Cat Thursday #2

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! 


Today I have a couple of picture of my adorable Zoey!

In My Mailbox #22

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Bought:

For Review:

Pivot Point Review

Amazon

TITLE: Pivot Point

AUTHOR: Kasie West

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 2/12/2013

PAGES: 352

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Addison Coleman's life is one big "What if?" As a Searcher, whenever she is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. When Addie's parents announce they are getting divorced and she must pick who she wants to live with, she uses her ability to see her future with either parent--her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound where she grew up, or her mother, who is staying in the world Addie has always known. Navigating love and loss in chapters that alternate between her two possible futures, Addie must decide which reality she's willing to live through...and who she can't live without.

Pivot Point is an unforgettable story about a girl who has the power to see her alternate futures and must choose between two difficult fates.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I loved every second of this book. Once I actually sat down to read for a little bit, I didn't want to stop, it made me want to neglect everything else I had to do.

About halfway through, I caught some foreshadowing that almost made me not want to read any more because I was afraid of what might happen later. Then, two seconds later I was flipping the pages of the book again.

Usually stories that jump back and forth confuse me and leave me feeling lost, but this didn't do that at all. I was engaged with both alternatives and I needed to keep reading them both equally.

The ending of the book was incredible. It was so exciting and intense. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to be released.

CHARACTERS: I really liked the main character, Addie. She is very easy to relate to and I believe all of her feelings.  My favorite character in the book is Trevor. He is very sweet and caring.

COVER: I really like the cover. I like what they did with the one clear image of the girl and the other faded image of the same girl.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

The Tragedy Paper Review

Amazon

TITLE: The Tragedy Paper

AUTHOR: Elizabeth Laban

PUBLISHER: Knopf Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 1/8/2013

PAGES: 320

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Tim Macbeth is a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is "Enter here to be and find a friend." Tim does not expect to find a friend; all he really wants to do is escape his senior year unnoticed. Despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential it-girl Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving's most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him too, but she can kiss her social status good-bye if anyone finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine relationship while looming over them is The Tragedy Paper, Irving's version of a senior-year thesis, assigned by the school's least forgiving teacher, Mr. Simon.

Elizabeth LaBan's stunning novel unfolds from two alternating viewpoints: Tim, the love-struck new kid, and Duncan, a current senior, who uncovers the truth behind Tim and Vanessa's story and will consequently product the greatest Tragedy Paper in Irving's history.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was definitely interested from the moment I started reading. It was a very gripping story and I needed to keep reading. I actually got angry whenever Duncan (he is listening to Tim's story) took breaks from listening to take care of something in his world, but I was relieved because all of these breaks were fairly short.

CHARACTERS: Tim is really the main character of this story. I feel like he is his own worst enemy. He brought up his being albino way too often. I realize that this is a condition that would make someone feel very self conscious, but I feel like he is the only one in the story who seemed to care about it. And just when I had forgotten about it, he would bring it up again. 

I wanted to like Vanessa's character because she seems like she has a good heart, but I feel she is very manipulative. She is not open and honest about her feelings and she strings Tim along to get what she wants.

Patrick is a huge jerk and I did not like him at all.

COVER: The cover is a little bit trippy. I like how the words are out of focus. It gives us an insight to what Tim must see when his eyes start acting up. 

**I Received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Cat Thursday #1

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! 


This is my first time participating in this meme. Had I known about it sooner, I would have posted earlier, but I'm just now finding out about it. I have 3 cats that are always getting into trouble, being cute, and making me smile.

So, for today I have my cat Callie. For some reason she insists on licking the couch and the couch pillows. I caught her red handed in this one.

Escape Theory Review

Amazon

TITLE: Escape Theory

AUTHOR: Margaux Froley

PUBLISHER: Soho Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 3/12/2013

PAGES: 288

MY RATING: 1/5 - Did Not Finish

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Sixteen-year-old Devon Mackintosh has clung to Hutch's words since freshman year at Keaton. Never mind that Hutch whispered those words one crazy night together before classes even started. Or that Hutch was a legacy student with charm, good looks, and built-in popularity. Or that they never hung out together again. She and Hutch shared a bond that night; she knows it.

Now, on the eve of junior year, Devon is poised to become the prestigious California boarding school's first Peer Counselor. But Keaton is turned upside down when Hutch apparently commits suicide. As Devon provides confidential support for Hutch's closest friends, she comes to believe that Hutch couldn't have taken his own life. Bound by her oath of confidentiality--and tortured by her unrequited love--she finds herself on a solitary mission to get to the bottom of Hutch's death, with stakes higher than she could ever have imagined.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I tried so hard to finish this book, but I finally gave up at page 177. I was extremely interested in the mystery and wanted to keep reading to find out if there was more to Hutch's suicide, but everything about the story was just so boring. I felt like it wasn't going anywhere and it dragged on so much. I may pick this back up at a later time just to see if I can make it through to find out about what really happened to Hutch, but for now I have no interest in continuing with this one.

CHARACTERS: All of the characters, besides Hutch, were so flat and un-entertaining. The beginning of the story sucked me in because we met Hutch and got to see his awesome personality, but then after he was gone, the rest of the characters were just existing and didn't have any depth. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I feel like I didn't really know anything about anybody.

COVER: The cover is fine. It ties in with the story. I like the pink color in the title.

**I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Tempestuous Review

Amazon

TITLE: Tempestuous

AUTHORS: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

PUBLISHER: Merit Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 11/18/2012

PAGES: 224

MY RATING: 

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: Banished from the school's popular crowd, former "it" girl Miranda Prospero finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits at the Hot-Dog Kabob stand in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season traps mall workers and last-minute shoppers for the night, Miranda seizes her chance for revenge against the catty clique behind her downfall. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall's nearby gaming and magic shop, she uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare's The Tempest. In one night, Miranda learns more about her own heart and human nature than she ever did as high school royalty.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a really cute and sweet story with a little adventure and mystery thrown in. There's not a whole lot to say about it. I enjoyed reading it, and was entertained throughout the entire story. Unfortunately, I haven't ever read Shakespeare's "The Tempest" so I can't compare this version to that, but hopefully one day I'll be able to add that to my reading pile.

CHARACTERS: I really liked the character of Ariel. She was cute and caring. She is someone I would love to be friends with. Caleb was an interesting character as well. I feel like I learned about each of the characters and their values as the story progressed.

COVER: The cover is okay. Pretty simple and it ties in with the story fairly well.

**I received a finished copy of Tempestuous from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

January Black Book Blast + Giveaway

January Black

Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.

More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.

What was January Black?

It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He's been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost...or call the king’s bluff.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Praise
Refreshingly intelligent and loads of fun!
I lost a few hours as I read this book. It's a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out.
~Christine Ashworth, Amazon Review

The mystery was intriguing - I loved how Wendy Russo weaved in all her secrets throughout the book, how she incorporated just enough to keep you reading, while never actually divulging much of anything. I was guessing for most of it and that's pretty hard to make me do.
~Julie, Clean Teen Reads

Wendy Russo has created a masterpiece.
~Ivan Amberlake, Author


Book Trailer

Author Wendy S. Russo

Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.

FACEBOOK * WEBSITE * TWITTER

GOODREADS * AUTHORGRAPH

Tour Schedule

BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/5/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Pheme The Gossip Book Blast

Goddess Girls #10 - Pheme the Gossip

Get to know Goddess Girl Pheme…the original “gossip girl”!
As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy. To make sure that people really get her VIP messages, her words tend to linger in cloud letters above her head—just in case people don’t catch what she says!

But not everyone is thrilled with Pheme’s insider knowledge on everything MOA—including the Goddess Girls. Can Pheme ever be trusted? Or will this “gossip girl” find herself on the other end of the rumors?

Purchase

Barnes & Noble * Amazon

Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…”
~ Booklist

"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging."
~Publisher's Weekly

 “…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”
~ School Library Journal

The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

• Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa! 
• Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld. 
• Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love. 
• Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave. 
• Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. 
• Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. 
• Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair! 
• Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy -- immortal. Is that too much to ask? 
• The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands--including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series! 
• Pandora the Curious Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school.

The Goddess Girls

Author Suzanne Williams

Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children's choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 - 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 - 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.

Website * Blog

Author Joan Holub

I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children's books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children's book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts -- Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children's books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.

Twitter * Website * Blog

Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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In My Mailbox #21

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

Kindle Fire Giveaway April 2013

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

  Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
2. Author Jennifer Laurens
3. Author Lena Sledge
4. Kelly's Lucky You
5. Author Lori Verni-Fogarsi
6. Phantasmic Reads
7. Author Rebecca Talley
8. Author Ednah Walter
9. Author Heather Bixler
10. Girls With Books
11. My Life With Books
12. Author Rae Z. Ryans
13. All Fantasy Worlds
14. Author Michael Young
15. Book Angel Booktopia
16. Lori's Reading Corner
17. Books R Us
18. Books 4 Tomorrow
19. Author T. Lynne Tolles
20. Good Choice Reading
21. Curling Up With A Good Book
22. Auggie-Talk
23. A Bookish Escape
24. Paranormal Book Club
25. Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
26. Amethyst Daydreams
27. Pink Fluffy Hearts
28. Love. Without You
29. Books, Books, the Magical Fruit
30. Author Lisa Voison
31. Tasty Book Tours
32. Fae Books
33. Author Cindy C. Bennett
34. Author Emma Michaels
35. Author Lia Fairchild
36. Fade Into Fantasy
37. Pieces of Whimsy
38. Author Rachael Renee Anderson
39. Feed Your Reader
40. Lovely Reads

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 4/30/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $199 US.

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