Cover Reveal: Rua by Miranda Kavi

Rua by Miranda Kavi

Expected Pub: September 3, 2012

A girl with an unknown destiny.

A boy from a hidden world.

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.

He knows what she is . . .

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 

 

Author Bio

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Author Links:

Goodreads||Twitter||Facebook

Stacking the Shelves (7/29/12)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga's Reviews to know more about this weekly meme.

We've been MIA for the past week. You know the reason... school, school, school, I was sick. Fortunately, we got some good stuff in the mail and they all look good to not showcase. They're all gifts or won from blogs since the three of us are in a book buying ban until August. Anyway, here's our 2 weeks  worth of book haul :) 

Gifted/Won

Sirenz Back in Fashion (Sirenz #2) by Charlotte Bennardo, Natalie Zaman (Signed) 

12.21: A Novel by Dustin Thomason (ARC)

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton (ARC)

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa

The Lesser Evil (The Lesser Evil #1) by Shane W. Smith 

The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa

Cobbogoth (Cobbogoth #1) by Hannah L. Clark (Signed)

Thank you so much to Natalie Zaman, Karen, Melissa of Book Nerd Reviews, We Fancy Books, My Devotional Thoughts and Hannah Clark! 


What books did you get this week? Please feel free to leave a link of your post in the comments.

Review: Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

Hardcover: 374 pages

Release date: July 10th, 2012

Publisher: Bluefields
Goodreads Rating: 3.95

Goodreads Summary: Ellie’s sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts. First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?


Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy’s affection before. So when the hottest boy she’s ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she’s the center of his universe, naturally she’s going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?


The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she’s convinced he’s a psychopathic killer. The problem is he’s the sweetest psychopathic killer she’s ever met. Not to mention he’s brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

Witty contemporary book. Thumbs up! <3

The concept was a breath of fresh air for me in a contemporary. I think I remember reading something about stalker/killer too though I didn’t get to finish it, luckily this one really caught my fondness for books.

Ellie’s more on the carefree and sporty type of girl, she's confident in her differences and who she is, and does have a lot of sense of humor. While Seth brought zest to the story--that’s for sure, a mysterious and swoon worthy boy who turns Ellie’s world upside down. He’s not only sweet but also protective in some ways. Though his protectiveness were sometimes misapprehend by the people around him, because of his murky past that led him to his personality problem towards other people. Of course there are also the minor characters which feel as interesting and three dimensional as Ellie—Angela, Dave and the J’s. I love how Angela became a sister to Ellie through tough times in the story. I would say I want more of the J’s in the story, because they really had a very limited part on it.

I like how the story goes, the affection that was build between Ellie and Seth come off beautifully, Ellie’s relationship with her sister and about the psychopath killer. However if I’ll get a chance to add something in the story, that would probably on the anonymity of the psychopath killer. I would love to add more twists on the cruise on sorting out who is the true murderer. But what lure me to finish this book was Ellie--her journey on doing things she haven’t done before and being open to the changes she embarks upon throughout the story.

Overall I enjoyed every part of this book, and being one of the first readers to read this before the release date! Love and will recommend it to everyone who wants a witty but meaningful read to have

Review: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover: 387 pages

Release date: January 3rd, 2012

Publisher: Fewel & Friends
Goodreads Rating: 4.08

Goodreads Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Being a huge fan of fairytales since I was little girl, I’m always skeptical about retellings. In my opinion they’re either a hit or miss. So since retellings have been a trend the past few years, I try as much as possible to choose which ones to read. Cinder went it to my must-read list the moment I read the synopsis. Cyborg Cinderella? Count me in!

Cinder turned out to be one of the coolest fairytale retellings I’ve ever read and one of my favorite debuts this year. The author created an original twist to the Cinderella concept and added a mixture of Dystopia, Sci-fi, and Paranormal elements in the story. To top it off, Marissa Meyer introduced us to a fascinating world and amazing characters.

Cinder is far from the damsel in distress that I thought she would be. She’s tough; she’s stands up for herself as much as she could, which is not so much because her stepmother owns her, she’s smart; she’s the best mechanic in the city! And she’s sarcastic and caring. If in the fairytale there’s an evil stepmother with her equally evil daughters, this book has only one evil sister while the other one is really kind and sweet. That compassionate one is Peony. I also love Cinder’s android Iko, who has a penchant for all things girly and is more human than the stepmother will ever be. Of course this won’t be complete without the Prince Charming. I totally adored Prince Kai and his determination! I loved how our two main characters meet and their relationship builds slowly throughout the entire story. The romance lacked development, which I can overlook since there are three more books in the series for progress. 

I love it when the twists and turns in the plot take my mind to the world inside the pages. My nose had been literally in this book when I was on the bus and in the jeepney to school. But if there’s one thing I can complain about, it’s the predictability of one major twist. I think I figured it out halfway through so the ending made a lesser impact than I would have liked. With that being said, I still highly enjoyed it. I’m now even more excited when I found out that the rest of the series will be based on other fairytales! How cool is that?! Cinder will still have the central role and hopefully we’ll see more of Prince Kai in the next books. 

Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison Epic PROMO Blitz

 

Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison
YA Contemporary
Date Published: New Paperback/e-book release 06/2012

A harrowing story of love and survival. In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must find a way to save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market. 


 "[Morrison] handles the topics of religion and premarital sex gracefully without passing judgment. The message has less to do with religion than learning to respect and cherish others while staying true to one’s own beliefs.” – Publisher’s Weekly, starred review 
 Brand new paperback and reformatted ebook with fully scalable fonts. Includes bonus, never-before-published scene, "Airport Good-bye!"

Buy a copy: 
Amazon Author Page

Taken By Storm

Unbroken Connection (Book 2) 

Cayman Summer (Book 3)

10 Year Anniversary

Ten years ago this week, Taken by Storm's scuba-diving hero, Michael, swam out of Angela's brain and onto her page. Join the anniversary celebration! Win your own copy of the brand new paperback! Snag Taken by Storm's Kindleebook for only $ .99! Unbroken Connection (Book 2) and Cayman Summer (Book 3) are free on Kindle! Hurry. The promotion ends Friday, July 20th. Don't own a Kindle? Download free Kindle apps for your laptop, tablet, iTouch, or phone.  

Short, Short Excerpt

I’m lost to his firm chest, 
his slender fingertips, 
his long wavy hair, 
his mouth sucking my bottom lip— 
The world spins, the stars shift, 
and I can’t see anything except his smoky gray eyes gazing into mine. 


 You scare me, 
whispers from my mouth across his. 


 Good, he breathes into me. 
 I need you to save me.

 

Author Bio

Angela Morrison is the award-winning YA author of Taken by Storm (Books 1-3) and Sing me to Sleep. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Eastern Washington on the wheat farm where Taken by Storm is set. She's an advanced NAUI, Nitrox certified scuba diver. The hurricane that kills Michael's parents was inspired by a real-life diving accident. 
 After over a decade in Canada, Switzerland, and Singapore, Angela and her family are happily settled in Mesa, Arizona. She enjoys speaking to writers and readers of all ages about her craft. She has four children--mostly grown up--and the most remarkable grandson in the universe.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Contest Link

Blog

Opposite poems for younger readers 

Thomas Christopher - Never Too Far Promo Blitz

 

Never Too Far by Thomas Christopher
YA Suspense
Date Published: 05/10/2012

A harrowing story of love and survival. In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must find a way to save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.

Buy a copy: Amazon

Excerpt

Short:

Joe turned and ran back into the gully, but he didn’t get very far. A sudden blast of wind shoved him to the ground. Flat on his face, he heard the wind whistling and screeching past his ears. When he lifted his head, he couldn’t see the pregnant girl anymore. All the dust whirled and whipped into a blinding black blizzard. He thought for sure she’d gotten snatched up in the dust storm. The wind lashed at his face. He went to call out to her, but he didn’t know what to say because he didn’t know her name. And even if he did, his voice would’ve gotten lost in the snarling wind. Nevertheless, he had to find her.

Long:

Mary surprised Joe by knocking his arms away. She was stronger than she looked. Then she swept her legs off the bed and sprang to her feet. She took two steps and turned to face him as if to prove there was nothing wrong with her. But there was definitely something wrong. She wavered a moment. Her already white face turned ghostly. Her eyelids trembled. She seemed to realize she was becoming faint, and what that meant.

“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to go.”

Joe got ready to catch her in case she fell, but somehow she held herself steady.

“It’s okay,” Joe said. “Just sit down. I will go find some food.”

Joe inched toward her. He was afraid to grab her again because she might try to wrench free once more and really fall. When she coughed, her little shoulders jerked and her round stomach jumped. Her head was drooped low and her hair hung down so he couldn’t see her face at all.

“Come on, lay down,” Joe said.

She didn’t move. Joe stepped toward her, but before he could put his arms around her, she tilted forward and rested the crown of her head against his chest. He slid his arms along the sides of her hard belly and around her waist. Then he shifted her toward the bed again. She moved like a bundle of empty sacks in his arms. He set her gently on the bed before he bent down to lift her feet onto the sheets.

After he sat in the chair, Mary asked him, “What if you don’t come back?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Joe said.

“How do you know?”

“I just know. You have to trust me.”

 

Author Bio

Thomas Christopher grew up in Iowa. He received his MFA from Western Michigan University. His short stories have appeared in The Louisville Review and The MacGuffin. He was awarded an Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant and was a finalist for the Matthew Clark Prize in Fiction. He lives in Wisconsin with his wife and son.

Visi his website: http://www.thomaschristopher.com/ 

Stacking the Shelves (7/15/12)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga's Reviews to know more about this weekly meme.

This is our first time since December to join a book haul feature! Well It's time we break the no-post-on-Sundays curse. :) So here are the titles I got in the past 2 weeks.

From NetGalley

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Lucky in Love (Lucky Harbor #4) by Jill Shalvis

At Last (Lucky Harbor #5) by Jill Shalvis

Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6) by Jill Shalvis

Bought

Torrent (River of Time #3) by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Won

Fated (The Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel (ARC) 

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats (Signed)

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Gifted

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks (ARC)

Thank you so much to ate Precious of Fragments of Life, Lisa of Badass Bookie, J. Anderson Coats, Lauren of Epilogue Review, NetGalley (Grand Central Publishing & Harlequin Teen) and my Mom! 


What books did you get this week? Please feel free to leave a link of your post in the comments.

Review: Second Kiss by Natalie Palmer

Second Kiss by Natalie Palmer

Paperback: 168 pages

Release date: April 5th, 2011

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Goodreads Rating: 3.81

Goodreads Summary: Gemma Mitchell is a normal girl who somehow gets herself into abnormally embarrassing circumstances. And while she thinks she's the biggest loser in school because of them, there are a few people in her life who would disagree. One of those people is her best friend, Jess Tyler, who is opposite to her in every way. He's popular, good looking, athletic, and intelligent, and he can't get enough of Gemma. But while Gemma is dealing with problems like wrong locker combinations and Valentine's Day dances, Jess is living in a world of serious issues that are foreign to Gemma, until she realizes that he's holding on to her for dear life. 
Humorous and true to life, Second Kiss is an entertaining saga about a boy and girl who find that their lives have a lot more meaning once they have shared them with each other.

Gemma Mitchell is a normal girl who is somehow always caught up in some embarrassing situations. And while she thinks less of her, there is one person who’s always beside her. Her best friend, Jess Tyler--he's popular, good looking, athletic, and intelligent, and he can't get enough of Gemma. How this two people can realize that they’re for each other, if they both think things will be awkward? And will they say their feelings for each other before it’s too late?

I like the book; I’ll say it was passable. I thought the notion was good but when we get to the whole story I sometimes feel there was something missing. There are parts wherein I find it was too fast paced, that I felt those part where should the story continues. Though with all these grievances I have, I found myself liking Jess and somehow Gemma too throughout the story. Jess was the supporting and compassionate friend who has hidden feelings for Gemma. While Gemma’s the innocent and humble friend who’s also always next to Jess as his friend. I like her character because the author didn’t make her like the other cliché girls we could read in other books. Why? Because even though she really can’t help loving Jess and wanting to be with him always, she tried to stand on her own. She found new friends and tried to keep her feelings with Jess and leave some pride for herself. 

Friendships broke and new were found, standing on your own feet and doing the right thing before it was too late and taking up your chances on something, was this story is all about. I still recommend this to those readers who want to read easy and simple story on their shelves, but I’ll still stand on my view of the book. Mediocre.

Cover Reveal: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

Publication date: March 19th 2013

Goodreads summary: In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves—even if it means never seeing the other one again?

IT HAS A COVER!! And OMG it's GORGEOUS. The colors, the dress, the model-everything's beautiful. I must also say this is my favorite cover in the Infernal Devices series... scratch that, this is the best Cassie Clare book cover yet in my opinion. This is one of my all-time favorite series so I'm more than excited to get my hands on this. So what do you guys think? :)

Review: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) by Holly Black

Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) by Holly Black

Hardback: 325 pages

Release date: April 5th, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads Rating: 4.12

Goodreads Summary: Curses and cons. Magic and the mob.

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth — he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything — or anyone — into something else.


That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion-worker mom. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.


When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue — crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too — they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone — least of all, himself?


Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else, that’s how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Now that Cassel knows that he’s been tricked and manipulated by his brothers and that he’s the most powerful and rarest curse worker around. It’s not as simple as it seems with his brother being murdered the Feds recruit him to find the girl with the red glove –but the mob is after Cassel too. When his touch could be a plus or drawback and no one can be trusted, it’s his way now to decide on his own.

Curse Workers series never stops to amaze me. The second book, Red Glove, was also a fantastic book that is worth every bit of my time. There are still the twists and turns that could make you bend and guess and guess ‘til the end of the story. But for the most part I’ll say this one had me in sympathy pains and broke my heart in the end. Being the rarest curse worker and the most powerful is a hard job for Cassel. I admire how he manages to used his power to unravel the mystery that lies beneath his brother, Philip, death. The tag team of Sam, Daneca and Cassel that has been made throughout the latter part of White Cat was not just shown as a way for Cassel to have for his con act but also had them as a friend for real. The love story of Cassel and Lila was also more visible in this book; it has been more complicated with Lila’s feelings being worked by Cassel’s mother. 

With the Feds and mob being on Cassel’s side, it brought not only an action-packed story but a more guessing one. Another different darkly compelling fantasy that deserves praise! Guess I have to read the third book immediately J

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share what books we have finished last week, are currently reading and planning to read for the rest of the week. 

Wew, I miss working on IMWayR? We’ve been really busy this past few days, home works and projects to be done and it’s only 2 weeks after the class started! Now it’s my turn to share what I’ve read, currently reading and can’t wait to read!

Last week I finished:

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram – is the new book of Kelly Oram that talks about finding a new you. A hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley meets the hottest and sweetest boy she’s ever seen. What will happen if their universe collides? And who’s thispsycho killer in city?  An easy read and amusing concept! Review will be posted next  (4/5)

Significance (Significance #1) by Shelly Crane

 - This is the first book in the series Significance, I’m very thankful that my friend Dea recommends this book to me. I don’t understand how characters here are sometimes became mushy and yet they’re not off-putting; ugh I must really love this book! (5/5)

Accordance (Significance #2) by Shelly Crane

The 2^nd book in the exceptional Significance series can’t get enough of Caleb and Maggie’s love story. More swoon worthy moments and action to expect! (5/5)

Currently Reading:

Second Kiss by Natalie Palmer

-Gemma Mitchell is a normal girl who somehow gets herself into unusually embarrassing circumstances who has a popular, good looking, athletic, and intelligent best friend who also can't get enough of her? A very interesting book for me, can’t wait to see what happens next J

What I plan to read:

            

Inescapable (The Premonition #1) by Amy A. Bartol

Intuition (The Premonition #2) by Amy A. Bartol

Indebted (The Premonition #3) by Amy A. Bartol

-           

-          A 4+ star? Been hearing great things and negative reviews too about this series. Well let’s see until I read these books. :)