The Cozy Reader

Summer Reading Ideas for KIDS!

The Cozy Reader — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:45 +0000

The lovely people at Scholastic have blown my mind, again!

Alex has sent me the below summer reading ideas for our children. I don’t know about you but I love that my 3rd grade daughter reads, for fun, without being told. You know what else she loves? Her Kindle Fire and our old iPhones. She’s always playing a game on one of those devices. I love these ideas of rewarding kids for reading. To them they think they’re playing a game and that’s perfectly fine with me!

Use these great ideas from Scholastic to keep your readers reading over the summer!

A recent Kids & Family Reading Report shows that half of all parents are concerned that their children spend too much time playing video or computer games and visiting social networking sites, and not enough time reading books. Now that it is summer and school is out, what can parents do to get their kids reading more books? The solution: COMBINE TECHNOLOGY AND READING TOGETHER! Something Scholastic has created with the Scholastic Summer Challenge program.

5 (FREE) ways to USE technology to GET kids reading books:

1. Track Online Minutes: Kids can read over the summer and track their reading minutes online with the Scholastic Summer Challenge, a free global reading program where kids read, log minutes, and earn prizes. Kids can have fun winning prizes, trying to break the world record for summer reading, and helping their school log the most minutes to win a visit from Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey.

2. Time your Reading App: Families on-the-go can log their minutes with the free Scholastic Reading Timer mobile app, available for iOS and android devices. Use your summer challenge username and password to log minutes and spin the prize wheel to earn rewards! Plus, parents can see how many minutes their child logged and access articles and tips to encourage kids to read.

3. Get a FREE ebook: Great news for parents: Among children who have read an ebook, one in five says he/she is reading more books for fun, especially boys! When kids register for the Scholastic Summer Challenge, parents can choose the “just right” ebook for their kids…FOR FREE from Storia®, Scholastic’s free teacher recommended ereading app.

4. Learn: Parents can access free resources on the Summer Challenge website, including book lists and articles. On the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, parents can find the new content calendar that provides free daily expert tips and articles, activities, discounts on books, special Friday giveaways, and details about upcoming Facebook chats. When the Summer Challenge launched on May 6^th, Scholastic hosted a chat with parent bloggers Amy Mascott and Allison McDonald.

5. Share on social media: Parents can use social media with their kids for reading ideas. Parents can check out Scholastic’s Summer Challenge Pinterest Board with their kids. Since research shows that parents think their child should read 11 books over the summer, each week we’ll be pinning a collage of 11 books.

Blog Tour Guest Post | Of Triton by Anna Banks with Giveaway

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:02:10 +0000

Welcome to the Blog Tour stop for book two of Anna Banks’ Of Poseidon series, Of Triton!

Anna has presented The Cozy Reader readers with a guest post about her cover to Of Triton.

COVER LOVE—OR NOT by Anna Banks

When I first received an image for the cover of OF POSEIDON, I squealed. (I know that sounds cliché, and my first instinct was to make farting noises with my armpits, but I was in the post office and they tend to frown on that kind of enthusiasm). Anyhow, I was instantly in love.

When my editor emailed me the first draft of the cover for OF TRITON—not so much.

It wasn’t horrible, mind you, but it wasn’t Well, it wasn’t…Armpit fart material, you know? I tried to love it. I did. But I felt that it just wasn’t as magical as the cover for OF POSEIDON. And what’s worse, I had to email my editor and tell her that.

Not because I’m in charge of the cover; I’m not. Not because I even have a say in the cover; I don’t. Not really, anyway. Sure, the publisher wants the author to like their own book cover, but it’s not absolutely required that they love it. Or even like it. Kind of like how a bride picks out her bridesmaids’ dresses and hope for the best, but after all, it is her wedding…

So imagine my total relief, and giddiness, and urge to produce glorious armpit farts, when my editor emailed me back and told me that they’re changing the cover. They’re hiring models (models!) to do an underwater shoot (a freaking underwater shoot!) and that they are also using some of the images to create the cover for OF NEPTUNE.

Whew. That was a close one. AmIright? Which do you like better?

Cozy Reader prefers the revised edition. I think it fits better with the first book of the series and just has a nicer feel to it.

Connect with Anna

Anna Banks will be on tour in June as part of the Fierce Reads Tour. Get all the info/dates: https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads/events

Of Triton is featured in our Spring 2013 Fierce Reads Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/w-F_U3TtW24

Pre-order Of Triton and Anna Banks will send you bonus content! Details: http://byannabanks.blogspot.com/2013/04/of-triton-pre-order-bonus-content.html

Follow Anna Banks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ByAnnaBanks

Become a fan of Fierce Reads on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads

Of Triton Blog Tour Schedule

Monday 5/13 Bewitched Bookworms

Tuesday 5/14 Ex Libris

Wednesday 5/15 The Book Cellar

Thursday 5/16 Two Chicks on Books

Friday 5/17 Icey Books

Monday 5/20 Tales of a Ravenous Reader

Tuesday 5/21 The Cozy Reader

Wednesday 5/22 Mermaid Visions

Thursday 5/23 MacTeenBooks

Friday 5/24 Carina’s Books

Giveaway

Macmillan Children’s Publishing is offering one reader the chance to win a paperback copy of OF POSEIDON a hardcover of OF TRITON and an OF POSEIDON bookmark! Simply use the below Rafflecopter widget to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review | The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles, #3) by Kady Cross

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:00:32 +0000

The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles, #3) by Kady Cross
HarequinTEEN | May 28, 2013 | 384 pages

Procurement

eARC via NetGalley

My Grade

Plot: 5

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Romance: 5

Overall: 30/30 Perfection!

Title/Cover Bonus: 5

Overall

A perfect installment to the Steampunk Chronicles.

Summary

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What’s left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends’ lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke’s sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him…and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel’s desolate alleyways to Mayfair’s elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist’s ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she’s to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn’t know she has…

Trailer

None at time of review.

First Line

A giant tentacle slapped the front of the submersible, driving the small craft backward in the water.

–eARC edition

Most Memorable Scene

When Jack Dandy shows up on Finley’s balcony in the middle of the night.

Plot

The issue at hand is a continuation from the previous book; therefore, I feel like I will not be able to talk too much about this. Let is suffice that the plot was great. Lots of action, mysteriousness, a few new automatons and characters.

Setting

The group is back at Greythorne with Griffin King playing host. Nothing too new is expressed other than the main setting that Emily discovers herself in, which was described brilliantly.

Writing

Gosh, I love Kady’s writing style. I love that she switches back and forth between the characters with no guessing who she’s going to be viewing the scene fro next. I especially loved Emily’s point of view and Griffin too.

Originality

As far a steampunk paranormal goes this is probably one of my favorite YA series with these elements. The main plot proves to show Kady’s creativity and her skill of expressing it perfectly to her readers. I was always pleasantly surprised to discover the next invention of Griffin’s or Emily’s and the other not so nice character.

Characters

Emily and Sam are too cute for words! I loved seeing their relationship evolve. Sam is awesome and Emily is dear.

Griffin and Finley also had their fair share of relationship evolution, to say the least. They have gone through so much and I’m pretty certain it is only going to keep going. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Jack Dandy is one of my most favorite characters. EVER. He played a vital role in this book and I can’t wait to see more of him!

Romance

The sexual tension is tangible in this book! I am not sure which relationship had more Emily and Sam or Griffin and Finley. There were more than a few meetings rudely interrupted!

Title/Cover Bonus

The title is perfection. Of course the title is talking about Emily. The girl on the front of the cover certainly has red hair like Emily but she doesn’t look as gentle as I picture Emily. Either way, it’s a great cover.

Ending

Boy, the last few pages are amazing. I wanted a better ending scene between Emily and Sam but Griffin and Finley’s ending scene was…….perfection.

Series

This certainly can’t be the last book because there’s totally some unfinished business. However, I can’t find any information on the next book yet.

Connect with Kady Cross

Quick Review | Crumble by Fleur Philips

The Cozy Reader — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:59:04 +0000

Procurement

eARC from publisher via NetGalley.

Summary (Goodreads)

Eighteen-year-old Sarah McKnight has a secret. She’s in love with David Brooks. Sarah is white. David is black. But Sarah’s not the only one keeping secrets in the close-knit community of Kalispell, Montana. Her father George, who owns a local gun shop and proudly drives a truck with a Confederate flag bumper sticker, hides his own complicated past. When he discovers Sarah’s relationship, George decides to share his feelings with Alex Mackey-a lonely classmate of Sarah’s whom George has taken under his wing. As Alex embraces the power of Sarah’s father’s dark hatred, the hopes and dreams of young lives hang in the balance. In just a few short months, Sarah and David will graduate from high school and leave Kalispell for a new life together in Los Angeles. Maybe in California, they can stop hiding their love-and the other secret they share…something George McKnight-and Alex Mackey-will never accept.

Quick Review

I disliked (hated) this book for several reasons.

First, there are way too many “issue” topics thrown into one book. I went into this thinking I’d get a story filled with hope for an interracial relationship. Negative. What I ended up with was a book full of racism, bullies, gun control, child abuse, abuse in general, alcoholism, killing, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion, psychotic people and general idioticracy.

Second, the writing was full of excessive, mundane details. Numerous flash backs that did not support the topic at hand and further made the entire story read with more negative than positive. I confess to skimming the majority of these and they were numerous.

The entire character of Alex was just craziness. I never, ever want to be inside the head of someone like that again. Ever.

This book is the most negative thing I have ever read. Hated it. Immensely. I don’t understand why it was the winner or even nominated for the San Francisco Book Festival Winner for YA Fiction. I would never let my child read this book.

The summary is incredibly misleading. This is not a happy book. I do not recommend reading this on Mother’s Day weekend like I did.

Blog Tour + Giveaway | Belonging (Temptation, #2) by Karen Ann Hopkins

The Cozy Reader — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:22:29 +0000

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Karen Ann Hopkins’ second installment of the Temptation series, Belonging! Belonging picks up after the first book, Temptation. See below for an exciting excerpt and the chance to win a SIGNED copy of Belonging!

About Temptation

Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indiebound, Facebook

Your heart misleads you.

That’s what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.
And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms.

It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won’t be.

Because he’s Amish.
And I’m not.

Read my review of Temptation.

About Belonging

Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indiebound

I left everything I knew behind.

But it was worth it. He was worth it.

No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren’t even allowed to see each other. Not until I’ve proven myself.

If I can find a way to make it work, we’ll be NOAH & ROSE

together forever.

But not everybody believes this is where I belong.

Excerpt from Belonging

Rebecca was uncomfortable with the territory the pep talk had gone into and she took both my hands softly between hers. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. But, please, please be good.” There was almost a look of desperation on her face.

What was her angle? Was she worried if I got kicked out of the community that Noah would go with me—and what about the warning from Ruth about Martha? Could my initial instinct about the woman be so wrong? Martha had clearly been on my side during the laying down of the law by the bishop. I decided to file away Ruth’s words for safety. But, I wasn’t going to count Martha as an enemy until she proved to be one.

“Noah looked like he wanted something—what was his deal?” I asked him mom, a little worried about what she’d say.

“Oh, yes…well, he wants to have a few minutes alone with you to discuss this matter. Really it’s mine and Amos’ fault that we allowed him such free rein immediately after the accident; calling you on the telephone and behaving as if the two of you were already courting. Now though, things must be different.”

“Can I spend any time with him at all?” I hoped I didn’t sound as if I was whining, but the thought of being separated from him while I was learning to be Amish was almost too much to bear.

Before Rebecca could say a word, Ruth took over. “It’s not only up to Rebecca and Amos. Now that you’re under mine and James’ authority, you’ll be looking to us about the rules you must live under in this household, which are the Church’s Ordnung, but not solely.”

I slouched down in my seat. I knew a parental lockdown when I saw one coming. Only, I also knew that Ruth wouldn’t be as easy to manipulate as Dad was. I adjusted my voice to sound resigned, I needed both these women on my side.

“What are the rules?”

“After this evening you will not be allowed to spend time alone with Noah unless there is a chaperone present,” and for good measure, Ruth added, “and the two of you will not be acting like a couple either. That is exactly the kind of thing that will get Abram’s beard in a tangle.”

My optimistic personality chose to hear only the part about after tonight. “Do you mean I get to talk to Noah, tonight—in private?”

Rebecca answered, “Yes, but only tonight, until you’re officially a courting couple. Ruth and I understand how things have changed suddenly from what you were prepared for and we feel it is best to let you do your talking with Noah now. Hopefully, this will keep you from mischief later.” She held my eyes for a significant few seconds before pushing her chair out.

“I do believe Noah is waiting on the front porch for you.” Rebecca pointed towards the hallway. “We’ll be out back on the deck.”

I caught Ruth’s wink from behind her glasses as she walked by. One second of solitude and I was sprinting down the hallway.

I didn’t even have to touch the knob, for Noah had the door open just as I reached it. We stood a few feet apart, both breathing deeply, and both waiting.

Maybe it was the dress and cap I wore that suddenly made me feel like I really was an Amish girl. Or perhaps it was Noah’s eyes, wide with anticipation that raised the tingling waves of nervousness from my belly.

For the first time in a long while, I didn’t know what to do with Noah.

Connect with the Karen Ann Hopkins

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Tour Schedule

Monday, April 22th – Ashley loves books
Tuesday, April 23th – A Little Shelf of Heaven
Wednesday, April 24th – One Day YA
Thursday, April 25h – Fic Talk
Friday, April 26th - Bittersweet Enchantment

Monday, April 29th – Reader Girls
Tuesday, April 30th - Bumbles and Fairy Tales
Wednesday, May 1sh – The YA Bookworm
Thursday, May 2nd – The Book Heist
Friday, May 3rd – Page Turners

Monday, May 6th – Books Complete Me
Tuesday, May 7th – Bookish Escape
Wednesday, May 8th – Book Sp(l)ot Reviews
Thursday, May 9th – Irish Banana
Friday, May 10th – The Cozy Reader

Giveaway

Enter to win a SIGNED copy of Belonging!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review | The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2) by Julie Kagawa

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:13 +0000

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2) by Julie Kagawa

Harlequin TEEN | April 30, 2013 | 446 pages

Procurement

eARC via NetGalley

My Grade

Plot: 5

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Romance: 5

Overall: 30/30! Awesomesauce!

Title/Cover Bonus: 2

Overall

text

Summary

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Trailer

TEXT

First Line

text

Most Memorable Scene

That one time when Jackal finds himself in a precarious situation after a run in with a bad guy in a cell in the old hospital.

Plot

I don’t remember enjoying the first book as much as I did this second installment. I was thankful for the awesome review of events that happened in the first book in the beginning of this one. I usually find such reviews irritating but not this time. Since this is a sequel it is hard to explain the plot without giving anything away. I must say that Allie goes on one heck of an adventure. She runs into a number of past characters and a few new ones.

Setting

We are subjected to the sewers of New Covington yet again. We see a few new scenes from areas we didn’t get to visit in the first book and I found them refreshing. Seeing the Inner portion of a city from the inside instead of the outside was very cool. Julie did an amazing job of setting every scene. There is a ton of gore in this book though. I found myself eating and reading one day and I might have regretted it just a tiny bit.

Writing

This story is told from Allie’s perspective 99.999999%. Not until the very last scene do we switch point of views. I hate and love Julie for this all at the same time. The writing is impeccable. Brilliant.

Originality

When it comes to vampires it is hard to not find similarities I found myself comparing Jackal’s attitude to several vampires from the Vampire Diaries such as Damon and Klaus because they both have an air of being the bad guy yet retaining just a bit of humanity disguised as humor and arrogance. The fact that the rabids and Red Lung are a disease and was created by scientists puts this story into the sci-fi area as well. Finding a cure does make this a tiny bit more like VD than I’d like though but the characters, especially Kanin, make this a book to love no matter the likeness to an amazing television series.

Characters

Allie is on a mission and suffice it say that she is determined to do what she has set out to do: Find Kanin her sire. Allie’s journey takes her on an emotional roller coaster and it was so hard to end the book the way it did without wanting to hit something. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and I just hope Allie has the strength to keep going as the person she was before that ending.

Kanin is awesome. That is all. I wish he talked more. He was very enlightening in this book.

Romance

Fifth amendment. We may or may not see a previous character that has romantic relations with another character and they may or may not enteract with each other in a passionate way. Let is suffice to say that damn, that boy is fine, and sweet.

Title/Cover Bonus

Eh, I dislike both really. The covers do not impress me. They don’t shout anything worth picking up. The title doesn’t connect with the previous book in anyway.

Ending

I have already hinted that the ending is not nice. It really isn’t. The last few scenes are just awful. Heart wrenching awful. I do not envy Allie nor the others involved. I can NOT wait for the next book. If I thought this one was intense I will plan to brace myself for what it yet to come.

Series

The first book, The Immortal Rules, was published April 24, 2012.

The second book, The Eternity Cure, will publish today, April 30, 2013.

The third book has not been announced and will probably publish in April of 2014.

Connect with the Author

Exciting News! Blog Recognition

The Cozy Reader — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:49:04 +0000

Just a few hours ago I received an email from Ksenia Winnicki, Digital Marketing Associate of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, informing me that my blog would be included in a page dedicated to bloggers who reviewed and featured Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, in the paperback edition releasing May 7th,2013.

I couldn’t be any more happier. Recognition is an amazing feeling.

You’ll find The Cozy Reader in the left-hand spire!

Check it out:

Blu-ray Giveaway | Life of Pi #piday #lifeofpiday

The Cozy Reader — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:11:21 +0000

Happy Pi Day!

Enter today, Pi Day, for a chance to win a Blu-Ray Edition of Life of Pi!

About Pi Day

In honor of National Pi Day today, March 14, with the brand new edition of the Life of Pi Journeyweb site! The site has more to explore and interact with, perfect to celebrate Pi Day and Life of Pi now on Blu-ray and DVD!

Tweet your #LifeofPiDay facts you find on the site and post the graphic to your site for your readers to take part! When you post, link to http://journey.lifeofpimovie.com/ so everyone can go behind the scenes of this spectacular film! :)

About Life of Pi

FROM OSCAR^® WINNER ANG LEE^* COMES A VISUALLY SPECTACULAR CINEMATIC ADVENTURE FOR THE AGES

The Inspirational Epic Journey, Nominated for 11 Academy Awards^®

Including Best Picture and Best Director, Arrives on
Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD March 12

Experience the Stunning Cinematography on Blu-ray 3D With Over Two Hours of Bonus Material Including Deleted Scenes, Making Of Featurettes,
Inspirational Artwork and More

Believe the unbelievable. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents a groundbreaking cinematic experience you will have to see to believe when LIFE OF PI debuts on stunning Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD from March 8 internationally and on March 12 in North America. Based on the acclaimed best-selling novel from Yann Martel that has been published in 40 languages, and brought to life by visionary Academy Award winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this magical adventure of hope, wonder, survival, and the power of the human spirit has been celebrated by critics all over the world.

A ³magnificent and moving² (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) motion picture event that has been hailed as ³a masterpiece² (Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times), taking in over $500 million in worldwide box office. LIFE OF PI follows Pi Patel, a young man on a fateful voyage who, after a spectacular disaster, is marooned on a lifeboat with the only other survivor, a fearsome 450 lb Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. Hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery Pi and his majestic companion make an amazing and unexpected connection.

With incredible cinematography from Oscar nominee Claudio Miranda** (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Tron: Legacy) and masterful performances from newcomer Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan (The Amazing Spider-Man, Slumdog Millionaire), Rafe Spall (Prometheus, Anonymous) and Gerard Depardieu (Paris, je t¹aime, City of Ghosts), the LIFE OF PI Blu-ray 3D is loaded with over two hours of behind-the-scenes special features, including deleted scenes that will make you rethink the story (also presented in 3D), five featurettes that dive into the making of the visual spectacle, 60 pieces of inspirational artwork, storyboards and more. Prebook is February 13.

Giveaway

Fill out the below Rafflecopter widget for your entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Event | Portland, OR | 03-16-13 | Poison by Bridget Zinn

The Cozy Reader — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:31:24 +0000

If you are near Portland, OR there is an amazing event going on this Saturday, March 16th to honor the release of Bridget Zinn’s debut book, POISON. I read and reviewed POISON already and highly recommend you do too!

See Laini Taylor’s post for more information.

Event

Saturday, Mar. 16 @ 6:00

A Children’s Place

4807 NE Fremont Street

Portland, OR 97213

Phone: 503-284-8294

Details

Since Bridget isn’t here to share her novel, people are pulling together to help get the word out about this former librarian’s sweet, hilarious debut.
Join the following authors to celebrate Bridget Zinn and the launch of her debut novel Poison. Purchase your copy at the event and get it signed by all.

* Carolyn Conahan
* Virginia Euwer Wolff
* Ruth Feldman
* Susan Fletcher
* April Henry
* Victoria Jamieson
* Rosanne Parry
* Sara Ryan
* Lisa Schroeder
* Inara Scott
* Laini Taylor-Di Bartolo
* Jen Violi
* Emily Whitman
* Johanna Wright

I wish I could attend but alas I’m stuck on the East coast. Please let me know if you plan to attend!

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Review | Poison by Bridget Zinn

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:00:46 +0000

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Disney-Hyerion | March 12, 2013 | 288 pages

Procurement

ARC from publisher by request. Thank you Disney!

My Grade

Plot: 5

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Romance: 5

Overall: 30/30! 100% A+++!!!

Title/Cover Bonus: 5

Overall

An adventurous tale of a master potioner set to save her world with the help of a piglet, Rosie, a traveler, Fred, and his wolf-dog Langley. Full of mystery, laughter and loyalty. A must read by an amazing author.

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Trailer

None at time of review.

First Line

not available at time of review

Most Memorable Scene

When Kyra crosses the river with Rosie.

Plot

Kyra is on a mission. This magical fantasy adventure is full of magic, odd creatures, handsome men, adorable and honorable animals and full of mystery! There’s so much mystery I didn’t see most of it coming at me. I like that I didn’t realize it was a mystery because I am not a fan of knowing elements are missing. I want to be surprised to know that those elements of the story were missing. Does that make sense? I want to be like “OH!” not “Hmm, I wonder what’s going on….?”. There were several “OH!” moments for sure. I can’t name any of them, of course, or I’d spoil all the fun! :)

Setting

Beautiful. The hidden cottage in the clearing was one of my favorite scenes. The hay barn was another. I enjoyed the setting very much.

Writing

Brilliant. I was filled with such sadness upon reading the ending to this because I knew that I will never read anything else written by Bridget Zinn. Since she was taken from us at such a young age and full of such talent there’s nothing we can do but be thankful she was able to grace us with this lovely story. Thank you, Bridget, for this beautifully written story.

Originality

I am a huge fan of fun, funny, cute, and action packed epic fantasy. While this book was more along the cute and fun, it was also packed full of action. Kyra can kick some major butt. Her potions were very cool and unique. I loved the unique creatures too: goblins, flying things I can’t remember their names, and an obeeka shape-shifting thing and witches!

Characters

Kyra is smart, extremely talented, strong, and loyal. She is way more than what we meet in the beginning and it was so much fun to walk on this adventure with her and her companions she picked up along the way.

Rosie is Kyra’s person-finding piglet. She’s adorable. I want a piglet.

Fred is a traveler Kyra meets while crossing the river with Rosie. He has a wolfish looking dog named Langley. Fred is handsome, an amazing cook, thoughtful and super nice and funny. He’s hard to shake though when Kyra tries to sneak off to do her sneaky potioner acts.

Romance

There is instant attraction between Kyra and Fred. Their meeting scene is, of course, to blame. Their relationship is sweet, funny and real. I enjoyed their relationship.

Title/Cover Bonus

This cover is amazing. Beautiful and right on for the entire book. The title is fine and fits perfectly as well.

Ending

Beautiful. The ending ends perfectly. Nice and tidy but in a perfect way. I would love to rejoin these characters but, alas, the author is no longer with us and these characters leave with her.

Series

Standalone as far as I know.

Connect with Bridget Zinn

Get a look into how POISON came to be from this awesome blog post by Bridget: What I’m Not Going to Blog About.

Blog Tour & Giveaway(s) | HarlequinTEEN’s Karen Ann Hopkins

The Cozy Reader — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:30:08 +0000

HarlequinTEEN’s spring Reading into Romance

Spring is in the air and HarlequinTEEN wants you to fall in love! And they have just the books to make that happen!

In this epic tour, we’ll be featuring 9 authors and their amazing, toe-curlingly romantic books!

Today’s Blog Tour stop features Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins and a look at Amish love and marriage

Amish Love & Marriage

by Karen Ann Hopkins

Living within an Amish community in northern Kentucky for five years, I’ve witnessed many interesting things about their culture. Sometimes, I’m shocked at their strict beliefs and behavior, but usually I’m humbled and impressed with their culture.

The Amish are people who are always willing to come to the aid of their neighbors, whether Amish or not, and they hold their personal relationships in the highest esteem. These are admirable traits for anyone, but I’ve witnessed firsthand that the basis for their success in life is their religious faith and their solid and loving relationships with their spouses.

Granted, the Amish culture is a man’s society, and you’d think that would cause all kinds of problems with the women…but it doesn’t. Most of the Amish women I know are quite satisfied of the role they play within the marriage. They run the household and oftentimes are full and respected partners in the family business. They care for the children and participate in church activities. They get together regularly with other women within the community to quilt or clean house together. Amish women seem busy and content within their lives.

I think the contentment begins with the giving nature I’ve witnessed from most of the men toward their wives. Even though they may be the ‘boss,’ Amish men tend to continue to display acts of romance long after the wedding ceremony. Flowers, extravagant gifts and vacations are commonplace from the men of the community to their wives. They recognize and respect the hard work that their wives do and are ever thankful for their partner in life.

When troubles do arise within an Amish marriage, the community will jump in and help through counseling to repair the damage. Very rarely do the Amish divorce, which shows their ultimate dedication in the vows they spoke to each other.

Because the Amish live a life without the entertainment of television, radio, movies and internet, they seem to put more emphasis on romance and that’s one of the reasons they may have up to twelve children or more within a family. Their religion prevents them from using birth control, which obviously contributes to the large number of pregnancies, but since there are few other things to do in the evenings, the Amish are focused on the pleasures between a man and a wife. So much intimacy keeps Amish couples close. Having so many children would be a nightmare to most outsiders, but the Amish women appear to enjoy having large families and have grown accustomed to it.

The Amish don’t hold hands and would never be caught showing public displays of affection, but the simplicity of their lives lends to a quiet and hidden romance that lasts forever.

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

HarlequinTEEN | June 26, 2012 | 383 pages

Paperback | Kindle |B&N | Indiebound

Summary

Your heart misleads you.

That’s what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms. It should be ROSE & NOAH forever, easy. But it won’t be.

Because he’s Amish.

And I’m not.

Belonging the sequel to Temptation will be released April 30th by HarlequinTEEN - add it to your goodreads shelf!

Read my review of Temptation!

Connect with Karen Ann Hopkins

Blog Tour Schedule

HarlequinTEEN Reading Into Romance Tour Page

Monday, March 4th – Karen Ann Hopkins and Temptation:

Wednesday, March 6th – Liz Fichera and Hooked:

Friday, March 8th – Cayla Kluver and the Legacy series:

Monday, March 11th – Aimée Carter and The Goddess Test series:

Wednesday, March 13th – Julie Kagawa and The Iron King series:

Friday, March 15th – Katie McGarry and Pushing the Limits:

Monday, March 18th – Rachel Vincent and The Soul Screamers series:

Wednesday, March 20th – Hannah Harrington and Saving June:

Friday, March 22nd – Jordan Dane and In The Arms of Stone Angels:

Giveaway

There are two giveaways!

The first is a copy of Temptation!

The grand prize is also available with each entry you enter with! A beautiful necklace and Pashmina!

HarlequinTEEN dresses you for a romantic date with this beautiful, unique heart shaped locket! And in case it’s a chilly spring evening, don’t forget the matching beautiful Pashmina!

To enter, fill out the below Rafflecopter widget.

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Teaser Tuesday | Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:53:26 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A few teasers to share with you on this books release day!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

St. Martin’s Griffin | February 26, 2013 | 320 pages

“Why do the X-Men need another girl telepath? she asked.

“This one has purple hair.”

“It’s all so sexist.”

Park’s eyes got wide. Well, sort of wide. Sometimes she wondered if the shape of his eyes affected how he saw things. That was probably the most racist question of all time.

Maybe Park had paralyzed her with his ninja magic, his Vulcan handhold, and now he was going to eat her. That would be awesome.

Eleanor on nerves and her sense of touch:

Because, if they were always there, how did she manage to turn doorknobs without fainting?

Park’s dad was one of my favorite characters. Here are a few of his lines:

“He’s lucky you wear those little tennis shoes,” his dad said, “even in the middle of winter…Seriously, a jump reverse hook?” Park nodded. “Huh. Well, your mom is going to hit the goddamn roof when she sees you. She was at your grandma’s house, crying, when she called me.”

“Your mom just wants you to be happy,” he said to Park. “Don’t puss out on our account.” His mother frowned, like she wasn’t sure whether that counted as a dirty word.

Kindle Daily Deal | Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #I) by Robin LaFevers

The Cozy Reader — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:10:49 +0000

Another awesome Kindle Daily Deal!

I don’t have a formal review for this title but here are my progression notes from Goodreads:

Reading Progress

03/02/2012	100.0%	“A great mystery with awesome dark magic/paranormal aspect and of course romance!”
02/28/2012	29.0%	“Love how sneaky Ismae is! :)”
02/27/2012	18.0%	“Mmmm, Duval’s attitude is enticing.” 1 comment
02/27/2012	8.0%	“Liking it so far!”

Go buy yourself a copy for only $1.99!

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children | April 2, 2012 | 565 pages

Kindle Daily Deal: $1.99 Regular Price: $16.99

Summary (Goodreads)

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

The good news is that Book 2, Dark Triumph, is releasing April 2, 2013!

Blog Tour with Giveaway | Charachter Bio: Liam Hollander | Traced by Megan Squires

The Cozy Reader — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:00:09 +0000

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Traced by Megan Squires!

I am still currently reading this and will have a review sometime next week!

Meet Liam Hollander

So I’m the new kid. It’s strange to go from homecoming king at one school to a nobody at the next. But it’ll be fine. It’s the price I have to endure to live at the ranch, and that’s an easy exchange in my opinion. Blaze now has some much needed space to roam and doesn’t have to share the cramped, old barn with Grandpa’s horses anymore, so that’s totally worth it. And my little brothers finally get a huge yard to run around in and play catch. Total win-win.

And I like what I see so far at East Valley High, too. Especially the girls. Especially Tessa O’Donnell. I don’t know her story, but I plan to find out. Unfortunately, I think it has something to do with Joel, the football quarterback. He’s always looking at her like there’s no other girl in the room. I’m familiar with that look. It’s probably identical to the one plastered on my face all the time, too.

I have to figure out a way to get in front of her—to get her to notice me. I think our Day in the Life project for journalism class might just be my ticket. The only problem is, I’m pretty sure after spending one day with Tessa, I won’t be satisfied with just that.

She’s not like the girls back at Superior High, though she’s every bit superior to them. She feels familiar, like there’s some strange connection between us that I can’t even begin to explain. I’m just hoping Joel McBrayer isn’t going to be the one to break it.

Summary (Goodreads)

Tessa can’t sleep.

But when your parents are dead and the government directs your path in life, sleep shouldn’t come easily. Lately, Tessa’s fitful nights are growing even more predictable, almost like déjà vu. And she’s beginning to think that something greater is at work—something her society has taken drastic measures to keep hidden.

Caught between self-discovery and government conformity, she’ll have to choose either the boy who can help her reveal this new truth or the one that can provide her with the security of familiarity.

Tessa’s faced with a weighty decision. And she’s going to need more than a good night’s sleep to make it.

Connect with Megan Squires

Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer – though her characters don’t often give her much opportunity to sleep.

Blog Tour Stops

Monday, February 11th – A Book and a Latte
Tuesday, February 12th – Coffee, Books and Me
Wednesday, February 13th – The Cozy Reader
Thursday, February 14th – The Book Whisperer
Friday, February 15th – Ticket to Anywhere

Monday, February 18th – Sara in Bookland
Tuesday, February 19th – Tynga’s Review
Wednesday, February 20th – Imagine a World
Thursday, February 21st – Oops I Read a Book Again
Friday, February 22nd – Jenuine Cupcakes

Monday, February 25th – Ruby Reads
Tuesday, February 26th – My Neurotic Book Affair
Wednesday, February 27th – The Book Faery Reviews
Thursday, February 28th – Rants N Scribbles
Friday, March 1st – The Book Hookup

Giveaway

Enter to win a Traced bookmark and an eBook of Traced.

All entries will also count towards the Grand Prize of one Kindle Paperwhite skinned with the Traced cover art!

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Who is Marcus Finch? | Clue #15

The Cozy Reader — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:01:51 +0000

Today concludes the ‘Who is Marcus Finch’ clues!

What do you think of this mysterious guy?

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Connect with Bloodlines

Giveaway

Enter via the below Rafflecopter widget to win a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell.

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Who is Marcus Finch? | Clue #14

The Cozy Reader — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:01:39 +0000

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Connect with Bloodlines

Giveaway

Enter via the below Rafflecopter widget to win a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who is Marcus Finch? | Clue #13

The Cozy Reader — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:06:56 +0000

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Connect with Bloodlines

Giveaway

Enter via the below Rafflecopter widget to win a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kindle Daily Deal | Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Cozy Reader — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:54:45 +0000

Dudes!

Go. Get. This!

I loved this book!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Bloomsbury Children | August 7, 2012 | 416 pages

Deal Price: $2.99 | List Price: $14.99 Savings: $12.99!

Read my review of Throne of Glass for more information!

Who is Marcus Finch? | Clue #12

The Cozy Reader — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:01:08 +0000

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Connect with Bloodlines

Giveaway

Enter via the below Rafflecopter widget to win a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who is Marcus Finch? | Clue #11

The Cozy Reader — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:01:52 +0000

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Connect with Bloodlines

Giveaway

Enter via the below Rafflecopter widget to win a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell.

a Rafflecopter giveaway