In My Mailbox (133)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  

For Review:

 

Feuds by Avery Hastings (Thanks to St. Martins Griffin)

 

In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.

For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.

Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.

Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds.

 

Consequence (Significance, #4.5) by Shelly Crane

 

Maggie and Caleb are married, leaders of their people, parents to their children, and happier than they ever dreamed, even with the visions they saw of it to prove it so. The council is still rebelling against Maggie’s changes, but this time it’s different. It’s almost as if something…or someone is behind them, pulling the strings and making decisions for them.

And Maggie is having strange visions that only she can see, leaving Caleb helpless to help her. But when her visions start to warn her that their daughter, Ava, will one day be in danger, they’ll do anything it takes to find out what’s going on and how to stop it, even paying a visit to a previous Visionary.

Maggie and Caleb must find out who or what is behind it all and stop them before Maggie is one vision too late.

 

Altered (Devoured, #3) by Shelly Crane

 

Enoch is tested.

His brother is human, the thing he hates. He watches as the brother he knew is stripped away by his love for Clara. He's never hated someone as much as he hated her...but the bond forced him to not only want to protect her, but feel things he never had before.

When a girl needs his help, that split second decision changes his whole world in one instant.

A Devourer's Fate...

 

Beautiful Oblivion (Beautiful, #3) by Jamie McGuire

 

The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

Review: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

With any series, authors run the risk of their readers becoming bored or losing interest over time with the characters and plot layouts.  This series is a true testament to Clare's ability to engage her readers and continuing to keep them coming back for me each and every time.  I'll admit that despite loving the first four books in the series, for some reason I lost track of the release date of this book and was a little bit behind in reading it after it had hit the shelves.  I did my best to avoid reading or coming across any spoilers on line because as much as I enjoy the series, I had a feeling that if I knew what happened before cracking the cover that I'd likely put it aside in the TBR pile and might never get to it.  So with my caution, I was able to find the time to get this book started without seeing what others thought beforehand.  And once I got started like with her other books, it was difficult to put down. 

When there's any kind of romance, I'm a sucker through and through.  So having two of my favorite characters be separated or go through so many obstacles and challenges was a tough pill to swallow for me.  But as always, Clary and Jace kept me entertained from start to finish and Sebastian remained quite the villain in my opinion.  Each character had their moments of foolishness, times to shine, and episodes where I questioned who they were and if their good vs. evil side of the coin was changing.  I enjoyed the anticipation Clare built with this installment and her well developed plot and constantly evolving characters kept things fresh and exciting for me from the first page to the very last.

Again the side characters (if you can even call them that) were very much on point and kept things moving when readers were given a break from the intense situations Clary and Jace were facing.  Humor was added as well as suspense and as always a roller coaster of emotions was played out for readers and fans alike.

I'm not sure how Clare keeps finding ways to surprise me or have me remain on the edge of my seat, but I'm not complaining at all.  I'm still playing catch up with the series, but now that the sixth and final installment is out of the shelves, City of Heavenly Fire, I'm anxious to find out where Clare will take her characters, and how she'll wrap this series up.  Fingers crossed our favorite characters can outlast her obstacles and somehow fight their way through to their much deserved happily ever afters.

Author Interview: Steve Brezenoff

From the acclaimed author of Brooklyn, Burning comes Guy in Real Life, an achingly real and profoundly moving love story about two Minnesota teens whose lives become intertwined through school, role-playing games, and a chance two-a.m. bike accident.

It is Labor Day weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and boy and girl collide on a dark street at two thirty in the morning: Lesh, who wears black, listens to metal, and plays MMOs; Svetlana, who embroiders her skirts, listens to Björk and Berlioz, and dungeon masters her own RPG. They should pick themselves up, continue on their way, and never talk to each other again.

But they don't.

This is a story of two people who do not belong in each other's lives, who find each other at a time when they desperately need someone who doesn't belong in their lives. A story of those moments when we act like people we aren't in order to figure out who we are. A story of the roles we all play-at school, at home, with our friends, and without our friends-and the one person who might show us what lies underneath it all.


Name three things you loved about writing Guy In Real Life.

Oh, it's so hard to distinguish between when I loved writing this book and when I absolutely dreaded writing it! It was a long process--this book took me almost two years to write, and even longer if you start the clock from when I first wrote the synopsis back in 2007 or so. But I'll do my best. Okay, so here's what I loved:

Meeting the characters, and by that I mean not just Lesh and Lana, the main characters, but most of their friends: Lana's best friend forever Roan, and the others in the gaming club, Reggie and Abraham. I got very attached to that crew. And Lesh's something-like-friend Jelly--a girl a little older and a lot bolder than him--was a joy to write. I fully intend to go back to her and create a story all her own.

The research! It's probably not fair to call it research, since I didn't know I was researching when I did it, but playing World of Warcraft from 2006 till 2012 or so (on and off) was often a lot of fun. It was also often completely maddening and addicting. I will definitely never play it again--until the next expansion comes out.

And revising, which probably sounds insane to other writers. But the fact is that working on the revisions with my editor at Balzer + Bray, Jordan Brown, was a pleasure, not to mention educational and elucidating.

 

What's your best advice for someone who wants to be a writer?

Read a lot, with tremendous variety. Write a lot--as often as you can. And get some writing buddies--online or in-person--so you can exchange critiques, and be open to the criticism you receive. That said, if your writing buddies aren't jiving with you completely, get new ones.

 

With your novel now out on the shelves, how does it feel?  What was your favorite part of the process?

I'm writing this two weeks before G.I.R.L. hits shelves, but I've had two other novels on shelves before, and I can tell you it feels great, like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. At the same time, though, it's panic-inducing and paralyzing, because now these words that I obsessed over for literally years of my life are out there, and anyone can just pick them up and read them and be like, "Meh. Whatev." Writers are in a vulnerable position in that way, and that can be very stressful and exhausting.

My favorite part of the process is probably the first month or two of first-drafting, when I'm still meeting characters and figuring out how stuff is going to go wrong for them. After that, there's lots of heavy lifting yet to do, but it's never the same rush for me at that point, aside from the occasional revision epiphany. Those are fun too.

 

Your books have all taken place in cities and states where you've lived at one time or another.  Does it help you to write around what you know?

Absolutely. I grew up on Long Island, so I was quite familiar with its landscape and manner of speech and all that before I wrote The Absolute Value of -1. I lived in Brooklyn on and off for about ten years before I wrote Brooklyn, Burning, which was plenty for me to get a feel for the neighborhood of Greenpoint and really know how it felt to move through its streets at all hours of the day or night. Having lived in the Twin Cities for eight years now, I'm just beginning to feel comfortable with my knowledge of the area to write fiction inside it. That said, I'm sure I've gotten some things wrong--things about how people interact here, how they drive, how they move through their cities, their turns of phrase, stuff like that--and I expect someone will let me know pretty soon.

 

What's in your reading pile right now?  Any recent favorites you've read recently that you'd recommend or tell us to steer clear of?

You should read Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian, which will be out later this year. You should also read Bone Gap by Laura Ruby which will be out like next year. Sorry for the not-out-yet titles!

 

If you could travel anywhere you wanted, where would you go and why?  If you could only take three things with you, what would they be and why?

I'd go to New York. I'd always go to New York because I miss it. And the three things I'd bring are my wife, my son, and my daughter!

 

About the Author:

 

 

Steve Brezenoff is the author of young adult novels Guy in Real Life; The Absolute Value of -1; and Brooklyn, Burning, as well as dozens of chapter books for younger readers. He grew up on Long Island, spent his twenties in Brooklyn, and now lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Beth, who is also a writer for children, and their children Sam and Etta.

 

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In My Mailbox (132)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  

For Review:

 

Chantress Alchemy (Chantress Trilogy, #2) by Amy Butler Greenfield (Thanks to Simon and Schuster)

 

Lucy races against time and magic in this sequel to the “richly and thoughtfully written” (Publishers Weekly) Chantress.

Lucy is the last Chantress, the only remaining girl who can sing magic into the world. Since she defeated the evil Lord Scargrave, England has changed—and not for the better. With crops failing and the people rebelling, Lucy is called urgently back to King Henry’s court. His Inner Council is convinced that making gold through alchemy will save England. But a critical element to the alchemical process has been stolen. Lucy is tasked with finding it with her magic… or else. And until she succeeds, the castle is on lockdown.

Court too has changed. Scargrave's brutal Chantress-hunter has become King Henry's closest advisor. Lucy’s beloved Nat has fallen out of favor and is shunned by his colleagues; their romance means trouble for both of them. Worst of all, something goes wrong with Lucy’s magic. The palace is a labyrinth, and there’s a monster at its heart — a monster who may have the power to defeat Lucy once and for all.

Amy Butler Greenfield returns to the beguiling world of Chantress for a suspenseful tale of courtly intrigue, music, and magic in Chantress Alchemy.

 

Getting By (A Knight's Tale, #1) by Claudia Y. Burgoa (Thanks to Literally Alpaca Illustrations, LLC)

 

When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honor to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.

Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honor. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.            

 

Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga, #1) by Sherry Soule (Thanks to Sherry)

 

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life...

 

Blog Tour: The Space Beyond (The Book of Phoenix, #2) by Kristie Cook

As members of the Phoenix, Jeric and Leni are thrust into their new lives, expected to lead Earth’s guardians. But Leni struggles with trusting her own soul, and Jeric is more concerned about keeping Leni safe than meeting others’ demands. When Darkness swarms Lake Haven, they embark on their first mission with little preparation and no idea which soul the Dark hunts.

 

Born and raised in Lake Haven, Bex hopes to escape her small-town life, ideally in the arms of her soul mate. She knows he exists, and her heart aches with the need to find him. When her long-lost mama calls to announce she's knockin' on death's door, Bex reluctantly makes the trip to see the uncaring bitch (bless her heart), only to be knocked off her feet by the sexy and charming Dr. Mason Hayes. Is he really The One?

 

Leni’s soul felt an instant connection to Bex, but if Bex found her soul mate, she isn’t their mission. So who is, and why does Leni instinctively feel drawn to her? Can Leni even trust her intuition? And will Jeric step up and lead when the time comes or continue to hold them back?

 

If they don't learn to trust themselves and each other quickly, Darkness will claim them all…along with the rest of Earth’s souls.

 

I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this great blog tour for this fantastic sequel to Kristie Cook's Book of Phoenix series, The Space Beyond.  After reading Cook's first series installment, The Space Between, falling in love with her characters was easy so it was a no-brainer that I would want to share an excerpt with all of you from Jeric's point of view.  Enjoy.....and go grab your own copy of the second installment today!

 

From Jeric, in The Space Beyond: 

 

[Leni] paused for a moment, staring at her hands as her fingers tapped a rhythm on the blanket, and I already knew her next thought. I had to control myself from clamping my hand over her mouth to keep her from saying it, as though that would prevent the thought from already being a reality. Because remembering our pasts was kind of fun, like solving a weird mystery, but what she was thinking took us to a whole different level. One I wasn’t ready for. 

 

“I have this strong feeling the guy in the Gate who’d sounded so desperate was Nathayden,” she said. “And I think … saving Rebethannah is our first mission.” 

 

She lifted her head to look at us. I turned mine to stare at the wall, my jaw clenching. She already knew my feelings on this theory. 

 

“What do you guys think?” she asked when nobody said anything. 

 

My eyes cut to Brock and Asia, who shared another look, but they didn’t hold back this time. Asia reached out and laid her hand on Leni’s knee. 

 

“You tell us,” she said to my other half. “We remembered last night that this has always been your thing, like your super power—you lead us to the souls we’re supposed to help.” 

 

The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I jumped to my feet as though the bed itself had caused the feeling. But what I felt came from inside, and no matter how much I wanted to deny it, to make it go away, to pretend it didn’t exist, I couldn’t. The truth is the truth, and what Asia just said was no doubt a truth. I knew it in my gut, or in my soul, as everyone else would say. Leni was our light, showing us the way. Theo and Mira had emphasized this when we’d been Forged at the Gate. Not just mine, but everybody’s. I hadn’t fully understood what that meant at the time, but it was starting to make more sense. 

 

Didn’t mean I liked it. 

 

“No,” I said, unable to form the words I wanted to say. “Just … no. Not yet.” 

 

“Jeric—” Leni started, and I spun on her. 

 

“Can you really say you feel ready to do this?” I demanded, leaning over her on the bed. “Do you even know what you’re doing?” 

 

Leni stared at me for a moment, opening her mouth then closing it like a carp as she considered my question. 

 

“Yes,” she finally said, and when I lifted my brow and sucked in a breath to argue, she held a hand up. “It’s not knowledge to be gained, Jeric. I don’t have to learn this. It’s intuition. Instinct. My soul talking to me. I know how that sounds, but look at our lives now. Look at what we do know and tell me that relying on our instinct, on our souls that have existed for eons compared to our measly human brains, isn’t what we’re supposed to do. That’s the lesson we’re supposed to learn more than any others. Am I right?” 

 

She turned back to Brock and Asia, who both nodded. 

 

“So we’re just supposed to cut off our brains and all logic?” I snapped. 

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Asia said with a sigh. “You just have to let your brain catch up to what you already know in your soul.” 

 

I glared at each of them in turn, not sure why this bothered me so much. I’d practically vowed to trust Leni and her intuition, to accept her as our light to lead the way. And I knew deep down that she’d be right—that her soul would know exactly what we’re supposed to do. The “normal” side of me, the Jeric I’d been for the last twenty-three years, however, bristled at the thought of going out and being some kind of supernatural-like ninja, helping people who probably didn’t even know they needed to be helped. How were we supposed to do that anyway? 

 

“So you think your soul will lead us right to whoever Rebethannah is now?” I demanded. “And you really think that’s our mission?” 

 

Leni pressed her lips together and dropped her gaze to the blanket again. “I don’t know yet,” she nearly whispered, but then she lifted her eyes to me and raised her voice. “But it’s time to find out.”

Release Day Blitz!!

 

Today is release day for The Space Beyond (Part Two in the Book of Phoenix) by Kristie Cook!! If you haven't read The Space Between (Part One in the Book of Phoenix), it's on sale for 99c! (Links below) - Join Kristie, along with author Lynn Rush, whose book Absolute Zero releases on May 21st! It's an ongoing DUAL RELEASE CELEBRATION starting TONIGHT with several guest author appearances! https://www.facebook.com/events/509122122526573

We also have a GIVEAWAY to share with you!! Look for how to enter down below!

The Space Beyond 

Part Two of the Book of Phoenix

Author: Kristie Cook

Release Date: Currently Available

Where: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo (all countries) | Read Our Writes

Hearts break, souls shatter, love lies in The Space Beyond...

As members of the Phoenix, Jeric and Leni are thrust into their new lives, expected to lead Earth’s Guardians. But Leni struggles with trusting her own soul, and Jeric is more concerned about keeping Leni safe than meeting others’ demands. When Darkness swarms Lake Haven, they embark on their first mission with little preparation and no idea which soul the Dark hunts.

Born and raised in Lake Haven, Bex hopes to escape her small-town life, ideally in the arms of her soul mate. She knows he exists, and her heart aches with the need to find him. When her long-lost mama calls to announce she's knockin' on death's door, Bex reluctantly makes the trip to see the uncaring bitch (bless her heart), only to be knocked off her feet by the sexy and charming Dr. Mason Hayes. Is he really The One?

Leni’s soul felt an instant connection to Bex, but if Bex found her soul mate, she isn’t their mission. So who is, and why does Leni instinctively feel drawn to her? Can Leni even trust her intuition? And will Jeric step up and lead when the time comes or continue to hold them back?

If they don't learn to trust themselves and each other quickly, Darkness will claim them all…along with the rest of Earth’s souls.



Other books in the series:

The Space BetweenPart One in the Book of Phoenix
Author: Kristie Cook

Currently Available

Where: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBookstore | Kobo

When life falls to pieces, answers lie in The Space Between...


Leni Drago can't make a smart decision on her own, according to her mother anyway--the few times she's tried resulted in disaster. When her uncle sends her on a dance tour in Italy to find her real self, she returns to an empty home and any evidence of his existence wiped out. Then things get even stranger, like the mysterious appearances of Jeric Winters--inked, pierced and a hit-'em-and-quit-'em type. He's one decision that should be easy for Leni. Or is he?


Jeric doesn't do girlfriends. Unless they're someone else's. He left the fighting cage and modeling for a reason, and girls who want more than a night of fun are distractions he doesn't need. Especially when they come with as much baggage as Leni carries. But he can't shake the gut feeling that he needs to know her. All of her.


To discover the truth behind their connection and their ties to a journal from 1989, they must face painful secrets from their pasts. And they must do so quickly because their own existences are falling to pieces.


This first part of The Book of Phoenix takes you on a heart-wrenching ride as you discover the answers that lie in The Space Between.

The Space Within

Part Three in the Book of Phoenix

Author: Kristie Cook

Release Date: July 14, 2014

Where: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo (all countries)
 

When Darkness threatens, what matters most lies in The Space Within...

Completing a mission that reunites Guardian Twin Flames turns devastating when the Book of Phoenix throws Leni and Brock into a Dark world, leaving Jeric and Asia behind. They count on their other halves to rescue them, but when that doesn’t happen, they must fight through the Darkness and find a Gate that will take them home.

Except all of Earth’s Gates are sealed.

Enyxa, ruler of Darkness, and her horde of Dark souls storm the Gates to push their way through to Earth. While Leni and Brock fight Enyxa on their side, Jeric and Asia must figure out how to save their Twin Flames without jeopardizing all of Earth’s souls. Through it all—and with a little help from Enyxa—Brock and Asia begin questioning their relationship and whether they’re truly meant to be together…or if they’re two Lost souls forced to become one.

If the Broken dyads don’t find each other fast, they’ll be lost to the Dark forever. But to reunite means choosing themselves over all of Earth’s souls. Can Jeric make that decision? And will Brock and Asia find the love they both desperately crave? Or are they all doomed to perpetual Darkness?

Discover how it all ends in The Space Within, the explosive conclusion to The Book of Phoenix trilogy.
About the Author:

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance / contemporary fantasy, with Promise, Purpose, Devotion, Power, and the latest release, Wrath, book five, available now. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, which details the compelling history of her Soul Savers mythology. Over 300,000 Soul Savers books have been sold, with Promise peaking at #54 on the Amazon Top 100 Paid list and at #1 in the Amazon Fantasy category.

Kristie’s second series, The Book of Phoenix, is a New Adult paranormal trilogy. The Space Between is currently available, and The Space Beyond is releasing May 19, 2014, and The Space Within will be available Summer 2014.

Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three sons, a beagle, and a puggle. She can be found at:

Author's Website

UK Fan Site

The Book of Phoenix Website

Soul Savers Series Website

Facebook

Twitter

 

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In My Mailbox (131)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  

For Review:

 

After the End by Amy Plum (Thanks to HarperTeen)

 

Michael Grant's Gone series meets M. Night Shyamalan's The Village in this riveting story of one girl's journey to save the very people who have lied to her for her entire life. Amy Plum, internationally bestselling author of the Die for Me series, delivers a fast-paced adventure perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Robison Wells.

 

Juneau grew up fearing the outside world. The elders told her that beyond the borders of their land in the Alaskan wilderness, nuclear war had destroyed everything. But when Juneau returns from a hunting trip one day and discovers her people have been abducted, she sets off to find them. And leaving the boundaries for the very first time, she learns the horrifying truth: World War III never happened. Nothing was destroyed. Everything she'd ever been taught was a lie.

 

As Juneau comes to terms with an unfathomable deception, she is forced to survive in a completely foreign world, using only the skills and abilities she developed in the wild. But while she's struggling to rescue her friends and family, someone else is after her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about her secret past.

 

Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu (Thanks to Katherine Tegen Books)

 

Secret: I kissed someone else's boyfriend.
Assignment: Do it again.

Like most who find Life by Committee, Tabitha is a little lost. Her best friend has ditched her, her Vermont town is feeling way too small, and she's falling head over heels for a guy named Joe—who already has a girlfriend. Just when Tab is afraid she'll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she discovers Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: Tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe.

Tab likes that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she'd ever go on her own. But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go? Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart and Jennifer E. Smith, Life by Committee is a fresh, vibrant novel about the power of wanting, the messiness of friendship, and the truths we hide and share.

The Secrets of Lily Graves by Sarah Strohmeyer (Thanks to Balzer + Bray)

Gone Girl meets Six Feet Under in bestselling author Sarah Strohmeyer's romantic YA mystery about a girl who must unravel a web of lies in her small town before it's too late.

Descended from a long line of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. So after senior-class president Erin Donohue—perfect saint to the community—turns up dead, Lily believes it's her job to find the culprit. But Lily has feelings for Erin's ex-boyfriend, Matt, which makes both of them suspects and makes Lily's investigation . . . complicated. As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, between genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim.

Fans of Sara Shepard who enjoy realistic contemporary fiction with a dash of mystery will love the secrets, lies, and romance swirling in this sexy, intriguing novel.
Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?