*Peeks From Behind Rock*

And i'm SUPER sorry i haven't been posting lately-I've been CRAZY busy! I'm currently working at my State Fair and by the time i get home i'm exhausted! Annnnd i haven't read a single book in, like, 3 weeks; that makes me want to cry. Annnd then next week i start school. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! 

But, i miss you guys. And i just wanted to tell you that you're all awesome. And i REALLY REALLY DO LOVE YOU! Tons and TONS AND TONS!! AND I hit 900 followers...which is INSANELY AMAZETASTIC!! 

I'm planning a Count-Down-to-1000 Giveaway! So keep checking back! :)

kay, byeeeeeeeeee!

Authors Are Our ROCK STARS Tour: Tahereh Mafi

Today I have the fantastic honor of hosting the brilliant mastermind behind two of the most sex-tastic and incredible fictional boys to ever exist...ever. Oh! And she also created a pretty kick-ass heroine too!

I’m talking about the one and only TAHEREH MAFI!! *CLAPS WILDLY* *CROWD ROARS* *twirls*

Tahereh Mafi is a girl

She’s 24. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Orange County, CA, where she drinks too much caffeine and finds the weather to be just a little too perfect for her taste. When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts. SHATTER ME is her first novel.

* Author Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Tumblr *
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Tahereh is one of THE FUNNIEST and NICEST authors I have ever had the privilege of talking to via the twit! Many a times she has entertained my ideas of writing more naked Adam scenes and one time...one time she said she wanted to...wait for it....SQUISH HUG ME INTO A MARSHMALLOW!! Like how freakin’ adorable is she?! Yep, pretty much I'm kinda sorta absolutely in love with her and her brain. Not ashamed. :P

Shatter Me is an absolute favorite book of mine and Unravel Me still has me at a loss for words after finishing it over 3 weeks ago. YEP. THEY ARE THAT GOOD.

Why are Tahereh’s books so bomb, you ask? Well, because she is! And because of her ability to create a plot-line that twists and bends like gnarled tree branches— stunning dialogue that splashes  you in the face with its sadness and humor— passionate scenes that spark a heat between your fingers and her scary way of writing EMOTIONAL EMOTIONS that rattle your soul. Oh and of course, there’s Adam and Warner and Juliette and Kenji—AMAZING characters you can’t help but fall madly and deeply for!

And it just so happens....one of those very, very fine characters has decided to grace us with his undeniably charismatic and striking self this fine day...

That’s right, I’m talking about the ever confusing, totally arrogant, INSANELY attractive...Warner! Check out out interview below! 
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B: Let’s start this thing off with the most burning question on every
one’s mind: boxers or briefs?

W: I don’t see how this is any of your business.

B: Ooookay, then. *Clears throat* Um...I can’t help but notice the ring you’ve got on there. It’s very lovely; does it mean something special to you? Hold any kind of significance?

W: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

B: Riiiight. Okay, so Warner, surely you know you’re very attractive. And you could quite possibly have any girl in the world. (ME! ME! ME! PICK MEE! Or Jena! :P) So why are you so intent on Juliette?

W: Pass.

B: Huh...touched a nerve there me thinks. Speaking of which, do you feel as though Adam Kent is any type of threat to you? Whether that be physically, mentally or I don’t know, like, love triangle-y?

W: Adam Kent is an idiot.

B: I have to disagree. Adam is smart and sensitive and sexy but alright, you’re obviously not a fan. I know you’re not all bad though, I’ve heard through a very reliable source that you once helped a stray animal. Have you ever considered having a pet, Warner? I hear they make great companions.

W: Who have you been talking to? Where are you getting this information?

B: I know people, who know people. So how do you feel about having your story shared with the entire world?

W: What story?

B: Umm...nothing...never mind. Ooh! What’s it like to get shot?

W: It’s wildly inconvenient.

B: I bet. Ouch. Okay, so what was your reaction when you touched Juliette for the first time and you realized she couldn’t hurt you?

W: Do you make it a habit of asking such horribly invasive questions?

B: *Flushes* Sorry, Warner...Ok, last question, so your dad…how is it working for him?

W: Pass.

Ah, very talkative, that one. :P

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Wanna learn more about Warner? Be sure to check out this novella coming out this October! 

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.~Goodreads

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tick, tick, tick, tick, tick
it's almost
time for war.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Music Monday ♫

Frank Ocean's voice is *thud* amazing.

  “I wrote a letter to          the sky sayin’      maybe one day you’ll      get to kiss me…”

“Who knew that my heart could ever bruise…”

Yep, love these songs! So what are YOU listening to this week!?! 

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Burning Blue

Author: Paul Griffin

Publisher: Dial

Pages: 288

Rating: 4 Stars! 

How far would you go for love, beauty, and jealousy?

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty.~Goodreads

As soon as I read the synopsis for Burning Blue I knew I had to check it out— seriously how awesome does it sound?!

So, I’m glad to say that the story did not disappoint! It was suspenseful and funny and a little bit frightening and I couldn’t put it down! I HAD to find out who was responsible for splashing Nicole with the acid. HAD TO!

I adored the way this story was written. It's told from Jay’s point of view but there are also glimpses into Nicole’s thoughts through her journal entries and I think that helped me as a reader be able to connect with both of them. I absolutely loved Jay and Nicole. They both have so many issues yet they’re such down to earth, nice, sympathetic, sincere people that you can’t help but like them!

Like, seriously, Nicole was amazing. She had his horrific thing happen to her and her life changed drastically but she held it together SO well. I don’t know how she stayed so strong, especially with the media covering the story and stalking her around town. Ugh. I was annoyed for her!

And then we have Jay who’s a hacker extraordinaire and basically a little detective himself, trying to solve who did this awful thing to Nicole. And he was a really good friend to her as well. Their scenes together were absolutely adorable; and even though there were plenty, I wish there would’ve been more! Every scene they were in together made me giddy! I was rooting for Jay and Nicole from the very first page!

Overall, Burning Blue is a story that’ll keep you on edge and keep you guessing. I did NOT see the ending coming AT ALL. The person that actually hurt Nicole?! TOTAL EFFIN’ SHOCK! LIKE, WHOA. ehem *zips lips* that's all i'll say..

If you’re looking for a quick, suspenseful read with a dash of romance I HIGHLY recommend Burning Blue!

Music Monday ♫

THESE. SONGS. THESE. BOYS. *THUD* That is all. ;)

What are you jammin' to this week?! Share in the comments! 

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin

Author: Jessica Khoury

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 372

Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.~Goodreads

In all honesty, the beginning of this one was a tad bit slow for me. It took me awhile to figure out all of the characters and how they were related to Pia, and it took me awhile to truly understand what was going on—but once I did, the story was too interesting to put down!

I also really couldn’t connect with Pia in the beginning. I felt that even though she was created that way, she was too perfect. Her life was SO structured in a way that was almost boring. And the other characters that surround her in Little Cambridge? Not some of my favorites. Her Uncle Paolo was an obsessive-compulsive maniac and her mother? Yikes, just yikes. But there were a few characters I liked, such as her dad, even though he was quiet and I really liked her Uncle Antonio!

The story really didn’t take off, though, until Dr. Harriet arrived. Harriet challenges and questions Pia's perfection in a way no one else ever has and that unsettles Pia a lot. Other things that unsettled Pia? The fact that Pia has to swim at this time and draw at that time, Pia has to do this task and take that test, Pia can’t go outside, Pia can’t see a map, Pia can’t know about cities. Pia is SO sheltered I actually felt sad for her.

Until she one day she’s had enough. And she sees her escape and takes it. She slips through the fence and into the jungle. And she runs into a boy. Literally—smacks right into him.

EIO. This, this is when I FELL for the story, when I met Eio. He is just so...so adorably adorable. Like, I don’t know how to explain him...he’s so...he’s just...wild. His heart is wild, his soul is wild, his hair is wild. He’s so smart and Pia is absolutely fascinated by him, um, welcome to the club girrl! He calls her Pia Bird and it’s so cute and oh my gosh he gives her this necklace and it was so cute and he takes her to see the stars and river and it was so cute and he asks and asks and asks her to stay with him in the jungle and it’s so cute and oh man. I loved him. And the Ai’oans. (the native people he lives with.) Those were the BEST scenes, when Pia was in the jungle with them. And Ami?! Oh my gosh such a little sweetie! <3 font="" nbsp="">

But Pia can’t be free forever without a cost and the ending of this book!?!? It was so fast paced and intense and violent and totally unexpected in the most awesome way. Like whoa.

Overall, Origin is a unique debut novel that captivated me with its characters and enchanted me with its setting—you should most definitely check it out this fall.

Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler

Who I Kissed

Author: Janet Gurtler

Publisher: Sourcefire Books

Rating: 4.5 Stars 

Pub Date: October 2012

She never thought a kiss could kill…
Samantha didn’t mean to hurt anyone. She was just trying to fit in...and she wanted to make Zee a little jealous after he completely ditched her for a prettier girl. So she kissed Alex. And then he died—right in her arms.
Was she really the only person in the entire school who didn’t know about his peanut allergy? Or that eating a peanut better sandwich and then kissing him would be deadly? Overnight Sam turns into the school pariah and a media sensation explodes. Consumed with guilt, abandoned by her friends, and in jeopardy of losing her swimming scholarship, she’ll have to find a way to forgive herself before anyone else will.~Goodreads.

Who I Kissed is a book filled with sorrow and hope. It's a book filled with characters that'll make your heart hurt and a storyline that is brilliantly told. Who I kissed is a book that makes you THINK about the choices you make through-out the day and how they can affect others. Small, simple things that you might find inconsequential. Like eating a peanut butter sandwich, for example.

Because that’s all Sam, the main character, did; eat a peanut butter sandwich before a party.

And it all spiraled downward from there.

Sam arrives at the party hoping to make an impression on her crush and fellow swimmer Zee, but unfortunately he’s mackin’ on someone else. Ouch. So, to try to make Zee jealous, Sam decides to kiss one of his best friends, Alex. And remember how Sam ate that pb sammich before the party? Yeah, well, Alex is SEVERELY allergic to peanuts. And oh my gosh you guys...that moment!? It felt suspended in time. From the time Sam and Alex broke their kiss to when his sister Chloe was franticly yelling for someone to call 911...it was all in slow motion, even as I was reading it. It was insane. Seriously.

When Alex dies at the hospital, Sam’s life changes drastically. She quits the swim team and hides away in her room. She’s broken and confused and sorry, so so sorry, and mortified and embarrassed and devastated and the absolute anguish she feels? Just bleeds through the pages. I felt so bad for this girl.

Only a hand full of people treat Sam with the dignity she still deserves after the incident while others are SO rude and hateful. And I just want to quick mention Casper and say “WAAAAAH!” ←whether that’s a good ‘waah’ or a bad ‘waaah,’ I’ll never tell ya! (pick up the book and you’ll find out :P)

Sam tries to deal with what happened to Alex but struggles with it on a daily basis and it takes her awhile to finally heal and accept it. She makes some major mistakes along the way but she also reaches some very important revelations; severing certain relationships and strengthening others. She goes through so much and grows so much as a character and i absolutely loved that!

Overall, Who I Kissed is an intense and amazing novel that I HIGHLY recommend.

Teaser Tuesday: The Lost Girl

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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“Do you want to kiss me?”

He nods. I lean over and kiss him. I’ve been longing to since we stopped.

     “Don’t,” he says, pulling me closer. “We can’t. This is the last”—he kisses my neck—“last time.” 

I loved. LOVED. LOVED this book...SOOO much. Words canNOT even express my adoration for The Lost Girl. It was....GAAAAH! Amazingly perfect and insanely wonderful and OH MY GOD SEAN! He is perfection and i need to marry him yesterday. That is all. 

<----Also, this. ;)

ARC CLEAR-OUT

Going Underground by Susan Vaught 

Between by Jessica Warman

Crossed by Allie Condie

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

Rock On by Denise Vega

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff 

If you’re interested in any of the above titles leave a comment saying which one(s) you’d like, and a way to contact you!  I’ll randomly pick 3 or 4 peeps to adopt them! (Depending on how many people are interested!)

US ONLY! Sorry! 

Ends August 12th.