Waiting on Wednesday: Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan

Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: August 18, 2015

Goodreads Rating: 4.59 stars

Pages: 336

Synopsis:

“Who cut off Medusa’s head? Who was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus? It takes a demigod to know, and Percy Jackson can fill you in on the all the daring deeds of Perseus, Atalanta, Bellerophon, and the rest of the major Greek heroes. Told in the funny, irreverent style readers have come to expect from Percy, ( I’ve had some bad experiences in my time, but the heroes I’m going to tell you about were the original old school hard luck cases. They boldly screwed up where no one had screwed up before. . .) and enhanced with vibrant artwork by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco, this story collection will become the new must-have classic for Rick Riordan’s legions of devoted fans–and for anyone who needs a hero. So get your flaming spear. Put on your lion skin cape. Polish your shield and make sure you’ve got arrows in your quiver. We’re going back about four thousand years to decapitate monsters, save some kingdoms, shoot a few gods in the butt, raid the Underworld, and steal loot from evil people. Then, for dessert, we’ll die painful tragic deaths. Ready? Sweet. Let’s do this.”

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About Rick:

Information from Rick Riordan’s Goodreads profile:

“Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Please follow him on Twitter and via his official blog.”

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Why We’re Waiting:

Lauren: I love Greek Mythology! I love Percy Jackson! I love Rick Riordan! Needless, to say…even without reading this book I already know I’m going to love it! Percy’s voice in the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series is a big reason I love the series so much. He is such an entertaining character to experience books with. A book of myths written in Percy’s point of view is a great addition to a wonderful series! Not only will reading the stories be entertaining with all of Percy’s sass, there is also the wonderful addition of artwork from the wonderful John Rocco! Each picture is truly beautiful to look at, it would be easy to just stare at it all day! I know this book is HUGE, but I would love to add this one to my shelf, right next to the other books by Rick that I own! (I still need to get a copy of Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods as well!) The only thing that would be better than having this book, would be to have it signed!

Melissa: I am thrilled that Rick is coming out with a second guide book! It is just as massive as Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods and I love that!  If you’ve read Percy Jackson books before, you need to add this book to your collection. It’s told from Percy’s perspective and he’s always been very funny. I can’t wait to see how Rick puts a slight twist on the stories using Percy’s voice. I also am eager to see all the new artwork John Rocco has done for this book.  He’s done such a phenomenal job with all of Rick’s book covers, I wish I could collect prints of them all and hang them up! My love for Rick’s books run deep so you know I’ll be running around trying to find a signed copy!

Kelly: I haven’t read too much into Mythology yet, but while researching for my manuscript, I’ve grown to slowly love it. I mean, I’m researching all sorts of demons, gods, mythical creatures and everything in between. This book sounds like a lot of fun because it seems like it can tell me a lot about the mythical creatures I’d like to know about and all of the Greek legends, but it will also be told from the perspective of the quirky, fun, story-teller like narrator that is Percy. I still need to read the Percy Jackson series… don’t judge me…

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Coming Soon:

LLR Girls Night!

Our new poll is up! We have our finalists for our LLR Girls Night in August! Vote for your favorites below!

Also, what would work better for you guys: Friday, August 21st or Saturday, August 22nd? Leave us a comment or tweet us and let us know! =)

Keep an eye out for more about this event and if you would like to keep updated, sign up for the e-mail notifications by clicking here!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson– Coming Soon! 

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Melissa, Lauren, and Kelly

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

Top Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds!

Today’s Terrific Tuesday! That means it is time for our weekly Top Ten Tuesday created by the lovely girls at The Broke and The Bookish. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday we’ve selected 10 characters who are fellow book nerds! Whether they love to read, sell books, or write stories of their own, we love finding relate-able characters who are just as book crazy as we are! We hope these quotes we’ve pulled best summarizes their bookish personality.

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1. Alaska Young (Looking for Alaska) ~ Book Nerd

“Have you really read all those books in your room?” Alaska laughing- “Oh God no. I’ve maybe read a third of ‘em. But I’m going to read them all. I call it my Life’s Library. Every summer since I was little, I’ve gone to garage sales and bought all the books that looked interesting. So I always have something to read.”

– John Green,  Looking for Alaska

2. Anne Frank (Diary of Anne Frank) ~ Writer

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear and my courage is reborn.”

– Anne Frank, Diary of Anne Frank

3. Cather Avery (Fangirl) ~ Book Nerd/Writer

“But there’s nothing more profound than creating something out of nothing.”

-Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

4. Dorian Havilliard (Throne of Glass series) ~ Book Nerd

My Most True Assassin, Enclosed are seven books from my personal library that I have recently read and enjoyed immensely.  You are of course, free to read as many of the books in the castle library as you wish, but I command you to read these first so that we might discuss them.  I promist they are not dull, for I am not one inclined to sit through pages of nonsense and bloated speech, though perhaps you enjoy works and authors who think very highly of themselves.

Most affectionately, Dorian Havilliard

– Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

5. Ella (Heroes of Olympus) ~ Book Nerd

Percy stared at the mound of books around her. They all looked old and mildewed. Some had prices written in marker on the covers, like the library had gotten rid of them in a clearance sale. “She’s quoting books,” Percy guessed. “Farmer’s Almanac 1965,” Ella said, ” ‘Start breeding animal, January twenty-sixth.’ ” “Ella,” he said, “have you read all of these?” She blinked. “More. More downstairs. Words. Words calm Ella down. Words, words, words.”

– Rick Riordan, Son of Neptune

6. Hazel Lancaster (The Fault in our Stars) ~ Book Nerd

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelistic zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”

– John Green, The Fault in our Stars

7. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) ~ Book Nerd

“What are you doing with all those books anyway?” Ron asked, limping back to his bed. “Just trying to decide which ones to take with us,” said Hermione. “When we’re looking for the Horcruxes.” “Oh, of course,” said Ron, clapping a hand to his forehead. “I forgot we’ll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library.” 

– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

8. Klaus Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) ~ Book Nerd/ Writer

“Klaus sighed, and opened a book, and as so many other times when the middle Baudelaire child did not want to think about his circumstances, he began to read.”

– Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events 

9. Matilda Wormwood (Matilda) ~ Book Nerd

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You Are Not Alone.”

– Roald Dahl, Matilda

10. Sam Roth (The Wolves of Mercy Falls series) ~ Bookseller/ Book Nerd

Behind the counter, I slouched on my stool in the sun and sucked in the summer as if I could hold every drop of it inside me. As the hours crept by, the afternoon sunlight bleached all the books on the shelves to pale, gilded versions of themselves and warmed the paper and the ink inside the covers so that the smell of unread words hung in the air. This was what I loved, when I was human.

– Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver

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Coming Up:

LLR Girls Night!

We will be creating a new poll with the finalists of the Disney vote tomorrow and you will have exactly one week to vote for your favorite! We will have a date for you on August 1st! =) Keep an eye out for more about this even and if you would like to keep updated, sign up for the e-mail notifications for this event by clicking here!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson– Coming Soon! 

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Melissa, Lauren, and Kelly

Taylor Swift Book Tag

So The Taylor Swift Book Tag has been floating around on Booktube community and on blogs. The Book Life originally created the tag. Thank you Nicole from Nicole’s Novel Reads for tagging me!

1. For ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ pick a book (or book series) that you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with.

 I actually don’t think I had this problem.

2. For ‘Red’ pick a book with a RED cover.

Fire I really love the cover for these books. I need to do a re-read for it, but I am waiting on KELLY & LAUREN! *ahem*

 3. For ‘The Best Day’ pick a book that makes you feel nostalgic.

 Eleanor & Park I remember the days where I would talk on the phone for hours with friends and constantly changing the battery to my cassette player.

 4. For ‘Love Story’ pick a book with forbidden love.

Scarlet‘s love story because how could you be involved with any of the men you steal and fight with? Among other things.

5. For ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ pick a book with a bad character you couldn’t help but love.

The Darkest Minds, Clancy Gray, but only in this book and I can’t say why or I’ll just ruin it for you.

6. For ‘Innocent’ (written b/c of Kanye West!) pick a book that someone ruined the ending for.

Allegiant Made the mistake of going to Veronica Roth’s event for FOUR and the ending was ruined for me. I still need to read it too.

7. For ‘Everything Has Changed’ pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development.

In The Blood of Olympus, Nico Di Angelo has come so far from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He’s become my my favorite character.

8. For ‘You Belong With Me’ pick your most anticipated book release.

Winter It was so hard not to pick Magnus Chase. I really need to know how it ends!!!

9. For ‘Forever and Always’ – Pick your favourite book couple.

Percabeth! Seaweed Brain & Wise Girl. By the time you get to The House of Hades, you learn Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have endured so much since the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. They’ve both grown so much over the course of these books, I was satisfied when I finished The Blood of Olympus.

10. For ‘Begin Again’ pick a series that deserves a second chance.

There’s two prequels and a fourth book in the series I need to read for the Nightshade series. It’s been several years since I’ve read them so I think I need to start over.

11. For ‘Wonderland’ pick a book that features your favorite fictional world.

Camp Half-Blood for sure! Though Camp Jupiter sounds inviting because you can build your life there. Cabin 7 belongs to Apollo and according to quizzes he’s my godly parent.

12. For ‘Last Kiss’ pick a series that you’re not ready to let go, even though it ended.

13. For ‘Clean’ pick a series where you’re glad it’s over.

I’m happy the way Maggie ended this series by letting us know what happened to Cole in Sinner

14. For ‘Wildest Dreams’ pick your favorite fictional guy–it’s preferred, but he doesn’t have to be a bad boy.

Sturmhond because I want to marry him! *sigh…*

15. For ‘Enchanted’ pick a book you found by chance that you ended up loving. 

A Little In Love wasn’t on my radar until I was at the drop at BEA this year. This retelling of Les Miserable from Eponine’s perspective heartbreaking and beautifully written.

16. For ‘All You Had to Do Was Stay’ pick a book you didn’t finish that you wish you had given another chance.

I really wanted to finish Everything I Never Told You, but I suddenly lost interest and was no longer in the mood to read it. I found myself bored, which was surprising for me since I rarely get bored with books. Hoping one day I’ll pick it up again.

17. For ‘Come Back, Be Here’ pick the book you would least like to lend out, for fear of missing it too much.

I actually own the original cover copy of Throne of Glass which is what I read from. I don’t think I’d ever give it away.

18. For ‘Teardrops on My Guitar’ pick a book that made me cry a lot.

Adam was even kind enough to write “My Bad” in my copy lol!

19. For ‘Shake it Off’ pick a book I love so much that I just shake off the haters.

20. For ‘Blank Space’ pick my favorite autographed book.

I love how Becky took the time to write something different and our Hogwarts House in each of our copies when I took that road trip with Elizabeth and Juliana.

21. For ‘Today was a Fairy Tale’ pick my favorite retelling.

Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars is wonderful Alice in Wonderland retelling.

Tagging the following:

Krystal @ Books Are My Thing
Nori @ Read Write Love 28
Kim @ Book Munchies
Dana @ DanaSquare

❤ Melissa

Sunday Street Team – *Giveaway* Deadly Sweet Lies by Erica Cameron

Deadly Sweet Lies by Erica Cameron **Excerpt**

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: August 18, 2015

Goodreads Rating: 5.00 stars

Pages: 320

Synopsis:

“Nadette Lawson knows when you’re lying.

Every night for the past two years, the Balasura have visited her dreams, enticing her to enter their world. And every night she’s seen through their lies. Now, they’re tired of playing in the shadows and they begin to stalk her in the waking world. It’s no longer just an invitation; if Nadette doesn’t join them, they’ll take her family. Forever. She needs help, and the haven she’s seeking may be just out of reach.

Julian Teagan is a master of deception.

To survive, he has to convince the world his mother isn’t useless, that everything’s fine, otherwise he’ll lose what little he has left in this life. He knows the lying won’t be enough to keep him and his mother in the shadows, but it’s all he knows. The only light of truth is Orane, a Balasura who sees past Julian’s facade and challenges him to face the darkness.
Then Orane is killed, and Julian learns his mentor was far from innocent. The Balasura have hunted children like him for centuries, and their next target, Nadette is his one chance at finally being a part of something real. If Julian can just convince her to trust him…”

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About Erica:

“After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, ex-Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, released March 2014 and it was the first volume of The Dream War Saga. In May 2015, Erica and her co-author Lani Woodland launched the Laguna Tides series with Taken by Chance.”

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Excerpt from Deadly Sweet Lies:

“Do you remember what happened that night? Do you remember what you saw?”

It’s almost as though someone is reaching into my head and rearranging the pieces of memory from Friday night, clicking them into the right order. All the missing bits are suddenly there, unlocked and falling into place.

Images flash through my head: Orane standing in a dead landscape, a figure draped in shadows, and a scream that burst across the barrier between worlds.

Oh, no. My knees tremble and I fold in half, my arms wrapped around my stomach and my hands locked in fists as I gasp for breath and try to hold on. How could this happen? And how could I forget what I saw? And why couldn’t I do anything to help him? After all he’s done for me, why couldn’t I step in and help him the one time he was in trouble?

Small hands wrap around my shoulders and haul me upright. Pheodora is a lot stronger than she looks, practically lifting me off the ground.

“Do not cry for him, Julian. He does not deserve it.”

You don’t understand! I want to protest, but the words are trapped inside my head. Orane was my retreat and he gave me a place to escape reality. His world was my safe haven and he was my closest friend. Now, if Pheodora is telling me the truth, he’s gone.

“His actions caught up with him at last,” Pheodora says, her voice strong but still sympathetic. “One of Orane’s victims turned against him and destroyed him.”

Destroyed him.

That’s it. The last cut of the knife, the one that digs in and hits every single major artery in my body, leaving me drained and cold.

My legs buckle and only Pheodora’s grip on my arms keeps me from collapsing. The tears I was barely containing escape, cutting warm tracks across cold skin. Pheodora wraps her arms around me, making soothing nonsense noises and stroking my hair. Her touch only reminds me of what I lost, of Orane and everything I’ll never have again.

“Leave me alone!” I scream, shoving her away. She could probably stop me if she felt like it, but she releases me. “The only thing I believe is that Orane is g-gone.” Speaking the words almost breaks me, but I force them out, taking shallow, gasping breaths and trying to stay on my feet. “Because if h-he were still alive, he’d n-never let you near me.”

It’s there again in her eyes, the empathy and the pain, but this time it’s tinged with pity. “Julian, that is truer than you know, but not for the reasons you imagine.”

There’s still not a single twitch in her expression to give me hope. Nothing to make me think she’s not telling the truth.

“No. No.” I back away, giving in to the impulse to wrap my arms around myself. Not for warmth—I’m shaking so badly it feels like my arms are all that will keep me together. “You said you’d let me go. Let me go!”

It’s the only coherent thought left in my head.

Let me go, let me go, please, please, let me go.

Though Pheodora sighs, tears still hanging from her pale eyelashes, she nods, relenting.

“I will return, Julian. Every night for as long as it takes to prove the truth to you.” She waves a hand. I risk a glance over my shoulder, feet itching to run as I watch the glowing arch appear behind me. My crappy bedroom lies beyond it. Without waiting for permission, I flee.

The air changes as soon as I leave the dreamworld behind, thickening until I can almost feel it pressing against me. Welcoming me back or trying to push me away?

I dive for my bed, holding on to it like a life raft on the open ocean, and each gasping breath burns like salt water on an open wound. My head spins and my thoughts crash into each other like waves in opposing currents. Everything Pheodora said echoes, the words ringing in my ears no matter how hard I try to push them away. I hope she’s gone. Please let her be gone.

Peering back, all I see is the blank, dingy wall of my bedroom. No glittering birds and no glowing white doorway and definitely no lying, pink-haired witch.

But, it wasn’t all lies, was it?

The tears start again, still feeling far too warm against my skin. Dragging in shuddering breaths, I dig my hands into my hair and curl over, screaming into the mattress. He’s gone. Whether Pheodora told the truth about what Orane wanted or not, he’s gone.

My best friend is dead.”

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Giveaway:

Erica is nice enough to offer one signed copy of Deadly Sweet Lies plus the necklace on the cover to one lucky winner!! You can enter by clicking the link below! Good luck!

Click here to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

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Coming Up:

LLR Girls Night!

We will be creating a new poll with the finalists of the Disney vote tomorrow and you will have exactly one week to cote for your favorite! We will have a date for you on August 1st! =) Keep an eye out for more about this even and if you would like to keep updated, sign up for the e-mail notifications for this event by clicking here!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson– Coming Soon! 

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Lauren, Melissa, and Kelly

Waiting on Wednesday: Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell:

Genre: YA Steampunk/Science Fiction/Fantasy

Publisher: Clarion Books

Publication Date: August 25, 2015

Goodreads Rating: 3.92 Stars

Pages: 320

Synopsis:

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn’t want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

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About Betsy:

Summary taken from her Amazon author page:

“Betsy grew up in the wilds of rural New Hampshire and graduated from Smith College in 2010. She received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame in 2012. She taught fiction writing and film & television studies at Notre Dame, and popular culture at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She was a columnist and editor at Teen Ink Magazine before attending Notre Dame.

When she isn’t writing, Betsy enjoys traveling, knitting, cooking, and nerdy TV (especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who). She is also really tall.”

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Why We’re Waiting:

Kelly:

My most recent genre love has been Steampunk. I just finished reading Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson not too long ago and I absolutely adored it! It was my first Steampunk and I’m really eager to try more! Plus… If I have to pick a princess, than Cinderella is definitely my favorite. I’m very excited to see what Betsy Cornwell has done with this retelling and how she has managed to fit Steampunk into the classic fairytale of every little girl’s dreams.

Melissa:

This book had me at Cinderella! I do love a good fairytale retelling plus the fact that it’s steampunk.  I have yet to dabble in this genre, but I have a few I am dying to read including Mechanica. I’m interested to see how Betsy puts a spin on a classic fairytale. I mean who doesn’t want a fairytale happy ending? Also, can we just look at this gorgeous cover!  I love the color scheme and the whimsical steampunk feel it has.

Lauren:

When it comes to retellings, you can already guarantee I want to read it! I really enjoy a well written twist to a classic story, and Cinderella is one of my favorites. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and the summary sounds pretty intriguing. I haven’t read much steampunk novels yet and I would really like to start getting into that genre. This sounds like a good one to enter the steampunk world with! I can’t wait to see how Betsy Cornwell has written this retelling and what she has in store for us.

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Coming Up:

Girls Night Watch Along!

We have already had our first Girls Night Watch Along last Thursday with 27 Dresses, but don’t fret! We have on more this month coming up at the end of this week:

Friday, July 24th at 10pm EST.

Sweet Home Alabama

We are trying to give you enough advance time to buy, download, borrow, redbox, netflix, etc., these movies so that we can all watch them together! We will be posting reminders on all of our social media outlets!  You can sign up to receive movie night notifications by filling out a google form and clicking here! Remember to use the hashtag #LLRGirlsNight on Twitter!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson– Coming Soon! 

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Lauren, Melissa, and Kelly

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Top Ten (Eleven) Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. For today’s Top Ten Tuesday, not only did we select books that celebrate diversity, but we chose an extremely diverse group of books to put in this post; All different genres, plots, characters, etc. Together we agreed on 10 + 1 amazing books to show you. Here are all of our choices:

1. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The one where the the boy gets blackmailed about the truth of his sexual identity.

2. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

The one where the boy is emotionally conflicted by his new found happiness with another boy.

3. Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

The one where two discriminated girls in history pretend to be cowboys headed to California and form an unlikely friendship.

4. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

**To tell you why this one is diverse would give away some spoilers. We took the diverse part out of this explanation!**

The one where the boy has so many secrets including stealing from dreams.

5. I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

The one with incredibly close fraternal twins who find themselves, and their sexual identity, while fighting to keep their relationship.

6. Marked series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

The one where a girl and her eclectic group of friends try to save the paranormal vampire world from evil.

7. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

The one with the eccentric, witty, and bisexual warlock.

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The one with the Native American boy who refuses to be stereotyped.

9. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The one where two not-so-ordinary teenagers fall in love.

10. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

The one with an eclectic cast of heroes who save the world.

11. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

The one with the boy who was born with Chinese heritage in a society that doesn’t accept him.

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Coming Up:

Girls Night Watch Along!

We have already had our first Girls Night Watch Along last Thursday with 27 Dresses, but don’t fret! We have on more this month coming up at the end of this week:

Friday, July 24th at 10pm EST.

Sweet Home Alabama

We are trying to give you enough advance time to buy, download, borrow, redbox, netflix, etc., these movies sot hat we can all watch them together! We will be posting reminders on all of our social media outlets!  You can sign up to receive movie night notifications by filling out a google form and clicking here! Remember to use the hashtag #LLRGirlsNight on Twitter!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Lauren, Melissa, and Kelly

Vengeance Road Official Playlist

Finally getting a chance to talk about Vengeance Road! I have been over the moon being picked as part of Erin’s official posse!  I have this new found love for historical fiction & westerns after having read Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee.  Totally stoked to find out there would be more like it! I haven’t read my copy of Vengeance Road yet, but everything Erin has been posting online has made me so much more excited to pick it up. Especially after releasing an official playlist all week!  Erin has picked some great singles, songs that I would never listen to on my own, so thank you!

**All of the lyric graphics in this post are made by me! All of the videos are found on YouTube. I didn’t want to bombard you all with graphics and videos for each song, so I didn’t make something for every song selection.

Alright let’s get to it!

 

1. Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars ~ I absolutely love this song! I love Joy and John’s voices individually and the way their voices harmonize for this song.  I was first introduced to this duo from the duet they sing with Taylor Swift, Safe & Sound.

2. Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford & Sons

3. Bottom of the River by Delta Rae ~ Love love love Brittany’s voice and how unique this song is. This is not normally the type of music I listen to, but I was captivated by this song based on her voice and the beat. I had decided to watch the lyric video first for some reason, then I checked out the music video so I linked both for you.

4. Blue Side of the Mountain by The Steeldrivers

5. Victory by Trampled by Turtles ~ Not gonna lie, but I was totally distracted by the mere fact this was a stop motion music video. I also love the irony of the band’s name.

6. My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit ~ Swedish duo Johanna and Klara Söderberg have haunting, yet beautiful voices. I like this song a lot, especially the lyrics.

7. Raise Hell by Brandi Carlile

8. God’s Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash ~ One of Erin’s favorite songs because it resembles the mood and tone of Vengeance Road as well as Kate’s vendetta

9. Rattlin’ Bones by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson ~ Just LOOK at Shane’s guitar! I do really like this song too and not just the guitar.

10. Devil’s Backbone by The Civil Wars ~ Erin has helped me find a new favorite!

11. Dust Bowl by Horse Feathers, Justin Ringle, Peter Bro

12. Waitin’ Round to Die by Townes Van Zandt ~ He had such an interesting voice and the lyrics really stand out. I found this clip from the documentary film Heartworn Highways.

13. Desert Song by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros ~ The wind in the background and the rhythm gives you the feeling of being somewhere hot, dry, and dusty. Combined with the next song you feel like you’re stuck in the desert.

14. Will There Be Enough Water? by The Dead Weather

15. The Stable Song by Gregory Alan Isakov ~ Bittersweet just like the ending of Vengeance Road

I hope the Vengeance Road soundtrack puts you in the right mood to pick up a copy of the book when it released September 1st! If you want to listen to the playlist as you read, Erin has put it all in one spot for you right here on Spotify!  Be sure to hit Follow so you can bookmark the playlist to your profile.

Happy Listening!

❤ Melissa

Waiting on Wednesday: Chaos by Jamie Shaw

Chaos by Jamie Shaw (Mayhem #3)

Genre: New Adult Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Publication Date: July 21, 2015

Goodreads Rating: 4.29 Stars

Pages: 432

Synopsis:

“From the moment she saw Shawn Scarlett perform at a school talent show, Kit Larson has loved two things: the guitar, and the gorgeous, green-eyed boy who inspired her to play. But one careless night in high school shatters her hope of ever being more than a notch on his bedpost.

Six years, two bands, and one mostly-mended heart later, Kit’s about to make her rock star dreams a reality as the new guitarist for Shawn’s band, The Last Ones to Know. He may not remember their reckless night together, but Kit has never forgotten… and she’s determined to make him eat his heart out.

The release of their new album means a month cooped up on a tour bus, sleeping inches away from the ridiculously sexy musician she’s never quite gotten over. And as Kit gets to know the real Shawn—not Shawn Scarlett, the rock god, the player—their attraction becomes too hot to resist. But the past is paved with secrets, and when they finally surface, Kit could lose everything: the band, the music, her dreams… and Shawn.”

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About Jamie:

Summary from her Amazon Page:

“Born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania, JAMIE SHAW earned her M.S. in Professional Writing from Towson University before realizing that the creative side of writing was her calling. An incurable night owl, she spends late hours crafting novels with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy leading men. She’s a loyal drinker of white mochas, a fierce defender of emo music, and a passionate enthusiast of all things romance. She loves interacting with readers and always aims to add new names to their book-boyfriend lists.” 

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Why I Must Have The Precious:

Kelly:

When I was younger, I used to go to shows all the time. You know, all those rock bands, speakers so loud you pop your eardrums, rocking out and getting hit by mosh pits… yeahhhh, I was definitely that type of person. Can you imagine that? Would you even believe me if I told you that my first concert was actually Slipknot?!

Anyways, I’ve always had this dream of dating a rock star who was actually a half decent human being… especially is he plays guitar. I’ve even dreamed many times about being a singer myself, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, up there rocking it and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. Gosh, that would be such a dream to just do once!!! 

This series is all about the dreams of one girl, becoming a rock star and dating one too. It’s about her struggles and her life and her love as she goes through and accomplishes things she never thought possible. If you are anything like me and have that secret longing to be on stage and dating the hottest celeb in town… you need to pick up this series. It’s like a dream come true and you can live in your own paparazzi crazed world for a while. It’s a breath of fresh air to the adventure crazed side of you that longs for some crazy times and something different than the normal, everyday routines. 

Give this series a shot. You never know what you may like! 

Also, I may be biased, because I met Jamie at ApollyCon in Philadelphia this year and she is just the sweetest thing. Let me tell you, I put it out to the twitter world that I was nervous about going to ApollyCon alone, especially since it was my first every book event, and Jamie tweeted me back saying that it was her first book event too and that she was nervous about it. She offered me a seat next to her table so that we could keep each other company and from being alone. Ever since then, I’ve absolutely loved this woman. Even while pregnant, she came to ApollyCon, signed my books and bags, gave me a hug, took a picture with me, talked with me, and then proceeded to go around to all the other authors and get their signatures for her own copies of books and merchandise. I think she’s probably the most adorable and thoughtful author I’ve ever met!

For your convenience, I’ve also added the summary and statistics below for the first book in this series, Mayhem. =)

Enjoy!

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Mayhem by Jamie Shaw (Mayhem #1)

Genre: New Adult Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Publication Date: January 20, 2015

Goodreads Rating: 4.17 Stars

Pages: 258

Synopsis:

“When college freshman Rowan Michaels meets gorgeous, up-and-coming rock star Adam Everest, she knows a player like him is the last thing she needs after her ex-boyfriend shattered her heart. But she can’t stop thinking about the kiss they shared on his tour bus.

On the first day of school, Rowan is stunned when Adam saunters into her French class. He’s soon failing miserably, and, on a whim, she offers to tutor him. But Adam doesn’t recognize her as a makeup-free, glasses-clad college student—a far cry from the beautiful, mysterious “Peach” he met at his concert.

During a wild weekend on tour with the band, Rowan can’t help falling for the sweet guy buried beneath Adam’s rocker persona. Yet she knows she could never compete with the girls constantly throwing themselves at his feet. She’d just end up hurt … again.

Peach is all Adam thinks about, though, and when Rowan realizes this, she has a decision to make: stay just friends to protect her fragile heart … or reveal the truth about the night they met and admit she’s fallen completely, hopelessly in love with him.”

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Coming Up:

Girls Night Watch Along!

There will be a post going up about this tonight/tomorrow, but we will be holding two movie nights this month! We couldn’t all get together at once, so we decided to split it up and do two different days, times, and movies! Our first selection:

Thursday, July 16th at 9pm EST. 

27 Dresses

Our second selection:

Friday, July 24th at 10pm EST.

Sweet Home Alabama

We are trying to give you enough advance time to buy, download, borrow, redbox, netflix, etc., these movies sot hat we can all watch them together! We will be posting reminders on all of our social media outlets!  You can sign up to receive movie night notifications by filling out a google form and clicking here! Remember to use the hashtag #LLRGirlsNight on Twitter!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

We hope you all have a wonderful night!! =)

❤ Lauren, Melissa, and Kelly

Movie Nights Announcement!

Hi everyone! 

So, after a long talk (and I mean a couple days long), all three of our schedules ended up not matching, AT ALL. So we decided to do TWO movie nights this month to start us off so that we will all be able to make at least one of them! We’d like to see who joins, what times and days work best, and experiment a bit until we can get this feature with two feet solidly planted on the ground! =)

Here are our first movie night dates in July:

Thursday, July 16th @ 9pm EST – 27 Dresses

Friday, July 24th @ 10pm EST – Sweet Home Alabama

Who will be able to join us?!

You can sign up for e-mail notifications for our July movie nights and any future movie nights we may have by filling out this Google Form: Girls Night Google Doc! We will also be able to send you updates, posts, and polls that have to do with our future movie nights as well!

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August Girls Night:

We decided that next months #LLRGirlsNight will be featuring an animated Disney movie! YAYYYY!!! We’re so excited for this one and we had so many choices! We just couldn’t narrow them down so we are letting you help us. This poll will last until the end of this weekend! The top four movie choices will be moved to a new poll, where we will all vote on what our final movie choice will be for August! 

Below is the Disney poll! You CAN select multiple choices, just try not to select every single option. Vote now and good luck! =)

We hope to see you all on Thursday and/or next Friday! If you have any questions, just comment below! =)

❤ Melissa, Lauren, and Kelly

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Ten Books That Came Into Our Possession

Last Ten Books That Came Into Our Possession!

As always, Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

We decided to not split this weeks Top Ten Tuesday up and just do our own individual collages of books! We had so many options and not a single book was overlapped and, of course, we get way too excited to get new books! So, technically, here are the last 30 books we have acquired!

Melissa:

1. Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler (Purchased)

2. Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler (Purchased)

3. The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer (Purchased)

4. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (Traded w/ Erin @ The Book Nut)

5. Crown of Midnight by Sara J. Maas (ARC ~ Trade w/ Nicole @ The Book Bandit)

6. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (gifted from Margie @ Bumbles and Fairy-Tales)

7. Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley (ARC ~ Book Swap Party)

8. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch (ARC ~ Book Swap Party)

9. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (ARC ~ Book Swap Party)

10. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton (ARC ~ Book Swap Party)

Lauren:

1. The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker (ARC ~ Gifted from Melissa Lee! <3)

2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Bought)

3. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (OTSP Secret Sister!)

4. If I Stay by Gale Forman (Bought)

5. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (Bought)

6. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (OTSP Secret Sister!)

7. The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (Gifted from Kate Woods!)

8. An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Bought)

9. A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Bought)

10. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Won from Stefani @ Caught Read Handed)

Kelly:

**I went to The Strand on Sunday, so obviously, with the exception of Rebel Mechanics, I bought all of these books there! YAYYYY FOR MY FIRST TIME AT THE STRAND! =D**

1. Rebel Mechanics by Shana Swendson (Pre-Ordered!!!!)

2. Defiance by C.J. Redwine

3. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

4. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

5. The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

6. The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey

7. Asunder by Jodi Meadows

8. The Iron Queen by Julia Kagawa

9. The Iron Knight by Julia Kagawa

10. Compulsion by Martina Boone

Do we have any in common? Are there any others you would suggest to help complete our collections?! =) What books have YOU bought recently?!

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Coming Up:

Girls Night Watch Along!

There will be a post going up about this tonight/tomorrow, but we will be holding two movie nights this month! We couldn’t all get together at once, so we decided to split it up and do two different days, times, and movies! Our first selection:

Thursday, July 16th at 9pm EST. 

27 Dresses

Our second selection:

Friday, July 24th at 10pm EST.

Sweet Home Alabama

We are trying to give you enough advance time to buy, download, borrow, redbox, netflix, etc., these movies sot hat we can all watch them together! We will be posting reminders on all of our social media outlets!  You can sign up to receive movie night notifications by filling out a google form and clicking here! Remember to use the hashtag #LLRGirlsNight on Twitter!

Blog tags!

Melissa has a couple of blog tags coming up, so if you’re a blog friend of hers, BEWARE! She’s coming for you. 😉

Reviews and more reviews!

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross – Coming Soon!

Henrietta and the Dragon Stone by Beth Barany – Coming Soon!

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole – Coming Soon!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – Coming Soon!

We hope you all have a good night! Enjoy and good luck on the giveaway! We can’t wait to see what you all come up with for tomorrow’s Top Ten Tuesday, as well!! =)

❤ Lauren, Melissa, and Kelly