It's My Birthday Week: Today I'm giving away A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller!!

Well, well, well! Today it's Saturday and it's the day before my birthday, so it's the last day of the giveaways!

And I've saved quite a special book for last. This has to be hands down my favourite debut of the year, I adore this book to bits and I continue to push it on every single one of my bookish friends that still hasn't read it! I feel that it's also one of those books that hasn't got as much hype as it deserves, so I'm doing my part, small as it may be to get it out there more!

As all the previous giveaways, this one is open INTERNATIONAL!

A Mad Wicked Folly is historical fiction, and what a wonderful book it is! I loved the period that the book is set on, and all the fight for getting the right to vote for women. Something that we take quite for granted nowadays, but it's been so for less than a century and in some places it isn't still recognized. Sharon Biggs Waller did an amazing job at making us feel the restrictions of society and at least for me, to get really angry to see how society in general, and not just men, treated the Suffragists.

I adored the book so much that not only I gave it 5 stars on my review HERE but I also made decorated cupcakes inspired by it in my Ink & Batter feature!

Now if you want to get a copy of this gorgeous (in & out) book and I do hope you do, just enter the Rafflecopter below!


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Friday Reads: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon!!!

Soooo, how is your Friday going guys??

Are you joining my birthday week celebration and entering the giveaways? I hope you are!!

Today as my Friday Reads entry I have a book that had not expected to read, and even less expected to love as much as I did. I blame it all on the amazing Outlander show on Starz and the awesome Twitter ladies that with their love for the show and books made me want to watch and then read: Sharon, Sara, Kate... THANK YOU!

I'm obsessed with the show and the book and my latest obsession that I was playing on loop while writing the review was the title theme song for the show and I must share it with you guys now, watch it and then feel free to read or ignore my review! ;)






Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I had seen the Outlander books many times out there but for some reason I was never drawn to them. But then time passed, the show was made and many of the awesome ladies I follow on Twitter started tweeting about the awesome show and even more awesome Jamie and I decided to give the show a try. So I started watching the show, loved it to bits and decided to read the first book in the series while waiting for the next episode!

As contrary as you would expect I'm not kicking myself for not having read this book before because I think this book was exactly what I needed in this moment in my life and it's simply meant so much to me that it wouldn't have at a different time.

Outlander is a story of love, adventure, history, time travel and magic. I wasn't very sure about the time travel bit but I think the way it was done, with the magic element and the unknown instead of trying to give us some explanation simply works great for the story. The focus is not so much the time travel, but finding yourself in another time, getting to grips with it and trying to adapt and not stick out too much while you try to go back to your own time.

Claire Randall (or Beauchamp) is a World War II nurse that is returning to normal life once war is over and is trying to find her way back to her marriage after all the time apart. They go on a second honeymoon to Scotland together to rebuild their relationship and their intimacy and it's during that time that Claire finds herself traveling back in time to 1743 without meaning to.

And Claire is such a great character, she tries logic first, trying to rationalize what might be a sensible explanation and then she ends up accepting that something very strange has happened and focuses on survival. Finding herself in the middle of a struggle and in what can be enemy territory, she can't help but follow her instincts as a nurse and help and by doing so, she starts a new thread in her life that she never would have imagine or wanted.

Seeing her trying to make the best of an extremely confusing situation and still being true to her values and not giving up on her strenght, even when she makes some not so intelligent choices was fantastic. She's a strong character and even when she has very few options, she always try to make her own choice, not letting others decide for her. Given that the 18th century isn't exactly a feminist haven, this strikes me as the hardest balance to keep for her, if we don't count the quite massive emotional turmoil that she goes through leaving behind her rekindled relationship with her husband and finding herself progressively falling in love with another man.

And that brings us to Jamie, ah dear Jamie! He's a young Scot that Claire helps heal on her first few hours on the 18th century and he's the one that seems to distrust her less and seems to appreciate her being different the most. He was a wonder to read about and I loved that despite all the hardships in his life, he still remained such a nice guy all around. He is nice, caring, strong, terribly stubborn but also very loyal and ended up being the most interesting and enticing guy I had read about in a loooong time. If there is a character that I'd really claim as a book boyfriend, it'd be James Alexander Malcom McKenzie Fraser. Even if at times he can also be infuriating and I felt like giving him a smack or a good talking to, something that Claire did for me every time! I just adored their relationship all over the book, how they get to know each other, find themselves as friends, allies, lovers and simply the best team ever.

The background for all this is a Scotland that is defying the British rule, even if not yet in open battle, so the political enviroment was perfect for a lot of action and plenty of drama. Though the book is a very long one I never once felt like I wanted to skip something or other, because in the end a lot of details here or there had relevance further on. The secondary characters were amazing in general, even if I fell in love with some more than with others.

All in all a fantastic book and one that has entered straight away into both my favourites and my therapy reads shelves! Very much deserved 5 stars!!



View all my reviews

It's My Birthday Week: Today I'm giving away The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes!!

Hi there and Happy Friday!

The weekend is almost here and to continue the celebrations for my birthday week I have a giveaway for another of my very favourite books of the year!

This giveaway as well as all the others run by me in the blog are all INTERNATIONAL!

The Art of Lainey was one of those amazing surprises of the year. I've never been a big fan of contemporary stories but decided to give Lainey a try and I just so happy that I did! Not only Lainey is a gem of a book but it also worked as therapy for me at a moment when my emotional state was at what has been the worst of my life so far. Lainey's path and mine are nothing alike and our situations differed a lot, but the general message was one that really resonated with me. And not only that, Paula Stokes is an awesome lady & author!

You can read my review of Lainey HERE. Also you can see the inspired decorated cupcakes I made for it in my Ink & Batter feature!

And if you want to get yourself a copy of the book, just enter the via the Rafflecopter below!


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Cover Reveal for Rebellion by J.A. Sounders!!

Today J.A. Souders and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for REBELLION, book 3 in the Elysium Chronicles releasing in June 5, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win the books!

You guys will have to scroll down to see the cover, but trust me... it's beyond gorgeous!! I'm so gonna love getting an hardcover of it as soon as it releases!!

On to the reveal!

Title: REBELLION

Author: J.A. Souders

Publisher: TOR Teen

Pub. Date: June 9, 2015

About J.A. Souders 

J.A. SOUDERS is the author of the
Elysium Chronicles and lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her
husband and two children where she spends her time writing about the monsters
under the bed, day dreaming about living in an underwater colony, and failing
miserably at playing video games.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive physical copies of RENEGADE AND REVELATIONS plus the eNovellas. 

And ASK AGAIN LATER by Liz Czukas. 

If you have J.A.s books already, she will do an amazon or book depository gift card of the same value.

International

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It's My Birthday Week: Today I'm giving away Shadows by Paula Weston!!

Hello there! Happy Thursday!

Continuing with the week long celebrations for my birthday (I'm still feeling a bit wishy washy about it) today I have another fantastic, 5 stars and completely obsessed I'm-pushing-this-book-on-everyone book!

And yes, for anyone wondering this giveaway as all the others is open INTERNATIONAL!

Today's book is Shadows by Paula Weston, and you can read my review for it HERE!
I absolutely adored this book (and the other two in the series that are out so far) and it was quite a surprise, cause I'm not usually big on angel's books. But these are not your regular books about angels AT ALL! These are NOT preachy, full of action, amazing romance that doesn't get in the way of the story and many surprises along the way!

Interested in the book? You should be! Click & enter the rafflecopter below to win!

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Waiting On Wednesday #61!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

Sooooo, what book am I absolutely dying why-is-it-not-here-yet for this week? Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch!!

Goodreads Summary:

"A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own."


Why am I eagerly awaiting Snow Like Ashes? Well, first of all I fell in love with the cover and then it sounds like a fantastic fantasy story and I'm soooo in the mood as of late for fantasy as of late! Kingdoms that are static for each season and others that have all 4? Sounds so intriguing!!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

It's My Birthday Week: Today I'm giving away The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski!!

Hello guys!

To continue with my birthday celebrations, today I'm giving away yet another book and this one is another of those books that has really made a big impression on my this year!

All the giveaways are of course international, everyone is welcome!

The Winner's Curse was on of my first 5 stars and author discoveries of the year. The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the world building of it, I had seen it as fantasy, but I think the best to describe it is as historical fantasy. Marie Rutkoski has created her own unique world with two kingdoms that can remind us of other ancient history civilizations, the Valorians are for me a mix of Romans & Spartans (because of their focus on the military) and the Herrans that could be more a mix of Greece and Cartago. All the details and the richness of the world she created is one of my favourite parts of the book! Also, this was one of hell of cruel book for my heart, the romance is a slow burn and forbidden and just amazing! For more of my ramblings, you can read my review HERE.

And if you want to win a paperback copy of this book, enter the rafflecopter below!!


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Xpresso Book Tour Blog Tour for Raven by Stacey Rourke!!

Hey there everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Blog Tour for Raven by Stacey Rourke, organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

I will be sharing my review & a Blog Tour wide giveaway, so click HERE for the full tour schedule! But before that, let's get you some more information about the book & author, shall we?

 Raven by Stacey Rourke
(The Legends Saga #2)
Publication date: May 26th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:

An infamous love, destined nevermore,
For death could not claim, the enchanting Lenore.
Cursed by the malevolent spirit of the Headless Horseman, Ireland Crane ventures to Manhattan in search of a way to break her soul crushing bond. Instead, she discovers the lines between fact and fiction are blurring once more. Croaking ravens. Telltale hearts. Could the works of Poe be coming to pass with handsome Wall Street Midas Ridley Peolte as their unwilling target?
She walks the Earth, a plague on mankind,
searching for he, her rotted heart doth pine.
Together, the two unknowingly release a dark force death itself could not tame. Surrounded by the unrelenting violence and mayhem they’ve unleashed, Ireland feels her control over the Horseman slipping. Before the beast within consumes her, she and her crew must follow the clues of the dead to right a centuries’ old wrong. Will it be enough to sate the Horseman’s appetite?
Hell hath no fury like a ghoul scorned.

Amazon

Crane by Stacey Rourke: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the author:

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013

Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction  and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. Mark your calendars! Her latest literary adventure, Crane, will release May 26, 2014. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this thrilling Legends Saga, as well as other literary projects.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

Review

I was extremely curious about this series because I love gothic novels and paranormals mixed up so when I had the chance to review them for the blog tour, I jumped at it and am I glad that I did!

Where Craven was the story of Ireland finding herself dealing with her curse and finding a way to share her body with the Headless Horseman, this one continues to build into that but adds a few new elements that are quite a treat in themselves, namely Edgar Allan Poe and Lenore!

Ireland keeps on trying to find answers for what/who/why brought on the curse onto her and if it was thoroughly intentional or not and while looking for the answers, she and Noah and Rip find themselves embroiled into something that makes them realize this is bigger than they thought at first, having left Sleepy Hollow for New York in their search.

We get alternating chapters in alternating POVs, we follow Ireland, Noah, Rip and their newfound member of the gang on their search in present time, but we also follow Edgar Allan Poe's life and woes, having a new backstory of darkness that makes reading those chapters a treat, with the wonderful and creepy gothic darkness vibe that they have.

This was an extremely fast and engaging read that had me turning pages in alternatively mad pace to see what will happen next and slowly to enjoy the creepy gothic feel to it. I absolutely adore how well the author mixed both and managed to have that darkness present all over the book but never being too overwhelming. The ending was yet another cruel but not horribly so cliffhanger and really leaves you pinning for the next book, hoping to get some more answers to the many unanswered questions, new and old! Very well deserved 4 stars to this one!

Giveaway

Tour-wide giveaway

1st prize: US only

• $25 Amazon gift card
• A signed copy of Raven 
• Ebook copies of the books 1 & 2 of The Legends Saga

2nd prize - INTL

• eBook copies of all six of Stacey Rourke's books

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