Check out the rest of the tour!

Author Joy Preble joins me to today to share a day in the life of the main character of her newest book, The Sweet Dead Life. Although The Sweet Dead Life is Preble’s Soho Teen debut, she’s not new to the genre. Her Dreaming Anastasia series combines Russian Folklore with the ever-enthralling mystery of that epically missing princess, Anastasia. Read on to find out more!

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

The Sweet Dead Life is available now!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

And now, for a day in the life of The Sweet Dead Life‘s Jenna:

(Note from Joy: I think it’s best to let Jenna tell this in her own words, journal entry style:)

What Happened Today:

• Mom was still in bed when we left for school – no surprise there.
• Casey kept tapping his fingers on the steering wheel of the Merc as we drove. My brother has a secret and he’s not telling me. This makes me pissy.
• Maggie and I worked on our English project. Mags believes that the universe plans on giving us an A. I think Mags is batshit crazy.
• EMT/bartender stalker chick Amber called Casey five times. What is up with that? She was even there this morning when we stopped for donuts—sitting there, fresh a daisy eating a sausage and cheese kolache like she had all the time in the world.
• Mr. Collins tried to explain Algebra by using Aggie football plays.
• My brother kept rubbing this spot on his back. He is seriously a mental case, especially since our accident. And double especially about that damn Lanie Phelps who suddenly likes him again for no reason that makes sense.
• I’m still feeling a mite pukey. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but it’s not getting any better.

Joy Preble is the author of the popular and highly acclaimed Dreaming Anastasia series. A former English teacher, Joy grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of Northwestern University. She is now a full time writer and lives with her family in Texas, where she has learned to say “y’all” without any hint of irony. A tireless advocate for literacy and great books, she is at the center of the all-important Texas YA scene.

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Contest Rules

• The giveaway is open to US entrants only.
• Contest begins May 17 and ends at midnight on May 24.
• There are optional extra entries.
• Winners will be notified via email, and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Joy Preble Guest Post + Sweet Dead Life Giveaway appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

For my giveaway, I’ve decided to keep it simple–and international! One lucky winner will get:

One book of the winner’s choice from the Book Depository

(up to $12)

Contest Rules

• The giveaway is open to international entrants, so long as The Book Depository ships to their country. Entrants are responsible for checking to see if their country is represented.
• Contest begins May 16 and ends at midnight on May 22.
• There are optional extra entries.
• Winners will be notified via email, and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Have fun! And check out the other giveaways (below the Rafflecopter form)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop! appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 16, 2013
Format: ARC

The Body Finder

Desires of the Dead

The Last Echo

Genre: Teen Paranormal
Other Info: For some very bizarre reason, (that probably made sense to me at the time), I’ve only reviewed Desires of the Dead on this blog. I would like you to know that, despite that fact, I am current with this series.
Description and link from Goodreads):

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

Now I’m an “adult,” I sometimes reconnect with old, childhood friends. I’m always delighted to see them and I always enjoy the time we spend catching up. After we part ways, I have pleasant memories and, while I’ll likely say to myself, “It would be nice to see him/her again,” I won’t be counting down the days until we are reunited. I think about those friends occasionally and tell myself I should call them, but mostly, it’s out of sight, out of mind. Until the next time, when I’m just as thrilled to see them as I was before life swept me up in its busy tide.

I have much the same relationship with The Body Finder books. I know that Kimberly Derting will always show me a good time, and I know I’ll want to read her books as they are published, but my liking for her lacks the urgency I feel for, say, Kelley Armstrong’s YA novels. Which is a shame, really. I always think I should appreciate The Body Finder books more than I do but, hey, if I don’t feel it, I don’t feel it–right?

Dead Silence follows the same formula as the previous books–Violet senses an echo and is unable to resist following it. So far, despite her ability to sense and hear echoes, Violet has kept her school life at school and her crime-fighting life…not. This time the murders bring Violet’s two worlds to a collision point. And it doesn’t help that Rafe and Gemma have enrolled in her high school.

The collision of Violet’s two worlds is further emphasized by her relationships with the two males in her life. Jay, her best friend and boy friend is a constant–always has been, always will be. But then there’s Rafe. Dead Silence flirts on the edge of the idea of a love triangle and goes not a step further. There’s obviously some connection between Violet and Rafe but what it is and what it means for her relationship with Jay is murky at best. I’m getting mixed signals from Derting. One minute Violet’s world is complete with Jay. The next, Rafe has dug up a dead body to help Violet. Can Violet have both boys? I’m starting to wish it was possible. And if I had to pick the main characters in these books, they’d be Violet and Rafe, not Violet and Jay.

While Dead Silence is another solid entry in this solid series, I’d label it as its weakest. The story didn’t really go anywhere and even the emotional arc felt muddled. I found myself wondering if Derting herself knew where her series was headed. Furthermore, I had a really hard time remembering the details of Violet’s school life and friends, which made it difficult for me to care about the storyline with her best friend, Chelsea. At this point, even Jay is starting to blend into the background. Too many characters and flitting in and out of the story and I fail to become emotionally invested.

What I think (or maybe just what I’d like to see) is an end to Violet’s story (or maybe a firm direction for it). Then I’d like Rafe to have a story of his own. Rafe is clearly the male lead and the male lead needs to get his girl. If it’s not going to be Violet (and I sure hope it’s not Chelsea) then he needs a story of his own. I’d totally read that.

Questions to nibble on:

• Do you agree that Rafe is the male lead?
• What would you like to see happen next in this series?
• Why do think we saw so little of Jay in Dead Silence?
• If you haven’t read the book yet: How do you feel about a love interest that isn’t the male lead?

4 Matryoshkas: I would make dinner for this book.

The post Book Review: Dead Silence (The Body Finder No. 4) by Kimberly Derting appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

Inspired by the gorgeous Small Review, I’ve decided to start doing monthly (or approximately monthly) “Books I Got This Month” posts. Small usually does “Books I Got This Week” posts, but I am not so ambitious. Once a month is good enough for me. Plus, who doesn’t like an occasional peek into someone else’s shopping bag/mailbox/ereader?

Okay…this is more than a month’s worth of books. I’m not even sure I’ve included all the books I’ve received in the last two (or so) months but this is more than enough to be getting on with.

For review, I received:

Thanks to the following publishers:

• HarperTeen
• Bantam (Random House
• SoHo Teen
• Spencer Hill Press
• Orbit
• Sourcebooks
• Harlequin
• Amulet Books
• Henry Holt & Co.

I bought:

I scoured Chicago for bookstores and visited quite a few (though none, sadly, as fawesome as the Strand) and bought League of Strays and The Madman’s Daughter from Market Fresh Books in downtown Evanston. Then I took Logan’s advice and visited The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. It was a tiny independent bookstore with a good YA selection. I pulled Broken and Gravity from their shelves and added them to my already bulging suitcase. Finally, for my birthday, I bought myself The Rising, Nameless and The Collector. I have so joined Dante’s harem.

Other Sources:

Sometimes you don’t win…and sometimes you totally do! I got these via Shelf Awareness. I’m really curious about Icons because I read Beautiful Creatures and I always wonder how co-authors will sound on their own. And Loki’s Wolves, while being a middle grade novel is co-written by Kelley Armstrong. I can’t lose.

• I got The FitzOsbornes at War via Random Buzzers. It’s a monster. Seriously. I’m keeping it in mind in case I need a doorstop.
• Unravel Me was a birthday gift from Lisa at Dizneeee’s World of Books. Now I just need to read (and get) Destroy Me.

• I won Christen at Goldilox and the Three Weres‘ Twice Tempted contest. Isn’t the cover nice?
• On Small‘s recommendation, I added The Changeling Prince to my Paperback Swap wishlist. And, lo, the wish was granted!

What bookish goodies did you get?

The post Books I Got This Month {4} appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth…

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Narrator Review: Rebecca Soler did a magnificent job of narrating Scarlet, to the point that I’m thinking of “rereading” Cinder, just to see what she did with the first book in the Lunar Chronicles. Her Cinder is brash, sarcastic and vulnerable all at once, and clearly a separate voice from Scarlet’s. Maybe it’s the slightest suggestion of a French accent in the parts of Scarlet narrated by the titular characters, but Soler nails it. She’s similarly adept at portraying Wolf, without resorting to the gruff manliness that female storytellers often use. Soler’s Prince Kai is, perhaps, the weakest of the three main portrayals, but through no fault of the narrator. I already checked to see what other books Rebecca Soler has narrated, and added some of them to my Audible wishlist.

Book Review:  I crazy-loved this book. I listen to audiobooks in my car (Audible purchases being the only exception), and I frequently took the long route while I was listening to Scarlet. Or sat in my driveway, unable to turn off the radio. Or offered to be the one to go on the lunch run. Anything to get back in the car. The narrator was great, yes, but Meyer is also a talented writer. She keeps you interested in the story despite the frequent changes in perspective.

I like Marissa Meyer’s work for the same reason that I like fairy-tale retellings. I know what I’m going to get. I know the basic plot (and most likely the outcome). But knowing what’s going to happen doesn’t make the journey any less pleasurable. What I love about fairy tale retellings is the fresh exploration of a familiar tale. This is especially true in the case of the Lunar Chronicles, where we derive a great deal of joy in seeing how Meyer reinterprets fairy tale standards. How does Meyer evoke Little Red Riding Hood, and tell an old story in a new way? Delightfully, with a whole host of small details, that’s how.

On the characters, I have to say that Wolf was, hands down, my favorite. I’m sure no one is surprised by this. It’s more than just his name, though! He’s kick-butt, tortured, and smexy. Sigh. Lucky Scarlet. Speaking of whom: I liked Scarlet a lot, too. There were certainly times when I wanted to hit her upside the head in hopes of knocking some sense into her, but I liked her slightly hysterical, panicking, illogical personality given the situation. Heroines who always keep their heads and never, ever let their emotions do their thinking…well, they’re just too cool for me and I don’t want to hang out with them because they always make me feel bad about myself.

As long as the next books in the Lunar Chronicles feature Scarlet and Wolf, I’m set. Cinder got on my nerves with her constant refusal to use her Lunar powers (we get it already), but I still liked her. Prince Kai bored me. He’s completely powerless in an extremely realistic way. Principled world leaders don’t have it as easy as you’d think, which I totally buy and which is totally uninteresting from the perspective of plot. I’m definitely waiting on Cress and I’ll absolutely be holding out for the audio version!

4 1/2 Matryoshkas: I’d go on a second date with this book.

The post Audiobook Review: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles No. 2) by Marissa Meyer appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

That’s me on the left, there. Small Review is the stunner on the right. Obviously.

Ready for some awesomeness?

About the RRWR:

One of the things that I have major issues with as a blogger is…well, lots of things. However, today I’m focusing on one constant source of frustration for me: self-promotion. There are lots of problems associated with self-promotion, but the primary one is: When and where is it okay?

That question was, essentially, the catalyst for my newest feature. I wanted to create a place for people to promote their blogs without fear or shame.

• Did you write a discussion post this week and you need some help getting the ball rolling?   This is the place to tell people about it!
• Maybe you’re having a giveaway?   Link to it in the comments section!
• Have a review that needs a little love?   Let us know so we can take a look!
• Need an associate reviewer?   Get the word out in the Weekly Reporter!

Here are the rules (because, what would a feature be without rules?):

1. If you have something you want to link up, please leave a comment with the link. I will then add the link to the post.
2. Please state the name of your blog so I can attribute your link.
3. If you’re linking up to a giveaway, please tell where the contest is open (US only, international, etc.) and the date it ends.
4. If you’re linking up to an event (like the Historical Fantasy Jubilee), include the name, date, and host(s) of the event.
5. If you’re asking for help (like an associate reviewer or guest posters for a special event), please leave a link stating where and with whom respondents should get in contact.

I’ve gathered a few odds and ends so the post wouldn’t look too empty. However, I’m hoping all of you will be able to help me flesh it out!

Giveaways:

• The Book Smugglers have a 5th Wave by Rick Yancey giveaway.
• YA Bookmark has a giveaway and review of The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

Giveaway Hops Going on This Week:

Book Blogging Events:

Some Spring Blog Carnival highlights:

• Mary @ The Book Swarm’s Mud Run
• Crazy Four Books’ Alpha Arcade
• Dizneeee’s World of Books’ Guess the Weight
• The Bewitched Bookworms’ House of Pain

For those of us (*SOB*) who aren’t going to make it to BEA this year…The Bewitched Bookworms are bringing BEA to us! Sort of.
Want more BEA? (And, seriously–who doesn’t?) Participate in Armchair BEA!

Help Wanted:

ME! I need help! I’m starting a blog tour business (I know–eep!) and I want you to be a tour host. You can sign up to be on the mailing list and, if you’re feeling especially generous, grab the shiny (sparkly!) new button!

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Other Good Posts:

• Small got married!  And this is for her:
  
  

What’s happening on your blog?

The post Ruby’s Read Weekly Reporter {12} appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s a time for book bloggers to share the books they’re waiting on. I call it Start Up the DeLorean because only time travel will get me the books on this list. I’ve missed doing these lately, and time is short, so I think I might alternate between WoW and my usual Bookish Bundles. I love digging up new titles that I can anticipate in the coming year(s), so either way, I win!

Harlequin’s got some exciting titles coming out this fall. Here’s a small sample of the books I’ll be waiting on all summer.

 

At one time, I glommed Charlaine Harris’ backlist, so I’ve already read the first book in the following collection. What I’m really looking forward to read in Dead of Night is Amanda Stevens’ short story, “The Devil’s Footprints.”

September 24, 2013

From bestselling author Charlaine Harris and rising star Amanda Stevens come two otherworldly tales sure to haunt readers well after the last page is turned. Dancers in the Dark

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

Layla Rue Le May is no ordinary dancer-her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. When Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she’s forced to face the music…and wonder if this will finally be her last dance.

The Devil’s Footprints

Award-winning author Amanda Stevens

Years after her sister’s unsolved murder, Sarah DeLaune is haunted by the mysteries of her past when two mutilated bodies are found near Sarah’s New Orleans home, the crime scene desecrated by cloven footprints. Sarah has always believed that her sister was killed by a man named Ashe Cain. But no one else has ever seen Ashe. Until now.

I’ve mentioned being a fan of end-of-the-world scenarios, so I was excited to see this one in Harlequin’s fall catalog:

September 24, 2013

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family’s murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira’s psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan’s secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira’s only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can’t escape.

GAME 0VER

And, with no cover (as yet), my top Harlequin release of this year is going to be the fourth book in the Graveyard Queen series, The Visitor. Here’s what Amanda Stevens has to say about her October 2013 release:

In Graveyard Queen Book Four, THE VISITOR, Amelia faces new challenges, new dangers, and an even more terrifying gift from the legacy she uncovered in THE KINGDOM.  Devlin is hiding his own secret, one that is far darker and deadlier than anything Amelia could have imagined. With her destiny and Devlin’s past on a collision course, Amelia receives guidance from an unexpected visitor.

And good news! You can preview The Visitor on Amanda’s website!

What are you waiting on?

Join the mailing list!

The post WoW (aka Start Up the DeLorean): A Little Bit a Harlequin appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

Top Ten Books When I Need Something Light & Fun

I’m constantly on the hunt for light, fun reads, so I’ll definitely be looking forward to seeing everyone’s list!

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married actually deals with some heavy stuff, but I flip through most of it. Marian Keyes has an acerbic wit that tickles my funny bone.

In addition to writing stirring romances, Ibbotson is also funny. I won’t stop putting Eva Ibbotson on my reading lists until I’ve convinced everyone.

Another fun and funny writer, Jennifer Crusie will probably make more than one list today. I bet…

I love Georgette Heyer, and if I had to pick one that best fit the “light and fun” description, it would be Friday’s Child. Basically it’s the romance between two bumbling child-adults. Sherry’s friends are hilarious, too.

Deadly Cool (and the sequel) are both great reads. Light mystery done teen-style. I haven’t read Halliday’s adult books, but I’ve got high hopes for them.

Don’t miss the Blair Mallory books! I love Linda Howard and she writes romantic suspense (and alpha heroes) like no one else. It’ll come as no surprise that her first foray into humor is just as enjoyable.

Another holdover from my chick lit phase. Jenny Colgan never, ever fails to make me laugh. Out loud sometimes.

The movie is great, but the book? The book is fan-bloody-tastic. Skip the ending, though.

So, what books do you recommend the most?

Share! What’s on your list?

Join the mailing list!

The post Top Ten Tuesday: When I Need Something Light & Fun appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 16, 2013
Format: ARC

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Okay, confession: When I first found Taken on Goodreads I thought it was the sophomore novel by the author of Plain Kate. My bad! It’s actually the debut of a talented new author, one with surprising vision and delightful skill as a writer. While Taken won’t make my list of top books this April, it was plenty enjoyable and a quick read with lots of positive elements.

Chief among Taken‘s attributes are the characters. Gray, the main character, is smart, brave, vulnerable and annoying all at once. His two love interests (yes, two) are both equally three-dimensional. Unfortunately, even though two interesting romantic leads should be a good thing, I’d made my choice about who I wanted Gray to be with before I even met the alternative. And even though the love triangle doesn’t really come into fruition until the last part of the book, it became the worst kind of love triangle when it did, meaning that I ended the book on a sour note.

While the love triangle didn’t really work for me, there were other elements to appreciate. The world-building is interesting, though it was reminiscent of another other book I couldn’t place. Or maybe I just experienced book-long deja vu. Bowman doesn’t believe in letting the grass grow underneath her plot or characters. Secrets are shared and problems are solved with a straight-forwardness that speeds you through the book.

I enjoyed Taken even though I had issues with it, the love triangle being the primary one. If the love triangle lasts long into the series, I’ll probably stop reading. I find it difficult to respect an MC who fools around with one love interest when he knows he still has feelings for another girl. Taking both the flaws and attributes into account, Taken lacked whatever it is that makes a book special for me.

3 1/2 Matryoshkas: I’d flirt with this book over drinks.

The post Book Review: Taken (Taken No. 1) by Erin Bowman appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

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In case you haven’t already guessed, Saturday Swap is a meme designed to connect book swappers with other book swappers. I hope it’s a meme that’ll catch on; we’ve had a couple of great months so far. Here’s how it works: On the first Saturday of each month (regularly, as per my 2013 Blogging Resolutions!), I’ll put up a Saturday Swap post with a linky for just that purpose. The rules are:

1. For Bloggers: Make a post on your blog letting everyone know what books you have available for swap. I suggest linking to your wishlist as well (on your blog, Amazon, BD, Goodreads, wherever), for swifter swapping. For Non-Bloggers: Leave a comment listing the books you have available for swap. Include your email in the comment so interested parties can contact you directly.
2. Grab the button or create your own, but please link back to Ruby’s Reads. All the cool people are doing it.
3. Once your post is live, enter your info in the linky so everyone can see what you’ve got.
4. The circumstances surrounding the swaps are up to the individuals. I’m not responsible for lost books. If you’re nervous about swapping with someone you don’t know, I suggest you ask for a delivery confirmation number. HOWEVER: please let me know if someone doesn’t uphold their end of the bargain and I’ll ban them from further swaps.
5. HAVE FUN!

For swap, I have some April ARCs:

Again, not much this month, but they’re yours if you want them. I also still have titles available from previous months. Check those out here.

Amazon

The post Saturday Swap for May 2013 appeared first on Ruby's Reads.

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