BLOG TOUR: Sunscorched by Jen Crane

I am really excited to be on the Blog Tour for Sunscorched by Jen Crane! I received a copy of Sunscorched for review, all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own. Thank you so much to Jen Crane and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun tour and giving me a chance to read this great book.

Title: Sunscorched (Subterranean Series #1)

Author: Jen Crane

Goodreads  Amazon  Barnes and Noble  iTunes  Kobo

Synopsis: Death in daylight. Danger at dark. 

Life can’t possibly get more treacherous than a violent sun allergy in a solar-blighted world. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Nori Chisholm thought before news of an impending sunscorch delivered her death sentence.

Desperate to survive the scorch, she’s forced to shelter underground and discovers a secret subterranean world where life is hard, and so are the people. Betrayed and left for dead by the man who pledged to help her, Nori is sold to a gritty pit fighting ring. There she makes a friend—and plenty of enemies.

Sam Cooper’s motives are at times impenetrable, but speeding through the underground world on the back of his motorcycle is a dark freedom Nori can’t live without. On the run from a group of cutthroat rogues, their escape takes an unexpected twist. A shocking discovery shatters everything they thought they knew. Can they use the knowledge to save what’s left of the world?

Winner of the Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction, Sunscorched is a tale of survival and self-discovery at breakneck speed. Fans of Bella Forrest and Marie Lu, who crave dangerous heroes and dark secrets, will love the Sunscorched world.

My Thoughts: As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this. This is my kind of book. I love gritty, post-apocalyptic tales where there is danger around every corner. Characters must struggle to survive in a world gone mad. I devour these kinds of stories, and this one was no exception. I liked it a lot. It grabbed me. Everything was so dangerous, messed up, thrilling, and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.

I really liked the use of a sun allergy in this book, how our main character Nori has to struggle with a disease that sucks when the world is normal, and sucks even more when the sun decides to attack everybody. I loved it.

I also liked Mr. Sam Cooper. He's cute, he's got a motorcycle, he's exciting!

The writing was great. I got very involved in the story because of the way it was written. I now need to know what happens next. Book 2, I'm coming for you!

Thanks again to Jen Crane and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me give it a read.

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Though she grew up on a working cattle ranch, it's fantasy and sci-fi that shine Jen Crane's saddle. Her newest novel, Sunscorched, received the 2017 Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction.

Book 2 in Jen's fantasy romance series, Descended of Dragons, was selected by iTunes/iBooks as "Our Pick" in fantasy/sci-fi.

Jen has a master’s degree and solid work histories in government and non-profit administration. But just in the nick of time she pronounced life *too real* for nonfiction. She now creates endearing characters and alternate realms filled with adventure, magic, and love. She lives in The South with her family and too many pets.

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Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop and make sure you go check out Sunscorched by Jen Crane!!!

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BLOG TOUR: Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil (#1) by Mary Fan

Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil
Mary Fan
(Flynn Nightsider, #1)
Publication date: May 15th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Break the enchantments. Find the truth. Ignite the revolution.
A century ago, the Enchanters defeated the evil Lord of the Underworld, but not before he’d unleashed his monsters and ravaged the earth. The Enchanters built the Triumvirate out of what remained of the United States, demanding absolute obedience in exchange for protection from the lingering supernatural beasts.
Sixteen-year-old Flynn Nightsider, doomed to second-class life for being born without magic, knows the history as well as anyone. Fed up with the Triumvirate’s lies and secrecy, he longs for change. And when he stumbles across a clue that hints at something more – secrets in the dark, the undead, and buried histories – he takes matters into his own hands.
Before long, Flynn finds himself hunted not only by the government, but also by nightmarish monsters and a mysterious man with supernatural powers … all seeking him for reasons he cannot understand. Rescued by underground rebels, he’s soon swept up in their vision of a better world, guided by a girl as ferocious as the monsters she fights. But as the nation teeters on the brink of revolution, Flynn realizes three things.
The rebellion is not what it seems.
Flynn himself might be more than he seems.
And the fate of the world now rests in his hands.

My Thoughts:  I'm so super excited to be on the Blog Tour for Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil (#1). Thanks so much to Xpresso Book Tours and Mary Fan for letting me be a part of this tour. I received a free copy for review purposes, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.
This was a whole lot of fun to read! I love post-apocalyptic stories, throw in some paranormal elements, and I love it even more. This book took me for a ride. I didn't want to stop reading. I wanted to know everything and anything that was going to happen next.
I enjoyed the characters, especially Flynn's journey through the book. He discovered so much about himself. He really had quite the time of it.
I was drawn in to the writing, it hooked me. I'm definitely going to read more from Mary Fan.
Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil was a great story. I can't wait to see how the adventure continues next. I'd definitely recommend it. It was amazing!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Author Bio:
Mary Fan lives in New Jersey, where she is currently working in financial marketing. She has also resided in North Carolina, Hong Kong, and Beijing, China. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember and especially enjoys the infinite possibilities and out-of-this-world experiences of science fiction and fantasy.
Mary has a B.A. in Music, specializing in composition, from Princeton University and enjoys writing songs as much as writing stories. She also enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and exploring new things–she’ll try almost anything once.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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#Spookathon 2018 Wrap-Up!

So #Spookathon is over and I didn't do great at it. I finished two books during #Spookathon
I had a lot of fun doing it and I'd definitely participate again. I'm still participating in the #SpookathonPhotoChallenge over on Instagram. I haven't missed a day! I'm so proud of myself.

 

Technically, I had started Active Memory (The Mirador Series #3) by Dan Wells before #Spookathon started, so I really just finished it during the readathon, but I'm still counting it!! This was a great book. I loved it. It solved some mysteries from the first book and it was just really fun to read. I think I used this for the challenge of a book that has purple on the cover. I really hope that Dan Wells writes more in this series because I love it. And Dan Wells is an awesome writer and I highly recommend reading his stuff.

I then started and pretty much finished The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy annnd this was probably the wrong book to read during a readathon. I used it for the challenge of a Spooky Word in the title. I was thinking Demonic Possessions kind of thing. While the premise of this book was really interesting, it was told in such a long-winded fashion. It was a slow book, not good for when you want to speed through books for a readathon. The main character was pretty boring too. It was just meh.

And that's how I did during #Spookathon! Did you participate? I'm definitely going to take part again next year because it was a lot of fun.

COVER REVEAL: Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

I've got an awesome Cover Reveal for you today of Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake! It's Exciting!!! Thank you so much to Brenda Drake, Entangled Teen, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun cover reveal.

Okay, Drumroll Please....

Here it comes!

I don't think you're ready for this awesomeness.

TAH-DAH! It's Beautiful.

Fresh Releases: October 23, 2018

Fresh Releases! Read All About Them!
This is the one on probably most everyone's list and the only one I'm going to talk about because I'm not caught up on any others that might be coming out.

-- Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas -- Funny story, I have not read any of this series yet, but I do own all the books (except for this last one of course).  I plan on starting and reading this series though. Maybe I was really the smart one all along, because now I can read the whole thing start to finish without having to wait for books in the series to be released.

Also, this thing is almost 1,000 pages!! That's a beast of a book.

Get these Releases while they're Fresh!! Any other books I should be on the lookout for?

Review: Gemina (Illuminae #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina (Illuminae #2)

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published by: Alfred A. Knopf

Released: 2016

Synopsis: Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and theHypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I had so much fun with this!! When I read Illuminae a couple of years ago, I liked it, but I was a little letdown by the massive hype. I think I went into Gemina with lower expectations, and I ended up really enjoying it. 

I really liked the mixed media, it didn't get too repetitive or boring. I loved the journal entires and drawings by Marie Lu. Seeing that blood stain get bigger and bigger caused me anxiety.

I liked our two main characters, Nik and Hanna. I also liked Ella, you can't forget Ella. I don't know what it is, but they were just fun.

I liked the overall plot in Gemina. The paid mercenaries taking over the Heimdall and Hanna and Nik having to take them out was exciting to follow. I really liked having the pictures of all the baddies and watching them get X'ed out one-by-one. It was satisfying. Whenever they mentioned the baddies names, I would flip back to see their pictures. I think having one main threat to focus on kept my attention more focused on the story.

There were some crazy twists that I enjoyed too. This might be unpopular, but I think Gemina is my favorite over Illuminae, maybe that's because there was less of AIDEN, I don't know. In Illuminae AIDEN got very repetitive to me, and I just didn't love him as so many other people do.

Gemina was exciting and a lot of fun! I loved the plot, the characters, the experience of the whole thing. It ended on a cliffhanger, so I need to read that Third Book pronto. It was one crazy ride.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.3/5

So Good! I Devoured It.

Reading Right Now! (180)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...
Technically my second read for #Spookathon which is going exactly as I thought it would go, in that I'm not zooming through all the books! I don't know how people do it. I'm not a super reader *wahh*
Anyway...

-- The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy -- I'm using this one as my spooky word in the title. I figure Possessions can bring to mind demon possessions, and since this book is about letting the dead inhabit a person's body for a short time, I think it works.

This book is okay so far. It's definitely not a fast read kind of book. The main character is kind of hard to get a read on. She's very reserved, she doesn't have a lot of spark or spunk.

The world is kind of interesting, but I wish the reader could actually see one of these sessions all the way through. How does it work? What happens after Edie takes the pill and loses consciousness? What is talking to a dead relative through another's body actually like?

Annnd some of the decisions Edie is making, the obsession she's currently dealing with just doesn't seem smart.

So I'm liking this book so far, but it's kind of weird too.

That's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Fresh Releases and Spookathon 2018!!!

This is a Double Trouble Post. I wanted to cover more than one topic. Hooray!

First, a Fresh Fresh Release that I didn't do last week. It came out October 9th, 2018.

-- The Isle of Gold by Seven Jane -- It's about Pirates people, PIRATES!! I love anything and everything Pirates. I mean, Golden Age of Piracy is my jam. You can thank Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow for this addiction. But yes, I can't wait to read this book. The cover is fantastic. I got an arc of it that I won in a giveaway through instagram and I really want to get to it soon. And everyone else should pick it up as well. It looks so good!

Second thing I wanted to mention is Spookathon 2018 has started, technically yesterday. I'm going to try my best to take part in the readathon. I'm not the fastest reader, so I know that I'm not going to read a bunch of books during it. I am having fun taking part in the Spookathonphotochallenge on instagram. If you want to check out my account, I'm @gotbookcitement

The first book I'm going to be reading for Spookathon is technically one I already started last week, so it's probably cheating, but I'm going to count it anyway. It goes for two challenges and I'm planning to finish it during the readathon, so I'm counting it.

-- Active Memory (Mirador #3) by Dan Wells -- I'm really close to being done with this and I'm really liking it. I love Dan Wells' stuff and this Mirador Series is awesome. I'm hoping for more books in this series. I think this counts for two challenges. A Book with Purple on the Cover annnd A Book Not Set In Our Current Time Period.

And that's all I got for this Fresh Tuesday. Anyone else participating in Spookathon?

BLOG TOUR: Frequency by Christopher Krovatin

I am really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Frequency by Christopher Krovatin. I was sent an e-arc for honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Entangled Teen, YA Bound Book Tours, and Christopher Krovatin for letting me be a part of this fun tour.

Title: Frequency

Author: Christopher Krovatin

Goodreads Entangled Publishing Amazon  

Synopsis: Five years ago, Fiona was just a kid. But everything changed the night the Pit Viper came to town. Sure, he rid the quiet, idyllic suburb of Hamm of its darkest problems. But Fiona witnessed something much, much worse from Hamm’s adults when they drove him away.

And now, the Pit Viper is back.

Fiona’s not just a kid anymore. She can handle the darkness she sees in the Pit Viper, a DJ whose wicked tattoos, quiet anger, and hypnotic music seem to speak to every teen in town…except her. She can handle watching as each of her friends seems to be overcome, nearly possessed by the music. She can even handle her unnerving suspicion that the DJ is hell-bent on revenge.

But she’s not sure she can handle falling in love with him.

My Thoughts: Frequency had a vibe to it that I really enjoyed, a lot. It was an interesting read. It was different than a lot of the YA books I usually read. I'd recommend this one for older Teens to New Adult readers, just for some of the content and situations. I think this book is perfect for the music fans, the fans of the weird, and the fans who want something a little bit different. It was a lot of fun to read.

I really enjoyed the music vibe this had to it. Frequency is a different kind of take on the Pied Piper tale. The Pit Viper has the power to control the teens of the town through his music. I was reminded a little bit of that scene in Hocus Pocus where Winnie sings her I've Got A Spell On You song and hypnotizes all the adults, so that was fun! This Pit Viper is a dark character. He holds grudges and he wants some revenge. I enjoyed it. It was dark and fun.

I found the writing of the book to be very good. I was drawn in, flipping pages, just waiting to see what would happen next.

I really liked Frequency. It was something a little different than I was expecting. It was slightly messed up, dangerous, and fun to read. I'd definitely recommend this to older teen readers.

The Author

Christopher Krovatin

Chris Krovatin is an author and journalist of some ill repute. His past novels include Heavy Metal & You, Venomous, and the Gravediggers series. He is a contributor to Revolver Magazine and MetalSucks.net, and formerly sang in Brooklyn-based metal band Flaming Tusk. He is an avid fan of weird fiction, the occult, horror movies, heavy metal music, and Halloween. A native New Yorker, he now lives in Denver, Colorado.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour stop for Frequency by Christopher Krovatin. I'm really excited that I got to be a part of it. Thanks to Entangled Teen, YA Bound Books Tours, and Christopher Krovatin for including me in the fun.

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Reading Right Now! (179)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

-- Active Memory (Mirador #3) by Dan Wells -- I'm so excited for this book! I love Dan Wells as an author. I love this series. Gaahh. I can't wait to see what happens in this one. I'm unsure as to whether this is the last book in the series, I hope not, because I'm always going to want more. I mean, nowhere on it does it say trilogy or conclusion, it just says Mirador series continues, so I'm going to hold out hope that there will be more books. If anyone knows the answer to that question, let me know.  And look at that cover! I love that cover. I think I'm going to use this for the #Spookathon readathon as a book with purple on the cover and set in a different time period than our current one.

Anyway... I'm super excited to get farther into this. I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. I definitely recommend giving this series a read. The first book is Bluescreen, followed by Ones and Zeroes, and then I'd recommend reading all of Dan Wells' other books :D His I Am Not A Serial Killer Series is realllly good too.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you Reading?

COVER REVEAL: To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman

Who's ready for a Cover Reveal of To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman?? Thanks to Entangled Teen, Lindsey Frydman, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun Cover Reveal!

Get ready, because here it comes...

.......

.........

TAH-DAH!

Review: The Hatching (#1) by Ezekiel Boone

Title: The Hatching (#1)

Author: Ezekiel Boone

Published by: Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: Man oh man, that was terrifying. It would make a great movie. The visuals it presented would be terrifying to see on the screen. Flesh eating spiders EVERYWHERE. No escape. Covering a person in seconds and just devouring them. Terrifying, Terrifying I Say! After reading some chapters one night, I woke up the next morning to a spider on my wall, and I was scared. Was the universe playing a mean joke on me? Maybe. I killed that spider though, he didn't eat me. 

I really did enjoy this. It was very quick, fast paced. It had that post-apocalyptic vibe that I just love. I would never want to be in an apocalyptic event myself, I mean, who would? I know I would be one of the first to go if that ever happened. But I love reading about the craziness and the survivors. I just eat that stuff up.

This did feel like a definite first part to something bigger, which it is. Don't go into this book looking for a beginning, middle, and end. All you're going to get is the beginning. There's no closure at the end of this book. The reader is left on a massive cliffhanger, so they have to read what happens next.

The beginning of The Hatching introduced us to a massive amount of characters, really too many characters to even get a handle on. It jumped all over the world. A good chunk of the book was just introduction to this character, that character, another character over here. It got a little overwhelming. And most of those characters didn't even live that long. Once our core group of characters got to business, it was more fun to follow.

I won't say I have a special affinity for any of the characters. They didn't have massive heaps of character development. I also got a little tired of how some of the women characters were portrayed. The were all pretty, could get any man they wanted and knew it. Some of the girl characters were just kind of judgmental when they compared themselves to other girls. They just didn't feel real. I mean, it felt very much like a guy writing what he thinks a woman would think, which it was. I don't know if that necessarily makes sense, but I'm sticking with it.

The Hatching was fun and terrifying. It was a very fast-paced read. It would be perfect for Halloween reading. I've got the next book handy, so hopefully I'll get to it soon. If I had been in this book, I would have gotten a flame thrower and fried those evil little spiders to crispy nuggets. Burn them all with FIRE!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

I am now terrified of all arachnids, bugs, creepy crawlies. All of it.

September 2018 Wrap-Up

Here's everything I read in September 2018! I didn't read the most books in September, but I enjoyed a lot of the ones I read.

 

  

-- Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- Very Spooky! Had a Charles Manson kind of vibe to it. Shocking ending. I'm gonna read more by Ania Ahlborn.

-- Gemina (Illuminae #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.3/5 -- I LIKED THIS SO MUCH! I was a little under-whelmed by Illuminae, so I was kind of nervous going into Gemina, but I enjoyed this one a lot. I enjoyed the characters. And I think I just liked the premise better. Instead of a rogue AI, we had some pretty mean mercenaries taking over the ship. I'm excited to read Obsidion and see how everything ends.

-- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- Really, really cute and steamy. I liked it a lot. Not realistic at all when it came to what I think of a work environment, but I really enjoyed it.

-- The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5 -- I wasn't blown away by this one. I really enjoyed the premise of it, but I don't think it ever really reached that cool potential. I wanted more danger and more action, and it had very small moments of it, but overall, it read more like a kind of contemporary story. I don't know. I really love Emily Lloyd-Jones superhero/super abilities series, so I was expecting more from The Hearts We Sold.

-- Nailbiter, Volume 5: Bound by Blood by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, Adam Guzowski, John J. Hill, and Rob Levin -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- This is a perfect Halloween read graphic novel. It's really violent, really dark, and I really like this series. There's only one more Volume left before it ends and I have all the answers!!

And that's my September 2018 Wrap-Up. What did you read?

Review: Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn

Title: Within These Walls

Author: Ania Ahlborn

Published by: Gallery Books

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: From indie horror author and bestselling sensation Ania Ahlborn, this brand-new supernatural thriller questions: how far would you go for success, and what would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?

With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I liked this! I'm definitely going to read more from Ania Ahlborn. Within These Walls was a slow burn scare. It had a lot of build up to an ending that shocked me. It was definitely an experience of a book. It had a Charles Mason vibe to it, which made it really weird and really creepy.

I was really looking forward to Lucas getting that interview with Jeff Halcomb, and it made me a little crazy that it never happened. It would have been such an intense and creepy scene.

I liked getting all the flashbacks to the time of the original crime. They were really interesting to read and experience. I felt so badly for Audra Snow. She seemed like such a lost and lonely soul, and these people just took advantage of her. What have I learned? Never invite a bunch of weird, beach living strangers into your house. I wish she would have kicked them out, especially as they got more and more sinister. I wish she could have recognized that there was no love there, no belonging, they were just using her.

I won't say that I ultimately understood everything that happened. I didn't understand all the whys. I still have questions about the baby. Questions about just what really was going on. It was very weird. I also had questions when it came to Lucas's ex-wife. Why didn't she try to get in contact with her daughter more?

I will say I did guess who one of the villains might be, so I wasn't that surprised when they were revealed.

Within These Walls was one crazy ride. It was a slow-burn scare that I really ended up enjoying. It's not a book that will scare the pants off you, but it does have a creep factor that will stay after turning the last page. I'm going to be reading more by Ania Ahlborn.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Spooooooky!

Reading Right Now! (178)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

-- Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda -- I actually finished this one in the wee hours of Friday morning, but I'm still going to include it anyway. I definitely enjoyed it, buuuut I do see ways it could have been better. I'll dive deep into it once I write my review. As a teaser for my upcoming review, I'll just say that I think this would have been better if it had been broken up into two books. And I did have some other qualms about it, but I won't spoil them for you here. I'm definitely going to read more by Courtney Alameda!

-- The Hatching (#1) by Ezekiel Boone -- As you can see, I decided to go all in for the scary/creepy books for the month of October. They are fun. Also, I could be craving them because I've decided to take part in the Spookathon picture challenge on Instagram and probably the Spookathon Readathon.

This one is about spiders!!! Can We Panic Now!?! I've just started it, and I'm interested. So far, each chapter has been a different character, so I'm excited to see how they all come together.

The cover is perfection!! Pure Creepy Spider Web Perfection!

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

BLOG TOUR: Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn. I've read other books by Pintip Dunn and have liked them all, so that made me even more excited for Star-Crossed. I want to thank Entangled Teen, Pintip Dunn, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun tour. I was provided with a free e-arc for review purposes, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.

Title: Star-Crossed

Author: Pintip Dunn

Released: October 2, 2018

Goodreads  Entangled Website  Amazon

Synopsis: In a world where nutrition can be transferred via a pill, and society is split into Eaters and Non-Eaters, seventeen-year-old Princess Vela has a grave dilemma. Her father, the king, is dying, and only a transplant of organs from a healthy Non-Eater boy will save him.

Vela is tasked with choosing a boy fit to die for the king, which is impossible enough. But then Carr, the boy she's loved all her life, emerges as the best candidate in the Bittersweet Trials. And he's determined to win, because by doing so, he can save the life of his Non-Eater sister.

Refusing to accept losing the boy she loves, Vela bends the rules and cheats. But when someone begins to sabotage the Trials, Vela must reevaluate her own integrity—and learn the true sacrifice of becoming a ruler.

My Thoughts: Yet another Pintip Dunn book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked Star-Crossed a lot! I love a good sci-fi tale, and this one had it all. Planets and Colonists, tough choices, greater good, mystery, romance, heartbreak, it had alllll the things I like in a book.

There were a lot of tough circumstances in this book, sacrifices that characters had to make for the greater good. It was very thought provoking to read. I don't think I could ever survive in most of the book worlds I visit, and I probably wouldn't have survived in this one either, but I love reading tales of hard choices and what humanity will do to keep going.

The romance was everything I wanted it to be. Sweet, steamy, and it gave me all the feels.

The world was really fun to read about. As I've stated before, I've been a big fan of sci-fi lately. Part of that probably stems from my obsession with The 100 and Bellamy Blake and of course Firefly, which was canceled TOO SOON! I really enjoy reading books set in a future where humanity has to contend with different, dangerous challenges.

The characters were great to follow. I liked reading about them.

I'd definitely recommend Star-Crossed and Pintip Dunn books in general to everybody. Star-Crossed was good, really, really good.

Meet the Author

Pintip Dunn

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Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B., and received her J.D. at Yale Law School.

Pintip’s novel FORGET TOMORROW won the 2016 RWA RITA® for Best First Book, and SEIZE TODAY won the 2018 RITA for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire; the Japanese Sakura Medal; the MASL Truman Award; the Tome Society It list; and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other titles include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, THE DARKEST LIE, GIRL ON THE VERGE, and the upcoming STAR-CROSSED and MALICE.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn. If it sounds good to you, pick it up. I definitely recommend it. Thanks again to YA Bound Book Tours, Entangled Teen, and Pintip Dunn for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

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BLOG TOUR: After Always by Barbara J. Hancock

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for After Always by Barbara J. Hancock. The cover looks so haunting and dramatic that I knew I had to read it. I want to thank Entangled Teen, Barbara J. Hancock, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. I received a free e-arc of After Always for review, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.

Title: After Always

Author: Barbara J. Hancock

Release Date: October 1st, 2018

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Synopsis: Lydia’s life felt like it ended when Tristan died. Sure, they had their problems and he could be a little…intense at times. But he’d promised to love her forever…

When her parents propose a summer across the country with a music teacher who runs an inn, Lydia agrees. But it’s different from what she expected. There’s a presence there she can’t quite reconcile—and it feels like it’s hunting her. It seems Tristan’s promise followed her…and may have graver consequences than she could have known.

Then there’s Michael Malone, the one light spot in an otherwise dark existence. Lydia can’t help but be drawn to him, and as they try to uncover the evil plaguing the inn, they grow closer. But guilt over Tristan’s death still consumes her. Can she and Michael uncover what evil lurks in the inn before it takes another victim?

My Thoughts: Oooh I liked this one. It had this creepy romantic vibe to it that I really enjoyed. It was a dark tale, darker than I thought it was going to be. There were also some unexpected twists and secret reveals that I really enjoyed. After Always was different than what I expected it to be.

It had a very gothic feel to it, which I really enjoyed. It had this atmosphere to it that was just fun and creepy to read.

I liked the flashback storyline a lot. I was always excited when I would get to one of those sections.

I also really enjoyed the writing style. I got pulled into the story from the first page.

I also really enjoyed the romance. Every good Gothic book needs a romance in my opinion.

I really enjoyed After Always. It had a good creep factor, some romance, a lot of secrets and shocks. I'd definitely say give it a read. It's a good one.

Meet the Author

Barbara J. Hancock

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Barbara J. Hancock lives in a cabin in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her many rescued pets and the guy who lured her into the wilderness with promises of lots of peace and quiet for writing. To this day, the Appalachian wildwood is the best gift she’s ever been given. Her favorite pastime (besides animal rescue) is bringing darkly romantic stories to life by firefly light.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour stop for After Always by Barbara J. Hancock. I'm so excited that I got to be a part of the tour. Thanks again to YA Bound Book Tours, Entangled Teen, and Barbara J. Hancock for letting me be a part of this creepy, romantic tale.

Fresh Releases: October 2, 2018

These Releases are FRESH FROM THE GRAVE!!!! SHAMBLING ONTO YOUR SHELF!!! It's October, so everything automatically becomes spooky. There's a lot of Fresh Releases this week, I'll just name the ones I remember, but be sure to check them out!

 

 

 

--  Grim Lovelies (#1) by Megan Shepherd --

-- Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa --

-- Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke --

-- A Map of Days (#4) by Ransom Riggs --

-- Broken Things by Lauren Oliver --

-- Muse of Nightmares (#2) by Laini Taylor --

I know I'm missing some, probably a lot, but there's a bunch of books coming out in October. Some pretty exciting releases too! Better get them while they're FRESH FRESH.

I say that, but you can really read a book whenever. Sometimes it's even better to read it after the hype goes down.

Review: Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Published by: Tom Doherty Associates (TOR)

Released: 2017

Source: Library

Summary:  Beneath the Sugar Sky returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world. 

Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I'm going to be unpopular about this, but I didn't find anything particularly spectacular about this story. It was okay, it was fine, but I'm not feeling the hype the majority of the book world feels for this series. 

In a sense, I felt like I was getting preached at, which I HATE HATE HATE when it comes to books. I expect to be given a story that I will fall into and enjoy. I don't like it when I can see the slant, the subliminal messaging being blasted at me. Beneath the Sugar Sky was just screaming LOOK HOW DIVERSE I AM! I mean that's fine. I'm all for diverse reads, I just don't like being beat over the head with it. I want to love a character because they are a good character, not because they fit into all these diverse categories.

What I did like is that Beneath the Sugar Sky kind of looped itself back around to events from the first book. I enjoyed getting to see characters that I'd already been introduced to. It was fun seeing Nancy again, even though I still don't get the lure of being a living statue. It was fun seeing Rini's Daughter, and learning that they were somehow going to bring her back. I like Seanan McGuire's writing. I like the illustrations that randomly popped up, even though they were very sparse.

I didn't really feel anything for the main character Cora. She was always thinking about how people were judging her for being fat. All she focused on was Fat Fat Fat. I think that fat mentality is something she needs to work on in herself, because it seemed to really bother her way more than it bothered other people. I'm not saying she needs to become a skinny minny, but she just needs to learn to like herself.

I didn't feel like the Candy Land world was that unique. I've seen it before. It reminded me a lot of Wreck-it-Ralph.

I really think the first two books were stronger than Beneath the Sugar Sky. This one had a protagonist that I just didn't really care about. 

And my main complaint that I've had through the whole of this series is that every single one of them is too short. The quest felt so rushed in Beneath the Sugar Sky. It needed more time, more development of the characters, for certain aspects of the plot to not resolve themselves so easily. The characters needed more of a challenge, which needs more time and pages.

I enjoy this series, but I don't love it. I don't necessarily get the hype. I'll still read more of them because I'm interested, but I don't ever see it becoming a 5 Star, Favorite Series for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Needs More Sugar.