ARC Givaway! Dearly, Departed.

Love can never die.Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? 
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. 
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, steampunk meets romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

I was lucky enough to win this ARC from Goodreads. And I loved it so much that I decided I'd do the right thing and share the love! This is my first giveaway so I thought what better way then with a book I absolutely adored.

In order to enter, you must be a follower of this blog. Just leave a comment on this post with an email address for me to get in touch with you. For money reasons, this giveaway is only to US residents.

This giveaway ends Saturday, Sept 24.

And if you don't win, be sure to pick up Dearly, Departed October 18!

In My Mailbox (3)

As always, hosted by the Story Siren

Intoxicated by Books

Books Mentioned:

Changeling
Strife
Hunger
Shadow Hills
Dash And Lily's Book of Dares
Texas Gothic
The Vespertine
Clarity
Beautiful Darkness

Also, don't forget to check out my first giveaway!

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Summary taken from Goodreads


The DUFF was a very cute and quick read. Though I wouldn't call it a fluff book. It dealt with a few hard issues and did it beautifully. I don't want to say too much about it cause it's a big part of the story. Just don't pick it up if you're looking for a fluff piece.

The DUFF also had a lot of language and sex, which I loved! Sometimes I think too many young adult books shy away from those, like they doesn't happen every day in high school. Which they totally do.

I really loved Bianca. I can see how some people could have a hard time connecting with her  but I just had so much in common with her so I had no problem falling in love with her story. I loved her snarky humor and pessimistic attitude.

The reason this story worked so well was Bianca's friends. The trio rounded each other out perfectly, which I think is the basis of all great friendships. Finding the qualities you lack in someone else.

And Wesley! He was such a lovable jerk. I could see exactly why Bianca chose him as her escape. By the end, I completely fell in love with him. Learning more about him and watching him grow was my favorite part of the story for sure. Plus... the dirty bits were hot!!

The only problem I had with this book was the ending. Things were a little too happily-ever-after for me. I thought a few things worked themselves out too easily. But it wasn't so bad that it ruined the book for me or anything like that.

I really enjoy Keplinger's debut. Can't wait to pick up Shut Out soon!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Sequels.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish

Again this meme isn't something I know if I'll do all the time. But this time the top ten was the sequels you're excited for. And that is a super easy one for me! So here ya go, in no particular order:

1. Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

I loved, loved the first two in the series. I think I liked Demonglass even more than Hex Hall so I cannot wait to see what she does for her third one!


2. Endlessly by Kiersten White

Okay, okay. I know Supernaturally just came out and I have a long time to wait for this one, but I can't help it! I love her books so much!

3. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Both of her series are fabulous. So obviously, my next pick is:

4. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Okay this just making me realize how long I have to wait for some of these books...


5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Thank God I only have to wait till the end of the month for this one. Anna and the French Kiss blew me away. I wasn't expecting to like it half as much as I did. Cannot wait!!

6. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

While I completely loved Graceling, I was a little on the fence with Fire. But the good far outweighed the bad. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Bitterblue.

7. Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

Ah! Gallagher Girls 5!! Yes! My life has seriously been lacking some Zach. 

8. Black Heart by Holly Black 

I love everything I've ever read by her. This books are no exception.

9. In Charm's Way by Madelyn Alt

This one is an adult* novel I cannot wait to get my hands on. I devoured this series like you wouldn't believe! So great.

and finally

10. Much Ado About Vampires by Katie MacAlister

Another adult novel. I love all her books. So so much. Though I miss Aisiling Grey novels aallloooottt, I do really enjoy her Dark Ones novels as well.

So lovelies, what sequels are you excited for?

* I always feel slightly dirty when I type that. Know what I'm saying?
 

The Summer I Turned Pretty By Jenny Han

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.


Summary taken from Goodreads




This book was fabulous. Few books ever take me back to being sixteen, and it be a good thing. Usually you just remember the crapiness that went along with that age. This made me remember all the good times. Being surround by friends, family, and all the things that went along with summer. Especially summer love. I loved every minute of it, which is probably why I stayed up till three am reading it. 


We find out pretty early that the boy's mother used to have breast cancer and I knew from that moment on this book was going to be harder for me to read than I originally thought, seeing as how my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last Christmas and had just finished undergoing radiation. This book just hit so close to home in so many ways. 


Belly was exactly like I remember being when I was sixteen. A little whiney, but just wanting to be included. Seeing her crushing on a boy she knew her whole life... Well let's just say I've been there too. 


All in all, I related so well to this book. It was the perfect end of summer read. And you can bet your butt I'll be continuing this series.

In My Mailbox No. Two

Here is my second IMM. This meme is hosted by The Story Siren.

Books mentioned:
Misguided Angel
Like Mandarin
Abandon
Starcrossed
Beauty Queens
Chasing Alliecat
Extraordinary
The Line

Audiobooks mentioned:
Forever
City of Ashes
Wintergirls
The Book Thief
Coraline
Looking For Alaska

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
So much for normal. 

Summary taken from Goodreads


The first thing that comes to mind about this series is: hilarious. Sure there's a lot of other things going on, but my favorite part is the humor. There was one part that stuck in my mind pretty well. Evie was thinking about something that was actually pretty serious. She related it to her love for cupcakes. The next line was just, "Mmm. Cupcakes." I busted out laughing.

Evie is such a great main character. Like I said, hilarious. But she's also headstrong, tough, makes mistakes, and a little broken. Which makes me love her even more. Watching her try to discover some of her past was so heartbreaking. This book is all about Evie trying to find a place to really call home, and I think that's something we can all relate to. I think Evie is one of the most real main characters I've read in awhile. The most human, even if she isn't, you know, technically human.

I wish that this book had more Lend. He starts college at the beginning so we don't see him as much as I would have liked. But if it was up to me, it would be all Lend, all the time.

Plot wise, I really like the direction this one took. Watching Evie battle with herself was really interesting. Being an Empty One sure isn't easy...

However, I wasn't as surprised but the ending in this one as I was with Paranormalcy. I figured a few things out ahead of times. But don't worry, White left me with plenty of questions for the next (and final *sad face*) book.

This was a four star read for me. Cannot wait for the next one!