Friday, February 28, 2014

COVER REVEAL: Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh


In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening than commitment is hope…

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to – it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, shell finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.

But not, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile as her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she cant afford to open up –especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want. 

About the author:

Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping – maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible.





Wednesday, February 26, 2014

BOOK BLAST: Falling From The Sky by Nikki Godwin

Falling From The Sky
Title: Falling From The Sky
Author: Nikki Godwin
Date of Publication: February 21, 2014
Genre: LGBT contemporary YA

All stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home. But his summer plans take a turn in an unexpected direction when he meets Micah Youngblood, the guy who runs the carousel at the local mall and has a reputation for devouring straight boys’ heterosexuality for breakfast, alongside his chocolate chip pancakes.

Ridge needs a way to avoid the guys at camp, whose only quest for the summer is to drown in beer and hook up with girls. So when Micah offers to explain how the ten unique horses on the carousel are significant to his tribe, Ridge takes him up on it. Still, Ridge can't decide if this is a bad thing or not. All he knows is that he hasn’t felt this alive since his dad fell from the sky, and as the horse adventures come to an end, Ridge finds himself falling as well – for Micah.

Purchase from Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

About Nikki Godwin

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.


Giveaway

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#17)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Expected release date: March 11, 2014
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble




Summary from Goodreads:

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a  group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there’s only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother;s best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek…with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart’s interests—even if he wants to share all his feelings?


Heart’s simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all…

Why I'm waiting:

I think this book sounds like it will be a cute read. Plus, a jock or a theater geek? I know who I would choose, what about you??? 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

BLOG TOUR: The Well's End by Seth Fishman (REVIEW + GIVEAWAY)

The Well's End by Seth Fishman
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This book was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Publisher):

Half a world away, the Chinese military has a target list of ten US cities in case of war. Most are obvious (DC, NY, LA) and some a little less so (Atlanta for instance has the CDC)…but one is an absolute mystery: Fenton, Colorado. Unfortunately for her, sixteen-year-old Mia Kish is about to find out what makes Fenton so special when emergency sirens start blaring and ritzy Westbrook Academy is out on lockdown. No students in or out until otherwise notified. For the rich boarders whose homes are safely states away, their concerns are missed vacations and trips home, but for the handful of townies, like Mia and her friends Jo and Rob, there’s no escaping the danger.
The situation becomes dire when students and faculty are stricken with a strange illness that ages them years in a matter of hours, the end result death, seemingly from old age. No one knows what to do, but Mia and her friends are not just going to sit there while their parents might be in mortal danger. They escape the school grounds in search of a cure and answers; answers they hope to find in the sealed off mountain bunker where her father supposedly runs Fenton Tech. but along the way, they discover that the military presence is not what it seems, and that the long buried secret of Fenton is a fabled object of myth and legend that may actually exist deep within the earth below. 

I LOVED this book!! I mean really, truly, loved it! Now, I have to admit that I did not believe it would be nearly as good as it was and I was actually not really in the mood to start this book when I needed to, but I am SOOO glad that I did!!

The beauty of this story is that it actually lives up to its synopsis.
..in every way! "A high-stakes, fast-paced adventure with imagination and heart." The Well's End truly lived up to that tag line. 

We start with Mia Kish, aka "Baby Mia" the girl who fell down the well. Mia is such a great character in this book. When we first meet her, she's this timid and scared girl. She's spent her entire life being afraid of the dark, small spaces, and other things but somewhere along the lines she becomes this strong and brave character that will do anything, including rsk her life, to save innocent people. What I love is that she isn't motivated by her feelings of love to her friends, she's does what she does to save everyone, including people that she doesn't like, because it's the right thing to do, because her nature is to help people, even though she never saw that in herself. That, to me, is the sign of a great character. Throughout everything that she (and her friends) had to endure, she was constantly thinking of ways to save them, even if it meant giving her own life in the process, in the beginning of the book we see Mia as the "needy" girl who always needs to be "saved" or spoken for. So seeing Mia turn into this brave, kick-ass heroine was beautiful to watch.

I have to admit that I also loved her best friends, Jo and Rob, because they were always there for each other. Especially in Mia's time of growing, they "allowed' her to take charge and manage everything even though she had no "experience" in doing that. In fact, she was pretty much the exact opposite of that. So seeing them fall back and trust her take charge was a great leap of faith on their parts. Also, I love that we see such a huge chance in Odessa and Jimmy. They both appear to be kind of jerkish in the beginning but when everything is said and done they are actually pretty decent people...and Brayden...there isn't much I can say about Brayden other than, he disappoints is so many ways, but he also kind of redeems himself. So I'm torn on how to feel about him...but all in all, he is totally swooooony!!!!!!!

The ending leaves me wondering so many things, I mean where are they? What's going to happen? Where is Mia's father? And so many more questions like that. Kind of makes me thing that there may just be a follow up *crosses fingers* :)

So overall, I looooooved this story and where it took us, Not a sci-fi, but not a dystopian...not sure where exactly to classify this book other than totally adored by me!  Definitely a MUST READ!!!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Seth Fishman is best known as a New York literary agent at the Gernert Company whose client roster includes ingenue National Book Award Finalist, Tea Obreht, Seth is also the recipient of an MFA from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. The Well’s End if his first novel. 









Find Seth:


Find The Well's End:

Barnes and Noble / Goodreads / Amazon


AUTHOR GUEST POST: 

I don’t remember standing up on my desk in elementary school and shouting that I wanted to be a writer, but I do remember writing poetry in the seventh and eighth grades. I remember reading them at talent shows at camp (ugh, if I could take that back!). I remember starting awful books, rip offs of whatever I was reading at the moment. But I also remember winning high school competitions, getting published in small magazines, trying and not entirely failing. I applied to Princeton University because, and this surprised me, it has what is, in my mind, the very best undergraduate writing program in the country. Amazing teachers, and you get to write a book for your thesis! What’s better? Of course, I was rejected from two of the seminars, had to sit out a full year while my close friends there got to write for their degrees, but I didn’t give up and finally got in, kept writing, and even wrote my first novel – a historical fiction set in France during the 100 Years War about a young squire who finds the pinkie bone (a relic) of a saint. I'm a huge dork. After Princeton, I didn’t want to stop, so I went to England, to an MFA program, and kept going. I wrote a collection of interconnected short stories, SO CLEVER that no one could understand them. I realized, after a time, that I wasn’t writing what I wanted to write. It took me years to figure out what drove me, what inspired me, but I always knew I had to do it,. I've had two agents at four different agencies. I’ve written five books now (only two will get published). I’ve been rejected plenty. But writing is like any activity: with practice you get better, with understanding where your interest lies, you enjoy the process more. It’s not easy, but it fulfils me in a way most things cant. If you’re writing, don’t give up, be willing to admit you can do better, and then do better. Best job in the world.

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to the awesome folks over at Penguin Teen, one lucky winner will receive a finished copy of THE WELL'S END!!

Enter using the Rafflecoper below
Note: Lexi Swoons is not responsible for items lost or stolen in the mail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#16)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Expected release date: March 4, 2014
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble




Summary from Goodreads:

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan’s mom gets sick, it’s hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one- until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn’t as far away as she though…

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan’s getting to know the real Adam, and he’s actually pretty sweet…in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need
#thingsIthoughtweretrue


With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She’s not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend…and that these two people she barely knew before summer started will become the people she can’t imagine living without.


Reason i'm anxiously waiting:

Something about this book has me hooked! Obviously I love the synopsis and have very high hopes that the book will stay true, but I also just love the premise of the story, things that I thought were true...ummm, yes please!

Monday, February 17, 2014

REVIEW: Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey

Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America – and the blushing bride of her father’s top adviser – Eve’s whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb’s memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, as undercover subversive in the Kings court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when shes called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion – killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey’s epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.

Hmmmm, what can I say about this book right now...let's start with WTH!??! I think I should probably explain what I mean by that, this review will be all over the place and in no way organized, as are my emotions right now!

I loved where the story started and where it was headed when I began reading the book. Then, as most series finales do, it took a turn down a path that it probably didn't really need to go. There isn't much I can say without dipping my feet into spoilery waters, but I will say that Eve goes through some physical (and emotional)  "changes" and needs to learn how to cope with many things, including the emotional distress of everything that happened with Caleb (you like how I did that right? ;] )

I love that we see Eve grow as a character from Book one of the series, Eve, to now. She has changed so much in so many ways but she never loses that innocence she had from the beginning. Everything is still so new to her and at the same time she seems so experienced. I love that the author was able to portray that in her writing. I also love that we finally, finally, finally get to see some more from Ruby and Pip. They were practically absent from the other two books so it's refreshing to see them now, before we say our goodbye. I just wish that we had more time with Arden. She's such an important character in both books before, that I can't believe we barely had any real time with her in the end of the series. Arden is the best friend I wish I had, the only person that I would've truly trusted had I been in Eve's place. So not giving her the time she deserved seems odd to me. Arden's talk with Eve is what started this whole thing, so she deserved a proper farewell. And of course, Caleb. There's so much to say about Caleb. My heart still beats for him, I wish that we had some real answers about everything that happened. I also wish we had more "time" with him in the book. He deserved a better goodbye that what he got. Which is to say, that he didn't really get a "goodbye" at all.

There are some things that happen along the way to their "freedom" that I wasn't all that impressed with either. Mostly, the fate of a certain character. Also, the ending really upset me. I mean, it actually upset me. I had one of those moments where I just had to slowly rise from the book, really thinking about what I just read. Kind of like this:




Then there was this "flips table in frustration" moment, kind of like this (only angrier): 

                                                          

So yea, the ending was not AT ALL how I imagined it would be. In my mind, the last three chapters should've ended differently, but especially that last line. THAT LAST LINE!!!

Yea, this is me:

                                             

(I didn't really do this, but internally it's what I was feeling)

Of course, don't get me wrong. Overall, I loved the story and the series. I just feel like there were so many things that I never got closure on that I kind of really needed closure. But the series, as a whole, was awesome and I highly recommend it! 

Thursday, February 13, 2014

REVIEW: My Dream of Freedom by Helen Colin

My Dream of Freedom by Helen Colin
Publication Date: April 8, 2013
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon 

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Amazon):

Despite great personal pain, Helen Colin chose to share her story of survival during the Holocaust from the first day of her liberation from Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, where she addressed German civilians. Presently, she continues to share her history with all who are willing to listen, enduring the pain of recounting because she wishes that her struggles during this time of Nazism be seen as epitomizing hope against despair and compassion against hatred, bias and bigotry.

Helen wants others to see her not as a victim, but as a survivor. She feels boundless gratitude to her beloved America for providing her, her family and future generations with the opportunities afforded to those who are ready and willing to cherish the precious freedom she had all but lost. She wants only that the world embrace one promise: Respect one another.


“Butterflies are free and so am I.” Helen Colin

Helen Colin does a beautiful job at sharing her story of survival with readers. Of course we all know that it's such a sad story, as they all are, but Helen does such a great job at showing us her happy memories before the war and after the war. My heart has always held a special place for all Holocaust related stories ever since childhood. I can remember the first time I learned about the Holocaust and the effect it had on me. To this day, it is the only piece of history that I have ever truly cared about. 

I truly admire Helen for the inspiration she gives people just by being near them. Even in her book, she chose to focus on the happiness that her freedom brought rather than linger on the pain from her past, all while still sharing her message of hope, peace and respect. 

I was lucky enough to have met Helen at her book signing in Houston, Texas, her hometown, in November 2013. Meeting her was such a wonderful experience that I know I will always cherish. Her words and message were inspiring in ways that one could never truly understand until you meet her, or other survivors like her. This book is truly one of my most prized possessions. 

Helen Colin and myself at her book signing in Houston, TX- November 2013


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#15)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selections are:

Expected release date: February 25, 2014
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Summary from Goodreads:

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.


When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrell, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in “the Kool-Aid Kid,” who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

Expected release date: March 4, 2014
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Summary from Goodreads:

When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to send her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had dies under mysterious circumstances.


But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose…and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins…and possibly the entire world.

So i'm sure you can figure out why these books appeal to me. Both these book sound sooooooo amaze-balls to me. Can't wait to get my hands on these bad boys!!!

BLOG TOUR: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (REVIEW + GIVEAWAY)




Grasshopper Jungle  by Andrew Smith
Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review *

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend, Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin’s hormones are totally oblivious; they don’t care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. Hes stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it’s up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

So I have to start by saying that this book was ALL KINDS OF CRAZY!!! I have to admit that, though the book was jaw dropping in a beautiful way, the story itself did not entirely satisfy me. I had a hard time getting into the story in the beginning and it took me a few chapters to realize the true artistic beauty of it.

That being said, there were definitely a few things that I did like about the book. For one, I really liked the relationship between Robby and Austin. The author did a great job at showing their true friendship, but also highlighting the "attraction" between them. Bouncing off of that note, I also loved that this book talked a lot of about homosexual feelings and bisexuality. I feel like the author gave the readers a look inside the mind of a real "confused" teenage boy, unsure of where his heart lies. Austin's feelings and thoughts about his feelings felt very believable and I think we need to read more stories on that topic.

The number one thing that I just did not like, aside from the overall weirdness, is the fact that all Austin can manage to talk about is how horny he is. I mean, I get that teenage boys are horny all the time but he just talked about it waaayyyy too much. Also, Austin came off as extremely selfish. At one point, even Robby points how selfish he really is.

Overall, I think this is one of those books where one opinion will never matter. People read and see things as they want and what one person believes about a book could be totally off for another person. So that being said, go out there and READ THIS BOOK!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several Young Adult novels, including the critically acclaimed Winger (Starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness - an Amazon "Best of the Year") and The Marbury Lens (A YALSA BFYA, and Starred reviews and Best of the Year in both Publishers Weekly and Booklist). He is a native-born Californian who spent most of his formative years traveling the world. His university studies focused on Political Science, Journalism, and Literature. He has also published numerous short stories and articles. Grasshopper Jungle, coming February 11, 2014, is his seventh novel. He lives in Southern California.

Find Andrew:


Find A Grasshopper Jungle:



GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to the awesome folks over at Penguin Teen, one lucky winner will receive a finished copy of GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE and an #UNSTOPPABLECORN T-SHIRT

Enter using the Rafflecoper below
Note: Lexi Swoons is not responsible for items lost or stolen in the mail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#14)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selection is:

Expected release date: February 18, 2014
Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Summary from Goodreads:

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn’t sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia’s crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

Ummmm, so yea! This book sounds so good! Best friends, love interest, illness, and tons of drama in between?! Can't wait to get my hands on it!!!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

FEATURE: Teaser Tuesday (#5)



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists of they like your teasers!

Hi Swooners! Here's my "teaser" for this week...

“Hardly anyone recognized me in casual clothes, with my hair falling loose past my shoulders. The dense crowd pressed in, an elbow knocking me hard in the side. I kept fighting through the great swarm of people. A massive oaf of a man leaned on me, and I leaned back, maneuvering in front of him. 

‘“What is the matter with all of you?”’ I screamed. ‘“Why won’t someone stop this?”’




Pg. 106, Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey