Xpresso Weekly: Stacking the Shelves (54)

Xpresso Weekly is my edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews featuring the books I got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

This week at Xpresso Reads

Happy May!! I am so very happy to see more summery weather it's so just happy making, right? I'm also getting all set for BEA with my ladies. Let me know if I can expect to see you there! (I'll probably be mentioning BEA every week until then! >.<). What is new this week? Well I know that it's been pretty giveaway awesome on the blog lately so make sure you have entered to win all the pretties! And did you miss this week's Book Girls Don't Cry? We talked book genres and what we're sick of! Upcoming on the blog is a couple more book tours that I'm going to have dropping by: Sea of Tranquility (Epic read!), Truly, Madly, Deadly, and This Love. I'm getting all set for summer reads! :)

Reviews on the blog this week:

NEW Xpresso Book Tours open for sign ups:

-- Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman
-- Pretty When She Destroys by Rhiannon Frater
-- Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu
-- Program 13 by Nicole Sobon

Stacking the Shelves

 (Click on covers or title links for Goodreads)
I received for review:

-Survivor by James Phelan
-The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

*Big thank you to Flux Books, Random House Canada, and Kensington Teen for these pretties!*


I was gifted:
The wonderful Nereyda from Mostly YA Book Obsessed gifted me this and Oh Em Gee does it ever sound like my cup of tea! This chick knows me so well already! Thanks, muffin! *hugs*

--

Have a fab week, muffin pies!
Link me to your book haul!

Fresh Batch (May 5th - 11th)

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey 

Series: The 5th Wave, #1
Publication date: May 7th 2013
by Putnam Juvenile

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Watch the epic book trailers, here!

Rick's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida. 

Review: Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli

Game. Set. Match.
Jennifer Iacopelli

Series: Outerbanks Tennis Academy #1
Genre: NA Contemporary
Publication date:  May 1st 2013
by Coliloquy, LLC 

Nestled along the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the world's most elite training facility. In this pressure-cooker environment, futures are forged in blood and sweat, and dreams are shattered in an instant.

Penny Harrison, a rising female star, is determined to win the French Open and beat her archrival, Zina Lutrova. But when her coach imports British bad boy Alex Russell as her new training partner, will Penny be able to keep her laser-like focus?

Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. The daughter of two Grand Slam champions, she's hell-bent on extending her family’s legacy and writing her own happily-ever-after...until her chosen Prince Charming gives her the just-friends speech right before the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.

With a powerful serve and killer forehand, newcomer Indiana Gaffney is turning heads. She’s thrilled by all of the attention, especially from Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and hot older brother, except he keeps backing off every time things start heating up.

With so much at stake, dreams—and hearts—are bound to break. Welcome to OBX: Where LOVE is a four-letter word, on and off the court.

-A copy was provided by Coliloquy for review-

It's funny how I can not sit through any sports game and stay awake to save my life, but movies and books on the subject, I love! Game Set Match is the perfect example of why; ultimately about sports,  the story is really about the characters, the dynamics between players, romances that bloom (what's better than 1 romance? 3 of them! ;), and feeling the excitement of the game by wanting these characters to win so much.

Not into Tennis? Honestly, don't let that deter you at all for one second. No one can be as clueless as me when it comes to how that game is played, but never did I feel overwhelmed, confused, or bored by it at all. On the contrary, I found myself enjoying the tennis matches the most. Jennifer makes you care about the characters so much that the matches become as intense to you as if you were the one playing. You want these girls to win so badly that I was literally holding my breath during one of the big matches. The only complaint is that I wanted to experience more of these games. Some are faded to black, and once or twice they're skipped completely and we just get the end result. This is what happens when matches are written to be so exhilarating, it leaves you disappointed when others were skimmed over. Still, I loved all the energy they radiated; even those we didn't get to see fully were bristling with so much anticipation that in one way it was fun to get treated to the result right away. My blood: it was pumping, dude! *jumps up and down ready to fight a bitch*

The matches wouldn't have been half as fun if there weren't such fantastic characters to root for. We're treated to three amazing point-of-views in this novel; these are 3 determined and confident girls who are attending tennis academy. Each one is dealing with her own difficulties towards the game, some towards other students as well--we get a hint of mean girl-ness caused by jealousy-- we also get romance entanglements, and most importantly, we get great and authentic friendships that bloom between the girls. Penny, Indie, and Jasmine, are all as incredibly likeable as they are genuine. They are the heart of this book. I enjoyed all three perspectives just as much as the other, and even now I have a hard time deciding who I would pick as a favorite--though I've been leaning towards Indy a little. Their voices never had me confused as to which POV I was reading, they're distinct with very different personalities. They're also at different stages in their lives and tennis careers so that we get to experience different degrees of accomplishments as well as the excitement that comes with them.

New Adult = same old same old? Not in this one. This is a story about 3 girls who are dead set on making it big; they are on the path to a very challenging and rewarding career, they're building new friendships, they're experiencing post high-school romance; they are new to adulthood. (Not a one with a dark past! I know, right?) To me this felt like the true meaning of New Adult, sex or no sex. That's right--no sex. These girls are in college, over 17 and independent, and there is definite talk of sex, as well as other mature content like drinking and swearing, yet it doesn't actually have any sexual content. We know they have sex, but we aren't privy of these experiences. From the New Adult I've read so far this does make it stand out in its genre, but I was completely fine with this. To be honest, it wasn't needed. NA is not just "YA with sex" like some think. And while there is romance, it's made part of the book, it doesn't overrule it (the cover might be misleading). I found it to be a perfectly balanced feel-good book, a little reminiscent of Miranda Kenneally's Catching Jordan.

Filled with vivacity, Game Set Match surprised me in the best of ways and turned out to be an absolute favorite. I was filled with pure contentment whenever I sat down to read (which was really only twice since I devoured it in mere hours). It's exactly what I needed at the time. My initial disappointment at the end feeling abrupt was quickly extinguished when I found out it's a planned series--previously thinking this was a stand-alone. There is no cliffhanger, but its made obvious there should be more to the story. My only hope is that we don't have to wait too long!

5 Hot Espressos

Book Girls Don't Cry: Genres - From Hot to Not

Inspired by Book Buzzers, Book Girls Don't Cry is a weekly feature where we each discuss/vent/advise on the chosen weekly bookish topic. Don't miss Jenni on Mondays, and Amy on Saturdays:

 

From Hot to Not Anymore!

---

---

Book trends! From insta-love to love triangles to vampire romance; trends are vicious, but today we're talking book genres! We want to know what you're tired of, what you can't seem to get enough of, and what you think the future holds!

Tiresome genres are not unheard of. How about dystopias? Anyone? Personally, I am so very tired of this genre, now. I was the biggest fan of dystopias when I began my blog not even 2 years ago, even now I get excited when I hear of a new one coming out (like a habit I can't break), but it seems like those I've read lately have been nothing more than yet another regurgitated dystopian. I've been slowly getting sicker and sicker of the genre for a while now. Either everything has been done, or originality is being put aside for quantity. Within the last year, a lot of dystopians I've read have left me especially underwhelmed with a bad taste in my mouth, even, and it's getting worse, guys! Here are some of the fails I've come upon in the last year (which, if you have not read as many as I did maybe you would enjoy them, but... maybe not.)

Dystopian fails:

Just to make sure I make myself clear:

BLEH!

--
Now for a side note, I do not list dystopians and post apocalyptic books together. To me they're completely different. I know some have different ways of differentiating the two; mine is this: Dystopians are--usually years--after whatever caused the drastic change in their way of life; may it be war, an epidemic, whatever. Society has reformed, and they are living in this changed world, sometimes in the guise of a utopia, and usually amidst a corrupt government--the government are more often than not the "bad guys" of the book/series. For example: The Hunger Games, The Uglies, and all of the above. Those are dystopians.

Post apocalyptic books, to me, are either during, or immediately after the apocalypse where the story is about survival of this world's end as we know it. It rarely includes a government entity, so the "bad guys" in these books are the force behind the apocalypse itself (aliens, zombies, etc--and/or other survivors). For example: As the World Dies, The 5th Wave, Ashfall. While I'm tired of dystopias, I'm still going strong on post apocalyptic novels. To me their vibe is much different, plus they're not as overflowing on the new-releases shelves each week. To conclude:  

Dystopian=Refer to above giant word -- Post-apocalyptic=Win!

Julie Kagawa and Teach Mentor Texts posted about this difference and my views and theirs are exactly the same.  Anyways, I know some may have different definitions for the genres, but this is mine, and with that said:

Awesome post apocalyptic books I've read in the past year:

What's HOT now?  

Contemporaries (esp in New Adult)! I have almost loved every contemporary I've been reading lately--just like I was with dystopias 2 years ago. So maybe this is a bad sign for 2 years from now, but hey I'll enjoy it while I can, eh? ;)

My favorite contemporary reads this year (see how many more there are!? :D):

I want to know what you think! Any genre you're sick of?
What's become your favorite book genre lately?
Let me know your favorite books in it!

Also, don't forget to leave suggestions for future topics you'd like to see! :)

--

You know you love me!

Xoxo, Book Girl!

In Darkess We Must Abide: Guest Post + Giveaway

Definitely not a new face on this blog of mine; Rhiannon Frater is here today to talk to us about her new serial--In Darkness We Must Abide. This is a new adult modern Gothic horror serial divided in 3 seasons. The first season includes 5 episodes which you can all enter to win today! :) The 5th episode comes out on May 17th, and the paperback of the full first season comes out on May 24th. (Sorry if this is confusing, she likes to make our lives miserable.)

In Darkness We Must Abide
Rhiannon Frater

Series: In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season
Genre: NA Modern Gothic Horror
Publication date:  May 24th 2013

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.

The first episode if currently FREE on Amazon (US), Kobo, and iTunes!

Guest Post, by Rhiannon Frater

---

---

What Is a Serial and Why Am I Writing It?
(the answer is not ‘to make Giselle crazy’)

I've been toying with the idea of doing a serial for some time now. Serials actually used to be a quite popular form of reading entertainment in days past. It was rather like watching episodic television. The story was ongoing and the author would release new installments on a regular schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Each new part of the story continued the main storyline, while providing plenty of thrills and chills within the installment. I really love the richness of a continuing storyline on shows like Breaking Bad, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter, and Spartacus, and always wanted the challenge of writing something on par with my favorite series.

After reading an article posted by author Susan Kaye Quinn about converting a full length manuscript into a serial, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to serialize something I've already written.

A very long time ago I wrote a modern gothic vampire epic entitled In Darkness We Must Abide.  I loved the story (and still do), but it was very lengthy, well over acceptable word count limits. At that time publishing houses weren’t inclined to buy trilogies or series, and I had no idea how to trim the epic down to an acceptable length. Plus, I lived in the middle of nowhere Texas and had no clue how to actually submit my work properly to the publishing houses (this is back in the late 80’s). I ended up tossing the whole thing in the trunk.

Inspired by the article, I went back to the story (which I had converted to a Word doc about a decade ago), looked it over, and realized that with some revision, the story would make a great serial. I was even surprised out how episodic it already was when I read through it. I immediately knew which sections would be sliced up into episodes and what I needed to do to make them richer and fuller for the enjoyment of my readers.

In Darkness We Must Abide is a massive epic with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, blood, gore, unrequited love, a charismatic lead, a smoldering love interest, and a terrifying bad guy.

Since I dove back into the dark world of In Darkness We Must Abide, I have fallen in love once more with my human heroine, Vanora, and the complex world she inhabits. Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, when she’s just a little girl her much older brother and guardian accidently unleashes an evil that changes her world forever. Growing up human with vampire siblings watching over her, Vanora lives in a twilight world and is continuously torn between the world of the vampires and the mortal world. It’s not until she’s a young woman in her late teens that the complexity of her situation comes crashing down when she falls in love with the mysterious vampire, Armando DeLeon. Soon the true evil that inhabits the darkness begins to erode her faith in what she believes to be true about herself, her siblings, the vampires, and Armando.

The first episode, Death Comes Home, has had over 2,500 downloads since its release in March. It’s free on Kindle, Kobo, and itunes. All the following episodes are .99.  The installments are between 10,000 to 30,000 words each.

On May 17th, the episode five, the season finale, will be released in all ebook formats. On May 24th, the entire first season will be released as a paperback. Season 2 begins in June 2013.

About the Author

---

---

Rhiannon's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Did you want to take part in the blook blitz and/or review In Darkness We Must Abide?

Click on the banner to sign up!