Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews! It's where bloggers can share what they got for review, bought, borrowed, won or gifted (both physical and eBooks may be included! :D)
Q: We are about to see a lot of posts & tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?
A: I would absolutely love to attend BEA. Not just because of the books and the events but to also meet all the bloggers that I've been tweeting and Facebook-ing with these past couple of years. It seems like a great time to socialize and meet new people! :) Of course, I'd also love to meet my favorite authors that will be attending BEA.
NOTE: We would prefer it of you follow us via BLOGLOVIN' or E-MAIL (FEEDBURNER) (please remember to confirm your subscription) or NETWORKEDBLOGS and maybe even like us on Facebook? All of which can be found on our sidebar. We're taking a break from GFC. Hahaha!
Leave us a comment with your FF post and we'll check it out. We follow back! :)
Oh and check out our awesome giveaways:
Click HERE for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (INTL)
Click HERE for a chance to win a Collector's Edition of Insurgent by Veronica Roth (INTL)
Title: At First Touch
Author: Mattie Dunman
Pages: 267 pages
Format acquired: eBook
Published on: May 28th 2012
Source: Received for blog tour (Thanks, Mattie and AToMR Book Blog Tours!)
Buy the book: Amazon
Liz Hannigan has been on the run since she was twelve years old. Her mother is dead. Her father has lost his job. And thanks to an experimental procedure, Liz is now able to ‘download’ the contents of every brain around her with a simple touch. Forced to hide from both the federal government and a darkling group of morally deficient scientists known as the Coalition determined to exploit her abilities, she moves with her father to the bucolic coal town of Pound, West Virginia. But the hunt for Liz and her abilities hasn’t ended, and her hopes for peace are shattered when she inadvertently downloads the enigmatic Carey Drake, whose unusual good looks and charm conceal a secret as shocking as her own. Stunned by the knowledge that she has found someone else who has extraordinary abilities, Liz finds herself drawn to Carey, discovering a deep attraction, and dares to hope for the first time she might find love. But when an agent of the Coalition begins stalking her, Liz must find a way to work with the government agency she most mistrusts as she strives to build a longed-for normal life and take down the agent who has tracked her down. Caught up in a struggle to save herself and those she loves, the girl who sees all is blind to true danger until it is too late.
Sometimes having gifts comes with a price and in Liz's case, a big price. Ever since Liz's accident many years ago wherein her mother instantly passed away and Liz was put into a coma, her life has never been normal. After recovering, Liz woke up with... powers. She is now able to copy a person's whole life in just a single touch. Even though it may seem pretty awesome, Liz now has to live on the run with her father from the very evil Coalition. And so her adventure begins...
I really enjoyed reading At First Touch. The concept of not being able to touch a person because of knowing too much, a self-imposed isolation is very difficult. I felt for Liz and her problem seemed very, very solid.
Liz is a very interesting character. She's very beautiful but doesn't see it and passes it off as "new girl interest". She's also very headstrong and quite frankly, pretty badass. Her independence is something I admire about her as well as her tenacity. And her relationship with her father is something that will really warm your heart. Her power can be seen as both a gift and a curse. While she may be put into positions where her life is put into danger, she is also able to use her power to bail herself out. And swoon! I absolutely love Liz and Carey together. They work so well together, they aren't just an item but they're also a team and a working force. They depend on each other and when they need help, they turn to each other as well. And their moments together are just so sweet.
I honestly didn't think that a high school student would get into so much trouble. Because of the fact that Liz isn't normal, there are evil people are coming after her and that puts her and her loved ones into so much danger. In the end, you never really know who to trust. I mean, while I was reading the book, I honestly didn't see that coming. Dun, dun, duuuun. And the fact that Liz had to juggle high school life, mean girls, and harassment from high dudes with all she had on her plate made me really admire her. Action-packed and filled with excitement, any reader looking for an adventure will certainly enjoy At First Touch. You not only have an exciting novel but you'll have characters that you will learn to love and hate. I hope that y'all enjoy this book as much as I did!
Mattie Dunman is a lifelong resident of "Wild & Wonderful" West Virginia, and has dreamed of being a writer since she first held a pen in hand.
Mattie has pursued several useless degrees to support this dream, and presently enjoys teaching (or tormenting, as the case may be) college students the dying art of public speaking. She spends most of her free time writing, but also indulges in reading and traveling.
She is the proud owner of an adorably insane American Eskimo named Finn, and a tyrant cat named Bella, who take up more of her attention than they probably should.
Mattie is currently working on the second book in the First Touch series, and is ecstatic about her new release, At First Touch.
Mattie Dunman is thrilled to announce her YA/Paranormal INSTINCT is a quarter-finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Awards! Please check out the excerpt online and share your thoughts!
Title: Otherborn (Otherborn #1)
Author: Anna Silver
Pages: 290 pages
Format acquired: eBook (ePub)
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Published on: April 4th 2013
Source: Received for blog tour (Thanks, Anna and Xpresso Book Tours!)
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
London and her teenage friends live in a reprocessed world.
Confined within Capital City’s concrete walls, London has done the impossible and the illegal. She’s created something New- a song. But her mentor, club owner Pauly, is not impressed. Since the historic Energy Crisis forced everyone behind walls generations ago, the Tycoons have ensured there is truly nothing new allowed under the sun. Pauly warns London to keep her song to herself, if she knows what’s good for her.
What he doesn’t know, is that London is keeping an even bigger secret she dreams. And she’s not alone. London’s band-mates and friends have begun dreaming as well, seeing themselves in “night pictures” as beings from another world. As Otherborn, they must piece together the story of their astral avatars, the Others, in order to save their world from a dreamless, hopeless future.
When Pauly is murdered and an Otherborn goes missing, London realizes someone is hunting them down. Escaping along the Outroads, they brave the deserted Houselands with only their dreams to guide them. Can they find their friend before the assassin finds them? Will being Otherborn save their lives, or destroy them?
Otherborn is probably one of the most imaginative and well-thought out books I have ever read. This book isn't just Dystopian, it's a beautiful mix of Fantasy and a harsh but possible future.
I actually couldn't get into the story at first because I was kinda confused but as it went on, I saw and understand the world Anna Silver created. Like most Dystopian novels, there was a division between the people. As caste system, if you will. And people judged you from the jobs you get in the future. It's an unfair society but also familiar to us, it's how we act now. Anna Silver was able to capture the hardships and success people go through now into a new world. A world where everything is "old", where people are close-minded and tend to disregard any kind of creativity.
This is where London and her gang of misfits come in. The thing with London and her friends, Otherborn is what they call themselves, is that they dream and they create. They have ideas that most people in their society wouldn't even dream of having (well, it's also mostly because they can't dream. Croo.) But the thing is, these "new" ideas they have are being repressed due to the fact that their acting goverment dislikes any sort of evolvement from the people, especially ones from the lower caste (except for Avery who's from a higher caste.) And now, important people in London's life are being killed because of this progression and now, all London and her friends can do is leave their city and look for answers.
The idea of the Otherborn is so unique and interesting that I couldn't help but fall in love with it. They are basically dream versions of our characters but slightly cooler and they look different. They have an agenda of their own and there is a reason is to why they are actually there. While it may seem a little cliched, these unlikely heroes are there to save the world. They're trying to reshape the dullness and dreamlessness of their city and mold it into something good and positive. Innovation isn't suppose to be just for the rich, it's meant for everybody and while spreading these good intentions might seem pretty hard, I don't doubt our heroes' capabilities.
I felt for London. Yup, I felt a lot of things for her. Most of them was pride and a bit of it was pity. She has gone through a lot of shit but she certainly never gave up. Even when people tried to knock her down a peg or three, she would simple brush it off and jump even higher. She knew what her purpose was and even though she wasn't sure what she was heading into, she still believed in her instincts (even though they might not always be right.) She acts as a leader for her friends and they are cool with that because in the end, she was the one who brought them together. She "infected" them with her dreams and they welcomed it. London is just a girl who's trying to find her place in the world and even if her place is in a dream world, then so be it.
Reading Otherborn was such a wonderful experience. I honestly didn't think that I would enjoy it as much as I did, but I did. Otherborn is filled with such a unique richness that other authors just haven't tapped into yet. The fact that Anna Silver took that risk and ventured into a world most people would be reluctant to go to just made me appreciate this novel even more. It's not just the crumbling society that drew me in or her memorable characters but it's also the way she carefully details everything. You are going to be slowly guided into her world and in the end, you won't want to leave. I actually found my heart tightening at a scene in the book that I can't elaborate on because it's a spoiler but... ouch. You will really just find yourself immersed in Otherborn's world that you can't help but just feel everything, and that's always a sign for a great book. So if you want a book that is like no other then trust me, Otherborn is for you.
Anna Silver is an artist and writer living in the greater Houston area with her family, pets, and overactive imagination. Her art, which includes oil paintings, assemblage sculptures, and fairy houses, has been featured in the Houston gallery Las Manos Magicas. She studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University in Austin. She has written web copy for private clients and freelanced for the Hill Country Current in Texas. Her write-up on a past-life regression experience was chosen to be featured in best-selling author Brian Weiss’ new book. She is a member of the Writer’s League of Texas. OTHERBORN is her first published novel. You can find her here:
Title: Apollyon (Covenant #4)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 360 pages
Format acquired: Paperback (ARC)
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication date: April 9th 2013
Source: Borrowed (Thanks, Precious!)
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex. Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back. The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries. Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.
As soon as I finished reading Deity, I just knew that I needed to read Apollyon. (Those who have Deity know what I'm talking about.) I am so blessed that I have awesome blogger friends who are willing to lend books to desperate people. It's not that the ending of Deity was super cliffhanger-y but the way it was written would've been enough to make someone need the next book. Jennifer Armentrout never fails to deliver and give the very best that she could give. And she certainly delivered and gave me everything I could ever ask for and more in Apollyon.
I'm sure that after finishing Deity you are all left thinking the same question: What in heavens name happened to Alex... and why in the hell would Jennifer Armentrout leave us hangin' like that?! That's actually two questions but let's face it, it's true. While you do have the option to read the novella, Elixir (Covenant #3.5), which comes after Deity and is told in Aiden's point-of-view, it still won't be enough to satisfy your need. Trust me, I know. But it is a good idea to read Elixir because you know what happened exactly what before Apollyon (there are some parts that were mentioned in Apollyon that happened in Elixir and not in Deity.)
Apollyon has a lot more action and death than the other three books before it. Now, I won't actually tell you dies but I will tell you that it gets pretty gloomy. And people certainly get smarter in Apollyon.
I was glad to finally understand what it means for an Apollyon to Awaken, for the First to become one with his partner. Honestly, it was creepy. It isn't just because Alex's eyes turned the same gold as Seth's or that they could communicate through their minds now, it's because you could literally just see the real Alex die. Her tenaciousness was replaced by a viciousness, her humor replaced by menace and her spirit? It died and was resurrected but it turned out that the wrong spirit came back to life. Ugly picture? Well, I'm not done. Add the fact that she acted like The Exorcist (the 1973 version) minus the 360-head spin. I'm sure you're all thinking that I might just be exaggerating and that she wasn't actually that evil but no, she was. Since it is in Alex's point-of-view, you can just see how malicious her thoughts were and I was really scared and just a tad bit amused. I was afraid to see one of my most favorite heroines lose herself, the very qualities that I am sure made a lot of people fall in love with her. I was terrified that she wouldn't be able to return to her normal self because she had too much First in her. And of course, I was frightened for Aiden. The guy who gave it all up to be with the girl he loves even though he knew that it was forbidden, and now that girl isn't the girl he fell in love with anymore and it was just painful. I was heartbroken for those two but because of my morbid sense of humor, I also found it a little bit funny. Not the fact that Alex was evil or that Aiden's heart was slowly breaking because Alex was apparently "choosing" Seth over him but because of Alex's threats to him. At first they were pretty, well, threatening but as the days and story went on, you'll just find humor in them.
I can never dislike Jennifer Armentrout for long (even when she ended Opal the way she did.) Probably because she gives as good as she gets. She tries to keep you hanging and worried but when you're not looking and aware, she pounces on you and gives you what you've been asking for all along. And that's the time that you finally, finally breathe that huge sigh of relief... BUT (you knew that was coming) while you're breathing that sigh of relief, Jennifer Armentrout throws probably the biggest curve ball man will ever see and unfortunately, you didn't see it because you were too busy basking in that false sense of relief. That's how I felt while I was reading Apollyon. I am such a masochist... Haha! But seriously speaking, that's why I love Jennifer Armentrout, she always catches you by surprise. At first you think that you've finally gotten her but really, she got you. And that's one of the things that makes a great author, never losing that element of surprise (right beside pulling people's heartstrings, which she also did.)
What's a Covenant book without our favorite, brood-y instructor? Nothing. Every Covenant book needs some Aiden time. If you didn't love Aiden in Deity *looks at the firm Team Seth peeps* you'll fall really hard for him in Apollyon. It isn't just because he's insanely sexy and brooding but it's because he is such a great influence to Alex. He levels her and keeps her grounded but at the same time gives her all the support she needs when no one else believes in her. He is her rock and foundation and I loved that about him. He never gave up on her and just flipped off the rules of their society because he believed in their love and he believed in Alex. Do you think you'll ever meet a man who would go to the Underworld with you even though he knew that he might never come back? (Not talking to you, Percy!) Will you ever meet a guy who would willingly go against the gods that created him to protect the one he loves? No, right? You will really feel the depth of Aiden's love for Alex here and you will also see the sacrifices he will be making for her.
All you Covenant fans out there will definitely be in for a treat. Apollyon is a beautifully intricate weave of heart-stopping action, mesmerizing writing and steamy romance that will satisfy your every craving but will also leave you begging for more. Jennifer Armentrout will you move you with a rocking force in this installment of her Convenant series and she definitely won't stop till you can feel its effects to your very core. Jennifer, you have done it again! If you haven't begun with this series yet, I suggest that you start with it now. You won't want to miss a thing! *walks off and sits in a corner while waiting for Sentinel to come out* Won't be long now...
