Molli Moran's Blog, page 8
April 22, 2015
Warm-Up Review: Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn
From time to time, I have this NEED to talk about a book before it’s actually out in the world. I wanted a different way to do a mini-review for those books, so it became mini-review-meets-gif-explosion fun times.
Warm-Up Review: Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn.
Last year, I loved the first book in Katie Finn’s Broken Hearts series, BROKEN HEARTS, FENCES, AND OTHER THINGS TO MEND. When I got to that cliffy (Thanks Katie! Argh!), and realized it was a series, I couldn’t wait for the second book. Katie Finn is the alter-ego of YA super author, Morgan Matson, and she writes tremendous books as both. The Broken Hearts series is lower on the angst but brings feels, fun, and revenge.
Oh, and from this point, here there be SPOILERS.
The war rages on between Gemma and Hallie in the second installment of the Broken Hearts and Revenge series.
After the humiliating events on the 4th of July, Gemma’s trying to handle the fact that Hallie knew who she was all along, and she was the one who stole Teddy from her. Gemma vows revenge, but things get more complicated than she planned. Ford, Gemma’s long-time crush, has arrived in the Hamptons cuter than ever. Josh is refusing to speak to her after she lied to him, and Teddy is playing champion to his beloved Marsh Warbler (in Gemma’s backyard, no less).
Gemma and Hallie find themselves locked in an escalating revenge cycle. Just when Gemma thinks she has the upper hand, the biggest bombshell of all is dropped. And it’s one that threatens to change her life forever. This exciting sequel to Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things To Mend will leave you begging for the third installment.
So here’s the deal. After that ending in Broken Hearts #1 (Hallie knew who Gemma was! Hallie stole Teddy from Gemma!), we pick up almost immediately afterward. And right off the bat, things start to happen. Gemma’s rivalry with Hallie isn’t over by a long shot….or is it? Gemma has a choice to make: keep playing the game, or walk away from it all. At this point, any sympathy I ever felt for Hallie was long gone, so I was cheering for Gemma to step up and take down Hallie. At this point, things were a bit like
And ugh, Hallie, seriously.
Girl does some messed up stuff over the course of REVENGE. Unlikable characters are usually my thing, but Hallie, man. I get that she has damage from the incident with Gemma when they were kids, but gurlllllll.
Aaaand then they got even more complicated. Gemma’s romantic life turns into a roller coaster ride of missed chances and new things and swoons. She’s conflicted over Josh, but meanwhile her unattainable crush, Ford, arrives in the Hamptons, along with his sister, , who is making a documentary. So not only is Gemma wearing a camera, and forced to get a job, she’s having funny feelings in her heart for two guys.
And y’all. Ford. Is. The. Coolest.
He doesn’t say that, but I could see him saying it. SO charming. So ridiculously charming and amazing, and can you tell I liked him a little bit?!
Like seriously, the coolest. I love love love that Katie brought him into the mix. I enjoyed watching Gemma and Ford’s relationship grow into a real friendship but with this insane chemistry. I fell so hard for Josh in Broken Hearts #1, but Ford is WHERE it’s at. He’s sweet, he’s smart, he’s funny and caring…and even when he suspected something was wackadoodle with Gemma regarding Hallie, he was right there to jump in and help. Team Ford. Team Molli and Ford. Team Gemma and Ford. Team Ford.
(Appropriate gif is appropriate.)
Then things got…really crazy. Like I was SO super tense for most of REVENGE. If you were tense in the first book, take that feeling and multiply it. With every prank and twisty turn, things got more intense, until I felt like I was in an episode of Revenge meets Lost. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I was definitely along for the ride.
Even when Gemma was all
and things looked darkest and ominous, and it seemed like there was NO WAY she could win…and I was a ball of feelings and fears for her, I was still cheering for her. Through every disastrous turn, I wanted to hug her and say “You can do this, Gemma! You can kick ass!”
Of course, you can’t talk to a fictional character, but I so wanted to. *sigh*
To sum it up: more swoons, a second, awesome boy in Gemma’s life, hilarious hijinks when an old flame shows up, many laugh-out-loud moments, references to Catfish, serious ice-cream-cravings, revenge-y moments that will make you gasp, tear-inducing memories, and a whoooooole lotta fun.
By the end of REVENGE, this was me:
And basically:
(Killian Jones wants you to read this book. You don’t want to disappoint him, do you???)
Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold will be published on May 5, 2015! Pre-order now at Amazon | Add to your TBR.
April 21, 2015
Release Day Promo: Play On by Michelle Smith
It’s HERE. PLAY ON by the awesome Michelle Smith is finally out in the world, and I for one cannot WAIT to get my copy.
In the small town of Lewis Creek, baseball is everything. Especially for all-star pitcher Austin Braxton, who has a one-way ticket out of town with his scholarship to a top university. All that stands between him and a new start is one final season. But when Austin starts flunking Chemistry, his picture-perfect future is in jeopardy. A failing grade means zero playing time, and zero playing time means no scholarship.
Enter Marisa Marlowe, the new girl in town who gets a job at his momma’s flower shop. Not only is Marisa some home-schooled super-genius; she’s also a baseball fanatic and more than willing to help Austin study. As the two grow closer, there’s something about Marisa that makes Austin want more than just baseball and out of Lewis Creek — he wants a future with her. But Marisa has a past that still haunts her, one that she ran all the way to South Carolina to escape.
As Austin starts to peel back the layers of Marisa’s pain, it forces him to look beyond the façade of himself and everyone he thought he knew in his town. What he sees instead is that in a small town like Lewis Creek, maybe baseball isn’t everything—maybe it is just the thing that ties them all together.
Now, I’m sure you’d like a glimpse of the book itself, yeah?
What are y’all waiting for?! Go buy this gorgeous book NOW NOW NOW.
Buy at Amazon | Buy at Barnes & Noble | Buy at The Book Depository
Michelle Smith was born and raised in North Carolina, where she developed a healthy appreciation for college football, sweet tea, front porches, and a well-placed “y’all.” She’s a lover of all things happy, laughs way too much, and fully believes that a little bit of kindness goes a long way.
Michelle lives near the Carolina coast with her family.
April 19, 2015
Blog Tour Top Ten: Play On by Michelle Smith
YOU GUYS. How excited am I for Michelle Smith’s rad YA debut, PLAY ON? I’ve been Twitter pals with Michelle for awhile now, and I can verify she is an articulate, passionate and thoughtful person, who writes awesome books. PLAY ON needs to be on YOUR TBR now. Why, you ask? Because as well as writing great books, Michelle has fab taste in sports movies. She wrote a Top Ten today for my stop on her blog tour, and I’ll tell you all about that as soon as I fill you on on what PLAY ON is about.
In the small town of Lewis Creek, baseball is everything. Especially for all-star pitcher Austin Braxton, who has a one-way ticket out of town with his scholarship to a top university. All that stands between him and a new start is one final season. But when Austin starts flunking Chemistry, his picture-perfect future is in jeopardy. A failing grade means zero playing time, and zero playing time means no scholarship.
Enter Marisa Marlowe, the new girl in town who gets a job at his momma’s flower shop. Not only is Marisa some home-schooled super-genius, she’s also a baseball fanatic and more than willing to help Austin study. As the two grow closer, there’s something about Marisa that makes Austin want more than just baseball and out of Lewis Creek–he wants a future with her. But Marisa has a past that still haunts her, one that she ran all the way to South Carolina to escape.
As Austin starts to peel back the layers of Marisa s pain, it forces him to look beyond the facade of himself and everyone he thought he knew in his town. What he sees instead is that in a small town like Lewis Creek, maybe baseball isn t everything–maybe it is just the thing that ties them all together.
Add to Goodreads TBR | Purchase at Amazon | Purchase at B&N
Top Ten Sports Movies
10) Bring It On
9) The Karate Kid
8) Radio
7) Friday Night Lights
6) A League of Their Own
5) The Mighty Ducks
4) Rudy
3) The Sandlot
2) The Blind Side
1) Remember the Titans
I think that’s an awesome list. I LOVE Remember the Titans, A League of Their Own (“There’s no crying in baseball!”), The Blind Side, and especially The Sandlot. Thanks Michelle! 
BUT WAIT. Before you go, don’t you want to enter the tour giveaway?!
Let’s talk. Have you read PLAY ON? If so, what did you think? What about Michelle’s list of sports movies? Aren’t they great? What is your favorite from the list?
April 17, 2015
Mol Reads Books: Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark Published by Henry Holt & Co on March 24, 2015
Add on Goodreads
Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: young adult contemporary
Source: Galley from the publisher
Abram and Juliette know each other. They’ve lived down the street from each other their whole lives. But they don’t really know each other—at least, not until Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad have a torrid affair that culminates in a deadly car crash. Sharing the same subdivision is uncomfortable, to say the least. They don’t speak.
Fast-forward to the neighborhood pharmacy, a few months later. Abram decides to say hello. Then he decides to invite her to Taco Bell. To her surprise as well as his, she agrees. And the real love story begins.
Confession: Sometimes I read books, then I want to talk about them. But I don’t want to write super formal reviews like I did when I first started blogging. I want my reviews to be fun and hopefully make YOU want to read the book. So…here goes!
Y’all, so there’s this book called FINDING MR. BRIGHTSIDE. I was curious from the time I first read the synopsis. Our main characters have a connection that makes their first interaction anything but a meet-cute. Abram’s dad had an affair with Juliette’s mom, and then both of them died in a car crash. Fast-forward a year later, and no one is really doing well. Everyone is just sort of faking normal, and yet somehow Abram and Juliette, who have been ignoring each other’s existence, are drawn together.
MOLLI BAIT. Seriously. I was excited but nervous, and luckily, I. Was. Hooked. From the first chapter, sitting on my back porch in the sunshine reading, I was totally hooked.
First of all, we need to talk about the characters and their voices. Juliette is so snarky and hidden in her tower, and Abram is all LET ME CLIMB YOUR WALLS. Every time they were in the same room, or texting, I was basically falling all over myself giggling. Somehow his exuberance and her attitude melded together to form something I loved way more than I thought I would. And the way Jay Clark wrote both characters, I felt like I knew them. More than that, I felt like I was there, getting a peek into their day to day lives, watching their experiences shape them.
Obviously I loved the writing. It was sharp, clear, and easy to read. Easy to get lost in. I’d read 100 pages before I even looked up, and that doesn’t happen with just any book. Jay Clark did a fantastic job writing two easily distinguishable characters. Juliette and Abram both felt really authentic, not overly romanticized, nor overdone in an attempt to be cool.
The feels. They were there, and always unexpected. I’d be laughing at one of the funny remarks, then BAM, feels explosion. I really enjoyed them though. FINDING MR. BRIGHTSIDE has some heavy moments, and there’s an undercurrent of grief, but it’s eventually mixed with learning how to breathe around that grief.
What else…I dug the dual point of view, and the fact that BRIGHTSIDE started after the accident that killed Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad. I liked that both remaining parents had a big presence in the story, and I liked seeing how they dealt. I think my favorite part was the super organic character growth. This book doesn’t span years, but I could really SEE both Abram and Juliette changing for the better.
FINDING MR. BRIGHTSIDE is a sweet, poignant read, and won’t be my last Jay Clark book. I’d recommend it to fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.
April 13, 2015
The One At the Beach
I’ve been AWOL for…too long. *gingerly blows dust off of blog* I had all these goals to do better (goals I’m still working on), and life just sort of got in the way and kicked my butt hard a few times. 2015 has been sort of funky so far, not bad in any way, just…odd. Busy. Hectic. Weird. Surprising. Inspiring. A lot of things in a few short months.
Some of the awesome things have been: getting a raise at work, slowly starting to write again (there’s a whole other post coming about the Writer’s Block From Hell), seeing my second book become a real paperback book (!!!), and recently, a Florida vacation.
My girlfriend and I have been planning this trip for about a year. She wanted to go last year, but it didn’t work out, so then I didn’t go with the friends who were going. Then we planned for her to come here in the fall, but my work wouldn’t approve the time. CURSES RETAIL JOB. CURSES. We finally set these dates, and knew come what may, it was happening.
We just spent a week together, and y’all. I can’t even find words. The ocean was beautiful. My friends got to meet my girl. We laughed, we flailed, we all made great memories together. She flew into Nashville last Saturday night and we road-tripped to Florida. The road trip included: silly faces, singing at the top of our lungs to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack, getting punchy from lack of sleep, pictures at Alabama rest stops, “Let’s do this, bitches!” and dragging our tired selves into IHOP in Florida the next morning.
I did NOT want to leave.
I’ll always remember that week. My BFFs who went with us conspired behind my back and on the third day, who should walk into our condo but my guy bff Josh? Side note: I hadn’t seen my Josh in TWO YEARS, so when he walked in the door, yes, I screamed and threw myself at him. To his credit, he didn’t even blink. 
Katie and I created the hashtag #prettygirlandhoney to keep up with our adventures. You can follow it on Twitter or on Insta if you want to see all our pictures!
The trip back to Tennessee was bittersweet. It meant we only had two days left together, and it meant some tears on my part when part of my family made it clear they still weren’t accepting. The girls talked to me about the idea I’ve had of moving to California, and for the first time in awhile, it really seems possible. Possible and like it will happen. That Kay and I can have this life we want. I can see that life when we’re together, and it’s the one I want to live all the time.
Plus I’m such a diva. I belong in the sunshine, by the ocean, wearing flip-flips and beach hair. I love Florida, I love California, I just love being near the water and in the sunshine. I love the south, because it’s where I was born, but I need to be somewhere bigger, brighter, somewhere MORE.
As my friend Jen said, “you’ve found your heart. You need to be with her.”
**Here there be GRISHA spoilers.**
Okay this is the part where I talk about Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy and spoil the ending, so LOOK AWAY. So I read SHADOW AND BONE and immediately happy sighed all over it and told Kay she HAD to read it. Then when SIEGE AND STORM came out, we both devoured it, and loved it. We went crazy over Sturmhond, didn’t trust but still flailed over the Darkling, and loved Mal more than anything. Katie read RUIN AND RISING a few days before I did; the day my copy arrived, I started it. She went to bed but I stayed up all night reading it, crying, texting her my thoughts, crying some more.
An aside. When I came back from visiting her the second time, we came up with endearments for one another. She calls me Honey and I call her lots of things. Things like Pretty Girl, my heart, lovely.
Then came RUIN AND RISING, and the ship I thought would end and leave me broken happened. If you know me, you know I ALWAYS go for the doomed couple, the long shot, the Buffy/Angel, the Gale/Katniss, the anyone who won’t ever make it. But somehow, somehow Mal and Alina, this couple that for some strange reason I’m so attached to…made it. And in the end, when the dust settled, Mal calls Alina: beauty, beloved, cherished, my heart.
It was meant to be. From then on, every time I thought of Katie as “my heart,” I thought of Mal and Alina, and would tear up. I started calling her beloved in special moments.
We exchanged promise rings on the beach in Florida. Mine is a beautiful claddagh from her. Hers? Has the engraving “For my beloved” on the inside. So a huge thank you to Leigh for writing these beautiful books that brought Kay and I closer together, made me swoon and cry and fear and laugh, and just mean so much to me. Thank you.
(Dear Leigh: I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your words. It’s only for this picture, and this post. I’ve just never found anything else that does what Katie and I have justice.)
I’ve been back for about a week now and I miss everything about us. How we can talk for hours and never get bored. How we laugh, so much. How I can hear a song that gets me in the feels, and she just holds me, because she doesn’t mind that I’m a big dork. I want it for always, and my goal over the next few months is to do everything I can to work toward our happily-ever-after.
February 15, 2015
Blog Tour: The Tragic Age by Stephen Metcalfe
Today I’m thrilled to have the blog tour for THE TRAGIC AGE by Stephen Metcalfe stopping here at Books and Whimsy. This book sounds fab! I haven’t gotten a chance to start my ARC yet but it’s definitely on my TBR. I have an exclusive excerpt for you guys today, and I’ll also be giving you the info on where else you can find the tour.
Follow the tour
Excerpt 1: Tuesday, February 3rd: KellyVision (Link)
Excerpt 2: Saturday, February 7th: Amaterasu Reads (Link)
Excerpt 3: Tuesday, February 10th: The Young Folks (Link)
Excerpt 4: Friday, February 13th: Unbound Books
Excerpt 5: Sunday, February 15th: Books and Whimsy (That’s me!)
Excerpt 6: Thursday, February 19th: Stories & Sweeties
Excerpt 7: Monday, February 23rd: As I Turn the Pages
Excerpt 8: Saturday, February 28th: Novel Novice
Excerpt
“Hammurabi!”
It’s a Thursday, sixth period World History, the horse latitudes, and the teacher, Mr. Monaghan, knows he’s going down with the ship.
“Hammurabi reigned over the Babylonian Empire until his death in 1750 b.c. And he did what, people? Anyone?” No one is remotely paying attention. Mr. Monaghan, small, slight, possibly gay, and one of the few male teach- ers at High School High who wears a tie every day, and raises his voice like a tourist who thinks shouting will
make him understood in a foreign language.
“He created laws, people! The code of Hammurabi. The fundamentals of which—”
As Mr. Monaghan turns and paces and lectures to the ceiling, I glance around. I see twenty-eight teenagers who look like they’re taking a collective dump of tedium. It’s as if their jeans, skirts, and underwear are down around their ankles and they’re sitting on toilets with painful, consti- pated looks on their faces. Of course, part of this might be that no one, except me, has read the assignment. And I’m not about to admit to it.
“. . . two hundred eighty-two laws, written on twelve clay tablets in—what? Anyone?”
If Mr. Monaghan is waiting for an answer he’s going to be waiting a very long time.
“Akkadian, people! The language of Babylon! The foundation of modern civilization!”
He might as well be speaking in Akkadian. If one moron brings an accusation against another moron, and that moron leaps into a river, if he sinks, the first moron shall take possession of his house. Some foundation of civilization. Maybe people have always been insane.
And now, just in time to prevent us all from killing ourselves, there’s a knock on the door. Mr. Monaghan sighs. He looks discouraged. It must drive teachers crazy to have to spend so much time teaching something that no one really cares about. Of course, the study of ancient Babylon doesn’t present a lot of job options to do anything else.
Mr. Monaghan crosses the front of the room, opens the door and steps out into the hallway. Everyone gives a collective sigh of relief. Maybe he won’t come back. But then Mr. Esposito, the school principal, sticks his head in, wrinkles his brow, tightens his lips, and squints at us. It’s like he’s a displeased police detective and he’s trying to decide whether or not we’re worth making his day. Apparently we’re not because after a second he ducks back out. You can hear him and Mr. Monaghan murmuring at one another. I can just see some papers change hands.
“Yes, all right, come in,” Mr. Monaghan says. He steps back into the room. With the guy.
You feel a stir of interest in the room.
The guy is tall. He wears black jeans and a rage against the machine T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. He wears heavy motorcycle boots. The jeans, shirt, and boots look like a uniform on him. His dark hair is sort of long and wavy, a lot of it different lengths. He has steel closure rings in his left ear and one in his right eye-brow.
Hammurabi probably did too.
He has a barbed-wire tattoo spiraling down his ropy muscled right forearm.
Barbed wire signifies confinement.
He has brightly colored flower tattoos covering his left. Flowers are symbols of youth, life, and victory over death.
He has woven strands of wire and leather worn loose around his neck. A metal scorpion dangles from it.
An amulet protects the wearer from harm.
“People,” says Mr. Monaghan, “we have a new student joining us. This is”—and he reads from the paper— “Willard Twomey.” Some of the morons in the class snicker at the name. The guy doesn’t seem to notice.
“Take a seat, Mr. Twomey,” says Mr. Monaghan. “We’ll get you up to speed later.”
Willard Twomey moves down the aisle and past me. He makes no eye contact with anyone. As if guided by ra- dar, he steps over an outstretched foot. Some of the morons in the class snicker again. Willard Twomey’s expression doesn’t change.
None of this is happening, and if it is, he couldn’t care less.
February 9, 2015
Announcing The Authorteers
Four indie authors have teamed up to form a blog!
The four authors–Molli Moran, Marie Landry, Lilly Avalon, and Jessica Sankiewicz–have written and published 14 books altogether ranging from young adult to new adult to women’s fiction to romantic erotica. They decided to put their (super) powers of awesome together to form an author blog called The Authorteers!
Click here to check it out!
Meet the Authors:
Molli is a Southern author who doesn’t consider her day complete if she hasn’t written. She loves coffee and talking fast, things she attributes to being raised by Gilmore Girls. She’s a romantic at heart, and brings that to her books, which are usually about quirky characters chasing after their happily ever after. Although content when reading, she can often be found watching and flailing over Doctor Who, cuddling her various pets, or spending time with friends, family, or her girlfriend. Molli loves Oxford commas, country music, Stefan Salvatore, and scarves.
| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Author Site | Book Blog |
Marie has the best job in the world—one where she gets to make stuff up for a living and shamelessly eavesdrop on everyone around her. She writes happily ever afters while dreaming about the day she’ll have her own epic love story to tell. Most days you can find her writing, reading, fantasizing about traveling the world, listening to U2, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures with her nephews and niece.
| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Author Site | Book Blog |
Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other erotic romances. She’s somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she’s not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she’s out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It’s a toss-up.
| Facebook | Twitter | tsu | Goodreads | Pinterest | Author Site | Newsletter |
Jessica Sankiewicz is the author of the New Adult novella series, This Night. You can often find her either reading or marathon watching TV on DVD, her favorites being Castle and Veronica Mars. She frequently mismatches her clothes and giggles uncontrollably. She knows almost every Billy Joel song by heart. She collects books and toys, and she has an intense love of cats and lemurs. Jessica decided when she turned 27 that she would remain 27 forever. Currently in the midst of her quarter-life-crisis, she is still takin’ names and getting very close to reaching an epiphany.
| Facebook | Twitter | tsu | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Author Site | Book Blog |
Hang out with The Authorteers!
The Authorteers created a Facebook group to hang out with everyone. It’ll be full of all sorts of things from news on their books to links to giveaways and posts on this blog. That way you can stay up to date and not miss out on anything awesome!
Request to join today!
Giveaway
To celebrate this occasion, The Authorteers are hosting an EPIC giveaway! Here’s what you can win:
International (20 WINNERS)
FOUR winners receive 4 e-books–1 book of choice from each author EIGHT winners receive 1 e-book of choice from our backlist (from any author) FOUR winners receive 1 swag pack (one from each author, the one you receive will be randomly selected) FOUR winners receive 1 signed postcard (one from each author, the one you receive will be randomly selected)
US/CAN only (4 WINNERS)
Plush with candy, $15 iTunes gift card, AYTA and OSA swag
Angel Island swag (postcards, mini bookmarks, stickers), chocolate, Minnie Mouse memo pad, various stickers
Seduced by a Stranger by Lisa Kleypas, candy, book swag (including buttons!)
Autumn notebook & bag of chocolates & handmade hemp bracelet & book swag
Giveaway Rules:
1. The only real requirement is to follow The Authorteers blog (via Bloglovin’, Feedburner, or another reader of choice). 2. This contest runs from February 9th to 28th. 3. Winners will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on March 1st via Rafflecopter random selection.
International:
US/CAN Only:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 3, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday – Molli and the Neverending TBR
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week’s topic is top ten books I can’t believe I haven’t read and/or want to read from any certain genre. I thought of a few ways this could go, but ended up with the top ten New Adult books I haven’t read and want to read ASAP.
If you participated in TTT, leave me a link to yours!
Wait for You by Jennifer L. Armentrout (writing as J. Lynn). I KNOW, I KNOW. I’ve heard some great things about JLA’s first NA series, and I truly *meant* to read it, but that’s about the time I got so overwhelmed with review books, and then the other books came out and… I really AM so far behind. I want to get to it this year. (PS. I TOTALLY start singing the Elliot Yamin song when I think of this book so…bonus?)
All Broke Down by Cora Carmack. I really want to read this one ASAP. I loved the first Rusk book, and even though this one is about SILAS INSTEAD OF RYAN *coughs and side-eyes Cora lovingly* I’m still psyched to read it.
Upside Down by Lia Riley. My brain twin loves this trilogy and *I* adore Lia (she’s as much of an Arrow fan as I am), so I NEED to read this one soon.
If Only by A.J. Pine. Amy is another author pal and all around awesome person, and I’ve heard some amazing things about her first book.
All of You by Christina Lee. I remember being super psyched for this one right before it came out, then life got in the way. *shakes fist at life* Christina is super fun, so I can’t wait to read her book.
Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh. Brighton’s tweets are always fun, and readers and authors are raving about WINTER so…I MUST read it soon.
I See London by Chanel Cleeton. I’ve heard so so many great things about these books, and Chanel is such a sweetie!
Swimming to Tokyo by Brenda St. John Brown. Dahlia raves about this one, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Make It Right by Megan Erickson. I loved Megan’s MAKE IT COUNT and I can’t wait to get to the follow-up.
Boomerang by Noelle August. This is co-authored, and one of the authors is none other than the fabulous Veronica Rossi so I HAVE TO READ IT, duh.
I think what this list has shown is that I need about a two week vacation JUST for relaxing somewhere warm with drinks and books. What do y’all think?
Have you read any of these? Loved them? Are some of them on YOUR TBR? Don’t forget to link me to your TTT.
February 2, 2015
DNF Q&A Discussion: SEEKER by Arwen Elys Dayton
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton Series: Seeker #1
Published by Delacorte on February 10, 2015
Add on Goodreads
Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: young adult science-fiction
Source: Galley from the publisher
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Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’. Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin.
Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.
I’m not sure how frequently I’ll use this feature, since I *hope* I won’t be DNF’ing (did not finish) many books. In any case, the lovely Nikki at gave me permission to adapt her awesome DNF Q&A feature for my blog with full credit. If you don’t know Nikki, fix that! And definitely comment and let me know what you think of the feature, and if you’ve read the book I’m discussing.
So, this is kind of embarrassing, but my first book of 2015 turned out to be a DNF. At first, I was completely psyched for SEEKER by Arwen Elys Dayton, but after the awesome beginning, things took a sharp left turn into downhill territory, as you’ll soon see.
Did you go in with any expectations, and if so, did those play into your disappointment? Were you over-the-moon excited for this book?
This time, I’d say I definitely let the hype surrounding SEEKER get to me. I was curious and hopeful it would be as great as I was hoping. My expectations were probably a bit *too* high, so within the first few chapters, I lowered them significantly to see if I could just enjoy the book for what it was, rather than it meeting that comparison as THE NEXT BIG THING. I’d seen a lot of buzz for it, especially from the publisher, but from then on I tried to forget everything I’d heard and thought.
So…did you really try to read it, or did you just give up?
I stopped at page 210 of 448. By around page 50-75, I wasn’t feeling SEEKER, but a) I always feel guilty when I DNF a book and b) there were some interesting portions that I hoped improved as I read further. By page 150-ish, I was skimming to see if that DID happen, and by 210 I decided to stop.
Is this an out-of-genre experience for you, or do you normally love books in this genre?
Well, this is a difficult question, because SEEKER has some mashup qualities to it. There’s technology and themes that read like science-fiction, but it also reads at times like an alt-history or historical fiction because of the “out of time” sense in the setting (We’re in Scotland, but that’s all we’re told, no sense of WHEN we are.) There are things like “whipswords” that transform into different weapons, and a TV set is mentioned; later in the book we’re in Hong Kong in what seems a version of the future. So I’m really not sure what genre this was, but since it seems predominantly science-fiction, I’ll say that even though I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, I usually really enjoy what I do read of it.
What ultimately made you decide to stop?
With some books, it’s a specific thing, but with SEEKER it was more of a broad dislike. There was one event that felt super hurried in terms of character development, but overall, I kept getting the sense that I was reading a draft of a book.
The writing felt very “tell” versus “show,” and most of what we learned about the world-building, characters, or romance was through chunky info-dumping. That combined with the fact that I couldn’t tell much about when/where we were left me confused and irritated.
I do want to pause here to say that I *did* see lots of potential here; in the characters, in the plot (which moved along fairly well), and in the writing. But ultimately nothing was realized. The romance was told to me, but it never deepened. The world-building was sketched out but never colored in. The characters were given thin personalities, but never fleshed out.
For example, we’re told that Quin, John, and Shinobu are training. We’re told that Quin and John are in love. We’re told that Shinobu is ethnically diverse. We’re told that they’ve always wanted to be Seekers, and that John has a particular reason for needing to become one. That’s it. I still have no idea who the three main characters ARE, outside of their desire to be Seekers. I couldn’t tell you anything about their likes or personalities, and to be honest, their POVs all blended together because the writing was just tell, tell, tell, and…really rather blah.
SEEKER read, to me, like an outline of a novel, with lots of ideals touched on and mentioned, but never given life and width.
Was it a total lost cause?
No, actually. As I talked about, it seemed like a lot of outlining had been done, SEEKER read like an unfinished draft, but one with potential. I *hope* from ARC to finished copy, there’s a lot of developmental editing done on the characters, plot, and world-building. I was totally lost – I still never really understood what a Seeker was/was supposed to be – but the actual bare-bones premise was really intriguing. And if the characters were 3D, it would have helped a lot, because they had potential.
Would you read something else from this author?
Maybe? Her writing isn’t my favorite kind, by a long shot. I’m a huge fan of “show” over “tell” so if she wrote something else and I saw favorable reviews, I might consider it if the writing style were a little different.
Have you read SEEKER? If so, what did you think? Did you like it better than I did? Did you finish it? What would you categorize it as, in terms of science-fiction, fantasy, etc? Did you like the characters and romance? Let’s discuss!
January 26, 2015
Mol Reads Books: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin Series: Mara Dyer #2
Published by Simon & Schuster BFYR on October 23, 2012
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Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: young adult paranormal, young adult thriller
Source: Bought
Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
Two reviews in, and I still don’t know what to say about these books, except HO-LEE crap, they are good. And addictive. Like in a “I bought this book before I finished the first one” way, which I NEVER do. Due to life, it took me a few weeks to get to it, and guys, in the back of my mind, I NEEDED to read it. I needed to know what was happening with Mara, with Noah, with Jamie. I needed it in my life, in my hands. I felt all anxious for this book, and it is NOT disappoint.
Things happen in THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER, friends. Lots and lots of Things. We get a few questions answered, but this book asks loads more. If you’re the type of person who got irritated when Lost did this and kept stringing you along, you will probably find yourself frustrated with the second of Mara’s installments, but LAWD LAWD I promise you, if you keep reading, it is so worth it.
Even if the whole book will have you like
Everything is…more. More chemistry between Noah and Mara, more creepy things happening, more unreliableness on Mara’s part, more mind-eff-ery for me and you, dear readers. The stakes are infinitely higher, because we get answers, but they spawn more questions, but there are So Many Things! As EVOLUTION progresses, the chillbumps were permanently on my arms and I was even a bit afraid to read this one at night.
Michelle Hodkin changes so much up on us — what we think we know, where the book is set, who these characters we love ARE. (Part of the book is set at a SERIOUSLY creepy mental health facility and OH HALE NO, you couldn’t pay me to go there. Horror movie stuff right there.)
I felt like my mind was in a perpetual state of being blown, and I LOVED IT. The few times I stepped away from the book, I’d immediately bemoan and curse whatever I had to do (especially work, I side-eyed work SO HARD) that was keeping me away from NOAH MY LOVE the book. Because Noah…heyyyyy how YOU doin?
Remember when I said there was MOAR CHEMISTRY? Yeah…that happens. GAWD, I wanted to fan myself more than once reading this book, and there were so many times I cursed the limit YA puts on sexy tiiiiiiimes because I wanted Mara to just kiss Noah senseless. The undercurrent of hope tangled around fear that was pulsing between these two… The things they said, Noah’s suggestive ways. DAMN BOY.
But it’s not all sexual tension and stolen kisses. We saw the feelings between these two deepen and in a wonderful, organic, “first all consuming love” sort of way. Even though there might have been instant attraction between them, this is NOT insta-love.
Hodkin left me in awe with EVOLUTION. Yes, the pacing is a bit slower, but it’s the middle book, and that’s hard to avoid, so I didn’t hold a grudge. The characters (Daniel, Joseph, Jamie, Mara’s family) are still present and just as fleshed-out. I LOVED Daniel in this, I loved all the support Mara’s family gave her, even as things got Stephen-King-creepy. I kept thinking these books would make a kick-arse horror movie or CW television show.
And Noah. OH NOAH. I can’t end this without mentioning him (yes, again. ladies, get in line.) Early in the first book, Noah came off as this cocky jerk who was no good for Mara. I love how Hodkin slowly showed us all that Noah is, including a guy with a huge heart. We learn a little more about him in EVOLUTION and we see how much he truly DOES care about Mara.
TL;DR
Swoonage on a scale of 1-10: DEFINITE 10. Noah and Mara’s tension is off the CHARTS, and for a couple who barely gets the chance to kiss between dangerous things, they brought it.
Reread eligible on a scale of 1-10: Like with the first one, it’ll be awhile so that I can forget details, but I’d definitely reread this book.
Connection on a scale of 1-10: I know some readers had trouble connecting with Mara, possibly because of how unreliable she is as a narrator, and thus our “eyes” in the books, but I just loved her even more in this one, and SO wanted her to be okay.
I heart it on a scale of 1-10: 10. As I mentioned above, there’s SO much love in Mara’s family, which is great. Clearly they care for her, or they wouldn’t all be going to so much trouble to save her. I like that we saw more of her friendship with Jamie.
Favorite quote
“If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one.”
