sabato 29 dicembre 2012

Books Shopping! #1

Good morning beautiful people! Today is an amazing sunny day in Italy
and I've just eat a tasty lasagna! But what really made my day is shopping!
I realised that Sunday's meme are not for me, I really can't be that costant and I forget to post almost every Sunday! So I decided to share my shopping with you once in a while, for those books which really deserve a picture!! This morning I entered my favourite local bookshop, that sells used books for half the price and I found these two pieces of awesome:
 
 
The coincidence is that I usually choose randomly what my next read should be and this month was " The Girl In The Steel Corset"; I didn't want to buy that book but then I found it there, all alone and I just couldn't resist! On the other hand The Host has been one of my favourite book always and I found this amazing pocket edition in English.. Just perfect!


 
And do you want to know how much did I pay for those beautiful creatures!?
Just 12 euros (11.95, for saying it all!) !!
 
Well, I hope you too had a great Saturday full of beautiful surprises,
if you want to check those books out here are their GoodReads' pages:
 
 

venerdì 28 dicembre 2012

Feature and Follow #6



Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.


The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! 

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! 

Today's question

What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

Mmm, I have so many books I wish I could gift to the entire population!! Well, I'll name my first three favourites:
- The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde, I think one of my favourite books ever; it is beautifully written, full of inspirational quotes but above all I think it talks about something very important.. the thirst for pleasure. Dorian is so focused on experiencing everything his life has to offer that he doesn't care about sacrificing his soul to the devil; but will  pleasure make him really happy in the end? I think you can imagine the answer. (But I love Dorian, in any case *w*)
- The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon; if you haven't read anything from this author yet, you definitely should start with this. I've read it a couple of years ago and it was probably the first challenging book I've started. It was AWESOME! The entire story was well-developed and the finale was totally unexpected and beautiful! I particulary loved the beginning because the author wrote some beautiful sentences about the power of books. *lovelovelove*
- The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini; Historical romances are absolutely one of the genres I prefer reading but, usually, I read about courts and scandalous kings/queens. I'm very sensitive about wars and the pain they caused, and from the moment I started reading this book I knew it would completely upset me. I think this is one of the many books people should read to know what we have (partially) caused to other people, just like us, because of our prejudice or our thirst for power and more power.



Also, I wanted to wish you all the best for the new year, that is coming.
I hope that this 2013 will bring you lot of happiness, joy but above all
a lot of good books to read! ^^

 P.S I know I'm not posting many reviews lately but I have to read 3 super-boring books
for school that are completely destroying my desire to read! D:

mercoledì 26 dicembre 2012

Blitz: Gossamer by Renite Pizzitola


Hey guys! I'm partecipating in a blitz for a new awesome YA/Paranormal
 Romance by Renita Pizzola, Gossamer! I really think this book
could interest some of you so here are the basic informations:

Gossamer
by Renita Pizzola

Shouldn't all faerytales end with happily-ever-after?
Kyla Ashbury is nearing her eighteen birthday when a mysterious boy appears at school. Her instant attraction to him inexplicably awakens something inside her and she discovers her true identity.
Now, armed with knowledge of her past, she is forced to leave behind the life she has always known for a new one filled with temptation, faery charm and magic, and a future she wasn't prepared for.

Kyla is left with a difficult decision... but no matter which path she chooses, someone will get hurt.



Excerpt 


“It’s kind of ironic our rendezvous point is at the corner of Magnolia and Pansy.” I chuckled. Grant looked at me and arched an eyebrow. He was so cute when he did that. “You know Pansy.” I got nothing. “It’s a joke. You know we are making our great, big, daring escape from Pansy Lane.” He still looked confused. I shook my head. “Never mind.” He didn’t press for an explanation. I shot him a sidelong glance. “Are all grants as serious as you?”

The corner of his mouth tugged up. “I can’t say all, but most grants are guards. Serious comes with the job.”
 

“So, you’re a guard?” He nodded. “Hmm.”
 

“Hmm, what?” A smile still played at the corners of his mouth.
 

“I’m not surprised. You’re observant and cautious. Protective. But, I guess that comes with the job, too.”
 

“Protective?” His tone doubtful as he repeated my word choice. “I don’t know about that. My job is to sense danger and act upon it if necessary. Safety--I provide safety. I think protectiveness is fueled by emotions, typically, and that goes beyond my job description.”
 

I was taken aback by Grant’s comment. It seemed almost cold. “But, you told my parents you’d protect me?”
 

We finally arrived at our destination and I could see Conor already waiting. Grant stopped and looked at me.
 

“And I will,” he said and walked away.
 

I was locked into place. My brain incapable of processing his comment and walking at the same time. Was that his way of saying he cared about me? Which really didn’t mean much. I cared about my friends, too. Oh, but I really wanted him to mean something more. Don’t read too much into it. I forced my mind to clear and approached the guys.
 

Grant filled Conor in on Lexie’s plans to pick us up. He seemed to like the idea of not having to walk the entire way and I could have sworn he liked the idea of seeing Lexie one last time.
 
The three of us stood silently waiting for her. The humid night air left my skin clammy. A few minutes later a black car pulled up alongside the curb. The tinted passenger window glided down and Lexie peered out at us.

“Need a ride?” She asked with a wicked grin. I grinned back. I was going to miss her. I opened the door and decided to let the boys fight over who got the front seat. Grant stopped me and told me to sit in the front. Although I’m sure he was being a gentleman, I had a strong feeling they didn’t want to deal with the onslaught of questions she was sure to have.
 

They squished into the back and I climbed in. I pulled my seat up as far as possible, feeling sorry for Grant as he tried to contort into such a small space. I felt bad for Conor too, of course.
 
As soon as we were buckled, Lexie’s car coasted onto the quiet street.

“Okay, first where to?” She looked at me expectantly. I glanced back at the boys. Grant spoke up giving her directions. She nodded, not even caring that we were asking her to drive us practically out of town.
 

She laughed. “It’s pretty funny you’re making your big getaway from Pansy Lane.”
 

“Thank you!” I over exaggerated my words and rolled my eyes at Grant. “See. Joke. Funny.” He grinned and shook his head. I faced front again as my heart fluttered from the adorable way he looked at me.
 

About the author

Renita Pizzitola writes Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. An avid reader herself, she has always enjoyed stories with witty humor, romance, and fascinating characters. Renita lives in Texas with her husband and two children. When not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and playing referee to her two typically adorable children.

Stalk Renita: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Lyrical Press || Book Trailer
Purchase GossamerAmazon || Barnes&Nobles || iTunes

venerdì 21 dicembre 2012

Tour: The Scourge by A.G. Henley [Review + Give@way!]

The Scourge
The Scourge #1
Author: A.G Henley
Published: January 31st 2012
Number of Pages: 242
Format: eBook
Source: Author, Book Tour
Purchase: Amazon

From Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She's never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings' tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be. 

And she's always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone. 


My Review

Pro/Con
The Scourge is an amazing dystopian novel that you really can't miss to read .I usually give at least 3 hearts to the books I review (even if sometimes maybe they're not worth them, but I try to be positive) but this book is absolutely a 5 hearts, and I'm not the type who gives five hearts very easily. From the first chapter of the book I've been completely caught up by the plot and I was so curious to discover about the Scourge, that I kept reading until the first hours of the morning, sometimes. Overall, I think that the world the author created is simply brilliant and absolutely interesting but then, the strong point of the book is certainly how the society is ruled. Honestly, it's quite a common post-apocalyptic society, but then the twists and the secrets that will be revealed at the end, contribute to make the whole situation special. The society in which Fennel, the protagonist, lives is organized in Groundlings, those who live on the ground, in direct contact with the dangerous Scourge, and provide water for all the people, and Lofties, those who live on the trees, far away from the horror and fear of staying on the ground, where the beasts can find you; the only duty of the Lofties is to protect from the trees the Water Bearer, a blind person (like Fennel) who is protected from the Scourge, who has the task to provide water for others.The division into these two categories happens when the baby is just born: if he/she has dark colors, he/she will be a groundling, if he/she has light colors, a Lofties; this implies that the majority of families are mixted and there are a few possibilites that a mother can keep her own child. I found this whole situation really fascinating becuase it shows us how desperate and cruel human beings can be, in order to assure themselves security and survival. It's useless to say that in this case, Groundlings and Lofties were not in good relationship, since the Lofties benefited of the resources the Groundlings had to die to achieve.The point that turns the book completely is when Fennel decides to find the famous Hidden Waters (a source that is hidden in the caves, far away from the Scourge, who didn't seem to like darkness) , accompained by Peere, her Lofty Keeper: this journey will led the two of them toward incredible adventures and difficulties but, above all, they will discover a shocking truth that will once for all expose the cruelty and injustice of the society they live in. I really loved how full of adventures this book was but the end was just shocking! There were so many revelations I didn't absolutely see coming and you know how much I love surprises!! Moreover I think the author's choice of speaking from Fennel's point of view was an amazing choice, because her blindness contribute to make the book more vivid and real; not being able to see things, she always describes the world around her with all 4 senses, so that you can perfectly see what she can't see instead. 

Protagonists
Fennel is an amazing heroine! I really suffered when I found out she couldn't see but I was amazed at the same time by how normal her life was despite her defect; she was loved by everyone because of her generous, funny and lovable personality. From the beginning it's evident she's nothing like her people, since she immediately tries to establish a relationship of equality with the Lofties, by asking publicly to Peere to dance. I really appreciated how caring she was toward everyone (even if not everybody deserved her affection!) and, how cute when she was jealous!The relationship she builds with Peere really upsets her, because she has never felt something like that before. In her culture they usually got engaged when the boys asked the girls to dance, so women didn't really have a choice in the matter; for the first time, with Peere, she feels free and indipendent in chosing what is better for herself.
Peere, on the other hand, is... HANDSOME. His personality immediately hit me: he was sarcastic, funny and extremely sweet. As for Fennel, he is one of a kind, not at all like the other Lofties; he has secretly loved Fennel ever since he can remember and from the moment he understood he could have been his Keeper, he worked hard to become it.

Language
The author's ability is incredible, the book is fluent, meaningfull and absolutely well-written.

Overall
I think The Scourge is one of the best dystopian book I've read recently. An interesting plot, good characters and unexpected truths. A MUST READ!

Rated

The Give@way!
As part of the blog tour the author is
offering 30 copies of The Scourge to International
reader. What are you waiting for?


a Rafflecopter giveaway

martedì 18 dicembre 2012

Teaser Tuesday #3: The Panem Companion by V.Arrow


 Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Currently Reading: The Panem Companion by V.Arrow


"Annie survived losing her natural family. Johanna tells Katniss
that Annie, Finnick and Mags are each other's only family by the time
of the events in Catching Fire. This would imply that either before or
after Annie's victory in the Games, her family died."

This book is absolutely brilliant! It may not be a story on its own but, for all the fans of THG out there, this is a must read. It's a deep study of the whole THG trilogy and it's really illuminating for some aspects, you have to check it out! 

mercoledì 12 dicembre 2012

Blitz: Destiny by Laura DeLuca

Destiny
Author: Laura DeLuca
Genre: YA Paranormal

Blurb:
Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds.

There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.


Excerpt
Her eyes scanned the room, from the pale blue sofa to the bloody dent in the wall. But she didn't need her eyes to know Darron was there. Her heart sensed his presence before her eyes saw him lying in a heap on the ground. His body shuddered with occasional spasms, and even though he wasn't fully conscious, his lips were twisted in a grimace of pain.

Uttering a gasp of surprise, Gabriella flew to his side. She knelt beside him, and choked back a sob as she took his hand in her own. She saw his chest rise and fall and was glad to know was alive, but she felt helpless as she watched his face contort in pain. She noticed something wet and sticky on her fingertips. She gently titled his head and saw a large gash that looked like it needed medical attention. The skin around the gash was so deeply bruised it looked almost black.


"Darron, what happened to you?"


He didn't move or reply. Gabriella moved her hand from the cut on his forehead, and her fingers dripped with blood. She bit her lower lip with fear. She knew enough about head injuries to know that the wound could be serious. She grabbed a few tissues from a box on the coffee table, and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was useless. The tissues were soaked through in seconds.


"Darron?" She squeezed his hand, and fought back tears of fear and frustration. "Darron, please open your eyes. Please be all right!"


He squirmed and groaned a little in response. Looking at his contorted features, Gabriella felt incompetent and useless. She didn't know what to do to help him. The cut must need stitches. The blood was gushing through her fingertips, and she was sure his life was slipping away just as quickly.


More than anything, Gabriella wanted to help Darron, to end his suffering. Her thoughts, her desperation, caused something deep inside of her to stir. Something that had long been napping was awoken. The power she had fought so hard to deny was forcing its way to the surface. This time she didn't struggle against that power. Her instinct to hide from it was finally overcome by the thought of losing someone else she cared about.


Gabriella was pulling strength and warmth from the earth, as though her legs were tree roots taking nourishment from the element. A tingling sensation began in the tips of her toes and spread slowly though her body as she breathed in the essence of the element of air. Her blood flowed and grew warm, the element of water, bringing the power to the surface. She was overcome by a vigorous strength as she envisioned her spirit encircled by the element of fire. She felt so powerful that she thought she could stop the world from churning if that was what she wished. Gabriella focused the power, remembering for a moment her mother's lessons. She looked down at her battered friend. She willed him to open his eyes and look at her. She demanded it of him.


Gabriella would have thought it was impossible, but she felt herself grow warmer. Her face dripped with perspiration. The power within her reached a climax. Then finally, when she thought she might burst, she felt the energy release. It seeped through her fingers, and shined with an illumination that only she could see. She heard herself chanting unfamiliar words, and scarcely recognized her own voice.


"By the power of earth, water, fire and air,

Heal this man who's in my care.
Goddess, hear your daughter's plea.
As I will it, so mote it be!"


Gabriella repeated the words three times. Three was the number of power. Then she watched as the wound on Darron's forehead healed before her eyes, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally it was gone. The blood was still warm and sticky, but beneath the blood, the skin was smooth and unmarred. Even the horrible bruise had vanished. Gabriella stared in open astonishment, marveling at the work she had done.


Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.
Follow Laura: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Book Trailer
Buy Links: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Smashwords


lunedì 10 dicembre 2012

Blitz: The Homeschoolers by Henry Circle

The Homeschoolers

The Ballad of Squirtina

Author: Henry Circle
Genre: YA Contemporary

Blurb:
"Life is too big to squeeze into a weekend." That's what "half-heathen" public school misfit, Christina Begoni, learns after a bout of Spanish class diarrhea has her escaping into the arms of a holy-rolling homeschool group. With her mustachioed, evil genius brother and cute redneck bully in tow, Christina joins innocent homeschoolers, Sunny and David on a hilarious and often gripping adventure on the Mississippi River. Experience the thrill and romance of the never-ending weekend with The Homeschoolers.


Excerpt

When I get back to the stand, Sunny says, “You were gone awhile. Did you get lost?”

“I squirted myself!” I announce, quite abruptly.

“When? Just now?” Sunny asks with concern.

David chimes in, “Oh no. You must have stopped at the tamale stand. I could have told you that was going to happen. If you need, I’ve got some Pepto back in the truck.”

“Oh, no. Not right now,” I explain. “Something reminded me of a past incident. I was getting picked on at school because back around Christmas holidays I got really sick. The embarrassing part is that I diarrhea squirted in my freakin’ pants, right in the classroom, in front of everyone!” I’m hysterical with laughter. I have to admit, even though it was the worst thing that has happened to me thus far in life, it’s still hilarious when you hear it said aloud. Kip is still lying on the ground, with his back turned to us, pretending to sleep, but his body is quaking with silent laughter. Sunny and David are stone-faced.

Sunny looks especially puzzled. “I don’t see how that’s funny. You got sick, and then your peers taunted you about it. That is not very nice.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” David says. “It’s like someone saying, ‘Ha. Ha. You have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma’. I don’t get it.”

“Oh, no. It is funny, but bless you both for thinking otherwise,” I say, pulling David and Sunny to my sides and kissing them both on the cheek. I’ve shared my shameful secret, escaped the hands of my nemesis, and have garnered two allies in Sunny and David. There's nothing Ricky Kelly could do to bring me down now.



The Author

Henry Circle is a Mississippi native, a freelance writer, a sometime hermit and a most-times loud mouth. She attended homeschool for one glorious year. 
Henry is the daughter of actor, John Turturro, a winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal and former Las Vegas showgirl. None of which is true. 

Find Henry: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads
Buy The Homeschoolers: Amazon

sabato 8 dicembre 2012

ARC Review: The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand


The Chocolate Kiss

Chocolate #2
Author: Laura Florand
Release Date: 24th December 2012
Publisher: Kensington Publishing - Brava
Number of Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Preorder: Amazon, TBD, B&N

Welcome to La Maison des Sorcieres. Where the window display is an enchanted forest of sweets, a collection of conical hats delights the eye and the habitues nibble chocolate witches from fanciful mismatched china. While in their tiny blue kitchen, Magalie Chaudron and her two aunts stir wishes into bubbling pots of heavenly chocolat chaud.

But no amount of wishing will rid them of interloper Philippe Lyonnais, who has the gall to open one of his world famous pastry shops right down the street. Philippe’s creations seem to hold a magic of their own, drawing crowds of beautiful women to their little isle amidst the Seine, and tempting even Magalie to venture out of her ivory tower and take a chance, a taste…a kiss.

Parisian princesses, chocolate witches, patissier princes and sweet wishes—an enchanting tale of amour et chocolat.

My Review


The chocolate kiss is a sweet, mouth-watering love story story that will drag you through Paris streets and pâtisseries, to discover a world full of love, macarons and chocolate. How to begin? I really LOVED this book and I'm pretty surprised by how much, since everyone who follows my blog, knows that romances are not really my type. Maybe it was the hot chocolate or the macarons or the chocolate witches or... gnam, I can't think about all that wonder and writing a serious review at the same time! Let's go back to us, as always there were some negatives as some positives points in the book, even if the positives were mostly. Since I was a baby, I've always loved stories that were developed in pastries or bakeries, just like Chocolat by Joanne Harris (that it's still sitting on my shelf, unread) and I was sure that the Chocolate Kiss would come straight to my heart as well. In my opinion the author's ability to describe Paris and the Île Saint-Louis and to transmit her love for these places was the best part of the book; as well as the amazing description of la Maisons des Sorcières and of Philippe's kitchen that were really amazing. During all the book you can't resist at the fabulous pictures of Magalie and Philippe's creations, their love for pastries and hot chocolate and the mix of passion and ecstasy due to the perfection of their desserts. And that's how the love develops, between a rose-heart macaron, and a hot chocolate who's able to realise Magalie's wishes and the urge to defend a small tea room, from the arrival of the most famous pastry chef in France, which threatens the stability of La Maison des Sorcières.
I really liked the tension between the two protagonists that lasted for about half the book, but at the same time I thought that maybe it made the first part of the book a bit monotone; for some aspects it was interesting because both Magalie and Philippe, constantly tempted one another with their desserts, even if, neither of the two surrended until the other did the same. On the other hand, arrived at a certain point, their attraction was evident so I thought it was useless to keep playing that game. 

Protagonists
La maison des Sorcèries, en realité, La Charlotte de l'Isle
Magalie Chaudron was a young ambitious, strong woman who had finally found the place were she belonged, Paris. Her mother worked in lavender fields in France while his dad was American; during all her youth she was constantly forced to travel between France and America, which led her to an unstable life but above all to short relationships, clearly without futures. The great disappointments, due to an unfaithful boy and treacherous friends, forced Magalie to build up herself, to become a strong indipendent woman, who won't let anyboby invade her space anymore.. but will she make an exception for the beautiful, arrogant yet talented Philippe? I really liked how the author developed Magalie's personality because she's really the woman everyone would want to become. She has her own apartement, a work she loves and even if she's a little suspicious toward others, she has a few people she loves and trusts. I loved how she "melted" under Philippe's power, that she saw as a weakness but in my opinion that's just what love does, it makes us weak. What she doesn't understand until the very end is that Philippe is just as weak as she is and that this time could be worth lowering her defenses.
Philippe Lyonnais was also a great character, the stability Magalie needs in her life. He's never doubtful or irresolute, he knows perfectly what he wants and how to get it. That's why he and Magalie are complementary. I personally loved his arrogance (that Magalie hated!) and.. who are we kidding? Can you imagine having a boyfriend who will prepare for you thousands of macarons, of all flavours? That would be a dream come true! I was impressed by how he reflected his emotions, his feeling into his macarons, that were mirrors of what was happening to him in that moment.


Secondary Characters
Magalie's chocolat chaud.
Well, how can I not spend a few lines for Aunt Aja and Geneviève? They were the one that offered Magalie a piece of their life: they rented her her small apartement above the city and they hired her as an assisant at La Maison des Sorcières. They were always supportive, yet not intrusive and absolutely ADORABLES. They seemed like the aunts of "Sabrina the Witch", the cartoon I used to see as a child! They were completely different but inseparable and if it wasn't for them maybe Magalie wouldn't have gained that bit of trust in others.


Overall
The Chocolate Kiss was absolutely a delicious read, in all senses! The author has a great ability and I'm sure you'll be literally hex by Magalie's world and La Maison des Sorcières.

Rated 4,60


Favourite quotes

"Magalie's cozy tea-shop world was not crystalline or fragile, so it didn't exactly shatter on its own. It was more as if a great, Champagne-glossed boot came down and kicked it all open to merciless sunshine.
Magalies had been wrong. So wrong. Perhaps Superman could come through and leave her world untouched. But Lyonnais..."

"Altough personally I always thought that her body as a child spent all its energy putting down roots, only to have to them yanked out and broken over and over again. And then she got a little older and realized the roots weren't going to work, her body poured all its energy into building her soul so strong and self-contained. Deep down, she never had enough energy to spare to make her body bigger."


venerdì 7 dicembre 2012

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year peeps! Give@way!


Hey Peeps! How are you?! This week has been a living hell! I'm currently 
finishing the first period of exams at school so this week I hadn't time to post
anything (and probably next week will be the same!). So, in the mean time I 
though: what a better way to celebrate the arrival of Christmas than with a 
giveaway?! So, to celebrate both Christmas and the New Year's eve I'll be
offering a book of your choice under 15 euro from The Book Depository!



What are you waiting for?
Open Internationally

giovedì 29 novembre 2012

Cover Reveal: Fanged Princess by Elisabeth Wheatley

I'm so excited about the future release of Fanged Princess,
a novel by Elisabeth Wheathley, a great follower of my blog
and a very young author.. Congratulations! Fanged Princess 
will be released the 22nd January 2012. Hope some of you
will want to purchase it! Here are the info:

Fanged Princess

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…
Be ensnared in this dark tale of enduring love, loyalty, and revenge from teenage author, Elisabeth Wheatley.

*drum rolls*


Rating: 4.50/5

Links

Cover Reveal: Just for Fun by Rosalind James + Excerpt


Hey beautiful! Today we're going to see for the first time the
cover of Just for Fun, a contemporary romance by author 
Rosalind James. Her romance will be released the 8th December
2012, so what are you waiting for? Here are the info:

Just for Fun
 What if the person who broke your heart turned out to be the only one who could mend it?
 Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic’s concerned.
 They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all.
 Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.

The cover! *drum rolls*


Impressions: Well, with one word: RELAX. This cover really makes me think about the sun, the beach and a really pleasant and hot summer spent in an awesome little island. I really like the detail of the two characters, from the waist down.


The excerpt

“Mum!” Zack burst in through the front door. “It was brilliant!” He kicked his shoes off impatiently, dropped his rugby boots next to them before struggling out of his jacket. Nic followed him in, grabbed the jacket and hung it on the brightly painted rack next to the door when Zack would have dropped it on the floor.
Emma reached out for a hug that, Nic saw, the boy was still willing to give his mother, at least here at home. Her eyes met Nic’s as she looked over her son’s head. How did she always look so soft? So . . . pettable? She was wearing another sweater, that was all, he told his troublesome libido. Another light, lacy one, prettily trimmed once again. A pale pink cardigan with pearly shell buttons, edged in cream, over a long stretchy top and leggings. She looked like an invitation to cuddle. Like the best blankie ever.
“Can Nic stay for dinner, Mum?” Zack asked excitedly, offering a welcome distraction from his wayward train of thought. “He could help me tell you all the things we did. We’re having spaghetti!” he told Nic. “It’s really good.”
“Can’t, mate. Sorry,” Nic put in hastily at Emma’s instinctive shake of the head. “But I’ll have a glass of water, if one’s on offer.”
“Sit down,” Emma told him. “Please.”
Nic slipped off his own shoes before heading to the couch with Zack. “Cheers,” he said as she came back from the kitchen to hand each of them a glass, then took her own seat in a small armchair next to the couch, the only other option the little room offered.
“You look tired,” she said abruptly. “And bruised. Are you OK?”
“Just a bit confused on the sleep schedule, still,” Nic admitted. “I took a wee pill on the flight home, but it never works that well.”
“It’s a long way, Mum,” Zack put in. “South Africa’s really far.”
Nic took a long drink of the cold water, looked around for something to set the glass on. “Coaster?”
“Just put it down,” Emma told him.
“Don’t want to spoil this,” he said, looking more closely at the coffee table. The simple rectangle had been transformed into a forest of ferns, with native birds peeping out from underneath fronds, perched in trees. The parson-throated tui making a meal of red fruit, the colorful, stumpy takahe on the forest floor, tiny fantails darting overhead.
“You can’t,” Emma assured him. “It’s all enamels. Everything in this house is pretty indestructible.”
“Did you find the ruru yet?” Zack asked him, leaning forward.
“Don’t tell me,” Nic said. “Let me look.” Zack watched him eagerly as he searched and finally pointed triumphantly to a notch in a tree where the owl blended into the bark. “There.”
“You did this too, eh,” he asked Emma. “Nice.”
“I did everything. That’s my decorating theme. Things I made.”
“I like it,” he assured her. The warm colors of the lounge seemed to cocoon them. Two walls were a rich caramel, the others a warm yellow. She didn’t even paint every wall in a room the same color, he realized. Well, at least in the kitchen it was all the same. Purple. He wondered what color her bedroom was. How it looked. And found himself wishing, against every better impulse, that he could see it.


mercoledì 28 novembre 2012

Wishlist Wednesday #5



So what do you need to do to join in?
  • Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
  • Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
  • Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
  • Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
  • Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
  • Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
  • Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

The Iron Daughter
Iron Fey #2


Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Well, I've read The Iron King about a month and a half ago and, even if a lot of you have really liked it, I was a bit disappointed by how it didn't caught me at all; I mean it was not that bad but I had way too high expectations for it, maybe. Nevertheless, I've heard that the story gets better in the sequel so I'm really curious about what will happen! I really hope the Iron Daughter will surpise me more than the first book in the series.
Have you already read The Iron Daughter? Do you think it was better than the first?
 
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