It's Monday: What are you reading?

This great meme is hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week will share with you the books we are reading, just finished reading and those books we are planning to read this week. 

I have recently just finished:

Eve by Anna Carey

I am currently reading:

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton

Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love edited by Trisha Telep

Next up, I have a huge pile of books that is bound to keep me busy for a while:

Starting with:

 Insurgent by Veronica Roth

 

And following, in no particular order:

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

Purity by Jackson Pearce 

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Leave us a comment letting us know what you are reading, what you have finished and what might be next on your list, or what you think of our list of books.

Happy Reading!

Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer - Author Interview

BCM: What kind of games do you like to play? AS: My favorite game is Trivial Pursuit and other “quiz show” type games. I have a lot of odd bits of knowledge rolling around in my brain because I’ve been a social studies curriculum writer for many years, and because I do a ton of research to write my Planet Explorers Travel Guides for Kids series. I love a good fun fact! My other game of choice is ping pong. I grew up with a table in my basement and I’m pretty good.  BCM: Where would you most like to visit and why? AS: There are a lot of destinations on my list, but at the moment I am most looking forward to going to Hawaii. My fiancé and I will be taking our honeymoon there after we get married this summer and I can’t wait to sit on a beach and see all the amazing natural beauty. I can get enough lush, tropical foliage. During my last vacation in Florida, I kept taking photos of trees, ferns, and bushes. BCM: What was your favorite subject in school? AS: Art, history, and English. I guess it wasn’t too hard to predict that I’d be drawn to the publishing world. I’ve always been very bookish. BCM: Do you have to make notes to keep track of things? AS: Yes, but I keep them all in my iPhone. I’m way too attached to that thing. I look at it constantly and I always go over my data plan each month. I should really do something about that. BCM: What movie could you watch over and over again? AS: The Princess Bride. Although, at the moment I am obsessed with The Hunger Games, both in book and movie form. I’m sure I’ll see the movie more than once in the theater.

Cover Reveal: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz

We here at BCM love it when new books and new authors are announced. And we love it even more when we are able to share the news with all of our followers. So I am happy to be able to share with you the cover reveal, blurb, and trailer for a debut novel coming from Spencer Hill Press:

Breaking Glass

by Lisa Amowitz

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

Title: Breaking Glass

Author: Lisa Amowitz

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.SpencerHillPress.com)

ISBN: 978-1-937053-38-3

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Genre: Young Adult paranormal mystery

I absolutely love this cover, it's gorgeous. And the book sounds so intriguing; I love a great mystery. And how about the trailer.... eerie!

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

 

Makeup or natural--No one needs make-up, but it’s great when you’re trying to pull an outfit together or create a mood. I like to mix up nail, eye, and lipstick colors so each matches a different part of whatever I’m wearing.  

Cars or trucks—Cars. Easy in and out and there are so many more styles of cars. Trucks always come off like a box on wheels.  

Dogs or cats—Cats. They’re so intuitive and wise. Have you ever looked into a cat’s eyes and saw the depth that lies there? Some people think they’re conceited, but I think they have old souls and can’t always be bothered by people floundering around and trying to find their place the way people do. Dogs are great too. They have young souls, that’s why they’re always bouncing around being happy.  

Dyed or natural hair—People ask me if I dye my hair all the time, because I have this crazy red color that people love, but it’s all me. I’m a little vain about it, so I like it natural, but I’m not above adding a streak of color here and there when the mood strikes.  

Short or long hair—Again, depends on the mood. Mine’s been long for a while now, I might have to go with something shockingly short soon to mix things up.  

Skirts or pants—Hmmm, tough call, but I think I’m going to go with skirt. Pants seem to be a bit more limiting when it comes to fabric type, patterns, and colors. Everyone wants a basic jean or black something. Where’s the creativity in that?

Strict diet or eating healthy—Neither. I eat whatever I want.  

Fake nails or real nails—Real. I believe in color and patterns and bling and all that whenever and wherever, including my nails, but fake nails gross me out. I prefer the ones I was born with, thank you.  

Jewelry or none—Jewelry please. There’s always a place for additional accessorization in any outfit. I find a new piece of jewelry about every time I go to my sister’s store, she saves me the stuff no one else will buy and I make it work.  

Cell phone or landline—Okay, love my cell phone, but I have this fabulous old 1940’s rotary phone that I found at a thrift shop. That’s what I use when I’m in my room. It was black when I got it, but I added some bling and stripped feathers around the base. For the sake of that phone alone I’m going to say landline.

Waiting on Wednesday: Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Welcome to Waiting on Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. This week I am anxiously awaiting:

 

Taken by Storm (Raised by Wolves #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Release date May 22, 2012

Published by EgmontUSA

Hardcover: 320 pages

ISBN: 1606843192

Ages 12+

Preorder: Amazon/Barnes and Noble

 

From Goodreads: Bryn knows first-hand that being the alpha of a werewolf pack means making hard decisions, and that being human makes things a thousand times worse. She's prepared to give up her humanity, but the wolf who promised to Change her is waiting - though for what, Bryn doesn't know. Still human, she must take her place in the werewolf Senate, the precarious democracy that rules the North American packs. Standing side by side with werewolves who were ancient long before she was ever born is enough of a challenge, but Bryn soon learns that the Senate has been called to deal with a problem: the kind of problem that involves human bodies, a Rabid werewolf, and memories that Bryn, Chase, and the rest of their pack would rather forget. With bodies stacking up and political pressure closing in from all sides, Bryn and her pack are going to have to turn to old enemies and even older friends for help - especially when it starts to look like this time, the monster might be one of their own.

 

What do you think? Is this a book you have been waiting for? Leave us a comment with your thoughts and your Waiting on Wednesday.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Wanted: New Reviewers

Hi everyone!

We've had a ton of fun blogging over the past two years getting to know our readers, fellow bloggers, and authors and publishers. So much fun, in fact, that we've decided we'd like to grow our team.

We're currently looking to add 2-3 new reviewers to BCM, and we'd love to hear from you! We are open to readers of all backgrounds, but please note that we only review YA (young adult) and a small number of MG (middle grade) novels.

A few requirements:

• All reviews must be honest and written in your own words;
• We'd prefer entrants to be at least 18 years old;
• Reviewers that will be considered for the positions will be professional (and fun), familiar with spell check and will have a strong passion for YA novels;
• Entrants must be available to post a minimum of 2-3 times per month. 

If you're interested in a position, please fill out the form below. And please don't hesitate to email or leave a comment if you have a question. 

Teaser Tuesday: Eve by Anna Carey

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read;
• Open your book 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 and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

This week's teaser comes from:

 

Eve by Anna Carey

 

 "I'm sick for a week and you're practically falling in ---" Her hand covered her mouth. I thought she was going to cough, but she stayed quiet. (page 167 of the ARC)

Review: THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith

THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2, 2012

Publisher: Poppy/Little Brown

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / B &N / Indiebound

About: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

My Review: THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT is one of those books that took me by pleasant surprise. It wasn't that I wasn't expecting a great novel, it was just that I wasn't expecting a novel that I'd love so much that I'd immediately go out and buy a copy and try to plan out when I'd have to time to read it again. It was that good. No, it was that GREAT.

Hadley isn't exactly looking forward to her father's wedding. In fact, there are many things she'd much rather be doing than flying to London to be in the wedding to his soon to be new wife. The fact that she's less than enthused about the wedding is more than enough reason to explain why she misses her flight, and why she's oh-so-close to missing the nuptials in their entirety. 

But this turns out not to be such a bad thing when a mysterious and super cute boy, Oliver, saves her from an old lady at the airport and then from boredom on the plane when they finally do take off. Hadley makes some assumptions about Oliver that are easy to follow along with at first, but after learning more about him, and still not truly understanding him, it becomes clear that Hadley is missing something important about his trip back home. Oliver's character is, in my opinion, written perfectly. He's witty, handsome and has that awesome accent that even though you're just reading it, you can totally hear it in your head. Oh, and he's a little bit of a dork, which makes him even more loveable, as if that were possible.

And as much as you expect to dislike Hadley's father, and his decision to remarry, it was impossible for me to do so. In fact, Hadley's character growth in this novel was one of the strongest selling points to me. Hadley's emotions are tumultuous and believable throughout. Smith does a remarkable job of making Hadley a girl you could connect with, making it impossible not to root for her to make the right choices. 

I loved this book so much, I think I'm going to start calling it THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST READ. 

My Rating:

IMM (#77)

All of us here at Books Complete Me are so excited to be a part of the awesome list of blogs who participate in the "In My Mailbox" meme. In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren so make sure you check out her book blog for a list of many of the blogs participating. 

Here is a list of the books we received this week:

Kendra:

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

 

Cindy Received:

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

Revived by Cat Patrick

Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Surrender by Elana Johnson

*Cindy also made several purchases this week, but those will be posted later this week as part of the Pitch Dark Days Tour wrap-up post. Stay tuned for fun details and some awesome giveaway items!

Leave us a comment below letting us know what you received this week or which of the books above is on your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa Blog Tour: Red Lung Disease & Giveaway

Today, we have the extraordinary pleasure of being a part of THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa blog tour. To say I loved this book is a major understatement, so I'm beyond thrilled to participate in this tour. Stay tuned for my glowing (i.e. raving) review to come next week. 

THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa (Goodreads)

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Amazon / B&N / Harlequin / Indiebound

About: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

So, now, my question to you is, are YOU infected with Red Lung Disease? Read below to find out more! 

Stop #6 - Red Lung Disease

Symptoms

Red Lung begins with the onset of flu-like symptoms including fever, aching, nausea, coughing, and fatigue.  These symptoms persist for several days and then begin to escalate.  Within one week of exposure, necrosis sets into the lung tissue, causing lesions and open sores.  This, in turn, results in bleeding into the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, and the bloody coughing that led to the name “red lung.”  Once lesions in the lungs begin, they proceed rapidly, ultimately resulting in death, generally within forty-eight hours.  Death is most often ascribed to asphyxia from fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Mortality and Contagion

Red Lung is an airborne virus, spread through viral droplet nuclei transmission – minute samples of the virus are transferred when an infected person coughs or sneezes, spreading mucus-coated virus molecules.  The comparatively slow progress of the early stages of the virus and the mundane nature of the initial symptoms allowed Red Lung to spread through the population before public health officials could institute policies to curtail travel or quarantine suspected carriers.  By the time world governments realized a problem existed, Red Lung was already rampant and spreading throughout all of the industrialized nations.

Before the public health systems crumbled, Red Lung mortality rates were measured at greater than 70%, on par with the worst outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague.  The rare cases of recovery conferred immunity on the survivors.  This immunity was found to be passed down through genetic bloodlines.  Unfortunately, the death rate far exceeded the birth rate, leading to a rapidly declining population.

***Official THE IMMORTAL RULES Trailer***

Check out Paranormal Romance to enter for a chance to win a Kindle Touch with a super cool THE IMMORTAL RULES cover!

Stop by the official Blood of Eden Website for great extras & fun interactive surprises!

If you're in or near KY, make sure you don't miss these awesome tour stops with Julie! 

        * Tuesday, April 24th at 4pm - Barnes & Noble Livonia, Louisville, KY

* Saturday, April 28th at 2pm - The Bookstore, Radcliff, KY

* Monday, May 7th at 5:30 pm - Lincoln's Loft, Hodgeville, KY

Please visit http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/ for the next stop on The Immortal Rules blog tour.

• Tuesday, April 17 –  I Read Banned Books
• Wednesday, April 18 –   I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
• Thursday, April 19 –Supernatural Snark
• Friday, April 20 – Mundie Moms
• Saturday, April 21 – Books Complete Me
• Sunday, April 22 – I am a Reader, Not a Writer
• Monday, April 23 –  Reading Teen
• Tuesday April 24 – 4 stops to celebrate release day for The Immortal Rules! — Electrifying Reviews, Waste Paper Prose, Page Turners and Bookalicious
• Wednesday, April 25 – Tynga’s Reviews
• Thursday, April 26 – Once Upon a Twilight
• Friday, April 27 – All things urban fantasy
• Saturday, April 28 – Total bookaholic
• Sunday, April 29 – A good addition
• Monday, April 30 – Reading Angel
• Tuesday, May 1 – Taming the Bookshelf
• Wednesday, May 2 – Teens Read and Write

***GIVEAWAY***

Thanks to Harlequin Teen, we're also offering you a chance to win a signed, finished copy of THE IMMORTAL RULES. It's open to U.S. & Canadian readers only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pitch Dark Days Tour Stop: Burlington, MA Tonight @ 7:00 p.m.

The final leg of the Dark Days Tour is about to come to an end, and I couldn't be happier that it's happening in my own backyard (okay, not really my backyard, but wouldn't that have been awesome?) in Burlington, MA.

The amazing Kimberly Derting, Jill Hathaway and Dan Wells are going to signing at the Barnes & Noble in Burlington tonight at 7:00 p.m. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by!

If you're not in the area, we'll be tweeting live from the event and you'll have chances to win copies of their books. So be sure you're following us on Twitter @BooksCompleteMe so you don't miss any of the tweets!

Find the authors online:

Dan Wells: Goodreads / Blog / Facebook

Kimberly Derting: Goodreads / Blog / Twitter  / Facebook / Tumblr

Jill Hathaway: Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Also, check out Pitch Dark Books online:

Stay connected to all things Dark Days on the Pitch Dark Facebook page, including exclusive content features every Wednesday! 

And enjoy this cool Facebook App that shows you the full tour and awesome samples for FREE. 

Follow @PitchDarkBooks and use #PitchDarkDays in your tweets to follow the conversations.

If you missed any of the Dark Days Blog Tour, follow the links below to follow along. 

Dark Days Blog Tour Schedule

Leg 1

1/4 Tahereh Mafi at Reading Vacation

1/5 Ellen Schreiber at I Read Banned Books

1/6 Veronica Rossi at Supernatural Snark

1/9 Tahereh Mafi at Reading Vacation

1/10 Ellen Schreiber at I Read Banned Books

1/11 Veronica Rossi at Supernatural Snark

Leg 2

1/16 Cynthia Hand at The Story Siren

1/19 Jodi Meadows at The YA Sisterhood

1/24 Brodi Ashton at The Readiacs

1/26 Courtney Allison Moulton at Reading Teen

1/31 Cynthia Hand at The Story Siren

2/2 Jodi Meadows at The YA Sisterhood

2/7Brodi Ashton at The Readiacs

2/9 Courtney Allison Moulton at Reading Teen

Leg 3

2/21 Lauren Oliver at All Things Urban Fantasy

2/22 Claudia Gray at A Life Bound By Books

2/23 Alex Flinn at Mundie Moms

2/28 Dan Wells at Bookalicious 

3/1 Lauren Oliver at All Things Urban Fantasy

3/6 Claudia Gray at A Life Bound By Books

3/7 Alex Flinn at Mundie Moms

Leg 4

4/3 Kimberly Derting at Confessions of a Bookaholic

4/5 Jill Hathaway at Down the Rabbit Hole

4/10 Kimberly Derting at Confessions of a Bookaholic

4/12 Jill Hathaway at Down the Rabbit Hole

4/17 Dan Wells at Bookalicious

Betrayed by Ednah Walters RE-RELEASE Blog Tour

Betrayed

Ednah Walters

June 2012

Juvenile Fiction (Fantasy and Magic)

Since the dawn of time, children of the fallen angels have lived among humans. Some are Guardians, protecting humanity. Others are demons, determined to destroy it.

 

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim-- the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

 

Ednah Walters combines suspense, intrigue and romance in this delicious YA story of modern mythology and fallen angels.

Facebook Betrayed

 

Review: A Closer Look by Karen DelleCave

A Closer Look by Karen DelleCave
Published Date: June 2011
Publisher: Westside Books
Genre: YA

The Story: Freshman year is going well for Cassie, a standout sprinter who is about to move up to varsity; school has been fine, her best friend Tara is also running track, and Tommy, that cute sax player she likes has asked her to come see his band rehearse. But in a matter of weeks, Cassie has a secret she is trying to hide from everyone. Her hair has started falling out, and she's doing everything possible to keep it from showing. When her parents tell her it happened to her once before, at age 3, she's horrified, and a trip to the dermatologist confirms what she has been afraid of: that all of her hair may fall out. She has alopecia, and there's no known effective treatment. Cassie eventually gets a wig when she can no longer disguise the truth, and she finally confides in Tommy about it. But when he starts being standoffish and avoids her, she feels betrayed. Then, at a track meet, Robin, her rival on the team, exposes her secret to the whole crowd. With her worst fears realized, will Cassie ever be able to face her classmates, her teammates, and most of all, Tommy?

My Review: This book was really good. I've never expierenced anything like Cassie, in A Closer Look, but I was able to feel a part of the story. DelleCave includes so much detail, you can watch it in your head as a movie! When Cassie learns that her hair falling out is something that could be final, she does everything possible to hide it from everyone, including her parents. When it get's to the breaking point, she learns more about what beauty really is.

Teaser Tuesday: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read;
• Open your book 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 and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

This week's teaser comes from Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

 

 "A long, jagged cut runs under his eye--nice one, Julian--and some of his blood drips onto my face. I feel the razor-bite of a knife under my chin, and everything in my body freezes." (Page 217)

Review: Invisible by Jeanne Bannon

Invisible by Jeanne Bannon
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Published Date: September 2011
Genre: YA

The Story: Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that...

For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.

Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.

Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…

Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.

My Review: Where to start. First off, I could have put my name in place of Lola's, though I cannot vanish. I loved reading Invisible and could relate in many ways to Lola. Lola just wants to fit in, with her family and at school. But being extremely tall and well built, she sticks out like a sore thumb. The kids at school torment her, and her family tries to change her. Except for Grandma Rose. Grandma Rose understands her and helps Lola on her path to loving herself. This is an emotional book, and you will not want to put it down until you've finished it.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This great meme is hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week will share with you the books we are reading, just finished reading and those books we are planning to read this week. 

Currently reading:

Pandemonium (just started) by Lauren Oliver

Cinder (audiobook) by Marissa Meyer (I am almost done, and loving it)

Thanks to audiobooks, and books that were so good that I could not put them down, and flew threw them, I have just finished reading/listening to 

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. My review can be found HERE.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Review to follow.

Perception by Kim Harrington. My review can be found HERE.

The Day Before by Lisa Schroder. Review to follow.

As to what I am going to be reading next, I have such a huge pile of books TBR, that I have no idea where to go next. It will all depend on what type of mood I am in when I am done with the books I am currently reading... and chances are, if I do try to predict what is coming next, it will only change anyway.

Please share with us in the comments what you are reading, what you have finished and what might be next on your list. 

Happy Reading!