BLOG TOUR: OFF THE ICE

 

Today I am a host for the Blog Tour of Off The Ice by Julie Cross. This Blog Tour was coordinated by Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours.

PUBLISHER: Entangled – Teen

DATE PUBLISHED: 28th February 2017

PAGES: 320

BLURB: 

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

 

 

REVIEW:

 

The general plot of this book was really good, I liked exploring these two characters and their lives. Particularly their family lives. The plot at times was slow for me and I would have liked a bit more to the romance between Claire and Tate. Otherwise this book was good with the characters put in particularly difficult situations in their teenage years. The complexity to these characters was impressive and I felt like this book was more of a drama than a romance. As a drama this is a good book with an inkling of romance in it.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

 

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).

She’s also the author of the Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

 

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.
She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

 

Outside of her reading and writing cred, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

 

 

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

LINKS:

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25538649-off-the-ice

 

Purchase Links:

 

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | Indies | B&N| Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

 

 

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

 

 

 

 

 

TAG TUESDAY – BOOKISH ACADEMY AWARDS TAG

 

 

Each week I am doing a new Bookish Tag. I am really enjoying this feature on my blog  and hoe you are too. Because we had the Oscars on Sunday I thought it apt to do the:

 

 

 

Best Actor – Best Male Protagonist

Simon – Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

 

Best Actress – Best Female Protagonist

Celeana – Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

 

Best Cinematography – Best Plot Twist

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

 

 

Best Costume Design – Best Book Cover

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 

 

 

Best Supporting Actor / Actress – Best Side Character

Despina – The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh

 

Best Original Screenplay – Most Original World / Setting

The Fae World –  A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

 

 

Best Adapted Screenplay – Best Book to Movie Adaptation

The Jungle Book 

 

 

Best Animated Feature – A Book You’d Love to See Animated

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

 

 

Best Director – Best Writer You’ve Read for the First Time

Sarah J Maas

 

 

Best Short Film – Best Collection of Short Stories / Novella

My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins 

 

 

Best Visual Effects – Best Action in a Book

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

 

 

Best Documentary – Best Historical Fiction / Non-Fiction

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

 

 

Best Picture – Best Standalone Novel

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

 

 

 

I just wanted to note that the books I chose from for each of these categories were the book I read in 2016, not necessarily released in 2016.

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

REVIEW: HEART OF STONE

 

 

PUBLISHER: St. Martins

 

DATE PUBLISHED: 31st December 2013

 

PAGES: 297

 

 

 

BLURB: 

 

Ella Harrow is trying to carve out a normal life for herself. Well, as normal as an art geek with psychic abilities can hope for. As museum docent and gift-shop manager, Ella is able to keep her distance from people—and her powers in check—while surrounding herself with the artifacts she loves. But how on earth is she supposed to act normal when a thousand-year-old statue on the museum’s terrace suddenly comes to life?

Heart of Stone

Not your ordinary gargoyle, Kees has been asleep for eons, waiting for a portent of evil to wake him from his slumber. Kees isn’t a vision; he’s a bat-winged guardian created to protect the world from the seven demons of the Dark. Somehow, Ella triggered his reawakening. Maybe the demons have been unleashed? Maybe his heart is finally ready to be chiseled open? The fate of the world isn’t carved in stone…yet.

 

 

REVIEW:

 

This is the start of a new series by Christine Warren focusing on, you guessed it, Gargoyles.  I do love paranormal reads and I have never read a book about Gargoyles before so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. All the elements of a successful paranormal romance were present and accounted for. The world building in this urban setting was enjoyable and allowed for me to understand the premise that was being presented for this series. The ability of Kees to transform from his gargoyle shape to human was interesting and allowed for the romance aspect of the novel. The romance itself was steamy and just what I wanted from this novel. I am interested to see how this world progresses and want to read more about Kees’ fellow Gargoyles as they are brought to life.

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Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

FEBRUARY 2017 MONTHLY RECOMMENDATIONS

Monthly Recommendations is a Goodreads group where each month the participants recommend books that meet the topic for the months. The February topic is:

OTP

Rhys and Feyre – A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Jane and G – My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

Sharazad and Khalid – The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh 

Andie and Clark – The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Scarlet and Wolf – Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Rose and Dimitri – Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Clary and Jace – City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Katniss and Peta – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catharine and Jest – Heartless by Marissa Meyer

America and Maxon – The Selection by Kiera Cass

What is your favourite bookish OTP?

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

REVIEW: TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN

 

 

PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books

 

DATE PUBLISHED: 29th November 2016

 

PAGES: 224

 

 

 

BLURB:

 

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.

 

 

REVIEW:

 

This autobiography by Lauren Graham was a great quick read that gave me insight into Lauren’s life and how it felt like being the iconic character of Lorelei Gilmore and getting to reprise that role in Gilmore Girls – A Year in the Life Of. I don’t think you will enjoy this book if you don’t know or like Lauren and her work, but as a fan I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into a fabulous actor that I admire.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

FEBRUARY 2017 BOOK ROULETTE

 

I forgot to post this earlier in the month but I wanted to post my February Book Roulette before the month ends. The book that I spun for February was:

Have you read this book? Have you been participating in the Epic Reads Book Roulette? Let me know in the comments.

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

REVIEW: CROAK

 

 

PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 

DATE PUBLISHED: 20th March 2012

 

PAGES: 311

 

 

 

BLURB: 

 

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex’s parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can’t stop her desire for justice — or is it vengeance? — whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

 

 

REVIEW:

 

I had never heard of this book before I came across the audiobook. I am very happy I gave this book a go because it was amazing. The new mythology of Grim Reapers and making them a working business organisation was a brilliant idea and executed in a way that made serious subject material like death funny at times and  serious when necessary. The pure sarcasm in the dialogue was an utter treat and made the characters more realistic. There was some romance in the general story but this did not subtract from the overall storyline of Lex being introduced to this new world that she is now a part of.  The puns introduced in the different stores in Croak were refreshing. The plot twist at the ending was one I was not expecting and I need to continue this series. If you like Supernatural or City of Bones I recommend you give Croak a go.

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Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

TOP TEN TUESDAY

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week TTT is taking a week off for a break. Therefore I am going to choose a previous topic for me to complete. The topic I will complete this week is:

FAVOURITE CHARACTERS

Calaena – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Sharazad – The Wrath and the Dawn by Rene Adhieh 

Hannah – The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Simon – Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Arsinoe – Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Kelsea – The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Mare – Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Cinder – Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Audrey Rose – Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco 

Jane – My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

What do you think of this weeks list? Who is your favourite character? Let me know in the comments.

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

BLOG TOUR – AWAKENING: BLOODLINE

 

Today I am a host for the Blog Tour of Awakening: Bloodline by Tiera Rice. This Blog Tour is coordinated by Xpresso Book Tours.

PUBLISHER: Eula Rae Printing & Publishing

DATE PUBLISHED: 20th October 2016

PAGES: 254

This

BLURB:

Antanasia knows better than anyone that being royal comes with lots of expectations. Born into war as a Vampyre Witch, she has to battle the ultimate enemy: her own blood. When she has a terrifying Vision, Antanasia fights harder than ever to prevent it from coming to pass. Will she succeed? Or does she die trying? Nadia is an average teenager celebrating her nineteenth birthday. But her day turns upside down when she starts developing unusual abilities that make her question everything she knew. Searching for answers to her predicament, she finds herself trusting Nicolae, a stranger with a familiar presence. Why does she feel so drawn to him? Will Nadia find answers to the questions about her past and take on her new role willingly? Or will she choose to remain in the dark and deny her destiny?

REVIEW:

This book alternates between Wallachia 1480 and New York 2015 and between Antanasia and Nadia. The world building and the vampire folklore really appealed t me and I loved reading about these two women. As the book unfolds the connections between these two women become evident and the story picks up. The pace is consistent through the book and had me hooked. Both women were intriguing to read about and I need to know what happens in future books.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Tiera Rice was raised in Rockland County, New York and is a realtor in Rockland, Westchester, and Orange Counties. She earned her degree in criminal justice from Temple University, is the founder of Laughter and Lemonade: a project that focuses on motivational posters for those experiencing a chronic illness, and co-founder of #26forTiera: a foundation that provides financial resources to single parents battling life-threatening illnesses.
A creator of poems and short-stories for many years, Tiera challenged herself by leaping into the world of novels. Having recently survived a battle with cancer, Tiera decided to use her writing to entertain and motivate her readers. When not writing or selling houses, Tiera can be found spending time with her friends and family, especially her young daughter, fish, and kitty cat. Her other interests include singing, drawing, and dancing.

Links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15968811.Tiera_Rice
https://www.facebook.com/tierawrites/
https://www.tierarice.com/

Tweets by tierawrites

 

 

LINKS:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32613594-awakening

Purchase:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCT1MLM
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/awakening-tiera-rice/1125011136?ean=9780997674804
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/awakening-168

 

 

GIVEAWAY:

 

$25 Amazon Gift Card

 

If you would like to enter this giveaway, click here.

 

 

 

Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati

 

 

REVIEW: ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND

 

 

PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen

 

DATE PUBLISHED: 25th September 2012

 

PAGES: 404

 

 

 

BLURB:

 

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

 

 

REVIEW:

 

This retelling of Alice in Wonderland is truly bloody. Even though this is a retelling of a classic tale there is only a scattering of elements of the source material in this story. The zombies in this book are similar to stereotypical zombies but there are some elemental differences. Gena Showalters zombies still eat flesh and are still dead but they are not rotting corpses. They are infected and attack people on the spirit plane. Therefore there are only a select amount of people who can see and fight these zombies. When Ali’s family dies she sees the zombies and starts the fight. Other characters are introduced to help Ali in the fight and train her. Cole is introduced as a love interest for Ali and their chemistry is off the charts. I will read this series to the end because I must know what is next in store for Ali and the gang.

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Keep Calm and Read On,

Kati