Say hello to 2013! :)

I started book blogging this year without a hint of how this whole thing work or how to write reviews. I just go with the flow, writing reviews one at a time and look where it got me now. I never really thought I would come this far. So before 2012 ends, I would like to say thank you to all of you who made this year fun and memorable for me 

To all my bloggy friends who never cease to amaze me, thank you for your encouragements and blogger tips and tricks. You're all awesome! :)

To all the authors who had given me the opportunity to read their books, thank you for trusting me and respecting my opinions. Keep on writing amazing stories! 

To all my readers and followers who keeps on reading and commenting on my posts and reviews, thank you so much! I will never get used to the feeling of giddiness whenever I see new follower on my blog. I just wanted you all to know that I really appreciate each and everyone of you.

I'm looking forward to a more awesome year with lots and lots of books with y'all! :)

Have a Prosperous New Year, everyone!

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hopkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Book Review: The Lover's Dictionary

Title: The Lover's Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Genre/s: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the momentdoes pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door 
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Book Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)

Title: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Guess What's in my Mailbox #9

Guess what's in my mailbox is a weekly meme I created, inpired by Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox, which showcases the books and swags that I received in the mail. 

So for the 9th GWIMM, here's what I have. 

Won

What I have here is a hardback copy of Rebel Heart and a customized Dustland water bottle which  I won from Alex of Possession of Books. I nearly fainted when I received this in the mail. 

That's all I have this week. :)

Book Review: Spark(Elemental #2)

Title: Spark(Elemental #2)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

He could feel flames coming through the floor, looking for him. Sparks and ash rained down. He wasn't going to make it. He was going to fail. Again. Then a hand closed over his wrist and pulled, hard.

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. So when an arsonist wreaks havoc on his town all the signs point to Gabriel.

Layne is strangely drawn to him. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let Layne know that the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

THE FUSE IS LIT…

Guess What's In My Mailbox #8

For the 8th GWIMM, this are the things that I have received in my 2 weeks of absence. Check it out!

Gift

The awesome t-shirt of The Stereotypical Freaks and guitar bookmark was given to me by, none other than, Mr. Howard Shapiro as a thank you for reviewing his graphical novel. Click here to see my review.

Won

I won a hardback copy of Velveteen from Andrea of The Busy Bibliophile in her Spooktacular Giveaway. I almost had a heart attack when I received this in the mail.

I won Shatter Me from Elizabeth of Eli to the Nth in her Dystopian Giveaway. I've been waiting to have  this book and finally, it's mine.

For Review

And last but not the list, I received The Living Room from Mr. Bill Rolfe. My older sister just finished reading it, and she told me that it was a really heartwarming story. I'm going to let you know what I think about it, soon.

That's all for now folks! 

Winner of Back to Back Celebration Giveaway!!!

Before I announced the winner of the Back to Back Celebration Giveaway, I would like to say sorry for being MIA for this past two weeks. I've been really busy at school, doing movie animations, assignments and thinking about a possible topic for my undergrad senior project. Anyway, everything is under control(for now) and I have so many new reviews to post, so stay tuned for that.

Okay, let's get back to business. Drumroll please. *drumroll*

The lucky winner of the Back to Back Celebration Giveaway who won a $15 book of choice is:

Congratulations!!!

Catherine A.

You have 48 hours to reply on the email that I sent you or otherwise I'm going to pick new winner.

Book Review: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

Title: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
Author: Lynn Weingarten
Genre/s:  Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Synopsis:

If there’s an upside to having your heart broken, it’s this: A broken heart makes you brave.

The first day of sophomore year doesn’t go the way Lucy planned. After a summer apart from her boyfriend, she’s ready to greet him with a special surprise and instead gets a shocking one in return: He’s breaking up with her. Beyond devastated, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life.

Enter three stunning girls with the unnatural ability to attract boys and an offer Lucy can’t refuse: They can heal her heart in an instant. And then she’ll be one of them—a member of a sisterhood that is impervious to heartbreak and has access to magic distilled from the tears of brokenhearted boys. But to gain their power, Lucy must get a guy to fall in love with her the old-fashioned way, and then break his heart in the next seven days.

While the sisterhood may need another Heartbreaker, Lucy’s only desire is to get her ex back. But how far is she willing to go, and who is she willing to cross to get what she wants?

Book Review: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century

Title: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
Author: Rachel Harris
Genre/s: Young Adult, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother-to-be and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze. 

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Guess What's in my Mailbox #7

Guess What's in my Mailbox is a weakly meme I created to showcase all the books I received from authors and publishers for review and the books I received from other bloggers.

So for this weeks GWIMM, I have two awesome books to show you.

For Review

I received this gorgeous looking book, Starflower from its award-winning author, Anne Elisabeth Stengl and I can't wait to tell you what I think about it.

There are Reason Noah Packed No Clothes came from it's author, Mr. Robert Jacoby. Its story is about a 19 year old boy who failed to commit suicide and he was admitted by his parents into a mental ward. 

So that's all the books that I received. What did you get this week?

The Midas Tree: Dr. Lesley Phillips Guest Post

Title: The Midas Tree
Author: Lesley Phillips
Genre/s: Young Adult, Novel, Fantasy, Adventure, Metaphysical.

Synopsis:

Joshua lives in the Garden Of Color and Light, an idyllic paradise where he is always playing and having fun. Each day is like any other, until he finds a magical golden acorn that enraptures him and propels him on an incredible adventure.

After being guided to chase the acorn as it flies through the garden, Joshua discovers a door at the base of a tree; and once he enters his life changes for ever. Joshua is transported into a mysterious realm within “The Midas Tree.”

Desperate to return home, he sets about exploring this unfamiliar environment. He encounters sticky situations and meets wily characters along the way. Fortunately he does not have to face them alone. His guides are the mystical creatures that live inside the tree, called Devas. They are keepers of ancient secrets that can help Joshua to cope with the obstacles he encounters and the challenges he meets.

Joshua learns from the Devas that if he wishes to return home, he must first transform himself – and “The Midas Tree”.

The Devas are fairylike nature spirits, who love “The Midas Tree” and live to keep it happy and healthy. Each Deva presides over a different realm within the tree and lovingly passes on their knowledge of their territory and the mysteries it holds.

Joshua’s quest is to uncover the spiritual secrets of the tree, overcome challenging situations and oust his inner turmoil to finally fulfill his destiny. He is taught different techniques and skills that help him cope with the trials he encounters. The Devas expose him to begin a path of revelation where he learns the truth about himself.

This spellbinding story overflows with challenges, magical creatures and mystical superpowers, which you too will discover along the way.

Graphic Novel Review: The Stereotypical Freaks

Title: The Stereotypical Freaks
Author: Howard Shapiro
Genre/s: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band "The Stereotypical Freaks" because they feel stereotyped by their classmates - smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them.

When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they?

Book Review: Storm(Elemental #1)

Title: Storm
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming.

Book Review: Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite

Title: Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite
Author: Lianne Simon
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary, Intersex

Synopsis:

Jamie was born with one testis, one ovary, and a pixie face. He can be like other boys after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone. At least that's what his parents always say. But he sees an elfin princess in the mirror and male hormones would only turn her into a hairy little monster. To become the man his parents expect, he must put behind him the hopes and dreams of a little girl.

At sixteen, the four-foot-eleven soprano leaves home school for a boys' dorm at college. The elfin princess can live in the books Jameson reads and nobody has to know he isn't like the other boys. But then a medical student tells Jamie that he should have been raised female. Suppressed childhood memories stir and Jamie begins a perilous journey to adulthood. The elfin princess can thrive, but will she risk losing her family and her education for a boyfriend who may leave her, and a toddler she may never be allowed to adopt?

Book Review: Elemental #0.5

Title: Elemental
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre/s: Young Adult, Novella, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

Book Review: Point of Retreat

Title: Point of Retreat
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Novel

Synopsis:

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

Book Review: Slammed

Title: Slammed
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

September/October Review Wrap Up

I just realized I didn't do any September wrap-up and so I'm going to do a double wrap-up of September and October. So here are the books I reviewed:

September Reviews

• Prowl by Amber Garza
• Assassins Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
• Anthology 1: The Other Side by Hamidah Gul
• Taste by Kate Evangelista
• If I know It's Coming by Nick Hupton
• Sleepers by Megg Jensen
• Afterlife by Megg Jensen

So that gives us 7 book reviews on September.

October Reviews

• Entice by Amber Garza
• The Sundering by Megg Jensen
• FireSeed One by Catherine Stine
• For Keeps by Aaron Paul Lazar
• Unveil by Amber Garza
• Crewel by Gennifer Albin
• Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings
• Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
• Flesh by Khanh Ha
• Gift by Andrea Buchanan
• Shakespeare vs Lovecraft by D. R. Obrien

I can't believe I did 11 reviews this October considering the school activities and all. I'll try to do more of this. So stay tuned for more of my reviews. :) 

Ciao!

Libera Me Blog Tour: Chapter Reveal and Giveaway

Welcome to the Virtual Blog Tour for LIBERA ME, Book #2 in the Requiem Series by Christine Fonseca.

Beginning after Lacrimosa and the short story Mea Culpa, Libera Me follows Zane and Aydan as they try to figure out who Nessa really is. Here's the blurb:

What happens when everything you’ve sacrificed for is lost Aydan thought Nesy’s death would be the end of him, until he meets Nessa and his hope is restored. Could she be Nesy reborn? He is certain she must be. That is, until her lack of memories and incessant nightmares begin to erode his faith.

Zane is used to trusting his mind, his wisdom and his angelic senses. But these attributes are no help with Nessa. He has no way to be certain of her identity, no way to know the truth. That is, unless he listens to the one thing he has refused to acknowledge throughout his existence - he feelings for Nesy.

Blind to both angel and demon, Aydan and Zane must figure out the truth behind Nesy's identity before all is lost, Azza discovers the truth and the Beast is again unleashed.

The lines between good and evil have never been so blurred.

Back to Back Celebration Giveaway!

<a href="http://bookforya.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/back-to-back-celebration-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc430/crestfallensoul3/back2back.jpg" border="0" height=200 width=200></a>

This November I have two special events that I'm really looking forward to. First is my 20th birthday which is on November 12 and my 6th monthsary in the book blogging world. So to celebrate and share the love to all of you, I am going to have a month-long giveaway! *Yehey!*

So what is up for grabs? Well, a $15 worth of books of your choice and as always, it will be INTERNATIONAL as long as the Book Depository ships in your country. (if your not sure, click here)

The Contest Rules:

• Open Internationally 
• Must be 13+ to enter
• Winners will be notified via email
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
• Contest ends November 30, 2012

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners of Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

Before I announced the winners to this giveaway, I'm going to thank, first, Mr. James Lyon for donating his book and also doing an awesome guest post. And lastly, I would like to thank everyone who entered this giveaway. You are all amazing!

So now, we have to announce the two lucky winners who won an ebook copies of Kiss of the Butterfly! *drumroll*

Congratulations!

 Kelly Marissa 

Dawna Newman

You have 48 hours to reply on the email that I sent you or otherwise I'm going to pick new winner.

Guess What's in my Mailbox #6

Guess What's in my Mailbox, is a weekly meme I created, to feature the books I received from authors, publishers, and from other bloggers.

So for the 6th GWIMM, I have this awesome book for review and a few swag.

I received the ARC of Confessions of Teenage Hermaphrodite and a few swag from its author, the awesome Lianne Simon. 

And I also recieved an autographed TEN bookmark from joining Gretchen McNeil's Army of Ten.

That's my haul for this week. What did you get this week?

Book Review: Shakespeare vs Lovecraft

Title: Shakespeare vs Lovecraft
Author: D.R. Obrien
Genre/s: Horror Comedy

Synopsis: 

In the same putrid vein as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Shakespeare v. Lovecraft slithers hideously onto the literary mash-up scene, whispering of cosmic horrors and eldritch tales whilst espousing sweet soliloquys and profoundly contemplating mankind’s place in the universe. 

Prospero, driven dangerously insane by prolonged exposure to the dread Necronomicon, makes a terrible pact with the titanic alien beast known only as Cthulhu. Now only his enchantress daughter Miranda and a handful of history’s greatest heroes are all that stand between humanity and blasphemous eternal subjugation.

It’s a bloodbath of Shakespearean proportions as Cthulhu and his eldritch companions come at our protagonists from all manner of strange geometric angles in a hideous and savage battle for supremacy.

This horror-comedy novella of 36,000 words will seize you in its clammy grip and not release you until you have gone positively mad with delight! Witness all this and more:

Histrionic Heroes vs. Tentacled Terrors!!! Endless Soliloquys vs. Unnatural Silences!!!

Romeo vs. Mi-Go!!! England’s Royal Beasts vs. A Shoggoth!!!

The Author vs. Iambic Pentameter!!!

ARC Review: Gift

Title: Gift 
Author: Andrea Buchanan
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Synopsis:

Daisy has an electrifying secret that could save her life—or kill her

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late?

Flesh Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Title: Flesh
Author: Khan Ha
Genre/s: Historical Fiction
Source: Review Copy from Novel Publicity & Co.

Synopsis:

The setting is Tonkin (northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century. A boy, Tai, witnesses the beheading of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his head and then to find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. On this quest, Tai's entire world will shift. FLESH takes the reader into dark and delightful places in the human condition, places where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy may bring you the most comfort. In that emotionally harrowing world, Tai must learn to deal with new responsibilities in his life while at the same time acknowledge his bond, and his resemblance, to a man he barely knew-his father. Through this story of revenge is woven a another story, one of love, but love purchased with the blood of murders Tai commits. A coming-of-age story, but also a love story, the sensuality of the author's writing style belies the sometimes brutal world he depicts.

James Lyon Guest Post and Giveaway (Spooktacular Giveaway Hop)

Welcome to my stop in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm. So far, this is the biggest giveaway hop of the year, almost 400+ blogs are participating and there are tons of prizes to be given away.

So for this hop, we  have a very special guest in our blog and I am very pleased to welcome the author of Kiss of the Butterfly, Mr. James Lyon! *applause* 

A Guest Post by James Lyon

In honor of rapidly approaching Halloween, Erleen asked me to write a short post on vampires. She suggested that I write on the topic of “ten ways to slay a vampire”. I suppose she assumed that because I have done lots of research on the historical roots of vampires, have written a vampire-themed novel, eat lots of garlic, and have a Ph.D. in Balkan History, I would have a few ideas.

Well, I started to make a preliminary list of how to slay a vampire, but stopped. This is what it looked like:

1.     Send it lots of cute kitten photos on Facebook and email.
2.     Force it to watch the Kardashians or Honey Boo Boo.
3.     Spam it on Twitter.
4.     Make it dance to Gangnam Style.
5.    Tie its shoelaces together.
6.    Take it shopping at an after-Christmas sale on December 26^th at Walmart.
7.     …..?

Guess What's In My Mailbox #5

Guess what's in my mailbox is a meme I created to showcase the books I received from authors, publisher and bloggers and also books that I bought.

So for this weeks GWIMM, this are the things I received.

I won this book from Jenna of Coffee Books and Me in her Stuck in a Good Book giveaway. Check out her blog. :)

And my first EVER swag came from  Rachel Harris, herself. I received this by joining her elite street team called the Flirt Squad. 

If you wanted to be part of her Flirt Squad, email Rachel at FlirtSquad @gmail.com and tell her I invited you. :)

That's all for now, folks!

One Question Q&A Blog Tour with Gennifer Albin

The Crewel Street Team is having a blog tour in celebration of Crewel which was release on October 16th. Ten Crewel Street Team Members each asked Gennifer Albin a question. So here's mine:

My Question: If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. With whom would it be?

Gennifer Albin answered: I'm just gonna own it: Harry Potter. Enough said.

[Credit to Anadoring from DeviantArt ]

To know see more of the Q&A Blog Tour, check out this other blogs.

October 16 - Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
October 17 - Chapter by Chapter
October 18 - Joire de Lire
October 19 - QWERTY
October 20 - I Talk Books
October 21 - Books for YA
October 22 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf
October 23 - Creative Therapy
October 24 - We All Make Mistakes
October 25 - Proud Book Nerd

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance

Synopsis:

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

About the Author:

I like coffee. A lot. Writing gives me time to go get a cup without my kids. I like books as much as I like coffee, but it is easier to read with children hanging on you than drink coffee due to the threat of third degree burns. That's why coffee gets top billing in my intro: its unattainability.

I hold a Masters in English with a specialization in 18th century women's studies. While this is a highly marketable area of expertise, I stay home with my kids, which means my 3 year-old son uses correct grammar and doesn't burn down the house.

I have a ridiculously supportive husband who dreams of being included on a book jacket: "The author lives in Kansas with her husband, two children, and a Tuesday cat." 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Book Review: Pandemonium

Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre/s: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Romance
Synopsis:

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 
push, 
push, 
push, 
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

ARC Review: Poltergeeks

Title: Poltergeeks
Author: Sean Cummings
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Crewel Blog Tour: Review and Scavenger Hunt

Today, we are celebrating the most momentous release day of Crewel! I am so honored to be one of  the Crewel Street Team and be a part of this blog tour.

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance

Synopsis:

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Unveil Blog Tour: Review

Title: Unveil
Author: Amber Garza
Series: Prowl Trilogy
Genre/s: Young Adult, Christian, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Mackenzie is looking forward to her eighteenth birthday and upcoming high school graduation. Until an unwelcome visitor from her past appears, threatening her future plans.

Will she ever be free?

Armed with a new weapon and the boy she loves by her side, Mackenzie prepares to fight. She doesn’t realize that she is about to step into the ultimate battle between good and evil, where the stakes are higher than ever before

Book Review: For Keeps

Title: For Keeps
Author: Aaron Paul Lazar
Genre/s: Paranormal Mystery, Suspense

Synopsis: 

When retired family doctor Sam Moore’s old girlfriend is murdered in a local hotel, the police suspect his involvement. The coroner, a former med school colleague whose husband is about to desert her, reveals that she had a crush on Sam in med school. When she is strangled the next day in her own morgue, Sam is once again in the hot seat.

Sam’s world falls apart when he returns home to find a family member killed in the laundry room, stabbed with his own garden shears. Rocketed into a world of denial and temporary insanity, Sam faces his worst fear, and is locked up in the very same psych ward he was in when his brother Bill died fifty years ago. Sam is determined to ask his long dead brother to help him. Billy, who communicates through a little green marble, has the ability to propel Sam through time and has helped Sam unwrap baffling mysteries in the past.

Sam’s plan: to change time, and bring his loved one back to life.