Blogoversary Giveaway: Girl Plus Books Turns 2!

Confession time: 

I totally forgot my blogoversary (blogoversary? blogiversery? who knows - it's a made up word so we can spell it any way we want) until I saw it mentioned by Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction. Oops! How did that slip past me? Apparently quite easily because I forgot it last year, too. :)

It's not getting skipped this year, though! I'm proud of the last two years. I love the friends I've made in the book community. I appreciate the comments and the conversations. I love my little corner of the interwebs. So to say thank you - for the followers, for the comments, for the friendships, for the support, for the recommendations, for the shared love of books and reading - I'm having a giveaway!

Before I go, just know that you're appreciated. I appreciate you reading my posts. I appreciate your comments - when you agree with something I've said and when you offer a differing opinion. I appreciate those of you who have answered my questions along the way. And those of you who have become friends that I keep in touch with.

And now for the good stuff!

(Please review my giveaway policy before entering.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday (on a Thursday): Authors I've Met (and The One I Want to Meet)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

I was super excited for this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic but I was swamped all day and just didn't have the time to post. So, even though it's Thursday, and even though I'm two days late, I'm playing anyway. :)

I love having the opportunity to meet favorite authors. I mean, authors are my rock stars. So, being able to meet them, to have a few minutes of one on one conversation (about books or about anything at all), is pretty awesome and never gets old. Disclaimer: I'm not playing by the rules (again) this week. I couldn't narrow it down to 10 so I quit trying. 

Corinne Michaels | Harper Sloan | Alessandra Torre | T.M. Frazier

I met all of these lovely ladies at Sassy in Savannah in 2015. I actually went with the express purpose of seeing only two authors (Krista and Becca Ritchie) but because so many others would be in attendance I took advantage of the opportunity to get lots of books signed and meet many authors who were so kind and so friendly. (Not pictured but also met at that event: Natasha Boyd, Aurora Rose Reynolds, Leddy Harper, Seth King, and Aly Martinez.) 

Lauren Oliver | Gayle Forman

YallFest (2014) was the first *big* author event I went to and is still one of my favorites. There were a few signings happening the day before the real deal and that's when I was able to meet both Lauren Oliver and Gayle Forman. Gayle was so friendly and when I told her that my husband had also read If I Stay, she signed the book to both of us. :)

Diana Gabaldon | Tracey Garvis Graves

I can't be sure, but Diana Gabaldon might have been the first author I ever met. This was waaay back in 2001 or 2002 when she was touring to promote The Fiery Cross. I was still fairly obsessed with the series at that point so meeting her was pretty epic. Tracey Garvis Graves is still one of my favorite author meetings. She was having a signing at a small local independent bookstore (in 2013, I think) and my sister and I went together. The turnout wasn't huge so it was almost like hanging out with a friend. :) Tracey talked, answered questions, signed books... it was just such a fun, relaxed event. And what's most impressive, to this day she still remembers me, asks about my sister and we've actually talked/joked about meeting up for wine and dessert the next time she's in town. 

 

 

K.A. Tucker | Cora Carmack | Rebecca Donovan | Molly McAdams

ApollyCon 2016 was an amazing event! So. Many. Authors. It was a book lover's dream. I loved getting to meet K.A. Tucker. I had the review I'd posted as part of the blog tour for He Will Be My Ruin and asked her to sign it. She took a look at it, said she remembered it and was able to quote part of it back to me. Um, wow. Cora Carmack... what an awesome person! I just adored her sparkling personality. She's the kind of person you just know you could be best friends with. :) Rebecca Donovan was sweet and kind and, it must be said, absolutely stunning in person! Molly McAdams was so great to talk to. I had just recently taken part in the blog tour for To the Stars and she was sweet enough to sign my review. And, as with K.A. Tucker, with a glance she remembered reading it and was able to talk about points I'd mentioned in the review. I was so taken aback (and excited!) by that.

Sarah J. Maas | Abbi Glines | Katie McGarry

Confession time: At the time I met SJM, I wasn't even really a fan. I had *just* started Throne of Glass (actually, my bookmark was in the book she signed and I told her not to lose my place LOL) so I wasn't even halfway through my first book by her. But I was like, oh cool, I'm reading her book and she's here, I'll get it signed. Little did I know what was to come a couple years later (hello ACOTAR and ACOMAF!). I've mentioned before that the Rosemary Beach series by Abbi Glines is my book crack. I inhale those books. And when I learned that she was attending a book event close by I couldn't miss it. I had something of a fangirl moment when she came and sat down next to me while waiting for the conference room she was using to open and we chatted until she went in to set up. Definitely an author meeting highlight! :) When it comes to YA contemporary, Katie McGarry is my #1. So I was thrilled to meet her at ApollyCon last year. She is so incredibly down to earth, so genuine and I felt like I could have pulled up a chair and talked to her all day. I would truly love to meet Katie again.

Krista & Becca Ritchie

I've had the pleasure of meeting these amazing, talented, funny, gifted young women twice now and I just adore them. They write my favorite NA contemporary series (you might have seen me mention the Addicted series a time or fifty?) and having the chance to spend some time with them is such a blast. I first met them in Savannah in 2015 and met them again last year when they were at an event right here in my city. Both times they met up with a few readers for dinner after the event and it was amazing to just sit back and chat about anything and everything (book related or not). I should also mention that their mom happened to be at both events and Gina is an incredible lady who is so supportive of their career.

 

Jennifer L. Armentrout

My love for Jennifer Armentrout has no end. I adore her and her incredible story telling. I mean, the woman created Daemon Black. LOL She has given me sooo many hours of entertainment and escape and enjoyment. Her books are so addictive and she is one of my *very few* auto-buy authors. She's also funny and friendly and so genuine. Each time I've met her she's taken the time for a bit of personal conversation, making a quick connection, and I love that about her. 

Now on to The One I Want to Meet...

I've been lucky to meet all of my favorite authors... except one. Colleen Hoover. It's just never worked out. But one day it will happen. I'm coming for you, Colleen! :)

Have you met your favorite author?  

Surprise Announcement & Cover Reveal! ALL CLOSED OFF by Cora Carmack!

   

I really love Cora Carmack. And I really, really love her Rusk University series. It feels like I've been waiting for All Closed Off (Stella's story) for a looong time - and it's finally almost here! I'm so excited for its release and so excited to be taking part in sharing the announcement for the cover and release date! Read on, friends, and learn more about All Closed Off!

From New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack, comes the highly anticipated fourth standalone title in her Rusk University Series, ALL CLOSED OFF! A passionate story and journey, get ready to be mesmerized with Stella’s story! ALL CLOSED OFF is coming your way May 1, 2017!

 

Cover Design and Photography by Kelsey Kukal-Keeton at K. Keeton Designs

ABOUT ALL CLOSED OFF 

(Releasing May 1, 2017):

Stella Santos is fine.

Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even know her, but hate her all the same.

But none of that matters because she’s just fine.

For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.

When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.

Vulnerable.

   

 

✦Add it to your Goodreads ✦

   

 

Don’t Miss All of Cora’s Standalone 

Rusk University Series Titles!

 

ALL LINED UP

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

ALL BROKE DOWN

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

ALL PLAYED OUT 

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twentysomething New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twentysomething characters. Raised in a small Texas town, she now lives in New York City and spends her time writing, traveling, and marathoning various TV shows on Netflix. She lives by one rule: embrace whatever the world throws at you and run with it (just not with scissors).   
       

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Cora Carmack Goodreads

   

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Angsty Romances

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at GingerReadsLainey.

Click HERE for a complete list of participants and future topics.

I was so excited when I saw that this week's T5W theme was favorite angsty romances. Because I am ALL ABOUT the angsty romance. Bring. It. On. I think for some people, angst has a kind of negative connotation but not so for me. Give me a book where the main characters are tortured souls with tragic backgrounds. Give me a story where there's every obstacle imaginable keeping the lovers apart. Give me heartbreak and heartache. Does that make me a glutton for punishment? Maybe, but I'm also one happy reader. So here are some of my favorite angtsy romances/couples. 

THE BRONZE HORSEMAN

Paullina Simons

The Bronze Horseman takes the gold medal in angst. I mean, come on, when the story starts Alexander is dating Tatiana's sister. How's that for some angst? Then there's that pesky war keeping them apart. Much angst ensues.

MAYBE SOMEDAY

Colleen Hoover

When I started this list, four of the five picks were from Colleen Hoover. I practically had to flip a coin to choose just one. I ended up going with the first CoHo book I ever read. The angst-filled relationship between Sydney and Ridge in Maybe Someday had me in pieces, desperate for some kind of happy ending. Many tears were shed.

ADDICTED TO YOU

Krista & Becca Ritchie

I don't consider the Addicted series as a whole to be particularly angsty. But that first book, when Lily and Lo were deep into their addictions and struggling daily - yeah, that was pretty angsty. They were each other's crutch but also one another's salvation. The ending of this one tore me up. 

FALL TOO FAR

Abbi Glines

I'm a sucker for the Rosemary Beach series. Seriously, it's my book crack. And it all started with Blaire and Rush. He's the son of the woman her father has just married. She's a simple girl from Alabama. He's a rock star's son. Angst and drama, drama and angst. I ate it up like candy.  

WAIT FOR YOU

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cam and Avery's relationship was a rocky one with plenty of obstacles. Cam's past, Avery's past, misunderstandings. Their road to happiness was hard fought and no two people deserved it more. I loved this angsty love story.

How do you feel about angsty romance?
Love it or hate it?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ones I Flew Through

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday Theme:

Books I Read in One Sitting

Um, yeah, I don't think that's ever happened. Ever. So I'm going to put my own twist on this week's theme and share the books that I read super fast. The ones that were so unputdownable that I flew through them. Also, I'm sharing twelve not ten. Just because I can.

Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker
This was the first book I read from Tucker and I could hardly put it down.
Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
Rowell's books are just so incredibly readable. I was completely charmed by Attachments and gobbled it up.
Trust in Me - Jennifer L. Armentrout
For some reason reading from Cam's POV had me flying through this one.
Scorched - Jennifer L. Armentrout
I don't know if I was just in the right mood for this one or if it was the story but I inhaled this one by Armentrout. I wish it got more attention.
The Summer I Found You - Jolene Perry
I feel like I mention this one a lot but that's because it made such a huge impression on me. I simply couldn't put it down and I think I read it in one day.
Something Like Normal - Trish Doller
Oh, this book. Travis's story hurt my heart and I just kept reading because I was desperate for him to find his footing again.
Faking It - Cora Carmack
I feel like I rarely mention Cora Carmack even though she's a favorite. I love her Losing It series and adore the Rusk University series. Faking It is my fave from the Losing It series and I flew through it.
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
To be honest, I'm not really a fan of John Green's writing, but TFiOS was somehow an exception and I found myself practicall speed reading it because I had to know how it ended. *grabs tissue and curses John Green*
When I'm Gone - Abbi Glines
Abbi Glines is another author that I feel I don't mention much but I basically inhale everything she writes. Granted, her books are rarely lengthy, but even so, I fly through them.
One True Loves - Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was one of my favorite books of 2016 and I was hooked from the very first page. I practically devoured this emotional story (and still wanted more).
Kill Devil Hills - Sarah Darlington
I was so invested in this story. Georgie was relatable and Noah was perfection. (Also, at just over 200 pages it was easy to speed through this one.)
Easy - Tammara Webber
Another favorite that, for some reason, I rarely mention. I fell head over heels for Lucas and Jacqueline and I basically inhaled their story. 

Have you ever read a book in one sitting?  

The Sunday Post #48

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 info here:

Sunday Post Meme

Apparently Mother Nature grew very tired of my moaning about the lack of winter. She gifted me with two days of record-breaking cold this past week. So, Florida winter... check. I do believe that's all we're going to get. So yeah, thanks for that.

Yesterday The Husband and I were at the SEC Gymnastics Championship. I've always loved women's gymnastics and when I heard the Championship was being held here this year I nabbed our tickets immediately. We stayed for both sessions (which meant we were there for 6+ hours) but it was so great to see. Florida was the reigning champ but sadly they came in second this year. The ladies from LSU were killing it on every event - so Geaux Tigers! 

 

Tuesday, March 14

Top Ten Tuesday:

Books on My Spring TBR

Wednesday, March 15 

#ShelfLove Quarterly Topic (March):
Oldest Unread Books on My Shelf

   

FINISHED:

Eleanor & Park (Audio Re-Read) - Rainbow Rowell

The Elite (The Selection #2) - Kiera Cass

The Guard (The Selection #2.5) - Kiera Cass

CURRENT: 

The Upside of Unrequited - Becky Albertalli

Written in Red (AUDIO) - Anne Bishop

FOR REVIEW:

I was ridiculously excited to get approved for this one

 since Abbi Glines is a long-time favorite.

After the Game (The Field Party #3) - Abbi Glines

 

How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 

You know I want to hear about it! :)