Book Blast & Giveaway - Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan

How can love mend a heart full of hate?

Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly's life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings.

Would you fight to be with the one you truly love? What cost would you be willing to sacrifice for that love?

A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California.
While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.

Check her out on: Website | Facebook | Twitter

"I expected a good love story with a paranormal twist. I got so much more. I think you should take the chance and read it. Let this book take you on the adventure, fall in love." - Young Adult and Teen Readers

"I escaped into this fantasy world, author, A.B.Whelan, created and I didn’t want Molly to go. From detailed descriptions, to sweet romance, and to all the twist and turns in the story, it had me captivated from page one." - Mary Ting, author of the Crossroads Saga

$50 Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash plus a gift bag of one signed copy of Fields of Elysium, a scrabble-tile pendant with a butterfly image on a chain necklace, and a fridge magnet.

Ends 3/11/13

Gift Bag open to US only. If winner is international they will receive only the gift card or paypal cash.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book blast hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Spring Reading List

Well, my girls have been super sick the last few days so I haven't been able to get much reading done. But I thought I'd post some of my Spring reading list to share with you all.

Ixeos by Jennings Wright

 

The Persnickety Princess by Falcon Storm

 

Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry

 

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

 

Passion by Lauren Kate

 

So what are some of the books that you all plan on reading in the next few months?

Homeschool Reading Corner - Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Johnny Tremain, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in the danger and excitement of 1775 Boston, just before the Revolutionary War. But even more gripping than living through the drama of Revolutionary Boston is the important discovery Johnny makes in his own life.

I am not homeschooling my oldest this year like I did last year, so I haven't had much opportunity to check out books that would go well with the schooling she IS doing, but when I found this book among the things brought down from the attic in my garage I thought it was fantastic. Alanna has just started a unit on the Revolutionary War and Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes was found right on time.

This story has been one that I've known since before I was Alanna's age (she's 10). I even brought the movie in for my junior US History class to watch when I was in high school. The book is just a great way to take a look at that time period in history in a more exciting way. Textbooks give you the information but stories like Johnny Tremain give it life. Puts you right in the middle of all of the action, ya know?

At some point either today or tomorrow I'm planning on watching the movie with my girls too. It was a favorite of mine way back when. Hopefully they'll enjoy it just as much.

Stacking the Shelves #12

Thanks to Tynga and her team for hosting Stacking the Shelves every week!

Went shopping at Good Will this week. I wanted to go to my favorite little used bookstore that I don't get to go to often, but when I pulled up it was gone. :-( I was so sad. I'd gone in search of the rest of the Anne of Green Gables series. So I went to Good Will in the hopes of finding SOMEthing and lo and behold... I found Anne of the Island AND Anne of Ingleside. Granted I went to two different stores to find those, but how lucky is that???

New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and frivolous new pal Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises...including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide if she's ready for love...

Anne is the mother of five, with never a dull moment in her lively home. And now with a new baby on the way and insufferable Aunt May Maria visiting-and wearing out her welcome-Anne's life is full to busting. Still, Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't lover her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable redhead-the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up...She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her again.

What did you all get this week?

Blog Tour: Review & Guest Post - Persistence of Vision by Liesel K. Hill

In a world where collective hives are enslaving the population and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper, and independent 21st Century woman, must find the strength to preserve the freedom of the future, but without the aid of her memories.

After experiencing a traumatic time loss, Maggie is plagued by a barrage of images she can't explain. When she's attacked by a creep with a spider's web tattoo, she is saved by Marcus, a man she's never met, but somehow remembers. He tells her that both he and her creepy attacker are from a future in which individuals are being murdered by collectives, and Marcus is part of the rebellion. The collectives have acquired time travel and they plan to enslave the human race throughout all of history. The flashes Maggie has been seeing are echoes of lost memories, and the information buried deep within them is instrumental in defeating the collective hives.

In order to preserve the individuality of mankind, Maggie must try to re-discover stolen memories, re-kindle friendships she has no recollection of, and wade through her feelings for the mysterious Marcus, all while dodging the tattooed assassins the collectives keep sending her way.

If Maggie can't fill the holes in her memory and find the answers to stop the collectives, the world both in her time and in all ages past and future will be doomed to enslavement in the grey, mediocre collectives. As the danger swirls around her and the collectives close in, Maggie realizes she must make a choice: stand out or fade away...

The description sounds reminiscent of Terminator. A bad guy and a good guy come back from the future. One to find Maggie and harm her. The other to protect her. Reading the story I kept thinking of The Matrix. That's what it reminded me of. Persistence of Vision by Liesel K. Hill is an amazingly thrilling story full of sadness, suspense, and in the end... hope.

I started reading this story as I was finishing another, so it took me a day or two to really get in to it but once I did I couldn't get enough of it. If devouring a book is possible that's what I was doing. If my computer was open and I had time, I was reading. And reading and reading and reading. When I finished The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman, I wasn't sure that I would find another story or series of stories that would captivate me as much as The Verona Trilogy had. I was delightfully wrong. The only problem is that now I have to wait for what seems like FOREVER to read the second book in the series.

Because yes, this story is the first in a series. The Interchron Series. I feel like I can't say enough good things about it. It was phenomenal. RIGHT from the beginning (even if it took me a couple of days to get started).

I loved Marcus right from the start. Even in the few seconds he appeared at the beginning of the story I loved him. And Maggie was a wonderful main character and just an overall amazing person. She was strong and vulnerable at the same time. She was thoughtful, decisive, smart.... all of the things that a leading lady should be. There was no stupid love triangle drama to wade through. Thank GOSH. All of the characters that Maggie runs in to after meeting Marcus (with the exception of the Arachnimen and the Trepids) are incredibly likeable and loyal to Maggie and to the cause they're all fighting for. Doc seems a little shady, but it seems to be that he's keeping things to himself for good reason.

The snippets we're given throughout the first half of the book of David's life are fantastic as well. At first it's like "Who is this character? What in the world is he doing?" But as you read more and more of the story, even if you haven't been told everything about him yet, you start to piece it together and figure it out on your own. Not in a "That's so predictable" way. In a "Oh, so THAT'S what's going on" kind of way.

There's a moment in the story where I truly connected with Maggie. As she feels her memories slipping away from her my heart just sunk and I really felt sad and like I could put myself in her shoes. Looking at the man that she loves knowing that she could lose, not him, but all memory of him just broke my heart. Can you imagine being around the person that you love more than anything, the person who completes you and is basically the other half of your soul... and not remembering who they are or what they are to you? While that person is left to remember EVERYTHING but act like nothing ever happened because that's what seems best for you?

Persistence of Vision is one of the best stories I think I've ever read. The world Ms. Hill paints is exceptionally intriguing and the background of the characters and their different abilities was so interesting it really got me wondering if things like that could ever be truly possible in the future. There's so much untapped potential in the human brain and Persistence of Vision makes it seem like there's a way to finally realize that potential.

It was a thought provoking story and I LOVE a story that doesn't do all the thinking for me. I highly, enthusiastically, EMPHATICALLY recommend this book to EVERYONE. Hats off to Liesel K. Hill for a fantastic first installment in this series.

On to the guest post!

Hello Everyone! A special thanks to Tara for hosting me here today! While corresponding with Tara, she mentioned how much she liked the fact that my book’s cover has a bad guy on it.  

I was glad to hear that that, as it is an unconventional cover image. In keeping with it, I thought I might discuss how I came up with my villains.  

On my blog, I did a series on villains a few months past. I talked about great main villains (which must have range and compelling motivation) and also side-kick villains, which don’t need as much depth and can be more quirky. 

For Persistence of Vision, I knew I wouldn’t be showing much of my main villain in book 1. He’s a mysterious sort that will only gradually come to light. Of course, there must be a villain to make a great story, so I had to make them compelling. 

I tried to think of something that scares lots of people. The two most obvious answers are spiders and clowns. Clowns didn’t fit with the tone or plot of the story, so I drew from spiders. I wanted these men to be goons that recruit for the collective, so I made them physically imposing. That way, abuse and rape would always be the elephant in the room. I gave them spider’s web tattoos to make the creepy-looking, and made their appearance generally distasteful. (Bad hygiene, etc.)

And voila! The Arachnimen were born! A slightly larger, nastier version with a slightly different look, I called Trepids. 

When my publisher’s art department called me, they asked me to bat around cover image ideas. I figured the spider’s web tattoo was a pretty vivid image and said so. They agreed heartily.  

I love the cover image! The spider’s web tattoo is supposed to be directly over the eye, so its location is a bit off, but that’s only a detail. I thought it turned out wonderfully and has the perfect dark tone to go with the book. 

Here’s to creepy bad guys! What do YOU think of the cover?


 

Find Liesel K. Hill on: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blogger

Review - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Radio Theater

As soon as Anne Shirley arrived at the snug, white farmhouse called Green Gables, she knew she wanted to stay forever...but would the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage? Anne knows she's not what they expected—a skinny girl with decidedly red hair and a temper to match. If only she could convince them to let her stay, she'd try very hard not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes or blurt out the very first thing she had to say. Anne was not like anybody else, everyone at Green Gables agreed; she was special—a girl with an enormous imagination. This orphan girl dreamed of the day when she could call herself Anne of Green Gables.

It's not often that I find a story that both of my girls are interested in reading or listening to. I thought this, too, would be a futile effort as they rarely like listening to books on CD. I was wrong. Hallelujah I was wrong! They LOVE Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I started to read it, but then found it at the library on CD as a radio theater version (and I can't for the life of me find the version I'm listening to on Amazon or Goodreads, so the link is back to the book itself). They ask me to take them to school instead of riding the bus just so they can listen to what happens next.

It's fantastic. I do have to say it was quite a different experience than watching the movie. I'd grown so accustomed to Megan Follows as Anne that hearing a different person give life to her voice was weird at first. It was a little like she was over-acting at first, but then I guess given Anne's personality, that's not far off from the truth.

Every time I read or watch (or now listen to) this story, it's like I'd never heard it before. I find myself listening like I don't know what's going to happen. That's what makes it such a wonderful story. Every time it's like it's new and exciting. I love it. And I love that my girls love it.

The movies and TV shows that they watch now a days are so dumbed down that they don't require any cognitive or intelligent thought what-so-ever. I think it's amazing that they looked forward to finishing the CDs even more than I did. Anne is bright and full of a fire for life and has an incredible imagination. THIS is the type of thing I wish they'd bury themselves in more often.

Obviously it's something I'd recommend to anyone. Read the book, listen to it, watch the movies. Just... meet Anne Shirley if you haven't already. And if you have, say hello to her again.

Teaser Tuesday #41

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•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!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman:

"The shop door burst open. Ugilino's eyes froze into the amazed eyes of the Master. Ugilino watched the Masters eyes move to his daughter and then to the pitch pot he held high over her head. Then, without a heartbeat's hesitation, he watched Agistino's bulk fly across the shop." p. 274

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s), have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history

Cover Reveal - Roots (Witchbound Series #1) by Kelbian Noel

 

Seventeen-year-old Baltimore Land just wants to be normal, but magic has other plans. I don’t consider myself a witch, that's my parents' thing. I've never really believed in magic either. Sure, I tried it a few times. Fell for the whole “magic happens” thing. But it didn’t happen to me. No amount of rhyming stopped my parents from moving me halfway across the country. Not one spell stopped me from being labeled the town freak. And worst of all, no matter how many times I begged the Universe to bring my twin back, I was ignored. Until now. He’s back all right. And in a magical bind of his own. Not the magic-won’t-work-for-me kind either. In fact, it’s working a little too well. Too dark. Too deep. It turns out our entire family’s magical roots run just as deep and my brother didn’t end up where he is by accident. So I’m going to help him. But magic isn’t really on my side. Nope. Once I finally get the craft under control, I’m expected to abandon the one person in the world who’s closest to me, just to save myself.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15761451-roots
Website: http://www.kelbian.com
Twitter: @KELBIAN_NOEL

About the author: Kelbian is the author of Elemental and a blogger at Diverse Pages. She lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two children.

Cover Design by Parajunkee Design: parajunkee.net

Stacking the Shelves #11

Thanks to Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews for hosting Stacking the Shelves every week!

This week I managed to get to the monthly sale at my library (although, I should have waited because the prices go down the longer the sale is!) and snag a couple of books and a few movies for my girls.

Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) by JR Ward

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret bound of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood #6) by JR Ward

In this "frighteningly addictive" paranormal romance saga there's a war raging between vampires and their slayers. Here are the stories of a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now a dutiful twin must choose between two lives...Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love....

This book series was recommended to me a long time ago by a good friend, but I'd never looked them up and then all of the sudden there they were. Or at least a couple of them.

What did you all get to put on your shelves today?

My Favorite Book Romance

Ok, Valentine's Day is over and all the gooshy mushy stuff is on clearance at the grocery stores.

I thought I'd drag it out just a LITTLE bit longer with my absolute ALL TIME favorite book romance. Hands down. It's not Edward and Bella from Twilight... or even Jacob and Bella (although I do favor Jacob over Edward). No... my favorite book romance of all time is Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love the book. I love the movie. Their relationship is just amazing.

How many of us have started off on the completely wrong foot with someone. And it leaves a sour taste in our mouths and we just can't stand the sight of them. Blech.

Until one day you're looking at them and they're not so detestable anymore. Maybe it was just a simple gesture that started the change. Maybe a smile or a joke that they told. Maybe you dropped something and they helped you pick it up and all of the sudden you might not hate them as much as you used to.

Soon the person you hated is your friend. Or perhaps the one you hated has started to invade your heart and you can't really do anything to stop it. Before you know it the one you couldn't stand to look at is the one you don't think you can live without.

I love Elizabeth Bennet because she is extremely bright, witty, and has a fire in her that I wish I had. Mr. Darcy is the epitome of a gentleman despite his proud nature. He is well spoken and has this huge heart. He doesn't seek to change Elizabeth. He just wants to be with her. He knows she's considered "middle class" to his "upper class" but even in a time when that's supposed to be the deciding factor in many romances, he ignores it and lets his heart fall for her anyway. And while she tries as hard as she possibly can not to let him affect her in any way because she thinks him too proud and arrogant, the wall she's placed around her heart to keep him out starts to crumble.

I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.

In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

Harry Potter Gets a New Cover

Much like Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter is getting a new look. However, this one will not be as disappointing. At least in my opinion. It's funny the things you stumble upon when looking at completely random posts on Buzzfeed.

I love the new cover because it keeps with the same feel as the previous ones illustrated by Mary GrandPre. The new covers will be designed by artist Kazu Kibuishi in honor of the series' 15th year (wow, it's been that long already?).

 

That's Mary GrandPre's original and wonderful cover version on the left. And Kazu Kibuishi's new version on the right. I love the new cover. I really do. I love the old covers, but you really get a new look in to the stories with Kazu's. It's absolutely stunning. I think these new covers will definitely do the story justice.

What do you think?

 

Oh... by the way....

 

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

Cleanin' Out My Clos... er... Garage

I have always been and will always be a book nerd.

So when I moved away to Maine I was devestated to find out my mom cleaned out the garage and tossed ALL of my Saddle Club and Babysitter Club books. I wouldn't be able to give them to my little girls anymore.

My fiance and I have been cleaning out the garage at my mother's the last few days. There were a few good finds here and there. Well, my mother had to have parts of the garage ceiling replaced so the contents of the attic had to be removed.

To my complete and utter joy, when I walked in the garage yesterday afternoon what did I see? A box full of books that I'd read when I was younger. Granted, the books that got thrown away are gone for good.... but this box had the Hardy Boys, Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, and things like Anne of Avonlea and Johnny Tremain! I was so excited I dug through the box right away.

 

How awesome is that? Those were just the ones we could carry in on the first trip. I'll go back out for more, believe me. I am particularly excited right now about Johnny Tremain. My oldest is doing Revolutionary War in school and I also just found the movie made from the book!

 

Have you all ever found some treasures you were never expecting to see again?

Review - House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake

Seeking a fresh start, newly divorced Sarah and her daughter Elissa find the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared - leaving only a brother, Ryan, as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan - and the closer they get, the deeper they're all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.

So House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake is a book based on a screenplay based on a story according to the inside cover. I wanted to see the movie but I didn't want to see it without reading the book first.

Turns out, I probably should have just gotten the movie.

Elissa was a great character. I liked her from the beginning and felt sad for her. But she was the only character I got to know past a short description. There wasn't a lot of development of the other players in this story. It was like they were all thrown at you one right after the other. Which was sad because there were potentially some great stories behind those characters that we never got to see. Like Jillian. And Sarah we don't learn anything about until almost the very end of the book.

The build up in the first half of the story was good. I was getting excited for the stuff to hit the fan finally you know? But when the point finally came where that was supposed to happen it kind of fell flat. The first twist in the story was interesting, but somewhat predictable. I didn't see the curveball coming at the end though. Which kind of saved the book a little. It's too bad that that curveball didn't come until the epilogue.

To me, the end of the book just felt like it would if someone was trying to explain it to me like they'd seen it in a movie or something, but just couldn't remember all the details so it ended up being a "I guess you had to be there" kind of deal. It wasn't really horror to me. Not in the way I remember horror stories. And I used to LOVE them. They were the only kind of book that I'd read for a while. This wasn't thrilling and exciting like it was supposed to be.

I'm not sure I'd recommend the book to anybody. It would probably be better to just go see the movie.

Covers Around the World - Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

So, I'm trying to get over my total shock and heartbreak after reading Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry. Found some interesting covers for Rot & Ruin, book 1 in the Benny Imura series.

English Language Edition

 

Danish Edition

 

UK Edition


French Edition

 

German Edition

 

Not too too many editions out yet, but the ones I found on Goodreads are pretty interesting so far. Some interesting title changes too. Which one was your favorite?

Review - Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them. Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive.

Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry is probably one of the most action packed and thrilling books I've read ever. I know I say this a lot, but I would LOVE to see it as a movie. Even knowing what's supposed to happen I would probably be close to falling off the edge of my seat for the ENTIRE movie.

Benny and Co. have been training for months with Tom. Training to become "Warrior Smart" as they call it. To learn how to fight and how to survive. Because soon Tom, Nix, Benny, and Lilah are going to be leaving Mountainside in search of the jet they'd seen pass overhead months and months ago. Even Chong is going to accompany them for part of the way. Until everything goes wrong. Everyone gets separated from everyone else and it would take a miracle for them all to end up back together in one piece.

There were some new characters introduced in this installment of the Benny Imura series. We meet Preacher Jack who seems a little creepy and too much like he's hiding something, Sally Two-Knives who is a fearsome bounty hunter who lost both of her children on first knight, and J-Dog and Dr. Skillz who try to keep the beach in their bounty hunting. We also stumble briefly across the Greenman who some believe is just a figment of their imagination.

I loved the new bounty hunters. The ones that were friends with Tom. Fiercely loyal to him the play an integral role in the quest to bring down an empire that has taken over the Ruin for far too long. Tom is still, by far, my favorite character. I hated Preacher Jack. Hated him. Him and White Bear and everyone associated with him. Horrible people, all of them. Proof that the most terrifying thing after a zombie apocalypse may not, in fact, be the zombies.

In all honesty, I almost could not force myself to put the book down. If I could have read it in my sleep with my eyes closed I would have. And I can count on one hand the number of books that have made me cry. This is one of them. And I don't just mean little tears here and there. I had to put the book down and take my glasses off for a minute before I could continue reading. And I cheated and read the description of the next book so I even KNEW what was going to happen. I still bawled like a baby. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

If you have read Rot & Ruin you HAVE to read Dust & Decay. If you haven't read book one, do it and then read book two. This is an absolute must read recommendation to EVERYONE.

Stacking the Shelves #10

A big thank you to Tynga and Co. over at Team Tynga's Reviews for hosting Stacking the Shelves every week!

Being that I'm poor I'm lucky if I get one book every couple of weeks. :-P The book I got this week is one I've been DYING to grab ever since I finished the first in the series but it was NOWHERE to be found. So as soon as I finally saw a copy I had to snatch it right up.

Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them. Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive.

What did you all get this week?

Covers Around the World - Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Ok... sparked by the article I read yesterday and my subsequent outrage and blog post, I decided to do my Covers Around the World post today on Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery.

English Language Edition

 

English Language Edition

 

English Edition (hardcover)

 

English Language

 

English Language

 

English Language (100th Year Anniversary Edition)

 

English Language

 

Polish Edition

 

English Language (and the cover on the copy I gave my daughter)

 

Arabic Edition

 

German Edition

 

Polish Edition #2

 

Italian Edition (hardcover)

 

Italian Edition (paperback)

 

There are SOOOOOO many covers for this book I didn't even get through all of them. Which one of these is your favorite?