Vivid Reads

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Gratitude Giveaway Hop

The 3rd Annual Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

November 15th to 25th

For this hop I am giving away a $25 giftcard to Amazon, B&N OR The Book Depository! INT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #11: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

The Archived
by Victoria Schwab
Release Date: January 22nd 2013

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

I read a sneak-peek of The Archived from netgalley, it seems really intersting! I will be anticipating the release of this book!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Stacking the Shelves: #5

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week.

Won from Gin Bryant @ Addicted to Words

Sourse: NetGalley:

Dualed Elsie Chapman {GOODREADS}

The Dead and Buried Kim Harrington {GOODREADS}

Saturday, November 10, 2012

November 13, 2012 Book Releases

Most looking forward to:

Meant to Be
by Lauren Morrill

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.
It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Renegade by J.A. Souders {GOODREADS}

Black City by Elizabeth Richards {GOODREADS}

Reached by Ally Condie {GOODREADS}

Flawed by Kate Avelynn {GOODREADS}

Witch World by Christopher Pike {GOODREADS}

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs {GOODREADS}

Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas {GOODREADS}

Sacred by Elana K. Arnold {GOODREADS}

Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris {GOODREADS}

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Review + Giveaway: Venom by Fiona Paul

Venom
by Fiona Paul

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

"How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class. So many rules. Such restraint. You must feel like a caged bird, battering its wings against the sides of its golden prison."

I had a feeling I would really love this book, but then again I was a little doubtful because it was Historical fiction. However within forty pages I got use to the Historical elements and was really getting into it. Then by eighty pages I couldn't stop reading Venom.

Fiona Paul's writing is gorgeous. At the beginning it was detailed to the point where you can imagine the scene, but not overly descriptive where you feel like it drags. Even reading her description of it raining, I felt was sightly. But towards the end of the story it did drag on a bit, but not for long. Maybe the last fifty pages.

As for the characters, Cassandra Caravello, I don't know if she had a death wish or was one brave character. She would take walks at night in the cemetery, where she always feels she's being watched. Yet she still goes out at night alone. But that's where she runs into, literally, Falco. Nice, sexy, mysterious artist. The romance was a big part of the book, it was nice reading about them together, as a team looking for the murderer. I even liked the secondary characters.

"Your beauty lights up the dark. I could paint an entire chapel just for you. Maybe I will someday."

The mystery in Venom was okay. I didn't figure out who was the killer until the end and even then I'm not sure if it was he/she was the right killer or there was another one. Maybe he/she wasn't working alone? I don't know. The ending left me with more questions then I had through out the entire book. I guess I'll find out more in the second book.

Overall Venom was an enjoyable read, with appealing characters, great romance, wonderful writing, and a nice mystery. Historical fiction is probably one of my least favorite genre. However I'm thinking I should give this genre another chance because I really loved this book!

Rating 4/5

Since I really liked this book I am going to be giving away one finished copy to one winner. INTERNATIONAL as long as the Book Depository ships to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #10: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Opal
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release date: December 11th 2012

No one is like Daemon Black.When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

One more month! Can't wait.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Cover reveal: Pieces by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Pieces
by Michelle Davidson Argyle
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
Release Date: February 14th, 2013

Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her … until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie—in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him. Pieces is a companion to The Breakaway and can be read independently, if desired.

AUTHOR BIO

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.