Justice Reads & Reviews: ya

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Thursday, March 30, 2023

Recruit of Talionis by C.J. Milacci - Spotlight and Excerpt! (With a giveaway!!!)

Recruit of Talionis JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Recruit of Talionis by C.J. Milacci, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Recruit of Talionis
Series: Talionis Series #1
Author: C.J. Milacci
Publisher: Fayette Press
Release Date: November 3, 2022
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi Dystopian

"Forget where you came from. Forget the life you knew. You are now recruits of Talionis!"

A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?

America has fallen.

Seventeen-year-old Bria Averton grew up in a small town of survivors near the ruins of Portland, Maine. It’s all she’s ever known — until she’s kidnapped along with hundreds of other teens and brought to the city of Talionis. A city no one knew existed.

The soldiers tell them the intense trainings are for the good of the survivors, and Bria resists being forced into a new life as a recruited soldier. But she soon finds the dangers in the city are greater than she imagined.

Escape is impossible, and Bria fears drowning in the evil of the city… and the guilt from her own past. But can she find hope, even here?

Excerpt:

A shock zips through me, and I bolt upright, gasping for breath.
“She’s alert, sir,” a woman kneeling on the floor next to me says.
The empty syringe in her hand causes me to try to move away from her, but my bound
hands and feet make it almost impossible. With a rush, everything comes back to me.
Waking up in the forest.
The soldiers.
The other teens.
Golden Eyes.
The man comes into view as though he could read my thoughts. “Good. We’re two mics
out. Prepare for landing.”
“Yes, sir.” The woman puts the needle in a box, seals it, and then stands.
My muddled brain struggles to process everything. I look down and immediately wish I
hadn’t. My stomach roils. I’m suspended in the air, the tops of trees passing by in a blur beneath
me.
“Where am I? What’s going on?” The questions burst from my mouth, coated with fear.
The soldiers ignore me, and I open my mouth to ask again, desperation pushing aside any
sane thought.
“Girl, I would stay quiet if I were you.” The words are a whisper, but they catch my
attention.

About the Author

C.J. Milacci

CJ Milacci has found creating to be therapeutic in the chaos of life. Writing is her favorite way to create, and she seeks to take her readers on a grand adventure that begins with a single word. As a referee, she is always relearning the hard lesson that it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and she’s discovered that stories can be found anywhere, even on a lacrosse field. She is passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance. Always willing to get real about hard issues, C.J. also enjoys the cheesiest of puns. She loves deep conversations, yo-yos, roller-blading, and finding reasons to throw a dance party. She chats about writing, her faith and the hope found in Jesus, bubble tea, and other fun adventures online (@cjmilacci) and at cjmilacci.com.

Connect with CJ by visiting cjmilacci.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a print copy of Recruit of Talionis with swag and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Recruit of Talionis JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 27 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 3, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Friday, July 30, 2021

Creatures of the Night - Blog Tour

Creatures of the Night

by Grace Collins
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Release Date: July 13th 2021

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

Goodreads

Make your way home at five. Be in the tunnels as the sun begins to fall. Seal the entrance. Leave enough room for malfunction. These are the rules I grew up with, the ones I never dared to break. Until now.

Milena’s twentieth birthday, the day she would join the ranks of her village’s hunters, should have been the most exciting day of her life. Being a hunter meant she would be able to help protect her village from the murderous wolves who take human form—the creatures of the night. But a chance encounter with Elias, the enigmatic leader of the creatures, leaves her questioning everything she has ever believed to be true.

Up until now, Elias has managed to protect the creatures of the night and keep the secrets of his past well hidden. Now, as tensions between the groups grow, Elias is forced to make hard decisions: ones that will cost lives. Nobody is safe, especially Milena, the person he is inexplicably drawn to even though it could destroy them both.

My Thoughts:

I have not read a lot of paranormal romance but I’m so glad I gave this one a try. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. One of my favorite things about this book is the shifters included. I really think YA needs more books with shifters in them. I really appreciated the growth that Milena went through in the book but mostly in the second half. I am definitely looking to forward to seeing her character develop more in the next book.

I felt that the dialogue done in this book was well written and flowed very smoothly. While the dialogue was done well, I do wish I would’ve seen a bit more complexity in Milena’s and Elias’ relationship. Regardless of the flat relationship, I really enjoyed Milena and Elias as separate characters. Another thing that’s hard for me is literally just the character name, Elias. It’s being used way too much in recent YA novels and it made it a little tough to keep his character, his own.

To sum it all up though, I enjoyed this story and felt that it was unique and thoughtful. I loved the various tropes that were used and the number of times I was able to relate to the character.

*Favorite Quotes*

"And they're gone and I'm left alone with the one person I'm convinced actually wants me dead."

"When they look human and act human, it's hard to believe they're not."

"I feel like the knife before I see it, a sharp pain blossoming in my chest as her eyes meet mine."

"All my life I hid from the trees. The night and its shadows were my enemies."

"Because even as night descends around us, stars peek through the shadows. And they shine brighter in the darkness."

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54968304-creatures-of-the-night

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34NQHuY

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Creatures-Night-Grace-Collins/9781989365496?ref=grid-view&qid=1622813910773&sr=1-2

B&N; https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/creatures-of-the-night-grace-collins/1137491789?ean=9781989365496

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/creatures-of-the-night/id1551648674

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/creatures-of-the-night-15

Google Books: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LEEDEAAAQBAJ

AUTHOR BIO

Grace Collins first discovered her love for writing when she posted her ideas online at the age of thirteen. She has a BA in psychology and French, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education. Her debut novel, Creatures of the Night, has amassed over one million reads online and received a Watty Award for Horror and Paranormal. Grace lives in Aotearoa New Zealand and enjoys spending time in nature, traveling, and learning new languages.

AUTHOR LINKS

Wattpad: https://books.wattpad.com/grace-collins

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20847440.Grace_Collins

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cloudedwstories

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloudedwstories/

BOOK TRAILER

Link: Creatures of the Night by Grace Collins | Official Book Trailer | Wattpad Books

TOUR SCHEDULE

https://favouritepagesbookclub.blogspot.com/2021/06/tour-schedule-creatures-of-night-by.html

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!!!

Friday, May 24, 2019

Review and Giveaway!! The Boy Next Story (Bookish Boyfriends #2)

The Boy Next Story

by Tiffany Schmidt

Synopsis:

The second book in a series where your favorite literary characters come to life, inspired by the timeless classic, Little Women!

There’s no one better than the boy next door. At least not according to Aurora Campbell, fourteen, who has been in love with Tobias May since their very first sandbox kiss. The problem is, he’s in love with her older sister, Merrilee. And Merri is already dating one of his best friends.

Rory is learning all about pining as her class reads The Great Gatsby, a book she doesn’t find “great” at all. Also not great—her GPA, something she needs to fix, quickly, if she’d like to apply for the chance to spend a week studying art with her hero in New York City over winter break. But when Ms. Gregoire assigns her to read Little Women for extra credit, Rory discovers more than she expected—both about herself and Toby. Maybe she wasn’t in love with the boy next door. . . but the boy next story.

Love is complicated, and it’s all about to get even trickier for Rory at Reginald R. Hero Prep . . . where with the help of one quirky English teacher, students’ fantasies come true, often with surprising consequences.

My Take:

I knew that I was going to be smitten with this book as soon as I read the Booklist review, "This contemporary rom-com series starter is a fun introduction to classics... wittily making old stories new again". I probably should have read Little Women first, since the book is loosely based off of this classic, but alas I did not. So, I may not have been able to get some of the hints, nods or references to the original title, but even still, I was in awe of Rory and her journey.

I admit I couldn't fully relate to Rory because of her being only 14, and I'm well, not 14, but I could totally relate to the feelings of not being seen or heard and for those reasons, I imagined myself as Rory. I also love her relationship with art. Though I never really appreciated it as a kid, as I've gotten older, I find it so powerful for so many different reasons and I think that also helped me to relate to Rory a bit more.

Tobias was a wonderful character though. One of the best young males I've read of in a long time. I prefer my guys a little on the shy side and I totally got that with Toby. I couldn't have asked for a better male lead.

I wasn't quite expecting so much of the sisterly bonding though that is on me, because I know Little Women and also that was explained more in the first book, which admittedly I did not read, the good news is that you don't have to read the first book to get this one! Just that like me, you might be a bit surprised to find a lot more than what's on the back cover, and that is totally a badass quality by the way! I thoroughly enjoyed The Boy Next Story and can't wait to see what else Tiffany has up her literary sleeves!

Favorite Quotes:

"His hand squeezed mine before he pulled away to flag down our waitress. "Could I have the check?"

"If I stayed stuck in the past, it would destroy me. It was time to move on. It was time to let go."

"Don't decide you can't before you discover you can."

"It was an accidental declaration in all its messy glory."

"And maybe families weren't a game of balancing a seesaw but of playing Red Rover. You held on as tight as you could and protected that bond from the forces that flew against you and tried to tear you apart."

About the Author

Tiffany Schmidt

Tiffany Schmidt is the author of Send Me a Sign, Bright Before Sunrise, and Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family book 1). She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com, TiffanySchmidtWrites.Tumblr.com or by following her on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.

Tour Schedule

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/04/tour-schedule-boy-next-story-bookish.html

Givewaway

Prize: Win a copy of BOOKISH BOYFRIENDS: THE BOY NEXT STORY by Tiffany Schmidt (US Only)

Start Date: 21^st May 2019

End Date: 4^th June 2019

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86368/?

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin and Giveaway!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Light Years

by Emily Ziff Griffin

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: September 5th, 2017

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis:

As a mysterious virus infects the world’s population, a girl embarks on a quest to find a cure in this thrilling debut from Emily Ziff Griffin.

Luisa is ready for her life to start. Five minutes ago. And she could be on her way, as her extraordinary coding skills have landed her a finalist spot for a fellowship sponsored by Thomas Bell, the world’s most brilliant and mercurial tech entrepreneur. Being chosen means funding, mentorship, and most importantly, freedom from her overbearing mother. Maybe Lu will even figure out how to control the rare condition that plagues her: whenever her emotions run high, her physical senses kick into overload, with waves of color, sound, taste, and touch flooding her body.

But Luisa’s life is thrust into chaos as a deadly virus sweeps across the globe, killing thousands and sending her father into quarantine. When Lu receives a cryptic message from someone who might hold the key to stopping the epidemic, she knows she must do something to save her family—and the world.

Suspenseful, lyrical, and thought-provoking, Light Years features a remarkable heroine on an intensely physical and emotional quest for hope and existential meaning.

My Thoughts:

I was beyond excited to receive an advanced copy of this book for review! The synopsis of this book was very inviting for a fan of dystopian novels. I knew this was going to be not only a fun read but an intense one. I have to admit that at times, it may have been a little too intense though for some fans of YA.

I say that because of the language. Griffin has a way with words that makes you sit back and think while your reading, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the cursing, especially in the beginning of the book just seemed unnecessary. I supposed cursing seems to be incorporated into more and more YA but I am definitely not a fan, especially of the F word. Luckily, the cursing seems to dissipate as the story progresses.

Letting this go, I was able to move forward and enjoy the story and the character development of our main character Louisa. I loved this character. I loved that she has a Spanish heritage, I loved that she seemed to have a neurological condition that is rare, though I do wish it would have been named. Some type of sensory disorder definitely, and I think there would be a lot of people with different types of sensory disorders that can relate very easily to this character. I think Lu's character is very grown for her age, and rightfully so, considering the pandemic the world is facing, but as I read, I loss track that she is indeed, just a 17 year old girl.

Lu's love interest, Kamal is a fantastic character. I imagined him to be the tall, dark, rugged, handsome British, Arabic, that he is. Exactly as Griffin had intended him to be. I loved the diversity in this book. I wasn't too fond of Lu's brother though. Where in moments he seemed to be brave and protective, other times, I found him to be annoying. Maybe I was supposed to feel this way.

Also, I feel that I need to add that there were quite a few religious references throughout the story. However, instead of just one religion, there were many. Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. I think Griffin is a genius for weaving all of this into the book. A true and intense handle for many to grab a hold of in the instance that the plot of this story were to come to fruition.

Light Years is a remarkable debut for Griffin. I felt like the story was real and raw and that it hits close to home for a lot of us. The ending definitely had me guessing, which I still have mixed feelings about so I won't go into too much detail there. All I can end with, is that I hope Griffin writes again soon!

My Favorite Quotes:

"The world is everyone's oyster, if they step up to crack it open."

"We are born of love, love is our mother. I read that on a teabag."

"You know a single image being a true record of anything is an impossible idea, right?"

"We are united by the surreal pain of existing in a life that is still familiar but indelibly altered by loss."

"Religion and spirit are two very different things," she says. "You have a spirit. Therefore the Bible is our story. Read it like a childhood favorite and God will find is way to you."

"Like the sun, like the oceans, this land does not need us. It will soak in the rain. It will freeze over in winter, then thaw again in spring. Like an orphaned child, it will manage to survive on its own. But unlike me, it won't know the difference."

August 29th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club & Pink Polka Dot Books- Welcome Post

August 30th

The Petite Book Blogger- Review

justicereads- Review & Fave Quotes

The Reading Life- Promo

August 31st

Comfort Books- Q&A

Living Life the Write Way- Review

September 1st

Bookish in Bed- Guest Post

Never Too Many to Read- Review

September 2nd

MNBernard Books- Guest Post

everywhere and nowhere- Review

Tara's Book Addiction- Promo

September 3rd

Wishful Endings- Q&A

September 4th

YA Book Divas- Review

books and photographs- Review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Emily Ziff Griffin lives in LA where she writes, produces, teaches, daydreams, and mothers two young kids. When she was 25, she co-founded Cooper’s Town Productions with Philip Seymour Hoffman and produced the Academy Award-winning film, ‘Capote,’ along with Hoffman’s directorial debut ‘Jack Goes Boating,’ and John Slattery’s ‘God’s Pocket.’ She's run three marathons, slowly, and holds a degree from Brown University in art-semiotics, the study of how images make meaning. She believes children are way more sophisticated than adults typically give them credit for and writes for the teenager who is ready to claim their own worldview and be grounded in their own power. ‘Light Years’ is her first novel. Find her at www.emilyziffgriffin.com.

Links:

Website- https://emilyziffgriffin.com

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7275770.Emily_Ziff_Griffin

Twitter- https://twitter.com/emilyziff

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/emilyziffgriffin/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/emilyziffgriffin/