The Friday 56 (3)

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

"I bolted upright, shrieking, clawing at the darkness. As I opened my eyes, a searing light blinded me, and I cringed away with a hiss. All around me, strange noises assaulted my eardrums, familiar yet amplified a hundredfold."-The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa



What's on your page 56 this week?

Review!! Dork Diaries 7: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star

Title:  Dork Diaries 7: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star

Author:  Rachel Renée Russell

Format/Source: Hardcover, Won

Age Range: 9-13

Publisher/Publication Date: Alladin, June 3, 2014

Genre: Fiction, Friendship

Amazon     Audible     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository  

Book Summary from Goodreads

    Everyone’s been rooting for Nikki Maxwell and her crush, Brandon—and fans will finally learn if they had their first kiss in this seventh book of theNew York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series!

    Nikki’s juggling a lot this month. A reality TV crew is following Nikki and her friends as they record their hit song together, plus there are voice lessons, dance practice, and little sister Brianna’s latest wacky hijinks. Nikki’s sure she can handle everything, but will all the excitement cause new problems for Nikki and Brandon, now that cameras are everywhere Nikki goes? Read More

My Thoughts

       OMG, where do I even start? After reading this book I’m sitting here wondering how could I miss six books of hilariousness? HOW!?

       This Dork Diaries book starts out as Nikki Maxwell is still drooling over prom night when she is interrupted by a call from Trevor Chase about recording a song. But wait, there’s more! She even gets her own reality show! However, with all the things she has to do including dealing with the cameras following her and Mackenzie who was out for revenge, Nikki starts to wonder if it’ll ruin her friendship with Brandon, the guy she has a crush on.

       The book was well written and kept me going without yawning once. Although I loved Nikki and her humor, there was another character—not mentioning names— introduced in this book that was so funny I cried.  I absolutely loved how Nikki solved her problems as well as the conclusion to the story.

       If you want to dork out this summer, you’ll definitely want to read Dork Diaries 7: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star.

Review written by my teen, Adri

--Andrea M.

Review: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Mistborn
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Source/ Format: Purchased, Paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/ Publication Date: Tor (Tor Teen), May 13, 2014 (First Published July 17, 2006)
Barnes & Noble     Amazon      Goodreads      Book Depository      Audible

     Warning, there aren’t spoilers ahead. (I tried to contain my excitement, and willingness to spew spoilers left and right by numerous rounds of editing this review.)

     So where should I begin? I want to say with EVERYTHING, but I should start with one at a time, right? Well for starters, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson has become one of my favorite books ever, effectively earning its spot right beside the Rithmatist. With its interesting cast of characters, amazing world building, and plot that kept me reading despite the books length, Mistborn is easily a read I would recommend to just about anyone.

     The characters were interesting, all of them, one-dimensional doesn’t even describe them, not even a little. Vin was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing her change across the events that unfolded throughout the book. Kelsier was a character who was shrouded in an air of mystery, and I liked that his history was eventually revealed—so I could understand his motivation for what he did. Breeze, Ham, Dockson, and the rest of the crew were great as well, and I loved seeing their team work together. The Lord Ruler, the villain, he was so powerful that I was left wondering what they were going to do about him. Then there was Elend, he was interesting, but I don’t want to say much about him, otherwise I might end up putting in a massive spoiler…unintentionally. So to avoid doing so I think I’ll just stop talking about the characters now, moving on.

     The world building in Mistborn was executed nicely; the pacing was also excellent because despite the length, which I mentioned before, it was entertaining throughout. The Finale Empire and the system of magic, Allomancy, were both impressive concepts at the core of Mistborn, and I enjoyed learning more about both. The opening chapters really set up a nice beginning for the rest of the epic story. The descriptions really helped me get a sense of the setting, and I could really picture what was happening as it was happening. The ending was satisfying to say the least and wrapped up the plot quite nicely. Mistborn just sort of solidified my reasoning for why Brandon Sanderson is one of my all-time favorite authors. So, anyone that’s looking for a good fantasy read with strong characters, solid world building and plot, then you should definitely check out Mistborn.

Musing Mondays (3)

    

     Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, that asks you to muse about one of the following each week:
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musings for the week...
     I'm going to keep this kind of short today, but lets talk briefly about books with illustrations. Sometimes I do like books that have small illustrations in them, because it gives me a sense of what the characters and settings really look like beyond what my imagination came up with. (They also come in handy when small, intricate details like symbols, some pieces of complicated jewelry worn by the characters, etc aren't really explained.) Some great examples of books with illustrations in them are: The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson, The League of Princes Trilogy by Christopher Healy, *shuffles through books*...hmmm I don't seem to have many young adult ones, but plenty of middle grade ones. Anyway, what about you guys?  What are your thoughts on books with illustrations, young adult or otherwise?

The Friday 56 (2)

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

"I wonder if boredom prompts him to it, or if it's more."-The Archived by Victoria Schwab




What's on your page 56 this week?

Review: Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Title:Shadow of the Mark (Click title for Synopsis)
Author: Leigh Fallon
Source/Format: won, paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Teen, July 9, 2013

Barnes & Noble       Goodreads      Amazon      Audible     Book Depository

My Thoughts:

     Ok, so I’m going to keep this kind of short today. Recently I’ve tried to read some of the older unread books on my shelf, and so I picked Shadow of the Mark as one I was going to get to at last.

     I’m not going to lie: this one took me weeks…WEEKS to read and it’s not even that long. I’ve read the previous book, and it wasn’t bad, the writing was consistent and it was mildly entertaining. But with Shadow of the Mark, I found myself sort of bored, and I kept putting it down for days at a time. The middle was the worst for me, and everything else was just sort of meh. The writing was once again consistent, but the plot…well the pacing felt a little off. The beginning and middle were slow, and it wasn’t until the last so many pages that the action really picked up. The romance was just…romance, that’s all I’ve really got on it. The twist at the end with a few of the characters was pretty out of nowhere—I didn’t expect it at all—and probably the most interesting part for me, so I did enjoy it and I found that I was a little more interested in what was happening. The ending wraps up a few plot points, but leaves things wide open for the next book.

     So in the end this book was sort of average for me. Would I read the next book? I don’t know, maybe, just to see where the story goes.

Musing Mondays (2)

     Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, that asks you to muse about one of the following each week:
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musings for the week...

     Let's talk about bookends: to use bookends or to not use bookends? It seems like a simple question to answer but once I sat down to really think about it, I realized that I don't use them. As someone with a lot of books you would think that I would have at least one set, but no...I guess I never saw the need to. But they do come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and colors that could fit the decor of any room.  So here's why I personally don't use them: I don't keep books on my desk, and my shelves are usually stuffed-to-the-brim, so there's just no space for them. So in the end its a good thing I don't own any since they would just end up collecting dust on some shelf...or on the floor since I don't have much space left on my shelves.
     So, what about you guys do you use bookends?  Maybe just for decoration or serious use to hold up your books?

Release Day + Giveaway: Four Houses by Victoria Scott

Today is the release day for Victoria Scott's Four Houses, which is now available on Amazon, Nook, and iBooks!

Summary from Goodreads
A frightened girl.

An empty field.

Four houses.

Which house would you choose?

FOUR HOUSES is a dark short story told in an unusual format that leaves readers wondering how they'd react if found in the same situation as seventeen-year-old Maddy.

Amazon     Nook     iBooks: 

     So now it's giveaway time, below you'll find a Rafflecopter form where Victoria Scott is giving away a digital copy of Four Houses and a signed copy of The Warrior.  I've read The Warrior, so trust me when I say you're going to want that book and Four Houses! Without further ado, go forth and enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Friday 56 (1)

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

"However, no one else in their right mind would want to deal with that amount of people, not for minimum wage."-Living Violet by Jamie Reed 




What's on your page 56 this week?

Review: Living Violet by Jamie Reed

Title: Living Violet
Author: Jamie Reed
Source/Format: freebie, iTunes ebook edition
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Dafina, December 27, 2011



My Thoughts:

     It occurs to me now that I never reviewed this book even though I read it last year…a shocking fact since it was so good. Living Violet is an interesting take on the typical paranormal romance with a diverse cast of characters who had interesting familial backgrounds. The opening scene was entertaining to say the least and caught my attention almost right away. The paranormal aspect of this book was vastly different from the vampires, werewolves, witches, and so on that you normally find. Cambion’s, demons who steal the life right out of people…yeah, they certainly weren’t vampires. And to top it all off Samara Marshall wasn’t your typical run-of-the-mill, clichéd main character, she was a character with mixed heritage. Caleb and the rest of the characters…well if you want to know about them, then you’ll have to read Living Violet. So, if you’re looking for a paranormal book with a different take on demons, and a variety of characters, then I highly recommend taking a look at The Cambion Chronicles. (Actual rating is 4.5 birdcages.)

Musing Mondays (1)

     Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, that asks you to muse about one of the following each week...
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musings for the week...

Trilogy ends, sometimes I kind of dread them because my expectations might run a little higher than it would be for a debut book. I'm invested in the books, the characters, and I want to see how it ends. But I still have my reservations. Regardless I've come across a few good trilogy end's that I've already read this year, and I'm looking forward to a few more...

     The Warrior by Victoria Scott. I personally like this series since it's hard for me to find angel and demon books that can hold my attention for more than a millisecond.

     The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy, a truly wonderful middle grade series with an interesting take on classic fairy tales.

     I'm sure I missed a few but I probably haven't read them.  So as far as the one's I'm looking forward to, all I can think of at the moment is one:

 Double Vision: Alias Men by F.T. Bradley

     So that's it for my musing this week.  But what about you guys, do you have any hesitation when going into trilogy end's, or are you just excited to see where your favorite characters end up?

Review: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Title: The Archived (Click on Title for Synopsis)
Author: Victoria Schwab
Source/Format: Purchased/ iTunes ebook edition
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Hyperion, January 22, 2013

My Thoughts:

     I’ve had my fair share of woes with the YA genre as of late, and I haven’t read much in a long time. But I finally sat down to read Victoria Schwab’s, The Archive, at last. I found the book to be highly entertaining, as well as refreshing with a cast of interesting characters, and a plot that kept me otherwise in the dark until the very end. I truly did enjoy The Archived.

     To start, The Archived had an interesting premise: the dead supposedly being placed on shelves and you know, cataloged like you would books. Right from the beginning that premise caught my attention, and I wanted to know more about the Archive and the people who worked there. One such person associated with the Archive is none other than the main character, Mackenzie Bishop. She, unlike some YA characters, wasn’t perfect and made her own fair amount of mistakes. Mackenzie also grieved a great deal, but all of her faults made her a well-rounded character that I found relatively likable. And her parents weren’t cookie-cutter folks either they dealt with their emotions in their own way. They had separate…I guess you could say, identities, which made them stand out rather than blend right into the background. Then there was Wesley Ayers…hmmm, what should I say about him? Well for starters he was an interesting character with little quirks mentioned here and there—you could really tell that he cared. 

     The setting, which is something I rarely ever mention in reviews, was very fascinating. The Coronado was and old hotel that was renovated into apartments and you could almost say it was borderline dilapidated. And yet the place held on to its old world, mostly faded, charm. Would I visit the place? Um, no! With all of the trouble that Mackenzie experienced there in the Archive, I have to say no on that one. And by trouble, I mean the plot. The Archive’s opening chapter basically solidified my reason for finally reading this book, and from then on I blew through the rest. So without spoiling things, I’m just going to call it a day. But in my opinion The Archived was a solid opening to a series, and I intend to continue on with the next book as soon as I get my hands on a copy of The Unbound. Five birdcages. That is all.

Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale

Starting on Thursday July 10th, Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale will be on sale for $0.99.  The only catch is that the deal will only last for 7 days, so get it while it lasts! Sorry, the deal is now over.

Click here

Have You Heard of Sybil Ludington?

    While this subject has nothing to do with YA or MG books, but I wanted to share it anyway.

     Do you recognize the name in the title of this post? I admit that at first I didn’t even know who was being mentioned. Despite history being one of my favorite subjects, I admit that I never even heard of Sybil Ludington until I happened to be watching a show about historical monuments in America last night. I’ve read numerous history books, seen countless shows on the Revolutionary War, and yet, none of them ever mentioned Sybil Ludington and what she did. We all know the story with Paul Revere and his famous night ride on April 18, 1775 because of its historic importance.

    So, have you heard about the second night ride in 1777? That’s right, Sybil Ludington was only 16 years old at the time, and traveled the dangerous road alone to alert the colonial militia. Did you see her age? Yeah, a 16 year old girl traveling alone through a forest at night during that time took some serious bravery. From what I know, she only had a stick with her that she used to knock on doors, and even her statue near Lake Gleneida in Carmel, New York is holding a stick. But the most noticeable thing about her night ride was the distance. No, it wasn’t 12 miles, or 18, or even 25, it was a whopping 40 mile ride. 40 MILES. That’s insane especially on horseback during the dead of night. The difference in distances is relatively substantial.

    So I was left wondering why many of the history books, and TV shows about the Revolutionary War never bothered to mention Sybil’s ride to warn the militia that Danbury, Connecticut was under attack by the British. Ok, so I guess I'll stop with the history lesson, but if you want to read a little more about Sybil feel free to follow the links below:

Historic Patterson New York

National Women's History Museum
Sybil Ludington Wikipedia Page

     So tell me, have you heard of Sybil Ludington before? Or is this the first time you’re hearing about her?

ARC Review: The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy

Title: The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw
Author: Christopher Healy
Source/ Format: Won, Bound ARC
Age Range: Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Walden Pond Press, April 29, 2014



My Thoughts:    

     This must be the year of amazing trilogy enders, because The Hero’s Guide to Begin an Outlaw by Christopher Healy, was the perfect way for the epic middle grade series to end. All of my favorite characters were back and better than ever, as they raced against time to stop their kingdoms from being destroyed by a foe that was more known than not.

     The League of Princes is back at it again after the Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle, with things not quite how they thought they left them. Liam, Fredric, Gustav, and Duncan once again set out to save their kingdoms, as a threat they thought they defeated comes right back and stronger than ever. At times their situations were ugly and I just didn’t know if they would manage to get out of them, but nevertheless, their antics, plans, and mishaps were as hilariously refreshing as they always were. But Being an Outlaw wasn’t only about the princes and their quests, but the princess’s also got some attention. I liked how they banded together to try and save the day, ultimately forming the Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters. Val was also a nice addition to the series, and overall I liked her as a character.

     Ok, now the plot. It. Was. Awesome! I love it when a book manages to keep me entertained with the right mix of humor, emotion, and action sequences. And the Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw was in no shortage of any of it. The book had the right blend of everything that I think will grasp the attention of middle-grade readers who are fans of adventure novels with new twists on the classic tales we all know so well. So to be honest I can’t see myself giving the final book in The League of Princes trilogy anything other than five birdcages. All in all, it was a wonderful finish to an already humorous, adventure series.

Release Day Launch: Descent by Kallie Ross

 

We are extremely excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Kallie Ross' Descent!! Descent is a young adult fantasy adventure that is out today!! So below you will find more about the books & you can read the first 5 chapters, and at the very bottom of the post you'll find a giveaway you're going to want to enter. So, go forth, scroll away!

     

ABOUT DESCENT

 Seventeen year old Ollie Miller is ready to leave all of her hurt feelings behind, but moving on seems impossible while living next door to her ex-best friend, Mateo. When curious earthquakes begin to shake and rip open the foundation of her small town, the ground becomes as unsteady as her feelings for him. When they fall, they fall hard… Ollie’s disastrous attempt to save Mateo’s brother from falling into a curious chasm results in their descent into a cavernous wonderland. Ollie, Mateo, Jesse, and Alexis search for a way back home, and encounter a mysterious tribe of natives. Gabriel, the next in line to lead his people, is granted permission to guide them to the surface. On their treacherous journey, an overzealous elder threatens all of their lives, because he can’t risk them exposing his people, or the power he wields. The group discovers ancient secrets, unexpected truths, and uncharted feelings. Ollie must find a way out or risk being stuck in the caves forever—or worse, dead.

“Descent is a gripping debut that takes you on a roller coaster - a page turner that has you asking - what happens next. I loved every single word of it.” Fangirlish.com 

Add DESCENT on Goodreads and Facebook!

Goodreads  Facebook

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Descent (Chapters 1-5) by Kallie Ross

 

About Kallie Ross: Over time my love for learning gravitated toward studying conspiracy theories and contradictions in our culture. My conclusions have ignited a passion to write compelling young adult fiction that incorporates legend, conjecture, fantasy, and conviction. I love being a wife, mother, friend, writer, and teacher. I began teaching high school English in 2002 and started blogging and podcasting in 2008. I have a brilliant husband, two redheads, and never imagined my life would ever be this fun!    

Find Kallie Ross

Website   Twitter   Facebook   Kallie Ross’s Goodreads   Tumblr

Ok, so now onto the giveaway.  Below you can enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card or a $25 gift card. Awesome, right?  Now getting to the point, go forth and enter!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day launch & Giveaway: Lux Beginnings & Consequences

     It's here! Today is the day you can get the beautiful new bindups of Jennifer L. Armentrout's LUX Series! Are you as excited as we are? Doesn't it look amazing? You don't want to miss these or the bonus content included in each bindup! We have all the information for you below, and a fabulous giveaway at the end of the post. So make sure you check it all out and enter for your chance to win!

LUX: Beginnings

Amazon  Barnes and Noble

LUX: Consequences

Amazon  Barnes and Noble

ABOUT LUX: Beginnings: 

     Now available together for the first time, don't miss Obsidian and Onyx, the first two books in Jennifer L. Armentrout's bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! "A thrilling ride from start to finish," says RT Book Reviews. Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

ABOUT LUX: Consequences:

     Now available together for the first time, don't miss Opal and Origin, the third and fourth books in Jennifer L. Armentrout's bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! "A thrilling ride from start to finish," says RT Book Reviews. No one is like Daemon Black. When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. Together we’re stronger...and they know it.

OPPOSITION Comes out August 5^th! Pre-Order It Now!

Amazon   Barnes and Noble

About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer L. Armentrout

Website  Twitter  Facebook  Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Goodreads

Add the LUX Series on Goodreads!

LUX: Beginnings Goodreads  LUX: Consequences Goodreads  Opposition

Find Entangled Publishing

Entangled Website  Entangled Twitter  Entangled Facebook

Ok now lets move on to the giveaway. Below you can enter for a chance to win a Hardcover set of Lux: Beginnings & Consequences on the Rafflecopter form below. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TV Show Review: Disney Channel's New Comedy Series, Girl Meets World

First Check Out the Trailer!!!

My Thoughts

In this fast paced society, it is nice that Disney is producing shows filled with laughable moments and great messages that facilitate discussions between parents and children.

One such show is Girl Meets World, which is set to air June 27, 2014. My daughter and I had the opportunity to attend a live taping on May 15, 2014. And let me tell you….Boy Meets World fans this is a great spin off from the original series with Cory (Ben Savage) & Topanga (Danielle Fishel). Now, Cory and Topanga are all grown up and they experience the joy of parenting as their daughter, Riley (Rowan Blanchard), seeks to define her identity. There are lessons to be learned along the way as Riley begins to discover the meaning of friendship, loyalty, and being true to oneself.  And hey kids—there are even some teachable moments for parents as Cory has over-the-top reactions to his daughter’s quest to grow up—um, reflection time.  

My daughter loved being part of the live studio audience. Although, she wasn’t familiar with Boy Meets World, she loved this show and is looking forward to watching the series. In her words, “The experience was awesome. I loved learning about what happens behind the scenes. I really liked Robert and the DJ, they made it fun. I just can’t wait to see Girl Meets World on TV!”

So if my daughter likes it, I must say that this series definitely appears promising. Now, if you are curious and want to get a sneak peak at the premiere, it’s available now on the WATCH Disney app. 

ARC Review: The Warrior by Victoria Scott

Title: The Warrior
Author: Victoria Scott
Age Range: YA
Source/ Format: Publisher, E-ARC
Publisher/ Publication Date: Entangled Teen, May 6, 2014
Links:
Goodreads    Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Book Depository





Summary From Goodreads

War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.
Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll. Read More Here

My Thoughts    

     All good things must come to an end and the same can be said for the Collector Series, which is coming to an end with the final installment, The Warrior. Dante Walker is back again with his usual wit and charm, and the compassion that’s always present for his girlfriend, Charlie. As far as finals in a trilogy go, The Warrior is one of my favorites. It was full of action, sadness, loss, and happiness with an outcome that left me nearly breathless.

     The Warrior basically picks up where The Liberator left off, as the final battle between the sides is drawing near. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the developing—and the few—dissolving relationships that happened throughout the book. I also liked seeing Dante Walker change so much. His development as a character was awesome, and Charlie was right along with him. Everyone changed a little bit, it just depended on if that change was good or bad, and I liked not knowing who was to be trusted and who wasn’t—it just made the book that much better. The other secondary characters were great as always, with each one having a different story to tell, which contributed nicely to the overall execution of the book.

     As far as the overall plot I have to say that I love it when I think a series has shown its all, but then turns right around and still has a few surprises left lurking around. With The Warrior, I thought I had just about everything figured out—I thought I knew who was who and what side they were on—but nope. The twists and turns were marvelous and kept me reading till the very end. All in all The Warrior was a fantastic finish to an already delightful series. While I am sad that The Collector Trilogy is over at the very least I have Salt & Stone to look forward to.

   This ARC was provided by the publisher (Entangled Teen) in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Don't forget to visit Victoria Scott!

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A Hiatus...

From the Our Thoughts Precisely Team

     Things have gotten a little sparse around here again, but it's not without reason this time. As the title of the post suggests, we've got to take a break from blogging, because you know life sometimes gets in the way of things. It happens. Basically we're moving and I don't mean the blog.  And with the move means soon we're going to have a lack of internet connection, and little time to read. I know we've got stuff to do, reviews to write, and so on, but this hiatus is pretty inevitable at this point. (Things moved along quicker than we thought.) But we'll be back up as soon as things are settled and more or less organized again. (Those books don't unpack themselves you know.) This is just to let you guys know that we're not quitting, or disappearing, but rather going on a hiatus for the time being, but don't fret we'll be back soon. And so now we're off, but we leave you with a shiny new poll on the side of the blog.

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale

Today, Stacey O'Neale and Phoenix Reign Publishing are revealing the cover for MORTAL ENCHANTMENT, releasing on May 20, 2014! Below you'll find the cover, and as usual if you keep reading you'll come across a giveaway at the bottom of the post. So, scroll on!

About the book

In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...

“Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.” Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

If you haven't read THE SHADOW PRINCE, you can download if now for free from Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Every sacrifice has consequences. Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission: Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king. Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
Available for FREE on Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Also available in PRINT from Amazon | Barnes & Noble




About the author Stacey O'Neale lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter. Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing. Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads. You can also visit her blog at her Website
Now onto the giveaway, below you can enter for a chance to win $50 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. a Rafflecopter giveaway