Feature and Follow Friday #155

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Source: Bought via Audible

Summary

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.

Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

On the first page of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, there's the following lines: "Some of you may not even realize that there's more than one Prince Charming. And that none of them are actually named Charming. No one is. Charming isn't a name. It's an adjective." How can you not love a book that starts out like that?

Waiting on Wednesday: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Publish Date: September 24, 2013

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

I picked this up at BEA and I'm super excited to read it!

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Publisher

Summary

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome." (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

I went into Truly, Madly, Deadly not knowing what to expect. Was it a paranormal, a mystery, or a thriller? The synopsis leaves us dangling on a little cliff, not knowing what we'll see when we fall. Truly, Madly, Deadly is a classic psychological thriller, full of murder, suspense, and things that go bump in the night.

Manga Mondays #154: Swan vol. 11 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Swan vol. 11 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Summary

As the only exception to the Japan Ballet Association's scholarship program, underdog dancer Hijiri Masumi trains hard every day with other students who have all won the right to train under the best dance instructors. Because Masumi's technique leaves much to be desired, master instructor and genius dancer Alexei Sergeiev demands that she return to the basics to improve her technique. Masumi practices diligently, so that she will be chosen as one of three student performers in the Japan Ballet Company's special performance in Moscow. Eventually, some of the ballet students depart for various destinations around the world to further their dance careers. As Alexei leaves for Moscow, he reminds her once again to master the basics, because her journey has just begun. Hearing this heartening message, Masumi vows to work hard, and returns to the ballet studio to practice, only to find a handsome new foreign student has arrived. Will this newcomer support her in her quest to develop as a dancer, or will romantic entanglements become an obstacle? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

Not only were Hijiri and Aoi not disqualified by the late arrival in the pairs part of the Tokyo World Competition, but they won first place! Now Hijiri is moving on to another part of the competition. She is paired with Leonhardt.

Feature and Follow Friday #154

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher

Summary

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

Do you like hot, edgy romance? Do you like reading about characters who seem unlikable yet lovable at the same time? Do you like books featuring good friends and good family as well as bad friends and bad family? If so, you'll love Dare You To.

Waiting on Wednesday: Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair

Publish Date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.

My Twilight Breakup

There are all kinds of breakups. The kind where screaming and crying ensue. The kind that makes your lips curl back in disgust even years later. And then there's the quiet kind. You may not even realize it's happening.  You go about your daily life together happily enough. But one day you look at your love and realize that the wonder has gone. The beauty has faded. Reluctantly, amicably, you go your separate ways left only with happy memories and look out upon a fresh new world.

A rather melodramatic opening paragraph, I know, but it describes my feelings towards Twilight as of late. I've been a huge champion of the Twilight series since I began blogging three years ago:

I Love Twilight and I Am Not Ashamed
Totally Twilight Month

Reviews:
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn

I loved the books and I loved the movies. I wasn't blind to the series' flaws, both in writing style and social implications, but the story, the characters, and the romance swept me away.

Manga Mondays #153: Black Butler vol. 1 by Yana Toboso

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Black Butler vol. 1 by Yana Toboso

Summary

In the Victorian ages of London The Earl of the Phantomhive house, Ciel Phantomhive, needs to get his revenge on those who had humiliated him and destroyed what he loved. Not being able to do it alone he sells his soul to a demon he names Sebastian Michaelis. Now working as his butler, Sebastian must help the Earl Phantomhive in this suspenseful, exciting, thriller manga. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

I picked up this manga, because I've heard so many people say that it's a great series. After one volume, I don't know...

Feature and Follow Friday #153

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Source: Won

Summary

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Marie Brennan introduces an enchanting new world in A Natural History of Dragons. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

A Natural History of Dragons is a book that defies categorization. It feels like a YA novel but is narrated by a married woman. With the presence of dragons, it is fantastical but models the culture of Victorian England so closely that it seems more like historical fiction. It is most definitely fictional, but is told in the style of a memoir.

Waiting on Wednesday: Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Publish Date: August 27, 2013

Publisher: Walker Childrens

*I love to cook and haven't seen enough food-heavy YA novels.

Blog Tour: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Here's How to Buy the Book! 

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

Powell's Books (Support an Indie Bookstore!)

Summary

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

---

I'm honored to present an excerpt of Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne today! Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Fire.

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Manga Mondays #152: Swan vol. 10 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Swan vol. 10 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Summary

Round 2 of the World Ballet Competition is about to begin. Masumi is still shaken by the news regarding Kusakabe, the dancer she loved, yet she must now put her pain behind her and dance the performance of a lifetime. Aoi, her loyal and dedicated dance partner will certainly be there to support her, but what role might the mysterious Leonhardt Von Christ come to play in the young ballerina's life? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

Hijiri and Aoi give an incredible performance in the pairs part of the Tokyo World Ballet Competition. But talk about a love triangle...Hijiri's inspiration is her heartache over Kusakabe. Aoi's inspiration is his heartache over Hijiri. Whatever it takes...

Feature and Follow Friday #152

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

GIVEAWAY! - Blog Tour: Goddess by Josephine Angelini - Author Interview

Have you read the Starcrossed series yet? If not, you really should. Even if - like me - you're not a big fan of Greek mythology, the story will sweep you in. Forbidden romance. Paranormal creatures (aka gods/demi-gods). A fascinating mythological world.

Get the series!

Starcrossed: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Dreamless: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Starcrossed City (novella prequel to Starcrossed): Goodreads | exclusively on Josephine's website
Goddess: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin

Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Poppy
Source: Publisher

Summary

THE RULES OF SUMMER is about two 17 year-old girls living in the same beachfront mansion in East Hampton for the summer, one “upstairs” (the daughter of a very blue-blooded family) and one “downstairs” (the niece of the family’s housekeeper.) Isabel is the privileged daughter who’s used to having guys fall at her feet. Rory is the no-nonsense girl from a small New Jersey town who’s always been the friend, never the girlfriend. Besides becoming each other’s unlikely allies, both Rory and Isabel have a summer romance that will change their lives. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

I love Joanna Philbin's Daughters series. I was sad to see it end, but thrilled to see what she had in store for us next. Like the Daughters books, Rules of Summer is a feel-good, light read featuring the lives of wealthy (and not-so-wealthy) teens.

Manga Mondays #151: Swan vol. 9 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Swan vol. 9 by Kyoko Ariyoshi

Summary

As the only exception to the Japan Ballet Association's scholarship program, underdog dancer Hijiri Masumi trains hard every day with other students who have all won the right to train under the best dance instructors. Because Masumi's technique leaves much to be desired, master instructor and genius dancer Alexei Sergeiev demands that she return to the basics to improve her technique. Masumi practices diligently, so that she will be chosen as one of three student performers in the Japan Ballet Company's special performance in Moscow. Eventually, some of the ballet students depart for various destinations around the world to further their dance careers. As Alexei leaves for Moscow, he reminds her once again to master the basics, because her journey has just begun. Hearing this heartening message, Masumi vows to work hard, and returns to the ballet studio to practice, only to find a handsome new foreign student has arrived. Will this newcomer support her in her quest to develop as a dancer, or will romantic entanglements become an obstacle? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

This volume is all about the Tokyo World Ballet Competition. In that way, it's a little dull, because it's just dance after dance after dance. On the other hand, we get to visit a lot of characters we met in previous volumes and meet a few new ones.