Saturday 31 October 2015

Happy Halloween + Monthly Recap

       Halloween is my favourite time of the year! I was always the kid that took Halloween very seriously. If everybody in my group of friends wanted to go as angels? I would be a bloody, dead, decaying angel. I don't do cute Halloween. What are your Halloween plans?

       I didn't post nearly as much as I wanted to this month. Even the things I did post, I'm not happy with the quality of them. I also only read one book this month *disappointed sigh* I hope November will be better. I do have a review or two lined up so you can at least expect those. I've been trying very hard since about May of this year to always post at least once a month. I'm always disappointed in myself when I don't manage one single post a month. I think that'll probably be my new years revolution. To make sure I stay active in the blogging world.

       Anyway, I'm welcoming November with open arms! (Mostly because my birthday is in November and after November is December which means all that Christmas cheer!)

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Spectacle by S.J Pierce Book Tour Stop (Spotlight)

The book tour for Spectacle by S.J Pierce stops here today!(Through Xpresso Book Tours) I have a excerpt and general information all ready to go!



Spectacle by S.J. Pierce
Publication date: July 13th 2015
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Hunger Games meets Avatar in this spellbinding new Young Adult, Science-Fiction novel by bestselling author Susan James Pierce.
Two hundred years after the Great Disaster, the day earthquakes ravaged Earth’s landscapes, humanity has finally regrouped and is working toward a better future. But in New America – one of three remaining landmasses – the threat of overpopulation makes a better future seem bleaker by the year.
Mira (Mirabella) Foster and her parents are citizens of New America, and with the threat of starvation and disease looming on the horizon, a new discovery threatens to push everyone to the brink of chaos: blue markings develop on people’s skin. Markings that allow them to camouflage their skin, but also make them feared, and eventually, targets of violence.
Mira’s dad is one of them.


Excerpt

Following the scent of cheese toast and eggs, I stop short when I see my mom standing in the kitchen doorway, her hands fidgeting with the frayed hem of her apron, a tight smile on her face. I don’t like the way she looks at me – worried and afraid and about to cry all at the same time. “Mirabella, dear,” she says, almost whimpers. “Daddy and I need to talk to you.”
Heat crawls over my skin, flushing my cheeks and leaving gooseflesh on my arms. Dread squeezes my lungs. “Okay,” I manage, but it takes me a minute to remember how to walk. Mom doesn’t move out of my way.
I notice the radio isn’t on again. Dad usually listens to it for his morning news.
She kneels to look me at me on my level, and I know now something really bad must have happened… or is happening. Yet again, the rings around the moon were right.
“Everything’s okay,” she lies, reading my worried expression, “But I want to warn you about your father before you see him.”
My eyebrows draw together. Warn me?
I hear dad shifting in his chair, and he grunts nervously. My chest clenches tighter. All I want is to see him. To know what’s going on. I can’t fathom what she would have to warn me about.
“His skin is… different than before.”
“Different?”

“Yes, baby,” she soothes. “And whatever you do, please don’t scream. You know how thin these walls are.”I muster a nod.
“Okay,” she says, clasping my hand and straightening, “It’s time.”
She leads me into the kitchen, my heart racing, eyes snapping right to my father. He’s sitting with his face behind his hands, his elbows resting against the tabletop. The skin on his arms and hands look the same to me – smooth and the color of coffee with milk. Still normal. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Is she looking?” he asks through his hands.
I answer for her. “Yes, daddy.”
He lets out a long slow breath – a brooding sigh.
“Show her, Grant,” mom pleads.
Moments pass. He sighs again and slowly moves his hands away. Behind them, blue marks, starting at the corners of his eyes, branch out in a rough, jagged pattern - like webs of blood vessels, but more defined - over his cheekbones and stopping along his jawline. Smaller patches curl around his temples. It almost looks like a butterfly, almost beautiful, like these odd markings are meant to be there. Like someone had painted them for fun. I would assume this is all a joke had my mom not been acting so weird.
I look up to her questioningly. Why would this have made me scream?
Her hand meets her chest, and I can tell she’s relieved I didn’t freak out, but not all the concern is gone from her eyes. At least she’s smiling normally now.
“So you aren’t afraid?” she asks.
“Why would I be?”
Her lips press tight. She throws a nervous glance at my father.
“Because these are permanent,” he says. “And they’ll get worse.”

Saturday 3 October 2015

What I Tell Myself by Amber Knight

       Quick update: Hey! The new feature I wrote about before will most likely be out this Sunday. Things have been busy, but I'm finally having a quiet weekend. Anyway, just a quick review today!

       Book received from author in exchange for honest review

Published September 29 2015

       Meet Annabella and Cameron. One is noisy, one is not. One loves asking questions about things that the other wants to keep secret. And one can’t help but fall for the other. 

When a new girl shows up at school, Cameron avoids her like he does everyone else. But the new girl has other plans. Plans that involve finding out who the real Cameron White is. 

       I don't often read a ton of short stories (this book is only 35 pages) but I'm glad I read this one. Amber Knight's writing style reminds me slightly of Ellen Hopkins, In the way that the sentences are short and wouldn't really be considered finished. Personally, I like this style, but it's hit and miss. I really wish this was longer, I would love to read and become more attached to the characters.