Guest Post:Why I can't wait for Half Blood.

Today I have the awesome Naj from  http://unputdownablebookies.blogspot.com/ here to talk about the awesomeness that is Half Blood! 

Honestly speaking I’ve never actually thought I’d ever write a guest post about a specific topic other than the usual “guest post on a blog with a review” and on top of that I’ll be writing about my impatience for a certain purple shiny book and all its glory! Now, enjoy the five reasons why I can’t wait for ‘Half-Blood’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

1.      The Author; I always had this concrete belief that anyone famous like a movie star, musician, artist, and author are people way up there that us ordinary folk can’t reach, let alone communicate with in a normal sense. That's where Indie Authors and some select authors are different. That's where Jennifer fits right in. She communicates, interacts and plain old has fun with us on twitter on the blog and wherever! I first liked her as a person before I even knew about her book and the book was an added plus for me!

 2.      The Teasers; Yep, if you haven’t noticed them. You should really check them out on Jennifer’s Blog! When I first found Jennifer’s blog, I started following and reading her posts (discretely) and months later my discovery lead me to find a very captivating teaser that made me even more anxious for Half-Blood. In my head I was like “AshFKASJFHSJAFS! I want the book NAAAAOW!” Authors love teasing us to their hearts delight!

 3.      The Story; Of course, every book is nothing without the plot and storyline and I just simply had to find out what Half-Blood’s all about. So I visited Goodreads and…

“The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: b

eing turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.”

I love me some forbidden love.

4.      The Cover; Not every author has the ability to supply their books with amazing covers and such but despite knowing that I still judge a book by its cover. Its like eye candy on my shelf and Half-Blood has 2 elements I love in book covers. Purple & Surreality. 1. Purple is my favorite color and 2. I love things that are illustrated in art that seem dreamy and unreal. Just by writing this I can’t but help visualizing the paperback in my hands with its shiny cover and purpley awesomeness. *wipes drool off face* (I exaggerate too much :D)

5.      And finally The Reviews; I’m the usual kind that gets caught in the sea of words that is word of mouth which is either on blogger, twitter or goodreads. I can’t help but read and see all those 5 stars and positive feedback about HB. I don’t usually care for reviews but if you constantly see them days in a row just popping up on your google reader it’s really hard to miss all the positive things being written about this book!

And because of these 5 reasons, I’m driven to a stark raving fan-girl who can’t wait/who is incredibly excited/who is very impatient to get her own copy of Half-Blood.

*hopes The Book Depository will be selling the book* It is Naj :P

Here ends my rant. Thanks Krazzyme for having me!

Come visit me at: http://unputdownablebookies.blogspot.com/

 Expected publication: October 18th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press 

but It's available for order here:

AMAZON,BN,BOOKDEPOSITORY,FLIPKART

Still not convinced(really?)

Check out the other posts I've done on this book!

ALSO IF YOU'RE BROKE HALF THE TIME(like me) It's available for only $3.99 in ebook format!

Variant by Robison Wells

Variant

by Robison Wells

 Blurb:

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

 

 Source: Netgalley(Thanks to HarperCollins )

 

Links:Amazon,BookDepository,Flipkart

Expectations: Pretty High!

My thoughts: 

Imagine...

You're stuck in an academy with people who aren't exactly mentally stable(some of them) and there's no adult supervision.Also,you can't get out .EVER. 

There are 4 major rules:

1. No sex
2. No violent fighting
3. Do not try to escape
4. No refusing punishments

You break any of these and you get detention.Doesn't sound so bad does it?

It is.Nobody ever returns from detention.

What will you do?

Whenever you have very high expectations of a book you are always somewhat disappointed.The main problem of this book is the fact that it starts off a little slow.

The concept is very good and pretty well executed but while I was reading it I kept thinking that this concept is not exactly fresh .(Doesn't it sound like Gone?)

But...when I was through approximately 50% of this book, it surprised me.I can't tell you how and why (THAT would be a major spoiler) but I was really glad that I didn't give up on this book after that.

One thing I really liked about this book is the fact that author had a valid reason for everything.For Example:Why don't all the children want to leave?Why aren't they motivated?Don't they care about thier freedom?What is wrong with the Society?

All these questions are answered in the book and I was actually quite satisfied with the answers.

Another thing I really liked about this book is the fact that the occupants are divided into groups or more accurately gangs.Havoc(the let's fight-at-the-drop-of-a-hat-gang),Society(Lets-follow-all-the-rules gang ) and Variant(the in-between gang).Just like when people in a normal school are divided into cliques ,the people in this school also try to divide themselves into groups so as there is some order. 

Now let's get to the main character...

Benson,the main character is fairly likable.He's smart and knows that he wants his freedom.NOTHING makes him loose his focus.I really liked that.

I liked Oakland(leader of Havoc) for some reason.Even though I thought he was a dumb guy who just wants to fight at first,he grew on me.

Overall,It's a nice read.Also,The ending was confusing and had me going I WANT THE SEQUEL!

My Rating:

(3/5)

GOOD

Waiting on Wednesday(23)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're anxiously awaiting! This week I am waiting on...

Deadly Cool

 by Gemma Halliday

Blurb:

First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?

As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.

I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.

Expected publication: October 11th 2011 
Add to Goodreads

How cool is the cover of this one? Plus murder mystery!I WANT!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?

Teaser Tuesday(7) :Daimon

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

You might know that I'm featuring Half-Blood this month and Today's teaser is from the free prequel.....

What the hell?” I muttered and then louder, “Whatever! Go save a

dolphin or something!”

He whirled around. “It’s a whale, Alex, a whale! That’s what I’m interested in saving.”

I threw up my arms. “What’s wrong with saving dolphins?”

-Pg.15,Daimon

SHARE YOUR  THOUGHTS AND TEASERS IN THE COMMENTS :D

 you can also check out other posts related to this series

Q&A with Jennifer:Author of Half Blood

You guys should know by now that I am ion loooooooooovee with Half Blood!

So I thought it would be fun if I posted an interview with the author.(Don't worry none of these contain spoilers!)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true. Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she likes to read, work-out, watch zombie movies, and pretend to write. Rep'd by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
The Official Blog of author Jennifer L. Armentrout

1. Could you start things off by telling us what we can expect from Half Blood?(No spoilers !)

You can expect a little of everything from Half-Blood: romance, danger, fight scenes, lies, mystery, and some twists that most people haven't seen coming. It's based on Greek Mythology, especially the demigod myth. It's more like a reinvention of that myth. For those who've read Daimon, yes there's more Alex snark coming your way and lots of Aiden.

2.Can you tell us a little about the main characters in Half Blood(guys in particular)?

Oh, the Half-Blood guys.

 Well, there are a couple. 

There's Caleb, who is Alex's best friend and partner in mayhem. 

Then there's Seth... and he's a handful. Alex and him don't necessarily get a long. They're actually too much a like, personality wise. Some of the funniest conversations are between Seth and Alex. 

And of course, there's Aiden. He's kind of the silent guy, but when he has something to say, it's pretty epic. He's had some tragedy in his life that has shaped him and how he treats Alex. Aiden also plays the guitar. 

3.What  influences (both literary and non-literary) did you draw from while writing ?

Mainly, the Greek influence. When I originally wrote Half-Blood, there were so little kick butt female protagonists (it had been the era of Bella Swan and company) so I'd been striving for a female lead that could fight, had a spunky personality and really stood out. 

4. Who is your favorite character in this book, and why?

Oh my, I don't think I could just pick one but if I had to: Alex. She's just so snarky and funny. 

5. What books/genres do you read when you have the chance? Any  books you would like to recommend ?

Mostly paranormal and urban fantasy, with a little bit of contemporary mixed in. Everyone definitely needs to read Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon when it comes out in October. I'd also recommend Personal Demons/ Original Sin and Demon's Trappers Daughter if you like paranormal. 

6.Do you have a favorite scene or line form Half Blood/Daimon?

Chapter 16 in Half-Blood was a favorite scene of mine. *Evil Giggles*

7.What would you do If you were in Alex’s shoes?

Besides jump Aiden? I don't think I'd last a week in Alex's shoes. I probably would've never made it out of Miami alive, to be honest. 

8. What is the one question about Half Blood or Daimon you would really like to be asked? Will you share the answer with us?

Well, I like all the questions but here is the most common one: "Why is Aiden so cute/adorable/sex/swoon-worthy?" My answer: Because that's how he rolls. 

9. Can shed some light on the setting of the novel? How did you develop this unique universe and characters?

It takes place in North Carolina. I honestly can't even remember how I picked NC for the setting. I was looking for something close to a beach and found Bald Head Island in NC. Deity Island (the location of the Covenant) is a fictional Island joined with Bald Head Island. 

10.Tell us five interesting things about yourself.

1. I'm addicted to caffeine

2. I have an overactive imagination.

3. I have a dog named Loki

4. For two years in a row, I had a car accident on the same day at the same exact time

5.I hear voices in my head. Hopefully I can make some money off them

11.What next? Are you going to write another series?

I have several projects lined up. There may be some book news soon. Wink. Wink.

12. How did the covers for your novels get chosen? They are all so beautiful! 

Thank you! They did a great job with the covers and I think they really stand out. Each symbol on the cover of each book has a role in the story. 

13. what message do you hope readers will take away from Half Blood?

I didn't write Half-Blood with a certain message in mind, but I guess, it does show that sometimes you have to do things you'd never want to do in your life but its the right thing to do.

14. What can you tell us about the remaining novels in the series Pure and The Untitled sequels?

There are four novels total in the series at this point. There isn't much I can tell without being spoilery, but expect a lot of twists and turns. 

15. What authors have inspired you?What about them is inspirational?

My biggest inspiration when I was a teenager and started writing was LJ Smith. She's probably my fav author!

I hope you are not brain dead by the time you finish answering these! Thank you so much for your time!!!!!!

Thank you for having me!!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! IT WAS SO GOOD! I'll be posting a lot of Half Blood related posts in the coming month. This book is one book even I'm going to buy!

Expected publication: October 18th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press 

but It's available for preorder here:

AMAZON,BN,BOOKDEPOSITORY,FLIPKART

Giveaways Around the web(6)

I missed September! 

As always ALL CONTESTS ARE INTERNATIONAL!

I'm currently having a 200 follower giveaway that ENDS TODAY + Banned Book giveaway

• Banned Books giveaway hop .ENDS TODAY.
• Pure Imagination is giving away spooky books.ENDS 10/21
• Inklings Read is giving away some great Halloween Packs.ENDS 10/24
• carolinavaldezmiller is giving away Ashfall and 4 other ARC's.ENDS 10/3
• Kiersten White is giving away Lola  and the boy next door and Daughter of smoke and bone(if you preorder one).ENDS 10/4

I will keep updating this post throughout October.(FYI: Sometimes I forget to update)

If you want to find out about more contests you should seriously consider following me on twitter @kadburytweets

If an AWESOME contest is going on in your blog,leave link in comments.

Friday: Book Blogger Hop #1

This is a blog hop hosted by Crazy for books.

I thought I's give it a shot!

In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?

Well.......from 2010-2011 list....

The Hunger Games of course!

This book is SO GOOD! I would recommend this one to EVERYONE!!!!!! IT'S A CLASSIC!

READ IT GUYS ,you will not regret it!

I know the cover is not so great but the writing is amazing!

Also,my favorite Banned/challenged  series of all time is ...

Harry Potter.(duh!)

Feel free to check out my 4 GIVEAWAYS! GUYS!

They end by Saturday!!!!!

Posts this week:

Waiting on Wednesday

Teaser Tuesday

Cover Alert

Blog Tour:The Willows:Haven

Have you Heard:Half Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

Banned Books week giveaway hop