Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

This hop features 

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop
Hosted by
BOOKHOUNDS & I AM A READER, NOT A WRITER

Participating blogs featuring books that have been banned or challenged.  

The hop runs from September 22nd - September 28th. 

I want to take a moment just to step away from the giveaway (which is fun) but mention that this is in honor of all those books that have been banned for one reason or another because of controversial content over time. The week of September 22nd to September 28th is Banned Book Week and we should all celebrate the right to Read On! You can find more information here or see a list of past banned books here. 

MY GIVEAWAY IS...

[Hardcover] Harry Potter Schoolbooks: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Shadows

We all know about that typical fallen angel story, but one is seldom told in way that tugs at your heart and gets your adrenaline going like Paula Weston's Shadows (The Rephaim #1).  Weston does an amazing job world building the many levels of angels, demons, mortals and everyone in between!  Shadows is a story of discovery that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Summary courtesy of Goodreads:

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn. 

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares. 

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Who can she trust is right!  Poor Gaby!  My heart goes out to her and seriously, this novel kept my breath held waiting for Gaby to come into her own power and strength.  The characters sprinkled throughout were increasingly vivid and Weston did a brilliant job hiding enough of the details to keep the reader intrigued and revealed elements at precisely the right moments.

The pace of Shadows worked and as I have said earlier, it really is Weston's world building that I felt was the best done element.  The various locations are just so beautifully written that I can see and feel the various settings.  When you dive into the world that Weston builds you can taste the sawdust in the cage in one moment and the next you're tasting the salty air of Pandanus Beach.  

One thing, however cannot be overlooked....this book has some intense and building FEELS ahead!  The way Weston writes the relationships between the characters and building sexual tensions are really quite masterful!  Can I just say that Rafa makes me SWOON in a major way and when you include the added tension of Daniel...Oh MY!  Some of the scenes I could seriously read a time or two again...

Overall, I'd say that if you're looking for a quick read or another series to get into Shadows is your go to!  It has action, romance, paranormal and a mystery to work your way into!  Weston creates and amazing story that I, for one, cannot wait to continue on with Haze! 

Waiting on Wednesday: Death Sworn

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

So clearly I'm on a fantasy/magic wave here, but I absolutely cannot wait for Leah Cypress' newest YA Fantasy, Death Sworn (Deathsworn #1) to make it's way to my shelf!  EVERYTHING about this read looks delicious!  The cover art alone is seriously to die for!  Dark and secretive and magical...eeee!  This book looks like it has it all: strong female protagonist, assassins, magic, love, secrets and discoveries!!!   Seriously, who wouldn't want to lose themselves in this read?!  I know what I'll be reading come March 2014!  Good things come to those who wait with Death Sworn!  Mark your calendars and add to your TBR shelf today! 

Summary courtesy of Goodreads:

When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.

But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.

Relativity

What if life was a choose your own adventure story?  For Ruby Wright, a wormhole found in an Ohio cornfield (of all places), gives her access to variations of her life, but is the grass really greener on the other side?  Relativity by Cristin Bishara explores the possibility of accessing parallel realities in a fun and engaging way that will keep you on your toes until the very end!

Summary courtesy of Goodreads:

If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities.

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?

This is one of those endearing stories that really touches the core of all of us.  What if my mom was still alive?  What if my friendship with that boy went beyond just friendship?  What if…  Ruby definitely goes through her fair share of life’s twists and turns and feels slighted by life until she finds the potential to experience different realities but those alternate realities come with costs that not only affect her, but those around her.

This is a fresh spin and one of the few “parallel” type stories that I actually felt had a sense of realism behind it.  I say that because a lot of the novels today talk about time travel and parallel universes in a way that seems far-fetched but Bishara really develops and examines the math and science behind this possibility, which I personally really appreciated.

Relativity loosely reminded me of The Butterfly Affect, only in the way that we experienced alternate realities but none of them seemed absolutely perfect.  Just like life, there is, and always will be, something that we’d like to change…life isn’t perfect and you really have to examine what is important and appreciate what you have in the present.  Relativity is a fun, fast-paced, mind-bending look at life and appreciating those that surround you and the reality you live in.

The Burning Sky

Are you ready for a magical adventure of epic proportion?  If so, The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy, #1) by Sherry Thomas is for you!  The Burning Sky is chalk full of daring excitement, ancient magic, hidden identities, vast landscapes, unrealized talent, and a resistant but inevitable destiny.  Thomas really brings readers an original, fast-paced and enthralling series that has HUGE potential!  Do not miss out on this spell-binding series debut! 

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death. 

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal. 

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

First off, let me start by saying that I took this book on a trip with me and I could not put it down!  From the moment I cracked open the book in the terminal waiting for my flight until that evening I was hooked!  Thomas really does an amazing job building the story from the ground up with a solid foundation, her elaborately vivid world building and truly fantastic character development!  I absolutely fell in love with our heroine, Iloanthe.  She is everything a protagonist should be!  She is brave, she is volatile, she has purpose, she definitely has something to lose (skin in the game) and has the ability to affect change.  Of course, she is not without flaw, but Iloanthe embraces every curveballs thrown her way with an admirable grace and flexibility.  Prince Titus is also worthy of notice and transforms before your eyes in this novel from a rather pompous, entitled and spoiled princeling to a rather admirable and brave champion.  Can we also mention the FEELS?!  Titus and Iloanthe have some seriously swoon worthy moments that bring on the FEELS! The tension and relationship between the two flex and bends to create a perfect climate for intense waves of FEELS!

I cannot say enough good things about this book.  You all really need to go out and add this to your readers, shelves and TBR lists!  Soooo good/amazing/wonderful/(pick your adjective)!  You will NOT be disappointed.  Brace yourself for intense action, some emotional FEELS and an epic journey! 

Lessons Learned from Slumber...

Today we will explore the Lessons Learned about Fae from reading Slumber by Tamara Blake:

1. They love to PARTY!  Okay, so these beings live for what feels like forever, so really if your life had no end how better to pass time than throw one massive party after another!  Par-Tay with the Fae!

2. They are MESSY!  Yes, you heard me, after all that partying they apparently leave a huge disgusting mess that requires hiring housecleaners because after all that partying they are too tired ("I am le tired...") to clean up their messes.

3. They are sneaky/tricky little buggers.  Not only do they love to party it up but they also find it thrilling to trick humans (don't go toe to toe with them), because...

4. ...They have HUGE egos.  Yes, these tricky Fae not only think they are the "bomb dot com" but they also see themselves as the smartest, the most beautiful, the great...Think you can win?  Think again!

5. They make a MEAN cup of coffee!  ...take my word, just avoid any treats they may toss your way.  Stay clear of the cup o' joe! 

6. They can come in handy.  Not all is bad when it comes to these devious Fae.  Sometimes they can be handy, for instance if you need your car to start! A little magic can go a long way!

7. If you're in need of a makeover...turn to the FAE!  They have glamours that can make your skin flawless, your hair perfectly styled and your outfit to die for!  And really, who can't use a little magical airbrushing here and there?!  :-)

Read our full review and pick up your copy today to learn more about those devious Fae and find your own "lessons learned!"  

Still hesitating?  

Start reading now: http://www.scribd.com/doc/153240896/Slumber

Now for the giveaway!

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Today's giveaway is brought to you courtesy of Diversion Books!  BIG thanks to the team that helps make these things possible!

About the Author:

Kathleen Bolton is a professional writer and editor. Currently, she is a contracted writer to Working Partners, Ltd. Her projects include Confessions of a First Daughter, a YA series about the misadventures of the U.S. President’s teen-aged daughter, and Secrets of a First Daughter, both published by HarperCollins Teen, under the pen name Cassidy Calloway. Her current project, Slumber, under the pen name Tamara Blake, released July of 2013 and is a dark suspense fantasy novel for teens. She is the co-founder of Writer Unboxed, one of the foremost online communities for writers of fiction.

Kathleen lives with her husband and daughter in upstate New York.

Visit her AuthorTracker webpage at HarperCollins Publishing, or Goodreads for more.

The Social Code

Not all that glitters is gold in the Sillicon Valley and that rings true with Sadie Hayes' new novel, The Social Code (The Start-Up #1).  The Social Code reveals a fast-paced, engaging and tech-savvy read that showcases the dark side of the Sillicon Valley.  What's better than an underdog story where maybe for once, truth and smarts can prevail?  

This is a story about twins who come from nothing and create for themselves a future to make up for their past, but will the past catch up to them?  Adam and Amelia were foster children who are incredibly close and have a fierce love for one another who are awarded scholarship to attend the prestigious Stanford University.  Amelia is instantly built up as the lab-loving/techy/nerdy one of the two who is borderline brilliant and has caught the eyes and attention of the Silicon Valley's leaders.  Adam on the other hand, has enough ambition for the both of them.  He is the catalyst that shoots the pair of them on this thrilling adventure where life just might catch up to them and fame and fortune might not be all it's cracked up to be.

Hayes does a masterful job world, plot and character building (the perfect trifecta) throughout her novel.  All of the characters are so accurately portrayed that I felt as if I were in conversation with the nerds in the computer lab and then the next moment at the lavish parties of the powerful tycoons.  Also laced throughout the novel are elements of true friendship, love, lust, and of course betrayal and deceit.  Hayes weaves these themes with the use of multiple POVs, which really worked in this case.  It was wonderful to get the 360 view of the story from all of the angles.  I think we each have a part of every character that lives within our personalities (the idealist, the protector, the driven, the hungry, the lover, etc).

I will warn that this book is guaranteed to leave you with a huge cliffhanger that will have you thirsting for more.  How long, you ask, will we have to wait for #2?  Not that long at all!  The Next Big Thing (The Start-Up, #2) debuts November 26th, 2013!  So add this to your shelf today and get ready for #2!  You wont be disappointed!