Top Ten Tuesday (12)- Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To!

Hi and welcome to my Top 10 Tuesday post! I took a couple weeks off because of our annual Top 10 event but I'm back and ready to share my lists!

Thanks to the lovely ladies at The Broke And The Bookish for creating this weekly meme!

Here's this week's topic.

January 13: Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To!

I'm always sad when books I meant to read get left behind but there's only so much I can read so all of these on my list were (and still are) on my TBR. I will read them at some point they just missed making the 2014 cut.

1. STOLEN SONGBIRD by Danielle L. Jensen

2. PRINCE OF SHADOWS by Rachel Caine

3. THE UNBOUND by Victoria Schwab

4. A BREATH OF FROST by Alyxandra Harvey

5. FATES by Lanie Bross

6. QUEEN OF HEARTS by Colleen Oakes

7. STEADFAST by Claudia Gray

8. THE HUNT (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade

9. STONE COLD TOUCH by Jennifer L. Armentrout

10. LOOP by Karen Akins

So this is my list. What about you? What 2014 releases didn't you get a chance to read?

And come back next week for a freebie category! I'm not sure what I'll do but it should be fun!

Hugs,
Jaime

First Look Tour- A BREATH OF FROST by Alyxandra Harvey meet Emma and a Giveaway!

Hey y’all! I’m psyched to host Alyxandra Harvey today I loved her book STOLEN AWAY and can’t wait to get my hand on A BREATH OF FROST it looks like a magical story!

Alyxandra Harvey, popular young adult author of the Drake Chronicles, Haunting Violet, and Stolen Away, is back with a bewitching new young adult fantasy series that will take readers through the streets of magical 19th century London. A BREATH OF FROST, the first installment in The Lovegrove Legacy (published by Bloomsbury Childrens) goes on sale January 7, 2014. It’s full of witches, magic, family secrets, goblin markets, deer-people, and boys in cravats!

About A BREATH OF FROST:

In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their unknown family lineage of witchcraft when their individual magical powers unexpectedly begin to manifest. Now, beyond the familiar manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, a dangerous, alluring underworld available only to those with power is now open to the
cousins.

But by claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the Underworld. Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders … because she keeps finding the bodies. Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed …or even worse, before their gifts are stripped away?

  Harvey balances a large cast with an intricate plot with flair….A successful blend of Regency and paranormal romance.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“Filling her latest with a large cast of characters— from the society elite to the magical world’s dark underbelly—Harvey keeps up the action and clever dialogue as the protagonist, Emma, deals with high-class mean girls, familial secrets, and a confusing crush. A smashing blend of adventure, fantasy, humor, romance, and historical fiction.” ~ Booklist

Pre-order A BREATH OF FROST at Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Amazon UK | Indigo Indiebound

Now let’s meet Emma!

A note from Alyxandra Harvey...

Like most writers, I keep notebooks full of details and ideas and character profiles for my novel in progress. I got to know Emma first and A Breath of Frost became her story.

Meet Emma:

Age: 17
Hair: Reddish brown
Eyes: Green
Hobbies: Stargazing
Familiar: Deer
Magic: Weather, especially lightning/ rainstorms
Personality traits: Practical, witty, honest, quiet
Wants: to find out what happened to her mother
Wants not to want: Cormac
Wants anyway: Cormac

I also often use collages to get to know my characters betters. It is so much more personal and opens me up to really hearing what makes her unique. In the movie in my head I cast Rachel Hurd-Wood.

Emma is a seventeen year old girl in 1814 who discovers she is a witch. She has to learn all of the social graces and the long complicated rules of etiquette in regular London society…as well as how not to make it accidentally rain inside the ballroom.

Emma is practical and quiet but she is no pushover! She refuses to let herself be cowed, even when she is being hounded and carted away by the Order of the Iron Nail. Even when the one doing the carting is Cormac Fairfax, who is just as unfairly handsome and maddening as he was a few months ago when they kissed in a snowy garden.

Emma hasn’t forgotten.

How do you forget a dark-eyed young man with a wicked grin and dangerous charm? Especially when he seems to know more about Emma’s family and her mother’s madness then she herself has ever been able to find out.

Sometimes she thinks he remembers the kiss too. And sometimes she just wants to punch him in the nose.  He clearly has secrets of his own to keep and Emma doesn’t know whether or not she can trust him.

She only knows that she can’t stop thinking  about him.

And with the warlock Greymalkin Sisters killing debutantes, Emma isn’t sure she has time left to figure him out.

She has to save herself and her cousins first.
~

I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Emma as much as I did! 

Check out the Trailer!

About Alyxandra:

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

Connect with Alyx at her Website | Twitter | Tumblr |Facebook | Pinterest

Follow the "first look" tour and win enchanting prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the whole tour schedule!

A BREATH OF FROST "First Look" Tour:

December 10th: The Book Faery Reviews, spotlight on The Lovegrove Legacy

December 13th: RT Book Reviews, exclusive reveal plus giveaway featuring a video chat with Alyxandra Harvey introducing readers to The Lovegrove Legacy and A BREATH OF FROST

December 16th: Night Owl Reviews, a "first look" exclusive...get the Travelers Guide to Magical London

December 17th: Hypable, exclusive reveal plus giveaway featuring a video chat with Alyxandra Harvey. Meet the characters of A BREATH OF FROST and glean an early review

December 17th: Tynga's Reviews, exclusive look at Emma and Cormac *swoon*

December 17th: Bitten by Books, interview with Alyxandra Harvey

December 17th: Two Chicks on Books, Feeling Fictional, YA Bibliophile, and Pages From My Thoughts will introduce readers to Emma

December 18th: Fresh Fiction, exclusive reveal plus giveaway featuring a video chat with Alyxandra Harvey explaining how historical fiction & fantasy influenced A BREATH OF FROST

December 19th: Step Into Fiction, interview with Alyxandra Harvey

December 20th: Parajunkee's View, The Story Siren, Bending The Spine, Babs Book Bistro, Random Jendsmidt, andFictitious Delicious will introduce readers to Cormac

December 23th: Fantasy Book Addict, interview with Alyxandra Harvey

December 26th: Fiktshun, interview with Alyxandra Harvey

December 27th: Fiktshun, Preternatura, Shortie Says, Fang-tastic Books, Reader Girls,  and Cocktails and Books will introduce readers to Moira

January 2nd: Literary Escapism, sneak peek and exclusive look at the magic in The Lovegrove Legacy

January 2nd: The Paperback Princesses, early review

January 3rd: YaReads, Addicted 2 Novels, Xpresso Reads, Confessions from Romaholics, and The Book Swarm will introduce readers to Penelope

January 3rd: The Book Swarm, a "speed date" interview with Alyx

January 6th: Paranormal Book Club , Ex Libris, El Extraño Gato del Cuento, Dark Faerie Tales, Book Passion for Life,Seeing Night Reviews, and Book Brats will introduce readers to the magic school in The Lovegrove Legacy

Check back often at Barclay Publicity. They're adding more dates and tour partners daily!

Top 10 Tuesday (1)- Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Redesign

So I've never done a Top 10 Tuesday before but I saw the topic and I was like... Oh I have to do this one! There are so many epically bad covers out there and it's time I share the ones that make me cringe the most! Thanks to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting Top 10 Tuesdays!

#1 

White Cat by Holly Black actually the whole series. I adored the first cover and the books and then Simon & Schuster made this disco ball 70's theme with the series and all I want to do is vomit!

#2

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I adored the very first cover! This series has had so many makeovers I actually got whiplash!

#3

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. Another series I love and I loved the original cover!

#4

Crewel by Gennifer Albin. I loved the original cover it was so vibrant and colorful!

#5

The Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready. Another series I adore and I loved the original covers. I think this was another fail from Simon & Schuster.

#6

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. The original cover was so stunning! I'm still scratching my head as to why Penguin Teen changed this one.

#7

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey. This book was an ok read but it did deserve a better cover. They tried with the paperback edition and it is a bit better. But still not great.

#8

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. I really, really loved the first cover and this was an epic fail in redesigns.

#9

Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Hated this revamp the original was soooooooo much better!

#10

The Hollow by Jessica Verday. I actually still have this one on my bookshelves and it reminds me of the Pretty Little Liars opening scene she looks like a doll. I also have the new paperback that was for once in my opinion the right redesign from Simon & Schuster.

So what do you think? Do these make you cringe as much as me? Let me know!

This was kinda fun I may have to do Top 10's more often!

Jaime's Review of Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Stolen Away

Alyxandra Harvey

Hardcover: 278 pages

Publisher: Walker Books For Young Readers (Bloomsbury Childrens)

Source: Hardcover from the Sacramento/San Francisco Book review and a galley from Netgalley

Rating: Liked

From Goodreads.
For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Stolen Away was a cute short read! In my opinion it doesn't come close to some of the other amazing fey novels out there like the Wicked Lovely, Iron Fey, of Wondrous Strange series but it was a good story.

 It’s told in two POV’s the main POV is Eloise and honestly I didn’t care for her parts that much. The POV that I liked and that kept me interested was her best friend Jo’s. Jo had me cracking up with her attempts at using British slang and her arguing with a faery the size of a flower. I also loved that she was fiercely protective of her friends and didn’t care if she looked like an idiot or got dirty defending them. There’s a fair share of swoon worthy guys in this the main 3 being Lucas, Eldric, and Devin but I really didn’t feel an intense attraction to any of them. I guess if I had to choose I’d pick Eldric because he reminded me the most of my fey crushes Ash, Irial, Niall, and Sonny.

The story itself played out pretty well there wasn’t much originality to it there were parts of faery lore that we have seen in other books but like I said it was cute and funny. I also liked that it read fast and it’s a stand alone novel.

Here’s a quick passage and a glimpse into Jo’s mind.

Isadora gave a long-suffering sigh, folded her arms over her chest, and refused to elaborate. Fortunately, Lucas didn’t have any such compunctions.

“Isadora was lady of her ancestral rath,” he explained. “Until she was transformed and could hold it no longer.”

“She was shrunk,” I explained for the others. She glared at me and I shrugged. “Well you were. You said so yourself.”

“By who?” Devin asked. “Evil sorcerer? Troll king? Man, this is just like D&D.”

I snorted “Not quite.”

“What then?”

“A poet.”

Silence.

“A poet?”

I nodded. “Apparently he ‘believed’ her into being wee.”

Devin wiped cookie crumbs off his shirt and sprawled back into his chair. “I told you English class was bad for my health.”

Add it to your Goodreads shelves.

Buy Stolen Away