Booknut's Ramblings ~ 5 Book Clichés That Need To End

Welcome to Booknut's Ramblings!

Today's topic: book clichés.

What is a book cliché?

Web definition: an expression, idea, or element of book which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful.

My definition: book clichés are like flies. You know they have a function, and they are a part of life...but they can be super annoying. You just want them gone! 

What are the most annoying book clichés?

Now that's a good question! Drawing on my own personal reading experiences, Internet research, and the responses you guys sent me via Twitter, I have compiled a list of the top 5 most annoying book clichés that need to end ASAP.

So let's get listing, shall we?!

Fall into Bliss Blitz ~ Events, Sales + Giveaway

Fall into Bliss with a line up of awesome events + book sales!

Bliss has a new look and to celebrate they are having a huge sale plus an amazing week full of Blissful events. Join us and fill your e-reader with these fun and flirty romances for just $.99 each!

PLUS

Join us for a fun line up of events where you can chat with Bliss authors and other readers, kick back with an #EPMovieNight and more. See the list of events below + enter a $50 Amazon gift card giveaway:

Trailer Reveal ~ Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am super excited to bring you all the trailer reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's Oblivion! 

 Oblivion is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance being published by Entangled Teen, and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling LUX Series. It is being released on December 1^st, 2015!! 

Watch the trailer then pre-order your copy today!

   

About the book

Experience the epic love story of Obsidian as told by its hero, Daemon Black… 

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. 

And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are. 

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game. 

Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger.It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...

Add it to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

And don't forget to pre-order Oblivion:

Amazon | Kobo | BAM | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker ~ Release Week Blitz

I am so excited to bring to you all today the Release Week Blitz for K.A. Tucker's Surviving Ice! 

Surviving Ice is a standalone romantic suspense novel and is the fourth book in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water Series, published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

About the book

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page- turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense. 

Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again.

When they need the best, they call him. 

That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty- something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for. 

Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control. 

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

Want to know more? Check out the exclusive excerpt below!

Swoon Worthy Saturday ~ Abbi Glines' West Ashby

Hosted by: Stay Bookish

It's Swoon Worthy Saturday! 

Saturday is a day for swooning. 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 wickedly gorgeous West Ashby from author Abbi Glines' book Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1). 

Thursday Quotables ~ Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Hosted by BookshelfFantasies

It's time for Thursday Quotables! 

Thursday Quotables is all about sharing a favorite quote, line, or passage from your reading each week. You know it's a good read when you come across a bunch of memorable quotes!

This week's quote comes from Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher. 

Ketchup Clouds is a YA contemporary novel that builds up a tale of mystery, crime, and intrigue through a series of gripping letters written by a young girl to a man on death row.

There were so many great quotes to choose from. But I managed to settle on a quote that I think truly showcases the novel: 

Waiting On Wednesday ~ Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) by Katie McGarry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. 

Like many other bookworms, I suffer from OTBRL - Overflowing To Be Read List. My TBR list grows by the day (currently standing at 2105 books) as I discover more new and exciting books to read. There are just so many to choose from! 

Waiting On Wednesday gives me the chance to showcase some of these books...so you can add them to your steadily growing TBR lists! 

This week's pick is Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry. 

Walk the Edge is the second book in Katie McGarry's Thunder Road series. It is TBR on March 29th 2016 by HarlequinTEEN. 

Air Awakens by Elise Kova ~ Review

I was recommend this book by the wonderful Library Luv - and knowing Library Luv's great taste in books, I had high hopes for Elise Kova's Air Awakens.

 But before I let you guys know what I thought, here's a little about the book...

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About the book

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond...  

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.  

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. 

And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined. 

Add the book to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

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My Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Elise Kova's Air Awakens is a fantasy story that balances reality and fiction.

A truly well-crafted fantasy world should be able to maintain a perfect balance between reality and fiction - giving readers enough glimpses of reality to get them to believe in this new world, whilst also giving the story enough fiction magic to transport them there.

Air Awakens impressed me with its ability to keep me in the world Elise Kova created. I never felt like concepts were over-explained, or dumbed down for me. I felt like, as a reader, I was being treated like an equal - a newcomer, but an equal. The author was treating me to a new experience without making me feel like I needed to go through 12 chapters of backstory to understand everything.

And that is, for me, the key to fantasy. Transport a reader to a new world and keep them there. Don't alienate them, but invite them by giving them tantalising peeks into the story's foundations. Make the experience magical for them!

It also features a really good-looking guy.

No...no, I am not shallow! But I appreciate a hot male character as much as the next female reader, and Elise Kova's prince is swoon-worthy to the max. I mean, the guy is literally and figuratively hot (all fire puns intended!) so what's not to love?!

Vhalla is a spirited heroine whom you cannot help but love.

I have read many books, and let me tell you, I have not loved every heroine I have come across. But Vhalla endeared herself to me from the moment I met her - the perfect mixture of weakness and bravery, a flawed yet strong character whose trials were relatable despite their fictional nature. 

Following Vhalla's journey in Air Awakens was enjoyable every step of the way and I am honestly extremely excited for what's to come next in the series!

The Divide by E. J. Mellow ~ Book Blitz

Have you discovered E. J. Mellow's Dreamland series? Her second book, The Divide is out now and is certain to have you spellbound...

About the book

Title: The Divide (Dreamland #2)  
Author: E.J. Mellow  
Publication date: October 15th 2015 
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult  

Synopsis: Molly finally uncovers the truth about the strange dreams that plagued her sanity for weeks. Now destined to accept a clandestine role, Molly must find the strength and courage buried deep to push forward and succeed.  

With the help of Dev, the roguish blue-eyed man of her dreams—whose dark past resurfaces to haunt him—Molly prepares to test the limits of her newly awakened powers and set right a world on the edge of being consumed by nightmares.  

But when an unknown shadow stalks her every step and a shocking revelation about her ancestry comes to light, Molly may find herself forced to make a decision that could leave her alone in the dark and standing on the wrong side of a divide.  

Don’t miss The Divide - the heart-thumping second instalment in The Dreamland Series!

Grab your copy today via:

Amazon | B&N

Jane Unwrapped by Leah & Kate Rooper ~ Review, Interview + Giveaway

Let me introduce you to a book you'll be dying to read...

As many of you may be aware, I simply adore all things mythology - especially ancient Egyptian mythology. 

So when I was given the opportunity to read & review Jane Unwrapped by Leah and Kate Rooper I just knew that it was the kind of book that I would fall instantly in love with. And I was right! Two pages in and I was already tuning out the outside world, perfectly content to sit down all day with a book that had gripped me with its brilliant characters and unique plot.

It's female protagonist, Jane, was witty, conflicted, and the kind of girl I instantly knew I'd be friends with in real life. Her love of science and quirky facts brought life to the story, making her more than just your average heroine. Her character development shocked me with its rapid but well-thought-out pace - she faced many challenges but emerged triumphant, wearing her emotional and physical scars proudly.

And the book's male protagonist was just as amazing...deadly amazing! Yes, yes, I was very tempted to include a whole array of death puns when discussing the hottie that is Anubis, but I will restrain myself ;)

The Rooper sisters' Anubis is by far one of the best adaptions of a mythological persona I have come across. Anubis was just the right blend of clueless, stoic, and self-righteous ancient god mixed with the adorableness, good looks and sly humour of a YA bad boy. The chemistry between him and Jane was off the charts! They helped each other grow and become better versions of themselves, challenged one another, and made great friends long before romance blossomed.

If you love comedy, romance, time-travelling, and mythology...Jane Unwrapped is definitely for you!

Learn more about the book, or grab yourself a copy, via:

| Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |

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Want to learn more about Jane Unwrapped?

Then you're in luck! Read on for an exclusive interview with the book's stars, Jane and Anubis...