Nerd Blast: The Art Of Lainey!!

Welcome to this Nerd Blast organized by Book Nerd Tours for The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes!
Today is Lainey's release day and I'm so excited to be part of this Nerd Blast!

About the book:

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they’re sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few “dates”, it looks like her plan is going to work!  But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What’s a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you’re meant to be with, if you’re still figuring out the person you’re meant to be?

   

About Paula Stokes:

Paula Stokes is half writer, half RN, and totally thrilled to be part of the world of YA literature. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where she graduated from Washington University and the Goldfarb School of Nursing. When she’s not writing, she’s kayaking, hiking, reading, or seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. Paula loves interacting with readers! Find her online at www.authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

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Giveaway!!

And now, for the giveaway! It's open INTERNATIONAL!!

 2 Winners will receive a Copy of The Art of Lainey+Swag by Paula Stokes.

Must be +13 to enter.

*Book Nerd Tours is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Mail Box*

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Mark This Book Monday: The Fearless by Emma Pass!!

Hello everyone! Happy Monday!

I'm starting the week with one of my very awaited books of the year! After loving Emma Pass's debut last year, I was super excited to get her next book, and I'm very happy to have it as the first entry for this week's Mark This Book Monday!

This one is also part of my Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!

The Fearless by Emma Pass

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After reading Emma Pass' ACID last year, I knew I wanted to read The Fearless as soon as it came out!

It is a dystopian, and as such it belongs to one of my favourites genres to read. I was absolutely intrigued about the premise of the book: an absolute change in our society that starts with the widespread use of a not-tested-enough miracle drug.

I will be trying my best to not discuss the actual plot too much, mostly because I think I'd be spoiling something inadvertedly, and I want this review to be as spoiler free as possible!

I found very intriguing how the beginning of the book was actually the information brochure for the medication that started everything. That gave it a realistic touch I could appreciate, maybe even more than other readers, being a nurse and all that!

Given the synopsis of the book I expected the story to start with Cass being already 17, but we actually start with the backstory of the how's, what's and a few hints of the why's. What's great of this backstory is that even if it's a bit obscurely, we do get a hint at what's going on in the rest of the world, before we focus on the UK and the story turns even more regional once they move to the island.

Once we reach present day Cass, we're given a very limited idea of what the world is like since she's at the island, safe but also completely cut off from the rest of the world, where the Fearless are at large, having destroyed civilization as we knew it. Cass isn't entirely happy with her life in the island, but since it's a safe place for her and her brother, she wouldn't even think of leaving for the mainland.

But everything changes one day, once an intruder is discovered in the island. He is captured but he's not the only one and once Cass's brother is kidnapped and taken off the island, all bets are off for Cass. She teams up with the captive intruder, helping him escape to get his help in the mainland trying to rescue her brother.

The book is told in 3 different POVs: Cass, Sol (Cass's used-to-be-best-friend-and-guy-in-love-with-her) and Myo (the captive intruder and guy with a lot of secrets).

Cass is a pretty great heroine, despite some rash choices and her absolute ignorance of what's really going on in the world (though that's not exactly her fault). She is tough, very loyal to her family and not scared to face new things and danger.

Sol starts the book as being a bit of a jerk, but sort of still can tolerate him, but as the book progresses I started disliking him more and more. I could still understand his situation was not ideal, but even so I couldn't justify his bad choices. He's a really big contrast to Cass, and how she handles the situations and the choices she makes.

Myo was a very intriguing character, from the very beginning we suspect there's much more to him than just how presents himself. But even if I suspected what his secret might be, I wasn't entirely sure and it's great what a twist it added to the story, and the morality of the fight that's going on.

The pacing of the book was quite good, even if it first might have seem a bit slow, but it gives us pieces we'll need to know later on, and it also gives Cass some time to try and grasp the change in her worldview. The plot seemed rather straightforward at first, but we're given quite a few twists here and there that make it even more interesting, and ends up presenting us with a few moral dilemmas that do question what defines humanity, and what choices we do when the ends justify the means?

The biggest issue I have with the book and that is the key to my rating is the ending... I asked Emma on Twitter and she told me she wanted to write a sequel, so I'm hoping that'll happen! As a first book in a series or duology, The Fearless would get very solid 4 stars, but as a standalong, I feel like there should be a lil more world building, so it'd get a 3.5 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: Dark Days by Kate Ormand.

To start this week's Mark This Book Monday I'm starting with another of my few ARCs from Edelweiss that I requested cause it sounded like an awesome dystopian. This one is part of my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge and my Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!

Dark Days by Kate Ormand

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Dystopian is one of my fave genres, so when I saw this one in Edelweiss and could download it instantly, I totally went for it!

Unfortunately, this was not exactly what I expected or wanted.

It was a dystopian for sure, because something happened to make the world what it is in the beginning of the book but it's extremely vaguely explained, with some references to a climate disaster of some sort that lead to the survivors being walled in cities for their protection, from what? They don't know, we don't know. At first it seemed like this was a distant past sort of thing, but later on we learnt it wasn't that far back, from something Sia's mother says. Everything seems so limited to the Sector, and we only keep getting a few glances here and there, and then we see some of the outside (that was forbidden) and then we go to the New World. But the descriptions lack something to make us feel like we're there, and I was quite bothered by how very few answers I was getting about the world, and it bothered me that the characters also didn't seem to care!

The plot at first seemed a bit confusing, with Sia trying to deal with the fact that some sort of super power/goverment/people in charge have decided to choose a few select ones to go to the New World and then will be sending cyborgs to kill the rest of the humans left in her sector. The countdown for each chapter should have brought us more tension, but somehow we spend so much time with Sia being confused, angsty, a bit of an airhead at the beginning and then everything kinda happens too fast at the end.

I just couldn't get behind everything that was happening cause it all ended up going too fast, too easy, too conveniently or a mix of the 3!

Sia really was an annoying character through and through... at first I gave her the benefit of the doubt, trying to adjust to being condemned to death because you are not "deemed worthy" can't be something you deal with easily, and even less with her parents' reactions. But then she just seems to thrown herself at everything and anything foolishly and rashly and everything seems to work alright in the end? She ended up annoying me.

And don't make me talk about the romance... My emotional state is not ideal right now, but this just felt like more convenience, full of insta love and "feel ready to die for you" in under 15 days?? Just no...

This was a fast read, and it didn't enrage me, despite the main character being annoying for the most part, so I'd say this was totally a "meh" read for me, so 2 stars for it.





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Showcase Sunday #34!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

This week I'm scheduling Showcase Sunday a bit more in advance that usual cause on Sunday I'm going to be watching and photographing my nephews on one of the mountain bike competitions!

I got a pair books in the mail, YAY! Two beautiful hardcovers from The Book Depository, one of them quite awaited since it's this month's book for Read Discuss Repeat Virtual Book Club! I got a pair of preorders and also something that totally made me squeal!  A Julie Kagawa dragon! In case you don't know it, Julie Kagawa not only writes totally amazing books, but she also makes the most amazing clay dragons eveerrrrr! She has a shop on Etsy and she has batches for sale every so often and they sell out sooooo fast! Buuuut, last time all my clicking finger training paid off and I managed to snag one!

Dylan was actually very friendly and Mini-maug (in honour of the dragon with the best voice in the history of history) was a bit intimidated at first by Dylan's size but they're becoming best buddies fast!

Purchased (via The Book Depository)

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Purchased (via Kindle app)

Rebel by Amy Tintera

Fifty First Times, a New Adult Anthology

Scala by Christina Bauer

For Review (via NetGalley)

The other days, Trial by Fire was up as a "Read Now" on NetGalley for the first 100 ones to click, and I missed it cause I only got to hear about it on Twitter through other bloggers' tweets. I joined on the weeping for the missed opportunity and was extremely lucky to be contacted on Twitter by Mac Kids Books and be sent a widget to get the book. That was some serious book karma and totally made my day!! Thank you so very much!!

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

I'm still missing a pair of paperbacks from The Book Depository, that I'm hoping to finally get next week! *shakes fist at postal service*

What all did you get this week?

Saturday Pages: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins!!!

As the final entry of this week's Saturday Pages I have a long and impatiently awaited final book for one my recent favourite series, and one that made me give a chance to angel books again!

It isn't part of any of my challenges and as such it was one of my very "ME" reads, so much that I started reading it at midnight (as soon as it downloaded into my Kindle) and finished it at 5 am!



Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Sweet Reckoning was one of my most highly awaited books of the year, and after Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril being so amazing, and Sweet Peril totally avoiding the middle book syndrome, Sweet Reckoning had some serious shoes to fill, but thankfully it did so without disappointing me at any point!

As hard as it will be, because I feel like I want to talk about all the spoilers and awesome and swoony and shocking things, I will keep this review spoiler free, but of course expect spoilers for both Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril.

After the evilness that was the final chapters of Sweet Evil, I loved how Sweet Reckoning started with Anna feeling like she had to be strong and she had the will and the motivation to fight. She's part angel and as sweet as they come, but she's strong and determined to fight for what's right! Anna has to be one of my favourite main characters ever. She has so much growth all through the trilogy, but she never loses herself, her changes have always been consequent with who she is. She's grown to accept herself as a Nephilim, with the good and the bad, she's learnt her limits and how to fight, how to hold her own against the Dukes and their minions...

And if we're talking about character growth, I think the one that had the most character growth and change is our dear Kaidan. He started the series as a sexy bad boy that doesn't feel like he deserves to fight for something better, and we end up with an amazing Kaidan, that's still sexy and naughty but it's ready to fight for himself, for the other Neph and most of all, for Anna.

I was quite dreading what might come in this book, and to an extent I was right, there was plenty of heartbreak in this book, but there was also a lot of happiness and moments of happy tears. There were also plenty of swoony and sexy moments but they never seemed out of place in the overall arch of the story. Every moment for Kai and Anna was one more reason to fight.

I'm not sure how to talk about the plot for this one without accidentally spoiling something, so I'll just say that there is quite a lot of action, with Anna and the rest being part and coming together and having to part yet again. Preparing and plotting and eventually having to work in less than ideal conditions. The showdown was resolved in a way I wasn't exactly expecting and it had heartbreak that I would have never thought would happen.

What absolutely cinched the 5 stars for this book for me, and what made me weep and ugly cry was the epilogue. After everything, this was just amazing and so fitting... *sigh* Sweet Reckoning had plenty of smiles, tears and swoons and it's the perfect ending for this fantastic trilogy. Read it. NOW.



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Saturday Pages: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers!!!

Hey everyone!

This week I'm gonna start Saturday Pages with a sequel for a book that I loved and that I have to thank Alyssa from The Eater of Books for the recommendation of Grave Mercy, cause this sequel is fantastic and I'm now very much impatiently awaiting book 3!

I'm getting a bit of way into my 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, adding this book there, as well as to the 2014 Series Challenge!

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved Grave Mercy and it was a fantastic discovery that I have to thank Alyssa for (thanks girl!) and once I got back to reading the sequel, I think I managed to fall in love with this one even more!

Where Grave Mercy was our introduction to this rich world, one that is historical fiction at its core with a few touches of fantasy and a new mythology added. Dark Triumph continues more or less where Grave Mercy left us, even if the beginning is a different POV for scenes we already experienced in the first book.

Sybella was one of Ismae's convent sisters, and one that started extremely wild and unhappy but that ended up feeling like the convent was her home, the place to feel safe. But once she was deemed to be prepared to undertake missions in St. Mortain's name and will, she is sent back to d'Albret's household, the very same she wanted to run away from.

She has to deal with d'Albret who claims her parentage, and Sybella has no small number of issues with her family and with herself, doubting her faith on Mortain, her own intentions and character and fears if she is tainted by her d'Albret legacy. Despite all that, and despite the mission the abbess of St Mortain has entrusted her, Sybella's main focus is trying to kill d'Albret. But then she gets an assigment to rescue Beast (one of Duval's friends and main ally) from the dungeons, and in the process she ends up having to go with him to Rennes.

The plot in this one is more focused on the personal side, not so much on the bigger political issues going on. Since a big part of the book is about Sybella and Beast's journey to Rennes and how their relationship develops and Sybella starts seeing herself in a slight different way. Then once they reach Rennes, Beast joins the Duchess' council and we rejoin the bigger political picture.

Sybelle is such a complex and flawed character, I have to say that I might love her even more than I did Ismae! She has such a long journey to self acceptance and discover all through the book! But once we see her grow into the woman she's meant to be, it is a fantastic feeling to see this Sybella as a formidable enemy and an even more formidable ally and friend to have on your side!

Beast is quite the unusual love interest, since he isn't one of those stunning and striking heroes, but he simply seemed the right match for Sybelle. Their relationship stems from respect and admiration from each other's talents & character, and acceptance of each other's darkess. I really loved how it developed all through the book, and how unsure both of them were but how much power accepting it gave to them both.

I absolutely love the world building in these books, the fantasy aspects of the mythology are brilliant and the complexity of the historical plot weaved into the story is stunning. Full of details and with a fantastic pacing that never lets your attention waver from the story.

This was a fantastic sequel, with no hint of middle book syndrome whatsoever and very much deserving of 5 stars! Now I cannot wait for book 3!



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Friday Reads: ARC Review of Scala by Christina Bauer!!

As the final entry on this week's Friday Reads, I have another ARC review! This one was one that I got through NetGalley and that was for a book I had already preordered! Thank you so much Ink Monster for approving my request!

As a book for review it is also part of my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge! Gotta finally reach that 80% ratio on NetGalley!

Scala by Christina Bauer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After reading Angelbound last year, I preordered Scala as soon as I could! And after finishing Scala, I've done the same thing with Armageddon!

Even if I had it preordered, I requested it as soon as I saw on Netgalley and was super happy when I was approved for it! I love being able to read a long awaited book early! Thank you Ink Monster for the approval!

Myla is now the Great Scala and has quite a handful to deal with in Purgatory. Her fellow quasis are still trying to learn to shake the Ghouls influence and changes, even when they come out of freedom. Before leaving, the demons and ghouls left Lucifer's Orb behind, and that means despite her igni and her powers if Myla tries to move souls, they'd only go to Hell, so despite the space issues and how restless the souls are getting, Myla won't send the souls to Hell.

Lady Adair, the fake Scala and obsessed with Lincoln psycho, is plotting something and it is starting with stealing Myla's igni and try to usurp her as Great Scala and reclaim what she thinks it's "her life". And she decides that she'll do whatever it takes!

I loved reading about Lincoln and Myla together, they make a fantastic team. They fight together, they have fantastic chemistry and they always bring the best on each other. And although some of the secondary characters didn't have enough time to shine, since the book was a bit short (I'd love to get more of this world and characters!) I loved seeing Myla's parents working together, and Walker still being his awesome self! Octavia, Lincoln's mother, is one of my fave secondary characters because she has so much power and spunk on her, and she loves Myla!

The length of the book might have made the story felt a bit rushed on occasion, but it kept me engaged all the time, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt that Myla seemed to keep on missing some of the hints that kept on popping that she should have tied together before, but I wasn't expecting the twist as it was in the end.

Now, I cannot wait for the next book, thankfully coming out later this year! Well deserved 4 stars for this one!



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Friday Reads: ARC Review of Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Hellooo everyone! Welcome to yet another edition of Friday Reads! This first entry is an ARC review of a book I was extremely lucky to get as a "Read Now" on NetGalley! For books of big publishers like this one, it's quite rare to get in time for it, so thank you!

As a review copy it is also part of my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge!

Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


First of all, a disclaimer... this is probably one of those: it's not you, it's me, kind of cases with books. I haven't read the Beautiful Creatures series, and I haven't really felt drawn to them either. But when I saw Dangerous Creatures on NetGalley I thought that I should give this spin off a try, and was lucky enough to get on the "read it now" limited offer.

I had done something similar with The Lost Prince, the first of the spin-off series for The Iron King series and I loved it and ended up binge reading The Iron King series later on. But this time... it really was not such a good idea.

Link & Ridley are a pair of very interesting characters, both with a complex past, both apart and together. But Ridley's self-loathing though understandable, took too much of the book for my taste, and ended up grating on my nerves a bit. She seemed to enjoy punishing herself for her own darkness and throwing herself into too many bad choices before she ever stopped and decided to acknowledge what she already knew but kept ignoring. And Link, despite being super sweet and trying to be there for Ridley... he seemed to miss all her internal struggling most of the time. I just felt like there was too much angst all over the book with these two, and mainly Ridley.

The secondary characters... except for Lennox that really stood out, the rest seemed more of an excuse to bring conflict and then be left behind as the story progressed. Too much I-hate-you-talk-to-hide-the-fact-I-might-care-for-you-and-consider-you-my-friend for my taste in here too.

The lore of the Casters, magic users and other creatures was quite interesting, but since I haven't read the previous books, I felt like I was grasping everything but missed on a lot of bigger picture issues. Probably since most of the world building was done and explain on the previous series I haven't read...

The pacing of the plot progression also was a bit off for me... the beginning of the book was interesting but then started dying down and by 30% I was ready to think of DNFing this one. I decided to give it another try and continue reading, but it felt like a chore angst angst and more angst, not enough answers and more conflict, till we reach the final third (about 60%) when the pacing started picking up, we got more answers and Link and Ridley and Nox finally seemed to get their shit together. I actually enjoyed that last part of the story.

That is till we get to the ending and one of those below-the-belt-hit kind of cliffhangers. The way the ending was going was to a good one, first battle has ended, conflict resolved, more to come. And then, bam! A complete WTF sort of moment that leaves you totally confused and enraged.

I was quite tempted to give it a 3 stars if only for the improvement on the final third of the book, but after that ending? 2 stars and if I'm feeling way too generous maybe 2.5 stars, at the most.

If you've read and loved Beautiful Creatures I'm sure you'll enjoy this one waaay more than I did, but if you haven't... give the original series a try first and don't try this spin off on its own, it's quite probable it won't work for you, as it didn't for me.



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