GIVEAWAY~ Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas Swooners!!!!

Can you believe it's already Christmas time?!?! Well, I know i've been missing in action AGAIN lately but I have to admit that after surviving my first semester of nursing school I have really just been enjoying my time off. But I promise I really have been thinking about you guys all the time and attempting to do this post.

So to celebrate that we survived another year and made it to another beautiful Christmas day, I think we should do another giveaway. It's really multi-functional actually because we get to celebrate the end of the year AND I get to get back on your good side after being so flaky this year. So here we go!

Giveaway:

• 1 signed paperback copy of Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

• 1 winner will be picked (U.S. only)

• Ends January 2, 2015

• Hosted by Lexi Swoons

Rules:

• To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below

• Must be 18 years of age or older

• Contest is open to U.S. entries only

• Winner will be announced on the blog via Rafflecopter

• Winner will be notified via email

• Check out my giveaway policy for more info

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG HOP: The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop

Morning Swooners,

Welcome to The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop. This hop is hosted by Stuck In Books

As many of you may already know, I absolutely LOVE New Adult books! Well really, I love ALL BOOKS! But in honor of this love I am giving away one paperback book of your choice from ANY New Adult author. That's right, folks. Your choice of any new adult book! So enter the giveaway below an stop by the rest of the blogs featured on this giveaway.

Giveaway:

• 1 paperback copy of ANY New Adult book you want :)

• 1 winner will be picked (US and INT'L)

• Ends December 12, 2015

• Hosted by Lexi Swoons

Rules:

• To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below

• Must be 18 years of age or older

• Contest is open INT'L

• Winner will be announced on the blog via Rafflecopter

• Winner will be notified via email

• Check out my giveaway policy for more info

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Below is a list of bloggers who ALSO have a giveaway! Hop on over to see them :)

BOOK BLAST + EXCERPT: The Offering by Salah el Moncef

Title: The Offering 

Author: Salah el Moncef

Release Date: May 19, 2015

Publisher: Penelope Books 

EXCERPT: 

I was still disoriented and had no sense of space or time when the two uniformed policemen helped me up from the spot where I had wedged myself by the stairs.

I still had no sense of the limits of my mind either. I was suffering from loss of vitality and my body felt hollow and weak, as if from electric shock.


I remember the moment when Collin stood before me in the semi-dark landing: he looked as if he was wearing two round pieces of mirror glass on his eyes—probably the reflections from somebody’s flashlight on his oval rimless glasses.

He must have tried to address me in some way, but I was standing unsteadily between the two policemen and I did not say a word. He did not have time to wait for my words either—his men were already sealing the scene. (For some reason, with the light coming across the doorway now, I was beginning to see them all through a sort of reddish-black aura: they were all jarring and menacing and ominous-seeming, their sounds shrill and penetrating—these shadowy-red men caught in the insanity of their bustle like frenzied backstage actors.)


There was another man with Collin—possibly the police Prefect: the lead investigator, who was a commissaire de police, stepped aside and let him in first with a deferential gesture.

They were followed by Collin’s aides then the experts of the Police Technique et Scientifique—somber men with sinister white gloves and stacks of brown bag envelopes; and their ponderous, incomprehensible equipment—it came in black cases of various sizes that made them look like musicians. There were two white-clad-and-gloved men each holding a stack of dull-white plastic receptacles with thick numbers stenciled in phosphorescent orange.


I stood there and looked on as the two policemen held me. (Was it a routine gesture or did they both decide that I might try to run away?)

And then, during those unreal minutes, something happened that I had always retained in my memory—in my dream-thoughts and in my waking thoughts, well before the work of recall under hypnosis—the only words from that evening that I remember hearing in full clarity: a man with a black-inscribed red armband was talking on a cellular phone—I recall the rectangle glowing a phosphorescent aqua blue in his hand as he tried to put all the din behind him, leaning far out over the rail of the banister, like a careless boy, his hand cupped over his ear.

Apparently, somebody somewhere in the outside world was worrying about the size of the building, and the red-sleeved man was working on allaying their concerns, even as he peered into the dark downward gape of the stairwell, as if he was testing how far out he could lean before he went over.

The officer was almost shouting into his cell phone, hopelessly trying to be authoritative and convincing in the middle of the madness: “We’re working on the lights. The stairs are very roomy, believe me—it is an old building with a very wide roomy staircase. No, no. The landing—no. The landing is huge. We’ll let you know when we’re through.”

He was so close that I could have reached out and touched him—this man whose inscrutable words are the only utterances I have kept safely locked in my memory all along.

All at once, I began to shake and whimper: “It’s all gone,” I remember saying.

The reaction of the two officers was to turn me around and help me sit down on the stairs.

One of them leaned over me and tried to tell me something, but all I could register were the distortions of his face through the translucent rim of the reddish-black aura—that face looked like an empty rubber mask wobbling without support.

His colleague was shouting something on his transceiver as the men of the Brigade ran in and out of the apartment.


As I sat on the stairs, I suddenly began to feel that I literally did not know where to turn, that I was literally about to lose my head: was the building going to be invaded by another onslaught of piercing cacophony? Or maybe it was just my head—my nerves imploding in the cavernous recesses of my mind.

I put my hands over my ears and sat with my face cradled between my knees.

Time kept pounding and grinding inside me—its horrid, inhuman relentlessness.

Author Bio:


Salah el Moncef was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He is the author of Sleepwalking and The Offering. His short fiction, largely focused on the Arab diaspora experience, has been published in numerous British and American magazines and anthologies. He teaches at the University of Nantes, France.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter 

Quotes (#20)

Morning Swooners!

So lately i've been thinking about everything that I have in my life right now and I just had the craziest realization; I am so unbelievably happy! I've had so many bad experiences all throughout my childhood and early adulthood that I kind of feel like I never really knew what true happiness was. That's not to say that my life isn't crazy right now. I'm currently unemployed, attending nursing school full time, and have a ton of tests this month. So my life is crazy and stressful right now. But I have to admit that my heart has never felt so full and content. I still have sad moments when I think about how much I miss my family and friends back home, but I just can't get over how complete my life feels. So to commemorate the joy that I am feeling inside, I thought i'd share some quotes about happiness. Hope you enjoy them :)

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson


“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ― Mahatma Gandhi


“There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.” ― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower


“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ― Tom Bodett


“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ― Marcel Proust


“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables


“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” ― Guillaume Apollinaire

“I've got nothing to do today but smile.” ― Paul Simon

REVIEW: The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin

The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin

Publication Date: October 1, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

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

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

DEADLY TO THE LAST DROP.

Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she may ever kiss (it's not easy to date during an apocalypse), Ruby gratefully accepts the army's protection.
But safety comes with a price: If Ruby wants to stay, she must keep her eyes-and her mouth-shut.

Except Ruby stumbles across a secret she can't possibly keep. Horrified, she flips out and fights back-only to make the most shocking discovery of all...

I definitely enjoyed reading this book so much more than the first one. There was some serious character building that took place for all involved and some serious discoveries, both good and bad, that occurred. I will admit that i'm slightly disappointed with the end result for some of the characters but overall it was still a great book.

I am happy to say that in this book Ruby finally gets her act together. We see Ruby take on a much more serious tone with the whole "killer rain" thing. I think she finally gets that the world was almost destroyed by deadly, bacteria filled rain, and her sense of self preservation finally kicks in. Of course,  it wouldn't be Ruby without a few more "episodes" where she is almost killed because she is distracted and not cautious. But in the end she found a reason to stay alive and protect herself as well as others around her. I loved that some of the characters from the first book made appearances and other characters finally made an appearance, but the end results for some were a bit lacking and left me feeling unfulfilled.

What I did love was how believable the whole situation felt. Everything from the "killer rain" to the reactions of all the people involved, including the government, felt and sounded so real. Like if that ever happened to us today I believe this book will map out everything we should and shouldn't do.

So overall, I think that even though the main character was not as smart and safe in the first book, she definitely redeemed herself  in this second installment. Have you read this duology? What are your thoughts?

BOOK SIGNING~ Richelle Mead Book Signing @ Books and Books on 11/15/15

Live in the South Florida area? Well I have some amazing news for you! The ever talented Richelle Mead is going on tour and guess what? She will be stopping by our favorite Miami indie book store!

Richelle will be at Books & Books on Sunday, November 15th at 1:00PM. 

The event will be held at their Coral Gables location.

Signing Guidelines:

-Richelle will sign three books per person, one will be personalized and the other two will just have signatures (have a friend bring three more books!)

-You may bring books from home

-Pictures will be allowed if time permits

-Many bookstores have perks for buying Soundless from them, like going to the front of the signing line. Check back here or contact your store to find out any other details, such as line policies or tickets.

---

If you pre-order a SIGNED copy of the breathtaking, new fantasy novel from bestselling author RICHELLE MEAD from these indies below you will receive (drum roll, please) an additional EXCLUSIVE DELUXE COVER!

Isn’t that awesome? You can pre-order from the participating stores HERE. Please make sure you take a look at their specifications (some don’t take online orders, and some ONLY take online orders so when in doubt give them a call!!).

---

Now to top everything off with an extra layer of awesome. Our local Geek Girl Brunch chapter has an amazing opportunity for you all. 

Who's ready to meet Richelle Mead?!

We have had many conversations with Books & Books to make sure this event is smooth and fun for you lovely ladies. We are being set up to have a meet and greet with Richelle prior to the signing event that will be open to the public. GGB will have the opportunity to get together and enjoy a continental breakfast and mimosa for $20 each at Books&Books. We will then be introduced to Richelle and be given a wrist band so when the signing begins, we can be first in line to get our books signed!The event will be capped at 50, being held at the Coral Gables Books & Books on Sunday, 11/15 at 11 am. 

If you live in South Florida and want to attend the brunch (Believe me, you do NOT want to miss out on this amazing brunch.) head on over to Geek Girl Brunch to sign up and become a member. If you have any additional questions on how to get into the brunch head on over to their Facebook and they'll sort everything out for you. 

Hope to see you all there! 

REVIEW: H2O (The Rain #1) by Virginia Bergin

H2O (The Rain #1) by Virginia Bergin

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Source: ARC received from Publisher at Book Expo America 2014

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

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

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

They don't believe it at first. Crowded in Zach's kitchen, Ruby and the rest of the partygoers laugh at Zach's parents' frenzied push to get them all inside as it starts to drizzle. But then the radio comes on with the warning, "It's in the rain! It's fatal, it's contagious, and there's no cure."

Two weeks later, Ruby is alone. Anyone who's been touched by rain or washed their hands with tap water is dead. The only drinkable water is quickly running out. Ruby's only chance for survival is a treacherous hike across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive

Ruby is a fifteen-year-old girl that is unlucky enough to experience the apocalypse. Or so that is how it appears. I think Ruby often forgets that she was not the only person in the world to experience the "death rain" and lose everyone she loves. I actually loved the premise of the story in regards to the "death rain" I mean, how scary would that be, right?! And I absolutely loved the character building of many of the side characters, like Simon, Ruby's stepfather. He went from kind of mean and argumentative to straight up loyal and caring. He put his feelings and his well being aside to take care of Ruby. He's the real MVP in this book! He taught her how to THINK so she could survive without him and in the end, thats exactly what she had to do.

I also loved meeting Darius Spratt, or as Ruby calls him, The Spratt. I feel like he was such an important character for Ruby to run into. I think he helps Ruby find a sense of independence and challenges her enough to keep her mind active and "thinking" just as Simon taught her. 

The Princess also seems significant to me but I don't really know why. I think it might have something to do with the fact that she doesn't speak and I have to wonder what it was exactly that happened to her family that left her so traumatized. You know, aside from the whole apocalypse thing. 

I hate to say that the only character I didn't like so much was Ruby. I know that the story is in her POV and if anything that should give me a sense of connection with her, which it did of course! But I also feel like she spent so much time fiddling around with the most ridiculous things. I mean seriously, every time she left the house all she did was raid stores and take designer clothes and makeup. Stop putting on makeup when you can't wash it off! Stop caring about skinny jeans that don't even fit you! Priorities, Ruby! Come on! But aside from her little selfish streak I do believe that Ruby is a good person and I also believe that she has the right intentions. I think in the end of this story Ruby will do what is right. But then again, the apocalypse has strange effects on some people!

REVIEW: How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid (Slug Pie Story #2)

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid (Slug Pie Story #2) by Mick Bogerman

Publication Date: July 24, 2014

Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Source: Received from 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: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

All Mick Bogerman wanted to do was teach his little brother how to swim in the coolest swimming pool in town. He didn't ask to take care of a bunch of Sea-Monkeys while he was there. He certainly didn't mean to morph one of them into a mermaid by feeding it genetically enhanced super food. No one is more surprised than Mick when the creature starts luring unsuspecting adults into the deep end of the pool. Adults who don't resurface. Join Mick as he battles a powerful adversary: a bloodthirsty mermaid who hypnotizes with a golden gaze, shatters glass with a piercing shriek, and reveals her true menacing self by the light of a full moon.

Here we are again with the coolest kid i've ever met, Mick Bogerman. I mean seriously guys, this kid gets into the craziest adventures i've ever seen. This time we meet Mick and his little brother Finley as Mick wants to teach him how to swim. After the whole debacle that was Zombie Cave Mick is worried his brother not being able to swim will eventually spell doom, as it almost did in Zombie Cave! I won't give you any details of that book without you reading the book first, but I will say that it's so much fun and kind of scary. See my review here.

The mermaid swimming in PJ's pool used to be just a sea monkey, until Mick accidentally gave her some super food when PJ asked him to feed the sea monkeys. Yes, that means there was more than one in the bowl. I'm sure you can use your imagination to figure out what happened to the other sea monkeys after they ate the super food and ended up with only one mermaid in the pool. The events that ensue are pretty crazy and I have to say that I think this is the "darkest" Bogerman story so far. I wish I could give you more information on the book but since they are so short anything I say will give away the story.

Just know that overall, it was so much fun to read and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves middle grade books.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy (#51)

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

Morning Swooners :-)

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

Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy

Expected release date: January 5, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Crazy how eight years can disappear in an instant. One look at Katie Watts, and I’m a fifteen-year-old again—the one who risked everything to save a terrified girl from her twisted kidnapper. She’s grown-up now—beautiful, quiet, composed—and telling her story to the world. A story that involves me in more ways than you can imagine. She used to call me her guardian angel. Sure, I risked my life, but she was worth dying for.

I need to make contact with her. Just to ensure that she’s safe.

Somehow we reconnect. We become friends . . . but I want more. I want to make her mine. And she wants me too. Does she know who I am? Has she figured me out? Not yet. But she will. In the meantime, I need to make sure that whatever hold that animal had on her is gone.

So, yeah, I’m stealing these moments with her. Savoring them. Knowing, dreading, that she’ll soon find out who I really am. And everything will fall apart. All because of that twisted, perverted monster sitting on death row. Her kidnapper. A convicted serial killer.

My father.

Why I'm waiting:

I absolutely loved her Fowler Sisters series and the synopsis for this book sounds just as good as the other ones. I mean come on, his father kidnapped her! This sounds so good!!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

REVIEW: Toxic by Kim Karr

Toxic by Kim Karr

Publication Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: NAL Trade
Source: Received from 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: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

New York Times bestselling author Kim Karr turns up the heat in a smoking hot, emotionally compelling new novel that takes you into the world of Manhattan’s elite.

In Toxic, Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, sometimes brooding entrepreneur goes after what he wants—the woman he left behind years ago. Phoebe St. Claire, a put together, in control socialite-turned-CEO has been drifting through life searching for something she thought she'd never find again—the right man to share her future.

Our passion was boundless. Our lust untamed. And our desire endless. He was the only man who ever made me feel alive. Then, I betrayed him.

When he reappeared, I didn’t question it. Trust rarely survives the wrecking ball, so when he let me in back in—I didn’t hesitate.

Maybe I should have.

What began as a bid to save my family business, turned into a second chance at love. It felt so romantic. Working together, side by side, with the man I loved. My dream come true.

Nothing is as good as it seems.

We had our issues, but then again, every couple does. It wasn’t jealousy, or our too-hot sex life that I should have been worried about.

It was his darkside.

I never saw the end coming, until it slammed me in the face. The question is—did he?

Was revenge his plan all along?b

****

Sometimes you have to wonder if your life is too good to be true.
Is it real or just an illusion?
Does the man lying beside you really love you like he says he does?
If the answer is yes, you’re meant to live happily ever after.
If the answer is no, you’re living my life, and nothing will ever be the same.

What you do about it—that’s up to you.

Me, I’m in too deep and there’s no getting out.

I’ll take whatever I can get for as long as I can because I know when it’s over…

I’ll never find another man like him.

Ever!

Jeremy McQueen and Phoebe St. Claire have more in common than anyone could ever realize. They meet in their early twenties and begin a relationship that completely intoxicates them from the moment they meet. After a misunderstanding, a jealous reaction, and a huge secret they break up and Jeremy moves away. After a few years pass and both Jeremy and Paige have matured and moved up in their careers, they run into each other and things start to heat up again.

What I love about this book is that the characters are so great to read. I'm not normally a jealous person but I find it easy to understand everything that these characters say to each other when certain things get discovered and jealousy rears its very ugly head. The backstory about how they are connected seemed a bit far off, but overall I think it added to the drama. 

I have to say that I loved reading this book so much!! Mainly because Jeremy McQueen is one of the swooniest guy i've ever read and I literally can't stand that he isn't real! I mean seriously, how can we live in a world where he doesn't exist?!?! Jeremy is strong and brave and brute, but also shows his softer side when he is charming and caring and oh so swoony. Everything he says seeps with sexuality. 

Phoebe St. Claire is strong in her own ways but her insecurities lead her to conclusions that are often inaccurate and can leave her broken down. She seems to have difficulty establishing herself and relies too much on validation from others, particularly Jeremy. While reading this book I noticed that she was the one that had the most insecurities and distrust for Jeremy. At times I thought it was uncalled for and unnecessary. Their love seems toxic because all they do is keep hurting each other but in the end they prove that their love is stronger than anything that comes their way and they are always willing to fight to keep what they have. 

Overall, I really loved reading this book and found it really difficult to put down. The swoons were real my friends. So go forth and grab your copy today!

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi (#50)

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

Morning Swooners :-)

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

Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi

Expected release date: February 16, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

Why I'm waiting:

I pretty much LOOOOOVVEEE the earth Veronica Rossi walks on. I adored her Under the Never Sky series and loved the Boomerang books she co-authored and just basically love her as a person. So yea, she writes it and I will always read it!!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

In Their Footsteps; A Parisian Tour of Anna and the French Kiss

Hi Swooners,

So after a whole two months of being back in the U.S. I'm finally able to share with you the details of my Anna and the French Kiss Tour I embarked on in August.

For those of you wondering what I'm talking about, Anna and the French Kiss is a book by Stephanie Perkins and it's basically a beautifully written story about a boy and a girl that fall in love in Paris.

 

My passion for Paris grew exponentially once I read Anna and the French Kiss. So of course once I realized that my dream of going to Paris was actually coming true I knew that I had to make it Anna related. So here are the details of Anna and the French Kiss Parisian Tour :)

I had to stop by the Rodin Museum and take a picture of "The Thinker"

Love Lock Bridge (they removed all of locks on the actual bridge but left the part of the bridge that was on the sidewalk <3

Locks on Love lock bridge 

My favorite picture of the ferris wheel

Remember when Etienne and Anna went on the ferris wheel ride :) 

Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge

Just a regular girl watching her dreams come true <3

Pointe Zero Notre Dame

I learned that there are actually other Pointe Zero locations in Paris but only went to this one for obvious Anna reasons :)

Notre Dame

Pantheon and The Louvre

Cinema Le Champo

The view from my hotel. Hotel du Louvre right across the street from the Louvre

Shakespeare and Company Book Store

  

My attempt to get pictures inside of Shakespeare and Co. (no photos allowed) 

The beautiful tote bag and books I bought from Shakespeare and Co. :)

Arc du Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees and The Luxemberg Gardens 

So this is just a small recap of my trip to Paris. I have so many more pictures that I would love to post but since those aren't really Anna related I thought i'd spare you. Plus I have waaaaaayyyyy too many to share. Overall I had such an amazing time and I am so thankful that I was able to fulfill this dream of mine. 

Thank you to everyone that enjoys looking at these pictures just as much as I enjoyed taking them. Books are my life and my inspiration for everything!

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Soundless by Richelle Mead (#49)

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

Morning Swooners :-)

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

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Expected release date: November 10, 2015

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore. 

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

Why I'm waiting:

I'v heard so many great things about Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy series. I even have a copy on my bookshelf. I haven't actually read it yet but i'm working my way there lol this book actually sounds really good too so now I feel like I need to inhale VA so I can start this one when it comes out! Thoughts?

What are you anxiously waiting for?

BOOK BLITZ: Fierce Reads at Books and Books: Leila Sales

Hi Swooners! So Lexi Swoons has teamed up with a group of South Florida bloggers to bring you exclusive interviews from the authors on the 2015 Fierce Reads Tour. Today we have Leila Sales, author of Tonight the Streets Are Ours.

Tonight the Streets Are Ours

Author: Leila Sales

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Recklessly loyal.

That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.

During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

INTERVIEW

1. What are 5 random facts about yourself?

1 – I type using only two fingers.

2 – My middle name is a boy’s name.

3 – I can recite the name of every student in my high school class in alphabetical order.

4 – I own more than 100 original My Little Ponies.

5 – For five years I received so many text messages from strangers that I started a blog about them: theleilatexts.blogspot.com

2. If you were hosting a literary dinner party, which six authors or characters would you invite?

I’d invite my closes author friends: Rebecca Serle, Lauren Oliver, Jocelyn Davies, Courtney Sheinmel, Lexa Hillyer, and Jess Rothenberg. Whenever we hang out together, we always have a blast and laugh so hard and inspire each other. What more could I want out of a dinner party?

3. What can you tell us about your new book, Tonight the Streets Are Ours and what do you hope readers take from it?

TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS is about a teen girl who becomes fascinated with a blogger from afar. Based on what he writes about his life, he seems perfect—he seems to get her in a way that nobody who knows her in real life does. So she sets out on a road trip with her best friend to track him down in person. Over the course of one epic night in New York City, she comes to realize that he’s not exactly who she expected him to be based on his online persona. There’s a lot that I’d like readers to take away from this book, but one of the main ideas is that everyone lies by omission online. The way people present themselves online is a curated version of themselves, and you should try to understand that whatever you’re seeing there is only one part of their whole life story. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leila Sales was born in 1984 and grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in psychology in 2006. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in the mostly glamorous world of children's book publishing. Leila spends most of her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin (#48)

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

Morning Swooners :-)

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

This Song Is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Expected release date: January 5, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Bandmate, best friend or boyfriend? For Ramona, one choice could mean losing them all.

Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves April, but he would never expect her to feel the same way--she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.

Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either.

How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?

Why I'm waiting:

I loved the authors previous book and I seriously can not wait for this one to come out. I think Laura Nowlin is a great author and even though I did not like the ending of her last book, If He Had Been With Me, I firmly believe that she will not disappoint me with this one!

What are you anxiously waiting for?