Happy 10th Anniversary to VAMPIRE ACADEMY + Giveaway

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead is 10 years old! Can you believe it?!

I read it so very long ago but I can still remember the details -- that's the mark of a great story right there. Oh! There was this one part...close to the end...with the girl and the guy and the stuff and the things -- love love love it!

With all the love I had for Vampire Academy I have no idea why I never continued on with the series. AND I have no idea where my old copy is. BUT this last part is actually a good thing BECAUSE!

TA DA!

Richelle Mead celebrates 10 years of Vampire Academy with an exclusive, never-before-seen collection of stories that sheds new light on the world and its players:

• The Turn and the Flame takes a deeper look into the dark stain on the Ozera dynasty...
• Hello My Name is Rose Hathaway tracks the shenanigans that ensue when Rose and Dimitri become unlikely teammates in a high-stakes scavenger hunt...
• The Meeting gives us a glimpse of Rose Hathaway through Dimitri's eyes...
• From the Journal of Vasilisa Dragomir unearths the princess's private thoughts from a transformative period of her life...

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school--it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's--the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi--the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires--make Lissa one of them forever.

Look at this 10th Anniversary edition!

Do you love the cover? I love the cover! (honestly, the originally cover didn't really do anything for me) And those extras! Yes please. I cannot wait to get my hands on this beauty! I'm thinking I can sneak a re-read in next month ;)

To celebrate, the lovely folks at Penguin are giving away 5 copies of the 10th Anniversary edition!

If you haven't read the Vampire Academy series, now is a great time to start.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Enter for a chance to win one of five (5) paperback copies of Vampire Academy 10th Anniversary Edition by Richelle Mead (ARV = $11.99 each).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 9:00 AM Eastern Time on November 29, 2016 and 11:59 PM Eastern Time on December 5, 2016. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about December 12, 2016. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Happy Book Birthday! NEW RELEASES November 22, 2016

A big Happy Birthday to these lovelies today!

Scythe by Neal Shusterman | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst and Jordan Saia | Balzer + Bray | GOODREADS

Gap Life by John Coy | Feiwel & Friends | GOODREADS

Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly | Kathy Dawson Books | GOODREADS

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley | Simon Pulse | GOODREADS


And my Pick of the Day is....

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I've loved pretty much everything by Neal I have ever read and I can't see why Scythe would be the exception!

I love the way he tells stories. There is always so much going on but everything fits together so well.

Any birthday book buying planned into your day?
What new releases are you most excited for?

Book Review: Dotwav by Mike A. Lancaster

Genre: YA Sci-fi Thriller
Publication: September 2016 by Sky Pony Press
Acquisition: received an ARC at ALAAC 2016

Synopsis:

“There’s something in that sound. Something bad. Something dangerous.”

Fifteen-year-old Ani Lee is a skilled hacker researching a strange .wav file that she’s downloaded when it behaves as no file ever should.

Joe Dyson is a seventeen-year-old American transplant recruited into a secret teen division of the British intelligence service who’s looking into the disappearance of a friend caught up in an underground music scene that might be more than it appears.

When Ani and Joe’s investigations intertwine, they discover that the .wav file and the music are linked—someone’s embedding the file into tracks to create a mind-controlled teen army.

But who’s behind it? And why? And how do you stop a sound?

An exhilarating sci-fi techno-thriller that blends music, mind control, and conspiracy perfect for fans of Little Brother, Brain Jack, and Proxy.

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

I. Love. This. Book.

I've been a huge fan of Lancaster's from pretty much the first page of his first book, Human .4. His second book, a follow up to Human .4, was also fantastic so Dotwav was already sitting pretty high up on that pedestal.

As it should be!

Again, because:
I. Love. This. Book.

It's just a great story - lots of layers and great characters and fabulous sci-fi. It's the fabulous sci-fi that really does it for me. YA sci-fi can be tricky. I've been burned before but not so with Dotwav. So many things are going on and while it's a little over the top, realism wise, it all makes total sense in the big picture.

It's got a Mission Impossible type feel - only cooler and with young people. It also reminded me of that so horrible you have to love it movie, Hackers - without Jolie's huge lips getting in the way of everything.

Oh! And there's a twist...ish...towards the end - I didn't see it coming at least - and it was freaken cool.

If YA sci-fi is your thing you should for sure check out Dotwav (and Lancaster's other books!). I would also recommend this book to reluctant teen readers (boys and girls) as it's just a fun story that flows well and keeps you engaged page after page. Also, there is little to no romance and the main protag is male, which is always refreshing to me since most YA book I read have female MCs.

Mike has become one of my always read authors and I can't wait to read whatever it is he has planned next!

Quick Review: Sweet by Emmy Laybourne

Standalone (+ short story prequel)

Publication: June 2015 by Feiwel & Friends
Acquisition:

Goodreads

4 / 5 Stars

All of my assumptions about Sweet were 100% wrong.

The things I thought I would love, fell flat and the things I thought would be cringe worthy were actually pretty fantastic.

Sweet is a bit weird. It's a little fluffy but it's also pretty horrific and it's very relateable and it's totally implausible. It's like one of those House of Mirrors attractions at a sketchy road side carnival. You're apprehensive about entering, startled and feel silly while you're inside and terrified when you realize you can't find your way out.

OMG and the ending! It was perfect!

I was like, yadda yadda, closing bits, loose ends, got it got it...wait, what the hell just happened!

Sometimes I love being wrong ;)

Next time you're browsing your local bookstore and you see this one - scoop it up, bring it home and enjoy the ride!

Happy Book Birthday! NEW RELEASES November 15, 2016

A big Happy Birthday to these lovelies today!
Welcome into the world!

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier | Soho Teen | GOODREADS

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

Flashfallby Jenny Moyer | Henry Holt and Co. | GOODREADS

The Girl in the Picture by Alexandra Monir | Delacorte Press/Random House | GOODREADS

The Nerdy and the Dirty by B.T. Gottfred | Henry Holt and Co. | GOODREADS


And my Pick of the Day is...

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

It feels like everyone has been loving this one!

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy but if it's as good as I think it's going to be I'm pretty sure a finished copy is in my future :)


Any birthday book buying planned into you day?
What new releases are you most excited for?

Happy BELATED Book Birthday! NEW RELEASES November 8, 2016

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had this post almost done on Tuesday...and just couldn't get it finished. Today's the first day I've even thought about blogging.
Lots to think about and lots to process.
Not sure about a lot of things but one thing is very clear to me. I'm still doing what I love and I'm still working on being the best I can be. Might sound lame but it's all I've got right now.

And one thing I do love are books and the book community. This is my happy place and I'll continue to share it with you for as long as I can.

I might be able to put my thoughts into (better) words later but for now, it's back to our irregularly scheduled program.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A big Happy Birthday to these lovelies today from Tuesday!

Heartless by Marissa Meyer | Feiwel & Friends | GOODREADS

Timekeeper by Tara Sim | Sky Pony Press | GOODREADS

All in Pieces by Suzanne Young | Simon Pulse | GOODREADS

Die for You by Amy Fellner Dominy | Delacorte | GOODREADS

Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys | Delacorte Press | GOODREADS

Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | GOODREADS

Heartfire (Winterkill #3) by Kate A. Boorman | Amulet Books | GOODREADS

And my pick of the day is...

A photo posted by Emily De Maria (@wilowraven) on Nov 8, 2016 at 12:53pm PST

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a finished copy in an upcoming subscription box but I couldn't help myself and went out to buy the Target exclusive copy this week.

The above is my Instagram pic (I absolutely LOVE staging book pics for IG)

Give a follow if you like! I'm @WilowRaven

I finished my current read today so I might just have to start on this one now!

Anyone else not able to help themselves this week (retail therapy?).
Any book birthday buying?
As always, I would love to hear what new releases you're excited for.
Happy Reading everyone!

Happy Book Birthday! NEW RELEASES November 1, 2016

A big Happy Birthday to these lovelies today!
Welcome into the world!

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon | Delacorte Press | GOODREADS

Bad Blood (The Naturals #4) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

A Million Worlds with You (Firebird #3) by Claudia Gray | HarperTeen | GOODREADS

Blood for Blood (Wolf by Wolf #2) by Ryan Graudin | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen | St. Martin's Griffin | GOODREADS

You in Five Acts by Una LaMarche | Razorbill | GOODREADS

The Romantics by Leah Konen | Amulet Books | GOODREADS

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog | Sourcebooks Fire | GOODREADS


And my Pick of the Day is...

The Diabolicby S. J. Kincaid

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of The Diabolic at ALA this year and I honestly hadn't heard of it before.

Since then, so many people have been telling me how fabulous it is.

While I had very good intentions of reading S.J.'s first book Insignia I never actually got around to doing it.
I won't be making the same mistake with The Diabolic!


Any birthday book buying planned into you day?What new releases are you most excited for?