Book Briefs - Page 4 of 267 - Bringing you Young Adult book reviews since 2011

{Excerpt+Giveaway} The Brightest Stars by Anna Todd

{Giveaway} THE IRON FLOWER by Laurie Forest @laurieannforest

{Review} Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

{Guest Post+Alaskan Cruise Giveaway} Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit

{Review+Giveaway} TWO DARK REIGNS by @KendareBlake

Aug 07

{Bookish News} FREE BOOKS from @StaceyMarieBrown

One Storm, Three Stories Now on ALL Platforms! Check out Stacey’s author pages on the platform of your choice to purchase! Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2t3hoYk Nook Author Page: http://bit.ly/StaceyMarieBrownBNLink iBooks Author Page: http://bit.ly/StaceyMarieBrowniBooksLink Kobo Author Page:http://bit.ly/StaceyMarieBrownKoboLink 🔥 🔥 🔥 Read the book that started the journey for FREE! Amazon Universal: http://bit.ly/2r4eFAI iBooks:http://bit.ly/AppleDarknessofLight Kobo: https://goo.gl/m1oVYU B&N: https://goo.gl/ZBQZCa 🔥 🔥 🔥 Amazon Universal: http://bit.ly/2oBoZuU iBooks: http://bit.ly/AppleBeastintheDarkness Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboBeastintheDarkness B & N: http://bit.ly/BNBeastintheDarkness 🔥 🔥 🔥 Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is Eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly. … Read more »

Keep Reading

Aug 06

{Review} Playing her Secret Crush by Casey Griffin @CGriffinAuthor

Playing her Secret Crush is a young adult contemporary romance by Casey Griffin. I have read an adult contemporary romance from Casey Griffin, called Must Love Wieners (a rescue dog romance) and it was so cute and funny. I really enjoyed it, but this was my first young adult novel I have read by her. And I am happy to report that this book was just a cute, though in a different way. Playing Her Secret Crush is a young adult best friends romance featuring best friends that love to play a role playing type of computer game together. It hit so many of the things I love to see in my young adult contemporaries- gaming, best friends romance, and the matchmaking tropes. Playing her Secret Crush is a fun read, perfect for summer time. Playing her Secret Crush is the story of best friends Katie and Alex. Katie and Alex have been best friends for years, they bonded over the illness and death of Alex’s older brother and the… Read more »

Keep Reading

Aug 05

{Review+Giveaway} Forget You, Ethan by Whitney G.

Forget you, Ethan is a new adult contemporary romance by author Whitney G. (as an aside, I guess this title has had some goodreads controversy surrounding its’ release date. I don’t know anything about that and I just heard about this book a month or so ago, so I am coming in way after all of the release date changes have happened. But since I didn’t know about any of that while I was reading the book, those events did not affect or impact my opinions on this novel.) I really enjoyed Forget You, Ethan. Whitney G is an author I have read a few times, and her writing style is always pretty funny. Forget you, Ethan is described as a “friends (to enemies) to lovers romance”, which as you probably know by now is usually a hit for me. I love a good bantering story with lots of URST, and Forget You, Ethan hit the mark for me. While it didn’t knock my socks off, it was a solidly… Read more »

Keep Reading

Aug 03

{Review+Giveaway} Step into Magic by Day Leitao

Step into Magic is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series, Portals to Whyland by author Day Leitao. I thought Step into Magic was a solid first book in the series. In some ways, it was solidly in the middle grade category,, but in other ways I did think it was a little busy for a middle grade book, but I will get more into that in a bit. Step into Magic was a fun story about our main character Karina who find a pair of magic shoes, which leads her to a magic land. I really enjoyed the story and I can’t wait to pick up the second book in the Portals to Whyland series. Karina is fourteen, and what fourteen year old girl would not love to get swept away to a magical world to go on an adventure? What I loved about Step into Magic was that I was instantly hooked with the story. There was no slow start, we got to dive right… Read more »

Keep Reading

Aug 02

{Review} The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell #devilsthief

Holy Cow, the Last Magician was utterly fantastic! The Last Magician is a young adult fantasy novel by author Lisa Maxwell. It is the story of Esta, who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. Esta uses this time traveling ability to steal magical artifacts. This aspect of the story reminded me of the show warehouse 13, which many of you know I really love! There is a small dose of romance, but the real star of this book was the plot. It took me a good 3 chapters or so to get into it, but after that I was hooked. I loved all the detail and background information we get early on. It does take some time for all of the information to build, but once it does we are off on a fast paced, intense adventure with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. The last Magician was a real winner for me! One of my favorite things about… Read more »

Keep Reading

Jul 30

${Giveaway} Emma in the Night by @Wendy_Walker$

{Giveaway} Emma in the Night by @Wendy_Walker

Praise for EMMA IN THE NIGHT “Twisty…a thriller that keeps readers guessing.” —The New York Times “In this searing psychological thriller…Walker’s portrayal of the ways in which a narcissistic, self-involved mother can affect her children deepens the plot as it builds to a shocking finale.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “A tense thriller explores the bond between sisters and family dynamics that give new meaning to the term ‘dysfunctional’…This thriller aims right for the heart and never lets go.” —Kirkus, Starred Review “Both twisted and twisty, this smart psychological thriller sets a new standard for unreliable narrators.” —Booklist, Starred Review To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win 1 of 2 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker. Open INT Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep Reading

Jul 27

${Podcast+Giveaway} One True Pairing Podcast @OTP_Pod$

{Podcast+Giveaway} One True Pairing Podcast @OTP_Pod

Pop culture, juicy romance and hilarious conversations come together in the recently Cosmopolitan featured One True Pairing podcast! Join Erica Martirano and Marissa Sangiacomo as they talk romance and revisit their favorite couples from across TV, movies, books, and pop culture. From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Ross and Rachel, this roller coaster of bad boys, break-ups, and HEAs (Happily Ever Afters) combines love, feminism, sex, and relationships with the gossip you love. And then be sure to enter the great giveaway at the end of the post. You can win an awesome bundle of romance books! Episode brief: This week Erica and Marissa have romance author (and RITA winner for Best First Book!) Alexis Daria back on for a full episode. What’s a RITA? Think Oscars, but make it Romance Novels. The crew looks at their faves in all the categories and talk a little bit about what the RITAs mean for the romance community as a whole. Listen here! Can you introduce yourselves and tell… Read more »

Keep Reading

Jul 26

{Bookish Fun} The Story Behind 18 Famous Book Covers

There are so many amazing book cover designs out there, but have you ever thought about how some of your favorites came to be? Often times, the cover designs are conceptualized two years before the books are even published. The designers work closely with editors and publishers to create a truly captivating cover that will be marketable. This sometimes conflicts with designers’ artistic vision, but they eventually settle on a design that draws readers in and propels them to buy. If you want to know more about the process, Invaluable created a really neat infographic on 18 of the most iconic book covers and the stories behind them. Check it out below!

Keep Reading

Jul 25

{Guest Post+Giveaway} #StarPassage Book 3: Honor & Mercy by @clarkrburbidge

Books that Have Significantly Influenced My Writing: There are too many to list them all. I will provide a quick list of ten for your information. I enjoy stories both true and fictional where the characters must reach inside themselves and find their greatness. Overcoming is a powerful read for me. It is the personal struggle during the challenge that makes a difference. Monsters in literature can be internal or external. But however they are constructed they are key to the story. No hero becomes such without overcoming something. It is the monsters that allow heroes to become heroes. This is true in our own lives as well. We too often see trials, challenges or disruption as overwhelming and by obsessing on our loss or the sudden change or bad luck we lose our way. But understanding that it is these very trials or personal monsters that provide us with the tools to become great changes the game. Our darkest hours then are seen in a new light as a… Read more »

Keep Reading

Jul 23

{Mini Review+Giveaway} DIVE SMACK by Demetra Brodsky

Holy Cow! That’s what I have to say about Dive Smack. Dive Smack is a young adult physiological thriller by author Demetra Brodsky, and this book totally blew my mind. It has been awhile since I have read a thriller. I have been in a big fantasy kick lately, but it was really nice to switch things up and dive into this twisty thriller that really grab s a hold of you. I don’t love to read a ton of physiological thrillers, but I am always on the lookout for a good one. One that keeps you thinking long after you turned the last page. And that is what Dive Smack was. Demetra Brodsky did a fantastic job with this debut novel! My favorite part of Dive Smack were the characters. Theo is fantastic. Watching the toll this plot takes on him and watching the plot unravel and progress was fascinating. Dive smack started out a little slow, but boy oh boy is it a novel that really builds. It just… Read more »