Book Con 2015

Hey!

So, I went to Book Con last year with my daddy instead of senior prom.  Yes, that is book nerd commitment!! Last year was no fun, as it was the first year and organization was absolutely atrocious.  Let's be fair, there was no organization it seemed because staff was not ready for the amount of crazy book lovers who attended.  I went to one panel in the very beginning and one autograph session because the lines were nuts.  I only got autographs because Libba Bray was nice enough to sign even after her session ended.

This year was different.  My friend Danielle and I were determined to see Johnny Green at the Paper Towns panel!  And we did:)

Preparation for the big day began the night before in Danielle's kitchen.  Yes, we typed up a legitimate itinerary starting with a 3:50 AM alarm.

4:20 AM and we had already had a quick breakfast and were out the door!

4:40 something AM and we made a wrong turn and ended up taking a detour in a sketchy neighborhood with a lot of cats hanging out in the street.  No, we didn't run over any kitties!!!

4:50 something AM- We made it early to the train!

5:03- 6:35 AM- Making jokes and talking on the train while everyone else was sleepy and frowning

6:50 AM- Javits Center, Whoa there is a line!

7:00 AM- Why isn't will call open when Book Con said it would be?!

8:10 AM- Danielle goes to get our tickets and begs the staff to let her get mine

"Do you have her [my] photo ID?"

"No, but please let me get hers!"

"What does she look like?"

"She's Asian and she's really sweet."

I think the part about me being Asian is what convinced them to hand over the ticket.  You can always trust Asians.

9:00 AM-Make a mad dash to the wristband line to get in line for John Green.

If we didn't run, crazy teenage John Green fans would have trampled us.

9:01 AM-Out of breath, but we're near the front of the line!

9:30 ish AM- Something gets in my eye, and my contact bothers me all day.  My left eye looks like this plus swollen, and I'm tearing.

The joke of the day is that if I don't get into  panel or autograph session, I don't even have to act sad.  My eye is already producing tears.

(Don't worry, I'm ok now.  Two days of red eyes was worth the pain.)

10:30 ish- Got our bands!

10:40- Visit the restroom and take creeper shots of the line from one floor above and revel in the fact that I am no longer in line which had severely died down but still was by no means short.

11:00-11:45 AM- SUNSHINE, BADASS AND LIFE ON WHEELS: Three Breakout Authors Share Their Stories of Getting Published (Jen Sincero, Paige McKenziw, Tessa Elwood)

I enjoyed this panel because Jen (You are a Badass) was funny and had good writing advice.  Tessa seemed really nervous and shy but nice (Inherit the Stars).  Paige (The Haunting of Sunshine Girl) was an arrogant, rude girl who got really lucky to have gotten a book deal.  I don't like that her book is co-authored either.

12:30 PM- In Booth Signing of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon
Signed ARCS.  The book comes out on 9/1/15.  I just finished it and I really liked it.  It's a YA about a girl who is allergic to everything and can't leave her house but falls in love with her neighbor.  Pretty cute illustrations in it from Nicola's husband.

12:45-1:45 PM- ROOM panel with Emma Donoghue and the cast of the film (Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay)

This was my favorite thing of the day.  Yes, more than Paper Towns panel.  By a lot.  The author and Brie Larson were very well spoken, and Jacob was the cutest little boy.  His answers were hysterical, and I wish that I could find a video of the panel.  He had the whole room laughing.  I'm excited to see the film now and read the book.

1:50 PM-Uh oh, Maggie Stiefvater signing is full
Uh, let's go to Star Wars
Awkward encounter with a security guard who why trying to hook us up and get us into Taye Diggs panel, but we have no idea who that is

2:00- 3:00 PM NEW ADAPTATIONS OF THE STAR WARS SAGA (Adam Gidwitz, Alexandra Bracken, Tom Angleberger, Tony DiTerlizzi)

I'm not a Star Wars fan.  I don't know a whole lot about the saga, but I quite enjoyed the panel.  These guys were crazy Star Wars fans. and their nerdiness was super cute.  They all had the challenge of taking a part of the movies and adding something new to it without changing what was already there.  I'm pretty sure these books are for elementary/middle school kids, but the whole audience was adults.  I wasn't surprised.

3:00-3:45 PM WANDS NOT REQUIRED! AN EXPLORATION OF EPIC FANTASY FOR READERS AGES 10 THROUGH 110 (David Baldacci, Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pearce, Kevin Sands, and David Levithan)

If David Levithan is moderating, it is a good panel.  All of these authors talked about their middle grade fantasy books and on writing advice.  It turns out that Maggie Stiefvater attempted to major in music, art, and writing but got rejected from all of the programs.  Instead, she majored in history.  Now, she is a bestselling author, so never give up if you want to be a writer.

Until the 6:00 Paper Towns panel started- Waiting in line for the panel to start
Everyone in line reads a book :)

Again with the running when the doors are open.  I can't keep up with these girls.

6:05 PM? Panel begins
Worst moderator ever.  She read off an iPad the whole time and spoke when people were clapping so you couldn't hear.  She also assumed that everyone was there because they thought the cast and crew were cute, according to Danielle.

Overall, I don't think the Paper Towns panel was worth getting up that early for.  Yes, Nat, Justice, and John were cute and funny, but I didn't feel as though I would have missed anything if I hadn't seen the panel.  Well, at least I can cross off seeing John Green on my bucket list though he was nowhere near me.  Perhaps, though, my eyeball pain was interfering with my ability to enjoy the show.

7:00 PM Paper Towns panel ends

8:03 PM Train home

10:00/10:30 PM I'm home and rip out that dastardly contact.

11 something PM-  I crash into bed

Overall, it was a good day.  Quite a crazy day.  I've never woken up that early for anything in my life.  Organization improved from last year and I got to do a lot more, but the organization still lacked.  Also, the Javits Center is a bad location to hold Book Con.  Way too small.  I guess that's why it's being held in Chicago next year.

Wanna see my swag?  I only spent money on the Book Con ticket, train, and parking.  Not even food.

Got posters, bags, and a couple of samplers

Exclusive Excerpt: Alpha Wolves by DJ Swykert

Hello!
Today, I'm bringing you an exclusive excerpt from Alpha Wolves, the sequel to Maggie Elizabeth Harrington.

The first love of Maggie Harrington’s young life, Tommie Stetter, has returned to Central Mine to attend his father’s funeral. She finds herself as powerfully attracted to him as ever, but another man, a handsome and abiding one, Jeremy Paull has also found his way into her heart. Maggie finds herself conflicted as she loves both of these men. This is the catalyst that brings the two Alpha Wolves into competition and forces Maggie to make a difficult decision, one that contradicts her own idealism and the teachings of the church and community.

Alpha Wolves is a historical romance, a love triangle, set in Central Mine, Michigan, which is now a ghost town. In 1893 it was a thriving, bustling community with mining and the Methodist Church at the center of its social fabric. There were more fortunes made during the northern Michigan copper boom than in the California gold rush. At thirteen young Maggie Harrington ran off into the wilderness with Tommie Stetter and a pack of young wolves to protect the wolf pups from a bounty hunter. They were ultimately caught and young Tommie sent back east to school. Ten years have passed. Maggie still lives in Central Mine, still harbors a powerful love for Tommie, but is moving on with a new man, a handsome and very good man, Jeremy Paull. Now she has a pair of Alpha Wolves in her life.

*********

EXCERPT: MAGGIE, WHO DO YOU LOVE?

I tightly held his hand, knowing that Tommie loved me, that whatever I had done was done out of love. But I am not totally naïve. I know that our declaration of our love for one another, our act of expressing this love that has endured for ten years, would create a new set of problems for both of us. I am not sorry, though. I am still glowing inside, basking in the warm feelings of having finally experienced the man that I have always loved, and that I now know still loves me. That is very important to me, knowing that Tommie Stetter still loves me. And I will face the consequences of this knowledge later. I will not let it take this moment I have waited my whole life for.

When we reach the road, Tommie stops and stands in front of me. He takes my hands and he kisses me sweetly on the lips. I drop his hands and I put my arms around his neck and kiss him even harder. It is a long, abiding kiss, like our love, and we are both somewhat lost in the magic of this moment. We hold each other for a long while, neither of us wanting to end the embrace. Tommie puts his head alongside of mine and I can feel him just inhale the natural fragrance of my hair, like he is trying to draw my scent inside him to remember me by, so that I may be with him until we see each other again. And I am sure there will be another time, I am as sure of that as I am of anything.

“I love you Maggie,” Tommie whispers in my ear. “I have never stopped loving you. Not for a day, not for a moment, not forever.”

I continue to hold Tommie, and I can feel his love, his words, filling my body, the same as they did years ago. I feel almost redeemed for all the years of waiting and wondering, I am feeling fulfilled.

“I love you, too,” I say. “And I have never stopped loving you. I will never stop loving you, Tommie.” I squeeze ever harder, holding him like I am never going to let go of him again.

Tommie relaxes his hold on me. He runs his hand through my hair and then teasingly touches my cheek with his finger. He looks into my eyes and we are inside one another, as always. I look into those brown eyes of his that glisten, that have always known me, and I can feel him inside me, right where I want him to be. At this moment I can think of nothing else, not my impending marriage to Jeremy, my father, Mrs. Daume, nobody. I am powerless to think of anything except how much I love Tommie Stetter, and how fulfilled I feel on this day that I have learned he still loves me.

“Maggie, I have to go. I need to get to the mine. But I want to see you again. Not tomorrow, I can’t, but Wednesday.  Meet me at the blind for lunch. We need to talk. There is much we need to talk to about, say to one another. Things that have been left unsaid for too long now,” Tommie says to me. Then he steps back and withdraws from me. He takes a look, straight at me, and waits for me to answer.

I simply nod my head, in agreement; what else could I do? I am powerless to refuse Tommie Stetter anything. I give him a little smile, and try to hide the excitement I am feeling, this feeling of being powerless. I do not want him to know how at his mercy I am.

“I will meet you Wednesday,” I answer, and then watch as he disappears east off of the road and takes the path around the dam down to the mine. I walk very slowly, savoring the feeling of him that is still lingering inside me, is still warm and wet on my lips as I follow the road back down to Central Mine.

At dinner that night, for a change, I am very silent, and my father actually talks.

“You look rather subdued, Maggie Elizabeth. Are you alright?”

I do not think my father has asked me that more than a few times in my entire life. And I am alright, I am ecstatic, but I am also reflecting on the events of the afternoon. I am also perhaps a little anxious about facing Jeremy, as I am sure he will stop by this evening, with Wolf, as he always does. Do I tell Jeremy, do I end our engagement that has only just begun, and that I had pretty much negotiated? There are so many thoughts running through my head, and not the least of which is that in another day I will once again be with Tommie.

About the Author

DJ Swykert is a fiction writer living in the Cincinnati area. His work has appeared in The Tampa Review, Detroit News, Coe Review, Monarch Review, the Newer York, Lunch Ticket, Gravel, Zodiac Review, Barbaric Yawp and Bull. His books include Children of the Enemy, Alpha Wolves, The Pool Boy’s Beatitude and The Death of Anyone. You can find him at: www.magicmasterminds.com/djswykert  He is a wolf expert.

Review: Fury (The Seven Deadly #3) by Fisher Amelie

Fury by Fisher Amelie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.95

Can be read as a standalone.

Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for.

What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge.

I’m Ethan Moonsong…And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Characters: 

Ethan- This story is really just Ethan's, and everyone else in the book plays minor roles, though I'm sure some readers would disagree with me.  Initially, I thought Ethan was absolutely insane.  I suppose that just goes to show what heartbreak can do to you.  However, as the story progresses his character develops, and you realize that he has good, honorable qualities, though he makes some mistakes in the process and loses himself which I did not like because I was applying logic when he was using his emotions as the impetus for action.  For me, Ethan was not a very likable character because of his way about going the problem which is probably what Fisher Amelie was aiming for, but I didn't change my feelings even at the end.

Finley- I wish that I had seen more of Finley.  She is very selfless, brave, and generous despite her past.  That's really all I can say about her really.  Even when she narrated, I didn't learn anything new about her except that she was pining for Ethan, and I didn't really need her to say it to know it were true.

Plot:

I had no idea what the plot was.  Having read GREED, I thought that FURY was going to be Ethan trying to get Cricket back using any means necessary.  The beginning of the book made it seem like this was the case, but then Ethan met Finley again and the whole plot changed to something I never expected.  The plot was exciting... for a little while.  But then, every scene seemed like a repeat of the last one, and I found it boring.  Additionally, I thought the relationship between Ethan and Finley needed more emphasis.  I wanted to experience them falling in love, and this part seemed rushed.

Overall, FURY is a good book, but it was my least favorite of the series.  VAIN is still one of my favorite books, so I'd recommend reading that.

I have reviews for VAIN and GREED.

View all my reviews

Release Day Blitz: Fury by Fisher Amelie

 

We have been dying to bring you this Release Week Blitz for Fisher Amelie's FURY! FURY is a New Adult Contemporary Romance and the third book in Fisher Amelie’s The Seven Deadly Series!! Grab your copy today and if you haven't had a chance to read the entire series yet, get on it IMMEDIATELY!

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble  ** Kobo

FURY Excerpt (YOU WON'T FIND IT ANYWHERE ELSE!):

I took a deep breath as my fingers found their purchase and pulled out my keys. The key I needed somehow hit home and the lid sprang open, the knives staring at me, daring me. I watched them, waited for them to tell me what to do, but nothing came. They laid still, gleaming in the moonlight waiting for me too, it seemed. I sat in the passenger side seat, one boot still on the gravel, and made the first move. Raising a trembling hand toward the temptation, my fingers felt the cool length of each blade.

The rage still burned in my veins and I felt myself sobering, hesitating. No, I kept hearing. Pick them up, a voice said, so I did. Their weight felt good in my hands, comfortable. I breathed three breaths before gripping their handles and twirling them quickly in my palms. Even drunk, I could slaughter anything that moved. I was made to hunt. And hunt you shall, the voice urged.

I nodded and stood, shutting the passenger side door, tucking the blades into the back of my jeans, and camouflaging them with my shirt. My boots echoed with each step back toward the bar, heavy and dark like the night that surrounded me, like the thoughts in my head.

The adrenaline seared through my body, heightening every nerve, intensifying every sense. My heart pounded like a bass drum in my chest, pressing painfully against my ribs. My skin burned with anticipation.

I reached for the door handle.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a voice whispered, startling me.

I stopped, one hand on the handle. “Finley, go home,” I ordered her.

She stood from her leaning position against the outside wall of the bar, out of the shadows, and walked toward me. Her eyes seared through me. She came to me, stood closely, the heat from her body enveloping me.

“No, I don’t think I will,” she told me, looking up into my eyes. “At least not alone.”

She stood tenaciously, fearlessly. I noted how much taller she was than Cricket and it was a little bit intimidating to me, like what she said was going to happen whether or not I liked it. I respected her and I didn’t know why. I stared at her hard, but she didn’t budge. No, instead, she strengthened her own resolve, her jaw tightening with the decision and glared back even harder. She said and did things with such righteous authority, I felt powerless to her. I’d never felt that way before about a woman. It wasn’t pushy or irrational, it was simply as it was going to be.

My eyes and face relaxed the moment I acquiesced. “Fine.”

Her body followed suit and she nodded once, grabbing my arm and leading me toward my truck. Her hand reached into my jeans pocket, sending an inexplicable electrical charge through me, which I promptly chose to ignore, and yanked out my keys.

“Get in,” she ordered and I obeyed.

She threw herself into the driver’s side and slammed the door shut, sticking the keys in the ignition and turning only once. The engine started, daring not to further goad her. The stereo kicked on, belting something indicative of the moment we were leaving behind us, full of bass and a sharpness so edgy it echoed through my chest and head.

She shoved the truck in reverse, throwing her arm over the back of the bench, and her stare found mine. It was a solid look, packed full with a storm of unspoken words. Without breaking her gaze, she shifted into drive. She held there for a moment, driving her disappointment in me deep down into my soul before finally looking ahead to the end of the parking lot. I know I’m toxic, Finley, I thought, but that didn’t stop my mouth from retching awful thoughts.

“You have no reason to be pissed at me,” I told her, practically begging her to speak.

She didn’t say a word as she pulled out onto the road with more punch than the Finley I knew normally would have, turning toward the interstate. I had no clue where she was taking us, but I wasn’t about to ask.

Just make her turn around, I thought. Tell her you won’t do anything.

I opened my mouth to speak but caught a glimpse of her hair whipping about her determined face from the open windows and forgot what I was going to say. I turned my gaze toward the windshield. The light from the headlights exposing just enough of the road to make me nervous at the speed we were traveling. One hand found the dash to steady myself.

“What’s wrong, Ethan?” she asked.

“Huh?” I asked, whipping my head her direction.

“Too fast for you?”

“No.”

“Liar,” she said, calling me out.

I wiped my palms down the thighs of my jeans. “Slow down,” I said, swallowing.

“Oh, now you want to play it safe?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re so selfish, you know that?” she asked. I was taken aback. She’d never talked to me like that.

She leisurely drove across lanes as if traveling more than a hundred miles per hour was completely normal.

“What?” I demanded, feeling alert. The adrenaline had sobered me quickly.

“You’re selfish. And stupid. Let’s not forget stupid.”

My blood boiled. “Whatever, Finley.”

“Whatever, Finley,” she mocked. “Don’t you know I’m suffering? That I’m the only person in the world who suffers? Can’t you see that I’m determined to be foolish, Finley?”

“What do you know of suffering?” I asked, incensed.

Wide eyes met mine and her jaw clenched as she pulled over, slamming us to a stop. Her hair flew forward from the force before settling onto her chest and shoulders.

“I know more about suffering than you could ever possibly imagine. You don’t know shit! So you got your heart broken. So what! There are worse things, you know. There are things out there that would curl your toes to know about, Ethan.”

       FURY Synopsis: Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for. What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge. I’m Ethan Moonsong...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Check out the FURY Trailer!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx22kmwqGXo

Add FURY to your Goodreads!

SEVEN DEADLY Series on Goodreads

 

And don’t miss the first two books in the Seven Deadly series!

 

VAIN

Check out my review of Vain!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble

GREED

Check out my review of Greed!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble

  About Fisher Amelie: Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first ‘mama’ patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, Jonah, and her Beta, Whale. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn’t mind all that much because life isn’t worth living if it isn’t entertaining, right? Fisher is the author of The Seven Deadly Series, The Sleepless Series, and The Leaving Series, and was a semi-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award.    

Find Fisher on Amazon! ** Find Fisher on Barnes & Noble! ** Find Fisher on Facebook! ** Find Fisher on Twitter! ** Add FURY to your Goodreads! ** Find Fisher on YouTube! ** Find Fisher on her website!

 

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Review:The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook

Hello!

I received a copy of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook from Quirk, and it is wickedly good!  This book comes out March 24, 2015, so get your pre-orders ready!

"Hard-boiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and more--this illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors. Whether you're planning a sinister dinner party or whipping up some comfort food perfect for a day of writing, you'll find plenty to savor in this cunning collection. Full-color photography is featured throughout, along with mischievous sidebars revealing the links between food and foul play. Contributors include Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny, Scott Turow, and many more."

First, the book is gorgeous.  The cover and boards are black with gold accents, and it looks so elegant.

As for the recipes, I have to admit that I have not tried many of them, but they would cater to many people's taste.  Being a vegan, there aren't too many options for me.  But, I am very excited to try Thomas H. Cook's Past as Prologue (Vegetarian) Chili.

One thing I really like about this cookbook is that the mystery theme is very present and consistent throughout.  When there is a recipe pictured, the picture will include the food as well as bullet shells on the table.

Also, there are little blurbs before each section that show the connection between food and mischievous acts.

We all need this!

Overall, I think the idea between this is great!  Who would have thought of creating a cookbook that intertwines mystery and contributions from our favorite mystery writers?  The recipes look wonderful, and I will be trying some more out in the future for my family and friends, and you should too!  Not only a fun, but a delicious read.

Pre-order here- Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Indieboud

Exclusive Excerpt #2: Ashley's Dream by B.R. Kingsolver

Hello readers!

The holiday season is over I suppose, and everyone went back to work today.  But, I'm still giving out presents!  Remember that I told you I would share 4 excerpts of Ashley's Dream by B.R. Kingsolver?  Well, here is excerpt #2.  Enjoy:)

Can a woman have both love and her dreams?

Ashley isn't looking for love. Her dream is to travel the world, and getting tied down by a man doesn't fit into her plans. Relationships always get so complicated, and men always lie. It's better just to have some fun and no one gets hurt. 

After graduating university, she doesn’t get the job offer she hopes for, so it's life as usual, working as the manager of a college town bar and spending time with her friends. But life doesn’t always go the way you plan, and the next thing Ashley knows, she has two hot roommates interested in her. She likes them both, but is it love or just infatuation? She always seems to make decisions that break her heart. 

When the job offer she has always wanted arrives, her heart is torn between love and following her dream. 

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.com/Ashleys-Dream-BR-Kingsolver-ebook/dp/B00RARA06K/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashleys-dream-br-kingsolver/1120951493?ean=2940150140974

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/503876

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23556381-ashley-s-dream

EXCERPT:

When Jeff came over after his softball game, I still had a lot of anger and resentment that I hadn’t taken out on Marcie. I didn’t even know it was there until I had another convenient target.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, but I pulled away. Walking away from him, I said, “Why didn’t you tell me you were rich? Or that your father’s company is Owens, Hart and Collins?”

“You never asked me. Why, is it important?”

“I guess it isn’t if this is just a temporary fling. I just think it’s polite to let a girl know that you’re never going to take her home to meet your parents. It sort of puts everything in perspective so that she can decide whether or not she’s comfortable just being a casual fuck.”

“Ashley, what is going on? I’m not trying to hold anything back from you. We hardly know each other.”

“Yeah. I was asked earlier today, what your last name is and I didn’t know it. My fault, I guess. Normally you find that sort of thing out on a first date, but I guess we haven’t had our first date yet, have we? We just jumped into the fucking part and left the introductions for later.”

“I’m not the one who did the seducing,” he said. “I told you that we should wait. You’re the one who was hot to trot, and now that’s my fault? You’re being incredibly ungrateful. I think you’ve got issues, and I’m more than willing to let you work them out. Good night.”

He didn’t exactly slam the door, but he didn’t close it gently, either. I stood staring at it with my mouth open. What the hell just happened? The last thing I wanted to do was fight with Jeff. When he knocked on the door, my heart jumped in my chest, and I skipped to the door to answer it. And then I opened my mouth, and the same bitchy crap I’d laid on Marcie earlier came spilling out.

2014 Reflections and Moving Onward and Upward?

I probably should have done 2014 wrap-up things when everyone else was doing them.  So, basically I should have been doing my favorite books of 2014 and my 2104 accomplishments in 2014...

I admit to my shortcomings.  Once I started college, you would have thought that I dropped off the face of the planet if you look at Lis les Livres.  Alas, I have not died!  I just moved to a new place, had to make new friends, and took super fun classes (Sarcasm).  But, I'm really happy where I am regarding the university and my life there.

On to the bookish agenda...

I did not complete my Goodreads goal of reading 51 books in 2014.  However, I made it to 48 which I'll take with satisfaction.  That said, I will make a list of my favorites.

So far, I've finished one book over my winter break.  I have not been motivated to read because there is no book that excites me.  If you have any recommendations, let me know so I can start 2015 by ceasing my reading slump.

I have to be honest, I don't know how much reading I'll do over the semester.  I'm too busy parting.  More like studying into the early morning and having the book/ laptop fall on your face when your body succumbs to sleep.

Don't worry though, my lovely, loyal readers.  I will not abandon my blog.  I worked to hard on it to let it die.  I've got breaks, and I have a summer.  I can do it.

Something that I want to do, and I've been saying this for awhile, is to transition to adult books.  However, my shelves are full of YA or middle grade novels, many of which I haven't read.  I have an attachment to them, and I feel bad for not reading a lot of them, but I want a more challenging read.  I want something with more mature themes.  But no more new adult.

Happy New Year!

Aahh! Must post this within 3 minutes so that it posts on January 1, 2015!

Just when you got used to writing the date, the cruel calendar switches it up on you.

I wish you all a great 2015, full of success, happiness, and all that good stuff.  Mostly, I wish you a year of bookish things :)

I'll be doing another post, reflecting on 2014 and talking about how the blog will proceed this year.

I have to say, this has been my best post of the year.

x Carly

Exclusive Excerpt #1: Ashley's Dream by B.R. Kingsolver

Hello my readers!

B.R. Kingsolver, the author of a great new contemporary romance/new adult, has shared with me four exclusive excerpts.  And I'm going to share them with you as a little holiday gift!

Can a woman have both love and her dreams?

 

Ashley isn't looking for love. Her dream is to travel the world, and getting tied down by a man doesn't fit into her plans. Relationships always get so complicated, and men always lie. It's better just to have some fun and no one gets hurt. 

After graduating university, she doesn’t get the job offer she hopes for, so it's life as usual, working as the manager of a college town bar and spending time with her friends. But life doesn’t always go the way you plan, and the next thing Ashley knows, she has two hot roommates interested in her. She likes them both, but is it love or just infatuation? She always seems to make decisions that break her heart. 

When the job offer she has always wanted arrives, her heart is torn between love and following her dream. 

 

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.com/Ashleys-Dream-BR-Kingsolver-ebook/dp/B00RARA06K/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashleys-dream-br-kingsolver/1120951493?ean=2940150140974

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/503876

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23556381-ashley-s-dream

EXCERPT:

Marcie flew in to Denver on Friday and drove up to Fort Collins that afternoon. We had dinner together at the bar and then I went back to work. She showed up at my place the next morning at nine, and I would have killed her if she hadn’t had a key and been quiet about it. She let herself in, and though I woke up, I fell back to sleep when she didn’t come into my room.

The smell of bacon and fresh coffee woke me the second time. I staggered into the kitchen and watched in a daze as she shoveled pancakes and bacon on a plate and set it on the table.

“Eat,” she said, pouring coffee in a mug and setting it beside my plate. God, I thought, she’s going to make someone a great wife. As I ate, I decided that it should be me.

“Will you marry me?” I asked.

She threw back her head and laughed. “We might as well, considering our luck with men.”

We finished breakfast and I showed her my new clothes.

“Kind of a bummer,” I said, modeling one of the dresses. “I look gorgeous, but I don’t have anyone to wear them for.”

“Get Tyrell trained,” she said. “Things can’t be that busy during the summer. We should go out when I’m home.”

“How much longer are you going to keep the apartment here?” I asked. I knew it had to be a pain driving up here from Denver every week.

“I don’t know,” she said. “The lease is up next month. But from what they’re telling me, I’ll probably be on the road, either working on audits or project work, for the next couple of years. Some people do that their whole careers.”

She watched me change and then said, “You know, we could get a two or three bedroom place for less than we spend on two singles.”

I looked around. I’d had the apartment for a year, since Marcie left the previous summer for her internship in New York. I wasn’t particularly attached to it. We’d lived together for four years, and were comfortable together.

“Do we have to get a bunch of cats?”

I didn’t think it was that funny, but she laughed until tears ran down her cheeks.

Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.97

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

Characters: Honestly, the characters in this book are really boring and a little pathetic.  Beth and Jennifer have a few funny conversations via email about common girl things, but that's really the only parts I sorta chuckled at.  For the most part, I didn't like Beth because she stayed with her boyfriend who could not have cared less about her.  On the other hand, I didn't like Lincoln because he spent most of his time moping around his mom's house, pining for a girl he had never met in real life but only knew through reading her private emails.

Plot: The plot is quite interesting because it is about falling for someone who you can't see, so it's about liking someone for them and not their looks.  Meanwhile, the way in which Lincoln learns about Beth is pretty creepy, and I don't know how realistic this love story is.  That's like falling in love with your stalker.

Am I the only one who hates the endings of all of Rainbow Rowell's books?  Besides Landline, I've read them all and they all have left me disappointed.  It feels like they don't finish.  The books end too abruptly, especially Attachments.


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Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series. 

Characters: I always love the way Stephanie Perkins creates realistic and relatable characters.  So, I didn't like Isla and Josh as much as I liked Anna and Etienne or even Lola and Cricket because they didn't have wit like those guys.  I didn't find myself laughing at all, but feeling sad.  Possibly more sad than while reading Anna and the French Kiss.  

What I liked most about Isla was her lack of confidence.  It seems to me that everybody goes through a point in their life where they aren't sure of who they are or what they want.  Isla is relatable in this way, and if you don't feel any sympathy for her, there is something wrong with you.

Josh is the brooding artist that you fall in love with.  He is much more emotional than the series' other heroes.  I loved the way that he showed how much he cared about Isla by creatively using his talents.

Plot: First, I liked that Isla and Josh were more how do I phrase this?  They were more adventurous in pursuing their desire for each other?  Basically, I  liked that there was a really subtle sex scene in the story because it gives the book genuineness.

Next, I thought that Isla and Josh got together too quickly.  Where was the tension, the buildup leading to the epic get together?  I feel like the majority of the book was the fallout, and therefore I wasn't motivated to read it.  I usually finish a book by Stephanie Perkins within a day because I'm hooked, but I started this one and then picked it up after a few months and finished it on a 7 hour train ride.  Even then, it took awhile to get through.

Additional comments: The best part of the book was finding out how tall Etienne is.  Hands down, that is the best part.

Though I liked Isla, my expectations were too high.  This was my least favorite of the series.

Stephanie came to two of my local bookstores while on tour.  She has never come here before, and of course she comes when I am away at college.  Nonetheless, I pre ordered the book from my closest indie, and I ended up getting this bag too.  Yay, unfortunately the cat was not included.

Photo from Stephanie Perkins' blog

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I'm back!

Guess who's back, back, back again? Moi! Finals ended this week, and after a long travel day I've returned home.  The only reading I did while I was at school was readings for classes, especially the book class. If you want a sleep inducer, I'll tell you about those readings.

Now that I'm home, I'm free to go back to blogging and reading for fun. So exciting. I finished Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins on the train back, so hopefully that will be up tomorrow.  

If I have any viewers left, thanks for reading!

X Carly

Release Day Launch: Inspire by Cora Cormack

 

We are so incredibly excited to be able to bring you the Release Day Launch for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and the first book in her new Muse Series!! Holy canoli, y'all. Go out and get this today!

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

About INSPIRE: Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too.   Excerpt: I can feel Wilder’s breath against my lips. More than that, I can see it. The sun has set and the temperature has dropped, and air fogs between us. There’s something about actually seeing it, like our lips are touching, we are touching, despite the distance between. And as we sway from side to side, my heart gradually begins to pick up speed. The strains of guitar music flowing out from the restaurant are nearly indecipherable over the heavy heartbeat in my ears. But Wilder must hear it. His hands are strong on my body, guiding my movements, and I’m practically clay in his palms. We dance, eyes on eyes, lips nearly on lips, and there is lightning beneath my skin each time his body brushes against mine in a new way. His touch is firm, but gentle, never pushing or pressuring, though I can tell from the dark look in his eyes that he’s just as affected as I am. The music shifts, building to a crescendo, and he spins us. My chest pushes tight against his, and I bite back a gasp. I don’t know if it’s the cold or him or some combination of both, but the tips of my breasts are painfully tight. Just the pressure of my bra is enough to rub them raw. I remember the night at his apartment, the way he’d taken his time learning my body. I think of the heat of his mouth on my skin, and the memory alone is enough to make me shiver and clench. He’s back to being business, grown-up Wilder tonight in his button down and glasses. Only now that I know him, it doesn’t seem like such a stark difference. He is neither the straight-laced man nor the tattooed bad boy. Or perhaps he’s both. Regardless of what he’s wearing, Wilder is caring and loyal and strong and so sexy that I’m having trouble remembering why I shouldn’t push him into the backseat of his SUV and crawl on top of him.   About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** INSPIRE Goodreads

 

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