Blog Tour: The Last Year Series by Trisha Leigh Review and Giveaway

AToMR Tour Schedule 

Title: Whispers In Autumn
Author: Trisha Leigh
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publishing Date: July 24th 2012
Pages: 388
Genre: YA Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Series: The Last Year #1
Source: Kindle

Goodreads Summary:

In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Review:

I love the cover of this book. This is another book where the cover drew me in first, beautiful. I read the blurb and right away knew it was the book for me. I was right; it was awesome, exciting, full of mystery, and sweet romance.

Althea is different than everyone around her. She lives on Earth, surrounded by humans that seem to have no emotion and don’t mind doing everything the same, day in and day out. She feels, she thinks, she fears. She doesn’t get close to anyone. She has a locket with a not that says she is different and she can trust no one, but there are more like her.

Althea meets Lucas, he seems to be like her but she doesn’t know for sure. She needs to find out but she can’t trust anyone. After hanging out with Lucas she learns more about him and together they find answers and uncover secrets.

The story really was amazing for me, it was completely different than any of the books I have been reading lately and I found myself buried in the story early on. The pace was good, not rushed and not slow. The beginning of the book focused on Althea, her life, and her building relationship with Lucas. The last part dealt with the mystery, the secrets, and the truth. I was so upset at the end, I was not ready for it to end and really wished I had the second book on hand, it definitely had me wanting more.

Althea and Lucas were great characters; the relationship between the two was slow, sweet, and honest. Althea is a very strong, independent character. She knows that she is different and knows that no one else can know the truth about her life. She remains alone, trusting no one, yearning for friends but knows it impossible. Lucas is also a very strong character, determined, full of emotions, and desperate to find the truth. Together they make an awesome team and balance each other out. I was happy to see the transitions in their relationship slowly move from strangers to familiars, friends, and then love. It didn’t feel rushed but I could feel the chemistry and the pull from the beginning.

The book was everything I look for and expect in a book. I was entertained, surprised, and connected to the characters. I can’t wait to read the next book.

Rating:

Book 2: *****If you have not read book one, I don't recommend reading the book blurb of book 2, may contain spoilers****

Winter's Omen 

September 25th 2012

Althea and Lucas barely escaped the Others’ clutches in the autumn, and were separated in the process. Alone and on the run from the cruel alien race determined to exterminate her, Althea struggles to adapt and survive in a world she never imagined. 

When a boy named Pax appears out of nowhere, he quickly recognizes Althea for what she is – a human/Other hybrid just like him. Althea begs him to help her find Lucas, but Pax refuses, intent on following his own mysterious agenda. 

The Others’ presence continues to devour the planet’s resources, and if history is an indication, they won’t leave until Earth is destroyed beyond repair. Althea and Pax sense the only way to save themselves – and maybe their home – is to understand the powers simmering inside them. 

Together they push the limits of their capabilities in the quiet Wilds, but are soon confronted with a terrifying fact: no place is safe from the relentless pursuit of the Others.

Least of all their own minds.

About the Author: 

 Avoider of reality. Writer of tales. Indiscriminate reader. Lover of history, film, tennis, Jude Law, and Hershey's Kisses.

Website/Twitter

Giveaway:

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Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: September 18th 2012
Pages: 578
Genre: YA Supernatural Mystery
Series: The Diviners #1
Source: Audiobook

Goodreads Summary: Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies." 

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Review:

I haven’t read any of Libba Bray’s books before and was really excited to get this book. I love the cover and I love stories from the 20’s. As soon as the book released I grabbed the audio and started a listen. The story was pretty good. There were a few slow parts and a few things about the story I wish were different (more on this further down), but for the most part a very exciting read.

The story is very different than any I have read before. Evie is a flapper and lives in a pretty quiet small town where she likes to party with her friends. Evie has a special gift and when she uses it on the wrong person she finds herself in quite a bit of trouble and gets sent to New York to live with her uncle. It is in New York where a serial killer is on a rampage, strange things are happening, and Evie learns her gift can be quite useful. She moves in with her uncle Will and his boarder Jericho. Will owns a museum of the all things strange and creepy. Will has been asked to help with catching the serial killer which is killing in strange ways. Evie tags along and quickly becomes caught up in the mystery and the danger.

The story was good for me, the only thing that bothered me was it ventured a little too much on the evil side for me. I like creepy, I like ghost stories, I like supernatural, but I don’t like evil. I was able to get into the story because the evil was just a bit of the story.

The writing was really wonderful. The world Libba Bray created was very real and I felt myself drifting back to the era of flappers and speak easys. The language, the style, the atmosphere was all there and made for great setting. The book was well paced in most parts but had a few slow parts. Things that might could have been omitted but the way everything flowed smoothly, it’s hard to say. The one thing that I found absolutely amazing and fascinating was the fact that there were many many wonderful characters and they all had their part of the story told from their point of view. I never felt confused and the transition between characters was flawless and with every switch, they characters stories slowly intertwined.

Speaking of the multiple characters, they were all so wonderful, lively, and oh so likeable. It would take a while to go into all of them, so I will name a few… my favorites….

Uncle Will… he is so loving but distant. I could see how much he cared for Evie but he was careful not to get too close to her. He wanted the best for her but didn’t know how to be her guardian. He was a very smart man with tenderness to him that I fell in love with.

Evie was just fun… She never knew when to give up, keep her mouth shut, or when enough was enough… but I didn’t care. Underneath her party girl exterior, she is a lost girl who needs to find her place in the world and find people who understand her and her ability.

Jericho is by far my most favorite. He is a big teddy bear with secrets and fears of his own. He is very sweet and very shy. He seems to have many layers and this book only opened up a couple. I really want to know more about him.

The character building is amazing in this book and some of the characters I was able to get to know quite well as others I was just beginning to get to know. I am sure more of their stories will appear in the next book.

I will continue to the series, at least see where the next book goes because overall I did like the book. It kept me intrigued with all the mystery and entertained with all the great characters.

Rating:

Book Trailer:

BlogFest 2012

BlogFest 2012 is a great event that... Each participant is offering a great giveaway. Don't forget to visit these blogs... 

Jaclyn's Musings
Parent Palace
Jamie Haden
Writing Is A Blessing
The Relentless Reader

BlogFest is hosted by JourneyofBooks 

I will be giving away a hardcover copy or Ebook Copy of 

Fingerprints of You by Kristen-Paige Madonia

Lemon grew up with Stella, a single mom who wasn’t exactly maternal. Stella always had a drink in her hand and a new boyfriend every few months, and when things got out of hand, she would whisk Lemon off to a new town for a fresh beginning. Now, just as they are moving yet again, Lemon discovers that she is pregnant from a reckless encounter—with a guy Stella had been flirting with.

On the verge of revisiting her mother’s mistakes, Lemon struggles to cope with the idea of herself as a young unmarried mother, as well as the fact that she’s never met her own father. Determined to have at least one big adventure before she has the baby, Lemon sets off on a cross-country road trip, intending not only to meet her father, but to figure out who she wants to be.

My Review

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Follow Friday # 34 and Weekly Wrap-Up

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison ofAlison Can Read!

Featured Blogs -

 

(un)Conventional Bookviews

and 

J’adore Happy Endings

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you've seen used in a book lately - that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

A: I can't think of any words I have had to look up lately. If I don't know the word, I can usually figure them out. Two words that come to mind I had to look up in the past (I had heard the words just never knew the definition...) were...

incredulous (ɪnˈkrɛdjʊləs)
— adj
( often foll by of ) not prepared or willing to believe(something); unbelieving

 and 

macabre (məˈkɑːbə, -brə) 

— adj
1. gruesome; ghastly; grim
2. resembling or associated with the danse macabre

I know they are not too huge of words, but I didn't remember ever using them and had to look up the actual definition. 

Whats your answer?

Weekly Wrap Up

New Giveaways 

Final Life by Rose Garcia 

Forsaken by Kristen Day

Giveaways Still Going 

Return to Arethane by Kelly Riad 

Highland Home Series by Shari Richardson

Phantom by Laura DeLuca 

Giveaway Winners:

Dark Promise by Julia Crane and Talia Jager - Entry #47Jennifer R.

I Kill Me by Tracy H. Tucker Entry #22 Melissa S. and Entry #28 Rosemarie D.

Under the Sea Giveaway Hop-  Entry #12Beth D.

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan- Entry #169Stella C.

Blog Tours and Reviews:

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Matched by Ally Condie

Forsaken by Kristen Day 

Final Life by Rose Garcia

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

Weekly Features:

In My Mailbox to Stacking My Shelves

Teaser Tuesday and Top Ten Teusday

Waiting on Wednesday and W.W.W. Wednesday

Thoughts for Thursday

Release Day Blitz: Shallow by Georgia Cates

Shallow (Going Under #2) by Georgia Cates

YA Contemporary Romance

Nick Hawke likes his car fast and his girls even faster. He blows through females quicker than his muscle car races down the "The Strip" in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother leaving, he believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down...fast cars, adrenaline and one night stands. To his absolute dismay, all of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than one night. There’s only one catch...she is completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways. 

Payton Archer is looking for what Claire has with Jessie, but she has given up on finding it...at least until she leaves for college in the Fall because she is certain that is where she will find the perfect guy to fit into her perfect world. She plans on Summer being nothing but three uneventful months of fun, but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton is introduced to Nick Hawke, one of Jessie’s old Collinsville friends. She is shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is what Payton is looking for. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed because he is exciting and dangerous, but his fast car and the dangerous chances he takes aren't what scares Payton the most...it’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find that moment of total fearlessness and make the decision to leave the safe, shallow end of love to risk going under completely?

About the Author

Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author. Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was her first novel and it was released in September 2011. She decided to briefly step away from the paranormal genre to try her hand at a young adult contemporary romance when she wrote Going Under, but returned to the paranormal romance platform to complete the second book in The Vampire Agápe Series, Blood Jewel. Her current works in progress are Shallow (A Going Under Novel) which will release on September 27th and Blood Doll (The Vampire Agápe Series #3), to be released in January 2013.

Links: 

Blog/Facebook/Twitter

I will be participating in a blog tour for both books in this series. Going Under stops on October 1st and Shallow on November 18th. I am really excited about these books! 

Thoughts for Thursday: Austin Teen Book Festival: It's Finally Here; Well it will be Saturday...

 

The Austin Teen Book Festival is finally right around the corner. I will be getting up early on Saturday morning to head out. I hope to get there when the doors open so I can purchase a few books then hit the first panel. I am a little upset that I cannot go to all 6 panels but I believe I can see 3. They book 2 at time, causing me to choose. I know evil right. There is at least one author on each panel I would love to hear. Anyways I will have to choose, and I am not positive yet how I am going to do just that. I you are curious the panels are listed below... If you would like to add comments on your choices or what you would choose... please do so! 

I am listing the books I was able to read so far and a like to their reviews. I hope to get a few more reviews up before Saturday :)

Check out the reviews and let me know your thoughts.!

                           

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks            Heist Society  and Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

                                

Croak by Gina Damico        Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs        Cinder by Marissa Meyer

                          

                   

Firelight by Sophie Jordan     Matched by Ally Condie     Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

I am working on reviews for these, and hope to have them up by the end of the weekend. 

Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads – Neal Shusterman (Unwholly), Marissa Meyer (Cinder),Rachel Cohn (Beta), Jeff Hirsch (Magisterium), Dan Krokos (False Memory), and moderator Greg Leitich Smith (Chronal Engine)

We’re Not In Kansas Anymore – Libba Bray (The Diviners), Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Redemption),Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone), Rae Carson (The Crown of Embers), and moderator Sarah Rees Brennan (Unspoken)

Creature Comfort – Scott Speer (Immortal City), Anna Banks (Of Poseidon), Gina Damico (Scorch),
Tara Hudson (Arise), Martha Brockenbrough (Devine Intervention), and moderator Sophie Jordan (Hidden)

Real Life Happens – Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Under the Mesquite), E.M. Kokie (Personal Effects), Jessica Lee Anderson (Calli), and moderator
John Corey Whaley (Where Things Come Back)

The Thrill Of the Chase – Will Richter (Dark Eyes), Lex Thomas (Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies) (Quarantine: The Loners), Eliot Schrefer (Endangered), Ally Carter (Out of Sight, Out of Time), and moderator Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Every Other Day)

What Would You Do For Love? – Ally Condie (Reached), Kresley Cole (Poison Princess), Jessica Shirvington (Entice), Tamara Ireland Stone (Time Between Us), Jessica Khoury (Origins), and moderator
Tracy Deebs (Temptest Unleashed)

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: September 7th 2010
Pages: 326
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy Romance
Series: Firelight #1
Source: Hardcover

  

Mortal enemies.

Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of drakis whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

I was drawn to this cover right away. Without know what it was about I bought the book from a used book store. I got it home read the synopsis and thought to myself, should be good. Not many dragon books out there. So I dug in. WOW I loved it!!! The story was very original for me, exciting and romantic.

The story is about Jacinda, a draki who can live in human form. Jacinda’s family lives in the draki community where Jacinda is treasured among her pride, she is rare, a fire breather. Jacinda causes trouble among her pride when they are out on a flight expedition, she is spotted by a draki hunter. To protect Jacinda and to allow her to keep her freedom, Jacinda’s mother takes them on the run and they settle in a new town. Jacinda and her sister enroll in public school and attempt to live a normal life. Jacinda is feeling trapped, she needs to be free to be in her draki form. She is missing her pride and would do anything to get back home, until she meets Will.

I became very attached to Jacinda in this book. She was a very strong, determined, selfless (most of the time) heroine. Everything she did affected so many others and she continuously struggled to make the right choices. Her life really wasn’t her own. In the Draki community she fit in, she was special, but when she is moved outside her community she was different, out of place. Her sister was now the star. She wanted her life back but she didn’t want her sister to suffer. Her mother also seemed happier and she really wanted to keep her happy. I really admired her for trying to make the best decisions for everyone even when it seemed hopeless.

Will was just amazing. He also lived in life where he was suffocating. He did not fully agree with the way his family hunted and killed. He knew what was expected of him, to be a great Draki hunter. I fell for Will pretty quickly. I knew there was something special about him from the moment Jacinda met him.

The love story between these two was very passionate, the chemistry was amazing and I wanted nothing more than for the hunter and the hunted to be together. The story is centered on this love story but leads into so much more. Their forbidden love causes some major issues that end up causing many sacrifices.

The book was a major page turner for sure, and I didn’t want to stop reading. When I did (stupid work and crazy house) I found myself thinking about it constantly. This will be a series keeper meant for many re-reads. 

Release Day Blitz: Derailed by by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy

New Adult Contemporary Romance

When you're lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.

Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

Info Links:  Goodreads/Blog/Twitter 

Buy Links: Amazon/Barnes and Noble

I am on a blog tour for this book and I cannot wait to read it. Sounds so awesome!

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Waiting on Wednesday #34 and W.W.W. #19

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath #2) by Anne Greenwood Brown

March 2013

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . .

PantoMime by Laura Lam 

February 5th 2012

R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass -- remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone -- are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It's a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It's a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist's apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

W...W...W.. Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading....

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?