Sunday, December 30, 2012

Blog Re-Design: Lady Reader's Bookstuff + INT Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! :) Today I have another blog re-design news to share with you! I've been working on a new design for Amy from Lady Reader's Bookstuff (and that is precisely why I haven't been around much these days - well, that, and Wilson puppy!).

Amy is just the kindest, sweetest and most awesome person and I wanted to re-design her blog as a Christmas gift. In the end, I didn't make it on time for it to be her Christmas present, but I'm still pretty happy with the way the blog turned out :) Hope you guys will like it, too!

Make sure to click over to Lady Reader's Bookstuff and follow Amy! She has an amazing blog and she recently started organizing blog tours as well (and they're awesome!), so be sure to follow her closely! 

Here's Amy's old look:



Here's Lady Reader's Bookstuff new look:


I had a lot of fun working on this design and I hope Amy likes as much I do! :)

More graphics:





How do you like it? :)

And again, to celebrate Amy's new design I have a giveaway for you!

THE GIVEAWAY IS CANCELLED 
If you're wondering WHY ON EARTH, WHY, read more about the events leading up to this decision here:
http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/2013/01/when-being-nice-comes-back-to-kick-you.html

SO SORRY! There will be a new giveaway to replace this one up on the blog soon!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, December 29, 2012

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge WRAP-UP


Welcome 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge participants! 

First of all, I wanted to thank you for joining this year's TBR Pile Reading Challenge! I was honoured and excited to see over 500 people sign up for our challenge - thank you for joining us! Hope you had an amazing time reading all your TBR books and you managed to tame your shelves - even if only just a little bit!

Before we move on to my December wrap-up post, I also wanted to apologize to you. As I'm sure many of you have noticed, some of our hosts failed to post their wrap-ups. I am deeply sorry about that. I myself have failed to keep track of all the wrap-up posts due to a very busy year (complete with two big moves, family issues and getting a puppy). I trusted the wrap-ups would go up as scheduled and did not bother following up and checking if they in fact did. Moreover, I was not aware of the fact that some of the hosts did not post their wrap-ups until just today, when one of the participants have brought it to my attention (thank you!). I do not know why the wrap-ups did not go up and I am sorry that you guys had no place to link up your reviews. 

To make up for that, I will be giving away two prizes during my wrap-up! One - a book of choice from Book Depository (up to $12) and two - a 2013 YA ARC bundle (3 surprise books). 


We are ready to kick off 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge with a new set of hosts! There are few changes, too! This year, I have decided to reduce the number of hosts to 6 (every host gets two wrap-up posts). We are also opening the challenge to everyone, it won't be blogger-only anymore! I have invited some of my favorite and most trustworthy bloggers to co-host the challenge with me and I am very confident that 2013 edition will be much better! 

2013 hosts:

Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)
Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)
Tiffany @Escaping.. One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)
Bonnie @Words At Home (http://www.wordsathome.ca/)
Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (http://doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)
and yours truly :)

To sign up for 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge follow this link: CLICK

2012 DECEMBER WRAP-UP

I have not read any books for TBR Pile challenge this month, as December was extremely busy for me.  So with no further delay, let's move on to the giveaway! 

No challenge for me, I did not have time to prepare one! So sorry about that! You can link up up to 30 TBR Pile challenge reviews (from the entire 2012, even if you previously linked it up!). You can also tweet daily and you get extra points for signing up for 2013 edition!

Prizes:
One - a book of choice from Book Depository (up to $12) 
Two - a 2013 YA ARC bundle (3 surprise books, highly anticipated)

Open to INTERNATIONAL TBR Pile Reading Challenge participants~!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AND DON'T FORGET TO ADD ALL YOUR REVIEWS FOR 2012 TBR PILE READING CHALLENGE to the LINKY below!!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

$100 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway (US/Canada)



The new year is almost upon us! And in order to celebrate in true Tip Hero fashion, we're offering one lucky person the chance to win a $100 Walmart gift card to start 2013 off right. 


This giveaway will run for 2 weeks and end on January 2, 2013 at 11:59pm US Eastern time. Open to United States & Canada, 18+



Enter for your chance to win this helpful prize by filling out the PromoSimple entry form below. Good luck!





Tuesday, December 11, 2012

BLOG TOUR: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (Review + Guest Post)

Genre:Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, 
Publication.Date  December 11th 2012
Pages:412
Published By:  Razorbill | 
WebsiteMorgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms on Goodreads
My review copy:Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Where to get:



In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

"Falling Kingdoms will gut you emotionally. It will make you ache, cry, and beg for the sequel as you turn the last page. I absolutely loved it."--Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Queen

"This triple-layered tale of bloodshed, heartbreak, and tangled court intrigue kept me turning pages very late into the night."--Lesley Livingston, award-winning author of Wondrous Strange

(Goodreads)



Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.
All these men saw when they looked at her was a little girl who’d run away on a whim to search for magic seeds. Who caused trouble. Who was utterly useless in every way except looking pretty. Maybe she was. And if that was true, then being here was only causing more problems for her father. Finally Cleo nodded and turned away.


     Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (Michelle Rowen) is a downright good read. Marketed as part of Penguin's Breathless Reads collection, it's a thoroughly captivating and deliciously readable YA fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of George R. R. Martin's bestselling high fantasy series, Game Of Thrones. Personally, I could not put this book down. Told from multiple perspectives, richly imagined and packed with eye-popping action, it's truly a breathless read, and one that I will be recommending to all my friends

     The story focuses on three kingdoms: Auranos, Paelsia and Simeros. The kingdoms managed to co-exist in peace for many years, but when a wine maker's son is killed by a lord from another kingdom, the established peace is threatening to crumble. There is a war brewing and four seemingly unrelated young people find themselves caught in the middle of it. 

     Impressive world building, thorough character development, intrigue, magic, action, romance... Falling Kingdoms has all that and more! At more than 400 pages, it's not what you'd call a short book, but Rhodes' sharp and concise prose makes it all-too easy to lose yourself in the story and forget the real world for a day or two. With her skilled storytelling, she created a world that is mystical, but believable nevertheless. A visually breathtaking, emotionally stimulating, intensely gripping page-turner of a book!

     As I mentioned before, each chapter of the book concentrated on a third-person point of view of a different character. I thought the third-person narrative provided a good (objective) look at all sides of the conflict, though at times I wished the story was told in a more personal first-person narrative instead. Mainly because, while third-person narrative explored the thoughts, feelings and motivations of all four main characters, it did not make their voices distinct enough. That, of course, doesn't mean that I found the characters underdeveloped, I just thought it would've been really interesting to fully explore their unique personalities. Overall, though, I thought Rhodes did a really good job juggling the multiple characters and skilfully intertwining the story lines. The result was simply amazing: the plot line was full of interesting tidbits of information, fresh ideas and surprising plot developments. The story was a complex and multi-layered one, but not overwhelmingly or confusingly so. 

     I really enjoyed Rhodes writing style. It was more YA and MG-friendly than your usual high fantasy book and I found it easy to read and understand. The descriptions were rich in details, the dialogues - realistic. I loved the intrigue and how fast-paced the story was. I also really appreciated the fact that Rhodes was not afraid to kill off some of the characters and trust me when I say; some of these kills were real jaw-droppers! 

All in all, Falling Kingdoms is a fresh and exciting YA fantasy novel that is sure to please a wide range of reading tastes. This book has everything from action and political intrigue to magic and romance. You really don't have to be a high fantasy lover to enjoy this story. The epic scope of the first book in the series promises a fantastic and unforgettable journey and I can't wait to read the next instalment!



The magic in Falling Kingdoms
By Morgan Rhodes

Magic in the land of Mytica (comprised of the kingdoms of icy Limeros, dying Paelsia, and affluent Auranos)—and in the entire world of Falling Kingdoms—has seemingly faded away to nothing but silly stories told to children. For a millennium, there’s been no tangible proof shown to the masses that magic is real and not only myth.

This magic is called elementia, which is elemental magic—fire, air, earth, and water. There are those who consider themselves witches, able to mildly channel one or two elements. Witches are rumored to be the offspring of Watchers, immortal beings who live in a place called the Sanctuary, which is set apart from the mortal world. These mortal witches can strengthen their magic with blood sacrifice—the larger the sacrifice, the greater their power will be…for a short time.

There is now a prophecy of a sorceress reborn, the likes not seen for a thousand years. A powerful being who can easily channel all four elements to use at her whim.

And there is also the legend of the Kindred—four crystals that contain the very essence of elementia. Both Watchers and mortals (those who believe in such tales) are on the hunt for this omnipotent source of magic and power.
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About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

2013 Releases International Giveaway (3 Winners!)


2013 is looking awesome book-wise! There are so many exciting new titles! I decided to host a giveaway to give you guys a chance to win one of them :) 3 lucky winners will get one book from the list below! Good luck!



GIVEAWAY:

Open: World Wide
Ends: January 15th

3 winners will win one book from the list!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge - SIGN UPS!


Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!

6 BLOGGERS, 12 MINI-CHALLENGES, 24 BOOKS TO WIN!!! 

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

Challenge Guidelines:
  1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2013.
  2. Anyone can enter! You don't have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you've read! (On your blog, Amazon or Goodreads/Shelfari!)
  3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 and earlier! NO  2013 ARCs and 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
  4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
  5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge. (If you don't have a blog, post about it on Facebook or Tweet!)
  6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
  7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
  8. On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this monthFor each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e. the entire month)
  9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;) 
  10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - a box of books
  11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!
Levels:
(how many books you're planning to read for this challenge in 2013)

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Schedule:

January 20th: Evie @Bookish (www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com)
February 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)
March 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)
April 20th: Tiffany @Escaping.. One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)
May 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)
June 20th: Justin @Justin's Book Blog (http://www.justinsbookblog.com/)
July 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)
August 20th: Tiffany @Escaping One Book At A Time (http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/)
September 20th: Rachel @Fiktshun (http://www.fiktshun.com)
October 20th: Emily @Doodle's Book Blog (doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/)
November 20th: Bonnie @Words At Home (www.wordsathome.ca/)
December 20th: This one will be posted on all the blogs. There will also be a huge BOX OF BOOKS giveaway and this time you can link up ALL YOUR TBR Pile REVIEWS you wrote for the entire year!

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Here's what I'm planning to include in my challenge:

❤ Delirium by Lauren Oliver
❤ Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
❤ Divergent by Veronica Roth
❤ Insurgent by Veronica Roth
❤ The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
❤ The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
❤ Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
❤ Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
❤ Revived by Cat Patrick
❤ I Hunt Killers by Barry Lynga
❤ The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
❤ The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

And a bunch of others that I will be adding to the list as I go! 
This year I am planning to read more of the books that I actually want to read (i.e. my reading choices as opposed to what I need to read for review!), so I'm aiming at MARRIED WITH CHILDREN! :) Woot, wish me luck! :)


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You get to read all the books you've been hoping to read for a loooong time now, enjoy the unique themes and mini challenges and WIN some fantastic new BOOKS! :D Can it get any better?
Sign up now!


Saturday, December 1, 2012

BLOG TOUR: Trapped by Michael Northrop (+GIVEAWAYS)


To celebrate the release of TRAPPED in paperback, we are hosting an exclusive blog tour with only 7 stops! :) Each tour host will be giving away a gorgeous finished copy of TRAPPED and the giveaways are all INTERNATIONAL, so be sure to check each one of them out and enter! :)

I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing TRAPPED last year, during my MEN in YA event, and I absolutely adored it. It was realistically bone-chilling and very gripping! It's an exciting YA read that will keep you on the edge of your seat! :)


Here's the tour schedule!

December 1st - Giselle @ http://booknerd.ca/
December 2nd - Tiffany @ http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.ca 
December 3rd - Emily @ http://doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com
December 4th - Jessirae @ http://www.jessiraelloyd.blogspot.com
December 5th - Amy @ http://www.booklovingme.com/ (+ guest post)
December 6th - Asheley @ http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/ (+guest post)
December 7th - Justin @ http://www.justinsbookblog.com/ 


Trapped




"The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . .

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision."







About the author:
Michael Northrop is the author of two YA novels—Gentlemen, one of the American Library Association's "Best Books for Young Adults" for 2010, and Trapped, a Spring 2011 Indie Next List selection—and the new middle grade novel Plunked. He spent 12 years chasing stories at Sports Illustrated Kids, the last five as baseball editor. His articles and stories have been published widely.

Connect with Michael Northrop: Goodreads | Author Website|  Twitter | Facebook 

Help us celebrate the release of Trapped in paperback, read the reviews and guest posts, comment, tweet, and GET TRAPPED! :)
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