Book Haul (#51)

Hey,

How are you all doing? I didn't post a book haul last week because I didn't receive anything but I have this week. Also, aren't you enjoying the awesome weather? Well, in the UK the weather is pretty finnnneeee, not sure about the rest of the world but hope you are enjoying the sun if there is any.

This week I received:

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - Gifted -

Thank you, Michaniya @ Bookmarked for Later for sending this to me as a RAK! I've already read it and LOVED IT! It's super cute.

The Truth About Letting Go (The Truth #2) by Leigh Talbert Moore - Received -

Thank you, Netgalley! I haven't read the previous book, but it said that you don't need to read the first to read this one. This looks really adorable and I just can't wait to read it.

That's my haul for this week! Leave a link to your Book Haul/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday/In My Mailbox in the comments below so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,

Sam :D

Waiting on Wednesday (59)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Night School: Fracture (Night School #3) by C. J. Daugherty

Release Date: 2013

Devastated by the loss of her friend and under constant threat from an unknown spy at Cimmeria Academy, Allie Sheridan is finding it hard to cope.

In Fracture, the third book in the Night School series, she’s not the only one losing it – everything is falling apart. And when Nathaniel begins to reveal his game plan, Isabelle starts to lose control.

As the school slides into a deadly morass of paranoia and suspicion, everyone is guilty until proved innocent. Anyone can be held without proof, and convicted without a trial. No one is safe.

This time Nathaniel doesn’t need to hurt them. This time they’re hurting themselves.

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :)

Cover Reveal: Becoming

Hey,

Today I am here to reveal the cover of Becoming by Samantha Summers, which is the third book in the Project Five Fifteen series after First Light and As You Were.

This is a action/thriller/romance YA series that is very addictive!! Check out my reviews here: First Light and As You Were.

Now here we go...

Becoming (Project Five Fifteen #3) by Samantha Summers

Release Date: October 31, 2013

You can’t run from darkness. Eventually, the sun has to set.

Turning his back on the killer he was trained to be wasn’t as easy as Kalen Smith had hoped. They’d tried to run. They’d tried to hide. People had lost their lives. The wrong people. Now, driven by a thirst for revenge, Kalen and his team are preparing to take down those responsible.

But vengeance comes at a price and Ronnie can feel the boy she fell in love with slipping away from her, as the darkness he’s been running from for so long threatens to consume him. 

With danger looming in every direction, the possibility of a happy-ever-after is looking bleak, but The Agency isn’t the only obstacle in the way of Ronnie and Kalen’s future. Ronnie’s harbouring a tragic secret that isn’t hers to keep and the truth could destroy not only their relationship, but what’s left of Kalen’s humanity.

One way or another, everything is about to change...

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I love it and cannot wait to see what happens next to the characters!! Make sure you add the books to your Goodreads TBR lists: FIRST LIGHT, AS YOU WERE, BECOMING.

Becoming will be available on October 31st. The other books are all available.

Have a great week,

Sam :D

My review of All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Release Date: August 1, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. 


Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

All Our Yesterdays is an extremely unique and gripping time travel debut novel that cannot be missed this year! This book will transport you into another world where the city is in ruins and Em is locked up in a cell; the boy she loves, Finn, is next door. They will not be allowed to leave until The Doctor retrieves the information from Em that she is hiding. Em can't take Finn's scream of torture any longer and knows they both need to get out if they want to have any time of a future. Em finds a note hidden in her cell that tells her exactly what she needs to do. Because the note is from herself, a version of herself who's been in her exact position and needs her to go back in time to change the damage that is about to happen. But to safe the world, Em needs to go back to when her life was easy. And kill the boy she loves.

As soon as I read the blurb and saw the cover for this book, I knew that I would love it! I've read many time-travel books but none have blown me away as much as this one. Actually, I've never really been blown away or satisfied by any in the past at all. Let's thank heavens that Cristin Terrill walked on to the scene!

From page one, Terrill manages to pull you in and keep hold of you with her writing style and likable characters. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger that will shock you, and won't let you put the book down. The plot is very well-thought out, faced paced and mind-bendingly brilliant. I couldn't get enough!

Em is our main character who is courageous, but not as strong as some may like. Given the task to kill the boy she loves, can she do it? That's the question that kept occurring. I mean, could you? Also, I enjoyed the tension in each of the action scenes! Em is kick-ass, especially alongside Finn. 

Finn is the boy that Emma loves. Don't get confused! Finn is not the one that Emma is going back in time to kill. Because back in the day, she didn't love Finn, she loved Finn's best friend. Finn is incredibly supportive and very sweet! I adored him and his optimistic personality from the moment I met him. (Basically the first page.)

The book is told from two POVs: Em and Marina. Marina is the younger version of Em. I found this really interesting. Getting to know two different versions of our main girl. A past and a future, which I really enjoyed.

I must admit, this is the best debut novel of 2013 so far. The premise is completely unique and nothing like I've ever read before. The YA community have been waiting for something good to come along that isn't a copy of previous successful books, and here it is! The twists and the turns of this book are incredible and completely unpredictable. Get yourselves ready for a rollercoaster!

All Our Yesterdays is absolutely unmissable. For all those out there who want something ORIGINAL, pick this up because it will blow you away.

Rating

A review copy was provided by Bloomsbury

Shudder Blog Tour: Dream Movie Cast

Hey guys!

This is my stop on the Shudder blog tour by Samantha Durante. Shudder is the sequel to Stitch.

Stitch | Shudder

If you haven't read or heard of Stitch make sure you check out my review HERE, or check it out on Goodreads HERE, or even look it up on Amazon where it is just $0.99! (Less than a pound in the UK.)

Samantha Durante has kindly put together a dream movie cast for the characters in the Shudder! Which you can check out on Goodreads HERE! Are you ready?

Shudder Movie Dream Cast

Finding actors to play the characters from my books is no easy feat.  After all, these characters weren’t based on any one real-life person, so the image in my head is an amalgam of different faces and mannerisms that I’ve seen over the years which just seem to fit the personality of the character.  And considering that between ever-changing fashion trends and different styles adopted for various roles, many actors and actresses look completely different from one photo to the next, it’s very difficult to find any one person who is *just* the right fit for a particular character.

So following are some possible selections for a Shudder movie dream cast – but none of these are exactly perfect.  If you were picturing other actors/actresses in your head as you read the Stitch Trilogy books, I’d love to know who in the comments!

Alessa – Emmy Rossum

Why? She’s young and fresh, and she’s got Alessa’s long brown hair, height, and down-to-earth “real girl” sensibility.  The only thing Emmy doesn’t have are Alessa’s striking green eyes – but that’s what color contacts and Photoshop are for, right?

Isaac – Alex Pettyfer

 

Why? The eyes, the hair, the body… I challenge you to name one way this guy is NOT a perfect fit for Isaac.  Trust me, once you watch this clip of Alex taking off his shirt on the Ellen show, you won’t want to argue.  Plus, he’s got that classic look that can fit in anywhere from 1917 to 2114, which is exactly what Isaac needs to do.

Janie – Willa Holland

Why?  Sharp, cute, and spunky with just enough edge, Willa would be perfect to play Alessa’s sidekick and closest confidant, Janie.  As long as she’s willing to trade her long locks for Janie’s messy bob, she’s got the part!

Joe – Robbie Amell

Why?  With his all-American (okay, Canadian) good looks and that mischievous, swaggering twinkle in his eye, Robbie would be the ideal big brother to Alex Pettyfer’s Isaac.

Lizzie – Katheryn Winnick

Why?  Can you say “blonde bombshell?”  Katheryn has that classic hourglass shape and gorgeous glow that makes men drool – and look at that hair!!  But what I love most about her is that she’s not just a doe-eyed fantasy – when she’s determined (see here), she looks fierce.  Like Lizzie, this girl is more than just a pretty face.

Nikhil – Prateik Babbar

Why?  Do I really need to explain?  Just go run a Google search for: prateik babbar shirtless and you’ll understand why Alessa was so taken with him in Stitch.

The Developer – Hayden Christensen

Why? Okay, I’ll admit it – I’m one of the few people who fell in love with Hayden Christensen in his role as Anakin Skywalker, mediocre acting notwithstanding.  But think about it – as the Developer, his awkward acting style would actually be a plus!  Pop some nerd glasses on this face, grow out a greasy mop of hair, and drop a few more pounds to match the Developer’s lanky frame, and I’m sure Hayden’s experience slaughtering innocent child padawans would help him tap into the Developer’s inner evil like an old pro.

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About the Author:
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.

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You can buy Stitch at any of these places:

Amazon (Kindle $0.99, print $8.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $0.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $0.99)
Also available ($0.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!

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And you can buy Shudder at any of these places:

Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)
Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!

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But don't forget to add Shudder to your Goodreads TBR list:

 

Have a great weekend,

Sam :D

Prodigal Book Spotlight

Hey,

I'm here today to show you Prodigal by Rektok Ross! It is a contemporary romance with elements of religion in it. It sounds brilliant.

Prodigal by Rektok Ross

Release Date: January 31, 2013

Just your average girl meets boy, girls loses boy, girl mets GOD story. 

It was supposed to be Lexy Quinn’s year.  

The hard-working wallflower has finally landed the coveted spot as Editor of her school’s newspaper. Then the rug is ripped out from under her when she finds out her mom is sick, and the family is moving half-way across the country to Preston Hills, Texas.  Lexy can’t think of a worse place to be than at a school full of snobby rich kids where she’ll have to start all over to get people to notice her writing, or–who is she kidding?—notice her at all.

When the most swoon-worthy boy in town, who also happens to be the jock celebrity quarterback, gives her an exclusive interview, Lexy’s life takes an unexpected turn. Ash Preston is the perfect guy and, even better, he sees Lexy as she wants to be seen.  But can she trust him? 

PRODIGAL is a different kind of love story, where faith, romance, and God converge . . . and it just might change the way you look at your life.

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About the Author:
Rektok ROSS is the author of the debut novel PRODIGAL. Rektok graduated college with a degree in journalism, which has since been forsaken in favor of fiction writing. Rektok likes all animals, a good underdog story, and dessert at every meal. Rektok currently resides in California.

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You can find Rektok and Prodigal here: 

Author website

Facebook

Amazon

B&N

Goodreads

Twitter

Rektok has kindly provided a print copy of Prodigal and an e book copy for a giveaway! The print copy is open to the US and the ebook is for international. Fill out the rafflecopter below:

**Giveaway Closed**
Winners:
Paperback Lass
and
DeeDee B.
Congrats! 

Have a great week,

Sam :D

My review of The Year of the Great Seventh

The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts
Release Date: July 6, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository


Sophie has always felt out of step—an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.

To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

The Year of the Great Seventh is a YA tale with exciting Egyptian twists. It was absolutely nothing like I expected it to be and I think you should prepare yourself for a shock because this book uses the Egyptian myths wonderfully to make it stand out and excite you.

Sophie is an ordinary girl with a simple life living in L.A and attending a high school full of Hollywood-hopefuls. Until she gets tangled with Nate Werner. The two slowly fall for each other and Nate lets Sophie in on his secret. He is cursed. It's a curse that is passed down to the youngest in the bloodline when the eldest dies. Sophie is determined to help Nate and find a cure. Their search leads them to New York where they must rush against the clock before Nate runs out of time and his curse takes over completely.

I didn't know what to expect at first because the book started off completely normal and I didn't see how Orts could incorporate the Egyptian aspects into the story. But she did do so magnificently and I was kept interested and very intrigued on what could happen next at the end of every chapter. The romance and the mystery blended well and added to the excitement and entertainment aspects of the story.

Sophie is your typical down-to-earth girl with her own flaws and quirks. She was sometimes annoying and whiny, but I put up with it and focused on the story. Her relationship with Nate was a bit unsteady at first, but once both of them learn more about each other they establish a close friendship. I was cheering from the sidelines, "KISSKISSKISSKISS!" Nate is pretty cool. I liked his protective and complicated personality, it added a lot more mystery to the story. He had his moments, but overall I loved him.

The Year of the Great Seventh is a thoroughly interesting novel with plenty of Egyptian quirks and charm. If there is a chance for a sequel in the future I would happily read it!

Rating

A review copy was provided by the author

After Eden Interview

Hey!

Today I am here to feed you some information on the upcoming YA sci-fi After Eden, but also share with you an interview with the author! To find out what After Eden is about, check out the cover and blurb below. Believe me, you don't want to miss this!

After Eden (Eden #1) by Helen Douglas 

Release Date: July 4, 2013

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her. 

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.
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I personally love the cover and think that it's adorable! I've already read the book and can tell you all that I enjoyed it very much. I posted my review not so long ago, Monday to be precise, and you can check it out here!

Without further ado, here is Helen Douglas!

Where did you get the idea for After Eden?
I was given a telescope for my birthday a couple of years ago and I was starting to get interested in learning more about the universe. And I love anything to do with time travel – Terminator was in the back of my mind as I started dreaming up the plot. But I knew I wanted After Eden to be primarily a love story. All these elements were tumbling around in my subconscious and one day I knew the central question for the book: what if the boy you fell in love with wasn’t going to be born until after you died?

Who is your favourite character from the book?
Ooh, that’s difficult – I like them all for different reasons. I guess my overall favourite would have to be Ryan because although he tries very hard not to get too attached to anyone he meets in Perran, he can’t help himself from falling in love. And he has secrets – I love characters with secrets.

Sum up Chasing Stars in three words.
Girl rescues boy.

Do you have a favourite YA book/series?
My favourite YA series at the moment is Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series. I love the strong sense of place in her books, as well as the clever concept of love as an illness.

Are you working on any other projects?
I have a couple of projects on the go at the moment. One is about a group of friends who murder one of the group to keep a secret. The other is about four teens who go camping in the woods. Only three come out and only one knows what really happened. They’re both very rough drafts at the moment, so who knows whether the final books will be anything like these descriptions!

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About the Author:

Helen was born in a small beach town in Cornwall, much like the fictional town of Perran that appears in After Eden. As a child she enjoyed reading, building dens and writing stories of my own. Her teenage years were centred around the beach. Summer days were spent swimming and body-boarding. Summer nights meant beach parties with bonfires and barbecues. When it rained, which it did a lot, she read lots of books and dreamed of being a writer.

After leaving school, Helen lived in many different places including London, California, New York and New Jersey. She is now back in Cornwall where she lives midway between the woods and the beach. When the sky is clear, she can usually be found walking in the woods, hanging out at the beach or looking at the stars.  When the sea mist rolls in or it’s raining, she spends her time reading books, writing and dreaming up her next story.

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Don't forget to add After Eden to your Goodreads TBR list HERE!

Have a great week,

Sam :)

Waiting on Wednesday (58)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Wild Cards (Fullriders #1) by Simone Elkeles

Release Date: October 1, 2013

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Oh. My. Holy. Freaking. God. #ASDFGHJKL

A new Simone Elkeles book! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I cannot wait. October is too far away and this cover is so cute and I want to read it right now and oh God, the romance sounds amazing. The Fuentes boys were hot and absolutely amazing, but I'm sure Simone has got some more hot boys for these upcoming books. Damn, I can't even contain my excitement!!

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :)

My review of After Eden

After Eden (After Eden #1) by Helen Douglas
Release Date: July 4, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository


Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her. 

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

After Eden is an interesting sci-fi novel that I loved endlessly and could not put down until I was finished. 

After Eden is set in the modern day following a girl named Eden who is just... ordinary. Until Ryan Westland rolls into school and sits next to her in art class; everything changes. He might look like a normal schoolboy on the outside, but why does he lack the general knowledge that a teenager, living in this century, should know? For instance, how could someone not recognise pizza, or heard of one of the most famous historical figures? But Ryan has taken an interest in her and she's not about to complain since she just might slowly be falling for him. Everything is perfect. Then Eden finds a book in Ryan's house; a biography written by her best friend, Connor. And she discovers that Ryan is from the future and he has a mission to complete. A mission that Eden just might be able to help him with...

I haven't read many sci-fi books and the bar was set pretty high by Jennifer L. Armentrout's Obsidian, but After Eden manages to hold up with it's own unique and engaging plot. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the gripping story. You might think, ah, the cliche: boring girl with a boring life until a mysterious boy turns up at school and then they fall in love because of some weird reason. But it's not! I promise. There is so much more to it than that. 

Ryan is no typical boy. He is a boy from fifty years in the future with a mission to complete. A tough one that may affect everything that happens in the future. When Ryan shares his task with Eden, she is prepared to help him, no matter what. Not only that, but the two grow closer in an unimaginable way and a question is raised: When - and if - Ryan completes his task, will  he be strong enough to leave Eden and go back to his usual life?

I adored Ryan! He was entertaining and really kept the story fresh and exciting. He was likable and absolutely adorable when we first meet him. Come on, who doesn't know what pizza is? And Eden! She was determined and prepared for anything. I loved her character, but most of all, I loved the romance! Their relationship was super cute and they tried to spend the time they had together as well as possible. Ryan was just...

After Eden is a very enjoyable sci-fi book that is perfect for those in need of a YA sci-fi with plenty of mystery and romance. There is a sequel being released next year titled Chasing Stars, and I am nothing but excited for it! 

Rating

A review copy was provided by Bloomsbury