Make It Fierce {Giveaway}

So let me tell you about the AMAZING time I had at the Fierce Reads tour when it came to the San Diego Public Library. ONE, I was beyond honored to be asked to be the official blogger for this stop of the tour and I had the amazing opportunity to interview the feature authors Emmy Laybourne, Leigh Bardugo, Ava Dellaira, and Jennifer Mathieu. They are all so nice, funny, and down to earth. Let me tell you a secret, I was nervous...super nervous. I'm a nurse! I don't spend my free time interviewing real live people!! Eep! But it went great and it was such a fun time! These ladies all rock and I cannot WAIT to share my interview...so I won't...below are hard hitting questions (lol) about the books and some other fun stuff. 

So without further ado...this is my one and one time with these fabulous ladies!

Note: Because I am not a professional interviewer and I jotted down notes for their answers and a lot of discussion was involved while talking, not all answers are exactly verbatim or can be quoted but the core of their answers are there :)

Ok, so let's get a generic book push question out of the way first. Describe your book in 5 words or less

Leigh— Solider. Summoner. Saint. Who Will Rise? 
Emmy— Danger. Velocity. Love. Catastrophe. Redemption.
Ava— Love Letters to the Dead.
Jennifer— Friday Night Lights Meets Easy A

I love ALL these answers! Especially Ava's creativity :)

If you had to pick a  theme song be for your book or series, what would it be?

Leigh— Blinding by Florence + the Machine and King and Lion Heart by Monsters and Men
Emmy— End of the World as We Know It by R.E.M.
Ava— Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana
Jennifer— Run Fast by The Julie Ruin

The first stop of the Fierce Reads Tour!

So you know when a friend reads a book you love and you sit waiting for their flails at your favorite parts. What part or scene from your book were you most excited for your readers to get to?

Leigh— How early the Darkling shows up in Siege and Storm and that I knew where the second book was going early on.
Emmy— *MILD SPOILER ALERT FOR SKY ON FIRE* When Josie rips of the mask and goes 'O' on purpose.
Ava— The last letter at the end of the book.
Jennifer— When all the pieces come together at the end and you find out what really happened.

Ok, I thought it would be fun to tie in a question for each authors book so let's start with Leigh's. What kind of Grisha would you want to be?

Leigh— Corporalnik
Emmy— Fabrikator
Ava— Summoner
Jennifer— Tailor

I love that everybody had a different answer!

Line for the signing

In honor of Emmy's Monument 14 series, what part of the superstore do you hit first and go to town in?

Leigh— Food
Emmy— Home Improvement
Ava— Bedding
Jennifer— Food and books

Now for Ava's, if you could meet or write a letter to one dead person who would it be?

Leigh— My Dad
Emmy— Laura Ingalls Wilder
Ava— Everyone in the book
Jennifer— River Phoenix and Janis Joplin

All the amazing authors!!

And for Jennifer's, what is one thing you’d like to say to your high school self? 

Leigh— There are no fairy godmothers.
Emmy— Don't treat your body like a currency.
Ava— The things you're going through matter and it will help you write your first book.
Jennifer— Just believe in yourself and calm down.

Um...I can't even begin to verbalize how much I love all these answers. Like I wanna tear up a little bit while reading them. So powerful and so true.

I love that all your books each have such a strong female character that young readers can look up to so I want to know...who are your favorite kickass female heroine?

Leigh— Alana from Tamora Pierce, Arya and Sansa and Brienne from Game of Thrones, Elisa from Girl of Fire and Thorns, all the Robin LeFevers female characters from His Fair Assassins, and Kestrel from The Winner's Curse
Emmy— Piper from Cut Me Free by JR Johanson and the female character in Fire County by David Estes
Ava— Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Melinda from Speak and the Laura Ingalls Wilder characters
Jennifer— Eleanor from Eleanor & Park and Frankie Landau from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks 

Love these answers!!! And I have a few new kickass females to read about!

In the wild shot

A few quick fire questions. Favorite book of all time? AKA what is a book that you love that you wish everyone could read and love like you do? 

Leigh— Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Emmy— Jim the Boy by Tony Earley
Ava— Was by Geoff Ryman
Jennifer— The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A few new books to add to my TBR pile!!

What about your most recent favorite book?

Leigh— Love Letters to the Dead and The Truth About Alice (Yay Fierce Reads authors!)
Emmy— The Doll Bones by Holly Black
Ava— Monument 14, The Truth About Alice, Shadow and Bone, and A Monster Calls (Yay Fierce Reads again!)
Jennifer— Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

I like to talk about a lot of travel and beauty stuff on my blog so I also want to know, what one place do you wish you could travel to?

Leigh— The Florida Keys
Emmy— Bismarck, North Dakota
Ava— Sicily (I'm more than a little biased about this one :) )
Jennifer— Cuba

And finally, what is your beauty product must-have?

Leigh— Atelier foundation
Emmy— Smith's Rosebud Bald
Ava— Khiel's Olive Oil Conditioner
Jennifer— Revlon 135 Lipstick (And it's discontinued so if you see any let Jennifer know!)

Per Emmy's suggestion--this is passionate discord :)

Eeep! Thank you ladies so, so, SO much for your time and all your amazing questions. If you guys have not read these books yet you have to get on it because they are all so great! Thank you to Mary, Ksenia, Brittany, and Molly and the entire Macmillian team for this amazing opportunity and event. It was all fantastic and of course, totally fierce :)

And there's more! I'm giving away a complete set of the June titles of the Fierce Reads Tour so make sure to enter! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor :)
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Otherborn by Anna Silver--Blog Tour Stop and Giveaway!!

"Once upon a time it had been a hotel or something,

the stairwells and lobby still fashioned 

from the vintage brass and marble fittings they'd first known,

the elevators permanently 'out of order.'

But the building maintained a certain dystopian chic

that London had come to identify with."

--Anna Silver, Otherborn

Genre: YA Dystopia, Science Fiction

Publisher: Sapphire Star, 290 pages

Publication Date: April 4th 2013

Source: eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads   Website   Blog   Twitter   Facebook

Goodreads Description

London and her teenage friends live in a reprocessed world.

Confined within Capital City’s concrete walls, London has done the impossible and the illegal. She’s created something New- a song. But her mentor, club owner Pauly, is not impressed. Since the historic Energy Crisis forced everyone behind walls generations ago, the Tycoons have ensured there is truly nothing new allowed under the sun. Pauly warns London to keep her song to herself, if she knows what’s good for her. 

What he doesn’t know is that London is keeping an even bigger secret: she dreams. And she’s not alone. London’s band-mates and friends have begun dreaming as well, seeing themselves in “night pictures” as beings from another world. As Otherborn, they must piece together the story of their astral avatars, the Others, in order to save their world from a dreamless, hopeless future. 

When Pauly is murdered and an Otherborn goes missing, London realizes someone is hunting them down. Escaping along the Outroads, they brave the deserted Houselands with only their dreams to guide them. Can they find their friend before the assassin finds them? Will being Otherborn save their lives, or destroy them?

My Thoughts

Welcome to this stop on the Otherborn Blog Tour!! When Anna emailed me asking to join her tour I was immediately intrigued by the book...um, duh it is a dystopia, how could I deny? And I am so glad I said yes! The concept of this book was so unique and kind of the epitome and extreme of an oppressive dystopian world. The citizens of the city are pretty much trapped inside the city walls, they are only given vouchers/paper tickets in order to buy food and clothes which are all regulated by the government, art is not only highly censored but all in all obliterated, and nothing New is ever created...no music, art, expression of any kind. This is extreme people. 

The tables start to turn when London does the impossible...she writes a song. This is absolutely unheard of. Not only does she create something New, but we find out she dreams as well. Another thing of legend. And she's not alone. 4 of her closest friends also dream and experience themselves as an alternate human being in their dreams. So mixed in with this dystopian world is this alternate dream universe where our characters also exist. Totally trippy, right?! Enter Rye, Kim, Zen and Avery. All dreamers. All complete with an 'Otherborn,' their alternate persona. Each time we got a glimpse into their dream world was such a treat for me. While it totally twisted my mind trying to figure out and grasp what was going on, I really liked this aspect of the story. I don't read a lot of alternate universe type story lines so this whole idea was so unique and fresh to me. As frustrating as my impatient reading mind is when I'm reading things I don't fully understand yet, the mystery behind it is really intriguing and I wanted to know more. 

Because of this I never really knew where the plot was going. Without giving too much away I really liked the honesty of the character's actions. These were just normal kids trying to make a difference and change their situation. They make mistakes, they have no clue what to do half the time and I feel the desperation behind their dire situation. I thought this brought so much to the story. It felt real because they weren't "regular" kids that all of the sudden know how to fight against the world. 

I do have mixed feelings about the character development of all the characters. The main character London is a very hardened young girl. She is very independent, strong-willed and takes care of herself. She is pretty closed off emotionally which should have irritated me but it made me like her more. Stuff happens later on where she pretty much shuts down and some of me wanted to shake her and say listen, the majority understood where she was coming from. Refusing to give in and be weak. I thought she was just great. I really liked Rye as well. His decisions and being wishy-washy in the beginning bothered me but towards the middle and through the end he started to really grow on me and certain lines of his just blew me away. He began to stand his ground and make decisions. And there is more but again, can't give away the plot.

The other characters in the periphery didn't really make an impact on me. The other two boys Zen and Kim kind of blended together. I mean, they were distinct but I didn't feel as connected to them as I did London and Rye. Avery is a little better and I have a feeling we are going to get more of her in the next installment which I am really looking forward to. Tora was an extremely interesting character. So similar to London but so different at the same time. I really enjoyed her development as a character because her history is so pertinent to the world building and her part in the story is very mysterious and I want to see where her piece of the puzzle fits in. 

The world building is really good. You feel the desperation of the characters. The absolute loss of hope with the people around them. The lack of beauty in the world that is suffocating each one of them. And the story behind their Otherborns is just...wow. I need more details about their history and reason for what is happening to them. Great world building, pretty good character development and the unique plot and story line will definitely keep you interested. I will for sure be reading the next book. :)

And that's not all!!! Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a SIGNED paperback copy of Otherborn and some awesome bookmark swag!!

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About the Author

Anna Silver grew up with a passion for words, books, and storytelling. She began writing as a child and eventually landed at St. Edward’s University in Austin where she studied English Writing & Rhetoric. She has always nurtured a vivid imagination and a love for art, expression, and fantasy. Currently she resides in the greater Houston area with her family and pets where she continues to read, write, and dream. Otherborn is her first published novel. 

Blog Tour Stop Round 2!! The End of the World as We Know It by Iva-Marie Palmer

Yay!! Thanks for stopping back by for even MORE fun stuff about his totally hilarious book! Ms. Palmer herself has dropped by Belle of the Literati for an interview, she tells us her Top Ten Fictional Characters That She Would Want With Her at the End of the World, and A GIVEAWAY of her book!! Ebook format and you will totally love it! :) 
So without further ado, here she is!
Welcome to Belle of the Literati Iva!!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Belle! I loved these questions and hope I did them justice!

What was your inspiration for the idea of The End of the World As We Know It?

I wanted to write something that felt like the John Hughes movies I grew up with -- Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink. Those movies have stuck with me, I think because they so effortlessly blended humor with characters that felt real (but just slightly better than real.) The End of the World As We Know It started as a book where the four main characters were just trapped together for the night, which is a hellacious enough scenario in high school when you're all from different social strata and don't get along. But I needed something bigger. The stakes just weren't high enough. Add a deadly alien attack and -- voila! -- stakes now high enough. 

(LOVE all these movies!)

What 3 other people from your life would you want with you at The End of The World?

Only three? This question makes me nervous! I’m going to put a disclaimer on it for my loved ones and just say that even if you didn’t make it into this list, it doesn’t mean I would not come and find you. (However, I'm crap at finding things so maybe that's terrible of me.) 

That said, I need my husband, because I’m figuratively and literally lost without him. Seriously, I can’t find my way out of the mall without him. Next has to be my son Clark. He’s only two and semi-destructive in his own right but he’s adorable and funny and, come on, fruit of my loins. Plus, I’m a neurotic enough parent that if he weren't with me, I'd be so distracted and preoccupied  I'd walk right into a giant fissure in the earth. Number three would be any of the children’s librarians from my hometown library (in Oak Lawn, Illinois, on the south side of Chicago.)  They were always so willing to help me with anything I needed – librarians rule that way – and how could you not want that at the end of the world?

Which of your 4 main characters do you think you are most like?

I think there are threads of me in all of them. Yes, even Teena. But most like? I've said before I'm like the love child of Sarabeth and Leo, but I definitely lean toward being more a Sarabeth. I was always a good student and a bit of a loner. However, Leo's voice is probably most mine. I think I’m somewhat observant and, more importantly, I, too, like to make jokes at inappropriate intervals. 

If The End of The World As We Know It actually occurred what kind of role do you think you would play post-Earth? (i.e. Leader, thinker, sitting in the corner and crying, etc.  )

Of course I want to say I’d be some amazing badass (Can I say badass? Or is bada** preferred?), with the post-apocalyptic wardrobe to boot. However, I'm a bit of a daydreamer and have a short attention span so it's more likely I'm the person in the corner, not crying but semi-useless. Though I like to think that I'd also be the one who -- when all hope is lost -- says something random like, "Every koala falls from its tree once in a while" that leads the more capable people to latch onto a plan and think I'm brilliant. 

Maybe I can have a badass wardrobe for doing that, too?

I loved how each individual was so uniquely characterized, did you base them off of friends or people you know in real life?

I’m so glad you liked them – I do, too. Weirdly, I know that everyone and thing influences me, but I never knowingly try to use a person I know in real life as the basis for a character.  I think there are all these bits and pieces and thoughts floating in my head and those particles find each other and grow into a character. Certainly, some of those particles must have originated with people I know but I feel lucky that when I’m developing characters it always feels a little magical and not tied to the real world at all. 

Your italicized interludes that spoke directly to the reader were so unique and completely hilarious! How and why did you decide you needed those in the book?

Thank you!!! I wrote the first interlude as an exercise for myself during the early stages of the book, back when it was just about the party and had no aliens. I wanted a sort of omniscient look at the high school social structure and this sort of knowing, insider-y voice. The early versions are all on old files – and they’re much longer and kind of fun outtakes, actually about Teena's invites finding their way across a very clique-y cafeteria. 

Then, as the book developed, I kept writing interludes because I was switching point-of-views, and I wanted at least one voice that talked directly to the reader. And then that voice came in so handy as I wrote.

Fangirl question: If you were at the end of the world, which Facebook group would you join? Leo is hotter or Evan is hotter? :)

Oh boy… I feel like I’m choosing between children – and that’s pretty gross. BUT… I can take a step back and if I distance myself, I’d have to go with Leo. I can’t resist a good sense of humor, plus he knows how to make pizza. 

More importantly, who would you pick, Belle? :)

(Leo...totally Leo, sexy sci-fi geek=Heaven)

And I always like to ask these few questions of any author I get to talk to :)

What books have you read recently that you have absolutely loved?

I confess that this year I feel so lame because I’ve only read 26 books (as of this writing on Dec. 16), unless you count reading the same Richard Scarry book 100 times as individual books. Toddler plus full-time job plus writing means I’m behind. But I think I’ve become better at picking books because time is so tight. I loved Anna and the French Kiss, The Art of Fielding, and oh my gosh, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks is amazing. Everyone should read that book. I read my son bigger-kid books at bedtime, and I’ve been loving everything Roald Dahl ever wrote. He never talked down to kids.

I've also become hooked on all the great books from women comedians, like Tina Fey's Bossypants and Mindy Kaling's Is Everybody Hanging Out without Me? I need more like that.

If you ask me this question next year, I hope to have a bigger list. In the meantime, I encourage people to friend me on GoodReads and recommend books for my ever-growing to-read pile. I have so many I want to get to next year, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop adding to the list. Yes, I'm an addict.

Are there any specific books or authors growing up that inspired you to become a writer?

Well, I wasn’t the kid who knew she wanted to be a writer from a young age, not because I didn’t want to but because I didn’t really know it was something one could just do. But, I have writers from my childhood who I loved and wish I still wish to emulate. Judy Blume, Jerry Spinelli, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine. I devoured everything they ever did. I also was obsessed with joke books and MAD magazine and I think that’s what gave me my taste for comedy. I lived on that stuff. I could pore over MAD magazine for hours. 

I think the biggest influence wasn't books in specific but books and reading in general. I'd see my parents reading a lot -- my mom would read a romance novel in a day or two, even with two kids. When you see an adult read so much, you kind of want to know what the big deal is. Then you start reading and find out. My mom took me to the library a lot and let me roam the shelves freely. To this day, I feel both calmed and excited in the presence of lots of books. 

If you could host a dinner party and invite 5 people dead or alive, who would they be? 

I think, for one, I want them all to be dead, just so no one whips out a cell phone.

Dorothy Parker -- She's hilarious, and I think we could work on an amazing sitcom together.

Alice Roosevelt -- If you haven't read about her, do. She's the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt and just cool. She's famous for having said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me." Can you get a better party guest than that?

Cary Grant – He’s charming, interesting, and multilayered, plus I just know he’d bring a great hostess gift. 

Anne Boleyn – I feel like she and Alice Roosevelt would either really get along or would hate each other so much as to make the night interesting. And with all the royal scandals she weathered or was part of, she’d be chock-full of gossip. 

Kurt Vonnegut -- He had a way of thinking about the world that was unique. I’m really anxious to read his letters. Plus, my husband would love to sit next to him. 

(Oh.My.Gosh.I.Love.Anne.Boleyn. Such an amazing choice!! She would be at my dinner, too!! :) )

Top Ten Fictional Characters That Iva-Marie Palmer 

Would Want With Her at the End of the World

Thank you so much for letting me drop in! I’m so excited to be on Belle of the Literati!

If the world ends tomorrow, I want to hit the books (and one TV show) for my ultimate band of co-survivors. Here are the top ten fictional characters I want by my side in the apocalypse. 

Kristy, of The Babysitters Club (Ann M. Martin) – I know I’m dating myself, but when I read these books starting in 4th grade or so, she was my least favorite character for her type-A bossiness. But when it comes time for the apocalypse, I think I want a type-A boss type around. 

Clifford the Big Red Dog (Norman Bridwell)   -- It’s not that these are my favorite children’s books or anything. I picked Clifford because he’s a giant red dog. How can that not help?

Atticus Finch, of To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) – He’s so principled, so moral. Such an all-around good guy (without seeming annoying, mind you.) With him around, I feel more confident that my survivor clique won’t descend into cannibalism.

(Love Atticus! So noble!)

Mr. Rochester, of Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) – He’s a brooding pessimist and likely the perfect foil to Atticus Finch. Plus, between him and Atticus, I’ve got my love triangle all figured out. (Hint: I’m one side.)

(Swooning over Mr. Rochester)

Harry Potter’s son, James Sirius Potter of The Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling) – Aside from the genetics, you know he has something to prove. Dad’s shadow is BIG.

(I'm in love with anything Harry Potter)

Blair Waldorf, of Gossip Girl (Cecily von Ziegesar) – I feel like Blair has a ritzy apocalypse set-up somewhere and if I make her part of my team, at least the end of the world will have a full, top-shelf bar and some nice party dresses.

(SO true!!)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) – I know she’s not from a book (though, she kind of is with the spin-off novels and comic books), but she is from my favorite TV show. And, I know she’s an obvious choice, given all her apocalypse experience. But, if the earth cracks open and hell beasties spill out, obvious is exactly what you need. 

Frankie Landau-Banks, of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (E. Lockhart) – Two words: Master. Mind. When I read this brilliant book, part of my review was, “I wish Frankie was a real person so I could either be her best friend or her fiercest rival.” For the apocalypse, I’ll take her as a best friend.

Bella Swann, of the Twilight series (Stephenie Meyer) – I’m probably going to draw some fire for this, but in her pre-vampire state, there’s no question she’s the weakest link. And that means that I would not be. 

(Best.Answer.Ever. Legit cackling out loud. Well played, Iva...well played)

Holden Caulfield, of The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) – Once in a while, I'll need someone who wants to sit on the apocalypse sidelines, not participating, and complaining that everyone else is jerks. Holden's that someone.

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!! We have a giveaway here at Belle of the Literati!! Enter below for a chance to win a copy of The End Of the World As We Know It by Iva-Marie Palmer! 

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About the Author

Author of The End of the World as We Know It from Alloy Entertainment. It's currently available as a NOOK exclusive from Barnes and Noble. Look for it on Kindle and other e-readers on August 18. 

Palmer lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son and lots of (filled) bookshelves.

For more information, check out her bio on Alloy Entertainment's official site and keep up with her at ivamariepalmer.com.

Find Out More About the Author Iva-Marie Palmer!

On Her Website

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Find Out More About the Book

Goodreads

Purchase on Amazon

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Blog Tour Stop!! The End of the World as We Know It by Iva-Marie Palmer

"Have you ever had one of those life-changing days?

'Oh, definitely,' you say.

You're thinking: the night you got to second base;

your first sip of Natty Light in that musty corner 

of your next-door neighbor's basement;

that time at Taco Bell they gave you a chalupa instead of a gordita 

and you had a revelation about the menu that  felt wise and universal

--It's. All. The. Same. Shit."

--Iva-Marie Palmer, The End of the World as We Know It

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction/Humor

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment, ebook 229 pages

Release Date: July 17th, 2012

Find on Goodreads--The End of The World as We Know It by Iva-Marie Palmer

Source: ebook provided by The Book Babe's Blog Tour for Blog Tour Stop! :)

Goodreads Description:

They wanted to party like it was their last night on earth. They just might get their wish….

Meet the four most unlikely heroes ever:

Teena McAuley: Queen Bee, first-class problem solver, resident heartbreaker.

Leo Starnick: UFO conspirator, pizza delivery boy, all-around slacker.

Evan Brighton: Baseball all-star, extreme virgin, Teena-worshipper.

Sarabeth Lewis: Straight-A student, weekend hermit, enemy of the color pink.

When Teena locks Leo, Evan, and Sarabeth in the basement during her biggest party of the year, she doesn’t plan on getting trapped in the Loser Dungeon herself. She can barely imagine a night with these dweebs—let alone a lifetime. But when an alien invasion destroys their entire Midwestern suburb, it looks like these unlikely friends are the last people on earth. Now, it’s up to them to save the world….

Welcome to one of many fabulous stops for The End of the World as We Know It Blog Tour hosted by The Book Babe's Blog Tour!!! This is my first ever blog tour and I am sooooo excited about it! Ask Megan over at The Book Babe I was so totally clueless before starting but I'm hoping I got everything right :) SO! This being my first blog tour EVER, imagine my surprise in receiving a book that I absolutely adored!! Oh. My. Gosh. This book was so great! Obviously as you read from the description above, this book is about 4 teenagers who couldn't be any more different from one another. All from different levels of the high school social hierarchy. But, after their town is attacked by aliens they are forced to work together to survive and ultimately save the world. 

First off, this book was hilarious! If you take anything away from this review know this. This book will you have legit laughing out loud...I know I was and it was slightly embarrassing and creepy to realize I was cackling out loud in an empty house...oh well.  The witty banter of dialogue and the honest inner monologues of each character was so right on and perfect. They had normal teenage fears and worries even in the midst of a massive alien invasion. I just felt like the normal teenage actions the characters had was exactly how real life teenagers in the same situations would act like.  It was very honest and real which is another thing I loved! Palmer had sporadic interludes of italicized text that had the narrator speaking directly to the reader and they were amazingly timed! They emphasized a critique a reader might have while experiencing their story and gave insight into the character's actions. Such as, why were these kids worrying about what their crush thought of them while it could be their last day on Earth?...Um, because they're teenagers and are driven by hormones and just want to be loved!! Funny yet completely real and honest. 

Each of the main four protagonists was so uniquely characterized and each brought something special to the table. These weren't cookie cutter teenagers that blended together, they were complex and deep and had a lot of stuff going on under the surface. Each chapter is from a different person's perspective which really kept the story going. I couldn't wait to see who I got to read about next. I loved them all...well one dragged behind in the love department a little but they eventually grew on me :). Sarabeth was fierce. Scared of her own damned shadow but watching her grow into herself and become confident and assertive was a fantastic character arc. Evan was similar. Completely unsure of himself and stepson of a preacher man, he had a lot working against him in the popularity department but watching him develop as a character was just as satisfying for me as a reader. Teena was the standard popular girl with a snide remark for everything but beneath that icy exterior she also had a good amount of substance. Leo...oh, Leo. Love love love. Brilliant but token underachiever; Witty but such a typical horndog teenager; Concert cellist but full-time pot smoker; Resident cool guy but obsessive with UFO and alien theories...read: Geek. He was my hands down favorite. He always had a quick wit line to throw out laced with dirty undertones, he had me lol'ing more than most. He had so much more going on underneath than what people around him saw. I loved this about him. Can't judge a book by its cover, right? 

Their journey to save the world was fast paced and always kept me on my toes. The novel didn't leave unanswered questions which I also loved, there were no plot holes or guessing as to what in the world was going on. The writing style was quick and the plot line of the characters' actions were believable. Trying to figure out how to take the aliens down was one of my favorite parts...along with both shopping sprees :) This book was filled with kick-ass teenagers trying to save the world. Were they able to overcome the daunting task of destroying the aliens and saving the world?...Well, you'll just have to read to find out! 

I truly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves a little sci-fi with a lot of laughter! So. Frickin'. Good.

And if my brilliant use of vocabulary and witty repartee of a review didn't make you go out and get this book immediately then maybe an excerpt will help :) Below is a short excerpt from the book...Enjoy!!  And don't forget to check back on Saturday December 29th for an interview with Ms. Iva-Marie Palmer herself, her Top Ten Fictional Characters she would want with her at the end of the world, and a GIVEAWAY her book! Yay!!! See you all then! For now, here's a sneak peek of her book!

Excerpt:

The End of The World As We Know It by Iva-Marie Palmer

Find Out More About the Author Iva-Marie Palmer!
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Find Out More About the Book
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Reaching Too Far

"It's all right to wonder..."

--Ally Condie, Reached

*tear*, thus with Reached brings the final conclusion to the Matched trilogy...*sigh*...I was SO excited to get this book but so sad to see it all end! Isn't that how it always goes with the ends of series? Bittersweet? I loved Matched and Crossed and Reached did not disappoint. The cover stayed with the theme of the first two and I have to say how much I LOVE them. They are so pure and pretty and clean looking, I just LOVE them. AND I received my copy at a signing Ms. Condie did at Anderson's in Naperville, IL so I got to meet her! Yay!! She is seriously like the cutest person ever! So kind, so sweet, and she signed a ton of Matched trilogy posters that are so cool! *Pics at the end of review :)

So if you haven't read Matched and Crossed I suggest you go do that now because I will be spoiling them for you in 3....2...1...now! So we FINALLY have all three main characters perspectives represented in this book. I LOVE THIS! We finally get to hear Xander's voice! It was excellent! We find Cassia working in Central, Ky is flying planes for the Rising with Indie and Xander is working in Camas as a physic when a plague breaks out. The main focus of the novel is finding a cure for this plague. Each character in the beginning is separately doing their part to help the Rising overtake the Society...I cannot say anything more plot-wise because I do not want to ruin anything for you.

I am slightly biased being a nurse but I LOVED the medical aspect of this book. The plague, the cure research, the explanation of the physiological aspect of the disease, I just loved it! And I love how all the characters we have learned about and love develop and start to really make their way in the world. These are not the naive teenagers we met in Matched. These are strong, independent and fierce adults making tough decisions for themselves and the ones they love.

The alternating viewpoints of the characters make you want to keep reading because you are always wanting to see whose point of view you get insight into next. The teamwork that Xander, Cassia and Ky have is beautiful. They really make a great team and make up a third of a complete circle. I feel like Xander really got the shaft in the last book so to see him so much in the forefront of this story was amazing.

The plot continued to surprise me at every turn. I thought I knew where the story was going and that we already knew everything...oh but we didn't. While each book ties and flows into one another I feel like each book has its own distinctive feel and voice unto itself. I think this is so cool. There were things that happened and revealed in Reached that I hadn't thought about since Matched so it was all that more surprising and revealing. LOVE!

I have heard of other people express disappointment in this series and I can't help but disagree. While there are holes in the world building and the political aspect of this series is not the strongest and wrapped up a little too neatly very soon in the beginning, what I love about Matched is that the dystopia is more on the periphery of the story. These books are about the people. The emotional journey of the characters is the main drive of these novels and I find this to be very different than a lot of dystopians out there. The human condition is explored so much in this last novel that you really get to know the emotional depth of the characters; their thoughts, their fears, their hopes, their dreams for the future; everything! While there is so much is going on in the Society, I really like how the book focuses more on the characters' reactions to the events rather than the specific events themselves. 

With that said, the emotional turmoil all the characters go through all felt so real. The ending and conclusion to their journey was perfect. The story wrapped up excellently and there were no holes left at the end for readers to ponder, which I am sure any reader of any series can fully appreciate :) I am so sad to see their stories end! I seriously cannot believe I just finished the final book! So sad! But happy...emotions are in a whirlwind! *tear* But seriously, I loved reading Matched but I am still in a little bit of shock that it is all over...guess I can always read it again :)

4/5 Stars

                                        

Yay Ally Condie!!! <3

Kate Morton Book Tour!!!

Last week I had the extreme fortune of meeting the absolutely fabulous Kate Morton. Oh my gosh was I fan girling when I found out she was coming. I never in my life thought I would ever get to meet her! I read her first book The House at Riverton a few years ago and have been in love with her writing ever since. If you have not had the pleasure her books are the art of storytelling. They always deal with at least two timelines, present, past, and sometimes further past. She weaves these tales with amazing descriptions, epic family drama, and you never know how the entire story fits together until the very end. She is truly a gifted writer...and when you hear her speak you can tell it is completely natural for her. She spoke shortly about her journey to becoming an author, read and excerpt from her newest novel The Secret Keeper, and then answered questions. She is really just so lovely and I could listen to her speak all day because her accent is just so cool...(I wish I had an accent...*scowls*). But really, she was so incredibly nice, she signed my stack of books I brought with me and did a different and unique inscription in each one. She even told me she loved my copy of The House at Riverton because it was "the original look, good job you you've been here since the beginning." Yes, yes I have Kate and I have loved every minute of it. So here are my pictures from the event, mostly myself and my lovely books...Enjoy!

The Lovely Kate Morton and Myself

And my books...The House at Riverton

The Forgotten Garden

The Distant Hours

And finally...The Secret Keeper...Can't wait to read this!!

Fierce Reads Tour!!!

So it took me awhile to post this but I wanted to recap my AMAZING time at the Fierce Reads tour that took place in Gurnee, IL. It was so.much.fun! Leigh Bardugo is HILARIOUS! Her and Gennifer Albin were just a riot, seriously. Caragh O'Brien was absolutely a delight to talk to. I LOVE her Birthmarked trilogy and she really took the time to talk with me and discuss the books. She even said it sounds like I have a little Gaia in my personality...YES!  I shall take the compliment! SO NICE! It was really interesting to hear where they call go their inspiration for their stories. Most entertaining was Marie Rutkoski and how the opening of her novel about a mother throwing a knife at their child was a true story...wicked cool! I got some sweet book swag too! *pictured below :) *

Here are my pics I took with all the authors and my signed books. Shadow and Bone is amazing if you haven't read it yet as is the entire Birthmarked series! Crewel and The Shadow Society I have yet to read but I am SO excited to read them I hear they are phenomenal! Reviews to come :)

                                 

Leigh Bardugo and Shadow and Bone :) 

*Note the caption...so amazing...so true...fangirl of the Darkling 

                              

                                

 

Caragh O'Brien and all the books in her PHENOMENAL Birthmarked Trilogy.

*Again, note the captions, LOVE them :)

                                  

 

Gennifer Albin and Crewel...Remember who you are :)

                               

 

Marie Rutkoski and The Shadow Society...really excited to read this!

AND my bitchin' book swag :) That nail polish rocks my socks by the way.