Friday, February 27, 2015

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#15)~ Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins



Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Release Date: August 24, 2010
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Synopsis:

My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel ad haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.


The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

This book broke many hearts and broke my heart many times. I think it's the first YA book that made me cry. It definitely holds a special place in my heart!

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)



Friday, February 20, 2015

FAVORITE FRIDAY (#14)~ The Program by Suzanne Young



Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where they spotlight some of their favorite reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on their linky or leave them a comment.

This week's Favorite Read is:

Release Date: April 30, 2013
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Synopsis:

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution of The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.


Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He's promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. and The Program is coming for them.

Why it's one of my Favorite Reads:

This book was such a great read! The story line is so realistic and the characters are so greatly written. Plus, James is totally swoony! I was addicted after the first chapter!

What's YOUR Favorite Book? Stop by Books and Swoons to share yours :)



Thursday, February 19, 2015

Quotes (#18)




Happy Day Before Friday Swooners!

I hope everyone has been having a great week. This weekend is my birthday celebration so naturally my week has been super slow. But hey, it's one day closer to my little party and I seriously cannot wait for it! So to bring some joy to the day I found some great quotes for you guys. Hope they make you smile :)

“The planet is fine. The people are fucked.” George Carlin

“Everyone should be able to do one card trick, tell two jokes, and receipt three pomes, in case they are ever trapped in an elevator.” Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

“When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.” CathyGuisewite

“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” Winston S. Churchill

“If loving someone is putting them in a straitjacket and kicking them down a flight of stairs, then yes, I have loved a few people.” Jarod Kintz

“A word to wise ain’t necessary, it’s the stupid ones who need advice.” Bill Cosby

“I find out a lot about myself by sleeping. Dreams, they are who I am when I’m too tired to be me.” Jarod Kintz

“If I told you I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at, I’d be lying, because I have no idea where I am right now.” Jarod Kintz

“I can’t decide whether I’m a good girl wrapped up in a bad girl, or if I’m a bad girl wrapped up in a good girl. and that’s how I know I’m a woman!” C. JoyBell C.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

REVIEW: Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) by Laini Taylor 
Publication Date: November 6, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Guest Reviewer: Doris aka La Chiquita
Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster’s apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is-and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, karou must decide how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age –old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.


But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Before I get into the in-depth (tears free edition) of this review let me just say that my feels were all over the place. Laini Taylor broke my heart and I fully let her and probably would let her again. What can I say I’m a sucker for punishment. At the end of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Akiva drops a bomb on Karou that shatters her world to a thousand little Ikea-size no-manual-included pieces. Gutted out and seeing red Karou disappears until we meet again in Days of Blood and Starlight.

               The title couldn’t be more accurate of the feel of the book. Though we were introduced to Eretz in the first book we really dive into the world now and see the disaster the end of the war has caused for the chimera still alive. I use the world alive loosely because being alive in Eretz as a chimera is worse than finally being allowed to die. This book is full of the big bad meanies that the world has to live through and unfortunately our beloved Akiva and Karou have to be on opposite sides.
               Talk about war of the villains. It was like Laini thought “Hmm, who else can I throw in the pot to make it surely impossible for anyone to survive… oh yea lets throw in the ugly uncle and give him a scar to cause nightmares! Oh yummy!” We hear about the emperor Joram’s blood lust and we know about Thiago’s higher than thou persona but when we meet Jael all bets are off. The hunger in these characters to not better the world but to enrich themselves only is staggering. The saddest part is that they have support systems in play that allow them to be this way! Say what! No one, that is whose opinions matter, cares to speak up and stop them. Therefore leaving the world to the flames and the people who hold the torches.

               Karou has taken up an alliance with Thiago and is continuing the work of resurrections. Slowly but fully Karou is re-growing the rebel army to take back some of Eretz and avenge the murders witnessed by Loramendi the chimera strong hold. So many innocent lives were burnt. So many families destroyed. Karou carries this load and she bares it in stride only with the hope that she is doing the right thing.

               We find Akiva shamed and remorseful. Still part of the misbegotten army Akiva does what he can to slowly tithe for the deaths he’s caused. At the same time trying to rebuild the broken strand between Hazael, Liraz and himself. He has done what no other angel has ever done. He’s fallen in love with a chimera and how is he to explain that to the ones closes to him? Especially when they too have been brain washed by the past laid before them. The story and the events that unfold in the book really test the strands that hold the characters together. This is not exclusive to the brothers and sisters but to the chimera as well. Who can you trust when all you see is blood and war?

               If you thought the previous book was all about layering and organizing the moving bits to form an image prepare yourself for Blood and Starlight. Hope though once was a beacon for the future and beamed so bright for our characters is now just a piece of thin paper beaten to it limits. We watch them fight all urge to do what they feel is right for what they feel is their responsibility. It’s not all sad ladies and gets there are those characters that allow you to hope for a better tomorrow with every appearance. We meet Ziri the last of the Kirin, and Mik the one and only to Zuzana.

               I was saved by the love duo of Zuzana and Mik. Though they are just humans in their small appearances they bring the little glimpse of happiness that Karou and Akiva want for themselves one day. That’s the theme of the journey. One day. Even if the path to one day is laced with the guts and tears of all those other people… le sigh….

Monday, February 16, 2015

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Return Release Week Blitz banner

We have been dying to bring you the Release Blitz for Jennifer L. Armentrout's THE RETURN! THE RETURN is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Titan Series. Seth is looking to be just as dangerously delicious as we all hoped!!



The Return - Cover

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Booksamillion Goodreads

THE RETURN Excerpt:

I was a half-blood, but I was also the Apollyon, a child of a pure and a half, a union that had been forbidden for thousands of years because an Apollyon was more powerful than any pure or half could ever hope to be.

And I always got to the traitors’ hideouts before they did, so the Sentinels were usually left with the cleanup, which I was sure absolutely thrilled them.

The first to enter was a female half-blood dressed just as I was. Her black hair was pulled back in a neat little knot at the top of her head. She was older, probably in her mid-thirties. It was pretty rare for a Sentinel to live that long. Her dark skin paled as she stopped just inside the entrance. She clenched titanium daggers in her hands like she expected something vicious to pop out from under the bloody mess.

The female Sentinel tipped her chin up, and the overhead light sliced across her broad cheekbones. She bore a jagged scar under her right eye, the skin lighter in tone. She saw me and froze.

My smile widened.

Behind her, another Sentinel rushed in, almost mowing her over. He saw me and whispered, “Seth.”

He’d said my name like I was the monster under his bed, and I sort of liked that. Then another Sentinel and another rolled in. The fifth took one look at my interior design work and keeled over. Slamming his hands on his knees, he hurled up his dinner.

Nice.

Our society existed completely unknown to the average mortal and had operated under what was known as the Breed Order for thousands of years. The Order had been dismantled, which meant halfs were no longer forced to choose between becoming Sentinels—hunting down violent creatures, protecting pures, enforcing laws, and otherwise usually dying pretty damn quickly on the job—or servants, which was a job that really wasn’t a job, but more like slavery. Since then, many pampered pures had signed on to be Sentinels, making up for the loss of the halfs who’d pretty much said “screw this shit, I’m out.”

This wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

For example, the dumbass puking all over my blood-covered floor was a pure. When he straightened, his face a greenish hue, he backed away, shaking his head. “I can’t,” he gasped out. “I can’t do this.”

Then he turned and hauled ass out the doors.
I sighed. This was why we couldn’t have nice things.

THE RETURN Synopsis:

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off...

It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.


About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Author Photo# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads


The Return -- Avaialable Now

Monday, February 9, 2015

Quotes (#17)


Good morning Swooners!

Happy Monday! I hope you all feel as inspired as I do today. So for those of you that don't quite have that same feeling, here are some inspirational quotes to get your day going!

"Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence." Eleanor Roosevelt

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." William James

"If you hang out with chickens, you're going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you're going to fly." Steve Maraboli

"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." Pablo Picasso

"Keep in mind that the true measure of an idividual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good." Ann Landers

"I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect." Amit Kalantri

"Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can, there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did." Sarah Caldwell

"I am not a victim. No matter what I have been through, I'm still here. I have a history of victory." Steve Maraboli

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday~ Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1) by Tiffany Schmidt (#52)


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:

Expected release date: May 19, 2015
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble




Summary from Goodreads:

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold-including body parts. She's the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can’t protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise easily.

And in her family’s line of work no one can be safe forever.


All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she's caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking…and maybe she's not as fragile as everyone thinks.

Why I'm waiting:

This book sounds amazing! I love mob type stories and learning that she has an autoimmune disorder just cranks it up. Just another thing her family cant protect her from. I really think the main character is going to prove to be so much more than just sick little girl. I just LOVE strong female MC's!

What are you anxiously waiting for?

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

TEASER TUESDAY (#6)~ Final Stand (The Transhuman Chronicles #2) by Rose Garcia






Final Stand by Rose Garcia

The Transhuman Chronicles #2



Dominique is still alive after killing Tavion, the Tainted who's hunted her for lifetimes. Yet her protectors still fear for her life. They force her to flee Houston and abandon the friends she loves. But they can't protect her from herself. When Dominique starts hearing Tavion's voice in her head, she realizes that her personal connection to the Tainted still exists. And when her car is ambushed, she discovers another frightening truth—someone close to her is a traitor.



Desperate for answers, Dominique seeks the aid of first lifers Trent and Infiniti. With their help, she hopes to find her new enemy. But things get complicated with Trent because of her emotional pull toward Farrell, and even more complicated when the whispers in her head threaten her loved ones. Determined to live, Dominique decides to make a final stand against the forces that want to end her. For good.




Available on  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo




___________________________________________________________


ABOUT ROSE




Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who's always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she's been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles--a series of books about people who have overcome human limitations.

Rose lives in Houston with her husband and two kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com



Monday, February 2, 2015

Welcome to 2015




Morning Swooners!

So I know this post is a little bit late, but I had some serious "back to work blues" and was only functioning at the bare minimum levels since I got back from my vacation a few weeks ago. Now here I am, fresh-faced and ready to take on the world!

So welcome to 2015 Swooners! I hope you all had a great start to the year!


It amazes me that it's already February and i'm just getting back into the swing of things. But fear not, my dears, for this is normally how long it takes me to get back to myself after a long vacation with my family. I've been in Miami for eight years now and I still miss them everyday. So yea, talk about vacation hangover!

No worries though, I can promise you that I am back to my old self and ready to take on the blogasphere! Who's with me?!?

Did anyone else have some trouble getting back from holiday vacations? Getting back to work? Getting back to that dreaded "R" word, reality? Can't wait to hear your stories! :)