BBAW Day One: Appreciation

Update: I posted the wrong post today (I posted the interview instead of appreciation) but here's my actual day one post!

 

For more information on Book Blogger Appreciation Week see here!

Today's Topic:

Appreciation

The book blogging community is so large and contains so many bloggers! I love them all, but here are a few of my absolute besties and favorites! :)

Candace from Candace's Book Blog - Candace is one of the bloggers I've had the pleasure of meeting in person, and since then we've took off and have started working on Novels, News, and Notes and various blog tours! She's super awesome!

Monica from Cover Analysis - Ever since we "met" Monica and I have shared a special, sarcastic, witty, dry relationship. Take part in some of our banters on twitter, it's the most fun ever!

Juhina and Farah from Maji Bookshelf - Even though we're usually 9 or more hours apart, chatting with these two sisters is an absolute blast! Ever since I was their bookish secret Santa we've had a bucket of fun! 

 Lori from Pure Imagination - Lori designed my blog design and she's such a dear! If I need a favor she's always helps me with what I need!

Rachel from Parajunkee - Ever since The Story Siren drama Rachel has really took over the role as the big mama bear blogger! Someone everyone in the community we all look up to! 

Anna from Literary Exploration - Anna is so very nice! She puts on one of the best blogs out there. Everything you need - discussion, reviews, interviews, she does it all!
Sarah from Sarah's Random Musings - She's another one of the bloggers I've met in person and talking to her is so fun - it seems like she's read EVERY single book!!
Kristina from Kristina's World of Books - Kristina is just the best! Another one I've met in person, it's super fun, she and I plan blogger/author meet-ups before Seattle book signings! 

Betrayal by Gregg Olsen

Betrayal (Empty Coffin, #2) by Gregg Olsen
Release Date ~ 9/4/12
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ Splinter
Source ~ Author
Purchase a SIGNED Copy!

In this action-packed thriller sequel to Envy, foreign exchange student Olivia Grant is stabbed to death after a party--and the prime suspect is her best friend. As twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan get pulled into the aftermath of this Amanda Knox-like crime, they realize nothing is what it seems. Could it be betrayal of the ultimate kind?
Betrayal features real-life crime-solving techniques, heart-stopping suspense, plenty of red herrings, hard-hitting ethical questions, and information about the Amanda Knox case that inspired the novel. As the crime unravels, so does the twins' past…and they must face off against a family member who may unexpectedly have carried out the worst betrayal of all.

  These are the kind of books that make me love and hate book blogging. It's the kind of review you're so enthusiastic about but you just went on an emotional roller-coaster that you have no bloody idea how you're going to put it into words. Betrayal did that to me. And if it doesn't do that to you, you're obviously reading it upside down or back-words. So go read it again the right way, now. Seriously, close this review, get off your laptop and pull out your copy of Betrayal. Trust me. (I'm the doctor, whovians.)

 Other reviewers have talked about this, but I like to repeat what much smarter people have already said, Gregg Olsen doesn't write the typical YA novel. He's best known for his true crime novels, which he's wrote a bunch of and is what he's reached the New York Times Bestseller List for. And he doesn't change his style of writing for these novels. They read almost exactly like true crime, and he likes to include lots of texts, tweets, facebook posts, and newspaper clippings. So when you go into The Empty Coffin Series be fully aware that it's not the usual YA fare, and in my opinion, nothing usual can ever make an impact on the world.

  The main improvement from the first book, Envy for me is in Betrayal the focus is the crime, but Haley and Taylor take more of a center stage and the major plot line is probably them discovering the truth (about something non-related to the crime at hand). The twin paranormal part of the book is probably what most of you YA readers are looking forward to, and you will not be disappointed.

  This book ends on such a cliff-hanger. Seriously, it's like you'r hanging on to the cliff by a finger and you don't no whether you're going to fall or not for a whole nine months or so. If you're not a fan of cliffhangers, buy this book one week before Guilty, the third book in the series, is released so you won't have to wait. Because seriously, the wait is going to kill you. Perhaps literally, he is a true crime author after all.

  If you, my friend, are looking for a breathe of fresh air from anything else on the YA market. Pick up these books. You won't be disappointed, and you'd be willing to kill for more.

Cover Comments:

The blue gives a real cold look to the cover, sort-of referencing "murdered in cold blood" perhaps? I think the font is perfect and rather freaky!

Book Haul (13)

Book Haul is a weekly feature here at The Non Reluctant Reader that showcases all the awesome goodies I got this week!

So this week was the week of my birthday, and I am FINALLY A TEENAGER! So some of my friends gave me books for my birthday, and they're the ones I love the most :P I also got a $75 gift card which will undoubtedly be used on books!  Anyway, here's what I got:

My hamster, Tris, inspects this week's haul. 

For Review:

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

I am going to be hosting a stop on this book's book tour on the 19th and am excited for that! I haven't read the first book in this series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns but I need to soon so I can be ready to read this one for the blog tour!

Gifted:

Skyship Academy by Nick James

This book is from a local author and the new one comes out this month so I really need to get around to reading this one. It seems like a cross between steampunk and dystopian!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

This is one of those books that have been on my radar for a million years and I really need to start this series, so I put it on my birthday wishlist and look forward to reading it soon.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Now I have the second book too! :)

Swapped:

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

I have been pining for this book for so long and it looks incredible! Sort of a dystopian "escape from Alcatraz"! 

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

This looks really unique and cool! I can't wait to dive into it!

So that's what I got this week! What did you get? Let me know in the comments! 

The Start of School

   So I just got back from my school's start of school sailing retreat and this year is shaping up to look really fun! I just wanted to check in and let you guys know. I hope to continue blogging daily but for the first month of school looks jam pack so I might miss a few days here and there. So if there is an absence of posts just hang tight and know that I will not be leaving the blogging word anytime soon! Thanks guys!

Top Ten Books on my Fall TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

10

Betrayal by Gregg Olsen

I'm reading this one right now and it's really good! Gregg Olsen is an amazing author!

9

The Pearl Wars by Nick James

I just got this book today and since the new book in this series comes out this month I need to read this soon. He's also a local author so that's cool too. 

8

Cold Kiss and Glass Heart by Amy Garvey

I have a hardcover of the first and an ARC of the second so I need to read them both very soon! 

7

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

I have an ARC of this and I've actually had the pleasure of meeting Daniel in person and this book looks so badass! I love revenge novels!

6

Firelight Trilogy by Sophie Jordan

I have hardcovers of the first two and have an ARC of Hidden and I really need to start this series... it's been on my TBR pile for so long. 

5

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver writes the most awesome novels! I am so glad I got an ARC from Harper!

4

Venom by Fiona Paul

A high stake mystery that takes place in Renaissance Vienna? Yes, please! Can't wait to read my ARC!

3

The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

I'm going to meet Suzanne on the 9th so I better hurry up and read this before then!

2

Origin by Jessica Khoury

This book looks incredible! It seems so different then the regular YA fare!

1

The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George

This book is by a local author and it takes place just across the bay from me and I can't wait to read it! 

Birthday Giveaway!

So guys, today I am finally a teenager. 

(Love me some Roger Levesque! Sounders Til I Die!!)

Yup! Today I am 13! 

Today, September 3 is my birthday. 

(Let's get the party started in here! err... on here)

   So, it's my Birthday... but I'm going to give you guys a giveaway to celebrate! (how nice am I? :P)

The Prizes:

1 *SIGNED* Copy of Rift by Andrea Cremer

1 *SIGNED* Copy of The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

1 *PERSONALIZED SIGNED* Copy of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Deets: 

Ends 12:01 am, September 17. 

Open Internationally! :)
Must be 13+ to enter or have parent's permission.

Once the winner is notified they will have 48 hours to reply to the email or a new winner will be chosen!

Entries in the comments will not be counted, so please leave no personal information there.

If you do not follow all of these rules your entry(s) will be deleted and you be be barred from entering any further giveaways here on The Non Reluctant Reader. Savvy? 

Enter after the page break! Good luck!

Back to The Books Giveaway Hop: Win an ARC of Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Welcome to my stop on the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Buried in Books

The Prize: 

1 ARC of Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Release Date ~ September 11, 2012 

Publisher ~ HarperTeen 

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....
Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

The Deets:

Giveaway ends 12:01 am, September 8th. 

Open to the US and Canada Only.

Once the winner is notified they will have 48 hours to reply to the email or a new winner will be chosen!

Entries in the comments will not be counted, so please leave no personal information there.

If you do not follow all of these rules your entry(s) will be deleted and you be be barred from entering any further giveaways here on The Non Reluctant Reader. Savvy?