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Tuesday, 15 May 2018

Author Interview with Troy Dukart; The Venerate Saga ~ Tour

Tour Schedule


Welcome to my tour stop for The Venerate Order by Troy Dukart. Today Troy has kindly answered a few questions about himself, so we can get some insight on the mind behind this novel. Please don't forget to check out the other stops in this tour, linked at the button above. Read till the end and enter our tour giveaway.

About The Author

Troy Dukart


Troy Dukart is the author of the Venerate Saga (The Venerate Order, The Venerate Redemption, sequels to follow).

Troy grew up outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities. Troy is recognized by Toastmasters International as an Advanced Communicator Bronze and Advanced Leader Bronze.

He's lived in Japan as well as California. He loves to travel.

Make sure to stop by his website and sign-up for the newsletter to stay in the know!

Saturday, 12 May 2018

Weekly Wrap-Up



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 


Life Beyond Books 


I am starting to get better, about 80% there. I am still happy with that, but I just can't believe I've been sick for so long. I didn't take anti-biotics as the Doctor said I wasn't getting worse (although I wasn't getting better either). I believe some of my troubles could be the changing weather, we are getting a range of Summer, Fall and Winter weather. The last few days though has been winter all over...so I think I can safely say Winter is here early.

Book Blogger Hop ~ favourite book

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This week's Question?

Could you ever pick a favorite book or is it like choosing your favorite child?


I could not choose a favourite book, I think it'd be worse than choosing a favourite child as there are so many more choices LOL. 


(Suggested by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)



Next Week @ Book Blogger's Hop


What were your worst movies based off of books?

Thursday, 10 May 2018

Cover Reveal ~ Chloe Shipton & The Quill of LeFay by Lynn Veevers




Today Lynn Veevers  and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for CHLOE SHIPTON & THE QUILL OF LEFAY, her new YA Fantasy which releases June 12, 2018! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway for your chance to win $25 Amazon voucher! 

On to the reveal!



CHLOE SHIPTON & THE QUILL OF LEFAY

By Lynn Veevers


Pub. Date: June 12, 2018
Publisher: Lynn Veevers
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 263
Find it: GoodreadsAmazon

When fifteen-year-old Chloe mysteriously disappears, the rumors at Grammaire Hall point to murder, but spiritual entrapment isn’t the same as dead. In a library that’s believed to be nothing more than a myth, Chloe's spirit is separated from her body after witnessing another student's murder. Try as she may she can't remember what happened to her before she woke up as a spirit in the campus graveyard. As Chloe uncovers clues leading to the mythical library's location and her body, a secret the Magical Parliament doesn't want to get out, starts to unravel. Rogue sorcerers have infiltrated the school, intent on reinstating the Third Edict, and sorcery students are dying because of it. Destroyed long ago for horrific crimes against humanity, the return of the Third Edict would spell disaster for both magical and magicless societies. To prevent her own demise and the fulfillment of the Third Edict’s return, Chloe must find a way to reunite body and soul without giving the rogue sorcerers the weapon they need to succeed, a weapon only Chloe can activate.


Exclusive Excerpt!


The screams ripped at my heart as I listened to the desperation that permeated them, “Please don’t hurt me anymore,” the voice cried, “I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The girl’s voice in my mind was a familiar one, and not in a good way either. Unwanted concern weaseled its way into my heart because there was genuine pain echoing in her words. I tried shaking off the unsettled emotions her pleas left in their wake and headed toward the librarian’s desk again. I didn’t want to care about whatever jam she’d gotten herself into. Suppressing the guilt that riddled me proved difficult, but for a short time, I was successful. Mrs. Martin checked out my books and the inescapable feelings of guilt kept growing as the desperate cries continued. Finally, my conscience caught up with me as I reached for the door leading outside. A defeated sigh wiggled its way through my lips, and I cast my eyes upward because I couldn’t ignore this even if I wanted to.

I needed to do the right thing, not because it was my first choice, but because I felt compelled to. My morals demanded nothing less. If someone was in trouble, you tried to help, even if you didn’t like them. That’s what my parents raised me to believe anyway, and so it didn’t make a difference that the girl’s voice belonged to Lydia Nostredame—the single biggest bane of my existence. Hate is a strong word, but my feelings toward Lydia were something dangerously close to that. My gut told me not to get involved, to ignore my conscious and leave instead. Unfortunately, my intuition was next to never wrong. Maybe I should have listened to it. However, my views of right and wrong were a force to be reckoned with, and they weren’t pulling any stops. The two opposing sides battled it out as I stood there with my hand on the knob. After a few moments of inner turmoil, my moral stance won out. So I left the door and headed back into the library. Lydia’s cries ricocheted through my head like a stray bullet looking for a mark. They became tortured screams as I hurried in the direction my mind told me they were coming from.

“Ms. Shipton,” Mrs. Martin said sternly. “We do not run through the Library!”

I cringed at the sharpness of her tone and slowed my pace to appease the librarian. As soon as that same group of snickering girls snagged the stoic woman's attention, I darted forward. Lydia’s screams had grown to a deafening intensity. Like the tolling of church bells, they drowned out every other sound. The sharp shrill of them poked at my temples, and the pain was worse than any migraine I’d ever had. My feet carried me across the familiar parts of the library and into the further reaches which were seldom ever visited—by anyone. That should have been my first clue.

“Stairs—dark, ominous stairs, of course; why wouldn’t that be the case,” I sarcastically mumbled as I came to a door.

I assumed I’d just never noticed the stairs. After all, I’d only ventured to this part of the library maybe once before. The stair’s door was only partially open but had it been closed I would have thought it was a broom closet. The stairs twisted down into the unknown depths, dimly lit, and narrowing by the second. I was starting to feel as if they might spiral on forever when I finally reached a stone floor. The smell of musty tomes and aged ink filled the stagnant air. There were rows upon rows of shelving easily fifteen feet high. Layers of dust covered sheet draped chairs and tables. Cobwebs, also thick with grime, adorned most everything in this hidden library.

“Please stop, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I swear—I don’t know anything,” Lydia screamed, but it was weaker than before.

I was close enough by then to hear her conventionally. Her voice was drenched in terror and quivering with tears. It echoed and bounced off the milled stone walls of this underground secret I quietly snuck through. Once again my gut adamantly insisted that I turn back, but I stubbornly ignored it. My tendency to be good-natured had baited and lured me into the situation entirely. There would be no turning back no matter how much my intuition screamed at me. I slinked through the columns of shelved books as the feeling of danger settled over my skin like static cling on a warm blanket. I glanced at my arm as goose bumps raced across its tawny surface and the thin layer of peach fuzz stood on end. The sensation sent an unsettling shiver running down the length of my spine. The further in I moved through the rows the thinner the air seemed to become. It felt like I was trying to breathe around a piece of food lodged in my throat. Sweet smelling smoke wafted around me in a lazy wisp as I stood at the edge of a row of books. I recognized the scent immediately as sweet grass, a common reagent used in spells. 


About The Author

Lynn Veevers



Lynn Veevers is originally from Washington State. With her mother being from Christchurch, New Zealand and her father being a well-traveled retired Navy Chief, Lynn has always had a fascination with different cultures around the world. An avid reader, she prefers books that take her to a place she's never been and teach her something new at the same time. The Young Adult Genre is her absolute favorite to read, so it comes as no surprise that it is also her favorite to write. Lynn, on average, pens two to three novels a year with the sequel to Pinnacle in the publishing process now!

Today Lynn lives with her husband and kids in Southeast Oklahoma. Her young adult and adolescent children are supportive and avid beta readers of her work and give her a straightforward and honest point of view about how authentic her characters voices and personalities are for their age group. What better reference than someone close to the same age as the main character. Her kids always have and always will be her greatest inspiration.



Giveaway Details:
One lucky winner will receive a $25Amazon gift card, International.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, 6 May 2018

Weekly Wrap Up



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 


Life Beyond Books 


I have been toying with the idea of doing ALL the memes I participate in, on Monday, but that'll mean that ALL my linking will be on ONE post. Do you put your memes on the one post, or do you post daily? I just don't know how it'll all work, so stay tuned. 

Friday, 4 May 2018

Book Blogger Hop - Emerged better...

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This week's Question?

Do you ever feel like you have emerged better for reading a book? 


(Suggested by Rubina @ Booklove)


"Better" can be interpreted in many different ways. I don't feel that a book needs to have a "moral to the story" for it to make me "better". For me, if I read a book and I enjoy the story and every moment I am immersed with the characters and world...to me that's made me better. It maybe from an expanded knowledge due to the book, or just pure enjoyment, once I finish the book, I feel that I have become a better person just because I had the opportunity to share in the Author's journey of a wonderful piece of work. 

Examples 


Source: A Spirited Mind

Who hasn't read this and have had some emotional reaction to this brilliant story.

P.S. I love you by Cecelia Ahern
I cried in this book, and years later I still recall what happened in the book, so that means it really struck a chord with me. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Like the book above I am not 100% sure why it struck so much of a chord with me, but years on I still remember the story and I remembered having major book hangover from these books. 

What books has struck a chord with you, and have you been able to pinpoint why? Also let me know, which books have given you hangovers? Please comment below...let's chat! 

Next Week @ Book Blogger's Hop


Could you ever pick a favorite book or is it like choosing your favorite child?

Thursday, 3 May 2018

As She Fades by Abbi Glines - Review

As She Fades

by Abbi Glines


Released: January 2, 2018
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Buy It Now: Amazon | Book Depository




On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility. Together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken.

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale's brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can't deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship.

Then, Crawford wakes up... with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she's in Slate's territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.

This is my introduction novel to Abbi Glines' work, despite having one or two on my TBR pile, and I quite enjoyed this book. If anything, I felt like it finished too quickly, not in the sense that it wasn't concluded well, but I just wish I got more time with the characters, especially towards the last quarter of the book. The last part felt somewhat rushed, but it was still rounded off nicely at the end.

As She Fades is a beautiful story that rings quite true, life is precious, and despite all the plans we make, one millisecond is all it takes for everything to change. This is what happened to Vale and Crawford's best laid out plans, when they are involved in a car accident that lands one of them in a coma. 

The book starts off as one point-of-view, Vale's, but mid-way through the book, after a surprising twist, Glines then changes to alternating chapters between Vale and Slate. This is the first book that I have read that changes POV mid-way through the book, but Abbi transitioned this well and I enjoyed and welcomed Slate's POV. 

Abbi's characters are very realistic, and I enjoyed seeing Vale's growth. Vale starts seeing that her "perfect" relationship wasn't so perfect after all, and that she has somehow lost herself whilst being with Crawford, allowing Crawford to take the reign for the most part. 

Seeing as this novel is for Young Adults, I really appreciate that this is something noted in this book. I know for myself, when I was still a teen, that I had lost myself whether through boyfriends or even friends, pretending to like things I did not etc just to be "cool". So I really liked how this subject was touched on, subtly and not in your face where a teen reading this book would think it was a "lecture" or "moral of the story" which as we all know, teens do not take to those well. 

Slate, despite him being a slut for the most part, I still liked him from the beginning; he was kind, caring, charismatic and charming. Glines wrote this very well as his charm just oozed through the pages. Slate was my favourite character as he was quite multi-faceted.

I also enjoyed several secondary characters, but most especially Slate's dying Uncle. He was funny, rude, crass but honest, hopeful and knowledgeable. 

As She Fades is a nice, simple and sweet book that will make you cry and smile. My favourite aspect was the reality of the story and the characters, the plot twist didn't go astray either. I felt like the twist really had me paying more attention...I also had the urge to start from the beginning to see if I can pinpoint the "hints" before it happened. Suffice to say Abbi Glines is a good writer that creates characters that grow within your heart, and the plot is somewhat unique for a YA Contemporary Romance. 




About the Author

Abbi Glines




Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling Author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party, and Existence series.

Read the Sample Chapter of As She Fades by Abbi Glines


This book was provided to me by Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange for an honest review. 

Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Waiting on Wednesday


Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted at Breaking the Spine.

Catwoman: Soulstealer

by Sarah J. Maas


Series: DC Icons #3
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: August 7th, 2018


The highly anticipated coming-of-age story of kick-ass super hero: CATWOMAN by international bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. 

When the Bat's away, the Cat will play. It's time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .

Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing's undoing.

In this third DC Icons book--following Leigh Bardugo's Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Marie Lu's Batman: Nightwalker--Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse, forming unexpected friendships and entangling herself with Batwing by night and her devilishly handsome neighbor Luke Fox by day. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the heist that's closest to her heart?

I have already read book 2 of this series; Batman:Nightwalker by Marie Lu and really enjoyed it. I've also read a few chapters of Wonder Woman, and can't wait to start reading it properly, as I'm just finishing off some other books. Have you read any of these books? With Authors like Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu and Sarah J Maas...how can you not be excited? What books are you looking forward to, comment below so I can check those out too. 

Bout-of-Books Readathon #22 (14/05/18-20/05/18)



The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 14th and runs through Sunday, May 20th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 22 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. Sign-up page - From the Bout of Books team. 

Welcome to another round of Bout-of-Books readathon, 22 to be exact! I've participated in this readathon a few times and enjoy it a lot. I find Dewey's slightly restrictive as it's only one day, and unfortunately this year I couldn't participate as I came down with a flu. So I was so excited when I found out that Bout of Books is happening! Come and join me! If you are going to participate please comment below and leave me a link to your sign-up page so I can visit. I will update this post soon with my TBR for the readathon, can't wait to see you all there! 


Goals

  1. Read 200 pages daily
  2. Participate in at least 2 challenges
  3. Participate in at least 1 Twitter chat
  4. Comment & Visit at least 50 other participants


Daily Update


Monday May 14th


Books & Pages Read
The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs = 350pgs
Total Pages Read = 350pgs
Total Books Finished = 1

Daily Update

I don't really get much reading time during the time as I've got a 3 year old and activities to do during the day. He was at school today, so I really should've sat home and read all day, but it's my ONLY day off, so had lunch and got to pick my Mother's Day presents (PJ sets & Dressing gown). I did do a solid 5 hours reading after my toddler went to bed, this is where I read the majority of the 350 pages.

Day 1 Challenge 

Introduce yourself in #sixwords
Mum. Love of books, planners & handbags
Click here for my original Twitter post.

Tuesday May 15th

Books & Pages Read
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo = 40pgs
Caraval by Stephanie Garber = 147pgs
The Lies They Tell by Gillian French = 30pgs

Pages Read Today = 217
Total Pages Read = 567
Total Books Finished = 1

Daily Update

Today I had a really hard time getting into any book, hence why I read a little bit of Wonder Woman and a little bit of The Lies They Tell before Caraval gripped me at night.

During the day, nothing was holding my attention long enough to really go for a reading sprint of any sort. #Boutofbooks had a Twitter chat today, I was patiently waiting for it, then I picked up Wonder Woman, and for some reason just missed it! I remembered 15 mins before the end, I did still answer the questions, but I'll definitely going out of my way to participate in the next one...again.  

Daily Challenge 

Share a book that was published the year you were born

I went to Goodreads Listopia, and didn't really know any of the books there but this one that I chose. There were a few Stephen King books, but they weren't stories I knew. I do love Roald Dahl so glad I found one of his books.



Wednesday May 16th

Books & Pages Read
Caraval by Stephanie Garber 83 pages
Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood 20 pages
Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 170 pgs

Pages Read Today = 273pgs
Total Pages Read = 840pgs
Total Books Finished = 1

Daily Update 

I had playgroup with my son today from 10.30am-2pm so didn't get much reading done. I did get a few hours after we came home and had dinner etc but I didn't read as long I normally do as I was exhausted and my eyes just wasn't cooperating. I did listen to the Gemina audiobook and did a few hours of reading along with the audiobook. This tale is so gripping I tried to persevere but too tired.

Thursday May 17th

Books & Pages Read
Gemina by A Kaufman & J Kristoff 138pgs
Caraval by Stephanie Garber 95pgs
Pages Read Today = 233pgs

Total Pages Read = 1073
Total Books Finished = 2 

Daily update 

I read Caraval when I had time, listened to Gemina in the car to and from my appointment and then readalong and finished it...Illuminae Files series is truly epic. 

Daily challenge 

If you like...


You'd probably like...



Friday May 18th

Books & Pages Read
Caraval by Stephanie Garber = 77pgs
Glitter by Aprilynne Pike = 150pgs

Pages Read Today = 227
Total Pages Read = 1300
Total Books Finished = 3

Daily Update

I think mid-week I finally got the groove into the readathon. I've been happily meeting my 200/day goal! I also enjoyed this Space Scavenger Hunt, something different. 

I did struggle with Novellas & Short stories, Nature and the Dog one. I originally put Marley & Me for the dog one, and changed it to this non-fiction that I really enjoyed. It's funny despite being a manual on how to look after a dog. I just loved how they wrote it, as if it was literally an instructional manual. They also have one for babies.

Daily Challenges

Space Scavenger Hunt
Mercury - Short stories/novellas

Venus - Female protagonist
Source: Wikipedia












Earth - About nature/nature word in the title

Mars - Red cover
Jupiter - Tome over 500pgs
Saturn - Cover with circle/ring on the cover/in the title
Uranus - Set in winter
Neptune - Set at sea, on a boat or under water
Pluto - Featuring a dog/dog on cover
Moon - Set anywhere other than Earth
Sun - Set in summer 
Space - Set in Space


Saturday May 19th

Books & Pages Read
Glitter by Aprilynne Pike 217pgs
Pages Read Today = 217
Total Pages Read = 1517
Total Books Finished = 4

Daily Update 

I got to more than half of this book and didn't really want to finish. It is gripping and entertaining there was just things I didn't like about it. Keep posted on my review.

Sunday May 20th

Books & Pages Read
Renegades by Marissa Meyer 20pgs
The Royces 70pgs
Carve of the mark by veronica roth 10pgs

Pages Read Today = 100
Total Pages Read = 1617
Total Books Finished 4

Daily Update

I've still got approx half hour to go, I did listen to Legion Kagawa about an hours worth but I don't know how to translate to pages but I've reached my 200 daily average goals so Im happy! I'm kind of not in the mood for reading today, and happily taking a break.

Saturday, 28 April 2018

Weekly Wrap Up


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 



Week Gone By 


The Week Ahead 

I won't bother putting the memes I'm participating in, but I am hoping to get these reviews finished this week.

As she fades by Abbi Glines - Book Review
Passengers by Alexandra Bracken - Book Review
Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken - Book Review

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  

ARC 

Sourcebooks Fire 
Text Publishing

Another World Press

Audible 



I am unsure if I have read Life After Theft, but I like the premise of a criminal trying to do the right thing once passed. Glitter I had never seen before, but I love the setting at Versailles. I'm a bit of an Aprilynne Pike fan as I really enjoyed her Wings series. 


The last 3 have been just ones I've seen around the blogosphere; Marie Lu and Marissa Meyer are both amazing YA Authors so it's just an auto-pilot thing to get their books. Caraval I ended up picking up because it was in Hailey in Bookland's March Wrap-Up Video, check it out! Do you watch Booktubers, if so comment below and link me up to your favourite ones. 

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