Giveaway: The Fault in Our Stars

So, how excited are you for The Fault in Our Stars movie, which comes out tomorrow? I can't wait to see it. There's nothing like seeing one of your favorite books come to life on the big screen.

Have you seen the movie trailer? I have a feeling that this movie will most definitely do the book justice.

About the film:

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them -- and us – on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Mike Birbiglia, and Emily Peachey

Directed by Josh Boone

Screenplay by Scott Neustadter, based on the book by John Green

Produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey

If you are like me and are a huge fan of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, you are going to want to enter this giveaway.  One US reader will win The Fault in Our Stars (movie tie-in book cover) and The Fault in our Stars Tote Bag.  Please refer to my giveaway rules and the deadline is 6/17.  

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To learn more about the movie visit the official website.  Also, follow on Google+ & Instagram.  Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday: Salt & Storm

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Pub. Date: September 23, 2014

Goodreads says, "Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island’s whale men safe and prosperous at sea. But before she could learn how to control her power, her mother, the first Roe woman in centuries to turn her back on magic, stole Avery away from her grandmother. Avery must escape from her mother before her grandmother dies, taking with her the secrets of the Roes’ power. When Avery awakens from a dream foretelling her own murder, she realizes time is running short—for her and for the people of her island, who, without the Roes, will lose their ships and the only life they know. With the help of Tane, a tattooed harpoon boy from the Pacific Islands, Avery plots her escape from her mother and unravels the mysteries of her mother’s and grandmother’s pasts. Becoming a witch may prevent her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers it will also require a sacrifice she never expected—one she might not be able to make."

First of all, I am obsessed with the cover. I really like its simplicity. I also haven't read a good witch book in ages, so hopefully this one will fit the bill.  Plus, it takes place on an island? Yes, please! What do you guys think?

Book Review: Empower by Jessica Shirvington

Pages: 496

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: May 6, 2014

Source: Publisher for review

Series: Embrace (#1),  Entice (#2), Emblaze (#3), Endless (#4)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves. Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London. But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice. Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission. Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there. With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made."

The ending of Endless, book four in the Embrace series, really made me pine for Empower with the hopes that things would get better for Violet.  When Empower starts, it has been two years since she left the Academy, Lincoln and all of her friends.  Violet probably shouldn't even be existing in her current state, but thanks to Phoenix's transferred abilities, she is able to survive even with her broken soul.  She is living in London with other Rouges and has settled down a bit now that she senses Lincoln has stopped looking for her, which for her, is both good and bad.  Her world is changed forever though when she gets a visitor summoning her back to the Academy since her good friend, Spence, has gone missing.  Ultimately, she is needed for the case and she has no choice but to go back to New York even if it means facing everything she has left behind.  Empower by Jessica Shirvington is an action packed conclusion to the Embrace series.  Fans of the series will be delighted by the ending and most definitely sad to say goodbye to the characters.

Violet has grown so much throughout the series and she has really come into her own in Empower. She's tough, resilient, and determined. I really liked her in this final book.  Shirvington has created a cast of characters in this series that are some of my favorites. Gray, a fellow Rouge and her friend, is hilarious in Empower. I loved his witty banter back and forth quips with Violet.  There's also more from Steph, Onyx, Phoenix, and of course, Lincoln.

The whole on-again-off-again relationship with Lincoln in this series really frustrated me from time to time, but that's not the case in Empower. I was happy to see where Shirvington was taking their relationship and although there were a few bumps in the road, I was genuinely happy. Lincoln is a swoon-worthy male lead and one of my favorites, for sure.

As in the other novels in this series, there's a ton of action.  Empower was filled with fight scenes, moments of suspense and life-altering decisions.  One thing is for sure: Shrivington knows how to keep readers engaged.

My only complaint with Empower was some of the cheesy moments. I sort of cringed and rolled my eyes at a few things, especially some of the dialogue, but overall, it didn't deter me from enjoying the book.  There are definitely some swoon-worthy scenes (dancing!) that made my mind forget all about some of the more overly saccharine moments.

All in all, I truly loved the Embrace series and Empower is a fantastic ending.  If you are a fan of paranormal stories, especially ones with angels and a lot of action, you must give this series a try.  You'll definitely be hooked.

End of "Summer Kickoff Feature and International Giveaway

It's the end of my 4th Annual "Summer Kickoff" feature. I hope everyone enjoyed it and got some good ideas for what books to bring to the pool or beach this summer.  

Thank you to all the publishers who sent me books for review and for allowing me to host giveaways.  More importantly, thank you to everyone who commented and visited my posts. I really appreciate it.  

To celebrate, I am hosting an international giveaway for one of the books that I reviewed during this feature. The winner can pick from the list below and I've linked the book's title to my reviews if you are interested:

• Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
• A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke
• Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell
• One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern
• The Sound by Sarah Alderson
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
• Undone by Cat Clarke
• Nantucket Red (Nantucket #2) by Leila Howland
• The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
• Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
• Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
• Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford
• What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
• The Heiresses by Sara Shepard
• The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
• Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
• Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

If none of these books excite you, I'm also throwing in the option of one of my favorite beach reads reviewed in the past:

• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen 
• Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen 
• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1) by Jenny Han
• It's Not Summer Without You  (Summer #2) by Jenny Han
• We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han
• Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
• Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
• All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
• A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
• Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
• The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
• Nantucket Blue (Nantucket #1) by Leila Howland
• On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

This giveaway's deadline is June 16th and is open internationally or wherever the Book Depository ships.  Please refer to my giveaway rules.  Good luck and a big thank you to all of my readers!

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May Confessions

May is one of my favorite months and I wait all year for my "Summer Kickoff" feature. Is it weird of me to be sad it's over? I am excited for summer, but there's something about the excitement of May and the first real days of warm weather that I'll always love.  

Books Read in May:
1.  Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford - 3.5 out of 5 stars
2.  What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick - 4 out of 5 stars
3.  Open Road Summer by Emery Lord - 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.  The Heiresses by Sara Shepard - 4 out of 5 stars
5.  To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - 5 out of 5 stars
6.  Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan - 5 out of 5 stars
7.  The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes - 3.5 out of 5 stars
8.  Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - 4 out of 5 stars

1.  Favorite Book:  To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - I loved everything about this book.  The main character, her family and pretty much the whole premise.

2.  Biggest Surprise: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan- I didn't expect to fall in love with this book and I did! It's now on my "favorites" shelf. LOVED it!

3.  Biggest Disappointment: I was expecting to love Since You've Been Gone much more than I did, but overall, it was a good summertime read.

4.  Favorite Post: 2014 Picks for Beach Reads and My Summer Reading List

5.  Favorite Part of May: My favorite part of May was Memorial Day weekend at the beach with my family.  I loved taking my little guy to the beach. Thank GOD he's a beach bum! :)

Thanks for visiting,