Thank you Senator Sanders

 

I don’t expect to get political on my blog since I respect that everyone has different views. But I was able to go see Bernie Sanders last night in Aurora, IL.  This was a book tour event hosted by Anderson’s Bookshop.  This is exactly what I needed right now.

Senator Sanders is such an inspiration and he motivates me to do more.  He spent over an hour talking last night.  The beginning was spent mentioning the book, but then he just took off from there. He spoke to use about Texas right away.

Some of the topics he covered were healthcare, voter suppression, the future with our children, climate change, racism and hate, how truly rich the richest people in the world are, immigration, personal stories from people he met, and so much more.  He was passionate and funny.

If you are somewhat progressive, please check out this new book. It’s YA and written more for a younger generation to inspire and motivate them.

 

 

A handful of the books were signed (not sure how many total) and I was lucky enough to receive one.  Guests were also able to buy shirts, hats, and buttons.  I did buy a shirt, but it went right into the hamper last night when I got home.

 

 

Overall, it was a great night.  This was my first time going to any type of political tour and I will definitely be going to more.

 

Final #ARCAugust Update

I’m pretty happy with how many ARCs I managed to finish in August.  Especially since I also did the Make Me Read It Readathon and none of those were ARCs.  I managed to finish 9 books and started a 10th.

Here is what I managed to read.

 

 

The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan    I gave this book 4  1/2 stars. I loved the blood magic and the Romani culture.

The Mask of Shadows by Linsy Miller   I gave this book 4 stars.  I loved the action and gender fluid character, but was confused a bit by all the people, times, and setting.  The second half of the book was easily 5 stars though.

The Third Kiss by Kat Colmer  I also gave this book 4 stars.  I loved the curse and demons.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/30/17

Waiting on Wednesday was created by breaking the spine to show off an upcoming release you are looking forward to.

This week I’m picking Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh.

 

Summary from Goodreads:

An LGBT fantasy series that follows a talented necromancer who must face down a deadly nemesis who has learned how to turn her magic into a weapon.

Odessa is one of Karthia’s master necromancers, catering to the kingdom’s ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it’s Odessa’s job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised–the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa’s necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead–and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer’s magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

A lavish fantasy with a surprising and breathtaking LGBT romance at its core, Reign of the Fallen is a gutsy, unpredictable read that will grab readers by the throat and never let go….

 

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: January 23rd 2018 by Razorbill

Add to Goodreads here.

Review of Boomerang Boyfriend by Chris Cannon (digital arc)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

Working with her best friend’s brother at Betty’s Burgers, free-spirited Delia starts to see Jack in a new light. Not only has Jack-the-Jerk turned into a hottie, he’s even acting like a nice guy, who rescues dogs and knows how she likes her coffee. But if Jack is into her, then why is he keeping her a secret? Of course, if her best friend doesn’t approve, Delia could lose the only family she’s ever known.
Seeing Delia in her retro waitress uniform throws Jack’s world out of whack. She’s always been just another pain in the butt little sister…not a datable female. But she’s rockin’ the Pie Princess tiara, and even her hot-pink striped hair is sexy. What’s that about? He needs to get his head on straight, because artsy, funky Delia and her nonconformist ways don’t fit in his safe and ordered world.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains kisses that make the world fall away and snarky humor that may cause you to LOL in public places.

 

My thoughts:

Most books from Entangled Teen (Crush) are cute reads and this was no exception. They’re fun and easy to read.  A perfect choice for me to read between fantasies or more serious books.

Delia is a bit annoying at times, but I love that she’s cool with standing out.  She has pink streaks in her hair and does weird things with make-up.  She’s artsy and isn’t really afraid to be herself.  I loved that about her.  Her family life isn’t great, but she makes the best out of it.

Jack is kind of an ass.  But he did lose his dad and grandpa in an accident and only has girls left in his family.  He seemed a bit afraid to live life at times.  But he’s a dog lover and that made him much better to me.  He’s also close to his friend, Trevor, and that made him more likable.

I actually liked the other characters and would have loved to read more about them. Aiden could be a pain and was a bit boring, but I liked him more once we knew his secret.

I was kind of pleasantly surprised to find that this book took place in Illinois.  Not only that, but Canton, IL.  My daughter moved to Pekin last year and I’m pretty sure her boyfriend’s mom lives in Canton.  I’ve never been there, but it was cool to have that connection when reading.

I liked Jack and Delia together, but not as much as I hoped.  I do think they bring out good things in each other and I really liked the ending.  I especially loved the dog stories throughout the book.

Overall, this was a 3 1/2+ star book for me (rounded it up to 4 stars).  I received a copy of this book from Entangled Teen through Netgalley for review.

Boomerang Boyfriend is set to be released September 11, 2017.

You can add it to Goodreads here.

 

Body Parts by Jessica Kapp Blog Tour: Author Guest Post and Giveaway

Body Parts by Jessica Kapp

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Publisher: Diversion Publishing

 

Guest post by author Jessica Kapp:

 

Dear Reader,

If you read the premise for BODY PARTS and raised an eyebrow, I understand. If you think I’m kind of twisted, I’m not offended.

But I want you to know what inspired me to write BODY PARTS. Several years ago, my husband had sudden liver failure and was rushed to the hospital. After dozens of tests for autoimmune diseases or genetic abnormalities, the doctors considered putting him on a liver transplant list.

It was terrifying. But it also provided the spark for my story.

In BODY PARTS, our teenage hero, Tabitha, believes a loving family has chosen her for adoption. Instead, she’s being taken to a surgical center to have her organs harvested. That revelation turns Tabitha’s world upside down. And now the only family she’s ever known, her friends at the foster home, are next to go under the knife.

In this fictitious world, people are addicted to pills that perfect them—pills that damage their organs—and the pharmaceutical empire that makes these pills is using a foster home as a replacement factory for clients’ failing parts.

I want to tell you this will never happen in real life, that we as humans are not capable of such terrible acts. But I can’t.

What if there were pills that could give you instant gratification? Pills that could make you toned without spending a second at the gym? Pills that could erase years of wrinkles with one swallow? How many of us would take them? Would our egos override our fear of the side effects?

For now, BODY PARTS is fiction, though the theft of organs for transplant IS very real—just not because of pill addiction, yet.

I hope you enjoy the story and the characters as much as I do. Our heroes refuse to give up, and more importantly, they stand up for each other. For what’s right.

You can rest assured this is not a horror story, although the premise might make you squeamish. I hope BODY PARTS doesn’t scare you (okay, maybe I do just a little ☺).

 

 

 

People would kill for her body.

 

Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha’s been sculpted into a world-class athlete. Her trainers have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family, even though personal health has taken a backseat outside the training facility. While Tabitha swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, hoping to find a permanent home, the rest of the community takes pills produced by pharmaceutical giant PharmPerfect to erase their wrinkles, grow hair, and develop superhuman strength.

 

When Tabitha’s finally paired, instead of being taken to meet her new parents, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason for her perfect health: PharmPerfect is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs. And her friends from the center, the only family she’s ever known, are next in line to be harvested.

 

Determined to save them, Tabitha joins forces with her rescuers, led by moody and mysterious Gavin Stiles. As they race to infiltrate the hospital and uncover the rest of PharmPerfect’s secrets, though, Tabitha finds herself with more questions than answers. Will trusting the enigmatic group of rebels lead her back to the slaughterhouse?

 

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29584841-body-parts   

 

Purchase Links:

 

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-body-parts-by-jessica-kapp/   

 

Giveaway Details:

 

• $10 Amazon Gift Card and an autographed bookmark (INT)

Rafflecopter

 

 

AUTHOR INFO:

 

Jessica Kapp enjoys writing Young Adult Contemporary and Speculative Fiction. Story ideas often strike at inopportune times, and she’s been known to text herself reminders from under the covers.

 

She lives on a small farm in Washington with far too many goats and an occasional cow.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf (Hair In All The Wrong Places #2) by Andrew Buckley

 

 

The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf

(Hair in all the Wrong Places #2)

by Andrew Buckley!

 

Being a werewolf is no picnic. Colin’s constantly hungry, spends a ton of time shaving, and fights to keep his emotions in check to avoid turning into a giant, drooling, hairy, smelly, howling wolf. But Colin’s not the only creature hanging around the town of Elkwood. Vampires, zombies, goblins, ogres, and other questionable visitors and their various shenanigans have got everyone on edge.

 

Colin just wants to live a normal life, date, and get his homework done on time. But the town of Elkwood needs him. So when a secret government organization asks for his help, will he be able to control the animal inside, or will he give in to the perils of growing up werewolf?

 

Link to Goodreads:
goodreads

Pre-order Link:
pre-order

 

About the author:

Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.

Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.

Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Massive August Book Haul

I purchased and received a lot of books in August.  I decided not to take pictures of everything because there are so many, but wanted to share what I got.

I do have some pictures that I took to share.  For the rest, I’ll use the goodreads cover photos.

My first stack.  Want, Miles Morales, and A Fiece & Subtle Poison were purchased at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL.  Miles Morales is signed.  The Love Interest, Frostblood, Lost in a Book, and In the Afterlight were purchased at Half Price Books.

How to Disappear was pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble.  The author sent the bookmarks and signed book plate.

Goodreads Monday 8/28/17

Goodreads Monday is hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners.  You choose a random book from your TBR on Goodreads to share.

This week my choice is Akata Witch (I just ordered this one).

Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she’s albino. She’s a terrific athlete, but can’t go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a “free agent” with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do.

Soon she’s part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But just as she’s finding her footing, Sunny and her friends are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a career criminal who knows magic, too. Will their training be enough to help them against a threat whose powers greatly outnumber theirs?

Paperback, 349 pages

Published July 11th 2017 by Speak (first published April 14th 2011)

Add to Goodreads here.

Review of Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows (digital arc)

Summary from Goodreads:

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

Standalone Sunday

 

Standalone Sunday was created by Megan at bookslayerreads.com. It is a post to recommend a standalone book (not a series) that you enjoyed.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

This book has some mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it.

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.”

Hardcover, 361 pages

Published May 30th 2017 by Delacorte Press

Add this book to your Goodreads here.