Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: This Side of Salvation by Jeri-Smith Ready



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:


This Side of Salvation
Title: This Side of Salvation
Author: Jeri-Smith Ready
Release Date: 1st April 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Find on: Goodreads

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, bu
t there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...


It was the title that made me want to read the book and also the cover. They just make me so curious. And then add in  the story and BOOM. I WANT TO READ THE BOOK. I really want to see how this author can write about death... I know creepy, right?

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Review: A Veil of Glass and Rain by Petra F. Bagnardi

A Veil of Glass and RainTitle: A Veil of Glass and Rain
Author: Petra F. Bagnardi
Release Date 20th April 2013: 
Publisher: Self-published
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Brina and Eagan meet for the first time when she's nine and he's fourteen. They like each other from the very beginning, although their bond isn't immediate, but it grows over the years. What links them is the fact that their parents are photographers and are extremely devoted to their work and to each other; so much so that both Brina and Eagan have to learn how to take care of themselves from a very young age. Despite their differences, age, gender, nationality, Brina is Italian and Eagan is American, they find comfort in their growing friendship. 
Then Brina becomes a teenager, and her feelings for her friend start changing and deepening. New desires stir within her. As soon as Brina realizes how those feelings complicate her friendship with Eagan, she runs away from him.
A few years later, Brina is twenty and Eagan is twenty-five, they find one another once again. Brina is studying cinema in Rome and she's also trying to become a musician. Eagan begins to work as an architect in the same city. Eagan wants to be a part of Brina's life anew. Brina, however, is still in love with him; she finds it difficult to act merely as a friend and she keeps pulling away.

Set in the beautiful Rome, this is a sensual and romantic story of friendship and love.



Detailed Review: 

What I did like: The setting and the story. I think the author chose a really good setting and it isn't too cliched either, because people usually relate love to Paris but she has chosen Rome instead, which I think made the book stand out a little more. The story was simple but good. The author manages to put some twists into the story. The cover looks really nice as well. I don't judge a book by it's cover, but it definitely is a point-scorer. There were also some good characters in there, for example Eagan, whose cheerful and kind nature makes him likable immediately.

What I didn't like: Brina was too clingy and needy to me and I don't like main characters like that. If she could just grow up a little, then I would have liked her more. But she was simply too dependent on Eagan and her friends. Second point, too much sex. I found myself skipping some pages on that and to the more interesting parts. But I say this because I'm not a fan of erotica or New Adult. I mean it isn't THAT bad, I just didn't like it. I also think the author could add in more POVs besides Brina and Eagan's because I was really interested in their friends and family and what was happening to them.


The first time I saw Eagan, it was through a veil of glass and water. I was nine, and he was fourteen.


A Veil of Glass and Rain tells a story of a love so strong between two best friends, that they would do anything to solve the obstacles that are in their way. I liked how the author likes to mention the age difference because it reminds the reader that it is a problem, no matter how minor it seems. The love in this story is uncommon but possible. Petra paints a beautiful picture of love that will take the reader's breath away when they read it.      

Brief Review: I think this book was really good except that I would recommend it to adult readers. But the story was good and I liked the setting Petra picked because it set the story to a great start and ending. Her witting is sometimes powerful and can get whole sentences stuck in your head. The author did a good job though, of portraying a love that is passionate and unyielding that it really makes us yearn for it.

Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It!'










QUOTE: 


 This describes Eagan's and Brina's love,

I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.---A.S. Byatt

Your Reviewer:

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Review: Altered by Shawnda Currie

Title: Altered
Author: Shawnda Currie
Publisher: Flea Circus Books
Release Date: September 2nd 2012
Find on: AmazonGoodreads

Quick Review: Abandoned by her family, Lacey is sent to a juvenile detention center known as Clear Waters. Her teen years don't look promising until she is befriended by a mysterious stranger named Taylor, a gorgeous guy whose captivating eyes seem to stare into her soul. Convinced she is in danger at Clear Waters, Lacey joins Taylor in a daring escape. As she meets Taylor's group of friends, she discovers that they're more than they seem - they've been sent from the future to head off an evil corporate plot that will lead to a world war unless averted. With Lacey as their only hope to prevent a grim future, Taylor shows Lacey how to tap into her psychic abilities known in his time as evolved humans.

Travelling with her new friends, she discovers the magic of love while she grows into the powerful warrior chosen to make the difference to the world!

Detailed Review: I thought Altered was actually a really good book, entertaining and whatnot but some parts felt a little slow for me... and well, the characters themselves were quite creative and others just seriously uncertain where I actually had to reread the chapter again just to get it right, but I loved the main character unlike some of the other characters that I've read about, she's not annoying but stubborn at times... BUT (yes, the BIG 'but') you'll, as the reader will grow to love Lacey more. 


Love her name by the way :P 

The characters (well, the main ones anyway) have SUPER POWER, they're espers, ESP (in my term) people with extrasensory perception who have come from the future to convince Lacey that she's the key in saving the world! The story has a bit of romance hence the boy called Taylor who has just come into the picture after Lacey arrives at Clear Water, a juvenile detention center. 

There he teaches her well, tries to anyway, into using her powers... there she learns that she is not as normal as she thinks she is... Well, she already knew that. Including powerful friendships and findings deep beneath Clear Water facility, lies electric chairs and torture... it's for psychotic people a.k.a people who don't follow the rules. 

A slow relationship builds and then the escaping from Clear Water begins. 

I find Shawnda Currie's writing to be interesting and there's this certain twist that makes her book quite mysterious as well, as the budding romance between Lacey and Taylor. I really loved her book but like I said before, it felt kinda slow at some parts of the book where I had to stop and think about it. 

Beware of the slowness! But love Shawnda Currie's creative writing!  

Surprisingly I liked the ending though it's NOT the ending, you, readers will be at the edge of your seats as you flip the next page to the next book. Don't miss the second and third installment of Afflictions of The Evolved, Broken and Choices!

Brief Review: 'Shawnda Currie has developed a story that takes us from the future to the present where time travelling and people with special powers exist to protect the world. The characters fused into the story has made me love the book... though the downside of the story was it's slowness. But the key of the story was it's plot...really liked it!'


My Rating: 4/5   "Really Liked it!"












Reviewer: 




Feature & Follow Friday #159

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: 
What do you do with your books after you're done reading them?

Well, after I read my books I put them on my shelf, carefully placing them (if it's series, together) and then I would stare at them... After a few minutes, I'd stroke the binders... yeah, I'm really creepy :P 

ahahhahaa that's how much I love my books ;)

Guest Post: The Vampire Noctuaries by Eric Muss-Barnes

Today, we welcome author Eric Muss-Barnes to our blog to talk about how actually designing covers doesn't seem as easy as it looks and that fact that people judge most books by covers.

*applause*



We're always told we shouldn't judge a book by the cover, but, let's face it, if we didn't make judgements and assumptions and find appeal in the covers, why have artwork on them in the first place? Would the lovely blokes of Spinal Tap have been upset about their "Smell the Glove" album cover if they were allowed to keep it sex(ist)y instead of solid black? No. Cover art is important.

 We all judge books by the cover. We shouldn't. But we do.


 Because of this undeniable fact, I knew I was taking a big risk with the two books in my duology,Vampire Noctuaries, The Gothic Rainbow and Annwn's Maelstrom Festival.


As you well know, hardcover books in ages past didn't have fancy pictures on their covers. Typically, most books were leatherbound or clothbound and merely had a title on the spine of the tome. Nothing more.


 The word "noctuary" is rather antiquated. In fact, most dictionaries don't even have it anymore. So, forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know, but, allow me to indulge the folks who might not know what the word means; A "noctuary" is a diary or a journal that is only kept in the evenings. Since the book is literally supposed to be a journal kept by the main character, I wanted the cover to be reflective of that. I didn't want the cover of The Gothic Rainbow to look like a novel, I wanted it to look like a leatherbound diary.


 Back when I first released The Gothic Rainbow in 1997, there was no such thing as on-demand printing. I had to purchase 1000 copies of the book and stuff them in my grandparents basement. At $5 per copy, printing a full-cover cover would had added about $2 to the cost of each book. At my wages, it was a struggle to be $5000 in debt, I simply couldn't afford to be $7000 in debt. Thus, the original printing of The Gothic Rainbow was not in color and instead has a solid black-and-white cover. That was all I could afford. But, that was never my vision. That was never the cover I had in my head.


 When it came time to release Annwn's Maelstrom Festival, the long-awaited sequel to The Gothic Rainbow, I was finally able to create the cover for both books, the way they were meant to be.


 Designing the leatherbound look was a mix of my photography and Photoshop work. I went to a used bookstore in Los Angeles, in search of any old book with a brown leather cover. Unfortunately, this proved to be much more difficult than I imagined it would be. I tended to find one extreme or the other - beautifully flawless leather books in every color but brown, or books that were utterly destroyed and missing covers, but I could tell from the coloring of the spine, it would have been awesome.


 Crap.


 Why was this so difficult? I couldn't find a cool old book in an old used bookstore? Auuuugh!


 Eventually, I settled for a 1820's paperbound book, that looked very much like leather. It had a wonderful tarnish and erosion and gold leaf splattered around the edges. When I got the book home, I set it up against some black posterboard and photographed a number of closeups with my Canon SLR digital camera. Then, I found some weathered leather images online and augmented my photographs with the leather texture, blending the two and thereby compositing an original piece of art for the cover, that was not a stock photo image, and couldn't be recreated by any ol' schmuck fumbling around an image database. I'm excited to think that both covers of The Vampire Noctuaries are truly based upon a real book that is nearly 200 years old. Makes the aura of the books feel that much more authentic; Like something you really did pick up and dust off from the catacombs of an ancient vampire mansion.


 Even the title font is original - created by hand, by me, using Fontographer, back in 1996. I've never uploaded it online or made it available on any font sharing sites or anything. That way, it has always been unique to The Vampire Noctuaries and has never appeared anywhere else.


 The logo on the front of The Gothic Rainbow is actually a tribute to Skinny Puppy. Not many people notice that. However, if you look at the stylized ankh and the curves, you see it's actually the initials "G.R." which are a homage to the S.P. initials used on Skinny Puppy albums, as Skinny Puppy is also the first band to make an appearance in the musical references of the story.


 As I said before, I knew this was a risk. There's no text on the back cover of The Gothic Rainbow. No summary to entice the potential readers. Just the symbol of an ankh, stamped as gold leaf into antique leather. Even the back of Annwn's Maelstrom Festival contains an emotional bit of poetry, not a book description. Would I be intrigued to read such books myself? Honestly? Yes. I'd at least flip it open to the beginning. Anyone with the audacity to print a modern day book with an 1800's style cover would be worth 30 seconds of my attention. I don't know if others would agree with me or not, but I think it works.


 Risky, but worth it.


 Despite a lack of a story summary, I think the simple and stark cover gives a good impression of the kind of characters and tale to expect. The main narrator of The Gothic Rainbow is a young male vampire who is the cliche of cocky, smug and powerful jerks. However, we learn of his mortal life through flashbacks and slowly come to realize, he has turned cruel and arrogant as a way to cope with his loss of humanity. Once upon a time, he was a genuinely good kid. Deep inside, he has a decent heart, he was just thrown onto the wrong path by a horrible twist of fate and circumstance. I like to think that shows in the book cover - a sense of nobility in decay.


 The second book, Annwn's Maelstrom Festival, is told from the point of view from an even younger female vampire, who becomes lovers with the vampire boy from the first book. She too is a broken soul, but in a much different way. Instead of living a happy life that was taken away from her by being made a vampire, she had an awful family life and becoming a vampire was her salvation from an abusive home. The front cover of the second book is identical to the back cover of the first book, symbolizing the connection and the full-circle of the redemption both characters find in each other.


 These are facts no one would know when they see the book covers for the first time, but after you read them, an astute observer could find those connections.


 The purpose of this article isn't to give advice on designing a book cover. After all, I'm not so sure what I did is effective. But, I hope this article does show the kind of thought and work and effort that can go into even the most simplistic of covers.


 Judge a book by the cover. Go right ahead. 


 Just remember, a lot more may go into creating a cover than you ever realized.



Annwn's Maelstrom Festival: Concluding Volume of the Vampire NoctuariesThe Gothic Rainbow: Beginning Volume of the Vampire Noctuaries


Review: The Dreamwalker by Constance Williams and Lillian Bishop

The DreamwalkerTitle: The Dreamwalker
Authors: Constance Williams and Lillian Bishop
Release Date: 17th May 2013
Publisher: --
Find on: Goodreads


Quick Review: Everyone loves a good mystery – and Sam Gardener is certainly one of those. Abruptly pulled from school years before, nobody has seen or heard from him since – until now. Returning to high school for his senior year, he is not the same friendly boy his classmates remember, and the rumors are flying. None, however, come close to the truth. The bearer of a strange and frightening supernatural ability, Sam strives to regain control of his life.

Along with some unlikely new friends with secrets of their own, Sam learns that his own mystery is only the tip of the iceberg in the quaint town of Witch Lake. With their help, he must learn the strength of his own gift, and lose the fear that comes with it. With their help, he can stand against the gathering darkness. Together, they can face the truth of Witch Lake, but alone? They will be lost beneath the surface, drowning in depths none could foresee.

Detailed Review: First off, I thought this book was quite original and not too cliche like other books. But maybe what it lacked was a bit more pace. Overall though, the book fetched a quite high rating. 

Sam Gardener has an ability he never wanted and thinks of it as a curse. When he returns to high school, he is changed. He is a loner and doesn't make the effort to make friends. Instead, he stays cut off from the real world. His only friends are the ghost of a long-dead witch and a werewolf. In order to uncover the mystery that is unfolding between two of his teachers, he explores his ability and ultimately finds him in dangerous situations. 

Beware, the ending has a twist in it. And I really am curious to know how the two authors managed to pull off such an interesting story. It is truly well-written and well-planned but just needs a bit more excitement to really get the adrenaline pumping and heart racing. Overall, this is a good start for both authors. I would really love to see what they have in store for their next book!

Brief Review: I really thought this book was well-written and the story was really interesting and fascinating as well. If the authors could just make the story more exciting with more twists, I would be more than happy to give it a high rating. This is a must-read for fantasy, paranormal and mystery lovers!

Final Rating: 4.5/5 'Really Liked It!'










QUOTE: 

To Sam, who really feared his talents  and powers,


Always do what you are afraid to do---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your Reviewer: 


Friday, July 26, 2013

Review: The Foul and The Fallen by Kevin McGill


Go enter the giveaway if you wanna win Episode 2 and Episode 3 of Nikolas and Company!

The Foul and The Fallen (Nikolas and Company: Episode 3)Title The Foul and The Fallen
Author: Kevin McGill
Release Date: 8th June 2013
Publisher: Aero Studios
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: In the third episode of the Nikolas and Company series, Nikolas’s best friend, Xanthus, is slowly turning to stone, and all he can do is watch. The boy steward will have to take a stand against the Council of Teine, the wicked Sheriff Silas Gorringe, creepy orphanage keepers, a mischievous automaton arcade, a horde of blood-thirsty gorgons, and even his closest friends, to try and find a cure for Xanthus Kobayashi. Nikolas is in a race to save his best friend from the breath of the creature most foul.

Detailed Review: Once again, struck speechless. Nothing I can say will convey how asd;flkajsf;kosi AMAZING The Foul and The Fallen is, except that it is way more awesome than the first two books in the series.

The story starts off from where it ended in the second book. Xanthus, has until the Ferret Festival until he completely turns to stone. Meanwhile, the creature most foul is ravaging Huron. But then, the twist happens. THE TWIST. THE TWIST THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. 

WHO CAN THINK OF SUCH A GOOD STORY? This author, obviously. And he isn't human. He could be a Merrow impersonating as a human. This book is certainly for Harry Potter fans and you find that you can't stop reading, not until you reach the last page, because you're dying to know what happens next. It just amazes me how Kevin manages to keep the transition from one event to another so smooth and without delay or hesitation. 

As for the characters, there is a bit of romance in between Nikolas and Helen Wendell and I really can't wait to find out how they progress. As for Tim, I STILL don't like him. Not even bribes will get me to say that I like him. So don't bother trying.

Maybe what the author shouldn't have done though, is to leave the huge gaping CLIFFHANGER in the book. But I will wait. It is worth it. But if the ending in the last book of the series is HORRIBLE, I swear I will die of a heart attack.

Brief Review: I really enjoyed this book! It's just so AMAZING how the author's mind can produce such a story. It's just astounding... But like I said, he's not human.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'











QUOTE:

 To Nikolas's friends who neglected Xanthus, they should learn this lesson...

Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything---- Muhammad Ali



Your Reviewer:




Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

This Song Will Save Your LifeTitle This Song Will Save Your Life
Author: Leila Sales
Release Date: 17th September 2013
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.



Detailed Review: WOW...WOW... Wow...Ok to be honest, this book was just what I wanted it to be. But it was much much more than that. I especially loved the different characters in the book, because they revolved around the main character, Elise's life and also impact her life in such strong ways. For example, Vicky doesn't question Elise when they first meet. She just accepts her into their group. Amelia Kindl, a friend in school though nice, cause Elise's self-esteem to drop.

The last thing Elise has ever done is try to be someone else she wasn't. But that failed. Nobody has ever liked her, not since she started school in first grade. She gets teased and bullied. She is born to be unpopular, as she bluntly puts it.  But then on one of her late-night strolls, she meets two girls, Vicky and Pippa, and is introduced to the chaos and fun that is Start. When she meets DJ Char, she is pulled into the world of DJing, where she seeks refuge and grows to love. 

You see, she is living two very different lives in both the day and night. At night, she can be herself, but during the daytime, in school, she feels trapped. But then one day, both lives suddenly clash together but in the end what happens is not a tragedy, but a miracle that tells you being yourself is never a bad thing.

Even though I think it's impossible in contemporaries, the author managed to add in some twists into the book that was really good and well-written. 

I cried in the end. I really did. Because the book was just so BEAUTIFUL I love Elise. I feel like I have bonded with her as I read the book and I don't think she is a character I will ever forget. I will always think of her as someone who exists in my life. Her voice is so powerful that it would certainly suck you straight into the story without hesitation.

Brief Review: Elise's voice was written with such clarity that it would really grip the reader from the very first sentence. Your attention will never waver as you read the book and the author makes the world of music fit in so perfectly. The story is a masterpiece unto itself; it completely surprises the reader at times when you aren't expecting it. This is a title you mustn't miss, especially for contemporary and fiction lovers!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'











QUOTE:  

To Elise, who tried to change herself

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken--- Oscar Wilde

Your Reviewer:

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

GIVEAWAY (US/CAN): Dance in Shadow and Whisper by Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis

Dance in Shadow and WhisperTitle: Dance in Shadow and Whisper
Authors: Sarah Godfrey and Victoria DeRubeis
Release Date: 19th June 2013
Publisher: ----
Find on: Goodreads

Kali unexpectedly discovers on her first day of human high school that she’s forbidden to eat or partake of the toilet during class time, the assigned history and species books look best on the shelves of popular fiction, and the boy she’s watching over is definitely a reincarnated war lord.

The highest powers of Kali’s people and the highest powers of Yuuhi’s people, irreconcilable enemies, designated them to find proof that Jason is, in fact, the reincarnated Ares.


All Yuuhi sees in Jason is the typical scrawny, socially inept emo kid dressed in conflicting shades of black. But Kali sees that Jason’s shadow is bigger than he is, and if the powers of Yuuhi’s people find out, Jason won’t be human much longer.

The desire to protect him from an unexpected visitor brings out her most dangerous sides. Something’s changing in her, something she can’t control, and she’s not afraid of Jason mutating into a creature of the shadows more than she’s afraid she’s becoming something even worse.

And the highest powers will be watching her.



THIS IS WHAT THE WINNER WILL GET!!!




Sorry, the giveaway is for US and Canada residents only... But those who enter, I always give the same advice! May be the odds be ever in your favour...



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by us, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

This week's 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

AfterpartyTitle: Afterparty
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Release Date: 4th January 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Find on: Goodreads

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle. 

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop... 

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.


I really can't wait for this! It sounds so good and I just finished reading This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales and LOVED it! This has influenced me to want to read more books like it! Love the cover too! MUST HAVE IT!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our YesterdaysTitle: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Release Date: 3rd September 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: "You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 


All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.


Detailed Review: <<ARC received from NetGalley>>

Good morning ladies and gentleman, I'm here to make a speech about how much I loved All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Please ignore the exclamations, informal language and sudden outbursts

I was so happy my request for this book got approved that I literally jumped up and down on my bed! I'd heard so many good things about it and I was about to read it!

And the truth was, IT WAS AMAZING. No, even better than amazing. Even after reading this book, I was still traumatized and even until now I can't stop thinking about it. This is the impact All Our Yesterdays on my life. I loved the characters and the story so so much. They seem so real you can imagine you're them. You'll imagine yourself running, time-traveling, falling in love... 

I had some mixed feelings about the ending in the book. In a way it was quite good, but to be honest, it seemed tragic to me. As for the plot, I have nothing to say. No words can describe it. Too many turns and twists that will keep the pages turning. AND the characters OMG I think I have to stop writing now for fear of spoiling the book. I am on the verge on revealing the who the characters are.  SOMEONE STOP ME.  LET's JUST SAY THE CHARACTERS' STORIES IN THE BOOK WILL CONVERGE TOGETHER BUT IN A REALLY SPECIAL WAY. People who have read this book, you know what I mean. I really loved the author describing time travel in such a way that it almost makes you afraid and curious when it is mentioned. 

I really hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did. And I love and hate Cristin Terrill for that. 

Thank you. *bows*

Brief Review: Everyone, drop the Time Traveller's Wife and other time travel books. THIS is what you're looking for. Filled with romance, action and heartbreak, this book will intrigue readers and keep them turning the pages. Overall, an awesome debut for Cristin!

Final Rating:  6/5 'Atrociously Amazing, Absolutely Amazing, and Awesome'










QUOTE:

This is what I imagine the doctor would say about his time machine,

 Time has been transformed, and we have changed; it has advanced and set us in motion; it has unveiled its face; inspiring us with bewilderment and exhilaration---Khalil Gibran

Your Reviewer:





Thursday, July 18, 2013

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday #158

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home) 

Hmmm... The truth? In the car, because you get free music along with a book. The best place to read right? ;) Well when I'm not driving. But I don't drive so yeah,


Blog Tour and Guest Post: My Girlfriend Bites by Doug Solter

My Girlfriend Bites
Title: My Girlfriend Bites
Author: Doug Solter

Description: Sometimes the boy gets the werewolf.

A wimpy 16-year-old boy wants to find a girlfriend. When he falls for the perfect one, she shifts into a werewolf and throws his life upside down.

After his "dream" girl rejects him, 16-year-old Aiden tries to commit suicide. Yet he mysteriously survives. Now he feels like a loser with zero possibility of  finding the perfect girlfriend. Enter Bree, the creepy girl with too much hair who's rumored to be cloned from a frozen prehistoric cave girl that scientists discovered in Canada. But when he accepts a ride from “Cave Girl” during a storm, Aiden discovers this weird girl not only has a kind heart. She's also cute.

Aiden offers to help Bree in Algebra and the two become friends. When Aiden pushes that friendship into a date, Bree accepts. On a romantic night at the zoo, Bree and Aiden fall in love as the animals watch. Unlike Aiden, they can smell what Bree really is.

Bree decides to tell him her deep, dark secret. Her family are werewolves hiding from the Demon Skins, a mysterious new enemy hunting down all the werewolf packs on earth. Aiden struggles with Bree's revelation, but chooses to stand by the girl he fell in love with. But standing by his new girlfriend will be the biggest test of his life.

Too bad Bree can't turn a coward into a fearless werewolf. That bite thing is only a myth.
This forces Aiden to do the unthinkable...believe in himself.

Guest Post by Author

Hi, Everyone!

Chloe and Elicia were so nice to invite me on their blog today to talk about my new paranormal young adult romance novel MY GIRLFRIEND BITES so...

Here are 10 things you didn't know about MY GIRLFRIEND BITES:

1) The main protagonist is a boy, Aiden, and the novel is his story. But I think girls will enjoy reading a YA novel with a boy POV for a change.

2) Bree, the girl he falls in love with, is a werewolf. She's stronger and faster than any human kid at her new school so she must hide who she is.

3) Early in the novel, Aiden tells another girl, Pamela, that he likes her. It backfires and she makes fun of him. The public humiliation triggers Aiden to try and kill himself.

4) Werewolves can't bite humans and turn them into werewolves. That's too bad because Aiden thinks it would solve all his problems.

5) Bree's family had to flee when their old Colorado pack were killed by a new enemy called the Demon Skins. They have been systematically hunting down werewolf packs across the world.

6) On their first official date, Aiden takes Bree out to a special night at the local zoo. The wolves there are happy to see Bree. So much so they threaten to reveal Bree's secret.

7) Issy Bishara is Aiden's best friend. His family is from Pakistan. When Issy finds out what Bree really is, the boy will regret it.

8) Bree is 16 and has her own car. A 1967 Oldsmobile 442. She likes it because it's big, black, and mean looking. Aiden finds out how fast it can go when Bree almost kills him in it.

9) February is mating season for werewolves. It's a time when wolf hormones are hard to control and teen werewolves suffer the most. Bree has to resist Aiden or she will do something she'll regret.

10) This isn't a paranormal novel about a boy becoming a werewolf to solve all his problems. It's a paranormal novel about a normal boy who falls in love with that special girl who helps him realize what kind of person he can be.

MY GIRLFRIEND BITES Buy links
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About the author:
Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Doug went to college at nearby Oklahoma State where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV/Film production and worked in local television for 20 years. Doug began writing screenplays in 1998 and became a 2001 semi-finalist in The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. His script Father Figure was one of 129 scripts left from 5,489 entries. His tenth script, Rail Fan, became a quarter-finalist in 2009. Soon after, Doug made the switch to writing
 young adult novels in 2008. Skid, a young adult novel set in the world of Formula 1 racing, is his first





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