August 2013 Wrap Up and Books of the Month!

BOOKS READ IN AUGUST 2013 ~ 18 books

Hey guys! August has been a fantastic reading month! As some of you know, I'll be going on a blogging break starting September so unless I have a blog tour post stop or something like that, there probably won't be much in here for next couple of weeks! I can't believe I'll be starting Year 13 this september! (I think in the US, I'll be like, a senior in high school I suppose? *shrugs*)

 

105. Skulk - Rosie Best
106. Skin In The Game - Jackie Barbosa
107. The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa
108. Real Ugly - C.M Stunich
109. Losing Control - Nina Croft
110. Hover - Melissa West
111. In To The Deep - Samantha Young
112. Two Wrongs, One Right - Katee Robert
113. Chaos - Christine O'Neill
114. Out of Line - Jen McLaughlin/Diane Alberts
115. Too Fast - Alexia Haynes
116. Wild Cards - Simone Elkeles
117. All of You - Christina Lee
118. A Little Too Far-Lisa Desrochers
119. Sometimes It Lasts - Abbi Glines
120. Origin - Jennifer L. Armentrout
121. Foreplay - Sophie Jordan
122. Scorched - Mari Mancusi

 

So that means I've read 122 books total this year so far!

 

 

 

 

REVIEWS POSTED ON THE BLOG THIS MONTH : 9

 

~ 5 Goddess Ratings ~

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris

Darker Days by Jus Accardo

Cipher by Cindi Madsen

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Skulk by Rosie Best

 

 

~ 4 Goddess Ratings ~

The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Into The Deep by Samantha Young

 

 

~ 3 Goddess Ratings ~

Hover by Melissa West

 

 

 

BOOKS OF THE MONTH

My top three books of the month!

1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

You may be surprised that ORIGIN didn't make the list, well, I had quite a few problems with the book (gasp! first JLA book I didn't truly love) and while I gave it 4 stars, expect a bit of ranting in my review I'll post next week. So disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

Authors Are Rockstars: Victoria Scott (Interview and Giveaway)

~ VICTORIA SCOTT ~ 

 is my author rockstar!

Why is she a rockstar? 
Victoria Scott is my author rockstar because she created DANTE WALKER. She created this cocky, sexy, gorgeous bad boy who we just can't help falling in love with even though he's an anti-hero. Not only that, I've always been a fan of V as she's seriously one of the coolest authors out there! And she treats us V Mafia real good. Like we all worship and fangirl over here. :)  Her debut YA paranormal series is one of my favourite ever books and am so excited for her upcoming thriller series Fire & Flood! Seriously peeps, you really should read the Dante Walker series right now - it's unlike all the other YA demons/angels stories and has the most captivating and hilarious narrator ever!

Check out the full AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS tour schedule!

Her books: 

 

 

The Collector (Dante Walker #1) - OUT NOW

The Liberator (Dante Walker #2) - OUT NOW (release day was yesterday)

Fire and Flood - coming Feb 2014 from Scholastic

Author Interview 

- What's it like now being a fully awesome, published author? Was it everything you'd expected? Was there any fan/reader reaction from THE COLLECTOR that surprised or shocked you? 

It’s incredible! In some ways, it’s exactly what I expected, and in other ways it isn’t. Vague, huh? I think the reader reaction that shocked me most was how much Dante Walker divides people. There are those who love his inappropriate humor and find him wildly attractive, and those who loathe every fiber of his being. I wrote him to be an antihero, so I’m more surprised by the readers who love him than by those who don’t. But of course I love him myself. Sometimes.

- The second book, THE LIBERATOR, (which I am dying for, by the way) comes out in August, what can Dante fans expect from him and the book? (pretty, please more kissy scenes between Dante and Charlie!) 

They can expect a lot of internal conflict for Dante. In THE LIBERATOR, Dante works for the good guys, but he doesn’t feel good, and that’s problematic. He also has a new mission which introduces new characters, and yes, there is much kissing. ;)

- Which character from another book do you think would be awesome to see thrown into a story with Dante? 

Maybe The Darkling? Those two would do terrible things together.

- Not only are you writing one of my fav series Dante Walker, but next year, FIRE & FLOOD will also be coming out from Scholastic! *throws confetti* I'm so excited for that one! Apart from the character introductions (which I can't stop reading, and okay, maybe gawking at Guy), is there anything you can tell us that's not too spoilery? ;) 

Yes! I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about this series. I’ll say this: I’d consider the unique selling point of FIRE & FLOOD to be the Pandoras. Pandoras are animals with X-men like capabilities, and I’m totally jazzed to see which Pandoras are people’s favs.

- In real life, if you have to choose between Dante Walker or Guy Chambers, which would you choose and why? 

Guy Chambers, hands down. I’m attracted to the dark and quiet type as opposed to the cocky bad boy. But I’d love to have Dante as a BFF.

- As the Dante Walker series is paranormal romance and Fire & Flood is a modern day thriller, was it easy or hard to switch writing between these two completely different worlds, settings and characters? 

Pretty easy, actually. The next book I’m working on is a dark psychosis story, and it’s completely different from the Dante Walker books and the Fire & Flood series. I love keeping it fresh.  

- For some random questions, what's the funniest moment you've ever witnessed/been a part of?

In a gas station bathroom, a woman came out of the stall, sniffed her forearm loudly, and said to no one particular, “Gaaaaah, it still smells like ass.” To this day, I have no idea why her arm smelled so badly.

- And finally, you my #VMafia master, where do you like to read and write?

I spent my mornings writing from my office, and the afternoons at my favorite coffee shop, Mudslide. Favorite place to read is in the car as Husband drives. 

Thanks so much, V!! Can't wait for The Liberator and Fire & Flood! :) 

Love you! Hugs! NOW BACK TO YOUR V MAFIA DUTIES!

About Victoria:

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe. She's the author of THE COLLECTOR trilogy (Entangled Teen) and the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic). Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Giveaway: 

Victoria was awesome enough to donate giveaways! You can win an ebook of The Collector (#1) and signed Fire & Flood bookmarks!

International. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Hover by Melissa West (Review)

BLOG TOUR: HOVER (The TAKING #2) - Melissa West 

REVIEW

Title: Hover (The Taking #2)
Author: Melissa West 
Release Date: August 13th, 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre and Age: YA, Sci-Fi

Pages: 352

Source: Blog tour and review

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted.

:~ MY THOUGHTS ~:
 
If you haven't read the first book Gravity yet, please go and buy it now! This action-packed sci-fi YA series is not to be missed, even if  you're not that fan of aliens. Trust me, the way the author wrote them was exciting and unique and just so bloody awesome.While Hover wasn't as epic as Gravity was for me, it's still a worthy and enjoyable read that has me begging for the last book now. 

I fell in love with Ari and Jackson in Gravity and had me rooting for them both. In Hover, their relationship goes through a lot and I kinda missed how they were in before and before the truth came out. Also, I didn't agree with most of their decisions. There was a bit where near the end (spoiler!) they did something and I just didn't agree with it. I was like, really? You're going to do that NOW? *face palm* 

Moving on...the plot was more intense, nerve-wracking and full of twists! There was literally times when I couldn't believe what was happening. The author really knows how to not let the reader go until the very last page. She keeps you hooked with her strong writing style and her powerful world-building. Also, the antagonist in this series may be one of my favourite ever bad guys. He's sooo frightening that in every scene he's in I'm like screaming to the characters to get out of there! He's really one of those you do not to mess with...

Even though I didn't enjoy Hover as much as I did for Gravity, I still consider this series to be one of the best YA Sci-Fi out there and the ending! OMG. That was one hell of a cliffhanger! I NEED BOOK THREE NOW PLEASE. 
 

Rating: 3.5 stars 








:~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~:

Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange. 







 

Update and Mini Reviews: The Distance Between Us, Into The Deep, Skulk

Hey guys!

This is my first time doing mini reviews altogether in one post. Sorry for the short reviews and for how quiet this blog has been for the last few weeks. I'm seriously thinking of going on another blogging break as it's starting to feel like a chore and it's not supposed to be. So from now on, the blog will be quieter and posts will be limited to the blog tours that I've already said yes to. 




Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: July 2nd, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Pages: 320

Source: Bought

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

:~ MY THOUGHTS ~:
 
This awesome book by one of my new favourite author Kasie West is by far the best YA contemporary romance I've read this year. It's got something special that I think most are missing. It's so humorous and light but at the same time, it has a great depth to it . In my opinion, it's the perfect balance of a story and just the kind of story I was looking for. 

The romance between Caymen and Xander may seem cliche to a lot of people - just the "poor girl meets rich guy and then falls in love blah blah blah" - but I thought it was executed in a different fun way. I love the challenges they had with each other and hurrah, their interactions are actually really believable and so not cheesy. The romance is definitely my favourite part of this book.

The setting is another element that I absolutely loved. Caymen and her single mum lives above their doll shop and runs their business there. The whole idea with the dolls was just too cute and another that made it different. I honestly couldn't find a fault in this book, maybe more Xander time? :) 

Title: Into The Deep (Into The Deep 1)
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: August 9th, 2013

Publisher: self pub

Genres and Age: NA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 276

Source: Bought 

Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

:~ MY THOUGHTS ~:
 
I love the author's adult series (On Dublin Street) and when I found out she was writing an NA, I was so stoked. While it may have fallen short a bit on my expectations, it's still worth a read and does stand out from the other NA books that's in right now. 

This is quite possibly the first time I didn't like the love interest until the very end. Jake is a complicated one. I hated him from the start and even though I now know why he did what he did, I still don't really forgive him and certainly not forget. I felt as though Charlie was a little bit easy on him. If it was me, I would have slapped the guy. Or cut off his balls. Anyway, so yeah, the main characters weren't my fave in the bunch. Luckily, we had our two side AMAZING friends Claudia and Beck. Oh my gosh those two need their own book asap. I preferred them 100%... 

I do like a story about second chances and all that, and I did appreciate the use of flashbacks in this novel and certainly gave me a better understanding of everything. Surprisingly, I never could have guessed what the "tragic incident" was. There's going to be sequel and while this book didn't have the greatest of starts, I still am impatiently waiting for the next. 

Title: Skulk
Author: Rosie Best
Release Date: October 1st, 2013

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Genres and Age: YA, Paranormal

Pages: Unknown

Source: For review

When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.

As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.

:~ MY THOUGHTS ~:
 
Isn't it the best feeling ever when you start a book and had no expectations at all, and when you finish you're like OMG THAT WAS ONE EPIC BOOK?! You all should be preparing for when this hits shelves in October, trust me, you'd want this book! Shapeshifters, London, betrayal, action - everything that you'd want in your paranormal. 

First, I adore that this book is set in London. Like, how many books mention London colleges and schools? I felt so cool when I was reading about them and I'm like I live near there! I know that place! Lol. And the main character Meg seems like a person that is realistic and relatable. She's a very normal teenager and has the usual problems. Also, even though I love romance in my books (and don't worry, this book does have romance), it wasn't too much. It didn't distract from the story at all and it's really just a beginning of a relationship. And, they're both artists! Double yay! 

The whole shapeshifters and their groups was very fascinating to learn about. Can I be a butterfly please? :) The action and suspense throughout the book was never missing and there's a whole lot of twists and betrayals that you would never see coming. I really do hope you give Skulk a read when it comes out as it's such a worthy and enjoyable paranormal! 

 

Cover Reveal: Mine - Katy Evans

In the international bestseller REAL, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington “Riptide” Tate as vital as the air he breathes . . . and now he can’t live without her.

Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman’s dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when Remington needs her the most, Brooke makes a discovery that forces her away from the ringside. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE.

 

 

 

Release date: November 5th 2013

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pre-order links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore

Showcase Sunday (41)

Hosted by the lovely Books, Biscuits and Tea, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto e-readers each week.

So here's what I got this past TWO weeks!

 

 

~BOUGHT~

 

 

Into The Deep - Samantha Young

Rated it 4 stars. Review next week.

 

Gated - Amy Christine Parker

Really looking forward to read it. Love the cover!

 

Keeping Her - Cora Carmack

I love this series and will read this after my current one.

 

Thoughtless - SC Stephens

Rated 1.5 stars. Hated this book but loved the sequels.

 

Effortless - SC Stephens

Rated 5 stars. See above.

 

Reckless - SC Stephens

My favourite of the series.

 

Out of Play - Nyrae Daen and Jolene Perry

Always loved Nyrae's books!

 

If You Leave - Courtney Cole

I did enjoy the first book so.

 

Earthbound - Aprilynne Pike

Ok, I admit, I bought this because of the gorgeous cover and it's Aprilynne.

 

 

~ FOR REVIEW ~

 

Skulk - Rosie Best

Rated it 5 stars. Review coming soon. Thanks Strange Chemistry!

 

The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa

Rated it 5 stars. You can read my review HERE. Thanks MiraINK!

 

Hover - Melissa West

Rated it 3 stars. Review coming soon. Thanks Entangled Teen!

 

Out of Line - Jen McLaughlin/Diane Alberts

Best NA book I've ever read. Rated it a million stars. Thanks Jessica!

 

Chaos - Christine O'Neil

Rated it 3 stars. Review coming soon. Thanks Entangled!

 

Scorched - Mari Mancusi

Currently reading it. Thanks Sourcebooks Fire!

 

The Infinite Moment of Us - Lauren Myracle

Will read and review this soon.

 

The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Will read and review this soon.

 

When The World Was Flat - Ingrid Jonarch

Got this for the blog tour and review. Thanks Ingrid!

 

Crave - Monica Murphy

I love Monica's books and no doubt this one too. Thanks Avon!

Deeper - Blue Ashcroft

Just can't resist NA.

 

This Love - Nazarea Andrews

Got this for review. Will read it soon probably. Thanks Nazarea!

 

Too Fast - Alexia Haynes

Rated it 1.5 stars. Review coming soon.

 

All Of You - Christina Lee

So excited to read this one!

 

Losing Control - Nina Croft

Rated it 4 stars. Another Brazen fav, thanks Entangled!

 

 

So that's my haul. What do you think of the books I got? Any books I should definitely do a review of? :)