Saturday, November 30, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #47

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews, where you can showcase the books and goodies you bought, borrowed, won, downloaded, received, etc...





Bought:
The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
It finally arrived! Already read it (duh) and a review will soon be up on the blog.

Bought: 
Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
This book is based on Poe's poem Annabel so I really wanted to get it. Can't wait to read it!


Bought:
Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
I love retellings and I've had my eye on this one for a while so I finally did it and bought the book.

Bought:
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
Another awesome looking book I bought. Such a great cover!

Won:
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I won this book in a giveaway from Bieke @ Istyria book blog. Yay! 




What books did you all receive?
Leave me links to your hauls!




Best of the Bunch ~ November 2013

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read in that month and give it our Best of the Bunch award.




November Reads:


Lycan Unleashed by Tiffany Allee ~ 2 Stars ~ My Review
Haunted Halloween by Breena Wilde ~ 4 Stars
Begin With Goodbye Vol 1 by Lilly Wright ~ 4 Stars 


Ghost Writer by Nick Wissemen ~ 2 Stars
Time Trick by Nick Wissemen ~ 1 Star


Begin With Goodbye Vol 2 by Lilly Wright ~ 4 Stars
Pastels & Jingle Bells by Christine S. Feldman ~ 5 Stars ~ My Review
Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley ~ 3 Stars ~ My Review


Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ 5 Stars ~ My Review
Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ 4 Stars ~ My Review
Wants of an Incubus by Ashley Hill ~ 3 Stars ~ My Review


Hope(less) by Melissa Haag ~ 1 Star ~ My Review
The Protestant Reformation by Robert Freeman ~ 5 Stars ~ My Review
The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead ~ 5 Stars ~ Review to come!



Terra by Gretchen Powell ~ 5 Stars ~ Review to come!







And the Best of the Bunch winner of November 2013 is...



The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead
Paperback, 420 pages
Published November 19th 2013 by Penguin
WHEN PULSES QUICKEN NO SECRET IS SAFE.

Sydney always believed that alchemists were born to protect vampire secrets and human lives - until she met Marcus and turned her back on everything she once knew.

But she's not free yet. When her sister Zoe arrives, Sydney can only tell her half-truths about her past. And with every word she risks exposure - and the fatal consequences.

Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney must choose her path once and for all. Even if that means harnessing her magical powers to destroy the way of life she was raised to defend...




No surpise that The Fiery Heart was my favorite book of the month. It was amazing but kinda heartbreaking too. 
My review will soon be up on the blog. :)


Honorable mentions go to:

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
If I hadn't read The Fiery Heart already I probably would've picked Origin as the best of the bunch winner. It was fantastic!

Terra by Gretchen Powell
This book came as a huge surprise. Such a great story!




What was the best book you read this month?
Leave me links to your Best of the Bunch post if you participate in it.


Friday, November 29, 2013

Review: The Protestant Reformation: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman

Title: The Protestant Reformation: The Best One-Hour History
Author: Robert Freeman
Publication: September 19th 2013 by Kendall Lane Publishers/Smith Publicity
Genre: Nonfiction | History
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Cover Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5/5 

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.



The Protestant Reformation looks at one of the greatest upheavals of the Western world. It starts with the context of the time and the provocation of Indulgences. It goes on to explain Luther’s “protest,” its theological implications, how the protest escalated, and the Catholic Church’s response. It concludes with an analysis of how the Reformation helped launch the modern age. The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each volume provides a clear and concise account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a well-grounded understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.


~My Thoughts:

The Protestant Reformation is the second one in this nonfction One-Hour History books that I've read. I first read and reviewed The Renaissance and simply loved it. So when they asked me if I wanted to review more I said yes, of course and asked for this one and The Scientific Revolution, which I should be reading soon.

Now I might not know a lot about this topic, though things like this have always intrigued me, I did like knowing and learning more. I especially liked the bit towards the end about Holland and Belgium, since duh, I live in Belgium. I didn't know these things so once again I have learned some new interesting things. And I agree that without Luther we probably wouldn't have our modern world like it is now.

The things I like about these One-Hour History books is how much information Robert Freeman gives us, yet it can be read in less than an hour. It amazes me. And the author is obviously very skilled at these kind of things. I love it. And though there's a lot of information, it's not like it gets boring. Not for me anyway, I love nonfictions like this. 


All in all, The Protestant Reformation is very intriguing One-Hour History written and told in a interesting, quick and informative way. I would recommend this to anyone interesting in this topic or just anyone who loves learning more about history. Another five stars absolutely earned!

Also I must say that I'm very excited for the upcoming titles: Ancient Greece, Rome and The Middle Ages. Those three are in my top ten of favorite historical eras!







About The Author:
Robert Freeman teaches the Modern European History AP course at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. His classes are among the highest performing in the nation on the annual College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Modern European History. >br/>
He is formerly Vice President of International Marketing at Sybase and the founder of the national non-profit, One Dollar For Life. He holds a B.S. Degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.




Author Interview with Carys Jones!

Hi everyone!
I have interviewed the awesome Carys Jones, author of Sunkissed. Check out the interview here!
I must say that I really liked her answers, especially the last one. So cute!






Stephanie
Carys


Hi Carys, thanks for joining me here on Bookfever for this author interview.

Thank you for having me : )


Since you’re a new author to me, can you tell us a little bit about your books?

Well my latest book, Sunkissed, is a YA paranormal vampire romance with a twist. I basically took all the elements that I love from the vampire myth and put a spin on it to make the story my own.


What three books would you recommend to my blog readers?

I’d recommend The Fault in Our Stars by John Green as it is simply amazing and arguably the best YA book I’ve read this year.
Also, Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist as it’s a really unusual vampire story which is really powerful and poignant.
Finally, Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews as it is beautifully written and incredibly haunting.


What do you think makes a good story?

I think the key to a good story is having strong characters who you believe in. You need to root for them and care about what happens to them else the story loses its meaning.


  If you could jump into any book and live in that world. Which book would it be?

Any of the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe series. I’d love to have my own Narnia through my wardrobe to escape to.


 Tell us why we should read your novel(s) in one or two sentences.

Sunkissed will excite, terrify and defy you. It’s a vampire story unlike any you’ve read before.


 Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I’d love to meet Leonardo DiCaprio as he’s been my favorite actor since I was about 12 and first saw Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet! I’d go crazy if I met him as I’ve idolized him for so long


Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

John Green is easily one of my favorite authors. I love his writing style, it is refreshingly honest. He’s doesn’t gloss over the pain of heartache or loss and he perfectly captures the conflicting emotions you feel during your teenage years of being both infinite and fragile as you try and figure out who you are. His books never disappoint and always have me hooked.


 Is there anything else you’d like to share?

While I’ve been answering these questions my dog has been fast asleep on me snoring! At one point he hit the keyboard for a bit as he dreamed so think he was trying to contribute somehow…


Thanks again, Carys!

Anytime xx




So that was the interview. If you enjoyed getting to know Carys a bit you should definitely check out her book, Sunkissed. 
Here's a little more info about the book.



Sunkissed by Carys Jones
Published August 25th 2013 by Kellan Publishing


Dawn Summers is dying. It’s 1853 and as the seventeen year old continues to fade away she has visions of the father she never knew, urging her to fight for her life.

In the small village of Fandova the only medical care is in the form of the mysterious Dr. Moralus who has a known penchant for bloodletting. Thomas, Dawn's fiancĂ©, is warned against inviting his intervention, but feels he has no choice, he pleads with the doctor to save Dawn’s life…whatever it takes.

Whatever it ‘takes’ has some consequences neither of them expected. Now, it’s a hunt to the death, with both Dawn and Thomas determined to win.





About the author:



Carys Jones was born in Shropshire, England. She displayed a passion for writing from a young age, spending her time creating short stories and poems. Carys later went on to study Creative Writing at University level. Her first book, Not All Stars Sparkle, was released in October 2010 and was a finalist for The People's Book Prize 2013.

Her second novel, Sunkissed, was released in Autumn 2013.

For more information about Carys please visit www.carys-jones.com







So what did you think about the interview? 
Do you have a favorite question/answer? Let me know in the comment section!




Thursday, November 28, 2013

Throwback Thursday #13: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

Throwback Thursday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by me and Christina @ Booksane where we feature books that we've read in the past but are still crazy about. It could be a book you read as a child and still remember and love or maybe just a book that you haven't read in a long time and want to show your love for.
Each week we'll be featuring a new random question to answer!



My Throwback pick of the week:


The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl #3) by Eoin Colfer
Paperback, 352 pages
Published April 6th 2006 by Puffin (first published 2003)


Artemis Fowl is attempting to go straight. But there's always time for one last job.

Artemis Fowl had created the most powerful new supercomputer known to man - using stolen technology from an elite race of underground fairies.

And when the computer falls into the hands of an IT billionaire with a shady past and alleged mob connections, Artemis is in deep trouble. The consequences for humans and fairies alike are deadly. Only one person, well, fairy, can help him now.

If only Artemis Fowl wasn't the fairies' public enemy number one...



Yes, yes, another Eoin Colfer book. Get ready because there's like five more to go. Just like the other books in this series this one was killer. I really feel like a re-read is in order very soon because honestly, I can barely remember what happened in them except for a few details here and there.



Quote from The Eternity Code:
"And one more thing. About my name — Artemis — you were right. In London, it is generally a female name, after the Greek goddess of archery. But every now and then a male comes along with such a talent for hunting that he earns the right to use the name. I am that male. Artemis the hunter. I hunted you."
Hell yeah! Nobody fucks with Artemis Fowl!




Question of this week:

What is the latest book you have bought?


Tricky, tricky... I order the most of my books online so I'll have to with the last book that I arrived in the mail. Which is...

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey


I had my eyes on this book for months but never came around to actually buying it until now. First of all, the cover is really special. I love it and second, it's based on Poe's Annabel Lee poem! I'm very excited to read it.



 How about you?
Answer in the comment section!

--

If you'd like to participate in Throwback Thursday you can add your post to the linky below. Feel free to add a favorite quote of the book you're spotlighting as well in your post. :)












Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.




My WOW pick of this week:


White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Expected publication: February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.




I'm so excited for this new series. It's Jennifer L. Armentrout, that says enough, right? ^^




What's your WOW pick of the week?
Leave me links to your post in the comment section!


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Am Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that features a new topic each week where we have to put down our top ten of it.




This week's topic:
Top Ten Authors I Am Thankful For


~In no particular order~












































I could probably go on and on picking authors that I am thankful for but these ten definitely rock!
They are all super nice and super awesome writers. You should all definitely check out their books!




What's your top ten?
Leave me links to your posts!