Summer Giveaway Hop! - Closed

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The Summer Giveaway Hop is hosted by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mary from BookHounds.

Since this is a summer giveaway, I've decided to give away 2 books that I think are great summer reads! I absolutely loved both of them, so I hope you all will too! Each winner will get one of these books, and I'll randomly pick which winner gets which one. :)

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Now onto the specifics of this giveaway:

* INTERNATIONAL! (As long as The Book Depository ships to you. :D)

* 2 Winners!

* You must be 13 or older to enter.

* Following is not required. But bonus entries will be given for GFC, Twitter, and Goodreads followers or friends.

To follow by GFC use the widget on the sidebar, or the follow option on the blogger navigation bar at the top. Here are my other accounts if you want to follow there, too: Goodreads / Twitter

This giveaway ends August 7th at 11:59 PM (M.S.T).

Winners will be chosen using Random.org and have 48 hours to claim their prize.

To enter the giveaway fill out this FORM (*CLOSED*):

***This giveaway is CLOSED.***

If the embedded form isn't working, I've also linked FORM from above to it. :)

Thanks for entering my giveaway! Good luck! :D

Here's the linky so you can check out the rest of the hop, too:




Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, and inspired by her friend, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a way to share the books that you've received over the past week. They could come from the bookstore, the library, a friend, your mailbox or wherever. It gives us all a chance to showcase the books that we've gotten, and maybe give others an idea for the book they want to read or buy next. :)

I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy (Lorien Legacies #0.5) by Pittacus Lore (Bought on Amazon's Kindle Store)
Break by Hannah Moskowitz (Bought from The Book Depository)

Lucky Girl by Cate Lord (NetGalley)

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard (From Penguin Canada)

Bumped (Bumped #1) by Megan McCafferty (Gift for Best Friend)
House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Gift for Best Friend)
Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1) by Sarah Beth Pfeffer (Gift for Best Friend)
The World We Live In (Last Survivors #3) by Sarah Beth Pfeffer (Gift for Best Friend)

I definitely didn't get as much as the last two weeks, but I'm happy with what I got, and all of the books I ordered for my best friend's birthday came in, so I was finally able to wrap them! yay! :D

Thanks to Penguin Canada and NetGalley! :D

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Subject Seven by James A. Moore

Source: Received a copy from Penguin Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: Already Released
Number of Pages: 288 (Paperback)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Years ago, scientists began developing the ultimate military weapon: deadly sleeper assassins housed within the bodies of teenagers. Now, Subject Seven, the dangerous alter-ego living inside a 16-year-old boy, has escaped the lab and is on a mission. His objective? To seek out others like him and build an army capable of destroying their creators.

Hunter, Cody, Gene, Tina, and Kylie: five teenagers leading typical lives, until the day they each receive a call from a mysterious stranger and learn that their destinies are intertwined. Subject Seven holds the key that connects them all. And a vicious, bloody battle for their lives is just beginning.

---

I loved the idea behind this book. I thought it sounded intense, and full of action, but when I read it, it kind of fell flat for me. After reading the book's description, I imagined that I'd get a more in-depth look into Subject Seven's head, but to be honest, even though he was narrating many of the chapters, it still felt like I wasn't in his head at all. Part of that seemed on purpose because of the fact that he was trying so hard to keep his normal counterpart out of his head, but it just made it hard for me to actually like, or even want to read about, the character.

The action was there, but as far as the characters go, I found it incredibly hard to connect with them. They were so detached, and when they did show emotion it was usually anger or confusion...which often left me confused. I think that readers who read more for action than for emotion might enjoy this book more. It was pretty graphic at times. I'm not squeamish about violence, so it didn't really bother me, but I definitely noticed that it was there. The characters didn't have any conscience about what they were doing either, so that made it seem even worse. I've always been someone who likes to connect and feel what characters feel, so that kept me from loving this book. I did like it, it was a pretty quick read, and the idea was great.

Also, the ages of the characters just didn't really add up for me. I understood that they had the sleeper assassins in them, but they still did not act their ages at all...even when they were their normal counterparts. It also skipped around a lot. Every other chapter was narrated by a different character, and sometimes the narration even changed partway through a chapter, which was confusing at times. The characters were supposed to be confused, so again I understood why this was done, but at the same time, I didn't like it. I don't want to be confused throughout a book, it's frustrating, especially because this confusion had nothing to do with trying to figure out some big puzzle or concept.

Overall, I thought that Subject Seven was a good story, but it was a so/so read for me. I think others would probably enjoy it more than I did, but be warned that if you like to know what a character is feeling or like feeling like you understand a character, you might not find it with this book, but maybe you'll be able to connect with it even though I didn't.

This was one of those books that I expected to really like, but it didn't quite satisfy me, have you ever had a book do that for you? If you did, what book was it and what were you disappointed in?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) by Kersten Hamilton

Source: Originally read on NetGalley, but I also received a copy for Christmas from my little brother. :)

Publisher: Clarion Books
Number of Pages: 308 (Hardcover)

Release Date: Already released.

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

     Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.
Kersten Hamilton is the author of several picture books and many middle grade novels. When she's not writing, she hunts dinosaurs in the deserts and badlands outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives. This is her first novel for young adults. For more about Kersten, please visit www.kerstenhamilton.com.

---

Before reading Tyger Tyger, I'd never read a story with goblins in it, and I must say, after Tyger Tyger, I will definitely be looking for more of them! :D Although to be honest, the thing I mostly want more of is Finn Mac Cumhaill. :P

Tyger Tyger is a fabulous story. It has an amazing narrator named Teagan, who is so smart, but has lived a pretty normal and sheltered life, so she's not experienced with adventure at all. It was like you were taking your first adventure with her. I loved Teagan! She was so goal oriented, and I could relate to her so well. Her family and friends were fantastic, too. Aidan was such a cool little kid, and his singing...just imagining it made me smile. Elvis Impersonators...so funny! Her best friend Abby would say whatever was on her mind, and I was constantly laughing during her parts. Her parents were awesome too, and their family history about Merlin and all that, so cool! I just loved all of the details in Tyger Tyger, they were so intricate, and I loved learning little things about Irish travellers and their history. :D

Kersten Hamilton has crafted a wondrous world in Tyger Tyger. One woven out of stories of old, and placed into the world that we know. She's taken a classic Irish hero and made him into a YA heartthrob. After all, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one swooning over Finn and his magical duct tape that can fix anything. :P I thought Finn was AMAZING! He's definitely one of my favourite book crushes, and I could reread this book over and over and still never get my fill of the Mac Cumhaill! ;)

Along with the magical story that Kersten has created, the relationships between characters is remarkable and realistic. I love Finn and Teagan! Absolutely love them! They're so innocent...well Teagan is, Finn's past is kind of a mystery. :P I especially love how much they go through with each other, and how their relationship evolves at such a gradual pace, at least when you combine the way they both feel. :P For Finn, his love is pretty much instantaneous! For Teagan, though, it's much more gradual, and I loved the authenticity of that growth...the love, not the whole situation with the goblins. haha

I thought that Tyger Tyger was a beautiful story! It was imaginative, and full of adventure, with a side of romance that kept me on my toes! I definitely recommend it! :D

Have you read Tyger Tyger yet?
If you have, what did you think?
And if you haven't, what's holding you back?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (36)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"The river had carried Nicole, Shanti, Petra, and Tiara through the mountains and deposited them in a steaming spring surrounded by blackened rock that looked like burned-over cake batter.

"Wh-where are we?" Tiara asked."

- Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, p. 70

Well that’s a teaser of what I’m reading. Do you have a teaser you'd like to share?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

The Tower of Parlen Min Blog Tour: Giveaway! - CLOSED.

Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

Summary from Goodreads:

Ves Asirin wins a trip to the Tower of Parlen Min. There, with 19 other children, he competes in the Sword Challenge; a series of puzzles and tasks, for $12 million. As fantastic and glorious as the tower seems to be, Ves finds that it keeps a dark and secret history that he has been connected to for over 150 years, a secret that will define his destiny ... if he can escape 'The shadow'.

---

Matt has generously offered to giveaway some copies of his book, Tower of Parlen Min. 5 lucky people will win Smashwords coupon codes for it! With Smashwords you can download various formats of ebooks, as well as read the document online. 

Details: 


 There will be 5 winners.
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.
 It will end on August 12th at 11:59 PM (M.S.T.)
You MUST be 13 or older to enter.
Winners will be contacted by email, and will be listed in a winner's post.
Winners will be chosen using Random.org.

***Since I will be emailing the coupon code to the winners directly, no alternate winners will be chosen. Please check you junk folder once winners are announced to make sure you don't miss your coupon.

If you'd like the chance to win a copy of TOWER OF PARLEN MIN, fill out this FORM.

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

Here are some links that might interest you:

Get Your Copy From: Smashwords | Lulu | Amazon (Vol. 1) | Amazon (Vol. 2) | Amazon (Vol. 3)

Like Tower of Parlen Min on Facebook: Tower of Parlen Min's Facebook Page

Ways To Follow or Friend Matt Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Formspring | Twitter

Comments are appreciated, but will not count as entries. Good luck! :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

The Tower of Parlen Min Blog Tour: Review

The Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

Source: Received a copy from the author for an honest review and for a blog tour.

Format: Ebook

Release Date: Already Released.

(Goodreads link.)

Goodreads Summary:

Ves Asirin wins a trip to the Tower of Parlen Min. There, with 19 other children, he competes in the Sword Challenge; a series of puzzles and tasks, for $12 million. As fantastic and glorious as the tower seems to be, Ves finds that it keeps a dark and secret history that he has been connected to for over 150 years, a secret that will define his destiny ... if he can escape 'The shadow'.

---

Right from the start Tower of Parlen Min had me curious. The main character, Ves, has a condition where he loses his memory every day. I was anxious to find out why, especially once subtle clues were dropped...but as to what those clues were, you'll have to read the story to find out for yourself.

This book was packed full of action, and while reading, it constantly keeps you on your toes. Right when you think that the action has stopped, something happens again and the action starts all over again. It's definitely the type of story to keep you entertained. :)

There were a lot of characters, some of them were hard to keep track of to be honest because they weren't really in the story very often, but the ones that you do get to know through Ves, were pretty interesting. Now onto Ves. He goes through tonnes in Tower of Parlen Min, and he defintiely grows as a character. He's kind of a crazy kid to be honest..brave, but crazy. :P

Another interesting thing in Tower of Parlen Min was the folklore. There were ones that I recognized, like the mention of Chonus, Helios, Selene, and other Greek gods, goddesses and Titans, and then there were ones that were completely new to me. They were incredibly inventive. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure if all of the folklore or even the place names were supposed to be ones that were real to us, or if they were just modeled after real life. There were places like the continent Bradil and Aegypt, which I assumed were plays on Brazil and Egypt, but I wasn't sure. It was kind of interesting to think that they might be related if we lived in a place that had the same impossible things that were in Ves's world.

Overall I thought that Tower of Parlen Min was a good story, and its ending will definitely leave the reader wanting more...and wanting to know what happens next!

Get Your Copy From: Smashwords | Lulu | Amazon (Vol. 1) | Amazon (Vol. 2) | Amazon (Vol. 3)

Like Tower of Parlen Min on Facebook: Tower of Parlen Min's Facebook Page

Ways To Follow or Friend Matt Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Formspring | Twitter

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (37)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links for titles go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• The 19 Dragons by S.M. Reine
  
  
  
  I finished this one, and I really enjoyed it. It was pretty original. :) I'll be posting my review for it soon. :)
  
  
  
• Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Loved this one! I've totally developed an obsession with anything written by Jennifer Echols! She writes magic! :D

•  Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

This one I read for a blog tour, and I'll be posting my review tomorrow. It's definitely an inventive story. :)

Reading Now:

• Forget You by Jennifer Echols

 See! I'm obsessed! Not very far in this one though because I've been reading through a book for a blog tour. :)

• Quidditch Through the Ages - J.K. Rowling

I'm taking this one slow. It's definitely the type of book to be enjoyed. I just love these extra books from Harry Potter. They're so neat! :D

• Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

I've only just started this one too, but so far, it's funny. :)

• Dust and Decay

 Yup, still reading this one. I think I need to actually pick it up again and stop trying to make it last longer. I'm not good at making books last longer. I just end up pushing them to the side and forgetting about them...which makes them last longer, but not in the way I want. :P

Books I Want to Read This Week:


???????

I'm undecided. I have a bunch I started over the last week, I wanna get them finished before I start anything else! :P

And what are you reading???

Feel free to check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to find out what everyone else is reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, and inspired by her friend, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a way to share the books that you've received over the past week. They could come from the bookstore, the library, a friend, your mailbox or wherever. It gives us all a chance to showcase the books that we've gotten, and maybe give others an idea for the book they want to read or buy next. :)


From Amazon's Kindle Store:

After Midnight (The Youngbloods #1) by Lynn Viehl (Amazon)
Coexist (Keegan’s Chronicles) by Julia Crane (Amazon)
Lament (Books of Faerie #1) by Maggie Steifvater (Amazon)
Android Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Ben H. Winters (Amazon)
Starlighter (Dragon’s of Starlight #1) by Bryan Davis (Amazon)
Girl Who Was On Fire edited by Leah Wilson (Amazon)
Coffee at Luke’s edited by Jennifer Crusie (Amazon)

Amazon is having another awesome Summer Deals sale in the Kindle Store! I just couldn't resist these ones. Coexist wasn't on sale, but it was only $2.99 and it sounded awesome, so I couldn't resist it either. :P I included the Amazon Kindle Store links in case anyone wants any of these ones! :D

--------------------------

Bought from The Book Depository (US / UK):

Tiger’s Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck
Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) by Melissa de la Cruz
Passion (Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3) by Kevin Hearne

More books that I've ordered that are just coming in now. Some were pre-orders, like Hammered and Passion. And some I just really wanted! Like Witches of East End, I couldn't find any hardcovers here, only paperbacks, so I ordered this hardcover, it's so much prettier. :)

--------------------------

Bought at Chapters or Indigo Bookstores:

Other (Other #1) by Karen Kincy
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
The Luxe (Luxe #1) by Anna Godbersen
Wondrous Strange (Wondrous Strange #1) by Lesley Livingston
Darklight (Wondrous Strange #2) by Lesley Livingston
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

As you can see I bought even more books this week...I was in the city and at Chapters, so it was kind of inevitable. I also saw The Green Lantern! ;) I can't wait to finally read Lesley Livingston's Wonderous Strange series. :D I totally had to buy Quidditch Through the Ages, too, I just love J.K. Rowling's books like these. :D And my experience with the Luxe series is kind of funny. I haven't read any of them yet...but I do now finally own all 4 books. I found the last 2 in a used bookstore a while back and thought it'd be easy to find the first too, it wasn't...eventually I found Rumors, but I caved and finally bought Luxe. Now I can actually start reading it when I want. :P

--------------------------

Bought, Borrowed, Freebies, etc...

Becoming (Otherworld Stories #0.7) written by Kelley Armstrong and illustrated by Angilram --- My copy came in! Yay! :D It’s so pretty :D
Dark of Heart (The Youngbloods #.5) by Lynn Viehl - This one's free, you can download a PDF from its Google doc, which you can find on its Goodreads page. :)
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray ---Borrowed from my best friend :)
The Dead and Gone (Last Survivors #2) by Sarah Beth Pfeffer - Gift for my best friend's Birthday :)
Diviner (Dragon’s of Starlight #3) by Bryan Davis –NetGalley
Enclave by Ann Aguirre --- R.A.K. from Krazzyme at Young Readers
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts - from Simon and Schuster Canada

These ones came from all over. I got my copy of Becoming from Subterranean Press. It such a gorgeous book! I made its picture bigger just so you could all see how lovely it is! :D I borrowed Beauty Queens from my best friend...yup, she's also the one who I'll be giving The Dead and Gone too, but first I have to wait for the other 4 books I bought her to come in. :) I picked up one book from NetGalley this week, and Simon and Schuster Canada sent me Dark Inside, it sounds amazing! Finally, Krazzyme sent me my first ever R.A.K!

--------------------------

I definitely had another amazing mail week! I should also stop buying so many books, but I just can't resist sales. Plus, if you buy a book you know you want when it's on sale then you're saving money in the long run...okay, I know. I'm just reasoning it out for myself, oh well. :P

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, Krazzyme, my best friend (Thanks Daria ---if by some chance you're reading this :P), and everyone for being so encouraging last week! Thanks for all of your comments, you were all fantastic! :D


Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Sweetly (Sisters Red #2) by Jackson Pearce

Source: Received an ARC from publisher for an honest review.

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: August 23, 2011
Number of Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

SWEETLY is a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and a companion book to SISTERS RED.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

---

I really liked Sisters Red, but I LOVED Sweetly! I knew that the two were companion novels, but I had no idea that they would be so closely linked! The world is definitely the same, and for anyone who's planning on reading or rereading Sisters Red before reading Sweetly, I suggest that you pay attention to the members of Silas Reynolds' family, one of them may just turn up. *hint, hint. nudge, nudge* and *wink*

Now onto the story itself, I loved it! I loved the sibling relationship between Gretchen and Ansel, but I did feel kind of bad for them, their step-mom was such a bag, and their family just suffered so much! I was so glad that they had each other, though. I loved how Gretchen grew throughout Sweetly, she really impressed me! And Samuel...oh boy, he was awesome (please note that you must read "awesome" in a breathless whisper, almost with a worshiping tone). If you can't tell by my massive amount of gushing right there, I loved Samuel, and Gretchen, together or apart, these two were fantastic! :D

The only downside to reading Sweetly was that it made me want chocolate and candy REALLY bad, and I didn't have ANY! So, if you're about to read Sweetly, I suggest you stock up on some snacks first, it'll be like you're IN the story! haha

Now, moving on from my intense desire for some candy while reading, this book was awesome. I read it during a Read-a-thon, and I just couldn't put it down! It drew me in, and I loved every moment of it! I thought that Jackson Pearce did a fantastic job of including details from the original tale of Hansel and Gretel, while also incorporating it into the world that she created in Sisters Red. Together, these two elements made for a remarkable story, one that you will want to read over and over again because it's a story that will have you craving more and more!

Sweetly was a fantastic book! As a stand-alone, a follow-up, or even a a precursor to Sisters Red, it was amazing! I do recommend that you read it after Sisters Red though because there are certain details you learn in Sisters Red that would make Sweetly even better! Definitely would work either way though. :)

Have you already read Sisters Red? Thoughts?
Are you excited for Sweetly?
And just because I'm curious, does anyone else have a serious sweet tooth...or is it just me? :P

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) by Kiersten White

Source: Received an ARC from HarperCollins Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: July 26, 2011
Number of Pages: 352 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

---

I bleeping loved the first book, Paranormalcy, and I bleeping loved Supernaturally, too! The only thing that I could have wished for more of was tasey! That poor taser didn't have nearly enough screen time. :P

Anyways, I loved getting to read about Evie (and Lend ;D) again! It was interesting seeing her after what happened at the end of Paranormalcy. Poor Evie has a lot to think about in this book, and she's trying to find out who she really is. She's definitely going through the whole "Who am I?" and "What am I?" phase in Supernaturally. I felt bad for her, Lend is off to college and she's definitely clung to him like a life preserver. If she has Lend then she feels like she knows who she is, but that's not true at all. Lend doesn't define her, even though he is pretty awesome. ;)

I felt like Evie lost herself, and Lend was her crutch. She was basing all of her plans around him, and while I love Lend, it made me sad that Evie felt like she had to decide everything based off of how it would play into her relationship with Lend. I missed the fierce and confident Evie from Paranormalcy. She was so vibrant, and her personality was so bright! While her personality is still there and she's still fantastic at witty banter, I felt like she let life bring her down. Before she was defined by her job with with IPCA, and now she's defined by Lend, but with him gone for most of the week at school, she's let her fierce spirit hibernate.

The end of Supernaturally and Evie's journey throughout the book gave me hope though. She goes through so much stuff in Supernaturally...seriously there is tonnes of stuff! There are unicorns,  poltergeists, trolls, and more vampires...it's great! By the end of the book, I felt like Evie was regaining her confidence. She was also gaining a purpose, and realizing where she belonged and who she belongs with. The last couple of chapters are a whirlwind of action, emotion, and intensity, but the ending, the ending was perfection! Since it is the middle book of a trilogy it wasn't one of those endings that leave everything settled, but it was definitely satisfying. I loved it, and I am so excited to read the next book, Endlessly....that's right, the third Paranormalcy book has a name if you haven't already heard (or read) about it! I'll repeat, the next book is called ENDLESSLY! :D

A few other things that I loved in Supernaturally were Jack, and Raquel...I totally think there's something going on with her and David, Lend's dad, and I don't think it's work related. ;) And Jack, that boy was strange and incredibly volatile...but some of the things he did were so hilarious! As always, I loved Lend, too! ;D

Have you read Paranormalcy yet?
Are you excited to read Supernaturally?
And finally, are you a Lend or Reth fan? ;)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Winners of McCarty Griffin Ebook Giveaway!

Hey everyone! :D

Sorry I didn't have this posted yesterday, but I went and saw The Green Lantern (finally!) and it was awesome! :D 

There weren't very many entries for this giveaway, and I'm guessing it's because people don't like entering for Ebooks as much as they do for hard copies of books. Some people might just not have any way to read them though, so I just wanted to say that if you have a computer you can read ebooks. I know that you can download Nook, Kindle, PDF, and Adobe Digital Editions for your computer, so as long as you have a computer...you CAN download and read ebooks. I just thought I'd say that so that people who didn't know about it before can. :)

Now, the winners of this giveaway were:

Skyki

Diana

Rachel Leigh

Keep your eyes open for an email from me! I'll be sending Smashwords codes right to your email, so check your junk folder to be sure that you get it. If you don't receive an email from me, you can email me at ambiepie_6@hotmail.com and I'll send you the codes as soon as I can. :)

If you entered the giveaway, but aren't one of the winners, keep your eyes open for an email. If I fail to hear back from one or more of the winners, you might just get lucky!

Thanks for entering this giveaway, and I hope that everyone is enjoying the weather, wherever they are...surprisingly it's not too bad where I am today. :P 

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (35)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"Vikey and Jerod looked back to see where the spear had come from and saw the
severely damaged statue of Selene making her way toward them. She passed in between
them and stopped to pick up the sceptre."

- Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell, p.193

Well that’s what I’m reading, so what are you reading?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (36)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links in book titles go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• After the Party by Lisa Jewell

I finished this one from Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab this week. It was pretty good. I absolutely loved the ending, so glad that it was happy. Now getting to that happy ending, it was a process. I liked this book though, it made me realize how important actually communicating with people is. If the main characters, Jem and Ralph, had just sat down and talked things through so many of their problems wouldn't have escalated so badly. So thank you Lisa Jewell for making me see how important communicating with others is. :)

• The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

Loved loved loved this! :D I'm not surprised that I did though to be honest. I was worried for a bit though...there were definite moments where I had no clue what Ash was gonna do, but by the end of this one I was definitely happy! :D I look forward to reading about Ethan (and maybe getting a glimpse of Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim) in Julie's future series. :) Thank you Net Galley! :D

• Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

This was another Net Galley book, and another one that I was pretty positive that I'd like...and I did! :D The one thing about this series that I absolutely love is the fact that I can't choose between the two guys in the whole love triangle. I'm usually the type of person who picks one right away and sticks to it, but with this series I can't choose. I love Will, so much, but Cassian...oh my goodness! I think I liked Cassian more in Vanish though, and since there was more Will in Firelight, I liked him...so only time will tell which one I prefer in the next book! haha

Reading Now:

• Dust and Decay (Benny Imura #2) by Jonathan Maberry

Like I said last week, I've been taking it slow with this one. It's kind of torturing me. :P haha

• The 19 Dragons by S.M. Reine

Since I got myself hooked on The Iron Knight and Vanish this week, I didn't finish The 19 Dragons, but this week I'm going to try to. :)

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Paradise 21 by

This one's for a blog tour with Kismet Books Touring. I'm pretty excited to read it! :D

• The Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

This is another one for a blog tour. It sounds like it's going to be an intense story! :D

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, and inspired by her friend, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a way to share the books that you've received over the past week. They could come from the bookstore, the library, a friend, your mailbox or wherever. It gives us all a chance to showcase the books that we've gotten, and maybe give others an idea for the book they want to read or buy next. :)

So...this is my first IMM ever! I was going to do one last week, but I didn't get around to it, so I decided to include the books I received last week too! So, these are the books I've received over the last two weeks. :D

From ABRAMS Books:

Misfit by Jon Skovron
Tiger's Quest (The Tiger Saga #2) by Colleen Houck
Tiger's Voyage (The Tiger Saga #3) by Colleen Houch
 Deviant by Adrian McKinty

* I haven't started the Tiger Saga yet and I ordered a copy of Tiger's Curse, so I'll definitely have to read that one first! :D I'm pretty excited for these ones! They came in 2 weeks ago. :)

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From Simon and Schuster Canada:

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

*I haven't read anything by Ellen Hopkins yet, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one. :D

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From Hachette Book Group Canada:

Pure by Julianna Baggott
Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray
The Shattering by Karen Healey


*So excited for all three of these! They all sound so amazing! Pure, especially...oh how I love dystopian! :D

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Won:

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub - from Curiousity Killed the Bookworm
Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham/Sophie Kinsella - from Curiousity Killed the Bookworm

*I won these a few weeks ago...before the Canada Post strike, and I'm finally getting them now. :P

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From NetGalley:

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Melom
Beyond the Grave (Past Midnight #3) by Mara Purnhagen
Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson
Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan
The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
The Way We Fall byMegan Crewe

*NetGalley had AMAZING titles over the last two weeks...obviously I couldn't resist! haha I finished the Iron Knight yesterday, and it was amazing! So awesome! And I just started Vanish, I'm loving it so far! :D

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From Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab:

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

*I was so excited when I saw this in the GalleyGrab newsletter, it looks hilarious! :D

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Books I Bought:

Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver - The Book Depository
The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Walmart
Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth - Walmart
Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2) by Kevin Hearne - The Book Depository
Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4) by Gail Carriger - The Book Depository

Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt - The Book Depository
Forgive My Fins (Fins #1) by Tera Lynn Childs - The Book Depository
Forgotten by Cat Patrick - The Book Depository
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica #1)by Beth Fantaskey - The Book Depository
Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater - Walmart

*All of these ones that I had order from The Book Depository were from before the mail strike, so once again, just getting them now. So glad that they finally came! :D Oh, and I haven't actually started the Iron Druid Chronicles or Parson Protectorate Series. I had both of them on pre-order. I'm excited to read both series, they sound amazing! :D And I already have an ARC copy of both Divergent and Forever, but I wanted finished copies, so I picked them up after work the other day. :)

----------

So, these last two weeks were definitely not typical for me. I definitely got more than usual! Now I just have to find time to read them all! :D

I'd like to thank ABRAMS, Hachette Book Group Canada, Simon and Schuster/Simon and Schuster Canada, and NetGalley for the books I've received. I'd also like to thank Ellie from Curiousity Killed the Bookworm, who I won a couple of books from. :)


What did you get in your mailbox?? :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Fanfiction! Why I love it, and a bit of pimpage for my friend, Jen! :D

You all might not know this about me, but I'm a pretty big fan of fanfiction. I absolutely adore it! There are some really amazing fanfics out there, and I won't lie, I've spent many hours reading them! And I mean many. I even have a few saved on my computer because I know I'll want to read them again and again, and I've also written a couple myself, but I'll keep quiet about those. :P

I love that with fanfiction my favourite characters can basically do or be anything! They don't have to be confined to their own world within their story, or even their own book! A scene can be rewritten and something can be added, or a story can be continued on for forever...or at least until the fanfic stops. A story can be completely shifted around and characters can become average people in our world. Characters that you hoped and hoped would be together could finally get their chance! Or if you're like I was when I first found fanfiction, you can get a chance to read more stories about the characters after their story has ended! 

The first fanfic that I every read was for The Mortal Instruments. I'd just finished City of Glass and I was so not ready to stop reading about Jace. Yes, I won't lie, it was all about Jace. My obsession with him can be unhealthy at times, and I've come to terms with that. :P This was before the newest TMI books had been announced, so I was seriously desperate. I can't remember which story I read first, but that first fanfic lead to countless others, and soon I was reading Twilight fanfics, Harry Potter fanfics, Hunger Games fanfics...and pretty much any other fanfic that stirred my fancy. I even read a couple fanfics for Veronica Mars, where Logan and Veronica FINALLY ended up together...although, in my mind they totally did even if the show isn't on anymore! Come on, after that finale and that look between Logan and Veronica after he kicks that dude's butt (VM fans totally know what I'm talking about :P), there is no way that they didn't end up together. Piz knew it too (you could so tell), and I knew it! Anyways...I'm getting off topic!

So, I'm a huge fanfic addict, although I've weaned myself off of it pretty well, if I do say so myself. I no longer have tonnes to read every other day. There was honestly a time where I had at least one fanfic update to read daily, but I quickly realized it was a ridiculous amount, so now I limit myself. :P

Anyways, my friend, Jen, asked me to see if any of my followers were fanfic fans, and see if anyone would be interested in her new fanfic, so I thought, "Why not?" and I figured it would be a great time to see if I have any other fellow Fanfic addicts out there reading the posts on my blog. ;)

 

Both of the two fanfics that I'm going to mention are for The Mortal Instruments. Her profile on Fanfiction.net is: paper-flowers, and she's written 14 fanfictions so far, but her longest and most popular one (and the one that I met her through) was Fallen Gold, which is now completed. 

Fallen Gold's Summary: 

Our golden haired angel has fallen when, after breaking a law, the Clave removes Jace of his runes and abilities. He tries to see past the glamours and one day meets a redhead who can. Meanwhile, Idris is being taken over by a villian you're familiar with.

And her upcoming fanfic is called Raziel's Angel, here's its summary:

Shadowhunters, Jace Herondale and Clary Graymark, have been best friends since childhood. They grew up together in Idris. But a tragic event pushed Jace away from his friend and forces him to make difficult decisions. He struggles to figure out the difference between what is right and what he's been taught is right.

I'm definitely excited to read her latest fanfic, and I hope that at least a few of you are fanfiction fans too! That way at least one person will be interested it this post! haha

I'm thinking of doing a post every once in a while with Fanfiction recommendations, and I'm planning on posting about Jen's story, Raziel's Angel, again when she posts it online, would any of you be interested in that?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

PS. I know some people don't like to admit that they like fanfiction, so if you want to comment, but don't really want it to be seen, feel free to email me about it at ambiepie_6(at)hotmail(dot)com, I'd love to know that people are actually interested in me posting about it. :)

Review: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Source: Received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: July 26, 2011
Number of Pages: 393 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

---

Wildefire pretty much had everything I love in a book going for it, and I definitely loved it! It had a sassy and strong heroine, who wasn't perfect, which is nice. I'm not going to lie, it can get annoying when a character is perfect...or a tad Mary Sue-ish. I can definitely say that Ashline was not a Mary Sue, at all. She was super awesome, that's what she was. :D Along with Ashline, Wildefire had hot guys, mythology, and an amazing story line. This book kept me on my toes, and I loved the back-story. One of the things that always keeps me hooked with a book is a great history, and Wildefire definitely has that.

The characters were full of life and vibrant, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd managed to just walk right off the page. I loved getting to know them, and learning their secrets! Karsten Knight did a fantastic job with his characters, and with Ashline. He gave her such a unique voice. She's defintiely one of those heroines that stick out in your mind, although for some people it might not be in a good way. She's the kind of girl that you either admire and wanna hang out with, or you are immensely annoyed by. As you can tell by this review so far, I'm from the former category. I really liked Ashline, and to me, she was fantastic! A bit much at times, but her confidence definitely made her someone that I would love to get to know. She was so spunky, and I think she'd be really fun to meet. Now the guys...all of them were pretty dang awesome. Ashline's love interest, Colt, was definitely my favourite! I absolutely loved him! He was clever, and pretty adorable...although I did wonder why a college guy would want to date someone in high school...not going to lie, that's always something that's a bit skeevy in my opinion. I guess he wasn't way older, just a like 2 or 3 years, but still. If you like them that much, just wait a few years. :P

The whole mythology concept behind Wildefire is genius, and so fascinating! I absolutely loved that Karsten included a mixture of mythology from different cultures and races, and that it comes from all over the place, rather than one specific spot. Also, I just have to mention the title! The title is awesome! Ashline's last name is 'Wilde' and there is a certain amount of 'Fire' in this book. You might be able to guess how the fire comes into play, but I'll let you find out about it on your own. Anyways, so you put Wilde and Fire together and WHAM! you get the title. I'm probably the only one who's this excited about the book's title, but that's okay, I don't mind being the only one. I just thought I'd mention it to see if anyone else thought it was an awesome book title, too! :D

The storyline itself was great. It definitely left a lot of things open for the following books though, so I wasn't shocked to learn that it's the first in a series...although I honestly have no clue how long the series is going to be. The cliffhanger for this book was intense, but I wasn't too surprised. I'd kind of expected it all along...what you want to know what it is?? Sorry, my lips are sealed! You're just going to have to read Wildefire for yourself and find out about the ending for yourself! :P

I thought that Wildefire was a fantastic debut by Karsten Knight, and I definitely encourage you to give it a shot! It was an amazing story with very vivid characters and a remarkable history behind it...plus the title is awesome! :D

Will you be reading Wildefire when it comes out on July 26?
And if you've already read it, what did you think?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur