Thursday, August 29, 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Fae by C.J. Abedi

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Our education was a top priority for our parents and thus we were prohibited from watching a lot of television.  We spent a lot of time playing outdoors and a lot of time entertaining our minds with reading. It was easy to do because our father had a voracious appetite for nonfiction books and would sit in our family room every night often reading 500-600 page books within one or two nights.     

Watching him so engulfed made sitting in a quiet room so easy. We had many favorite books growing up, but our favorites were also so different. Much like our personalities.  One of the shared loves we have is Pride and Prejudice.  We think if you talk to most authors of young adult fiction novels, this book will come up at some point.

William Darcy epitomizes the “ultimate” man.  Even though he was a man of few words, he had a depth to him that has been mimicked throughout many love stories.  Devilyn Reilly shares a great many characteristics in common with Darcy.  His deep sense of loyalty, compassion, chivalry, good looks, deep love etc., we could literally go on and on.  

So this was by far the book that most influenced Fae….some of our other personal favorites are…..

Colet:
In elementary school I loved Scott O’Dell’s, Island of the Blue Dolphins. I literally think I read it ten times and I all I wanted was a Rontu of my own. I think I felt a bit like Karana because I was kind of a loner when I was younger. I preferred reading and escaping to my own magical worlds and there was a deep sense of fulfillment I got from that. I could live on this imaginary island I created and no one could invade my space. I would literally sit for hours on end just reading by myself or playing with my Barbies. I really preferred this to people company. Karana was completely fine being on her own with just Rontu as a companion and I felt so similar to her because I was the same, I just didn't have a dog. Karana just resonated with me and I think that I definitely infused that into Caroline’s character. And of course she has her own Rontu too… his name is Famous and he’s a Pomeranian but he’s her companion. My other favorite when I was younger was Indian in the Cupboard. Yes, I bought a bunch of little doll houses with small plastic Native American Indian dolls hoping that one would magically come to life. Unfortunately that didn’t work but my imagination ran wild. In High School I loved A Separate Peace by John Knowles & Hamlet. In college, Milton’s, Paradise Lost changed my life. It really did. Now, I read whatever I crave at that moment in my life.

Jasmine:
There are many profound books and authors that have influenced my life, but when I analyze my writing I would say that the voice of my writing today comes from the many fiction novels I’ve read.  Starting as a child with books by Judy Blume, Tales of  Fourth Grade Nothing, Are You There God It’s Me Margaret, Otherwise known as Sheila The Great. Ms. Blume had such a talent for understanding the true emotional experience every child goes through in elementary and junior high school and she does it such a comical way that you really can’t get enough of her writing.  I could so related to the fears and angst associated with puberty that became the catalyst for Margaret Simon’s many conversations with God.  Those daily feelings of inadequacy appear in Fae through the eyes of Carolyn Ellis as she walks the halls of Manteo High School.   How many conversations do we all have in our head, thankfully they mostly stay there where they belong.   I also loved the incredible world of Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling, and am also a big fan of Judith McNaught’s Paradise, actually anything written by Judith McNaught sucks me right into a peaceful world making me lost for days and days.  Dan Brown’s (The DaVinci Code) talents are also unparalleled and of course I think I am among the millions who enjoyed Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight

About the authors: 
C. J. Abedi is made up of the sister writing team Colet and Jasmine Abed who wrote the upcoming series Fae.  They have always had a love of writing and began collaborating on many projects when they were very young.  Their passion for all things creative led them to the world of the entertainment industry where they have worked since completing their education.

Colet Abedi ran development for ITV Studios and is currently Executive Producer on three shows that run in syndication called Unsealed: Conspiracy Files, Unsealed: Alien Files and Now Eat This with Rocco DiSpirito. She was also an Executive Producer on Posh Tots. Prior to that, she was a Head Writer for 20th Television, a division of Fox, for two telenovelas, American Heiress starring Annalyn McCord and Robert Buckley and Fashion House, starring Bo Derek and Taylor Kinney. She alsorecently completed the feature filmFive Souls that will be released next year.

Jasmine Abedi is an entertainment attorney, and has worked with entertainment powerhouses such as Fox, NBC Universal, ABC, MTV and E! for the past 14 years. She has also worn many different hats in the entertainment industry, with Executive Producer credits for the television programs Posh Tots and the pilots Club Bounce (TruTV), Divas(VH-1), and Life With The Clarks (CMT). In addition to writing, she has also partnered with a law school friend to create the natural cosmetic company Generation Klean, Inc. Their products can be found online at www.generationklean.com and at major retailers (Whole Foods, Fred Segal etc.) nationwide. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (August 28)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


 Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Madeline Landry is born into a world of influence and luxury, a world of estates and gardens fueled by nuclear power and maintained by a caste of people called the Rootless. When a Gentry girl is attacked, it is the Rootless who are blamed, even though Madeline knows better.

As she searches for the truth, she can't escape the rumors of revolution and retribution circulating through the ballrooms, and neither can she escape the city's new golden boy, Captain David Dana, who has secrets of his own. Soon, she finds herself forced to choose between her duty and her desires, her ancestral destiny and her conscience, and her choice will shake the very foundations of the world she was born to rule.


Published by Dial
Release Date: February 14, 2014

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (August 25)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week.

Week in Review: 

Anatomy of a Single Girl Review
Enter to Win Anyone but You by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
There's still time to sign up for the Fall Festival Blog Hop!

For Review:

Woop, I'm so excited about both of these, I can't wait to get started!

Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf 

Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text.
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.
In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.


Published by Walker Books
Release Date: September 17, 2013

Relativity by Cristin Bishara
If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities.

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?


Published by Walker Books
Release Date: September 10, 2013


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Anyone But You by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Anyone But You: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes (Book #3 in the Twisted Lit series)

Two Italian restaurants, both alike in dignity, in Chicago’s Little Italy where we lay our scene... After her family’s struggling eatery, Cap’s, falls prey to another of the Monte clan’s vicious and destructive pranks, sixteen-year-old Gigi Caputo finds herself courting danger during a clandestine encounter with Roman Monte, the very boy whose relatives have brought her family such grief. When the daughter and son of these two warring factions fall
for each other, their quest to mend this bitter family feud turns out to be a recipe for disaster. Their story is irrevocably linked to the summer of 1933, when two twelve-year-olds, Benny and Nick hop the turnstile at the Chicago World’s Fair. While enjoying some of the fair’s legendary amusements, Nick has a “love at first sight” encounter with Stella, a young girl who unintentionally causes a lasting rift between the two boyhood pals. Deftly winding its way through past and present day, this modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has much to do with hate — but more with love.

Authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are excited to offer a sneak peak at the third book in their “Twisted Lit” series of Shakespeare-inspired YA novels. This time around, they’ve put their unique spin on Romeo & Juliet. Published by Merit Press, Anyone But You will be released in January, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Powell’s.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Book Review: Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky

With Judy Blume-like honesty and insight, this sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend is about life after first love--romance, sex, friendship, family, and the ups and downs of life as a single girl.

After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one.

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

But I couldn’t avoid my future forever.

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.






Best Bits: I've heard praise about the first book in this series (although this one can be read as a standalone), and a lot of it revolved around how the book deals with relationships and sex in a realistic and frank way. I have to say that based on this book, I fully expect if I went and read Anatomy of a Boyfriend, I would be in total agreement. I sort of equate this novel to Judy Blume. You know when you were in middle school and you read your first Judy Blume novel? You were simultaneously like "ah ok, I'm normal" and "growing up is a bummer, why is this happening to me?!" I imagine that teens will have similar reactions to this book. Snadowsky tackles tough topics, and she does it in a way that isn't preachy about hook-ups, break-ups, cheating, friendship drama, phew did I remember everything? Any teen who has ever experienced any of those things will have a way to connect with Dom(inique) I think this book does a good job of portraying those teen/young adult years really well.

Nit Picks: I struggled with how to rate this one, because I really loved the best bits, but the things I'm about to write here in the nit picks section made me feel like a frowny-faced grump (seriously, that's the best way to describe it). At times I just got frustrated by Dom's behavior. When she has an argument with Guy it is pretty explosive, but we never really get to see her explore why it happened. I guess that what I really wanted was for her to realize that it's ok to feel crappy after a breakup, and that you don't have to throw yourself back into the dating scene and find a boyfriend right away. Also, it's okay to be unsure of yourself, but when you realize something doesn't feel right you should start talking about it (instead of forcing it down until suddenly you're insanely mad and the other person has no idea what's going on). There was some growth in her character though, and I don't think it's completely fair that I didn't get all the growth I wanted, especially since the character is only 18 (hello, I was totally not in that mindset at 18). I'll just have to wait for another "Anatomy of" book to see what happens.

Anatomy of a Single Girl
By Daria Snadowsky
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
227 Pages
Received for Honest Review
Rating: B/C

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Fall Festival Sign-Ups

Hello all fellow book bloggers! So, fall is quickly approaching (sorry for that unfortunate dose of reality). Sara at The Hiding Spot and I have come together to host what we are calling Fall Festival.

What is it?

Fall Fest is a chance for book bloggers to come together to host contests, interviews, guest posts, and to post about their favorite books/upcoming fall and winter releases. It's also a great way to spread the word about your blog and to find new blogs to follow! I'll be hosting two contests, one for the general blogosphere, and one specifically for participants.

When is it?

September 14 - 21!

How do I participate? 

Add your blog to the linky below. I will email you with a form to help figure out what you'd like to post during the fest! Grab the button below and display it somewhere on your blog :)  

FallFestBlogButton



Do I need to be in the US?

Nope! The more the merrier, if you're outside of the US that's great :)

I'm an author and I would be willing to donate my time to give an interview or a guest post!
Woohoo, you rock! Please send me an email at Cornucopiaofreviews@gmail.com, and I'll let you know about the process (it's simple, I promise).



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (August 14)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


Harry Potter Books 1-7

 I'll probably do a post on this at some point, so it seems a bit excessive to post all 7 covers and slow everyone's loading time down. 

I actually really like the new covers. Of course, the originals will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm afraid that the next time I pick them up to read them they are going to disintegrate in my hands. They are well loved, and need some major book surgery. 

What do you think? Are you pro-new cover or are you a purist?

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (August 10)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week.

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, and Deborah Guyol

 What if Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was told from a cat's point of view? On the heels of smash hits like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and I Can Has Cheezburger, this hilarious mash-up by children's author Pamela Jane and photographer Deborah Guyol spins a fresh, quirky take on two of the things we just can't get enough of: classic cats and classic Jane.

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties juxtaposes wacky photos of cats with the wicked humor of Jane Austen, and it's just in time for the 200-year anniversary of the publication of the original Pride and Prejudice. Soulful Mr. Darcy gazes at Elizabeth Bennet in fascination; hysterical Mrs. Bennet yowls that no one understands her; somnolent Mr. Hurst passes out on the sofa after dinner; arrogant Lady Catherine hisses at Elizabeth. Each photo includes a hilarious caption that goes along with the text of Pride and Prejudice, told from a feline perspective.

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties is a book for cat-lovers, Austen-lovers, and people who love to laugh--in other words, just about everyone. The adorable meets the absurd!


Published by Skyhorse Publishing


Hover by Melissa West

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted.


Published by Entangled Teen
Release Date: August 13, 2013


Week in Review:

Waiting on Wednesday: Relativity by Cristin Bishara 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Fall Festival Update!

Please note that if you filled out the form in the last two hours, the data was lost. Apparently Google Drive doesn't automatically create a response document anymore...So please, feel free to resubmit and grumble about the Drive along with me!

Fall Festival Info & Sign-Ups

Hello all fellow book bloggers! So, fall is quickly approaching (sorry for that unfortunate dose of reality). Sara at The Hiding Spot and I have come together to host what we are calling Fall Festival.

What is it?

Fall Fest is a chance for book bloggers to come together to host contests, interviews, guest posts, and to post about their favorite books/upcoming fall and winter releases. It's also a great way to spread the word about your blog and to find new blogs to follow! I'll be hosting two contests, one for the general blogosphere, and one specifically for participants.

When is it?

September 14 - 21!

How do I participate? 

Simply fill out the form below, and either Sara or I will be in touch. The form asks all sorts of questions, as you will see. It's the best way for you to let us know what your preferred post would be. Grab the button below and display it somewhere on your blog :)  

FallFestBlogButton



Do I need to be in the US?

Nope! The more the merrier, if you're outside of the US that's great :)

I'm an author and I would be willing to donate my time to give an interview or a guest post!
Woohoo, you rock! Please send me an email at Cornucopiaofreviews@gmail.com, and I'll let you know about the process (it's simple, I promise).

I have more questions? 

I'm happy to answer any/all questions you may have about Fall Festival! Please just send me an email with that in the header and I'll try to get back to you ASAP!





Thursday, August 8, 2013

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.


After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?



Best Bits: So, it took me forever to start Throne of Glass after I purchased my copy. I can't believe I waited so long! Now, most people who come here often know that I tend to find the second book in a planned trilogy to be the weakest (usually the characters don't develop much, and sometimes the plot can feel stagnant), but huzzah, that wasn't the case with this one! The reader gets to learn more about the backgrounds of the characters, and watch how their choices to fulfill their duty or follow their beliefs impact every aspect of their lives. Maas also doesn't dumb down her plot, which is so refreshing. I spent a majority of this book trying to guess at what was really going on, trying to connect the dots with the information we gathered in book one with the clues that are being dropped in this one. Plus, Mass has created the perfect ratio of action/story to romance. It definitely plays a larger role in this book, but the story focuses more on how strong Celaena can be, and how that doesn't mean avoiding her emotions.

Nit Picks: Although I really enjoyed reading this one, there were parts that felt a bit drawn out. Perhaps this is because there are multiple different stories being told within Crown of Midnight. Due to the very different nature of each sub-plot I think that at times the pacing felt slowed down when the story moved away from the action.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass 2)
By Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury USA
432 Pages
Received for Review
Rating: B

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (August 7)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


Relativity by Cristin Bishara
 If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities.

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?


Published by Walker Books
Release Date: September 10, 2013

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Book Review: Doctor Who Series 1: The Hypothetical Gentleman/The Doctor and the Nurse

The Doctor is Back! 

New York Times bestselling writer Andy Diggle joins Eisner Award-winning artist Mark Buckingham in "The Hypothetical Gentelman" A shadow being emerges from a machine used to view alternate realities, stealing time from those he touches in order to become "real," but can the Doctor save his latest victim? 

Then, writer Brandon Seifert and artist Philip Bond collaborate on "The Doctor and the Nurse." While the Doctor and Rory are on a boys night out, Amy is left to face the Silence on her own!

Best Bits: I am a total Whovian, aka I love Doctor Who. So, when I had the chance to read a comic featuring the newest doctor and his companions I was super excited. I really enjoyed getting to see two different artists and two different stories. It gave each one a fresh feel, and just like each episode is written by various people, this felt like each illustrator was getting their chance to put their spin on this amazing series. The first story, Winter's Dawn, ends with a big of a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping that it will be resolved during a follow-up comic. The second takes place during the London Beer Flood (this really happened). What I loved about both is that they feel like they could be episodes that never made it to production. I can just imagine how they would be acted, scene transitions, and can almost imagine the character's voices in my head. Plus, I love Rory. I know that I'm going to enjoy any stories with him in it, especially if he's supposed to be bonding with the doctor.

Nit Picks: When I saw this on Netgalley it was marketed as a comic featuring Ten (the Tenth Doctor, portrayed by David Tennant; my favorite doctor). It was a tad confusing, but I can't hold that against the two comics here, which I found immensely entertaining. There are also some points during The Hypothetical Gentleman where the characters do lose become less recognizable, which for some may be a bit jarring. Still, if you love the Doctor, I say grab this story and prepare to be entertained.

 Doctor Who Series 1: Winter's Dawn, Season's End
Andy Diggle, Mark Buckingham, Brandon Seifert, Philip Bond
Published by IDW Publishing
408 Pages
Received for Review
Rating: B





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