Sunday, November 3, 2013

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {67}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

Here's my new goodies for the week:
For Review:
A sequel to Sacred, so I'll have to check that one out first.
I've enjoyed this author before, so I'm looking forward to this one!
Very excited for this one---and it's so lovely!

From Harper's Holiday Gift Guide:
These actually came in a box with a few other fun books, which my youngest and my daughter have squirreled off with! :D

Thanks to Random House, Hatchette UK, and Harper for these!

The Weekly Nutshell: 

Have a great weekend, everyone--I just checked and there's still time to grab Tyger Tyger for free! It's an awesome book, don't miss it! 

Friday, November 1, 2013

"What's New": November YA Releases and Giveaway

We're almost there, guys...the official start of the holiday season!  The leaves are falling, the air is getting chillier and chillier, it's time to start spending rainy days on the couch reading and drinking hot chocolate! Needless to say, Halloween officially kicks off my favorite time of year! :D

So if you're new to Stories & Sweeties, here's a little run-down of this feature: at the start of each month, I do a little thing called the "What's New List & Giveaway" where you'll find a full list of the new releases in YA for the month, and entry to the giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky winner will get to choose any new release as their prize!

First things first! The winner of October's giveaway was: Tii!  Congratulations! :D

November 2013 Releases:
Just like previous months, I've put a little lve by those books that I am really anticipating! 

{2}
Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

{5}
After Eden by Helen Douglas
Broken by C.J. Lyons
Champion by Marie Lu
Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
Contagion by Tim Lebbon
Cracked by Eliza Crewe
Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
Daylighters by Rachel Caine
Engines of the Broken World by Jason Vanhee
The In-Between by Barbara Stewart
Infinity by Andria Buchanan
Katya’s War by Jonathan L. Howard
The Keeper by Ellen Jensen Abbott
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan
Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes
Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel
The Royal Ranger by John Flanangan
Scion of the Sun by Nicola Marsh
Swagger by Carl Deuker
The Trap by Andrew Fukuda
Twinmaker by Sean Williams

{8}
Pirouette by Robyn Bavati
Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole

{12}
Afterglow by Karsten Knight
The F-It List by Julie Halpern
Full Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Foul Trouble by John Feinstein
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
The Living by Matt De La Pena
Loud Awake and Lost by Adele Griffin
Save the Enemy by Arin Greenwood
Son of Fortune by Victoria McKernan
Splendor by Elana K. Arnold
A Stranger Thing by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal
Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino
The Vampire Diaries: Salvation: Unspoken by L.J. Smith and Aubrey Clark

{14}
Firebrand by Antony John
This Wicked Game by Michelle Zink

{19}
Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
He Said, She Said by Kwame Alexander
Horizon by Alyson Noel
Severed Tower by J. Barton Mitchell
Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston
World After by Susan Ee

{26}
Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Crystal Fire by Jordan Dame
The Next Big Thing by Sadie Hayes
Pawn by Aimee Carter
Pushed by Corrine Jackson

(All links go to Goodreads)
Please feel free to email me if you notice any YA titles missing! :)

Giveaway Details:
One winner will win a YA November release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends November 30st, 2013 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Tyger Tyger: Grab one of my favorite books for free!

Looking for something good and spooky to dig into this Halloween?

I recommend Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton!

I read this one a few years ago when it first came out. It's a brilliant story full of rich irish mythology, a family mystery, a strong heroine, a boy with a lovely accent, ...and creepy creatures that will make your stomach turn.  I absolutely loved it! 

This week, Tyger Tyger is the Apple iTunes Book of the Week!
Congrats, Kersten!

And for all those who've yet to experience these books, the Tyger Tyger ebook edition is FREE on both Kindle and Nook this week!

Grab the Kindle Edition here!  ♦   Grab the Nook Edition here!

Enjoy! :D

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Welcome to the Dark House
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

hitting shelves July 22, 2014 from Disney Hyperion

description:
What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.


My Thoughts: I've actually never read this author before, but this sounds like too spooky and fun of a read to pass up.  There no guessing what's really going on here...but the whole thing sounds pretty trippy. Plus the cover is awesome.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Becky's View: Dark Star by Bethany Frenette


Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
♦publisher: Disney-Hyperion
♦released: October 23, 2012
♦hardcover, 368 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Dark Star, book 1
♦source: sent for honest review
Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human--something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers--livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person's memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers' next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won't let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything--and everyone--she loves.

Review: Bethany Frenette’s Dark Star, despite a bit of a slow start, ended up being a story I really enjoyed.  The writing is fun and casual and was the perfect way to tell this story.  Sometimes I have a hard time taking superhero-type stories seriously, but this is not your run-of-the-mill superhero story, leaning more toward paranormal fantasy.  They aren’t so much superheroes, but rather Guardians that protect the world from being taken over by an ancient race of demons.  

When the story opens, we meet Audrey.  She has a great humor and I love how protective she is of her mom---how protective they are of each other, actually. Despite the odd situation, their relationship felt very genuine, with it’s good moments and it’s struggles.  Audrey is used to living with secrets---on top of her own subtle powers of perception, she has to hide the fact that her mom is Morning Star, defender of the city by night, complete with a dedicated sidekick and mild-mannered alter ego by day.  Mom’s biggest secret is one that she’s kept from even Audrey to protect her, but when she winds up being the next victim in a series of attacks on teen girls, that secret is forced out. Suddenly, a whole new world opens up for Audrey and makes her feel part of something both special and incredibly terrifying. 


Leon, the sidekick is the bane of Audrey’s existence, always on her case like a bossy older sibling.  If anyone could make her snarky, snotty side come out, it’s him.  I actually couldn’t help but love the guy.  He’s a bit bossy, yes, but in a protective way---and he spends his down time as a baker, often popping into the room smelling like cookies (gotta love that!).  I loved how their relationship evolved over time and sort of naturally hit both complications and touching moments as little truths begin to surface.  


There are some great action scenes, heart-pounding, intense, and really visually written.  The demons are just creepy enough to set the spine tingling, mysterious and lurking and predatory. The actual villain and his accomplice felt a tiny bit cliché, but entertaining none the less.  


Definitely one to check out! Don’t go into it expecting the traditional superhero story---this one is not as it appears at first glance! I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel, Burn Bright, out February 2014!


Find Bethany Frenette online:  Website  •  Twitter

Purchase Dark Star: Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound
 

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Sweetness on Sunday: Cinnamon Pear Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

Pears!! This lovely fruit is one of my favorite stars of Fall. Hubby brought home a basket of these from a coworker who owns an orchard and my mind immediately craved them in cupcake form.  :)
These paired with a comforting brown sugar buttercream just scream Autumn coziness to me. 


Pear Cupcakes:
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Prepare cupcake pan with liners (remember to double them up if you want to see the pretty wrappers!)
 
•2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
•1 1/5 cups granulated sugar
•3 eggs
•1 cup sour cream
•3 cups flour
•pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
•1 tsp cinnamon
•1/4 tsp nutmeg
•2 large ripe pairs, diced
•flour for dusting

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream.  Combine next 5 dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir lightly with a whisk (I'm lazy, I do this instead of sifting :D).  Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix just until combined.  
In a small bowl, dust the chopped pairs with flour and toss.  Gently fold the pears into the batter. 
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. 

While these are cooling, make:

Brown Sugar Buttercream:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp whipping cream

In mixer, combine first three ingredients, then alternately add powdered sugar and whipping cream until smooth and fluffy.

Frost these up and enjoy while watching the leaves fall outside!

Until next time...
 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {66}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

Here's what came through my mailbox this week!
 For review:
Looking forward to several of these, especially Teardrop, Dangerous, and Insanity! 

Many thanks to Random House & Bloomsbury for these! 

The Weekly Nutshell: 
{Tuesday} Waiting on Wednesday: Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff
{Thursday} Amy's View: The Beautiful & The Damned by Jessica Verday 

Well, I was a slacker this week. :/ I've been reading slow as molasses but it's mostly because hubby and I have both been off work.  Our little vacation ends tomorrow, so it's time to play catch-up! I'm so behind and my books are threatening to swallow me up!  

Hope everyone has had a great week!