{Late Post} Stacking the Shelves (4)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books we got this week.

Another quiet week, but I received some really cool swag from Dani Harper which I requested some time ago but I didn't know if she would send overseas, so yeah I was super excited when I saw a package in the mail last week. :DD

 

Sorry for the lousy lighting and positioning! I'm still super busy cause of my crazy 10 hr/day new job so it's midnight now and I'm tired. But anyway, YES THAT'S the newly released cover for Storm Bound!! So I'll be doing another coolio swag giveaway again. Maybe when Storm Bound releases? ;)

 

 

Status Update

 

As for books I've read, I've read Haze by Paula Weston, The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard and the ARC of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen releasing on April Fool's Day this year. Stolen Songbird and Haze were pretty not bad! Both 4 stars each but The Almost Girl was. AWESOME. I'm not sure why the reviews on Goodreads aren't as boomz as I thought it would be, and there are a surprising number of 1 star reviews. Well, it's a 4.5-5 stars to me. <3 Haha, now I just gotta find time and some brain juice to do up my reviews.

 

Non-bookish stuff: The remaining rest time I spend on this new Korean drama called The Inheritors/The Heirs. It's a very exaggerated love triangle drama involving super rich high schoolers and this poor female protagonist. Haha, it's the sort of thing that I let my inner-princess indulge in once in awhile. It's pretty not bad, and the casting is SUPERB. See trailer below.

 

 

Ok, it's a super bad and uninformative trailer, but the show's much better. :))

 

 

My Reading Pile for this week will include:

 

Scarlet #2 (the long awaited sequel)

Blurb from Goodreads

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

Star Thief Chronicles #1

Blurb from Goodreads

She might only be twenty-three, but Renna Carrizal is the most notorious thief in the galaxy. There’s just one problem – all she wants is to get the frak out of the business.

But when Renna rescues an injured boy from the warehouse she’s casing, she finds herself on the run from the mob instead of enjoying retirement on a garden world. Turns out, the kid was a plant to lead her to MYTH, a top-secret galactic protection agency.

MYTH needs Renna’s special skills, and they make her an offer she can’t refuse – unless she'd like to spend the rest of her life on a prison ship. To make sure she does her job they shackle her with a MYTH watchdog, the handsome but arrogant Captain Finn.

A former mercenary-turned-galactic-hero, Finn happens to have his own dirty secrets. Secrets that Renna wouldn’t mind uncovering for herself. Together, they discover an experiment to develop illegal cybernetics that will create an unstoppable army. The intended target? The human star fleet.

Now Renna must use her skills as the Star Thief to pull off the biggest job of her career – saving the galaxy. And herself.

 

--------------------------------------------------

As you can see, it's all about the thieves this week. ;) I'm only going to add 2 books to my immediate TBR for now cause I'm a mood reader and my this pile tends to change almost every alternate day. So yeah. :)

Any good books recently read? What's on your immediate TBR pile now?

Stacking the Shelves (3) + Cover Reveal + Giveaway + Interesting Book Finds *Phew*

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books we got this week.

It's been SOOOOOOOO quiet lately that I only got one book last week. But oh what a super incredible book I can't wait to get started on it. It's the first ARC (advanced reader's copy) I have requested on Netgalley in a super long time - bout 2 years - and the first time I'm requesting from this publisher. This publisher has championed many popular books and they're quite popular (and I go on random hiatus) so I wasn't sure if I would be approved. SO YES, not a small amount of squealing ensued when I received the approval email.


Netgalley eARC

Series: The Malediction Trilogy #1
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot Ltd

Blurb: For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

Preorder: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads | Author's Website | Netgalley

Status Update: Just finished Haze by Paula Weston and The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard over the last 3-4 days. LOVED tAG, Haze was not bad but wasn't a favorite. tAG is almost a fave. I'm a quarter into SS and I'm kinda digging it so far.

 

This is supposed to be posted Feb 11, 9am EST, but that EST suffix is screwing with me so I'm just going to post it 24hours after Feb 11, 9am here in Singapore.

The Shadow Prince
Mortal Enchantment series #0.5
Expected Publication: March 25th, 2014
Publisher: Phoenix Reign Publishing

Blurb: 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?

This prequel novella will be FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble on March 25, 2014!

About the author:

Stacey O'Neale

Biography

Stacey O'Neale started her career in publishing as a blogger turned publicist for two successful small publishers. She loves to write stories with swoony paranormal heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

When she's not writing, she loves blogging and fangirling about books on twitter. Occasionally, she leaves her computer to go outside.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

------------------------------------------------

It's been awhile since I've last browsed through Netgalley, but here are some interesting finds:

- Stolen Songbird by Daniella L. Jenson (Strange Chemistry/April 1st, 2014)
- Enmity by E.J. Andrews (Harlequin Enterprises Australia/April 1st 2014)
- Dangerous by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury USA Children's Books/March 4th 2014)
- Dancing with Dragons by Lorenda Christensen (Carina Press/March 17th 2014)
- Blades of the Old Empire by Anna Kashina (Angry Robot Ltd/Jan 7th 2014)

There were a few others like Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper and Knight Assassin by Rima Jean but I can't seem to find their URLs. Oh wellz, Rachel (Fiktshun) does this Netgalley finds thing regularly and she includes contemporary romance too, click HERE to see. I'm pretty narrow when it comes to ARCs cause I try to be strict with myself to reduce my DNFs, so yeah, her list would be more comprehensive. :)

(And I don't know how she does it but she's really super up to date with all the releases even though she's so busy. *kowtow*)

------------------------------------------------

 

What'cha guys reading currently and any recent awesome finds??

Ops!! But Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! + Stacking the Shelves (2)

I know this is late but...

Happy New Year in 2014!!

I've missed many many MANY posts, mainly the last few Christmas Countdown posts, and I'M SO SORRY to those who have been following the line-up and to the authors who've done interviews and guest posts for the event. SORRY! I'll post them up soon, promise!

I went on vacation with my family on the 22nd and wasn't able to schedule those posts cause I was rushing my university application essays while packing and shopping for my trip.

I'm going to be really busy again soon, but hey, I've got stupendously pretty pics from my trip. :P

Mandatory star jump for the Leaning Tower. :))

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to showcase our weekly book hauls.

 

It's been pretty quiet this few weeks, and I've only gotten one book the week before I left for vacay and one this week. But they are two books that I've been DYINGGGG to read, and the cherry? One of them is signed!!

Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
(Links lead to Goodreads)

I won Kinslayer a while back when the book was on tour organised by Book Nerd Tours and holy crap, guys, MR KRISTOFF SIGNED THE BOOK AND SHIPPED IT. From Australia I think. *Book spasming*

Jet Black I bought on a whim when I went to Kinokuniya yesterday when I was in town cause firstly, I've been eyeing it for months now and it's ABOUT NINJAS. It's getting rave reviews and it's pretty obscure, so I was quite surprised when I saw it with the other YA bestsellers. So yeah, even though it was $20.85, more expensive than Slayers by C.J. Hill and The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas (and thinner too), I bought it. I'm halfway through it and...it's kind of not living up to expectations at all. But I'm holding up hope.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So what have y'all gotten this week? :))

(By the way, I'm really looking forward to Defy by Sara B. Larson releasing this Tuesday. It sounds amazing and I haven't read any love triangles since forever, so I'm kind of in the mood for some lovefest right now. Hehe.)

Update + Christmas Countdown!! + Giveaway

Oh damn, I think I've been more busy after my exams than before it! I've been to class outings, chalets, and CCA gatherings and studying for the SATs I've been unable to really sit down and read/blog without stress. But it's been fun. Fun and tiring, but still fun. :)

 (I'm the dorky one at the top left corner with the peace sign)

 

 

(Cycling with half my lifeguard teammates and coach! I'm the rider on the front left. :)

 

 

 

 But I haven't just been having fun at the beach and chalets, I've been planning a celebration of sorts for the coming of Christmas since after my exam and sooooo, preeeeesenting.......

 

 

 

 

Now, a wonderful, magical season is only right when you celebrate with really fun and amazing authors, aye? So I've put together 2 weeks of interviews, stories, reviews and GIVEAWAYS with some really awesome authors! :)) I will be flying off to Europe on a vacay with my family on the 22nd, so most of my posts around then will be scheduled ones.

So, to kick start this countdown goodness, I have invited Livia Blackburne, author of upcoming novel MIDNIGHT THIEF. It will be published by Disney-Hyperion in July 2014.

10 Things About Livia

1. I write fantasy. Most often YA fantasy, but sometimes I branch out.

2. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Albuqurque, and spent my twenties in Boston, where I studied biochemistry at Harvard and neuroscience at MIT.

3. I started my debut novel Midnight Thief in high school, because writing a novel was the only way I could get out of the mandatory camping requirement. I finished about 60 pages. They were 60 awful, awful pages.

4. I finished Midnight Thief 12 years later, because writing a novel was the only way I could keep my sanity while conducting my doctoral research. This time, I got to 370 pages, and they were much less awful than the initial 60.

5. I write a blog about psychology and neuroscience for writers. You can check it out here.

6. Like every good Asian kid, I played the piano as a child. I don’t do that as much anymore, but I still love to sing and dance.

7. I’m horrible at any sports involve fast moving projectiles, and I dislike most sports that involve highly repetitive movements (running, swimming, biking, etc.). This leaves basically dancing and martial arts.

8. When I wanted sweets as a child, my mother would give me one M&M. I thought that was normal, and to this day, have very low tolerance for sweets. One bite of chocolate bar, half a scoop of ice cream is about all I can take.

9. If I had to choose one author with the biggest influence on my reading and writing development, it would be Tamora Pierce.

10. Some of my favorite books: Graceling by Kristen Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Plain Kate by Erin Bow, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

Poison Dance
Midnight Thief #0.5

Blurb

James is skilled, efficient, and deadly, a hired blade navigating the shifting alliances of a deteriorating Assassin’s Guild. Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out–if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison.


Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Author's Website

Midnight Thief
Midnight Thief #1

Blurb

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival — and vengeance — might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner — and danger is a way of life.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website



From December 11-14th, the Poison Dance ebook is on sale for .99 cents as part of the Fantasy Romance Holiday Promotion. Buy Poison Dance ebook at: Kindle (US) | Nook | Kobo | iBooks Paperback: Amazon

Check out eleven other fantasy romance books also on sale for .99 cents here. And enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the calender for the entire countdown, so you won't be confused/can check back anytime:

December 11th - (YA) Livia Blackburne Book Promo
December 12th - (YA) Review + Giveaway: Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne
December 13th - (Adult PNR) Excerpt + Giveaway: Storm Warrior by Dani Harper
December 14th - Top 10 Book Boyfriends + Giveaway
December 15th - (YA) Book Promo + Giveaway: Jenny Lundquist
December 16th - (Adult HR) Author Interview + Giveaway: Michelle Diener
December 17th - (Adult UF) Interview + Excerpt: Lorenda Christensen
December 18th - (Adult UF/PNR) "Would You Rather" Interview + Giveaway: Katie Reus
December 19th - (NA) Interview + Giveaway: Pepper Winters
December 20th - (Adult CR/PNR) Short Story + Giveaway: Olivia Hardin
December 21st - (NA) Interview + Excerpt: Juliana Haygert
December 22nd - (Adult HR) Guest Post + Giveaway: Ayr Bray
December 23rd - (YA) Character Interview + Giveaway: Lisa Tawn Bergren  
December 24th - (YA) CB
December 25th - CHRISTMAS!!


Thanks for stopping by! :))

Hiatus

Hey guys, if you frequent the blog, you would've noticed I stopped posting a week or so ago. I've just enrolled into my pre-U/Junior College school, and will be busy as hell for the next two years. I'm still going to post all those blog tour posts which I have signed up for and maybe some memes, reviews and giveaways, but this blog will be quite barren for awhile. But after my hiatus, I will be back with MUCH more fun stuff. So if you want more current updates, you can follow me through Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you all for following, commenting and supporting this blog in one way or another! It really means a lot to me, and I hope to see you around again after my hiatus!:P

Till then, good luck and take care!

December Giveaways' Winners (overdue) + Status Update

There were a few giveaways on the blog that ended in December, so I thought to do them all in one post (well, it's convenient:P). So, without further ado...

Winners of an ecopy of Where Thy Dark Eye Glances by Chani Lynn Feener:

#66 - The Lovely Reader

#34 - Nat Cleary

Winner of an ecopy of The New Death and others by James Hutchings:

#23 - Angela

Winners of an ecopy of Raven by Nuayma Jeggels:

#29 - Rebecca

#28 - Nat Cleary

#60 - Alyssa A.

Winner of an ecopy of Notes to Self by Laura Schaefer:

#28 - Evangeline

Winner of a paperback copy of Conquest by Vik Rubenfeld:

#6 - Kara DiDomizio

Winners of an ecopy of Conquest by Vik Rubenfeld:

#15 - Ranma

#12 - Thalia

Winner of an ecopy of The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin:

#82 - Nylez @ Book Quotes and Lyrics

All winners have been contacted and most prizes have been claimed. Thank you, all of you, for participating in my blog's giveaways! There are still 3 more going on and their links are at the top left hand corner of the blog.:)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Status Update

I haven't been posting much lately - my last post was on tuesday! To tell the truth, I think it's because the books I'm reading lately are a little dull, so now my reading pace is phenomenally slow. Actually, I haven't touched a book in 2 days. That's how bad it is. And I'm going on a trip to Korea soon, so my next post will probably be on Jan 9th, 2012. So, see you then!

Have a Happy, Prosperous New Year, Everyone!

Just a little status update - And on my upcoming first giveaway!

Hi guys! Nope, this blog is not dead yet, but it's seems like, doesn't it?

K anyway, next week is gonna be one hectic week for me, all my 'O' Level core subjects are in it - Social studies, geography elective, physics, chemistry, biology, and my additional maths. Ugh, dreading it.

Buuut, I've just realised that I've hit my 50 followers mark! I am so eternally grateful to my beloved followers, and so, I'm scheduling with some authors interviews and yes, giveaways! Be sure to come back check it out!:)

Signing off,

CYP