is 4, about one ARC per week. Will I make it? I’m not sure but I’m excited to find out!

Are you partaking in ARC August? Which books are you going to read this month? Let me know in the comments or on my Twitter.

All About Anticipation

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Today it is all about that anticipation. Anticipation for books. You know the feeling, the one you get when you just can’t wait to read that one book you have had your eye on. In this blog post I feature six books I have a huge anticipation for, three that are already published but I haven’t had the chance to read yet and three that aren’t published yet.

3 Already Published Books I Cannot Wait To Read

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Three books that I can’t wait to read are Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan and Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer.

Six of Crows is a book that has a lot of hype and it seems absolutely amazing, it’s about six outcasts and an impossible heist. The book seems to be action packed and have a cast as diverse and magical. However, the question is if they can all work together in spite of their differences or if they’ll fail trying. You can add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

You Know Me Well is about a gay girl and gay guy who are classmates that have never talked to each other. Yet during one night they become the best of friends in an instant. This book excites me because the friendship more than the romance seems to be in focus and positive LGBT books are something I love. You can add the book on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Trust Me, I’m Lying is the only book out of the three that I already own.  The reason I’m excited about this book is because it’s a teen thriller, with wit and a hint of romance. The book is about a young con artist and how she will use every trick she got in order to find her father before his mark does. You can add it on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon or Book Depository.

3 Books I Cannot Wait To Read That Are Not Published Yet

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Three other books I can’t wait to read, that are coming out either later this year or next year, are Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley, Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst and Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee.

Our Own Private Universe is about bisexual teenage girl Aki who is only out to her best friend. However, when they go on a four-week youth-group mission trip to Mexico she never expected she’d find someone there who she’d want to date. That is of course until she meets Christa. This book sounds so incredibly cute and lovely, and Robin Talley is one of my favorite authors ever. You just know it’s going to be great. You can add the book on Goodreads and pre-order it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Of Fire and Stars is about a princess, with a gift for magic, betrothed to marry a prince. However, in the nation she is about to become queen magic is forbidden. She meets the prince’s sister and when forced to work together they soon grow a friendship which later blossoms into something more. I don’t know about you guys but I think two princesses falling in love is the coolest. This book is one of my most anticipated books ever. You can add the book on Goodreads and pre-order it on Amazon or Book Depository.

Not Your Sidekick is about a world where superpowers are common yet Jessica doesn’t have any. She finds the perfect paid internship where her crush Abby works, only to find out it’s for the town’s supervillain. However, what started as a fun way to go against her superhero parents turns dangerous when Jessica uncovers a plot bigger than all of them. This book sounds so badass I wish it’d just appear in my hands right now. You can add it on Goodreads and  pre-order it on Amazon.

What books do you have a big anticipation for? Any specific books you have your eye on? Let me know in the comments below!

YA Fantasy Gets Social Media: Unicorn Tracks AU

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Do any of you guys ever read a YA Fantasy book and wonder what the characters in it would do in our time and world? What social media accounts would they have? What would they post? Sometimes imagining your favorite fantasy characters in our world is just the best thing ever. That is why I came up with YA Fantasy Gets Social Media, where I create social media accounts for my favorite fictional characters from young adult fantasy books. I’m not sure how often I’ll do this but I do know that I loved making this post so I’ll definitely make more!

The first YA Fantasy to get social media is *insert super intense drumroll* Unicorn Tracks by Julia Ember. This is by far one of my favorite reads this year. I’m just so in love with Mnemba and Kara, and of course all the magical creatures they encounter. I mean unicorns and mermaids, be right back while I just fangirl for a moment. If you need further convincing as to why you have to read this book, read my review here (I gave it five slices of cake) and add it on Goodreads.

Mnemba and Kara’s iMessage texts

If Mnemba and Kara lived in our time and world they’d both have iPhones (matching ones 0f course because goals) and they’d be all over each other with texts. Mnemba is usually busy during the day holding her guides and Kara must stay behind to do some much needed work with Tumelo in the office. However, when Mnemba gets a little reception in the wild she sometimes texts about the ridiculous things the tourists say. Kara is usually fast to respond, often with a joke and a reminder to stay alert, to which Mnemba replies that she’s the expert.

However, when they’ve been away from each other for a while the texts do get a little more heated and when they think no one is looking they are often found smiling at their phones because of something the other one has sent.

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Mnemba and Kara’s Instagram accounts

After that I can see both Mnemba and Kara getting Instagram. I can imagine Mnemba uploading pictures of the quiet views she encounters during her guides. When she’s not too busy keeping the foreigners from getting eaten by animals she might even try to catch a picture of a Chimera just to show Oswe once again who’s the best of the best. When she’s not doing that, Mnemba is probably uploading pictures of her beautiful girlfriend Kara, her very own Chimera. Her favorite photos is always the ones where Kara looks at peace just soaking up the sunshine.

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For Kara I can see her Instagram being filled with her research and lots and lots of pictures of the beasts she studies. Everything from unicorns, to river mermaids and griffins. However, a lot of pictures are really just of Michi and him growing up to become the beautiful unicorn he is. When Kara is not taking pictures of animals, she’s probably kissing her girlfriend and trying to sneak a picture or two while she’s still asleep in the morning.

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Mnemba and Kara’s Twitter accounts

Twitter is something I think Kara would just love. It’d be the perfect tool for her to promote her book The Beasts of Nazwimbe and also Tumelo’s growing business. Mnemba claimed in the beginning that she sees no use of having a Twitter but after a lot of nagging by Kara, Mnemba just asked her to make an account for her. Mnemba mostly uses her Twitter to retweet all of Kara’s tweets and tell the world how intelligent and beautiful her girlfriend is.

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Disclaimer: This Unicorn Tracks AU is purely made as a fun thing for me and is nothing official. These amazing characters belong to Julia Ember but the words are made up by me, not the author. The pictures belong to their respectful owners. 

That was it for YA Fantasy Unicorn Tracks Gets Social Media. I hope you thought this post was as fun to read as it was for me to make. I have also uploaded these pictures on my Tumblr so you can reblog it here if you’re also on there. Do you guys think Mnemba or Kara would get any other social media accounts? If yes, which ones?

If you haven’t read Unicorn Tracks yet I really recommend it, here are a few useful links for you. You can go to Julia Ember’s website here, add the book on Goodreads here or just buy it directly on Amazon here. You won’t regret it!

Welcome To Olivia Chanel’s Book Restaurant

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Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Olivia Chanel’s book restaurant. Are you looking for a bite to read? To take a sip of a summer read or just take a dish of a dark and complex heroin for dinner? Then this is the restaurant for you! Down below you can see this week’s menu. We have a wide range of dishes, desserts, drinks and wines you can choose from.

This week’s House Special is a very adventurous and sexy dish, one that will make you taste the dreams of Las Vegas. This week the chef has chosen Amour Amour by Krista and Becca Ritchie.

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Freebie Friday #2

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Another Friday is here and isn’t it just marvellous? I love Fridays and because it’s Friday I’m here with another Freebie Friday for you guys. I mean it is always a good day for some free books but on a Friday as well, it’s almost as if Christmas came early. For this Freebie Friday I’m going to mention two books I haven’t read yet but grabbed earlier this week, In Too Deep by Mara Jacobs and In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez.

Even though these two books have the same title, cool I know, they’re quite different. Both in setting and what they’re about. However, they’re both New Adult romances and about love that is a lot more complicated than it should be. Both of these book intrigue me and seem like the perfect read for the summer.

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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In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez

Amazon

Goodreads

She vowed never to return.

To save her brother from financial ruin, Piper Harland must do the one thing she swore she’d never do—return to the tiny island home-town where Ryan “West” Westlake crushed her heart. Piper is tough, resilient and a little wild—much like the remote and beautiful Stewart Island where she grew up. As a cop who’s part of the elite New Zealand Police National Dive Squad, bringing the dead back to their families still doesn’t stop the guilt she feels over her father’s drowning death. Now nine years later she’s obligated to return to a hostile community as the outsider, and forced to work with the man who was once her best friend and first lover.

She’s a risk he can’t take.

West is an Island man, through and through. As owner of the local pub, he lives and breathes the local community, and sure as hell can’t imagine living anywhere else. But most of all he refuses to ever fall for a woman like his flighty mother. He lost Piper once to give her the chance to fulfil her dreams of becoming a cop. But now she’s back for an unexpected six week visit to help her brother—his best mate. Maybe West wants her a little bit, maybe he can’t resist the temptation to tease and touch her, but can he fall in love with such a flight risk?

Saying goodbye the second time might just destroy them both.

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In Too Deep by Mara Jacobs

Amazon

Goodreads

I didn’t believe in love at first sight, until I first saw Lucas Kade.

I was giving swimming lessons to children when I first saw him. Turns out one of the kids was Lucas’s little brother. So, I’d be seeing a lot more of Lucas. And that was just fine with me.

I had a lot going on—a freshman at an elite college, first time away from home, and, oh yeah, roommates with a girl I’d been sent to spy on. I wasn’t exactly looking for anything exclusive. Something casual, though, would be great.

But there was nothing casual about my feelings for Lucas.

He was a townie, hiding a secret, and I knew better than to get involved. I was always the sensible one, the peacekeeper.

Before I knew it…I was In Too Deep.

This was the free books for this week, have you read any of these already or do you have them on your to be read list?