Saturday, September 29, 2012

Stacking the Shelves, IMMB, Showcase Sunday, The Sunday Post Mailbox Memes


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here

IMMB was started by Kristi at The Story Siren. Check it out and sign up here
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Buscuits and Tea, ccheck it out and sign up here
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

What I got:
This is Not Forgiveness
source: netgalley
currently reading
What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles, #1)
source: won from Kat and Jess
Booksandsensibility.com
Survive
won from Buried in Books
Me, Him, Them and It
source: bloomsbury
Anthem for Jackson Dawes
source: bloomsbury

Mystic City (Mystic City, #1)
source: netgalley
Beta (Annex, #1)
source: disney
my review here
Send Me a Sign
source: walker
my review here
The Opposite of Hallelujah
source: netgalley
my review here
Smashed
source: trade with YA Romantics


My week:
It's been a good week, but very busy. My husband is out of town this weekend so it is just me and the two girls for the first time overnight.

Last Week on the blog:
Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Review: Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt
Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn
Giveaway: Copy of A Strange Fire and A Vision of Green
Waiting on Wednesday 9/26

Coming up on the blog:
Cover Reveal Purgatory Reign by LM Preston
Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop
Waiting on Wednesday 10/3
DNF post

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.


My question to you, my lovely readers:

Friday, September 28, 2012

Giveaway: Copy of A Strange Fire and A Vision of Green by L.H. Cosway

A Vision of Green (Florence Vaine, #2)
A Vision of Green by L.H. Cosway

Since moving to Chesterport Flo has discovered new friends and a hidden world.
After spending seventeen years as an Empath, thinking she was either delusional or very, very different, she has found others who are different too. She helped battle a coven of dark witches and watched as their leader got sent to her judgement. All now seems peaceful in her new town, but it's not going to last.
For one, Flo's dad is back on the scene and has taken over her dead grandmother's house with his new girlfriend. Dealing with him makes Flo think that maybe everyday people can be monsters too, as he blackmails her into giving up the one person she needs the most. Secondly, Flo hears a story about strange goings on in the nearby forest, and becomes obsessed with the magical things that might lie in its green depths.
A Vision of Green is the second instalment in the Florence Vaine trilogy, where Flo finds herself yet again immersed in mystery, romance and things that are just a little bit scary. She will come across new adversaries, supernatural and otherwise, discover more about her own identity and grow in ways she had never anticipated.
Book 1 info:
A Strange Fire (Florence Vaine, #1)
A Strange Fire by L.H. Cosway
Flo has always had problems. Her stammer prevents her speech and her dad’s abuse makes her life a living hell. Not to mention she sees colours other people don’t.
When her dad decides to ship her off to live with her grandma in the sleepy town of Chesterport, Flo thinks that this is her chance for a better life. But on her very first day at her new school she is ridiculed and laughed at for having a stammer. One student sticks up for her and his name is Frank.
Frank’s body is surrounded by an aura of fire, but Flo is the only one who can see it. He lives in a foster home for troubled teenagers. Flo is drawn to him because he’s different and so is she.
Things are about to get scary, because Chesterport is not your ordinary suburban town. It’s infested by a coven of dark witches who prey on the young and the elderly. Soon Flo discovers that she’s next on their list of victims, and finds herself fighting a battle she never would have imagined possible.

Blkosiner's Book Blog Giveaway
- kindle copy of A Strange Fire and A Vision of Green by L.H. Cosway, open internationally
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 10/26/2012 11:59 pm EST
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn

Beta (Annex, #1)
Beta by Rachel Cohn
Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.
Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.
At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind?
If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.
The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world.
Publishes in US:  Oct 16th 2012
1st in Annex series, the 2nd is untitled and set to release in 2013
Source: disney hyperion for review

Blkosiner's Book Blog review
    Beta has such an awesome concept. I was drawn into Elysia's world and mind, wondering what would happen next, what she would feel that she wasn't supposed to and how her world would change.
    I could connect with Elysia because she has the bursts of human emotion, taste, and memories, and her thought patterns really don't seem like they are automated or anything. I know that she refers to the chip alot and trying to process slang or terms that are unfamiliar, but I think that adds to the charm. It was a new experience though being inside the head of a clone, because you can go along and forget until the expectations that are on her sneak up on you and throw a wrench into things. She isn't supposed to feel, to taste, or to remember things that she does, because she is a clone, and her "first" the teen that died, the soul "removed" and then programmed with computer chips to act in response to emotions, but be immune to the happy and relaxing effect the island has.
    Rachel Cohn writes with such vivid imagery it feels like I was there, looking at the constructed paradise with a purple hue. I wish that I could breathe in some of that oxygen to see what it means to be on such an island, but then as I see the turmoil under the surface I wonder, would it be worth it even just for a visit.
   The story is definitely layered, with Elysia's story, the dynamics between the Governer and "Mother" as well as Liesel and Ivan the brother and sister she's adopted to. And then I didn't know what to think when Tahir came on the scene, but I loved every minute of it. From
    I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what twist would come next, and which character would surprise me in ways I never saw coming.
    This is a fast paced, yet dark and chilling story about what it means to be human, the constraints of that humanity and what can happen when the world goes into chaos. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and can't wait to find out what happens next in Elysia's story.
    Bottom Line: Beta breathes a breath of fresh air into the dystopia genre with this unique main character that I felt for and want so much more of.

Find Rachel
website
facebook
twitter

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Would you live on a paradise island if you could?

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday 9/26


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

This week, I'm featuring:

Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce

When Megan arrives on the cancer ward for her fi rst treatment, she’s frustrated to be on the pediatric unit. There’s only one other teen there: Jackson Dawes. He’s cute, rebellious . . . and obnoxiously charming. Megan can’t stand the way he meets his illness with such positive energy. But when her own friends are scared off by her illness, Megan fi nds she doesn’t really mind Jackson’s playful antics. As they begin the tentative stirrings of fi rst love, they also start the most aggressive round of treatments on their tumors. Can the power of first love overcome the heartbreak of cancer?
Fans of Lurlene McDaniel will flock to this emotional debut.
This title will be released on April 30, 2013.

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab

The Opposite of Hallelujah
The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Caro Mitchell considers herself an only child—and she likes it that way. After all, her much older sister, Hannah, left home eight years ago, and Caro barely remembers her. So when Caro’s parents drop the bombshell news that Hannah is returning to live with them, Caro feels as if an interloper is crashing her family. To her, Hannah’s a total stranger, someone who haunts their home with her meek and withdrawn presence, and who refuses to talk about her life and why she went away. Caro can’t understand why her parents cut her sister so much slack, and why they’re not pushing for answers.
Unable to understand Hannah, Caro resorts to telling lies about her mysterious reappearance. But when those lies alienate Caro’s new boyfriend and put her on the outs with her friends and her parents, she seeks solace from an unexpected source. And when she unearths a clue about Hannah’s past—one that could save Hannah from the dark secret that possesses her—Caro begins to see her sister in a whole new light.
Publishes in US: Oct 9th 2012
Source: Netgalley

Blkosiner's Book Blog review
    At the heart of The Opposite of Hallelujah, I think the message is that your actions don't just effect yourself. A lie, a decision to leave, hiding from your problems, and pain can't be isolated to just you, it creates a wave to the people you love and that love you.
    Caro is a very relatable narrator. I could relate with her anger, pain and doubt about what was going on in the world around her as well as her curiosity whether related to learning or uncovering the past of her prodigal sister. She is a bit spoiled at times, but aren't we all. Thinking of ourselves is our natural state, but I love how she feels regret when she treats others badly, and at the end of the day I think that she strives to put others before herself.
     Pawel, Caro's friend and love interest is great as well. I loved his sense of humor, his sensitivity and the closeness that was featured in his family as well.
     The Opposite of Hallelujah definitily has something that is missing from a lot of teen novels, involved parents. It doesn't mean that they are perfect, but I love the relationship and the conversations that are in this book. I like that they are involved in school work, try to enforce a family dinner, and how they try to cultivate a relationship between Caro and Hannah.
    Anna Jarzab did a wonderful job writing the emotions of the characters. It got me to feel something for them, especially with Hannah. Even when I did not know what was the root of her pain and confusion, I still felt for her. I could see that she was trying to hard to reform a relationship with Caro as she sorted through her feelings.
     I guess one thing that should be mentioned in case you can't tell from the description, there is a lot of religious discussion in this novel, but I think that it all felt authentic. Caro was questioning what she really believed, if there was a God, her anger with him, and confusion at what made her sister join the convent and ultimately what led her to leave. Father Bob is a great presence in this novel too. I don't think that he ever tried to force his beliefs on anyone, but rather he was a listening ear to Caro, and tried to lead her on the path to discovering herself, and what she can do for her sister.
    Bottom line: The Opposite of Hallelujah is a touching story filled to the brim with emotions with a sweet yet rocky at times relationship and a strong narrator that I connected with. 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Review: Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt

Send Me a Sign
Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt
Send Me a Sign
Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death
Publishes Oct 2nd 2012
Source: Walker for review

Blkosiner's Book Blog review
     Send me a Sign is a beautifully written story with a strong narrator.
     I totally clicked with the main character Mia, because I have done what she does so many times, looking for signs in everything. Not to the extent that she does, but I've looked for meaning in songs, and said if this happens, then I will do this, if not, I won't. I think that is a really neat spin on the novel and how her looking for signs shapes so much of the novel and her choices.
     Gyver is such an awesome friend and well written character, I would love to have him in my life. I waivered so much on Ryan but I think that is sort of the point. One minute I would think that he is growing so much, and then he takes steps back and confuses me.
     The calendar girls have such an interesting dynamic to their friendship, going through the seasons, and how they each have their quirks and such.
     The premise for Send me a Sign is so interesting, I'd never thought of anyone trying to hide their illness like that, and I don't know how realistic it would be, but I suppose that you believe what you're told and with how much Mia withdrew at times, it could've played out in real life too.
    I couldn't put this book down, wanting to find out what happens to Mia, how she learns to fight, to speak for herself, and making a choice between the two awesome guys in this book. Her character development is so incremental and Tiffany Schmidt did a spectacular job with it. She is an author to watch, and I can't wait to see what she does with her next novel, Bright Before Sunrise coming in 2014.
    Bottom Line: Send me a Sign is an emotional debut that pulled at my heart strings, and tearing through the pages until I reached the end.

Book Trailer:

preorder here:
IndieBound * Doylestown Bookshop * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Chapters/ !ndigo * Book Depository

About Tiffany (copied from her site)

A YA writer/ reader, living and creating mischief in Doylestown, PA. Married to St. Matt, mother of impish twin boys, and chaser of mischievous puggles. I’m represented by Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.
My debut novel, SEND ME A SIGN, comes out 10.2. 2012 from Walker / Bloomsbury. BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE will follow Winter, 2014.
Find her online:

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Are you superstitious?

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Stacking the Shelves, IMMB, Showcase Sunday, The Sunday Post Mailbox Memes


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here

IMMB was started by Kristi at The Story Siren. Check it out and sign up here
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Buscuits and Tea, ccheck it out and sign up here
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.
What I got:
Beta (Annex, #1)
Source: disney

Send Me a Sign
Source: Walker
The Opposite of Hallelujah
Source: netgalley

My week:
Its been crazy adjusting to life after Disney. But we had a great time, and I have been super busy unpacking, returning stuff, going through pictures, and delivering pampered chef stuff.


Last Week on the blog:





$50 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway from Freedom Road aut...
Waiting on Wednesday 9/19
Author Interview: The Dark Light by Sara Walsh Vac...

Coming up on the blog:
Review: Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt
Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Waiting on Wednesday 9/26

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.


My question to you, my lovely readers:

Friday, September 21, 2012

Blog Tour Giveaway: Married at Fourteen by Lucille Lang Day


Married at Fourteen
Married at Fourteen by Lucille Lang Day
Looking back at her adolescence, Lucille Lang Day describes herself as a juvenile delinquent and teen mother. She ran away at thirteen, got suspended from school and married at age 14, gave birth to her first child at 15, divorced her husband at 16, married him again at 17, and left him at 18 to go back to school. 

About the Author:
Lucille Lang Day has published creative nonfiction in The Hudson ReviewIstanbul Literary ReviewPassages North, River Oak ReviewWillow Review, and many other journals. She is the author of the children's book, Chain Letter, and eight poetry collections, one of which received the Joseph Henry Jackson Award. Married at Fourteen has been excerpted in many literary magazines. The founder and director of a small press, Scarlet Tanager Books, she also served for 17 years as the director of the Hall of Health, an interactive museum in Berkeley. For more info, visit http://www.lucillelangday.com







Blkosiner's Book Blog Giveaway
- copy, open to US only
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 10/19
-Make sure to check out and comment on our interview below for an extra entry
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


 interview with Blkosiner's Book Blog
Interview
--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.
I got married at 14 and had my first child at 15. Married at Fourteen tells about that, about going back to school, and what happened later.


--How did you get the idea for the story?
The book tells the story of my life. I got the idea by living it.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?
I’d really love to have dinner with myself at fourteen. There’s a lot I could tell her about life and the way the world really works. The person I’d least like to have dinner with is a wealthy woman named Bea in the chapter called “Coming of Age at Berkeley.” I only met her once. She was rude and arrogant, not the kind of person you’d want anything further to do with.


--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?
I read a lot, and I love memoirs with teenage protagonists. Some of my favorites are Riding in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio, Cherry by Mary Karr, This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff, Without a Map by Meredith Hall, and Stop-Time by Frank Conroy.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?
I am working on a collection of short stories and a book of poems. The main themes of the stories are identity and loss of emotional control. How do we know who we really are? How do we know who the people around us really are?  How do we all keep emotions like fear and anger from getting out of hand?

The poems are about my family and ancestors. I’m descended from fifteen Mayflower passengers, and also from the Wampanoag Indians who helped them. I also have ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War, and one who participated in the California Gold Rush. So my family history is bound up with the history of America.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?
This is a really hard question. Some of my favorite books, which I’ve already named, are about teenagers who go through tough times. These are books that you would not like your life to be like. I also like biographies of famous women poets like Edna St. Vincent Millay, Anne Sexton, and Sylvia Plath. Most of them had lives that were tragic in some way, and some of them, like Sexton and Plath, committed suicide. You wouldn’t want your life to be like that, either. For 24 hours, though, I could enjoy being the young, carefree, creative Millay in Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay, by Nancy Milford, before Millay’s life was ruined by alcohol and drug addiction. I just thought of another one: Madame Curie: A Biography, by Eve Curie. Marie Curie discovered two elements and won two Nobel Prizes, one in physics and one in chemistry. I could enjoy doing that!

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?
 I have to drink two cups of coffee in the morning to get going on my writing. I didn’t listen to music while I was writing my book, but I could hear the songs from when I was a teenager playing in my head. Some of these are “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
Total recall. I can remember a lot, but it would be even better to remember everything.

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
I like to go for walks in nature and identity birds, trees, and wildflowers. I also like to read, go to movies, and travel.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?
Pursue your goals and don’t be discouraged by failures. Most people have many failures before they succeed.

Lightning round: this or that?
Vanilla or chocolate? chocolate
Edward or Jacob? Jacob
Hockey or soccer? soccer
Ebook or paper? paper
Salty or sweet? sweet
Beach or mountains? beach
Phone call or email? email
Early bird or night owl? night owl
Dog or cat? cat
Messy or neat? neat
Ninjas or pirates? ninjas


My question to you, my lovely readers:
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