Best I've Read is back! I'm excited to be taking part in this for the third straight year. Through out the entire week I'll be spotlighting some of my favorite reads along with hosting some giveaways. I'm not the only one featuring my favorites, myself along with Page Turners, Once Upon a Twilight, Reading Lark, Books Complete Me, Portrait of a Book, Amethyst Daydreams, A Reader's Ramblings, Cindy Thomas, YA Author, I Am A Read, Not a Writer, are all also taking part in this year's week long feature.
In addition each of our posts, don't miss all of our top favorites which will be featured on Best I've Read's blog along with giveaways! Collectively as a group we came up with our shared favorites which are being featured on the BIR blog each day. So you have numerous chances this week to win some fabulous goodies. You can check out each blog's individual schedule's here. Next week you'll have more chances to win goodies with our annual Mundie Moms Best of series.
Don't miss today's BIR2102 blog favorites: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers and Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg.
Today's Feature Favorites are: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr & Defiance by C.J. Redwine.
Released on: September 4th, 2012
In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.
All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.
From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny. - quoted from Goodreads
This book is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! As in it's my favorite Melissa Marr book yet. I loved everything about this book. The characters, their world, the romance, suspense, fight/actions scenes, the intrigue, and seriously just everything about this storyline. It's such a beautifully woven, well crafted story that is layered, and in-depth. It was so easy for me to get wrapped up into everything that was going on. It's a book that I finished it, I wanted to immediately re-read it again. When you read it, you'll know what's it's one of my favorites from 2012. You can read my gushings about Carnival of Souls here.
Thank you to Harper Teen, you can enter to win a copy of Carnival of Souls via the Harper Teen #BIR2012 giveaway prize packs. Enter here:
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To Be Released on: August 28th, 2012
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. -quoted from Harper Teen
I think I'm beginning to see a pattern with some of my favorites from this year. Many of them have a fantasy element that molds their storyline together, well that and quite a few of them are debuts. CJ's DEFIANCE is another mesmerizing debut that I fell head over heels in love with. Like Melissa Marr's book, this one was a complete package for me. Instead of picking out certain things I liked the most about the book, I ended up loving all of it. The characters, the writing, the world, etc. Everything about this book was crafted together beautifully and in a way that worked perfectly. with Rachel's story. This another one I highly recommend picking up. Check out that beautiful cover! You can read my entire review here.
Thank you to Amber from Page Turners, I have a copy of DEFIANCE to giveaway to one lucky BIR2012 reader. To enter, please fill out the form below.
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