Feature and Follow Friday (#11)

The Feature & Follow is a creative meme that allows bloggers to get to know each other, and gain more followers! It is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

If you would like, it would be great if you followed me via Email, GFC, Linky, or Google+ (all on the right). Let me know in the comments if you did, leave a link to your blog, and I will comment and follow back! I always do, I promise! Thank you so much!

Q: What is your guilty pleasure as far as reading? Is it a genre, or is it a certain type of book?

Hmm... well, I guess it's time for me to come clean for ONE of my guilty reading pleasures! Ready for it?

I LOVE historical romance books!

:D

I usually don't enjoy adult romance books, but historical romance - like, the Regency era, Victorian era, etc. - is one of my favorite genres. It IS my favorite genre of the adult age level.

So, what about you? What's one of your guilty reading pleasures?

Swoon Thursday (#11): What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries!

***Adult book alert! But this makes up for last week's not-so-hot swoon.***

She froze. "What do you think you're doing" "Tempting you," he murmured, then covered her mouth with his. 

Oh, Lord help her. His lips were on hers, hot and hard and demanding, and that annoying fluttering in her belly began. The whole world seemed to tilt sideways, sending her spiraling down into a place where hear and longing and need seemed perfectly appropriate.

At some point she must have opened her mouth, for his tongue swept inside, surprising her. Then melting her. He delved deep ina motion far more intimate than the play of their hands earlier.

- eARC, 29%

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

I'll leave you with that...

This book is actually really good, for a historical romance! Most historical romances follow the same pattern, but this one was unique. And the sex doesn't happen until pretty late in the book. That up there? Doesn't lead to one (which I sort of prefer!). When I say late in the book, I mean, like, around 50% and past maybe (I can't exactly remember). 

But trust me, Sabrina Jefferies keeps the chemistry ALIVE, throughout the entire book. Without needing more than two (I believe it was two) sex scenes. More power to her!

So, what about you? What made you swoon this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (#12): The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell

Book Three of The Vespertine series

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Summary (from Amazon):

Kate Witherspoon has lived a bohemian life with her artist parents. In 1917, the new art form of the motion picture is changing entertainment—and Kate is determined to become a director.

Meanwhile, midwestern farm boy Julian Birch has inherited the wanderlust that fueled his parents’ adventures. A childhood bout with polio has left him crippled, but he refuses to let his disability define him.

Strangers driven by a shared vision, Kate and Julian set out separately for Los Angeles, the city of dreams. There, they each struggle to find their independence. When they finally meet, the teenage runaways realize their true magical legacy: the ability to triumph over death, and over time. But as their powerful parents before them learned, all magic comes with a price.

Author Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Ahhh, the conclusion to a stunning and magical series. I can't wait for this one! :)

What are you waiting on?

Spring Cleaning Giveaway!

Welcome to the Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop! This is the first giveaway hop of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer in which I will be participating, and I am super excited!

Here is what I am giving away:

An ARC of Venom by Fiona Paul! Somehow, I managed to accumulate two ARCs of Venom, so I'm giving one away. This is a new ARC of Venom! I never touched it, since I got the other one before I got this one.

If you don't know much about Venom by Fiona Paul, click HERE for the Goodreads information.

So, the giveaway and rules!

- My giveaway begins on Tuesday, March 19th at 12:00 EST, and ends on Monday, March 25th, at 11:59 EST

- USA ADDRESSES ONLY (sorry, international people! I believe this is the first giveaway of mine that is USA only. Please don't be too angry! I'm shipping this one myself)

- You must be 18 years old or older, or at least 13 years old with a parent or guardian's permission (I didn't know this, and it makes sense, but it's illegal to take addresses from minors under the age of 13 years old)

- The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email, or a new winner will be chosen

- Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below

- Don't cheat! PLEASE! 

That's it! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for visiting my blog! Keep hopping! :)

Cover Reveal: Made of Stars by Kelley York

YAY for more gorgeous covers! This one is especially fabulous - I love snow/stars, and the shimmery sky! It's so pretty! TAKE A LOOK! 

(and yes, I made it extra big BECAUSE IT IS SO SPECTACULAR!!!)

Made of Stars by Kelley York

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: October 2013

Summary: 

When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids. And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.

The reason they’ve never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off.

Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

About the Author:

(Image and author bio from Goodreads)

Once upon a time, Kelley York was born in central California. And it's there she she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and an abundance of cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. She has a fascination with bells and animals, is a lover of video games, Doctor Who, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she’s a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or at least write about them.

Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. Character development takes center stage in her books because the bounds of a person's character and the workings of their mind are limitless.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Another winner from Entangled Teen, in my opinion! What do you think? 

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Book One of the Elemental series

Publisher: K Teen

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

Source: Gift (this one and Spark) from my sister

Note: I read this book back in June 2012! I loved it so much, but I wasn't reviewing very much at that point, and was not blogging at all, so I never wrote a review. So, here's my review! Almost one year later.

Summary (from Goodreads):

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming...

What I Liked:

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It was one of my favorite books of 2012. Brigid Kemmerer an amazing author! I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I was so surprised with what I got. Her writing style, the character development, the characters' relationships, the plot... everything was just so well done. 

This particular book is focused on Chris Merrick, the youngest of the four Merrick brothers. He controls water, and, as you can guess, the other three brothers each control one of the four elements (earth, air, fire). I really enjoyed reading this book from Chris's point-of-view (it's in third-person, limited), and sometimes with Becca's point-of-view. At the time, I hadn't read many books in a guys point-of-view, so I remember that this blew me away (still does!). Chris is a fantastic character! He makes mistakes, he fights with his brothers, but he always does what he feels is best, in his heart.

Becca is PERFECT for him. For those of you on the Hunter bandwagon, join another. Hunter has his own book coming (Spirit!), so I think Chris and Becca are supposed to be paired up. Becca is feisty in a subtle way. Yes, there are some obvious scenes with her spunk, but overall, I got the feeling that she has so much fire in her, but she also has a lot of serenity to her.

The world-building of this book is amazing. I love the paranormal aspects of the four elements, and the plot that is woven around these aspects. It was easy to follow the plot, and the plot was not very predictable (which is good!).

Brigid's writing is SUPERB. I remember thinking, "How did she get the characters to sound so real!?". Seriously though - Chris sounds so much like a real teenager, with real angst and anger towards his brothers, and his reactions are just so, well, teenager-like (takes one to know one!). The same can be said about Becca, Quinn, Gabriel, and the other characters that played a significant role in this book. 

While there are many, many characters, I feel like each had their own distinct voice, and experienced some sort of character development throughout this book. Michael is the legal guardian of his three younger brothers, and we as readers can clearly see his struggle with taking care of them, and keeping them out of trouble (both in school, and with the paranormal aspect). Nick is the quiet one that needs to keep the peace between his fiery (literally) brother Gabriel, Michael, and sometimes, Chris. Quinn is the snarky best friend of Becca, who is somewhat selfish, but develops as the book goes on. I feel like every character went through some level of character development throughout this book, which was excellent to see.

Have I said enough? :)

What I Did Not Like:

I really can't say much for this section. Almost a year later, and still remember this book very well (I did read and re-read it like, seven billion times though). Take your time with this one. Some people have complained that they were confused with the world-building, but if you read through this one slowly the first time, and maybe more than once, you will understand everything!

Would I Recommend It:

YES, TOTALLY! It was one of my favorite books of 2012. Just go read it. Now. Right now.

Rating:

5 stars. I really don't need to say more, do I? 5 stars is hard to come by, from me. Yay, Brigid!

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Stacking the Shelves (#12)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!

So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, March 10th to Saturday, March 16th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

A paperback copy of Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London (thanks, Eileen!)

A paperback copy of Blood-Kissed Sky by J.A. London (thanks, Eileen!)

A hardcover copy of Fragments by Dan Wells (thanks, Nereyda!)

A signed ARC of Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer (thanks, Brigid!)

A paperback copy of Changeling by Philippa Gregory

An accompanying pen set

A signed paperback copy of Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A signed paperback copy of A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A signed hardcover copy of Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

I won that trilogy set from Beth Revis HERE, if anyone is interested!

(which means that I now have TWO complete sets of this series - one set including the two original hardcovers and the new one for Shades of Earth, and this one, with all the new covers. What to do with them...)

From NetGalley:

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Date by Mistake by Candace Havens, Gwen Hayes, and other various authors

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid

From Edelweiss:

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

*Phew* I think that's it! I also got two more college acceptances! That makes me four for four! But decisions for my last two, my top two, will be released on March 28th. I will summarize my college application process and acceptances/rejections on March 29th, depending on if I like the news. That's also the day of my three-month blogoversary :D

So, what did you get this week? Let me know, or leave me a link! :)