Thursday, June 28, 2012

Theme Thursday - The Last Bastion of the Living Edition

Theme Thursdays
Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between the Pages. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
  • A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
  • Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
  • Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
  • It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
    Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”
This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

The theme for this week is

TREES Plant; Shrub 

It's been a while since I did a Theme Thursday, but this week's comes from The Last Bastion of the Living by Rhiannon Frater.

 

"Okay, we keep along the dam until we can get to those trees over there." He pointed to a thin line of pines growing up against a steep incline. "We need to get into the foothills."

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Watcher's Trilogy Blog Tour - Excerpt and Giveaway



I'm very excited to be taking part in the blog tour for The Watcher's Trilogy by Karice Bolton. Don't these books look beautiful? I think the covers are amazing and I'm very excited to try out this series. Today I'm lucky enough to be able to share an excerpt from Awakening.

***


To my disgust, the brown tinged nails intertwined around my sweater.  My spirit became full of despair once the creature’s fingers wrapped themselves around me.  I looked down, filling up inside with fear like never before.  My family was already supposed to be here.  He must have gotten to Arie.  I was never supposed to be alone.  Cyril should’ve been in the trees right above me on the hill, and Arie near the garage.  I didn’t see any of this happening.  Then my worst nightmare flashed in my mind.  I had to shake it, but it kept coming back.  What if the demon got to all of them first?  What would my fate be?  Would I even care to go on?  I might just rather go back to the numbness of before.  Not knowing what you’re missing was better than the alternative.
 

I heard no voice coming from the demon, rather a raspy breath speaking to me.  “You are alone my angel.  Isn’t that what Athen likes to call you?” he asked, as he touched my cheek.  “Looks like you’re going away for a long time again.”
 

I grabbed his hand and threw it back at him.  I began to let my mind wander off to the nightmares.  Could they have been real?  Could I have lost my family?  I knew I needed to fight regardless.
 



“Get your filth off of me,” I howled at him. “Your presence does nothing to me.  I have no feeling or regard for you one way or the other.  You don’t scare me.  You make me laugh at your pathetic self.”

***

Awesome, right? For more goodies, you can check out the rest of the tour here.

More linky goodness:

Karice Bolton: website | Facebook | Twitter

 |Goodreads: Awakening | Legions | Cataclysm










And now for the best part, a double giveaway!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Last Bastion of the Living Blog Tour: Midway Review and Giveaway

So I'm trying something new for the Last Bastion of the Living blog tour, a midway review! That means that I'll be sharing my thoughts from where I am, pretty close to the midpoint of the book. Stay tuned for my final review in about a week or so!

Synopsis:

The Bastion was humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. A fortified city with a high wall, surrounded by lush land rich with all the resources needed to survive, protected by high mountain summits, and a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, the Bastion became the last stronghold of the living on earth. But one fateful day, the gate failed and the Inferi Scourge destroyed the human settlements outside the walls and trapped the survivors inside the city. Now decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city as resources and hope dwindle.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her whole life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of her lover, Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is her only happiness.

Then one day Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the Inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate. The rewards of success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction.

My Thoughts:

So far, I am in love with this book! I really enjoyed another of Rhiannon's books, The First Days, but I actually prefer The Last Bastion of the Living! Maria is a great character, likeable, fiery and imperfect, my favourite combination! I also really love the world Frater created. I can easily picture what life in the Bastion must be like for the survivors and I really like the concept that some survivors have never known a world without the Inferi Scourge. This great setting really clarifies Maria's desperation to destroy the Inferi threat through any means necessary!

At halfway through this book, I want to highly recommend this book to everyone! Unless things take a turn for the worst in the second half, this book is on track to be one of my favourites for the year!

About the Author:

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy and the author of several other books: the vampire novels PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES and THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. The first two books in her zombie trilogy, THE FIRST DAYS and FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, are available now in bookstores. SIEGE will be in bookstores on April 24, 2012.
Website 



Giveaway: 

Rhiannon has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a ebook of The Last Bastion of the Living. You NEED to enter this giveaway!


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Saturday, June 9, 2012

Thorn Blog Tour: Review

Info:
Thorn
Author: Intisar  Khanani
Published: May 30, 2012
Publisher: Create Space

Blurb:

Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra begins her journey with mounting trepidation; betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.

Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.


My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started it, but I'm sure glad I picked it up! I immediately connect with the main character Alyrra and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to her next! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy!

Alyrra is an awesome heroine. I really appreciate how Intisar showcased her imperfection and how she must deal with the consequences of these flaws and work to overcome them. No one is perfect, so I always enjoy imperfect main characters. On the flip side, she has a lot of redeeming qualities that make her likeable and easy to relate to.

One of the major themes for me was human cruelty. Through the book, Alyrra witnesses a lot of cruelty. For this reason, I would not recommend this book for younger readers (perhaps 14+). This one also comes with a mild 'tear-warning' (as in, I got pretty teary-eyed at a couple points). As well, because it is set in a time where social classes were more distinct, it also makes an interesting argument on social inequalities.

The only thing I would change is that I wish Intisar had given a bit more explanation about magic in her story. While it wasn't a hugely important part for most of the story, there were definitely parts when I was curious about how spells could be cast and that sort of thing.

On the Cover:

I wasn't super thrilled by this cover. I like the eyes at the top, but the rest feels a little bland to me.

Rating: 5 hearts



Where to Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Website | Facebook

Friday, June 8, 2012

Interview with MJ Fletcher, author of the Doorknob Society

I'm very excited today to have MJ Fletcher, author of the Doorknob Society and the Impossible Engineers, on the blog today for an interview.




Hi MJ and welcome to Megan Likes Books!

Thanks Megan, glad to be here.

First, can you tell us a little more about the Doorknob Society?

The Doorknob Society Saga is the story of Chloe Masters. She’s a bit of a loner but that has to change as she comes to learn about her new abilities and her family is put in danger. It has mystery, intrigue, action, adventure and even a bit of romance. I mean who doesn’t want those things in life?

Describe yourself in 5 words.

Hmmmmm, let me see. I guess I would have to say; calm, passionate, friendly, happy and crazy. The last one is probably my favorite. People underestimate a good amount of crazy making life more enjoyable.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer?

Never stop writing, even if what you’re writing is horrible. Just keep going and it will get better. I can’t even begin to tell you how many pages of my own writing I dumped after rereading it. But the more you write the better you get, plus you can always edit.

Can you describe your writing style?

Fast…one person described my writing as breakneck speed. I always liked that. I enjoy when things are happening and the story is moving along.

Who are your biggest literary inspirations?

I doubt I could name all of them, but a few are; Edgar Rice Burroughs, JK Rowling, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe. I’d say the writer who had the biggest effect on me would be my mother, Donna Fletcher. She’s been a writer since I was young and I seeing her do it made me believe it was possible.

What’s next on your writing agenda?

I am writing the last book of the Doorknob Society Saga, as we speak. Which is fun and a little tough since I’ve enjoyed it so much. Book three, The Mapmakers Union will be out in July.
I’m also writing a web comic Adam Zero, with some great guys Evan Quiring and Donovan Yaciuk, doing the art chores on it. We’re having a blast doing that.
After that I have a few options of what to work on next. A new YA series I have planned or a thriller. There is also a chance I could return to the Doorknob Society at some point. But that will depends on if the fans want it.

Any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?

Write! But other than that live as much as possible, all the best writing comes from having rich experiences. You might not need to travel to outer space or fight vampires. But going out and having fun with your friends can certainly help recharge the writing batteries.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thank you Megan, it was a lot of fun. :)


The Doorknob Society sounds like a really great series and I can't wait to start it. Watch for my reviews of the first two books coming soon! You check out the other stops on the blog tour here. Also, enter an awesome giveaway!

The Impossible Engineers Links:



The Doorknob Society Links:

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop



2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Non Reluctant Reader
June 7th to 13th

Featuring books released in 2012 by Debut Authors
***
 I'm super excited to be taking part in my very first giveaway hop! I'm really excited to be giving away 4 copies of Nina Post's debut novel, The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse. This book is filled with zany humour and is a ton of fun! You can check out my review of it here and a Q&A session with Nina here.

Nina and her awesome publisher, Curiosity Quills, have been kind enough to offer 1 paperback copy and 3 ebook copies of The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse (paperback copy only available to US readers due to shipping). Be sure to check out the rest of the blogs on the hop as well!












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Black Satin Blog Tour: Playlist Guest Post

I'm super excited for Rae Hachton to be doing a guest post for Megan Likes Books today! Music is an important part of our lives and often serves as inspiration for authors. Here's the songs that inspired Rae for Pretty in Black and Black Satin! Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour and enter the tour-wide giveaway at the bottom! The songs in bold are the most important to the story!

Pretty in Black Soundtrack
1. Lovefool—The Cardigans
2. Lullaby—The Cure *This song would play when Marcus surreptitiously watches Ellie in both the cemetery and woods.*
3. Earth Angel—Death Cab for Cutie *Marcus & Ellie dance to this song when she is first taken to Nevermore in book one
4. The Birth & Death of the Day—Explosions in the Sky. This song helped inspire the cover design, and gave me an overall atmospheric feeling for how the first book should be. 
5. Fly—Ludovico Einaudi This song is part of the “score”
6. Primavera—Ludovico Einaudi Another “score” song that sets the mood. Also, the trailer song. 
7. Nuvole Bianche—Ludovico Einaudi My favorite “score” song. This is how Marcus & Ellie feels when they’re together. I believe this music captures it perfectly.
8. Time Flies—Lykke Li
9. Teen Angst—M83
10. Graveyard Girl—M83
11. Hello—Poe
12. Time After Time—Quietdrive
13. Sleepwalking—The Raveonettes
14. Everyday—The Raveonettes *Cover song of my favorite Buddy Holly song, done beautifully, that captures Ellie’s & Marcus’s beginning relationship perfectly, because it has the creepy aspect to it.* 
15. Forget That You’re Young—The Raveonettes *Song that plays at Halloween Dance that Ellie chose* 16. Summer Moon—The Raveonettes *Another song at the Halloween Dance that fits the mood of book*
17. My Time’s Up—The Raveonettes This song is THE song. This is Marcus’s and Ellie’s song, it’s the song that inspired the entire series. This song first plays at the Halloween dance when Ellie tells Marcus she is certain she wants to be with him, regardless of the costs. This song would be like “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” was to Edward & Bella.
18. Ageless Beauty—Stars *If this were a movie, this song would be the END song on Ellie’s part.*
19. We Belong Together—Cover Song of Ritchie Valens *Would not appear in actual movie in number one, or be on soundtrack, but would appear at a later time in the series, & is on the playlist.*

 Marcus’s Songs 
1. Please, Please, Please—Muse. *Marcus and Ellie dance to this in Maxx’s club when he tells her he wants to talk to her again. This is how Marcus feels.*
2. Haunting Me—Stabbing Westward *This song plays after Marcus crawls out of the grave and learns that he’s an evermore & flies off to Nevermore for the first time*
3. Without You—Seabound *How Marcus feels for Ellie*
4. Map of the Problematique—Muse
5. Supernova—Catacombe *Marcus’s trailer song*
6. Looking Glass—The Birthday Massacre *END song*

 Black Satin Soundtrack
1. Pitter-Patter Goes My Heart—Broken Social Scene *This song on the “soundtrack” would play when Ellie rushes to stop Marcus from passing through at the Risorgimento
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun *Asylum Remix*—Emilie Autumn
3. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)—Emily Browning *Ellie’s Trailer song. Originally appeared on the Pretty in Black soundtrack, but I thought it was more fitting for this book instead, as things get more dark and twisted in this book, than in the first.
4. What You Want—Evanescence *This song is the one I imagined would play when Walter bursts through window as raven-gargoyle shapeshifter to save Ellie*
5. Your Hand in Mine—Explosions —in the Sky
6. I Can Almost See You—Hammock
7. The Walk—Imogen Heap *This is how Ellie feels about Walter. This song plays during the action scene where she goes to kill the Legion & he comes to help*
8. Love is a Mystery—Ludovico Einaudi *Score Song. Ellie wonders where Marcus is*
9. Love out of Lust—Lykke Li
10. Melodies & Desires—Lykke Li *Sets the mood for Land of Naught and being around Walter*
11. Gone—M83 *Opening song, Ellie’s section*
12. Slight Night Shiver—M83
13. No Trace to Love—Panic Lift *Song Ellie dances to in Maxx’s club when Paul/Corvus approaches her*
14. My Time’s Up—The Raveonettes Plays on New Year’s Eve at the very, very end of book. If you’ve read it, you know what scene it relates to! Not leaving a spoiler here!
15. Christmas Ghosts—The Raveonettes *The song that plays in the car, on the way to The Secret Garden during the winter scene. Ellie mentions this song directly*
16. Expelled From Love—The Raveonettes
17. Remember Me—Saltillo *Actually, this song should have been placed up above, on the Pretty in Black soundtrack. It plays when Ellie does that little special cheer dance to upset Madison!
18. Whispers in the Dark—Skillet *Walter’s song*
19. You Are My Home—The Sleep Design
20. Last Night I Dreamt I Would Last Forever—Edison Woods *Ellie’s odd dream about seeing Marcus in wheat field*
21. Oh Stranger—The Raveonettes This is the song that plays during the second train scene.
22. Love is Strange—The Shimmering Stars *Ellie & Walter dance to this song*
23. Let it be Me—The Shimmering Stars *Song Ellie has picked out for her wedding and she hears it when she looks out the window during first train scene, displeased with what she sees*
24. Die With You—Blutengel *Dance Club song*
25. Dreamland—Blutengel
26. Redeemer—Marilyn Manson *Marcus Marble song, does not appear on actual soundtrack. Will appear on Raven in the Grave.*
27. Jay Gordon—Slept so Long *Marcus Marble song, does not appear on actual soundtrack. Will appear on Raven in the Grave*
28. Not Meant for Me—Wayne Static *Marcus Marble song, does not appear on actual soundtrack. Will appear on Raven in the Grave*
29. For Your Hands on my Skin—De-vision
30. Dark Paradise—Lana Del Rey *END SONG*
31. Spider & The Fly—London After Midnight *Plays on the way to the see Cornelius for the first time*
32. Space—Mira
33. Soulcreeper—The Secret Meeting *Plays when first arriving at Land of Naught and after leaving Cornelius castle.*
34. The Opening—Saltillo *Marcus Marble song, does not appear on actual soundtrack. Will appear on Raven in the Grave*
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Monday, June 4, 2012

Cover Reveal: Flight (Cresent Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Book Description

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Blog:  http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/

My Thoughts

I think this cover is super engaging. I like the bird in the background and the angle of the models. I'm not entirely sold on the male model though, but definitely looks worth a read? What do you think?  

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Blog Tour: Angel Eyes Review

Info:

Author: Shannon Dittemore
Publication Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson


Blurb:

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.


My Thoughts:

When I first downloaded this book from Netgalley, I was apprehensive because it was categorized as religious. I'm always wary of religious books, but Angel Eyes was definitely worth the read. I thought it was a little preachy at the end, but for the most part, I enjoyed it, despite not being religious.

Brielle is extremely damaged after the murder of her best friend Ali and who can blame her? Angel Eyes is the story of her putting the pieces of her life back together, with help from a cute boy and some divine intervention. Jake was amazing (see more in the favourite character section). The secondary, celestial characters were well done as well. I felt safe with Canaan; he was the perfect Shield, or guardian angel. I help pity for Damien, despite his bad decision long ago, while still hoping for him to get what he deserved.

I enjoyed the growth Brielle exhibits through the course of the book. As she gradually begins to live again, she begins to take more action and control of her life. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys angel and demon stories and don't let the religious vibe throw you off.

On the Cover:

I like the cover, but after reading the book, I would have designed the background differently. I like the girl, but I would have added a bit more of a celestial vibe to the background.

Favourite Character:

Jake Shield was an awesome leading man. He's sweet and kind and perfect to aid Brielle through the healing process. Add to that selfless and brave and he's pretty close to perfect. What can I say, I have a soft spot for nice guys!

Source: I received an ebook for review as part of the Angel Eyes blog tour.

Where to Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | The Book Depository

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Don't Just Take My Word For It: Xpresso Reads

Check out the rest of the tour stops here!