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Monday, July 30, 2012

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Release Date: July 31st, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC
Age Group: Young Adult
So wrong for each other...and yet so right. No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Echo and Noah aren’t friends. Things are bad enough for Echo, with almost everyone in school whispering about her being a freak and spreading rumors about what happened to her and where she got her scars. The last thing she needs to worry about is bad boy, Noah Hutchins. They keep crossing paths, though, and she’s finding it harder and harder to resist him. Noah’s life isn’t easy and Echo Emerson isn’t making things any easier. He doesn’t care about school, he doesn’t care about his reputation, all he cares about is making sure he can see his brothers. So why is he spending so much time caring about Echo?
I love stories about broken characters. Not because I like seeing people who are in pain, or dealing with personal tragedy, but I feel like there are so many more directions you can take a story when a character has had some serious stuff happen in their lives. Echo and Noah are such an oddly matched pair and when we first meet them, you would never think that they would have any reason to spend any time together. Once the story gets going, and we start to learn a little about things that have happened to them, we start to see that they are more alike than even they realize. I loved how protective Noah was of Echo, even though she irritated him to no end. Echo was simultaneously mad at the world and afraid they were judging her, which considering the things that happened and the fact that she can't remember them, is a pretty understandable way to be. Noah pisses her off, but she is drawn to him and they start to realize that maybe they can help each other. Their scheming was so fun, if a little misguided, and it was fun watching them try to be so sneaky.

This is such a powerful story and it's so well written. Sure, it's about a couple of teenagers, but they aren't just your average high school students. The story is about dealing with and accepting the past, figuring out who they are now, and realizing that they do have a future. For me, the best love stories also have a lot of pain. Maybe that makes me a masochist, but I want to read about struggles and tough situations, because I want to see the love triumph over all of it. Love is supposed to conquer all. The best kind of loves stories come from characters who have reached their lowest point and it's when they realize that they are worthy of the love they are being offered, that I truly believe in it.  

Emotions abound in this book and it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but it is definitely a must read story. The characters are so well drawn and you will laugh and cry right along with them. I urge everyone to run to the bookstore or library and pick yourself up a copy of this and read it right away! Stories like this one don't come around all the time :0)

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (4)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and was inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox posts.

This weeks mail would not have been possible without so many awesome people! Thanks, ya'll :0)


For Review:

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

Won/Borrowed:

White Lines by Jennifer Banash (Thank you, Jennifer!!)
Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (Thank you, Jenna!!! <3)
Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Bought/Swapped:

The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt (My Review)
Freefall by Mindi Scott
52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody


Thanks for stopping by! What did you guys get this week?

*All links go to Goodreads*

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt

Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult


Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before...But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

I always enjoy reading Lauren Barnholdt's books. They are always sweet, funny, and just the right amount of angsty. They are basically the perfect contemp formula for me. I think The Thing About the Truth  is one of my favorite's of her books. I liked the alternating perspectives between Kelsey and Isaac and that we got chapters of the aftermath, then flashbacks to how everything went down. I actually really liked reading from Isaac's point of view. He was just so real with himself and everyone else. I loved how he would say one thing in his head and then think, no that's not true. He was constantly cracking me up and his personality was just so darn charming. Sure he's got a politician for a father, so charm is kind of bred into him, but still. I liked Kelsey, too, but I did think she was a bit whiny at times. I know that she's had a lot of crap happen to her recently, but I wanted her to be stronger and move past it. Of course, once her and Isaac decide that they don't hate each other, she gets a lot better. Not because she needs him to be happy, but I think he helps her realize that the past isn't indicative of the rest of your life.

I really liked their Face It Down Day idea. It was similar to things I've seen people do at real high schools, and when it runs smoothly, I think it's such a great forum for high school students to share with each other and gain some understanding. We never did anything like it at my school, but I think people defnitely could have benefited from it. Of course, Kelsey's ex-bestfriend, ex-boyfriend, and her lies keep their day from actually happening. I liked that her big lie wasn't something completely scandalous and I think that Isaac reacted to it exactly how a teenage guy would react. For me, after going through the whole story and seeing the aftermath all along the way, the resolution was a little too quick. I guess I really would have liked to see a little more between Isaac and Kelsey in the after, but that aside, the last couple of paragraphs worked really well for the story.

Overall this one is a win for me. And I highly suggest giving any of Lauren's books a try if you are a contemporary fan. And if you don't read a lot of contemps, definitely check out one of her books, they are quick and so much fun :0)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that showcases our most wanted upcoming releases.

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
*Release Date: October 9th, 2012*


Publisher: HarperTeen

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

I'm a big fan of books that take place in other countries. I like to travel vicariously! I also really like stories that have sibling relationships in the storyline. I think sibling dynamics are so unique and fun to explore. With the main character finding out she belongs among warriors, there is bound to be some really kick butt moments. I am all for a strong femail heroine, especially one who has warrior potential.

Also, who doesn't love the promise of a sarcastic boy?

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Reading Road Trip: Arizona!



I am so excited to be joining in on the Reading Road-Trip hosted by I Like These Books and Icey Books! Road trip's are some of my favorite past times and I absolutely love reading road trip stories. If I hear a book is a road trip book, I don't really need to know anymore to put it in my reading pile. There is just something so fun and exciting about being on the road with friends, real or in the pages of a good book, and I can't get enough of those experiences.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

This book needs to be on your radar! Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

PUSHING THE LIMITS is one of the best contemporaries I've read in a long time! It has such compelling young characters, both trying to deal with tragedies in their lives and end up getting to know each other in the process. Everyone needs to take a chance on Echo and Noah's story and then spread the word, because I know you are going to love it as much as I did. Let's make PUSHING THE LIMITS the book of summer 2012 :0)

Release Date: July 31st, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Check out the awesome foreign covers for PUSHING THE LIMITS:


Visit Katie McGarry at her website:

PUSHING THE LIMITS on Goodreads!

Check out the book at Harlequin Teen's website!

Pre-order your copy, so you can start it as soon as it's out!



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green


Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton
Format: Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

When I first heard about this book I was so excited for it, it sounded like an excellent story and I couldn't wait to get my pre-order in the mail. Then I started reading reviews and seeing people rave over the book on twitter and I got anxious. See, a lot of times when a book has crazy hype and everyone loves it, I end up not really caring for the book. I don't like not liking everyone's favorite thing, but it's just usually how it works. John Green has such a passionate and devoted following and I didn't want to let anyone down by not liking the book. So when I got it in the mail, I promptly put it on my shelf and went about reading every other book first. Then one night I was feeling brave and decided I was finally going to give it a go. I should also tell you that I am actually a ghost while writing this, because I am dead. This book absolutely killed me, but the good kind of killed (there is a good kind, I swear).

I don't even know if I can really review this book, because every time I think about it all that comes to mind is WOW, what, what what?, *sob*,  *swoon*, etc. I fully expected a book about a girl with cancer to make me feel things, because that is what stories about dying people do, but I never expected the level of emotion that this story evoked. And not just sad emotions, there was plenty of humor, happiness, and anger thrown into the mix. I'm pretty sure Augustus Waters is one of my favorite people (real or fictional) of all time. That boy is just so cool. Also, sweet and completely adorable. For a while I wished that the book was written from his point of view, but ultimately I really liked seeing him through Hazel's eyes. The best scenes were when the two of them were together, alone or with other people, bantering back and forth. I loved their personalities when they got together and they both had a wicked sense of humor.

After finishing the last couple of pages, I reread them, then just stared at the book for a little while. I was so completely blown away and so grateful that I finally took the chance on this amazing story. This is definitely one for the reread pile and now I have the extremely hard task of choosing which John Green book to follow this one up with. I have this sneaking suspicion that no other character is going to live up to Augustus, but I guess that's alright by me :0)

Waiting on Wednesday: Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that showcases our most wanted upcoming releases.

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
*Release Date: September 4th, 2012*


Publisher: Simon & Schuster

In this apocalyptic sequel to Dark Inside"'s "well-balanced, realistic suspense" (Kirkus Reviews"), four teens continue the struggle for survival as they face a world gone mad. Aries, Clementine, Michael, and Mason have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world's population and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now they're hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of fellow teen survivors, trying to figure out their next move.

Aries is trying to lead, but it's hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it's impossible to know where he'd be, assuming he's alive. Michael is haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.

Last year Dark Inside  completely took me by surprise, scared the crap out of me, and ended up being a book I really enjoyed. I was so excited when I learned there was going to be a second book and I've been impatiently waiting ever since. I am dying to find out what the world looks like now that the Baggers have truly taken over and I can't wait to find out how the gang is doing now that they've found some more people. If you haven't read Dark Inside , yet, definitely give it a go before Rage Within  comes out in September :0)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Hooked by Liz Fichera Teaser Trailer :0)

Today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing, with all of you, the teaser trailer for Liz Fichera's 2013 debut novel, HOOKED! As a good share of you already know, I am a huge fan of contemporary novels, and HOOKED sounds like it is right up my alley. It has a gorgeous cover, which I'm going to share below, and the teaser trailer is just making me more impatient for the wait until it's released in January :0)


Sparks fly when a Native American girl with a killer swing joins the boys’ varsity golf team and takes on the boy with the killer smile. Don’t miss this heartwarming and emotional new romantic contemporary!

Isn't that cover gorgeous?!? And I'm always intrigued by a girl joining a boys sports team! Also, on her official website, Liz promises angst, hijinks, and kissing. What more could we want?

Now, without further ado, here is the awesome teaser trailer for HOOKED by Liz Fichera

I know you are all dying to read this now, but while you're waiting I urge you to go add this to your Goodreads shelves and be sure to check out Liz's official website and her blog :0)

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (3)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and was inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox posts.

This is actually almost two weeks of stuff, because I forgot to make my post last week...oops...I got a pretty good haul this time around, but after making a spreadsheet of all the books I am currently in possession of, but haven't read yet, I'm pretty sure I'm going to hold off on buying books for a while!


RENEGADE by J.A. Souders!!!!
This is one of my favorite things I've ever gotten in the mail! It's extra special, because Jessica is actually the first author I met in person and it turns out that I was the first blogger she ever met, on top of that this was the first of her books she ever signed for someone! So I get extra geeky over this and am having a really hard time not reading it right now, but I've got a couple other review books that I need to get finished first :0(


Bought/Traded:

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols
Only His by Susan Mallery
The Darkest Hour (KGI #1) by Maya Banks
The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney
Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer

Gifted/Borrowed/Won:

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (Thanks to the always wonderful, Sophia @ The Book Basement)
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

For Review:

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (from SBB ARC Tours)
Defiance by C.J. Redwine (from SBB ARC Tours)
Origin by Jessica Khoury
What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton



Friday, July 13, 2012

Spreading the Love: DUALED by Elsie Chapman


Okay, guys, I just finished this book last night and I'm completely enamored with it! You know how sometimes a book is just so great, that you can feel it while you're reading and it sticks with you once you're done, well DUALED was one of those books for me! The story sucked me in and the characters were so well drawn. It doesn't actually come out until February, so I'm not going to review it just yet, but I just had to give it a shout out and some major love.

Elsie Chapman has crafted one amazing story and I urge you to get a copy as soon as you get the chance. This is definitely one for the re-read pile :0)

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Possession of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson

Release Date: June 1st, 2012
Publisher: North Star Press
Format: Paperback
Age Group: Young Adult

A long, dark driveway towards an old farmhouse. A new stepsister with a nasty streak. A little sister who runs off. Something sinister lurking in the woods. Cassie Quinn's new home comes with . . . complications. Cassie never believed in ghosts before. But now she is receiving strange messages, telling her to stay out of the woods. Are the messages just a ploy by her stepsister? Or are they warning her of an evil that stalks the shadows of the woods beyond her home?

Ghost stories are always intriguing to me. I guess because of all the creepy, paranormal entities out there, ghosts are the most realistic to me and because of that they scare me more than any other type. This story is about Cassie Quinn and her family. They recently moved to a creepy old house in a small town and there are a lot of weird things that start happening. At first Cassie blames her new stepsister for the weird messages and things she sees, but pretty soon it becomes obvious that something a little more sinister is going on. Not to mention, her new friends definitely have an issue with her house and the woods behind it, and she can tell they are hiding things from her.

This was a creepy and quick read. It's chock full of tricky apparitions, paranormal experts, amulets, spells and scary treks through the woods at night time. And just as you think things are starting to get under control, there is a twist at the end that sets up some great things for book two. This is definitely one to pick up if you are the mood for a little bit of a scare.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

"Being Friends With Boys" by Tera Elan McVoy

Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: eGalley
Age Group: Young Adult

Charlotte and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl's perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys' band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free...until it isn't any more.

When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl...and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char...being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.

When I was in high school, I was a lot like Charlotte, because most of my friends were boys. Girls were too much drama and just did awful things to each other. So I knew that this was definitely a read for me, because I love it when I can connect with a character so closely. Of course, I don't possess any musical talent, so I was no where near as cool as Charlotte. And Charlotte is just really cool. I loved reading her story. I cheered for her when things were going so great, thought "oh, honey" when she was being a little oblivious to what was really going on, and I cried for her when things went south.

I read all the time, but it's actually really rare for me to read a book in one sitting. Being Friends With Boys was a one sitting read for me. From the description it sounds like a great premise, but totally unassuming, and that's why it totally snuck up on me when I couldn't bear to put it down. I loved the band. All of the guys were so different, but awesome in their own ways. Oliver and Charlotte have been friends for so long and you could see it in the way the interacted with each other. I am always a fan of boy/girl best friendships and I really liked the way this one was written.

Two of my favorite characters don't get named on the cover flap, but they were so much of why I sped through this book. I dare anyone to not love Benji and Fabian, I mean their names alone are wonderful, but then you actually get to know them and they are some of favorite guys. Benji is they guy that people don't really hang out with, because he's got a reputation and high school kids are fickle. The thing is, like most people, Benji is not his reputation and he's pretty hilarious. Fabian is probably the sweetest thing, ever. Plus he's got the adorable nerd thing going for him.

I pretty much love everything about this book, except the cover, and that's only because they don't actually spend any time in a coffee shop or drinking coffee. This story has music, boys, drama, and so much awesome. Definitely give it a read :0)


*Synopsis and cover art from Goodreads

Friday, July 6, 2012

Summer Reads Giveaway Hop: Christmas in July Giveaway!




It's Christmas in July here at The Book Life! I don't know about you guys, but this time of year I love reading books about the winter months. I guess it helps me pretend it's not so hot out...haha. So for this hop I decided I was going to get in the holiday spirit :0)

Up for grabs is a pre-order of DECKED WITH HOLLY by Marni Bates

Release Date: October 1st, 2012

Holly Dayton is about to go way out of her comfort zone. . .

Spending Christmas vacation on a cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when in a moment of seasick-fueled desperation she lurches into an open suite--she's greeted with an eyeful of pepper spray. The culprit? A gorgeous guy calling himself Nick. But when Holly goes to make her exit, she gets the shock of her life: a corridor crammed with screaming teenage fans. Because Nick just happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet--one of the hottest bands in America.

Suddenly rumors are swirling, and Holly's face is captured on countless phones and plastered all over the Internet. But the band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend--just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be fauxmantically involved with one of the cutest rockstars on the planet? Holly's about to find out.

  This book sounds absolutely delightful and I completely adored Marni's debut, AWKWARD, so I'm sure this one will be a winner!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: ReAwakened by Ada Adams!

I recently read and loved ReVamped by Ada Adams, which has such an amazing cover, and an excellent story to go with it!
ReVamped (Angel Creek #1) by Ada Adams

A simple mission turned deadly.

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.

When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.


While stalking (not in the creepy way, I swear) Ada on Twitter I found out there was a blogger cover reveal happening for book two, ReAwakened, and I knew I had to get in on that!
 This cover is just as awesome as book one, and I'm sure the story will be, too!

ReAwakened (Angel Creek #2) by Ada Adams

Isn't that just so pretty?!? I love how striking the eyes are on both covers. It certainly catches your eye and draws you in. Unfortunately, there isn't a summary for book two yet, but I'm not sure that even matters. Once you read ReVamped, you won't hesitate to put ReAwakened on your wishlist :0)


Giveaway:


Ada is offering one ARC of ReAwakened for one random reader who comments on one of the cover reveal posts! All you have to do is leave your thoughts on the cover in the comments and you are automatically entered (please be sure to leave a way to contact you in the comment)! How can it get any better than that, right? If you've read book one, then you know you want book two. If you haven't, well just take my word for it :0)

Ada will also be doing an hour-long live Tweet-chat about anything and everything related to her writing, Angel Creek, characters, non-spoilery parts of the story, etc. on July 5th @ 5 p.m. EST, so be sure to stop by will and hang out! And don't forget to use the hashtag #ReVampedChat. Since everyone is in different time zones, you can leave your questions with the hashtag, and Ada will be sure to get to them :0)


 
ReVamped website: http://www.revampedbook.com/
ReVamped Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/revampedbook
Ada Adam's Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Ada_Adams
Cover Designer: Juliana Kolesova @ www.julianakolesova.com
“ReAwakened” Theme: Blood (hence the cover color).



Wednesday, July 4, 2012

4th of July Blogoversary Giveaways!!


The Book Life's 4th of July Blogoversary Giveaways!!



It's blogoversary time here at The Book Life and that means presents!

I've been getting loads of swag from all sorts of amazing authors so that I could put it all together for an awesome swag giveaway! There will be 3 swag packs to give away and all of them are loaded with lots of pretties :0)
AND! I have one gorgeous, handmade bracelet from AURACLE author Gina Rosati! This bracelet is so pretty and you definitely want the chance to rock it! The bracelet will be randomly packaged in one of the swag packs, so you won't know if you won the bracelet, until you open your swag pack. Here's the bracelet:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

BUT...there's more!

I'm also giving away a mystery box of books. It has a mix of ARCs and finished copies, all of them Young Adult titles! There will be at least 8 books and of course some extra goodies :0)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


The swag giveaways and the mystery box are both US only, but there's a little something for the international followers, too! I've read a lot of great books so far in 2012 and one person is going to get to choose one of the books from the list below (if it's not out yet, I'll pre-order) and as long as The Book Depository ships to you, you're golden!













These are all fantastic reads, some of my favorites, and you can't go wrong choosing any of them!

So go forth, enter the giveaways, and thank you for being a part of The Book Life's first year of blogging! I can't wait for what's next and I'm so happy to be a part of this community :0)






Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando


Release Date: July 5th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Format: Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult

An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory

With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.

Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win.
I love scavenger hunts. SO much. The reason I initially added this book to my TBR is because it reminded me of high school. Ours weren't quite to the scale of the scavenger hunt in this book, but my friends and I used to do them when we were in high school. While reading about Mary and her friends, on their adventure, I could totally picture myself right there with them.
This book was a ton of fun and I really loved hanging out with Mary and her friends. I especially loved Patrick and his suspenders! Most of the story was the kids riding around town, following clues, and finding things on their lists, but it was also the end of high school for these kids so we also got some serious, what am I going to do about my future stuff. It had a good balance of fun high school antics and serious coming of age moments.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun read for the summer! It's got a little bit of everything and it's such a fun adventure. I don't think there is going to be a sequel, or companion novel, but I would love to read about next year's scavenger hunt!

Stacking the Shelves (2) - The one with Happy Making things :0)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and was inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox posts.

I had an unusually awesome book week, this week, and I'm crazy excited for all of these books!

 

Won/Gifted:

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Frozen by Mary Casanova

Crazy, awesome AURACLE swag from Gina Rosati

Bought:

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl
Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl
Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl

Review Copies:

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Through To You by Emily Hainsworth
Breathe by Sarah Crossan
The Possession of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson
Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler
Scorch by Gina Damico
Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Gold by Chris Cleave

Blogger's Mentioned:


What did you guys get this week? Leave me links to your posts so I can check them out :0)

Impatiently Waiting!

There are so many amazing titles coming out over the next few months, but my TBR is huge and I'm trying to wait patiently while I read the books I am lucky enough to already have. However, there are a few upcoming books coming out before the end of this year, that I would sell my left arm for. I'd stand on one leg, twirling in a circle, while simultaneously patting my head and rubbing my stomach, if I was given the chance to read these books. I'm weird, I've accepted it :0)


The Books:



I keep obsessing with myself over these titles. TOUCHING THE SURFACE is a debut and LIVE THROUGH THIS is the authors second book (which I am embarassed to admit that I didn't know and thought it was a debut... *adds FREEFALL to TBR :0)) , and they both sound so amazing! STEALING PARKER is a companion to one of my favorite reads of last year and I can't wait to dive into it!

Have any of you read these? Are they as amazing as they look? What are your most wanted reads for the rest of this year? You can leave them in the comments, I love adding books to my TBR list :0)

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Oh What a Year It's Been!


It's really odd to be writing this post. When I started blogging a year ago, I never really had any expectations or ideas of what I could really get from it. I love to read and I wanted to talk about what I was reading, so I started talking about the books on my blog. No one was really reading my blog and that was okay, I just liked getting my thoughts out there. Then slowly people started reading and commenting, and I freaked out. I couldn't believe people actually cared about what I thought about a book and I certainly didn't think my thoughts were really going to reach everyone. I guess that's the great thing about the internet.

I didn't really get the full experience of this community, though, until I got myself on Twitter.

Bane of my existence, love of my life.

 Every fellow blogger, booklover and author I have talked to and befriened on Twitter, has made this entire experience worth it. I never in a million years would have imagined that I could have regular conversation with an author whose book I adored, but Twitter makes it possible. I never thought that I would actually have people all over the world that I could consider friends, even if we never meet, but Twitter makes it possible. I've had more than one moment, over the last 12 months, when I thought I might throw in the towel. Let's be real, sometimes all the work we do for our blogs can be stressful and who wants unneeded stress in their lives? Everytime I thought about stopping and pulled back for a bit, I missed it and I missed the people. So I guess that makes me feel like a real blogger. You guys make me feel validate, so thank you!

The blogging community is such an awesome one to be a part of, and even though there are dramas from time to time, I wouldn't trade any of it. I have met so many wonderful people and gotten the opportunity to read so many wonderful books, but none of that would have ever happened if I hadn't decided to put my thoughts online and you guys hadn't decided to read them. So again, I say thank you. This may be my blogoversary, but it wouldn't seem right celebrating with anyone else :0)

I have some awesome giveaways for this special occasion, a lot of them, but I haven't gotten the posts completely finished yet, so those will go up later this week. I have been collecting so much awesome swag from some seriously amazing authors, and of course there are books to be given away. SO MANY BOOKS! So stay tuned for that!!

Thanks for all of your support this year guys, and remember...

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