Cover Reveal: Black City by Elizabeth Fleur Richards and GIVEAWAY

Black City b Elizabeth Fleur Richards

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: November 13, 2012

A dark and tender postapocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

*** 

I LOVE the cover. What do you guys think? It’s very cool. The synopsis sounds great as well. I’m looking forward to checking this book out. Want to check out the first chapter? Click here. 

 ***

Elizabeth Richards lives in Buckinghamshire, England. She is an award-winning journalist and debut author, who spent her early career writing for videogame publications such as CUBE, P2 and GamesTM,and now works as a website editor. Previously, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls. She won the Jane Hayward Young Journalist of the Year award for her feature on girls in the games industry, and was named 'Editor's Choice' in the industry trade magazine, MCV.

Elizabeth's Website and Twitter.   

GIVEAWAY

Win Advance Reader Copy of Black City. Also, you can win one of 5 exclusive and personalized drawings of the main characters—Ash and Natalie—drawn and autographed by the author. The finished drawing will be more polished and each one will be just a bit different, so each winner will receive an original and unique image. Winners of the drawings will be chosen blindly and randomly by the author. Isn’t that AWESOME?

Thank you for Penguin Books for providing the arcs.

How to enter:

Leave a comment in this post with your email address.

Ends: March 7

ARC Review: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Source: Publisher

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Release Date:  March o1, 2012
Format:  Paperback
Page: 288

 Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny. 

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it. 

 ***

I was super excited to read Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters. The synopsis really intrigued me. I survived my freshman year--I live in small town--but I was so interested in finding out Kelsey’s freshman year in the big city, New York.

I liked Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters. If you are a contemporary fan like me, you would love this book. It was a cute, quick and funny read. The first 50 pages were a bit slow for me, but it got better after that.

Kelsey and I stared out with love/hate relationship. Sometimes she’s kind of annoying; she acts as if the whole world revolves around her. Other times I like her. She’s likable, sweet and adorable freshman. I ended up liking her and rooting for her to get her happy ending. I like her best friends and Ben as well.

It was really fun going through the freshman journey with Kelsey and her friends.  A lot of wild things happen in this book that made it hard for me to put this book down. I was in the mood for this kind of book, and Meredith’s debut didn’t disappoint. The book cracked me up until the end.

Meredith did an amazing job on her debut novel. She really captured the high school drama and teenagers. I would recommend this book for those who love contemporary books and want a book that would make you smile or laugh. 

Rating: 4/5

Cover Reveal: A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies and Rebel Heart by Moira Young

A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: September 25, 2012

I got a new cover reveal for you guys, again. I saw this on goodreads; yeah, I know, I spend a lot of my time on goodreads. ANYWAY, what do you guys think of this cover? I um like it. It's OKAY. I mean the first book cover is very PRETTY but this one is BLAH for me. I've yet to read the first book. Thankfully, I have a long time till this one comes out; so hopefully I can get to the first book soon. 

  ***

 

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Release Date: October 30, 2012

Synopsis: 

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued. 
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together. 
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well. 
But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba. 
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands. 
Then a messenger shows up. 
With news of Jack.

 

I LOVE this cover. It kinda has the same factor as the new Blood Red Road cover. Again, I’ve not read the first book but I do have the first book on my shelf. I’ve heard great things about it and I also heard that the writing style is very different. So I’m very much looking forward to checking out the first book. What do you guys think?

ARC Clean Out Giveaway

I have 10 copies of ARCs that I’d love to share with you, my followers. One winner takes it all. International giveaway. Ends March 11. 

The rules are simple, to enter fill out this form. 

 

 Good luck, everyone.

Cover Reveal: Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey
Release date: October 2012

Publisher: Harperteen

I just saw this on goodreads and I had to share it. I’ve yet to read Cold Kiss; I got it from my library one time but I had to return it. Anyway, do you like this pretty cover? I LIKE IT. It’s pink and looks like the first book… kinda.

What do you guys think? 

Follow Friday (25)

Follow my blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee and AlisonCanRead. It’s a weekly meme where bloggers meet and follow one another.

This week’s question: 

Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most...

It would take me an hour to take pictures and I’m lazy, so I’m going to describe it. To be honest, I don’t have a specific place where I love to read. I read pretty much everywhere when I have the time; such as:  my bed, couch/sofa, floor, on the school bus, class, library, dining table etc…

But most of the time I read in my couch and bed. So I guess those two are my favorite places.  

Leave a link to your own post, please!

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

This week I’m waiting on …

 Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Release Date: April 01, 2012

Publishers: Point

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

*** 

I’ve not read The Lonely Hearts Club or Prom and Prejudice but I’ve heard great things about both books. My sister LOVED The Lonely Hearts Club and been bugging me to read it. I’m planning to read it next month before this one comes out; I’m excited to check it out. Take a Bow looks FANTASTIC. Can’t wait. 

*** 

7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

Release Date: April 26, 2012

Publishers: Razorbill

When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.

 *** 

I loved Kristin Walker’s debut novel A Match Made in High School. It’s hilarious. I laugh out loud throughout the whole book. So I’m SUPER excited for this book.

What are you waiting on?

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Source: Publisher

Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date:  February 28, 2012
Format:  Paperback
Page:272

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

***

How often do you get to read a book about paparazzi? A 16 years old girl paparazzo? I would say never. After reading the synopsis, my first reaction was this should be interesting. And it was. Very interesting, indeed. I loved it. It was a fun, easy, quick contemporary book--I was able to read it in one day.

Josephine or Jo is a very likable character. I really like her. She’s quirky, fun, and sweet girl with a goal to be a professional portrait photographer. She might not always like what she does, but she needs the money to go to college. Taking celebrities picture isn’t as dirty as her new job, a job that will cover the money she needs to go to the school she wants to go; going to rehab facility for undercover on a teenage celebrity, Ned Hartnett. A celebrity she has a crush on and has met before… even though he doesn’t remember her.

I liked Ned (if you read the book, you know who I’m really talking about). He’s nice. The romance between Jo and Ned is okay. The reason why I gave this book 4.5 instead of 5 was the romance. I didn’t hate but I didn’t love it either. It was okay. I didn’t jump up and down for it.

I thought Shooting Stars would be a typical contemporary book, and after reading a couple of chapters … I thought I figured it all out. Boy was I wrong! Shooting Stars surprised me with a twist I didn’t expect at all. I’m always good at figuring books really quickly, but not with this book. The twist was the icing on the cake. I didn’t know what to expect from it, so I just kept reading in awe.

Overall, Allison Rushby debut novel was amazing. I really liked the plot. It gives readers to a view in the life of a paparazzi; their work seems to take all of their time. The pace was good. I would recommend this book for EVERYONE. 

Rating: 4.5/5

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

Source: Publisher

Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date:  February 01, 2012
Format:  Paperback
Page:240

A story about a wounded girl and the boy who won't give up on her.7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.

***

My sister told me about this book but I really didn’t really know what I was getting into when I started this book. I’m glad she put it on my radar because I loved it. It such a cute, fun and touching story that every person will enjoy.

Louise is a very cute character. She’s short (but hated that she’s short), bitter and sad… you can say she’s a little depressed. I could not blame her; she went through a lot for a seventh grader. She lost her mother and her father doesn’t live with her. She lives with her grandparents who love Louise and are worried about her, her memory loss or her denial. I adored Louise’s grandparents. They are caring and loving--grandparents everyone would love to have.

Louise used to love gymnastic, but the painful family problem she’s trying not to remember is keeping her from doing things that she loved, among other reasons. As much as we like to think that we are a lone now and then, there is at least one person who cares for us, about us.  In this book, it’s Henderson, Louise’s best friend. I loved this little guy. He’s so geeky, funny, sweet and just an adorable kid. I also like his sister, and also Louise other best friend. 

The Boy on Cinnamon Street is a well written book. I was able to figure out the book after reading the first 50 pages and the ending was predictable, but I really enjoyed knowing the how and the what.

A cute, easy, quick read that is good for summer or between dark books. Even though I cried in some part of the books, I admit.  Overall, I very much enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5

In My Mailbox (23)

Meme created by The Story Siren

For review:

Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby 

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone (Finished)

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Just Flirt by Laura Bowers

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Big thanks to Michelle I. Brooks, Walker Childrens, FSG, and Arthur A. Levine Books.

 

Won:

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Thanks to Taneika @ Flipping Through the Pages

Purchased: 

 

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

 

What did you get in my mailbox?