From the Review Pile #2

From the Review Pile is a new meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

"I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!"

 - Stepping Out of the Page

*********

 

The book I'm featuring this week is one I'm really excited to read. The story sounds wonderful and the cover art is amazing. See for yourself :


Hear by Jacqueline Abelson

Lots of people can hear, but how many really listen?At the age of 17, Charlotte Goode has issues. Serious issues. Despite countless surgeries, her parent's panic attacks, and a well-meaning oncologist, a rare genetic disorder means Charlotte must live with recurring tumors. Life isn’t supposed to be this way.And just as Charlotte is learning to cope, she gets some devastating news: Tumors are growing on her auditory nerves. But, the necessary surgery will leave her completely deaf.With the operation scheduled in a month, Charlotte prepares herself for a world without sound. A world without the violin she loves, without her best friend’s laugh, and even without her boss’s irksome tone. Charlotte's on a mission to take it all in, while trying to hire a band to play a benefit concert. Will it be The Bond Boys or Lennox? Counting down the days until everything goes silent, The Bond Boys’ lead singer, Ron Cam, sweeps Charlotte off her feet. He’s pure charisma. Then there’s Matthew Lovelace of Lennox , who captures Charlotte’s attention with his music and “that” voice. What will she do?
Time is running out. Charlotte must find a way to leave the hearing world on a high note without missing a beat.

This ebook is only 99 cents! Get your copy here.



I can't wait to read your posts. I will check as many as I can today. Feel free to leave your link in the comments!

ARC Review : Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Title: Poltergeeks
Author: Sean Cummings
Expected publication: October 2012 by Strange Chemistry Books

ISBN13 : 9781908844095

*e-book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*

From Goodreads : 15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Poltergeeks opens up with all hell breaking loose : a woman is thrown out of her house while her furniture and objects are found floating around. From Julie and Marcus' expertise, this can only be the result of a very mischievous poltergeist who was yanked from the other side by someone very powerful. Supernatural activity is going off the charts everywhere, even in school. No one is safe, not even Julie's mother who falls under the spell of Endless Night, a powerful spell that leaves her in a coma. Messages are being sent to Julie via YouTube videos, an immortal named Holly will give her answers but she'll demand something in return, and the spirit of a loved one will offer help and will reveal Julie's destiny. It's now up to Julie, Marcus and Betty, Julie's guardian, to find out who's behind all of this mayhem and put an end to it while fighting to save her mom's life.

Julie may be a witch but she really is your normal teenager. Proof? Well how about her mother grounds her even if, in Julie's eyes,  she's just trying to help. She often takes matters in her own hands and doesn't think about the consequences. For example, she doesn't listen to her mom when the school is in total chaos and tries to take care of it herself. Result : her mom is now laying in a hospital bed. Her best friend, Marcus,  is the one making sure she follows the rules.


Marcus and Julie have been friends for so long that she doesn't know how to react when he admits his feelings towards her. Julie needs to get her feelings straight before goth girl Marla steals him from her. Marcus is the science geek. He  sometimes wants to gather scientific information on  the supernatural and he's also dumbfounded in front of anything abnormal. He's one of the few who knows about Julie and her mother's witchcraft and it doesn't seem to bother him. He's always there to lend a helping hand. He also has a very vulnerable side. At school he often gets teased and thrown in the garbage. He really needs to stand up for himself and not let Julie always do it for him.


When her mother is in the hospital Betty comes in the picture as Julie's guardian and offers a hand but only if Julie asks the right questions. She isn't human; she takes the body of a dying person or animal as her host until she grows tired of it. My favorite is when she occupies the body of a Great Dane. Even in the body of an animal she can be very useful!

Poltergeeks is Sean Cummings' first YA and also the first book in a new series that's off to an incredible start. Even if the story deals with Julie's mom fighting for her life, it's really a light and fun read. No tissues will be needed! I absolutely loved the chemistry between Julie and Marcus. They make an excellent team! The romance is a nice touch added to the plot but it's not the main focus. The magic is fantastic. He did an amazing job describing the supernatural. Everything is carefully thought-out and well-explained. I loved the mix of poltergeists and magic. I was really engrossed in the book from the very beginning. The action starts on page one and ends on the last page with hints of more action coming in the next book. I honestly can't wait to find out more. I think there might be a few family secrets that Julie has yet to unveil. I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel!

Poltergeeks is a great entertaining read that will please the fans of YA paranormal and urban fantasy.

5 out of 5 stars

To learn more, visit the Sean Cummings' website, follow him on Twitter and 'Like' his Facebook page.

10 Fun Facts : Looking for Authors & Book Bloggers!

Happy Saturday everyone! For my friends in the US, Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Since I have time off until September I've decided I need to get my blog back on track. I've got tons of reviews coming up, a giveaway, guest posts...On June 2nd, you'll get to win a book for leaving a comment on my post that day. Everyone leaving a comment will be a winner so make sure to come visit! My posts should now be more frequent than the occasional post every month.

To make my blog more fun and to hopefully gain back readers I've lost during my long break, I've decided to bring back my 10 Fun Facts posts. Not familiar with this? The concept is simple! Authors and book bloggers are invited to share with us 10 facts about themselves and/or their books. It's always fun to learn more about some of our favorite bloggers and authors but more importantly, we also get to discover great bloggers and authors that we might have missed in the blogosphere. Each week, I'll feature one author or blogger.

If this is something you would like to do go to the left side bar and click "Contact Me" or send me an email melvautour(at)hotmail(dot)com.

I look forward to your 10 fun facts!!

Review : Scarlett's by A.L. Collins

Title : Scarlett's

Author : A.L. Collins

Paperback 241 pages

Published March 1st 2012 by Createspace 

ISBN13 : 9781475032017      

*Book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review*

Barnes & Noble  / Amazon

A.L. Collins' debut Y/A novel Scarlett's takes an inspiring,motivating and sometimes humorous approach to the realities that young adults are confronted with today. Just when everything around Jaime Williams starts to cave in, when it looks like the economy has claimed another victim, she takes a job at the local diner in hopes of finding what is missing in her life. Scarlett's will have you cheering for all that is good in this world. She builds some amazing relationships along the way and Jaime's solace comes in the help and encouragement that she gives to those closest to her. When a friend stumbles upon some writings in an old binder under her bed while helping her move, the world that Jaime once knew is about to change... Karma is a wonderful thing!






Jaime loves her job at a restaurant but when she's on the verge of losing her duplex, she has no choice but move back home. She doesn't want to lose all the great friendships at the restaurant but what can you do when the economy threatens to take your home? She's always been good to others. When a family in need goes to the restaurant, she offers to pay their meals. Now that she's the one needing help, her friend Ashton will step up to offer a hand. While helping her move, Ashton discovers a binder filled with her writing. Impressed, he decides to publish this book for Jaime without her knowing. Her life as she knew it will be about to change. If all goes well Jaime might not have to move after all!


A.L. Collins is back with his second novel but his first YA. Scarlett's is very different from his first fantasy novel Bastion : Prequel to War. This young man proves he's a very versatile and talented author.


Scarlett's is a perfect book for this upcoming summer. It's a light and easy read. More importantly, it's a feel-good story. I love the friendship between Jaime and Ashton and the rest of her co-workers. It makes you realize that good things can come to those who help others. Like the book description says, in the end Karma can be a wonderful thing! Reading this book put a smile on my face. The story is very realistic. The characters are dealing with real life problems which makes it easier for us to relate. I really enjoyed reading about the whole independent publishing process. There's also a surprise romance developing at the end of the book. Trust me, you won't be expecting it!


One my favorite character is without a doubt Meg. She's one of Ashton's friends and she's helping him with the publishing process even though she doesn't know Jaime. She's extremely funny. I love the part where Meg and Jaime go to school to talk about the book. Hilarious! The teacher doesn't seem to think Jaime is really a published author if she's independently published. I love Meg and Jaime's responses to the students and the teacher.  Lots of laughs guaranteed! Meg is also very vulnerable. She knows first hand how kids can be cruel these days. I also like Ashton. Jaime is lucky to have a friend like him who's willing to pay to get her book published. He also took a big chance. What if Jaime didn't want the world to read her book? She lacks confidence but having her book published might just be what she needs in order to pursue her dream.


Scarlett's is amazingly written. This author never ceases to impress me. I really hope there's a sequel. I want to read more about these characters!




Scarlett's is now 99 cents on the Kindle. Great deal for a great book! Click here to get your copy.

5 out of 5 stars!

For more information visit the author's blog, follow him on Twitter and visit his goodreads page.

From the Review Pile #1

From the Review Pile is a new meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

"I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!" - Stepping Out of the Page

This week, I'm showcasing Twined by A.L. Collins.




 Avalin Marsh is used to disappointment. When her mother murdered a woman in the kitchen of her home on her eleventh birthday, Avalin decided that the people in your life were only there to let you down. She built up walls over the years making a mental fortress impervious to disappointment, heartache and sadness. However it also isolated her from others, making her bitter... and lonely.
When her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia after the murder, Avalin began to see and experience things that she couldn't explain. She thought she could handle these episodes by pushing them back into her mind. Until the day she sees one of her classmates morph into a monster right in front of her eyes. Pushed to the brink of paranoia, Avalin truly believes she's insane. Then a mysterious man named Albert comes into her life. She's wary of his motives yet for some reason finds herself drawn to him even though they've never met. What's even more inexplicable is that Albert knows who Avalin is. She's the daughter of the famous Abigail Marsh. Her mother.

Now the two of them will need to put their differences aside and trust one another. If Avalin can't let her guard down long enough to let Albert in, then there might be dire and far reaching consequences in store for them.

It turns out Avalin Marsh isn't as crazy as she thought.

****

I've read two books by this author and I can't wait to start this one.

What do you have in your review pile? Leave the link and I'll check out your post.

Review : Only the Strongest Survive by Ian Fox

Title : Only the Strongest Survive
Author : Ian Fox
Published November 19th 2011

*e-book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review*


From Goodreads : The novel opens with a hair-tingling scene, as two men kidnap Emely Donnovan, one of the wealthiest women in America.She finds herself locked in the basement of a remote house in the middle of a forest, watched over by one of her captors who makes her buy and sell stocks for him so he can get rich. Her challenge to survive becomes even more complicated when Emely’s captor falls in love with her.

*****



A few years ago, brothers Ronald and John lost millions and their family's company to Emely Donnovan, a very powerful business woman. Now the siblings seek revenge. Together they kidnap and bury Emely alive. John who's always been looked down upon and made fun of by his brother decides to go back and rescue her. She's now held captive in his basement. Wanting to get back the millions he lost, John makes Emely buy and sell stocks. Ronald suspects nothing. He still believes Emely is dead inside that coffin buried somewhere deep in the woods. Her plans to escape get a little more complicated over time. While John falls in love with her, Emely will need to figure out her feelings for him.


Only the Strongest Survive took me through an emotional rollercoaster ride. One minute I desperately wanted Emely to run for it every time she had the chance and the next I wanted her to stay with John. In the beginning I absolutely hated John for kidnapping Emely but throughout the book my thoughts changed. I felt bad for John who always seemed to be taking orders from his brother who doesn't  think he's capable of handling things on his own. The siblings have very different personalities. I knew for sure I didn't like Ronald but I just didn't know what to think of John. I hated the way he treated Emely but I loved how he grew as a person and became more confident. Emely certainly changed also throughout her captivity. Both were able to learn from each other and grow as persons. The author did an amazing job to make us feel empathy for a kidnapper!


I have to say Only the Strongest Survive exceeded my expectations. The suspense is breathtaking. Ian Fox wrote an incredible kidnapping story with a whole new twist. There's enough action to make you want to rush to the end to see what would happen next. We get to learn a bit about the stock market which I found very interesting. The story also alternates between Emely's past told by her coworkers and the present. With amazing characters and an action-packed plot Only the Strongest Survive is a book I couldn't put down and one that I highly recommend.



Warning : There's a few rape scenes!

5 out of 5 stars!

ARC Review : The Reckoning by Alma Katsu

Title : The Reckoning (Book 2 of the Taker Trilogy)
Author : Alma Katsu
Expected publication: June 19th 2012 by Gallery Books

*ARC provided by Anneliese from Simon & Schuster Canada*



The Reckoning picks up where The Taker leaves off. Centuries ago, Lanny imprisoned Adair the alchemist responsible for her immortality inside the walls of his home. She never wanted his love and his powers terrified her. Now he has escaped and seeks Lanny for revenge. Adair will stop at nothing to find her. As soon as he gets his hands on his long lost potion books he's unstoppable. He'll even bring back the dead and kill who's in the way of finding Lanny. She leaves Luke her mortal lover behind for fear of putting him and his daughters in jeopardy. Alone and in danger, Lanny requests the help of a few old immortal friends but Lanny must first confess to them what she did to Adair two hundred years ago. Will they help her or are they still on Adair's side? Will he capture Lanny before she finds a way to destroy him?


Lanny is still the very smart and courageous woman she was in The Taker. I was a bit sad when she left Luke behind but I understood she didn't want to put him, his two little girls and his ex-wife in danger.  It's very thoughtful and brave of her. She's now alone and looking over her shoulder all the time. She thinks she can trust Adair's minions but can she really?

In The Taker, Adair was plain evil but in this book we see a different side of him. We learn a few of his secrets like how he was created. Even though he's angry and wants revenge it's easy to see he loves and cares for Lanny very much. The same can't be said for her. She cares for Luke and will do everything she can to protect him even if it means returning to her old life and never seeing him again. Adair is a terrifying master of alchemy and he's capable of pure evil. In order to find Lanny he'll try a very dangerous spell to raise the dead. He's the only one able to take away Lanny's immortality. He's not afraid to rape and murder his victims but the author managed for us to be able to feel sympathy for him. I still can't believe what he did at the end of the book. It was totally unexpected! I can't wait to read more about him and the secrets he has yet to reveal.


The Reckoning alternates between the past and the present. In the past we learn more about the relationship between Jonathan and Lanny and Adair's life.  In the present it alternates between Adair searching for Lanny and Lanny running away. Even with different time periods the plot flows effortlessly.


Alma Katsu has an incredible talent of storytelling. She put together a hauntingly beautiful tale of evil and romance. I can't stop thinking about this book. It is so wonderfully written and the story so captivating that I want to read it over and over again.


The Reckoning is without a doubt one of the top books on my list of favorite reads of 2012. I don't know how the author did it but this second installment is even more breathtaking and mesmerizing.

6 out of 5 stars

Review : Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

Title : Fire Baptized (Habitat #1)
Author : Kenya Wright
Published January 28th 2012 by Dragonfairy Press
From Goodreads : Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend MeShack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention. While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

*e-book courtesy of the author.*




Lanore is a mixed breed with the power to control fire.  She's trying to keep a low profile since society doesn't like her kind. She's going to college and living with her were-cheetah ex-boyfriend. When she witnesses a murder she decides to solve the case and find the supernatural serial killer before he/she finds her.

One of the things I absolutely loved about this book is the characters. They're your usual paranormal characters but the setting they're in is interesting. I love the idea of creating the Habitat (a caged city with all the supernaturals having a mark on their foreheads to identify them). It's also nice to have an African-American heroine. Lanore is a strong woman not afraid to kick some butt. I also love the idea that every supernatural is not equal. It's the purebreds vs the "mixies". It reminded me of Harry Potter with the purebloods and mudbloods.

To add a little romance the author threw in a steamy love triangle. I still can't decide which hot alpha-male I like best, MeShack or Zulu. Both are very protective...and sexy. Maybe book #2 will help me make up my mind. Lanore does make a choice between them at the end but I predict even more sexual tension in the next book.

The plot is amazing with lots of suspense. The murderer is unpredictable. The writing is brilliant. I can go on and on but what I'm trying to say is Fire Baptized is a paranormal page-turner filled with romance, action, suspense, danger, mystery... Fans of paranormal fiction will without a doubt enjoy this book. I'm having a hard time finding something I didn't like about it. I even enjoyed reading about the graphic and gruesome murders!

5 out of 5 stars!

Review : Narrative Loserdom : From Journal One by Ryan Collins

Title : Narrative Loserdom: From Journal One
Author : Ryan Collins
Published December 1st 2011 by CreateSpace



From Goodreads: Justin Taggart doesn’t know anything (about being a loser). He likes girls and plays sports and has some friends. Unfortunately his fear of rejection outweighs his ability to deal with these well. Mostly there’s Sterling, the girl of his dreams who knows how to stop his heart by not knowing he likes her. Another thing is trying to get money with Adam, who’s rich anyway so it’s more about hanging out. As for Justin, he makes ends meet by mowing people’s yards with Adam, and sometimes by breaking into vending machines and selling late-night cable programming to peers (also with Adam). But it’s not like he doesn’t feel bad about it, since Jesus died for his sins. School is pretty terrible with all the work and practice, but there are a few people there worth mentioning. Anyone who picks up his journal will be in for something, if they feel like getting through a lot of grammar and spelling problems. They’ll probably end up seeing that they shouldn’t have looked at it anyway, because this is someone’s private anthem of girls, grass, and loserdom.




*e-book courtesy of the author

*****

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed reading Narrative Loserdom. After a few chapters, or I should say journal entries since the book is written in the form of a diary, I realized it didn't really have a plot. That didn't stop me from being engrossed in the book. I thought it was an entertaining and light read.



I've always loved reading a book with diary entries and this one was no different. I think the author did an excellent job going inside the mind of a teenage boy. I don't consider myself an expert but the author seemed to have nailed the thoughts, the emotions and the interests of a boy : girls, money, sports, friends... Narrative Loserdom is well-written and the journal entries resemble how you'd think a teenage boy would think and write.



I couldn't wait to find out what trouble Justin and his friend Adam were going to get in next. Some parts were pretty funny. I loved reading about their different jobs : mowing the lawn, selling late night tv programs, stealing cable and breaking vending machines. Never a dull moment in the everyday life of sixteen-year-old Justin Taggart!

 

 

4 out of 5 stars!!