Thursday, June 28, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #30


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?




Firelight

Firelight (Firelight, #1)




Thanks to:


Just Another Teenage BookwormTayteHKellyLauren M. and Chel for participating in yesterday's challenge!!!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #29


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?



The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride


Thanks to:


Sarah Elizabeth and NoraA for participating in yesterday's challenge!!!

5 Indie Books That Will Take You Out of a Reading Slump #2

EasyWhen Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.



Loved this one! It was such an easy read and Lucas was dreamy!


Amazon/Goodreads
E-book price on amazon: $3.99



Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.


EPIC!! Amazing book. I can't wait for the sequel! 

My review.


Amazon/Goodreads
E-book price Amazon:  $2.99



The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys, #2)He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown.
Lana McDaniel has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.



The Vincent Brothers won't disappoint Abbi's fans. Easy read and just fantastic overall! 

My review.


Amazon/Goodreads
E-book price on Amazon: $3.99


NOTE: The following books are NOT Young Adult.


Fire and Ice (Five Worlds, #1)
On planet Majien of the Five Worlds, Sarica inherited the debts of her father, which she can’t repay. The law demands her indentured servitude.

Fate taunts her to find the lost City of Almona, the adventure that claimed her father's life. She becomes the property of a judge, a man she fears. And desires. How can she attain freedom to answer Fate’s call?

Rosche burns for Sarica. The extreme cold she generates through her skin can soothe the curse he bears of creating heat through his. Emotions incite the beastly fever to flare. Because he is callous, she had rejected him as a suitor. So he buys her servitude.

As his most precious possession, he will keep her. Forever. Will he risk their lives on an expedition to find Almona City to finally win her heart?



Oh. My. God! Sci-fi + romance = Awesomeness. This book was just WOW!  

E-book price on Amazon: $4.99



The Marriage Bargain (Marriage to a Billionaire, #1)To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend's older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.
Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he’s offers Alexa a bold proposition.

A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right?

Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans…


Really nice read. Lots of romance. I think this book took sexual tension to the next level! 

E-book price on Amazon: $2.99







Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #28


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?

Shadowfever

Shadowfever (Fever, #5)


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #27


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?


Frostbite
Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #26


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?
The Iron King

The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1)



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge # 25


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?



Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

Monday, June 18, 2012

Merge Blog Tour: Vote For Your Favorite Tour Stop

Hey guys! The Merge Blog Tour ended and now there's a little contest for the bloggers who hosted the tour and YOU guys decide who wins! All you have to do is vote for your favorite tour stop and the winner will receive a surprise goodie bag! I'll add the form to vote to this post. So, no pressure you don't have to vote for Bookittyblog *cough please vote for me cough* :) Regardless of who wins, it was really fun participating and I look forward for another 1889 Labs tour! My fate is in your hands. Just kidding!


Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

A Midsummer's NightmareWhitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.



I love Keplinger’s writing. Her books are entertaining and fast reads BUT her female main characters are hard to sympathize with. And Whitley was no exception. First of all Whitley acted like a dude and not a nice one and for the first 100 or so pages I found myself wondering why was Whitley complaining so much. Then I got it and it made sense. 

I think Keplinger’s characters are a bit out the ordinary. I understood Whitley, I didn't exactly find her character likable but she had her reasons why she acted the way she did. There was a lot of family drama and let's say that she didn't exactly know how to handle problems the right way. This book is about Whitley trying to figure out herself, her family and future.  

The romance takes a secondary role in the book and I kinda liked that. The plot moves fast and some of the secondary characters were really funny. I think this book is a perfect summer read. It was different and edgy. If you are a fan of Kody Keplinger’s previous work, you will definitely love A Midsummer’s Nightmare.

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #24


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?




Days of Blood and Starlight

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2)




Saturday, June 16, 2012

Pic2Book Daily Challenge #23


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?






Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop


I'll be giving away an ARC of The Savage Grace by Bree Despain. This giveaway is international and ends June 20th. To enter jus fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

The Savage Grace (The Dark Divine, #3)

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pick2Book Daily Challenge #22


Guess the Book Title

This is a daily challenge where you guess the book title just by looking at the pictures. This game is inspired by the game Scene it? and it's one of my favorite challenges in it! If you want to participate and don't want any spoilers don't read the comments. I'll post the answer of this challenge in tomorrow's post
.


What's this book's title?










Yesterday's challenge answer:
Poison Study


Poison Study (Study, #1)

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines Review and Giveaway

The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys, #2)He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown.

Lana McDaniel has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.



Let me begin by saying that Abbi is a genius. I just want to marry every single book she has written. Honestly, I can't pick my favorite. They are that good. The Vincent Brothers is the sequel to The Vincent Boys. If you haven’t read the first book you shouldn’t read this one because it will ruin the big twist at the end of The Vincent Boys.

I’m glad for the voices Abbi gave Sawyer and Lana. They were totally different from Beau and Ashton. Where Ash and Beau were more mature and rebels, Lana and Sawyer are more sweet and innocent. They are perfect for each other and the chemistry worked beautifully. I did have my issues with Sawyer  (I was furious actually) but that made the book interesting and it spiked the sexual tension between the characters.

 I could NOT put this book down. It always happens with Abbi’s books. You just have to finish them in one sitting. The Vincent Brothers will leave you hungry for more of Abbi's awesome writing! 




Amazon/Goodreads




GIVEAWAY

I'll be giving away a SIGNED paperback copy of The Vincent Brothers!!! Sorry this giveaway is US only and ends 6/22. Thanks to Abbi for providing this awesome prize! 




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Chair # 7: Nicola from A Pocket Full of Books






Sitting on the Virtual Chair today is Nicola from A Pocket Full of Books. Follow her on Twitter and don't forget to visit her awesome blog


A Pocket Full of Books



When was the last time you fell asleep with a book in your hands?

I don't think this has ever actually happened! With print books, I'm too afraid I'd lose my page and with Kindle, I'm too afraid it'd fall and get smashed to pieces. I usually put my book away long before I sleep.

How far into a book can you tell if you are going to like it or not? 

Almost immediately. It's rare that persisting with a book pays off for me. I usually give a book maybe 50 pages to redeem itself or I move onto something else (unless it's a review book.) Life is too short for boring books!

How's the weather outside right now?

It's pretty dull and overcast but at least it's not raining!


What do you think of love triangles in Young Adult books?

I have mixed feelings actually! They do succeed in making me read the whole series but it's pretty awful when the protag doesn't end up with the person you're rooting for which happened to me with The Hunger Games.


Who's your least favorite reality TV personality?

I'm trying to answer this one but I'm coming up blank. I do watch reality TV now and again but I never get invested enough to know much about the people in it.

Ice cream or yogurt? 

Ice cream of course! Especially if it's chocolate and has marshmallows. Now I'm hungry...


How do you prefer your Main Male Character, dark haired and mysterious or blonde and sexy? 

Judging by my favourite male characters in books so far, I'm going to have to say dark haired and mysterious! But there are always exceptions.


Have you ever disliked a review on Amazon? 

Yes but usually only when they're being unfair, (''This book is YA and I HATE YA!!'') because that is not helpful which I think is what the voting up or down refers to! I don't like how any review that gives 3 stars or less gets voted down just because.


How often do you visit Goodreads?

I'm afraid to answer this truthfully, haha. I visit it a LOT. Goodreads is my ''home'' and I was there long before I had a blog. When I'm online I usually have it open the whole time! I love the community there.

Describe your blog in 3 words. 

Hmm. Informative, fun and pretty! 

Thanks to Nicola for answering my questions!! I love her blog you guys should definitely visit it! :)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

MERGE Blog Tour: Guess Post by Yvonne Reid




Today I'll be featuring a guess post by Yvonne Reid. Don't forget to visit 1889 Lab for more info on the other Blog Tour stops. Remember to enter the GIVEAWAYS. You can win an iPad and other awesome goodies!! You will find the Rafflecopter forms and details below.



HAPPY TO BE ALIVE 

by Yvonne Reid 


Someone asked me which I prefer, stories where the characters live happily ever after, or stories where everyone dies, and after a lot of thought, I have to say I prefer the happy stuff, by a thin margin. But it's not quite as easy as it sounds, because I also like a healthy amount of bloodshed and misery. But I think the two are fully compatible, if you do it right. 

See, in most HEA (happily ever after) stories, there's a point somewhere around the middle where you know that things are going to work out OK for everyone, and that the plot is working its way towards a resolution where bows will be tied neatly, dreams fulfilled, and kisses delivered. To me, that kind of tidiness takes all the fun out of reading, like when you watch a TV series so many times you can predict the exact minute the "twists" will happen. Sure, you can still squeeze enjoyment out of the journey, but at a certain point, you, as the reader, are starting to look at events and character traits as the pieces of the puzzle that will come together into a neat resolution. The second I'm contemplating craft in a book, I'm not living that world anymore. 


Now on the other hand, doom and gloom books just rub me the wrong way. If I read five hundred pages of awesomeness, only to have the heroes fail and the treasure lost, I'm going to be in a very bad mood for days. Sure, there are sometimes when weepy catharsis can be a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon, but when you've invested so much in the characters that they're like family, and then just ruthlessly slit their throats... that's not storytelling, that's psychological warfare against a powerless enemy. Again, sometimes that approach is warranted, but sometimes it's just mean, and I think it's far easier to accidentally be mean, than to be good.

My favored approach is something of a mix of the two. I want the heroes to succeed in their quest, to come out the other side more or less in victory, but I want to keep the reader guessing every last step of the way. The characters shouldn't live happily ever after, they should be happy to be alive, and praying to God their lives get boring from then on. You may have a key group of protagonists, but in order to meet my definition of a good ending, only ONE of them has to make it to the end alive. The key to a good story is to make sure everyone knows right off the bat that nobody is off-limits, and the blade of dramatic resonance will swing without mercy.

The easiest way to do this is what I like to call the “easy-omg-easy” approach to writing, which you actually see in manuals for electronics and such. In a good manual, the first few pages are the dead-easy stuff, giving the user a false sense of security about the journey about to embark on. “See the remote? Put in the batteries. Good job! You’re a genius!” Five pages later, you’re soldering on component chips you stole from a top secret military installation in the Appalachians while speaking fluent Cantonese with a Russian accent. See how fast things went downhill? That’s what you want to do to your characters. Take the status quo and beat it to within an inch of its life.

This technique achieves two things: first, it throws the characters off-balance, which is shorthand for “easy drama.” You want conflict? Force your characters to adapt to tricky situations they’re unprepared for. But better than that, it keeps your readers from knowing what’s coming next. No craft visible, because you’re in a free-fall, and NOBODY knows how far to rock bottom. When you finally hit it, it’ll be a fun climb back up to the status quo.

So yeah. I don’t like happy endings, and I don’t like sad endings. I like satisfying endings; the literary equivalent of: “That’s it! You’re all done! Now sit back and enjoy your new television set.”





* * *
ABOUT YVONNE REID

Yvonne Reid began life as a technical writer in the consumer electronics sector, where she learned vital skills such as character development, plot, and dramatic tension. In recent years, she has given up that artistic background for the more hum-drum life of a novelist. Yvonne's projects include the series MERGE, and the upcoming Ascension collection of books. She lives with her dog and parakeet in the midwest, where bread-maker manuals are the main source of entertainment.







GIVEAWAYS

(1) One lucky reader will win an iPad.
(2) Second place will win e-copies of all 13 stories, plus a $10 iTunes or Amazon voucher.
(3) Third place will receive a $10 iTunes/Amazon voucher, plus e-copies of one of the 4 authors' MERGE stories (their choice).
Winners will be announced on June 20th, 1889 Labs' 6th birthday.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 ebook copies of Long Way Down. Giveaway ends 6/15


a Rafflecopter giveaway

2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop


2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Non Reluctant Reader
June 7th to 13th

I'll be giving away a copy of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. This giveaway is INTL and ends June 13th. To enter fill out the Rafflecopter form below.



Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.



Don't forget to enter the other giveaways on the blog! You'll find them on the sidebar under Current Giveaways.



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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Pic2Book Update

It's been an extremely busy week. In between family, work, dance recitals, reading and preparing for BEA, I haven't had time to work on Pic2Book. I know next week will be as busy as this one, so I decided to take a little break from it. I enjoy making the pictures and I LOVE when you guys participate, but like everything good, it's time consuming. Pic2Book will be back by the end of next week Friday June 15th!

Thanks for you patience!
Bethzaida

Friday, June 1, 2012

THE COLLECTOR by Victoria Scott Cover Reveal


Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.



Isn't this cover awesome??! I can't wait to read The collector!


About the author


Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.
Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan.



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