Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Today, Richelle Mead's latest book, The Glittering Court, has finally been released. And I get to share the news, along with a special giveaway down at the bottom of the post, and an excerpt! But first, more about the book...

About The Book..

Title: The Glittering Court

Author: Richelle Mead

Pub. Date: April 5, 2016

Publisher: Razorbill

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

The Selection meets Reign in this dazzling trilogy of interwoven novels about three girls on a quest for freedom and true love from #1 internationally bestselling author Richelle Mead.

"Brilliant and original, Mead’s new series starts off with a bang and will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end."

—School Library Journal

For a select group of girls, the Glittering Court offers a shot at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. To high-born Adelaide, whose wealthy family is forcing her into a loveless marriage, the Glittering Court represents something else: the chance to chart her own destiny, and adventure in an unspoiled, prosperous new land across the sea.

After a chance meeting with the dazzling Cedric Thorn, Adelaide poses as a servant to join the crop of impoverished girls he promises to transform into proper ladies. But her familiarity with upper class life comes with a price: she must hide her identity from her new friends, mysterious refugee Mira and fiery former laundress Tamsin, and most importantly, from Cedric himself—even though she’s falling in love with him. 

Everything begins to crumble when Cedric discovers Adelaide’s ruse, and she catches the eye of a powerful young governor, who wants her for a wife. She didn’t leave the gilded cage of her old life behind just to become someone else's property. But nothing is as daunting—or as wonderful—as the potent, forbidden attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. One that, if acted on, would make them both outcasts in a wild, dangerous, uncharted world, and possibly lead them to their deaths.

Read on for an excerpt of The Glittering Court...

About the author...

Richelle Mead has written over twenty-five novels for teens and adults. She is the author of the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series and its spinoff series, Bloodlines. Her recent standalone novel, Soundless, draws upon Chinese mythology and history, and her forthcoming series, The Glittering Court, follows the adventures of girls destined for arranged marriages in a fantasy world inspired by colonial America. A lifelong reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses to wear on tour. She is a self-professed coffee addict, works in her pajamas, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Website| Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

And now for the giveaway. One winner will receive a hardcover of The Glittering Court & a $25 Sephora Gift Card. All you have to do is enter on the rafflecopter widget below. This Giveaway is US Only and ends on April 15th at Midnight EST! 

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Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Summerlost by Ally Condie

Today, I'm excited to take part in the release day blitz for Ally Condie's Summerlost. Check out the book below, and keep scrolling for an excerpt and a giveaway...

About the book...
Title: Summerlost
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 29, 2016 

Goodreads  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Book Depository  Indiebound 

Synopsis from Goodreads...
It's the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.

Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching middle grade debut from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series, that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy...

Dear Readers,

I think most of us have had our hearts broken. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes it comes down with the unexpected force of a sudden gale of wind or a rising of waters that we thought were still and safe. Loss is universal to human experience, but the way we each feel and recover is one of the most personal things we do.

In Summerlost, Cedar is dealing with the loss of her father and younger brother. And my intent was to show how hard their deaths are for her. But this is also a book about the healing power of friendship. Most of us have been broken-hearted; I hope that most of us have also discovered the miracle of friendships that were just what we needed. Cedar and Leo’s friendship is based on someone I met when I was twelve. Like Leo, my friend was fun and liked to enlist me in crazy adventures (although we never gave a secret guided tour of our town the way they do in Summerlost). And, like Leo, he thought I was wonderful and of worth at a time when I needed it most.

SUMMERLOST is my attempt to pay tribute both to the pain we feel and the friendships that save us. Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for your willingness to give Cedar’s story a try. I hope it makes you think of a wonderful friend of your own, whether that is someone you met in the pages of a favorite book or outside, in the world where it is often hard and beautiful to live.

Best wishes and happy reading always,

Ally Condie

A Spring 2016 Kids' Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!

Named one of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Spring 2016

«“Condie (Matched) strikes a deep emotional chord with this coming-of-age story.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

«“Multiple, seemingly random details, including a family of turkey vultures that now roost outside Cedar’s window, an absurd soap opera narrative of a woman buried alive, and Leo’s quest for a trip with his father, coalesce into metaphors that help Cedar make sense of her grief and the life she now has to look forward to. Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections.” – BCCB

“A moving tale of friendship and loss. I loved these characters—I wish we could have been friends when I was a kid.” –Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms series

“Ally Condie’s first middle grade book might also be my favorite out of ALL her books to date. Summerlost is a story packed with nostalgia, heart, and gorgeous prose.” – The Novel Novice
“A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set.” – Booklist

“Honest, lovely, and sad.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A sweet, heartfelt story.” – School Library Journal

“Achingly good.” – Summer Laurie, Books Inc.

You can also read the excerpt HERE 

And now for the giveaway. Up for grabs are finished copies of Summerlost, paperback copy of Atlantia, and a copy of the first book in the Matched series. Sounds awesome, right? So, go forth and enter...

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Word Spelunking (@WordSpelunker) & Penguin Kids  (@PenguinKids)

Musing Mondays (49)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Random Weekly Question from March 14th: Approximately how many books do you usually read per week? Per month?

There's no definite answer I can give to this question. I read at random, which means sometimes I read more than two books a week, even three. At other times, I don't read at all. It really just depends.

Other Musings...

Lately, I’m having fun with lists. It seems like a great way to revisit some series and talk about books I’ve already read (the ones I don't have any current plans to reread). So, for today, I’d thought I’d do another one. This time, I’m listing five series or trilogies that have a magical or supernatural flare to them...

• Kat, Incorrigible series by Stephanie Burgis: This is a middle grade series, but I definitely like Burgis’ writing style, and how she incorporated the magic into the story.
• Hex Hall Trilogy by Rachel Hawkins: I liked Hawkins’ spin on magic in the books. I had a few problems with the series, but overall it was pretty great.
• The Cambion Chronicles by Jamie Reed: I liked these books because of the characters and the story. The supernatural elements worked really well, and I liked the way they were introduced into the plot.
• The Archived series by Victoria Schwab: There were a lot of great elements combined with an interesting concept, good writing, and intricate storytelling.
• The Night Has Teeth by Kat Kruger: This one was a more recent read, but the supernatural elements were definitely cool. I liked the way Kruger incorporated werewolves into the story, and showed how these sudden changes affected the character’s life.

So that’s it for today. I want to know. What are some of your favorite magical or supernatural themed series/trilogies or books?

The Friday 56 (56) Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Flora knows better than to take shortcuts in her family home, Crackpot Hall--the house has eleven thousand rooms, and ever since her mother banished the magickal butler, those rooms move around at random. But Flora is late for school, so she takes the unpredictable elevator anyway. Huge mistake. Lost in her own house, she stumbles upon the long-banished butler--and into a mind-blowing muddle of intrigue and betrayal that changes her world forever...

"The dogs slunk out of the mudroom dejectedly, then slunk off into the garden. Flynnie pressed up against my legs sadly and pushed his head into my hand to be petted"--Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Comments: Flora Segunda is another book off my shelf. However, I don't remember ever reading it. So, I'm pretty excited to give it a try. What are you reading this week?

Review: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Title: A Spy in the House
Author: Y.S. Lee
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Historical, Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Candlewick Press, March 9, 2010

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past...

I first read A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee several years ago, but I didn’t remember much about what happened. So, I was really excited to give the book another read, and I have to say that I still enjoyed it just as much as I did before. Rereading the book basically reminded me why I got into the series in the first place.

For starters, the plot was incredibly interesting. A Spy in the House was definitely a mystery at heart, intertwined with historical elements based in 1850s London, and the concept of a secret agency made up of women, exclusively. Lee did a relatively good job capturing the time period, and portraying what it was like for women of the time, through the eyes of the main character, Mary Quinn.

I liked Mary as a character. Her life wasn’t easy, but she grasped the opportunities that came to her. She had a desire to do more with her life than take up a profession more common to the time period, which significantly limited her options to things like teaching or being a governess. There was also a slew of interesting character that came from a variety of backgrounds. As such, I liked the way Lee showed the different characters and their interactions with Mary throughout the course of the novel.

The case handed to Mary was interesting. It dealt with missing cargo ships, questionable merchants, and a great deal of playing the part of a lady’s companion. From the very first page, there was enough suspense and action to keep me interested. There was romance, but it was nicely balanced with the mystery and never took the focus away from the plot.

So, A Spy in the House keeps its place as one of my favorite books, and I look forward to getting to A Body at the Tower and The Traitor in the Tunnel. And maybe, finally, I’ll get around to picking up the last book to see how the series ends.