The Reader Campaign + Giveaway

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today I'm part of a promotional campaign for The Reader, the first book in the Sea of Ink and Gold series by Traci Chee. In this world society as a whole is illiterate and there are no books to be had – GASP!–, so as part of the campaign I've been asked to list for you a few of the books that I just couldn't survive or imagine life without.

As I'm sure is the case for so many of you, that list is a long one, but I've managed to narrow it down to three. If you don't count the fact that some are series, which I don't. Series = one book using Jenny Logic.

THE FEVER SERIES

I am a huge fan of antihero characters, and Jericho Barrons might just be the antihero to end all antiheroes (to me anyway). He's absolutely infuriating, a complete a-hole, and a sadist, but damn if he's not attractive as all get out too. I've never loved, hated, and then loved a character again as much as I did Barrons throughout this series, and even just mentioning his name brings a smile to my face. Though this series went off the rails a bit for me after Iced and Mac in general could be trying at times, the first five books will forever have a special place in my heart. A place that likes to be tortured by enigmatic bastards named Barrons ;-)

THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES

Like Twilight, this series tends to have a pretty polarizing effect - readers either love it or loathe it. This was one of the first series I read when I started really getting back into reading after a long, long break during which I only read class-required books, and it truly made me see how much fun reading could be. It's not going to find its way onto the classics shelf anytime soon, but it's a series that changed my life as it, along with Twilight, was the catalyst for me starting this blog.

THE THRONE OF GLASS SERIES

I remember the exact moment Throne of Glass hit my radar: BEA 2013. I added it to my "if I have time" list knowing very little about the author or series, and when the Moms and I showed up to stand in line about an hour ahead of time – we thought we'd be first – we found ourselves a solid hundred plus people back. We actually ended up being the last three people who were allowed to get our books signed as Sarah's signing hour was up, and seeing that reaction had me absurdly excited to dive in as soon as I got home.

To say I was underwhelmed by this book would be putting it politely. I had expected magic. A captivating world. A heroine made of wit and badassery. What I found instead was a young woman who did a lot of talking about how epic an assassin she was, but did very little to back it up. It wasn't until Bloomsbury published all five prequels in a single installment (which I devoured) that I truly fell in love with this series, and it's been a source of joy and tears for me ever since.

So there you have it, the books that have made a huge impact on me in one way or another, and those select few that find themselves with spines nearly worn through from re-reading:)

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THE READER

Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent.

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You can read the first two chapters HERE!

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TRACI CHEE

Traci Chee is an author of speculative fiction for teens. An all-around word geek, she loves book arts and art books, poetry and paper crafts, though she also dabbles at piano playing, egg painting, and hosting potluck game nights for family and friends. She studied literature and creative writing at UC Santa Cruz and earned a master of arts degree from San Francisco State University. Traci grew up in a small town with more cows than people, and now feels most at home in the mountains, scaling switchbacks and happening upon hidden highland lakes. She lives in California with her fast-fast dog. The Reader is her YA debut. 

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

In partnership with Penguin Random House, I have a fantastic giveaway to share with you today! One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Reader as well as a snazzy branded "I Am The Reader" tote bag. Win. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only, and all prizing is provided by Penguin Random House.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel of the Sands

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

REBEL OF THE SANDS

Alwyn Hamilton

Young Adult/Fantasy

Releases March 2016 from Penguin

From Goodreads:

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Guys, Amani sounds like a badass. A sharpshooter? I am 100% on board with that! Also, when I was a little girl the thing I wanted most in all the world was a horse, so anytime I see horses mentioned in a synopsis the little girl in me rears up (see what I did there? Rears? I'm on my game today...) and forces the book either into my hands or into my online shopping cart. Add in a romance and a powerful truth that's going to turn her into a very special snowflake indeed and I'm already counting the days until March!

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#UnlockTheBoy: Bonus Content for THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO

Today I'm excited to share a fun way to tide all you Huntley Fitzpatrick lovers over until the release of The Boy Most Likely To on August 18th! A deleted scene and bonus preview chapter will be available for devouring if the #UnlockTheBoy hashtag is shared enough, so I hope you guys will read through the details below and help me get the word out so we can get our hands on all the extra goodies! Who loves bonus content? THIS GIRL!

Huntley Fitzpatrick, critically acclaimed author of My Life Next Door and What I Thought Was True, heats up the summer months with The Boy Most Likely To, a sizzling tale of first love and second chances. This companion novel, set in the same world as My Life Next Door, tells the story of fan favorite Tim Mason and his tumultuous relationship with both Alice Garrett and his own rocky past. From July 28th - August 17th, readers can help unlock extra content from The Boy Most Likely To ahead of its release on August 18th! Plus, enter to win 1 of 5 signed copies of What I Thought Was True!

THE EXTRA CONTENT: 

• an exclusive DELETED SCENE from The Boy Most Likely To
• a BONUS PREVIEW CHAPTER from The Boy Most Likely To

TWO WAYS TO UNLOCK THE EXTRAS:

• Share the Huntley Fitzpatrick sampler (featuring 4 chapters from BMLT and MLND, and 3 from WITWT) on social media with the hashtag #UnlockTheBoy: bit.ly/HuntleyFitzpatrickSampler
• Share this blog post on social media with the hashtag #UnlockTheBoy

The deleted scene and bonus chapter will be revealed once the hashtag reaches enough shares, so post as many times as you want!

THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this novel is for readers of The Spectacular Now, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Paper Towns.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N 

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THE GIVEAWAY

• FIVE (5) winners will be randomly selected on 8/18 (release day!) from among those using the #UnlockTheBoy hashtag across social media to win a SIGNED copy of What I Thought Was True
• US and Canada only
• Submit your name, email, and social media handles via this google form so that the team can contact you if you win (you only need to submit them once): http://goo.gl/forms/waBvPg1HNs
• Each time you use the hashtag counts as another entry -- the more you post, the more times you're entered to win!

Giveaway + The Blog Most Likely To...

I'm super excited today to be a part of a fun campaign put together by the team at Penguin Teen to help celebrate The Boy Most Likely To, the upcoming release from author Huntley Fitzpatrick. I fell madly in love with Huntley on page one of her debut novel, My Life Next Door (you can read my full gushing review here), and I now attempt to wait patiently for anything and everything she writes. Something at which I fail miserably.

Penguin has asked those participating to play with the title of Huntley's newest book, changing it to The Blog Most Likely To and then choosing a superlative we think best fits us. Confession: I am terrible at things like this. When I have to be creative on the spot I completely freeze up and my mind goes utterly blank. The Blog Most Likely To Love Reading? The Blog Most Likely to Write Reviews? The Blog Most Likely To Have An Embarrassing Number of Book Boyfriends? (That last one is actually pretty good, I wish I'd thought of it prior to putting together this whole post ;-)

After thinking long and hard though, I finally came up with one that fits me pretty well. And so I give you the superlative for Supernatural Snark:

Yep. That sums me up pretty darn well. I CAN'T HELP IT, OKAY? A pretty cover will have me opening my wallet and grabbing my credit card faster than you can blink and I'm not ashamed of it. Below are just a handful of covers that made knowing anything about the story completely irrelevant because I needed them in my life regardless.

THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

THAT TYPE! *dies* Trying to make an eight word title flow well and maintain legibility at a small size is no insignificant design challenge, and I just love how all the words fit together like a gorgeously eerie jigsaw puzzle. *pets type*

HALF BAD

I love covers that take me a minute to make out what exactly I'm looking at, and when I do, bring a giddy grin to my face. Yes to creepy red smoke faces. (I actually think this is dye in water rather than smoke, but it doesn't even matter. It's gorgeous.) Yes to the way the word "bad" fills the spaces between the word "half". Yes to everything.

THE REPLACEMENT

Hello there, nightmare-inducing cover. A bold, simplistic image will grab my attention faster than a busy design every single time, and this cover to me is striking for all it implies without having to work too hard. I'm not sure if I should be scared for whatever might be in the pram as it could be impaled at any second, or scared of it because it's the spawn of something that thought knives and scissors would work well as a mobile.

FORBIDDEN WISH

I wanted to end with a cover for an upcoming book since the above have all been out for a while, and when I saw the cover for The Forbidden Wish today I nearly died of want. IT'S SO PRETTY! I would pay a hefty price to wish this book into my hands immediately. Damn you February 2016, for being so very far away. *shakes fist*

Those are just a few of the books that made their way onto my list of must-haves based on their cover alone, and there will undoubtedly be many more to come. Sucker for a pretty face, party of one ;-)

I'd love to know what superlatives you guys would assign yourselves, so let me know in the comments! And don't forget to to mark your calendars for THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO, releasing August 18th from Dial.

THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To find the liquor cabinet blindfolded, need a liver transplant, and drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To . . . well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this novel is for readers of The Spectacular Now, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Paper Towns.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

GIVEAWAY

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End Times Blog Tour: Q+A and Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of being part of the promotional tour for End Times by Anna Schumacher, and Anna is here to briefly talk about the hardest and easiest scenes for her to write. The incredibly generous team at Penguin has also offered up a finished copy of End Times to one lucky winner, so be sure and check the bottom of the post for all those details. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Anna!

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST SCENE TO WRITE? THE EASIEST?

Unlike Daphne, Janie was a very easy character for me to wrap my head around. Her contradictions make so much sense to me: she’s poor but spoiled, self-centered yet generous, a bad girl who thinks she’s a good girl. Because of this, Janie’s scenes were both the hardest and the easiest for me to write.

Janie undergoes a pretty rough personal journey in the first book, and since I love Janie so much it was hard for me to write about bad things happening to her. At one point my husband came home to find my sobbing into my laptop. That was the hardest scene to write. The easiest was a scene that happens later in the book – I can’t say too much, because spoilers! But I woke up in the middle of the night knowing exactly how the scene needed to go, and I sat down and wrote the whole thing in about an hour. It just flowed out of me. Then I went back to bed.

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END TIMES

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

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ANNA SCHUMACHER

Anna Schumacher received an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. Born and raised in the tiny town of Guilford, VT (no traffic lights, no post office, one store), she now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two cats. END TIMES is her first novel.

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the team at Penguin, I have one finished copy of End Times to give away on the blog today! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway