August Random Reads (2): The Outsider by Melinda Metz

I decided to join in on Sarah's meme and I'll let Random.org choose my books for me because I seriously need to make a dent in my TBR mountain. Though I secretly believe my TBR mountain is a direct descendant of the Hydra, because no matter how many books I read from it, the pile keeps getting bigger and bigger. Anyway...

The rules are pretty simple:

1. If you’re on Goodreads enable sorting to your to-read shelf
2. Go to Random.org and type in the Min as 1 and the Max as how many ever books are on your to-read shelf.
3. Scroll down to the book matching the number Random.org picks.
4. Link up to your Random Reads post. If you choose more than one book per month, be sure to put a number by your name in the list so it doesn’t look like a duplicate.
5. Read and be merry.

Here's what Random.org chose for me: 75 *drum roll* That means I'm going to read The Outsider by Melinda Metz. Nice! I've had this on my TBR since I saw Roswell and found out that it's based on a series of books. Now I'm really excited.

Release Blitz: Upside Down by Lia Riley

Title: Upside Down
Author: Lia Riley
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Series: Off the Map #1
Publication: August 5th, 2014 by Grand Central

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

Purchase

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

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About Lia

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live in Northern California.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Excerpt

“That’s it, Talia,” Bran’s voice is encouraging. “You’re holding tight, that’s great. Now, I’m going to need you to release your left hand and reach up a few inches to grab the next hold.”

I grit my teeth. The way he talks, you’d think I’m scaling Everest. Or at least Kilimanjaro. Instead—

“’Scuse, us, we’ll be by in a tic. That’s the way, Andy, right around the lady.”

I’m the lady. Andy is a kid who doesn’t look a day over seven who scrambles past me in a flurry of Spider-Man shoes and gap-toothed smiles. His parents bring up the rear, smiling up at their wild monkey child with obvious pride.

And they aren’t the first group to pass me.

Five Swedish women, a couple, and a guy who looked to be in his mid-seventies have also shot past me during the course of the last quarter hour.

The top is so close I can taste it. Bran is being nothing but encouraging, but below me is a twenty-foot drop. Not enough to kill me, unless I fall with some sort of suicidal intent, but enough to make me feel incredibly uneasy about the boulder field.

Bran eases toward me. “Talia, take my hand.”

“Can’t let go.”

“Talia.”

“No.” This is it; this is the reason. Bran isn’t going to admit it here, while I’m bordering on a panic attack on a trail being conquered by elementary school children and senior citizens, but there’s no doubt this is A REASON to lose interest in me. I’m giving him a big capital-lettered reason, but I can’t stop. I physically can’t let go.

“Talia. Take a deep breath.”

“Breath taken.”

“Another.”

“Okay.”

“Give me your hand, no bullshit. I want your fingers in mine. You’ll be safe. I’m going to keep you safe. I need you to trust me.”

Somehow I do it. I give him my fingers. He assists me up. We’re doing this together. My head clears the boulder and I can see the steel marker that identifies the summit ahead. Holy shit, he’s right. I’m going to reach the top.

A few more steps, easy now, and we’re there. The kid in the Spider-Man shoes munches a Vegemite sandwich. I want to scoop him up in a smooshy squeeze. Except his parents would likely object, so I switch gears to give Bran a long and passionate kiss.

“I knew you’d get here,” he says.

“I didn’t.”

He turns me to see the view, his hands tight around my waist. “Your place is here, Captain, in the sun,” he whispers in my ear. “Don’t ever forget that.”

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Top Ten Tuesday #5: Top eight authors I own the most books of

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.
Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join, just link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top eight authors I own the most books of

I'm not going to include digital copies here, or else I'd never finish counting. Only physical copies count on my list. 

               1. Marc Levy

He is one of my favorite authors of all time, actually. I own 13 of his books and I hope he'll keep on writing for a long time to come. He's one of the authors I rely on to make me laugh and cry and also teach me something with every book. He's also one of the few authors I don't get tired of rereading, even if I already know his books by heart.

               2. Sophie Kinsella

Another amazing author. I own 12 of her books and they actually have a special shelf that no other author's books is "allowed" to sit on. Yeah, it might seem strange, but the publisher I got them from made the smart choice to print all of her books with matching covers, so my OCD is tickled ten times more than it's used to :P 

               3. Charlaine Harris

For those who don't know she wrote the Southern Vampires Mysteries, the first big series I ever read and the one that introduced me to the magical world of urban fantasy. It was also the very first series I read in which many of my hopes came true when it came about vampires (if you're wondering, all of the vampires I've previously read about couldn't have sex. Poor guys, right?) I own the entire series (13 books). I don't see myself finishing it (because I heard how the series ended and honestly I've been rooting for that Viking vampire for so long, I can't bring myself to read anything else than a HEA for him), but this series will always hold a special place in my heart.

               4. J. R. R. Tolkien

I can't not mention another of my favorite authors. I own 7 of his books and I am anxiously waiting to get my hands on his other books. 

               5. Anne Rice

This is the author that started my love for vampires. I picked up one of her books out of curiosity and her vampires made me love them and fear them at the same time. It's also why I love these creatures so much. I own 7 of her books. Unfortunately I don't have her entire Vampire Chronicles series, but I hope one day I'll own the ones that I'm missing.

               6. J. K. Rowling

I think it's only natural Rowling is on this list. I own 8 of her books and I'm starting to warm up to the idea of getting the newer books as well. I hope I'll like them, I don't know yet. I'm also one of those people that still hope she'll one day return to Hogwarts :D

               7. William Shakespeare

These are actually my grandmother's books and they're actually older than me. I think they're older than my Mom, too. They're on a big shelf in my hallway and they're taking up an entire row. I have no idea how many books there are, really. But they're old and they smell like heaven to me :D

               8.  Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ok, I think I flooded Twitter with my love for The Caster Chronicles series, but I do. I love it so much. I own the entire series and I'm now waiting for the nice people working at the post office to deliver me the Dangerous Creatures book.

What authors take up the most shelf space in your house?