Monday, June 30, 2014

4th of July Giveaway Hop-CANCELLED EARLY


Welcome to the "For the Luck of Liberty" 4th of July Giveaway
This giveaway is only open in the US, through CANCELLED DUE TO RUDE HOST WHO REMOVES AND BANS YOU JUST FOR ASKING A QUESTION!
 and is in honor of a Great Day in history.

Here are a few fun facts about the 4th of July:

"The “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 and not decreed the official national anthem of the United States until 1931."

The Cat Who lost his Meow by Angela Muse-Review and giveaway

The Cat Who Lost His Meow by Angela Muse

About the Book

Title: The Cat Who Lost His Meow | Author: Angela Muse | Illustrator: Helen H. Wu | Publication Date: June 1, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3+ Summary: Chester the lazy calico cat has suddenly lost his meow. He’s looking everywhere, but can’t seem to find his voice. When Chester puts himself in a frightening situation he not only finds his voice return, but he also finds his courage. This experience makes Chester appreciate things a little bit more than he had before. Amazon    




Review: This was quite the adorable children's book!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

One Week Hiatus

Quick note- I am on a one week hiatus for my wedding.  I will be back next week!  I hope that everyone has a wonderful week themselves.  I do have a few giveaways coming up this week but otherwise it is "See you in a week."

Then next week my dog goes in for surgery so I will be at home taking care of him so I should have plenty of time to share some reviews and posts.  And lots of reading time :)

Meanwhile, I have been in the mood for a good horror or suspense.  Any book ideas that can have me on the edge of my seat or freak me out so I can't sleep?  I'd love to hear them! 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Stacking the Shelves 50

STSmall_thumb[2] 
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it.  



I have a lot to share so this is going to be a long post-just a heads up.  Patience is a virtue with this post but I hope you might find some good new books to read or be able to reminisce about one you already read.

       


For Review

 
Brothers, Bullies and Bad Guys "One troubled, the other trouble
One regrets, the other hates
One builds, the other destroys

Their parents are kidnapped in a home invasion and Christopher and Michael must unite or die in their quest to find them. Adventure turns to mystery when the brothers follow a hunch leading them over the Pacific Coast Mountains, across the ocean, and to a fortified island where they fight for their lives with tragic results."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinners, Survivors and Saints (Boulton Quest, #2)"Christopher and Michael become multi-millionaires and their greed endangers Katherine's life. While Christopher, Michael and Thomas are racing to rescue her, Robert Cain’s army steals the mysterious machine and his frightening intentions become clear.

Can Michael beat his inner demons?

Will Katherine lose the will to survive?

In this exciting sequel to Brothers, Bullies and Bad the future becomes clear, and it seems things can only get worse."
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Jack Templar, Monster Hunter (The Templar Chronicles, #1)"Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack's fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it's great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend "T-Rex" from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he's the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he's destined to be in the family business. Second, that there's a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits...until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren't enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the "One?" Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 20, 2014

Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop

Displaying Midsummers Eve Hop.jpg 
 Hosted by I am a Reader
Ah, Summer!  The family adventures, hot weather, swimming, BBQ's....
To help kick things off for a fun summer, I am offering up a $10 Amazon Gift Card (International) 

Wedding Celebrationg Giveaway Part 3 (THE BIG ONE!)

 

Wedding Celebration-part 3!
INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!!!
Alright, here is the big one.  The big givaway. In 8 days I will be a married woman!  All my belongings are being separated into keep and get-rid of.  This includes a LOT of books.  I already have 2 other giveaways going in honor of this but here is another one. 

I have 8-12 more boxes worth of books to send out plus other prizes. (1 box per winner #)

Voice Over Vol 2 by Maki Minami (review)

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 2 (Voice Over!, #2) 
Voice Over Volume 2
By Maki Minami
Genre: Manga, Graphic Novel
Published Dec 2013

 Pages: 208
Publisher: Viz Media





Summary:  "A new series by the author of the best-selling S.A!

Hime Kino's dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely?Blazer anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy's voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime's gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She'll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

After their successful first lunchtime broadcast, Hime and the other Stragglers are looking forward to their next chance to wow the school and prove they have what it takes to stay in the program. But the scriptwriter they were counting on to pen their piece has lost her creative spark. Can Senri and Hime work together to jump-start her imagination?" -Taken from Goodreads
Review:  This one was not quite as engaging as the first volume but still good. Once again, the art is lovely and the story is filled with unique, quirky characters.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

The Mesmer Menace by Kersten Hamilton (review)

The Mesmer Menace (Gadgets and Gears, #1) 
Gadgets and Gears: The Mesmer Menace (1)
 
By Kersten Hamilton 
Illustrated by James Hamilton
 
Genre: Youth, Middle Grade, Steampunk, Adventure
Published November 2013
 Pages: 144
Publisher: Clarion Books


Summary:  "Welcome to the Amazing Automated Inn, home of twelve-year-old inventor Wally Kennewickett, his genius scientist parents, and his dashing dog, Noodles. From the lightning harvester on the roof to the labs full of experiments in the dungeon, the inn is a wonderful place for a curious boy and his loyal dog to live. That is, until President Theodore Roosevelt himself calls the elder Kennewicketts away, leaving Wally and Noodles to face the evil Mesmers, horrible hypnotists bent on controlling the minds of powerful people. It seems the inn is their first stop on the way to world domination . . . and only an ingenious boy, a staff of automatons, and a brave dachshund stand in their way!" -Taken from Goodreads
 
 
 
Review:  This book is great for the kids. Adventure from a dogs perspective! Through in some science and steampunk and a dachshund's best friend and we get The Mesmer Menace!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The Elite by Keira Cass (review)

The Elite (The Selection, #2) 
The Selection: The Elite  (2)

By Kiera Cass


Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Dystopia, Chick-Lit
Published April 2013
 Pages: 323
Publisher: HarperTeen
 
 
 
 
Summary:  "The Selection began with thirty-five girls. Now, with the group narrowed down to the Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever--and America is still struggling to decide where her own heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen, who she always thought was the one?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want--and America's chance to choose is about to slip away."- Taken from Goodreads
 
 
 
Review:   This is such a guilty-pleasure read series for me.  I read this book twice in one week just to make sure I absorbed every last detail and could start to analyze what will happen in the last book.  This was such a fun read, I can gush for quite awhile.

I know this series has a lot of contractions for readers.  Yes, there is a LOT of drama.  The same old love triangle between America, Maxon and Aspen is far from over.  In fact, it is stronger than ever in this book.  Yes, America drove me crazy with her indecisiveness and bouncing back and forth!  Yet it is the way Kiera Cass presents the story to us that sucks me in past those annoyances, into the very center of a rich world. 

Monday, June 16, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday 21

toptentuesday 

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list
 
Sadly, I didn't even get to finish my spring Top ten list, so some are repeats.  I still am determined to read them, but time ran away with me these past 2 months.  Family emergencies, and wedding preparations take a lot out of a person I have learned. 
 So since some are repeats, I am actually showing you my top 15!  My summer read list is mostly catch-ups that I had hoped to have read by now.
 
 Brisingr  (The Inheritance Cycle, #3)Splintered (Splintered, #1)Probability AngelsA Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire, #1)RoomsThe Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Wedding Celebration Giveaway-Part 2


This is the next part of my pre-wedding giveaways!  For part 1-check out the giveaways on the top right column!

This one is for a box of  Young Adult ARC's from 2013-2014.  10 ARCs in total.  Which ARC's?  That is a surprise.  Mostly fantasy, dystopian.  But there is a little of just about everything here.   

US only on this one.  Sorry to my INT friends.  My other Wedding Giveaway is international however!


June New Release Giveaway Hop

Displaying new-release-giveaway-hop_june2014_header.jpg 

Its that time of the month!  Time to pick out a new release book you want and enter to hopefully win it!  Any book released between June 1-June 30th.   

Open international to wherever the Book Depository ships.  Book can be up to $20 in value.   

Here are some ideas for new releases but choices are not limited to just these:
 Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, #3)(Don't You) Forget About MeIn the End (In the After, #2)Mr. MercedesTop Secret Twenty-One (Stephanie Plum Series #21)Graduation Day (The Testing, #3)

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Stacking the Shelves 49

STSmall_thumb[2] 
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it. 





Purchased
Teeth: Vampire Tales
"Sink your teeth into these bite-sized tales exploring the intersections among the living, dead, and undead. Features stories by Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Garth Nix, and many more."





----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Offside (The Barker Triplets, #1)"When hockey phenom Billie-Jo Barker returns home and decides to play in the local Friday night hockey league, all hell breaks loose. Not because Billie's talent is in question, but because Billie is a woman. And though these are modern times, some of the local guys still have a problem letting a girl into their 'men's club.'

Soon, Billie is at the center of a small town battle of the sexes, with everyone choosing sides. Her sisters. The townsfolk. Her friends. And yet, the only person whose opinion she cares about doesn't seem to care much at all. Logan Forest, the man who broke her heart when she was eighteen and the man she now shares the bench with every Friday night.

She's got a lot to prove and though Billie Jo Barker scores on the ice, will this girl ever score with the man of her dreams?"


***AMAZON EBOOK FREEBIE***
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
Airel (The Airel Saga, #1)"All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?" 
***AMAZON EBOOK FREEBIE***  



For Review


Followers"To tweet or not to tweet . . . what a deadly question.

Hello, Bali by Giselle Shardlow (review)

 
Hello Bali: A Kids Yoga Island Adventure Book 
Hello, Bali
by Giselle Shardlow
 
Genre: Childrens Book
Published April 2014
Published by Kids Yoga Stories
Pages: 51
 
 
 
Summary:  "Say good day to the magical island of Bali! Join Anamika, one of the Yoga Kids, as she travels with her family to Bali, Indonesia. Surf like a surfer, dance like a Balinese dancer, and sit like a monkey.

The book includes a list of Kids Yoga Poses, Map of Bali, Basic Indonesian Phrases, and a Parent-Teacher Guide with tips on creating a successful yoga experience. This yoga book for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) is more than a storybook, but it’s also a unique experience for children."
 
 
*Notes for blog readers:  I know I do not normally share Children's books but this review participation group.  If you have children, be sure to take a look!
 
 
 
Review:  What a fun, colorful, interactive book.

Not only do we get a fun book, but we get to learn so yoga poses that are easy and great for children.

Happy Marriage Vol 3 by Maki Enjoji (review)

Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 3 
 
Happy Marriage Volume 3
By Maki Enjouji

 
Genre: Manga, Graphic Novel
Published Dec 2013
 Pages: 192
Publisher: Viz Media
 
 
 
 
 
Summary:  "Chiwa Takanashi has married a total stranger—company president Hokuto Mamiya—to get her father out of debt. While on an overnight trip together to his hometown, Hokuto reveals the circumstances of his birth. Chiwa makes the decision to remain with Hokuto, and falls deeper in love with the man she married. But will she still feel the same way once Hokuto confesses the real reason he married her?"
 
 
 
Review:    This one really steps up the series to a new, better pace.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Euphoria-Z by Luke Ahearn REVIEW and RANT

 
Euphoria-Z
by Luke Ahearn

Genre: Thriller, Horror
Published May 2014
Pages: 409
 
 
 
Summary:  "Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are about to get unbelievably worse.

Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth."



Review:   I tried to read this but it quickly fell apart for me. Started off decent, the first couple pages but then started to read like an outline.  It became jumbled and rushed with no details. 
 
 In less than 5 pages there is a failed presidential speech, angry reporters, an asteroid hits and some billionaires setup the apocalypse of the world but it fails as the virus turns them and many others to zombies. It was so rushed and jumped all over the place in way too short of a time-span. maybe it gets explained later, I do not know.W ith over 400 pages I hopes so but with how those pages were written and displayed I was sadly utterly turned off by the book. 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

#SuperDad! Fathers Day Giveaway Hop

Super Dad Fathers Day 2014 L 

Father's Day is just around the Corner and MamaNYC is hosting a wonderful blog hop in honor of fathers everywhere.  Giveaways start now and run until June 18th.

In honor of my Dad, I am giving away something that is of interest to him in a sense.  My Dad is a fan of the TV series Game of Thrones.  So much so that he buys the seasons as they come out on DVD.  

So for this giveaway I am giving away the Game of Thrones (Song of Fire and Ice) book boxset and season 1 of the TV series on DVD.

Giveaway for both is US only!  Total value is over $100!

 INT winners-Do not Despair!  For you-I offer the first  two books of the Game of Thrones from The Book Depository.  I know it is not as much but I want to make sure everyone can get something for this occasion!
16178183

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday 20

toptentuesday

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year 

It has been a pretty heavy YA year so far. For those of you who are not YA fans, fear not for I have some other books lined up to read this summer!
 The Testing (The Testing, #1)  Everneath (Everneath, #1)  Firebolt (The Dragonian, #1)  City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)

Monday, June 9, 2014

Euphoria-Z by Luke Ahearn spotlight giveaway

Displaying Euphoria - Z Banner 450 x 169.png 
Euphoria-Z
Book 1

by Luke Ahearn


Genre: Thriller/Zombie Apocalypse
Publisher: Luke Ahearn
Date of Publication: May 19, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1497497382
ISBN-10: 1497497388
Number of pages: 409
Word Count: 118,099
Cover Artist: Steven J Catizone

 
Book Description:

Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are about to get unbelievably worse.

Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth.