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Monday, December 22, 2014

Top 10 of 2014 Day 1- Best Books I've Read in 2014 and a Giveaway!


Yay welcome to day 1 of our Top 10 of 2014 event! We're so happy that you all are participating with us! 2014 was an awesome year for me. I've read 107 books as of today and will most likely hit my goal of 110 by the 31st! I love the Goodreads Reading Challenge I sign up every year and the people at Goodreads have a cool Your Year of Books when you sign up for the challenge. If you want to see all the books I read this year go HERE!

So today’s topic is Best Books I've Read in 2014 (Doesn't have to be released in 2014, just a book you've read in 2014). And I had a hell of a time narrowing it down to just 10 so there are a few honorable mentions added to this list. If you want to know anything about the books I chose just click on the title and it’ll take you to the Goodreads page!


And make sure to stop by my co-hosts sites Reading YA Rocks (Fiktshun’s new site), Tales of a Ravenous Reader, and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads for their lists! Oh and make sure to sign up with the linky to share your lists! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Details are at the end of this post!

Monday, December 24th - Best Books I've Read in 2014 (Doesn't have to be released in 2014, just a book you've read in 2014)

1. A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU by Claudia Gray. This was my favorite of the year hands down!!!!! It was an amazing sci-fi story with the perfect amount of mystery and romance.



2. WINTERSPELL by Claire Legrand. A dark Nutcracker retelling with steampunk fae and a hot tormented prince this one will definitely be a re-read for me!


3. DEFY and IGNITE by Sara B Larson. Freaking fantastic books!!!!! This was the year of amazing high fantasy and Sara started and ended it (since IGNITE comes out Dec 30th) with a bang!


4. KISS OF DECEPTION by Mary Pearson. Another seriously kick ass high fantasy! Mary’s storytelling is amazing and she kept me guessing till the end about who was who! Normally I can figure things out but nope I was totally surprised with the outcome There’s also 2 hot boys to choose from!



5. SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch. High fantasy #3 on my list this year! It was awesome, amazeballs, mind-blowing!!!! Loved Theron and I can’t wait for book 2!


6. HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas. Ok seriously I have no idea what it is about chicks named Sara/Sarah but they’re rocking the high fantasy this year! HEIR was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait for the next book.



7. SILVER SHADOWS by Richelle Mead. Adrian fricking Ivashkov!!! Need I say more?? This book tortured me sooooo bad and then the ending was perfect and a cliffhanger ugh!


8. IGNITE ME by Tahereh Mafi. Haters gonna hate on this one because of who Juliet ends up with but seeing as I was Team Warner this book made me happy dance like crazy!!!!


9. ALIENATED by Melissa Landers.  I love me a good alien story and this beats JLA’s Lux series IMO and I can’t wait for book 2!


10. MORTAL HEART by Robin LaFevers. It’s historical fantasy at its best and a beautiful conclusion to the series! Although I have heard that Robin may revisit this world to which I say please do!!!!


Honorable Mentions

LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen.


THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa.


INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi.


THE PERILOUS SEA by Sherry Thomas.


COMPULSION by Martina Boone. 


LIV FOREVER by Amy Talkington.


SISTER’S FATE by Jessica Spotswood.



Did any of my favorites make your list? Fill out the linky and let me know! Also today is my giveaway day!!!! Here’s what I have up for grabs!

Both Giveaways are US only sorry postage is expensive!

Prize Pack 1- The Fantasy Pack


1 winner will receive 2015 ARC’s of
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir
THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows
THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER by Melinda Salisbury
RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard

Prize Pack 2- The Contemporary Pack



1 winner will receive 2015 ARC’s of
99 DAYS by Katie Cotungo
THE PRETTY APP by Katie Sise
EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU by Moriah McStay
LIARS, INC. by Paula Stokes


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- THIS SHATTERED WORLD by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman and a Giveaway!


Hey y'all! I'm stoked to be taking part in the THIS SHATTERED WORLD Blog Tour! I have an exclusive quote on my stop today! Oh and stick around for the giveaway!

Haven't heard of THIS SHATTERED WORLD  Check it out!



Title: THIS SHATTERED WORLD 
Author:Meagan Spooner & Amie Kaufman
Pub. Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 
Pages: 400
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook


The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.





Now on to the quote!


Artwork created by the talented Tiffany Fay.






Visit the These Broken Stars website for the latest news on the series and follow the authors on Twitter at @AmieKaufman and@MeaganSpoonerThis Shattered World is available for pre-order (with fun swag!) and will be released in North America on December 23, 2014.



Giveaway Details:


5 hardback copies of THIS SHATTERED WORLD

or a 

Grand Prize consisting of

-- autographed copies of the first two books
-- Starbound swag
-- a secret letter from Tarver to Lilac, which may be kept private by the recipient, or shared publicly on a blog, etc.
-- coffee with the authors at one of their upcoming US tour stops in January, OR a Skype chat!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Check out the Tour Schedule at The Midnight Garden for more cool posts!

Also check out this cool pre-order offer!




Friday, December 19, 2014

Month9Books Holiday Gift Blitz and a Giveaway!



Welcome to Month9Books’ gift blitz for our amazing winter titles: CROWN OF ICE by Vicki L. Weavil, PRAEFATIO by Georgia McBride, ENDLESS by Amanda Gray, A MURDER OF MAGPIES by Sarah Bromley, DEAD JED (1 & 2) by Scott Craven, and TRACY TAM by Krystalyn Drown! Are you looking for the perfect winter/holiday read? Then these are the titles for you! Oh and as a thank you to our readers we have an amazing giveaway for you!


Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil
Summary:

Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.
Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.

A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts -- to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

CROWN OF ICE is a YA Fantasy that reinvents Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" from the perspective of a young woman who discovers that the greatest threat to her survival may be her own humanity.

Purchase Links


Praefatio by Georgia McBride

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway. After having been missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup and her family from worry over her safety. Authorities believe that Grace is ill, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true? Praefatio is Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. When it’s sister against brother, light versus darkness, corrupt police officers, eager doctors and accusing journalists, against one girl with nothing but her word as proof: who do you believe?

Purchase Links




Endless by Amanda Gray

Summary:

Jenny Kramer knows she isn’t normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them. When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble onto an old music box with instructions for "mesmerization" and discover they may have more in common than they thought—like a past life! Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her dreams who has now appeared next door, was there, too. Jenny is forced to acknowledge that Nikolai has traveled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back. While Ben, Jenny, and Nikolai race against the clock—and the Order—Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life and beyond death.

Purchase Links



A Murder of Magpies by Sarah Bromley

Summary:

Winter in Black Orchard, Wisconsin, is long and dark, and sixteen-year-old Vayda Silver prays the snow will keep the truth and secrecy of the last two years buried. Hiding from the past with her father and twin brother, Vayda knows the rules: never return to the town of her mother’s murder, and never work a Mind Game where someone might see.

No one can know the toll emotions take on Vayda, how emotion becomes energy in her hands, or how she can’t control the destruction she causes. But it's not long before her powers can no longer be contained. The truth is dangerously close to being exposed, placing Vadya and her family at risk.

Until someone quiets the chaos inside her.

Unwanted. That's all Ward Ravenscroft has ever been. To cope, he numbs the pain of rejection by denying himself emotions of any kind. Yet Vayda stirs something in him. He can't explain the hold she has on him--inspiring him with both hope and fear. He claims not to scare easily, except he doesn't know what her powers can do. Yet.

Just as Vadya and Ward draw closer, she finds the past isn't so easily buried. And when it follows the Silvers to Black Orchard, it has murder in mind.

Purchase Links



Dead Jed: Adventures of a Middle School Zombie by Scott Craven

Summary:

The first part of seventh grade was rough on Jed, but things are looking up now that Christmas is almost here. As with past Christmases, Jed asks for the one thing he's always wanted--a dog--and again, his parents tell him they're not ready. But fate has a different plan when Jed sees a dog get run over by a car. Then, it happens. Jed suddenly has a pet, Tread, a zombie dog bearing his namesake--a tire tread down his back. Jed may have gained a dog, but he loses his best friend Luke, who fears the way Jed created his undead pet. When Jed returns to school, he finds a mysterious group called the No Zombies Now Network spreading rumors of the dangers the undead pose to normal people. Forced to disprove Hollywood stereotypes, Jed has his work cut out for him as stories of a zombie dog begin to circulate. Jed could be expelled if he can't expose the NZN Network as a fraud. Jed needs help from his kind of girlfriend Anna, especially after he discovers Luke has joined the shadowy group. Once again navigating the treacherous waters of middle school, Jed does his best to stay in one piece. Only this time he'll need even more duct tape and staples than usual.

Purchase Links



Dawn of the Jed (Dead Jed #2) by Scott Craven

Summary:

As the fall semester ends and kids head home for winter break, Jed and his parents gather for the annual exchanging of gift lists. Once again, Jed asks for a dog, leading to a heated argument and a firm "no." But when Jed spots a stray, he chases it until the dog darts into the street where it is struck and killed by a car. Grief stricken by what he's done, Jed cradles the dead dog in his arms. Soon, ooze from the dog mixes with teardrops from Jed, creating Tread the zombie dog. Finally getting his wish, Jed must convince his parents to let him keep the undead dog. But a zombie dog turns out to be the least of Jed's issues. It seems some parents don't want Jed attending school with their kids. Enter the mysterious NZN Network. They've been distributing anti-zombie propaganda in an effort to get Jed expelled. But Jed wonders if the creation of Tread has caused his relationship with Luke to sour. And why, just as he seems to need them the most, have his best friends abandoned him? Could they have bought in to the anti-zombie way of thinking? Was creating Tread a mistake Jed will live to regret? 

When Tread goes missing, and with his very existence at stake, Jed must rely on his instincts, team up with an old nemesis, and fight for his right to have just as miserable a middle school existence as any other student—undead or alive.

Purchase Links



Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown

Summary:

Tracy Tam doesn't really believe in Santa Claus, at least not like the rest of us do. She also doesn't believe that Santa can possibly deliver all of those presents in one night, to children around the world, without a little help from science. A flying sleigh can only be powered by jet engines, after all, and Santa's magical abilities can only be the result of altered DNA. How else could he know what every little girl and boy wants for Christmas and who has been naughty or nice? In order to test her theories, Tracy sneaks onto Santa's sleigh then ends up at Santa Command, where a team of (gasp!) humans monitor Santa's big night. When Tracy attempts to hack into their computers, she accidentally introduces a virus into the system. As a result, three states get knocked out of sync with the rest of the world (oops!). Santa won't be able to deliver all the presents in time! Now, Tracy must fix time and help Santa, but she has no idea how. How can a girl who doesn't believe help Santa and save Christmas before it's too late? With a little Christmas magic, of course!

Purchase Links


Giveaway Details:

1 Winner will receive A Taste of Christmas Gift Basket US Only.
3 Winners will receive eBook bundles of 5 Month9Books. International.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Blog Tour- TRANSCENDENT by Lesley Livingston and a Giveaway!


Hey y'all! I have an awesome music post from Lesley Livingston, author of amazing books and her newest TRANSCENDENT, the finale to the Starling series is no different! I loved every page! Ooh and of course I've included my favorite YouTube videos. Oh and stick around for the giveaway!

Haven't heard of NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE Check it out!



Title: TRANSCENDENT 
Author: Lesley Livingston
Pub. Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audoibook


LOVE CONQUERS

On a storm-swept terrace high above the streets of Manhattan, Mason Starling holds the fate of the world in her hands as her beloved Fennrys lies bleeding at her feet, his life hanging in the balance. The ancient Norse prophecy of Ragnarok stands poised on the knife edge of fulfillment. Mason’s transformation into a Valkyrie—a chooser of the slain and the one who will ultimately bring about the end of the world—is complete. Still, she remains determined to thwart her father’s apocalyptic desires. Whatever is to come, it won’t happen because of what the prophecy foretold, or what Gunnar Starling has planned, or what the fates have already decided. What happens next will be up to Mason and the Fennrys Wolf. The world had better hope they haven’t reached the limits of what their souls and swords can survive.


Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, and set in the same universe as Lesley Livingston’s much-loved WONDROUS STRANGE trilogy, with roots in Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, and Celtic myths and legends, this thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Starling trilogy is filled to the hilt with sweeping adventure and soaring romance. 






Now on to the post! Just a warning this is a long one because Lesley is my music soul mate so I've posted quite a few videos!

TRANSCENDENT PLAYLIST

As I mentioned before, during the tour for DESCENDANT, I listen to music a lot when I’m writing. Sometimes it helps to block out the outside world so I can focus on the one in my head, and sometimes it helps to inspire a certain scene. Sometimes, it’s just fun listening to songs my characters might have on shuffle play. Well, the shiny purple iPod was hard at work again for the final installment of the Starling Saga. Here’s a selection. Enjoy!

Yes. I did that. I went there. So did Mason.

2.  IF I EVER LEAVE THIS WORLD ALIVE – Flogging Molly (One of Jaime's all time favorite songs!)
Well, Fenn, you keep giving it your best shot… I love this song for its grim cheeriness – and for lyrics like: “So in a word don’t shed a tear/ I’ll be here when it all gets weird”. Because, y’know… it get’s weird.




3.  PRINCES OF THE UNIVERSE – Queen (HIGHLANDER!!!! That is all! Oh and Jaime loves Queen!)
I think this is probably the song that Rory CRANKS in his dorm room. And then he air guitars like a maniac. ’Cause, y’know… maniac.




4.  LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE – Aerosmith (What a cutie Ed Furlong was)
Hey. It’s the apocalypse. Aren’t we all?




5.  HEROES – David Bowie (Jaime loves David Bowie!)
Huh. Maybe it won’t be the apocalypse after all. Not if there are heroes….




6. WISH YOU WERE HERE – Pink Floyd (One of Jaime's all time favorite songs)

Now where did those heroes get to?! I could imagine this song drifting out on a thin breeze over the last battlefield of Valgrind before any of the warriors arrived…

Borderline obsessive love runs rampant in this book, it seems, and that is what this song is all about. Plus with all those thundering tympanis, it just seems to be sounding out an approaching storm. A big one. Really, really big.

You might think this would be a song for Fennrys, but you’d be wrong. This is, rather, Gunnar Starling’s theme song. And the face that haunts his cold days and colder nights is that of his lost, beloved wife, Yelena. It explains a lot about him, actually. Not that that’s a good thing…

Oh… Roth.

10.  DO YA – Electric Light Orchestra
Probably a good tune to crank up on Cal’s Maserati’s sound system while on the way to Valgrind. A loud, loopy acknowledgement that there is way more to this world than meets the eye. And that, hey, weird happens. Right, Heather?

No, I did not choose this song just for its word-play potential. Okay – not entirely, anyway. It’s also a really great pre-battle motivational warm up tune!

12.  WEAPON OF CHOICE – Fatboy Slim (Jaime loves Chris Walken's dancing in this video lol)
If Gunnar had a bit more of a sense of humor, this might be closer to how his telephone conversation could have gone with Mason. As it is, she’s still definitely his weapon of choice. And now she’s going to have to choose: “You can go with this/ Or you can go with that/ You can go with this/ Or you can go with that…”



13.  LEARNING TO FLY – Pink Floyd
Because Mason Starling is going to have to learn the difference between falling and flying before this is all over.



Thanks for sharing Lesley!!! I freaking love this playlist!!!!





About Lesley:

Lesley Livingston is a writer and actress living in Toronto. She has a master's degree in English from the University of Toronto, where she specialized in Arthurian Literature and Shakespeare. She frequently performs with the Tempest Theatre Group, of which she is a co-founder. She is also the author of WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT.


You can visit Lesley online at www.lesleylivingston.com









Giveaway Details:


(4) winners will receive a finished copy of TRANSCENDENT US/Canada Only 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts!

Week One:
12/15/2014- Wholly BooksReview
12/16/2014- Reading YA RocksInterview
12/17/2014- Reading LarkReview
12/18/2014- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post
12/19/2014- Please Feed The Bookworm-Review

Week Two:
12/22/2014- ParajunkeeInterview
12/23/2014- Wishful EndingsReview
12/24/2014- Mom With A KindleInterview
12/25/2014- Crossroad Reviews - Review
12/26/2014- Bewitched BookwormsGuest Post


Just because :D


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