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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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Can't Wait To Get My Hands On...

For those celebrating - Happy 4th of July!
Here are some books from my wishlist releasing this month.
Links are to Goodreads.

The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
July 12 from Bloomsbury

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother. 

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists. 

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself? (from Goodreads)

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
July 24 from Harper Teen

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.(from Goodreads)

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse
July 10 from Simon and Schuster

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway. (from Goodreads)

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
July 3 from Harper Collins

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up. (from Goodreads)

Insignia by S.J. Kincard
July 10th from Katherine Tegen Books

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid’s futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology. (from Goodreads)

Continuing Series

Spark (Sky Chasers #2) by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Once (Eve #2) by Anna Carey



In case you missed them the first time around, these books are releasing in paperback this month

Monday, July 2, 2012

Book Review: Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore


Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: February 2011 (Paperback August 2012)
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336
Series: no
Acquisition: ARC from BEA 2010

Summary:
Being only half-vamp in a high school like Carpathia Night makes you a whole loser. But Danny Gray manages to escape the worst of the specists at his school. Thanks to genetic treatments he had as an infant, most people assume Danny's other half is human. Which is a good thing.
Ever since the development of synthetic blood – SynHeme – vamps have become society’s elite, while wulves like his father work menial jobs and live in bad neighborhoods. Wulves are less than second class citizens; once a month they become inmates, forced to undergo their Change in dangerous government compounds.
For Danny, living with his vamp mother and going to a school with a nearly all-vamp student body, it’s best to pretend his wulf half doesn’t even exist. But lately Danny's been having some weird symptoms fantastic night vision; a keener-than-usual sense of smell; and headaches, right around the full moon.
Even though it's easy to be in denial, it's hard to ignore evidence. There's only a month until the next full moon, and Danny's time is running out.
Peter Moore speaks to adolescents in a voice that will have them laughing, set in a world that will get them thinking. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
I had Red Moon Rising for a while before getting the chance to read it and I'm very glad I did. Peter has created a paranormal lover's dream world. It's very much like our own except for a few additions. Namely species H. vampyros and H. lupus. Thanks to a mutation, humans (H. sapiens), share the earth with vampyres and wulves. About 99% identical genetically but worlds apart culturally and socially.

I absolutely love when paranormal elements are integrated so fully into a storyline. I also love when I can connect right away to a character, as I found myself doing with Danny. Before starting high school, Danny has had a pretty easy life, even if he is half-vamp and half-wulf. His mom and step dad are well off, he has good friends and thanks to genetic treatments he doesn't have to worry about Changing ever full moon….or so he thought. When strange things start to happen to Danny, he goes to his father, a full blooded wulf for help.

Final verdict:
Danny's journey through the first half of the book was a little slow moving, or rather predictable but it didn't take away anything from the story for me. Even if I had known every fact of Red Moon Rising before picking it up, I still would have enjoyed it. I never felt like I was racing towards some type of finish, rather like I was engaged in someone's actual life. More like a documentary then a blockbuster thriller.

Fans of vampire and werewolf YA books, you're in for a treat with this one! Highly recommended for those seeking something a little different - something you haven't seen 100x already.

Overall Rating:
4 / 5 Stars

Goodreads / IndieBound

*The cover is shown is from the paperback which comes out on August 7th. I personally like it a lot more then the original hardcover (show to the left).
What do you guys think?

Sunday, July 1, 2012

NetGalley July Read-A-Thon and NEWS!


Hey guys!

Sad news - I won't be hosting a July read-a-thon this month :)

BUT!

Happy News! Bekka at Pretty Deadly Reviews is! *happy face times a thousand*

If you're like me and have TONS of NetGalley books sitting around getting all their bits and bytes up in a bunch because they have been unloved and neglected for far too long - run over to Bekka's and sign yourself up!

I'm going to say I'll read at least 5 NetGalley books in July - BUT I'm totally going to try and push myself for more!

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In related news!

Sign-ups are still open for my 2012 NetGalley Reading Challenge!

Challenge yourself all year long, link up reviews every month, meet some awesome people along the way and new in July - WIN PRIZES!

July's post as all the prize winning details :)

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AND in even more related news.

Anyone interested in hosting NetGalley read-a-thon months of their own?

This is just to judge preliminary interest.

I'm thinking 5 blogs (since there are 5 more months left in the year!)

Hosting blogs would be responsible for setting up a linky post, promoting traffic to their blog as well as my yearlong challenge. I'll promote with links and hosting blog info posts and features. Maybe some mini challenges along the way.

As a participant you could pick any month you wanted - I'll have a master list of hosting blogs so it will be all easy to find - maybe find a new to you blog and make some new friends?

What do you guys think?
As a reader would you like a pick your own month read-a-thon?
As a blogger, would hosting such an event appeal to you?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!


NetGalley Reading Challenge July - Link Up Your Reviews!

Participants 
It's time again to share some reviews

Haven't signed up yet?
No problem! You can still join the fun.
Head over HERE  to add your name to the NetGalley Reading Challenge list 

**NEW THIS MONTH**
1 participant will win $10 worth of books from The Book Depository
At the beginning of next month I'll pick one review at random
Please make sure you have signed up for the reading challenge to be eligible to win :)

Link Up Rules:

1. Be sure you are signed up for my 2012 NetGalley Reading Challenge 

2. LINK UP 1 NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW YOU POSTED IN JULY
The link "Name" should be the book title and author.

3. Visit other links! Read reviews and leave thoughtful comments :)

4. For every review you visit and comment on, you can post another one of your reviews in the linky. Any review posted in July is eligible, so you can come back at any time and leave your link.

5. You can post up to 5 of your own reviews (1 for 'free' and 4 others IF you visited and commented on 4 other reviews)

6. Please be honest and please leave actual thoughtful comments (the same type you yourself would like to receive)

If you're one of the first to visit, be sure to leave your link and check back later for others.

Review links for previous months can be found to the right in my sidebar and the NetGalley Feature page in the top menu.

If you have any questions at all, please let me know either in the comments or via email :)


NetGalley Reading Challenge June - Link Up Your Reviews!

Participants 
It's time again to share some reviews

Haven't signed up yet?
No problem! You can still join the fun.
Head over HERE  to add your name to the NetGalley Reading Challenge list

Link Up Rules:

1. Be sure you are signed up for my 2012 NetGalley Reading Challenge 

2. LINK UP 1 NETGALLEY BOOK REVIEW YOU POSTED IN JUNE
The link "Name" should be the book title and author.

3. Visit other links! Read reviews and leave thoughtful comments :)

4. For every review you visit and comment on, you can post another one of your reviews in the linky. Any review posted in June is eligible, so you can come back at any time and leave your link.

5. You can post up to 5 of your own reviews (1 for 'free' and 4 others IF you visited and commented on 4 other reviews)

6. Please be honest and please leave actual thoughtful comments (the same type you yourself would like to receive)

If you're one of the first to visit, be sure to leave your link and check back later for others.

Review links for previous months can be found to the right in my sidebar and the NetGalley Feature page in the top menu.

If you have any questions at all, please let me know either in the comments or via email :)