Book Blitz: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir {Letter+Giveaway}

I am so excited that AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special introduction from Sabaa herself!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Sabaa Tahir, be sure to check out all the details below. This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copies of the book and some of those awesome sword letter openers we’ve seen around courtesy of Sabaa, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A letter from Sabaa Tahir:

Dear Readers,

Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.

And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!

All my best,

Sabaa

Waiting on Wednesday (132)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

Blood Passage (Dark Caravan Cycle #2) by Heather Demetrios

Release Date: Oct. 6th, 2015

Publisher: Balzer and Bray 

Hiatus: April 21st-May 8th

As some of you may know AP testing is right around the block and when you're taking 4-5 AP classes, studying will take a good portion of your time. And  I know that if I don't go on hiatus then I'll just use the blog as an excuse and a means to procrastinate studying which is not good. At all. 

So in order to have time to study and actually try, we'll be going on hiatus from today to May 8th. Once the first week of AP testing is over be ready for a whole lot of reviews and posts. 

See you guys in 3 weeks! 

P.S I will still be on Twitter so I'll be around just not on the blog :)

Trailer Reveal: Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt {Excerpt+Giveaway}

Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1)

by Tiffany Schmidt

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 19th 2015

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository | IndieBound | Bloomsbury 

Synopsis:

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

Cover Reveals: Salt and Storm, Until Friday Night, and MORE

**Click on the cover to go to its Goodreads Page**

Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper

This is the paperback version and I have to say I like it a lot more than the original :D

Blog Tour: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno {Review+Giveaway}

99 Days by Katie Cotugno
384 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015
Read an excerpt

Rate: 3 STARS 

Synopsis:

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

432 Pages 

Release Date: May 5th, 2014 

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens 

Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 STARS (if I could give more I would)

Goodreads Summary:
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Review: Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
320 Pages
Release Date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Parnormal/Sci-fi
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 3.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in this fantasy about a girl caught between two worlds…two races…and two destinies.

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. 

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. 

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. 

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Waiting on Wednesday (131)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

All In (The Naturals #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Release Date: November 3rd, 2015 

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Event Recap: YALLWEST

If you didn't know, YALLWEST was this weekend. I have been excited for this event literally ever since the day they announced it at YallFest (which was in November I think). It helps that it's really close by so our rides would have been fine with getting us rides (and if not we could have bussed it). Anyways, so Caitlyn, Olivia, and I attended both days (WE HAD SO MUCH FUN)

Saturday: 

Oh god, Saturday was crazy, once they let us in, we had to sign in so we could be accounted for any of the keynotes and the Smackdown. The thing was that everyone was super confused as to what tent was for what but then word got around and everything worked out. From then on, Olivia and I bought some books (adding more weight to our ever so heavy tote bags). We had an average of 11 books each (not as much as other people but we were actually carrying them on our shoulders-->still sore shoulders). Caitlyn went to wait in the signing line for Marissa Meyer since that was the longest and me and Olivia headed to the Epic Reads tent and got an Epic Reads tote bag and an awesome Dumplin' sticker. Since we had 3 people it was easier to help each other out in the lines so we were able to get all our books signed. Lines were so hectic (they had to move Veronica Roth's signing to another place and Richelle Mead signed for at least 2 hours and even then she didn't get to all of them).

Left to Right (on the table)-Marie Lu and Ally Condie

Cover Reveals: Illuminae, Truthwitch, and MORE

**Click on the cover to go to its Goodreads page**

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Religion in YA

2015 has been such a great year for the promotion of diversity YA and actual diverse books. From books like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda to Written in the Stars, these debut authors deserve a huge round of applause. This is totally going track but I have to give a shout out to these authors. I've never seen such a close group of authors who are great friends that stick up for one another. Some authors you want to be following on: Justina Ireland, Dahlia Adler, Melissa Grey, Katherine Locke, Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Nicola Yoon, Aisha Saeed, Sabaa Tahir, Renee Ahdieh, Ilene Gregario, Marcy Beller Paul. The first 4 are so great about speaking up on Twitter about everything (racial diversity, feminism, sexuality). You want to add all their books to you TBR.

What I wanted to discuss today is religion/belief in YA (which was inspired by Aisha Saeed's Written in the Stars (a great book)). From the 6 years I've been reading books, there was never much religious diversity or even religion involved. If a person was religious they were Christian/Catholic and sometimes Jewish. Even then, I was never sure if they were that religious or not. Saving the world can do that to characters. I know I'm not personally a fan of books that heavily focus on religion and start to sound a bit preachy and I don't think that's ever been a problem I've faced when reading. Lots of books don't really need to mention it especially in a paranormal or fantasy world but contemporary books are a different story. 

I do want to question what readers would do if they did encounter a book in which the character was religious. The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes was about a group of teens on a youth retreat and did a great job with how it handled the plot and the characters. Would the reaction be different if these characters were on a Jewish, Muslim, or Bhuddist retreat of a sort? Some religions have different values that not many people are accustomed to. Do you think contrasting opinions between the reader/character would take away from the book's rating? Should it even matter? In reality, would this be a problem that hinders from a book's or author's success? 

For authors who are planning on writing a character from a different religion than they are, research is important!! I can't stress this enough.

(I'm not sure if I even got my point across but I hope this post made sense. I respect all and any religions/beliefs) 

Blog Tour: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein {Review+Giveaway}

Becoming Jinn (Becoming Jinn #1)
by Lori Goldstein
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: April 21st 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Mythology

Rate: 3.5 STARS 

Synopsis:

Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!

Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit. 

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny. 

Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

Waiting on Wednesday (130)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch 

Release Date: Oct. 13th, 2015

Publisher: Balzer and Bray

Top Ten Characters You'd Like To Check In With

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten.

**Lists aren't in any specific order**

Topic: Top Ten Characters You'd Like To Check In With
(meaning, the book or series is over and you so just wish you could peek in on the "life" you imagine they are leading years down the line after the story ends)

April Releases

*Click on the cover to go to it's Goodreads page* 

April 7th:

Cover Reveals: The Iron Warrior, A History of Glitter and Blood, & MORE

**Cover links back to its Goodreads page**

The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

Review: Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed
304 Pages
Release Date: March 24th, 2015
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Blog Tour: Love, Lucy by April Lindner {Interview+Giveaway}

Love, Lucy
by April Lindner
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: January 27th 2015

Synopsis:

While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too. 

In this coming-of-age romance, April Lindner perfectly captures the highs and lows of a summer love that might just be meant to last beyond the season.

Waiting on Wednesday (129)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han 

Release Date: May 26th, 2015

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers