Suzanne Schultz Pick's Blog: bookblogarama, page 32
August 8, 2014
Friday Reads for 8 Aug 2014
FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).
So, come on — share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!
My Finds:
Finding Mr. Darcy by Amanda Hooton
The 100 by Kass Morgan
Day 21 (The Hundred #2) by Kass Morgan
Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer
Dark Child (The Omnibus Edition) by Adina West
Atlantia by Ally Condie
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Althea and Oliver by Cristina Moracho
100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
Frozen (Heart of Dread #1) by Melissa de la Cruz
Happy Reading and Happy Friday!
August 7, 2014
Review of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Summary from Goodreads:
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE
First off, I want to say that I loved E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks when I listened to the audiobook years ago. I was really eager to get my hands on We Were Liars, because it seemed like a cool, contemporary teen book that I would really dig.
Nope.
I almost put the book down at the very beginning because there were way to many characters introduced. I didn’t know Cadence (Cady) at all, so trying to get me to know who everyone was in the family seemed a little too pushy for an introduction. Luckily, they didn’t matter anyway. Gat was the mysterious boy, the Heathcliff character, who Cady was in love with. The scenes with the two of them were cool but everything else was basically filler. I ended up skipping the fairy tales that Cady wrote just because I knew they would bring nothing to the plot. In fact, there wasn’t a plot. Stuff just happened. I noticed myself skimming through sections and getting through the book quicker than usual (one day) because it was just boring. I liked the idea that the family was wealthy and the mother was a nut job who told Cady to “act normal” whenever she got upset by anything and telling her that just because she was crippled by migraines, she still had “family obligations” (because if anyone in this book is a villain, her mother should get first dibs at that title).
The whole big thing about this book is that there’s a twist and I can tell you, that is the only reason I stuck with 67% of the book before I just wanted to know what the “twist” was so I could get on with my life.
I know people hate spoilers, but luckily, someone on Goodreads explained it in a review. I ended up going back to the book, and skipped ahead to the last section of it (there are five parts to the book – nothing happens in any of them.) I didn’t even read the whole end section either because I just did not care. You don’t get to know the characters; they’re just there. If that’s the whole point of making selfish, rich kid characters who aren’t interesting and who sit around at a beach house doing nothing then, fine, but I need a little more to be invested in their story.
And what was this whole thing about her being a “drug addict?” She had migraines that kept her in bed for days that needed medication. She couldn’t function because of the headaches, so because she wanted relief from pain that was prescribed to her, she’s an “addict?”
Anyway, I didn’t mind the semi-prose because it reminded me of Ellen Hopkins a bit (and prose novels are a thing now too) and I liked that the book was in 1st person. (I can’t really get into books that are 3rd person at all.)
So, bottom line is, I am not a fan of this book. As always, I appreciate that people are raving about it and that E. Lockhart has a smash hit, but I just didn’t get the “wow” factor in this at all. I totally give the author credit for trying to add some nice, literary elements into the passages, even if they did come across as confusing. It could have been a novella, eliminated the boring, useless scenes, focused on Cady and Gat, and been a much more satisfying read for me.
Also, as everyone else mentioned: why are they “Liars?” If they were shady, crafty, b.s.ing rich kids who didn’t care at all about deceiving one another and the people around them (which is what I thought the book would be about, honestly) that would have made more sense.
Happy Reading!
August 4, 2014
The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello Cover Reveal
In this dazzling novel from the author of THE MOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future…
When city girl Liz is banished to a rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiralling out of control. She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval. The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons. But all of this changes in one historical instant.
*
One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own. Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love. But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.
*
When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own…
Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES
Release Day: September 4th 2014
Published by Division Books
About The Author
Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/suzyvitello
website: http://www.suzyvitello.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzyVitelloBooks
Twitter: @suzy_vitello
August 1, 2014
Strange & Ever After (Something Strange & Deadly #3 ) by Susan Dennard Book Blitz
IFB is hosting the promo tour for the third and final book in Susan Dennard’s steampunk, zombie trilogy. Continue below for a sample and a cool giveaway.
Series: Something Strange & Deadly #3Release date: July 22nd 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis via Goodreads:
In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.
He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.
With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.
Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.
About the AuthorSusan Dennard is a writer turned marine biologist turned writer again. Strange and Ever After is the conclusion to her trilogy, which includes A Darkness Strange and Lovely and Something Strange and Deadly. Among the traits she shares with her heroine Eleanor are a weakness for Shakespeare quotes, a healthy appetite for baked goods, and an insatiable curiosity. Sadly, Susan does not get to wear a corset or wave a parasol on a daily basis.
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
The Complete Series
———————————————
Read the first 66 pages of Strange and Ever After here!
Read the Series Recap here
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday Reads for 1 Aug 2014
FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).
So, come on — share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!
My Finds:
The Heiress by Sara Shepherd – Just bought for $1.99 on Kindle.)
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin – Best author name I’ve heard in a while.
In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak
Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter
Something Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3) by Susan Dennard
Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer – Seriously, the cover sells it for me.
Happy Reading and Happy Friday!
July 30, 2014
WWW Wednesday 30 Jul 2014 (Find out what I am reading this week)
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading?
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice – I started reading this way back in my high school days, but now I’m actually getting into it.
What did you recently finish reading?
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest – I picked this up via the $.99 sale on Kindle. Really pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it.
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Maze Runner by James Dashner – I still have to get back to this one after reading the first two chapters a while ago. Now that I’ve seen the trailer for the movie, I am ready to read the book.
Happy Reading and Happy Wednesday!
July 22, 2014
My Summer Reading List 2014
There are lots of books I still have to finish and some I’ve been wanting to get to for a while. Here is the list of books that I hope to tackle over the summer while I have all the time in the world to read.
Linger – I read Shiver and loved it, and finally I bought the paperback of the second in the series since Sinner is the most recent release.
The 5th Wave – I think I got less than half way through this and I quit. I’ve checked it out of the library numerous times, but haven’t made myself get all the way through it.
The Maze Runner – I read the first two chapters after I bought the paperback, so I need to read this before the movie comes out.
Half Bad – I think about this book about every day, so I’m going to have to reread it. One of the best I’ve read so far this year.
Dorothy Must Die – I started the first couple of chapters at the gym one day. I’ve been really excited about reading this one, so I bought it when it was on sale for Kindle.
The Martian – I’ve read a good chunk of this when I got it free in exchange for a review. It’s a bit more technical than I’m use to, but the narrative voice is so good, I want to finish it.
City of Bones – Since this is in third person, I didn’t fall in love with it, but I really do like the world that Clare has built. I have the second book in the series, and I’ve seen the movie, so I really should finish this one too.
The Program – I really enjoyed this, but I stopped reading when I had something else from the library that get me distracted. Definitely want to finish this one.
July 13, 2014
The Man Test by Amanda Askel Book Promo
The Man Test
Contemporary Romance
Marin Johns is San Francisco’s Pollyanna couples therapist. She’s months away from wedded bliss when she discovers her fiancé is having an affair. After nursing her broken heart with Kleenex and break-up songs, she adopts a new brand of thinking when she uncovers a tell-all book that proves all men are liars and cheaters who will do and say anything so they’re not found out. No exceptions.
In an attempt to convince her friends of her newfound truth, she begins a fictitious relationship with James, a do-gooder from Montana. Marin seeks any means necessary to catch him cheating from hiring a PI to enlisting the help of a fidelity tester. Will her new “boyfriend” beat the statistic or will Marin regret the satisfaction of being right?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21546320-the-man-test?ac=1
Purchase
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-man-test-amanda-aksel/1119003749?ean=2940045789981
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422481
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-man-test/id849129081?mt=11
About Amanda Askel
AMANDA (ah-MAHN-dah)- Latin- Meaning lovable or worthy of love.
Fitting. I’ve always had an affinity for love.
Being born in sunny San Diego in the mid 80’s to a young military couple gave me plenty of insight into the dynamics of a romantic relationship. Somewhere between moving coasts every three years, I found myself engrossed in fairytale romances and dressing up like a bride.
My first real love was writing. By my sophomore year in a new high school in Virginia, I had a slew of short stories, songs, poems, and articles to my name. Writing was fun. It was a way to get the emotions, dialogue, and pictures out of my head, and create a destiny for my characters.
I had no intention of making a career in writing, because it wasn’t what I did, it was who I was. In reality, I wanted to be an actress. Ah, to be the face of someone else’s authored story. The plan was to move in with my aunt in L.A. after graduation, but had a change of heart. Instead, I stayed with my high school sweetheart (now husband) and attended a film school in Norfolk, VA. It was at this school that I discovered my love for writing screenplays and felt compelled to follow that path. But…as the practical girl I was brought up to be, I decided to go to a real university. While working full time, I completed my BA in Psychology in four and a half years. Becoming a couple’s therapist had always been my “backup” career and there I was on my way to solving love’s most complicated quandaries one couple at a time.
With all my new free time after graduation, I decided to turn my full-length screenplay into a novel in hopes it would help my screenplay sell. I think I was in the middle of writing chapter two when I realized that everything I had ever written was to prepare me for that moment when I knew I was a novelist. Talk about the affirmation of my life. Now my plan is to solve love’s most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest
Website: http://www.amandaaksel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaAksel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaAksel
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/amandaaksel/the-man-test/
July 7, 2014
The Haunt of Thirteen Curves by Jeanne Arnold Book Blitz
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22535155-the-haunt-of-thirteen-curves
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release date: July 7th 2014
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“In the armory, things can be convincing and impossible. Just like Elias.”
Seventeen-year-old Marcella Jackoby’s bleak reality is altered when she encounters the apparition of a grieving bride wandering the deadly thirteen curves outside of Pennywright. Intent on capturing Marcella, the bride seeks to populate a mythical castle disguised as an abandoned armory, where young guests tirelessly battle an alliance of recluses in order to live with the promise of eternal youth and love.
Unaware of Elias Hawk’s efforts to safeguard her from untimely death, and in spite of the fact that he and the kids residing at the armory are not what they appear to be, Marcella falls for this enigmatic young man. As she uncovers Elias’s century-old secret, Marcella’s home life crumbles and an encounter with a roughneck adversary threatens her budding relationship and the existence of the armory’s residents, unintentionally leading Marcella to ignite war between the worlds, endangering the couple’s future in a shocking twist of fate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanne Arnold is an author of young adult romance. At a young age she found her creative outlet in art, and for years her fictional characters came to life in drawings and paintings, until they demanded a voice. Now they grace the pages of her stories. Jeanne shares her time with her fictional teenage counterparts and her human family in Central New York. STUBBORN is available in ebook, print and audiobook at all major online retailers. Look for THE HAUNT OF THIRTEEN CURVES in July 2014 and JUST AS STUBBORN, the second installment in the STUBBORN series, in January 2015.
jeannearnoldbooks.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
Rafflecopter Giveaway Code:
July 4, 2014
Friday Finds for 4 Jul 2014
FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).
So, come on — share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!
My Finds:
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Happy Reading and Happy 4th of July!
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