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.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Last Sacrifice

LAST SACRIFICE (Vampire Academy #6)
Richelle Mead
Paranormal Young Adult
594 pages
Penguin/Razorbill
Available Now

Warning: Contains mild spoilers from previous books and you will be able to deduce who Rose ends up with romantically from this review though no specifics are given.

THE STORY
Rose Hathaway has never been one to take the easy road. Her life as a Dhampir (half human, half vampire) has always been one of service to her best friend and Moroi princess, Lissa, and she's never hesitated in doing anything and everything in her power to keep Lissa from harm. As it turns out, Rose now finds herself in a position where she is the one in harm's way, imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and facing a swift trial and execution based on the significant evidence stacked against her.

Though the future looks bleak, Rose's friends refuse to let her go down without a fight, and Rose is quickly teamed up with her former mentor and love of her life Dimitri, off on a mission that will both aid Lissa politically and help to clear Rose's name. Though Rose has tried to move on after Dimitri's heartbreaking rejection, their forced proximity sparks a flame that has never quite extinguished despite both of their best efforts to put it out.

Emotional upheaval, long-buried secrets, and political intrigue are dominant factors, and Rose and company are forced to face painful realizations that have far reaching consequences for all involved. Though Rose knows she's innocent, there's a murderer in their midst who would do anything to remain anonymous while Rose takes the fall and Lissa is thrust into the world of politics, but this battle has been a long time coming, and Rose will do anything to keep her friends safe.

MY THOUGHTS
This final installment reunites us with characters with whom we have fallen hopelessly in love through prior books, their heartbreak and loss a keening pain we feel every moment during their absence in between novels, and one that refuses to dissipate the entire six month wait until we are together again. Ms. Mead's shining strength is her stunning characterization, creating individuals to whom we are irreversibly bound, our emotional connection to them a live wire pulsing with our shared joy, turmoil, and overwhelming anguish, cementing a relationship that will forever be remembered, cherished, and returned to experience again and again. Because our thoughts and opinions of characters and events are filtered through Rose's observations and musings, we find ourselves slipping easily into her role, the boundary between her fictional existence and our reality blurring to such a degree that for the duration of hundreds of pages, and sometimes long after, the outside world simply ceases to exist as our attachment to Rose and the other characters becomes a permanent link powerfully reinforced with every word, every page, and every chapter we read.

Rose is, and always has been, a remarkable blend of maturity and naivete, possessing an enviable fortitude and surety of purpose combined with a tempestuous nature that often lands her in a variety of difficult situations. To watch as she's progressed from an able, independent, but also very young girl to a resilient, impassioned, and unbelievably dedicated woman has been and absolute privilege. The battle between selfishness and selflessness has been a prominent one, and Rose has struggled with finding a balance between the value of protecting Lissa's life and the desire to live her own. Finally, in this last book we get to see that epic battle come full circle as the events leading up to the finale produce a Rose who exceeds our expectations and our fondest imaginings. A warrior, a leader, and a woman we would be proud to call friend emerges from the chaos to become someone who we saw fleeting glimpses of previously, but now stands before us fully embracing both the flaws and strengths of a woman that has known unfathomable loss and pain, and has not only survived, but excelled, when others would have surely succumbed.

The journey for Rose and Dimitri has been not just a long and winding one, but one so dominated by obstacles it often seemed they would never escape the darkness and get to experience the light. Part of the enjoyment of Last Sacrifice is the return of the Rose and Dimitri we knew so long ago, and though both have been fundamentally changed by their individual battles, we have the pleasure of watching as a flare alights in the blackness, the tiniest of beacons existing to usher them into the future we want most for these two people who mean so much to us. Even more interesting, we get to see a role reversal in their relationship–where Dimitri has always been the calm to Rose's storm and the voice of reason to her youthful zeal, we now find Rose to be the leader, the optimist, and the lifeline holding Dimitri to sanity when the force of his guilt might otherwise consume him. Where previously they were student to teacher, adolescent enthusiasm to learned control, and inexperienced Dhampir to battle-ravaged Guardian, we now find two equals; both whose worlds have been altered seemingly beyond repair but are rebuilding together, partners in a relationship that brings a smile to our faces, butterflies to our stomachs, and tears to our eyes.

Last Sacrifice is a brilliant end to a beautiful series, one that never shies away from pain and isn't afraid to allow misery to temporarily eclipse hope. It is a story that leaves us more satisfied and complete for having experienced the trials of it's characters and more involved than perhaps we ever thought we could be in a piece of fiction. For anyone who loves to be completely connected with those about whom their reading, this series is for you. For those who like it when their emotions are tested, taunted, and tormented, this series is for you. And for anyone who loves when the joy is ultimately worth the suffering, I say this series is for you.

Rating: 4.5/5

Teaser Tuesday: Last Sacrifice

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and here's how it works:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share a snippet from somewhere on that page but be careful not to include spoilers

My teaser this week is from Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead:

More questions were on my lips when brilliant light suddenly blinded me. My eyes had grown attuned to the darkness, and the unexpected brightness was too abrupt a change. There was a rustling in the trees, a sense of many bodies around us, and as my vision returned, I saw vampire faces everywhere. (pg 136)

LAST SACRIFICE (Vampire Academy #6) from Goodreads:

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose–for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Join Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, and Lissa in LAST SACRIFICE, the epic, unforgettable finale to Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling VAMPIRE ACADEMY series.