Leap Into Books Giveaway!

This is a Leap Year, which means that February has 29 days instead of the usual 28!  What does that mean for you? One more day in which to read! And what better way to honor that extra day than by having a giveaway!?  

Want a free book? Yes, yes you do.

TWO of my lovely followers will win a book of their choice 

from my Book Swap list.  

Below is a small preview of the books I have to offer...

Don't see anything you like up there?  Go HERE to see the full list of your book choices!

 Fill out the form below for a chance to win!

Evernight for FREE and other e-book deals!

I am not sure how long these deals will last, so if you are interested snap 'em up quick!

$ FREE $ Evernight by Claudia Gray on Nook or Kindle

$.99c!! Lament by Maggie Stiefvater on Kindle - this deal is for TODAY only!

$.99c Hush Money by Susan Bischoff for Nook or Kindle

$2.51 Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan for Nook or Kindle

$2.99 each...

• White Cat by Holly Black on Nook or Kindle   (see my review HERE)
• Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkes on Nook or Kindle
• The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris on Nook or Kindle
• Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon on Nook or Kindle (see my review HERE)
• Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter on Nook or Kindle 
• The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson on Nook or Kindle 
• The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver on Nook or Kindle (see my review HERE)

$3.99  each...

• Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout on Nook or Kindle
• Shadow Land by Meg Cabot on Nook or Kindle 

$4.99 Everlost by Neal Shusterman for Nook or Kindle

 

Breathless Reads Tour Re-Cap!

Last night I made it to one of the Breathless Reads tour stops!  The long-ish drive across town was totally worth it.  The crowd was overflowing (we didn't have enough chairs so I actually ended up just standing in the back) and really friendly.  It was great to be able to see the authors 'live' and to learn more about their books and about them in general.  Each of the tour attendees received a nifty tour badge and a poster that the authors signed! 

Random nuggets of knowledge from the panel:

• Beth Revis was inspired to write ATU by the twist at the end and it built from there. Sci-fi was not her first idea- they originally started out on a cruise ship! 
•  Andrea Cremer let us know that Rift and Rise are prequels to Nightshade and are coming out soon! In them you will learn more on the history of the Guardians. 
• Marie Lu told us the American Dictator in the Legend is named after her boyfriend!
• Jessica Spotswood does not have Cate's passion for gardening.  She has a black-thumb and her longest living plant only lasted a couple of years!
• They all agreed that YA is not really a genre set for a particular age group, but more of a style of storytelling - with a fast pace and coming of age characters going through changes and development.
• Beth Revis told us that a lot of the victims in her novels are students from the high school she taught at! A lot of them begged to be 'killed off' in her second novel. So fun!
• Andrea Cremer said the character she is most like in her novels is Calla's younger brother!
• Marie Lu went really in depth with her character bios! She even created her characters' blood types: Day is Type O and June is Type AB! 
• Jessica Spotswood's favorite parts to write are the romance parts - but her novel is 'light' on romance because of the time period.  Just showing off an ankle or bit of neck is provocative! ;)
• They all believe in being true to the story and to the characters they create.

 

  All four of these ladies did a great job speaking and it was really fun to meet them and get our books signed! They are all welcome to come back to Dallas anytime.

Look at all of my new precious'!! So pretty.

If you want to get a taste of any of the Breathless Reads books be sure to download the free Sampler on either Kindle or Nook!

Waiting on Wednesday (52): Tiger Lily

Time for the"Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

To Be Published: July 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins Children's Books

 

15 year old Tiger Lily, proud and fierce, wild and misunderstood, doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, big-hearted but hard to reach, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything - her family, her future - to be with the haunted, hunted, courageous boy who loves her. When - as a punishment for her rebellious ways - she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of PEACHES comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

 

-----------------------

  I am loving the idea of reading the Peter Pan tale from Tiger Lily's POV.  I am curios to know which direction the author will take the story.  Although with a boy who will never grow up I am a little worried about the HEA.  This might be a totally sad read, but it is still on the top of my summer-reads wish list!  Also, the cover? Love it! I thought the picture was a flower at first glance, but realized it was a girl after looking at it closer.  Very cool!

 

In My Mailbox (27)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly Meme hosted by The Story Siren!

This week I received a handful of books via the library & the mailman!

 SO MANY AWESOME BOOKS ... where do I start!? 

Oh wait, too late. I've already finished Fate's Edge and have started on A Million Suns..  :)

 

 For Review

 Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull

 

Library

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Pure by Julianna Baggot

 Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

 

Purchased

The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Girl in the Arena by  Lise Haines

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

 

Ward Against Death

Ward Against Death by Melanie Card  

Genre: Young-Adult/Adult Crossover - Paranormal
Publication Date: August 2nd 2011
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing
Age Range: Young Adult + up
Pages:  292
Book Source: Softcover edition (contest prize)
 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

Scoot’s Review:
Ward has burned too many bridges of opportunity and is forced to fall back on the family career of necromancy. However, what should have just been a routine awakening turns into a catastrophe when the girl he wakes decides to solve her own murder.  Dragged into a world of mystery and death Ward is quickly in way over his head.  This was a really enjoyable read. It has a fun and unique plot line and is set in an interesting world; were being paranormal is normal, surgery is illegal, assassins abound, and there are entire guilds of men and women who can read your mind.  Ward is a great character to lead the story.  He is loyal and brave (under pressure) and really cares about people and his ‘calling’ in life. Gentleness seems to be his natural state, but he isn’t afraid to step it up when he needs to be tough and isn’t afraid to take risks.  In contrast, Celia is a ‘kick-bum-and-ask-questions-later’ chick who can change personas as easily as changing clothes.  Although trained from birth to be a cold killer, Celia isn’t a one dimensional character and has a soft side that Ward manages to bring out.  The story has plenty of adventure and I enjoyed the twisty plot line of trying to solve Celia’s murder while learning there were much darker forces at work.  I liked the romantic elements of the novel, and that they didn’t overwhelm the story; just a touch of romance to enhance the mystery and adventure of the overall storyline.  The wording and pace flowed well. I did occasionally find myself confused on settings; I feel like this book could have used a map in the front to help with understanding the city’s layout.  Despite that, it was a fun read and I look forward to reading more.  If you are looking for an action filled, romantic, paranormal adventure be sure to pick up Ward Against Death! 

Notable Quotable:

“The necromancer scrambled down the ladder, missed the last rung, and landed in the stream of refuse, splashing it up the back of her legs.  He coughed, his breath catching in his throat as if he was about to throw up. “What did I just step in?” 

Did he really have to ask? She glanced up to see if he had at least pulled the grate shut behind him. A perfect circle of starlight, without the crisscross rungs on the gate, glowed above her.

“You could have closed the grate.”

“Oh.””

           - Melanie Card, Ward Against Death

Grade:

The Crimson Crown Cover Reveal!

Wahoo! I am so excited for this!! The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima is at the very top of my highly-anticipated-reads list this year and the cover was revealed this morning.  The cover art looks awesome and there is a synopsis!! Check it out... 

(this is the fourth book in a series, so don't read below if you want to avoid spoilers for the other three books!)

 "A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed— Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.
     Now, once again, the queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible. Tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she’s falling in love.
      Navigating the cutthroat world of blueblood politics has never been more dangerous, and former streetlord Han Alister seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?
      A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series."

The Crimson Crown
Coming Fall, 2012 

For more details go to Cinda's site here!

The Death Cure: Maze Runner 3 (ARC)

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian/Post apocalyptic
Publication Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 325
Book Source: ARC for review from goodreads & publisher 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Scoot’s Review: 

**Spoilery warning:  A line or two in this review might too spoilery for some, so be warned! Don’t read it if you don’t want to know anything about the book.  Just check out the letter grade below instead. :)

The Death Cure brings us back to Thomas – still alone and locked up in a white room.  Yet Thomas’ weeks of isolation are quickly coming to an end, and we aren’t waiting long before the action starts – with a race to escape Wicked and to learn the truth about the world Gladers now find themselves living in.  Is Wicked good?  Will the human race survive the Flare? Join Thomas in his final struggle to find out.  Honestly, is there really a good way to end this story? The world setting is basically un-healable – so you know things are going to be bad.  Everything seemed too far gone for any kind of happy ending, but James Dashner did a great job of finishing this trilogy in a way that seemed realistic and yet hopeful.  The plot had plenty of tragedy and heart-wrenching action – with Thomas having to make a lot of really hard choices.  There were some heartbreaking moments. One word: NEWT.  The plot was fast paced and there were some big twists to keep you interested.  Many holes in Thomas’ knowledge are filled in and you learn more about the disease, Wicked and what exactly the trials are for.  I am sad to see this series ending!  I would love to know more, but I was satisfied with the ending and it didn’t leave you hanging off a cliff.  The Death Cure was a good conclusion to an action-packed and emotional roller coaster of a trilogy.  I look forward to reading what James Dashner comes up with next!

Notable Quotable:

“Awww," Minho said. "That's almost as sweet as that time she slammed the end of a spear into your shuck face.”
     ― James Dashner, The Death Cure 

Grade:

Waiting on Wednesday (51): The Raven Boys

Time for the"Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

  

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

To Be Published: September 18th 2012 by Scholastic Press

 

 Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

 

-----------------------

Two words:  Maggie Stiefvater. DONE.  If she writes it, I read it! Maggie has said this has been one of her most challenging writing projects, and it is a cycle of four books. Yay! What can I say, vanished Welsh kings and kisses that kill their true love - what's not to like? Can't wait!

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Reluctant Reader

Top 10 Books I'd Hand to Someone Who 

 Says They Don't Like To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.



Divergent Veronica Roth- A great read with plenty of fast paced plot, for a reluctant reader they can easily visualize this book like a movie in their head.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling- DUH! Best series ever.  Of course they can also read a book and watch the corresponding movie to go with! Instant gratification.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor- Fabulous and very descriptive writing style.  Painting pictures in your head, with an intriguing mystery and romance.  Hook, line and sinker!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman- This is an very emotional read, that easily sucks you in and isn't very long at just 200 pages.  An great not-overwhelming-looking book for a hesitant reader.

Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima- A fabulous series with magic, intrigue and a new world - but nothing too complicated for a beginner.

River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren- Time travel, romance, and a strong female lead make this a great reluctant reader series.  It is a safe read that I would recommend to just about anyone!

Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs- Basically anything by Patricia Briggs is fabulous, but Mercy Thompson is one of my faves.  Not too long of a book and there are plenty more of them to read if they like it!

Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher- This is one for the action/history/magic/anything buffs! This series is great and you quickly get attached to its lead character.  Intriguing enough to keep a reluctant reader hooked..

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- What if they don't want fake magic? How about some real magic - aka - love! This is the perfect contemporary novel with a great plot and strong characters.  They should love it.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins- This book is actually used in many remedial reader classes to get reluctant readers excited about reading.  The storyline just keeps you coming back for me! So good.



The Thief

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
 

Genre: YA – Adventure/Fantasy
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Age Range: 12+ (safe for all ages)
Pages:  280
Book Source: Purchased eBook

Synopsis (via Goodreads): "I can steal anything."
After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.
To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

Scoot’s Review:

Gen is in prison and the odds of sneaking out aren’t looking great. Then something unexpected happens – the King’s Magus pulls him out of prison and recruits him (willing or not) for a secret mission. A mission only a talented thief could hope to succeed in.  The mission? To steal a mythological stone and bring it back for the King.  Let me start out by saying that I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into it and now I wish I had picked The Thief up ages ago! It was such a great read.  The reader is dropped right into the storyline and you learn about the book-world and Gen as you go, in fact if you are like me and hadn’t even read the synopsis beforehand you don’t know who Gen is, or that he is a teenage boy for a while.  But this in no way detracts from the story, the writing flows so well and the pace keeps you intrigued and looking for the next clue.  Blended throughout the main plot are mythology tales that flow nicely with the storyline and bring an element of fantasy into the tale. The plot has plenty of mystery and adventure to keep you on your toes.  I was thrown for a loop (in a good way) when the story took a few surprising twists.  Gen is an easily likable character – he is sarcastic, funny and has a warm heart.  The story tied up nicely, but I definitely want to read more about this world and the potential new plot developments.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series – lucky for me I won’t have to wait! If you are looking for a fun, fantasy adventure novel that is safe for all ages be sure to check out The Thief!

Notable Quotable:

“All I wanted to do was lie in the dry grass with my feet in a ditch forever. I could be a convenient sort of milemarker, I thought. Get to the thief and you know you're halfway to Methana.”
                   - Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief

Grade:

 

 Random: Right now you can get The Thief for only $1.99 for the Kindle!