[Review] Shutter by Courtney Alameda

ABOUT

Title: Shutter

Author: Courtney Alameda

Series: Shutter #1

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: February 3rd 2015

Goodreads Page

Source: Bought

Synopsis:

Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

[Waiting on Wednesday] Blue Voyage by Diana Renn

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

ABOUT

Title: Blue Voyage 

Author: Diana Renn

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 15th 2015 

Goodreads page

Synopsis:

An intricately crafted mystery set in the contemporary Middle East.

Zan is a politician’s daughter and an adrenaline junkie. Whether she’s rock climbing or shoplifting, she loves to live on the edge. But she gets more of a rush than she bargained for on a forced mother–daughter bonding trip to Turkey, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. These criminals believe that Zan can lead them to an ancient treasure that’s both priceless and cursed. Until she does so, she and her family are in grave danger. Zan’s quest to save the treasure—and the lives of people she cares about—leads her from the sparkling Mediterranean, to the bustle of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to the eerie and crumbling caves of Cappadocia. But it seems that nowhere is safe, and there’s only so high she can climb before everything comes tumbling down.

This book sounds incredible. Not only is it set in Turkey, but it's also a mystery and quest to find a treasure. Y'all know how much I love my mysteries - I live and breathe them. I also have a fascination with Turkey because of one of my favourite mangas that is set in Ancient Turkey and also because I'm super interested in ancient cultures.

I'm super excited for this novel and it's definitely high on my anticipated reads list.

Happy Reading!

[Summer Blogger Promo Tour!] Sydney from Sydsaurus!

Hellooooooo!

Today on the blog I have Sydney from Sydsaurus Rex!

We're doing a colour interview! I assigned a question to different colours for Sydney to answer!

Hey guys! My name is Sydney from Sydsaurus Rex and I am so happy to be answering a few questions for you all! Thanks Ri for hosting me and I hope ya’ll like my answers xo.

Red: What is something that you're passionate about?

Other than reading you mean? Well I love love love filming and editing videos (even though I don’t have a Booktube channel) and I also love to cook!

Yellow: What makes you happy

Spending some time with my son and boyfriend makes me smile so big!

Purple: What is your favourite fantasy novel?

Hands down the Throne of Glass series is my absolute favorite. Also the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy comes at a close second!

Green: Somewhere in the world you want to go?

Hmm..I would love to go to Puerto Rico and see my family and hang out on the beaches and go see all of the festivals

Brown: Do you prefer coffee or tea? And of your favourite, what kind is your favourite to drink?

Coffee, coffee and more coffee. I absolutely love getting an Iced Mocha Latte from Dunkin Donuts.

Black & White: Tell us one truth and two lies, and it's up to us to figure it out. ;)

Oooh I love this game! Okay here we go:

• I have a dog named Kiko and I love him so much but sometimes he can be a pain in the butt :D
• I have performed in multiple school plays but never as a lead because I was too scared to try out as a lead
• I also have three brothers and two sisters and all of them are also a pain in the butt.

Which is the truth and which is the lie? ;) You'll have to figure that out guys. Leave your guess on which is the truth below!

Happy Reading!

Bound by Duty Sale and Event!!!

I don't know if y'all know this, but one of my favourite reads of last year was BOUND BY DUTY by Stormy Smith. I absolutely adore her novel and I have some awesome news for y'all!

To celebrate the first book birthday of BOUND BY DUTY, it's now free to download on all reading platforms! Isn't that awesome! Snatch this deal before it expires as it runs from July 22 to July 29!



Here's some information on the book! :)

ABOUT

Title: Bound by Duty

Author: Stormy Smith

Series: Bound #1

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she's an Elder but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she's betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and she doesn't even know his name.

Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky Southern girl and to fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is and not what she'll be.

As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head or her heart win the battle?

Get your copy from:

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ObEOyL

iTunes: http://apple.co/1I1Qfbp

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1CvnKT5

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1K678E5

Stormy is also taking part in a live chatting event with some other authors! This gives readers around the globe to interact with some cool authors!




From 12 – 2 p.m. Central, you can live stream and have Q&A with Stormy, South African author Carlyle Labuschagne, and American author Jamie Magee.

From 7 – 9 p.m. Central, you can live stream and interact with Stormy, and young adult authors Alys Arden and Heather Hildenbrand.

In both segments, Stormy will discuss and answer your questions about Bound by Duty, read a few of her favorite passages (including a special alternate POV scene from Bound by Duty!) and give away ebooks and print copies of Bound by Duty. The guest authors will be taking your questions, discussing their books and doing giveaways as well.

Schedule:

Afternoon event

12:00 – 12:30 Stormy

12:30 – 1:00 Jamie Magee

1:00 – 1:30 Stormy

1:30 – 2:00 Carlyle Labuschagne

Evening event

7:00 – 7:30 Stormy

7:30 – 8:00 Alys Arden

8:00 – 8:30 Stormy

8:30 – 9:00 Heather Hildenbrand


For full details on the guest authors and their giveaways, visit Stormy’s website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stormy Smith calls Iowa's capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.

Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn't be stopped. When she isn't working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy's favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads | Website

Happy Reading! 

[Review] The Fixer by Jennifer Lynne Barnes

ABOUT

Title: The Fixer 

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Fixer #1 

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Release Date:July 7th 2015 

Goodreads Page

Source: e-ARC via NetGalley

Synopsis:

This thriller YA is Scandal meets Veronica Mars.

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.
And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.

[Summer Blogger Promo Tour] Amber and Jessica of The Book Bratz!

So I finally made a banner for the Summer Blogger Promo Tour. This week I'm hosting my lovely friends Amber and Jessica of The Book Bratz, who also happen to be the amazing organizers of this event!

I had Amber and Jessica do an either or sort of interview and here are their answers!

Amber and Jessica's This or That! 

Coffee or Tea? 

Amber: Coffee

Jessica: Tea! 

Jonah or Gabriel?

Amber: Jonah

Jessica: Gabriel!!!

Peeta or Gale?

Amber: Peeta

Jessica: Peeta! 

Cake or Pie?

Amber: Pie

Jessica: Cake :D

Night or Day?

Amber: Night!
Jessica: Definitely night.

Summer or Winter?

Amber: Summer
Jessica: Winter!

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Amber: Vanilla
Jessica: Vanilla

Cats or Dogs?

Amber: Dogs
Jessica: Dogs

Pancakes or Waffles?

Amber: Waffles
Jessica: Waffles

Sunrise or Sunset?

Amber: Sunset
Jessica: Sunset

Spicy or Mild?

Amber: Mild
Jessica: Mild

Long books or Short books?

Amber: Short
Jessica: Short!

Hamburger or Hot dog?

Amber: Hamburger
Jessica: Hamburger

Hardcover or Softcover?

Amber: Hard
Jessica: Softcover!

Buying books or Borrowing books?

Amber: Buying
Jessica: Buying :D

Fantasy or Contemporary?

Amber: Fantasy!
Jessica: Contemporary!



Thank you so much to Amber and Jessica for answering my questions and also for putting together this awesome Blogger Promo Tour!

Happy Reading!

[Summer Blogger Promo Tour] Anna from Unquenchable Reads!

Hellooooo y'all! Today I'm excited to host Anna from Unqunechable Reads! She'll be talking about her favourite books in her favourite genres, Paranormal and Fantasy! 

Anna's Picks: 

Hi Ri's book friends! I'm Anna from Unquenchable Reads and I'm the second stop for Ri's blog on this fun blog tour! Today I'm talking about my favorite books in my favorite genre(s), paranormal and fantasy!

The Wrath and The Dawn is amazing! It's loosely based on Arabian nights. There's so much amazing-ness! (Currently my favorite book at the moment). It had a ton of action and it just hit me right in the feels.

Poison Study was so good!!!! I finished it on Friday and loved it. There was so much kick butt in this novel and I loved all of this novel. It was fast placed and I couldn't put it down.

Throne of Glass is just full of kick butt. The book had many action seems and there are so many scenes that make you say, "oh my goodness, what just happened? NOOOO (or) YESSSSS"

Okay. You caught me. I couldn't do a paranormal/fantasy favorite post without a JLA novel. White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout is just great. I love how easy it is to read and how it hits the feels. Wow. Notice a pattern here?

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It. Killed. Me. My heart still hurts from this book. It has less action, but it was still very amazing.

That's all folks. (Get it, like Looney Tunes? No? Okay. I get it. I'm just a major nerd/geek). I'll hopefully see you booknerds later! :)

- Anna

Thank you so much to Anna for taking the time to write the post!

Happy Reading!

[Review] The Leveller by Julia Durango

ABOUT

Title: The Leveller

Author: Julia Durango 

Series: The Leveller #1 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: June 23rd 2015 

Goodreads Page

Source: e-ARC via edelweiss 

Synopsis: 

Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?
Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, thanks to Julia Durango’s cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance adds some heart to Nixy’s vivid, multidimensional journey through Wyn’s tricked-out virtual city, and constant twists keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end.

[Review] The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

ABOUT

Title: The Witch Hunter

Author: Virginia Boecker 

Series: The Witch Hunter #1 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: June 2nd 2015 

Goodreads Page

Source: e-ARC via Netgalley

Synopsis:

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

[Summer Blogger Promo Tour] Melissa of The The Reader and The Chef!

Hellloooo! Today we're kicking off the Summer Blogger Promo Tour hosted by my wonderful friends, The Book Bratz!

The first blogger on the tour for me is Melissa from The Reader and the Chef where she'll talk about her favourite novels based on mythology!

Melissa's Top Favourite Mythology Novels

Hi there! My name is Melissa and I blog at The Reader and the Chef. I'm thrilled to be here in Ri's lovely blog to share with you some of my favorite mythology novels.

Mythology has got to be one of my favorite subjects in world history. The stories, the talks about Gods and Goddesses, of monsters, and how they had their say in how our world came to be fascinates me to no end. But what I really love the most is how authors take these myths and make them their own by adding some new twists into the already existing lore.

I've read a TON of mythology novels, but today I want to share with you the ones that have stayed with me the most & the ones that pop into my mind every time I think about mythology:

The Goddess Test series by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test series is by far my favorite series when it comes to Greek mythology. I loved it so much because a) it has romance b) it's intriguing and c) it's about HADES, and Hades is my favorite God. He's also my favorite character in Hercules. If you haven't read this series yet then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? It's a must! Henry/Hades is soooo swoon-worthy. He's my third favorite book boyfriend. Also, Aimée Carter knows how to play her characters well and she made me cry all the ugly cries. So yeah, read it.

A Beautiful Fate series by Cate Mann

Another wonderful series with Greek mythology in it is The Beautiful Fate series by Cat Mann. It's focused on a girl who finds out, after her mother dies and she moves into a new town, that she is a descendant from Atropos - one of the three Moirae/Fate deities. Being a Fate is a dangerous thing since ultimately you have other people's lives on your hands, and this kind of takes a certain toll on the Fate. The girl, named Ava, is a kickass heroine and I'm sure many will/have enjoyed her piece in this series. Cat Mann weaved an excellent story and I loved how insanely twisted it is. Just you wait until you reach the ending of the first book. It's WOW.

Desolation series by Ali Cross

Become by Ali Cross was my first try at Norse mythology (though I didn't know it back then) and I loooved it. The main character, Desolation, is the devil's daughter. She hates evil, but she also fears goodness, so it all comes down to a battle between who she is and who she wants to be. I read the whole Desolation series back to back because it was so good and I enjoyed the whole fight between the Nordic deities and beings (Loki, Valkyries, etc.). I believe this was Ali Cross' debut series and boy, was it good!

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

When I think about the Fae, the first thing that pops into my mind is fantasy & magic, not that they are actually mythological creatures. But they are, in fact. The fae come from the Celtic myths - Irish, Welsh & Scottish floklore about the fair folk, magic & green lands.

So when it comes to the fae, there's no other series I love more than The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. Have you ever visited the Never Never? You should. You have to meet Grimalkin, Puck, Meghan, and Ash (my second favorite book boyfriend of all times).

It's a wonderful series full of feels, humour and epic heart-breaking cliff-hangers.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

And now that we're into Celtic mythology, I can't bring myself to leave out A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. The real reason why I wanted to read this was because THE Puck from The Iron Fey series came from this little play and I couldn't miss out the opportunity to know more about him. It turned out to be a wonderful read and if you haven't read it yet, then you should seriously consider it. It's such a ridiculous fun play.

ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Melissa is a 21 year old book blogger and reviewer, currently studying Foreign Trade and Customs in Mexico. Her favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and basically all things young adult with a hint of romance. She also enjoys reading new adult books and classic literature from time to time. When she's not reading, she loves to sing out loud, eat sweets, stare at her collection of books and daydream about marrying one of her favorite book boyfriends. You can find her at her book blog The Reader and the Chef, and at Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers.

Happy Reading!

[Waiting on Wednesday] Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

ABOUT

Title: Wolf by Wolf

Author: Ryan Graudin

Series: Wolf by Wolf #1 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 20th 2015

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Code Name Verity meets Inglourious Basterds in this fast-paced novel from the author of The Walled City.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

This sounds super interesting and I'm excited to read it! I mean. history, motorcycles and an assassination? I read Ryan Graudin's previous novel and I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to reading this one as well.

Happy Reading!