Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry ~ Review & Excerpt Tour

To say I am excited about this tour is an understatement!

Ever since I received my review copy of this amazing, amazing book on March 4th yep I even remember the date that's how much of a nerd I am! I've been dying to share my thoughts on it with you guys.

And...now I can! I'm free!



Walk The Edge is the second book in Katie McGarry's YA contemporary romance Thunder Road series. (For my review of the first book in the series, Nowhere But Here, click here.)

My stop on this tour includes all the info you need about Walk The Edge, my review of the book + an awesome-sauce international giveaway that you don't want to miss out on.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the tour!

Quick Picks ~ This Week's Top 3 Reads

This past week I've indulged in some great reads. 

Today I'm bringing three of these to your attention: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, True North by K. R. Conway, and Dreamology by Lucy Keating. I hope they will intrigue you, entertain you, and above all have you falling in love with their worlds and characters.

Let's get listing!

5 Reasons To Fall In Love With...You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

Sometimes a simple review just isn't enough.

I mean, at the end of the day, your average review can only tell you so much. For instance:

(A) Who the main characters are
(B) What the basic plot is
(C) Whether or not the tale includes a brooding male character to swoon over
(D) How much of a fangirl/fanboy the reviewer really is!



So today I'm trying something new. Instead of telling you about how much I loved You Were Here by Cori McCarthy, I'm going to tell you why I loved it. Specifically, I'm going to give you guys five reasons why you should race to your nearest bookstore and grab a copy of the book ASAP.

It's time to get listing!

Out of the Ashes by Kelly Hashway ~ Release Week Blitz + Review

Another fiery Kelly Hashway read is coming your way!

The author of Into The Fire is back again with more adventures and trials for her golden couple Cara and Logan in Out of the Ashes, the second book in the series. For my review of the first book in the series, click here.

Keep reading for more on info on the book + my review!

Easter Reads for Chocolate Lovers

Do you love chocolate?

If you're a bookworm that has a deep and meaningful relationship with chocolate, this post is for you! If you don't like chocolate then I apologise and here is a gif of a squirrel:

And yes, the squirrel is eating chocolate because CHOCOLATE IS AWESOME!

Easter is fast approaching and chocolate is practically flying off of supermarket and store shelves. But even if you have a whole bunch of chocolate to enjoy on Easter, you'll need something to do whilst you snack on your chocolate treats. And I've got you guys covered with my top 3 favourite chocolatey reads!

These books are centred around chocolate and were probably written by chocolate lovers!

Read on for my recommendations (regarding both books and chocolates!)

Between The Covers ~ Emerging Writer's Festival 2016 Recap

This afternoon Macquarie University (in Sydney, Australia) hosted and presented the Between The Covers event with the Emerging Writers' Festival.

 What does a career in editing and publishing look like today? 

This event will offer industry insider sessions exploring the work that goes on between the covers of book production. From acquisitions and editorial process to sales and marketing strategies, you’ll be shown through the production process of a book while meeting authors, publishers, and editors throughout – gaining invaluable insight into to help you with your next career steps. 

Perfect for aspiring authors, editors and publishers, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the broader editing and publishing community – this is an event not to be missed!

For an overview of the event and event details click here.

I cannot stress enough how informative and entertaining this event was. 

We all adore books. We love engaging with thrilling new plots and characters, and being swept away by talented authors to far off lands. But what's just as interesting is the process by which these books end up in our local bookstores and on our ever-growing bookshelves.

Read on for my recap of the event and my top take-away tips...

March Book Mail ~ Youtube Unboxings

That's right...I've joined Youtube!

This past month I received loads of book mail my mailbox was overflowing and the postman was giving me judgemental looks! And the idea hit me that instead of writing up a simple blog post about the book goodies I'd received, why not make a video?!

So far I've uploaded two videos - both are book mail unboxings for March. These are test videos, so I can see what sort of content you guys enjoy and whether it works better than a blog post.

To clarify: these videos will not be a regular/weekly thing. They'll be posted up every now and then to give you guys something different to look forward to. All my main content will be here on this blog.

I hope you guys enjoy them! Please feel free to leave any thoughts and feedback in the comments.

I've posted the March Unboxing videos for you guys below :)

Teaser Tuesday ~ Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Hosted by: MizB at Should Be Reading

It's Teaser Tuesday! Teaser Tuesday is when I pick up one of my latest reads, choose a random page, and share two terrific teasers from it with all of you. And just thinking about having to decide which two terrifies me I mean how do I choose between so many amazing quotes?!



So strap on your seat-belts & prepare yourself for teasers that are sure to blow you away! 

This week's teasers come from Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep. Bright Blaze of Magic is a YA urban fantasy novel which is TBR April 26th 2016 by Kensington. 

Music Monday ~ East by Edith Pattou

Hosted by: Total Book Geek

It's Music Monday! Which means it's that time again where I pick a book & pair it with some winning tunes. Because every book and its characters deserve a soundtrack!

This Monday's pick is East by Edith Pattou.

East is a YA fantasy novel that brings readers a brilliant retelling of the Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun and West of the Moon (originally collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe). You can read the full original fairytale here.

Honestly East is one of my all-time favourite books. Featuring a white bear, a peasant's daughter, and a castle shrouded in mystery, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey. And what better way to heighten a dramatic journey filled with love and adventure, than with music?!



So today I will be sharing a few of the songs from the playlist I've put together for this fantastic book.

The Sunday Post ~ 19th Century Treasure + The Magical Teacup Cupcake Box of Sanity

Hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Happy Sunday, bookworms! 

No, your eyes are not deceiving you - the Sunday Post weekly meme is back! It's alive!

 

And there is ever so much to talk to you guys about. This past week has been full of awesome developments and exciting news to share - from discovering a 19th century text on my shelf, to the to-good-to-be-true reads that are lined up for the upcoming week.

But before I get into all of that, here's the latest blog news:

• The university term has begun! A.k.a Booknut will be posting slightly less regularly, as apparently uni work is a tad more of a priority than getting through my TBR pile which is utter nonsense of course, we all know the TBR pile is LIFE.

• We celebrated International Women's Day! And I took the chance to write an open letter to the fictional heroines who have inspired me in my life.

• I reviewed The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (the Netgalley sneak peek), Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, Trick by Natalia Jaster, and Pool of Rathorne by Cheryse Durrant.

• We had so many lovely guests say hi this week (thank you to everyone who dropped in and/or left a comment!) including the wonderful Deborah Blake, author of the Baba Yaga series.

Swoon Worthy Saturday ~ Deborah Blake's Sam Corbett

Hosted by: Stay Bookish

It's Swoon Worthy Saturday!

Swoon Worthy Saturday is a weekly meme where in we present a fictional boy who has swept us off our feet, given us butterflies, made our heart do acrobatics and driven us absolutely crazy!

This Saturday's pick is the courageous Sam Corbett from author Deborah Blake's book Wickedly Powerful (Baba Yaga #3). 

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead ~ Sneak Peek Review

Netgalley recently gave readers the chance to enjoy a sneak peek of Richelle Mead's upcoming book The Glittering Court. 

And although I had a pile of TBR review copies I am a weak, weak bookworm who just couldn't say no I clicked the 'request' button quicker than a kid going for candy on Halloween.

I mean...just look at that cover. And I'm a total fan of all things Richelle Mead, so it was a no-brainer - this sneak peek was making my virtual bookshelf, pronto. My only concern? That reading the sneak peek would make waiting for the full book even harder!

Read on for my thoughts on the sneak peek...

Keen Cover Friday ~ No Ordinary Star (Astra #1) by M.C. Frank

Hosted by: Keepbooked

It's Keen Cover Friday! Keen Cover Friday is when I post a book cover that has totally captured my eye...and that will probably make others swoon over its beauty just as much as I did. 

This week's eye-catching book cover belongs to No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank. 

No Ordinary Star is a YA fantasy sci-fi novel and was released on November 25th 2015 by Createspace.

Dear Fictional Heroines ~ An Open Letter

This week people around the world came together in various ways to celebrate International Women's Day. 

To me IWD is a day to call attention to and support women; their abilities, their hopes, their dreams...and most importantly the concept of women supporting other women.

Today I want to focus on fictional women.

It's not something we give a lot of thought to in our daily lives, but fictional women have always been a source of support for women across the world. 

Authors have created figures that act as a source of inspiration for their female readers - regardless of race, ability, and circumstances, these heroines not only show what women can achieve in their lives but how strong they truly are.

So I decided to write an open letter to the heroines who have affected me and have taught me wise lessons that I will carry with me always. Of course, although this letter is to the characters, I hold the authors who created these characters in even higher regard. I want to express my thanks to them for gracing us readers with these fictional role models.

 

Where do I start besides obviously fangirling over your outfits and your weaponry collections? Well I've heard it's a good idea to start from the beginning, so let's try that.

Growing up the term 'ideal woman' came with a long list of do's and don'ts. Do make yourself appealing. Don't talk too much. Do what you can to appease males at all times. Don't have goals and ambitions because all you can do in life is be a wife, a mother, and a grandmother.

That's not to say that I wasn't surrounded by strong, amazing women who supported me because I was, and I am to this day. But coming from a traditional family meant there was always pre-conceived notions about how a woman should be a woman. And when I would fail to meet those expectations it felt like the entire world was frowning at me, shaking their heads and judging me for being less than I could be.

Books were my haven. Especially books featuring you guys - you heroines who slowly but surely began to change the way I viewed my life and lived it.