Guess who's back??

That's right! ME! *tackle-hugs everyone* So, I finally finished with my exams. They were hellish and long and stressful but I'm over them *phew* I only have three exams left for summer, but they're doable and I'm not worried about them. I would've taken them during this exam session, but I caught a nasty cold and I was feeling like crap most of the days and I have a fever almost every day *sniffle* Thank God I'm fine now. But it kept me from studying, so I couldn't take those exams :(

I also am starting to work on my thesis and it's going to be a great adventure and I love the subject. In a nutshell, it's about the social implications of using technology to communicate and the various outlets to do this, one of which is blogs (I do not feel like I'm cheating here, I'm using personal experience :P ).

I also managed to read some books in the last week, books that I've been dying to read for some time. I'll share reviews and thoughts starting next week.

Also, who's excited about the Oscars? *points at self* Yep, that would be me. I can't wait for Sunday, especially since one of my favorite people in the world (that's Jared Leto) was nominated for an award and I hope he gets it. Saw Dallas Buyers Club and I loved it and it was heartbreaking.

What else is new? *taps chin* Oh, I have to start searching for an internship soon, which is included in my school requirements and I'm trying to find one that suits me and that is near my home because it won't be a paid one. *pouty face*

Anyway, I am back (well, sort of). I'll be posting since Monday. I'll probably not be able to answer comments during the week though, because I'll be buried in school work, but I will answer comments and emails in the weekends.

I hope you had a great month and I can't wait to read my favorite blogs again (I feel like I've missed so much in these past few weeks and I probably have). Also, tell me what you've been reading. I'm looking for inspiration and recommendations :D

Book Launch: Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Author: Mindee Arnett
Title: Avalon
Series: Avalon
Blurb:

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth—and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. 

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

With pulse-pounding action, a captivating mystery, and even a bit of romance, Avalon is the perfect read for hard-core sci-fi fans and non–sci-fi fans alike.

Buy the book:

Amazon | B&N | Books-a-million | IndieBound | Google Play | Kobo | iTunes

GIVEAWAY

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mindee Arnett is the author of one other book for teens,The Nightmare Affair. She lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. Her dream home, though, is aboard a spaceship.

Contact Mindee Arnett:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads

Sunday Book Soundtrack #14: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

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. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

This week's book soundtrack is The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett.

1. Santana & Rob Thomas - Smooth 
2. Katie Perry - Wide Awake
3. Darren Hayes - Strange Relationship
4. Fools Garden - Dreaming
5. Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare