Freedom to Read Giveaway!

I am excited to be participating in the Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop.  This hop is hosted by Mundie Moms and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. The hop runs from June 29th to July 5th, so be sure to stop by all of the 200+ participating blogs!


Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win one of the following three books...

Paperback copy of The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

ARC of The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Paperback of Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney

You don't have to be a follower to win, but you do need to be over the age of 13 and have valid US mailing address.  Good luck and thanks for hopping by!

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Lazy Summer Days..

Well the temperatures around here are getting HOT.  Summer time in Texas is always toasty but I love it!

The heat just makes me want to be super LAZY.

I am still reading (some...) but with family in and out of town, summer vacations, and spending most of our free time BBQ'ing on the patio the blog has been a little neglected.

But never fear - I am not going anywhere, I am just in "lazy-scoot"  mode where my number one priority is wondering where my next pina colada will come from! ;)

However, I don't want to leave you totally hanging - so below are some books I have read lately that you might want to check out ...

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

YA Contemporary

This book made me cry happy and sad tears. LOVED it.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

YA Dystopian

Just as good as the first book. Need I say more?!

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Mid-Grade Fantasy

A totally fun read. If you enjoyed the movie you will like this book, but don't expect them to be the same story.

 

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Fantasy

Another fabulous addition to Megan's Thief  series. SO GOOD!

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Adult Urban Fantasy

 I liked the length of this novel and historical/literature elements. Looking forward to the sequel!

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen 

YA Historical

Lots of secrets in this well written novel! A great read.

What are you doing this summer to beat the heat?  Any good book recommendations that I just NEED to read?

Waiting on Wednesday (60): Thieftaker & Son

Time for "Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine! Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating! 

 

  Coming Soon...

 

Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson

To Be Published: July 17th 2012 by Tor Books

 

"Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, August 26, 1765

A warm evening in colonial North America's leading city. Smoke drifts across the city, and with it the sound of voices raised in anger, of shattering glass and splintering wood. A mob is rioting in the streets, enraged by the newest outrage from Parliament: a Stamp Tax . Houses are destroyed, royal officials are burned in effigy. And on a deserted lane, a young girl is murdered.

Ethan Kaille, a thieftaker of some notoriety, and a conjurer of some skill, is hired by the girl's father to find her killer. Soon he is swept up in a storm of intrigue and magic, politics and treachery. The murder has drawn the notice of the lovely and deadly Sephira Pryce, a rival thieftaker in Boston; of powerful men in the royal government; of leaders of the American rebels, including Samuel Adams; and of a mysterious sorcerer who wields magic the likes of which Ethan has never encountered before.

To learn the truth of what happened that fateful night, Ethan must recover a stolen gem and sound the depths of conjurings he barely understands, all while evading Sephira and her henchmen, holding the royals and rebels at bay, and defending himself and those he loves from the shadowy conjurer.

No problem. Provided he doesn't get himself killed in the process."

 

My Ramblings on Thieftaker: This historical fantasy debut looks really intriguing! I was first pulled in by the awesome cover and then I read the synopsis and was hooked.  Magic around the time of the American Revolution? Sign me up!  Sounds like a great read for my summer list.

 

 

 Waiting for the long haul...

Son (The Giver #4) by Lois Lowry

To Be Published: October 2nd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 

"Told in three separate story lines, Lois Lowry’s Son combines elements from the first three novels in her Giver Quartet — The Giver (1994 Newbery Medal winner), Gathering Blue, and Messenger — into a breathtaking, thought-provoking narrative that wrestles with ideas of human freedom. Thrust again into the dark, claustrophobic world of The Giver, readers will meet an intriguing new heroine, fourteen-year-old Claire. Jonas from The Giver is here too, and Kira, the heroine of Gathering Blue. In a final clash between good and evil, a new hero emerges.

 

My Ramblings on Son: Before Dystopian was Dystopian I remember reading Lois Lowry's The Giver (and the following two novels).  I am thrilled to know that Lowry has written a fourth novel and I can't wait to get my hands on it! I am curious to know what new story line she comes up with and how she plans to tie it all together with the previous novels.  I am sure it will be another thought provoking read that will go on it win awards like the rest of the series has. :) 

Armchair BEA: Offline Networking

I am not going to lie, I don't really put a lot of effort into offline networking when it comes to my blog.  I am not a natural extrovert - so it is hard for me to throw myself out there and promote my blog and/or randomly strike up conversations with people about my blogging.  However, that does not stop me from attending any events that come my way!  Below are just a handful of ways that I have "offline networked" in the last year or so ...

I volunteered to be a Book Giver on World Book Night!  Check out my post about World Book Night HERE.

I attended the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas in January!  Check out  my post about ALA HERE.



I attend author book events whenever they come my way.. like the Breathless Reads Tour!  Check out my Tour Recap post HERE.

 

And last (but definitely not least!) I offline network by frequenting my local library and bookstores, and by gushing to all of my friends, family and coworkers about the books I find and love! I tend to just talk about the books I enjoy without ever mentioning that I am a book blogger.  It isn't usually until later that people find out that not only do I read a lot of books, but I blog about them too.



Waiting on Wednesday (59): Shadow of Night & Let The Sky Fall

Time for "Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine! Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating! 

 

  Coming Soon...

 

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness

To Be Published: July 10th 2012 by Viking Adult

 

""Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of WitchesDeborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.
Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.
Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season."

 

My Ramblings on Shadow of Night: I just recently had the chance to listen to the audiobook of A Discovery of Witches and I really enjoyed it!  I am looking forward to getting my hands on this novel to find out what happens next for Matthew & Diana. If you are interested in a unique, well written adult urban fantasy with a little meat on its bones (first book = almost 600 pages! yay!) you should check out this series!

 

 

 Waiting for the long haul...

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

To Be Published: March 2013 by Simon Pulse

 

"Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston is the only survivor of the category five tornado that killed his parents. Every night since the storm, a beautiful, dark-haired girl has swept through his dreams. She's the only clue to his past, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she's also a sylph. An air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian--Vane's guardian--and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra must help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim--the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock a memory Audra wishes could be erased. And as the storm bears down on them she starts to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance that's grown between them.

Set amongst the desert airstreams of Coachella Valley in California, and alive with wonderful wind-swept prose, LET THE SKY FALL is about two teenagers broken by their pasts, divided by their futures, and bound by love."

 

My Ramblings on Let The Sky Fall: The first thing that caught my eye on this book was the cover, and then I read the synopsis and I was hooked! I think it sounds like a great read.  Also, Shannon Messenger is a great blogger - so I am sure whatever she writes will be great too! This one I will have to be patient for.  It doesn't come out until NEXT YEAR. Doh.

*** SIDE NOTE:  If you are just stopping by for the WoW post be sure to check out my current giveaway here before you go!

 

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda #ArmchairBEA Giveaway!

Hello fellow Armchair BEA-ers!  Who needs to travel to New York to collect new books for review? Not you!  Enter below for a chance to win my ARC of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda.  If you haven't had a chance to read this one yet you are really missing out! It is a great read.

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.
Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.
When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?
 

 

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Armchair BEA: Hello Friends!

Hello everyone! I am excited to be starting off this week of Armchair BEA posts!  I am happy to participate in the off-site, lounge-in-your-pajamas-style BEA! To start the week off below is a short and sweet intro to myself!  Enjoy.

 

Who are you?

I am Scoot!  (no that is not my real name - it is just a nickname)  I have been blogging for almost two years now and I really enjoy it.  This blog is just for my own enjoyment and to share my passion for books with the world. 

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders #2) by Brandon Mull, The City's Son by Tom Pollock, and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan!  Yes - that is three books at one time. One audio for in the car, one audio for work and one 'real' book.

One non-book-related thing you may not know about me:

I have 30 nieces and nephews under the age of 16.  That is a LOT of kid birthdays to attend throughout the year.  I don't have any children of my own - yet - but I strive to everyone's favorite aunt. ;)

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I don't know if my tastes have necessarily changed, but I have found myself to be a much more picky reader.  I have so many books waiting to be read that if I am not really enjoying something I just put it away.  I NEVER used to leave a book unread - if I started it, I finished it.  Now I find myself giving up after a while if it doesn't meet my higher standards.