Blogger Guest Post: Becca & Lis @ lost in Literature

Lost in Literature

When Megan @ Reading Away the Days contacted us regarding participating in a blogger swap on her blog, we thought the idea was super creative and that it would be a lot of fun.

 For our post today, sticking with the summery vibe, we both want to recommend a couple summery books to all of you.  First, a beach read we each loved so much, and secondly we'll each share a beach read that we're eagerly anticipating reading in the very near future.

 Thanks for stopping by and we hope you enjoy!

 ~ Becca & Lisa

 

 Becca's Picks:
 
 Recommended Read:
 
 A Summer book that I loved:
 
 Never Forget (Memories #1) by Emma Hart 
 
 
Never Forget (Memories, #1)
 
 Synopsis:
 
A city girl.
A small town boy.
A summer they'll never forget.

Spending the summer at her Grammy's in Lilac Bay, Devon, is city girl Alexis 'Lexy' Edwards idea of hell. That is, until she reconnects with her childhood friend, Jen, and meets Alec Johnson.

Alec is the kind of guy Lexy knows she needs to stay away from. He's the village flirt, ridiculously hot and very dangerous to her self control. But there's a problem – she can't seem to keep him out, even though she knows he'll break her heart.

As Alec slowly strips away Lexy's defenses and the two embark on a summer romance she never wanted, their feelings grow to more than either expected. But nothing lasts forever, and reality intrudes.

As her world is shaken to it's core, Lexy's self made prediction comes true when she discovers she's spent six weeks surrounded by secrets. Kept out by her family and the only guy she's ever trusted, she falls apart.

And when Grammy tells her that 'you might not end up where you wanted to be, but you'll always end up where you're meant to be,' she has to figure out if her meant to be is back home in London, or if it's been in Devon the whole time.
 

 
  My thoughts:


 Never Forget was such an adorable story. It has a very summery, breezy feel to it. The sleepy town of Devon and bech of Lilac Bay added to that warm feeling :)  I loved each of the characters Lexi and Alec were so fun and cute! Lexi's brother "Bing" and BFF Jen were a great dose of humor and Lexi's entire family was so lovable! Especially her Grammy, she stole my heart. I was surprised at the emotions this book brought out towards the end and it made it even more enjoyable! This is a fun, easy and heart warming Summer story and I highly recommend it!
 


 
Most Anticipating:
 
With this Heart by R.S Grey
 
 
With This Heart
 
 
Synopsis
 
If someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs. 

 
Well, that is, until I met Beckham. 

Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness. Gorgeous, clever, undeniably charming Beck barreled into my life as if it were his mission to make sure I never took living for granted. He showed me that there were no boundaries, rules were for the spineless, and a kiss was supposed to happen when I least expected. 

Beck was the plot twist that took me by surprise. Two months before I met him, death was knocking at my door. I'd all but given up my last scrap of hope when suddenly, I was given a second chance at life. This time around, I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers. 

We set out on a road trip with nothing to lose and no guarantees of tomorrow. 

Our road trip was about young, reckless love. 

The kind of love that burns bright. 

The kind of love that no road-map could bring me back from. 
 

My Thoughts
 
 
Summer and a road trip?! This book sounds absolutely perfect! After reading the synopsis I immediately added this book to my TBR list. It seems sweet, passionate, edgy and of course... summery!! Not to mention I love the cover!

 
 
Lisa's Picks:
 
 
Recommended Read:
 
 
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
 
 
Published May 8th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
 
Second Chance Summer
 
 
 
Synopsis:
 
 From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak. 

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.
 
 
 
 
 Lisa's Thoughts:
 
Second Chance Summer was one of my very favorite beach reads.  I think it has the perfect amount of summer fun, emotions and entertainment.  I think almost everyone will enjoy Second Chance Summer, no matter what your usual book genre may be.
 
Most Anticipating:
 
 
What I Though Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
 
 
Published April 15th 2014 by Dial Books for Young Readers
 
 
 
 
 What I Thought Was True
 
 
 
 Synopsis:
 
 
From the acclaimed author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-you-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti
 
Lisa's Thoughts:

I absolutely adored My Life Next Door.  H. Fitzpatrick's writing style was one that worked for me so well.  I recently purchased a copy of What I Thought Was True, and I hope to fit it into my schedule asap.
 

Find Us


 
 
 
 

Interview: Author of Starcrush Justine Erler & #Giveaway

Starcrush
 
 
Close encounters of the crush-worthy kind. In the first novel of the Starcrush series, author Justine Erler introduces Genna Savoy, a psychically-gifted high school senior who finds herself torn between rival aliens who look … spectacularly human.
 
 Excerpt:

I drifted into silence as my eyes fell over him, the way he leaned over the desk, chilled to the extreme. Yet there was something overpowering about him. That “easy does it, rule-the-world” attitude felt good to be around but just now I couldn’t decide whether this made him the most incredible guy I ever met — or the most obnoxious. 

I was relatively sure that the answer was not somewhere in between.
 
 
 
Facebook:  Starcrush Story             Twitter:  @StarcrushStory
 
 
Interview with author Justine Erler
 
Sum up Starcrush in one sentence?
 
Strikingly stylized, intensely paced young adult fantasy with a realistic edge.
 
How did the idea for Starcrush come about?
 
 
I was looking for a new type of supernatural being, a vampire-alternative to place in the context of a young adult romance novel. I was certain on one point: I wouldn’t allow the paranormal / sci-fi elements to override the romance objective … they had to function in the background to provide the necessary conflict without diminishing the human relationships or the aura of realism.  
 
Years ago, I had heard of an extraterrestrial encounter that was quite unusual. The individual who alleged involvement in the incident reported information that was dependent on an expert fund of knowledge, rooted in advanced astronomy and high-tech physics.  I thought that this was remarkable given the fact that there was no conceivable way this person could have access to this information, much less discuss it so thoroughly. With growing interest, I investigated the story a little closer and eventually decided that the report was the most straight-up, unembellished alleged encounter I had every heard.  Suffice it to say (without revealing too much), I proceeded to develop the two male characters for Starcrush based on one particular reference mentioned in the report.
 
 
Describe the following character in 140 characters or less.
 
Genna:             Narcissistic, emotionally conflicted high school senior, reeling from the traumatic aftermath of her parents’ divorce. 
 
Byron:             Deliciously aloof and rock-god cool, everything about Byron is uncertain as he drifts in and out of Genna’s life.
 
Elon:                Extroverted Princeton graduate student who is relentlessly bold and flirty, with an unrestrained exuberance that screams “FUN.”
 
If you had to tell someone one reason why they should read Starcrush what would that reason be?
 
Author Justine Erler pic The book is a unique entertainment experience, which is exactly what I tell people when they ask about it. Despite the paranormal context, the story is relatable with a writing style that is evocative, designed to convey the rush of pure emotion behind the words. Often these emotions are conflicted, varying between states of raw frustration to flat-out bliss.  Readers will be gratified to recognize their high school selves in the book … against the intrigue of a believable and realistic extraterrestrial encounter that never feels too sci-fi or space drama-ish. 
 


Author Bio:

Justine Erler is a consultant with a background in health care management. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband and daughter. Starcrush is her first novel of the series, combining Parts I and II, and was written while in search of the perfect vampire-alternative story.

Giveaway
 
To win an ebook of Starcrush by Justine Erler leave me a comment below on your thoughts on the book and your twitter or email so I can contact you if you win.
 
Giveaway Ends: 5th September 2014
 
 
 
 

Blogger Guest Post: Lori @ Writing My Own Fairy Tale

Writing My Own Fairy Tale


Hey guys! My name is Lori. Normally you can find me on my book blog, Writing My Own Fairy Tale, talking all about young-adult books, making Top Ten lists, and hosting giveaways.  Megan was awesome enough to contact me and ask if I wanted to participate in a blog post swap in August and I couldn't pass it up. It sounded like a lot of fun. I hope you guys think so too! Because it's the end of summer for me, I decided to write a post that highlights the books I enjoyed the most this summer. For me, my favorite summer books are YA (sometimes NA) contemporary romances. I like sarcastic characters, funny situations, and lots of chemistry. I was surprised this summer because a couple of my favorites didn't include any of those things and dealt with more intense issues than I usually like to read in summer. I'm glad I didn't just stick to my usual summer books. While I still read about 90% contemporary romance and found several of those that I loved, I will be a little more open to what genres I read when. Do you have certain genres you like to read at certain times? Let me know! Now, without further ado, here are the books that I absolutely loved this summer!

Boomerang (Boomerang, #1)
 
Boomerang by Noelle August: This book was just so much fun. But it also had heart and a really good story. Plus, is there anything better to read in the warm summer sun than a fun, sexy romance? I don't think so. I definitely recommend this one. As long as you're over 13 or so because this book is hot.
 
On the Fence
 
On the Fence by Kasie West: Spoiler Alert: I'm a huge Kasie West fan. So when her new ya romance showed up on my Kindle, I read it as soon as I could. And I loved it. I loved the romance and the main character and her brothers and her struggle to find herself and grow up and everything. It wasn't quite as light as Boomerang, but still a great book to read in the warm sunshine. Plus, it has a great boy-next-door romance. I love those kinds.
 
Breathe, Annie, Breathe
 
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally: Have you read any of Miranda's Hundred Oaks books? If not, you should go do that. If you have, let me tell you, this one is my favorite of all of them. Annie and her journey make a perfect story. One that's filled with emotion and growth and love and heartbreak. And her love interest Jeremiah? He's pretty good too. Bonus with this one: it'll almost make you want to put the book down and go outside for a run!
 
Let’s Get Lost
 
Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid: Are you looking for a road trip book this summer? I recommend this one. Let's Get Lost is all about Leila, though we meet her through four random strangers before hearing from her. It's a perfect story about finding yourself and the people and moments that help us along the way and about not rushing through life but really trying to grab a hold of the moments that matter and the people we love. And summer is a great time to remember to get out and enjoy the world.
 
Falling into Place
 
Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang: This one is a little different for a couple of reasons. One - It was not an easy read. It deals with big issues and I don't normally read books like this during the summer but I borrowed this ARC and couldn't keep it forever. So I read it even though it was not a book I'd normally read in summer and I'm so glad I did. I do recommend this book but you should know before you start that it deals with lots of heavy issues, it has a really unique narrator, and isn't an easy book to read. Two - It doesn't come out until September. Normally I wouldn't recommend a book that's not on sale now, but I definitely think you guys need to make sure this is on your radar for when it does come out. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and it will definitely make you think. So read it when you can!
 
Just One Night (Just One Day, #2.5)
 
Just One Night by Gayle Forman: Did you guys read Just One Day and Just One Year? If you did, then I'm telling you, and you can trust me on this, you need to read this novella. It will give you the closure you need in terms of Allyson and Willem's story. You will feel content and satisfied in a way you didn't feel after Just One Year. I promise. And if you haven't read these stories, now is a great time to do that because the series is complete!
 
That's it, guys! Those are my favorite books that I read this past summer. I can hardly believe that it's almost over! But the start of school means that fall is right around the corner and fall is my absolute favorite season. I hope summer (or whatever the season is for you wherever you may be) has been good for you. I'd love to hear from you guys! Let me know in the comments what your favorite books of the summer were. And don't forget, you can always find me at Writing My Own Fairy Tale!

Guardian by Courtney Cole release day launch & #Giveaway

Guardian RDL Banner  

We are absolutely over the moon excited about the Release Day Launch for Courtney Cole's GUARDIAN!!!

 GUARDIAN is a YA Paranormal Romance, and a book close to Courtney’s heart. Not only is this fabulous book back in a big way, it's Courtney's birthday! To celebrate all of the awesome she is making a few select titles only .99 TODAY ONLY! Grab them all and thank us later.


Birthday book Sale Banner
 

Guardian

 

 
About Guardian
 
Sometimes, things that go bump in the night are real. My name is Whitney Lane. I’m sixteen years old and at first, I thought I was crazy. I kept seeing shadows move along walls, and hearing whispers around corners, but whenever I looked, there was never anything there. Until one day, there was. Our world isn’t what we think. There are things around us, good things, bad things, scary things. Things that we tell ourselves aren’t real, but they are. They’re very real, and they’re terrifying. I’ve been swept up now, in a battle of good and evil, confused about love and what is supposed to be love, but isn’t. I don’t know what to think anymore. I can’t trust my emotions and I don’t know what is true. There’s only one thing I know for sure. Nothing is what it seems.

Guardian Available now
 
  Excerpt:
 
Sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real.
Happy birthday to me. I close my eyes and burrow into my pillow as I try to sleep, as I try to escape this life. It’s a life I never thought I’d have, a life I most certainly don’t want. I’m still feeling sorry for myself as the blackness of sleep finally overtakes me. I don’t know what time it is when I shoot straight upward like a rocket. Something had yanked me from the oblivion of sleep, something loud and shrill scraping my window. My room is completely dark and I glanceat my clock in confusion. 3:00 a.m. As my heart pounds hard against my ribcage, I quickly scan every corner of the room. In the last few hours, dark shadows had migrated onto my pink walls, but they’re familiar, nothing out of the ordinary, although in the night, they seem twisted and scary. I remain motionless as I allow the sleep-induced fog to clear from my brain. As I sit, I feel common sense and logic slowly returning. Of course nothing had touched my window because my bedroom is on the second floor. Nothing can reach it. And there are no trees near enough to brush against it. It was just a dream. It was only a dream. I chant it silently to myself like a mantra as I consciously slow my breathing down, hoping that my racing pulse will soon follow. It was only a dream. But just as I’m calming down, I hear it again. A high-pitched shrill shriek, reminiscent of fingernails on a chalkboard, scraping down my window. I gasp and pull my feet up to my chest, which is when I notice the temperature. I notice because I can see my breath. Timidly, I blow a puff out again, watching the way my breath turns white in the air. Holy crap. Oh my God. What the hell? The sound stops and stillness surrounds me once again, the silence so loud that it echoes in my ear. Nothing moves around me, the shadows are perfectly still as they twist across my wall. They look like mangled fingers and arms and legs, but they don’t move. My legs are weak and shaking, but I know I have to move. I have to move off my bed because it feels like something is under it. Something terrifying. With a leap, I bound across the room, my feet hitting the floor several feet away from the edge of my bed. The floor is ice cold, as though it had been covered in a blanket of snow. I’m trembling as I race to the far wall and check the thermostat. Because that’s the only explanation. I must’ve bumped it earlier, I must’ve turned the AC way down. But the luminous numbers stare at me in contradiction. 74 degrees. It must be broken. It has to be broken. My breath is coming in pants now, terrified, anxious pants. My fear isn’t logical. I know there’s nothing here. I’m the only one in this room. Or am I? The air seems to push at me from all around, something dark, something heavy, something real. Something unseen. My fingers shake, my legs tremble, and then all of a sudden, they can no longer support my weight. I go down like a pile of bricks, collapsing onto the floor. I lie still because I can’t move, because something seems to sit on my chest, holding me down. The shadows start to move, to slither across the walls, to reach and pull and dance. I struggle to focus, to see what it is. But all I can see are the numbers on the thermostat suddenly moving, rapidly counting down from 74 to 20. Twenty degrees? The air is frigid as I suck it in, as I try to pull the ice crystals into my mouth so I can breathe. All of a sudden, there’s a blackness in front of me. It hovers over me, a shapeless mass, sucking in the cells of the air, the atoms and the molecules. It’s darker than the blackness of my room, blacker than the blackest black. Something is here. With me. “Dad?” I whisper in a white puff. Because what else could it be? I reach out a finger to touch it, and then I can’t see anything else, because the darkness of it surrounds me, bleeding into everything else, even my vision. The shriek is back, screaming into my ears, bleeding into my brain. Then there’s nothing.
Headshot
 
 
 
 
ABOUT COURTNEY COLE: Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds. She loves chocolate and roller coasters and hates waiting and rude people. Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.  
 
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Giveaway:

A signed copy of Guardian by Courtney Cole &  a basket of Courtney's favorite things.
US & Canada Only

 

Blogger Guest Post: Michelle @ Book Briefs!

Hi! BIGWAVE! Some of you may know me, but for those that don't allow me to introduce myself. My name is Michelle and I am the book blogger over at Book Briefs
 
When Megan asked me to do a blogger swap on something summer related I was super excited. Megan is awesome and such a sweetheart. And summer reading is some of my favorite...because I get to read light summery romances and not feel an ounce of guilt.
So today I am going to share with you some of my top summer romance recommendations!
 
I am going to split them into 3 categories (something for everyone):
  • Young Adult Contemporary
  • New Adult Contemporary (my favorite!)
  • Non-contemporary romance
Ok Let's get right to it!
 
(click on the book covers to find out more information about the book)
 
Young Adult Contemporary Romance
 
 
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New Adult Contemporary
 
 
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Non- Contemporary Romance
 
 
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Whether the books are contemporary, paranormal, fantasy or mythology all of them have a rockin' romance.
What are some of your favorite summer romances?
 
 
Book Briefs
 
 
 

 
Come say hi to me at my blog- BookBriefs.net ! I blog all about young adult, new adult and all things bookish! I always have lots of awesome giveaways going on to spread the bookish love.

You can find me on: Twitter Goodreads Pinterest Instagram

You can check out what giveaways I have going on right now by clicking on the banners below.  

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