Wednesday, July 31, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 15 Who are your book blogging mentors?

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6            Day 11
       Day 2            Day 7            Day 12
       Day 3            Day 8            Day 13
       Day 4            Day 9            Day 14
       Day 5            Day 10



Day 15 Who are your book blogging mentors?


First let me take a moment to say how sad I am this challenge has come to an end. I had so much fun doing it and reading everyone's opinions, thoughts and rants. Also I got to read about some interesting books and I got some great advice about blogging and that's always a good thing.

My book blogging mentors. To be honest, I look up to a lot of people. They either give great advice, tips, tricks, tutorials, or they just make me want to become a better blogger myself.
That's just to name a few. 

What about you? Who are your blogging mentors?

Book Blitz: All In by Marta Brown & Giveaway



All In
Release Date: 05/28/13

Summary from Goodreads:

On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?


Available from:
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Excerpt #2:
Ashley 
His head is down as he crosses the private section of the beach, staying close to the water’s edge but avoiding the moving tide.
“Lane,” I call out over the noise of the party and the waves, but he doesn’t seem to hear me, so I call his name again, this time louder. “Hey, Lane.” He glances up and scans the party, squinting before finally seeing me. A smile flashes across his face. I smile back as I approach him, my flip flops kicking up sand behind me.
“Hi,” I say. My drink, mostly untouched, sloshes and spills over the lip of the cup when I stop in front of him.
“Looks like you’re having fun.” He nods at my drink and then up at the party.
“I actually just got here. I’m glad you came.” I feel my cheeks heat up, and I’m relieved it’s dark enough that he can’t see. “I think Andrew’s around here somewhere.” I look over my shoulder to point Lane in the right direction.
“Ah, no thanks. I think I’ll steer clear of your kind of parties,” he says, shoving his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts.
“What do you mean my kind of parties?”
“Nothing, never mind.” He kicks at the sand and looks uncomfortable.
“Oh no.” I cover my mouth with my hand. “Did you get in trouble last night when the cops showed up?”
“Yeah, thanks to your boyfriend,” he says with a sneer that makes me take a step back.
My boyfriend?
“I’m not sure what his deal is, but he’s a serious dick.” Lane’s jaw is tight, and there’s not a hint of joking in his tone.
“Gregory?” I ask wide eyed. Why would he think Gregory is my boyfriend? I have a flash of Greg and I at lunch together looking very much like a couple and then again at the bluffs when he gave me his coat, something a boyfriend would do. Oh.
“He is definitely not my boyfriend,” I say seriously. “He’s my ex, if you can even call it that. We dated for like a second, but it was never very serious.” Why am I telling him all this? Stop rambling, Ashley. I dig my toes into the sand. “But you’re right about one thing. He is a dick.” I give Lane a playful grin and watch the light from the bonfire bounce off his features as his jaw loosens and a tentative smile spreads across his face.
From a distance, I hear Gregory’s voice, and when I glance over my shoulder, he’s stumbling our direction, obviously drunk and completely uninvited.
“Speak of the devil.” I roll my eyes and that makes Lane smile bigger.
“The rest of the staff is over there,” Gregory slurs, pointing to the tent where the cater waiters are busy putting out more hors d'oeuvres. Lane ignores his snide remark, never taking his eyes off of me.
“It was nice seeing you again, but I gotta go,” Lane says, and I’m immediately disappointed that he’s leaving.
“Are you sure?” I look down at my feet and try to garner enough nerve to ask him not to go. “Stay,” I say so softly it comes out as more of a whisper when I look back up at him.
He peers over his shoulder across the small peninsula to the lighthouse then back at me. “I’m sorry, I can’t…I…I have to work.” He looks genuinely disappointed, and I wonder if he knows I am too. “But hopefully I’ll see you around, okay?” He gives me a smile that makes my knees go weak before taking off down the beach. In the faint light coming off of the fire, I see him glance back at me before he cuts across the sandy peninsula and disappears into the shadows of tall sea grass.


Lane
He’s not her boyfriend.
I shake my head to clear my mind before I steal one last glance over my shoulder at her as I walk away, but it’s on a loop, and it’s all I can think. He’s not her boyfriend.
I shake my head again, this time to snap myself out of it. There’s no way a girl like that would go for a guy like me anyway. Would she? I shut my eyes and replay the way she looked at me through her long dark lashes, softly asking me to stay, causing my stomach to knot.
“He’s not her boyfriend,” I say out loud at the door of the lighthouse. I pull my keys from my pocket as the sounds of the party float through the otherwise quiet night, and I feel a stupid grin spread across my face despite the rude remarks I just got from that ass-hat Gregory. Seriously, when will the ‘help’ jokes get old?
“Let go. You’re hurting me,” a girl yelps from down the beach. I spin around and from the light coming off the bonfire I can see Gregory’s hand is wrapped around Ashley’s arm, and she’s wincing in pain.
Without a thought, I drop my keys to the ground and take off running, reaching them in seconds. “Let her go,” I yell. My fists ball tight, ready to make him if I have to.
“Mind your own business, loser,” Gregory snarls back as he jerks Ashley by the arm eliciting another cry.
“Lane,” Ashley says, struggling against his grip, fear on her face.
I lunge forward and grab Gregory’s arm, yanking him away from her with a force that surprises even me. “I said Let. Her. Go.”
Ashley falls to the ground when Gregory releases his hold, rubbing her arm in pain. I kneel down and brush the hair from her face, searching for any other signs of injury as adrenaline pounds in my veins.
 “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I promise,” she says, our eyes locked with one another. “Thank you.”
“Come to save the damsel in distress,” Gregory says in a patronizing tone, looking down his nose at me. Convinced Ashley’s alright; I jump up and face him. He’s poised and ready for a fight, and that makes two of us. “You do know the peasant doesn’t get the girl, right? The prince does.”
I can’t stop the laugh that comes out of me. “Are you serious right now?” Who does this guy think he is? “Dude, when a girl’s screaming to be let go, it’s a pretty good indicator that she doesn’t want you, prince or not.”
I hear a light snickering from behind me before I see that a small crowd has gathered around and is watching us intently. I’m surprised they haven’t all started chanting ‘fight’ by the way they look on like we’re simply the entertainment for the evening.
 “You know what? She can slum it all she wants with you. She’s nothing but an uptight frigid tease anyway. Good luck getting into her pants,” Gregory says, wearing an arrogant smirk, his arms crossed leisurely across his chest like he’s just landed a fatal blow.

My vision goes red. He’s about to find out exactly how a real blow feels. To the face.
***
About the Author
Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever. (Beverly Hills 90210 shout out) 

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

Author Links:
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***GIVEAWAY***
1 signed copy of All In (open US only) and 10 e-books copies of All In (open internationally)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz hosted by:

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Book Review: A Time Of Dying by Hailey Edwards

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Araneae Nation #3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: July 30th 2013
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Review copy offered by author in exchange for an honest review
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses...and then she takes their heads.

Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it's hers. At least until-to her fury-she's caught napping.

A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home.

When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he's unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she's lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen.

He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the price is high-and they may both pay for it with their lives.

Warning: This book contains one heroine in desperate need of a bath and one hero willing to wash away her sins. Expect threats, swears and general cursing. Love is a slippery slope, and these two are sliding.

There are so many good things happening in this book, I don't even know where to start. You have a very sexy hero, a surprising heroine, a huge thing happening that will affect everyone in this world, old characters coming back and more.

Let's start with the heroine, Kaidi. At first, I didn't know what to think about her. She clearly has some big secrets she's desperately trying to keep hidden. And she's doing some strange things, even though it's quite obvious she's not doing them because she enjoys them or because she tries to hurt anyone. Then we learn she was supposed to be maven and that is surprising and made me want to learn more about her. She's had some nasty things happen to her in the past and my heart broke a little when she was talking about some of those things.

Murdoch is... breathtaking. He's really quiet at first, dark and mysterious but once he starts knowing Kaidi more and more he sort of opens up and we get to see what kind of male he really is. He's very loyal and very protective. And I liked that he'd go to great lengths to protect those who need protecting. He can be a little too stubborn at times, but I like a stubborn character.

Like I said before, something really big happens in this book. I have a feeling this will change a lot of things in this world, for new and old characters. And it's something a little more than just scary, it's dark and it was completely unexpected. I definitely want to know what happens next.


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ARC August & Beat The Heat Readathon

Since I have some free time on my hands, I decided August was going to be a "read only from the review pile" month. I have a little bit of guilt when I look at those books. Okay, a lot of guilt. So I thought what better way to do this than join a readathon or two?

ARC August is hosted by the wonderful Octavia @ Read.Sleep.Repeat. We're supposed to read all those beautiful ARCs and the pretty books we received for review. And let me tell you, there are a lot of books in my pile. *buries head in sand*

Jessi @ Auntie Spinelli Reads and Reanna @ Phantasmatic Reads are hosting the Beat The Heat Readathon. Read as much as you can, participate in some of the mini-challenges and have fun. You can join on either Jessi or Reanna's websites.

I haven't yet decided how many books I want to read during these two events. I'll try to read as much as I can and I'll review as much as I can (for the books that are released months from now I'll hold the review until neat the release date though).

Have you joined the fun?

Monday, July 29, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 14: Tell us your dealbreakers

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6            Day 11
       Day 2            Day 7            Day 12
       Day 3            Day 8            Day 13
       Day 4            Day 9
       Day 5            Day 10


Day 14: Tell us your dealbreakers


Before I list my bookish dealbreakers, let me tell you something. In school I hated most of the books we had to read for the literature class. When I say most of them, I say about 90% of them. Classics bore me to death and they never helped me find my passion for reading. There were few classic books that I read and enjoyed, but we never studied those *bummer* So when I graduated high school I promised myself I would never force myself to read a book. If I honestly don't enjoy reading it, I'll put it down and never pick it up again. This is also why you'll probably never see a review with less than 3 cups on here. I really do have a lot more books to read and potentially love than to read something that I don't even mildly like.

So my dealbreakers. Well, they're quite a few:


  1. Grammar - look, I don't pretend to know a lot of grammar, I make mistakes all the time and I know it. Everyone makes small mistakes. But huge ones will pull me out of the story.
  2. Name changing characters - am I reading about Michelle or Elizabeth? For that matter is it really a she or is it a he? I like to know who I'm reading about, who's head am I in. I hate being so confused by a character that keeps using different names, unless it has something to do with the story: he/she is a spy or a thief or undercover cop or something like that. If it's an error, I'll know and I'll hate it.
  3. Silly phrases -"My inner goddess" anyone?? It's phrases like this that make me laugh and not in a good way. You want me to laugh because of what your character is doing, right? (PS: No, I haven't read that book. No, I will not read that book. I think everyone knows about this inner goddess thingie, though :P )
  4. Typos - too many typos really ruin it for me.
  5. Characters that annoy me - I'm talking about those books where the main character makes you want to break something. The type of character you can't stand and this is especially difficult to deal with when it's a main character, at least to me.
  6. Dictionary, stay beside me - have I mentioned English is not my fist language? Even so, I do believe I have a pretty big vocabulary in this language, so why should I read a book that forces me to use a dictionary every five, six sentences? Is it a non-fiction cleverly disguised as fiction?
  7. A story that goes nowhere - Plot, pacing, development, character building, world building. I want it all and more. I want to read about a book that leads somewhere, otherwise I'll stare at the tree outside my window hoping to see a leaf fall.
  8. Repetition - You know, I might have a memory as big as a regular goldfish sometime, but I'm not exactly an idiot. I'm fine with reminding me certain things, especially in long series, but to repeat the same thing over and over and over again AND using the same words will pretty much mean I'll be very reluctant to read another book by that author. 
These are my bookish dealbreakers. Though even if I find myself reading a book that sometimes has one of these 8 points, it takes quite a lot to pull me out of the story. Though once I'm out, I can't get back in. Which sucks, because at times I realize that the book I'm reading might even be a good one.

What about you? What are your dealbreakers?

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Book Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #2
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 30th 2013
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: NetGalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one one rule left: Blood Calls to blood.
Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire, Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what she finds there will the change the world forever - and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago - deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries. If Allie can get to him in time...

I read this book a few months ago and I have to say I'm still amazed by it! It took me this much to write a review for it, because I wanted my review to be more than just "ooohs" and "aaahs".

I love Allie so much. She's such a badass character. I'm always amazed by how much she's grown from the struggling human to a very powerful vampire. If there's something that needs to be done, she does it. She is very loyal to her friends, even though sometimes those so-called friends don't deserve it. And she can be very scary despite her age (both as a human and as a vampire).

Something happened in this book that I didn't expect. And his name is Jackal. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to hate him for what he did to Allie and Zeke in the first book or if I should just give up and love the guy. Seriously! One minute he's on the good side, he's very loyal to everyone, he helps and rescues and does stuff that you don't expect and the next he does something so bad and wrong that I wanted to get inside the book and smack the guy. And then again he surprises everyone by showing his true intentions, so to speak. I can't figure him out, but I do hope he won't die in the next book.

We also get some big surprises along the way. We see an old character that I never thought I'd ever see again. There's Kanin in all his hotness, there's Zeke who makes me like him with every page and every scene. I can't really imagine not liking this book, honestly.

The ending of this book broke my heart. Just when I thought things were looking better something happened. I won't lie to you, I was expecting it. But the way in which everything happened was so sudden and so out of the blue, it was a bit of a shock. It was very tragic and I am starting to loose my mind waiting for the next book.

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15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 13: Describe one underappreciated book everyone should read

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6            Day 11
       Day 2            Day 7            Day 12
       Day 3            Day 8
       Day 4            Day 9
       Day 5            Day 10




Day 13: Describe one  underappreciated book everyone should read


I actually have no real answer for this task. I'm sure there are lots of amazing books that need to be read by more people. I have read books that I think everyone should read. Then again, it's all a matter of taste. How many times has it happened to you to read a book everyone loved and you ended up being only "meh" about it? I know I have. Or a book you loved that you told everyone about and one of those people tells you he/she didn't like it?

I don't really think there are underappreciated books. Overappreciated maybe, but again, it's all about your taste and your reading experience. Take whatever book you've read and look at both positive and negative reviews. Unless the book is excruciatingly bad, there'll be almost an equal number of positive and negative reviews (honest reviews).

So I don't have any recommendation of any book that fits this description.

What about you?

Thursday, July 25, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 12: How do you fight blogger fatigue?

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6            Day 11
       Day 2            Day 7
       Day 3            Day 8
       Day 4            Day 9
       Day 5            Day 10



Day 12: How do you fight blogger fatigue?


My two most trusted ways to fight blogger fatigue are:

  1. take a break
  2. think of ways to redesign blog
I can honestly say I've changed my mind about my current design more times than I can count over the last few months. I don't change it though because I'd never fully love whatever I choose.

Another way is to do challenges like this one. 

I don't have many ideas, especially since this year I haven't had so much time to get blogger fatigue. Which kind of sucks, if you ask me. 

What about you? How do you fight blogger fatigue?

Cover Reveal: Dream Girl by S.J. Lomas & Giveaway


Blurb:

For Christine, dreams have never meant much. Until she meets Gabriel. Everyone thinks Christine should stay away from her new coworker at the library—thanks to his bad reputation—but when her dreams grow more vivid and she becomes entangled in a dangerous dream world with Gabriel every night, she can’t stay away. Soon it’s clear there is far more to dreams than Christine ever imagined, and now she’s on the path to making the biggest, and strangest, decision of her life. 


Look for it in November 2013 from Scribe Publishing.

"An intriguing debut, DREAM GIRL introduces a world where simply falling asleep can bring you anywhere – including into danger. Readers will never think of dreams the same way again!" - Laura Ellen, author of BLIND SPOT


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 11: Show Off! 5 of your best blog posts!

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6
       Day 2            Day 7
       Day 3            Day 8
       Day 4            Day 9
       Day 5            Day 10



Day 11: Show Off! 5 of your best blog posts!

I can't really decide on my most favorite blog posts, so I decided to look at the 5 posts that have the most hits.

  1. My review of Three meters above the sky by Federico Moccia has received a huge amount of visits. It's actually scary when I think about it.
  2. Another post that has gotten many views is the Review & Guest Post of Identity Break by Stifyn Emrys 
  3. My review for The Binding by L. Filloon is also very visited. By the way, if you haven't read this book yet, especially you, YA lovers out there, READ IT!!
  4. My interview with Sherry Hayes is on the top 5 most visited blog posts. I love her, by the way! (oh, I should mention, in case you don't know, her books are for readers over 18)
  5. The fifth blog post (but not the last) also has Sherry Hayes in it. Well, in a way. It's a very special guest post. You'll see, if you've read her Finding Anna series and if you read that guest post. :D
What about you? What are your top 5 blog posts?

Cover Reveal: Beyond Control by Karice Bolton



Book Details:

Beyond Control by Karice Bolton
Expected Pub: August 2013
Add To Goodreads

Gabby’s overcome more than most can even begin to imagine, and she’s barely out of college. With a visible scar that reminds her and the world that she beat the odds, it’s impossible for her to put everything behind her, no matter how hard she tries.

As she begins working at her family’s company, she buries herself in the safety of the corporate world. No extra time, no life, no relationships. It’s safe to say she might be a little demanding and overly ambitious. She’s got everything under control, just how she likes it. After all, life is short.

Jason’s been trying to piece his life together after a personal tragedy, only it’s not working. He’s thrown himself into his work, but he’s only becoming angrier. He’ll never forgive himself and doesn’t expect anyone else to either.

When the back of his vehicle is clipped by an obnoxious limo driver he can’t wait to let the driver have it until he hears Gabby’s voice coming from inside the sedan. There’s something soothing about it, something familiar.

The moment she sees him, she knows her life will never be the same. But she doesn’t know why. He’s everything she said she never wanted. He’s cocky, arrogant, and infuriating. With his dazzling amber eyes, dark hair and chiseled features she can hardly remember where she’s going, let alone where she’s been and maybe that’s a good thing. She begins to let him show her what life could be, if she really lived it.

Neither want their past to define their future, but sometimes destiny has something else in store. It’s only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.


Author Bio:

Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!


Author Links:


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 10: How Do You Choose What Book To Read Next?

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6
       Day 2            Day 7
       Day 3            Day 8
       Day 4            Day 9
       Day 5



Day 10: How Do You Choose What Book To Read Next?



You know, I'd love to have a smart answer and say it's a very complex process, during which I read reviews and I check my TBR list and stuff like that, but it would be a complete lie. There are really two major things that determine what I'll read next:


  1. Do I have any books that I received for review? If the answer is yes, then I'll read from this pile. If the answer is no, then it's option number 2.
  2. Option number 2 is to just grab whatever's available at the moment. Or I flip a coin, whichever makes me feel better at the moment.
That's it. I don't have a schedule (can't keep one even if my life depended on it) or a list of books to be read in August, for example. 

What about you? 

Cover Reveal: Shelf Life by Stephanie Lawton





SHELF LIFE by STEPHANIE LAWTON
Paperback
Expected publication: December 2013 by IJP Press


It’s impossible to focus on college biology when your family believes doomsday is imminent and the government is out to get you.

All Pete Wilson’s ever wanted is to become a veterinarian, but those dreams are going up in flames. Commuting to an urban college and helping his parents with their apocalyptic prepper crap is more than he can handle.

Worse, Pete’s asshole neighbor is stirring up trouble, his family’s stockpile has been destroyed and farm animals are turning up dead.

Lindsey Linger is the tomboy sister of his best friend. Now a sexy spitfire, she and Pete are liable to set the barn ablaze as their romance finally heats up. But she’s hiding a terrible secret, and rural life isn’t all bonfires and hayloft romps. That becomes clear one icy winter night when the survival of everyone Pete loves hangs in the balance.

Can Pete be the hero they need, or will this be the end of the world as he knows it?








After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest and learning more about agriculture and farming than she ever wanted to know, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.





VISIT www.GoodChoiceReading.com for a chance to win a SHELF LIFE T-SHIRT!








Monday, July 22, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 9: Why do you blog about books?

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1            Day 6
       Day 2            Day 7
       Day 3            Day 8
       Day 4 
       Day 5


Day 9: Why do you blog about books?

About 6 months before I got my undergraduate diploma I decided to blog about books (2010). I had a series of minor... scenes let's call them, when I realized book blogging was what I wanted to do in my free time. Nothing major, just various moments throughout my college years when I realized there weren't that many people that shared my complete passion for books and not just any books, but romance books. Oh, I had friends who liked to read, but their choices for reading material are what you'd call "serious". I only personally know about two girls from high school who loved Chick Lit.

Before I made the big decision I was already lurking on some blogs and I already had a Shelfari account, I already discovered numerous other books that I could read. Because I couldn't share my thoughts about the books I was reading with anyone physically next to me, I decided to start a book blog.

Book blogging to me was a way to share my love for books. It didn't even occur to me how many other authors I'd get to love (or befriend). The idea of free books might have crossed my mind, but it really wasn't about it, it was about me wanting to talk about books. It's really difficult to explain to some people why I'd rather read about vampires and werewolves instead of a classic masterpiece. And it's even more difficult to explain it while trying to be respectful, when the other person clearly isn't.

The short answer to this question would be because I love books. Books are the best way to escape from reality and they're the world's best form of entertainment in my opinion. So that's why I do it, that's why I blog about books. What about you?

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sunday Book Soundtrack #11: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

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Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 



This week's book soundtrack is for The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa.




Oh, I'm so happy there are other covers for this book. This cover, the Australian (and New Zealand I think) version is amazing! She's Asian, she has gorgeous red eyes, she could be Allie for all I know :P


  1. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters - Not a big Metallica fan, but this song is perfect for Allie!
  2. Paramore - The Only Exception - Again, good song for Allie
  3. Evanescence - Sweet Sacrifice
  4. Eminem - Sing For The Moment - This song has a great combination of pain, anger, suffering and confusion, the same combo I sometimes feel Allie has.
  5. Jen Titus - Oh Death - If you're a fan of the Supernatural TV show then you probably heard this song before. If not, listen to it. It's creepy and so good. And it fits with the world in this series in my opinion (both the sound and the lyrics). 

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 8: 15 things that appeal to you on blogs

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1
       Day 2 
       Day 3
       Day 4 
       Day 5
       Day 6
       Day 7


Day 8: Quick! Write 15 bullet point things that appeal to you on blogs!




  1. Easy to find follow options. I like when  the links I need for following are easy to spot and all together. I don't exactly like to scroll up and down to find a certain following option.
  2. No music. Just no. Not because of the music itself, but because it makes my laptop freeze for some seconds, during which I pray I don't get the Blue Screen Of Death (Yes, I do have a Vista on my laptop. Yes, I know, it's bad. *shakes head* You don't have to say it, trust me!)
  3. Labels or tags. Here's the thing. I'm a bit of a crazy person who loves lists. Labels for posts help me keep things organized. Like if I want to read only 2 star reviews, I want an option to do that. Or if I want to read just reviews for books of one author, I want that. I love when I see bloggers use labels. I'm not such a big fan of search bars, but I do love labels. 
  4. Unique posts. I know I'm not one of the most original bloggers out there, but I do know there are others who are. I feel special just because I get to read those posts.
  5. Clean look. I like blogs that look clean, neat. Not sterile, clean. A blog that doesn't have all sidebars scattered with no apparent connection between each other.
  6. Comment replies. I think that a blogger who responds to his/her readers who've left comments is a good blogger. Might be 2 weeks late, might be right away, but the response is needed. 
  7. Spoiler-free reviews. I think a good review is one that doesn't give away much. Unless you read a book in another language than English (or the language you're writing in) and you need to translate the blurb and you feel like you should give more info. For instance, if you read a book in Russian, chances are I'll not read it anytime soon, so go ahead and tell me what it's about. 
  8. Funny, witty, slightly sarcastic posts. I love sarcasm a lot. I try not to let it show in my posts, because I overuse it in my daily life, but I do love it. And I love a blogger who can find the right balance between smart and sarcastic.
  9. Honest and respectful. Now, you might think this contradicts the previous point. And you're right, sometimes is does. Here's where sarcasm bothers me a little. Negative reviews. You can use a little sarcasm, that's okay. But there's sarcasm and then there's bitchy. I don't like bitchy in a negative review. State the why, the how and the where to show why you didn't like the book/movie/play/whatever, but don't be bitchy about it. Also, a review for a book is not a review of the author.
  10. Not too many GIFs. I like funny GIFs, I do. Just don't overuse them. 
  11. International Giveaways. Let's face it, who doesn't love giveaways? I especially love those open for international people, like myself :D
  12. Cute design. I like designs that show off a little of the blogger's personality. Some may show that the blogger loves to read about werewolves or loves coffee or something like that. 
  13. Discussion posts. I love to see discussion posts about random things, not just book related, that make me stop and think about that specific topic. 
  14. Old books are cool too. I love reading reviews about ARCs (non-spoilerish reviews, that is) or books that just came out. But I also think bloggers shouldn't ignore books that came out 2-3 years ago, hell, a century ago. I'll read a review of a book that came out a few years ago much faster and with more interest than maybe a book that came out today.
  15. Tips, tricks, tutorials for bloggers. I am always searching for ways to improve my blog, both in content and in look. So I will always follow those bloggers who give good, useful tips on how to do that

I think this is the longest post I've ever written. I'm sorry if it's too much to read *blush* But these the top 15 things that appeal to me on book blogs. What about you? What do you like to see in other blogs?

Saturday, July 20, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 7: Talk about your blogging quirks

I read about this challenge yesterday on various book blogs that I stalk read and I decided to join in. The challenge  was created by April @ Good Books, Good Wine and I think it's a very good and interesting idea. So here I am :) If you want to do this too, go to her Day 1 page to learn how :D




Want to see past topics? Click on the links below to see them:

       Day 1
       Day 2 
       Day 3
       Day 4 
       Day 5
       Day 6



Day 7: Talk about your blogging quirks



  • Before I even plan a post and what I'm going to write about or how the post will look like, I need music. There's no inspiration without music. I don't have a certain genre or a certain song that I listen to when I'm writing a post. I do however use the songs I associate with a book to help me write my review. I feel like my connection with the book is much stronger when I listen to those songs.
  • If I can't post something that I deem readable and interesting, I'd rather not post at all. I don't blog to attract viewers, but because I love books and I want to share that with as much people as I can. If I feel that my post for a certain day is uninteresting, I won't publish it.
  • I don't do any formatting until I finished writing. I lose focus and inspiration if I do. I do little formatting things while writing, like deciding if a word should be in bold letters or italics or underlined, but otherwise I just go on writing and decide how it's all going to look like when I'm done writing.
  • Before I hit publish, I reread my post at least twice, to check for errors. I don't always catch the errors, though. But I hate reading typos and stuff on blogs, so I reread twice. (Don't say it's OCD, because I refuse to believe it is :P)
  • I write better at night. Probably why I'm sleepy all day long...
  • I limit myself to two, maybe three emoticons per post. Otherwise, the post would be full of them. I'd use GIFs, but I honestly don't know where do get them for free without violating any copyright law/rule.
  • I have two daily planners and I write most of my reviews there and some ideas for other posts. I think better when I sit down at my desk and write them with my favorite pen. Old-fashioned, I know, but it helps.
  • My reviews have to be a bit long, otherwise I feel like I'm failing to show how I feel about a book. Completely untrue, I know.
These are the biggest blogging quirks I have. What about you?
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