Robin Talley Twitter Takeover! March 9th, 2-4pm EST

Robin Talley Twitter Takeover

Who: Fans of YA and Robin Talley!

What: Twitter Takeover. New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley will be discussing some of her "firsts" and answering reader questions about her books! (Lies We Tell Ourselves, What We Left Behind, As I Descended, and her latest release Our Own Private Universe)

When: March 9th, 2-4pm ET Where: @YoungEntmag

How: Head over to @YoungEntmag on March 9th at 2pm ET, follow along, and tweet your questions to Robin!

Why: Our Own Private Universe (HarlequinTeen; January 31, 2017) is a timely tale of self-discovery and social awareness, hailed by Kirkus in a starred review as “an important and heartfelt contribution to contemporary teen lit about queer women: hopeful, realistic, and romantic.” 

About the Book: Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex.  No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual—even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too.  Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try.  So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa—slightly older, far more experienced—it seems her theory is prime for the testing.  


About the Author: Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves (September 2014), What We Left Behind (October 2015), As I Descended (September 2016), and Our Own Private Universe (January 2017), grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. A Lambda Literary Fellow, Robin now lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife, plus an antisocial cat and a goofy hound dog. When Robin’s not writing, she’s often planning communication strategies at organizations fighting for equal rights and social justice. You can find her on the web at www.robintalley.com or on Twitter at @robin_talley.

Hope to see you there!

Book Blitz: Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher + Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

I am so excited that LESSONS IN FALLING by Diana Gallagher is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Diana Gallagher, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway but there are rules you have to share a “LESSONS LEARNED” post of your own to enter. So if you’d like a chance to win, create your post and enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Note from the author:

"Want to share your own Lessons Learned?? It's easy! Tell us about a time in your life when you persevered, despite a bad situation, and what lessons you learned from that situation. Share it however you like - on your blog, your social media, wherever! Submit your link to the Rafflecopter during the blitz and share the giveaway with your friends to win an annotated ARC!"

Title: LESSONS IN FALLING

Author: Diana Gallagher

Pub. Date: February 7, 2017

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Pages: 250

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Goodreads

When Savannah Gregory blows out her knee - and her shot at a gymnastics scholarship - she decides she's done with the sport forever. Without gymnastics, she has more time for her best friend, Cassie. She's content to let her fun, impulsive best friend plan a memorable senior year. 

That is, until Cassie tries to kill herself.

Savannah wants to understand what happened, but Cassie refuses to talk about it and for the first time, Savannah has to find her own way. The only person she can turn to is Marcos, the boy who saved Cassie's life. Being with him makes her see who she could be and what she really wants: gymnastics. 

But Cassie doesn't approve of Marcos or of Savannah going back to gymnastics, and the tighter she tries to hold on to Savannah, the farther it pulls them apart. Without Cassie to call the shots, Savannah discovers how capable she is on her own - and that maybe her best friend's been holding her back all along.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Though Diana Gallagher be but little, she is fierce. She’s also a gymnastics coach and judge, former collegiate gymnast, and writing professor. Her work has appeared in The Southampton Review, International Gymnast, The Couch Gymnast, and on a candy cigarette box for SmokeLong Quarterly. She holds an MFA from Stony Brook University and is represented by Tina Wexler of ICM Partners. Her contemporary YA novel, Lessons in Falling, lands on 2/7/2017.

Giveaway Details:

(1) Winner will receive an annotated copy of Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher 

(US only) Follow these rules to enter!

"Want to share your own Lessons Learned?? It's easy! Tell us about a time in your life when you persevered, despite a bad situation, and what lessons you learned from that situation. Share it however you like - on your blog, your social media, wherever! Submit your link to the Rafflecopter and share the giveaway with your friends to win an annotated ARC!"

Ends on February 28th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter | Pre-Order Event (freebies)

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New books are amazing. New books that come with free gifts are even better!

Debut Young Adult author Kerry Kletter is giving you just that!
Pre-order THE FIRST TIME SHE DROWNED on or before March 14th, 2016 and you’ll get a signed poster and bookmark! Supplies are limited to 50 sets, and ship ONLY in the US.

Getting your free poster and bookmark is as easy as 1..2..3..4..

1. Go to whatever book seller you like and pre-order THE FIRST TIME SHE DROWNED (links below in case you need them!)

2. Screen shot your reciept!

3. E-mail that reciept to meandmyshelf(at)gmail(dot)com  ATTN: TFTSD Pre-Order

4. Fill out THIS FORM so Kerry knows where to send your goodies!

The beautiful struggle of a girl desperate for the one relationship that has caused her the most pain.

Cassie O'Malley has spent the past two and a half years in a mental institution—dumped there by her mother, against her will. Now, at 18, Cassie emancipates herself, determined to start over. She attends college, forms new friendships, and even attempts to start fresh with her mother. But before long, their unhealthy relationship threatens to pull Cassie under once again. As Cassie struggles to reclaim her life, childhood memories persist and confuse, and Cassie must consider whose version of history is real, and more important, whose life she must save.

A bold, literary story about the fragile complexities of mothers and daughters and learning to love oneself, The First Time She Drowned reminds us that we must dive deep into our pasts if we are ever to move forward.

Add To Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Praise

"Beautiful and passionate . . . [Kletter is] a writer of great distinction and infinite promise." —Pat Conroy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Prince of Tides and South of Broad

"A lovely and haunting keep-you-up-all-night heart-wrencher that is both beautiful and raw, painful and uplifting. An incredible read.." —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places

"Sentence by sentence . . . one of the most lyrical novels I’ve ever read. Haunting and exquisite." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything

"The First Time She Drowned is an exquisite and masterful dive, a brave exploration into the complexities of family, and the saving grace of friendship. Kletter’s writing is hypnotic, her characters alive, her story tragic, beautiful, hopeful. Simply put, this book is stunning." —David Arnold, critically acclaimed author of Mosquitoland

Kerry Kletter has had a lifelong passion for story. She holds a degree in literature and has an extensive background in theater, having appeared in film, television, and onstage. When not writing, Kerry can be found surfing, running, working with animals, or singing loudly in her car while stuck in LA traffic. A native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Kerry now lives in Santa Monica, California, with her partner, screenwriter David Zorn. The First Time She Drowned is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @kkletter

INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / WEBSITE

Book Review: Placebo Junkies by J.C. Carleson

Hello, everyone! Today I will be reviewing Placebo Junkies for the book tour hosted by Random House! Enjoy!

Title: Placebo Junkies
Author: J.C. Carleson
Hardcover, 292 pages
Published: October 27th 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Realistic Fiction
Source: via publisher (hardcover)

Meet Audie: Professional lab rat. Guinea pig. Serial human test subject. For Audie and her friends, “volunteering” for pharmaceutical drug trials means a quick fix and easy cash.
Sure, there’s the occasional nasty side effect, but Audie’s got things under control. If Monday’s pill causes a rash, Tuesday’s ointment usually clears it right up. Wednesday’s injection soothes the sting from Tuesday’s “cure,” and Thursday’s procedure makes her forget all about Wednesday’s headache. By the time Friday rolls around, there’s plenty of cash in hand and perhaps even a slot in a government-funded psilocybin study, because WEEKEND!

But the best fix of all is her boyfriend, Dylan, whose terminal illness just makes them even more compatible. He’s turning eighteen soon, so Audie is saving up to make it an unforgettable birthday. That means more drug trials than ever before, but Dylan is worth it.
No pain, no gain, Audie tells herself as the pills wear away at her body and mind. No pain, no gain, she repeats as her grip on reality starts to slide….

Raw and irreverent, Placebo Junkies will captivate readers until the very end, when author J. C. Carleson leans in for a final twist of the knife.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N |  Kobo | Indiebound

I have one word for this book: Mind Trip

Okay, so that's two words but you get the point. I guess I could have said, "whatintheheckdidijustreadomgwasthatconfusing". Hmm...that sounds about right. *nods*

I just finished the book last night and I am still trying to process what I just read. Placebo Junkies is one of those books where 50% of the book seems normal enough and then BAM right in the middle you're thrown a twist that makes you question everything you have read thus far. Part of me liked that I was thrown into a loop and another part was left confused more than anything. 

The story is about a girl named, Audie. Audie makes a living as "Guinea pig" for big medical companies. She takes pills, gives blood, tries new medical products and even allows some majorly scary stuff to happen to her body. Why? Because of the cold hard cash; compensation for being a human medical experiment. Audie is saving up for something very special, a trip for dying boyfriend. Dylan has cancer and Audie wants to give him something he will never forget, a vacation to a place he has only dreamt of. This means doing more volunteering than ever. Which also mean more side effects, more pain, and much more stress. At least she has a friend or two who knows what she's going through. Charlotte is her roommate and friend. She also is a Guinea pig for all the same companies that Audie works at. Both girls know what it's like to be a human pin cushion. Audie will do whatever it takes to make more money and fast. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? 

This is when things go downhill. Something happens to Audie that changes everything and forces her to pick up more medical studies than ever. She is also forced to deal with some horribly bad news, in which she begins to question the motives of the doctors behind these trials. Something is definitely off... or maybe something is not quite right with Audie herself? 

The final twist will leave readers confused, floored or like me mind tripped!

While Placebo Junkies was unlike anything I have ever read before I have a love-hate relationship with the book. On one hand, the story was unique and interesting but clearly lacked focus on the main plot. It was all over the place at times, giving me details that felt unnecessary and boring. I was 40% into reading and questioning where the story was going. To be honest, I did not like any of the characters besides Dylan. They feel flat for me and just too bazaar. As for Audie, I felt genuinely sorry for her. Her life has been so difficult and you really get see the real Audie at the end of the book. I actually really enjoyed the premise of the book, but I feel it the delivery could have been better. 

Don't get me wrong, even though I did find some things I didn't so much like in the book there are some parts I did really enjoy.  I love how dedicated Audie was to buy Dylan this amazing gift. I could plainly feel how much she loves Dylan and worries about his health. All that she went through to make him happy was so heartfelt. Even when the final twist comes and the reader finds out the truth about many things you still can't help but feel at awe. The ending was one I did not see coming. It's one of those, "Wait, What?" moments that will leave you questioning everything you've read thus far. I also think the author did some great research when it came to all the medical parts. Kudos, J.C. Carleson. It really helped with the "real" factor during the trials/experiments.

I give Placebo Junkies a solid 3 STARS! While confusing at times and a bit lackluster throughout it still really ended up being a unique and thrilling read. I recommend the book to anyone who likes a good head-trip wants a story that makes you think. 

I liked it a lot. Would recommend.

Click the link below find out more about author J.C. Carlson and to learn about her other books.

http://www.jccarleson.com/

Blog Tour: Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols | Review & Giveaway!

Hello and welcome everyone to the Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols Blog Tour! I'm thrilled about being part of this awesome tour. Today I will reviewing the book and having a giveaway for you guys to enter. The winner will receive a print copy of all three books in the series. Very cool! I hope you all enjoy reading my review and learning all about this amazing book and series. 

Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3)
by Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: August 4th 2015

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Source: via edelweiss

In this sexy conclusion to The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Sawyer and Kaye might just be perfect for each other—if only they could admit it.

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…

As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?

The definition of Superlative is: of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others; supreme; extreme. 

This series is rightfully named in more ways the one. Author Jennifer Echols has once again written another book I that was not only extremely awesome but one I won't soon forget.  Most Likely to Succeed is the third installment in this fun and flirty series. The story takes place within their senior year of high school with all the same characters we have grown to love from book one and two. This book focuses on vice-president of Student Council, Kaye Gordan and the school mascot, ladies man, and cute goofball, Sawyer De Luca.

Kaye is use to order and being the good girl she is brought up to be. Good grades, academics, and a boyfriend of three years....these's are what makes sense. Having a strict and overbearing Mother who always wants Kaye to be perfect is not easy, and is about to get a lot harder. Kaye and her boyfriend Aiden are not getting along and have been growing apart. Aiden has become mean, possessive, and distance. He's decided he wants a "break" from Kaye. Luckily Kaye was happy for the break because she has had a secret crush on Sawyer. Little does Kaye know Sawyer feels the same way. The problem is because they are both so different their relationship is strained. There are things Sawyer is not telling Kaye about his past as well as the issue of her Mother forbidding Kaye to date Sawyer. It's all one big mess, one that will either make or break this newfound romance. 

Are Kaye and Sawyer ready to fight for love or claim defeat? Read the book to find out!

There was just so much going on in this book, so much. I was cheering for Kaye and Sawyer. I totally ship them. Seeing how hard they fought to be with each other and dealing with their emotions is what really made this book stand out. There was so much conflict between both of them that they had to overcome and still find away to be honest with each other in order to make things work. Both characters grew up a lot during the process of the story. Kaye, seeing her life as her own and not living to please her Mother. Sawyer finally opening his heart to Kaye and allowing her to get close no matter what his past was or where his future lies.

I've said before in past reviews for Jennifer Echols books that she really knows how to make her readers fall in love with the characters and give them a romantic story that's unforgettable. This series keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next! 

 Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

Follow the Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

US Only

If the winner has one of the Superlatives book, he/she can choose another book instead written by Jennifer Echols.

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