Saturday, October 11, 2014

Book Blast: Unstrung by Kendra C. Highley



UnstrungUNSTRUNG by Kendra C. Highley



Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don’t make a career out of stealing other people’s property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation’s hit list because they’ve accidentally stolen the wrong thing—plans for a new model of genetically engineered super humans. Now, every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa’s world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that’s pristine isn’t always innocent, and being a criminal isn’t always wrong.
 






 
Author Kendra C. Highley
Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.









BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/2/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon (Saturday, October 18th): Overall Goals for the Read-a-Thon

It is almost that time again!  Another read-a-thon is coming up next week.  It isn't just any read-a-thon; it is Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon!

I am excited about this read-a-thon not only because I love read-a-thons, but also because I have heard so many people rave about Dewey's Read-a-Thon.  This will be my first 24 hour read-a-thon, so I am excited to be joining this one.











My goals for this read-a-thon are not too detailed since I have never completed a 24 hour read-a-thon before.  Here are my goals:

  1. I hope to participate as much as I can throughout the read-a-thon.  My goal as of now is to participate in all 24 hours of the read-a-thon.
  2. I have signed up to be a cheerleader for every other hour of the read-a-thon.  I know this is a lot, but one of my favorite aspects about read-a-thons is the community feeling each one brings.  I love to communicate with others and meet more friends.  If you are not sure what I cheerleader is for Dewey's Read-a-Thon, check out this post.
  3. I plan to read/eat/nap during the hours that I am not cheerleading.  I hope to read as much as I can during these remaining 12 hours, but I know that I need to take breaks.  I have planned that the hours that I am cheerleading are my break from reading, but we will see.
  4. I am going to Tweet about updates after/during the hours that I am reading.  If you want to see my updates on my reading, please follow me at @blog_gal on Twitter.  I would love to hear from all of you during the read-a-thon, so feel free to send me your tweets of encouragement (I will need it!) and your Tweets about progress!
  5. Finally, I will be writing a wrap-up post with details about what I accomplished and other happenings of the read-a-thon on the day after the read-a-thon (October 19, 2014).
Are you signed up for Dewey's Read-a-Thon?  It is next Saturday (Oct. 18), so there is still plenty of time to sign-up! If you are not signed up and wish to do so, visit the reader's sign-up page. If you are interested in being a cheerleader, please visit this page.  If you are signed up for the read-a-thon, what are your goals?  I would love to hear about your read-a-thon progress during and after the read-a-thon!

If you would like to about my reading goals for this read-a-thon, check back on my blog on Wednesday (Oct. 15th).  If you would like to know my TBR before the read-a-thon, check back on Friday (Oct. 17th).

Monday, October 6, 2014

Book Review (NO SPOILERS): Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

This is my spoiler free review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  If you would like to see my discussion post (with spoilers), please follow this link (coming next week).


Book Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling

Publish Date: June 30, 1997

Genre: Middle Grade Urban Fantasy












Plot (from Goodreads):  

When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts, a wizarding school brimming with ghosts and enchantments, Harry stumbles upon a sinister adventure when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers which could be valuable, dangerous, or both.



Why I Read this Book: I am re-reading this whole series this year.
 

Review


Oh man!  I love this series!  I just re-read this book and I am so glad that I did.  J.K. Rowling has one of the most entertaining writing styles that I have ever come upon.  She adds humor and serious topics to a epic adventure story.  She takes a simple story and makes it into something epic.  I love all of the characters and I love the wisdom that Dumbledore gives.  This book introduced me to fantasy novels and this has been my favorite genre since then.

 

Final Statements



Recommended Reading Age: Any


Overall Rating: 5/5