2012 Debutante Event

Just wanted to let you guys know about a really exciting December event we have coming up that starts TOMORROW!

Badass Bookie is hosting the 2012 Debutante Event, featuring authors Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky), Jill Hathaway (Slide), Leah Bobet (Above), Elisa Ludwig (Pretty Crooked), Megan Bostic (Never Eighteen), Robin Bridges (The Gathering Storm), Kristen Simmons (Article 5), Brodi Ashton (Everneath), Jodi Meadows (Incarnate), Jessica Spotwood (Born Wicked), Robin Mellom (Ditched: A Love Story), and Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan)!

There are TONS of authors getting involved as you can see, and lots of exciting books for you to discover and learn more about. :)

Definitely make sure you follow along at Badass Bookie from December 1st to 25th to take part in this exciting event!

Waiting on Wednesday {17}

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

To be released ~ February 14, 2012

I really love the description for this one! But you know what really hooked me? The promise of a twist that is supposed to be incredibly shocking. Now I HAVE to read it and see if it's really going to knock my socks off like promised! I am so, so excited for this one and I'm sure I'm going to be dropping everything I have to do on February 14th to read this one :)

Goodreads Synopsis:
Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.

Does this description interest you as much as it interests me? What book are you excited for this week?

#TeamJuliette Buttons!

So tonight, I was pleasantly surprised by someone who had made a bunch of #TeamJuliette buttons for the YA Heroine Tournament!

And this was right after I emailed someone begging for some haha. So now we have TONS of buttons, all of which are super cute, awesome buttons for you to pick up!

DON'T FORGET: our first match is on December 1st - this THURSDAY against Cammie from The Gallagher Girls books.

Giselle from Book Nerd Canada made these:

<center><a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Team Juliette" src="http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb360/brennabookblogs/TeamJuliettebest.jpg"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Team Juliette" src="http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb360/brennabookblogs/teamjulietteheart.jpg"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Team Juliette" src="http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb360/brennabookblogs/voteforteamjuliettebig.gif"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Team Juliette" src="http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb360/brennabookblogs/voteforteamjuliette.gif"/></a></center>

And Avery from Avery's Book Nook made these:

<center><a href=" http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="YA Sisterhood" src=" http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb396/AverysBookNook/juliette2.jpg"/></a></center>

<center><a href=" http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="YA Sisterhood" src=" http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb396/AverysBookNook/juliette.jpg"/></a></center>

Review: There You'll Find Me

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Thomas Nelson
ISBN13: 9781595545404

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a small cottage house in rural Ireland, Finley discovers she can no longer outrun the past.
When Finley travels to Ireland as a foreign exchange student, she hopes to create a new identity and get some answers from the God who took her brother away and seems to have left her high and dry.
But from the moment she boards the plane and sits by Beckett Rush, teen star of the hottest vampire flicks, nothing goes according to Finley's plan.
When she gets too close to Beckett, a classmate goes on a mission to make sure Finley packs her bags, departs Ireland-and leaves Beckett alone.
Finley feels the pressure all around. As things start to fall apart, she begins to rely on a not-so-healthy method of taking control of her life.
Finley tries to balance it all-disasters on the set of Beckett's new movie, the demands of school, and her growing romance with one actor who is not what he seems. Yet Finley is also not who she portrays to Beckett and her friends.
For the first time in her life, Finley must get honest with herself to get right with God.

One of my favourite things about contemporary YA is that every time I take a break from all those paranormal, fantasy, and sci fi books to come back to it, it's like falling in love all over again. I'm such a sucker for a really good, moving contemporary novel.

There You'll Find Me is a supreme example of good contemp YA; it has everything you're looking for, from endearing characters, real problems, to sweet romance.

1. A fascinating, strong main character:
   Finley is such an interesting girl, who has gone through some extremely trying times and just wants to figure out how to move on. After her brother is killed in a terrorist attack, she feels a great sense of loss and is desparate to figure out how to let him go. So she comes to Ireland, a place he loved, to try and mourn his loss and move on. Her grief feels so very real and raw, and the problems she develops because of it are ones that many people will be able to identify with and I appreciated that these issues were dealt with.
2. Sweet, perfect teenage romance:
   The best part for me when it comes to romance is the build up; it's all about the anticipation and the crush stage of the relationship. And the way Finley and her interest come together is so exciting and they were just an absolute breath of fresh air. It isn't constantly about sex for them (and in fact, I will say that they keep things quite clean and innocent between each other) but they feel like a genuine couple trying to figure things out together.
3. A stand alone novel:
   I get so tired of series all the time, with book after book coming out. And while this book actually is a companion novel to Jenny B. Jones' other book, Save the Date, you really don't need to read both to appreciate either book. Save the Date will give you a better sense of the backstory in There You'll Find Me, but it stands on its own two feet quite well!
4. Faith:
   Yes, this is a Christian book. No, it doesn't come across as preachy- it's not about Finley's religion, but about her sense of faith and relationships and how she figures it all out. It's very much a part of who she is, and one would not have to be Christian to enjoy this book at all. Struggling with faith is something nearly all teenagers go through, regardless of their religion or lack of, and this is one interesting look at how Finley deals with it and everything else going on in her life. But if mentions of God and religion is something that makes you too uncomfortable to read about, then it would be best to pass on this one.

For those who really enjoy contemporary YA, this is one that you should look into and consider reading for its simplicity and characters you can instantly like. I can definitely say that I'm going to be recommending this one to friends.

Review copy received from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation received.

Psst... it's only $6 at the Book Depository with free shipping!

Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Penguin ~ Philomel
ISBN13: 9780399254833

Goodreads Synopsis:
When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

I really, really love these books so much. They're easily becoming some new favourites, and I am shocked that it took me this long to read them.

The Nightshade series combines all the things I really love in books, and makes me fall in love with YA all over again. Fascinating characters, difficult choices, intoxicating romance, and themes that make you question your own ideas. And Wolfsbane is an excellent continuation in each of these regards.

1. Strong Characters:
   I don't just mean strong in the physical and emotional sense (which they are as well), but strong as in ALIVE. Andrea Cremer gives such complexity and human qualities to her characters that you could almost swear you know them. They are written with such a contagious familiarity that you're invested, as a reader, in their lives and the outcome. And that is something I find to be rare these days.
2. Full realization of the richness of this mythology:
   Nightshade only gives you a small preview of the creative lengths Andrea has gone to in order to create this world found in Nightshade, just enough to wet your tastebuds. But if Nightshade is the climb up the mountain, then Wolfsbane is the peak where you finally get a chance to see everything surrounding you. And you finally get to see what some of the stakes are and exactly what it is Calla is fighting for. Because it's bigger than even she realized at first. The first half of this book seems to be just bursting with background information and details, but don't let that fool you- it's portrayed in such a way that these rather long explanations are appropriate for the story and the pacing.
3. Excellent love triangle:
   I was really pleased with how well I liked the love triangle in Nightshade, and I was even happier to see that this continued into Wolfsbane. Really, I cannot reiterate enough how well Andrea does this, to the point that I can understand and sympathize with how difficult of a decision it is for Calla. And it's never overdone. And this is something truly so rare (in YA) right now, that this deserves to be applauded.

Wolfsbane seemed to be broken up into two chunks for me: the first half is largely made up of background information and answers to what the heck is going on here?! The second half is when they finally decide to do something about all this new-found information and is seriously, absolutley action-packed. But this makes it an excellent sequel, right up to par with Nightshade and works as a complimentary sequel; one that really works as series, rather than dragging things out.

If you haven't read this yet, I'd almost recommend that you hold on reading it until Bloodrose is out. I ended up being really thankful that I was able to read all three right after each other.

YA Heroine Tourney: Team Juliette

WOOHOO! Big and exciting news, guys!

If you are a fan of YA books, you are definitely going to want to get involved with this!

Over the summer, YA Sisterhood hosted the Crush Tourney for all our fave YA boys- and this December, they're hosting the YA Heroine Tournament as well!

32 heroines are going to be going head-to-head in voting matches, and it is up to all of YOU readers and voters to decide who the winner is!

The YA Sisterhood blog explains the finer details of how it all works, but here are the basics:
Each heroine has an advocate.
The advocates will do their part to rally voters and encourage them to vote for their heroine during the matches. You can vote in each and every match to help determine a winner! It's done in a bracket system, and matches begin on December 1st.
The day of the match, each advocate will have a post written up at YA Sisterhood to explain why their heroine should win. And no, you don't need to have read the book to vote!
The winner of each match will proceed to the next level of matches, until finally only one heroine is left standing.

AND I AM THE ADVOCATE FOR TEAM JULIETTE OF TAHEREH MAFI'S SHATTER ME.

Which means we have work to do! Juliette's first match is up on December 1 against Cammie from Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books- and I've read those books, and I can say that Cammie is one awesome gal.

But she's no Juliette. So let's DO THIS, and do it right! Because it's going to be a tough battle, but so worth it.

And I'm going to make sure that all of you know exactly who Juliette is and why she should win. Because she should, being such a remarkable young woman.

Until December 1st, your job is to spread the word and get people excited! Tell all your friends, share it on Facebook, and make sure you follow me to stay updated with any news.

You can follow my blog, follow my Twitter, and like me on Facebook to stay updated. Make sure you do!

Oh, and it's nothing fancy but I made us a Team Juliette button, so feel free to grab it! Or even make your own and share those :)

In My Mailbox {17}

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours, publishers, libraries, borrowed books from friends, and the list goes

on! It's just a way of showing off the books you received in the past week and making sure they're featured on the blog.

Last week I mentioned that I forgot to take a picture of my signed copy of Darker Still... well, here it is! In the flesh ;)

• ARC Revived by Cat Patrick TBR ~ May 8, 2012 (from HBG Canada for review)
• ARC The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze TBR ~ May 8, 2012 (from HBG Canada for review)
• ARC Allegiance (Legacy #2) by Cayla Kluver TBR ~ February 28, 2012 (from Harlequin Teen for review)
• The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (from Penguin Canada for review)
• And a WHOLE bunch of swag :)

Bahaha, I just had to include a close up so you can see Mirko looking hot as always <3 The other side is signed, but that has Jaren... and I'm just not as into him. I also won a set of The Pledge swag, and actually plan on donating the poster to a local library :)

And a couple e-books this week too:

• New Girl by Paige Harbison (e-gallely received from publisher via Net Galley) TBR ~ January 31, 2012
• Hushed by Kelley York (e-galley received from publisher via Net Galley) TBR ~ December 6, 2011

Soo, a whole bunch of books I'm really excited for and looking forward to! Ah, I just want it to be Christmas break already so I can get down to business with all these books!

Feel free to leave a link to your IMM in your comment here, and let me know what you're looking forward to this week!

Waiting on Wednesday {16}

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa

To be released: April 24, 2012

There's no official cover for this one yet, but I think Harlequin Teen did a fantastic job with this creepy placeholder, don't you? If this is a sample of what's to come, then this is VERY promising, in my opinion :)

Okay, so this past summer I ended up reading through the entire Iron Fey series on my Kindle in the span of about a week. And I completely, absolutely fell in love with them and Julie Kagawa's writing! And seeing as I loved them so much, I finally collected all of the books in paperback for my collection on my book shelf as well :)

AND THEN I hear that Julie has a new series coming out: a post-apocolyptic vampire series.

Um, I'm not sure about you, but this sounds pretty awesome to me. I remember seeing a really terrible movie of this a while ago (and I can't remember the title of it for the life of me), and I wanted to love it because the story was so cool but the execution was just awful.

Now, with this book? I'm not really worried. I've read Julie's other book, and I know she can write well. So I'm confident that she can take this exciting, thriller-esque storyline and make it into one extraordinary series. This is easily one of my most highly anticipated books of 2012!

Goodreads Synopsis:
In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

Will you be reading Julie Kagawa's new series when it comes out? What book are you waiting on today? Feel free to leave a link to your WoW post in the comments so I can stop by :)

Legend

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Penguin: Putnam Juvenile
ISBN13: 9780399256752

3.5/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

For fans of The Hunger Games and Delirium, we now have Legend as well.

It isn't hard to see why this dystopian/post apocolyptic/futuristic YA genre has taken off so well; it's full of rebellion, might against right, and bleek, improbable optimism for a better future.

This is one of my favourite genres to read about because of the various question it raises regarding one of my favourite topics and my chosen field of science: politics. What does it mean for us? How much government is too much? Where does power come from? What do you do when it's out of control?

Legend is a perfect book for all of these questions. It's like, Robin Hood in the future.

The stories of Day and June are completely different, yet I was grateful that it was never confusing and how well these two POVs mingled and eventually merged into one. I will say that it will never stop breaking my heart to see these children, these teens having to grow up so fast in books because of difficult life circumstances. Day and June don't act like kids, they act like adults with adult choices, making adult decisions. But at the same time... they aren't adults.

I don't know if it's just me, or if others feel this way too, but books like these make me dream of accomplishing things that maybe aren't quite as big, but are still vitally important for our time. Because these characters are positively INSPIRING.

However, these jaded characters often come across as being so cold and distant that they can be hard to relate to at times. And for example, I could not fathom how Day's mother and younger brother believed he was dead all this time when they kept receiving these mysterious gifts which were always just what they needed at the time.

I also would have appreciated more insight to the motivation of the Republic; exactly what is going on there? No one seems to know, not even June who's a fairly inside character to the Republic. And exactly what's going on with the war against the Colonies? I'm hopeful that future books will contain more information regarding the background and politics of Marie Lu's world.

ARC received from Penguin Canada in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

Highly Anticipated Books for 2012 ~ Debuts

For the months of October through December, I've been sharing with you some my most highly anticipated YA novels for 2012; but because there are so many, I'm breaking them down into categories.

Today, we're looking at a top ten list for some wonderful debut books coming out in 2012 that look like they're going to be fantastic *fingers crossed* (and yes, these ones are in order from least anticipated to the #1 pick):

10. The Gathering Storm (Katerina Alexandrovna #1) by Robin Bridges TBR: January 10, 2012

9. Incarnate (Incarnate #1) by Jodi Meadows TBR: January 31, 2012

8. Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles #1) by Suzanne Lazear TBR: August 2012

7. Queen of Glass (Queen of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas TBR: 2012

6. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi TBR: February 7, 2012

5. The Vanishing Game by Kate Kate Myers TBR: February 14, 2012

4. Gravity by Melissa West TBR: 2012

3. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer TBR: January 3, 2012

2. Everneath by (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton TBR: January 3, 2012
1. Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood TBR: February 7, 2012

Comment and tell me your thoughts on my list! Have you added any of the above books to your to be read list? Do you think you will? Did I miss any books? What debuts are you most looking forward to in 2012?

Nightshade

Nightshade (Nightshade #1) by Andrea Cremer
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Penguin ~ Philomel
ISBN13: 9780399254826

Goodreads Synopsis:
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

I'm not even sure I can properly express my affection for this book in a review; I was positively surprised by how much I enjoyed Nightshade, after all the hype it's received. But after receiving an ARC of Bloodrose, I knew I better get into these books and fast.

So, while I know this a series lots of people talk about and gush over, if you haven't read it. Please pick up the books! Give them a chance, because this is an excellent YA series and wonderfully enjoyable.

1. The narrator's voice:
   Calla makes a fantastic narrator, and since she is a Guardian (shapeshifting wolf-human) everything is told from this perspective. I found this to be remarkable, as the Guardians play a rather interesting role in this world. And as the series progresses, it becomes more apparent how important this perspective is and exactly what it means for Calla and the other guardians... Ultimately, it means that Andrea succesfully weaves in some rather subtle elements in her storytelling which really propel the plot. And THAT is a sign of a talented storyteller.
2. It raises important questions:
   There are THEMES, guys! I get really excited when I find books that want to make you question norms or ideas often taken for granted. But I don't like them overly preachy either. Thankfully, Nightshade isn't like that at all, while still managing to bring up ideas behind love and power. There's definitely a feminist idea behind it all too, but Andrea seems to realize that it can be better to bring these topics up delicately, and let the characters sort through them on their own time, rather than pushing across a message in one book. And in this way, many of the struggles experienced by the characters are born...
3. Cute guys:
   I confess that sometimes I'm ashamed that this counts as one of my reasons.. because there are lots of cute guys out there, and that doesn't always mean you should read a book. But Ren and Shay are both really, really hot. And very different, and they're both clearly so much more than just love interests. I really do enjoy a book with solid romance in it, and this is one of the few books where I can say I'm actually TORN over a love triangle. I have no idea which one I'd pick, but I'll happily take whichever one Calla doesn't choose... ;)

Nightshade really is a whirlwind of a book- the story of a girl just transitioning into a woman, but it's interesting to see how her idea of growing up is very different from those around her... But more importantly it's about her figuring this out and who she is. And what she's going to do about that once she figures it out. It ends up being this aspect of Calla that makes her so likeable and relateable. Because it isn't easy for her, and she has to make some hard decisions along the way, which is so true about growing up in general.

In My Mailbox {16}

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours, publishers, libraries, borrowed books from friends, and the list goes

on! It's just a way of showing off the books you received in the past week and making sure they're featured on the blog.

Okay, so this is a combination of last week AND this week, which should help to explain why my mailbox kinda... blew up in this post:

Books I purchased/won:

• The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (King, Daughter, Queen, Knight) - even though I've read all of them I wanted my own collection for my shelf and I got a wicked deal on the first three from Harlequin's e-store
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecular Children by Ransom Riggs - I was Christmas shopping at Chapters and finally looked this one over and had to buy it! 
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano - I have this on Kindle, BUT I love it, and a while ago I got a signed bookplate from Lauren, which now is inside this copy <3
• Into the Silence by Wade Davis with Random House Canada swag - won in the Random House Trick or Tweet giveaway! I'm actually going to pass this book along to my grandpa, because he LOVES books like these so it's perfect! I'm keeping the mug though ;)
• Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren
• The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Cobble
• Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinsun-Coloma - these last three were puchased by me because I've been looking for some light, contemporary romance recently :)
• Signed Touch (Denazen novel) swag from Jus Accardo - I got a few postcards, bookmarks, and magnets from Jus since I'm part of her street team! I'll be giving away a bunch of it on here, so keep your eyes open for those giveaways!
• NOT PICTURED: SIGNED Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber (from Books of Wonder) - I pre-ordered this forever ago, and it finally came, yay! But I forgot to include a picture of it, so I'll snag one for next week.

Books received for review:

• ARC Belles by Jen Calonita (from Hachette Book Group Canada) ~ TBR April 10, 2012
• ARC Purity by Jackson Pearce (from Hachette Book Group Canada) ~ TBR April 24, 2012
• ARC 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Hastard and Tara Chace(from Hachette Book Group Canada) - doesn't this one just look amazing?! I'm planning on starting this one soon because I just can't wait for it! ~ TBR April 5, 2012
• The Predicteds by Christine Seifert (finished copy from Raincoast Books)
• Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (finished copy for my sister Dorian to review on here, from Random House Canada) - I haven't read this series personally, but Dorian LOVES the books and she was really excited to receive it! :)
• ARC The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mademoiselle Odile by James Reese (from Raincoast Books) - I'm intrigued by this one as well, and can't wait to see how it turns out! ~ TBR April 10, 2012
• ARC Life is but a Dream by Brian James (from Raincoast Books) ~ TBR March 27, 2012l
• ARC After the Snow by S.D. Crockett (from Raincoast Books) ~ TBR March 27, 2012
• ARC Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (from Raincoast Books) ~ TBR February 14, 2012
• ARC Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink (from Penguin Canada) - I love the cover on this one! So, so pretty. ~ TBR March 20, 2012
• ARC Dark Eyes by William Richter (from Penguin Canada) ~ TBR March 15, 2012
• ARC Immortal City by Scott Speer (from Penguin Canada) - if you haven't seen the new, final cover for this one then you MUST! I love it so much more than the ARC cover. ~ TBR April 3, 2012

E-books:

• Gone to Ground: A Novel by Brandilyn Collins (from B&H Books via Net Galley) ~ TBR March 1, 2012
• The Girlfreinds Guidebook by Marian Jordan (from B&H Books via Net Galley)
• Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale (from Doubleday Canada via Net Galley) ~ TBR February 2, 2012
• Titan Magic by Jodi Lamm (from author)

I think I now have reading material for the next 5 or 6 months lol! But there are lots of good ones here for sure :)

But a huge, huge THANK YOU <3 to the wonderful people at Random House Canada, Penguin Canada, Raincoast, HBG Canada, Jus and Jodi :)

Make sure to leave a comment so I can hear your thoughts and leave me your link to your IMM too!

 

Pyxis

Pyxis: The Discovery (Pyxis Series #1) by K.C. Neal
Release Date: November 4, 2011
ISBN13: 9780615549

Goodreads Synopsis:
Two worlds... one 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both.
The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but her mentor is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

Since this post is part of the blog tour for Pyxis, my review is included as well as some details on how YOU can win a Kindle!! Pretty amazing, right? I have a Kindle myself and it really is one of my best friends- especially when it comes to reading on the bus or travelling! So make sure you look for the details on that at the bottom of this post.

I have no idea why, but when I first heard about Pyxis I thought it was about fairies. No clue, but that's what I thought and I wasn't really interested. But I kept seeing a couple self-published authors whose books I had really enjoyed (and were very well done- I'm looking at you, Angeline Kace and M.R. Merrick!) promoting K.C. Neal's book and she was looking for reviewers... so one day I caved and signed up, just because I was curious and trusted the opinions I kept hearing.

Small spoiler: Pyxis doesn't seem to be about fairies! Shocking, right? I'm actually a tad relieved by that though, because it ended up being so much better!

1. A visionary paranormal:
   Pyxis doesn't line up with any paranormal stories out there- it's all brave, standing out there by itself. But it's confident and OWNS what it is - whatever that is, because I'm not even sure I really know what's going on yet. I find myself completely sucked in to the mystery which leads me to my next reason...
2. Realistic and relatable:
   Corinne reacts exactly the way you would expect her to, given the circumstances. Which also means, the book develops at a slower pace- think of a pace similar to a mystery, rather than most paranormal books. It makes perfect sense, and it's a welcome change in a book! You literally understand what Corinne is going through and feel as confused and lost as she does.
3. You like being surprised:
   Since blogging, some of my favourite books have been self-published; but they've been very carefully and well done. Pyxis is no exception to this, and I'm so happy I decided to give it a chance. I love surprises, and that's exactly what this was for me! Kind of like what I explained above, I had no idea what the book was about going into it... and I'm still trying to piece together the puzzle and discover that. But it looks like I'll have to wait for the next book for that! ;) Keeping this in mind - don't expect answers. You won't get very many.

If you're interested, make sure you take a look at K.C.'s website to find more information on where you can purchase Pyxis which is currently available as an e-book and will be coming out in paperback soon!

You can also find her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. :)

Okay, contest details:

The Kindle contest is open to U.S. residents only and you must be 13 years of age or older. All of the tour details and the Rafflecopter form are on her website here, and it ends on December 7th. LOTS of chance for bonus entries INCLUDING following my blog! :)

Good luck!