Monday, November 30, 2015

Review: Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2)

Author: Livia Blackburne
Goodreads Rating: 4.01
Pages: 384
After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.

Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.

As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?

In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Blog Tour: Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Who doesn't love a good picture book? Even better, who doesn't love a picture book with SASS? (Or one based on such a classic!) Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins is a delightful, fun and enjoyably adorable book for both adults and the kids they're sharing them with (or the not, it's totes fine if it's just for you!)

I'm so happy to showcase Ryan T. Higgins today and introduce you to MOTHER BRUCE!



ABOUT MOTHER BRUCE:
Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do?


LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Website | Facebook 


Tour Schedule:

Giveaway:
2 Finished Copies of MOTHER BRUCE

 To enter, comment on today's (or all of the) tour post! Leave your email address!

~*~

Thank you so much to Hannah and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me to participate on the tour! 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Review: The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson


Title: The Gap of Time
Author: Jeanette Winterson
Goodreads Rating: 3.9
Format:  Finished Copy from Blogging For Books
The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s “late plays.” It tells the story of a king whose jealousy results in the banishment of his baby daughter and the death of his beautiful wife. His daughter is found and brought up by a shepherd on the Bohemian coast, but through a series of extraordinary events, father and daughter, and eventually mother too, are reunited. In The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale, we move from London, a city reeling after the 2008 financial crisis, to a storm-ravaged American city called New Bohemia. Her story is one of childhood friendship, money, status, technology and the elliptical nature of time. Written with energy and wit, this is a story of the consuming power of jealousy on the one hand, and redemption and the enduring love of a lost child on the other.

I honestly do not know where to start. This book was incredible, just as I knew it would be. Jeanette Winterson is an amazing story-teller and has reached perfection again with this retelling. 


Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Blog Tour: Poet Anderson...Of Nightmares

Hey all! Long time no speak. I'm baaaaaaaaack.

After a few weeks of radio silence, I've decided to ignore the stress of work and jump head first into NaNoWriMo, reading and blogging.

That includes blog tours!

I'm really excited to bring you Poet Anderson....Of Nightmares tour today. This book looks badass, dudes.

Check out this excerpt and giveaway!




~*~
Excerpt from Chapter 11

POET ANDERSON...OF NIGHTMARES

by Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young
Samantha laughed, watching him for a moment before dropping her shopping bags on the pavement. She stepped closer to Poet and reached out to take his tie, studying it as she let the fabric run through her fingers all the way to the very tip.
“I can only imagine,” she said, lifting her eyes to his. She was so close now, but Poet didn’t think he should touch her. Didn’t want to break the spell.
But he was reminded of Jarabec’s warning that the streets of Genesis weren’t entirely safe. There was a reason he came to Sam, he knew. He was here to protect her.
“We should go somewhere,” Poet told her, his voice low. “I can take us.”
Sam lifted her eyebrows as if she didn’t believe him.
“Close your eyes and think of a place,” he said. When Sam closed her eyes, Poet focused on an empty wall of a building behind her. He concentrated, tuning in to the heat of Samantha’s body, the sound of her breathing, the hum of her soul.
A sense of doubt crept over him. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to tunnel without the fear of a monster or soldiers chasing him, but Jarabec had said that poet’s guided dreamers to safety. He couldn’t let anything happen to Sa- mantha. He’d do better than he had for Alan.
Concern and grief poured over Poet. There was a zap of electricity and the burn, his eyes going white with power. The air began to swirl, wind kicking up as a tunnel formed. Poet looked down at Sam, her face calm as she thought of a place. He smiled and put his palms on her upper arms, feeling her attach to another dream. And then he sent them both through the tunnel.
Samantha gasped, stepping out of Poet’s hands as she looked around, confused at the new surroundings. The tunnel sealed itself and Poet felt his body relax as the energy faded, his eyes returning to dark brown. He was getting good at tunneling, and his pride swelled.
Poet looked around the dream, and then burst out laughing. He and Sam were standing before a set of iron gates, a child’s carousel with tinkering music spinning slowly behind it. The crystal lights danced against the white and pink horses wearing red ceramic bows. Mirrors in the center reflected it all out again. It was pretty—if you were into haunted doll houses.
“This,” Poet asked, “was what you thought of?” He didn’t want to admit he’d been hoping for something a little cozier...like a bed.
Samantha grinned, scanning the place. “Okay,” she allowed. “Maybe not the best choice.” She took a step toward the gate, laying her hand on the iron fence as she looked over the scene. “God,” she said. “I haven’t been here in years.”
“Your parents willingly took you to a place like this?” Poet teased.
“Be quiet,” she replied. “My mother said my taste was ornate for a seven-year-old.” Samantha gripped the railing, leaning forward dreamily. “After my parents divorced,” she continued, “my father would still take me here sometimes. I can’t remember where it is. In fact, Poet Anderson,” she looked over her shoulder at him, “I forgot all about it until I met you.”
I was supposed to meet her, he thought suddenly. “You were lost,” Poet said, mostly to himself. He knew then that Samantha must have wandered into the Dream World, her existence there drawing him to her. And yet, even now, even here where she was safe, Poet’s attraction to her wasn’t the least bit lessened.
Samantha walked over to stop in front of him, gazing up. “How did you bring us here?” she asked. “Should I be scared?”
“Asks the girl who can make a creepy carnival,” Poet replied making her laugh. “Ax-wielding clowns aren’t going to pop out and chase me, are they? You’re sick, you know.”
Sam shook her head, her expression serious. “No way. Killer clowns are third date material.”
Poet adored every word she spoke. “We should just skip to going steady, then,” he said. “I fucking hate clowns.”
Samantha stared up at him, the lights from the carousel reflected and glittering in her eyes. “I recognize you,” she said, guilt crossing her features. “I know you’re the guy from my English class.”
Poet stiffened, feeling exposed. Embarrassed, even. He wanted her to think he was more. “Yeah,” he said, pressing his lips into a self-conscious smile. “That’s me.”
Sam pushed his shoulder playfully. “You jerk,” she said. “First you borrow my pen and then you chased me down on the street to flirt with me. Next day at school, you acted like I was crazy. What’s your deal?”
Poet winced. “It’s not you,” he said. “I can’t remember my dreams when I wake up. I haven’t been able to since my parents died.”
             “Your parents? Oh, my God, Poet.” Sam put her hand on his forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
He looked down, not letting himself focus on the grief. “It was a while ago,” Poet said, quietly. “But now I’m trying to remember my dreams again. I have to.” His worry for Alan spiked again, and Poet closed his eyes.
“Poet,” Sam said, sounding alarmed. “Your hands.”
Poet looked down, surprised to find electricity zapping between his fingers. It didn’t hurt; it was a tingle, really. A hint of power, power he wanted to share.
He held out his hand and Sam looked between his face and the electricity. Poet nodded, and Sam slid her palm against his, her breath catching at the initial shock. She squeezed her fingers between his, and closed her eyes as the energy pulsed between them.
Poet watched her. He could feel her heartbeat, and see the rise and fall of her chest. She was so beautiful. “I want to kiss you,” he murmured.
Sam looked at him, the slight pink of nervousness rising on her cheeks. “That sounds like it could be fun,” she said.
Poet moved toward her, the anticipation nearly strangling him. His head was spinning with desire, possibilities. He didn’t think he’d ever wanted a girl so much as this.
Sam cursed suddenly and stepped out of his reach. Poet stumbled forward, his eyes widening. For a moment, the world around him shimmered, fading as if he was surrounded by ghosts, until it snapped back into focus.
“What’s wrong?” he asked Sam when he saw the stricken expression on her face. “I’m sorry. Did I—”
             “No,” she said, reaching to take his hands. “It’s not you. You’re great. You’re...perfect.” She motioned behind him, and Poet turned to see the carousel flickering out until it was gone altogether. Erased. Sam was waking up.
Samantha stepped into Poet, wrapping her arms around his neck as she put her mouth next to his ear. “Remember me when you wake up,” she whispered, and kissed his cheek. Poet closed his eyes, but realized he couldn’t feel her lips on his skin.

When he looked again, Sam was gone.

~*~


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Top 10 Book to Movie Adaptations

(Brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish)

Hello! This week, we will be sharing our top 10 book-to-movie adaptations. This will actually be separated into different sections: Best book-to-movie adaptations I've seen, Book-to-movie adaptations that need to exist right now, and book-to-movie adaptations that need to be remade into better book-to-movie adaptations. Let's begin :)

Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
This one is obviously at the top of the list. I'm putting the whole series because I did enjoy all the movies. I mostly have the opinion that the books are, for the most part, better than the movies. This is one where I enjoy the books and the movies fairly equally, when viewed as what they are. That is, the books are good books, and the movies are good movies. However, when comparing books to movies, the books win :)

Hunger Games series
Like Harry Potter, this is another one where I enjoyed the books more than the adaptation but I still really enjoyed the movies, mostly when looking at it as a movie, not a book adaptation.



Lord of the Rings series
This is one of the rare cases where I enjoyed the movies more than the books. I attempted reading the Lord of the Rings and quit around the time Gandalf had a 5 page monologue... It just was not my cup of tea, but I adore the movies.



Book-to-Movie Adaptations That Need to Exist Now
The Lunar Chronicles
This is one where I would be over the moon to see a movie come out, but at the same time, I would be extremely nervous because I love the books so much. I would have very high expectations for the movies, as would most of the fans. I have heard rumors of the rights to the Lunar Chronicles being sold and a screenplay being in the works so we will see :)


Throne of Glass
This is another where I would love to see a movie but would hope it would be half as good as the books. Rumor has it that Throne of Glass was optioned for a TV show by the Mark Gordon Company (most notable for Grey's Anatomy). All I can say is, I'll take a TV show :) And again, hope it is half as good as the books. 

 
5th Wave
This book is already set to come out in January 2016 and I'm fairly excited to see it. I hold my usual reservations, but so far it looks good. I really enjoyed the book and can only hope the movie is the same.




Book-to-Movie Adaptations That Should be Remade 
 
City of Bones
I haven't seen the movie but I was actually reluctant after hearing some of the backlash from it's release. I really liked the books and didn't want that opinion to be tainted by a bad movie. Since then, apparently a TV show (Shadowhunters) is in the makings to try to redeem the movie and I have fingers crossed that it does.





Da Vinci Code
I adored Dan Brown's books. The mystery and suspense I had when reading, were sadly absent during the movies. Da Vinci Code has been my favorite of the Robert Langdon series so far and I was sorrowly disappointed in the movie. I hope the series can redeem itself in the new movie, Inferno, set to come out in October 2016.



Eragon
 Oh Eragon.... a classic case of a book-to-movie flop. I enjoyed the book a lot while reading and tolerated the movie to a point. I really liked the animation of Saphira, but no matter how many times I watch the movie... I can't get behind it, not even as just a movie. I hope something comes along sometime to try a type of do-over.





Percy Jackson series
An example of a movie that I disliked so much I almost blocked it from my memory. I've watched Lightning Thief at least twice and both times I can't really remember any specific parts of the movie. I read these books as audio books and really enjoyed them and thought they had a lot of potential as movies, I just wish they were executed better. 



So tell us.... What are your favorite book-to-movie adaptations? What movies are you excited for??

Monday, November 9, 2015

Ten Tousand Skies Above You

Author: Claudia Gray
Goodreads Rating: 4.39
Pages:424
Format: Finished Copy from Publisher
My Rating: 5 Crowns!

 Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Hello? Blog Tour Playlist

If you don't already know Liza, then you are missing out! This month, her debut, Hello? came out. I was lucky enough to be picked to be part of the blog tour.
 

About Hello?
 

One HELLO? can change a life. One HELLO? can save a life.
Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.
Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.
Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.
Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.
Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.

Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian). Visit everyone else for the remainder of the tour for some special treats!


Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | The Book Depository
About Liza:

I am the author of two non-fiction adult books, short stories, and newspaper and magazine

articles. A pre-school to high school educator now writing YA fiction full time, which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! And I'm a diehard Green Bay Packers fan.

For my author posts on writing and my upcoming YA novel HELLO?: http://www.LizaWiemer.com
Unique "job" experiences: I spent a summer selling popcorn in a Koepsell's popcorn wagon while listening to awesome music on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee. I also know my way around a fender and a quarter panel and under the hood of a car. I spent a few years driving to accident scenes, scrapyards, hospitals, auto repair shops as a claims adjuster for an insurance company.


Links: Website | Twitter | Blog  

Today, Liza is sharing the Playlist that she listened to while writing HELLO?



These are some of the songs/CDs I played while writing HELLO?


Adele’s “21” CD
Keane “Perfect Symmetry” CD
Various versions of “Mad World”
Frank Sinatra songs: “New York, New York,” “Call Me” and “Strangers in the Night.”
Jay Z and Alicia Keys’s “Empire State of Mind”
Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown”
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova’s “The Swell Season,” particularly “Falling Slowly” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up”
Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”

Of course, the coolest song is Adele’s new HELLO! There are some incredible connections between my HELLO? and her HELLO and I’ve been enjoying all the texts, emails, Twitter, and Facebook messages pointing out some of the similarities!





The Rest of the tour has some awesome extras too so be sure to check them out!
Week 1:



Week 2:
Nov. 11Swoony Boys Podcast - Character Interview

Week 3:

On a final note, you really think Hannah would have a tour without a giveaway? Foolish. Check out how to win below.


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Monday, November 2, 2015

Review: Dumplin'

Author: Julie Murphy
Goodreads Rating: 3.93
Pages: 384
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

How To Celebrate Halloween AFTER October 31st

Okay, so I'm not sure if you all know this but I am a HUGE Halloween fan.

I start getting ready around September 1st; stocking up on candy, popping in Hocus Pocus every chance I get, baking Pillsbury Shape Cookies...I'm in love with it.

And like every good Halloween lover, since I was about four, I've tried to drag Halloween night out for as long as possible after it was over. When I was little, I would limit myself to one Halloween candy a day (not that my parents followed that rule) or would watch Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown into mid-November.

But at 24, that's no longer cutting it. The day and night go by too quickly (especially since this year I've started working at my library) that I barely recognize it's arrival and even departure. Before I know it, it's November 1st and I'm scrambling to start NaNoWriMo.

Soooo, this year, I've decided to read my way past Halloween; to extend it as much as possibly by delving into a world where spooky stories and scary plots exist. By reading a steady stream of supernatural, spooky and other-worldly stories, it can be Halloween for as long as I want.

What you'll find below is the reading list I've created for myself and like-minded individuals so we can enjoy Halloween even as the Winter looms and snow begins to fall (unless you live in Southern California and then I envy you).

NIGHTMARES and NIGHTMARES: The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel, Kirstin Miller; Illustrated by Karl Kwasny

I'm dying to read this series. I met the authors at BEA last year and was so excited by the book. It looks like a fabulous middle-grade and the illustrations complete the books' image so well. I'm so glad that Random House Kids sent me the copies for review (along with candy!). This series will be just right to start off my extension of Halloween.

THE WITCH HUNTER by Virginia Boecker

I LOVED this book. It was so atmospheric. I was unable to tear my eyes away from the pages as I sped through it, so entranced with the world Virginia Boecker created. I am so there for revisiting this book again and I cannot wait for the sequel.

THE WITCHES: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff

There are four different copies of this book on hold at my library right now and I just saw a spread in the New York Times' Book Review on it. Obviously, that got my attention. I think it looks fascinating.  I also might try it on audio. Either way, I think it's going to be captivating and I can't wait to see how well-researched it is.

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J.K. Rowling

I cannot tell you why I feel that the third Harry Potter book reminds me so strongly of Halloween, even more so than the others. It also happens to be my favorite of the seven. I love the story of the Marauders so much. I also feel that this book is still a bit more innocent, even with impending death looming in the shape of a grim omen. I could probably reread this book every day for the rest of the year while eating pumpkin shaped Reese's and feel happy in the Halloween spirit.

THE T'WITCHES SERIES by  Randi Reisfield and H.B. Gilmour

This series made up my middle school life. I tore through them, with the exception of the last one which I still haven't read, in the Fall of 5th and 6th grade. I want to read them again just because they were such a magical reading experience for me around Halloween years ago. I totally recommend this series to anyone wanting to revisit a fun middle-grade series full of strong female girls and powerful female relationships. It's really great.

THE MEDIATOR SERIES by Meg Cabot

GUYS. THERE IS GOING TO BE A SEQUEL TO THIS SERIES AND IT'S EVERYTHING I WANT AND MORE.

I love this series. Like T'witches, I was hooked on this series when I was younger and read it around Halloween. I need to reread it again before the new book is out. This November seems like a great opportunity, right?

THE BONE SEASON and THE MIME ORDER by Samantha Shannon

My first ever BEA, this was the only book I wanted. I devoured it early that summer and have yet to read the sequel, which is blasphemous, I know. But this series is perfectly creepy and fascinating, the world-building is incredible. If you haven't read the beginning of this series, you need to.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: Tales Of The Slayers by Various

On the Halloweens that I didn't go out Trick Or Treating, I would coerce and cajole my friends into a Buffy marathon (or Supernatural). I couldn't decide on which book to place here (there are so many amazing Buffy tie-in novels!) but I always really enjoyed The Tales of The Slayer Series because of it's diversity and imagination.

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (or anything by Neil Gaiman)

I've been wanting to read this book for a while and I've heard great things about this one.

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake

I had the pleasure of attending a panel with Kendare Blake. She's hilarious and so well-spoken. I have a feeling this spooky read may be just what I need.

BLOOD AND SALT by Kim Liggett

This book was also on hold a lot at my library the last few weeks. I've seen it on many of my friend's TBR lists on GoodReads too. I should really check it out.

COMPULSION by Martina Boone

Why, oh why, have I not read this book yet? It sounds like a me book. It's a perfect Fall book. I should get on it, ASAP.

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas

Something tells me I should probably read her THRONE OF GLASS series first (if not for fear that my friends will take away all my other books if I don't read this already) but there's something about this book that seems Halloween-ish, right?

SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo

This one screams a good Halloween read to me. I also should probably finish The Grisha Trilogy first but I've heard that I could get away with reading this one even only if I've read SHADOW AND BONE. What do you think?

~*~

So, how did I do? Anything to add? Would you read any of these? Let me know!







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