Blogoversary Celebration Day 2: Now & Then

Welcome to day 2 of my blogoversary celebration. Since yesterday was just the launch/announcement, today is the first actual post and it's going to be about what kind of year I had; where I've been, what happened, what changed.

Then

This adventure all started on September 9th, 2011 when I started Xpresso Reads and posted for the very first time *sniff*. It's safe to say I had no idea what it all entailed. I had been reviewing on Goodreads for a year, and before that I was using some lame Facebook App for a couple years. So I wasn't new to reviewing, but blogging was a whole new world for me. I had heard of book bloggers but I didn't know much about what it was like to have a book blog; let's just say I had to learn fast. I loved every minute of it! Tomorrow I have a FAQ post where I will be going in more details about how I put myself out there, but I had a ton of fun going around and making friends. A lot of you guys will be my friends for life and this was worth it if only for that one reason!

Where was I this year?

-Interviewed at The Teen Book Guru
 -Interviewed at Reading A Little Bit of Everything
-Interviewed at One a Day YA
-Guest posted for Zombies vs Unicorns month at YA Bookmark
-Guest posted for My Reading Spot at Bewitched Bookworms 

Firsts:

-My first review on Xpresso Reads: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
-My first WoW: Lola and the Boy Next Door (Eep I still haven't read it O_O)
-My first book haul post: IMM (1)
-My first Netgalley approval: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (And by the time I got to it it had expired :( See! Learning experience! >.<)
-My first print ARC: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones (From St. Martin's Press)
-My first review request & first interview: Michelle Madow for Remembrance (loved it!)
-My first Fresh Batch post: Sept 25th - Oct 1st 2011 

-My first sidebar tour banner: Touch by Jus Accardo
-My first commenter: Amy from Following the Reading (and I still talk to this girl! She rocks!)

Now

Yep, my blog has had quite the makeover à la Parajunkee. She did an amazing job and I highly recommend her if you're looking for a makeover. Aside from the design, I have grown quite a lot as a reviewer and a blogger. It was a big learning curve and I'm happy to have gotten so many supporters - some of you I have known from my very first week! I will be mentioning a few awesome people later this week! ;) I hope there will be many more years to come, and a lot more friends to meet!

I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but new very recently is the launch of Xpresso Design where you can purchase banners and buttons for any type of use or event. Find more details here! I absolutely love working on my sidebar banners and event buttons, so after several requests, emails, and friend suggesting it, I decided to start this little design venture and we'll see where it goes from there.

Where do I stand after this year?

-308,000 Page views
-135,000 Unique visitors
-2,900 RSS Subscribers
-20,002 Total comments
-526 Posts
-238 Reviews

Yup, it was quite the wicked year!

Stop by tomorrow for a FAQ post where I will go into more details by answering frequent questions I get about followers, comments, ARCs & more.

Now, to fit today's theme, you can win two of the earliest books I ever received for review on the blog, and two of the most recent.

Waiting on Wednesday (21) + Cover Reveal

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

My pick this week:

PODs

                                    Michelle Pickett

                                    Release date: June 1st, 2013

by Spencer Hill Press

Add it to your Goodread

Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it’s in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it’s a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That’s the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure. 

Ok, who does not think this sounds totally awesome? This sounds like a dystopian/zombie/post-apocalyptic story which, really, sounds freaking cool! I can't believe we have to wait a year and a half for this! Really! CRUEL!

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WAIT! Don't leave just yet, I have a special treat for you on this week's Waiting on Wednesday. A cover reveal! 

Lucid

(Brightest Kind of Darkness, #2)

PT Michelle

Release date: Spring 2012

Add it to your Goodreads

Synopsis currently unavailable

Brightest Kind of Darkness series:

This is the 2nd book in the Brightest Kind of Darkness series. Both covers are gorgeous I love the eye catching colors. Lucid could also count as my Waiting on Wednesday though since I freaking loved the first book. If you haven't heard of it - click here for my review of Brightest Kind of Darkness.

 So, what do you think of this cover? 

And what are you anticipating this week?

Review: Brightest Kind of Darkness by PT Michelle

Brightest Kind of Darkness
P.T. Michelle
Released June 27th, 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate- until she dreams a future she can't ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

 *A copy was provided by Patrice Michelle for review purposes*

Nara has a very unusual life. In fact, she lives every day twice. Once in her dreams, and again for real. Sounds awesome right? Wrong! It's boring in the purest sense of the word! Nara is completely over living her life in déja-vu. She only wants to be surprised for once. However, things change drastically when one day she interferes and stops a bomb from going off at school. Her dreams stop, then people start having strange injuries. What is the price of her meddling with Fate?

If there was any reason to use the word "fantabulous", defining Brightest Kind of Darkness would be it! It's rare that I get really hooked in a story until at least one quarter through, but this one had me hooked by page 10! It was Nara that did it. I immediately fell in love with Nara's character. Above being incredibly likeable, Her voice is so realistic that I found myself entranced by her story. I was so captivated by it that I was contemplating how awful it will be for her to now have to live without seeing her day beforehand… How will she possibly live like that!? Yes, I felt stupid for asking myself that, but it shows how it felt like I had been living her whole life in the hour it took to read to that point.

Nara's wonderful character is not the only reason I was so captivated by this novel. Patrice's writing flows so smoothly through the pages that you don't realize you've already read half of the book. It's the type of simple writing that you can read effortlessly but without any repercussions in the depth of the story. The story is quite elaborate with a lot of twists that I never saw coming and had me riveted. What I thought were a few plot holes at first were ultimately clarified and the reveal of the book's villain was completely original as well as terrifying; his powers are unstoppable! I'm vastly curious to learn more about him and how Nara is going to deal with him in the second book.

Patrice's Brightest Kind of Darkness also holds a wonderful and enchanting romance. Ethan is adorable, down to earth and charming. I loved him from the start. The romance builds up gradually making it feel genuine and sent my heart aflutter. Him and Nara have fantastic chemistry.

This novel is a must read to any Young Adult readers who like books with a darker paranormal storyline, a sweet romance and a lot of suspense. It is definitely nothing short of ingenuity.

5 Hot Espressos