10 REASONS WHY I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT FOR ALLEGIANT! #Allegiant @HCCFrenzy

With less than a month to go, I'm getting extremely excited for the release of Allegiant, the last book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth!

Here are my 10 REASONS WHY I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT FOR ALLEGIANT! And yes, the CAPS are totally necessary! ;D

1. The world-building in the Divergent trilogy is amazing...it feels as if you're right there with Tris and all of the other characters! I definitely can't wait to be there with them again! This trilogy is one of my favourites, and I am so excited to see how it all wraps up...I'm also already excited for a trilogy reread, with no wait time between books!


2. The teasers Harper Collins has been sharing in anticipation of Allegiant's release have certainly teased me, and now I'm ready for a full dose of Allegiant! :D


3. The Transfer, the novella that was released in September from Four's point of view, made me even more eager for Allegiant! Allegiant is in both Tris and Four's points of view, and after getting more of Four's perspective, I'm excited to see how both of their parts fit into the story! :D


4.  Veronica Roth is awesome...seriously, she's awesome. She's one of my favourite authors, and even if this were a new series or a standalone, and not the conclusion to a trilogy that I was already desperately awaiting, I'd still be absolutely eager and dying to read it because I just love her writing and I think she's an amazing storyteller. She also has a really amazing Tumblr. Plus, I was lucky enough to meet her during the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour in 2012, and she's just as awesome in person, too! ;D


5.  I NEED TO FINISH THIS TRILOGY BEFORE THE MOVIE COMES OUT!!! Okay, so this one is just a crazy little book tendency that I have...and I just feel the intense urge to already have the book read by the time I see the movie for Divergent! The movie looks completely amazing, by the way...I was unsure at first, but I am so excited now that my excitement is starting to get ridiculous. :P


6. I've been wanting to read Allegiant since before it even had a title...yup, I was eagerly anticipating this book back when it was UNTITLED (Divergent #3)...you can even see that I was eagerly awaiting it in the book survey post I did for 2012, here. I also raved about Insurgent multiple times. Plus, I've had Allegiant preordered since I was able to preorder it...so I can't wait for my copy to FINALLY arrive!! :D


7.  Divergent was AMAZING! It was an amazing start to the trilogy, and I completely gushed about it (and about Tris & Four :P) in my review back when it was first released...and it's still one of my favourite books!


8. Insurgent was AMAZING, too!!! And just like Divergent, I totally raved about it in my review not long after reading it. It was one of my favourite books of 2012! Seriously, both books were amazing, and immediately after finishing Insurgent, I knew that the wait for Allegiant would feel far too long! :P


9. I NEED MORE FOURTRIS!!!! Yes, I've combined their names because they should not be separated. ;P Anyway, I need more...like now, or you know, when the book comes out, which thankfully is in less than a month!! Can we all just cheer for that right now!!! *insert fangirling here!*


10. And finally! After seeing the movie posters that were just released, and the new promo video I'm even more excited for the movie, which is making me even more excited for Allegiant!!! I can't wait to read the conclusion to this fantastic trilogy! I also am super excited to see Shaliene as Tris, and Theo as Four because in all of the promo movie stuff so far, they look and sound perfect!!! :D

If anyone hasn't seen the awesome movie posters featuring Four and Tris yet (or just wants to stare at them again, like I do :P), here they are!

Are you excited for Allegiant? 

What are some of the reasons that you can't wait for Allegiant?

Life, Love, & Lemons Blog Tour: Review and Playlist! #Review #Playlist #Giveaway

---

Life, Love, & Lemons by Magan Vernon
Publication date: August 20th 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Received an ebook to participate in the blog
tour and give an honest review.

Synopsis:

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.

Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off.

Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life.

Goodreads: Life, Love, & Lemons

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

AUTHOR BIO

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW

I've been wanting to read Life, Love, & Lemons ever since I first read the description months ago! It sounded like an adorable story, and I'm extremely happy to say that it definitely lived up to that expectation. :D

While at first, I wasn't a huge fan of Bentley...she did start off being a bit spoiled and bratty, I could tell that she was going to change and that she was trying to make the best out of a horrible situation. So, even though she was a brat at first, I did still admire her for trying, and she really grew on me! I loved that Bentley knew life wasn't going to be easy for her anymore, and she worked for everything she had and accepted that. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't handle it that way. I have to say that I didn't like Bee's mom at all, but I loved her dad! The poor guy was going through such a tough time, and I loved seeing him get more confident and I really enjoyed the way that his relationship with Bentley changed! Finally, I loved Bentley and Kai together! They definitely weren't your typical couple, but that didn't stop me from loving them at all! I loved their banter, and I just really enjoyed their relationship. :D

I thought that Bentley's progression throughout the story was really well done and I enjoyed seeing her grow. By the end of Life, Love, & Lemons, I loved that Bee was standing up for herself and that she wasn't just letting everyone influence her, but I did feel like there were a couple of situations that she could've handled better. I especially didn't like when one character physically assaulted her, and she didn't say anything to anyone (I'm hoping no one counts this as a spoiler, and I'm sorry if you consider it one, but I'll try to be vague). I know she was scared of the girl and all that, but that's not okay...ever. I just didn't like that Bentley allowed someone to hurt her like that without any consequences; it sends a really bad message, as did the other situation I didn't like, where Bee's coworkers said suggestive remarks and all she did was go "ugh" and tell them they were gross. The one where Bee got hurt happened after she started standing up for herself, too, so I was kind of confused as to why she didn't do anything in that situation. While both of these situations didn't make me dislike the book, they did bother me. I just really don't like seeing people think it's okay for others to treat them like this or for someone to think it's okay to treat others this way.

Overall, I thought that Life, Love, & Lemons was an incredibly sweet story, and my little issue about Bee reacting poorly to certain things didn't keep me from really enjoying this story. Throughout this book, Kai was the shining feature. He made up for any little issues I had, and I absolutely loved him. I also loved that despite the situation she's in, Bentley always tried to make the best of her situation. That's something more people should strive to do, and I really admired and respected her for it. I also thought that Bentley's relationship with her father developed in a wonderful way and I loved seeing them finally get to know one another. And finally, I loved that there was a lot of emphasis on looking beyond the surface and not judging people based on appearance. Bentley may have looked perfect before her dad lost her job, but she was so much happier and a much better person by the end of the book...and I think that's an extremely positive message. So, while I may have had a couple of issues, the book's overall message that we should look past appearances more than made up for them!

---

PLAYLIST

While writing I use Pandora and just suggest an artist and they usually come up with some great songs and artists to go along with that. For Life, Love, & Lemons I wanted that bubble gum punk rock feel, so I typed in Blink 182. This was how I discovered Plus 44 and they moved this story forward with their songs. And of course there were a few other songs that had me writing like a crazy woman.

Teenagers- My Chemical Romance.

I can just imagine this song playing as Bentley walks into East High for the first time.

Make you Smile – Plus 44

If there was a theme song for this novel. This is it.

Baby Come on – Plus 44

I feel like this is Kai’s theme song for Bentley

Pieces -Sum 41

Ocean Avenue –Yellowcard

Only One – Yellowcard

Tell me I’m a wreck-Every Avenue

I’d do Anything- Simple Plan

My Way- Originally by Frank Sinatra and covered by the Sex Pistols

---

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

Prize (open internationally):

--A Coach wristlet, lemon drop EOS lip balm, swag

 

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the rest of the Life, Love, & Lemons Blog Tour HERE.

---

What do you think?
Does Love, Life, & Lemons sound like a book you want to read?
If you've read it already, what did you think?
And finally, what did you think of Magan Vernon's playlist?

Personal Recap: Back to School, Downton Abbey, and Celtic Thunder!

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting much lately, and I've got school mostly to thank for that. I'm now in the last year of my undergraduate degree, and while I only have a few classes this semester, I've still managed to let myself get caught up in the busy back-to-school time! I also managed to lose my student ID card in the first week back, but that's a whole other story.

While I've been back at school, I also decided to start watching Downton Abbey just over a week ago, and managed to finish all three seasons that are out in just four or five days...I'm really not sure which anymore because I was kind of emotionally overwhelmed. I totally loved it though, but it's hard to believe that a show can leave you so emotionally exhausted...plus, I was watching it on my laptop, so I have to admit that my eyes were hurting a bit afterwards, from staring at the screen...and from crying, yup, I think I've admitted it before, but I'll say it again, I'm a crier. I cry when I watch movies, when I watch TV, when I listen to music, when I read...I try not to cry much during normal hours of the day though...you know, when I'm not in my little reader, watcher, listener cocoon though. :P

Anyway, I loved Downton Abbey and can't wait for the premiere of Season four!!! I'm already planning on watching the season and chatting with Eilidh (aka Aylee) from Recovering Potter Addict about it! I thought I'd recap some of my favourite aspects of the show, but I'm gonna try and keep it spoiler free, so I'll still to the wishes I had when I first started season one!

• Loved Maggie Smith!!! :D Come on though, who doesn't love her? And she does an amazing job as the Dowager Countess of Grantham!

•  I absolutely HATED Thomas and O'Brien! So, while they were trying to get rid of Bates, I was really hoping they'd be the ones gone first!!! :P

• I had a major love/hate relationship with both Mary and Edith Crawley...and I absolutely ADORED Sybil!!! :D 

Edith, Mary, and Sybil Crawley

• I was totally squeeing with joy over seeing Ygritte (Rose Leslie) from Game of Thrones as one of the maids, Gwen!!!

• I managed to acquire three couples that I wanted to get together SO BAD!!! I'll let you watch the show to find out if any of them actually get together though...what?! I told you I'd try to avoid spoilers. :P

Mary & Matthew

Sybil & Branson

Anna & Bates

• I loved Daisy! Mrs. Patmore was always yelling at her and she wasn't allowed to be seen because she was just a kitchen maid, but I love her, she's just so honest and adorable! :D

And the final gushy thing that I have to say about Downton Abbey is that I got completely hooked by the first episode! My first thought when I started watching episode one was that I'd never learn everyone's names, but I had them figured out soon enough...and just had to watch the next episode! One episode turned into two, two turned into three, three turned into four...and well, you get the picture. I went from wanting to just start the series that first day to staying up until 1 in the morning finishing all of season one....and even though I had an 8 AM class the next morning, I don't regret a thing. In fact, I just ordered all three seasons online and can't wait to rewatch all three seasons and get started on season four!!! :D

So, along with getting completely obsessed with Downton Abbey, I've been working on Fridays and Saturdays, so my Sundays have become the day where I catch up on my readings and do absolutely nothing in between. I think I'm going to have to start thinking of either going back to doing weekly memes, or just thinking of posts every week because the blog is looking pretty sparse at the moment. I cut back on blog tours and blitzes because I knew that when school came around, I wouldn't want to be doing them as often. I also managed to totally burn myself out when it comes to blog stuff over the summer when I was posted blog tours and blitzes almost daily...I guess I needed a bit of a break. :P I do have a couple in store soon though and I have a bunch of reviews I do need to catch up on, so hopefully you'll be seeing more posts on the blog in the next while! I'll try to keep up better. :)

The final exciting thing that I'm going to mention today is that I just recently saw Celtic Thunder (as in last Friday...so super recently :P) with my mom again and they were amazing! This is the second time we've seen them and they were wonderful the first time, too, and while I was kind of too lazy to share it with you all last time, this time I just have to mention how amazing it was! :D So, I'm going to leave you with a couple of YouTube videos so that you can see how awesome they are, too. :)

"Voices" from their Mythology album --- Since this was the Mythology tour, they sang this one...and it was just as fantastic live!!!

They also covered "The Boys are Back in Town"

Lots of my favourite songs of theirs aren't on YouTube anymore, but if you want to hear them you should definitely check them out. Their version of "Ireland's Call" and "Galway Girl" are amazing! I also love the songs that they all sing individually, too, and here's a video of two of the members, Colm and Emmet singing a cover of The Lumineers' "Ho Hey":

Celtic Thunder also has more videos posted on their YouTube page and their website, and you can listen to some of their music through their Facebook page, too. :)

So, those are a few exciting things that have been happening with me lately! 

What about you? Anything new happening? 

Have you started (and gotten obsessed with) a new show? 

Have you seen any great shows lately, concerts, movies or anything show-related really?

Also, are there any other Downton Abbey or Celtic Thunder fans out there? I'm always up for gushing about my favourite shows and artists...so feel free to gush away, I certainly did! haha

A Little Too Far Blog Tour: Guest Post by Lisa Desrochers! #GuestPost #Giveaway

---

I've been lucky enough to be a part of the blog tour for A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers, and today I have a guest post for you all written by the lovely Lisa herself. I asked her to write about when she's gone too far or pushing the envelope when it comes to writing and here's what she came up with:

Usually, book titles come to me easily. At some point during the writing process, the perfect title just sort of pops into my head. In the case of A LITTLE TOO FAR, it wasn’t until well after I’d finished the book that it finally came to me. But the title fits, both Lexie’s situation and the project as a whole.

If you care enough to even read this post, it means you probably know a little something about the New Adult genre, so I won’t rehash what New Adult means. But the genre as a whole is all about stretching wings and self-discovery, and sometimes that means pushing the envelope. It seems that dozens of NA books are published each week, and many of them sell well. As in any genre, there’s an established formula that works. So, the question becomes: how do you write a book within parameters that are going to satisfy readers of the genre without it seeming like the same thing they’ve already read dozens of times? What you see beginning to happen is that the standard tropes are being turned on their heads. This is what I hoped to do with A LITTLE TOO FAR. I have a very intelligent girl (Lexie), a sophisticated backdrop (the Roman art culture) and no tattooed bad boy. Instead, I have a stepbrother who, yes, has one small tattoo, and yes, drives a motorcycle, but is NOT a bad boy, and who cares deeply for his stepsister. And I have a man who’s without a single tattoo, and wears a white collar. He’s on his way to becoming a priest. But he also comes to care deeply for Lexie.

I’ve seen comments on Twitter and Goodreads that indicate there are going to be people who choose not to read my book because of the taboo subject matter, and that’s totally their prerogative. No single book is going to appeal to everyone. But pushing the envelope is what writing is all about—especially in the NA genre. Our characters are exploring new territory and finding themselves along the way. That doesn’t happen inside the envelope. Life doesn’t happen inside the envelope, and any writer’s goal is to accurately portray the human condition. In the book of your life, I’m sure you can think of several instances when you lived or acted outside the envelope. Whether you’re willing to share them or not is up to you. I didn’t give Lexie the choice. ;-)

---

Book Details

Publisher: William Morrow

Pub. Date: September 17, 2013

Pages: 371

Other books in the series :

A LITTLE TOO MUCH (A companion novel coming November 12, 2013) - on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17824633-a-little-too-much

A LITTLE TOO HOT (coming January 21, 2014)

Description:

“More than a ridiculously sexy, HOT read, Desrochers takes you on a wild ride of self-discovery and bittersweet romance.”

— JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

Purchase Links:  AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Add to GOODREADS

---

About Lisa Desrochers

Lisa Desrochers lives in northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula. If you'd told her five years ago she'd write a book, she'd have laughed in your face. As it turns out, she'd owe you an apology. Writing has become an addiction for Lisa and A Little Too Far, courtesy of HarperCollins, is her first novel for adults. She is also the author of the young adult Personal Demons trilogy from Macmillan.

When she's not writing, she's reading, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise. Connect with her online at www.lisadwrites.com, on her blog at lisadesrochers.blogspot.com, on Twitter at @LisaDez, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LisaDesrochersAuthor.

Author Links: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

---

A LITTLE TOO FAR GIVEAWAY

It's all about the details, and here they are!

The Giveaway Prizes:

- An iPad Mini - one winner

-  A knowledge pendant, tote bag, and tattoos (Trent’s tattoo!) - one winner

-  A signed copy of HarperCollins’ BETWEEN THE COVERS sampler with the 1st two chapters of A LITTLE TOO FAR annotated, knowledge tote, and tattoos - one winner

-  A signed copy of BETWEEN THE COVERS with the 1st two chapters of A LITTLE TOO FAR annotated, and tattoos - two winners

The Giveaway Details:

-  Giveaway is US/Canada ONLY.

-  There will be FIVE winners total.

 TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here is the rest of the Authors Are Rockstars A LITTLE TOO FAR Blog Tour Schedule:

Week One

Sept. 3rd - Katie's Book Blog - Review
Sept. 3rd - Book Briefs - Guest Post
Sept. 4th - The Busy Bibliophile - Review
Sept. 4th - Fade Into Fantasy - Interview
Sept. 5th - The Irish Banana - Review
Sept. 5th - Emilie's Book World - Guest Post
Sept. 6th - Fic Fare - Interview
Sept. 6th - Narratively Speaking - Review & Guest Post
Sept. 7th - BookHounds YA - Review
Sept. 7th - Nocturne Romance Reads - Interview
Sept. 8th - Burning Impossibly Bright - Guest Post
Sept. 8th - Lovin' los libros - Review

Week Two

Sept. 9th - Books Complete Me - Review
Sept. 9th - Always YA at Heart - Review
Sept. 10th - A Glass of Wine - Interview
Sept. 10th - In the Best Worlds - Review
Sept. 11th - Once Upon a Twilight - Review
Sept. 11th - Readers Live A Thousand Lives - Interview
Sept. 12th - The Book Cellar - Review
Sept. 12th - Book Labyrinth - Review
Sept. 13th - Lili's Reflections - Review
Sept. 13th - Stuck in YA Books - Review
Sept. 14th - A Bookish Escape - Review & Guest Post
Sept. 14th - Ramblings From This Chick - Guest Post
Sept. 15th - In Bed With Books - Review
Sept. 15th - Coffee and Characters - Guest Post

Week Three

Sept. 16th - Waiting For Wentworth - Review
Sept. 16th - Michelle & Leslie's Book Pics - Review
Sept. 17th - Good Choice Reading - Review
Sept. 17th - Me, My Shelf and I - Review

---

What an awesome guest post! :D I definitely like when authors challenge the standard tropes...and who doesn't like envelopes being pushed. ;D

What about you? What do you think?
Also, are you excited to read A Little Too Far? I personally can't wait!!!