Bringing YA To You

Have you ever wished that a big YA book tour would make a stop in your hometown? Well, here's your chance for that wish to come true! YA2U is a program that features five award-winning and best-selling authors who are holding a contest to see what city they should visit in an exclusive tour stop!

The authors are collecting votes from January 1 to February 15, and any city in the continental US or any Canadian city that has an international airport can win an exclusive visit from all five authors, including an author panel and book signing! Entering is super easy--and if you help spread the word about the contest, you can also enter win a signed copy of all of their books (TEN signed books in total!)--and the book contest is open internationally!

The authors in the program are:
* Marie Lu, the New York Times best-selling author of Legend and the upcoming Prodigy
* Marissa Meyer, the New York Times best-selling author of Cinder and the upcoming Scarlet
* Beth Revis, the New York Times best-selling author of Across the Universe, A Million Suns, and the upcoming Shades of Earth
* Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch and the highly-anticipated upcoming The Archived
* Megan Shepherd, author of the debut novel The Madman's Daughter

And they want to have an event in your home town! To participate, just got to the YA2U website and let them know what city you want them to come to. And while you're there, help spread the word about the contest and you can be entered to win all of their books--TEN signed books in total!

Here's why the YA2U Team should come to MY hometown in SEATTLE!

Contrary to popular belief we do have some amazing weather in Seattle, when it is nice it is PERFECT! We have some amazing sights to see that will keep the authors entered should they come to our city. They have the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, The Gum Wall (in Pike), beautiful waterfront, Ride the Duck tour, EMP (Experience Music Project), Pacific Science Center, original Starbucks and Seattle Best Coffee houses. Us Washingtonians love our books. Since we do have a lot of rain, that produces because green scenery, we get to stay indoors a lot and read lots of books. We do have lots of readers that would love to support all of the these authors.
(Pictures are all my property/photography and can be viewed more on my FB page)

Why should the YA2U Team come to your hometown?
Why not join in the fun today and share with others about this program and your hometown. The more votes your town gets, the closer you are to having your very own personal tour stop! Vote for YOUR town here!

And if you help spread the word, you can also participate in the book giveaway. Tell them that you learned about YA2U from me and we both get extra entries in the contest!


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Top Ten Tuesday (24)

Top 10 Tuesdays

Topic: Top Ten Books I resolve to read in 2013

This meme is created by The Broke and the Bookish, anyone can participle telling about their top 10 topic items are.

My ARC List

in order of publication 

The Madman's Daughter 1/29/13

Nobody But Us 1/29/13

A City of a Thousand Dolls 2/5/13

Pivot Point 2/12/13

Mind Games 2/19/13

Requiem 3/5/13

MILA 2.0 3/12/13

Pretty Girl-13 3/19/13

Dead Silence 4/16/13

Taken 4/16/13

What is on your resolve to read in 2013 list?

Leave your link

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Under the Never Sky Review

Under the Never Sky

By Veronica Rossi

Summary

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

What I Loved

Overall Review

What an awesome book, an all around amazing storyline with fantastic characters as well. The story was fast paced and never slowed down, something was always going on and happening. I'm so glad I finally got to read it, I wish I would have read it earlier it was just that awesome. I'm looking forward to the next book, I want more!!

Characters

Aria: For starters, I love her name, I have always been a fan of A names, to me they sound really pretty. Her actual character personality I freaking loved! I was surprised by how strong she was, I was expecting her to be this whiny and weak character, but nope not a peep out of her. I love her ability to adapt and her will to survive.

Peregrine aka Perry: He is my favorite character type, the dark brooding bad boy that has many issues and just needs the right girl to love him. Loved his cool exterior, but his soft interior that he slowly revealed to Aria.

Romance

Not the typical love at first sight, thankfully, but the more realistic falling for them over time. The romance is on the side, but not the main storyline. Just the right amount of romance to add to the story, but not overwhelm it with straight romance.

Dystopian

Aria gets the best of both worlds, she got to do the whole virtual reality stuff but then she gets to know the real life outside excitements. Adding the increased senses to the human evolution is just genius and made this book even better.

A New Trilogy

Aria discovers a lot of things both good and bad about the pods and herself and I'm looking forward to seeing what grand adventures and issues Aria and Perry are going to come across in the next book.

Didn't Like

Nothing, besides that the book had to come to an end and I can't have the next one in my hands now

Recommendation

Got to read this book NOW!

Information 

Under the Never Sky Trilogy 

Under the Never Sky

Through the Ever Night winter 2013

Book 3

If you could have a heightened sense which would you want?

I would want sight

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The Immortal Rules Review

The Immortal Rules

By Julia Kagawa

Summary

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

What I Liked

Future of Vampires
Vampires are the dominate species in the world and many humans have been killed off by disease. This book stays with the traditional vampire and adds I guess you could call them zombie vampires aka "rabids", now those things are scary, even the animals aren't safe from this.
Action
Allie learns how to fight with a katana, how cool is that! There is a decent amount of fighting and action throughout the entire book. It isn't filled with action, but a good amount. 

Character

Allison aka Allie: She is awesome! She is almost as bad ass as Rose, but not quite. I enjoyed her internal struggle that she has with herself, she doesn't ever want to fully give into the monster she has become. Allie wants to keep her humanity, even though it is a continuous struggle and not going to be easy ever. I like her perseverance, strength, will and stubbornness. 

Romance

This book has very little romance, for me I enjoy having a break from lots of romance especially in the YA genre.

Didn't Like

It slowed down a little in the middle of the book while she was traveling looking for Eden, but that didn't last very long and it soon picked up.

Recommendation 

Must read for all vampire lovers

Information

Blood of Eden Series

The Immortal Rules

unknown how long series will be

Iron Fey Series

The Iron King

Winter's Passage

The Iron Daughter

The Iron Queen

Summer's Crossing

The Iron Knight

Would you choose to become a monster?

Now I wish this would have been the cover! This is awesome!!

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Destined Review

Destined 

By Aprilynne Pike

Summary

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and she is working with Klea to conquer and destroy Avalon. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares for a fight she never thought she would have to face.

Filled with heart-pounding action, sweeping romance, and higher stakes at every turn, Destined is the series conclusion that readers have been clamoring for—with a twist that will leave them breathless.

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to touch her hair behind her ear. He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.

She hated how much it felt like good-bye.

What I Loved

Conclusion 

I love it when I finally get to read the last concluding book of the series. However this is also a bittersweet ending, with both happiness and sadness for our beloved characters. I personally would love for Aprilynne to revisit this world years later and possibly from Yasmine's POV, that would be so cool.

Excitement
There is never ending excitement in this book, from beginning to end the book does not slow down in the least. Avalon must be protected at all costs and that is what they will do. Excalibur joins the fight and guess who gets the infamous sword! Constant battle and a race against time, what is not to love.
Team Boy
By Illusions I finally decided Team Tamini and I suck with my decisions throughout this book. I will always love David and he really shined in Destined, but I adore Tamini even more.
Avalon
Most of the book takes place in Avalon and I really liked that about Destined. I really enjoyed Aprilynne's take on Avalon and the fae and I'm glad we got to spend more time in this land even though it was the battle ground.

Almost Tears

At the end there is a letter that was so sad and wonderful and I came so close to tears. I will miss this series and I hate to say goodbye, good thing I own them all and I can go back to them one day.

Recommendation 

If you haven't picked up this series yet you really should. I loved it and will be getting a finished copy of the book.

Releases

May 1, 2012

Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Information 

Wings Series

Wings my review

Spells my review

Illusions my review

Destined

Have you read the Wings series yet?

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Glimmer Review

Glimmer

By Phoebe Kitandis

Summary

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

What I Liked

The World

Perfection does come at a cost for the little happy town, but the townies don't really know what that cost is. This concept is so crazy and awesome, but I am so glad I don't live in it. Give me the pain of my memories any day over these lies. Also the ghost and magic just add to the appeal of the world that Phoebe has created for her characters.

Characters

Elyse: She is a very "human" character, she has her flaws and she knows what they are, but she just wants to escape her life. I give her a lot of credit for fighting in her own way and taking initiative to do something about it all. Elyse was a bit of a surprise for me, I was expecting weakness as she finds out about her life, but what was revealed was strength. 

Marshall: I'm glad we get to learn about new Marshall, not the original old Marshall, I don't think I would have liked him that much. Who he is becoming and who he was are two different type of people, it goes to show that people can change given the circumstances and opportunity.

A Little Confusion

Following two characters with amnesia was a little confusing at first. Not only are the characters trying to puzzle out who they are, but as the reader you are also trying to figure what type of rules their world has as well. I personally like to understand the parameters of a created fantasy world early on in the book. As this world got unraveled I quickly forgot about it and become very intrigued with everything.

Recommendation

Definitely worth the read

Releases 

April 17th 2012

Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Information 

Novels

Whisper

Glimmer

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