Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Vivi Barnes, YA author of Olivia Twisted and the upcoming Paper or Plastic (January 2015), here with an epically awesome guest post. I absolutely adore Vivi! Thanks to Dahlia Adler, I had the honor of interviewing Vivi and reading Olivia Twisted before it released. I fell in love with Vivi’s fun plot and realistic characters – I was able to easily follow the story, despite never having read Oliver Twisted (which pulls us nicely into Vivi’s guest post)! I highly recommend her books to everyone and anyone! So, without further adieu, please welcome Vivi!

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Retellings can be tricky things—the decision of what to keep and what to change is not easy. OLIVIA TWISTED is a contemporary novel (as was OLIVER TWIST in its day) so I needed to make the obvious updates—changing the workhouse to the foster care system, updating from pickpockets to hackers, etc.

I thought I’d share some of the “fun facts” of incorporating OLIVER TWIST into OLIVIA TWISTED (there are more, but these are some of my favorites).

1) In OLIVER TWIST, Mr. Bumble—the pompous parish beadle—was responsible for moving Oliver to his next home from the workhouse. Though greatly softened, he is reimagined in Julia, the child welfare official, who moves Olivia from home to home without noticing the obvious red flags, such as at her latest home with the Carters.

2) The Sowerberrys with whom Oliver Twist lives before joining Fagin’s gang are mirrored in the Carters, Olivia’s latest foster home. The experience in these homes plays into the decision of the main characters to join the gang of thieves.

3) Z’s real name is the true name of the Artful Dodger in OLIVER TWIST.

4) Charley Bates was the sidekick of the Artful Dodger in OLIVER TWIST. Z’s friend Sam is the equivalent in OLIVIA TWISTED.

5) Mrs. Bedwin is the kind-hearted housekeeper for Mr. Brownlow in both stories.

6) I was always impressed with how Nancy fought against everything society had made her to help Oliver escape from Bill Sykes, so I made her the house “mother” of the Monroe Street Home for Boys & Girls. In keeping with her nature, she is kind and tries to keep the safety and well being of the kids as her priority.

7) And finally, I enjoyed making a few references to the original story in passing conversations—at one point, Z is referenced as “Dodger,” because he “likes the Dodgers.” And in a nod to the original story’s focus, Z tries to justify the “business” of Monroe Street by telling Olivia, “It’s not like we pick pockets.” My friends tried to get me to include the famous line, “Please sir, I want some more,” but, ya know, I just couldn’t make it work without it sounding really weird.

Happy Blogoversary, Meredith and Pandora’s Books!

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Along with Vivi’s’s wonderful post, we have an epic prize to give away! One lucky winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Olivia Twisted! This giveaway is US only, but fear not! We have INT giveaways going on in our Grand Prize Giveaway which you can enter here! We also have several International giveaways going on, which you can find listed here!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is US Only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Rachel Harris here with an epically awesome excerpt from her new book, The Fine Art of Pretending (TFAoP) (September 2014, Spencer Hill Contemporary). I’ve been a HUGE fan of Rachel ever since I read Taste the Heat (almost a year ago)! She writes amazing stories with fun plots, lovable characters and swoon-worthy boys! So, without further adieu, please enjoy this super fun exceprt!!

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I sit at my vanity, staring at the free gift-with-purchase bag stuffed with makeup, and try to remember which products Kara used yesterday. The idea of a beauty regime is as foreign to me as losing a volleyball match, but desperate times call for desperate measures. After applying the coral blush to the “apples” of my cheeks (another new term for my vocabulary), I grab the berry-stained lip gloss I’m almost certain is right. I unscrew the cap, pump the wand, and raise it to my mouth.

A sudden rap on the door makes the wand skitter across my cheek, leaving a zigzag stripe of Blackberry Bloom in its wake.

“Lovely,” I mutter, yanking a handful of tissues out of a crochet-covered box. Regardless of how often I’ve watched Gabi and Kara do this, obviously makeup application skills cannot be obtained through osmosis. I toss the balled-up Kleenex into the waste bin and bellow, “Come in, Kaitie!”

Instead of my younger sister, Brandon lets himself in, a notebook with sketched-out game plans tucked under his arm. When he spots me in the corner, he does a double-take, eyebrows shooting up over his jade-colored eyes. “I see Kara got to you. Should I even ask why?”

Well, at least he noticed.

In reply, I walk to the huge mirror over my bed that acts as a massive picture frame for my ultimate Wall of Shame. My feet sink into the plush yellow comforter, and I point to the latest entry.

“Exhibit A,” I tell him. “Junior Prom.”

Brandon hops up beside me, leans in to inspect the picture, and nods. “I don’t get it.”

I exhale and stare at the picture taken three months ago—two weeks after Adam and I had broken up. Adam was my first boyfriend. My only boyfriend. And up until our breakup, I assumed things were going great. We’d been going out for four months, and I’d foolishly thought he could be the one. Maybe not the forever one, but the one for a good while. The one to see me as desirable.

The one to break my curse.

“When I added this picture the other night,” I say, “I had an epiphany.”

Brandon scratches the back of his neck and squints. “An epiphany?”

“Yes, an epiphany. Look again. Do you not notice a demoralizing theme to the dance pictures?” I pause for him to inspect the evidence and sigh when he shrugs. “All my dates are friends, Brandon. Every Homecoming, Winter Formal, and Spring Fling picture shows me with a bunch of girlfriends, an ex-boyfriend pity date, or a just-a-friend guy date. Starting with you.”

 
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Thanks to Rachel, along with this epic excerpt, we have a swag pack for ONE of you lucky readers! The swag pack will include a Brandon Trading Card (pictured below!), a TFAoP teaser card and a bookmark. Plus, this is an international giveaway!

 
So, the rules:

-Giveaway is International

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Jamie Grey, YA author of Ultraviolet Catastrophe and The Star Thief, here with an epically awesome guest post. I absolutely adore Jamie! Thanks to Dahlia Adler, I had the honor of interviewing Jamie and reading Ultraviolet Catastrophe before it released. I fell in love with Jamie’s unique plot and realistic characters. I highly recommend her books to everyone and anyone! So, without further adieu, please welcome Jamie!

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I think most of us have been there: You’ve been on 23 dates this year and you still can’t find a good guy (or girl) to settle down with. Or, you’re on yet another awkward first date, trapped in a restaurant with yet another person you know isn’t a good match. Or, even worse, a few dates in and you can’t think of a damn thing to do with that person and you end up staring at each other, bored out of your minds.

Well, have no fear, in the future, those problems will be gone and romance will be a breeze! (Or so we hope.)

Getting tired of the same old guys you’ve been meeting? The ones with crappy jobs, or the ones who don’t seem to realize how awesome you are? In the future, you can find your dates cross species! That REALLY opens up the dating prospects. Hate the way that human guy’s been treating you? Try a Martian. Or an Ileth. Or those hot Klingons across the star system. I hear they’re pretty good in bed.

What happens if you just don’t click with that hunky guy from the planet Antivia Nine and he won’t stop calling? “I’m busy on another planet” is a totally legitimate excuse to turn down a date. Nothing like a few million light years between you to get the point across.

Or how about that sixth date slog? You’re totally into Mr. Perfect Alien, but you’re bored with sitting around watching holo-vid movies? Hop a starship for a date in Saturn’s Rings. Who wouldn’t find dining in an asteroid belt romantic? Or try the newest dish from the recently-discovered planet in the next galaxy. I hear it’s an aphrodisiac.

Finally ready to take that next step in your relationship? How about flowers from a distant planet to set the scene, and light from the actual stars to make the room glow? And once the details are right, turn off the gravity dampeners and float. Making love in zero-gravity is definitely something new and different! Talk about a date to remember!

In the future, the romantic possibilities are endless!

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Thanks to Jamie, we have an epic prize to give away! One INTERNATIONAL winner will receive an eBook of Jamie’s NA novel, The Star Thief! This book was crazy good, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on entering this giveaway!!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is INT

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Robin Constantine, YA author of The Promise of Amazing, here with an epically awesome guest post. I absolutely adore Robin. Before blogging, I read very little YA contemporary fiction. It just wasn’t my thing. I preferred Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, etc. But through the recommendation of Dahlia Adler and OneFour KidLit, I gave The Promise of Amazing a chance, plus scored an interview with Robin. Let me tell you, if you haven’t read this book… DO IT! (Psst, there’s a giveaway for one copy of The Promise of Amazing at the end of this post.. So get on that! You WANT to read this book!) So when Robin brought this guest post topic to me, I totally loved the idea! It’s a different side of publishing that reader’s don’t see as often. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! So, without further adieu, please welcome Robin!

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When Meredith asked if I’d like to participate in her blogoversary bash, I was thrilled! Not only because it’s been wonderful to see her blog thrive, but also because it’s been about a year and a half since I signed my book contract and am only just starting to reflect on this wild and amazing journey I’ve been on during my debut year. One of the questions I’m frequently asked is “Does the reality of being an author match your expectations?” and I usually answer something along the lines of “It’s everything I hoped it would be and nothing like I expected it to be.” Doesn’t make much sense, right? Here are some of the situations where my expectations and my reality were sometimes at odds:

Signing my Book Deal

I think every writer has a dream about getting “the call.” And it was awesome.

 
…but after the champagne was popped and the confetti swept away, I woke up at 3:00AM feeling much like this:

 
As much as you want your work ‘out there’ when it suddenly becomes a reality, it’s kind of terrifying.

Visiting my publisher for the first time

This is one where the reality totally exceeded my expectations. It was overwhelming to see how many people work on a book!

The Month Leading up to Launch

Fantasy – I’ll be calm, cool, collected and ready to party.

 
Reality – There’s no turning back now.

 
I was writing another book, doing guest posts, getting reviews and dealing with the holidays – and in my spare time just trying to embrace the chaos. By the time my book was out there, I needed a nap!

Seeing My Book in the Bookstore

How I thought I’d be:

 
The reality:

 
You know, because they usually look down on back-flipping down the aisle. (And also, I just wanted to use a Joseph Morgan .gif)

Now that I’m published writing will be easy

All authors must go to their desk divinely inspired everyday, right?

 
Ha! Eeek…in reality it’s still like this:

 
And this:

 
And sometimes even this:

 
But in the end, even with all the craziness, this debut year has mostly been like this:

 
 
Happy Blogoversary Pandora’s Books! Thank you for letting me be a part of your celebration, Meredith! And thank you to all you lovely readers for making my job a dream come true!!

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Along with Robin’s amazing, gif-tastic post, we have an epic prize to give away! A finished copy of The Promise of Amazing! This giveaway is US only, but fear not! We have INT giveaways going on in our Grand Prize Giveaway which you can enter here! We also have an international giveaway going on here and here!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is US Only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING INCREDIBLE WONDERFUL Kayla from A Wonderland of Reading here with an epically awesome guest post. Kayla is my blogging BFF, my partner in crime and an all-around, wonderfully bookish person. Hosting this event together, along with the equally epic Stacie, has been beyond fun! So, without further adieu, please welcome Kayla!

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Hi everyone, Kayla here! I’m here to talk about something that has always really fascinated me, which is (fan)art inspired by books and/or their covers. There are some covers out there that are beautiful masterpieces all by themselves. Examples being:

Now, I don’t know about you but covers can really make it or break it for me, especially if I’m just browsing for new books. Covers themselves are a form of art. They can be very simple, very elegant, beautiful and eye catching, or sometimes dull. Like with all forms of art, people have many different tastes and takes and it goes right along with covers as well. A cover that might look dumb to me may be absolutely stunning to you. Or in case like The Burning Sky, I see a phoenix on the cover but someone out there may say they see a dragon or something.

There’s no right or wrong interpretation when it comes to art, which is one of the reasons I love fanart so much. It’s really someone’s interpretation of a cover or a book or a person. How they see it, how they like it, what they want to see it as, etc. A cute example would be Sara from Forever 17 Books‘ feature, A Kid’s Perspective. Sara has her son look at a cover of a book and then draw it out for himself and then tell what the book is about based on the cover. An example being:

It catches the major essence of the cover but Shawn added his own spin. While I think the cover of Cinder is really supposed to focus more on the shoe and Cinderella, he focuses more on the metal in her leg.

There’s the method of viewing someone else’s (young or old) interpretation and having them draw what they see and think, or you can go the more technological way for fan art. Another feature I just find adorable is Becca from Pivot Book Reviews‘ feature Cover Puppies. She takes gorgeous covers and redoes them with her dogs! Absolutely adore! Here’s an example:

She’s also drawn them:

Both are down right adorable yet still capture the cover! I love how she’s incorporated her dogs into books like this!

Denise from Dandelionn Wine Book Blog, who actually designed the Dream Team buttons for Erica Cameron’s Street Team (and I have one on my blog!), goes the more interesting route! Case in point:

 
While she herself didn’t draw any of this, she combined several pictures, from the covers of the series to pictures that I assume either are scenes from the books or have meaning in them (still have to read Bloodlines myself), to form her own unique interpretation of things! Another example that shows there’s no right or wrong way to do fanart or express your love for a book/series!

Stephanie from Ohana Reads shows off her love for books in a couple of ways! She does excellent photography and, my personal favorite, designs these awesome book charms of books she likes! Examples being:

 
(Ugh I would kill to have one of those book charms!!)

She’s taken her love, and talent, for photography and included books into it as well as crafted these charms for books. While these include the exact books and covers, she’s still able to place her own spin and personality into it which is one of the things fanart is made for!

Finally, you could even go the route I went. I discovered I have a talent for stippling, so I draw/paint/color/design/etc a cover. I recently did the cover for Splintered by A.G. Howard. Here’s the result of that:

 
And I think I did pretty well if I do say so myself! After I realized that it’s fun, I’m good at it, you can tell what it is and what it’s from, and the author (and readers) like it I decided I’d continue to do it! I already plan on doing Unhinged and Ensnared by Anita as well as Fallen or Torment by Lauren Kate! Hopefully they turn out as well as this piece did!

Books are amazing, and their covers sometimes breathtaking, but the best part about them is they aren’t just for reading. They can inspire people far beyond that. To do art that they never would’ve tried before (like me) or sometime fun to do to express their love for a book. It’s amazing to see what people can come up with, especially when it comes to fan art!

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Along with Kayla’s wonderful post, we have an epic prize to give away – a $5 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Isabel from Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews here with an epically awesome guest post. Isabel is awesome and bookish! I love talking books with her! So, without further adieu, please welcome Isabel!

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For more, visit Isabel’s blog and see what she has to say about the birth of YA. Find it here!

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Thanks to Isabel, we have an awesome swag giveaway for you guys! This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!! :)

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is INT

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Kaitlin from Reading is My Treasure here with an epically awesome guest post. I’ve been friends with Kaitlin for as long as I’ve been blogging! I love chatting with her about bookish things! So, without further adieu, please welcome Kaitlin!

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Hi everyone! First of all, I want to say thank you to Meredith for allowing me to write a guest post for her blogoversary celebration! I’ve decided to write about retellings–mainly what I what I like them to have, but I also have some book recommendations for all of you.


What I want to see in a retelling:

• I want to read something creative. Unique spins on well-known (or lesser known) stories are one of my favorite things about reading retellings.
• I want to read a retelling that holds the essence of the original story in some way. It’s nice to see some of the same themes and images that made that story memorable. 
• I want magic. Or just paranormal/futuristic elements. I’m not against contemporary retellings, but generally, I don’t enjoy them as much. They don’t seem to hold the kind of creativity I’m looking for.
• I want the retelling to stand on its own and not be too much like the original story. If its not different enough, it doesn’t feel . . . completely like the author’s own work. (This is how I felt while reading the last retelling I read. It felt too much like the original story, even though it had a lot of twists.)
• I want the retelling to be memorable! This applies to all books, but when it comes to retellings, I want to be able to remember how the author twisted the original story and formed their own.

 
My favorite retellings:
(These books are on Epic Reads’ chart of YA retellings. There are retellings of fairy tales, classics, and mythology.)

 
 
Retellings that I’m dying to read:

 
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Along with Kaitlin’s wonderful post, we have an epic prize to give away! Signed copies of Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer!! This giveaway is US only, but fear not! We have INT giveaways going on in our Grand Prize Giveaway which you can enter here! We also have an international giveaway going on here!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is US Only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Crystal from Crystal in Wonderland here with an epically awesome guest post. Crystal is one of my most amazing friends. She’s epic, bookish and so, so sweet! I don’t know what I’d do without her! So, without further adieu, please welcome Crystal!

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So I’m super excited to be helping out with all the blogoversary festivities!! I hope you enjoy it with tons of books, cupcakes, and confetti!

 
I’m seriously the WORST at coming up with guest posts so I decided to do something simple and just let you in on my top ten picks of 2014 so far! I’m also going to be giving away a book of choice from The Book Depository. :D You can choose one of the books I recommended or any book your little heart desires!

These are seriously in no particular order. I just went through my Goodreads list and narrowed it down to my top ten, and let me tell you…it was REALLY hard! I’ve gotten lucky and read a lot of really awesome books this year!

1. Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
This book is still the one I have read the fastest this entire year. I was on the edge of my seat and needed answers IMMEDIATELY for everything. This is definitely an awesome YA Thriller.

2. White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Yes ANOTHER Armentrout book, this lady just knows how to write a good book. Basically this book was amazing all around but ROTH. I will never look at a Demon the same again. EVER.

3. Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens
This is one of those books that really dive into some major issues and it touched me on a personal level. At the end of reading it I wanted to take it and pass it out to every girl who has ever been in this situation just to show there is hope, you do have a voice and you aren’t alone.

4. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
A unique dystopian that kicked it up a notch for me. Filled with action and fast paced and I loved every minute of it. Definitely ready for the sequel!

5. Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
This is definitely my top fantasy of the year so far. I flew through this book so dang fast and I didn’t see the majority of the plot twists coming. Blackburne did a really awesome job at hitting me with the unexpected. She also knows how to fill me with angst and anxiety over certain people and their relationships!

6. The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
Any book I ever read by Mead will always be on my top list of any kind. She is my absolute favorite author and this book was another fantastic one to go on my shelf. Plus everyone knows my book hubby is in here! ADRIAN ♥♥

7. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
MATT FINCH. MATT FINCH. MATT FINCH. Seriously the guy is the best. I dare one of you not to love him. The story was also fantastic and it had an amazing friendship that was a main part of it.

8. Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Stolarz
Basically this book scared the crap out me so I want you all to read it now and be as terrified as I was so I don’t feel like such a baby. Even though I was scared (seriously SCARED) I still majorly need the sequel and really loved the book, and I’m not one of those people who typically reads or even watches horror.

9. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Major fan of historical fiction and Waller wrote a fantastic one. The heroine was really tough and stood out in her era. It was an amazing story focusing on feminism and suffragettes. This is definitely one that I can read over and over again.

10. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
This chic used The Art of War as a how-to guide to win back her ex. First off that is just a brilliant new twist in contemporary novels period. Then there is Micah….the hottie with mohawk who adores his little sister and basically made me swoon the entire book.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Thanks to Crystal, one lucky International (US/CAN/INT) reader will get a book of their choice worth up to $20! This giveaway is INT, as long as The Book Depository ships to you for free!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is International (TBD MUST ship to you for free)

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-Stacee and I are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Stacee from Adventures of a Book Junkie here with an epically awesome guest post. Stacee is like my Blogging Fairy Godmother. She spoils me and I adore her for it! I’ve known her for almost as long as I’ve been blogging and I’d be completely lost without her! So, without further adieu, please welcome Stacee!

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When Meredith asked me to do a guest post for her blogoversary, I immediately agreed. But when she told me that I could pick any topic and write pretty much whatever I wanted, I was a bit perplexed. As you may know, I don’t really participate in all of the memes and weekly round-up topics that other blogs do. I had no idea what I was going to do.
And then it came to me!

Before we get started, I feel like it’s necessary to mention that excluding the number one spot, the top ten list below is not in ranking order. I want all of them equally as much.

I present to you, the Top Ten Books I Would Cut A Bitch For.

 
10. Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Because Daemon. Do I really need to give a better reason than that?

9. Scarlet #3 {currently untitled} by A.C. Gaughen
THAT ENDING FROM LADY THIEF? AKSJDFLASJDF;LAJKS

I feel like this series hasn’t gotten the love it so rightfully deserves. If you haven’t read it, it’s a retelling of Robin Hood and Scarlet kicks ass and I highly recommend it.

8. Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Thankfully this comes out soon and I don’t have to wait too much longer. Mal + The Darkling + Sturmhond = a very happy Stacee

7. Deliverance by CJ Redwine
Another second book in a series with a wicked ending that made me want to scream. Logan and Rachel are some of my favorite characters and I’m so excited to see what happens after the set up from Deception.

6. Sisters’ Fate by Jessica Spotswood
I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO ANGRY AT THE ENDING OF A BOOK TWO. After finishing Star Cursed, I immediately emailed Jessica with all of my feels. Kudos to Jessica for making me rage and want to cause serious bodily harm to a fictional character.

 
5. Isla and the Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Because I hear that there’s more with Étienne and Cricket. Plus, I’ve always liked Josh and Stephanie knows how to bring the swoons.

4. Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard
This is probably one of my favorite series out there. I’ve already read this book and it was phenomenal. I can’t wait to get a finished and signed copy in my greedy hands to complete the set.

3. Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas
If you know anything about my reading habits, know this: I am extremely picky about the fantasy books I read. I’ve been in love with the Throne of Glass books from the beginning and they’re definitely in my top 5 of books EVER. I need everything Sarah’s ever written right now.

2. Ensnared by A.G. Howard
WET JEB FTMFW. The End.

1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
You had to see this one coming, right?

I’ve definitely got some theories on what the outcome is going to be and I’m pretty sure that it’s not even close to whatever mindfuckery Michelle has in store for us. The ending of Evolution slayed me {yes, worse than Star Cursed did} and I’ve never needed answers like I do with this series. I would do horrible, horrible things to get my hands on an early copy.

There you have it. All I have left to say is:

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Thanks to Stacee, we have one SIGNED paperback copy of Die for Me by Amy Plum to give away! This giveaway is US only, but fear not! We have INT giveaways going on in our Grand Prize Giveaway which you can enter here!

So, the rules:

-Giveaway is US only

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-Stacee and I are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

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