review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

♥ Summary: Joy Delamere is suffocating... 

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

forgot to mark them + goodreads has none

♥ My thoughts:

Don't Breathe a Word shocked me a bit. Which is great, because that doesn't happen as often as I'd like. I, along with most of you I'm guessing, didn't know anything about the Seattle homeless scene. I didn't even know there was a Seattle homeless scene.


I was interested in Joy and her story instantly and was ready for an interesting and thrilling book. For the most part that's what I got.


The first half of Don't Breathe a Word was fast paced and really drew me in. After about the halfway mark though, something stopped clicking. I gradually fell out of love with the characters, the plot, and the story in general.


Twists started to unravel and become predictable and by the end it got a bit eye roll worthy.


Overall, Don't Breathe a Word is a decent read with brilliant bits and less than brilliant bits thrown in. I recommend for those looking for a less than warm and fuzzy experience.

♥ Summing it up:

Don't Breathe a Word is creative and quite the eye opener. To be released January 3, 2012.

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Holly's website

Happy Monday!

"On The Radio"-Regina Spektor,

I read because I can't have a puppy-sized elephant

...not yet anyway.

I've seen the question 'why do you read?' floating around the blogosphere a lot recently. At first I didn't really understand why it needed to be answered at all. I thought, 'why does it matter? reading for entertainment, escape, out of boredom...it all still means you're reading, which is most important.' But now I've been thinking about it. And while people reading is most important I'm beginning to think the reasons are at least interesting enough to write and read about.

The title of this post is 'I read because I can't have a puppy-sized elephant" which is totally true. I read because for the most part I don't have the lives depicted in the books I read. I'm not the most popular girl in school or the child of a meth addict. I don't ride a dragon to Beheading 101 or play piano professionally. I haven't been to Paris or gone ice fishing in Alaska.

That's why I read. Because I get to live 10,000 lives by proxy. And hopefully one day I'll get to do some of the amazing things I've read about, but for now I'll continue to live vicariously through my favorite characters.

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Now it's your turn. Why do you read?

"Addicted to Love {Cover}"-Florence + The Machine,

Guest Post: Rachel Vincent +Giveaway!

♥ About the book:

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death. 
But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out. 
Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either. 
But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life. 
Anything. 
Soul Screamers: The last thing you hear before you die.

♥ About the author:

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

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If I Die, the fifth book in the Soul Screamers series, will be released on September 27, 2011. To celebrate, Kaylee and Sabine (Kaylee’sboyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, who is a living nightmare) have agreed to be in the same room long enough to interview each other. Sabine won the coin toss, so she gets the first question. They’ve 

been told to keep it civil, but I make no promises…

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Sabine: Kaylee, truth or dare.

Kaylee: This is an interview, Sabine.

Sabine: [shrugs] Think of this as an alternative format. Truth or dare?

Kaylee: There’s no good way to answer that question, is there?

Sabine: Why does there have to be drama behind every decision you make?

Kaylee: Fine. Truth.

Sabine: say—hypothetically—that you found out you were going to die in a few days and you had to decide who’s going to get all your stuff when you’re gone. Who would inherit, oh…your boyfriend?

Kaylee: That’s not how it works. You can’t inherit a person.

Sabine: Sure you can. People inherit kids from dead parents all the time.

Kaylee: Nash isn’t a kid, and I’m not his parent.

Sabine: That’s why this is hypothetical.

Kaylee: No, it’s hypothetical because… Whatever. You’re not going to inherit Nash, no matter what happens to me.

Sabine: Okay, but if you were going to die—

Kaylee: It’s my turn. Truth or dare?

Sabine: Dare.

Kaylee: I wanted you to say truth.

Sabine: That’s why I said dare.

Kaylee: Fine. I dare you to tell me the truth.

Sabine: [rolls her eyes] That is SO lame.

Kaylee: You started this.

Sabine: Ask your question.

Kaylee: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Sabine: I don’t understand the question. Worst, according to what unit of measurement? Monetary damage? Physical destruction? Psychological impact? Number of laws broken? I’m gonna need you to be more specific.

Kaylee: It’s not a complicated question. What do you feel guilty about?

Sabine: Okay, I’m not saying this is actual guilt—I’m not entirely sure what that feels like—but I don’t feel great about telling Nash that you don’t want to go to prom because you’re afraid you’ll look flat-chested in a formal dress.

Kaylee: Sabine!

Sabine: Well, it’s the truth! If you two are meant to be, shouldn’t he know what you’re afraid of? Besides, it’s a valid concern.

Kaylee: But it isn’t your concern!

Sabine: [glances down at her own chest] Thank goodness.

Kaylee: That’s not what I meant.

Sabine: My turn. This one’s easy. Wood or steel?

Kaylee: Wood or steel what?

Sabine: Casket. For your hypothetical funeral.

Kaylee: No more death questions.

Sabine: Okay. Fashion, then. How long afterward will Nash have to wear all black?

Kaylee: Do you want me to haunt you?

Sabine: If I answer that, is it my turn again?

Kaylee: No! It’s my turn, and you can’t take it away.

Sabine: You’re only clinging to your turn because you know I want it.

Kaylee: That doesn’t even make any sense.

Sabine: Is it true you’re so shiny and pure you actually glow in the dark?

Kaylee: Is it true you shriek and scurry into the corner every time someone turns the light on?

Sabine: Ha! That was pretty good.

Kaylee: Thanks. I’ve been practicing. To give credit where it’s due, though, you make a great target.

Sabine: You too. I might actually miss you once you’re gone. Hypothetically.

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♥ About the giveaways:

The first giveaway is ONE DAY ONLY. As in today...and no other day. So get right to this one! Win two copies of If I Die-one for you and one for a friend-by tweeting:

Dying for IF I DIE? - Follow the #SoulScreamersTour for daily giveaways & a NookTouchhttp://wp.me/P1r4rR-fv @rachelkvincent


The winner will be notified via Twitter, so be sure to check your @replies! 

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The second giveaway runs the entire blog tour! If you live in the US/Canada you came enter to win a Nook Touch completely stocked with the Soul Screamers series! To enter>

*Follow Rachel Vincent on Twitter, +3
*Like Rachel Vincent on Facebook, +3
*Like The Soul Screamers on Facebook, +3
*Sign up for Rachel's email subscription to get the latest updates, +3
*Promote the tour by adding the button {shown above} and link back to the tour page, +5
*Leave a comment on a blog post throughout the tour, +1 {up to +10!}







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♥ Follow the tour:

Monday, September 19th - The Story Siren 

Wednesday, September 21st - Chasing Words 

Friday, September 23rd - The Page Turners 

Monday, September 26th - The Elliot Review 

Tuesday, September 27th Book Birthday - Mundie Mom's 

Wednesday, September 28th - Harlequin Blog 

Friday, September 30th - IB Book Blogging 

Monday, October 3rd - Electrifying Reviews 

Wednesday, October 5th - A Cupcake and A Latte (YA Reads, Reviews and more) 

Friday, October 7th- Teens Read and Write

"Lake Of Fire"-Nirvana,

review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington!

♥ Summary: Harper Scott's "perfect" sister committed suicide. And she left questions behind. Between a boy she tutored who seems to know more about June than Harper does, eclectic mix CDs, and an unsent postcard, Harper needs to ask more than anyone can answer. So she goes to the only place she may be able to find solace from her tangled thoughts of June: California.

♥ Favorite Line(s):

"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum"


"And now that thread is thinning with every passing moment, worn down by the brutal scrape of reality grating away at it, bit by bit."


"P.S.--I'm not scared anymore."

♥ My thoughts:

Saving June is the type of book that makes me want to pull words from its pages and carry them in my pocket for a while. It's heartbreaking and cool and fun and completely absolutely absorbing.


I want to hang out with Harper and Jake and Laney. I want to talk about The Doors and fire and how the universe kinda sucks sometimes, but the happy bits drown the others out at least partway. And I wish I wasn't rambling, but that's what this book does to me. It makes me want to speak and write and draw and make something out of nothing and cut some things to pieces. Guh.


The characters leap off the pages and dance around in my head. They sing and live and breathe and I wish I could come back, seep into the pages with them. And the plot! The whole 'road trip with an almost stranger with a random connection to you blahdy blah blahderson' is getting overdone, but Saving June made me want to know every detail of the trip.


Basically, Saving June is made of sunshine, rainbows, the hopes of children and many other lovely things. So...you should read it.


P.S. the last of my favorite lines killed me. Killed. Me.

♥ Summing it up:

Saving June is absolutely fantastic. It will be released November 22, 2011. Mark your calendars!

Link up: Goodreads//Shelfari//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Hannah's website

Happy Monday!

"3 Rounds And A Sound"-Blind Pilot,

win win win

For those of you who only want me for my contests:

you're in luck! :)

In celebration of the release of the fifth book in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series, If I Die, I'm giving away the first four books in the series! This is also kind of a warm up to the If I Die blog tour which kicks off September 19th {P.S. I'm the second stop!}.

Haven't yet decided if I want to give all four books to one winner or split them up or what, so let's just say there will be at least one winner. US only. Ends September 30th. Good luck!!

Form's after the jump {AKA, click "read more"!} :)