Can't Wait Wednesday #20: Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.  This week my pick is what looks to be a neat new series that I found as part of a BEA promotion through a link in my daily Shelf Awareness email newsletter.  I'm intrigued to find out how these two authors will work together.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.
Welcome to the. No one could have seen it coming.







So, what do you think?  Does it sound like something you'd like to read?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Armchair BEA Day 3 - Dining With the Authors

Dining With the Authors: Every year at Book Expo, children and adult authors are featured during breakfast. Who would you dream of enjoying a meal with? Would it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or simply coffee? What would your meal be? What would you discuss? 

I can't remember which year it was, but one of the years that I attended BEA I went to the children's author breakfast.  I paid the extra for the ticket that you got to sit at a table and get some extra books/stuff, etc.  I guess I'd hoped by paying the extra I'd actually get to sit at a table WITH one of the authors, which I did not.  It was totally worth it anyway though.  I think.  The cool authors I got to hear speak were Chris Colfer and Lois Lowry. I got a chance to meet, for a second, Chris Colfer, later on at the publisher's booth with a ticket.  Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Lois Lowry's signing.  

But now, let's think about what author I really want to enjoy a meal with.  I'd like to think that I'd have a blast sitting and talking with Jennifer L. Armentrout. We could discuss Supernatural and all her awesome books. 

 After meeting Anna Todd, I think I'd also love to sit and just talk with her, fangirl about all kinds of things like Harry Potter, and boy bands, and writing, etc.  

Nicole Archer is a newer author that I've loved her books Road-Tripped and Head-Tripped.  I think it would be a blast to hang out with her as well.  

Samantha Young would also be so much fun I think.  

I've met Jay Crownover and she was so much fun in just the short amount of time I got to talk to her, that I think she would be so much fun as well!  

And then, Kylie Scott, I want to talk to her about writing and her rocker book boyfriends that I love so much!

Okay, what meal would I pick?  Hmm, not sure.  I'm not really much of a breakfast person.  Maybe it would be fun to just sit and have drinks and snacks with them?  Maybe play a round of Cards Against Humanity?  

I'd love to discuss all the things we love, like  Supernatural with JLA.  Harry Potter with probably all of them!  Twilight with some of them. And then I'd like to talk about writing with them as well, as I begin to dabble in possible novel writing myself.  And for those that aren't continuing certain stories, I'd like to know where they see the characters going maybe.

So, if you could have a meal with any authors, who would you choose? 

Armchair BEA Day 2: What Readers Want and Let's Collaborate and Listen

 Day 2 of Armchair BEA!!  Okay, I'm going to do my best to answer the two questions below, then I hope you'll chime in to the comments and let me know your thoughts as well.

• What Do Readers Want?: What makes or breaks a book? How do we rate the books, or determine if it is good literature or a good story? What do we want from an author event? 

 I think that this first question is a very subjective one.  I think that every reader wants different things.  And that is why there are so many different books out there. With different writing styles, genres, formats, etc., there is something for everyone out there.  It's why I don't say that any other genre or type of book is bad, or not good, it's just not my type of read.  I don't know that I always care if a book is "good literature".  I just want it to be a good story that captures my attention and makes it hard for me to put down. Characters are usually the biggest part of a story for me.  If they are someone that I think I would like to hang out with, or someone that I definitely connect with on some level, it usually is an automatic check mark that I'll enjoy that book.   

However, very simple writing, or else very poorly written - meaning grammar and spelling issues - can definitely ruin a story for me.  

At an author event, I love hearing them speak and answer questions.  I also like a chance to get to have a book autographed, or more important to me, get my picture taken with them.  

• Let's Collaborate & Listen: The online book community has changed so much over the years. How do we keep up within our own book-sphere as well as within the community as a whole (i.e., libraries, bookstores, authors, publishers, etc.)? 

I try really hard to keep up with my fellow bloggers by visiting their blogs, and subscribing by email to those that I want to make sure to keep up with even when I may not have the time to actually go and visit their blog daily.  I feel like keeping up with authors more happens on Facebook these days, compared to Twitter in the past.  I follow so many people on Twitter that I rarely have the time to read through  my timeline.  It's almost like I only go to Twitter in order to post something, or specifically seek a certain author out to ask them a question.  I've gotten a little braver with contacting publishers.  I feel like my blog has a good enough standing that I can reach out and request ARCs of books that I am very eager for.  I also like traveling to conventions when I can afford it and have the time.  I love meeting my fellow book bloggers in person, and it's an opportunity to meet authors that I love as well, and also a chance to meet new authors that I may then become huge fans of.

Armchair BEA 2017 Introduction Post

So!  I have not participated in this for awhile, but since I had actually really, truly planned to attend this year, at least until other trips came up (ApollyCon back in March, family trip to Orlando in July), I want to participate in this fun event.  If you're interested in joining in, you can go HERE.  There are lots of fun people to meet, as well as giveaways galore!  Here are my answers to the introduction post prompts.

I am a high school librarian in Kansas City, Kansas.  I also work part time at a Barnes and Noble bookstore, as well as blogging here at Lisa Loves Literature. 

Currently I am enjoying my first few days off from school for the summer and looking forward to a busy summer!

I love books (obviously), meeting authors, and my two dogs, mini-dachshunds named Dora and Argyle, not to mention any dachshund that I see!

My favorite author at the moment is Kylie Scott.  She is doing an awesome YA story on Wattpad right now and I cannot stand the wait in between chapters!

My least favorite thing about this past year is all the friendships and family relationships that have suffered due to silly small things.  I have so much trouble giving up on people, and so still find myself wanting to reach out to some of them to see if there is any way we can overcome whatever the problem was, even though my friends and family around me often say just to move on.

My current read is not just one, but a couple different books.  I'm usually listening to a book in my car.  Have one on my phone Kindle app, and a book that is probably for review, as well as one more that is sitting by my bed.  Let me list all of them off here:  Write Naked by Jennifer Probst, What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard, Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras, and Challenge by Amy Daws (audiobook).

My summer plans include lots of reading, catching up on blogging - specifically review books and actually getting reviews caught up on other books I've read.  I also want to actually complete one of my stories I've started over the past years during NaNoWriMo and try to publish it as an ebook on Amazon to see if anyone even wants to read it.  I'd also like to get into more freelance editing and proofreading.  My last hope is to get back to walking and get back in shape, or at least on the road!

My buddy is my writing buddy that I lost earlier this year because she didn't like the way I reviewed her book.  :-(  The sad thing is that every time I reviewed one, I shared the link directly to it, and she didn't even bother to read those reviews until someone else pointed them out. 

My blog/channel/social media include this site, as well as my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

The best ... well this is a hard one, the best what?  Um, I don't know.  I'm going to skip this one. 

Hope you decide to join in if you're not attending BEA, if you are attending, and you can grab an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's upcoming book, please send it to me.  :-)

Waiting on Wednesday: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  My pick this week is a new book by an author that I have read one of  her books in her another one of her series, but haven't finished that series yet, even though I need to!  Seeing everyone with the little chapter samplers or swag packs for this from BEA made me very jealous!  Anyway, here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Strange the Dreamer is the story of:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men
a mysterious city stripped of its name
a mythic hero with blood on his hands
a young librarian with a singular dream
a girl every bit as perilous as she is imperiled
alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.





So, it sounds pretty interesting.  I'm especially intrigued by the librarian bit.  Have you read any books by this author?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Review and Giveaway: Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow

About Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows:

 

Title: Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows

Author: Michelle Madow

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Series: Elementals #1

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: eBook and paperback

ISBN: 2940152448849 

Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love!

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.

Buy Links:  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  iBooks

Add to your TBR List:  Goodreads

My Review:

First, I have to say thanks to Barclay Publicity and Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-galley of this.  I have been a fan of Michelle Madow since her first series, Transcend Time.   I actually even met her my first time at BEA in 2012, standing in the blogger day conference line.  And then I got to see her again when I went in 2014, and I remembered to get a picture with her:

However, not one time that I've seen her have I had one of her books to get autographed.  Next time, I will for sure!    I have to say that this new series kept right up with what I've enjoyed about her books so far, and I'm very excited to read on after I finished this one.  

Now the blurb above pretty much tells you what the story is about, so I don't want to repeat all of that.  So, I'm going to tell you the things I really liked about it instead!  I love the theme children of the gods of Olympus idea being used again in this type of story.  We got to have more of a romantic teen story than you really get with the Percy Jackson series, although I do love that series!  I feel like all of the characters had something small about them that made them different from other similar characters in similar stories.  The way that all of it unfolded was great as well.  I love the little clues the five main characters got, and how they learned just what "abilities" they had.  This was the way they learned who their Olympian "parent" was.  The story around Blake and his girlfriend Danielle is interesting.  I do like that Nicole pretty much sticks to her guns about not dating Blake until he officially breaks up with Danielle, as well as realizing that to start dating him right away after they do, will cause many issues for the group.  My only complaint was that at first it seemed to kind of move too quickly and skim over things that I wanted more details on.  But as the book went on that got better, and by the end I was really happy with how it was written.

 About Michelle Madow:

Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

To get instant updates about Michelle's new books, subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Amazon!

Connect with Michelle:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Goodreads

  

Giveaway:

• Michelle is offering up a fabulous prize during her Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Virtual Tour event. One (1) lucky winner will receive a Kindle Fire 7”! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:  

     a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Sunday Post #39 and Stacking the Shelves October 18th, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.   

Last week on the blog:

• Cover Characteristic:  Televisions
•  Promo post:  The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull and Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall
•  October New Release Giveaway - open till the end of October, go enter HERE.
• Review:  The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff.

 So, it looks like I only did one review this past week, right?  But that's just not so.  I did finish and review The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow, but since I had received the book from Liza at Reading with ABC, I had to give her the review to post on her blog.  But don't worry, I'll post a link to it tomorrow when she is supposed to post it.  I also did not get anything posted on Thursday, it just was a busy week. And it seems the weeks just get busier and busier.  It took me all week to finally finish Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl, and it's not because it wasn't interesting!  I just didn't seem to have much time to read.  

This week on the blog:

• Promo Post:  Roses are Red (Blood, Sweat, and Tears #1) by J.B. Kantt
• Waiting on Wednesday
• Promo Post:  Hawk by Marie Powell
• Cover Characteristic:  Phones
• Reviews:  Black Widow:  Forever Red by Margaret Stohl, Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins, maybe Willful Machines by  Tim Floreen.

I've had a writing date today, intend to have one on this coming Friday as well. But it is my birthday week, which means always at school we are having parent-teacher conferences.  So on my actual birthday I'll be in the library during conferences.   As I mentioned earlier, I haven't been getting as much reading done as I wish I was.  I have been listening to a book I'm enjoying in my car, Rebel Belle, and I'm enjoying it.  However I need to really get back to the gym.  A friend of mine said she used the couch to 5K app and just ran her first 5K this weekend.  I've walked a 5K, but would love to be able to run! So I downloaded the app today and think I'm going to try it as well.  I've been doing well with making sure to not request too many e-galleys, so very proud of myself there.  On Instagram I've missed a day or two, one of them because I couldn't think of a book to do. But I plan to get caught up in the next day or so and back on track.  Oh yeah!  I forgot to mention that I bought my ticket for NOLA Story Con 2016!  Can't wait to go back to New Orleans, as well as see all the great authors there, like my new favorite, Jennifer L. Armentrout!  Anyone else been there before?  Or planning on going next year?

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.   It was a pretty good week for physical books, Monday was an awesome day for book mail actually!  So let's start with those actual books:

•  Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I had to purchase so I could read on in this series that I loved the first book so much!  More about a book blogging protagonist and the hot Daemon.
• Let Me Off at the Top! by Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell) - It was on the bargain table at the bookstore where I work, and I love Will Ferrell, and the Anchorman movies.
• Talker 25 and Invisible Monsters by Joshua McCune - Another prize won from the YA Scavenger Hunt a few weeks ago!  An awesome win!
•  Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris - I got this to review from Blogging for Books.  I found out about this from another blog, and was so excited to see this book there. 

E-galleys:

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  The first three I got from Edelweiss. The first one is an older book, I guess maybe they're re-releasing it?  The last book is from Netgalley.  Anyone else a little irritated about how Netgalley is posting books and when you click on them to request them, it says they're not available to request yet?  What's the point?  Oh well.

Free e-books:

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  The first three I won from the Until Beth promo tour hosted by Me, My Shelf, and I.  And there are some other goodies coming by snail mail!  I'll share those when they arrive.  The last book was free on Amazon last week.  I have a copy of the first one that I got after meeting the author two years ago at BEA.  But I haven't read it yet.  I need to get on that soon!  Plus, then I will need to get the 2nd one before I can go on to this 3rd one.

So those are the books I added to my shelves this week.  What books did you receive this week?