October 2017 Books Bought

Posted on by Cindy

Since starting my blog back in August of 2008 I always try to share what books I get with you so that you can see what I will be reading and I am always looking for a place to link them so that others can see them so from now on I will be sharing my links on Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. As Marlene has offered to co-host Stacking The Shelves with Tynga’s Reviews. Marlene is a new to be blogger and I look forward to checking out her blog.

Good morning everyone I hope your having a great weekend. By the time this goes up I am hopefully still curled up in bed sleeping but you never now as some mornings it feels like I have been awake half the night and other times I sleep in.

online only, some exclusions apply

Needless to say October didn’t start out the greatest with Chapters having this promotion and you all know I had to take advantage of it because there was a few new books that came out that were on sale that I wanted and this was the time to get them.

  1. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Own King (this will be my first Stephen King book)
  2. The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
  3. Things I’m Seeing Without you by Peter Bognanni
  4. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (book 3 in series) this one was my free book
  5. Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
  6. The Midnight Star by Marie Lu (3rd book in The Young Elites series)

 

Total books bought this month: 6
Total books bought this month (Michael): 0

Total books read from this months haul: 1

Total books bought in 2017:  112

Total books read in 2017: 34

Blog Tour/ Carry Me Home

Posted on by Cindy

Carry Me Home
Jessica Therrien
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: September 26th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult

“A riveting page-turner… Jessica Therrien broke my heart into a million pieces — and then put it back together again. This book will haunt and uplift readers long after they turn the last page.”
-KAT ROSS, best-selling author of The Midnight Sea

CARRY ME HOME is a fictional novel inspired by the true story of a teenage girl’s involvement in several Mexican gangs in San Jose and Los Angeles. The members of her crew call her, Guera, Spanish for “white girl” and it doesn’t take long for her to get lost in their world of guns and drugs.

* * *

Lucy and Ruth are country girls from a broken home. When they move to the city with their mother, leaving behind their family ranch and dead-beat father, Lucy unravels.

They run to their grandparents’ place, a trailer park mobile home in the barrio of San Jose. Lucy’s barrio friends have changed since her last visit. They’ve joined a gang called VC. They teach her to fight, to shank, to beat a person unconscious and play with guns. When things get too heavy, and lives are at stake, the three girls head for LA seeking a better life.

But trouble always follows Lucy. She befriends the wrong people, members of another gang, and every bad choice she makes drags the family into her dangerous world.

Told from three points of view, the story follows Lucy down the rabbit hole, along with her mother and sister as they sacrifice dreams and happiness, friendships and futures. Love is waiting for all of them in LA, but pursuing a life without Lucy could mean losing her forever.

Ultimately it’s their bond with each other that holds them together, in a true test of love, loss and survival.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

Author Bio:

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. Her trilogy has been translated and sold through major publishers around the world, such as Editions AdA (Canada), EditionsMilan (France), and SharpPoint Press (China).

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica is the author of a kid’s picture book called, The Loneliest Whale. Her award-winning stories can also be found in a published anthology of flash fiction.

Jessica currently lives in Irvine with her husband and two young sons. She is working on an a YA suspense thriller series and a middle grade fantasy series.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY!
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To follow the rest of the tour be sure to click HERE.

Review/ Sparked

Review/ Sparked

Posted on by Cindy

Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Publisher: Geek & Sundry

Fifteen-year-old Laurel Goodwin wakes up to find her older sister Ivy missing from their Airstream trailer in the Oregon redwoods. A recurring nightmare convinces her that Ivy was abducted, but no one takes her dream seriously, including her mom. Laurel, a loner, has to learn to ask for help, and Jasper Blake, a mysterious new kid who shares her love of old books, quickly becomes her ally. Together they find their quiet town holds a deep secret and is the epicenter of a dark prophecy.

Laurel soon learns that her worst enemies, mean girls Peyton Andersen and Mei Rosen, are developing powers that she needs to find and save Ivy. With time running out, Laurel realizes that power doesn’t always take the form that you expect. And once she learns to look beyond her snap judgments, she develops an unexpected gift of her own.

Before I begin my review I just quickly want to thank Chapter by Chapter Blog Tour for allowing me to be on the tour for this is.

Lately you will notice that I am reading books outside my normal reading genre which I think is a good thing because I am getting to read books that I normally would by pass and getting a feel for the other genres out there that I would have also pass by. I admit that I have really enjoyed the books I have read.

The only preview of the book I have read was the email about the tour and it peeked my interest and I haven’t read it since then because I love going into books blind and not knowing anything about the book. I love going into a book not knowing anything and this was a book I never heard of before until I got the email.

One thing I have to say is that I am going to sound like Julie Chen from Big Brother and say expect the unexpected because that is exactly what I got from this and I love books like that. Just when you think you might have figured it out you are wrong. This book was filled with twist and turns that just make you want to read on to find out what is happening next or going to happen.

The main character is Laurel, she is 15 years old and pretty much is a loner. No one really takes her seriously. I really liked Laurel because she came off like a real teenager one you could relate to. This was refreshing to read because they authors made it a point to make her seen genuine.

One of the things I loved in the book was that both Laurel and Jasper shared a love of books and I love when authors add that into their storyline. Jasper was that dark mysterious guy who was quiet and you just wanted to know more about him and his part in the story. I loved watching this relationship develop and it didn’t feel like it was rushed and it wasn’t expected.

Are Laurel’s nightmares the truth of what really happened? Will they be able to find Lily before its too late?

This was a pretty quick read and I read it over a few days but I do have to say that it started a little slow but once you get into it the story just grips you and you go. I enjoyed the story and I would definitely read more by the author and if this book was to continue into something more I would definitely read it because the book did leave some things up in the air that could lead to more to come.

 

Blog Tour/ Sparked

Posted on by Cindy

Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Geek & Sundry

Fifteen-year-old Laurel Goodwin wakes up to find her older sister Ivy missing from their Airstream trailer in the Oregon redwoods. A recurring nightmare convinces her that Ivy was abducted, but no one takes her dream seriously, including her mom. Laurel, a loner, has to learn to ask for help, and Jasper Blake, a mysterious new kid who shares her love of old books, quickly becomes her ally. Together they find their quiet town holds a deep secret and is the epicenter of a dark prophecy.

Laurel soon learns that her worst enemies, mean girls Peyton Andersen and Mei Rosen, are developing powers that she needs to find and save Ivy. With time running out, Laurel realizes that power doesn’t always take the form that you expect. And once she learns to look beyond her snap judgments, she develops an unexpected gift of her own.

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33534890-sparked

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-sparked-by-helena-echlin-and-malena-watrous/   

Hello! We are both novelists, but if you’ve ever tried to write anything, you know that writing can be a lonely, angst-filled business. So one night over a cocktail or two, we came up with a solution: write our next book together. Malena already had an idea: a girl’s sister is kidnapped and she has to rely on mean girls with superpowers to get her sister back. We couldn’t resist seeing where that story would take us – a wild ride that includes a loner girl who wants to be a writer and a gorgeous boy who can shoot fire from his eyes but also loves to talk about books. And an ancient Zoroastrian prophecy. And pie shakes. (OK, so maybe we got a little carried away.)

We’ve both published solo novels (check them out here and here) and had no idea how co-writing would work out, but we pounded out the first draft in a white-hot frenzy of inspiration we called “the Vortex.” One of us would write a scene and send it to the other with a note: “My apartment is a pigsty and I haven’t eaten all day. #inthevortex.” We wrote the book we wanted to read as teenagers: a supernatural thriller with healthy doses of horror and humor. Oh, and of course there’s romance. You have to wait a long time for the only kiss in the book, but isn’t that the case with all the best kisses in books?

Website | Twitter

Giveaway Details:

• Two (2) winner will receive a copy of Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous (INT)

Code:
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Giveaway Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e650/?

Spotlight/ Rage of the Dragon King

Posted on by Cindy

Rage of the Dragon King (The Chronicles of Fallhollow #2)

by J. Keller Ford

Publication Date:  October 24, 2017

Publisher:  Month9Books

 David and Charlotte paid their dues. They traveled to another realm, battled the Dragon King, recovered the all important magic key to the mage tunnels, and found the heir to the throne of Hirth, as promised. Now it’s time to go home. There’s just one problem: the powerful crystals needed to activate the tunnels have been stolen…and David’s parents have mysteriously disappeared along with them. Guess who’s not going home to Havendale anytime soon.

Eric Hamden, squire extraordinaire, survived the poisonous knick of a shadowmorth’s blade, rescued the king of Hirth from the bowels of the dragon’s lair, and confronted a heartbreaking betrayal that nearly got him killed. Still reeling from the news, Eric sets his sights on a daring rescue only to wind up in a prison of his own with David and Charlotte at his side. But rescues come in strange ways, and before they know it, the three end up in David’s hometown of Havendale…and Eric gets a quick schooling in Modern Life 101. He’d rather fight a dragon.

With secrets, lies and betrayals meeting them at every turn, David, Charlotte and Eric soon discover that Havendale isn’t the sanctuary they’d hoped for. Even their best-laid plans can’t prepare them for the danger that stalks them. This time, no amount of magic or prayers can save them. War has been declared, and in the final battle, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice. Let the battle begin.

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36062252-rage-of-the-dragon-king

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N |TBD | iBooks

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-rage-of-the-dragon-king-by-j-keller-ford/  

Other Books in the Series:

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25721483-in-the-shadow-of-the-dragon-king

About the Author:

J. (Jenny) Keller Ford is a scribbler of speculative fiction and YA tales. As an Army brat, she traveled the world and wandered the halls of some of Germany’s most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights, and wondrous magic to permeate her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind and oozes out in sweeping tales of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love.

When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, screaming on roller coasters and traveling. She is a mom to four magnificent and noble offspring and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a menagerie of royal pets, and her own quirky knight who was brave enough to marry her.

Published works include The Passing of Millie Hudson, a paranormal short story that can be found in READING GLASSES. IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING is her debut novel and the first installment in the Chronicles of Fallhollow Trilogy. Book 2 in the series is slated for Fall 2016.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

• One (1) winner will receive a Kindle Fire

Code:
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Giveaway Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e652/?

Cover Reveal/ Dear Rachel Maddow

Posted on by Cindy
Today Adrienne Kisner and Rockstar Book
Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive excerpt for DEAR RACHEL MADDOW,
which releases June 5, 2018! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win an
ARC!
On to the reveal! 
 
 
Title: DEAR
RACHEL MADDOW
Author: Adrienne Kisner
Pub. Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Formats: Hardcover,
eBook
Pages: 400
Find it: Amazon, B&N, TBD, Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Brynn Harper’s life has
one steadying force—Rachel Maddow. She watches her daily, and after writing to
Rachel for a school project—and actually getting a response—Brynn starts
drafting emails to Rachel but never sending them. It’s an outlet; Brynn tells
Rachel about breaking up with Sarah, her first serious girlfriend, about her
beloved brother Nick’s death, her passive mother and even worse stepfather,
about how she’s stuck in remedial courses at school and is considering dropping
out. 

But then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. She learns that one student
representative will be allowed to have a voice among teachers and
administrators in the selection of a new school superintendent. Sarah, along
with Brynn’s arch-nemesis John, believe only honors students worthy of the
selection committee seat. Brynn knows they are more interested in power and
perks. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position
the knives are out and her brother’s memory and her new crush Michaela are
shamed. Brynn asks herself: What would Rachel Maddow do? 
Exclusive Excerpt!
Folder:  Sent
To: egrimm@westing.pa.edu
From:  Brynnieh0401@gmail.com
Date:  September 10
Subject:  School
Assignment
Dear Rachel Maddow,
I am writing to
you because of a school assignment.  It’s
a totally lame reason to be writing, but I don’t think you’ll actually read it
anyway.  This kind of thing is so sixth grade.  I am a junior in high school and I’ve been
forced to write to a “celebrity hero” by the Applied Language Arts
teacher.  (Hey Mr. Grimm!  How’s it hanging, buddy?)  I wasn’t going to do it, because my
ex-girlfriend worships you and, hello, school assignment.  But I turned on your show and Mom totally
freaked out to see me watching you.
Apparently your liberal and leftist views don’t sit well with
her.  Mom spat out the words like she was
talking about my dad, so I knew she meant it.
That made you my celebrity hero.
You were talking
about some guys running for congress.
But then you said one of them was “freaking amazing.”  I don’t think news people are supposed to say
things like that.  And isn’t that
biased?  News people aren’t supposed to
be biased.  I know this because Mr. Grimm
made us watch this video about newswriting.
Though no one else knows this about me, Rachel Maddow, I have a near
photographic memory for stuff people say.
Their words just stick in my brain.
So I remember what a reporter is supposed
to do.
Anyway, thanks for
pissing off my Mom.
Sincerely,
Brynn Harper
Folder:  Sent
To: Brynnieh0401@gmail.com  
From: Egrimm@westing.pa.edu
Date:  September 11
Subject:  RE: School
Assignment
Dear Rachel Maddow,
I am writing to
you because of a school assignment.  It’s
a totally lame reason to be writing, but I don’t think you actually read them
anyway.  This kind of thing is so
sixth grade.  [Brynn, this is good, honest writing.
Can you try to put a positive spin on it?]  I am a junior in high school and I’ve
been forced [asked] to write to a
“celebrity hero” by the Applied Language Arts teacher.  (Hey Mr. Grimm!  How’s it hanging, buddy?)  [I’m doing well, thanks.
But you can take this out.] I wasn’t going to do it, because
my ex-girlfriend worships you and, hello, school assignment. And Mom
totally freaked out to see me watching you.
Apparently your liberal and leftist views still don’t sit well with
her.  Mom spat out the words like she was
talking about my Dad, so I knew she meant it.
So that made you my celebrity hero.
[Again, great personal touch.  But maybe too intimate for this
correspondence?]
You were talking
about the people running for congress.
But then you said one of them was “freaking amazing.”  And I don’t think news people are supposed to
say things like that.  And isn’t that
biased?  News people aren’t supposed to
be biased.  I know this because Mr. Grimm, my English teacher, made us watch this video
about newswriting.  Though no one else
knows this about me, Rachel Maddow, I have a photographic memory for stuff
people say.  Their words just stick in my
brain.  So I remember what a reporter is supposed to be. [You
are right, Brynn!  I didn’t know that
about you.  Shouldn’t you remember your
assignments, then?]
Anyway, thanks
for pissing off my Mom. [There is a list of
questions I asked you to include.  Maybe
you could end with that instead.]
Sincerely,
Brynn Harper
Folder:  Sent
To: Egrimm@westing.pa.edu
Cc:  Rachel@msnbc.com
From: Brynnieh0401@gmail.com
Date:  September 12
Subject:  School
Assignment Again
Dear Rachel Maddow,
                I
learned an important lesson about rough drafts.
If you really want to send someone a letter, you should just send
it.  Do not turn it in to your English teacher first.  But Mr. Grimm (said English teacher) is the
only person I know who doesn’t think I’m hopeless, so I am trying this again
for his sake.  Though I’m sending it to
you too, to avoid further editing. 
                My
name is Brynn Harper and I am sixteen years old.  I live with my mother and stepfather in
Westing, Pennsylvania.  I have a brother,
too.  Or, I had one, anyway.
                I
first watched your show a couple of times in high school because my best friend
(well, okay, my girlfriend) loved you, so she kind of dragged me along with
her.  She’s not my girlfriend
anymore.  And she said she didn’t have
time to watch television anymore either, even for you.  So she dumped us both.  That gives us something in common.
                I
had a list of questions that I was supposed to ask you, but I got most of the
answers online already.  Mr. Grimm
suggested I think of new ones.  So here
you go:
1.      When
you look at the papers on your desk and circle something, are you really
reading from them?  Don’t you read from a
teleprompter?  When you go to commercial,
you shuffle those papers, too.
Seriously, is there anything even written on them?
2.      How
much does a person have to know to be considered a “wonk?”
3.      At
least one person laughs in the background while you are talking.  Is this on purpose?  Who is that?
4.      Why
don’t you run for political office?
5.      Is
there ever a staff meeting when you think to yourself, “Huh, there really isn’t a lot going on in the news today.”
6.      How
many pairs of shoes do you actually own?
About Adrienne: 

 

I have lived my entire “adult” life in a
college dormitory working in both Residence Life and college chaplaincy.  I like the term “dormitory” better
than “residence hall.”  I went
to school for a long time so that now I get to swoop around in a fancy robe and
silly hat (like at Hogwarts).  I have an
MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts
(a place like Hogwarts).  I play both the
viola and tennis with more heart than skill.
I love my current home in Boston but will always be a Pennsylvanian at
heart.  

Website | Twitter
| Facebook
| Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

 

2 winners will receive an ARC of DEAR
RACHEL MADDOW, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour/ Otherworld

Posted on by Cindy

About the Book:
Title: OTHERWORLD
Author: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Pub. Date: November 7, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Audible, TBD, Goodreads

The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.
Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.

About Jason:
New York Times bestselling author Jason Segel used to have nightmares just like Charlie, and just like Charlie, he’s learned that the things we’re most afraid of are the things that can make us strong…if we’re brave enough to face them. Jason likes acting, writing, making music, and hanging out with his friends. Sometimes he writes movies. Sometimes he writes songs for movies. Sometimes he stars in those movies and sings those songs. You might know him from The Muppets and Despicable Me. Your parents might know him from other stuff. Nightmares! is his first novel.

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

About Kirsten:

I write books.

Some of my books are what librarians call middle grade. (Kiki Strike, Nightmares!)

Some should be kept away from small children and people with weak stomachs. (How to Lead a Life of Crime, The Eternal Ones, Otherworld)

I write some books with Jason Segel.

I’ve written quite a few books on my own.

I’m an Aquarius.

My favorite food is cauliflower. (No joke.)

I will eat almost anything. And I’m weirdly proud of it.

I believe New York City is the most magical place on earth.

I love Dolly Parton and David Attenborough. Equally.

I cannot sing or play any musical instruments.

I’m obsessed with sewers and sanitation systems.

I once broke into a Mayan temple with my brother, Spike.

Spike is an alias. It’s not his real name.

I also have a sister. She prefers to remain anonymous.

We have the same birthday.

Yes, that sucks.

I think that’s all you need to know.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

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

Rafflecopter Embed Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Tour Schedule:

 

Week One:

10/2/2017- Fiction Fare– Review

10/3/2017- Eli to the nth– Review

10/4/2017- A Gingerly Review– Review

10/5/2017- A Dream Within A Dream– Review

10/6/2017- Novel Novice– Spotlight

Week Two:

10/9/2017- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

10/10/2017- Zach’s YA Reviews– Review

10/11/2017- Jump Into Books– Review

10/12/2017- Savings in Seconds– Review

10/13/2017- YAandWine– Spotlight

Week Three:

10/16/2017- Lattes & Paperbacks– Review

10/17/2017- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

10/18/2017- Shelf Rider– Review

10/19/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland– Review

10/20/2017- NightlyReading– Review

 

Week Four:

10/23/2017- Lisa Loves Literature– Review

10/24/2017- Don’t Judge, Read– Review

10/25/2017- Cindy’s Love of Books– Review

10/26/2017- Bibliobakes– Review

10/27/2017- Book-Keeping– Review

Week Five:

10/30/2017- BookHounds YA– Review

10/31/2017- Book Briefs– Review