Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Oasis by Katya de Becerra

Book info:

Title: Oasis
Author:  Katya de Becerra
Genre: YA science fiction
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Imprint Macmillan
Source:  E-galley from FFBC which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4 stars


Synopsis: 

The oasis saved them. But who will save them from the oasis?

Alif had exciting summer plans: working on her father’s archaeological dig site in the desert with four close friends . . . and a very cute research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit.

With their camp wiped away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly doomed . . . until they find the oasis. It has everything they need: food, water, shade—and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As reality begins to shift around them, they question what’s real and what’s a mirage.

The answers turn Alif and her friends against one another, and they begin to wonder if they’ve truly been saved. And while it was easy to walk into the oasis, it may be impossible to leave . . .

Katya de Becerra’s new supernatural thriller hides a mystery in plain sight, and will keep you guessing right up to its terrifying conclusion.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29748453-oasis

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Nf0px2

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oasis-katya-de-becerra/1129819260#/

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/br/book/oasis/id1447813177

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/oasis-38

Google Books: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Oasis.html?id=dAHlvQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

My Review:

 I've been intrigued for this one since I first saw it.  And overall I really enjoyed the book.  In the end it had the kind of vague/not definite ending that while can be okay, and I know a lot of people like, I'm not the hugest fan of.  I kind of like my endings tied up in little bows as much as possible.  Or at least to know what happened.  But the whole story up to that point was so good that I could barely put it down.  I loved the dig site parts, and the friendships and tension between the group was well done also.  There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and that is something that I do really like in a story.  It was good to get the back stories of some of the characters to understand their motivation, but I do feel like we needed more about one of them, Luke, and maybe also Minh.  The oasis itself was fascinating and how the author described it was very vivid and kept you guessing at what was next.  The possible alien/ancient god aspect was a little iffy for me, I almost needed a little more of that.  I had a hard time deciding what to rate this.  I wavered between a 3.5 and 4 star rating.  In the end I am giving this 4 stars, because what happened at the end may just be a personal issue that I had, and I can see that a lot of other people might enjoy that, and it was very well written, and had a lot that kept me turning pages as fast as I could hoping to find out all the answers.

About the Author:

Katya de Becerra was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Katya is a short version of her real name, which is very long and gets mispronounced a lot. What The Woods Keep was her first novel (out now), which is followed by another standalone Oasis in 2020. She has also authored and co-authored academic articles, book chapters, guest posts and opinion pieces.

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15140719.Katya_de_Becerra

Website: https://katyabecerra.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDeBecerra

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katyadebecerra/?hl=en

GIVEAWAY

• Prize: Win finished copy of OASIS by Katya de Becerra (US Only) 
• Starts: January 1^st 2020 
• Ends: January 15^th 2020

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Tour Schedule:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/11/tour-schedule-oasis-by-katya-de-becerra.html

ARC Review - Exile from Eden: Or, After the Hole (Grasshopper Jungle #2) by Andrew Smith

Book info:

Title:  Exile from Eden:  Or, After the Hole
Author: Andrew Smith
Series:  Grasshopper Jungle #2
Genre:  YA science fiction
Release Date:  September 24th, 2019
Publisher:  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source:  Physical ARC received from publisher which did not influence my review
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Andrew Smith comes the stunning, long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking Printz Honor Book Grasshopper Jungle.

It’s been sixteen years since an army of horny, hungry, six-foot-tall praying mantises forced Arek’s family underground and into the hole where he was born; it’s the only home he’s ever known. But now, post-end-of-the-world, the army of horny, hungry praying mantises might finally be dying out, and Arek’s ready to leave the hole for good.

All he has are mysterious letters from Breakfast, a naked, wild boy traveling the countryside with his silent companion, Olive. Together, Arek and his best friend Mel, who stowed away in his van, navigate their way through the ravaged remains of the outside world.

This long-awaited sequel to the irreverent, groundbreaking Printz Honor Book Grasshopper Jungle is stunning, compelling, and even more hilarious and beautifully bizarre than its predecessor.


My Review:
I loved this book by Andrew Smith.  As usual, it was a total "boy" book.  But I love that about it!  While we started out and I was worried I might not remember who was who from the first book, Grasshopper Jungle, it was very nice that the main character, Arek, kept kind of reintroducing the other characters as he narrated the story.  I liked so much about the story, all the different characters and viewpoints we got.  It was towards the end when they all collided it seemed, and it was the perfect way to get them to meet up.  Not a meet-cute since this isn't a romance, but is there another name for it?  I don't know.  Just know that it was a perfectly seamless way to fit the stories together.  Now, in the first book we kind of got the background on how we got those giant praying mantises that were attacking, but in this one, I don't know that we ever find out exactly why they are changing or having issues, just that they are.  

One thing that really stood out to me personally from the story is a note from the author at the back of the book.  There is an artist that Arek is constantly referencing, Max Beckmann.  Now I'd never heard of him before, but of course from this book I found I had to go look him up.  What Smith talks about at the end is that Max Beckmann painted so many self portraits trying to maybe see who he was.   Now the author also mentioned that he feels each of his own books are in a way his own self-portraits in a similar vein to Beckmann's paintings.  That really stood out to me personally, because recently I realized a lot of the stories I write end up being kind of my own daydreams.  Sometimes even starring me, just with different names and places.  When I realized this, I also decided that this was okay.  I remembered something another of my favorite authors once said, to write the book I want to read, she wrote her story for herself.  And that's what I'm going to continue to do.  While my books and writing are nowhere near as good as Andrew Smith's stories, I like that I'm not the only one who sees their writing this way.

Highly recommended, if you liked Grasshopper Jungle, you'll enjoy this as well! 

Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Helix (International Sensory Assassin Network #2) by Mary Ting

Book info:
Title:  Helix
Author: Mary Ting
Series:  International Sensory Assassin Network #2
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: September 10th, 2019
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Alliances are forming. The resistance is growing. Everything is about to change.

With her memory still fragmented, Ava returns to the International Sensory Assassin Network (ISAN) to find the twin sister she never knew she had.

But as Ava hunts for information, she finds herself tangled in a web of yet more lies and conspiracy. The Helix serum may not be required to access her superpowers, and the number of male assassins—previously considered too volatile to tolerate Helix—is growing in every territory.

The more Ava uncovers, the more of a threat she becomes to ISAN. Her only salvation may be to join the rebels—if she isn’t killed first.

Add to Goodreads / Purchase

Author Interview:

1.   Do you edit as you go, or wait till you're finished before you edit?  How many times would you say you go over it yourself before having another set of eyes look it over? 

I get all my thoughts down first. Then I do the edits myself … revise description words and make sure I’m not repeating words too close together. My manuscript has to be in top shape before I send it to my editor.   

2.   Are you part of a writer’s group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?

No, I don’t belong to a group, but I do have author friends I reach out to if I have writer’s block, or if I need to brain storm a story idea.

3.   How important are names in your books?  Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds, or the meaning?  Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend? 

I chose names based on their meaning especially for the main characters and sometimes I pick names depending how they sound. I don’t’ repeat names I have on my other books. I also don’t use a name that makes me picture my friend’s face. LOL.

4.   Do you always know how the story will end when you start?

I usually have a beginning, middle and an end, but sometimes they change as the story progresses.

5.   Where is your ideal place to write?  Do you have an office, or do you like to go sit in a coffee shop/library, etc.?

I have a space in my family room. I like to write there when everyone is out of the house. It’s near the window and I can hear the small waterfall from my pool. I also like to write when it’s quiet, so late at night in my bed is a good place for me as well.

6.  Some fun questions:

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin? I took a test and it said … Gryffindor

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard? Captain Kirk

DC or Marvel?  I love Superman and Wonder Woman, but I’m a huge marvel fan.

Physical book, ebook, or audiobook? Audiobooks because I can listen to it while I’m cooking, doing house chores, and especially when l’m driving.

Author Bio:

International Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Mary Ting writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers all over the world. Her books run a wide range of genres and her storytelling talents have won her a devoted legion of fans and garnered critical praise.

Becoming an author happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she had in high school. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, Mary retired from teaching after twenty years. She also had the privilege of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book: No Bullies Allowed.

Mary resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two little dogs, Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

GIVEAWAY!
 

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Blog Tour Review: The Chosen (Contender #1) by Taran Matharu

BOOK INFORMATION

Title:  The Chosen

Author:  Taran Matharu
Series:  Contender #1

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: June 4th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Source: E-galley from FFBC  Tours which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

Introducing an epic new trilogy from Taran Matharu, author of the New York Times–bestselling Summoner series. 

Throughout history, people have vanished with no explanation. A group of teenagers are about to discover why.

Cade is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric creatures, ancient relics, and stranger still — people. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game, controlled by mysterious overlords.

But who are these beings and why did they choose these teens? Cade must prepare for battle . . . because hiding is not an option.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads

Amazon

iTunes

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Kobo

Google Books

My Review:

This is my first book by this author, and I was not disappointed at all.  I can totally see what all the fuss about the other series has been about.  This book was definitely a page turner.  I loved all the history in the book, and the whole vibe of the historical people and animals and places reminded me of the tv show Land of the Lost.  A favorite show of mine.  And then there was the whole competition thing. From the beginning it was in my head that maybe it was aliens. Then maybe it was futuristic humans.  The book really keeps you pretty much guessing till close to the end when the qualifying competition is about to begin.  There's a lot of great action in this, characters that you really are interested in and want to either see succeed, or get what they deserve.  I will definitely be ready to read book two whenever it is ready, as I need to know what else these characters will need to fight and do to save themselves, and possibly Earth itself.

 

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Taran Matharu is the New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series, which has been translated into 15 languages and has sold over a million copies. He was born in London in 1990 and found a passion for writing during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old.

Straight after graduating with a First Class degree in Business Administration, Taran was keen to explore a new avenue and get inside the publishing world, landing an internship in Digital Sales at Penguin Random House, from June to September 2013. 

Thereafter, while taking time off to travel, Taran began to write ‘Summoner’ in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’ and sharing his work on Wattpad.com. The shared sample of the story went viral, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. Taran went on to launch his professional writing career, and has never looked back.

His SUMMONER series is published by Hodder Children’s (Hachette) in the UK, Australia and Commonwealth, Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) in the US and Canada, Hachette Jeunesse in France, Heyne in Germany, Planeta in Spain, Crown in Taiwan, Record in Brazil, EKSMO in Russia, Jaguar in Poland, Ecliptic in Bulgaria, Alpress in the Czech Republic, Ithaki in Turkey, Forlaget Forar in Denmark and Unieboek in the Netherlands.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

TOUR SCHEDULE:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/05/tour-schedule-chosen-contender-1-by.html

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Blog Tour Excerpt with Giveaway: Alien Minds (Dimension Drift #1) by Christina Bauer

Book info:
Title:  Alien Minds
Author:  Christina Bauer
Series:  Dimension Drift #1
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: April 23rd, 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:

DIVERGENT meets OCEAN’S EIGHT in this urban fantasy heist!

On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.

So, I’m living the perfect life.

Then why does everything feel all wrong?

My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.

And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories.

Maybe it’s time to pucker up.

“Appealing and engaging. Love the strong female character!” – Arlene’s Book Reviews

This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action and adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Google Play

Excerpt – Opening Chapter

Meimi

In this moment, I know four things.

One, I just woke up in a hospital bed.

Two, I don’t remember anything about my life before today. Hello, amnesia!

Three, I want out of here now because …

Four, there’s a creepy couple in my room—Luci and Josiah—who claim they’re my sponsor parents. According to them, I’m a seventeen-year-old science prodigy called Wisteria Roberts.

Huh. That name rings zero bells.

Plus, these two make my skin crawl.

“We sponsor you financially,” explains Josiah. “Then in the fall, we’ll fund your senior year of high school at ECHO Academy.” Josiah’s a lanky guy with slicked-back hair, a frayed suit, and an overly large Adam’s apple.

“Afterward, you’ll pay us back with interest,” adds Luci. “Forty percent. Compounded annually.”

Luci is tall and willowy with white-blonde tresses. By contrast, I’m a curvy girl with brown hair and green eyes. I’m also wrapped up mummy-style with bandages. According to Luci and Josiah, I took a spill on Newbury Street and lost my memory. So sketchy.

Some small voice in my head cries that I should be terrified right now. Instead, I just feel numb. Must be a happy side effect of having no memory. Like an amnesia bonus.

“You’ll love living in our dorm,” says Josiah. “In fact, think of me more as your sponsor friend than your sponsor parent.”

At this point, that small part of me screams how Josiah is a disgusting pig. But more of me is still happily numb, so the warnings go nowhere.

Screech, screech, screech!

A chorus of alarm bells sound. Red lights flash in the outer hallway. An overly calm female voice drones through hidden speakers. “Cleansing search commencing … cleansing search commencing. All hail the Authority … All hail the Authority.”

With that, the inner cogs of my brain connect and whir. Feelings return. My blood chills over with fear. I may not recall my personal history, but I do remember how our evil government—what we call the Authority—conducts cleansing searches. They find the sick or poor, label them as undesirable, and slate them for cleansing. It’s a fancy word for murder.

The alarms wail louder. My heart rate skyrockets. If there’s a cleansing search, I’m a slam dunk to be undesirable. Yipes.

Author Bio:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn

GIVEAWAY!

 
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Cover Reveal with Giveaway: Cold Falling White (The Nahx Invasions #2) by G.S. Prendergast

Today Gabrielle Prendergast and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for COLD FALLING WHITE, the sequel to her Sci-Fi Book ZERO REPEAT FOREVER which releases November 19, 2019! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal! 

About The Book:

Title: COLD FALLING WHITE (The Nahx Invasions #2)

Author: G.S. Prendergast

Pub. Date: November 19, 2019

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The 5th Wave meets Beauty and the Beast in this fast-paced and heart-stopping follow-up to Zero Repeat Forever, which VOYA called “an edge-of-your-seat page-turner.”

Xander Liu survived the end of the world—just barely. For more than a year he has outsmarted, hidden from, and otherwise avoided the ruthless alien invaders, the Nahx, dodging the deadly darts that have claimed so many of his friends. When the murder of his friend Raven leaves him in the protective company of August, a rebellious Nahx soldier, Xander is finally able to make his way back to human controlled territory and relative safety.

But safety amongst the humans is not what it seems. Nothing is anymore.

Raven remembers dying in the arms of August. She remembers the pain, and the way he cried as she faded away. But months later when she wakes up on a wide expanse of snowy sand dunes, shackled to a boy she thought was dead too, she has a lot of questions. What has happened to her and the other reanimated humans gathered on the dunes? What is the meaning of the Nahx ships that hover ominously above them? And most pressing of all, where is August, who promised to keep her safe?

In the shadow of an unforgiving Canadian winter, Xander and Raven find themselves on opposite sides of an alien war neither of them signed up for. Left with little choice about their roles in the great battle that now seems inevitable, they search for answers and allies, all while feeling inexorably drawn back the place it seems their respective fates were determined, and to the one who determined them: August.

Title: ZERO REPEAT FOREVER (The Nahx Invasions #1)

Author: G.S. Prendergast

Pub. Date: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 496

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The 5th Wave meets Beauty and the Beast in this fast-paced and heart-stopping novel about an invasion of murderous creatures and one girl fighting for her life at the end of the world.

He has no voice, or name, only a rank, Eighth. He doesn’t know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.

Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall.

His job is to protect his Offside. Let her do the shooting.

Until a human kills her…

Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth. Isolated in the wilderness, Raven and her friends have only a fragment of instruction from the human resistance.

Shelter in place.

Which seems like good advice at first. Stay put. Await rescue. Raven doesn’t like feeling helpless but what choice does she have?

Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.

Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear. But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival comes to depend on trusting each other… 

ZERO REPEAT FOREVER Book Trailer:

About Gabrielle:

Gabrielle is a writer, teacher and designer living in Vancouver, Canada.  You can read about her books here. She is represented by Barbara Poelle at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

In 2014 she was the Writer in Residence at Vancouver Public Library. In 2015 she was nominated for the BC Book Prizes and chosen to tour the province to promote BC Books. In 2017 Gabrielle took part in the TD Canada Children’s Book Week Tour. She has also been nominated for the White Pine Awardand the CLA Award.

Gabrielle won the Westchester Award for Audacious. Audacious was included in CBC’s list of 100 YA Books That Make You Proud to be Canadian. A poem from Capricious was chosen for the 2014 Poetry in Transit Program. Pandas on the East Side was chosen as an Ontario Library Association Best Bet for Junior Fiction in 2016. It was also nominated/shortlisted for the Chocolate Lily Award, The Red Cedar Award, the Diamond Willow Award and the Myrca Award.

ZERO REPEAT FOREVER Website |Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Intstagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

• 1 winner will receive a signed Zero Repeat Forever hardcover, USA and Canada Only.

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