Saturday, March 24, 2012

Gone Reading + Coupon


So I recently discovered this awesome sight called Gone Reading. They sell really cool products such as bookmarks, bookplates, book journals, book shirts, and book lights at affordable prices! But the best part is that they donate all of their profits to libraries and other charities!

They are also nice enough to send me a coupon code for all of you to use! It is good for 25% off any purchase (except bookends). The code is: BRITTANYS25 and expires in slightly less than a month so you better hurry on over there!

What's my favorite product you ask? It's this adorable little pig bookmark. Look at how cute it is! I'm definitely buying this...right now.

I'm sure everyone will find something they like at Gone Reading and it is for a great cause so please go check it out :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that gives bloggers a chance to spotlight upcoming releases. This week, I decided to choose Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. It sounds sort of different and just look at that pretty cover!

(Goodreads) Summary: 

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .
Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.


Of Poseidon is expected to hit shelves on May 22nd, 2012. What are you guys waiting on?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Shattered Souls Winner

Thanks to everyone for entering my giveaway to win an ARC of Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey! And the winner is....

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that gives bloggers a chance to spotlight upcoming releases. This week, I decided to choose Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama. Why am I waiting on this? Because it's a mermaid book of course! Gosh I love mermaid books.... and I like the cover. It fits the title well.


(Goodreads) Summary:

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

Monstrous Beauty hits shelves on September 4th, 2012! What are you waiting on this week? And if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, please click here!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Review + Giveaway: Shattered Souls

Title: Shattered Souls

Author: Mary Lindsey

Publisher: Philomel/Penguin

Publication Date: December 8th, 2011

Source: Purchased by Myself

Rating: 4/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
 
My Thoughts:
 
Okay, before reading this book I read a lot of  mixed reviews on it. I saw some people slam the book with extremely low ratings and I saw other people put it on the highest pedestal and claim it was the best book they've ever read. In my case, I found that the book actually surprised me a wee bit.
 
Let's start with the characters. Lenzi, the protagonist, was awful. She was whiny and weak and I swear she cried on almost every page. Zak, her alcoholic boyfriend, was no better. He was annoying and every time I read his name, I wished Lenzi would just tell him to leave. Forever. But of course, she didn't. Did I mention she wasn't the smartest? Alden, Lenzi's protector, I liked. I didn't love him, but I liked him. For the most part he was a gentleman and I enjoyed reading about him, but their were times when I wanted to hit him as well.
 
The plot was not so typical and hasn't been done 10,000 times which is always good. Lenzi is what's called a Speaker, someone who has to help spirits move on to....wherever they go...(Heaven/Hell?) And Alden is her Protector which is pretty much like a guide/guard. I really liked reading about the idea of soul sharing and helping the dead do things that they didn't have the chance to do when they were living.
 
So, I found myself actually really enjoying this book. Sure, the characters weren't the best and they fell in love too fast, but It was fast paced and had a fun story line. The writing was fine, nothing special but nothing terrible, and the concept was very interesting. It was definitely a page-turner for me, despite it's flaws, and I would recommend it to everyone. Which is why I've decided to give away a copy!
 
The Giveaway: An ARC of Shattered Souls
 
The contest will be open for 10 days and everybody will get one free entry. Unfortunately, I am a teenager with no winter job and cannot afford international shipping, making this contest open to the U.S. only :(
 
To gain extra entries, Tweet about the giveaway or mention it somewhere on your blog or Facebook! Please read my Terms & Conditions before entering :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that gives bloggers a chance to spotlight upcoming releases. This week, I decided to choose Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. The cover is....pretty but I really don't know what's going on with this girl's hair. If you look closely, it seems as if there is a giant pile of fake hair sitting on her head! But anyway, I'm excited to read this book because I'm desperate need of a nice, non-paranormal, romance. I'm also a sucker for a good love triangle!

(Goodreads) Summary: 

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.
But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.
 
Such a Rush will be released July 10th, 2012! What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Review: Mercy

Title: Mercy

Author: Rebecca Lim

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: May 17th, 2011

Source: Bought

My Rating: 3.5/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, MERCY is the first book in a major new paranormal series.
There's something very wrong with me. I can't remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any one. It is always this way. There's nothing I can keep with me that will stay. It's made me adaptable. I must always re-establish ties. I must tread carefully or give myself away. I must survive.
Mercy doesn't realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial host exiled with fallen angel, Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis and keep the unwary from getting caught up in the games that angels play. Ultimately she must choose between her immortal companion, Lucifer, and a human boy who risks everything for her love.
 
My Thoughts:
 
Let me start out by saying that the summary is very misleading in my opinion. After reading it, I assumed this was going to be another good "angel book", but that was not the case. The plot actually focuses more on an ordinary, totally human, missing person mystery.
 
Mercy is....well I'm still not completely sure what she is, but she uncontrollably inhabits random peoples' bodies and has to live their lifes for a while and she's not sure why. I find the concept interesting and I only wish there was more about Mercy's life and less about the one girl she is occuping throughout the book. The girl's name is Carmen and she's an ordinary human. With Mercy in control of her body, they help solve a local mystery about a mising girl which is suspenseful, but again, I wish there was more of the supernatural element.
 
The characters for the most part, were lacking. Aside from Mercy and Ryan (her human lover), the character's personalities were not fully developed. It's like the book was all about Mercy and Ryan and maybe two or three descriptive words about 20 other characters. That may have been intentional since Mercy didn't stay in Carmen's body long enough to get to know people, but I still felt like stronger personalities would have added to the book.
 
That being said, I did really enjoy both Mercy and Ryan as they were both strong characters. Their romance did not takeover the entire book and was not at all forced. Usually the heroine lays eyes on someone unnaturally attractive and thinks "We are meant to be together, I can feel it" and then they are in love within a few days. But I don't think Ryan or Mercy ever told one another they loved eachother (thank goodness because they did not know eachother for long) and their relationship seemed rational and realistic.
 
Basically, Lim's writing was very smooth and the mystery did keep me guessing until the end, I just wish the book revealed more about Mercy as an angel...or whatever she is. The ending was the one thing I really enjoyed. It was sort of expected but unexpected at the same time because most authors don't choose to give their books a "sad ending" like Lim, but I thought it was perfect and I can see myself picking up the second book, Exile, sometime soon.