Book Bingo Wrap Up

If you don't know what Book Bingo is, check out this page explaining it in depth on Great Imaginations (the blog running it). Basically, over the course of April, May, and June, people read books that fit the bingo tiles and try to get as many bingos as possible! The more bingos you get, the more entries you get into the final giveaway!

Lucky me, I got every bingo tile, which means a LOT of reviews are about to go up. So bear with me.

The Book Bingo card started out looking like this.

And now, here are the books and reviews!

First up is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. That book was INSANELY good! My mind was bent every which way to Saturday. I kept thinking something was happening and then it was something else entirely! The end will surprise most readers and will likely cause for a reread!

The Spring Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan

This was a free novella that I've been meaning to read for ages. It goes along with the Unspoken trilogy, which ends this fall. It was fun reading about the characters, but from the point of view of someone else entirely, in this case, one of Jared's teachers. It was fun and interesting and I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE FINAL BOOK!!!!!! That is all.

Empower by Jessica Shirvington

THIS BOOK WAS BLEEPING AMAZING!!!! I loved it SO much! A beautiful conclusion to the Embrace series! Also, I REALLY hate Amazon/UPS right now. They took THREE extra days to deliver when I had preorder guarantee. Grr... Anyways, Empower was amazing! If you haven't already, you must read the rest of the books! This review will probably contain spoilers for previous installment in the series.

Full review here.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

I actually read this book for a book club at my library! I suggested it since Jessica would be at a local bookstore a few weeks later. I loved Born Wicked and devoured it over my spring break! I was a little (okay very) confused about when the book takes place, but it makes more sense over time. There were characters I loved and characters I wanted to murder... It was super fun meeting the author and hope to see her again!

Review from this post.

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

So, I know that Elizabeth is amazing, but even I didn't suspect the awesomesauceness of this book! I've read Take a Bow by her and loved it. From page one, this book left me conflicted on how I wanted it to end, and yet she managed to end it perfectly! The story starts in the seventh grade and goes through their junior (?) year in high school. It's super fun and has commentary from the characters between chapters!

Review from this post.

Look at that! My first bingo!

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Is there anything Jennifer L Armentrout can't right? Heck no. Don't Look Back was AMAZING! Though I don't read a lot of it, I love the YA thriller genre. Also, Jennifer is a book-making machine! She has something like fifteen books coming out this year, two of which I've already read! Don't Look Back was a creepy, fun ride that I couldn't put down!

Full review here.

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

Undead Much was an okay read. I don't read a whole lot of books with zombies, so it was definitely something new. The book itself was only meh, and I couldn't get behind the romance, among other things, but it was interesting and new. Plus, I got the book second hand for like, 50¢, so I very much wanted to read it.

Crusin' by Sarah Mlynowski

First off, that author's last name is IMPOSSIBLE! Second, this was an AWESOME novella. I loved reading it, and the end majorly took me by surprise. It was a quick, easy read, but definitely worth it. Whatever you think is going to happen, won't. And all in less than 100 pages!

Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel

I have many things to say about this book!!!!! First of all, if you add an 'I' to the beginning of the author's last name, it becomes my name! I was majorly freaking out! Also, there was a character with my name in the book! Which shouldn't come as a huge surprise, considering where it takes place, but I actually don't come across many Isabel's in books.

Full review here.

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

I have much love for this book! It was so much fun to read and was a very original story. I still don't like how the romance ended though. Grr... ANYWAYS! The book was like nothing I've read before, and I wouldn't hesitate to read a sequel if the author ever wrote one!

Review from this post.

Look at that! Another bingo!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

This one, unlike the others, was a reread (which I checked and made sure was okay). Fallen is one of those books that I just love, but then dislike all the others. Rereading the book was a little hard for me, mostly because I kept wanting to smack all the characters upside the head. I seem to have forgotten how annoying Daniel is at first. I still enjoy the book, and I can't wait for the movie which should be coming out next year!

The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan

This novella was slightly more entertaining than the first novella, mostly because I like this character more. It was fun seeing the main character through someone else's eyes, which doesn't happen much. The novella shed some light onto things that are only mentioned in the books and made the wait for Unmade even LONGER!

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I can't even put my love of this book into words. When I heard about it, I was immediately intrigued. Dorothy came back to Oz and became its evil ruler? Count me in! I waited and waited on this book from the library and when I got it, I dug right in! Dorothy Must Die was SO amazing! I love twists and retellings of classic stories and fairy tales, and this one is definitely one of the best.

Full review here.

(I skipped the center spot to go last as my favorite read of the spring)

The One by Kiera Cass

I can't even put my feelings into words about the end of this series. As many of you know, I did not overly enjoy The Elite, but The One made up for it! So many questions are answered, and most importantly, you learn who America choses. Barnes & Noble and UPS didn't get the book to me until Friday, three days after the release when I had preorder guarantee, which left me spitting mad. I was preparing to make them go die in a hole filled with vipers, that was how angry I was. But then it got here and everything was all better!

Full review here.

Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

Whoa, I read this one so long ago, that I barely remember reading it. I read this during my spring break at the beginning of April, and while a satisfying conclusion to the Blue Bloods series, it wasn't anything spectacular. Not the best nor the worst of what I've read.

Review from this post.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

This book was interesting. I couldn't find many titles with June in it, so I went with the one that looked the most interesting. I was not expecting to be as drawn into this book as I was. I think I read this in twenty four hours or so. I enjoyed reading something that was different from my usual reads. I generally avoid books with suicide, but this was an interesting way of portraying it. I honestly enjoyed this book,

Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel

I heard about this book from The Regulator when they announced that they were doing an event with the author in early April. I was stoked to get to meet another YA author, especially of a book that looked right up my ally! I loved the author and I loved the book! I can't wait to read the second one!

Review from this post.

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Holy bleep, this book was good! I had decent expectations for this book, but it just blew them out of the water! Rebel Belle was fun and flirty, with a nice dose of action and magic. The main character, while maybe not the most likable, becomes really kick-butt! I loved the book and can't wait for book two!

Review from this post.

Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Definitely a good book and solid conclusion. I was not happy with how a few things turned out, but that was no fault of the author's, simply that I wish one thing had turned out differently. I loved the book right up until the end. Not ideal, but still good.

Woot! Another book bingo!

Defiance by C. J. Redwine

I loved this book! I've been waiting to read this series until the last book came out, but when I got an ARC of the final book, I decided to read all the books. Defiance was a little slow at points, and I wanted to stab Logan sometimes, but overall I enjoyed it.

Another bingo!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I did enjoy reading the book, but a few things, that are spoilery, were left to be desired. I love Rainbow Rowell, but I was not happy with the end of this book. There were some very simple ways for things to end up okay and the author/the main character didn't take them, ending in a way that will just leave the main character unhappy.

Another bingo!

Red at Night by Katie McGarry

I have had my Katie McGarry fix that'll last me until Take Me On comes out in a few weeks. Katie McGarry is easily one of the best contemporary authors I've read. Jonah and Stella's story was really interesting, and I hope to see it continued in later books!

Review from this post.

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

I was really excited for this book. Sadly, it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. While Unremembered was SO good, Unforgotten just didn't live up to it. I was incredibly bored at points, and while still excited for the final book, I was very meh about it.

Review from this post.

Yet another bingo!

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

A fun quick read. I'm hoping to get a novella that goes along with this series soon. I honestly enjoyed the book and its characters. It was lots of fun and was one of the best Stacey Jay books I've read!

Another bingo!

And finally, my favorite book of the spring . . .

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

You have no idea how much I loved this book (unless you read it/watched me read it). After Clockwork Princess, I was really worried I'd be sobbing at the end, but surprisingly, I was not. I got the book the week I was volunteering at a local elementary school, so I didn't exactly get much reading time. Which means, I got it Tuesday evening and finished it Thursday evening. And by Thursday evening, I mean really early Friday morning. So what if I stayed up past midnight to finish it, right? RIGHT? As I told me parents when I was explaining myself, it was SO worth it! There is a good possibility that part of this review will be be whited out for spoilers, so prepare yourselves.

Full review here.

Four more bingos and a full card! I loved taking part in this challenge and can't wait to do the Summer book challenge! Check out the details here and here is the Summer card!

Is anyone else going to be participating!

Cover Reveal: Liars Inc. by Paula Stokes

I'm super excited to help out with the cover reveal for Liars Inc. by Paula Stokes. Yes, this is late, but I love the woman too much not to help out!

Synopsis:

It all starts with one little lie…

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell lies to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts a business providing forged permission slips and cover stories for the students of Vista Palisades High. Liars, Inc. they call it. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for—THE COVER!

Here’s a little more info from Paula:

OMG, I’ve been flailing about the awesomeness of this cover since April. I saw it and was basically like HOLY COVER LOTTERY!! :D

I’ve talked about how LIARS, INC. is very different from THE ART OF LAINEY, and this cover really highlights that. LIARS has first-person narration, a bit of romance, and similar fast-paced dialogue to LAINEY, but that’s where the major similarities end. This book is a dark mystery for fans of I HUNT KILLERS, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (the TV show, because I’ve never read the books), or old-school Christopher Pike novels. I hope you love it, because if it does well I might get to write a companion novel, and I’m seriously not ready to let go of these characters. Max is a little aloof and slackerish so it might take you time to warm up to him, but his girlfriend Parvati is totally badass and fun, and both of them really grow and change over the course of the novel. (You know how I love me some character development!) And no worries, this is a total standalone book, plotted and written as a solo novel.

What do you think? Do you like this cover? I know I love it! The first time I saw it, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me! Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a signed, personalized ARC of LIARS, INC.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (21)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spines, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I am SUPER excited for Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead! I'm a huge Richelle Mead junky, and can't wait to see more in her world! Admittedly, I like her first YA series better, but Bloodlines is still really good! I can't wait to see more of Sydney, Adrian, Jill, Eddie, Rose, Dimitri, and everyone else!

Synopsis:

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Release: July 29, 2014

Book Blitz: Seeing Red by Olivia Howe

Title: Seeing Red
Author: Olivia Howe
Genre: Fantasy/ Romance
Release: June 24, 2014

Synopsis:

Book 2 in The Dark Love Series

2 sisters. 2 brothers. Love. Hope. War. Revenge.

Nina McKay is learning how to cope with depression and the disappearance of her younger sister, Caroline. Nina has finally found her happiness with Andrew. They're two people who are destined to be together, even with the constant obstacles they find themselves facing.

But, of course, misery loves company. The Sulivic Brothers are back and they're ready to retaliate for the loss of their Brother, Gavin. They want war and they will do whatever it takes to seek revenge.

Can Nina and Andrew get through this obstacle? Will love conquer the act of war? And most importantly, who is going to win this bloody war?

Excerpts:

Title: Dark Love

Author: Olivia Howe
Release: February 14th, 2014
Genre: Fantasy/ Romance
Series: Dark Love

SYNOPSIS:

2 sisters. 2 brothers. Love. Fantasy. Destiny. Danger. Secrets.

Nina Mckay is trying to cope with the loss of her father and depression. She feels as if she's at war with herself and the enemy side of her has complete control.

Nina, her mother Ali, and her sister Caroline, live in a small town called Scarlett Hills. Nina soon meets Andrew Madsen. Caroline meets his brother William Madsen. 2 sisters fall in love with 2 brothers that have secrets that will change their perspectives of the world and of themselves.

Nina soon finds herself standing in the rain, watching her life fall apart. Her outlook on the world will change drastically and soon she will be opened up to a whole different fantasy world that has always seemed impossible, that will change herself forever.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:


My name is Olivia Howe. I'm 20 years old. I was born in Florida and raised in Maine. I enjoy writing, blogging, reading, and sleeping. Music is my life! I write better when I'm listening to music. I mostly listen to rock music like Tesla, Led Zeppelin, The Cure, Nirvana, Audioslave, Metallica, Motley Crue, Matchbox Twenty, Evanescence, Linkin Park, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. I just love music in general.

Writing "The Dark Love Series" truly saved my life. In 2013, I was diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) and GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Depression and anxiety is the hardest things to live with. I'm not ashamed of it anymore, it's who I am. I'm beautifully broken. That's when I discovered I wanted to write, and Dark Love was born. I didn't want the story to end there, because I connected so much with all of these character, so Seeing Red was born.

Seeing Red has been a long journey, not only for me, but for my characters too. I've dealt with writer's block on many occasions. Luckily, music cured that! My characters have become my life. I feel like I live in their world sometimes, then I stop writing and get snapped back into reality.

Without "Dark Love" and “Seeing Red” I would probably still be struggling with severe depression and anxiety. I was lost for a while, but writing saved my life, it truly did.

Being a published author is my dream in life. I'm dedicated to make my dream come true.

You Can Find Her At:
Website

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon

E-mail: authoroliviahowe@gmail.com

Hosted By:

Book Blitz: The Summer Sacrifice by Holly Hinton

Upper middle grade fantasy THE SUMMER SACRIFICE will be available to buy from major online retailers as of June 21st 2014. Available in ebook and paperback form. (Audiobook to follow.) 

Praise:

”The present world is often terrifying to a sensible adult. Hinton reflects its effect on youngsters in a powerfully imagined world that hums with poetry. In its pages, in the words of Yeats, a terrible beauty is born. Herein lies empathy, barreling adventure and an iconic heroine, Jamie Tuff.”

Charles Bane Jr., award winning author of The Chapbook, and Love Poems; creator of The Meaning Of Poetry series for The Gutenberg Project, and nominee as Poet Laureate of Florida.

Meet Jamie Tuff and her friends:

​Jamie Tuff
"I just happen to drop into other people’s bodies now and then, but don’t worry, I can’t control it!”  

​Seveny Brown
 “Symbol my arse. That is a dead and stinking bird, attached to a dead and stinking snake!”

 George Button
“If I go to Askerwell I’ll be dragged down to hell! Can I take anyone with me?”

 ​Max Lively
“Did you see me smash it? Blake didn’t know what was coming when I wrestled him to the ground!”

​

Ella Rose Last

“Transparent means being honest, rule-abiding, nice and good. I’m all those things, aren’t I?”


Join Jamie Tuff and friends on their adventures through land, sea and sky, in a world where stars walk and Halfhawks fly.

Portraits and group painted by David Revoy.

Welcome to the Island:

Map designed by Joel Sams

Synopsis:

​ No Place

Only the Island survived the Great Storm. It’s quite small and just a quarter of it is inhabited. That quarter is called No Place.

The Establishment

The Establishment rule No Place. Here is what they have to say: “We in the Establishment save lives through the boundaries we create. Our boundaries are your protectors. And trespassers will be punished.”

Pity Me

Pity Me is No Place’s largest settlement and its capital.

The Perfects

The Pity Me Perfects are students selected by the Establishment to help them rule, both in school and out. Officially, they are selected for their objectivity and fairness. Really, they are selected from the ranks of the wealthy. The Perfects do not live up to their name.

The Tombland Gang

The Tombland Gang are Pity Me School’s resident thugs. As the Gang’s ranks have swollen, the number of orphans plummeting to their deaths has also grown. The Gang do live up to their name.

Funnella Fitzgerald

“I am the Headmistress of Pity Me School and the Head of the Establishment. But you probably all know that. At least, you ought to. . . ”

Phosphor-Jones, Head of History

“Dreaming is of little use, and not to be cultivated.”

Miss Humfreeze, Head of English

The English teacher’s eyes look like they could tell a thousand tales, and her wide mouth often tells them. The manshu and juvenites love her for this, lapping up her words like they are delicious drops of non- fermented Honeydew.

No Place’s Chief Doctor

“What a wonderful specimen you are! You’ll look perfect sweating out your life in my Laboratory!”

Illustrated Chapter Headings:

I drew some pictures to accompany the chapter titles. Below is a sample. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2. Pity Me School (for No Place Boys and Girls)

Chapter 13. Miss Mackadoo and the Brainticklers

​

Chapter 31. Fireforge

AUDIOBOOK DRAMA:

The actor in me wants to read everything out loud.

Reading The Summer Sacrifice aloud resulted in multiple revisions being made to the book. Voicing the text let me get close to my characters, see the world from outside of my own head, and it helped me gauge flow, pace and tone. Recording an audiobook seemed a natural conclusion to the publishing process. I looked forward to bringing The Summer Sacrifice to life in this way, and was excited about the potential the book would have to reach a broader audience.

When I was researching how to make and produce an audiobook, I found a podcast on The Creative Penn website, a great site for writers created by author Joanna Penn. During this podcast, acclaimed audiobook producer and author J. Daniel Sawyer talks prospective producers through the process of recording an audiobook, from preproduction to distribution.

Sawyer’s advice is fantastic. Though he stresses it’s a time-intensive and potentially expensive enterprise, he gives clear examples of how to go about creating your audiobook so that neither its quality nor your sanity is compromised.

On his list of things you need, I already had my voice, a good microphone, a basic knowledge of Audacity (an open source sound editing program), a wonderfully geeky boyfriend with a not-so-basic knowledge of Audacity, and a quiet room. I was so excited to commit the story to tape, but on the first day of recording, my preamp broke.

Luckily, my boyfriend gave me a Zoom sound recorder for my birthday.

The actual recording was a bit of a learning curve, and it took twice the time I had anticipated. I was much more adept at the process towards the end of recording the book. With the knowledge I had gained, I then rerecorded The Summer Sacrifice from the beginning.

The audiobook has some sound effects and original music. A few of the sounds are sampled from Sound Jay. Most of the sounds are recorded by me. For example my cat Max has a starring role. He can deliver up indignance, joy and “please feed me!” on a sixpence.

As soon as I know when the entire audiobook will be available to buy, I shall shout loudly about it here. Until then, I hope you enjoy Chapter One!

About the Author:

Holly grew up in a small, sleepy village in Suffolk. The acting bug hit her at age nine, when she was asked to play Baboushka in the school nativity. That same year she played the lead role of a naughty black poodle in a pet parlour themed ballet, and she thought she had made it. Years passed, but the acting bug didn’t. She went to Goldsmiths, University of London to study Drama, after which she completed her actor training at Arts Ed.

Writing a book was never part of the plan. But life’s full of swerves and surprises and ideas dropping into people’s heads. Holly had an idea drop into hers, and that idea became The Summer Sacrifice, and The Summer Sacrifice became the first book of the Master Game Series.
You Can Find Her At:

Website

Goodreads
Facebook
Tumblr
Twitter
Pinterest

GIVEAWAY:

Holly Hinton is giving away one signed copy of The Summer Sacrifice (Paperback), and a bookmark illustrated by David Revoy. Open Worldwide!

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