Book Blitz - Sword by Amy Bai

While we are by far mainly reviews here at All Booked Up YA, today we are participating in a Book Blitz put on by Xpresso Book Tours!  We signed up for Sword by Amy Bai because it sounds EXACTLY like the type of book we love to LOVE!

First off look at this cover?!  Who doesn't love a fiery red-headed female heroine that also has strength behind her?!  I mean really!  Wow! Love this cover art!
Second off, read this killer synopsis...can we say "WANT!"

Synopsis:

Sword shall guide the hands of men . . .
For over a thousand years the kingdom of Lardan has been at peace: isolated from the world, safe from the wars of its neighbors, slowly forgetting the wild and deadly magic of its origins. Now the deepest truths of the past and the darkest predictions for the future survive only in the verses of nursery rhymes.

For over a thousand years, some of Lardan’s fractious provinces have been biding their time.
Kyali Corwynall is the daughter of the Lord General, a child of one of the royal Houses, and the court’s only sword-wielding girl. She has known for all of her sixteen years what the future holds for her–politics and duty, the management of a House, and protecting her best friend, the princess and presumed heir to the throne. But one day an old nursery rhyme begins to come true, an ancient magic wakes, and the future changes for everyone. In the space of a single night her entire life unravels into violence and chaos. Now Kyali must find a way to master the magic her people have left behind, or watch her world–and her closest friends–fall to a war older than the kingdom itself.

I mean right?!  Swords...Kingdoms...Magic...Royalty!  Did we say this is exactly the types of books we love to read because YES, this is EXACTLY the types of books we love to read!

Lastly, why we're so looking forward to this book...THE AUTHOR!  She just sounds like the type of person I want...NEED to know!  I mean right?!  Sheepdog lover, coffee-slinger, farm girl...can I have a girl crush? 

Check her out:

 

Amy Bai has been, by order of neither chronology nor preference, a barista, a numbers-cruncher, a paper-pusher, and a farmhand. She likes thunderstorms, the enthusiasm of dogs, tall boots and long jackets, cinnamon basil, margaritas, and being surprised by the weirdness of her fellow humans. She lives in New England with her guitar-playing Russian husband and two very goofy sheepdogs.

Author links:

http://www.amy-bai.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Amy.Bai

https://twitter.com/Inkjade

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841180.Amy_Bai

 

The best news...drum roll please...

 

THIS BOOK IS OUT NOW!

 

Wait, what?  That's right, you can go out and get your copy here!

 

Also don't forget to try your luck with the contest below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for hosting this Book Blitz!

 

Book Tour Stop: Sleeping Tom by E.V. Fairfall + Giveaway

All Booked Up YA is pleased to present to you, our lovely readers, Sleeping Tom by E.V. Fairfall!  Let me tell you, this book is one of those books that delivers and hits on the nerve of mental disorder - a refreshing and unique read that will leave a lasting impact.

What really initially drew me to this read was that, unlike so many YAs of current, Sleeping Tom focuses around a very real mental disorder but does it in such a tactful and engaging way. 

In Sleeping Tom we meet Rebecca/Caden a teen girl who is trying to figure out who she is.  Caden is confused and alone just getting out of her abusive relationship and that's how she meets dark, handsome and complex Gabriel/Tom.  Gabriel battles with dissociative identity disorder and at night "Tom" comes out and he's kind, patient, caring and by day he's Gabriel - testy, moody, complicated.  What's interesting is that on the flip side, Caden is struggling to really come to reality with who she is beyond who she is in relation to a boy.  Her identity grows and morphs throughout the novel and is really revealing and powerful to see.  How many of us haven't tried on different "selfs" in our lives?

While I didn't love this book to begin with (Caden was hard for me to relate to in the begining) I really did grow to love these two characters as the story unfolded and I really enjoyed that this novel broke that typical YA storyline and didn't leave you with a sickly sweet ending.  A wonderful read from an author I hope to read again in the future!

Enter to win a tote and a copy of Transformed! *US ONLY*

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Start Reading today:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23444087-sleeping-tom?ac=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PTYKTZ8#

Follow the tour here:

February 16th
-Blushing Babes Book Blog
-Freshly Baked Books
-Livre It To Me
-beyond boyfriend reviews
-Books Direct
February 17th
-All in One Place
-The Bookwhore Diaries
-lushbookreviews
-Cosying Up With Books
-TNT Reviews
-Reading Is Dreaming With Open Eyes
February 18th
-Jazzy Book Reviews
-Collector of Book Boyfriends
-What’s Beyond Forks?
-A British Bookworm’s Blog
-See Kiki Read
-we stole your book boyfriend
February 19th
-Kimber Leigh Writes
-AllBookedUpYA
-The Phantom Paragrapher
-between the pages book blog
-The Shadow Realm
February 20th
-Creating Serenity
-DJ’s Book Corner
-Crystal’s Many Reviewers
-Cover to Cover
February 21st
-Forever Obsession
-Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog
-Kookie Krysp Reads
-Lita’s Book Blog
-Books and Ashes

ARC Review: The Secrets We Keep

There are books out there that seem to hook you from the very first sentence...The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver is exactly that kind of book! Leaver will have you hook, line and sinker before you even realize it. I remember thinking within the first page, "Yup, and I'm hooked!" The Secrets We Keep is a thrilling ride that will have you eager to see what happens next on this spiraling journey about family, love and loss.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

This book first jumped out at me because (1) I love stories about family - this one is about twins and their bond (2) I am intrigued by stories of great struggle/loss/emotion and this one has it all and (3) I have to admit this cover art had me at first glance! It's absolutely breathtaking.

TSWK is a well written story about a teen girl who loses her twin sister in an auto accident and really the two of them could not be different however it didn't always used to be that way. They used to be close and as they hit high school they drifted. This coming of age story really explores the way we see ourselves and the power that emotionally has especially in the teen years. Ella is amazing, and intelligent and has everything going for her only, like so many of us, she doesn't see that until she can see through someone else's eyes.

This is such a powerful story about family, friends and most of all sisters and also touches on the stressors of adolescence and belonging and the lengths that some will go to maintain popularity no matter how fragile a web that is. There were moments in this novel that really left me breathless and as Ella uncovered the world of popularity and family dynamics. Now don't get me wrong, there were many moments when I wanted to shake Ella and ask her what in the world she was doing but really, I think we've all had moments in our lives where someone had wanted to shake some sense in us! That's high school for you.

This is a story about life. About the fact that sometimes the grass is not always greener. This is a story about love. About how a family loves differently but the same. About how friendship is often the greatest form of love we can ever have. This is a story about life and how fantastically complicated it all become and how one lie can spin a web that can seem endless and suffocating. This is a story about finding one's self and where one belongs. This is a story about life.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Court of Thorns and Roses

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

So first off let me say, wow it's been FOREVER since I've posted a WoW post and there are SOOOOO many amazing reads that I am looking forward to for 2015!  I wish I could list them all and eventually I do hope to list them all here but let's start with one at a time!  

Okay, so without further delay, the book that I am seriously crushing/stalking is none other than the much loved Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses!  OMG!  Seriously take a look at this synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads):

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Beyond the synopsis I read a teaser of the first four chapters (that can be found HERE and HERE) and OMG, I desperately need this now! And by now I mean PRONTO! ASAP! Can it please please please be May 5th? What am I to do with myself until then...let the countdown begin because with all of these teasers and talk around this one I seriously am salivating here.  We all know how much I love a re-telling and this has the promise of a loose nod to the adored Beauty and the Beast story.  It really doesn't get better than faeries, amazing world building, hot steamy love interests and a fierce and strong leading lady!

I mean don't just take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Goodreads and be sure to add this to your TBR pile because this one looks like one to DEFINITELY not miss in 2015!  EEeee let the wait begin...

Review: The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2)

Wow, I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN! Initial overall thoughts: If you loved The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) then you will LOVE The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2)! Drop what you're doing and carve out a day, afternoon or several bus rides to dive into the depths of the world of the Scion and get ready to lose yourself to the world of Samantha Shannon!

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

Where do I start? This is a hard review to write only because I want to do TMO justice and I can't really divulge all of the wonderfulness because of spoiler-y-ness. I mean come on, I seriously finished this in about 7 hours and it was a whirlwind of amazingness! I will warn that the first 60-70% felt rather slow for my general taste but because of Shannon's amazing writing/world building/characters I really did not mind it especially when she gifted us readers with the last 30-40%! Hold on to your seat because that part is AH-MAZ-ING!

Let me start by saying that Samantha Shannon is a true master of her craft! She can spin a web so intricate that you feel as if you have actually fallen into a world so real that you can actually touch, hear, feel and smell everything around you! Oh, I could read her words forever. Honestly, because she is such a talented writer that is what helped me through the slow start.

Secondly, the characters just get better! We learn so much more not only about Paige and Jaxon (who I seriously love, but I hate...I love to hate him) but also from our secondary characters who really seem to fill in and wow, I love Shannon for giving them some depth! Warden to me is still mysterious but OMG how much do I LOVE their romance. Again, Warden does not really come back in until the last 30% of the novel but when he does it's SOOOOO worth it! There is one scene...and, well, you will know when it hits you! The romance in TMO is subtle but adds so much to the story without overwhelming it. It's perfection.

Honestly if you're still on the fence about this book, trust me (and many others) when I say, this is worth the read! It's slow to start but it's absolutely stunning and one that I would hate for you all to miss out on! So what are you waiting for?

**Update: If you're on the go, know that there is also a FANTASTIC audio version narrated by Alana Kerr available for purchase HERE!  Check out this sample and enjoy on your commute!**

Queen of Someday (Stolen Empire #1)

Wow, what a thrilling ride!  Who can resist a royally good story?!  Laced with slight history but packed with a punch of adventure, heartbreak, drama and political games Queen of Someday by Sherry Ficklin is sure to have you falling in love!

Summary courtesy of Goodreads:

ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

I really had to take a step back from this one because O-M-G this book really has it all!  From the get-go the world building absolutely took my breath away.  From her idyllic childhood to the thrilling journey to Russia, Ficklin really does an outstanding job setting the scene and fully immersing the reader.

I’m not sure what’s going on but recently all of my favorite books or rather most YA books in general are featuring a kick ass heroine who is faced of course with adversity and tough choices that affect not only her but those that surround her.  This one does not fail me on that front.  Sophie really has her set of enemies throughout and one of her greatest enemies is herself.  Will she find the courage to take destiny by the horns?  She definitely is one spit-fire of a girl destined to be a queen! 

Without giving too much away, I can honestly say that I FULLY recommend this one!  Filled with so much good that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page…and even then I secretly was wishing the final pages would start to fill themselves in with more!  I can’t wait for #2! 

For the Love of Books!

I may be late to the party by saying this but it seems a whole MONTH has escaped me!  I do promise more reviews to come!  Seriously this time!  To be upfront, it's not the reading that has lapsed...I have been reading so many EXCELLENT books that are slated to come either this fall/winter/spring!  We really do live in such an amazing world where there are such creative and imaginative writers at our disposal!  I truly am so THANKFUL for all these amazing writers/publishers/agents/etc. 

Lately (especially since it is the month of November) I have given some thought to those things that we really are so luck to have.  I challenge you all to think of one thing a day for the rest of this month that you are thankful for.  This is nothing hard or challenging but it is something that I think in our busy lives we often overlook or don't reflect on.  

So for today, let me say that beyond living in a world where we are spoiled with creativity and imagination, I am also deeply thankful for my family.  Now I don't have kids and my actual family is quite small, but I want to say beyond my immediate family I am thankful for my urban family (i.e. girlfriends, classmates, those that aren't blood related but that I honestly do consider family) and my bookish family (that's YOU)!  Thank you to you all, whether you are a fellow blogger, writer, publicist or a lover of YA that has somehow stumbled upon my little blog!  

Here's to a November filled with reflection of THANKS!