REVIEWER'S DIARY #2
Welcome to our Reviewer's Diary post! A roundup of all the happenings on our blog in the last month, as well as other news and tidbits we heard elsewhere in the book blogging community.
You can also see which titles we read, and those we bought or received for review in the last 30 days.
Also, we'll be sharing with you our favourite reads of the month (tough, tough decisions!) and what we're most looking forward to being released next month.
Keep scrolling for book news, cover releases and much more!
- We posted a most excellent cover reveal and giveaway for Mythology: The Wicked by Helen Boswell here.
- We did another yummy cover reveal for Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout here.
- A cover reveal AND giveaway for L.M. Augustine's Two Roads here.
- Janice took part in the Nature of Cruelty by L.H. Cosway blog tour and wrote a fabulous review and posted an excerpt and giveaway here.
- And my favourite thing we did: An exclusive early joint review for The Thing About Weres by Leigh Evans which you can find here AND a Q&A sesh which is here.
- And as usual we did lots of lovely book reviews which is, of course, what we're all about here at TDL. Check out the slider at the top for our most recent posts.
A roundup of the stories that caught our eye elsewhere in the booky community.
News:
Mortal Instruments Trailers! Count them 1, 2, 3!L: Can I share a little secret with you? I kind of hate the MI books with the fiery passion of a thousand suns and want them to die a slow and painful death (Shh! Don't tell anyone!). But I'm still an open-minded, spongelike vessel where the movie is concerned because I think the idea behind the series was good and may well translate better to the big screen than it did to the books. For me, anyway. I can't speak for Janice.
Hey, Janice, are you an MI fan?
J: The Mortal Instruments (and its prequel series, The Infernal Devices) is definitely one of those series readers either love or hate, or at least that's my impression based on reviews I've seen. Personally, I enjoyed TMI but I don't feel a burning need to have the next book in my hands RIGHT NOW. I looooooooved the prequel series though, and I am looking forward to seeing City of Bones on the big screen.
News from Nalini Singh about her next Psy-Changeling book!
From author Nalini Singh:
And as promised, I have the name of the hero of Psy-Changeling #13 for you. The heroine is a new character so I'll share further information about her once I'm deeper into writing the book and have gotten to know her a little more.
Ready? Here he is : VASIC
As you can guess, this book will be tightly connected with the events of Heart of Obsidian. More info to come after I complete a solid draft.
Update on a TDL favourite: The Experiment in Terror series
From author Karina Halle:
L: I'm not even sad we have to wait if it means a full-length book instead of a novella for Ada.
J: I know, right?! Anything to do with EIT makes me happy dance, but this, THIS is all amazing news and I am so excited! Can't wait! :)
L: I really enjoyed this article from NYT. I'm a huge audiobook fan and as such I constantly have these actors in my head. This got me to wondering about the audiobook making process. Especially how they get the character voices just right and the sequencing—do they drop the dialogue in afterwards or do they keep switching voices? Stuff like that. The lady in the video (click link above), Gabra Zackman, is one of my favourite narrators. It's so nice to put a face to the voice!
Tempt the Stars sample chapters released!
From author Thea Harrison:
L: I really loved the first couple of books in the Elder Races series. I struggled with the last one I read so I've been on a bit of a break, but it's good to know the series is still going strong. Strong enough to warrant 9 books, apparently!
Well as the excitement over Come Alive calms down a bit, I thought I'd share a few things right here: -1- I'll be sharing a selection of Come Alive scenes from Perry's POV in August -2- There will be no Little Fifteen in August but there will be the Ada Palomino series in 2104 -3- I have a lot of signed EIT paperbacks to give away, so keep your eyes peeled - 4 - As most of you know, Ashes to Ashes is back to our beloved Perry's POV (I missed her!) and Dust to Dust, the last book, is told in a dual POV with her and Dex. That's all for now!
L: I'm not even sad we have to wait if it means a full-length book instead of a novella for Ada.
J: I know, right?! Anything to do with EIT makes me happy dance, but this, THIS is all amazing news and I am so excited! Can't wait! :)
NYT article about audiobook actors!
Actors Today Don’t Just Read for the Part. Reading IS the Part.
L: I really enjoyed this article from NYT. I'm a huge audiobook fan and as such I constantly have these actors in my head. This got me to wondering about the audiobook making process. Especially how they get the character voices just right and the sequencing—do they drop the dialogue in afterwards or do they keep switching voices? Stuff like that. The lady in the video (click link above), Gabra Zackman, is one of my favourite narrators. It's so nice to put a face to the voice!
L: Another one of my most favouritest series ever—one with increasingly long gaps between instalments, but don't even get me started on that—is Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series which has a new release set for September. In anticipation of that, KC has ever so kindly released some sample chapters of the next book, Tempt the Stars. So far, I've been able to resist peeking—I prefer to savour it all at once—but if your willpower isn't as good as mine, have at it!
J: Now see, this news doesn't do much for me. I am a HUGE fan of Karen Chance's Dorina Basarab series, but I sorta lost interest in her Cassie Palmer series. It became too much of a convoluted mess for my taste and I really didn't like the way Mircea was sidelined (something he most definitely isn't in the Dorina books). Plus, Dorina just plain kicks butt, and you know how much I love my kick-butt characters! I've still got the Cassie books on my TBR list, though, and I do plan to catch up on them....eventually.
J: Now see, this news doesn't do much for me. I am a HUGE fan of Karen Chance's Dorina Basarab series, but I sorta lost interest in her Cassie Palmer series. It became too much of a convoluted mess for my taste and I really didn't like the way Mircea was sidelined (something he most definitely isn't in the Dorina books). Plus, Dorina just plain kicks butt, and you know how much I love my kick-butt characters! I've still got the Cassie books on my TBR list, though, and I do plan to catch up on them....eventually.
Elder Races news!
From author Thea Harrison:
Big news!
Berkley has bought books 7, 8 and 9 in the Elder Races series!
*throws confetti*
Book 7 is going to be Graydon’s story, which will be scheduled for release in 2014.
L: I really loved the first couple of books in the Elder Races series. I struggled with the last one I read so I've been on a bit of a break, but it's good to know the series is still going strong. Strong enough to warrant 9 books, apparently!
Goodreads tells us why we abandon books!
L: And which books in particular get abandoned most often. Should I pretend to be shocked Fifty Shades is on there or...nah.
Read the article (all the way through, or not) for yourself here.
Excerpt for Wrong Ways Down!
L: And which books in particular get abandoned most often. Should I pretend to be shocked Fifty Shades is on there or...nah.
Read the article (all the way through, or not) for yourself here.
Excerpt for Wrong Ways Down!
J: As a newly-minted Terrible girl and overnight Kane/Downside fanatic, this news fills me with such ridiculous amounts of joy, I might actually burst from it. Soooooooo much love for these books!
Actor confirmed to play Jamie Fraser!
L: Sam Heughan just appeared on my radar out of nowhere as the man who will be taking on the inordinately difficult task of embodying all that is James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Fraser on the small screen for the upcoming TV show. If you don't know who that is or haven't heard of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, well... I can't help you. EVERYONE should have read it. It's THE LAW! Or something.
Of course, as soon as his face was revealed fans were complaining that he wasn't "their Jamie" and saying things like "he doesn't even have red hair!". Really, people? To which Heughan responded with a picture of himself having just dyed his hair red. I think I love him already.
J: YES. IT IS THE LAW!
A little some'n' some'n' else that's headed to a screen near you (a big silver one this time) is Jennifer L. Armentrout's Obsidian! I am so excited for this. It will naturally attract haters who will compare it to Twilight and bash it to pieces, but I freakin' love the characters from it and hope they get someone really charismatic to play Katy because she rocks so hard!
The Problem With Promises news!
L: The cover and blurb for The Problem With Promises by Leigh Evans were revealed and I love them both! This is one of my fave UFs right now and this cover? Can you say Badass?
Blurb:
And finally...we're amazeballs!
L: Well, kinda.
Janice and I were so super exited to each get an email from Goodreads this month telling us we were in the top 1% of reviewers! That's out of their 20 million-strong membership, of course. I was all, "Yeah baby, I'm the shizam fodizzle, yo. Watch me dance!" Until I realised 1% of 20 million people is still 200K, and while that's still good, it suddenly didn't seem like quite as big of a deal. But, hey, it was fun while it lasted.
Lynsey:
Lynsey's pick:
Janice: Hands down, my reading pick of the month is City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane. I know it's not a new release or anything, but I fell hard and fast for this series the moment I started it, and City of Ghosts was so mind-blowingly good, I simply have to give it my number one spot. I also loved the heck out of Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh and was darned impressed by Mia Marshall's Elements series. But yeah, top honors definitely go to CoG.
Janice's pick:
All of the yummy books (including Kindle Freebies we will probably never read) that we bought in July.
Malice In Wonderland: The Dulcie O'Neil Series,
Mallory, H.P.
Janice:
Do you know why you only bought one book this month, Lynsey? Because I bought enough for both of us! I went on a crazy buying spree this month, as evidenced by my list....0_o
Books we received from Netgalley and Edelweiss and direct author/publisher requests we accepted.
There are lots of lovely books coming out next month. Check out our New Releases post for the full list from our preferred genres. But here are some that deserve a special mention:
See you all next month!
NEVER MAKE A PROMISE…
Robson Trowbridge, the Alpha of Creemore and my gorgeous mate, tries to protect me, Hedi Peacock, half-Fae, half-were, from all the trouble I get into. The thing is, my past is pretty messy and bad guys keep knocking down my door. Witches, thug bikers, the North American Council of Weres, dark magic Fae, and even an evil wizard are all after me. The Old Mage is the only one I really care about: He has my dear twin brother captive on the other side of the Gates of Merenwyn—not cool. So my alpha love is helping me to keep my promise to free my brother…
YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP
Unfortunately, everyone who helps me ends up in a heap of trouble too—including my Trowbridge. Now, I admit I’ve had my moments as a shivering coward, hoping he will come to my brave rescue. The whole Prince Charming thing is hard to shake. But these bad guys after me mean business and those damsel in distress days are over. You know that “last straw” metaphor? That was two straws ago. It’s now or never. Again…J: Badass? Try BADASS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (because the awesomeness this book is going to be deserves all the capital letters and exclamation points we can give it)
And finally...we're amazeballs!
L: Well, kinda.
Janice and I were so super exited to each get an email from Goodreads this month telling us we were in the top 1% of reviewers! That's out of their 20 million-strong membership, of course. I was all, "Yeah baby, I'm the shizam fodizzle, yo. Watch me dance!" Until I realised 1% of 20 million people is still 200K, and while that's still good, it suddenly didn't seem like quite as big of a deal. But, hey, it was fun while it lasted.
Everything we read in July.
Lynsey:
Janice:
Lynsey:
Do you know—and this surprises even me—the pick of the month for me in July was not only a debut book and brand spanking new author, but it was also kinda, sorta a new genre for me to dabble in : Sci-fi Romance. My pick, therefore, is Sky's End by Lesley Young, and if I ever get a freakin' minute to myself any time soon, I can't wait to write my review to tell you exactly why that was.
Lynsey's pick:
Janice: Hands down, my reading pick of the month is City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane. I know it's not a new release or anything, but I fell hard and fast for this series the moment I started it, and City of Ghosts was so mind-blowingly good, I simply have to give it my number one spot. I also loved the heck out of Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh and was darned impressed by Mia Marshall's Elements series. But yeah, top honors definitely go to CoG.
Janice's pick:
All of the yummy books (including Kindle Freebies we will probably never read) that we bought in July.
Lynsey:
I was so good! Only bought one!
Mallory, H.P.
Do you know why you only bought one book this month, Lynsey? Because I bought enough for both of us! I went on a crazy buying spree this month, as evidenced by my list....0_o
Books we received from Netgalley and Edelweiss and direct author/publisher requests we accepted.
Lynsey:
Highlander Betrayed
Guardians of the Targe
Laurin Wittig
Stone Guardian (Entwined Realms)
Danielle Monsch
My Lady Quicksilver
Bec McMaster
Sky's End
Lesley Young
Elysian Fields
Suzanne Johnson
Janice:
Slumber
Tamara Blake
Sky's End
Lesley Young
Bleeding Hearts & Blood Rush (Demimonde #1 & 2)
Ash Krafton
There are lots of lovely books coming out next month. Check out our New Releases post for the full list from our preferred genres. But here are some that deserve a special mention:
Along Came a Spider by Kate SeRine (#3 in Transplanted Tales)
Biting Bad by Chloe Neill (#8 in Chicagoland Vampires)
Grave Visions by Kalayna Price (#4 in Alex Craft)
Origin by Jennifer L Armentrout (#4 in Lux )
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (#2 in Throne of Glass)
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (#3 in Fire and Thorns)
Soulbroken by Heather Brewer (#2 in Legacy of the Tril)
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (#3 in Fire and Thorns)
Soulbroken by Heather Brewer (#2 in Legacy of the Tril)
Must Love Fangs by Jessica Sims (#3 in Midnight Liaisons)
Shooting Scars by Karina Halle (#2 in The Artists Trilogy)
Darker Days by Jus Accardo (#1 in The Darker Agency)
Shooting Scars by Karina Halle (#2 in The Artists Trilogy)
Darker Days by Jus Accardo (#1 in The Darker Agency)
Thanks for visiting!
Don't forget to check out our New Releases post for all the new titles we're looking forward to next month! And if you enjoyed this post, please follow us via GFC, Linky or Networked Blogs!
Don't forget to check out our New Releases post for all the new titles we're looking forward to next month! And if you enjoyed this post, please follow us via GFC, Linky or Networked Blogs!
See you all next month!
