Posts By: Giselle

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

WoW (7) – Halloween Edition, Week 4

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Waiting on Wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. 
With October upon us, my WoWs this month will feature books that would be perfect for a Halloween read.

My pick this week:

                                    Masque of the Red Death

                                    Bethany Griffin

                                    Release date: April 24, 2012

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them. 

So what does Araby Worth have to live for? Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all. But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
 
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

This reimagining of the gothic horror story by Edgar Allan Poe could not be any more perfect for my last Halloween WoW edition. Firstly, I love gothic horror stories: They’re fascinating, creepy and suspenseful – thus thoroughly enjoyable. Secondly, look at that COVER!! *faints*

This is apparently a three-book deal and I am incredibly excited for it’s release.
Bethany Griffin is also the author of the book Handcuffs that was published in 2008.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Posted by on 10/25/2011 • 25 Comments

Liesl & PoLauren OliverReleased October 4thby HarperCollins

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist’s apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable

Will’s mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

A truly magical story! Liesl & Po will open your hearts and make you reminisce on your childhood days…

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Dusty Reads (5)

Posted by on 10/25/2011 • 12 Comments

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted here, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our home shelf for some time. To participate, add your link at the bottom. If you wish, you can grab the button and find more information here.

My pick this week: The Truth About Forever Sarah Dessen Released May 1st, 2004

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She’s stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she’ll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father’s recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother’s open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish…

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Interview & Giveaway with Belle Whittington

Posted by on 10/24/2011 • 43 Comments

Belle Whittington, author of Cicada, is stopping by Xpresso Reads today to answer a few questions about her debut novel, the first in a planned trilogy. She has also generously offered an ecopy of her book for giveaway.

Before we get started on the interview, let’s take a look at Cicada: Cicada Belle Whittington Released July 14th, 2011Add to your Goodreads to-read shelf

Purchase: Amazon / Smashword / B&N

For 17-year-old Blair Reynolds and her friends, being the bearer of secrets is getting really old. But it’s something she learns to deal with, because there’s no other option. If the people in her small town ever found out what she and her friends discovered in the woods and hid in the storage room, the whole town…

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Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Posted by on 10/24/2011 • 281 Comments

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Diary of A Bookworm are hosting a huge giveaway hop. Over 400 blogs are participating which gives you an extremely good chance of winning some books! Xpresso Reads is excited to be a part it. Thanks for hopping on by!Here’s what’s up for grabs. I have picked some great books that would be perfect for a Halloween read. The winner will be able to choose any one of the following books. I’m hoping there’s at least one in here that will suit everyone’s taste.

Giveaway details:Open Internationally (as long as The Book Depository ships to you)Must be a GFC followerLeave a comment with your GFC follower name and email address to enter.

Extra entries:+1 if you follow me on Twitter @Giselleco+1…

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In My Mailbox (6)

Posted by on 10/23/2011 • 129 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I’ve  received/ purchased/ borrowed during the current week. 

How are you all doing this week? I had a pretty uneventful one, really. It’s getting cold and steady rain is kind of boring, but great for reading (glass half full, right?). So this week I suddenly got a bunch of ARCs that I had requested as well as a few author review requests, so the list is a little crazy. I’m glad the release dates are scattered or I’d never be able to get them all posted in time.  What I got for review (click on cover for Goodreads synopsis):                            I want to thank…

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Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Posted by on 10/22/2011 • 21 Comments

Vampire Academy(Vampire Academy, #1)Richelle MeadReleased August 16th, 2007by Penguin Group

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s the very place where they’re most in danger. . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires make Lissa one of them forever.

This was actually better than I expected. When I read vampire or…

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Fresh Batch (Oct 23rd-29th)

Posted by on 10/22/2011 • 6 Comments

This week’s hot releases

Fresh Batch features some of the hottest releases this upcoming week. The books to feature are exclusively chosen by Giselle.

Flavour of the week:                 

     Amplified      Tara Kelly

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she’s the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn’t think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . . In…

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