Ferocious by Paula Stokes: Playlist!!

Hello there guys!

Once again I'm dusting off the blog to share my love for a book and an author that is in my auto-buy list!

Last year I shared the playlist for the first book in this duology, and now I'm back to share the playlist for Ferocious by Paula Stokes, the second & final book of the Vicarious duology!

I'm a big bad of reading books with the playlist that either inspired the writing or that was chosen by the author because it's what fits best the moments in the book!

So today we have Paula here to tell us a bit more about the songs she chose for Ferocious! I have created a Spotify playlist that you can check out in the link below or check the YouTube videos below!

FEROCIOUS PLAYLIST by Paula Stokes


When I create a playlist, I “watch” the book like it’s a movie in my head and select songs that fit individual scenes. I also try to find songs that match the tone of the story. Like Vicarious, Ferocious is an edgy, high-tech story with a lot of action and dark emotions. I definitely tapped into my love of 90s and early 00s grunge and alternative music when making this list, as well as some newer songs with that same gritty flavor. In case you don’t use Spotify, I have linked to official licensed (AKA non-pirated) YouTube videos. Because they’re licensed, most of them have ads, but instead of thinking about how ads suck, try to think of it like ads are making it possible for these content creators to actually be paid for their work. You would want to be paid for your work, right? I hope you enjoy :) 

300 VIOLIN ORCHESTRA BY JORGE QUINTERO
I’m starting off with this awesome tune because I think it would make the best background for a trailer. It’s got the perfect mix of music to encapsulate both action and romance scenes and does a good job of putting the reader in the right mood for Ferocious.

CENTURIES (GAZZO REMIX) BY FALL OUT BOY
I always include a song I imagine playing before the “book movie” actually starts, which in this case is the Gazzo remix of Centuries. I like the remix because it’s slower and because some of the electronic parts give the song a bit of an Asian feel. This song also encapsulates Winter’s state of mind as she embarks upon a mission of vengeance that she’s not expecting to survive.

FOR YOU BY STAINED
The book starts right where Vicarious ends, with Winter making a choice to take the MetroLink train toward the airport, to seek revenge against the man she knows is responsible for her sister’s death. She’s very upset because of things that have happened with Gideon, and this song captures the rage and despair she’s feeling as the story begins.

BOTHER BY STONE SOUR
Later the same day, Winter goes to a hotel room where she plays a ViSE recording from Gideon. It gives her needed information but also calls forth a lot of memories. Her emotions overwhelm her for a bit, and I thought immediately of this haunting, emotional song.

LAST RESORT BY PAPA ROACH
Later in the hotel room, Winter pulls out her throwing knives and starts practicing with them, throwing them at her mattress, over and over until she starts to feel calm again. This song captures all of the anger and helplessness she’s feeling in that scene.

KILL A MAN BY RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
When Winter gets to Los Angeles to search for her brother, one of the first things she does is, well, kill a man. Like the man she killed at the end of Vicarious, Winter doesn’t feel particularly guilty about this death, and this lack of remorse causes her to wonder if she’s some kind of monster.

MAMA BY EXO
One of the first things Winter and Jesse do in Seoul in go to Namdaemun Market for supplies. While they’re shopping, Winter sees a girl she thinks is spying on them and she chases this girl down the streets of Seoul. Mama is a fast-paced fun song that feels like it would work with a chase scene. Also, you should click this link just to watch the rather incredible animated beginning to this K-Pop video.

THIS MOMENT WE OWN IT BY 2 CHAINZ AND WIZ KHALIFA
In Seoul, Sebastian “Baz” Faber helps Winter with her plans to track down her brother and infiltrate UsuMed. One of those plans involves the two of them riding a motorcycle through the darkened streets of Seoul. This upbeat tune feels like the perfect complement to that scene.

BAD BLOOD BY TAYLOR SWIFT
I’m not really into pop (country?) music so I don’t follow Taylor Swift, but I heard this song at the gym and I thought it was catchy. The rest of this playlist is pretty dark, so this song is here to lighten things up during the scene when Jesse and Winter practice sparring on the rooftop. They’ve still got some issues they haven’t really addressed with each other and they work them out a little while they’re “fighting.”

HEAVY BY LINKIN PARK FEATURING KIIARA
“I'm holding on. Why is everything so heavy? Holding on. So much more than I can carry.” Heavy is a great song to describe Winter thinking about her mental illness at several different points throughout the book. RIP, Chester. You and your music made a lot of people stronger <3 nbsp="" p="">
NEVER TOO LATE BY 3 DAYS GRACE
Halfway through the book Baz forces Winter to confront just how serious her mental illness really is. Overwhelmed by what she learns, she flees to the rooftop of the building and considers jumping. After all, can someone like her even be fixed? Can she ever really live a normal life? Winter isn’t sure, but Jesse comes to find her and talks her literally down from her ledge.

RENEGADES BY X AMBASSADORS
Winter and Jesse don’t get a lot of time for romance in this book because she’s dealing with more serious issues and emotions. But there’s one night when Winter decides to take Jesse someplace special in the city. There, for a couple of hours, they forget about danger and revenge and just embrace each other’s company. I hear this song when they’re looking at the love locks and playing in the snow.

45 BY SHINEDOWN
Near the end of the book, Winter is literally staring down the barrel of a gun, knowing that she can shoot someone, but if she does then she’ll probably die too. It’s a struggle for her and she goes through several different emotions during this moment, all of which are captured by this song.

BLACK HOLE SUN BY SOUNDGARDEN
Winter and Jesse escape UsuMed and end up spending the night outside in the freezing cold. They’re safe for the moment but Winter is worried about her brother and Baz, so she’s exhausted and sad. Kind
of like the way the world was exhausted and sad after hearing about Chris Cornell’s death. RIP, Chris. “No one sings like you anymore.”

RUN BY SNOW PATROL
Winter and Jesse eventually end up on Jeju Island. They’re staying in a hotel waiting for things to calm down after what happened at UsuMed before trying to return to the U.S. Winter is also doing a lot of thinking—about herself and her illness and her feelings for Jesse, trying to decide if she can reconcile all of those things or if she’s going to have to let Jesse go.

STOP FOR A MINUTE BY KEANE AND K’NAAN
The last song on my playlist is always the song I imagine playing as the credits to my “book movie” are rolling. I picked this song because it encompasses Winter’s frame of mind throughout the novel, and also because it’s more uplifting than the rest of the playlist, hinting that happier things are ahead for the main characters.

I hope you enjoyed my FEROCIOUS playlist :) Wanna check out the one I made for VICARIOUS? Click here. Are you totally new to this series? I’m giving away a VICARIOUS paperback (INT) on Twitter from 8/29 to 8/31.

<3 nbsp="" p=""> Ferocious by Paula Stokes
<3 nbsp="" p="">
<3 nbsp="" p="">Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

<3 nbsp="" p="">  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Paula Stokes is a mental health nurse and the author of several novels, most recently Ferocious and This is How it Happened. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Girl Against The Universe: 7 Days 7 Giveaways Paperback Blog Tour!!!!

Helloooo there guys!!

Getting back into the blogging sphere because one of my most re-read and most beloved books is being released in paperback!

I think it's no secret that I love Paula and her books, and also that you can meet my fictional version if you read GATU (What?!? IKR!! There's a nurse called Pili in there!!) and I adored GATU from the very first time I read it, before I was included as the nurse that Paula needed for a few scenes! ;)

If you haven't yet read Girl Against The Universe, you're in luck! It's been released in paperback which means it's even more affordable, and you can even win a copy during this blog tour!

And in case you need a few reasons to read GATU: it's the perfect mix of fluffly and issue contemporary, deals with mental health issues in a way that is positive and relatable, there's an adorable romance that does NOT cure the mental health issues, and positive female friendships, present and realistic family dynamics! Well, I could add many things because I've already said this before... I adoooore this book!

From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about a girl coping with PTSD and the boy who wants to help her move on from the past. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen or Jenny Han.

Sixteen-year-old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she's around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash--and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it's best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away might be harder than she thought. 

 

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

 

 And now, over to Paula, who'll tell you all about the giveaway!


Paula: Hi everyone! Girl Against the Universe releases in paperback on June 6, 2017 and I’m so excited about that I decided to do an entire blog tour of giveaways to celebrate! In the story, main character Maguire creates her own list of seven challenges to help her overcome her fears. This week I have seven challenges for you, and seven chances to win a shiny GATU paperback :D These contests are international, but due to shipping costs, US winners will receive signed copies sent by me and INT winners will receive their books from Wordery or The Book Depository, with signed bookplates mailed separately.


All contests will end on May 31, 2017. All winners will be contacted via Instagram, Twitter, or email as well as posted on my blog in early June. If you’re going to enter a Twitter or Instagram challenge, be sure your account is set to public during the contest period so I will be able to see your entries and contact you if you win. 


Ready for still more ways to win?


Challenge #6: 

Tweet and/or Instagram an image of one of your personal good luck charms! People, pets, lucky socks—whatever it is that gives you a little added boost on a hard day. Your posts must include these tags so I can find them: @pstokesbooks, #GATU, #SevenDaysSevenGiveaways, and #LuckyCharms. 


Here’s an example using one of my favorite lucky charms ;)

Here’s my entry for @pstokesbooks #GATU #SevenDaysSevenGiveaways contest! It’s Taz, one of my #luckycharms giving my next release a kiss of approval :)


You can enter up to two entries on Twitter, Instagram, or one of each by May 31, 2017. If you enter twice, you must use two different lucky charms. Questions? Put them in the comments :)


That's all guys! Don't forget to check the rest of the tour for more chances to win a copy, because trust me, you want, nay, NEED, to read this book!

MON MAY 15
Adventures of a Book Junkie

TUES MAY 16
My Bookish Itinerary

WED MAY 17
Mary had a Little Book Blog

THURS MAY 18
The Forest of Words and Pages

FRI MAY 19
Xpresso Reads

SAT MAY 20
In Love With Handmade

SUN MAY 21
Author Paula Stokes

Vicarious by Paula Stokes Nerd Blast: Review & Giveaway!!!

Hello there guys!!

Today I'm taking part of the Nerd Blast organized by Jean Book Nerd for Vicarious by Paula Stokes!!

I will be sharing the book trailer, my review and also there will be a giveaway at the end of the post!

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they’ve escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you—for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

  

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

About the author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts. She’s the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers.

Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook 

REVIEW

 Hold on to your knickers tight guys! This one will leave your mind reeling, your heart pounding and you'll likely commit a felony to get your hands on the sequel!!

Vicarious is science fiction thriller, more mystery and thriller than science fiction, since the world is very similar to ours with advanced different technology but essentially something that feels like the world we know.

Winter and her sister Rose escaped a horrible situation and found a better life in St Louis, both of them working for their rescuer that is like family to them. It all changes when something happens to Rose and Winter decides that she needs to find out what really happened to her sister.

Vicarious is such a thrilling read! From the very action packed beginning with Winter & Jesse recording a ViSe to all the dangerous situations that Winter finds herself while looking for Rose, you can barely turn the pages fast enough! The mystery of what happened to Rose will keep you guessing and second guessing and third guessing and once again turning pages like there's no tomorrow!

Paula can write a mystery and keep you on your toes but where she really shines is in writing amazingly complex characters and their relationships. Winter and Rose, their relationship with Gideon, their rescuer and Winter's relationship with Jesse, her ViSe recording partner... They all are layered and carefully crafted, they make you feel like they're real people with complex feelings and maybe something hidden at times.

I could talk and talk at length about how fascinating I found the characters and how the book kept me guessing time and again (wrong every time) with the mystery or how I kept holding my breath in some of the action scenes, but it might lead to unwittingly reveal something that I don't want to, because Vicarious needs to be enjoyed with as little information as possible!

One last mention before I tell you to run grab it from your favourite retailer or library, it deals with some really tough subjects since Winter and Rose were sold into human trafficking as children and had to deal with very horrible situations. It's handled in an extremely respectful way and mostly just flashbacks into the sisters' relationship, but in case it's a trigger, be aware.

Very much recommended & very much deserved 5 stars!

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- A signed copy of Vicarious or an ARC of the sequel, when available by Paula Stokes + Special Mystery Bookish Gifts

CLICK HERE FOR THE RAFFLECOPTER

Vicarious by Paula Stokes: PLAYLIST!!

 Hey there guys!!

This week another of my fave 2016 books that I beta read last year comes out and I cannot wait till I can read the finished copy of Vicarious!! And now I can read it while listening to the songs that inspired it because Paula is here to share them all with us, even with the lil extra bit of commentary & explanation!

So here is the Spotify link for those of you like me that use Spotify ALL THE TIME:

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

And now I give it over to Paula!:


When I create a playlist, I “watch” the book like it’s a movie in my head and select songs that fit individual scenes. I also try to find songs that match the tone of the story. Vicarious is a gritty, high-tech mystery with a lot of action scenes and dark emotions. I think you’ll find that this playlist captures those elements quite well. In case you don’t use Spotify, I have linked to official licensed (AKA non-pirated) YouTube videos where available.) Enjoy!

POWER by Kanye West
Even though Vicarious starts with a prologue and then flips to a scene with both sisters in the penthouse apartment where they live, the movie in my head has always begun with a scene panning in over the city of St. Louis at night. There are gray skyscrapers, and sidewalks crusted over with ice. People cluster in front of the businesses that line the darkened streets--businessmen, club goers, drug dealers. POWER captures both the urban feel and frenetic energy of the area where Winter and Rose live.

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
I heard this song on YouTube in 2012 when I was writing the first draft of Vicarious (which back then was called Goodbye Rose), and there was something about the feel of the song that just clicked with the manuscript. I probably listened to Radioactive at least two hundred times during the revision process, because something about it always transported me from the real world back into the world of Vicarious.

City Hunter (Instrumental) by Oh Jun Sung from the City Hunter OST soundtrack
If Radioactive is the right music for Winter and Jesse walking across the frozen streets near the beginning of the book, this short instrumental piece is the right accompaniment as they break into the Phantasm building, navigate the darkened offices, and then run away after getting caught. Thanks to Eli from The Silver Words for this pick. This kdrama is not on Hulu, but I must find somewhere because it sounds epic!

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up) by Fall Out Boy
This is another song like Radioactive where the music and lyrics together capture the essence of the entire novel. I have always imagined this song being used in my book-movie’s trailer. But since my book-movie is a purely hypothetical thing that exists only in my mind, I’ll pick an actual scene to slot this in. It would be perfect for the high-energy scene where Winter and Gideon are sparring on the rooftop.

Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson
After Rose is killed, Winter struggles with anger, depression, and hopelessness. There’s a point where she’s in the bathroom and she’s supposed to be taking a bath but she can’t even find the energy to do that. She’s just sitting up against the wall, thinking about her sister. This song is perfect for that scene.

(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do by The Crystal Method
Winter tries to push past her depression by focusing on finding out who killed Rose. One of the places the clues lead her to is a hot new dance club called Zoo. This song by fits the ambiance of the club as well as Winter’s mindset during the scene.

Disturbia by Rihanna
After leaving the club, Winter and a couple of friends find themselves in a high-speed car chase during a snow storm. Given the events leading up to the chase, I think Disturbia is the perfect accompaniment to this particular action sequence.

Bad by Infinite
I wanted to include at least one K-pop song on this list because K-pop is so popular with young adult readers. (This book is actually more K-rock or K-metal, but those songs are a lot harder to find on Spotify.) So here we are. This is a song about a guy who loves a girl so much he’s afraid she might ruin him. After the car chase, there are multiple scenes that show how far Jesse will go to protect Winter—maybe too far. Is she going to ruin him? You’ll have to read to find out ;)
Thanks to Minjae for the song recommendation!

Beautiful by Akon, featuring Colby O'Donis, Kardinal Offishall
Later in the book, Winter is playing one of Rose’s ViSE recordings from Inferno, the dance club in the building next door to where she lives. Rose’s clubbing experiences are a lot different from Winter’s, and this song fits the theme of that ViSE perfectly. In fact, I’m pretty sure all of the people in this video are at Inferno with Rose ;)

Falling to Pieces by Faith No More
This sounds like it should be about Winter’s state of mind as she deals with the death of her sister, but the lyrics do a better job of describing Winter’s feelings for Jesse. Gideon sends the two of them to Miami to record a ViSE, and spending the night in a hotel room with Jesse brings all of Winter’s conflicting emotions bubbling to the surface.

Always by Saliva
“I hear a voice say ‘Don’t be so blind.’ It’s telling me all these things that you would probably hide…” Winter has major trust issues when it comes to men. She wants to trust Jesse, but when she finds out a secret that he’s been keeping, she becomes as angry as the lyrics to this song. “I love you, I hate you…”

Terrible Lie by Nine Inch Nails
When Winter finally finds out who killed her sister, she becomes even angrier than she was about the secret Jesse kept from her. An angry girl doing angry girl things needs some angry NIN music to go along with.

Two Against One by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, featuring Jack White
After Winter gets angry, she calms down and has to face some harsh realities. But is she strong enough to accept the truth? Or will she fall apart without her sister there to hold her together? This song is perfect for when she’s piecing together the entire puzzle in her brain.

Chop Suey by System of a Down
Chop Suey is a close second to Radioactive when it comes to transporting me into the world of Vicarious. (I know, I know—the songs could not be more different.) This song is fifteen years old, but it still feels very cutting edge to me, with its mix of thrash metal guitar riffs and lead vocals that transition into a softer bridges and choruses. There’s a part near the end of the book where Winter is desperately sprinting up the stairs, that fits exactly with a part near the end of this song.

Vicarious by Tool
The last song in a playlist is always the one I imagine playing while the credits of my “book movie” are running. This song is not only the obvious choice, but both the lyrics and music do a great job describing Winter’s frame of mind as she transitions from the end of Vicarious to the beginning of the sequel. The band Tool does not believe their albums should be experienced piecemeal, so this song is not available on Spotify. (Pili here - I ended up adding a tribute band version to at least let you listen to the lyrics and the music as close as possible).

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they've escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose's ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it's bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities in the city's hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you--for a price.
When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won't rest until she finds her sister's killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn't sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she'll have to untangle what's real from what only seems real, risking her own life in the process.

Paula Stokes weaves together a series of mysteries and the story of an unbreakable bond between sisters in this unforgettable high-tech thrill ride.

Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

About the author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts. She’s the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

You'll Want To Read This Book Wednesday: Vicarious by Paula Stokes!!

You'll Want To Read This Book Wednesday was inspired by Save the Date from The Perpetual Page Turner and Pre-Squee from Bewitched Bookworms, when I decided to do my own feature/meme to showcase those books that I get to read pretty ahead of time (mainly from BEA) and it'd replace Waiting on Wednesday on my blog. It might be weekly, bi-weekly or once a month, depending on when I indulge on reading one of the far off ARCs!

This week I'm showcasing an ARC that I got sent quite a while back and that I read as a beta reader and simply ADOREEED!! It's coming out this August and if you guys haven't got it on your list of books to read... YOU NEED TO!!

Vicarious by Paula Stokes

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

It's no secret that Paula is one of my fave authors, and one of the many things that I love about her is how capable she is to write very different books very well! She can write fluffy contemporaries with relevant themes (Girl Against The Universe) and she can write murder mysteries that keep you guessing (Liars INC), and now Vicarious, that is a genre defying book! It's a thriller, a mystery, science fiction and it's got quite a few tough themes that are important to be brought to attention.

Vicarious is one of those books that have you saying "just one more chapter" because you just cannot stop reading! It'll keep you guessing, will make you feel the tension and the uncertainty and also has a few lighter moments to keep the balance. There's a swoony possible love interest, an adorable cat, family relationships and a twist that you WON'T see coming!! As soon as I read it I had to text Paula all my "WTF?!? HOW DID YOU!?! THAT WAS BRILLIANT!?!" and yes, all caps are required!!

You have been warned! You need this book like NOW, and you'll need someone to talk about spoilers once you read it!! So go preorder Vicarious so you can start reading it ASAP!!

Thursday Thoughts: Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes!!!

Hey there guys!!

I'm finally here with a review that is not part of a blog tour, so maybe now I can get back on track with reading AND reviewing! Because yes, I haven't stopped reading at all, but I've been really bad at writing reviews for all the books I've been reading (and loving!).

And the first review had to be for Girl Against The Universe, a book that is massively special in many ways, and it's become my most re-read book of 2016 already! From the first time I read it as a beta reader I fell in love with it so completely I kept on sending all sort of "feels filled" messages to Paula while I was reading and cursing her for making me tear up... Everytime I've started reading the book I've been unable to not read it cover to cover because it's the kinda book that grabs you and doesn't let you go!

This book is extra special because I am a character in the book, Nurse Pili here everyone, and I'm also mentioned in the acknowledgements and both those things still have me reeling and being overwhelemed and giddy, but those are not the reasons I give this one 5 stars, those would be responsible for some extra stars, but the book itself made me fall in love with it, hard!


Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Girl Against The Universe is the kind of contemporary that I can re-read time and again and love it as much or even than I did the first time!

Contemporary YA is not my go to genre, but since I'd read anything that Paula Stokes would wrote and her first contemporary was absolutely therapeutic for me (The Art of Lainey), GATU was a must read and it delivered in every which way.

It's what I call a "feel good" book, there's conflict, there's serious issues but there's no overabundance of drama and there's no unnecessarily added conflict. There's wonderful relationships, from family to friends to a developing new romantic relationship but none of them are really the focus or maybe all of them are. All the relationships are important in this books, and all of them help Maguire to finally get fighting to try and get better.

Mental health is an important issue to discuss and although not all cases are equally dire or grave, they all deserve attention and treatment. This book does a fantastic job on showing up different levels of mental health issues and different stages of acceptance of help and progress of treatment, as well as a positive depiction of therapy, along with the false starts, the progress, the doubts and the reality of humans "not being toasters that can be fixed".

Maguire had a lot of bad things happen to her and she came to think that she was cursed and was a danger to others, so she kept herself from interacting with the rest of the world as much as she could. The book starts with her first therapy sessions where she starts by being silent and thinking it's a waste of time, to start listening to what her therapist has to say and once she finally decides she want to try and face her fears, we see how she makes progress, how there are setbacks and doubts and we're there with her every step of the way.

The romance in this book is the kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and it adds to the "feel good" feeling of the book. And no, the romance doesn't mean the mental health issues are fixed by finding love or anything of the like. The characters do provide support and motivation for each other, first as friends and then as more, but they both have their own issues to face on their own, and they do. The relationship is not a crutch to make everything better.

This book managed to make me laugh, sigh, swoon, want to hug the characters, tear up more than once and upon finishing I procedeed to hug the book and have a contented smile on my face. I've re-read it quite a few times already, and it will be one of my go-to books when I'm on a slump and I need a favourite to make me want to read again!

Very much deserved 5 stars if not a few more!!



View all my reviews

Girl Against The Universe Blog Tour: Deleted Scene & Giveaway!!!!

Hello there guys!!

I know it's been a while but first was my slump and then vacation... but today I'm back with a brilliant post!

I'm super honoured to be part of the Blog Tour for Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes, organized by the lovely Hannah from Irish Banana Tours!!

There will be a giveaway at the end of this post, so stay tuned for that! I'm gonna be sharing one of the books deleted scenes that I really wish could have stayed!! I will be sharing my 5 stars review for GATU either later this week or early next week too!

Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes


Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

 Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes&Noble | The Book Depository

About the author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts who sometimes make bad decisions. She’s the author of several YA novels, most recently Girl Against the Universe and Liars, Inc. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages.

Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

DELETED SCENE

Paula: So this is a scene that got cut in a huge four-chapter delete because of multiple major changes to the storyline. There was no psychologist in the first draft, so Jordy was helping Maguire test her curse and she was helping him with math homework in return. One day she’s tutoring him and checking out his tennis trophies in the living room and he offers to show her the stuff in his room… That turns into them kissing, and then Jordy’s mom comes home unexpectedly and Maguire is trapped in Jordy’s bedroom. Jordy isn’t allowed to date because of his tennis schedule, so he and Maguire have to enlist the help of Jordy’s younger sister to explain Maguire’s presence upstairs. The plan is for Maguire to pretend to be friends with his sister. I have purposely obscured the identity of Jordy’s sister in this deleted scene because it’s a mini-spoiler for the book. 



“Oh my God,” I say. “Every day is the most embarrassing day of my life.”
Jordy’s sister starts rifling through her closet. “What are you embarrassed about?” she asks, her voice muffled by a mix of T-shirts and designer tennis clothing. “I think it’s cool he finally found a girl he likes enough to risk getting in trouble for.”
“But I don’t want him to get in trouble,” I protest. “I tend to do that—somehow get other people into bad situations that don’t hurt me at all.”
“Really?” Ducking out of the closet, she eyes me curiously.
“It’s a long story, but yeah.” I glance at myself in the mirror again. My skin is slowly returning to normal color. “Thank you,” I say. “Jordy’s right. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Maybe,” she says. “Or maybe I should have let you two get busted. I hate that my parents make him feel like he has to sneak around. You weren’t doing anything wrong, even if you were having sex.”
“But we weren’t,” I say quickly.
She blinks innocently. “Not yet.” Then she rolls her eyes. “Oh boy. Just when you were starting to go back to your normal color.”
I turn back toward the mirror and will myself to return to my usual shade of pale. School, I think. Mr. Ginger. Terminal Velocity. Trigonometry. I force-feed my brain the least sexy things I can imagine and it seems to work. Slowly the redness fades from my cheeks.
“Okay. Put this on.” Jordy’s sister hands me a tennis dress that is at least two sizes too small for me. “My mother will never believe you came over here to practice with me wearing jean shorts.”
I suddenly wish I hadn’t left my duffel bag in Jordy’s car. I wriggle into the tiny dress and tug it down over my hips and thighs. It’s so tight I can barely move.
She gives me an appraising look. “Hmm, that’s a little snug, isn’t it?” She tries to pull up the neckline and pull down the hemline simultaneously, but the dress still looks borderline obscene. “Maybe I have some warm-up pants that will fit you.”
There’s a knock at the door. “It’s me,” Jordy says from the hallway. Jordy’s sister opens the door a crack and he holds up my duffel bag. “Thought you might need this.” His gaze falls on me in the too-tight dress and his jaw drops a little. “Whoa,” he says.
“Get out,” his sister hisses as she grabs the bag. I flash him a grateful look just before she shuts the door in his face. As I quickly change out of her dress and back into my own tennis clothes she says, “Sorry. I think not being able to date is making him extra-pervy or something.”
“It’s okay. It’s kind of flattering.” I check my reflection in the mirror. Much better now that I’m back in my own clothes.
She clicks her tongue at me and shakes her head back and forth. “No it’s not. Don’t be one of those girls who finds being objectified flattering. Be flattered that he likes you for reasons that actually mean something.”
Because you’re smart, and funny, and talented, and kind. He does like me for reasons that actually mean something. But can I say the same? Maybe I only like him because a boy who could have almost anyone picked me. Maybe I only like him because I know that sooner or later I’ll push him away for his own good. He’s safe, because I won’t let things get carried away…will I?

GIVEAWAY

1 - $25 B&N gift card, or in the event of an INT winner, choice of one book from The Book Depository or Wordery. 

2 - Swag pack winners

                                                 Enter the giveaway HERE

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

5/16: Reading Teen - Review

5/17: In Love With Handmade - Deleted Scene

5/18: The Irish Banana Review - Review

5/19: Snuggly Oranges - Deleted Scene

5/20: Fiction Fare - Review

Week 2: 

5/23: Bookiemoji - Playlist

5/24: Mary Had A Little Book Blog - Review

5/25: Adventures of a Book Junkie - Q&A

5/26: Lili's Reflections - Review

5/27: Please Feed the Bookworm - Dream Cast

Happy St Paddy's Day!!

Hello there guys!!

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!

As one of those Irish-ish people (that means I'm not Irish but for some strange reason I'm in bloody love with that country), I love to celebrate St Paddy's Day! Which means I'm wearing green today, started my morning with Irish Breakfast tea, I'm listening to me Irish instrumental playlist and will be downing a few Guinness while I watch Boondock Saints tonight after work!

And since books are my thing, I want to recommend a few books here that are either set in Ireland or that have a certain Irish flair to them, or where Ireland is part of the plot, setting or motivation!

Sláinte!!

See Me by Wendy Higgins

While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his cute Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she was led to believe.

What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.

 The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.

 Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.


And I'll leave you with one of my very favourite instrumental songs from my Irish playlist!! 

 

Liars, Inc. Black Friday Sale Blitz!!

Hello there guys!!

First of all: Happy Thanksgiving!!
We don't celebrate it over here in Spain, but I have plenty of friends in the US that do, so I hope you lot are enjoying the day and the food coma!

And after Thanksgiving comes Black Friday with the insanity and the massive sales, and that for some reason has now arrived overseas here. I'm not a fan of crazy insane multitudes, so I'll be doing some online shopping only, because I love me some sales! 

And because I love me book and sales, I'm taking part on the Liars, Inc Black Friday Sale Blitz! I read and loved this book as an ARC (and re-read and loved the finished copy!) so I want to push this book on anyone and everyone, and what better way to do it than when it is super cheap, right? Right!

 Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes       
 

“This is one exciting ride.” –ALA Booklist

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money. So with the help of his friend Preston and his girlfriend, Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something, and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative? 

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice about it. But then Preston never comes home. And the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead to Preston's body.
Terrifying clues that point to Max as the killer….

 




And now over to Paula herself!!

Paula: I was super-thrilled to see that HarperTeen put the Liars, Inc. ebook back on sale for Black Friday, this time across multiple digital platforms. You can score an e-copy all week for the low price of $1.99 from Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N and iTunes!

I'm a girl who will buy almost anything if it feels like a mega-deal, but I realize that some people are a little more discriminating when they buy books. Therefore, I've designed a handy decision-making tree to help you determine if Liars, Inc. is right for you!

Paula: If you started to cry while reading the above chart, it's possible that you, like me, are a person who struggles to make decisions. It's okay. Some of us need additional information. Click here to read the first chapter of Liars, Inc. It's a great example of what you might be getting yourself into :)

JUST FOR FUN:  Check out the top ten things I would bring with me if I had to go on the run from the feds.Includes essentials like Chapstick, chocolate, and flash bangs. If you leave a comment, tell me the top 3 things you'd pack if you went on the lam.

And hey, just for stopping by, you can enter to win a $25 gift card to B&N (U.S.) or your choice of any book from The Book Depository up to $20 value (INT) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There you go guys! Get yourself a copy of Liars, INC in time to read while the rest of the family goes nuts about (American) football or you digest the food coma, avoid the Black Friday insane lines and multitudes and continue eating the many leftovers, so many times improved by a good book!!

GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE FIRST ARC INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!!!!

 Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

 Release date: May 17th 2016

Synopsis:
Maguire is bad luck. 

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. 

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought. 

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck. 

Hey guys! Today I am more than happy and honoured to be part of the shared FIRST INTERNATIONAL ARC GIVEAWAY for Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes! You'll be introduced to one of my favourite characters in the book (oh boy, she made me laugh so much!) and DO NOT forget about the chance to win the very first ARC in the giveaway!!

I have been one of the lucky ones to read it early and I fell head over heels in love with the story, and Maguire, Jade, Penn, Jordy and the rest of the crew! 

There's a great balance between the more serious parts of the book and the absolutely delightful banterfluff moments (banterfluff is one of my fave maybe-words coined by Debby from Snuggly Oranges). 

I've recently re-read it and it managed to make me tear up again, make laugh out loud and shake my head, swoon and go all "aweeeeeeeeeeee!!" and simply adored this book as much or maybe even a lil bit more than the first time I read it! I've already have it preordered and I just cannot wait till I can add a finished copy to my library room!

Now over to Paula so she can tell you all about my fave character!!

Paula:  Jade is the first friend Maguire makes at her new school. She gets a lot of the book’s funniest lines and steals practically every scene she’s in. (She’s an aspiring stage actress, so I guess that makes sense, right?) Jade and Maguire have an honest and mutually supportive friendship that develops slowly throughout the book. Here’s more info on Jade: 


Name: Jade Lee
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Pacific Point High School
Family: Mom, Dad (AKA the overlords), two older brothers who have both abandoned me for college
Hobbies: acting, tennis, watching movies, fashion design


Here’s what happens when Maguire first meets Jade:


A tall Asian girl wearing patterned kneesocks and a black tennis dress emblazoned with purple geometric shapes makes her way up the bleachers, scanning the rows like she’s looking for someone. She was also in my sixth-hour class. She sat in the back with me and redid her nail polish behind her book for most of the period. 

“Bloody hell,” she says to no one in particular, in what I think is a British accent. “I cannot believe I’m going to spend all semester with you turnips.” She passes everyone up and comes to sit by me. “You’re the new girl, yeah?” she asks. “Maguire?” 

“Yeah.” I scoot a little bit away as she drops her tennis bag on the ground. It’s more of a plain duffel strategically cut and sewn to convert it to a racquet bag. Tiny patches with slogans like “I think, therefore I am (better than you)” and “Death to pop music” cover the front of it.
“Right then,” she says. “I’m Jade.” She dusts off the bleachers with one hand before sitting down. She’s got fresh black and silver polish on every nail except for her thumb, which is adorned with a sunflower decal. 

“Jade.” I scoot back toward her. “Nice to meet you.” Okay, so it’s totally dumb to like someone for her name, but jade is lucky in several different cultures. I’m counting this as a good omen. 


Sooo, that was our introduction to Jade, and trust me... it only gets better (and funnier)!

Now, are you guys ready for the giveaway??

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts who sometimes make bad decisions. She’s the author of several YA novels, most recently Liars, Inc. and The Art of Lainey. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.


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