Review/ Always With You

Review/ Always With YouAlways With You by Hannah Ellis
on September 30th 2017
Pages: 376
Goodreads

A secret kept for more than twenty years. A daughter intent on finding the truth...

In 1994, twenty-one-year-old Evelyn Taylor left England to backpack around Australia. When she stopped off in the dusty outback town of Kununurra, she never expected to fall in love with the place—and the people. But Joe Sullivan captured her heart, and when her fun-filled year in Australia came to an end, saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing she’d ever done.

In 2017, Evelyn’s daughter, Libby, embarks on her own Australian adventure. Grief-stricken following her mother’s death, she’s determined to find the father she never met.

Little does she know that digging up the past will be more complicated than she ever imagined.

Always With You banner

Before beginning my review I quickly just want to thank Lola’s Blog Tours for allowing me to be a part of the blog tour for Always With You and for sending me a copy of the book to read for the tour stop.

One of the best things about taking part in blog tours is getting to read books you have never heard about before until seeing it in your email and this was the case this time around. This is a new book for me and the same with the author. I have to say that after reading this I am curious to check out other books from Hannah.

This was a fairly quick read for me and I managed to finish it within two days. Perhaps being a little under the weather helped a bit with that or just my need to have a me day after a long and stressful hockey evaluation session.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was the vivid description because it literally felt like you were a part of the book and were with Libby as she was going on this adventure.

The book is basically divided up into two parts one is Evelyn’s trip in 1994 and Libby’s trip in 2017. Evelyn is Libby’s mother and she has kept a deep dark secret from her daughter, Libby. As  her mother is dying she finally reveals to Libby what it was, Libby is grief stricken after her death and decides to basically relive her mother’s year long trip in Australia in the hopes of finding her father that she never got to know.

I have never been to Australia and its on my bucket list of things to hopefully one day do and after reading this I really have to make this goal happen.

Its been a while since a book has actually tugged at my emotions and this one certainly did. I could feel my heart breaking when Libby was going through Evelyn’s death. My mom passed away two years ago and that emotion is still raw so I could completely relate to Libby.

Will Libby finally find the father she went looking for? Is she just going to make things complicated if she does? Or is it better to just leave things unsaid?

I highly recommend this book. It was a fantastic read and I am definitely going to check out her other books.

Blog Tour/ The Uncrossing

 

 

About the book:

The Uncrossing by Melissa Eastlake

Publication Date:  October 2, 2017

Publisher:  Entangled Teen

Luke can uncross almost any curse—they unravel themselves for him like no one else. So working for the Kovrovs, one of the families controlling all the magic in New York, is exciting and dangerous, especially when he encounters the first curse he can’t break. And it involves Jeremy, the beloved, sheltered prince of the Kovrov family—the one boy he absolutely shouldn’t be falling for.

Jeremy’s been in love with cocky, talented Luke since they were kids. But from their first kiss, something’s missing. Jeremy’s family keeps generations of deadly secrets, forcing him to choose between love and loyalty. As Luke fights to break the curse, a magical, citywide war starts crackling, and it’s tied to Jeremy.

This might be the one curse Luke can’t uncross. If true love’s kiss fails, what’s left for him and Jeremy?

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34328217-the-uncrossing

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-the-uncrossing-by-melissa-eastlake-presented-by-entangled-teen/

 About the Author:

Melissa Eastlake’s debut novel, The Uncrossing, is coming in 2017 from Entangled Teen. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her partner and their dog.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway Details:

A Prize Pack + a $20 B&N Gift Card (US)*
* A $30 Amazon Gift Card will be substituted for an International winner

Code:
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Book Spotlight/ Night Shift

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About the book:

Title: Night Shift
Author: Debi Gliori
Pub Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 32

From beloved author and illustrator Debi Gliori (No Matter What) comes Night Shift, a groundbreaking lushly illustrated picture book based on Gliori’s own personal history with depression.

Fighting dragons is one way of fighting depression. This book is another.

Through stunning black and white illustration and deceptively simple text, author and illustrator Debi Gliori provides a fascinating and absorbing portrait of depression and hope in Night Shift, a moving picture book about a young girl haunted by dragons. The young girl battles the dragons using ‘night skills’: skills that give her both the ability to survive inside her own darkness and the knowledge that nothing—not even long, dark nights filled with monsters—will last forever.

Drawn from Gliori’s own experiences and struggles with depression, the book concludes with a moving author’s note explaining how depression has affected her and how she continues to cope. Gliori hopes that by sharing her own experience she can help others who suffer from depression, and to find that subtle shift that will show the way out.

A brave and powerful book, give Night Shift to dragon fighters young and old, and any reader who needs to know they’re not alone.

About the author:

Debi Gliori (www.debiglioribooks.com) is well known for both her picture books and her novels for children and has been shortlisted for all the major prizes, including the Kate Greenaway Award (twice) and the Scottish Arts Council Award. Debi was the Shetland Islands’ first Children’s Writer-in Residence. She has written and illustrated No Matter What,  The Trouble With Dragons, Stormy Weather, The Scariest Thing of All, What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?, Dragon Loves Penguin and, most recently, Alfie in the Bath and Alfie in the Garden as well as the popular Pure Dead fiction series for older readers.

Ways to connect with the author:

Website Twitter  

Blog Tour/ A Messy Beautiful Life

About the book:

A Messy, Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Alan

Publication Date: October 2, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Life is funny sometimes.

And not always the ha, ha kind. Like that one time where a hot guy tried to kiss me and I fell. Down. Hard. And then found out I had cancer.

I’m trying to be strong for my friends and my mom.

And I’m trying so hard to be “just friends” with that hot guy, even though he seems to want so much more. But I won’t do that to him. He’s been through this before with his family, and I’m not going to let him watch me die.

So, I tell myself: Smile Ellie. Be funny Ellie. Don’t cry Ellie, because once I start, I might not stop.

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36103768-a-messy-beautiful-life

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled

About The Author:

Sara Jade Alan wrote her first comedy sketch during second grade recess, then cast it, directed it, and made costumes out of garbage bags. Since then, she has performed in over a thousand improvised and scripted shows all over the country. When she lived in New York City with her college improv group, she worked as an assistant to a best-selling author of young adult novels featuring strong female heroes and was completely inspired by her books and the awesomeness of her teen fans. Spending a year on crutches, Sara turned to writing her own young adult stories and was hooked. Currently, she is one-half of the comedy duo, The Novelistas, who perform about writing and teach performance to writers. Hailing from a suburb of Chicago, Sara now lives in Colorado with her husband—who she met in that college improv group—and daughter, who they waited a bunch of years to make. She is a member of and guest instructor at Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Link to Tour Schedule:
http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-a-messy-beautiful-life-by-sara-jade-alan-presented-by-entangled-teen/

Giveaway Details:

• A Messy, Beautiful Life Prize Pack, which includes A Messy, Beautiful Life tote bag, DVD of the anime rom-com Ranma 1/2, Disco ball keychain, Bag of Marshmallow Mateys cereal

Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz/ COCO: MIGUEL AND THE GRAND HARMONY

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About the Book:
Title: COCO: MIGUEL AND THE GRAND HARMONY
Author: Matt de la Pena & Ana Ramírez
Pub. Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Disney Press
Pages: 48
Formats: Hardcover in English & Spanish Editions
Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

This jacketed picture book pairs Newbery Winner Matt de la Pe a and Pixar artist Ana Ram rez with the highly anticipated Pixar Studios film, Coco. Featuring a beautiful original story based on the characters of the film, as well as vibrant stylized artwork, this title is sure to appeal to readers of all ages.

Disney*Pixar’s Coco is the celebration of a lifetime, where the discovery of a generations-old mystery leads to a most extraordinary and surprising family reunion.
Directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (Toy Story 3), Disney*Pixar’s Coco opens in U.S. theaters November 22, 2017.

Movie Trailer:

About Matt:
Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling, Newbery Medal-winning author of six young adult novels: Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, I Will Save You, The Living and The Hunted. He’s also the author of the critically-acclaimed picture books A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (illustrated by Kadir Nelson) and Last Stop on Market Street (illustrated by Christian Robinson). Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of COCO: MIGUEL AND THE GRAND HARMONY, US Only.

Rafflecopter Embed Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2643/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:
10/2/2017- BookHounds YA– Interview
10/3/2017- Cindy’s Love of Books- Spotlight
10/4/2017- Mama Reads Blog– Spotlight
10/5/2017- Mom with a Reading Problem– Excerpt
10/6/2017- Nerdophiles– Spotlight

Week Two:
10/9/2017- Texan Girl Reads– Spotlight
10/10/2017- For the Love of KidLit– Interview
10/11/2017- Novel Novice– Spotlight
10/12/2017- Wonder Struck– Spotlight
10/13/2017- Wandering Bark Books– Spotlight

 

Blog Tour/ Pashmina

About the Book:

Title: PASHMINA

Author: Nidhi Chanani

Pub. Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: First Second

Pages: 176

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

Find it: AmazonB&NiBooksTBDGoodreads

 

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed.

For Pri, her mother’s homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew.

In this heartwarming graphic novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

 

About Nidhi:

Nidhi Chanani is a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and writer. She is the owner of Everyday Love Art. Her debut graphic novel, Pashmina, will be released by First Second Books in October 2017. She recently illustrated Misty – The Proud Cloud, a children’s book by Hugh Howey. She is an instructor in the Master of Fine Arts, Comics program at the California College of Arts.

Nidhi was born in Calcutta and raised in suburban southern California. She holds a degree in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She creates because it makes her happy – with the hope that it can make others happy, too. In April of 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change.

Her media appearances include CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and BBC Radio. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, the Women’s March, My Modern Met, Bored Panda and India Times. Nidhi has worked with Disney, ABC, Airbnb, Sony, Microsoft, State Farm Insurance and a variety of other clients. Her non-fiction comics have appeared in the Nib. Everyday Love Art products are sold in retail shops across the country, including the San Francisco International Airport, Books Inc., and Therapy stores.

Nidhi draws and dreams every day with her husband, daughter and their two cats in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 winners will receive a finished copy of PASHMINA, US Only. 

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/25/2017- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

9/26/2017- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

9/27/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Review

9/28/2017- Novel Novice– Excerpt

9/29/2017- Adventures Thru Wonderland– Review

 

Week Two:

10/2/2017- Cindy’s Love of Books– Review

10/3/2017- Ex Libris– Review

10/4/2017- Wandering Bark Books– Excerpt

10/5/2017- A Backwards Story– Review

10/6/2017- Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook– Review

 

 

Review/ Pashmina

Review/ PashminaPashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Published by First Second on October 3rd 2017
Pages: 176
Goodreads

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri's mom avoids these questions--the topic of India is permanently closed.
For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she's ever dared and find the family she never knew.
In this heartwarming graphic novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

You have probably read this before on my blog but one of the best things about blogging and taking part in blog tours is being exposed to books that you might not normally hear about otherwise and I have to say that this was the case with this book. I didn’t really hear anything about this book until I got the email from Rockstar Book Tours and after reading the description I knew I wanted to read it.

Thank you Rockstar and First Second for allowing me to be on the tour and sending me a e-copy of the book to read. I really enjoyed reading this.

I also have to say that I normally don’t buy finish copies of a book after reading Arcs or eArcs because I am one that doesn’t keep her books after reading them because I know I won’t reread the book but this is the exception to the case. I really enjoyed reading it and can see myself picking it up several times to reread this.

I should begin by saying that this is a graphic novel, something that I don’t read a lot of but when I do I do enjoy them.

I realized that during reading this I didn’t know a lot about the Indian culture or India in fact but after this I want to learn some more about it because I think it would be interesting to learn.

One of my favorite things apart from the illustrations was the fact there was a section in the back with glossary terms so reading this was enjoyable because it added to the story and for me having this it made everything make sense.

Speaking of the illustrations can I just saw wow. I loved that it was all done in black, grey and white but when Priyanka found the pashmina the whole world exploded into color and i thought that it brought a whole new aspect to the story line. I was impressed with the colors and they just added to the book. Then when she took it off it went back to black and white.

I loved Priyanka she was head strong and determined and I think more books need to have that kind of character in them.

Growing up Priyanka has always tried to ask her mother about India and her father but her mother always tried to stay off that topic. Priyanka was curious to know about where she came from and who her family really is. So Priyanka has grown to only imagine what it is like. When she finds the pashmina she sees India in a whole new light and begins to wonder if its really like that. This makes her determined to actually go but her mother keeps insisting its not safe and they don’t have the money. Will Priyanka ever make it to India to see for herself? If she goes will it be everything that she thought it would be?

This was such a fun read and I look forward to picking it up again to reread.