The YA Mythology Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and For Those About to Read. All of the giveaways on this hop will feature novels with mythological themes or that are inspired by mythology in one way or another. There are over 100 blogs participating in this giveaway hop, which means you have a lot of chances to win some great prizes from all of them.
Here's what's up for grabs on my stop:
an ARC of Starcrossed
a PB of Dreaming Awake
AND
Rules:
This giveaway is for US residents only.
One entry per household.
All entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. And, people, check your SPAM folders...I've had to reach out more than once to some winners because they "didn't get the first email." I don't want to, but I'm going to have to start just picking new winners. :C
I am not responsible for lost packages.
And now on to the fun stuff! You only have to follow my blog to enter, but all other entries/follows are appreciated! :D
Today, I have the pleasure of bringing you the cover for Unresisting by fellow blogger extraordinaire Shane Morgan:
Isn't it gorgeous?!? And the premise is intriguing, too:
Seventeen year old Natasha Johnson is having a rough year. Her twin brother Sean died last summer after a car crash, and her parents decided to pack up and leave the only home she’d known all her life. It's a lot to take in, and Nat has decidedly given up on the world, until moving to Stetson Valley and meeting high school ‘outcast’ Chace Owens. Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist. Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new-found power destroy her?
Author: Shane Morgan Release date: November 27, 2012 Publisher: Createspace (Independent)
Title: Gravity Author: Melissa West Series: The Taking #1 Publisher: Entangled Publishing Publication Date: October 30, 2012 Source: galley from publisher Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In the future, only one rule will matter: Don’t. Ever. Peek. Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
I have always been fascinated with the idea of extra-terrestrial life. My dad was a big sci-fi fanatic, watching every permutation of Star Trek and any and all alien-based movies he could get a hold of. You could say he rubbed off on me a bit. (Though, I'll never quite understand how I came to love Star Wars so much when he's never shown even the slightest interest in those movies. Weird.) Anyway, given my love of the otherworldly and the possibility of an interplanetary love story, this summary sounds like it was written just for me.
Gravity was fast-paced and full of intense action scenes but it lacked depth. The world was presented in an appealing manner, but I never truly understood how it had gotten to that point. Plenty of history is divulged in Gravity but with the constant unearthing of lie upon lie, it was difficult to discern if the facts presented were real or if they were only real to Ari in the here and now of it all. Suffice it to say, I need to know more about this futuristic version of Earth and those otherworldy Ancients before I can truly say this story captivated me. At only 199 pages, I can't expect much background, I suppose, but I expect the world, and the existence of the Ancients in ours, to be more fully explained in future installments.
Though all of the characters were likeable or at least relatable, I also felt that I only got to know them on the surface, except maybe for Ari, since the story is told from her point-of-view. Ari is your typical dystopian protagonist: tough and resilient, but she's made this way by her military father. She's expected to carry on his legacy and become the next Commander. In the beginning, she's quite naive and accepts everything she's been told as truth. But the closer she gets to her future, and the closer she gets to Jackson, the more she begins to question everything she knows, especially as the world around her begins to change. Gone is the peaceful acceptance of The Taking, and she must now decide which side she will align herself with.
Full of lies, romance, and betrayal, Gravity is a fun, quick read that will intrigue and excite readers. This novel will take you on a journey of discovery. It's an exploration of right and wrong and how far one girl will go to rectify the wrongs of the past. And it will leave you clamoring for more. I can't wait to find out more about this world!
Rating: 1/2
Be sure to check out my stop on the Gravity Blog Tour to find out ten things Melissa West thinks you should know about Gravity before you read it.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection is...
Title: Dance of the Red Death Author: Bethany Griffin Series: Masque of the Red Death, book #2 Publisher: Greenwillow Books Publication Date: April 23, 2013
The sequel to Masque of the Red Death, which Melissa Marr called, “Haunting and beautiful.”
Araby Worth is poised either to save her city, or to abandon it. In a novel that embodies dark, sexy, tragic, and fearless, Bethany Griffin concludes her incredible, atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story.
Araby Worth’s city is on fire. Her brother is dead. Her best friend could be soon. Her mother is a prisoner, her father is in hiding. And the two boys who stole her heart have both betrayed her. But Araby has found herself, and she is going to fight back.
Inspired by one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most compelling stories, “The Masque of the Red Death,” Bethany Griffin has spun two sultry and intricate novels about a young woman who finds herself on the brink of despair but refuses to give in. Decadent masquerades, steamy stolen moments, and sweeping action are set in a city crumbling from neglect and tragedy. A city that seeps into your skin. Dance of the Red Death is the riveting conclusion to the dark and fascinating saga of an unforgettable heroine.
Why I'm waiting: I wanted this book the second I finished Masque of the Red Death. That book was captivating and so full of surprises, and book two is poised to be even more so. And did I read that right? There are only two books in this series? That's kind of impressive...an author who knows her story could be told in two books rather than stretching it out to make three. I mean, I would probably [gladly] read a third book in this series, but I'll settle for what I can get. =)
Not sure how I feel about the cover. So, if the red on the cover of Masque symbolized warning and death, does this purple really symbolize royalty and wealth...as in Araby's rise to the front ranks of the rebellion, maybe? I can get on board with that, I suppose. As long as Elliott is there by her side. I don't trust him, but I'm pulling for him, anyway. :P
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen. As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen. Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.
Everneath has been on my to-read list since I first caught word of it sometime last year. It's always perplexing when you find a debut novel that every single one of your reading buddies enjoyed...at least it is for me. Because always at the back of my mind is, Will I be the one to loathe it, resulting in endless virtual flogging? I should not have worried. This is one debut novel that has guaranteed that I will pick up the 2nd book...and the third, and subsequent novels or spin-offs (or completely different series) if they come to fruition.
I had an over-abundance of Audible credits, and this book was on my wishlist, so I snapped it up, planning to listen on my commute and making it last approximately a week or so. Nothin' doin'. Once I heard the passionate Amy Rubinate give voice to Nikki's dire situation, I knew there would be no pausing the audio until I'd heard the whole tragic story.
If there's one way to guarantee that I'll at least give a retelling a chance, it's to make it mythology-based. Even better? Make it a retelling of the Persephone myth, one of my very favorite myths. I've seen so many variations of the original story, and each one is unique. Everneath might just be my favorite so far, though. That might just have something to do with the fact that it's character-driven, rather than being focused on the romantic aspects of the story.
I also liked that the book worked as a countdown to Nikki's return to the tunnels, switching back and forth between the days leading up to her decision to go to the Everneath with Cole and now, as she tries to find a way to remain on the surface. The romance does play a large role in why this is all happening to Nikki in the first place but it never really overshadows eveything Nikki is learning and what she's doing in her attempt to stay in the land of the living.
As I said, this novel doesn't focus primarily on the romantic relationship of the main character, which is a refreshing change for a YA novel. Instead, it focuses on all of Nikki's relationships and how everything has changed since she emerged from the Everneath. The book delves into the idea of having a choice and making the wrong one and into wreckless teenage impulsiveness and the repercussions, not just to oneself but to everyone involved. There's also a lesson in there somewhere about forgiveness. Oh, and sacrifice. There's always sacrificing in mythology, literal and metaphorical.
It's not all after-school special, though. There's some serious potential for a love triangle, but as it stands now, Jack is just as broken as Nikki, and Cole, it seems, is using Nikki as the means to an end. Sure, it's clear he might have romantic feelings for Nikki, but with a guy who wants to carry you back to the Everneath caveman-style, you just never know. It is apparent, however, that although Jack was deeply hurt when Nikki disappeared six months ago, he never stopped loving her. He might be quite different from the Jack she knew before, but after the events that led up to her leaving all those months ago, you know Nikki's got to be wondering if she ever knew him at all.
I love where this first novel ended and that it leaves the next book open for all kinds of questing: for the truth, for a solution, for life and love lost. And I sincerely hope that Everbound is just as emotionally-charged as Everneath. I can't wait to make it mine and find out!
Favorite quotes:
“If you're gonna leave, I wish you'd just leave. Why do you keep coming back if you're not going to stay? Because even when you're gone, you're never really gone... I won't get over it if you keep coming back. Losing you once was hard enough. And now you're here again and everything's coming back. I'm going to get screwed. And I can't do it again.”
“I dreamed of you every night. It felt so real. And when I'd wake up the next morning, it was like your disappearance was fresh. Like you'd left me all over again."
“Tell me, friend. Is there more for us?"
I looked into his eyes, "There is everything for us.”
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
YA Mythology Giveaway Hop
Here's what's up for grabs on my stop:
AND
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck & happy reading!
Official Cover Reveal: Unresisting by Shane Morgan
Today, I have the pleasure of bringing you the cover for Unresisting by fellow blogger extraordinaire Shane Morgan:
Isn't it gorgeous?!? And the premise is intriguing, too:
Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist.
Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new-found power destroy her?
Author: Shane Morgan
Release date: November 27, 2012
Publisher: Createspace (Independent)
Find Unresisting on Goodreads and on the web. You can find the author on her blog, on Twitter, and on Goodreads, as well.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Review: Gravity by Melissa West
Author: Melissa West
Series: The Taking #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Source: galley from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
I have always been fascinated with the idea of extra-terrestrial life. My dad was a big sci-fi fanatic, watching every permutation of Star Trek and any and all alien-based movies he could get a hold of. You could say he rubbed off on me a bit. (Though, I'll never quite understand how I came to love Star Wars so much when he's never shown even the slightest interest in those movies. Weird.) Anyway, given my love of the otherworldly and the possibility of an interplanetary love story, this summary sounds like it was written just for me.
Gravity was fast-paced and full of intense action scenes but it lacked depth. The world was presented in an appealing manner, but I never truly understood how it had gotten to that point. Plenty of history is divulged in Gravity but with the constant unearthing of lie upon lie, it was difficult to discern if the facts presented were real or if they were only real to Ari in the here and now of it all. Suffice it to say, I need to know more about this futuristic version of Earth and those otherworldy Ancients before I can truly say this story captivated me. At only 199 pages, I can't expect much background, I suppose, but I expect the world, and the existence of the Ancients in ours, to be more fully explained in future installments.
Though all of the characters were likeable or at least relatable, I also felt that I only got to know them on the surface, except maybe for Ari, since the story is told from her point-of-view. Ari is your typical dystopian protagonist: tough and resilient, but she's made this way by her military father. She's expected to carry on his legacy and become the next Commander. In the beginning, she's quite naive and accepts everything she's been told as truth. But the closer she gets to her future, and the closer she gets to Jackson, the more she begins to question everything she knows, especially as the world around her begins to change. Gone is the peaceful acceptance of The Taking, and she must now decide which side she will align herself with.
Full of lies, romance, and betrayal, Gravity is a fun, quick read that will intrigue and excite readers. This novel will take you on a journey of discovery. It's an exploration of right and wrong and how far one girl will go to rectify the wrongs of the past. And it will leave you clamoring for more. I can't wait to find out more about this world!
Rating:
Be sure to check out my stop on the Gravity Blog Tour to find out ten things Melissa West thinks you should know about Gravity before you read it.
Waiting on Wednesday: Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection is...
Author: Bethany Griffin
Series: Masque of the Red Death, book #2
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Araby Worth is poised either to save her city, or to abandon it. In a novel that embodies dark, sexy, tragic, and fearless, Bethany Griffin concludes her incredible, atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story.
Araby Worth’s city is on fire. Her brother is dead. Her best friend could be soon. Her mother is a prisoner, her father is in hiding. And the two boys who stole her heart have both betrayed her. But Araby has found herself, and she is going to fight back.
Inspired by one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most compelling stories, “The Masque of the Red Death,” Bethany Griffin has spun two sultry and intricate novels about a young woman who finds herself on the brink of despair but refuses to give in. Decadent masquerades, steamy stolen moments, and sweeping action are set in a city crumbling from neglect and tragedy. A city that seeps into your skin. Dance of the Red Death is the riveting conclusion to the dark and fascinating saga of an unforgettable heroine.
Why I'm waiting: I wanted this book the second I finished Masque of the Red Death. That book was captivating and so full of surprises, and book two is poised to be even more so. And did I read that right? There are only two books in this series? That's kind of impressive...an author who knows her story could be told in two books rather than stretching it out to make three. I mean, I would probably [gladly] read a third book in this series, but I'll settle for what I can get. =)
Not sure how I feel about the cover. So, if the red on the cover of Masque symbolized warning and death, does this purple really symbolize royalty and wealth...as in Araby's rise to the front ranks of the rebellion, maybe? I can get on board with that, I suppose. As long as Elliott is there by her side. I don't trust him, but I'm pulling for him, anyway. :P
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Audiobook Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Author: Brodi Ashton
Narrator: Amy Rubinate
Series: Everneath #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: January 24, 2012
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.
Everneath has been on my to-read list since I first caught word of it sometime last year. It's always perplexing when you find a debut novel that every single one of your reading buddies enjoyed...at least it is for me. Because always at the back of my mind is, Will I be the one to loathe it, resulting in endless virtual flogging? I should not have worried. This is one debut novel that has guaranteed that I will pick up the 2nd book...and the third, and subsequent novels or spin-offs (or completely different series) if they come to fruition.
I had an over-abundance of Audible credits, and this book was on my wishlist, so I snapped it up, planning to listen on my commute and making it last approximately a week or so. Nothin' doin'. Once I heard the passionate Amy Rubinate give voice to Nikki's dire situation, I knew there would be no pausing the audio until I'd heard the whole tragic story.
If there's one way to guarantee that I'll at least give a retelling a chance, it's to make it mythology-based. Even better? Make it a retelling of the Persephone myth, one of my very favorite myths. I've seen so many variations of the original story, and each one is unique. Everneath might just be my favorite so far, though. That might just have something to do with the fact that it's character-driven, rather than being focused on the romantic aspects of the story.
I also liked that the book worked as a countdown to Nikki's return to the tunnels, switching back and forth between the days leading up to her decision to go to the Everneath with Cole and now, as she tries to find a way to remain on the surface. The romance does play a large role in why this is all happening to Nikki in the first place but it never really overshadows eveything Nikki is learning and what she's doing in her attempt to stay in the land of the living.
As I said, this novel doesn't focus primarily on the romantic relationship of the main character, which is a refreshing change for a YA novel. Instead, it focuses on all of Nikki's relationships and how everything has changed since she emerged from the Everneath. The book delves into the idea of having a choice and making the wrong one and into wreckless teenage impulsiveness and the repercussions, not just to oneself but to everyone involved. There's also a lesson in there somewhere about forgiveness. Oh, and sacrifice. There's always sacrificing in mythology, literal and metaphorical.
It's not all after-school special, though. There's some serious potential for a love triangle, but as it stands now, Jack is just as broken as Nikki, and Cole, it seems, is using Nikki as the means to an end. Sure, it's clear he might have romantic feelings for Nikki, but with a guy who wants to carry you back to the Everneath caveman-style, you just never know. It is apparent, however, that although Jack was deeply hurt when Nikki disappeared six months ago, he never stopped loving her. He might be quite different from the Jack she knew before, but after the events that led up to her leaving all those months ago, you know Nikki's got to be wondering if she ever knew him at all.
I love where this first novel ended and that it leaves the next book open for all kinds of questing: for the truth, for a solution, for life and love lost. And I sincerely hope that Everbound is just as emotionally-charged as Everneath. I can't wait to make it mine and find out!
Favorite quotes:
“If you're gonna leave, I wish you'd just leave. Why do you keep coming back if you're not going to stay? Because even when you're gone, you're never really gone... I won't get over it if you keep coming back. Losing you once was hard enough. And now you're here again and everything's coming back. I'm going to get screwed. And I can't do it again.”
“I dreamed of you every night. It felt so real. And when I'd wake up the next morning, it was like your disappearance was fresh. Like you'd left me all over again."
“Tell me, friend. Is there more for us?"
I looked into his eyes, "There is everything for us.”
Rating:
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile