Confessions of a Readaholic: Blog Tour

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I Hate Everyone But You Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin

Release Date: September 5, 2017

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Rated: YA 14+

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publisher

Buy: Amazon ● B&N ● Books-a-Million ● IndieBound ● Powells

Goodreads ● Website

Dear Best Friend,

I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.

Sincerely,

Ava Helmer

(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We're still in the same room, you weirdo.

Stop crying.

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

I wanted to read this one for several reasons. The first was the cute cover. I'm a sucker for simple, adorable covers, so check! this one fit the bill. Second reason? The title. It definitely piqued my interest, so I had to check out what it was about, which leads to my third reason: the little excerpt in the blurb. I LOVE the epistolary format–primarily because it's super easy and quick to read, but also it's a nice break from the usual prose. So yeah, I knew that I couldn't be disappointed by this one. And I'm glad I wasn't! I also only found out that two of my fave (former) Buzzfeed peeps wrote this book when I got a hardcover in the mail and saw the author picture (cue my jaw dropping). I haven't actually watched their YouTube channel, but I'm sure it's as great as they were when they were on Buzzfeed's videos.

I'm pretty sure that the two characters in this book are based off of the two authors because from what videos I have seen of the both of them, Ava and Gen's characters are parallels to real-life Gaby and Allison (also sneaky sneaky with having characters with the same letters!). I really appreciated how different the two girls were–one was definitely a lot more outgoing while the other struggled a little more to fit in. You could totally see how the collaboration between these two authors worked, and I was super into it. It was also a bit of an interesting situation, as both of these girls just finished high school and are off to college! Normally at this point the book would be labelled NA, because it borders on more mature topics at university-settings, but this had a very YA-feel to it, so I'm one happy reader at this point, because I got to read about girls dealing with the same stuff as I did without feeling like I was crossing over into New Adult territory, which I normally stay away from (nothing against the category...it just isn't for me!).

The format, as I mentioned before, was pretty easy to read, because it mirrors our way of communicating with others today. Even though I rarely use email to talk to my friends, I appreciated the variation in format within the emails–we got some "articles" from Gen and "scenes" from Ava–as well as the IMs. It was really cute and moving to see these two characters deal with their struggles while also trying to keep in touch when they're both on different sides of the country. What my only problem is that we didn't get much of **minor spoiler** the events that happens when Ava goes to Boston for Thanksgiving, which was a bit difficult to piece together in the aftermath.

I clearly need to try more books by YouTubers because I Hate Everyone But You was so charming! I loved Dunn and Raskin's voices in their debut novel, and I sure as hell hope they write another one together because I enjoyed this collaboration. Refreshing, funny and full of pop culture references, I devoured this book in one go and was left wanting more.

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GABY DUNN & ALLISON RASKIN

Allison Raskin & Gaby Dunn are two best friends who live in Los Angeles. They started the comedy YouTube channel Just Between Us in 2014 and have since then spent far too much time together. Gaby’s journalism has appeared in pretty much every major publication and Allison has written some really funny group texts with her family. They hope to die within one hour of each other so neither has to plan a funeral. I Hate Everyone But You is their debut novel.

Gaby Dunn: Twitter ● Instagram
Allison Raskin: Twitter ● Instagram

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EXCERPT

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Now it's time for

A GIVEAWAY!!

Enter to win...

a hardcover copy of I Hate Everyone But You!

Enter via the Rafflecopter below!

US only.

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Thank you so much to Meghan at Wednesday Books // St. Martin's Press for having me on the blog tour, and to Brittani at St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy for review!

The Golden Compass Blog Tour: Review

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Release Date: July 1995
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Series: His Dark Materials, Book 1
Rated: MG 12+
Format: Paperback (my edition is a bind up of the His Dark Materials series)
Source: Bought
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jodan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

It's been FOREVER since I'd read The Golden Compass, and reading it for the second time just made me love it even more! When I was invited to join the blog tour I jumped at the opportunity because this was the perfect excuse to dive into a childhood favourite. I've never actually read the whole His Dark Materials series–I've only read The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife–and hopefully this gives me a chance to finally do so.

This whole world is just gorgeous. I love the different kinds of people it features, and the landscapes are beautiful and terrifying. I've always wanted a dæmon after reading this series, because these life companions that are part of the characters was such a unique quality to an epic fantasy adventure. The politics involved, the role of the church and the various religious undertones, the mystery behind what 'Dust' is...this is seriously a book like none other.

Lyra is such a brave heroine, and even though she makes mistakes along the way, she's such a wonderful character to follow into this strange and dangerous world. Pan is such a cute companion, and I enjoyed his loyalty to Lyra and his constant desire and fierceness when it comes to protecting her. In the large ensemble of characters, we meet many creatures and beings, such as the various bears, the witches, an aeronaut, the gyptians, and several more. I loved the constant questioning of morals as the lines between who is 'good' and who is 'bad' constantly blurs, all the way to the end.

I feel like a child again! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. The Golden Compass is a brilliant start to a classic series, one that has contributed to the foundations of fantasy, inspiring works that we come across today. Even though the film was met with criticism, I still remember loving it, and after reading this one, not only am I definitely going to continue with the series, but I'm longing to see it come to life on screen. If you haven't picked up this series yet, you're in for a treat.

If you like this, try...

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ● Goodreads

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed writers working today. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which has been named one of the top 100 novels of all time by Newsweek and one of the all-time greatest novels by Entertainment Weekly. He has also won many distinguished prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for The Golden Compass (and the reader-voted "Carnegie of Carnegies" for the best children's book of the past seventy years); the Whitbread (now Costa) Award for The Amber Spyglass; a Booker Prize long-list nomination (The Amber Spyglass); Parents' Choice Gold Awards (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass); and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, in honor of his body of work. In 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

It has recently been announced that The Book of Dust, the much anticipated new book from Mr. Pullman, also set in the world of His Dark Materials, will be published as a major work in three parts, with the first part to arrive in October 2017.

Philip Pullman is the author of many other much-lauded novels. Other volumes related to His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North, and The Collectors. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!; Count Karlstein; Two Crafty Criminals; Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess; The White Mercedes; and The Broken Bridge.

Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England. To learn more, please visit philip-pullman.com and hisdarkmaterials.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @PhilipPullman.

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Continuing in the world of His Dark Materials...

LA BELLE SAUVAGE

THE BOOK OF DUST, BOOK 1

Fall 2017 ● Goodreads

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Thank you so much to Elena at Random House Children's Books for having me on the blog tour!

Time Traveling With a Hamster Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Time Traveling With a Hamster by Ross Welford

Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Rated: MG 12+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Back to the Future meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in this original, poignant, race-against-time story about a boy who travels back to 1984 to save his father’s life.

My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine and again four years later, when he was twelve. On his twelfth birthday, Al Chaudhury receives a letter from his dead father. It directs him to the bunker of their old house, where Al finds a time machine (an ancient computer and a tin bucket). The letter also outlines a mission: travel back to 1984 and prevent the go-kart accident that will eventually take his father’s life. But as Al soon discovers, whizzing back thirty years requires not only imagination and courage, but also lying to your mom, stealing a moped, and setting your school on fire—oh, and keeping your pet hamster safe. With a literary edge and tons of commercial appeal, this incredible debut has it all: heart, humor, vividly imagined characters, and a pitch-perfect voice.

I love stories about time travel. I love theories that involve time travel. Stuff I can't understand, but stuff that sounds absolutely fascinating. When I got the chance to be part of the blog tour for Time Traveling With a Hamster, I had two reactions:

1) TIME TRAVEL! YAY!
2) A hamster? What????

So of course I naturally had to pick this one up and see for myself. It was a lot longer than I expected, but I really enjoyed this one!

Yay for diversity! I'm loving the growth of diversity of middle grade fiction, because it's a beautiful thing that children should learn about when they're younger. Anyway, I totally didn't know this one was set in the UK either! I mean, it only kind of hit me when they started talking about Geordie accents. Our main character, Al (short for Albert) is half-Indian, half-Scottish. I loved the infusion of Indian culture into British life–there was something quite familiar about it, and I enjoyed reading (and learning more) about the stories and the ideas that Al's super fantastic grandfather talks about.

I will admit, I was a bit surprised at the ending. I won't give too much away, but it most definitely took a path different to what you would expect or, rather, the "conventional" path. It was an interesting twist for sure, and I'm not entirely sure how I felt about it, but it closed the story well, and I was left pretty satisfied with no loose ends.

Fun, quirky and moving, Time Traveling With a Hamster explores loss with a determined young man, time travel gone wrong, and an adorable hamster to top it all off. I whole-heartedly recommend this one: it's funny, it's heartbreaking, and, most of all, it's wonderful.

If you like this, try...

The Memory Thief by Bryce Moore ● Goodreads
The Power of the Dark by Robin Jarvis ● Goodreads

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ROSS WELFORD

Ross Welford was a magazine journalist and television producer in the UK before becoming an author. He lives in London with his young family, a border collie, a hamster and several tropical fish. Time Traveling With A Hamster is his first book. A second book, What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible, will be published in the UK in early 2017.

Website ● Twitter ● Goodreads

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Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

A copy of Time Traveling With a Hamster!

US ONLY.

Check terms and conditions in Rafflecopter.

Enter via the Rafflecopter below!

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Check out the rest of the Blog Tour!

Cracking the Cover – September 26

Mommy Ramblings – September 27

Comfort Books – September 28

Oh! For the Hook of a Book – September 29

I'm Shelf-ish – September 30

Royal Legacy Reviews & More – October 3

Mrs. Yingling Reads – October 4

Parajunkee – October 5

Eclectic Bookworms – October 6

The Children's Book Review – October 7

As They Grow Up – October 11

Quite the Novel Idea – October 12

Confessions of A Readaholic – October 13

Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile – October 14

The Hiding Spot – October 17

Fandom Monthly Magazine – October 18

Feed Your Fiction Addiction – October 19

YA Books Central – October 20

Swoony Boys Podcast – October 21

The Boy Reader – October 24

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Thank you so much to Kathleen at Random House Children's Books for having me on the blog tour and for sending me a copy for review!

When the Moon Was Ours Blog Tour: Review

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.

But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

After reading McLemore's wonderful debut The Weight of Feathers, I was really looking forward to When the Moon Was Ours. This author has such a gorgeous way with words! Even if I don't like parts of the plot, the writing always overflows my critical thoughts, and I'm swept away in the beauty of the prose. Needless to say, Anna-Marie McLemore's latest novel was fantastic, and, in my opinion, was better than her first novel.

YES TO THE DIVERSITY IN THIS BOOK! Oh my goodness, yes, yes, a million times yes. Wow, I was completely blown away by the cultural references in this book–you have some Pakistani stories come through, and this novel has hints of the La Llorona myth. Our two main characters are a transgender Pakistani boy who paints moons and a Latina who grows roses from her wrist. I mean, you can't get more unique than that, can you? Wonderful characters–even the Bonner Girls are described so beautifully.

However, while this book is brilliant with its descriptions, I felt like there needed to be more action. Sure, there was a really strong story with these characters, and there were secrets uncovered, etc. etc. BUT, I just wanted more. I mean, yes, I would read anything McLemore writes (a grocery list, the phone book–you name it), but I couldn't help but look past the prose now and then, wishing for a little more. The slow pace totally suited the story though, I will give the author that.

A beautiful and strange fairy tale, When the Moon Was Ours will creep its way into readers' hearts. I was shivering with delight while reading this one–McLemore's bewitching work had me spellbound, pulled into the current until the very last word.

If you like this, try...

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore ● Goodreads
The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood ● Goodreads

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ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE

ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and grew up in a Mexican-American family. She attended University of Southern California on a Trustee Scholarship. A Lambda Literary Fellow, she has had work featured by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, CRATE Literary Magazine’s cratelit, Camera Obscura’s Bridge the Gap Series, and The Portland Review.

Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

Picture credit to J. Elliott.

PRAISE

“With luminous prose infused with Latino folklore and magical realism, this mixes fairytale ingredients with the elegance of a love story, with all of it rooted in a deeply real sense of humanity. Lovely, necessary, and true.” —Booklist, STARRED Review

“Luxurious language infused with Spanish phrases, Latin lunar geography, and Pakistani traditions is so rich it lingers on the tongue, and the presence of magic is effortlessly woven into a web of prose that languidly unfolds to reveal the complexities of gender, culture, family, and self. Readers will be ensnared in this ethereal narrative long before they even realize the net has been cast.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review

“A love story that is as endearingly old-fashioned as it is modern and as fantastical as it is real.” —School Library Journal, STARRED Review

“This is a beautiful exploration of claiming your gender and identity, your body, and your name, and how best to support a loved one going through that process.” —B&N Teen Blog, “One of the Most Anticipated LGBTQ YA Books of the Second Half of 2016”

"McLemore dances deftly across genres, uniquely weaving glistening strands of culture, myth, dream, mystery, love, and gender identity to create a tale that resonated to my core. It’s that rare kind of book that you want to read slowly, deliciously, savoring every exquisite sentence. I adored this book." —Laura Resau, Américas Award Winning Author of Red Glass and The Queen of Water

"Lushly written and surprisingly suspenseful, this magical tale is not just a love story, but a story of the secrets we keep and the lies we tell, and the courage it takes to reveal our authentic selves to each other and to the world." —Laura Ruby, Printz Award Winning-Author of Bone Gap

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EXCERPT

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Thank you so much to Brittani at St. Martin's Press for having me on the blog tour and for sending an eGalley for review!

Nemesis Blog Tour: Review + Dream Cast + Giveaway

Nemesis by Anna Banks

Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: Nemesis, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iBooks
Goodreads ● Website

The princess didn't expect to fall in love–with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king's servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora's gift could save Tarik's kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?

I love the trope when two people who are complete opposites and don't get along at all eventually fall in love. I mean, take it a step further–as in, have the trope set in a fantasy world where the two people who do fall in love are from opposing kingdoms–and you have Nemesis. I absolutely adored Of Poseidon, but for some reason didn't finish the series. I did get to meet Anna Banks though at the Boston Teen Author Festival in 2015! She was super sweet and gave out tons of swag. Awesome author aside though, I definitely wanted to read this one ever since I saw the fantastic cover and read the synopsis. This one was wonderful, and I got sucked in right from the start.

Major plus point for the world building–I loved the setting. You have multiple kingdoms, but two are featured prominently: Theoria and Serubel. Talk about extreme opposites! Theoria is definitely based on Ancient Egypt, and then you have Serubel, which reminded me of Scandinavia or the Norse region. They have dragon-esque creatures (serpens) too...How to Train Your Dragon, anyone? Anyway, I loved the interactions with other kingdoms too, and I'm interested to see how it all plays out in the sequel.

First off, I can't help but think of Sephora whenever I see Sepora's name, and I know I'm definitely not the only one. Anyway, I enjoyed Sepora (it's seriously difficult to spell it without the 'h'!) and Tarik's characters. There were some awesome animals and creatures in this book–Patra, Nuna and Dody–that totally deserve a shout-out, too! Sepora was really headstrong, and while I think she has various flaws like being too irrational, I enjoyed her story. Tarik was super attractive (not just in looks!) to the point where I was basically drooling over my kindle, but I felt like I couldn't get to know his character too well, and that's probably because of the novel's narrative.

I don't know how to feel about the switch in narrative perspectives. The two points of view wasn't a problem–heck, you could throw in a few more and it still wouldn't be a problem. Nemesis, however, switches from first-person (Sepora) to third-person (Tarik). While I like that it's a pretty unique way to tell a story, it was just so strange. I ended up preferring Sepora's chapters over Tarik's, just because I felt I could connect to her more.

I also was a little disappointed with the romance. While, yes there were some swoon-worthy scenes here and there, there was a general lack of sparks flying that I oh so desperately wanted. The build-up was great though. I liked the resistance and the hesitance between the two of them to begin with, but just wanted more in the after. The end throws things off-balance though, and has me very curious as to how things will continue on in the second book.

Leaving me thirsty for more, Nemesis was phenomenal. A gorgeous start to the duology, I'm saddened by the fact that the sequel won't be out for a while. Anna Banks's latest novel is magical and captivating–the world-building is beautiful, the characters are unforgettable, and the story is entrancing from beginning to end.

If you like this, try...

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge ● Goodreads
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir ● Goodreads

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ANNA BANKS

NYT Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012), OF TRITON (2013), OF NEPTUNE (2014).

Repped by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency.

I live with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern accent compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can’t walk in high heels, but I’m very good at holding still in them. If you put chocolate in front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.

Favorite Books:

Shatter Me, Cinder, Linger, Shiver, Forever, Pushing the Limits, Unravel Me, Shadow and Bone, Enclave, Divergent, Candor, Graceling, Fire, The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Host, Most of James Patterson, and Janet Evanovich makes me laugh through my nose in an unfeminine sort of way.

Visit Anna’s website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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Dream Cast

I had a tough time picturing who could play Sepora potentially, because I was just basically picturing the girl on the cover the entire time, and I finally decided that Britt Robertson might actually be pretty good for the role. She's super pretty, got the blonde hair, she's done pretty well in films (Tomorrowland!), and could pull off the action-y role. I'm just wondering if she can play regal though.

As for Tarik, I can't help but picture Rami Malek, especially since the character is a pharaoh and based out of Ancient Egypt. I know he's a bit old for the part, but LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS FACE! Magic of Hollywood: please make him look younger than his actual age so he can play this role, thank you.