That's What He Said Thursday #15

That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme created 

and hosted by Chapter Break. It's a fun way to share a quote 

from a favorite book boyfriend (aka male protagonist) to his girl.

For more info, visit Chapter Break here.

Ann Aguirre is probably best known for her sci-fi/dystopian YA novels, but it was her new adult trilogy that introduced me to her writing. While there may be nothing ground-breakingly original about her NA plots, I still enjoyed the entire series so much. The first book, I Want It That Way, remains my favorite. Ty was a character that I really fell for - a hard-working single dad, determined to always put his son first. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Ty to Nadia.

"God. This face. You show me everything. 

I hope you don't play poker. They'd rob you blind."

"I'm going to be straight with you... because this dance is killing me. 

Don't imagine for a second that I don't want you."

"You always look so damn happy to see me," he said, low. "And it's like a fist in my gut, every time. I wait for it not to happen, for you to get used to me, or maybe you're tired or you had a bad day, so you're in no mood to shine, but no. There's always that smile."

"That face. How can I live without this face?"

Do you participate in That's What He Said Thursday? 

Or just have a favorite quote you want to share? 

Leave a comment and tell me about it. :)

***Trailer Reveal*** OBLIVION by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Okay friends, I am BEYOND EXCITED about this post. No way will I be able to get through it without much gushing and squealing. :) I am THRILLED to be sharing the Trailer Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's OBLIVION! OBLIVION is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance being published by Entangled Teen, and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling LUX Series. And it's being released on December 1^st, 2015!

If you know me, or if you've been following Girl Plus Books for any length of time, you probably know how much I LOVE the Lux series. I first discovered Obsidian, the first book in the series, two years ago and was instantly hooked. And it remains my favorite series ever. I was so sad to see it all end with Opposition last year... or so I thought. :) I was thrilled when Jennifer announced another book in the Lux series... this one from Daemon's point of view! And I'm pretty much over the moon to be taking part in the trailer reveal for OBLIVION. So watch and enjoy, then pre-order your copy (you know I have!), and then look over at the right sidebar of the blog for the countdown to OBLIVION. I'm counting the days, my friends!

Watch the trailer then pre-order your copy today!

 

OBLIVION Pre-Order

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OBLIVION Synopsis: Experience the epic love story of OBSIDIAN as told by its hero, Daemon Black… I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are. But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game. Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger.It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

   

And don’t miss the first books in the LUX Series!

 

LUX: Beginnings

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LUX: Consequences

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OPPOSITION

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling authorJennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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What Are You Reading Wednesday #06

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly feature 

hosted by Andie at It’s A Reading Thing. 

How to participate:

Grab the book you are currently reading and answer three questions:

1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book (or 34% in your eBook) and share a couple of sentences.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

1.  Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths #4) by K.A. Tucker

2.  "You know, if you hated the shirt that much, you could have just asked me to take it off. I was about to anyway." I don't know how he could possibly be making jokes about this. He's the one covered in vomit. Just the thought has me shuddering. "Look... some chick just puked on me and I really could use a shower. Can I come in?" The door handle jiggles and I thank baby Jesus for having given me the good sense to lock it. The last thing I want is to have him come in here and see my naked body hunched over his toilet. I need to get my clothes and get out of here without facing him. Ever again.

3.  I'm always up for living in the world K.A. Tucker creates. I don't necessarily want to go through the trauma in her character's lives, but I totally want to be friends with these resilient people. 

What are you reading today? Want to share a snippet from page 34 (or 34%)? 

I love comments so tell me below. :)

New Release + Giveaway: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

I am so excited to be taking part in the Release Week Blitz for K.A. Tucker's SURVIVING ICE! I am a huge fan of Kathleen's writing and have reviewed at least three of her books here on the blog. SURVIVING ICE releases today and my fingers are crossed that my pre-order will be waiting for me when I get home. 

SURVIVING ICE is a standalone romantic suspense novel and is the fourth book in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water Series, published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. 

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

SURVIVING ICE Synopsis: The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense. Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again. When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for. Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control. That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

Excerpt from SURVIVING ICE:

It’s just a regular ringtone. For me, though, it’s the wail of a war siren, and I’m immediately alert. There is only one person who has this number, and I didn’t expect him to use it again so soon.

The tile is cool against my bare feet as I roll out of bed. I collect the phone from the nightstand with one fluid movement, unhindered by sheets or the morning sluggishness that an average person might face. Stepping through the propped-open patio doors and onto the balcony, I answer with a low, curt “Yeah.” The sky is just beginning to lighten over the quiet bay. Dozens of boats sit moored below, their passengers lulled into deep sleep by the ocean air and rhythmic waves. I’m high enough up that I’m not likely to offend anyone with my lack of clothing, especially at this hour. Not that I’m truly concerned by it.

“Ice.”

The code name is a sharp contrast to the warm breeze skating across my bare skin. My adrenaline begins to spike, all the same. Hearing it means that I will be forced to leave this haven soon. Sooner than I had hoped.

“How is recovery going?”

I instinctively peer down at the angry red scar on the outside of my thigh, where a bullet drilled into my flesh and muscle just three weeks ago, outside of Kabul. I nearly bled out before I made it to the doc. He patched me up on a makeshift operating table, buried deep in a maze of rooms, and charged me a hefty price.

“Like new,” I lie.

“Good.” Bentley’s voice is rich and smooth, a welcome sound in a sea of strangers. “Where are you now?”

I peer out over the beautiful vista of crystal blue water and whitewashed stone buildings, the volcanic rock cliffs in the distance, reluctant to divulge my location. I sank a good chunk of my last payout on renting this one-bedroom villa for the month. It’s my private sanctuary, where I can revel in anonymity and peace for a while, before finding somewhere else to drift to.

Bentley has never asked before.

But he also has the technical capabilities to trace this call. If he really wants to find out, then he will. In fact, the second I picked up, he probably already had his answer. “Where do I need to be?” I say instead.

“San Francisco.”

Have you read the other titles in the Burying Water Series?

  

BURYING WATER

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BECOMING RAIN

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CHASING RIVER

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***GIVEAWAY***

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About K.A. Tucker: Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.          

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New Release + Giveaway: The Ready Series by J.L. Berg

I am super excited to be part of the release week for J.L. Berg's The Ready Series. This series has been on my radar, and on my TBR, for a while and now is the perfect time to nab the entire series in a box set for only $0.99. I've already pre-ordered mine and can't wait to dive in. The GoodReads reviews have me even more excited to get started. The five-book set releases tomorrow, October 27, and this special price is only available as a pre-order and on release day. Hope you'll take advantage of this, too!

Fill your e-reader with USA Today Bestselling author's entire READY series now for just $0.99 as a special pre-order/release day price! You can to go back to the beginning with Logan and Clare's story in When You're Ready, or get to know Mia and Garrett in Ready for You. And don't miss your chance to meet the swoonworthy guy next door, Jackson Reid, in Ready or Not! Make sure to grab all five books now for just $0.99!

About THE READY SERIES:

***SPECIAL PRE-ORDER/RELEASE DAY PRICE!***

Fall in love with the Ready Series…from the very beginning.

"This is the most beautifully written, heartfelt romance I have ever read.”

"Do yourself a favor. Get this book.”

“J.L. Berg has done it again... 5+ stars for Mia and Garrett.”

From USA Today bestselling author J.L. Berg comes a series of heartbreak, second chances, and sweeping love stories that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Family, future…forever. It all begins here.

Are you Ready?

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Read an excerpt from WHEN YOU'RE READY:

“I’d really love to discover some of those hidden talents.”

Oh, hot damn.

What did I just fucking say?

Shit, I should not be allowed in public anymore.

I had just dropped the lamest pick-up line ever, in the middle of the home improvement store, right in front of Clare’s daughter, no less. Thank God Colin hadn’t been around to witness that little slice of failure. I would never have lived it down.

Dear God, this woman made me crazy.

I never expected to see her or Maddie again. I tried to make myself forget about that night in the hospital, telling myself she deserved better. And she did. But as hard as I tried, those searing green eyes kept making their way back into my thoughts, reminding me of a woman who had shown me another path. A path that could have been possible if I were a different man. If I were capable of giving myself over to another, but you have to have a whole heart to do that, and I’m pretty sure mine was never fully formed.

But looking up at those now familiar eyes, I felt the tension ease in my chest, and the ice loosened a bit. Seeing Clare again felt exactly the same. It gave me a deep sense of being connected and tethered. Having come from the family I did, it wasn’t something I’d ever felt with anyone, and therefore I was having a difficult time trusting myself around her. I tried returning to my life, resuming my normal routine, only to be haunted by her face; a constant reminder of what I could never have.

After the quiet little pub the other night, I went downtown, finding a spot that was the exact opposite of the one I had just left. I played the part of carefree bachelor, buying rounds of drinks, doing body shots with a few overly eager women. I had every intention of following one of them home. By the end of the night, after most people had made it home, I had a young brunette pushed against the dirty brick wall of the bar, waiting for a cab to take us to her apartment. I didn’t know her name, and I didn’t care. I wouldn’t be around by morning anyway. My hand slid down her bare thigh and pulled it around my hip. She looked at me, seductively licking her lips, her not so subtle way of giving me permission to do whatever I want, wherever I want. It was then that I looked into her eyes and saw...nothing. The brown eyes staring back at me were full of lust, but nothing else. They were the same blank eyes that I had been looking into ever since Melanie. Since her, I’d survived by seeking out women who gave nothing in return. Because it was all I could give back.

Knowing the eyes staring back at me weren’t the ones I wanted, I pushed away from the brunette as the cab pulled up to the curb. Cursing under my breath, I didn’t even give her an explanation, just threw her some cash and walked away.

"Well, we should let you get back to whatever you were doing. I’m sure you are busy," Clare said. 

“No, actually. I was mostly done. I just needed a small part for my sink,” I answered, holding up my purchase while nervously wrapping my other hand around the nape of my neck.

All right asshat, stop being creepy. Time to leave.

"I could help you,” I blurted out. “I've been known to be handy on occasion. I could help you shop, and then install it for you.” The words continued to free-fall out of my mouth, without any sign of stopping.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

***Giveaway***

Want a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card? Fill out the Rafflecopter below!

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About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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The Sunday Post #05

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog, 

showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is

coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the rules here:

Sunday Post Meme

*NEWS*

Not a lot of bookish news this week but there was still fun to be had. :) I met up with my sister for dinner last night for a belated birthday dinner (her birthday was October 4) and had an amazing time. We met at Mimi's Cafe, a French-American restaurant, and had *so* much fun just catching up. She lives at the beach so we're about 30 miles apart. While we text All The Time, between my schedule and her schedule we don't see each other a whole lot. So any time we get together is loads of fun. Last night we had good food, a little white sangria, and lots of laughs. I love our time together.♥

Also of note, my home team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, they of the losing season (1-5), actually won the game against the Bills today. And they had to go to London to do it. Apparently they play better overseas. I'm not much of a sports fan but it's still exciting to see the home team win.

*LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG*

Last week's Top Ten Tuesday topic asked the question "What 10 wishes would you ask of the Book Genie?" It was so much fun coming up with my wishes and I loved seeing everyone else's, too.

Top 5 Wednesday had me sharing my favorite authors that I've discovered so far this year. I enjoyed going back over everything I've read this year and picking authors that were new to me and made a real impression. And it reminded me that I want to read more by Mia Sheridan and J.A. Redmerski *soon.* 

For That's What He Said Thursday I shared quotes from Cade - an absolute sweetheart from a series by Renita Pizzitola that totally deserves more attention. 

On Friday I shared my thoughts on BuzzFeed's recent article about hotties in YA lit. Definitely my most popular post of the week. It was a blast to chat about movie casting and dream casting in the comments. I love how everyone has an opinion on when casting is spot-on... and when it's so, so wrong.

And finally, my review of My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak was posted on Saturday. While I had a few issues with it, it was still enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars

*NEW ADDITIONS*

My Book Depository order came in - separately, of course (what's up with that, anyway? Just send them at the same time!). I saw +Shannon Miz at It Starts at Midnight mention The Next Together and the premise just blew me away and I feel like I'm going to *love* this one. Unfortunately it wasn't available at Amazon (say what? I thought Amazon had everything!) so I went through the Book Depository. I had also been hyperventilating over Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner but didn't want to pay the hardcover price - so I tacked the UK edition onto my Book Depository order. I'm so glad I did because it's simply gorgeous and I love it way more than the plain US hardcover edition.

I managed to rein in my one-clicking last week and there were only two additions to the Kindle:

 

    

I already own Nowhere But Here in hardcover but it was $0.99 on Kindle. And I'm supposed to pass that up? Yeah, I don't think so. And Undeniable (also $0.99) looks perfect for when I'm in the mood for a dark/intense romance.

*CURRENTLY READING* 

I'm about 150 pages into Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker. This is the last book in the Ten Tiny Breaths companion series and I'll actually be sorry to say goodbye to these characters. I have *loved* this series and the first book (Ten Tiny Breaths) made me an instant fan of Tucker. The plus side is that after this one I can move on to her Burying Water series so there's more fantastic storytelling to come! 

*TOTALLY RANDOM*

So what was your week like? Any new books?

Anything interesting happen? Tell me about it!

Review: MY Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak

Title: My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: March 1, 2014 by SourceBooks Fire
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Library Loan
Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

My Life with the Walter Boys centers on the prim, proper, and always perfect Jackie Howard. When her world is turned upside down by tragedy, Jackie must learn to cut loose and be part of a family again.

Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the perfect daughter. And then...

Surprise #1: Jackie's family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters-her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway)

Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New York City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild Walter boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She's not stuck-up or boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents' memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect?

My Thoughts

My Life with the Walter Boys was one of those "pleasant surprise" kind of books. A friend gave it a great review so I decided to give it a try. While I wasn't blown away, it was still an enjoyable YA contemporary and I found myself more invested than I thought I would be.

At 16 Jackie loses her parents and sister suddenly in an accident. Her upper crust NYC penthouse lifestyle changes dramatically when she is sent to live with her mother's friend in Colorado. Life on a ranch is a shock to city-girl Jackie but the biggest adjustment? The Walter's have 12 sons (well, there's one daughter but she is very much one of the guys). Prim and proper Jackie is suddenly thrust into the chaotic Walter home where there's constant noise and activity, a schedule for morning showers, and rarely any privacy.

It was obvious that, surrounded by so many teenage boys, there was bound to be some romantic drama and indeed that seemed to make up the bulk of the story. Jackie had an almost-instant attraction to Boy A (no spoilers here) while trying to fit in and make friends with the rest of the boys. While things were rocky with Boy A, there was an ease with Boy B that left Jackie confused about her feelings. Much drama ensues. Meanwhile, Jackie starts at a new school, makes friends, and tries to fit into her new life.

I did have a couple issues that kept me from enjoying the book more and rating it higher. Mainly, Jackie's grief was almost non-existent. Maybe she was unnaturally stoic but it was still pretty unbelievable that a 16 year old girl dealt so calmly and neatly with the loss of her entire family. Her new guardians made no move to talk to her about her loss or get her some grief counseling. I would say that Jackie was so unemotional that she was almost robotic but that's not true - because she had plenty of emotional turmoil over her feelings for her crushes, just not so much over her deceased parents and sister. The ball was really dropped here.

Secondly, it was often transparent that Boy B was doing/saying things(about his relationship with Jackie) right in front of Boy A solely to get a reaction. I didn't necessarily doubt his feelings for Jackie but there was also some serious competition with his brother and he often used his relationship with Jackie as a way to twist the knife and play one-upmanship. And it seemed that Jackie was completely oblivious to this. There were several scenes where I found myself wanted to shake some sense into her and have see what was happening right in front of her face.

Overall My Life with the Walter Boys was an entertaining read but lacked any real depth. Those looking for a lighter YA contemporary that is more romance-focused will likely enjoy this one.

3.5/5 stars

What are you reading this weekend?