Feature eand Follow Friday #24

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by 

Alison Can Read and Parajunkee where they choose a featured blogger every week along with a question for everybody to answer! It's an awesome way to meet new book bloggers and share the follower love :) 

*** 

Q: If you could only have ONE - one book - for the rest of your life. Don't cheat.... what would it be?

This is in one hard question but after withdrawing the series that I love and can't live without - because I simply can't choose just one book, I need the whole series - it came down to stand-alones and so, this one book for me is Dare You To by Katie McGarry! ( Review HERE )

***

So that was my answer guys! What about you? Leave me a comment telling me or a link to your own post I'll be sure to check out :)

And don't forget to follow my blog via GFC for more posts and reviews! 

PS: I follow/comment back! Just leave me a comment ;)
xoxo, Mariam

Blog Tour: The Forgotten Ones by Lauren Howard

Synopsis:
Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

Series: The Danaan Trilogy #1
Publication date: April 30th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

 Excerpt:

“What time do you get off work?” he asked.

I turned and narrowed my eyes at him. “I close at six. Then I have to balance the register, so around six thirty.”

Ethan looked down at his hands for a second, then glanced up at me through his thick lashes. “You want to get something to eat when you’re done?”

I licked my lips, his dark brown eyes pulling me in. I tore my gaze away and tried to focus on the computer screen. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and I fidgeted, knowing he was watching me. When I turned toward him, his expression was so intense that my stomach somersaulted.

“Just one time,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“Say yes, just one time.” Ethan slowly moved behind the counter, his eyes never leaving mine.

“If you don’t have a good time, fine. But, I’ve been trying to get you to give me a chance for years. Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

I shook my head slightly as he approached, wanting him closer but afraid of what it would mean.
He stopped, his brow creasing. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered.

His expression was so earnest my mind went blank for a moment.

“Ethan,” I began, my thoughts scrambled. “You know I’d like to—”
“So say yes.”

I looked up at the ceiling. I was tired of always pushing him away. If I went out with him once, maybe then I could convince him too that this was a bad idea. I covered my face with my hands.  “All right,” I mumbled through my fingers.

“What was that?” I felt the warmth of Ethan’s hands as he pulled my own away from my face.

“I said all right,” I repeated, my insides fluttering.

He gathered my hands and pulled them close to his chest. His scent, clean and fresh like sun-warmed denim, made my knees go weak.

With his head tilted back, he exclaimed in a mock reverent tone, “Yes! Thank you! Six-thirty on the dot. Be ready. I’m picking you up!” 

Giveaway (International):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel. 

Connect with Laura:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Links: 

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

 

 



 

Have Fun!
xoxo, Mariam

Book Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

My Review: 

   This book may not have stood out in the sense of it being a one of a kind novel, one that you won't forget easily but it did kind of stand out through the meaningfulness of the story itself, that it wasn't just a love story where instantly everything came together and everybody was happy. Their were certainly some moments where I was definitely intrigued by the path that the story was taking, there was unique vibe to the plot and that captivated me to complete reading the book but other than that I guess the plot was okay and also it was like a story within a story which was fun too! Furthermore, I did like the poetry entries that the author added, it wasn't overwhelming which was crucial or it would have been a total turn off.

   The romantic aspect of this story was really cute, normal but not cheesy and that I appreciated because it definitely added to the story. However, I felt that there wasn't much focus on Olive's relationship because the actual relationship didn't happen until the last few chapters of the story and I would have loved to see more and that kind of left me with the feeling that something was incomplete in the story but I liked it nonetheless.

   I wasn't really comfortable with the writing style, I mean it was good but not always because it slightly annoyed me for some reason throughout the first half of the story. But the characters were a strong feature in this story. The book was told from Parker's point of view - which is by the way a somewhat odd name for a girl, right? - and she was a character that I definitely liked, generally, her actions, mistakes and way of thinking are definitely one of a real human's, making her believable and I personally can relate to her in some things. Another character worth mentioning was Trevor, who was such a sweet guy and I can't get over how sweet he was and I pitied him because of the constant rejection from a certain someone in the story which I guess this someone is obvious but still, lets not get in further in the fear of giving away anything. Nonetheless, the ending of this book was a nice happy one, a bit vague on a few parts but it was okay, you pretty much get what happens in the end.

   Overall, I definitely did like this book because firstly, it didn't go directly under the category of the average romantic contemporary novels because there was more to the story than only that. There were some words of wisdom thrown here and there in this book as I also found the characters to be authentic and lovable, a nice storyline with some diversity as we also go through a journey of self-discovery and a world of new chances. However, I honestly can't say that I do wholeheartedly recommend this book because for me, I did like it but it didn't wow me, so I'd would say to just give it a try if you found it interesting enough to intrigue you because who knows, maybe it will wow you ;)

َFavorite Quotes:

- It’s one of those moments I think Frost was talking about when he wrote “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” I see it differently now. Not as a sad thing, but as a truth of nature. And life. Things have to change.

- Up until tonight, I thought that making big choices took courage—more than I had. But what I realize, here, now, is that it’s not actually making the choice that takes courage. It’s facing it afterward. Owning up to it, whether it’s good or bad. 

- ‘What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’ Mary Olive.

Title: Golden

Author: Jessi Kirby

Series: Stand-alone

Source: Owned

Published: May 14th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 3/5  

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" 

xoxo, Mariam

Blog Tour: The Witchling by Ari Harper

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland-or so she thought. Her world is forever changed when she discovers that she is descended from a long line of witches. To her horror she finds she is the one that is supposed to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her. As if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic and her trainer is a man named Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches, and a god. It is Bones that has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons. Can Nera learn what she needs while staying immune to the charms of the man that gets under her skin at every opportunity?

Series: Curse of Kin #1

Released: November 29th 2012

Publisher: Lycaon/Breathless Press

Purchase: Amazon

 Excerpt: 
Chapter One

    The  smell  of  smoke  pricked  at  my  nostrils  and  dragged  my  concentration  away   from  my   math  test. I  looked  sideways and watched it swirl over the floor like a silent, deadly serpent, coiling around the desks and feet of my classmates. I listened for the crackle that accompanied the smoke and saw the flames licking along the floorboards. Cold sweat broke out on my neck and ran down my spine, galvanizing me out of my chair.

    I tried to call out, but my throat was locked. No one seemed to notice the flames creeping up the walls toward the ceiling. I was shaking so hard I could hardly walk. I pushed between the desks  toward Mr. Devon at the front of the class. Surely he could see the flames creeping up the walls by now.  

    He  looked  up  from  his  desk.  “Nera,  please  go  back  to  your seat and finish your test," he said, his brow wrinkled in a frown.

    My mouth worked as I tried to get the words out, but they refused to budge past my burning throat. Changing track, I turned toward the door in a blind frenzy. I had to get   out! Tears were pouring down my cheeks, blurring my vision, and I could hardly breathe for the smoke that surrounded me. I reached for the door handle and jerked my hand   away as the hot metal burned my palm. 

    "Nera, what are you doing?" Mr. Devon hurried toward me. 

     I slumped to the floor, burned and struggling foe breath.
    "Brie, get the headmistress!"

Giveaway: (International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

Author Bio:
Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.

To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.

Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.

Website | Facebook

Have fun!
xoxo, Mariam

Book Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Synopsis:

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

My Review:

( NOTE: This review may contain spoilers for the first book, Shatter Me so unless you already read that one, I don't recommend reading this review of the sequel )

   Have I ever mentioned that this story is like pure awesomeness?! What an incredibly enthralling sequel. The storyline itself was really intriguing and exciting and it was one of those books that you'd thoroughly enjoy reading, it engages you within its pages, making you lose yourself completely in the story.

   Again, the book was buzzing with emotions as the author was able to transmit raw and poignant emotions and feelings through all the characters but mainly Juliette. And I think this was because of Tahereh Mafi's style of writing, her entering Juliette's inner thoughts and feelings and comparing them to visual images which at sometimes seemed a little bit overdone and definitely distracting but generally speaking, it was fine because it somewhat also gave the way in which the book was written a unique vibe.

   Tahereh Mafi's writing style was one thing that I liked, it was powerful as well as professional which of course added to the story but that's not it, because she was able to create a variety of characters and she nailed every single character extravagantly. The characters were yet another feature that I absolutely found perfect. I had this connection with almost every character in the story. I could feel for them as well as like them and especially Juliette, Warner and Adam - the main characters. And Warner was a character whom I had love/hate feelings towards him in the first book but in Unravel Me, I can confidently say that he made it to my heart. He was the bad guy, like that's for sure but at the same time he was sweet and different, partly because I guess he was one of those characters whom when they love or care, it's not normal for them and they manage to make it special and it did feel special, al least to me but let's not go any deeper so as to not spoil for you guys but just sufficient to say that the love aspect of this story was engaging.  

   Love triangles? Nah, not a fan but in this story, I'll have to admit that it slightly caught like a deer in the headlights. Like I couldn't choose if the love triangle was necessarily a negative thing or if  I want her to be with Adam or Warner, I mean with Warner I am sure things won't be settle but he cared about Juliette which I found sweet despite the "bad" person that he is. You could see his vulnerability, pain, regret, power and lust on full view at this scene in the book and that one scene just made me feel and fall for him. On the other hand,  Adam, he is such a sweetheart and I love his character and everything and we saw how adorable of a couple both he and Juliette were so lets just say that we will have no choice but to leave it to Tahereh Mafi to surprise us in the next book which I am dying to read already which is yet to come out in 2014! 2014?!!  

   Overall, I'd say that if you enjoyed reading Shatter Me, Unravel Me will blow your mind. Page-turner, noteworthy, awe-inspiring, intense and original plot that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as well as heartfelt and authentic characters that will make you enjoy the story even more. This series has hands down made its way to my favorites shelf, I was honestly reading through the book, not wanting to finish it and also dreading the moment when it will come to an end partly because the third book is still not out and also because the story was SO much fun. So if you happen to like dystopias then by all means, go ahead and read this one you HAVE to read this one or you'd be missing out. Highly recommend it!

Quote:
“I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend. The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body.

I want to know where to touch you, I want to know how to touch you. I want to know convince you to design a smile just for me. Yes, I do want to be your friend. I want to be your best friend in the entire world.”

   I never ended up writing a book review on Shatter Me because I read the sequel right after it so I couldn't write a review for both because they kinda got jumbled up in my head so I decided on reviewing Unravel Me only but just a side note, I did love Shatter Me and it rated for me 4/5 and I do whole-heartedly recommend this series, you'll not regret but if you do like dystopias that is, because let me tell you, it's been AGES since I last read a dystopian/apocalyptic novel and this one was seriously refreshing.  

Title: Unravel Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #2

Source: Owned

Published: February 5th 2013 by HarperCollins

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 5/5 

Feature and Follow Friday #23

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by 

Alison Can Read and Parajunkee where they choose a featured blogger every week along with a question for everybody to answer! It's an awesome way to meet new book bloggers and share the follower love :) 

*** 

Q: How do you handle a book you don't like? Do you DNF or do you power through?

Good question. So generally, I believe that everybody comes across a book or more that they don't like from time to time and for me, some are bearable enough to power through ( For example, Graceling by Kristen Cashore ) but then I'd kinda get all what annoyed me about it or how much I didn't like that specific book in a review but those are few. So usually, when I don't like or enjoy a book I just DNF it because I read for fun, not out of obligation and reading a book that you don't like is lime the complete opposite of fun ;)

***

So that was my answer guys! What about you? Leave me a comment telling me or a link to your own post I'll be sure to check out :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin' 

Follow my Twitter account @Multimemo33 

for recent updates and we can always talk on there too! 

Recent Posts:

Book Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Chaotic Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway (International)

Happy Friday!
xoxo, Mariam

Book Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Synopsis:

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

My Review:

   So I guess you could say that this book was one of the few books that I read in the New Adult genre. Although, I don't really see that much of a difference between NA and YA except for maybe it is the fact that the characters in the NA were older. Anyway, onto the actual story, so I found the premise of this book to be rather striking as well as exciting, like an in-your-face type of opening which I liked, but it could also startle the reader easily if you ask me because it just JUMPS straight into action ;)

   And unlike most people, for me, the characters were definitely not the author's strongest feature, like the characters generally weren't bad but just didn't quiet reach my heart. However, that doesn't include Jacqueline and Lucas - the main characters - because I definitely found them better than the other characters and I liked them way more, a connection was formed with them throughout the story. 

   But what I also liked about this book was how it was written. The author's style of writing was really strong if I could say and I was totally able to clearly see the story through Jacqueline's point of view but I would have also loved to see altering chapters between hers and Lucas's POVs which I bet would have been much more interesting but as I said, I did still like it from Jacqueline's POV. As for the story itself, it was pleasurable, heartwarming and eventful but at the same time, there was a sense of simpleness to the story which was also interwoven with a serious issue, all of which I don't necessarily mean in a positive way but not a negative one too if you get what I mean.

   Furthermore, I found the way in which Jacquelune and Lucas  first met - minus their very first 'intense' encounter - cute, you know, with the staring and whatnot. But when Jacqueline's 'relationship' with Lucas started, it sounded a bit cheesy at sometimes which lessened my liking towards their relationship but didn't erase it because they were utterly adorable together and I'll have to admit that there were some really swoon-worthy moments in that book. Another thing that was sort of noteworthy was how the author managed to make Buck, a character whom played a huge role in a main incident that happened in the story, really really creepy.

   Overall, I'd say that Easy was a book that I liked, it wasn't a book that you'd take to the beach, didn't have that light summer essence but it was a good contemporary novel. I found the plot to be entertaining with a bit of a heated romance which was sweet but not spellbinding, characters whom were amicable, a nice writing style and it also involved  a heavy subject. Simply, I wouldn't say that this book was unique but rather enjoyable enough. So if you're a new reader of the NA genre, a constant reader of it or just don't have a clue on what to read next, then I'd say to give this book a try ;)

Title: Easy

Author: Tammara Webber

Series: Stand-alone

Source: Owned

Published: November 6th 2012 by Berkley Trade

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 3/5