Saturday, March 31, 2018

Blog Tour: The Window by Amelia Brunskill ~Review & Giveaway!~


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Window by Amelia Brunskill!

Check out my review and enter the giveaway below!


The Window
by Amelia Brunskill
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: April 3, 2018
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller


Synopsis:
Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside--it's hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess's life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn't add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it's a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn't the only one with secrets.



Amelia Brunskill was born in Melbourne, Australia, but she grew up mostly in Washington state where she picked a lot of blackberries, read a lot of books, and failed to properly appreciate the epic beauty of the mountains and the Pacific ocean.

She earned her bachelors degrees in psychology and art from the University of Washington and her master in information studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She now lives in Chicago, where she eats as much Thai food as possible and works as a librarian.

The Window is her debut novel.

Author's WebsiteGoodreadsTwitterInstagram

I thought The Window was a really interesting book and an intriguing mystery.  It's also a story that shows the bond and rivalry between two twin sisters, and the grief that follows the loss of a loved one.

The cover is what initially drew me to this book.  It is an eerie looking cover- featuring a small photo of a girl staring out a window, with her hand up on the glass, looking worried, scared, or possibly a little sad.  Then I read the synopsis and this definitely sounded like a story I would enjoy.  Anna and Jess are twin sisters with very different personalities.  Anna is outgoing while Jess is more of an introvert.  When Anna dies after falling out her bedroom window, Jess sets out to find exactly what happened to her sister.  Did Anna accidentally fall from her window or did something more sinister happen?  Was Anna keeping secrets from Jess?  How well did Jess really know her twin sister?

I thought this was a pretty quick read, with short chapters, and an intriguing mystery that kept me turning the page.  There were some parts of the book that were a little slow paced, but I never found myself getting bored with the story.  I needed to know what happened to Anna and what led to her death.  It was interesting to follow along with Jess as she tried to find out what happened to her sister.

The story is mostly told from Jess's perspective, with some of Anna's thoughts mentioned before the start of certain chapters.  I really liked getting the perspectives of both sisters and I especially enjoyed reading Anna's thoughts leading up to her tragic death. 

I thought it was interesting to read about the relationship between the twin sisters.  Jess thought she knew everything about her sister, Anna.  They were really close when they were younger, but eventually they became more distant.  Jess learns that there were many things she didn't know about her twin.  There were certain parts of this story that made me really sad, especially in the beginning, with Jess suddenly having to adjust to life without her sister.  It was heartbreaking to read about the loss of Jess's twin, and how the loss affected the entire family.  

Overall, I thought this was an intriguing debut novel that I would recommend, especially if you like young adult mysteries.  I look forward to reading more from Amelia Brunskill in the future.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)

*Thanks to the publisher and the Fantastic Flying Book Club for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book for review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

   

✦ Prize: 3 copies of The Window by Amelia Brunskill (US Only)
✦ Starts: 3/27
✦ Ends: 4/12


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Saturday, March 17, 2018

Tara's Ginormous Book Haul! Part Two


Here's Part Two of my ginormous book haul.  
Why do I keep buying books?  
I don't have time to read all of them but I keep on buying them.  😨 

All the books below were purchased from Book Outlet during their awesome Boxing Day sale last year.  I got $45 off an order of $100 or more, so I made several orders.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Blog Tour: Genesis by Brendan Reichs


Welcome to my stop on the Genesis Blog Tour!  
Genesis, the sequel to Nemesis by Brendan Reichs, just released on March 6, 2018.  
Find out more about this exciting series below.

*Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of Genesis for this tour.


Nemesis by Brendan Reichs
Series:  Project Nemesis, Book 1
Publication Date:  March 21, 2017
Genre:  Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages:  443
Add to Goodreads
Orphan Black meets Lord of the Flies in the riveting new sci fi thriller from the cowriter of the Virals series.

It's been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown--alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he's not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.


Genesis by Brendan Reichs
Series:  Project Nemesis, Book 2
Publication Date:  March 6, 2018
Genre:  Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages:  512
Add to Goodreads
The blistering sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling Nemesis by Brendan Reichs. 

Noah Livingston knows he is destined to survive.

The 64 members of Fire Lake's sophomore class are trapped in a place where morals have no meaning and zero rules apply. But Noah's deaths have trained him-hardened him-to lead the strongest into the future ... whatever that may be. And at any cost.

Min Wilder knows that survival alone isn't enough.

In a violent world where brute force passes for leadership, it's tempting to lay back and let everyone else battle it out. But Min's instincts rebel against allowing others to decide who lives and who dies. She's ready to fight for what she believes in. And against whomever might stand in her way.


Author Bio


Brendan Reichs was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 2000 and The George Washington University School of Law in 2006. After three long years working as a litigation attorney, he abandoned the trade to write full time. He is the author of Nemesis, and co-author of the Virals series, written with Kathy Reichs. Brendan lives in Charlotte with his wife, son, daughter, and a herd of animals that tear up everything.

______________________________


Monday, March 12, 2018

Book Review: The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton




The Price Guide To The Occult 
by Leslye Walton
Publication Date: March 13, 2018 
by Candlewick
Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: eARC
Goodreads │Amazon │Kindle
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)
The Blackburn women are cursed. Ever since the extraordinary witch Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island centuries ago and was shunned by the eight "original" settlers, Blackburn witches have been doomed to carry out a brief whirlwind affair with a descendant of the Original Eight. The vengeful curse, however, had unintended side effects: it diluted the Blackburns' supernatural powers. That's perfectly all right with seventeen-year-old Nor Blackburn. All she wants is a quiet, unremarkable life—her powers are blissfully unexceptional, her love life pretty much nonexistent. Nor hopes the curse has played itself out through enough generations that she'll finally be spared the drama. But when a mysterious book comes out promising to cast any spell for the right price, Nor senses a dark storm headed straight for Anathema—and straight for her.
*I received the advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher for review.  This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.  All thoughts/opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.  I am an Amazon affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Tara's Ginormous Book Haul! Part One


I have a ginormous book haul to share with you all.  I've acquired many, many, many books over the past few months.  Over 90 books!  Some were gifts or were bought using gift cards, and others I bought for myself.  Many of these books are young adult or middle grade because I'm basically a child in an adult's body.  😝 I love young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, and graphic novels.  No shame.  Below are 20 books from this huge haul.  There will be five of these posts since there are so many books to show you.

**This post contains affiliate links.  I am an Amazon affiliate and I may receive a small commission  if you make a purchase through one of my links.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Book Review: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi




Aru Shah and the End of Time 
by Roshani Chokshi
Series:  Pandava Quartet, Book 1
Publication Date: March 27, 2018 
by Rick Riordan Presents
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: eARC
Goodreads │Amazon │Kindle
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 (4.5/5 Stars)

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

*I received the advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher for review.  This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.  All thoughts/opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.  I am an Amazon affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links.