Surrender The Dark - Blog Tour March 31, 2011

Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks (Gallery Blog Tour)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback , 400pp
• Sales Rank: 100,521

• ISBN-13: 9781451607789
• ISBN: 1451607784

Synopsis

National bestselling author L.A. Banks’s electrifying new paranormal series is set in a sizzling world where Dark and Light are trapped in an eternal struggle for the fate of mankind.

Celeste Jackson has fought all her life against a fog of hallucination and substance abuse, but it’s not until she meets her protector, Azrael, an angel who has left the safety of the Light, that she learns of the evil forces that have been trying to ruin her, and why. A fierce battle for control of the mortal realm is brewing, and only Celeste—with the help of the Remnant, her half-human, half-angel brethren—can stand in the way. Together, Celeste and Azrael must gather an army of sensitives to defeat the dark powers that have ruled humanity for centuries, but time is running out. If Azrael surrenders to his growing desire for Celeste, he risks being trapped among humanity forever. But the longer he stays, the harder she is to resist. To save the world, Celeste must draw on her own dark experiences with addiction to help Azrael overcome the one temptation that could possibly make him an eternal prisoner—his obsession with her.

My Thoughts:

This was my first L.A. Banks books and it was pretty good. I will have to be honest though, the book was seeped in religion, which doesn't fit my taste in books. I do however think that most people will enjoy this book. Lots of good vs. evil going on. Heaven and Hell, Angel vs Demons.

Celeste was an interesting character. Bogged down by addictions and abusive situations. Fighting those demons and then finding out she is part of a battle between the forces is a lot for someone to manage, but she did it with grace and strength.

So even though this wasn't my kind of book, I do think quite a few will find that it is and would have no problem recommending it to them.

Author's Website: L.A. Banks

Boyfriends With Girlfriends - A Review

Boyfriends With Girlfriends - Alex Sanchez (S&S Egalley)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Hardcover , 224pp
• Sales Rank: 113,651
• Age Range: Young Adult
• Lexile: HL620L What’s This?

• ISBN-13: 9781416937739
• ISBN: 1416937730

Synopsis

Lance has always known he was gay, but he's never had a real boyfriend. Sergio is bisexual, but his only real relationship was with a girl. When the two of them meet, they have an instant connection—but will it be enough to overcome their differences?

Allie's been in a relationship with a guy for the last two years—but when she meets Kimiko, she can't get her out of her mind. Does this mean she's gay? Does it mean she's bi? Kimiko, falling hard for Allie, and finding it impossible to believe that a gorgeous girl like Allie would be into her, is willing to stick around and help Allie figure it out.

Boyfriends with Girlfriends is Alex Sanchez at his best, writing with a sensitive hand to portray four very real teens striving to find their places in the world—and with each other.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read that grabbed my attention from the start. This was a book about teenagers discovering who they are and what they want. The characters were interesting and their situations were believable and relatable whether gay, straight or bi.

If I had any gripe, it would be that the book wasn't long enough. It seems just as the story getting going, it was over. Other than that, I really liked it. It did deal with some sexual situations, so I would recommend to the older YA crowd.

Author's Website: Alex Sanchez

Horns - TLC Blog Tour

Horns - Joe Hill (TLC Blog Tour)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: March 2011
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Format: Paperback , 416pp
• Sales Rank: 30,431

• ISBN-13: 9780061147968
• ISBN: 0061147966

Synopsis

Joe Hill has been hailed as "a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction" (Washington Post); "a new master in the field of suspense" (James Rollins); "one of the most confident and assured new voices in horror and dark fantasy to emerge in recent years (Publishers Weekly); a writer who "builds character invitingly and plants an otherworldly surprise around every corner" (New York Times).

This gifted and brilliantly imaginative author catapulted to bestsellerdom with the chilling Heart-Shaped Box and cemented his reputation with the prizewinning volume of short fiction 20th Century Ghosts. At last, the New York Times bestselling author returns with a relentless supernatural thriller that runs like Hell on wheels...

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache ... and a pair of horns growing from his temples.

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product...

My Thoughts:

I admit I wasn't sure what I would think about this book when I choose to participate in this blog tour. I can say I am so glad I did participate.

When I started this book, I thought It would be full of gritty, heavy drama. What I was not expecting was comedy. While it was a great drama filled storyline, it had incredibly entertaining comedy pieces thrown about that just added something extra special to the book.

I loved how Joe was able to suck me right into the book immediately on page 1. It literally only took me reading that page to want to know more and the great thing is, he kept me reading. Nothing better than a story that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the very last page.

I should mention the characters a bit. I rather enjoyed all of the characters, well except for the bad ones. Then again you're not supposed to like them anyhow.

I like my reviews to be more about my reaction to a book rather than the story itself. I don't like to accidentally drop spoilers. So I will leave you with this summation I left on a comment on my Goodreads, this book is "Wickedly entertaining" and I would have no qualms recommending it to people.

Sidenote:

The first 1000 people to preorder Joe’s latest novel and then email joehill@harpercollins.com with proof of purchase will receive a specialized bookplate from Joe – he’s been signing and doodling all sorts of creations on bookplates for days now! For more information on this giveaway and the rest of Joe’s books, visit www.joehillfiction.com and follow Joe on Twitter @joe_hill.

Author's Website: Joe Hill and Joe's Twitter

Tour Post: TLC

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

"How did it happen this time?"

Henry tensed at the sound of her voice, and he tore his eyes away from the lifeless body on the bed long enough to look at her. Diana stood in the doorway, his best friend, his confidante, his family in every way except by blood, but even her presence didn't help rein in his temper.

The Goddess Test - Aimee Carter Prologue pg 1. (ARC final copy may be different)

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme is being hosted by I'm Booking It for the month of March. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got one book this week:








Secrets and Shadows - Shannon Delany (ARC Tour)
















It's Monday What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Outside In - Maria V. Snyder
Secrets and Shadows - Shannon Delany
Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks (review to be posted 3/31)

Books I am reading this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (put on back burner for a bit)
Boyfriends with Girlfriends - Alex Sanchez
Stay - Deb Caletti (maybe)

Books to finish this week:

Boyfriends with Girlfriends - Alex Sanchez

Secrets and Shadows - A Review

Secrets and Shadows - Shannon Delany (Around the World ARC tour)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: February 2011
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback , 320pp
• Sales Rank: 25,706
• Age Range: Young Adult

• Series: 13 to Life Series , #2
• ISBN-13: 9780312609153
• ISBN: 0312609159

Synopsis

Nothing’s simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she’s seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she’s suspected. With Jess’s realization that the Rusakovas’ mother is still alive and imprisoned, the group’s choices become harder and trust more important. Lines are drawn and relationships change as the broken Rusakova family struggles to reunite long enough to free their mother and people who Jess always just took to be normal people show themselves to be much, much more.

My Thoughts:

Wow I think this one was even more action packed than the first book. A few questions answered and a pile of new ones left behind. I think Jess is one strong character for all she had to put up with in this book. CIA, Russian Mafia, Ghosts, Dads, Angst filled teenagers. An explosive combination and then you add all the new stuff, that we got a glimpse of in this book, and I have to say I am very curious to see where all of this is heading.

I am still so incredibly fascinated with the Rusakova family as I was in the first book. I really hope we get to know more of their background. I will admit I wanted to throttle Pietr for most of this book. Boys can be so dumb!

Oh and talk about cliffhangers! If you're not a fan, I'd wait to read this book until the next is due out because Shannon leaves a whopper of a cliffhanger at the end of the book. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting to see what happens next.

Author's Website: Shannon Delany

Outside In - A Review

Outside In - Maria V. Snyder (Netgalley)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Format: Paperback , 336pp
• Sales Rank: 27,230
• Age Range: Young Adult

• Series: Inside Novel Series
• ISBN-13: 9780373210114
• ISBN: 0373210116

Synopsis

Me?

A leader?

Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.

That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.

And something from Outside wants In.

My Thoughts:

A great sequel to Inside out! Action galore. Everywhere you turn in this book is some sort of action and you're likely to find Trella smack dab in the middle of it. Trella is an interesting character. One minute she seems all vulnerable and a split second later, she's rushing headfirst into some sort of dangerous situation. I do think Trella grew quite a bit as a character in this book. Maybe even learned to lean on others a tiny bit.

Last book you had a take over from the inside and this time around it was a bit different. The outside wanted in and they weren't above using whatever means necessary to achieve their goal. Like I said action at every corner of this book. You've got good guys and bad guys, never fully knowing who you can trust. All kinds of sabotage to contend with and embedded in all of the action you have a family and friends gathering, growing and healing.

If you enjoyed the first book, I'd definitely recommend this one and if you haven't read the first one, you should give it a shot. Maria has great story telling in her blood.

Author's Website: Maria V. Snyder

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

The waiting ferryboat--ivory-colored and two-tiered--resembled a slice of cake. Or maybe I was just hungry, I reasoned as I hurried across the dock, my duffel bag bumping my hip.

Sea Change - Aimee Friedman, pg. 1

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme is being hosted by I'm Booking It for the month of March. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got one book this week.








Sea Change - Aimee Friedman

















It's Monday What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Red Glove - Holly Black

Books I am reading this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (put on back burner for a bit)
Outside In - Maria V. Snyder
Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks


Books to finish this week:

Outside In - Maria V. Snyder
Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Red Glove - A Review

Red Glove - Holly Black (S&S egalley program)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Hardcover , 336pp
• Sales Rank: 28,010
• Age Range: Young Adult
• Series: Curse Workers Series , #2
• ISBN-13: 9781442403390
• ISBN: 144240339X

Synopsis

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

My Thoughts:

I have to say I enjoyed this book. Holly creates such an interesting world of people. Very unique by today standards. I find the Curseworker world to be very intriguing. Imagine having to wear gloves all the time. I'm not sure I could do it lol. Not to be able to feel the touch of a hand or a brush of the finger across your cheek, without the fear of them working you.

The story is not overly jaw dropping, but entertaining enough to keep me reading and making me want to read more of the series. It's almost like a slow and steady build up of whats to come and I'm invested enough now to to want to know what's coming.

I love Cassel. He's too dang hard on himself and takes too much blame upon himself, but it's hard not to love him. You just end up doing so. Now his family on the other hand, are aggravating little annoyances lol. Sam and his grandfather remind me of an old comfortable chair and blanket. People who are always there for Cassel without wanting something in return.

The characters who I find the most interesting are Lila and Daneca. Daneca is a mystery a Curseworker who is trying desperately not to be one. Lila I can't figure her out. I can't decide if she's good or bad. I'm still on the fence on that one. I guess I will find out in later books.

Books Website: Curseworkers

Author's Website: Holly Black

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

Azrael squeezed his eyes shut more tightly when the light around him dimmed behind his lids. As the Angel of Death, never had he imagined that he would fear the return to darkness as terribly as he did now.

Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks pg 1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme is being hosted by I'm Booking It for the month of March. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got a few books this week.








My Jane Austen Summer - Cindy Jones (TLC book tour)
















Surrender The Dark - L.A. Banks (Pocketbooks blog tour)
















XVI - Julia Karr (bought)

















It's Monday What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Zero Day - Marl Russinovich
Horns - Joe Hill (blog tour for 3/29/2011)

Books I am reading this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Red Glove - Holly Black



Books to finish this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Red Glove - Holly Black

Booking Through Thursday

Do you multi-task when you read? Do other things like stirring things on the stove, brushing your teeth, watching television, knitting, walking, et cetera?

Or is it just me, and you sit and do nothing but focus on what you’re reading?

(Or, if you do both, why, when, and which do you prefer?)

I used to be able to watch TV and read at the same time and not miss a beat. It's a bit harder these days. I find I get distracted too easily. Either by the TV or by the book. Other than that, I find I can't read and do other things. Would be nice if I could. I could start making a bigger dent in my TBR pile.

What about you? Can you multi-task while reading?

Zero Day - A Review

Zero Day - Mark Russinovich (Publisher)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: March 2011
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover , 336pp
• Sales Rank: 92,856

• ISBN-13: 9780312612467
• ISBN: 031261246X

Synopsis

An insidious cyber-terrorist attack threatens to destroy the Western World in this debut by a leading expert on cybersecurity

Over the Atlantic, an airliner’s controls suddenly stop reacting. In Japan, an oil tanker runs aground when its navigational system fails. And in the Midwest, a nuclear power plant nearly becomes the next Chernobyl.

At first, these computer failures seem unrelated. But Jeff Aiken, a former government analyst who saw the mistakes made before 9/11, fears that there may be a more serious attack coming. And he soon realizes that there isn’t much time if he hopes to stop an international disaster.

Zero Day presents a chilling “what if” scenario written in the vein of Richard A. Clarke and Daniel Suarez.

My Thoughts:

I found this to be a fast paced, thrilling book that kept me on the edge of my seat for most of it. We as a society are so used to being able to log in, click and do stuff with our computers. Pay bills, order food, find information. But what if in one second and one click, that all went away? It's an all too possible scenario. Cybersecurity is a big issue and a very relevant one in today society.

This book is about that. A plot to bring the US and Europe to it's knees by attacking something we've all come to rely heavily on, our computers. Sometimes I find these kind of stories much more scary than your traditional horror story. I can tell you I have the sudden need to backup and check my virus software on my own machine after reading this book.

Sometimes the book made my head hurt with all the information being thrown my way, but I think most of it was essential to the story itself. I think if you are a fan of espionage style books, you will love this one and I have no problem recommending it to people.

Author's Website: Mark Russinovich

Author's Blog: Mark Russinovich

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

Ignatius Martin Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke the next morning with a headache, put his hands to his temples, and felt something unfamiliar, a pair of knobby pointed protuberances.

Horns - Joe Hill pg1.

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme is being hosted by I'm Booking It for the month of March. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I had an empty mailbox this week.








It's Monday What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Ten Miles Past Normal - Frances O'Roark Dowell

Books I am reading this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Zero Day - Mark Russinovich




Books to finish this week:

The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Zero Day - Mark Russinovich

Ten Miles Past Normal - A Review

Ten Miles Past Normal - Frances O'Roark Dowell (S&S Egalley)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Hardcover , 224pp
• Sales Rank: 405,979
• Age Range: Young Adult
• ISBN-13: 9781416995852
• ISBN: 1416995854

Synopsis

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation--and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much.

It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment.

Frances O’Roark Dowell’s fierce humor and keen eye make her YA debut literary and wise. In the spirit of John Green and E. Lockhart, Dowell’s relatable, quirky characters and clever, fluid writing prove that growing up gets complicated…and normal is WAY overrated.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It's a sweet, quirky, coming of age story that just leaves you feeling good when you turn the last page.

Janie is entering 9th grade and trying desperately to find her footing in High School. She lives out on a farm, which I think is awesome. Janie on the other hand not so much anymore heh. I found I could identify with her and she's finding her "SPOT" in her school, community, etc. Her family is pretty cool and her friends are people I could easily see as friends of mine.

I do think my favorite character is Monster by far, or maybe Mr. Pritchard. I found both of the characters engrossing and just plain lovable!

Two thumbs up! I highly recommend this book.

Author's Website: Frances O'Roark Dowell

Where She Went - A Review

Where She Went - Gayle Forman (Library Thing Early Reviewer)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Format: Hardcover , 208pp
• Sales Rank: 33,725
• Age Range: Young Adult
• ISBN-13: 9780525422945
• ISBN: 0525422943

Synopsis

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My Thoughts:

I listened to If I Stay and loved it and was very stoked to find out I would get a chance to review this book. I'm so glad I did. I loved this one just as much.

There is something about Gayle's writing that tugs at my heartstrings. I read this book in one day. It was that good. The first book I grieved and cried for Mia and in this book my heart broke for Adam. I am glad I got to witness their story. I say witness because that is how it felt as I was reading it. I felt like I was eavesdropping on it but couldn't look away lol.

I don't want to say too much for fear of giving stuff away so I'll just leave you with this thought. If you enjoyed If I stay, you will love Where She Went. If you haven't read If I Stay, then go get it and read it, so you can buy Where She Went when it releases.

Author's Website: Gayle Forman