Never Too Many To Read : Giveaway

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Friday, July 12, 2019

FFBC Blog Tour: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager...Review & Giveaway!

Wednesday I shared my thoughts on The Bartholomew, the fictional hotel in Lock Every Door and today I am here to share my review!

Keep reading to find out more about Lock Every Door and more!

Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager
Publisher: Dutton Books
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Genre: Adult, Horror, Thriller

Synopsis:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story . . . until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer.

Now a full-time writer, Riley is the author of FINAL GIRLS, an international bestseller that has been published in 25 languages, and the New York Times bestseller THE LAST TIME I LIED. His latest book, LOCK EVERY DOOR, will be published in July.

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Title: Lock Every Door

Author: Riley Sager

Format: Digital ARC

Source: Publisher/Blog Tour

With Lock Every Door, Riley Sager has solidified himself as one of my favorite authors of thrillers and suspense. As he did with his previous two novels, The Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, Sager created a story and characters that I’m not likely to forget any time soon. This time it all centered around a fascinating, old apartment building with a storied past, The Bartholomew.

Jules Larsen is having the worst luck ever when she gets the chance to live and work as an apartment sitter in the luxurious apartment building that she has dreamed about for years, The Bartholomew. It seems almost too good to be true and soon Jules begins to suspect it just might be with its strange rules, secretive residents, and dark past. Her suspicions kick into high gear when fellow apartment sitter Ingrid disappears and Jules learns all is not what it seems at The Bartholomew.

Lock Every Door is a page-turner that I couldn’t put down. Mystery, suspense, drama, horror, there’s a little bit of everything and a nice balance of all. As a fan of thrillers, I enjoyed every bit of this story, from the beginning where we get a brief glimpse of what’s to come to the shocking ending with its horrific twist. I could easily see Lock Every Door on the big or small screen someday as it reminded me of some of my favorite films from the thriller/suspense genre.

In addition to successfully handling the genre, Sager also manages to breathe life into The Bartholomew making me view it as its own character despite it being an inanimate building. From the wallpaper with flowers like faces and vents with openings like mouths that swallow dropped items, each description brought this building to life and made it real. It is just as important as the human characters in the story and it is probably my favorite part of the story. Just imagining the floor plans, the history, the residents, and extravagance of it all makes me wish I could see it as it was meant to be.

I also really enjoyed how Sager managed to tie Jules’s past to her present situation even though they seem completely unrelated. The Bartholomew is the setting of her missing sister’s favorite book, a book-within-a-book whose author turns out to be a resident at the apartment building. And fellow sitter Ingrid reminds Jules of her sister which sort of motivates Jules in her search for Ingrid and answers when the girl disappears.

As for those answers, I can’t lie and say I didn’t see them coming...well some of them...but I enjoyed watching them play out. And as I read the ending, I realized little clues had been dropped along the way (which is one reason why I wasn’t completely surprised...I had my Nancy Drew hat on). Now I want to reread the book to see what clues that I might have missed!

I can’t wait to see what Riley Sager has in store for us next!

*I received a free digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

7 copies of LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager

US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the Tour to learn more about Lock Every Door!

Click here for the schedule!

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

FFBC: Lock Every Door By Riley Sager...My Favorite Character & aGiveaway!

I am not going to lie, Riley Sager is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I have enjoyed each of his previous books, The Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied. And Lock Every Door is one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not the best.

So I am super excited to be able to tell you about the book today!

Keep reading to find out more about Lock Every Door and to learn about my favorite character and more!

And be sure to check back Friday for my review!

Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager

Publisher: Dutton Books

Release Date: July 2, 2019

Genre: Adult, Horror, Thriller

Synopsis:

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer.

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Now it’s time for me to share some of my random thoughts...well, maybe not-so-random...I’ll let you decide...

My Favorite Character from Lock Every Door...

One of my favorite things about Riley Sager’s writing is his knack for creating fascinating and complex characters that you want to know more about. And Lock Every Door definitely doesn’t lack colorful characters. Each character has its own idiosyncrasies and unique personality that makes them memorable. They also have a backstory that makes them intriguing and you long to discover more about what brought them to this particular moment in life. My favorite character in Lock Every Door has all of these traits and just happens to be The Bartholomew, the apartment building in which the main character and most of the other characters reside.

Yes, there are plenty of human characters in the story that I could have easily chosen. The residents of The Bartholomew are definitely eccentric, secretive people who make you curious to know their story and what brought them to this apartment building. There are quite a few I loved. But Riley Sager manages to bring The Bartholomew to life giving it its own quirks and personality as well as providing it with a fascinating back story. From the wallpaper that looks like tiny faces to the giant gargoyles to the old-fashioned elevator, everything about The Bartholomew intrigues me.

The Bartholomew is more than just a setting or building to me, it is integral to the story because without it and its supposed curse, the story falls apart and loses what makes it so interesting. I won’t say anymore...you’ll just have to read to find out what exactly happens and judge for yourself. But to me, it is a character in the story.

But The Bartholomew isn’t the only building that is important or could be looked at as its own character throughout literature or fiction. Can you imagine the Harry Potter series without Hogwarts? The Shining without the Overlook Hotel? The Haunting Of Hill House without Hill House? These are just a few examples.

Do you have a favorite building from literature? Would you consider it a character?

7 copies of LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager

US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the Tour to learn more about Lock Every Door!

Click here for the schedule!

And be sure to check back here on Friday for my review!

Monday, August 27, 2018

Blog Tour: Fresh Ink...Review & Giveaway!

An excellent new anthology to tell you about today...keep reading to learn more and to enter to win a copy!

About the Book:

Title: FRESH INK Anthology

Author: Lamar Giles, Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi

Pub. Date: August 14, 2018

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 208

Find it:

Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD

In partnership with We Need Diverse Books, thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors come together in this remarkable YA anthology featuring ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print.

All it takes to rewrite the rules is a little fresh ink in this remarkable YA anthology from thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors writing today including Nicola Yoon, Jason Reynolds, Melissa de la Cruz, and many more, and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. This collection features ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print. It will give readers the opportunity to discover how the next chapter is up to them.

Careful--you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written--whose next chapters are up to you.

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play. This collection will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink.

“I absolutely love this mix of established and newer talents, and I’m really intrigued and excited by the mixed formats.” –BookRiot

“A powerful and varied collection…”—Booklist, starred review

“The stories are distinct in themes, subjects, genres, and formats, creating an inclusive, authentic, and incredible collection”—School Library Journal, starred review

READ AN EXCERPT HERE!

Title: Fresh Ink

Editor: Lamar Giles

Authors: Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi

Format: Hardcover

Source: Blog Tour

Fresh Ink is a fantastic anthology filled with not only a variety of diverse short stories, but also a play and even a graphic novel. The anthology as a whole is not only entertaining, but also provides a little bit of something for every reader especially those looking for diverse reads.

In the letter to the reader, editor and cofounder of We Need Diverse Books, Lamar Giles, points out the lack of diversity in YA books and his own disappointment as a child who read. In the 12 entries in this anthology each author provides readers with varying POVs, genres, and styles that also include different races, genders, and sexualities.

In each of these stories, many of the themes are universal despite the genre with the characters facing their own set of problems or issues that everyone can relate to regardless of race, gender or sexuality. Each short story left me wanting to read more and were left a bit open-ended providing readers with the opportunity to expand on or imagine what might happen next. This might either disappoint or inspire some, it all depends on your perspective.

I enjoyed the opportunity to explore and read about characters different from me as well as characters I could relate to. I also loved the idea that others were getting the chance read about a character they could relate to on a deeper level. The inclusion of diverse authors brings an authenticity to the stories and the characters.

As with most anthologies, you are bound to have stories or entries that seem stronger than others and those that seem weaker. But as with all books, what doesn’t work for one reader might work for another. That was the case for me with Fresh Ink...some stories captured my attention more than others. That being said, I was particularly moved by TAGS, the play by Walter Dean Myers, for some reason and plan to check out more of his other work. In fact, I plan to check out work by ALL of the authors in this anthology and encourage you to do the same.

Fresh Ink is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. It entertains while also bringing attention to the lack of diversity in YA publishing by simply existing. I definitely want to read more stories and books like the entries in this book.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of FRESH INK US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2018- YA Books Central- Spotlight

8/2/2018- Always Me- Review

8/3/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

Week Two:

8/6/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

8/7/2018- BookHounds YA- Review

8/8/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review

8/9/2018- Wonder Struck- Review

8/10/2018- Life of a Literary Nerd- Review

Week Three:

8/13/2018- Literary Meanderings- Spotlight

8/14/2018- Mama Reads Blog- Review

8/15/2018- Novel Novice- Review

8/16/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

8/17/2018- Sweet Southern Home- Review

Week Four:

8/20/2018- The Layaway Dragon- Review

8/21/2018- Eli to the nth- Review

8/22/2018- Comfort Books- Review

8/23/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review

8/24/2018- laura's bookish corner- Review

Week Five:

8/27/2018- Never Too Many To Read- Review

8/28/2018- The Book Nut- Review

8/29/2018- Cindy's Love of Books- Review

8/30/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review

8/31/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Blog Tour: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas...Review & Giveaway!

Another amazing book to tell you about today!

Keep reading to learn more and to enter to win a copy!

Title: THE CHEERLEADERS

Author: Kara Thomas

Pub. Date: July 31, 2018

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

About Kara:

Kara Thomas is a true crime addict and the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, LITTLE MONSTERS, and THE CHEERLEADERS, all published by Delacorte Press. You can find her on Twitter (@karatwrites), Instagram (@kara__thomas), or at http://www.kara-thomas.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Title: The Cheerleaders

Author: Kara Thomas

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publisher/Blog Tour

With The Cheerleaders, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Was it going to be a mystery? A thriller? A horror story? A drama? Well, it turned out to be all of these things in a way and more....well, maybe not so much a horror story, but I still loved every bit of it.

When The Cheerleaders first begins we meet Monica, a high school dance team member going through some personal drama. Her sister also happens to have been one of the local high school’s last cheerleaders. You see, five years ago, after the tragic deaths of five cheerleaders, the squad was disbanded. Two of the five were killed in a car accident, two were murdered, and one, Monica’s sister, killed herself. Now, as the anniversaries of the deaths approach, Monica is discovering things may not quite be what they seem when it comes to these deaths and she is trying to discover what really happened and if the deaths were connected in some way.

To be completely honest, when I first started reading, I had no idea what direction author Kara Thomas was going to take the story. Would history repeat itself? Was this going to be a story of justice finally being served? Or would this turn out to just be a case of an unreliable narrator? I won’t spoil the story and say exactly what happens, however, I will say that while there were so many different ways Thomas could have taken or handled the actual main plot and mystery of the story that Monica sets out to investigate, I was both surprised and pleased with how the story unfolds.

In The Cheerleaders each new discovery Monica makes or the author reveals through flashbacks from other characters’ POVs, leads to a new twist or turn exposing a new detail in the story from the past ultimately leading to a fascinating and stunning conclusion as everything begins to click into place. From beginning to end, it was perfect and I couldn’t wait to see how the story would play out and how the characters we meet throughout the story were connected or involved in the overall plot, if at all. Everyone seemed to have a secret related to or a connection to the tragedy. Like Monica in the story, I was never quite sure who or what was relevant. And I definitely was not expecting the outcome, but thoroughly enjoyed it and the entire book. I love reading suspense and mysteries and dramas or whatever you want to classify this book as...it had a little bit of everything that would surely please fans of all of these genres.

As for our main character, Monica, she goes through a lot in this book both on-page and off-page. In addition to dealing with some heavy personal stuff, discoveries made by Monica turn her world upside down affecting not only what she thought to be true in the deaths of her sister and her sister’s friends but also who she remembered and thought her sister to be. As she looks deeper into the past and learns more about her sister, she also uncovers some uncomfortable truths about herself and those close to her. I don’t want to say too much, but the ways in which the author subtly tied Monica’s story to her sister’s and the similarities between the two was so well-done.

The Cheerleaders is easily one of my favorite reads in a good while. This is not only a story with a bit of mystery and suspense, but also one filled with heart and emotion. I loved how Thomas balances and blends everything into a cohesive and engrossing story. The Cheerleaders had everything I love in a book: great characters, an entertaining story, an unpredictable outcome, plus it left me wanting to read more.