GIVEAWAY

Stacking the Shelves

Saturday, January 11, 2014

These are the books I've got since December!  The whole December was really hectic for me, so I was able to get this opportunity to post again right now. :D

These are the books I received for blog tours (Thanks YA Bound Book Tours for Stir Me Up and Fighting for the Edge, and Oops! I Read a Book Again for Merch Girl and Chasing Forever Down!)
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These are the books I got in Netgalley (Thanks Netgalley and to all publishing houses for accepting my requests! :D)
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These are the books I got as review opportunities! (Thank you for accepting me! Yay :D)

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These are the books I got for this week's Bout-of-books readathon!

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Blitz+Excerpt+Giveaway: Where Life Takes You

Friday, January 10, 2014

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa 
Publication Date: July 31st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult


Synopsis:
Becca Trent lived her childhood next to a cruel woman—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom’s role—making Becca’s life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca’s best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple of years later, things ended up in tragedy.

Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, but that only work during the days when the nightmares didn’t come back to haunt her. Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now, she’s trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.

Note: This is the first part of a two book novel.


Excerpt

“I’m home, baby. You’re not alone. Go to sleep and rest, crazy, persistent little thing.” he 

sprinkled kisses all over my face and hair. “My princess, I’m sorry for leaving you. I missed you 

more than you can imagine. I’m going to be outside with our friends for a while, but I’ll come back 

to you soon.”

*

The pantry was dark. Mom had taken the light bulb out because I’d cried when she told me about her date.

“Shut up, fucking ungrateful brat.” She banged the door. I whimpered quietly, afraid she’d smack me again. 

“The neighbors next door might hear you, and then what would they think about me?”

I hugged my stuffed puppy, and shut my eyes to avoid the darkness.

 Morning would come soon, and she’d let me out. Grandma used to take care of me when Mom went out, but 

since she’d died, the pantry had become my second room.

The door opened and closed. She’d come back early. I stood up, waiting for her to let me out so I could go to 

my room. But when she finally let me out, she dragged me by the hair to the living room.

“Look at me.” She sat me on the couch and squeezed my cheeks very hard after slapping me a few times. My 

face stung.

“You’re hurting me,” I mumbled, tears dripping slowly down my face.

“You ruined my life,” she screamed into my face, her hot stinky breath burning my eyes. “After I got 

pregnant, your father left me. I should’ve aborted, but my mother guilted me into having you. She promised to help me, 

but where is she?”

“Grandma loved me.” I squeezed my stuffed puppy tighter.

Mom slapped me harder. My head snapped back, and the room spun. She snatched my puppy and walked to 

her purse. She pulled out her lighter and held it under the puppy.

“Not Pup! Grandma gave me Pup,” I screamed, running after her.

She dropped her into the sink. I cried harder while the flames consumed my stuffed puppy. “Please, give me 


Pup back.”

About the Author

Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.










Giveaway (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review+Excerpt: Merch Girl

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Title: Merch Girl
Author: Rebecca Lewis
Date of Publication: May 1, 2013
Genre: contemporary YA romance; music

Goodreads || Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | Kobo | iBooks

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride...

Review


CHARACTERS

At the beginning of the novel, I found myself getting bored of Lacey, because she usually just went with the flow of things, and that really didn't help me like her. She came off as weak and insecure, which is why I initially preferred Tina, who had so much more self-confidence. However, in the middle of the tour, my opinion changed completely. While Trina started to appear irritatingly bratty and possessive, I couldn't help but fall in love with Lacey, whose character development was just so beautifully written.


PLOT

I have to admit, I was a bit envious of the girls. I mean, getting to go on tour with my favorite boy band? Count me in! But anyways, the plot was pretty good. I especially liked how the development of the band was shown as the story went on. And then there was the romance between Lacey and Logan, which was just so adorable! Ahhh! (Sorry, excuse my fangirl-isms!)


CONCLUSION

If you like contemporary YA books, you're into music, and you're looking for something short, light and fun to read, then this book's for you! 

Rating


Excerpt

I rested my head on his shoulder and he caressed my hair. It felt so nice that I didn’t want to fall back asleep. I tried to keep my eyes open, but it was useless. I snuggled up close to him, and breathed in the mix of sweat and cologne on his body. He sang something quietly and I let his voice drift me back to sleep. 

About the Author

Rebecca Lewis is the author of the Young Adult novel, Merch Girl, and a lover of all things music! She's been writing stories since middle school and penned her first fanfic about a semi-popular boyband in 1997. Her passion for music and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. During her college career, she interned for various record labels in Boston and New York City, sold merch for local bands, worked at record stores, and did a whole lot of grassroots marketing. She currently resides in Florida with her husband and puppy.

Blitz+Excerpt+Giveaway: Lost Without You

Monday, January 6, 2014

Lost Without You (Haven #1)
by Liz Hannah 
Release Date: 12/30/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late.

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?

Excerpt

It’s dark when I wake, except for the glow of the television. There’s no sound, but the movie we started watching earlier is playing; again, I presume, because I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen this part before. I can’t remember what it was about, aside from that it was a nineties adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma, the Californian accents all too uncomfortably familiar.
I blink a couple of times, stretching out. My arm collides with something solid, and I freeze, realizing that I’m not alone on the couch. Glancing upwards, I find myself looking into emerald eyes that seem to be illuminated in the soft light.
Oh, that’s right.
I quickly scramble to sit up, only to pause again the next second, my balance wavering. I’m half on Dean’s lap, and his hands shoot out to my waist to steady me before I fall off. A small wave of dizziness flows through me, and though I’m acutely aware of Dean’s fingers pressing into my side, a sweater the only thing between our skin, I’m glad that he has hold of me.
“Hey.” I take a deep breath in before exhaling. The hand I’ve placed on his shoulder burns like fire, and there’s an intensity building that scares me to death, but I can’t quite bring myself to pull away. In fact, instead of moving away from Dean like I should, I’m acutely aware that we’re so close, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair around my face.
“Hi.” His voice is thick from sleep. He tucks one behind my ear, his fingers hovering over the side of my face for a fraction of a second before pulling away. I want to lean in to his touch.
I shift my gaze away from his. This is not me. I’m not the kind of girl who melts when a guy looks at her. Especially one I still don’t know that well.
Lies, a voice hisses inside my head. You do know this boy, better than you think. Better than you want to know.
“You looked so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you.” I could feel his words rumble in his chest. My lips turn up in a small smile. He was watching me sleep?
A quick look down at his watch told me it was well after midnight. I don’t even want to know how many texts Rosie’s sent to find out where I am. The thought alone sends a blush across my face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It’s been a long week.”
Dean nodded. “Midterms are an ass.”
I shift slightly, moving my weight into the dip between his legs, alleviating the pressure on his own, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instinctively, as if he thought I was about to run off, his fingers bunched the edges of my sweater together, holding on to me tighter.
I’m not going anywhere.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
I look down, at his chest. It rises slowly with his heartbeat, calm and even. How can he be so relaxed? I can feel the tension knotting its way through my own body. The v neck of his sweater dips low, small swirls of hair escaping up. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hand across his chest.
I blink. Question. He’d asked a question.
“Uh, nothing, as of yet. Study? Maybe. What about you?”
My voice sounds as if I just swallowed helium. His he as affected by me as I am of him?
I wouldn’t know. I can’t look him directly in the eye, so I concentrate on a spot on the wall, just below his ear. Brown locks curl around the nape of his neck, and it takes all of my self-control to not stretch out and play with them. What was it about the darkness that made us so bold?
“Come home with me. Have Thanksgiving with my family.”
I straighten up. Hands tighten around my waist, preparing for me to bolt. I don’t give in to my instinct to run. With all the heat that was passing between us, what did going home with him mean?
And why was my brain screaming at me to say yes?

About the Author
Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies pinning everything on Pinterest or collecting GIFs from Tumblr. 
Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png

***GIVEAWAY***

International giveaway – one winner will win a New Adult prize pack, consisting of Lost Without You swag, two New Adult titles and a dandelion necklace, as featured in Lost Without You.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Bout of Books 9.0 Readathon

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Time Devoted to Reading

I will try to read every night! Hopefully, I won't be pulling an all-nighter because of school.

My Goals

  • Read three books
  • Write reviews for all the books I'll read
  • Read 500 pages

Books to Read

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Click on cover to be directed to Goodreads :D

Updates

Monday

Number of books I've read today: 70 pages
Total number of books I've read:
Books: Obsidian

Tuesday

Number of books I've read today: 168 pages
Total number of books I've read:
Books: Obsidian

Wednesday

Number of books I've read today: 247 pages
Total number of books I've read:
Books: Obsidian

Thursday

Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Obsidian

This is just so depressing. It's already Friday and I've only finished one book. I didn't know that school would be hell immediately because classes just started. :( But anyhow, I will still try to finish at least until Onyx! :D

Friday

Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: NOTHING :(

I've been feeling so tired and having consecutive sleepless nights that I just want to lie down on my bed and sleep. Since it's now weekend, hopefully I'll be able to pick up a book again tonight! :D (Yay!)

Saturday

Number of books I've read today: 127 pages
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Onyx

Yay, I'm almost halfway through Onyx! Almost. But still, progress <3 I hope I'll be able to finish it tonight! I'm starting to love Onyx, and I'm glad I decided to give this series a try. :D

Sunday

Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Onyx

I wasn't able to keep track on how much pages I've read until late last night, but I'm done reading Onyx! It was the first thing I did when I woke up before going to school. :)) OHMYGOOOOSH. The feels. La la la. <3 <3 This one makes me really excited to continue on to Opal, but school works are piling up again (ugh.) so I guess imma be having reading breaks again (which sucks.) Oh well.

As for my goals for this readathon, I wasn't able to finish all three books, but anyhow, at least I was able to finish 701 pages this week (okay, counting today. xD) but yay! This'd truly help my 500k pages in a lifetime goal. <3 I hope I'll be able to write my thoughts on these books ASAP. :3

I'm looking forward to the next bout-of-books readathon already! ;)