Sunday, September 23, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (6) : Supernatural Boys and Mystic Lands

**"Stacking the Shelves" is run by Tynga @ Tynga's Book Reviews and I'm linking up with some of the great books I found this week.**

Hey Guys!

First things first, if you haven't entered or heard about the Giveaway, you should probably click the link here, and get your butts geared and ready to participate. I'm giving away some stellar New Adult reads and one winner gets whichever of their choice. It's an ebook giveaway, so make sure you have a Kindle or Nook to receive the prize through. Otherwise, I have nothing else to say on the matter, enter and enjoy yourselves :D

Now on to my Stacking the Shelves round-up! This week I got...




All of the books except Soulbound, were BookDepository preorders and you cannot imagine how excited I was to get my hands on Stormdancer. It was sooooo worth it; I am a very happy reader! Because I like to think frugally, I went with the paperback edition of Raven Boys. I'm kind of lusting after the hardcover though...*Sigh* no one ever said it was easy! Still, I love all of my books. What did you end up with this week? Don't forget to share, I am lover of comments and I reply to each one.

XX,


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New Adult Ebook Giveaway: Winner's choice of Crash, Easy, Dante's Girl,Taking Chances OR Between the Lines

Yo, Lovelies! Judith here, hope you're all doing well! From the title, most of you can probably guess that I'm tuning in with a little ebook Giveaway. Stay tuned for the rules below...



Giveaway Details

Because it has been a while since I last hosted one, enter this Giveaway for your chance to win either a copy of Crash by Nicole Williams, Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole, Taking Chances by Molly McAdams, Easy by Tammara Webber or Between the Lines also by Tammara Webber :) 






To enter...

  • Fill in the Rafflecopter below, you get one freebie from me :)
  • Remember to be fair and use only one IP address in entering (meaning don't go around using multiple computers to enter). I'll be checking.
  • Giveaway is International, as long as you have a Nook or Kindle by which the ebook of your choice may be sent.
  • To keep things confidential, place your email in the Rafflecopter and not comments.
  • Winners have 48 hours to respond, if not, a second winner will be chosen if they fail to claim their prize. 
  • Be 14 years or older to enter, or at least have parental consent to not only read New Adult fiction, but also give out your personal address.


I suppose that is it! The best of luck to all of you. Lots of love...


a Rafflecopter giveaway
**For more information on my Giveaways, please visit my Policies page!**
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cover Reveal: Infatuate by Aimee Agresti

**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**


Infatuate (Gilded Wings #2) by Aimee Agresti
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads Summary

Haven Terra is still recovering from an internship that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble. Graduating early from high school leaves the spring semester free, so Haven and her friends Dante and Lance head to the Big Easy to volunteer with community service projects. But their true mission becomes clear when they run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe. New Orleans is a free-for-all for these shape-shifting devils, who are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered. And they soon discover their French Quarter housemates are also angels-in-training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings. But Haven’s resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks her for help escaping the underworld. Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings—and her life? Thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises, this gripping sequel to Illuminate takes the battle of good and evil to the next level.


I haven't gotten to reading Illuminate yet, the first book in the series, but I'll hurry up on my task to get it read because I really do want to get my hands on this next instalment. What do you make of Infatuate and have you read Illuminate, if so, how did you like it? I'd love to know, feel free to respond in the comments below!




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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (5) : My Life Next Door

**"Stacking the Shelves" is run by Tynga @ Tynga's Book Reviews and I'm linking up with some of the great books I found this week.**

Hey Guys!

This week I don't have much in terms of Stacking the Shelves, but what I did end up with is quite a beauty :) In the mail came...My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick!! Finally. Check out some of the pictures below:

Doesn't it look pretty on my shelf?
The spine for this is pretty with gorgeous white and blue stripes running along, I had to include a picture.

I think the other books were just a little jealous of this one! No matter lovelies, I love you all the same.

And that is it! What did you end up with this week, anything good? Share with me in the comments below and I'll return the favour by visiting you as well :)

Love you lots, 

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Fiction into Fashion (2) Shadeland


**Fiction into Fashion is a meme in which I capture the essence of a previously read book in the form of a fashion set through the use of important themes and/or inspiring objects or characters.**


Shadeland


Joie silk tank top, 105 CAD / Opening Ceremony oversized blazer, 415 CAD / Marc by Marc Jacobs cuffed jeans, 275 CAD / Platform booties, 78 CAD / Zip bag, 265 CAD / White pearl necklace, 14 CAD / Ball 32oz Regular Mouth Mason Jars (62000) 12 Pack, 12 CAD / Shanghai Links Needlepoint Pillow, 66 CAD / Naked Decor Red Heart Pillow, 49 CAD / French Laundry Home Artisan Script Pillow, 160 CAD / PlanToys Victorian Dollhouse, 245 CAD / English Toffee, 18 CAD


Note: The above set was inspired by D.L. Miles's novel, Shadeland. What do you make of it? Respond in the comments below. Stay tuned for another Fiction into Fashion set, hope you liked this one!

Lots of love,

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Review: Shadeland by D.L. Miles

**Note: a copy of this book was provided via Smashwords - thank-you! - in exchange for an honest review.**

Shadeland by D.L. Miles
My rating: 3 of 5 genies
Genre: YA+, Paranormal, Horror, Romance, Adventure
Published: July 11, 2012
Size: 406 KB
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Smashwords
Format: eBook
Read on: Smashwords
Goodreads Summary

One year after the designated “Eidolon Revolution” and all the other-world demons have been exposed, 17 year old Liv Burnett is still the same, apathetic person she ever was. And when a woman dies in her home town, Liv doesn’t think anything of it, choosing to focus on more normal things; things like just graduating high school and moving in with her life-long friend, Luke. But soon Luke is thrown into jail on the sole reason that he isn’t human and has been labeled as the Ellengale Nightstalker for crimes he didn’t commit. Trying to figure everything out Liv realizes she has picked up her own stalker by the name of Jared; an aggressive but alluring man who claims he’s trying to find the real killer too. Taking a chance she normally wouldn’t, Liv follows Jared down dangerous roads in hopes of saving not only her friend, but the lives other women in town.

3/5 genies: An informative Paranormal YA mystery, rife with unexpected thrills and an engaging protagonist.

The Good Stuff.

I learned so much about mythological creatures from this book – particularly Etherics – and I look at the whole reading of this novel as being an education. An enticing one, mind you, but one nonetheless. D.L. Miles exhibits a lot of creativity in her story and in the ideas that it brings across; I’ve never read a book quite like hers. I’m pleased to say that the sequel to Shadeland is most definitely a must-have! She left me hanging with that ending,Cliffhanger…why?!?, but the woman knows how to keep me coming back.

The story is as follows: The Eidolon ‘officially’ came out to the humans only recently, meaning the world knows that all the bumps in the night are real, and the weird dearth in the blood bank supplies…those there are vampire-related problems! Vampires, as well as others, have basically ripped down the invisible curtain of ignorance, and well, the humans are pissed. Naturally, they can’t quite deal with the fact that there are forces legitimately ‘better’ than they are, and for the first week following this coming out, protest fires are rampant. Liv, our protagonist happens to be best friends with an Eidolon, Luke. She’s a pretty easy-going girl, and except at the occasional ignorant pig, doesn’t get worked up by much. Liv lives and let’s live.

Ahaha, get it?! Oh gosh, these jokes are getting worse, aren’t they?

Anyway…

The two have been together since childhood and from then she’s known about him having special powers. She accepts him for what he is, if only the rest of the world did. People are harshly prejudiced against the Eidolon’s and Luke being one is kept pretty much on the down low to avoid unnecessary scrutiny. However, things do not go on as planned. He being an Eidolon plays a special part later in the story, mainly because when mysterious killings begin happening in their little town, Luke and Liv are right in the middle of it. Women are being targeted and Luke ends up being convicted. To help him, Liv joins forces with seemingly ill-natured but dangerously attractive bounty hunter, Jared. Not much for putting down roots, sorry Holding Carter, he’s in town only for the reward money being offered by a victim’s family member. Together, he and Liv hunt down the killer, encountering a host of peculiar people and interesting discoveries along the way.

I’ve got to hand it to Liv, for a YA protagonist, she was decidedly well-rounded and perceptive. She didn’t take much, if anything, for granted and the first half of the novel was brilliant because of her. I kept flipping through chapters and just loving it in her head, it was a good place to be. There are minimal grammatical issues and the writing is crisp and smart. Mystery plays an integral part in the happenings of Shadeland and I’m pleased to say that the story holds; well into three quarters of the book I was still wandering, ‘whodunit?’ There were red herrings, and when I thought I had it, Miles pleasantly surprised me by proving otherwise. The maturity of D.L.’s characters is admirable because of how humanly authentic they feel; she gives them emotions, but responsibilities as well. I mean it was revolutionary! A young adult protagonist with duty, say, employment? What you smoking?! Hah, I welcomed the change.

Some Issues.

As you know, for the first part of this book, I was in love. The only points of contention are:

1.) The continuation of said awesomeness, it did not continue. Things began to lag.

2.) Certain aspects of the Eidolon’s are confusing and not fully explained, I mean, the bulk of knowledge comes from a sporadically present Eidolon scholar, who persists in his reluctance to divulge ‘precious knowledge.’ I wouldn’t have minded an expansion on detail, and more information in terms of some obscure mythical creatures. The world building, or at least the explanation of it was lacking, and I’m looking to the second book to remedy this.

3.) The pacing bothered me. I mentioned that the second quarter of Shadeland lost steam, and this is mainly because things got abrupt and monotonous, a weird combination I know, but it seemed as though the characters were not moving anywhere but revisiting the same places over and over. Things really began to slow, and this is perhaps necessary for a mystery novel, inspecting clues and whatnot, but I would have liked to see more of the town outside of the 3-4 primary locations.

4.) Liv and Luke’s relationship was a bit hazy for me, mainly because the opportunity to see them interacting outside of the craziness wasn’t fully provided. There was so much going on that they never got to be ‘friends.’ Sure, Liv sticks her neck out for him, but all we really get to see of Luke is a mixture of confusion and morose temperament; I missed experiencing his and Liv’s connection.

Besides that, I have no qualms with either Shadeland or D.L. Miles. She is a great author with loads of promise, and I was happy to review this book for her. A copy was provided through Smashwords and I am grateful! Regardless of the few problems, this is still an interestingly good book. A lot happens and there is no sense of disappointment post its completion, just a need for answers. This is why I need the sequel! 3/5 genies , give Shadeland a try!


Favourite Quote: 
With a frozen gust, the creature jumped from my hand and towards the side table by the couch. Slowly, he landed on the remote, a familiar feeling of curiosity growing inside me. Jared and I both followed him, wanting to know what he was doing. 
He sat on the television remote, right on top of the number five. Circling around on the white number he finally flew over to the television. What did he want?
"I think he wants us to turn the TV on," Luke suggested, now next to the doctor. I saw that Richard's eyes were back to their normal colour as he stood up, brushing invisible pieces of lint off himself. 
"Great," Jared said sighing, "we brought an ancient demon from Shadeland so he could catch up on the Kardashian's."  



A set inspired by Shadeland should be up shortly, check it out and tell me what you think! Have you read Shadeland, do you want to? Hit me up in the comments below :)

XX,

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Friday, September 14, 2012

New Releases: (September 13th-18th)

**A meme where I share with you some of the stunning new releases of the week/month, read on to see what's coming out.**


Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 288 pages
Published by Spencer Hill Press



The Diviners (The Diviners #1) 

Released September 18, 2012 
Hardcover 608 pages 
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers



Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 368 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers



Necromancing the Stone (Necromancer#2) 
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 352 pages 

Published by Henry Holt & Company


Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) 
Released September 11, 2012
Harcover 370 pages 
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers 


What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)
 by Kat Zhang 
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 356 pages
Published by Harper


Released September 18, 2012 
Paperback 352 pages 
Published by Gallery Books



The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by 
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 416 pages
Published by Harper Teen



Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan
Released September 11, 2012
Hardcover 272 pages
Published by HarperTEEN



Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) 
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 336 pages
Published by Thomas Dunne Books



The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) 
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 416 pages
Published by Scholastic Press 



The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns #2)
Released September 18, 2012
Hardcover 410 pages
Published by Greenwillow Books





*******************************************************************************

I guess that's it! These are the upcoming YA releases for this week as well as a little bit of the next. All of them look exceptional and I have a few on order (Raven Boys, Stormdancer) I can't wait to share them with you when they arrive :D I hope you enjoyed this segment of "It's Coming Out!!" and hopefully a few of you found a new read/must-have. Stay tuned next week for another round-up of releases! 

Take care,





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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (4) : A look at Some New (and Old) Releases

**"Stacking the Shelves" is run by Tynga @ Tynga's Book Reviews and I'm linking up with some of the great books I found this week.**

Hey Guys,

I hope you're all doing well! Thank-you for joining me in another Stacking the Shelves update. This week, I got my hands on some darling delicacies as well as a few irresistible childhood loves. School is back in session, so that means no ARCs or author/publisher provided reads; I've got to hit the books hard, and not those of my preference. I actually ended up returning stacks of books to the library, simply because my mom is having nothing less than A's from me this semester! I had to say goodbye to:


No! My pretties...
Come back to me!

:'( *Sigh* Hopefully you can make out the names of the books on their spines because writing them all down would not only be tedious, but saddening. These are the lost ones. A moment of silence, please?

They shall be missed. 

It hurt to say goodbye, and a few librarians probably thought I was a looney to be returning them all at once, but it had to be done. I'll be reading still, but mom and I have a deal that little library loans as possible will be taken out during the school term. I can read the books I own, but little else non-academic. Now don't get me wrong, my mother supports my reading habit in an incredibly BIG way; most of the money that I use on books comes from her pocket, and this could never be possible without her, because for starters, she taught me how to read. So I get it; the need to push me is all so that I succeed, my parents love me and this is why those books had to make a direct exit stage right. To make it up to me though, she let me buy: 



Note: Enshadowed was pre-ordered and finally arrived, Sabrina came from an Abebooks extension of BookDepository, and Alice was an awesome find on Barnes and Nobles! The pink on the hardcover of Alice is to die for, the lovely gold accents making this book a keeper. All in all it was a great week for reading; see why I love my mother? She is amazing, I hope everyone meets someone as loving as she is.

But without further adieu, that is it, my stacking the shelves entry is complete! I'll be back next week, but 'till then, respond in the comments below with your weekly conquests and I will be sure to reply and visit you in turn :)


I love you guys! XX Lots of love,









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Friday, September 7, 2012

Mini Update and Giveaway Winner!!

Hey Guys!

I'm just checking in to let you all know that school is officially back in session. This was my first week, and I had all the weird 'trying to find the right class' jitters even though I'm a second year! There were all these people kind enough to help, though, I appreciate that. But my lack of direction and minimal embarrassment aside, school has been good to me. So far. Here's me praying that it stays that way ;) There are a few things still pending for me to get to...such as, writing up my 'Shadeland' review and posting the fashion set for it, that should be done by the end of the week, and I have to get my reading on!

I kind of died when Enshadowed finally came in the mail. Good thing too, I am officially on lockdown in terms of being allowed to borrow anything from the library. The other day, my mother made me return all 23 of my library loans. Seriously, I think it was some kind of intervention because she said "A's don't make themselves," and that I would need to 'work hard' for the kind of grades I want. The horror! Regardless of how sensible this decision is, it still sucks; but school comes first. I have to remember...reading school...comes first. Heh, perfectly normal see? I can do normal.


Crazy Gif
Oh who put that there?!

On to My other Announcement!

I know you've been waiting on this, a lot of you entered and I really appreciate the love and support; it's hard to find subbies as great as you guys these days! In my eyes, you're all Winners! But there is only one for this  Giveaway, and that person is...


Entry #814: Heather Cranmer 
She chose
Confessions of an Angry Girl  


Congrats, Heather! I've shipped the book of your choice and it should arrive shortly. Thank-you for entering everyone!! Be sure to check back soon for more chances to win. Thanks again!!

Lots of love,


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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*


This week I'm waiting on...

Publishing: November 6, 2012
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.
Publishing: October 2, 2012
Genre:  YA, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.She could save the world—or destroy it. Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux. But she can’t do either alone. With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him? Who can Evie trust? As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….


Publishing: September 18, 2012
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

And that's it! What are you waiting on? You know I'd love to hear about it ;)







**All summaries were taken from Goodreads**
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The Truth And Nothing BUT...

Going by FTC guidelines, allow me to point out that all the novels reviewed on this blog were either bought by me, or given by an author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Those books received from Authors and Publishers will be stated clearly as such, as will the ones purchased by myself. There is no shady business going on; no coercion, bribery or compensation has or will ever be received in exchange for any reviews. These thoughts are mine, wacky as they may be, and my honest opinion is all you can truly expect. Still reading? You should be off checking out those awesome reviews ;)