Tag: young adult

Top Ten Tuesday #4 Top Ten All Time Favorite Diverse Books

Olivia Chanel6 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 Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of X Genre. Even though this theme is almost like torture, picking favorites is really hard, this list just had to be made. However, I’m putting a twist on it. Instead of picking my all time favorite books in a specific genre I’m choosing my top ten favorite diverse books. These books have amazed me and mesmerized me. I want everyone to know of these books so they can read them too.

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What books did you pick this week for Top Ten Tuesday? What genre did you pick? Or did you put a twist on the theme like I did?

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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Welcome To Olivia Chanel’s Book Café

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Welcome back my fellow readers, pedestrians, and foodies!

For those of you who don’t remember, a while back my book restaurant Olivia Chanel’s Book Restaurant opened, where depending on what you were in the mood to eat got a few book recommendations. Since the restaurant went so well, the company has decided to expand and Olivia Chanel’s Book Café was born.

The first week of September has just passed, fall is slowly but steadily approaching, and with that comes colder weather and warm sweaters. Otherwise also called sweater weather. With this comes the need to sit down somewhere warm, such as a café, and grab a piece of cake and something to drink. Is it a cup of coffee you’re looking for or perhaps a calming tea, we have a lot you can choose from. If you’re feeling a little bit hungry, take a sandwich or a salad but if it’s something sweet and yummy you want then look no further. We serve donuts, pastries, and even cakes.

We at Olivia Chanel’s Book Café have everything you could dream of, take a sit and look at our menu before you order. Is a bite of romance or maybe a sip of thriller something you want? Pick and choose from the menu below.

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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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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!

Waiting on Wednesday #2 Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie

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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 waiting on Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie. This book is Australian which I think is the coolest, it’s sad but the truth still is that most of the young adult books out there takes place in the US which is just sad. This coming of age story seems very intriguing and one I’m dying to get my hands on.

9781925240405Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie

Expected publication: November 16, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary

Add to your To Be Read shelf on Goodreads.

Pre-order on Amazon or Book Depository.

Synopsis: We’re sitting there with matching milkshakes, Sasha and me, and somehow, things aren’t going like I always thought they would. We’re face to face under 24-hour fluorescents with the thoroughly unromantic buzz of aircon in our ears and endless flabby wedges of seated trucker’s arsecrack as our only visual stimulus.

In a dead-end town like Barwen a girl has only got to be a little different to feel like a freak. And Clancy, a typical sixteen-year-old misfit with a moderately dysfunctional family, a genuine interest in Nature Club and a major crush on the local hot girl, is packing a capital F.

As the summer begins, Clancy’s dad is involved in a road smash that kills two local teenagers. While the family is dealing with the reaction of a hostile town, Clancy meets someone who could possibly—at last—become a friend. Not only that, the unattainable Sasha starts to show what may be a romantic interest.

In short, this is the summer when Clancy has to figure out who the hell she is.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday? Are you also anticipating Clancy of the Undertow by Christopher Currie?

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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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Waiting on Wednesday #1 As I Descended by Robin Talley

Olivia Chanel13 Comments

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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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