Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Blog Tour: Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu (Review and My Playlist)

@itchingforbooks @h_anastasiu
 

Release Date: July 2nd 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Purchase:

Summary via Goodreads:

The battle is all but over, and hope seems to be lost. Zoe and her fellow Resistance fighters are on the run, having lost their home, their protection, and their leader. They are outnumbered and outmatched by the powerful corporation that controls the world, and the cruel Chancellor is inches away from completing a scheme that would kill most of humanity. Zoe's only remaining option is to chase the impossible dream of upending the Link system, freeing the world from the hardware that controls their thoughts and emotions, and hope it will trigger a revolution.

The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.

Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.

The thrilling conclusion to an action-packed sci-fi trilogy.

Read the Series


Review:

I was really excited to read Shutdown the final installment in the Glitch series by Heather Anastasiu. Override left us with such an unbelievable cliff hanger! I’m glad to say that I was really happy with this book.

Zoe has really changed as the story has progressed through the series but I think this book really shows that. She starts off book three being not just angry but at times consumed by rage. We have seen a girl that has had to learn to deal with emotions in the last year instead of the last 16 like she was supposed to. Plus she has had to deal with so much tragedy and conflict that would make anyone have that feeling of I give up. I think she has those moments where she thinks life would be easier to just sleep forever. She has lost the person she loves; well they will never be the same at least. She feels like she is constantly failing the people who look to her to lead them. This girl is definitely depleted. She is one of those people who you would say is already dead but she just refuses to lie down. There is a drive in Zoe that seems to override all her other instincts, even though she’s been pushed and shoved she just can’t accept giving up. Adrien says that Zoe doesn’t know how to survive but she does. She also knows that she cannot really live if she doesn’t save the people she cares about too.

For some reason I was not the biggest fan of Adrien in the previous books. I think book two I liked him better but he always seemed overly driven by his visions. Obviously Adrien had something horrible happen to him in book two that completely changed him. Although the basic components of Adrien are still there, he has become a different Adrien. I kept expecting him to change his name to something new. This new Adrien made me laugh at times; he acted a little on the Vulcan side. I was like; alright he’s definitely channeling some Spock here. He has become more fueled by logic than he is by emotions being that he has had them ripped away. I was wondering if it is mean of me to think that he is better this way.

Talk about a role switch with Zoe and Adrien. I was thinking back to the first book and how Adrien kind of had to teach Zoe how to feel, how to understand that there is more to the world then just what you see. Now it’s almost like Zoe has to do the same with him and she spends a lot of time yearning for the Adrien that was. I like when she finally accepts who he is.

We still have a lot of the same side characters, although their roles vary and they are not as prominent as they were in book 2. Max is still there and trying to gain Zoe’s forgiveness. His actions are so crazy and it makes sense for him. I feel sorry for him almost but at the same time I don’t.

So there is lead up to a battle and I was happy with how it played out. Sometimes you get these build ups and then you think in your head..is that it? That was not the case with this book. The action is definitely solid. I don’t want to give too much away about it but I really liked how it ended. How the series ended, it explains things and what is going to happen next. It was a good way of tying it up at the end.

I actually kind of felt like this might be my favorite book of the series. It’s hard to beat a first book, but I think because of the way Zoe and Adrien characters evolved. It sold it for me.


My Playlist:





Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson /  Reminds me of Zoe. Especially in the opening scene of book 3

Figure Us Out ~ Chelsea Lee / One of the songs that reminds me of Zoe and Adrien. There love story is very angsty in this book so there was a lot of songs that kind of reminded me of them.

Second Chance ~ Tristan Prettyman / This is my Max and Zoe song. You have to remember that in the first book Max sort of had a thing.

I Will Follow You into the Dark ~ Death Cab for Cutie / Another Zoe and Adrien song

End of all Days ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars / It's kind of that moment when Zoe is trying to decide what to do

Angel with a Shotgun ~ The Cab ~ Okay so this my choice for Shutdown theme song. It's just certain lyrics in the song that really make me think of the book "I want to live, not just survive"



About the Author

Heather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.

Website | Twitter 

Monday, June 17, 2013

Frigid by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout) Pre-Order Surprise Fest

I've been excited for Frigid since I first heard about as I big fan of Jennifer's Lux and Covenant series. Spencer Hill being the awesome publishing company they are have some really cool Surprises in store for everyone! Check it out...

Today is an exciting day - we have FOUR HUGE SURPRISES for you! Jennifer L. Armentrout's (writing as J. Lynn) FRIGID is set to release on e-book at the end of July. If you're anything like us, you're probably on pins and needles and just cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of this book.

FRIGID has already been given the honor of being named a Romantic Times Top Pick and we're super excited for you to be able to read it as well!

Well, there's good news! Are you ready for those four awesome surprises? Here we go!


1. Due to all the excitement surrounding FRIGID, we have decided to run a special e-book pre-order promotion. We have worked out a deal with the distributor to release FRIGID a full two weeks early -- on JULY 15th!!! -- if we meet our e-book pre-order goal. EEEEP! That's right, if you are like the rest of us and want to be able to read FRIGID in its entirety before its original release date, all you have to do is PRE-ORDER THE E-BOOK NOW! What are you waiting for? GO! Pre-order it!

Pre-Order Links: Barnes and Noble / Amazon

2. Need something to hold you over until FRIGID releases? Well, starting right now, you can read the first three chapters of FRIGID for free! Just read below!



3. Can’t get enough of the hot FRIGID cover? Want to see some behind the scenes photos that are sure to make you swoon? You’re in luck! Below you can watch a slideshow of all the behind the scenes photos from the photo shoot! Go on and watch it. We’ll wait, because there is still one more great surprise!



4. And last but not least, if you live near Philadelphia, PA, you're in for a very special treat -- Jennifer will be in Philly in November signing not only FRIGID but also the last book in her immensely popular COVENANT series, SENTINEL! But that's not all, Adam, the super hot cover model from FRIGID will be there as well! So, yes, you'll get to meet Jennifer and Adam! Plus, there will be other great prizes that you seriously won't want to miss out on (dinner with the author and model, perhaps?)! Stay tuned for more details to come!

We hope you're as excited as we are! So now....Go pre-order FRIGID! Go read those chapters! Go watch that slideshow! And Enjoy!


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sunday Post & Book Haul


Hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Hello World it's Sunday and also Father's Day! So I hope all the dads have a good one. My son bought my husband a Ninja Turtle....just what he always wanted...

First let's talk about what has been going on with the Blog.....

YA Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Trailer Reveal: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu (I'm part of the blog tour so I'm pretty excited to read this)

Book Blitz: Eversea by Natasha Boyd

Make sure to stop back next week. I'm part of the Shutdown Blog Tour and I'm excited to share my review and playlist with you! It's always sad to end a series.

So I had a book debacle this week. I was so excited because I pre-ordered Eve Silver's RUSH and I did it through B&N since I knew I wouldn't get to reading it until the weekend. Instead I got this...
My reaction was one of WTF this is not even close to what I ordered. Despite the fact that I think B&N might have a file on me because they constantly mess up my orders, their customer service is actually really efficient and helpful. So eh take the good with the bad I guess.

So I also went to a book signing on Friday for Young Adult Authors Give Back Tour. It was a signing/panel kind of thing and the authors did an amazing job. They were so funny and engaging and some of the things they said, I was thinking oh my God I used to do the same thing. It was just funny and fun all around. Although my pictures came out blurry. I guess I'm not used to my new phone yet.


So some quick facts about the authors...

Erin Bowman: Was a Graphic Designer
Sarah J Mass: wrote the books when she was 16 and it took 11 years before publishing. 3 books would be way to short so don't expect the series to end at book 3...She also wrote Sailor Moon/ Harry Potter crossover fanction (a girl after my own heart)
Kat Zhang: Starting writing she was 12 but really she wrote poetry at 5/6... This girl is amazing
Susan Dennard: Was Marine Biologist and also wrote NSync Historical Fiction Fanfiction

These ladies are pretty awesome with their tour. Offering writing workshops for kids who might not otherwise get the experience. They rented an SUV and literally drove all around the country.Check out the spot they did on Fox Chicago News

My books for this week....

ebooks for review;


I also picked up The Seven Year King. This is one of those series that I wish more people would read because it is so good. It's Historical Fiction that involves the Fey but I love the characters.

I was kind of all over the place this weekend. I'm not sure why but I hung out at a couple of my favorite places in Chicago like the Art Institute and Russian Tea Room (totally reminds me of Shadow and Bone now) So of course I end with...
Go Blackhawks!! (and yes I'm always a hockey fan :) )

Friday, June 14, 2013

Feature and Follow

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.

If you would like to follow me, you can do so by GFC, Twitter or Linky .

I also make sure to go back and follow everyone that comments and I try to always follow twitter along with GFC/Linky. So if you have a twitter that is not on your page for some reason leave it in the comments and I will follow you that way too! I've recently become a fan of Bloglovin since it sends me an email update of everyones post. So much easier to follow then GFC! So follow me on there and I will definitely follow you back. If you don't have it, check it out.

Follow on Bloglovin
 

Q: Activity: Spine Poetry. Create a line of poetry with your book spines (take a picture). Not feeling creative? Tell us about your favorite poem.


I love book poems but I admit I am horrible at them!! Maybe because I don't have a poets soul or something. My husband on the other hand is really good at him, but he also writes for a living.

The World Without You
The Sky is Everywhere
Whispers at Moonrise
For Darkness Shows the Stars
A Need so Beautiful
A Want so Wicked



Thursday, June 13, 2013

YA Review: The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel by Victoria Scott

Title: The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel
Series: Dante Walker #1
Author: Victoria Scott
Author Info: Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook
Pub Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Purchase:



Summary:

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Review:


Have you been a good little boy or girl? The Soul Collectors know and you might think that harmless indiscretion isn’t going to make a difference but think again. You just might have a new mark on your soul, one that can earn you a place on the express train to hell. This is the concept behind The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel by Victoria Scott. That new hot guy at school, he might be coming for you but not in the way that you think.

So let’s talk about Dante Walker. I found myself laughing at things Dante would say in the first part of the book. I was reading lines out loud to my husband and would be like, can you believe he said that. Dante is that guy that puts a lot on for show, I’m not saying he doesn’t actually think he is awesome. Which he is awesome, but I think he’s got a good heart underneath which is what Charlie sees. I love Dante because he is what he is, even when he is sort of turning over a new leaf. He doesn’t lose his snarky attitude even when he is doing the “right” thing.

Charlie was a really interesting character. She is not your typical, I’m so beautiful but I just don’t know it type of girl. Dante flat out describes her as ugly but it’s her beautiful soul that shines through to him. There were times when I liked Charlie and times when I was like eh, I don’t know how I feel. Charlie has a different kind of confidence that allows her to be who she is. It’s not until given the opportunity, I mean really given it to make some improvements on her looks does she start to change and become more self-conscience.

Dante and Charlie’s romance does not instantly bloom, it’s a gradual process. He doesn’t understand her ability to be content in life when she has, what he considers, so little. While Dante is driven by always wanting more. He has the rule of the bigger and flashier it is, the better. Somehow these two opposites begin to attract and it’s kind of when Charlie starts to change that he realizes he really liked her the way she was. She sneaks her away into his heart. I like the way it flowed, it wouldn’t make sense for some bad ass Soul Collector to suddenly be enamored with a girl who can barely chew gum and walk at the same time. So the fact that there romance starts off a little slow makes a whole lot more sense.

I liked the side characters for the most part. Especially Max, Dante’s best friend, I loved him

What a great idea for a story, I loved it. Soul Collectors that go out and put marks on souls so that they skip over judgment day and end up where either Boss Man or Big Guy want them. It’s the common idea of the war between angels and demons with a unique twist. I also really like the way the seals worked. It’s not one thing you do that gets you that ticket to either the pearly white gates or the raging fires, but a collection of things. You have an opportunity to redeem yourself. If all else fails there are still the good old traditional soul contract.

I love Victoria’s writing style, I was so excited for this book. Even though Four Houses is a short story, I felt like it was hypnotic and figured only good could come from her. She does an awesome job writing from a male pov. Dante never seemed too sappy or girly to me and I loved the wittiness that she has injected into the story. The story moved quickly and I didn’t feel like I had any lag time. There were some parts where I was curious about how they were going to get out of a situation, especially when there was an agreement going on. I also felt like there was more to what is going on with Charlie’s soul. Which makes me have to read the next book of course.



Tuesday, June 11, 2013

NA Trailer Reveal: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

I'm happy to be revealing the trailer for Catching Liam because I will be doing a review for the blog tour in July. I'm excited to read it.

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu
Publication date: Summer 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.


Trailer:




AUTHOR BIO
 
Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between. In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is. Life is pretty good.

Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter