Cover Reveal! Forty Days by Stephanie Parent

Cover Reveal: Forty Days (Neima’s Ark, Book One) by Stephanie Parent!

Forty Days (Neima’s Ark, Book One)

By Stephanie Parent

Release Date: 02/12/13

Genre: YA

Cover Artist: Najla Qamber

Summary from Goodreads:

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman.  For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth.  He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge.  But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts.  And doesn’t stop. 

Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril.  Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, Forty Days is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

Forty Days is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story.  It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that Forty Days may not appeal to them.  The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

About the Author:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Author Links:

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine , 

that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.

Expected publication: May 15th 2013










I have really been wanting to get into ready New Adult books. I feel like I would connect with them more. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE YA books, and will continue to read them. But I am not a teen anymore, and I would love to follow characters my own age.. and maybe not feel like a cradle robber when I swoon over 17 yr old guys >.< But I have been waiting.. waiting to find one that was NOT contemporary! and Finally.... there may be hope! I can't wait to see what Laura Howard has to offer with her writing :) But if it's anything like that gorgeous cover? I can't wait!

Have you read any YA sci-fi or fantasy books that I should be aware of?! Share in the comments! 

New Look + A Giveaway!

TA DA

The blog got a facelift ! 

Before:

After! 

Huge thank you to Najla over at 

She couldn't have done a more amazing job- don't you agree!! 

Now on to the celebration!! 

This week I will be giving away one of my handprinted T-Shirts! 

 You know it's true ;) 

Just fill out the Raffecopter form to enter!

But Wait.. there's more!

Next week I will be giving away ARCs!

But they are a secret right now ;) - To me as well! haha!

So make sure to follow back and share in the celebration!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler

Ashes of Twilight (Ashes Trilogy #1)
by Kassy Tayler

Wren MacAvoy works as a coal miner for a domed city that was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to protect the royal blood line of England when astronomers spotted a comet on a collision course with Earth. Humanity would be saved by the most groundbreaking technology of the time. But after nearly 200 years of life beneath the dome, society has become complacent and the coal is running out.  Plus there are those who wonder, is there life outside the dome or is the world still consumed by fire? 

When one of Wren's friends escapes the confines of the dome, he is burned alive and put on display as a warning to those seeking to disrupt the dome’s way of life. But Alex’s final words are haunting. “The sky is blue.”  What happens next is a whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy and the struggle to stay alive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence.

I was given a copy of this book by St. Martins press in exchange for an honest review, 

all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

First off.. I gotta give out some cover love! I mean.. wow. I love it. It shows off so much of the story, the steampunky feel, the romance and a bit of the darkness that's lurking as well. Just. Perfect. 

I thought maybe I was getting my hopes up when I started this book. I fell so hard for the cover, and the description really pulled me in. Thankfully, Kassy Tayler did not disappoint, Ashes of Twilight won my approval. 

The Steampunk / Post apocalyptic feel to this story was perfect. The author has a way of describing things that made me feel like... I was breathing in the ashes, I could feel the dirt caked underneath my nails. It sucked me in so completely. Beautiful scenes that made me wish it could all be real such as underwater pools filled with glowing fish. I want a glow in the dark fish now... not even kidding.

This story if full of heart stopping moments. The action, as well as the heartache...  Kassy created characters that I connected with, and felt their emotions with them. She also created ones that.. I hated. I mean HATED.  But in the end.. Wren was a character who was able to forgive some of those people who had wronged her. It made me .. proud? of her character. 

Ashes of Twilight does have a very "City of Ember" like feel to it.. - I haven't actually read that book >.<.. But I have watched and loved the movie * prepares for ragey comments * However I feel like Ashes of Twilight stepped it up. It made it something that both teen and adult readers can enjoy. 

There were very few things about Ashes of Twilight that I did not enjoy. There is a bit of "insta-love" which.. at times can be maddening. However it did not feel overdone, I feel like the relationship continued to grow throughout the story and it wasn't completely instantaneous.  There were also a few parts that made me uncomfortable. Wren being put in positions that just made me want to be like " GET OUT OF THERE YOU IDIOT" But again, the strength of her character eventually overcame and I think while some may think of her as being stupid for forgiving some of her " friends " and their actions. I personally liked how she handled it.

Kassy Tayler created a story that shows off a strong Female MC, a character that does not accept her " place " in her world and dreams of something more. She created a story that made me want to crawl inside the pages, and Join the Revolution!

The Sunday Post

 

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffinated Book Reviewer~ It's a chance to share new~A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have recieved and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

For Review from Netgalley

Till The World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Ducall

Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

For review/ Blog tour

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

 Big thank you to Sarah at The Book Life for telling me about the tour and sending me a copy!

Also.. she was totally sneaky.. She slipped bookmarks in between pages!

She knows my addiction to bookmarks so well lol.

And finally...

From Review form St. Martins Griffin 

 The Prey by Andrew Fukuda

Then I got my big shocker.. I flipped open the book, went to the praise page to see which awesome bloggers I recognized.. and there.. on the first page .... was ME o.O

well. not me. But a Blurb from my review of The Hunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you all how excited this made me. I used to dream of it. I would read quotes from authors and newspapers ect.. in books and think.. THAT is what I want to do. This was back in high school and middle school before I even knew about book blogging! I never knew book bloggers could have blurbs in books.. Then I joined the blogging community and met everyone. And as much as I continued to dream that I would see my blogs name in a book.. this still came as a huge surprise ! 

So thank you to all of you. If you didn't stay with me and my blog.. maybe I wouldn't have reviewed that book, and this dream wouldn't have come true. 

Here is my review of book #1 The Hunt

In other News

See that fancy new Meme banner at the top ? :) That's a hint at what's to come! 

I got a new design and can't wait to share it with you all! It should be live in a few days, and I will be having a giveaway to celebrate! So keep your eyes peeled and visit back!

Broken by A.E. Rought

Broken

by A.E. Rought 

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

I love re-tellings. I mean. Love them.  I love it when Authors take something that is a beloved classic, and twist into something totally different that a new set of readers can love. So When I saw " Modern Spin on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein."  I immediately thought " Must read!" 

I started reading Broken and immediately felt.. depressed. But thought to myself. " this is a good thing, it means that the readers emotions are effecting me deeply." But the feeling never left. Throughout the entire story I just kept thinking, this is sad, this is depressing.

Then there were the parts that simply annoyed me. Emma keeps mentioning her Gothic Fiction reading hw. But NEVER says the name of the book. It felt.. so... awkward and fake! Any reader could guess. It's terribly obvious. It just felt like the author was.. trying too hard, to hide the title of the book, and it came off simply annoying. 

Here is the thing. I kept reading. I kept wanting to know what happened. So I can't say that I hated this book. because I didn't hate it, I simply.. didn't really enjoy it. 

I have decided to share my thoughts from goodreads, because these are what I was feeling as I was reading broken, and immediately after finishing it. So they are just gut feelings, not something I pondered over for days trying to find the perfect way to say it in a review: 

Overall. Broken by A.E. Rought wasn't for me. It was predictable, and depressing, and though I felt drawn to get to the end to see the outcome, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. But hey, i'm also a weirdo who doesn't like Dark Chocolate, so there is bound to be readers out there who's opinion varies from mine.

Rating: 2/5

Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine , 

that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Expected publication: June 4th 2013 by Viking Juvenile 

Many of you who regularly drop by my blog or chat with me on twitter know, I am not a big fan of contemporaries. In fact I tend to steer clear of them. Sarah Dessen books are one of my rare exceptions. I will read ANYTHING that this woman writes. Her book are just... AH! Perfect. She gets it. lol

So if you value my opinion ... and you haven't read anything by Sarah Dessen? DO IT NOW!
- My Favorites are The Truth About Forever, Just Listen and Lock and Key  .

Have you read any books by Sarah Dessen? What is your favorite!? 

Having A W.O.W post? Feel free to leave a link in the comments so I can visit!

Mailbox Monday

It has been awhile since I have shared what I have received for review :)

 So not all of these are within the last week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at Hooked by A Book (formerly The Printed Page) and is on tour for the month of January right here at Lori's Reading Corner.

Read the Mailbox Monday story HERE

All images are Linked up and will take you to the books Goodreads page :) 

 

From the Author :

 From Publisher :

 St. Martins Press

 Spencer Hill Press

 Entangled Teen

From Publisher/ NetGalley

 On the blog Last week : 

Reviews-

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers ( View HERE )

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood ( View HERE )

  

I'm slowly catching up on my reviews, and working on getting more organized so I have more posts to share with you throughout the week! Your comments and feedback really give me a good "push" to keep blogging, So THANK YOU! Also.. be on the lookout- This week the blog is getting a totally new design! o.O I love this one.. don't get me wrong. But I just wanted something different for the new year, and it has a slightly different vibe to it. Can't wait to share!

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)

by R.L. LaFevers

 Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

A few of my thoughts as I was reading Grave Mercy: 

So.. Even though it doesn't look like it, I finished this in one sitting :) I started at about 9pm ... and finished sometime in the early morning ! I love it when I can find a book that I just can't tear myself away from. 

I remember hearing about Grave Mercy first on twitter, seeing things like " Assassin nuns! " And to be honest, that didn't seem like something I would be interested in. Sounded a bit too odd for me.

Then I saw the cover and read the description and I knew it was my kinda book. I love historical stories.. I mean seriously. Love them. Could it be partly because I let my girly side come out a bit as I gush over the amazing sounding dresses? .. Just a tad. But I also love the scenery and the action that comes with historical settings. I mean who uses A crossbow these days!? 

As I dove into Grave Mercy I prepared myself for the possibility that I might find it daunting, that halfway through I would be bored. It is around 500 pgs after all. But no. Halfway through I was upset! Upset that I knew the story would be ending far too soon. 

Ismae was a amazing character. Her background builds her character and she grows into a strong woman... and assassin. Yet she can never truly loose her emotions. I loved watching her struggle with how she felt. trying to decide between staying true to the convent's wishes, and what she was slowly coming to believe was right. Vengeance? Or Mercy.

The story flowed perfectly, at no point did I feel things were moving to slow or too fast. And the writing style was just... perfect. The language stayed true to the time period, and at times the descriptions were so rich it almost felt poetic. The action and intrigue seriously kept me on my toes!

Of course there is a romance. At first I was against the idea, I wanted Ismae to show a strong woman doesn't need a man! And we don't! But then again.. Who really would turn away from a gorgeous man who can handle a sword and is full of wit? Not I ! The pairing was perfect. I found myself mentally nudging Ismae toward Duval often. 

Something to keep in mind for a few readers, there is a few sexual references in Grave Mercy. Not too many, and it doesn't get into detail really. But Ismae is trained in .. many different arts. And sometimes "womanly wiles" are the best way to get information. I personally found this refreshing. But I understand that not everyone feels this way. However when you think about the fact that this is a historical, the presence of sex is really.. well, historically accurate in a way. Girls were considered women much earlier in their lives, and were also married off very young... Anyway. Like I said. It's not too much. But I figure I should just mention it for some of the younger readers interested.

So basically my review is this : ***GUSH*** 

I cannot say it enough. I LOVED THIS BOOK. 
Rating: 5/5

If you haven't read it yet, and the description or my review intrigues you? Go pick it up! You won't be disappointed!! 

Book #2 is out April 2nd 2013!

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

 Here are a couple thoughts I had While reading Born Wicked:

@ 29%: Beautifully written! Loving the historical feel and so much more!
@100%: *Turns last page, closes book. Stares in AWE.* I.. Need.. MORE!

Why were there only 2 thoughts/updates? Because I finished the book in 1 sitting! I could not bear to tear myself away from reading it any more. 

I don't know how to begin describing how I feel about this book. It was just so wonderful! It's been awhile since I read a book about witchcraft that didn't feel like it had a layer of "fluff" surrounding it. Or wasn't so immersed in the dark aspects of witchcraft that it let the rich and beautiful aspect of it disappear. 

Basically how I feel about this story is.. the same as how I feel when I look at the cover ( the original not the paperback ) It was rich, it was romantic, it was a little edgy, and I just loved it. 

Sadly I read this book near the beginning of   2012, and was just, unable to put my thoughts into words. So now, very specific things that I loved about it, are not as sharp in my mind for me to share with you. But I will tell you this. The Characters are amazing. They are well rounded and loveable, or hateable when needed. I swooned for a guy, I sighed with the girls. The scenes are rich, rich with story and detail... There is a swoony scene.. in a closet.. it involves feathers ;) - It was GORGEOUS .. or at least, how it played out in my head was lol.

One of my favorite elements that Jessica added to this story is one that is still not very prominent in YA literature, so I applaud her profusely for having the nerve to add it in, and for doing it so perfectly! There is a Kissy scene/ relationship! And it's two girls! - I will tell no more! Must let it be a surprise for you!
 *Now please, do NOT let this put you off if it bothers you, to each their own.  It is not a Huge part of the story. But adds to it in a wonderful way. 

Jessica Spotswood was a 2012 Debut with Born Wicked. I said it then and I will say it now.. watch of for this author!  

Rating: 5/5 
 

Cursed by Jennifer Armentrout

Cursed
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

 

Jennifer Armentrout is an Author that won my heart the moment I opened Obsidian ( Book #1 in the Lux series ) I then went on to read EVERY book I could find of hers. And loved them all. They were all so unique, and full of ideas I hadn't really touched on much in YA.

That was a bit of what let me down with Cursed :/ The "touch of death" theme is something I have seen multiple times. There were a few unique aspects to the story that I enjoyed and held me through, but in the back of my head I kept thinking " read it, read it, read it. "

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed Cursed. 3 stars is NOT a bad rating. It just wasn't as amazing as I wanted.

Things that I liked about Cursed were:

The characters! Ember was such a strong character and person. Having gone what she has, and SURVIVING, holding on and still fighting for a good life for her and her sister, it's a trait I love to see in YA books.

Her sister Oliva was freaking ADORABLE. I mean really.. I feel for Ember..How do you say " no, you can't raise your dead hampster Squeaky back from the dead." to a face like that!
- I was heartbroken that Oliva wasn't more present in the story. She was always in the background, and topic of conversation, But I feel like she wasn't actually ACTIVE in the story as much as I would have liked. 

Then there was Hayden ... ooh Hayden >.<  I feel like I was able to feel Ember's emotions right along with her. You can't help but fall for Hayden.. but there is always a little bit of.. hesitation. With good reason!

I also really enjoyed the pacing in this story, starts out light, and gradually grows to an explosive ending!

My only real problem was that I couldn't get over the " read it " feeling. But not everyone may feel that way! I do recommend Cursed, as I would recommend ANY Jennifer Armentrout books. I would just say if you have already read some "touch of death" stories, be a bit wary.. but if it interests you? GO FOR IT.

Rating 3.5/5