Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Blast + Giveaway: Keep of Ages by Caragh M. O'Brien


Keep of Ages by Caragh M. O'Brien

In the fast-paced, high-stakes conclusion to Caragh M. O'Brien's Vault of Dreamers trilogy, Rosie travels to a derelict theme park to shut down dream mining once and for all.

Driven by fear when Dean Berg kidnaps her family, Rosie Sinclair strikes out across the country to rescue them. When an elusive trail leads her to Grisly Valley, the contaminated ruin of a horror theme park, Rosie has to consider that Berg may once again be manipulating her every move to make her fearful, priming her for a final, lethal dream mining procedure. As Rosie struggles to outmaneuver Berg, she unearths the ultimate vault of dreamers and the hint of a consciousness more powerful and dangerous than any she's imagined before. Faced with unspeakable suffering and otherworldly beauty, Rosie must discover how to trust her mind, her friends, and reality itself.

Propulsive and deeply speculative, The Keep of Ages concludes the Vault of Dreamers trilogy with stirring possibilities for what it means to be alive.







Praise for THE VAULT OF DREAMERS Series


“A sharp novel about the ways in which everyone can be manipulated, either through editing or one's own desire to go the easiest path.” ―BCCB



“Like O'Briens Birthmarked trilogy, this dystopian, sci-fi, psychological-thriller hybrid raises ethical and moral questions about science. This might have been a difficult story to pull off, given the environment, but with a likable narrator who is thoroughly unimpressed with herself, it works . . . this should have wide appeal.” ―Booklist



“Fans looking for a science fiction novel that is not heavy on the science fiction or who want something vaguely dystopian will enjoy this title.” ―VOYA



“A mixture of science fiction and contemporary fiction, this novel is an interesting addition to both genres.” ―School Library Journal



“A fast, satisfying psychological thriller . . . The sudden cliffhanger will polarize readers.” ―Kirkus Reviews



“Like viewers of The Forge Show, readers will want to keep watching Rosie.” ―Publishers Weekly


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caragh M. O’Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS series, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O’Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA in the Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University. Her young adult science fiction has been honored by the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, the Amelia Bloomer Award, the Junior Library Guild, and numerous state reading lists. A former high school English teacher, she now writes young adult novels full time from her home in rural Connecticut.

Photo Credit: Tomy O’Brien 2014







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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: YA Movie Adaptations

Movie Adaptations of books, I feel, is becoming increasingly popular. Not to say that movie adaptations haven't been happening for a while now, but it just feels like it's happening more and more often. These are going to focus on YA Movie Adaptations that I have seen, next week with a focus on YA Movie Adaptations that I am anticipating watching, but haven't yet seen it. And maybe the week after that I will focus on YA movie adaptations that I can't stand.

They are in no order of how I like them, but they will all be movie adaptations that I either enjoyed as much as the book or that I enjoyed more than the book. They are not necessarily favorite movies of mine.

I'm also only focusing on books that I have read. There are a few movies I could probably list here that I loved that are YA movie adaptations that I have not yet read the book of. like the Harry Potter series.

#1: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I have yet to stumble upon a book by Lauren Oliver that I loved. I enjoyed reading Before I Fall, and out of all of the Lauren Oliver books that I have read, which really isn't that much, it's definitely the one that I like best, but it's not a favorite book of mine.

6482837But I really enjoyed the movie. I thought the actors did a good job of portraying the characters, and I was more drawn into the story through the screen portrayal than the book portrayal. I don't think it's the best movie out there, but I did like it.









#2: Maze Runner by James Dashner

I really enjoyed reading the Maze Runner, which is surprising because it's really slow, and if you know me, then you know that I cannot stand slow novels. I'm typically unable to really get into the story, and more often than not put down books that are slow.

12382940But I personally found the movie so much better. It definitely feels more fast-paced or it's just one of those stories that is easier to watch than to read, either way, it's a definite favorite YA movie adaptation of mine.










#3: Scorch Trials by James Dashner

This is probably not a shock being on the list, considering the answer above. For many of the same reasons, the book was just a lot slower, and this was much more fast-paced. I also really enjoyed the story of the movie Scorch Trials.

10911181It's really different than the book, and I know that's not something that many fans of the books probably feel, but I just really liked the changes they made. I know that for me, it's easier than I think for other book lovers to be able to separate movies from books, and that worked well for this book.










#4: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

If I were to read the book, and then watch the movie over, I honestly don't know if this movie would make it onto this list. But since I will probably never reread the book, this movie made it onto the list.

307791I absolutely loved this movie when it came out, almost right after I read the book. I was thirteen years old, and this was probably one of my favorite movies that came out that year. Even now when I watch it, I enjoy it - it's definitely not a favorite anymore, but it's still cute to watch. And there are nostalgic feelings connected to this movie and book.








#5: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I really enjoyed reading the Hunger Games book. I feel like it was recommended to me like 100 times before I finally picked it up to read. And when I finally chose to read it was right before the movies were set to come out.

2767052And I was very impressed with how the Hunger Games adaptation turned out. I thought it was great, and it was pretty true to the original story - not that there weren't minor changes or anything, but that it was really close.










#6: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Again, this was just another good adaptation from the original story. I was once more impressed with the storyline. 

6148028And at this point, I don't think changes would have bothered me because I was already invested in the movies, and the actors and how they were portraying the characters.














#7: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I still really enjoyed this book's 2 part adaptations, althought I felt that was unnecessary, and that two part adaptations are never needed for a book.

7260188But I didn't love this movie adaptation as much as I loved the first two movie adaptations.








#8: Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

I cannot express how much more I loved the movie over the book. I thought the movie was great, it wasn't the best movie out there, but I found it entertaining and fun to watch.

71865I had to really push myself to even finish the book. It was slow, and I couldn't get into the book at all. The only reason that I finished the book was because it was an interlibrary loan book through my library. And I really wanted to finish it after watching the movie (Maybe that's why I didn't like it as much as the movie).










#9: Host by Stephenie Meyer

This was probably not one of my favorite movies out there, and it probably isn't the best book to movie adaptation, but I definitely enjoyed watching the Host, more than I did when reading the book.

1656001And I definitely thought this adaptation was better than the Twilight series adaptations - they will definitely be on the other top ten list.













And this one will probably be a shocker to many fans out there...

#10: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

First and foremost, I do want to acknowledge that I think that the movie adaptation would have been better if there weren't some changes made from the book to the movie. And I think there were things they could have done to make it have a darker feel, which I felt the book was more like.

9460487But I really enjoyed the movie adaptation. I thought the movie, overall, was done well, and I thought the actors they had chosen to portray the characters were good.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Blast + Giveaway and Trailer: Reunited by Colleen Houck


Reunited by Colleen Houck

After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset.










Praise for REAWAKENED Series


"[A] must-read for thrill-seekers and fans of alternate worlds."—RT Book Reviews



"Rick Riordan fans who are looking for another series will delight in this fantasy."—SLJ



"Littered with Egyptian mythology and snappy dialogue, this romantic adventure is a good choice for graduates of Rick Riordan or fans of Houck’s Tiger’s Curse series."—Booklist



"Fans of paranormal romance will love the Egyptian spin on this story of devotion and sacrifice, and Lily’s humor, combined with plentiful dangerous escapades, will keep readers engaged."—VOYA



"The author weaves her story out of Egyptian lore, cinematic magic, selfless love, and . . . is clever enough to remain surprising even to the last sentence."—Kirkus Reviews



“Houck’s moving depiction of the love between Lily and Amon is memorable."—Publishers Weekly



"Wonderfully written and…the heart-pounding adventures are topped only by the heart-melting romance."—The Deseret News



"A sparkling new novel with a fully imagined world and mythos, and crackling romance! Egyptian mythology has never been this riveting!"—Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series, on Reawakened, book one in the series



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

Photo Content from Colleen Houck

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/colleenrayhouck/
INSTAGRAM: 
https://www.instagram.com/colleen.houck/

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Blitz + Excerpt, Trailer, and Giveaway: Body Parts by Jessica Kapp


Body Parts
by Jessica Kapp
Genre: YA Sci-fi Thriller
Release Date: August 15th 2017

Summary from Goodreads:

People would kill for her body.

Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha’s been sculpted into a world-class athlete. Her trainers have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family, even though personal health has taken a backseat outside the training facility. While Tabitha swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, hoping to find a permanent home, the rest of the community takes pills produced by pharmaceutical giant PharmPerfect to erase their wrinkles, grow hair, and develop superhuman strength.

When Tabitha’s finally paired, instead of being taken to meet her new parents, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason for her perfect health: PharmPerfect is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs. And her friends from the center, the only family she’s ever known, are next in line to be harvested.

Determined to save them, Tabitha joins forces with her rescuers, led by moody and mysterious Gavin Stiles. As they race to infiltrate the hospital and uncover the rest of PharmPerfect’s secrets, though, Tabitha finds herself with more questions than answers. Will trusting the enigmatic group of rebels lead her back to the slaughterhouse?



Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781635761665

Excerpt:
The exit door buzzes. My breath catches when I notice it’s not a trainer—it’s Ms. Preen. And, she’s holding a red file, which can only mean one thing.
One of us is getting out.
Her heels make quick, light clicks as she crosses the floor past the weight equipment and yoga mats. She crinkles her nose as she moves through the thick cloud of sweat. By the time she reaches us, Meghan’s out of the pool. We stand, two-dozen bodies huddled together, anxious to hear the news. I scan my friends’ faces, wondering whose turn it is to go. Parker wraps his free arm around me. I imagine this is how a gymnast feels after a routine, waiting for her scores. Did I perform well enough? Could I have done more?
Will I win the ultimate prize: a family?
Ms. Preen presses through to the pool area, but stands far from our group, as if she thinks we’ll throw her in.
It’s crossed our minds before.
The light shines off her blonde bob, and her face is flawless. Freeze-dried, we like to say.
“Where is she?” Ms. Preen looks at our group as if she can’t tell us apart, which is probably true. Even though she pops in at least once a month to check on our vitals, she isn’t interested in getting to know us. She’s the one in charge of pairing us with families, but all she knows is what we’re good at. Meghan is the fast one; Paige climbs like she’s part monkey; Parker’s built like a brick house; and me, I have the lungs.
“The redhead, where is she?”
All eyes turn to me.
“We have names, you know,” Paige says, her voice curt. “Hers is Tabitha. T-A-B…”
Ms. Preen pulls a piece of paper out of the file, holding it up toward the row of skylights to read it. “Yes. She’s the one.”
Parker tightens his hold on me and I clasp my hands together to stop them from shaking. Ms. Preen doesn’t need to know I’m nervous. I’m supposed to be elated, ready to go. Maybe I’ve been fooling myself.
I wiggle out of Parker’s grip to step forward. “That’s me.”
Ms. Preen shoves the paper back into the file. “Get dressed. I’m taking you for your final screening. If you pass, you’ll be out tomorrow.” Her voice is hard and she turns to walk away.
I glance back at the group, at the faces I’ve known since childhood. They’re excited for me, but I can see the disappointment in their eyes. I know the look, because up until today I’ve watched friends leave, waiting for my turn.
Now that it is, I can’t move.

About the Author
Jessica Kapp enjoys writing Young Adult Contemporary and Speculative Fiction. Story ideas often strike at inopportune times, and she’s been known to text herself reminders from under the covers.

She lives on a small farm in Washington with far too many goats and an occasional cow.


   

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