Hello Everyone and Happy Sunday!

This Week In Book's is a weekly feature from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie in which we share all the awesome bookish related items we got "this week"!

No vlog this week, I'm being lazy and actually feeling a bit under the weather. Fair warning, this week's edition is jam packed full of awesome! Last Saturday my Mom's uncle died, and we quickly made the 8 hour trip to the valley to be with family and attend the funeral. I had lots of awesome things I couldn't wait to share with you guys last week, but due to the death in our family I wasn't able to. It was just really bad timing for me. 

I am finally back home, and the crazy has already started. The entire month of  July is insane for me. Right now as you read this, I am at a convention, next week I start doing some programs at the library for their summer reading program. And I also have another 3 day convention to attend. Due to my hectic schedule lately, I have not had the time to visit your blogs, reply to comments, or even post review. I promise I am going to work on that and hopefully i will pick a day next week to stop by and visit each and every one of you. In the meantime, thank you for continuing to stop by my blog, read my crazy thoughts, and leave such awesome comments. I love you guys! :)

Now...on to the books!

For Review

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Erasing Time by C.J. Hill ( look for my review in August! )

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Thank you to HarperTeen and Simon and Schuster. You guys sent me some epic books this week and I am so excited to read them!

Arc Tour Books

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins ( I am reading this one right now and I am TOTALLY hooked!)

Entice by Jessica Shirvington

Borrowed from Library

Railsea by China Mieville

From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Gifted/Traded

League of Strays bu L.B. Schulman

The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman

Temptation by Alisa Valdes
Drain You by M. Beth Bloom

Thank you Angela! You are such a doll, and I am looking forward to them all. Especially The Little Woods! I LOVE a good murder mystery! 

Flashpoint by Nancy Kress

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Thanks Vanessa! :)

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Dead Girl's Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Eeek! Thanks Christen! I totally screamed and ran around the house clutching these 3 books. haha You are awesome chick!

Glass Heart by Amy Garvey (signed!!!)

34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues (signed!!!)

Thanks Natasha! I couldn't believe these were both signed. Eeek! 

Whew! Yep, its official, TOTALLY epic week in books. Thank you to the awesome people at Harper Teen and Simon and Schuster!  And also a big thanks to all my friends who always make running to the mailbox a highlight to my day! :)

That's it for me this week guys. Thank goodness I am participating in a read-a-thon next week! hehe I hope you guys had a fantatstic week, and are enjoying your summer. I'll see you next week and until then...

Happy Reading!

Blog Tour Review: Wings of Arian

Wings of Arian (Wings of Arian #1) By Devri Wells

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Stonehouse Inc 

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie.

With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life.

She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar.

However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation.

And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.

First of all, the cover is totally gorgeous! You know I just HAD to go there! *sighs dreamily*  But seriously, it's amazing! I could stare at it for hours! heehee

At first I had a hard time keeping all of the character's straight. There were several whose names all started with an A, which had me really confused. But pretty soon I got them all straight! I liked the main character , Kiora. Even though she's the Solus, or protector, she's not sure she's good enough, and is afraid of failing. I can totally identify with that. Even though the character's in the story have their own abilities, they still face their own struggles. I really liked this about them. It made them so real to me and not just fictional characters. It made them come to life!

The story itself was a pretty quick read for me, especially considering how long it is. There was no wasted time in the beginning. We got right into the heart of the story and moved right along. Although, personally, I would've liked a little bit of a back story on the character's and also their abilities. But that's just me! I would've liked to see a little more background information on the character's, to find out exactly what makes them tick!

There were some really great action/fight scene's in the book that were intense and totally engrossing! I'm all about the action these days, and I was all over that! There were a lot of elements of the story that I think fantasy readers will love! Over all, it was a really enjoyable, straight up fantasy debut.

I'm not a huge fantasy book lover ( just not my fave genre) but I still found this to be an enjoyable read. If your a fantasy lover you'll definitely want to give this one a try!

Don't forget to stop by the Bookish Brunette for the Big Mega Giveaway and enter to win some epic prizes! Check it out HERE!

Summer Reads Giveaway Hop

Hey Guys!

It's time for another fun giveaway hop! This is the Summer Reads Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. I am having a blast with these hops, getting to know all kinds of new people, and giving away awesome books! Even though it's hot as hades this summer, I am enjoying cute summer outfits, summer mani's, working on my tan, cute boys and the beach!


For this contest I will be giving away a finished copy of one of my favorite summer reads!




I will be giving away a finished copy of one of the books above,  This contest is only open to US mailing addresses.  The contest starts now and ends July 12th. Just enter the rafflecopter below and goodluck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Don't forget to stop by some of the other blogs participating

Review: Such A Rush

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Release Date: July 10, 2012

Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 320
Buy The Book: Amazon

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

I heart Jennifer Echols so much! *sighs* Where, oh where to start with this book? It was absolutely amazing! From cover to cover, this book sucked me in and had me hook line and sinker!

The story was well paced. The character's were so vibrant and unique. Leave it to Jen ( yes, I love her so much she is officially "Jen" to me!) to somehow make what could've been a totally cliche contemporary into something unique and original. I loved the flying aspect to this story. I've never read much about planes and flying, beyond a dreaded physics class in 6th grade. What I didn't learn in that class, was the love of flying itself, the rush, the emotions, and the love of flying. The author did such an amazing job of weaving her story that I totally wanted to begin flying lessons A.S.A.P.! But then, I remembered something, I hate flying! haha

Okay back to the character's. . .  the main character Leah had a strong will and I loved her for that! She works her tail off to make her dreams come true, and I totally admire that chick for it. She has a dead beat Mom, and it's clear if she wants to make something out of her life, it's up to her! Leah wastes no time in making her dreams come true. From landing a job at the local airport to finding a way to pay for the ever expensive flying lessons. This girl is not about to let anything get in her way of her love of flying.

Then there's the love story. *sighs dreamily* I think this is what Jennifer Echols is best at. In fact, if you looked up the definition of "love story" in the dictionary I'm pretty sure Jennifer's name would be beside it! The romance was steamy, hot, and completely toe curling! It was absolute perfection!

All in all I loved this book and don't have one single complaint about it. It was original, romantic, and refreshing! Echol's is sure to captivate you with this haunting love story!

Review: Secret Letters

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336
Buy The Book: Amazon

Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin's ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits--and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective--to save her cousin's reputation and help rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way.


Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this gripping novel heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice in young adult literature.

I love a good who done it! Add in the fact that this book takes place in the victorian era, and you have a total recipe for success! I absolutely adored this book. It is as cute as it is cunning. It was such a cute and fun read, and I adored every minute of it! If your a fan of  Nancy Drew books, you will love this one!

Dora has some crazy detective skills and an eye for detail. She is plucky,  full of life, adventure, and just a tad bit nosey! She is also a bit midguided at times, and totally accident prone. Her character had me laughing out loud, and smiling the entire way through the book! She was a very entertaining main character, and I adored reading about her adventures and wild antics!

I thought the story was very well done. It was a really refreshing read for me. Well paced, and easy to read. It was full of heart, mystery, lively character's and witty banter. I was sad when the story ended and I am really hoping that there will be a follow up to this! I'd love to read more about Dora and find out what other adventures she gets herself into.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this one! Despite her lineage, Dora is a character all her own!

This Week In Books (4)

Hello Everyone and Happy Sunday!

This Week In Book's is a weekly feature from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie in which we share all the awesome bookish related items we got "this week"!

I haven't done a vlog in FOREVER!!! YouTube semi sort of co-operated. In other words, the video drags and looks horrible BUT my voice is in synch and my face isn't frozen in some ridiculous pose. YES!!! FINALLY!!! lol

Even though I wasn't able to make it to BEA this year,  I had some awesome friends who made me feel like I was there. You guys are amazing, thank you so much!!! 

Gifted

The Darkest Minds by Alexandrea Bracken

Beta by Rachel Cohn

Prodigy (Legend#2) By Marie Lu

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Venom by Fiona Paul

Thank you Rebecca!! You are awesomesauce! Don't forget to check out here blog HERE

Burn For Burn by Jenny Haan and Siobahn Vivian

Thank you Margie! You rock my socks! Check out her super cute and amazing blog HERE

Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris

Thank you Angela!! :)

For Review

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkosky Thank you MacMillan!

Enshadowed (Nevermore#2) by Kelly Creagh - arc Tour

Bought

Storm (Elemental#1) by Brigid Kemmerer

I had a totally epic week in books yet again! Thank you so much to my amazing friends Rebecca and Margie for making me feel like I was at BEA! Thanks to Angela and also MacMillan, you guys are always a pleasure to work with!

I hope you had a fantastic week in books and don't forget to leave me a link so I can stop by and drool over all the lovelies you got! :)

Happy Reading!

Review: My Life In Black and White

My Life In Black and White by Natasha Friend
Release Date: June 28, 2012
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 304
Buy the Book: Amazon

What if you lost the thing that made you who you are?

Lexi has always been stunning. Her butter-colored hair and perfect features have helped her attract friends, a boyfriend, and the attention of a modeling scout. But everything changes the night Lexi's face goes through a windshield. Now she's not sure what's worse: the scars she'll have to live with forever, or what she saw going on between her best friend and her boyfriend right before the accident. With the help of her trombone-playing, defiantly uncool older sister and a guy at school recovering from his own recent trauma, Lexi learns she's much more than just a pretty face.

I'm always interested in books that deal with some sort of a trauma that changes your life forever. I think it's because I always wonder, "how would I act if I were in the character's shoes?" So naturally this book really attracted me. The main character Lexi is gorgeous from head to toe. Everyone loves her, and the girl's all want to be her! But then one night she get's into a terrible car accident and her entire life changes!

Lexi survives the accident, which is the most important part! But her face went through the glass windshield and it's safe to say that it will never be the same. Lexi's face isn't healing properly and she winds up getting a skin graft. They wind up taking the skin from her butt ( eww gross!) and grafting it to her face! This was seriously one of those "what would I do?" moments for me! Okay in the grand scheme of things, she is alive! She has no long term effects other than some obvious scaring and *ahem* butt skin on her face! If I were in her shoes, I'd totally be glad to be alive, don't get me wrong! But...seriously...did they HAVE to use butt skin???

Lexi wasn't necessarily a character that I really identified with. Ya, know, with me be stunningly gorgeous and all! (insert sarcasm here) But I totally felt for her and wanted desperately for things to turn around for her. She's just been in a bad wreck, her face is changed forever, and on top of that she finds out some terrible things about her best friend and her boyfriend. Her world is literally shattered! I could really identify with not wanting to go back to school, sleeping late, vegging out in front of the tv and befriending a new ice cream flavor or two!

This story is all about Lexi and her journey of self discovery. I loved how while most people let her beauty define her, she didn't let it define HERSELF! Sure, she was lost at first. But in the end she truly found her inner self, butt cheek and all!

All in all this was a really solid book for me that I enjoyed. I liked the character's, and the plot. It was a super fast read. I couldn't put it down and I'm betting you won't be able to either!