Hello and Welcome!

Red House Books is going through a bit of a update!

I've always had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted this space to be but I've been detoured from my path by...lots and lost of other people's opinions and ways of doing things...

I'm committed to this little chunk of the interweb but I've also branched out into other places so! Now it's time to think of Red House Books as more of a hub of all things me! And Me is a hell of a lot of book love!

Stay tuned!

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Thirteen Reasons Why 10th Anniversary Release Day Blitz and GIVEAWAY

Hey guys!

Just popping in today to share with you some release day awesomeness plus a giveaway :)

It's hard for me to believe that this gem is already 10 years old!
Have you read it? I did ages ago but a lot of the details have faded - time for a reread I would say!

Be sure to check out the new content in the special edition and don't forget to scroll down for the giveaway!

Synopsis:

You can't stop the future.
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

New Content Info:
  • The #1 New York Times bestseller and modern classic that's been changing lives for a decade gets a gorgeous revamped cover and never-before-seen additional content, including
  • An introduction from its award-winning author, Jay Asher
  • The until-now-secret alternate ending for Hannah and Clay that almost was
  • Early notes and ideas of how the story came to be
  • Deleted scenes
  • And more!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Enter for a chance to win one of five (5) hardcover copies of the 10th Anniversary Edition of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (ARV: $18.99).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on December 27, 2016 and 12:00 AM on December 28, 2016. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about January 2, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Book Review: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Genre: YA Thriller Mystery
Publication: October 4th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire
Acquisition: read a free eARC via NetGalley

Synopsis:
Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…
(from Goodreads)
4 / 5 Stars

Finally! A YA thriller that actually thrilled! A mystery with actual unsolved problems that were difficult to explain! Why am I shocked?! What's with all the "!"?

Well, I'll tell you why!!

...sorry...

YA thrillers don't always pack the punch they promise. I've been burned in the past.

But not this time!!

Ok, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic but seriously, I love thrillers and SERIOUSLY, YA books need to quit it with the, horror / thriller / mystery / suspense stated genre if the book contains virtually 0% of these things.

One Was Lost was pretty spot on for me - exactly what I'm looking for in YA thrillers. The characters weren't all likable, because you're not suppose to love or hate the obvious people because - there is always a twist! The setting was scary - for this city girl at least. Don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors and I did move to the middle of a freaken forest but still. Straying from the path? Not knowing what the hell is over that ridge or around that bend in the river? No thank you.

The mystery part was a little shaky for me. I honestly didn't know who the 'bad' guy was until the reveal and then...I couldn't really make it all fit the way I wanted it to.

For me, One Was Lost was more about the journey then the destination. Even though Sera's story has an ending, when I think back on it, I still see her and her friends wondering around the woods. Alone. Afraid. With terrifying things happening. Confused. Without hope.

In other words, Once Was Lost has staying power.

The spot on thriller aspect was 5 stars no problem. But the ending...didn't really work for me and what actually brought this down to a 4 star read for me was the romance. I didn't see it as necessary and it was messy and didn't add to the plot in my opinion. Not every YA needs a romance!

Still, would 100% recommend to fans of YA thrillers.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Book Review: Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger

Genre: YA Contemporary (Sci-fi)
Publication: June 2016 by Balzer + Bray
Acquisition: received in a trade

Synopsis:
Rose has changed. She still lives in the same neighborhood and goes to the same high school with the same group of kids, but when she woke up today, something was a little different. Her clothes and hair don’t suit her anymore. The dogs who live upstairs are no longer a terror. She wants to throw a party—this from a girl who hardly ever spoke to her classmates before. There’s no more sadness in her life; she’s bursting with happiness.

But something still feels wrong to Rose. Because until very recently, she was an entirely different person—a person who’s still there inside her, just beneath the thinnest layer of skin.
(from Goodreads)
3 / 5 Stars

A strange read for me. I didn't completely love it but I couldn't put it down.

For me I felt like I was missing the point. I know books are stories, and stories don't need a point but I felt like Change Places with Me did...

At it's heart Change Places with Me is a contemporary - Rose is a young girl struggling through her life. She's unsure and she's confused but she's also focused.

On the fringe it's a futuristic, somewhat sci-fi based story. There's strange technology and hidden players that don't fit into neat contemporary boxes.

But...what is it really about? Am I too shallow a reader? Am I suppose to see layered and deeper meanings in what Rose is going through?

I don't know.

I do know that I flew through this book, searching for something and while the journey was fun, I didn't find what I didn't know I was looking for :)

I would recommend Change Places with Me to contemporary fans. The sci-fi is light and in my opinion, not really a factor in the heart of the story.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Happy Book Birthday! NEW RELEASES December 2016

With the year winding to a close there are only a handful of new 2016 books hitting shelves this month!

Today I've gathered all of December's releases for 1 mega Happy Birthday post!

A big Happy Birthday to all these lovelies!

December 6
Black Moon (Zodiac #3) by Romina Russell | Razorbill | GOODREADS

Spindle (A Thousand Nights #2) by E. K. Johnston | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

Rebellion (The 100 #4) by Kass Morgan | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

Mind Games (Lock & Mori #2) by Heather W. Petty | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

December 13

Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgan Rhodes | Razorbill | GOODREADS

Forever, Again by Victoria Laurie | Disney-Hyperion | GOODREADS

Icelingby Sasha Stephenson | Razorbill | GOODREADS

December 27
Take the Key and Lock Her Up (Embassy Row #3) by Ally Carter | Scholastic Press | GOODREADS

Rules of the Game (Endgame #3) by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton | HarperCollins | GOODREADS

Thirteen Reasons Why 10th Anniversary Edition by Jay Asher | Razorbill | GOODREADS

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill | HMH Books for Young Readers | GOODREADS

The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee | Katherine Tegen Books | GOODREADS

Any birthday book buying planned this month?
What new releases are you most excited for?


Monday, December 5, 2016

November 2016 Wrap Up: The Forgotten Month Edition -- oooOOOooo!

November was spoooky! Because it's like it never existed because I can't even tell you what I got done cause oooOOOOoooo -- spoooooky!

Or.

I'm just lame.

I kinda forgot it was December.

Which is weird because I've also been ranting all week "OMG IT'S DECEMBER AND I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO BEFORE CHRISTMAS!"

Selective memory?

Ga!

In any case, along with being lame I'm also very tired, busy, and lazy (but you love me cause I'm also awesome).

So!

Here is a (lame) list of books that I did stuff with this month!

Huzzah!

THE REVIEWS
Dotwav by Mike A. Lancaster | REVIEW 5 / 5 Stars
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne | REVIEW 4 / 5 Stars

NOVEMBER READS
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale

This part is new this month!
I'm wholly embracing my addiction to Instagram and really trying to up my Booksagram posts!
Here is what I put out there last month (I'm @WilowRaven if you want to give a follow - I'll most likely follow you back!)









Hope everyone had a great
November
Happy Reading!