Bewitching Book Tours Sizzling Summer Giveaway

Giveaway by Bewitching Book Tours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For three other giveaways (print books, ebooks and YA books) see: http://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.nl/2013/06/bewitching-book-tours-sizzling-summer.html

Good Luck!

Feature and Follow Friday #3

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. The goal is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community. If you would like to join in the fun just visit one of the host's blog for the rules.

Activity of the Week: Share your favorite literary quote!

One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.

- Tessa Gray in Clockwork Angel

I'd prefer it if you follow me via bloglovin', since GFC is stopping..

What is your favourite literary quote? 

Share your FF links in the comments.

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1) - Wendy Higgins

This review contains spoilers.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Series: The Sweet Trilogy #1

Release Date: May 1st 2012

Pages: 453

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Blurb:

Embrace the Forbidden.

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Oath of Servitude (The Punishment Sequence #1) - C.E. Wilson [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson

Title: Oath of Servitude 

Author: C.E. Wilson

Publisher:  Self published

Series: The Punishment Sequence #1

Release Date: September 2012

Pages: 159

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Blurb:

This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.

Waiting on Wednesday #4

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah Maas

Expected publication: August 27th 2013

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.
Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 
Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?



I absolutely loved Throne of Glass, so I cannot wait to read the sequel Crown of Midnight. I have already read some great reviews by bloggers who go to read it pre-release, so that made me even more excited!


What book are you waiting on?

Aberrant by Ruth Silver [Interview + Excerpt + Giveaway]

Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Title: Aberrant

Author: Ruth Silver

Publication Date: April 28th 2013 (paperback)

Genre: YA Dystopian

Blurb

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.
With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Excerpt

Joshua and I both headed out of the council hall with Jacqueline leading the way. The line of young men had barely dwindled. I avoided their stare, their curiosity as they slowly proceeded forward, giving the attendant their name. I wondered how they knew about me and more importantly what they knew. Jacqueline walked a few feet ahead of us, giving us privacy to talk. I silently thanked her for still respecting us and our wishes. She was probably the only one in Haven who liked us. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or angered by the recent news. I could feel the whispers, like tingles against bare skin as we walked further from council hall and rounded the corner. I was grateful to be out of sight from all those curious stares. "I guess we should consider ourselves lucky," I remarked. I didn't feel lucky. I tried to sound upbeat, but everything was quickly falling apart around us.

                Joshua scoffed at the idea. "Lucky? I wouldn't go that far," he emphasized. "This is how it starts. Eventually, they'll make it a crime for us to see one another." He sounded disgusted.

                "They sort of already are," I remarked, trying to understand the council's decision. "I think they just want to make sure I'm protected." Though I didn't quite understand how setting me up to meet multiple bachelors was any form of protection. It seemed as if they only wanted to keep Joshua away from me. The one person I could trust, implicitly. I knew the rules were different because I was different. They didn’t seem particularly bothered by Joshua having a girl in his room. It didn’t seem fair.

                "Seems like they don't really care what we think at all," Joshua retorted as we headed into our building. "Were you okay last night? I worried when Landon escorted you out of the dormitory."

                I walked slowly up the stairs, Jacqueline just a few feet ahead of us. "Aside from being locked in a room with no windows." I sighed. "At least they're giving me freedom from the tech center and a real bed. I should be grateful," I mocked. I didn't feel grateful, but I knew his mother at least tried to make it easier for me. As soon as we crested the top stair, I froze in place. The building shook with an alarming intensity as the first drone flew low overhead. The downstairs chandelier swayed and I held onto Joshua's arm and my eyes widened in terror. "What do you think is going on?" I asked watching the movement grow stronger as vibrations echoed through the dormitory. A nearby painting affixed to the wall crashed to the floor, the glass breaking. I could feel the ground quake beneath my feet as Joshua grabbed my hand, refusing to let go.

                "We're being attacked." It wasn't a question. Together, we jogged briskly down the hall toward our rooms. I didn't know how much time we had. All I knew was the government was here, and they were searching for me!

Interview

What was the hardest part of writing Aberrant?

The hardest part was writing the characters suffering. I know that they will get through the pain - physical or emotional - and it will make them stronger, but it's still hard to torture your favorite character.

Where did the idea for Aberrant come from?

The idea of Aberrant came from both my imagination and personal experience. The story developed out of choices that we have and that each of us make. I wanted to delve into those choices and imagine a world where they weren't given to us but expected of us.

  

Who was your favorite character to write in Aberrant?

I had the most fun with writing Olivia. She's full of so many mixed emotions and traits that we're always learning something about who she is. She's not complacent. She has a mind of her own and likes to explore the world around her. She's curious by nature and it has the tendency to get her into trouble. She's complex, which makes her three-dimensional, but also incredibly caring and supportive of those she loves. 

Why did you decide on making Aberrant into a series?

I felt like I had a huge story to tell. Something that would span across hundreds of thousands of words. That may not seem like a lot but when sending your novel to agents and publishers, there's a certain word count they're looking for in new authors and in young adult/new adult titles. The only way to properly tell the story, was to turn it into a trilogy.

Do you have the second and third book planned already?

Without getting into any specifics, yes! The next book, Moirai, will be available sometime in 2014. The first draft was finished last December but with the edits and some significant changes in Aberrant, I need to make the story flow a little smoother. 

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy,  released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA  novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase:

  

Giveaway

Prizes listed on the Rafflecopter - Open Internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Legend (Legend #1) - Marie Lu [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Series: Legend #1

Release Date: November 29th 2011

Pages: 320

Rating: ★★★1/2

Blurb:

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.

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join.

This week: Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List!

I have actually just joined the 'Yearly Challenge: Favourite YA Dystopian Book' from the YA Dystopian Club on Goodreads. For this challenge you first need to pick your favourite YA Dystopian book. Then, all you have to do is spell out it's title using the titles or authors' names of books you will read in the challenge. I am planning to read these books in summer, except for the ones crossed out, I read those already. 

My Summer TBR List

T - Reboot by Amy Tintera

H - The Host by Stephanie Meyer 
E - The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

H - Boundless by Cynthia Hand

U - Unwind by Neal Shusterman 

N - Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

G - Gone by Michael Grant 

E - Extinguish by JM Darhower

R - Rush by Eve Silver

G - Goddess by Josephine Angelini

A - Across the Universe by Beth Ravis

M - Crown of Midnight by Sarah Maas

E - Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

S - Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

What is your Summer TBR list? Leave a link in the comments!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) - Sarah Maas [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Release Date: August 7th 2012

Pages: 404

Rating: ★★★★☆

Blurb:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Book Blogger Hop #2

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It's a chance for book bloggers to connect and share the book love.

This week's question:

What is your favorite genre? (genre that you read the most) - Recommend a book!

I like to read both YA and classic books, although on this blog I only review the YA books. 

My favourite YA genres are sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal. I guess I just like non-realistic books:) From sci-fi I particularly like the dystopian book, although since it has become a hype not all of them are very good. And from all paranormal books, I like the vampire books best, those vampires just have something mysterious about them.. Angel books are awesome too!

My Recommendations/My favourite books from the genre:

Dystopian: The Hunger Games, Divergent, Shatter Me

Fantasy: The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices, Harry Potter

Paranormal: 

- Vampire: Blood of Eden, Vampire Academy/Bloodlines

- Angel: Unearthly, Angelfall

Tell me your favourite genre and recommendations!