Day 6: Book Buying Habits

Okay, I am a little late to the party here! However, these challenges looked really fun and I decided to participate. The questions are just so awesome! If anyone else wants to, they can participate at Good Books and Wine. Don't forget to check out the intro-ish post too!

TOPIC FOR DAY SIX:

Book buying habits

The first thing anyone should know about me is that I always think over my purchases over. (this annoys a lot of peopel who know me. "Just buy them!") Maybe a little bit too hard. I normally shop for books every two or three months, and, when I do, I either shop on Amazon or at Powells.

Whenever I shop on Amazon, I look at the money I had saved first. Then, I calculate about how many books I can buy with the amount of dollars. Then, my handy dandy To-Read list on Goodreads comes and helps me create a LONG list of books I would like, then an ally (friend, family etc.) comes and helps me narrow down the list by looking at the reviews, genre, author and other factors. Finally, I may have a digital cart full of books. And I am always especially happy when a book is on sale because then I get one more book than I calculated!

Another place I often shop is Powells, the BIGGEST bookstore ever known. First, I always sell my used books. And get loads of in-store credit. And, of course, I bring my own wallet to help out. Then, I zoom to the YA section and start a "A" and end in "Z" where I go CRAZY and grab every book in sight that sounds good. By the end, I have to DRAG the basket instead of carrying it. Then, I sit down with an alley, and read all the synopsis and make assumptions about it, as in Powells we don't have access to Goodreads. Then, I make my decision and buy what my little money allows. I always put the ones I didn't buy back in the right place, too.

Another habit? I am drawn to those new hardcovers in the store. I can never buy then though because I feel guilty about paying that 17.99 at the store when I could have been smart and pre-ordered on Amazon for around 11.99. I always pick them up, and then as I am nearing the counter the guilt hots me and I run and put it back. 

Also, I love

1. Pre-Orders
2. On Sale Books

I wish I was more of an impulse buyer. That would be awesome and save me hours of my time! The only times I impulse buy is for e-books, and I rarely shop e-books unless I have a giftcard! Last week, I impulsively bought a lot of e-books with one! I found I really like the nook app.

Wow, that felt good to get off my chest. I know my book buying habits/schedules are strange. What do you think? Also, I never get my books signed... I need to start on that! (Do you have to pay for it?)

So, what are your Book Buying Habits?

-Emily :)

Stacking the Shelves #18

STS is, as always, hosted by the wonderful Tynga's Reviews!

MY WEEK

This week I have been SUPER busy. Really. I have Summer Strings Camp every day (I play the violin) and have been taking ballet class every chance I get, and I am in a more advanced level so I am the youngest, by around a year or two, than the twelve girls that are frequently in class. It is more than a little unnerving. 

I did however, get a practically private pointe class with my teacher because no one else showed up on Wednesday. I was exhausted that day as I has Summer Strings, and then THREE ballet classes in a row. So, enough of my rant. Here are the books I received this week:

MY HAUL

 I went e-book crazy... 

thanks to my wonderful aunt for the nook gift card that supplied me with them!

FOR REVIEW

 Visited by Janine Caldwell (For tour)

Ignited by Desni Dantone (Thank you Desni!)

By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart (For tour)

NEW POINTE SHOES

AWESOME GIVEAWAYS

Cover Madness Giveaway

Ultimate Summer Giveaway

Losing Francesca Giveaway

Rush Giveaway

Dirty Little Secret Giveaway

Ethereal Fury Giveaway

So link your STS's in the comment, I love visiting other book hauls... and I hope you enjoyed this post. (Weren't the Pointe Shoes awesome?)

 -Emily :)

Review + Giveaway: Losing Francesca

Come check out the rest of The Tour Schedule!

Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss

Publication Date: June 1st, 2013
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That's not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca's face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it's haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he's compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long-lost friend.

But Francesca knows she's not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn't so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

Review

Losing Francesca literally sucked me in... and didn't let me out until I finished the last page. I loved the characters, mystery, romance, and the originality. (And I cannot let that gorgeous cover go unnoticed) I am so glad I got the chance to read this book, and I will definitely look into more of J.A. Huss's writing.

The characters were one of the main things that sucked me into Francesca's world, her new one and old one. She herself was quite a mystery at first, as the readers are not sure who her dad is, and other key factors of her past. This hidden information intrigued me. Also, I absolutely loved her narration and character development. She is stubborn, but is having a little bit of an identity crisis towards the middle of the book. I also loved Brody. At first, he seemed a little, er, dramatic? However, as I learned more about him, I began to crave the chapters with his narration.

There are tons more characters I loved too. Shaun, Francesca's adoptive brother, was a character I loved. He had his faults, but I loved how he tried to include Francesca into the family. Also, I enjoyed learning about the family Francesca spent her life with before she was recognized as a kidnapped child. They were different and unique, yet had a realistic quality. To me both Shaun and Francesca's childhood family were very vivid.

Now I must mention the plot. The whole time, I was pulled into the mystery of who Francesca really was. And there was an amazing twist at the end. I applaud the author for pulling such a sweet yet intriguing and suspenseful contemporary romance! Also, I loved the multiple settings and detailed yet not over-the-top descriptions. (NormallyI mention pacing and length but I do not have much to say as it was perfect here.) I believe I have said this word before in the review, but I found the story very vivid and as I read I lost sense of the reality around me.

Overall, I found Losing Francesca more than worthy of my time. The book was, simply put, pretty amazing. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to fans of unique contemporaries! Or, really, any book lover out there. And now head down for an amazing giveaway... And put this book on your to-read-as-soon-as-possible imaginary hard drive. And don't deny it, all reader's have that list stored in their brains.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols: Interview + Giveaway

Interview Time!

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

www.jennifer-echols.com

I was so delighted to participate in an interview for Jennifer Echols! Her books are amazing, and I am particularly stoked for her new book, Dirty Little Secret, as I play the violin. I am actually taking a strings (instrument) camp right now... So, here is the awesome interview with this awesome person and a giveaway....

Top Ten Tuesday #17

Today's Topic: Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

Worst

1.Percy Jackson

Percy. Is. Supposed. To. Be. TWELVE! In the movie, the actors look like they are eighteen. Plus, um, where did Kronos go? In the book the god has a major part. And Annabeth's hair seems to have gone brown. (It's supposed to be blonde!)

2.Ella Enchanted

The movie was totally wrong. I don't remember much... just that it was not the Ella Enchanted I knew.

3.Twilight

Sorry to all the twilight movie fans! They are okay... but I wish the main character Bella would act happier. She is happy and sarcastic as ever in the books!

Best

Harry Potter

They start at the right age! (See Percy Jackson above.) Plus, the movies are magical... with good acting! Such a great cast!

Wow... that is the only "Best" I can think of... That's sad...Um... I guess I will create a "Looking forward to" to make up for this one lousy "best". Apparently it is hard for a movie adaptation to impress me.

Looking Forward To

Divergent

Yay!

City of Bones

Yay! I hope the movie is better than the trailers. I didn't really get the "Jace" vibe from the actor.

Blood Sisters: Vampire Academy

I actually wasn't a big fan of the first book, but I ADORED the rest. I wonder how this will turn out.

Rush Teasers + Giveaway

Rush (The Game #1)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Available from:

    

Teaser #1:

He smiles, a faint curve of his lips that reveals the barest hint of a long dimple carved in his right cheek. “No, but I can read your expression. And I’ve been doing this long enough that I know what most people tend to think when they first open their eyes.”

“Doing what long enough?”

“This,” he says, and nothing more.

A second of silence stretches into two. Though I can’t see behind his glasses, I have the feeling he’s not looking at me anymore, that he’s scanning the area, looking for…something. But as I stare at him, I see me—tiny distorted reflections of me in the shiny, convex lenses.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Teaser #2:

I stare at the things in front of me: the Drau. I can’t look away.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember Jackson talking about Medusa.

Don’t look at their eyes.

Their mercury eyes.

They’re poison.

They will kill me.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Teaser #3:

Color and sound explode, too bright, too loud. Even the air on my skin feels like it’s too much. My fingers go lax. The bag’s handle slides down my palm, then along my fingers to the tips, impossibly slow. The world tips and tilts and I flail for balance.

Luka grabs my hand and holds tight.

I blink. My house, my open front door, Dad, they’re all gone. My breath comes in short gasps and every muscle in my body feels like it’s knotted up tight.

I’m standing in a grassy clearing bounded by trees.

The lobby.

We’ve been pulled.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

Author Links:

     

***GIVEAWAY***

Signed copy of Rush, US and Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Review: Gravity

Gravity by Melissa West

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

 Gravity was such an addicting read! I finished the book in one day, two sittings. When I picked it up at my bookstore I thought it sounded intriguing and noticed it had a gorgeous cover, with a praising quote from Jennifer L. Armentrout I might add. Basically, I had high expectations and they were met.

The beginning started with such a unique bang I couldn't help but be pulled in. The taking is kind of creepy and different enough to make anyone know more. I truly felt sympathy for all the 10 year olds who had to endure knowing that an alien was walking around their room at night, while their eyes were sealed shut. For those who haven't read the book, The Taking is a event happening every night, to every human. Don't. Ever. Peek. I will leave you at that!

Anyway, as the synopsis says, Ari peeks one night and find Jackson standing over her. So, yeah, he's an alien. Let me delve into both the characters. Ari was such a well done character! She is realistic, and definitely has character growth. She is strong, and thoughtful. Finally a dystopian(ish) main character who didn't annoy me! You could tell she had a realistic struggle within herself, but was tough and smart enough to examine ALL the sides! To me, she learned to be open to new possibilities such as aliens... And she loved her family and her friends. She didn't whine, and she learns to "act for herself", as her dad tells her. And she was smart! (did I mention she was smart?) She took her time safely getting info, and doesn't get foolishly caught!

 Jackson was a pretty good character, although I hope we get to see more development in his character for the next book, Hover. There was a twist about him in the end, which I wasn't expecting. Also, I loved how he talked about his (alien/ancient) homeland though. He made me want to go there, and his loyalty to the place gave him an extra layer. Other characters included Law and Gretchen. Both of them were fun and developed characters and I hope they are in the next book!

The plot was unique and different... I do love different takes on Aliens (Obsidian, The Host, The 5th wave etc.) Is it just me or are Aliens getting commoner and commoner? The new vampires perhaps. *sighs* At least this one beat any crowd that might come after the 5th wave, which was really good! Plus, the taking, the fabulous war, and the SMART main character make this stand away from any sort of crowd out there.

Overall, this was a great read. I loved Jackson! I loved the plot and the addictive writing! Gravity is definitely a book I will recommend over and over again...

5/5 bookcases

Pendomus Cover Reveal

What do you think of this cover? I am actually quite fond of it! I love the font, edges, and the dramatic eyes!

Pendomus by Carissa Andrews
Series: Pendomus Chronicles, #1
Publication date: October 10th, 2013
Genre: YA sci-fi/fantasy dystopian (with paranormal romance)

Humanity has colonized on a tidally locked planet known as Pendomus, a planet of extremes. Half eternal scorching desert and half perpetual arctic night. Surviving along the temperate band between the two, we’ve set up home in a complex known as the Helix. Within the Helix lies a highly sophisticated, highly technological society functioning solely on humans fulfilling their life’s purpose. That purpose is determined and nurtured through a person’s natural aptitudes, as read by their daily brain scans. Eating, sleeping, even procreation is handled by professionals. These basic concepts, no longer a part of society’s every day norm.

Seventeen-year-old Runa Cophem longs to be more than part of the Helix machine. Her life inside is anything but fulfilling. She feels disconnected, and longs to be more than society dictates. Inside, no one socializes, no one interacts in a meaningful way. It’s never set right with Runa. She would love nothing more than to reach out to her family, but not even her own mother can show any semblance of love for her. Instead, Runa has found solace in the ancient woods nearby, despite being strictly forbidden.

Runa’s life takes an unforeseen turn when she’s brutally attacked, and left for dead in those woods near the Helix. Rescued by a stranger with blue hair, she’s immersed into a surprising way humanity has survived. Fueled by a yearning to belong, and an attraction she didn’t even know was possible, Runa wants desperately to make a new life. Yet, there’s much she doesn’t know about herself, about the planet and the forces controlling her from afar.

What she needs is some answers

AUTHOR BIO

Born and raised in central MN, Carissa Andrews has always loved books. She started her career at 15 in a bookstore, just to be able to afford her book fetish. By 19, she worked for a magazine publisher. At 22, she was working for printers to learn their trade. At 27, she went back to school for graphic design, and became an award winning designer. Little did she know all of her experiences would lead her to becoming a self-publishing power house.

At 31, a magical world on a planet far away, invaded her mind.

At 34, she's learned what she needs to make her work successful.

Pendomus (Book 1 of the Pendomus Chronicles) will be released OCTOBER 10, 2013.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter