8 Reasons I WON'T Visit Your Blog

I recently did a post called 8 Reasons I Visit Your Blog, so I thought I'd do a little opposing post to talk about the things that make me not want to visit your blog (or not return once I have visited).  These are my own personal reasons, and may not reflect the masses.  Thanks to Meg Ryan for helping me illustrate.

1. Automated music or sound effects. I seriously hate this. Most of the time, I won't realize my volume is turned way up, and I open a blog and *BAM* I'm blasted with some random music or other noise, and I basically pee my pants and click on five hundred things in my frantic attempt to close the window. If you have this, I will not be returning (sorry)!

CRINGE!

2. You're a jerk. Listen, I'm all about the snark. One of my favorite book blogs is Cuddlebuggery.com, and Steph, Kat & Meg have perfected the snarkasm. I'm talking about just flat out being a tool. If you spend your time looking for reasons to jump down anyone and everyone's throat, or you're just waiting on people to screw up or say the wrong thing, I just don't even have time for that. See ya (not sorry)!

3. Your blog is too cluttered. I get that everyone has different tastes, and this is totally a personality thing, but my brain just can't handle five thousand and seven different colors and patterns happening at the same time. It makes me stabby.

4. You misspell a ton of words on a regular basis, or your grammar is terrible. I'm not overly picky about this (I don't think). I mean, I don't keep my posts completely proper, and everyone makes mistakes (I probably have in this post (like possibly using too many parenthesis (but at least I said "too many" and not "to many."))), but if your post is filled with mistakes, it just looks like you didn't care enough to even use spell-check.

5. Your posts are almost all made up of memes or blog tours. Again, this is personal preference, but I'm just not interested in reading those types of things over and over. I'd rather read a blog that only posted once a week with something original than one that posts daily memes or tours etc. I'm just like, "Hello?  Is this it??"

6. All your sidebar pics or ads are hanging off your sidebar. Ok, I know I'm being nit-picky here, but when you do that, it just . . .

7. You are entirely too loquacious or sesquipedalian. If your blog is replete with a copious magnitude of superfluous, discursive ruminations, then I am inclined to expeditiously dematerialize, never to return.

Uh . . . what?

8. Your posts are all geared toward your blogging friends. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that bloggers have made such good friends (I know I have), and they all visit each other's blogs, and know all the inside jokes. But if I'm not part of it, I don't get it, and it just makes me feel left out. I'm not saying you shouldn't, I'm just saying I probably won't be sticking around.







These are just a few of my pet peeves when it comes to blogs (they might be a tad exaggerated), and just because something bugs me doesn't mean it's the same for everyone, or even most people. What are the things that keep you from returning to a blog? I hope it's not excessive gif usage, or I may be in trouble . . .

P.S. All these gifs, pics and videos are from French Kiss, which is an older movie, but so cute, and so completely quotable! You should check it out! 

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Do You Organize Your Books?

by andye

I am NOT an organized person.  I really, really wish I was.  I want to be organized.  Organized people seem so together, and....shiny.

But I am not.  And I kind of hate all you methodical freaks!  Kidding....really.

Although I did like this definition from UrbanDictionary.com

1. organized

a word used to describe people who are too lazy to look for things

"Did you clean your room?"
"No...organized people are too lazy to look for things." 

 Even though I'm not organized, that doesn't mean I'm messy.  I like for things to be clean and look nice.  That just means I throw everything away.  I don't keep anything.  Pictures the kids draw?  "Aww, honey, that's so cute!" *trashed* Yep, I'm that bad.  BUT!  Now that I've become quite the book hoarder, I've had to come up with a system for ALL THE BOOKS!

As I mentioned before, my house is kind of a library.  I like having books in order so that when people come over, they can easily spot books that they might like.  I know some people like to organize in alphabetical order, by author or by title.  My older daughter has her bookshelves sorted by color, which I love.  But both of these ways make it hard for me to easily find books to recommend.

So I organize my shelf by genre.  

All my rom-coms are together, my time travel, dystopia, fantasy.  Then, within those categories, there are often sub-categories.  Like in paranormal romance it's divided into vampires, werewolves, angels, etc.  And then to further complicate things...or make things exciting, depending on how you look at it, each section is sorted by color. 

The reason I like to sort by genre is because when people come over, they tell me they really liked Divergent, or whatever, and I can say, "Here's my dystopian shelf!  If you like Divergent, you'll probably like the books in this section!" The other day one of my good friends was over and she said, "Oooh, this is my section!  I can tell by all the pink and blue books."  Heehee.  Chick-lit!

Of course this does not include my shelves of unread books or ARCs....but that's a whole different post!

So, what about you?  

How do you like to organize your shelves?  Or do you just toss books into the air and hope they end up in the right place?

My House is Kind of a Library

by andye

At any given moment I have no less than 20 books "checked out" of my house.  My friends know that when they come over (which is a lot), they're leaving with a book in their hands.  Sometimes people come over just for the purpose of picking up a book, or dropping them off.

My house is a library, AND I LOVE IT!!


I love that people know me as the book girl.  I love that they know that I'm ready with an endless list of recommendations, for every type of reader.  I love that moment when they've read a book I gave them and we get to talk about it.  I just love it!

It's like a challenge.  Matching up a person with the perfect book.  


One of the biggest reasons that I actually buy books that I've already read, is so that I can loan them out to people.  I mean, I do want to have books that I've loved on my shelves, but half the time I know I'm not going to read them again, but I buy them anyway just so that I can share them with all my friends.

Oh, and if I have a matching bookmark?  That's just icing on the cake!  

The only problem I have with this system, is that I'm horrible at keeping track of who has my books.  Like, who has my copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth?  It's been gone a long, long time, and I have no idea who has it.  I tried keeping track, writing down who checked out what and when, but I just failed miserably.


How about you?

Do you loan out your books?  Do you have a system for keeping track of who has what books?  Do you care about what condition they're in when they're returned?  And most importantly, DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY COPY OF THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH IS?

8 Reasons I Visit Your Blog

by Andye

Let's face it, we pretend that we do this all for the love of reading and writing, but the truth is, we want people to read what we're spending our time and energy on. But what gets people to take the plunge? I don't know about you, but here are 8 reasons that I'll come visit your blog.


1. You've come to my blog and have left comments on my posts. I'm a little slow on this one because I tend to be on the oblivious side, but even I start to notice when the same person has been visiting and engaging with me. I'll be reading comments when all of a sudden I think Hey! This awesome person has been coming around a lot! I should probably check out what they're all about! And then I do!

2. You reviewed a book I'm really interested in. This is kind of an obvious one, but worth noting. 

3. You review a book I've never heard of. When you're a book blogger, it can get pretty repetitive visiting blogs that all have the same posts, the same books, the same memes, etc. So, when I see a review with a cool looking cover and I've never heard of it, it really piques my interest.

4. We're friends. Again, I'm not as good at this as I should be, but usually at some point in time I realize that if I'm friends with people, it's kind of crappy if I don't ever check out what they basically spend half their lives on.

5. You hook me with your Twitterspeak. There is no one who does this better than Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner. She says things like this . . .

. . . and I have to know! What, Jamie? WHAT IS THE BEST MEDICINE? WHAT DID YOU LOOK AT IN YOUR OWN LIFE? I'm nosy, and I think you know it, Jamie. You're using my nosiness against me! *ehem, sorry. Anyway.

6. You post something conversational. As much as I like reviews and interviews and such, my favorite posts are the ones that are more personal. Well, they don't even have to be super personal, just something different. If it's about books, that's even better.

7. You post something I need. Especially when I was a new blogger, trying to figure this whole thing out, if you had a post on how to improve your blog, or html (Thanks Parajunkee), or how to deal with publishers etc., you would have my love forever.

8. You write the words "8 Reasons I Visit Your Blog" or some other number with some other list. Not sure what it is about lists, but I just have to click it.

How about you? What hooks you and forces you to *click*?

(Don't miss my opposing, "8 Reasons I WON'T Visit Your Blog".)

THE STEEL PRINCE by V.E. Schwab // Review and Giveaway

THE STEEL PRINCE
Shades of Magic Vol 1
by VE Schwab
Andrea Olimpieri (Illustrator, Artist)
Enrica Eren Angiolini (Colorist)
Print Length: 112 pages
Publisher: Titan
Publication Date: March 6, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCGoodreads | Amazon

Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this all-original comic book prequel to A Darker Shade of Magic is perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy.

Delve into the thrilling, epic tale of the young and arrogant Prince Maxim Maresh, long before he became the King of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic.

The youthful Maresh is sent to a violent and unmanageable port city on the Blood Coast of Verose, on strict orders from his father, King Nokil Maresh, to cut his military teeth in this lawless landscape.

There he encounters an unruly band of soldiers, a lawless landscape, and the intoxicatingly deadly presence of the newly returned pirate queen, Arisa…

 Guys! Who else is incredibly excited that there is going to be more in the fascinating world that Victoria Schwab created in her Shades of Magic series?

When I first heard she was coming out with a graphic novel, I figured it would just be the original series recreated. So when I found out that it would be new original stories, I was thrilled. Prince (later to be King) Maxim probably wouldn't have been my first pick for a spin-off (prequel), but after reading The Steel Prince, I'm really glad she chose him. And, of course, Isra, who will one day be the head of Maxim's city guard.

This beginning to Prince Maxim's story is about a young rebellious Maxim, before he takes the throne, and becomes one of our favorite love/hate characters. I loved seeing his dissident side, and also, honestly, his naivety. He sees the world from the viewpoint of a sheltered young man, who has never really faced the real world or true danger. This makes him rash and a bit superior, but determined to do what is right, and to see others do the same. I actually saw a bit of Prince Rhy in him (just a bit).

My favorite character, so far, though, has to be Isra. I loved how jaded and hard she was, but she still refused to take the easy path, and instead fought for what she knew was right. She reminded me a lot of Lila Bard, who I adore. I'm really looking forward to learning more about her, and seeing how she becomes the head of the city guard.

The awesome thing about this being a graphic novel, and not a novella, is the incredible art work. It was amazing getting to see the magic come to life on the pages. The illustrator and colorist did a beautiful job of bringing this story and this world to life. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Giveaway

Thanks to Titan Comics, we have a copy of THE STEEL PRINCE to give to one of you!

• Enter below
• Giveaway is international
• One copy of THE STEEL PRINCE (Shades of Magic vol. 1)
• Must be 13 years or older
• Prizing and samples provided by Titan Comics

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FLASHBACK (Keeper of the Lost Cities 7) by Shannon Messenger

FLASHBACK

Keeper of the Lost Cities #7

by Shannon Messenger

Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Hardcover: 848 pages
Publisher: Aladdin (November 6, 2018)

Goodreads | Amazon

In this unforgettable seventh book, Sophie must let the past and present blur together, because the deadliest secrets are always the ones that get erased.

Sophie Foster doesn’t know what—or whom—to believe. And in a game with this many players, the worst mistake can be focusing on the wrong threat.

But when the Neverseen prove that Sophie’s far more vulnerable than she ever imagined, she realizes it’s time to change the rules. Her powerful abilities can only protect her so far. To face down ruthless enemies, she must learn to fight.

Unfortunately, battle training can’t help a beloved friend who’s facing a whole different danger—where the only solution involves one of the biggest risks Sophie and her friends have ever taken. And the distraction might be exactly what the villains have been waiting for.

Hello all I am currently writing this from beyond the grave because let me tell you this book has actually KILLED ME.


A warning to all future readers of Keeper of the Lost Cities:

•You will become emotionally attached to ALMOST (glares pointedly and very aggressively at boy wonder, mr. perfect himself) all of the beloved characters.

•This may seem like your run of the mill, ‘I love these guys sm!!’ But I must warn you, it is not. It is a full blown obsession that makes you go back and sticky note your books and make a murder board to back up theories (hahaha idk what you’re talking about I don’t do that.... *hides piles of sticky notes books and cork board full of hardly legible notes under a blanket*)

• if you’re not emotionally unstable when you start the series, you will be by the end (this isn’t mascara running down my face, it’s a new trend)

•Keefe is the best thing that will ever happen to you ever in your life and the sooner you accept this the worse your emotions will be.

• Shannon Messenger will bring out emotions in you you didn’t think you had, and you’ll scream because you thought this was just a middle grade book series when it’s SO MUCH MORE


Scared yet? Well you should be.


Basically after page one I started crying and never stopped throughout the 800+ pages (which is HUGE btw, I think it’s the biggest book I’ve ever read). It’s a good thing I was home alone because let me tell you I was not in the mood for company to tell me it’s just fiction. DON'T YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT AND TELL MYSELF THAT EVERYDAY? IT DOESN'T HELP THE PHYSICAL PAIN THAT FOLLOWS YOU EVERYWHERE AFTER YOU FINISHED READING IT. Even when it’s funny I’m laughing through the tears streaming down my face.


If you read it and are curious as to why so sad, you’re either:

1. Heartless

2. Soulless

3. Don’t really understand the characters and how certain decisions made in this book will/do affect other characters even if they put on a brave face and pretend everything’s fine IT ISN'T


Andria asked me if I liked the book and I was like I DON'T EVEN KNOW I'M TOO EMOTIONALLY SHATTERED. The plot: amazing, the writing: beautiful, other unmentionable things: heart wrenching. Will I read the next book? I’ll be first in line at Target.

The Most Valuable Thing to do When You Start Writing

by Christine Lynn Herman

When I first started writing, it was something I did entirely on my own. I was a teenager who spent countless hours immersed in the fictional worlds I’d created, falling for characters that only existed in my head. It was incredibly fun.

It was also incredibly lonely.

When I tried to talk to my friends about my writing, they were happy I liked doing it, but they didn’t really understand it. I could talk for hours about my ideas, my characters, the plot points I was wrangling with or that fun banter scene I’d just written. But it felt like I had no one who would listen--like there would always be a part of me that nobody else understood.

I wrote many terrible first drafts of YA books. I spent countless hours working on my craft and doing industry research, reading every author or agent’s blog I could find. And one day, in 2015, I realized it wasn’t enough. I needed to show my work to other people if I ever wanted to be ready to send it to agents.

So I mustered up all my bravery and posted about my book in a critique partner forum hosted by one of my favorite authors. Eventually, I got an email from a girl who I wound up having a ton in common with. She became my first writer friend and critique partner, and she introduced me to her friends, too. None of us were traditionally published or agented--but we all wanted to be.

This incredible group of women taught me more in six months than I’d learned in the five years I’d been seriously writing on my own. Their feedback, guidance, industry knowledge, and friendship were the foundation that put me on the path to publication. Before I had an editor or an agent, they taught me how to handle critique and meet deadlines. They helped me learn how to truly revise for the first time. And through Skype calls and long, intense group chats, I learned that while writing may be something we do alone, writers truly need each other--to talk through brainstorming and revisions, to commiserate, to cheer.

It’s been almost four years since I met my first critique partners, and many of us are agented, published, or debuting now. Some of us work in the publishing industry. All of us have grown immensely in the time we’ve been friends, and I feel so lucky to have them in my life. Their feedback and guidance helped me turn THE DEVOURING GRAY, my debut novel, from a scrappy first draft into a book I’m truly proud to put out into the world.

I may have started the journey towards publication alone, but I wouldn’t be a debut author without the many people who have helped me on this road. The support and love that I have found with other writers has made me so confident in a part of myself that I thought no one else would ever understand. They are brilliant plot problem-solvers and late night phone call champions; their talent and generosity is unmatched.

They have shown me that I have stories inside of me worth telling. And so when people ask me what the most valuable thing you can do is when you start writing, I only have one answer: find your community. Because my writer friends have changed my life.

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Christine Lynn Herman is the author of THE DEVOURING GRAY, on sale 4/19 from Disney Hyperion.

THE DEVOURING GRAY
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (April 2, 2019)
Language: English
Amazon

After the death of her sister, Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she learns her mother isn’t: they belong to one of the revered founding families of the town. Yet the secret to controlling her family’s magic is lost, and without it, she will not survive the Gray.

Justin Hawthorne’s bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray. After Justin fails to inherit his family’s powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can’t let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.

Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny—to what extent, even she doesn’t yet know.

ADVANCED PRAISE:

“Fans of The Raven Boys and Stranger Things rejoice: This is your new obsession.”

—Claire Legrand, New York Times best-selling author of Furyborn

“Full of witchy atmosphere; lush, detailed writing; and a trope-breaking, endearing group cast,

this book will ensnare you and leave you deliciously haunted. A stunning debut.”

—Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades and Daughter of the Burning City

“The only thing better than a chosen one is four chosen ones, and the only thing better than

four chosen ones is four chosen ones who don't like each other very much.”

—E. K. Johnston, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes // How to Be a Debutante for BA Beginners

LITTLE WHITE LIES
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: Debutantes
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Freeform (November 6, 2018)
Buy The Book: Amazon.com

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother's "society" might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father's identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn't expect to find is friendship, but as she's drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn't the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother's glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer's search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

Really weirdly, this book reminded me of Gilmore Girls. The main character is a girl whose father isn't in the picture (even though Rory knows Christopher is her dad), and doesn't know her grandparents (but they end up being rich and in her life), and is close with her mom. But that's where the similarities end. Where Gilmore Girls branches off into humor, and relationships, Little White Lies goes into mystery and a game of 'Which of you stuck up snobs is my father?'

Before almost every chapter, there are scenes from the very end of the book. So while reading the book you're kind of like:

Which I actually enjoy, because it really makes you think, instead of just handing over the answers. Plus THERE ARE SO MANY PLOT TWISTS. Like, every time you think you've got it figured out and you're like 'there's so much of the book left like ?????' and then get a MASSIVE curve ball. 

But don't come over here looking for romance, because Sawyer Taft doesn't need a mans (though I do, so if you're hot call me ;) I'M JUST KIDDING STOP CRYING MOM). At first it kind of annoyed me because, ummm Sawyer look at all these hot mans around you ARE YOU BLIND!? But then I actually got to know her character and I was like, yeah makes sense. She has priorities, and those come first, and if the opportunitiy arises after the smoke clears then maybe. She has this set of rules pertaining to guys, and I love it, because she never compromises them. She is smart, and has learned how to take care of herself. So Sawyer, I forgive you for not being a romantic. 

This book has more WHICH IS GREAT because while questions are answered IT ISN'T RESOLVED SO YEAH PLEASE GIVE ME MORE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Au revoir readers!

Giveaway! // Win a Spooky Reads Prize Pack from Disney Books!

Do you have a middle grade reader in your life? You need to have this book, THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON by Mary Winn Heider. Disney Book Group sent me a copy to check out and is partnering with me for a giveaway. Read the spooktacular description here, and enter the giveaway below!

What's your favorite Halloween read?

The Mortification of Fovea Munson

By Mary Hinn Heider
In Stores Now! Released June 5, 2018
Recommended for ages 8 -12
Published by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads | Amazon

Fovea Munson is nobody's Igor.

True, her parents own a cadaver lab where they perform surgeries on dead bodies. And yes, that makes her gross by association, at least according to everyone in seventh grade. And sure, Fovea's stuck working at the lab now that her summer camp plans have fallen through. But she is by no means Dr. Frankenstein's snuffling assistant! That is, until three disembodied heads, left to thaw in the wet lab, start talking. To her. Out loud. What seems like a nightmare, or bizarre hallucination, is not. Fovea is somebody's Igor, all right. Three somebodies, actually. And they need a favor.

With a madcap sense of humor and a lot of heart (not to mention other body parts), this is a story about finding oneself, finding one's friends, and embracing the moment.

Spooky Reads!

A prize pack so good, it’s scary!

One (1) winner receives

• The Mortification of Fovea Munson
• Three other Halloween reads from Disney Books.

*Giveaway open to US addresses only.
*Prizing and samples provided by Disney Book Group.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

ARCHENEMIES by Marissa Meyer // How to chose between Heroes and Villains? Hint: You Can't

ARCHENEMIES

Renegades #2

By Marissa Meyer

Print Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (November 6, 2018)
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Sold by: Macmillan
Buy the Book: Amazon.com

The Renegades Trilogy continues, in this fiercely awaited second installment after the New York Times-bestselling Renegades by Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles.
Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they each other's worst nightmare.
In Renegades, Nova and Adrian (aka Insomnia and Sketch) fought the battle of their lives against the Anarchist known as the Detonator. It was a short-lived victory.
The Anarchists still have a secret weapon, one that Nova believes will protect her. The Renegades also have a strategy for overpowering the Anarchists, but both Nova and Adrian understand that it could mean the end of Gatlon City - and the world - as they know it.

Okay Marissa Meyer needs to stop making these books because let me tell you ladies and gents, I'm DEAD BECAUSE I HAVE TO NOW SIT HERE IN A PUDDLE OF TEARS WAITING FOR BOOK THREE.

Now you might be saying to yourself, 'Well Reagan, you say you cry a lot, how can we tell if this book is actually good, or if you're just an emotional mess?' and I'm here to tell you that I am an emotional mess but that this book is worth EVERY LAST MINUTE OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA.

Cinder and her gang live in my heart for all eternity (we're not going to talk about Heartless, you thought I'm overreacting before? Hahahaha you've seen nothing yet, I was depressed for a week straight and couldn't do anything other than stare at the ceiling wondering what I had done to deserve this emotional abuse). So when I say that I loved Renegades and Archenemies just as much as the Lunar Chronicles, you should rush on over to your local bookstore and pick yourself up one of these (or both while you're at it).

What I think I loved the most about this book is that it's fantasy based on reality. What I mean by that is, the characters act like how people would act if we found out people had superpowers. This book explores not only the blossoming romances of teenagers, but also shows the political side of this world. It shows how having superheros has affected the world around them, positively and negatively. It is SO well thought out, and it honestly amazes me.

Nova is one of my all time favorite main characters. She is strong willed, and so sure of herself without being cocky. She is classified as a villain in her society, but she has a strong moral compass that tells her the way society is being run isn't good enough. She believes that her uncle is the way to fix that and so she stands by him. She wants revenge, but she also wants justice. It's a careful balance in her mind and heart that Meyer explores so well. Her hard edges, and quick wits are the perfect balance to Adrian's softness and golden heart so they're literally perfect for each other. Besides the whole, villain vs. hero thing or course.

Adrian in question is so CUTEEEEE. I know guys don't like being called cute, but let me tell you, he's so cute. He's so unsure of himself and he wants to impress Nova so badlyyyyy and it's adorabllleeeee and makes me so happppyyyyy. You can tell how happy I am by the amount of unnecessary letters I put in my words. I love his ability, it is so creative and cool. It doesn't seem to have that many limitations so it's really cool and fun to watch Adrian explore his powers (the exploration is generally him finding a new way to try to impress Nova). I love that their relationship is kind of reversed from the usual YA relationships. He's the creative, insecure, nerdy one that can't shoot a gun to save his life, while she's a the one with the past, the evil family, the hard edges, the mysteriousness, and she is the one who can teach him how to use a gun because she is amazing.

Also, I (hate) love the way that they both have secret identities. Lol that's a real(ly frustrating and makes me cry on the inside to think about) hoot. Nova is all like, 'I hate the Sentinel he's so full of himself' and Adrian is like 'ahahahahaha yea me too.... (pls don't kill me I really like you)' and then Adrian is like 'Nightmare is my nemesis I must find her' and Nova is like 'Mmmm yeah okay you do that. Have fun trying tho'. It gives me a great (misery) laugh.

OkAy I think I've gushed enough, I'm going back to my corner that's soaked in tears and wait for the next emotionally traumatic book that I will love. Au revoir readers! Scroll down for some quality throw back of me meeting Marissa Meyer.

Yes I still have the sweatshirt.

Giveaway / Review / Character Interview: THE DEVIL'S THIEF by Lisa Maxwell (WE LOVE THIS SERIES)

Guys, we are so genuinely excited for this blog tour. Reagan and I (Andye) both fell in love with THE LAST MAGICIAN by Lisa Maxwell, and desperately want everyone else to read it and fall in love as well. And book two, THE DEVIL'S THIEF, is coming out soon, so now is the time! Check out Reagan's review for TDT, and don't miss her interview with one of the most swoon-worthy book boys ever! And, of course, you'll want to enter the giveaway at the end.

THE DEVIL'S THIEF
The Last Magician #2
by Lisa Maxwell
Print Length: 704 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 9, 2018)
Publication Date: October 9, 2018
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
Buy the Book: Amazon.com

Esta’s parents were murdered. Her life was stolen. And everything she knew about magic was a lie. She thought the Book of Mysteries held the key to freeing the Mageus from the Order’s grasp, but the danger within its pages was greater than she ever imagined. Now the Book’s furious power lives inside Harte. If he can’t control it, it will rip apart the world to get its revenge, and it will use Esta to do it. To bind the power, Esta and Harte must track down four elemental stones scattered across the continent. But the world outside the city is like nothing they expected. There are Mageus beyond the Brink not willing to live in the shadows—and the Order isn’t alone in its mission to crush them. In St. Louis, the extravagant World’s Fair hides the first stone, but an old enemy is out for revenge and a new enemy is emerging. And back in New York, Viola and Jianyu must defeat a traitor in a city on the verge of chaos.

If you ever just are in the mood to throttle someone, but can't find the passion or drive, just read this book and you will be good to go. Literally the entire book is just TENSION and like as soon as some of that tension starts to be released IT JUST SNAPS RIGHT BACK. If you want to hold on to your hopes and dreams that were started in the first book, you might want to wait for book three.

I might not be a sobbing mess on the floor, but this is almost WoRsE. Don't get me wrong, the book was good as hell (get it? DEVIL'S thief? No? Okay. I'll be in my corner), BUT I'M TENSE JUST THINKING ABOUT IT! Esta, amazing I love her. Harte, I'm still swooning. Viola, still woman goals. Jianyu, still super loyal and cool. Jack, still a douche. Nibsy, still extremely rude (to put it mildly). BUT BACK TO THE POINT:

But the writing in the book is absolutely AMAZING. It gives these great descriptions of characters and settings with out being so wordy that the reader loses interest. The way Maxwell plays with time travel is amazing and I LOVE IT. It's so hard to find a GOOD book with time travel in it. Plus I like that it's magical time travel so I don't have to try and pretend I know anything about science.

Overall I did adore this book, you just have to be willing to stick it out until book three where HOPEFULLY I can relax and not have a mental break down (Please and thank you Lisa Maxwell). So if you haven't read The Last Magician, you actually need to because it is so fantastic and The Devil's Thief is coming to your local bookstore soon (but not nearly soon enough if you ask me) and you need to be mentally prepared for it. 

Au revoir readers!

Want to know more about Harte? (Spoiler: You do) Here's an interview Reagan did with him.

1. If you could, would you want to visit 2018?

• Visit? Or stay? Because from what I’ve gleaned, it’s a hell of a lot cleaner there. 

2. If you had to trade powers with someone, who would it be and why?

• I wouldn’t trade with anyone, except for maybe a Sundren. I wouldn’t want anyone else’s burden, but giving it up…I could see myself doing that. No power, and the Brink wouldn’t have any hold on me at all.

3. What’s your desert island food?

• An orange. They taste like sunshine, and I imagine whatever freedom feels like.

4. What’s one thing in your life you couldn’t live without?

• I could—and have—lived without a great many things, but I couldn’t live without my integrity. And to be clear, I’m pretty much a bastard in every way you can be one, but there are certain lines even I can’t cross. Oh… you meant an actual thing? That would be indoor plumbing.

5. Out of everyone, who would you kiss, who would you marry, and who would you kill?

• Can I just pick Esta for all 3?

6. Is there anything you want us to know that hasn’t been asked yet?

• I’d say the less you know about me the better.

GIVEAWAY

Grand Prize for the Tour Participants:

• Signed copy of The Devil's Thief
• pavé snake bracelet
• character art
• signed swag

Runners Up (2)

• Character art
• signed swag pack

The Devil's Thief Blog Tour

Tour contest terms/conditions:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gsvpuBOoBLFEnZnWIfF9fCGUzJJZb-TXhz46iL81snI/edit

LINKS:

• Twitter: @LisaMaxwellYA
• Instagram: @LisaMaxwell13
• Main website: www.lisa-maxwell.com
• Series website: www.thelastmagician.com