Justice Reads & Reviews: August 2019

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Spotlight: The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Enlightenment of Bees
Author: Rachel Linden
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Genre: Women's Fiction

Sometimes a shattered dream leads to an amazing journey.

At twenty-six, apprentice baker Mia West has her entire life planned out: a Craftsman cottage in Seattle, a job baking at The Butter Emporium, and her first love—her boyfriend, Ethan—by her side. But when Ethan declares he “needs some space,” Mia’s carefully planned future crumbles.

Feeling adrift, Mia joins her vivacious housemate Rosie on a humanitarian trip around the world funded by a reclusive billionaire. Along with a famous grunge rock star, a Rwandan immigrant, and an unsettlingly attractive Hawaiian urban farmer named Kai, Mia and Rosie embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

From the slums of Mumbai to a Hungarian border camp during the refugee crisis, Mia’s heart is challenged and changed in astonishing ways—ways she never could have imagined. As she grapples with how to make a difference in a complicated world, Mia realizes she must choose between the life she thought she wanted and the life unfolding before her.

In a romantic adventure across the globe, The Enlightenment of Bees beautifully explores what it means to find the sweet spot in life where our greatest passions meet the world’s greatest need.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Ascension of Larks, Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and The Enlightenment of Bees. Currently, Rachel lives with her family in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

A Waiting on Wednesday Post- Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh

Note: Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by the famous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Well now, I've never done an actual "Waiting on Wednesday" post before so I hope Jill doesn't read this and then hunt me down and slay me for butchering her adored meme by the thousands, maybe millions.

I especially hope to do this post justice because I want to spotlight Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh! You know, the amazing author who wrote our most favorite YA historical fantasy series, Ivory and Bone?

If you haven't read that series, then stop, wait, don't stop... Finish reading this post first and then go and read Ivory and Bone and Obsidian and Stars while you are WAITING for Crown of Oblivion!!! (Trust me, you'll want to read all the way to the end...)

Ok, so now that I got that out, I can present to you the breathtaking cover of Crown of Oblivion

Now... I know you want to know what this dangerously gorgeous book is about right? Here ya go...

Astrid is the surrogate for Princess Renya, which means she bears the physical punishment if Renya steps out of line. Astrid has no choice—she and her family are Outsiders, the lower class of people without magic and without citizenship.

But there is a way out of this life—competing in the deadly Race of Oblivion. To enter the race, an Outsider is administered the drug Oblivion, which wipes their memory clear of their past as they enter a new world with nothing to help them but a slip of paper bearing their name and the first clue. It’s not as simple as solving a puzzle, however—for a majority of the contestants, the race ends in death. But winning would mean not only freedom for Astrid, but citizenship and health care for her entire family. With a dying father to think of, Astrid is desperate to prevail.

From the beginning, the race is filled with twists and turns. One of them is Darius, a fellow racer Astrid meets but isn’t sure she can trust. Though they team up in the race, as Astrid’s memories begin to resurface, she remembers just who he was to her—a scorned foe who may want revenge. Astrid also starts to notice she has powers no Outsider should—which could help her win the race, but also make her a target if anyone finds out. With stakes that couldn’t be higher, Astrid must decide what is more important: risking her life to remember the mysteries of the past, or playing a cutthroat game in order to win her—and her family’s—freedom.

Oh, but wait, there's more!

There's so much excitement for Crown of Oblivion and so there is a pre-order giveaway and super fun and extremely exciting thing that I'll tell you about, in just one minute! I know you're probably thinking I should just tell you now, but this post is about waiting, right?!

So if you are seriously clever, and I think you are then you are already considering pre-ordering Crown of Oblivion and here's why...

Because when you submit your receipt, you will get a signed bookplate with a silver signature and I have to say that's the coolest, also a stunning postcard with a quote, this cut out bookmark of Astrid, our fearless heroine and a super cool pin made by Hey Atlas Creative! (Not shown here, but follow the link to see!) I'm just saying that's a lot of cool stuff, right? Just click this link to submit your receipt! https://www.julieeshbaugh.com/pre-order-giveaway

And then that's not all! Haha!!! I feel like a game show host a little. Seriously though, there's an exciting race featuring our girl Astrid here!

Julie Eshbaugh

We are sending Astrid on a virtual race around the world! How much fun is that? The #RaceofOblivion is all about posting pictures of a cutout image of Astrid in a variety of different locations. To participate, follow the link https://www.julieeshbaugh.com/raceofoblivion

Oh, and did I mention there's a chance to win $100 worth of books? My bad, I thought I mentioned that before... Thank you Julie!!

Well, I hope you all have enjoyed this very long post with reasons on why I'm anxiously awaiting on Crown Of Oblivion and I hope now, that you are too!!!