Book of the Month November 2012 "Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake"

Book of the  Month

One of the best books we've read last November is

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Review here

"Girl of Nightmares is a great book. It has action, horror, humor, romance and a twist of the famous paranormal genre. It is fast paced and addicting, leaving you wanting for more. I'm not sure if this series has a third book, but I'm definitely looking forward for more of Ms. Blake's works."

-ICE

What is your Book of the Month? Link us up.

Review: Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake

 

Title: Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2)

Author: Kendare Blake

Published: August 7th 2012 by Tor Teen
Book given by the publisher

Book Description:

t's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Review: The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1) by Casssandra Rose Clarke

Title: The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1)

Author: Casssandra Rose Clarke
Book Taken from Netgally
Published:  October 2nd 2012 by Strange Chemistry

Book Description:

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Spotlight: Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman (Interview plus Giveaway INT)

 
 Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman

Goodreads  Website   Blog   Twitter   Facebook

Published: Novemebr 13, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Book Description:

   Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie. Totally unaware that her carefully constructed life is about to get crazy.

It all begins when her ex-best friend sends a letter to her blog—and then acts on her advice. Erin’s efforts to undo the mess will plunge her into adventure, minor felonies, and possibly her very first romance.

What’s a likely fortune for someone no longer completely in control of her fate? Hopefully nothing like: You will become a crispy noodle in the salad of life.

Lauren Bjorkman
Interview

1.   Give us 5 "Good to Know" facts about you (Keep it short).

I was always the shortest person in my class.

When I moved to Hawaii, I suddenly felt tall. J

Singing fills my heart with joy, but I am terrible at it.

I fell in love at 17. My true love and I have been together ever since.

My favorite romantic book/movie is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

2.   What's your favorite book/s that you've read in 2012?

Young adult: The Fault in Our Stars & Anna and the French Kiss. I also particularly enjoyed Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

3.   What inspired you to write "Miss Fortune Cookie"?

I believe in luck and free will; destiny and hard work. I’m a walking contradiction. I have always loved opening fortune cookies, and have collected many over the years. That collection became the tiny seed that grew into a whole book.

4.   Introduce to us your favorite character/s from your book.

My main character, Erin, withdraws from life. She’s afraid to take the lead, afraid of conflict, and afraid to take risks. But she’s a loyal friend, just like me. I love her big heart. She changes the most in the book.

I love Erin’s best friend’s feisty attitude. But even more, I adore her other friend’s strict Chinese-immigrant mom, and the tough love she dispenses. I also appreciate the confidence and natural sense of humor of Lincoln, a precocious 9 year-old match-maker. And I have a total crush on Erin’s love interest, Weyland. He manages to draw Erin out of her shell with his playfulness and determination.

5.   What are your current projects?

I am working on a contemporary YA about a girl whose mom is accused of stealing corporate secrets about a new technology, a soon-to-be-released device that could make life easier for people suffering from stress, depression, and dyslexia. Unable to trust her stepfather, she seeks help from an old friend of her mother’s, learns secrets about her past, and finds herself torn between two very different worlds.

6.   Favorite ice cream flavor? Keyboard or pen?

Coffee.

Keyboard, but I love to write my ideas on paper first.

Win a Signed Copy  of Miss Fortune Cookie and some swags!
-This is International
-No Cheating (We do Check)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

Title: Mark Of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)

Author: Rick Riordan
Published:  October 2nd 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

Book Description:

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?
Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare....

Goddess Offerings #9 (Stacking the Shelves , In My Mailbox)

Review

The Mayfairmoon (The Darkwoods Trilogy #1) by J.A Redmerski

Kindred (The Darkwoods Trilogy #2) by J.A Redmerski

"Thank you Jessica for the signed copy"

Won

What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Elixir (Elixir #1) by Hilary Duff and Elise Allen by Tracy Bilen

(Bookmarks)
In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
Black City (Black City #1) by Elizabeth Richards

"Wohooo! Special thanks to Nicole Sobon  for the books and Precious of Fragments of Life for the swags"

Goddess Offerings is a meme hosted by Amaterasureads 

This will showcase the books we bought, received or borrowed!

What goodies did you get this week? Link us up

Spolight: Belonging (Temptation #2) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins

Goodreads  Website   Facebook 

Expected Publication: May 1st 2013 by Harlequin Teen

Book Description:

 "Against all odds, Rose and Noah Fell in love. It should be forever, easy. But it won't be. Because he's Amish and she's not.  

"Amish pics taken at my farm in Northern Kentucky"

- Karen Ann Hopkins

What is Amish?

A group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonites churches. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology.

Members who do not conform to these expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. 

They typically operate their own on-room schools and discontinue formal education at grade eight (age 13/14). They value rural life, manual labor and humility.

Thoughts:

"My knowledge about Amish is a bit sketchy. After reading Temptation, I found many interesting things about their culture, traditions and way of thinking. I was fascinated! 

Imagine a life without computers, cars, cellphones, TV etc... It's like living in the 1880's with no technology and modern conveniences . Can you imagine? Can I survive?  Hell no :)

Blog Tour! Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves (Giveaway and Review)

  Facebook    Website    Twitter    YouTube   Goodreads

Title: Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

Published:  October 30th by Zest Books

Book given by the publisher

Book Description:

Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me.

Win a Copy and some cool swags!

-International

-No Cheating (We do check)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goddess Offerings #8 (Stacking the Shelves , In My Mailbox)

Won

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Taker (The Taker Trilogy #1) by Alma Katsu

Swags

(Bookmarks)

Signed Copy

"Wohooo! Special thanks to Louisse of The Soul Sisters"

I won two lovely books from her awesome blog

Bought

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)  by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"Precious of Fragments of Life recommend this book. After seeing the movie snippet, I know I have to buy my own copy"

-The Unseelie Nerd

Ebook

Pantomime by Laura Lam (Netgalley)

"Special Thanks to Negalley and Louisse @ The Soul Sisters "

Goddess Offerings is a meme hosted by Amaterasureads 

This will showcase the books we bought, received or borrowed!

What goodies did you get this week? Link us up

Review: Midnight City (Conquered Earth #1) by J. Barton Mitchell

Title: Midnight City (Conquered Earth #1)

Author: J. Barton Mitchell
Published:  Oct 30th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin

Book taken from Netgalley

Book Description:
Earth has been conquered. An extraterrestrial race known as The Assembly has abducted the adult population, leaving the planet’s youth to fend for themselves. In this treacherous landscape, Holt, a bounty hunter, is transporting his prisoner Mira when they discover Zoey, a young girl with powerful abilities who could be the key to stopping The Assembly. As they make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, the trio must contend with freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and perhaps most perilous of all: Holt and Mira’s growing attraction to each other.

Midnight City is the breathtaking first novel in the Conquered Earth series, and a stunning work of imagination from debut author J. Barton Mitchell.

Waiting on Wednesday #21

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine, to show books that we are patiently waiting for.  

The book we're waiting for this week is:

The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Robin Palmer

Expected publication: June 27th by Speak

Book Description:
Gilmore Girls meets Postcards from the Edge crossed with L.A. Candy! 
Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Jacobs never asked to be famous, but as the daughter of Janie Jacobs, one of the biggest TV stars in the world, she is. Growing up is hard enough. Having to do it in public because your mother is a famous actress? Even harder. When your mom crashes and burns after her DUI mug shot is splashed across the internet? Definitely not fun. Then your mom falls for a guy so much younger than she that it would be more appropriate for you to be dating him? That’s just a train wreck waiting to happen.

From Robin Palmer, author of Geek Charming and Wicked Jealous, this is a novel about the most complicated relationship a girl ever has: that with her mother.

Why I'm excited for this:

"Then your mom falls for a guy so much younger than she that it would be more appropriate for you to be dating him?"--- Yep, I like the plot. I also like Gilmore Girls.  WANT! 

Blog Tour: After Dark (The 19th Year #1) by Emi Gayle (Review and Interview)

Website    Blog     Twitter    Facebook

Title: After Dark (The 19th Year #1)

Author: Emi Gayle
Published:  J. Taylor Publishing

Ebook given by the publisher

Book Description:
What eighteen year old Mac Thorne doesn’t know will probably kill her.
In exactly eight months, five days, three hours and thirteen minutes, Mac has to choose what she’ll be for the rest of her life.
She has no choice but to pick. As a Changeling, it’s her birthright. To Mac, it’s a birthchore. Like going to school with humans, interacting with humans, and pretending to be human during the pesky daylight hours.
Once darkness descends, Mac can change into any supernatural form that exists—which makes her as happy as she can be. That is, until Winn Thomas, the biggest geek in her senior class figures out there’s more to what hides in the dark than most are willing to acknowledge.

In this first of the 19th Year Trilogy, Winn might know more about Mac than even she does, and that knowledge could end their lives, unless Mac ensures the powers-that-be have no choice but to keep him around.

Emi Gayle

Interview

1. Give us 3 short "Interesting Facts" about you.

Interesting is such a subjective term! But here goes ... 

1) My favorite color is raspberry and every one of my books includes something raspberry in it.

2) I have played the piano since before I was 5 (somewhere in the 4 age ish but no one remembers the first day exactly)

3) My mother speaks French to me, yet she's 100% American. It's something she did when I was a baby and it stuck. So I'm partially bilingual -- I don't however, speak back very well.  

2. Describe your book in one sentence?

 Ooh, one sentence. A stubborn, tough-willed Changeling, Mac Thorne, has less than one year to pick a supernatural form that she'll then be for the rest of her life, but to pick, she's going to need a human's help. 

3. Your favorite character from the book? and why?

Okay, so I love Mac (she's too much like me though) and I love Winn (but I'm married to a Winn) so I'm going to pick Suze. He's ... just ... so ... funny! And he's just as naive about life as Mac is. For a reason, of course. 

4. Sneak Peek time! Tell us your favorite scene/quote from the book?

I like this because it's a moment of thought - which is not something Mac does often.

I needed a minute for my heart to stop pounding, for it to slow and for my internal wishes to die.

Every time Zoe brought up her innocent questions, I wanted to slink off. No one un- derstood the pain of choice like me. Just be- cause I had it, didn’t mean I wanted it.

To choose one would mean I could never choose the other.

If I didn’t choose, I’d lose, too.  

5. Favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint Chocolate Chip!

Review: Temptation (Temptation #1) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Title: Temptation (Temptation #1)

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Published:  June 26th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Book given by the author

Book Description:
Your heart misleads you.
That's what my friends and family say.  

But I love Noah. 
And he loves me.  

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. 

It should be  

ROSE & NOAH  

forever, easy. 

But it won't be. 

Because he's Amish. 
And I'm not.

Review: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Title: Eve & Adam

Author/s: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Published: October 2nd 2012 by Feiwel and Friends
Book taken from Netgalley  

Book Description:
And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?