Saturday, December 29, 2012

2012 End of Year Book Survey

hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner

I saw this on The Perpetual Page Turner blog and thought it looked like so much more fun than a boring Top Ten list. I loved reading everyone else's answers too - if you want to read more blogger posts like this, be sure to head over to The Perpetual Page Turner for a linky list of lots of participating blogs!



Best In Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)
YA/Dystopian: Divergent by Veronica Roth
YA/Paranormal: Onyx by Jennifer L.Armentrout
Romance: If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones
New Adult: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (probably my favorite overall)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens, Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
Divergent, If I Were You, and Every Day by David Levithan

5. Best series you discovered in 2012? 
Divergent or the Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

So many! Jennifer L. Armentrout, Bella Andre, Lisa Renee Jones 

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
Divergent

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:
Beautiful Disaster

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?
Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen and all the covers to the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 
Daemon from Obsidian/Lux series and Travis from Beautiful Disaster

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

Every Day by David Levithan
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read? 
I think everything I read was fairly recent! 

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 
“To douchebags!" he said, gesturing to Brad. "And to girls that break your heart," he bowed his head to me. His eyes lost focus. "And to the absolute fucking horror of losing your best friend because you were stupid enough to fall in love with her.”                                          -                                                    - Travis in Beautiful Disaster 
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012? 

Shortest: Free Four (does that count as a book?) by Veronica Roth (13 pages)
Longest: Divergent by Veronica Roth (487 pages) 
17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Taking Chances by Molly McAdams
18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Katy and Daemon from Obsidian and Abby and Travis from Beautiful Disaster

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously
At Last by Jill Shalvis

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

Looking Ahead…


1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?
Oh, there are too many! The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater and  Reached by Ally Condie probably top the list. 
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire and books 2&3 of the Inside out Series

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?
Just continue to read, perhaps branching out of my comfort zone, and to have fun with it all! 




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Wednesday's Words & Quippish Quotes: The Apocalypse




“This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.” 
― T.S. Eliot


“How much does your life have to suck to want the Apocalypse?” 
― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone


“Sure, everything is ending," Jules said, "but not yet.” 
― Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad


“Even in an apocalypse like this, surely running out of Coke
qualified as a disaster.” 
― Rachel Caine, Ghost Town


“I sat in the dark and thought: There’s no big apocalypse. Just an endless procession of little ones.” 
― Neil Gaiman, Signal to Noise


“When you expect the world to end at any moment, you know there is no need to hurry. You take your time, you do your work well.” 
― Thomas Merton'


“It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning. They shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to an end amid the general applause from all the wits who believe that it is a joke.” 
― Søren Kierkegaard








Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Cover reveals and HUGE giveaway - Inside Out Series by Lisa Renee Jones

I am SO excited to finally get to reveal the covers for books 2 and 3 in Lisa Renee Jones' Inside Out Trilogy. Aren't they beautiful? And so intriguing too -- just who do you think the partially hidden guy is in Revealing Us? Makes me even more excited for the books to finally come out next year. But, for those of you (like me) who cannot wait for them, Lisa announced last week there will be a series of novellas to accompany the trilogy which will be none other than Rebecca's journals - even the ones the Sara does not get to read! I am beyond excited for those - maybe even more than the books themselves!
And to celebrate all of this, Lisa is having a HUGE giveaway. All you have to do is place Rebecca's Lost Journals on your to-read shelf in Goodreads and then enter using the rafflecopter on her website! All the details and links follow these gorgeous covers:




 Rebecca's Lost Journals, Volume 1: The Seduction - 1/28/13
Rebecca's Lost Journals: Volume 2: The Contract-- 2/18
Rebecca's Lost Journals, Volume 3: My Master -- April
Rebecca's Lost Journals, Volume 4: His Submissive – May
Volume 5: The Master Undone -- August


When Rebecca’s Lost Journals Vol: 1 is placed on 500 shelves at Goodreads she will have a drawing for $100. After that she will draw for $50 for every additional 100 shelves that Rebecca’s Lost Journals Vol: 1 is placed on at Goodreads.

If your name is chosen it will be put back into the Rafflecopter so that you will have the chance to win multiple times.

Below is the link for the contest.

http://www.lisareneejones.com/rebeccas-lost-journals-goodreads-contest/

Also Beneath the Secrets releases December 21st  and to celebrate book 1 in that series, Hot Secrets is on sale for 99 cents!

Excerpt and Giveaway: Mikalo's Grace by Syndra K. Shaw

We here at the Revolving Bookcase as pleased to be part of author Syndra K Shaw's blog tour to celebrate the upcoming release of her debut romance novel, Mikalo's Grace. I just got my hands on a copy and so far love it! Syndra has been generous enough to be giving away an ecopy to one lucky commenter - all you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post, the winner will be announced Saturday, December 22nd. Good luck and enjoy the excerpt below :)

Mikalo's Grace
Syndra K Shaw
December 21, 2012

Link to book listing on Goodreads
blurb:

Burying her wounded heart in a successful career, Ronan Grace had all but given up on romance.  Then, over coffee, she glances up to discover a Greek god in grey wool.  Mikalo Delis.  Young, handsome, charming, hot.  And rich.  Very rich.

Over passionate kisses and blistering sex, they battle the past.  Struggling to forget, learning to forgive, eager for the future.  Together.

But when Mikalo considers returning to Greece, his soul yearning for the sun and sand and blue skies of home, Ronan wonders if their new love will be strong enough to endure.  And how much will she give up to be with the man who awakened her heart, taught her to trust, and showed her true love?

Excerpt: 

"You're very handsome," I said.
"Yes?"
"Yes!  You could be a model."
"No," he said, "I do not think so."
"I think you could," I answered.
"Me?  You would like to see me model?"
"Why not?"
He stopped, striking a silly pose, his hand cupping his chin, his face suddenly serious and pensive.
"Like this?" he asked.
And then he moved, quickly choosing another position, his face held open in a goofy grin, his eyes wide, as he pointed at something in the air, like those old Sears catalogue poses.
"Or this?"
I laughed.
"Yes, yes, yes," I finally said.  "I love it.  
"You could model underwear," I then said, the words rushing out before I could stop them.  I held my breath, hoping he didn't hear me.
"Ah, no, that would not work."
"Oh, I was just --"
"It does not work, underwear."
"It doesn't work.  What doesn't work?"
He shook his head.
"The underwear.  For me, it's no good."
He continued,
"It does not cover what it should cover."
"I see," I said, clearing my throat.
"Perhaps you need to wear boxers and not briefs," I then suggested.
"The tight ones?  No, no, no, no, no," he said, shaking his head, "that would kill me."
"Oh, so you're talking about boxers -- " I began.
"The loose ones -- " he interrupted.
"Yes --"
"Like old man swim trunks," he said.
"Yes, boxers."
"Yes," he replied, nodding.
"You wear boxers."
"No.  I tried.  But it was a joke.  I, how you say, I was lower than the boxers, than the bottom of the boxers, the material, and it was not a comfort."
Jesus Christ.
"The boxers did not do their job," he was saying, "so I had them fired."
"So, no underwear," I finally said, my voice quavering.
He nodded.
"No.  I am happy.  And below, I am happy.  And it is easier, yes?  To get undressed.  You just open the zip and they fall and there.  It is done  Easy."
We walked a few moments in silence.
"Still, you could model," I managed to say, my mouth watering as my mind wandered, the warmth, the wetness, below growing, the thump-thump-thump quiet, insistent, hungry ...
I needed to focus.
He spoke.
"You have no husband."
Ah, back to reality.
I shook my head.
"And no boyfriend."
Another shake of the head.
"Then you have lonely nights."
I walked, his arm around me, the dark expanse of Central Park across the street.  And then I nodded.  Shrugged.
He was right.
"Why no husband?" he suddenly asked.
It was my turn to raise my hand, stopping the conversation midstream.  The quiet gesture a definite end to a road I had no wish to walk right now.
He grew silent.
And then,
"I have lonely nights, too," he whispered.
Another shrug.
"But not now," I said, my hand reaching up to squeeze his.  "Right now we have this.  Right now, this moment, we have this walk, this night, you and your arm around me."
He glanced at me, a small smile on his lips.
"And it is good?" he asked.
"It's good.  Very good."
He stopped, turning to me, watching me, the light from the nearby streetlight shimmering in his dark eyes, the thick, black brows low.
And then he touched me, his large finger surprisingly gentle and soft as he stroked my cheek, his fingertip rising to my temple and then down past my ear, pausing as it rose, his hand cupping my chin, lifting my face to his.
He held me like this, his eyes on mine, his hand holding my chin, my heart in my throat.
And then he spoke, his voice soft and low.
"You are too beautiful for lonely nights, my Grace."

Don't forget to leave a comment below to enter for a chance to win an ecopy of the book! 


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Review: Avoiding Commitment by K. A. Linde

                                                       Avoiding Commitment
                                                                K. A. Linde
                                                               August 1, 2012
                                                        357 pages  paperback
Synopsis:

Jack and Lexi never had a typical relationship. After 2 years without speaking, she receives a phone call that changes everything. He unexpectedly asks her to convince the new girl, Bekah, that he's ready to commit. Jack is calling now after everything they had been through because there is another woman. She can't believe it. Follow Lexi in this heart wrenching drama as she relives her past relationship, or lack thereof, with Jack, and not just in her own mind, but to his fiance-to-be. Throw in Bekah's hot brother who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, a past with more secrets to unravel than you can even imagine, and you get a recipe for disaster. Find out what happens to Lexi as she travels to Atlanta to get the closure she so desperately desires from Jack, and how the bumps of life seem to keep getting in the way.

Review:
 WOW. This book was full of DRAMA. It had everything anyone could want, love, romance, lies, cheating, tortured souls. It was such a soap opera, I ADORED it. At the start of the book Lexi gets a call from Jack asking her for a favor and immediately I was sucked in. I had so many questions. Why had they not talked in so long? What could he have possible done to make her hate him so much but at the same time love him so?  I kept turning the pages as I needed to know more. The story switches from past to present to reveal to us how their story began and unraveled and the author did a great job at that. I screamed a lot while reading this book. I loved Jack then 2 chapters later I hated him and wished him nothing but heartache.Lexi I wanted her to wise up but hell I loved Jack almost as much and would probably melt around him too.  My heart broke with some of the scenes between these two.

       "We don't have to, but you know my end of the story. You were the only one I saw when I closed my eyes," he said bringing his hand up to cup her chin and titling her head up to look into his crystal blue eyes,
"Then why wasn't I enough when they were open?" she asked another tear welling in her eyes.

                                                      ****************
 “I did those things because of my lack of control. When you touch me Jack, I completely succumb to you. I give into your every whim.”
  
Just when I think the relationship between these two can't get any more complicated, in walks the fiance's sexy brother Ramsey. Ramsey wants Lexi and he does everything right. Treats her nice, takes her out for fun dates but there is just something about him that just does not sit right with me. For now I think I am team Jack even though at the moment I think he is an a-hole. The ending, grrrr. I can not wait to see where this story goes. I immediately bought the next book, Avoiding Responsibility, when it went on sale on Saturday as I need to see what happens. This book is an amazing angsty read and anyone who likes those complicated, angsty love stories will adore this one. 


Avoiding Commitment:              4.5/5         stars
Cover:                                      3/5           Stars
Audience Rating:                      R (language and adult situations)  

                                                   ~~~~~Tanya~~~~~