Ghosting by Edith Pattou (with giveaway)

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Ghosting
by Edith Pattou

Visit Edith:
Amazon
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter @epattou

Just released: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: Poetry, YA
Hardback: 392 pages
Rating: 5

On a hot summer night in a midwestern town, a high school teenage prank goes horrifically awry. Alcohol, guns, and a dare. Within minutes, as events collide, innocents becomes victims—with tragic outcomes altering lives forever, a grisly and unfortunate scenario all too familiar from current real-life headlines. But victims can also become survivors, and as we come to know each character through his/her own distinctive voice and their interactions with one another, we see how, despite pain and guilt, they can reach out to one another, find a new equilibrium, and survive.

Told through multiple points of view in naturalistic free verse and stream of consciousness, this is an unforgettable, haunting tale.

My two-bits:

Being written as poetry (not the rhyming kind), this reading experience had a staccato rhythm that worked really well. Certain word groupings were effective in creating a fast or slow pace.

I loved how each chapter/character had their own style of writing and visual presentation which made them distinct. The personalities and essence of each character shone through despite minimal words and descriptions.

About the author:

Edith Pattou has found acclaim as a writer in middle-grade fantasy with such award-winning books as East, which received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal; was selected as a Top Ten Book for YA, an American Library Association Notable Book, a School Library Journal Top Ten YA Book, one of the 100 Best of the Best YA Books for the 21st Century by the Young Adult Library Services Association; and was nominated for numerous state awards. It’s a nominee for NPR’s all-time Best YA Novels list.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
signup to win this book
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* added to my Poetry challenge

* review copy courtesy of Fall Reading Challenge 2014. @booksparks #FRC2014

Cover reveal: Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens (with giveaway)

Hunting in Bruges
(Hunters' Guild #1)
by E.J. Stevens
November 11, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Amazon | Goodreads | Website
The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.

About the Hunters' Guild series:
The Hunters' Guild series is an urban fantasy series written by E.J. Stevens and set in the world of Ivy Granger. The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Jenna Lehane, a Hunter with a troubled past, a proficiency with weapons, and an intolerance for monsters who target the innocent.

About the Author:
E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series, the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, and the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series. When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Connect with E.J. on Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, and on her Blog.

--~ Cover Reveal Tour Giveaway ~--
WIN a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Giveaway begins Tuesday, September 23rd and ends Tuesday, October 7th.

This giveaway is open to anyone who may receive an electronic Amazon Gift Card.

Giveaway winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter.

---> Contest is done.

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* cover reveal sponsored by author

* What do you think of the cover?

Dreaming of France - 9.22.14

Dreaming of France
meme created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here
Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it. Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

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Here's a book that looks like a good one for the upcoming Halloween season that I picked up from the library...

Babayaga
by Toby Barlow
-fantasy, historical, France
Amazon | Goodreads
The year is 1959, and strange events are brewing in Paris, a city where nothing (and no one) is as it seems.

We meet Will, who hails from Detroit and works at an international advertising agency, which is also a front for the CIA. Then there’s the enchanting Zoya, who could cast a spell with her looks—and, as a witch, she often does (she also recently impaled her ex on a spike).

Inspector Vidot, on the other hand, is a hardworking police detective who cherishes a quiet evening at home. Until he follows a lead on a particularly gruesome murder—and finds himself turned into a flea. And the adventure wouldn’t be complete without Oliver, a fun-loving American patrician who has come to Paris to launch a literary journal with the support of certain secretive friends.

Add a few chance encounters, a chorus of angry witches, and a weaponized LSD program, and you have Toby Barlow’s Babayaga: a wickedly sharp tale of the City of Light that’s part love story, part thriller, and pure brilliance.

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* fyi: French word for witch is sorcière

Here's a cute etsy paper doll created by Altered Artifacts of Marie Antoinette dressed as a witch

Banned Books Week 2014

Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Sept. 21-27, 2014
CHECK out this cool trailer created by Books Inc. for Banned Books Week:



Top Ten Challenged Books Lists for 2013
Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Captain Underpants (series)
by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence

The Bluest Eye *
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Fifty Shades of Grey *
by E.L. James
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Hunger Games *
by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl
by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit

Looking for Alaska *
by John Green
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Bless Me Ultima
by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit

Bone (series)
by Jeff Smith
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

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* books I read in the past

What's the difference between a challenge and a banning?

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

I plan to read a couple from the challenged books list above. One from the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey and one from the Bone series by Jeff Smith for this event.

How about you?

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AND, check out the 4th Annual Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop, September 21st to 27th, here

Stacking the Shelves - 9.20.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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Bought:

Frozen
by Meljean Brook
-paranormal, romance
Amazon | Goodreads

Dead Over Heels
by Alison Kemper
-zombies, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
FREE kindle version:

The Curious Case Of The Clockwork Menace
(London Steampunk) novella
by Bec McMaster
-romance, steampunk
thanks for the heads up: Sophia Rose of Delighted Reader
(see her review here)
Amazon | Goodreads

Raker
by Christopher A. Gray
-sci-fi, robots
thanks for the heads up: Laura of fuonlyknew
Amazon | Goodreads
For Review:

Destined for Doon
by Carey Corp
-fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life:
Because You Can't Go Naked
by George Brescia
-fashion, how-to
Amazon | Goodreads
Open the door to harmonious, powerful, and positive dressing with a guide that’s like The Secret—for your wardrobe. In this groundbreaking how-to book, style expert George Brescia shows you how to transform yourself from the inside out.

More than a style guide, this revolutionary book by a seasoned stylist teaches a method of conscious dressing that begins with a powerful internal change. Instead of just grabbing for whatever’s on hand, you’ll learn to set your goals for the day, determining how you want to be perceived, and then dress in a way that helps manifest those intentions. Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life reveals the true power your clothing has to affect your life, showing how this second skin impacts your job prospects, your romantic life, your income, and even your deepest sense of self. Translating his styling methods into a philosophy anyone can apply on her own, Brescia also delivers tips and tricks of the trade to help convert even the most hapless dresser into a happy and educated shopper. Because the goal is to have you not only looking great, but feeling more confident, too. From major closet overhauls to a whole new philosophy on color, this is a comprehensive manual for anyone who’s ever looked at her closet in despair.

Accessible, direct, honest, and thought-provoking, Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life takes an eye-opening look at the intersection between our clothing and our emotions, hopes, and dreams, showing us how improving our external appearance can have life-changing effects on how we’re perceived by others—and more importantly, on how we perceive ourselves.

-----> wanting to add more style and fashion to my life

Dreaming about getting soon:

The Jewel
by Amy Ewing
-dystopia, romance
Amazon | Goodreads
The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale in this darkly riveting debut filled with twists and turns, where all that glitters may not be gold.

The Jewel means wealth, the Jewel means beauty—but for Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Born and raised in the Marsh, Violet finds herself living in the Jewel as a servant at the estate of the Duchess of the Lake. Addressed only by her number—#197—Violet is quickly thrown into the royal way of life. But behind its opulent and glittering facade, the Jewel hides its cruel and brutal truth, filled with violence, manipulation, and death.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her life . . . all while trying to stay alive. But before she can accept her fate, Violet meets a handsome boy who is also under the Duchess's control, and a forbidden love erupts. But their illicit affair has consequences, which will cost them both more than they bargained for. And toeing the line between being calculating and rebellious, Violet must decide what, and who, she is willing to risk for her own freedom.

-----> can't resist the cover every time i see it

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* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers