Feature and Follow #261

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

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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 me and them 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 at the host blogs 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!

 

 

                            Question of the Week:

 

You can only eat one cuisine type for the rest of your life. Which would you choose? (E.g. Italian, French, Greek, Mexican, Chinese, Indian etc…) - Suggested by Journey Through Fiction

 

                                   My answer:

I would insist in the Greek cuisine! We have various different foods which have as base the olive oil, the known Greek yogurt (Anastasia Steele eats it a lot!), and vegetables!

 

Here's some examples!

 

 

Tomatoes, green and red peppers filled with rice, also known as gemista.

And from the sweets! We have baklava

And from left to right: loukoumades, made of soft dough, fried and served with honey and cinnamon, galaktompoureko, a type of pie with sweet cream in the filling and kantaif, served with peanuts!

Now for the Follow Fun!

                                           FOLLOW ME ON GFC ON YOUR LEFT!!

Alison Can Read

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Audiobook Review: "Poison Princess" (The Arcana Chronicles, #1) by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

An apocalyptic event has destroyed Evie’s hometown and killed her mother. What makes it worse? Evie’s prophetic visions predicted it all—but she wrote it off as one of her freakish dreams. Now Evie teams up with a wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux. They are forced to leave town on a road trip heading to meet Evie’s maternal grandmother. Meanwhile, Evie is coming to terms with the fact that she has special powers—powers that have revealed themselves to her slowly.

The mythology of the story is inspired by Tarot cards. Evie is the personification of the Empress Tarot card, the genesis of her abilities. Along the way, she and Jack meet teens who have taken on the powers of other Tarot characters. It seems an ancient prophesy is being played out, and these teens have been tapped to reenact the battle.


AMAZON Affiliate links for the rest of the books

Audiobook

 

Book Series







REVIEW


 Why did I have to wait so long to try and read Cole's YA series? I had just read "The Warlord wants forever" when this one caught my attention. I decided the try the audiobook and I LOVED IT!
Maybe because there is a mystery behind why the world ended? Maybe because Evie has visions and dreams which in the end came true? Maybe, just maybe Jack is a Cajun and he is swoon-worthy?

When the world ends in fire smoke and plague, which turns most of the population into zombies, Evie with Jack's help will embark on a journey in order to find her grandmother as also answers to the reasons behind Evie's mysterious powers.

The story had many twists, it was very emotional and I liked the way Jack and Evie struggled. There was action and enemies everywhere which levitated the fact that both protagonists tried to understand each other and had many misunderstandings.

Using also the Arcana Tarot cards as the plot base was also very original and I hadn't seen it before. The combination between the post apocalyptic world, the zombies and the touch of reincarnation created a stunning world building!
Without wanting to spoiler I would recommend this one to all those who want both the adventure and the sexy romantic moments!

 So run along Jackie!!!

 About the author:

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Cole lives in Florida with her family and “far too many animals.” You can learn more about Kresley at www.kresleycole.com.

Series Review: "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.


BUY ON AMAZON (click the covers for more details-affiliate link)





DON'T MISS THE NOVELLA COMPANION NOVEL! (click the cover for more details)






 REVIEW


The impulse to read Alexandra's first series came after I learnt about her latest upcoming release "The Passenger". When I was also making my first steps on the writing world I had also see her interview on Figment.

The Darkest Minds is a trilogy of unstopping action, romance which develops slowly and pops on the best moment and dystopia. Dystopia so hard (since we deal with small kids) which I would place on the aisle along with The Hunger Games.

Ruby is on of the many children who is taken to special camps in order 'to be saved' after a devastating virus killed almost all of America's children. What the parents do not know, and they are not told, is that the children have developed abilities and Ruby has a strong one. When she manages to escape she meets a group of kids, who have Liam as a leader and together they travel in order to find a safe haven for them. As the books progress we have many mysteries, truths horrible and almost mad revealed and Ruby has also the bad luck to make the hardest choices.

Moreover, when she finds herself into the League, she discovers that nothing is as it seemes and along with some new allies they will try to solve the mystery and fight the major ass-slash-worst villain ever!

I liked her relationship with Liam. He was funny, caring and not your so sexy perfect hotness. They all suffer and fight and that makes them stronger and despite their age too wise.

I liked the series and I am sure that I will read more of this author next year!

Don't miss the upcoming release of Alexandra Bracken's new series "The Passenger"! 

Summary from GoodReads

Violin prodigy Etta Spencer had big plans for her future, but a tragedy has put her once-bright career at risk. Closely tied to her musical skill, however, is a mysterious power she doesn't even know she has. When her two talents collide during a stressful performance, Etta is drawn back hundreds of years through time.

Etta wakes, confused and terrified, in 1776, in the midst a fierce sea battle. Nicholas Carter, the handsome young prize master of a privateering ship, has been hired to retrieve Etta and deliver her unharmed to the Ironwoods, a powerful family in the Colonies--the very same one that orchestrated her jump back, and one Nicholas himself has ties to. But discovering she can time travel is nothing compared to the shock of discovering the true reason the Ironwoods have ensnared her in their web.

Another traveler has stolen an object of untold value from them, and, if Etta can find it, they will return her to her own time. Out of options, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the mysterious traveler. But as they draw closer to each other and the end of their search, the true nature of the object, and the dangerous game the Ironwoods are playing, comes to light -- threatening to separate her not only from Nicholas, but her path home... forever.

PRE-ORDER NOW! 


About the author:

 Hi! I'm Alex and I write books.

Please send me a note on twitter (@alexbracken) on on Tumblr (alexandrabracken.tumblr.com). xx A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way doesn't the summary of "Passenger" reminds a little from "Outlander"?

 

 

Cover Reveal: "Dancing in the Athenian Rain" by Katie Hamstead

 Welcome to the Cover Reveal of the New Novel by Katie Hamstead! Based on the historical element and time travel this one will surely amaze you!


Here's the cover!!

Title: Dancing in the Athenian Rain
Author: Katie Hamstead
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Genre: New Adult Time Travel Romance


Blurb:
When Donna is sent back in time to Classical Athens, she's furious at Dr. Stephens for sending her against her wishes. Then a Greek soldier purchases her to be his wife. She's forced to learn a new language and culture, and faces her fears of never returning to her own time. The society hates her, especially because they think she’s an Amazon, which forces her to confront her issues—being compared to her genius brother, borderline abusive friends, and a cheating boyfriend. But her husband, Peleus, is kind and patient. Although against her best judgment, she allows him into her heart. He counters all the negative voices from her past, but those voices drive a wedge between them. She must let go of her fears, her inhibitions, and insecurities, and admit her feelings, or she could lose him and the life they’ve built.


 ADD ON GOODREADS


About Katie Hamstead: 

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dogs.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as an Acquisitions Editor to help support her family. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
Find Katie Hamstead on twitter, facebook, and her website.

Feature and Follow #260 (Featured Blogger!)

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

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 me and them 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 at the host blogs 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 I AM THE FEATURED BLOGGER! THANK YOU!!

                              Question of the Week: 

     What is the first book you remember reading? - Suggested by Bookish Findings.

                                  My answer:

The first book I remember reading before even I began my blogging adventure was "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis! I fell in love with her mystery, the sci-fi adventure and the romance!

(click the covers for more details)

 

 

Now for the Follow Fun!

                                           FOLLOW ME ON GFC ON YOUR LEFT!!

Alison Can Read

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 

News for Sara J. Maas followers!

Did you learn the news? Followers of Sarah J. Maas, author of "Throne of Glass" series will be able to participate on a three wekk long read-athon as we wait for "Queen of Shadows"! Follow the Tumblr post below for more details!

http://alexandrapblog.tumblr.com/post/122967317940/worldofsarahjmaas-were-just-two-months-from

Review: "Undertow" by Michael Buckley

Undertow by Michael Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga, a blend of District 9 and The Outsiders.


BUY FROM AMAZON

PRE-ORDER THE SECOND BOOK! (click the cover)

REVIEW

A good cover with mystery and a summary that screamed MERMAIDS! That's what drew me on "Undertow" the new novel by Michael Buckley. And the novel did surprise me in a great way!

Living under military law on Coney Island Lyric and her family struggle to survive as fanatics, racists, the army and a ton of crazy people try to drive away the Alpha, a race of sea-men who arrived on the seaside three years ago. When a group of Alpha children arrive on her school on a pilot program for bringing the two races closer, Lyric will have to deal with her friendships her secrets and her growing attraction for Fantom the prince of the Alpha.

Duh! It is obvious that this book kept me interested. It was full of action, interesting perception of the Alpha and a growing romance which escalated closer to the book's ending. I liked Lyric. Despite her emotional turmoil, her stress and fear, she was supportive for her friends and she discovered more about her own fate. Fantom was also a funny and tortured character, who despite not being present very much in the book played a major role on the plot's development.

I really want to read the second book and I would love to see more of Lyric and Fantom hoping that the book will not suffer from "Second Book Syndrome" (or better SBS)

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Michael Buckley was born in Akron, Ohio. He tried his hand as a stand-up comic and lead singer for a punk rock back before attending Ohio University. 
After graduating with honors he moved to New York City to be an intern on the Late Show with David Letterman which led to stints developing programming for Discovery Networks, MTV, MTV Animation and Klasky Csupo (producers of Nickelodeon’s Rugrats). 
Today he lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife, Alison, and their son Finn.