Science Geek Appreciation Week Day 5: The Libby Garrett Intervention SNEAK PEEK

Well, here we are folks. The final day of Science Geek Appreciation Week. And what a week it's been! We've read all about The Avery Shaw Experiment, revealed the cover and got a few teasers from The Libby Garrett Intervention releasing this October, we've gotten up close and personal with Science Squad author Kelly Oram, and we've invaded Avery's and Grayson's privacy by reading their journals.

We've partied on Facebook with games, teasers, bonus material, and giveaways. (The party's still going on, so stop by the FACEBOOK EVENT and enter the giveaways before they're over.)

Science Geek Appreciation Week Day 4: The Avery Diaries

Happy Thursday everyone! Today marks day 4 of Science Geek Appreciation Week. I hope you're having as much fun with it as I am. So far we've been introduced to The Avery Shaw Experiment, we've been teased about the upcoming The Libby Garrett Intervention, and we've gotten to know a little about the author behind all the geeky goodness, Kelly Oram. Today, it's time to get to know the stars of the Spanish Fork High science club a little better with a peek in their personal journals.

Science Geek Appreciation Week Day 3: Getting to Know Kelly Oram

Well we're mid week now--half way through Science Geek Appreciation Week--and it's time to get up close and personal with the author of the Science Squad series, Kelly Oram.

If you missed any of the previous posts about The Avery Shaw Experiment or The Libby Garrett Intervention, be sure to stop by the Facebook event. Along with the posts, there's all kinds of extra bonus material, games and giveaways going on. Lots of chances to win signed books and swag, talk to the author and just have fun with other science geek loving friends. There's a new giveaway every day. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PARTY!

COVER REVEAL + Teaser: The Libby Garrett Intervention by Kelly Oram

Welcome to Day 2 of Science Geek Appreciation Week with Author Kelly Oram! If you missed yesterday's post about The Avery Shaw Experiment, you can check it out HERE. And don't forget to stop by the Facebook party for all kinds of extra bonus material, games and giveaways. There's a new giveaway every day. CLICK HERE TO PARTY!

Now... On to the cover reveal for The Libby Garrett Intervention!

The Spanish Fork High Science Squad is back in this hilarious and heartwarming companion novel to The Avery Shaw Experiment.

SPOTLIGHT + Teaser: The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

Welcome to Day 1 of Science Geek Appreciation Week with author Kelly Oram -- a fun-filled week of teasers, interviews, games, giveaways, and lots and lost of science! We're going to kick off the week by introducing you to the stars of the Spanish Fork High Science Squad -- Club President Avery Shaw and her newest recruit, Grayson Kennedy -- in their debut novel The Avery Shaw Experiment.

July 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

July was a blur. I can't even remember all the stuff I spent my time doing. All I know is that I finally got out of my reading slump (yay!) but it wasn't my best blogging month. I haven't even stopped by people's blogs lately but I am going to remedy that in a while. I've been blogging a lot this week though and have 5 posts scheduled for next week! How awesome is that? It's actually a good thing since I need my focus somewhere else in the coming weeks. August is going to be another busy month.

But for now, here are the books I read this July:

    

Midyear Updates

Hello! I haven't been a very active blogger lately but since July is almost over I figured it's time to look back to all my goals this year and check out my progress. I meant to do this at the start of the month but as I've said, blogging slump.

Anyway, I have four major goals this 2015 (not including the one that says, "I have to read more").

1. Catch up on reading - and reviewing - my review copies.
2. Start and/or finish a series.
3. Annihilate my physical TBR.
4. Don't buy more books.

I only joined two reading challenges this year:

 

July 2015 New Releases: Part 2

New Book Releases this July 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Armada by Ernest Cline Published: July 14, 2015 The Book Depository Amazon __________ Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe. And then he sees the flying saucer. Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it. It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar? At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

Review: Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

Puddle Jumping
(Puddle Jumping #1)
by Amber L. Johnson
Published: July 29, 2014



When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.

Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.

Once friends when they were younger, their bond is cut short due to her accident prone nature and they go their separate ways. Years later, they meet again and Lilly learns that there is something special about the boy she once knew, but she has no idea what it all means. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to find out.

When he walks through the corridor of her school the first day of her senior year, she knows that it’s time to get to know the real Colton Neely. The more she learns, the deeper she falls.

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.

Review: In the Fast Lane by Audra North

In the Fast Lane
by Audra North
Published: July 14, 2015




LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Racing cars is in Kerri Hart's blood--literally, since it's the family business. But Hart Racing is in dire financial straits, and as the only female rookie driver, Kerri's sponsorship offers always tend to be of the unzipped racing-suit variety. It's a message she'd rather not sell to her young fans. But how can she afford not to?

LOVE ON OVERDRIVE
Ranger Colt knows how to make a woman's heart race. But when his voice pops up on Kerri's headset--while she's in mid-tailspin--she's in no mood for his charms. Colt Hardware now has a significant stake in the Hart family business, and Kerri has no choice but to work with him. But when her ex-boyfriend makes a very public, tabloid-fodder scene that threatens to tarnish her image, it's Ranger who comes to the rescue. Pretending to be engaged to generate some good publicity seems like a good plan. In fact, it works--all too well. What begins as a ruse is revving up to feel a whole lot like the real thing. Will Kerri and Ranger's fake-lationship take a wild turn. . .and lead them toward the finish?

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

I normally don't do tags and awards. I love answering questions and doing tags and I really appreciate everyone who includes my blog but I am the worst at tagging. I just end up saying: "I tag all of you" or "I nominate everyone." Laziest person ever. Anyway, this time I was nominated by Olivia of Fluttering Pages for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and I decided to do it because she is so nice and I'm actually looking forward to this so thank you so much, Olivia!

The Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

Put the Award logo on your blog.

Answer the ten questions sent to you.

Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

Nominate ten blogs.

July 2015 New Releases: Part 1

New Book Releases this July 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Chasing Impossible (Pushing the Limits #5) by Katie McGarry Published: July 1, 2015 _________ Tough and independent, 17-year-old Abby lets very few people into her inner circle. It’s common knowledge in her Kentucky town that she deals drugs, but not even her closest friends know why. But when a deal goes south and Abby’s suddenly in danger, she finds herself reluctantly forced to lean on daredevil Logan—a boy whose restless spirit matches her own. Logan has his own reasons for wanting to keep Abby at arms’ length. But he never expected to find in her the one person who might help him face the demons he’s tried so hard to run from. Together, Abby and Logan will have to make a decision: let their current circumstances weigh them down forever…or fight for the future they both thought was impossible.

SERIES REVIEW: The Dispossessed Trilogy by Page Morgan

The Dispossessed

by Page Morgan

Published: May 14, 2013

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

SERIES REVIEW: Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer Trilogy

by Michelle Hodkin

Published: September 27, 2011

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

June 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

Whew! June was... I don't even know. I have a big project I'm working on (not book or blog related) and I'm definitely feeling the pressure but lately I've been feeling so unmotivated and slump-y. I actually have plenty of time on my hands right now - to read, to blog, to do other significant things. But all I wanna do is sleep, eat, listen to music, dance and watch random Youtube videos. I guess this is my brain's way of telling me to stop for a minute and let it rest?

There are so many books I started this June but didn't finish. Not intentionally. But once I put it down, I couldn't make myself pick it up again. And you should see all the drafts of blog posts I made but left unfinished. Ugh. My laziness and procrastinating habits are at its peak and it's stressing me out. I hope it goes away real soon.

Anyway, enough chit-chat. I haven't read that many books this past month or should I say: I didn't get to finish a lot. But I was able to read 8!

2015 Most Anticipated Books Part 2

2015 is halfway over! Well, almost but we're getting there. Before 2014 ended I made my list of most anticipated books and movies that are coming out this year. They're all out now and I've seen both The DUFF and Pitch Perfect 2 (loved them so much!) and read half of the books in that list: All Fall Down, The Storyspinner, and The Orphan Queen. So I decided to make a new one that includes all of the books I am VERY MUCH looking forward to that are going to be released on the the second half of 2015.

There are SO MANY titles I am excited about I couldn't keep myself from not clicking that damn to-read button on Goodreads and bookmarking everything. Then there was BEA and everyone who came to the event are posting pictures and talking about all of these upcoming must-haves and my mind just keeps going WANT, WANT, WANT #somuchwant. Here are my top 10:

Me and My Bookshelf (32): June Book Haul

This is where I feature the books I received, bought, gifted or won that are recently added to my physical shelf, which means no e-books and the like, and recount epic book hauling stories. It is usually posted on Saturdays.

It's a slightly big book haul this time. So eventhough I didn't spend that much because all of these are bargain books, I will still cut back on next month's purchases because, let's be honest, a book buying ban won't work anytime soon especially since I just saw one or more titles I still want to buy that are ON SALE. For July, my range is going to be $15 - $20. No more.

Here are the books I bought this June!

June 2015 New Releases: Part 2

New Book Releases this June 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes Published: June 9, 2015 The Book Depository __________ With a harrowing poetic voice, this contemporary page-turner is perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Julie Berry's All The Truth That's in Me, and the works of Ellen Hopkins. The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust. And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too. Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a hard-hitting and hopeful story about the dangers of blind faith—and the power of having faith in oneself.

Review: Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Inherit the Stars 
(Inherit the Stars #1)
by Tessa Elwood
Expected publication: December 8, 2015




Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

Review: A Faerie's Secret by Rachel Morgan

A Faerie's Secret
(Creepy Hollow #4)
by Rachel Morgan
Published: June 16, 2015




Calla Larkenwood wants nothing more than to be a guardian, but her overprotective mother has never allowed it. When circumstances change and Calla finally gets to join a Guild, she discovers guardian trainee life isn’t all she hoped it would be. Her classmates are distant, her mentor hates her, and keeping her Griffin Ability a secret is harder than she thought. Then an initiation game goes wrong, landing Calla with a magical ability she can’t control. She needs help—and the only way she can get it is by bargaining with the guy who just discovered her biggest secret.

Join beloved characters and new heroes as the bestselling Creepy Hollow series continues.

June 2015 New Releases: Part 1

New Book Releases this June 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall Published: June 1, 2015 The Book Depository _________ I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough. Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves. When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother. Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.

Underrated Genre: Steampunk

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and science fiction set in an era where steam-powered machinery is still widely used — usually the 19th century.

"What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner."

Source: www.cmemag,com

I haven't heard a lot of people talk about this genre, or talk about books in this genre. Of course, there are the well-known ones like The Infernal Devices, Parasol Protectorate and Leviathan series. But, overall, Steampunk is probably not the most popular out there especially today. And to be honest, it's not really the kind of genre that everyone would immediately gravitate to and enjoy. I haven't read plenty of Steampunk books either but the few I've read, I loved.

Review: Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Spellcaster
(Spellcaster #1)
by Claudia Gray
Published: March 5, 2013




When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

Review: Until the Beginning by Amy Plum

Until the Beginning
(After the End #2)
by Amy Plum
Published: May 5, 2015




When Juneau's clan disappeared, she lost so much more than her friends and family. She soon discovered everything she thought she knew about her life was a lie. Her people's gifts were actually secret abilities that others wanted, desperately enough to kidnap an entire village.

Juneau and her new companion Miles's cross-country journey to find her clan has led them to a game preserve in New Mexico. Now Juneau's people are finally within reach, and she will stop at nothing to save them. But she has a target on her back too, because unbeknownst to her she is the key to unlocking everything. To rescue her people - and herself - Juneau must discover what she, and her abilities, are truly capable of.

May 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

With how good my April was, I expected the vibe to continue for the rest of the summer. But alas, it didn't happen. I was having positive thoughts at the start of the month and was so excited to read the books in my May TBR but as luck would have it, it put me in a reading AND blogging slump. During summer where I have plenty of time to read and blog! I should have seen it coming given the growing pile of unfinished books I had since March.

I was still able to read plenty of books eventhough I didn't reach my desired goal which is a little disappointing.

The books I read this May: