The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson | Book Review

Item: The Heart of Betrayal
Rating: 4
Author: Jana

Posted June 10, 2016 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 0 Comments

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson | Book Review

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #2
Also in this series: The Kiss of Deception, The Beauty of Darkness
Published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers on July 7, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 470
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.

I am having the hardest time coming up with a strategy for reviewing this book! I read it in February of this year, and I’m so overwhelmed by my feelings that I’ve pretty much rendered myself speechless. I also tend to struggle with reviewing the second book of a series because things are not resolved yet and I love the world and the story and the characters just like I did in the first book. So naturally, my review always ends up looking a bit like my review of the first one. I can’t put off reviewing this book any longer, though, especially since my wish was just granted on netgalley and I’m one of 50 people who gets to read the final book in this series, The Beauty of Darkness, two months early!

Bottom line, I love this series and I loved this book. There are twists and turns throughout both books, and the world is super dynamic and well fleshed out. Basically everything I said in my review of The Kiss of Deception still applies (I told you this would happen). We also get to learn more about Lia and her gift, which has changed since her arrival in Venda. Again, we are torn between who to trust and what to think. The culture and really the entire world of Venda is terrifying and unique, and even though I did not love the setting and the barbaric secondary characters, I really drank everything in because it was just so unique to me. We get to learn more about Kaden and his life. His bond with the Komizar is creepy, yet captivating. Rafe, of course, is still noble and wonderful. I don’t know how Pearson does it, but I am such a fan of her ability to weave such a crazy detailed story together in way that makes sense! AND to do it through multiple points of view? She’s a phenomenal writer!

The writing is still amazing, and my heart is still fully invested even though Pearson threw all of us off the edge of a cliff with this ending. Guys, it’s brutal. Considering how close we are to the release of the final book in the series you might want to heed my warning and wait until you have The Beauty of Darkness in your hands (or are able to instantly download it off Amazon with the click of a button) before reading The Heart of Betrayal. It might actually extend your life if you do.

My Favorite Works of Art | Roses & Rot Blog Tour

Posted June 8, 2016 by Jana in About Me, Blog Tour, Book Spotlight, Giveaway / 3 Comments

Welcome to my stop along the Roses & Rot tour, hosted by The Irish Banana Review! In Roses & Rot, sisters Imogen and Marin are accepted to a very elite post-grad arts program, and this school ends up being way different than they expected. The book itself is very atmospheric and the writing is beautiful. Plus, Neil Gaiman blurbed it… so there you go!

I get to do something a little different today for my blog tour stop, and I’m pretty excited about it. I got my undergraduate degree in graphic design and art history, so art is basically my life. I’m all too familiar with the question the book’s synopsis asks us: “How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?” I’ve studied a lot of art and traveled around the world to see some my favorites (but not all!), so today I’m going to share some of my favorite pieces of art, many of which were created by artists who sacrificed it all. I had so much fun going through hundreds of pages of my class notes from all my art history courses as I decided which works to pick.

1. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (saw this at the MoMA)
2. Water Lilies by Claude Monet
3. Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap by Pieter Bruegel
4. Rise of the Carthaginian Empire by Joseph Mallord William Turner
5. Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters by Hendrick Avercamp
6. The Entrance to the Grand Canal, Venice by Canaletto
7. Salcombe Estuary, South Devon by Henry Thomas Dawson
8. School of Athens by Rafael (saw this at the Vatican)
9. View of the Pic du Midi d’Ossau in the Pyrenees, with Brigands by Clarkson Stanfield
10. The entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo (sat in this chapel at the Vatican)

Are you an art history lover like I am? What are some of your favorite artworks?

Roses and Rot by Kat Howard
Published by Saga Press on May 13, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Fairy Tale
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Buy: Amazon • B&N • IndieBound • iBooks • Book Depository

Imogen and her sister Marin have escaped their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, be it art or love.

What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?

Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.

About Kat:

Kat Howard lives in New Hampshire. Her short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, anthologized in year’s best and best of collections, and performed on NPR. Roses and Rot is her debut novel. You can find her on twitter at @KatWithSword.

Also, Shane Leonard took her photo, and she’s super grateful.

Website | Twitter | Tumblr

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Tour Schedule:

6/6: Such A Novel Idea – Playlist
6/7: Cosying Up With Books – Review
6/8: That Artsy Reader Girl – Art History Post
6/9: The Quiet Concert – Review
6/10: Fiction Fare – Q&A
6/13: No BS Book Reviews – Q&A
6/14: Curling Up With A Good Book – Guest Post
6/15: Lilybloombooks – Review
6/16: Reads All the Books – Review
6/17: Fangs & Fur Fantasy Books – Review

Release Day Happiness for White-Hot Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves

Posted June 7, 2016 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Spotlight / 2 Comments

I don’t usually participate in release day blitzes, but Tracey Garvis Graves is and always will be my one and only exception. I love everything she’s ever written, and I can’t wait to read the conclusion of Kate and Ian’s love story! White-Hot Hack is out today, and this is basically the best news you’ll receive all day so there you go.

White-Hot Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves
Series: Kate & Ian #2
Published: June 7, 2016
My review of book #1: Heart-Shaped Hack
Genres: Adult, contemporary, romance
Read the prologue!
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Buy: Amazon • B&N • Apple • Kobo

Their love story began in Heart-Shaped Hack. Join Kate and Ian for the thrilling conclusion in White-Hot Hack.

When cybercriminals doxed undercover hacker Ian Bradshaw and forced him to flee, he begged Kate Watts for forgiveness and vowed never to hurt her again. He also convinced her to marry him, and when their idyllic summer on Roanoke Island comes to an end, the newlyweds relocate to their new home deep in the heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country. Ian still struggles with boundaries, but he keeps Kate’s lingerie drawer filled with surprises, and there’s no shortage of number-six kisses. There’s even a fast, new car to replace his beloved Shelby.

Ian promised Kate that life with him would never be boring, but spending her days picking out paint colors and going to Pilates isn’t going to cut it. Meanwhile, Ian discovers that building a white-hat security firm from the ground up seems harder the second time around, and he might have underestimated how much he’d miss the undercover work he walked away from. To make matters worse, the hacktivists are threatening national security, and the task force could really use Ian’s help.

Kate and Ian have always worried that their past would catch up to them, and when faced with the biggest showdown of their lives, they must capitalize on the one thing they excel at most: teamwork. Ian claims no one is a better hacker than him, but in order to triumph, he’ll have to prove it. And if he can’t, he risks losing the woman whose heart he worked so hard to hack.

About Tracey:

Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Apollycon ’17 Venue, Hotel, Volunteer, Ticket, & Schedule Info + FAQ’s

Posted June 3, 2016 by Jana in Bookish News, Giveaway / 0 Comments

Hey there! I’m one of 25 official Apollycon 2017 bloggers so over the next year I’ll be giving you all the information on the conference so you know exactly what’s going on.

Ok, guys. This post has all the information about Apollycon you could possibly need. Seriously, it’s info city over here. Today we’re announcing the venue for the event and how to book hotel rooms there at a discounted rate. You’ll also find information on signing up to volunteer at Apollycon, where to go to buy tickets, the full events schedule, and a bunch of answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.

The Venue

Apollycon 2017 will be held at the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando!

Go look at the website! This hotel is beautiful!

Hotel Rooms Available

There is a block of rooms reserved at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, at a discounted rate. To book a room, go here. You can book a room for an arrival as early as 3/19/2017, and check out as late as 3/31/2017 with access to the Apollycon 2017 rate. These rooms will go quickly, so book early to make sure you don’t miss out. If by chance the room block is sold out, you may still contact the hotel to inquire about other available rooms, but they may not have the discounted rate.

Want to Volunteer at Apollycon?

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased here! The ticket sale will be live at 12PM EST on Friday, June 3rd, 2016. Please note that there has been a ticket update: The FAST PASS (which was previously announced) will no longer be available for purchase. For more info, check out the Apollycon tickets page, or the Apollycon website.

Event Schedule

Friday, March 24th, 2017
Time TBD – On-site Registration Opens

2pm-5pm – Exclusive Titan Signing:
This signing will be for Titan pass holders only. All attending authors and vendors will be on site during this session as well. This signing will end promptly at 4PM. If you still have books you need to have signed, you may attend the General Signing session on Saturday.

Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Time TBD – On-site Registration Opens

12pm-5pm – General Signing Session:
This session is free to all attendees! Please keep in mind that we are asking that you still register to attend the event (registration opens at 12PM EST today). All authors and vendors will be on site and available at this time. Some authors will be ticketed and/or have book limits (that may differ from the general book limitations which can be found in the FAQ section below), so please be prepared to adhere to the specified instructions.

The signing will end promptly at 5PM, as we will need to clear the space for the after party which will be occurring later that evening.

8pm-11pm – Demigod After Party:
You must purchase a Demigod pass in order to attend. (This is included with both the Titan AND the Apollyon pass, so you won’t need to purchase 2 separate passes.) The party will include:

1,001 Dark Nights gift bags for the first 300 people! – Be among the first 300 people to arrive, and you will get to take home a bag filled with goodies!
Mingle with your favorite authors! – Featured authors & cover model(s) will be in attendance!
Photobooth Fun – We will have a photo booth with fun props where you and your friends can capture the fun!
Hit the dance floor with your friends! – We will have a DJ bringing the tunes!
Giveaways! – There will be chances to win gift cards, an iPad, a Kindle Fire tablet, signed books, and more throughout the party!

Frequently Asked Questions

The Saturday general signing is free. Do I still need to register?
Yes. If you solely wish to attend the Saturday signing (which is FREE), we are still asking that all attendees register for a general signing ticket.

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
Plan to bring your ID with you when picking up your registration on site.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to the event?
There will be on-site paid parking available at the venue hotel.

What are the book limitations?
You may bring as many books from home as you’d like, but you can only get 5 books per author signed at a time. You’ll be asked to go to the back of the line to get any additional books signed by the same author. **Please note: There may be some authors that have a different book limit (less than 5), but we will make a formal announcement on the Apollycon site/social media closer to the event.

Is my registration/ticket refundable/transferrable?
All paid passes/registration will be fully refundable until January 1st, 2017. Beyond that point, it will be transferable (so you can resell your pass to another attendee) should you no longer be able to attend.

I plan to sign up to volunteer. Do I still need to pay for a pass?
Yes. If you are interested in getting the swag/items that comes with the Titan or Apollyon passes, you must still purchase the a pass. If you purchase the Titan pass, and are selected to be an Apollycon volunteer, you will still be granted access to the full Friday signing that comes along with it.

Can I purchase books at the event?
Yes! There will be an onsite bookseller with books for purchase (Hours of operation will be posted closer to date of the event.). Self-published titles will be sold by the author at their respective tables, at the author’s discretion. As we get closer to the event, we will provide a list of books that will be available for purchase at the event. **Please note: There may be limited titles/formats available through the bookseller, so if you have specific titles you’d like to have for the signing, your best bet is to purchase them before the event.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
You can reach the Apollycon 2017 event organizers (Steph & Hannah) using the messaging options on the Apollycon social media pages, or at apollyconevent[at]gmails[dot]com.

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– For more FAQ’s, check out the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Apollycon website.
– For additional information regarding this event, including attending authors & vendors, check out the Apollycon website.

That Artsy Librarian | Just Finished My Second to Last Semester!

Posted May 27, 2016 by Jana in About Me, That Artsy Librarian / 7 Comments

That Artsy Librarian is a feature all about my journey through graduate school as I work towards my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about my grad school experience, so I thought I’d do that today! I feel like I’ve been in school forever… And I have. I’ve been in grad school for three years. I honestly can’t believe it. I never thought I’d ever go to grad school, much less do a program that takes almost as long as my undergraduate degree.

I just finished up my second to last semester, and I took library marketing and collection development classes. In marketing I spent the semester writing marketing plans for a local library. The first plan was for the ENTIRE library: all of the services and programs available there. It was so complicated and long… 20 single-spaced pages. The second plan was just for the library’s teen services department and it was 16 single-spaced pages. It was fun, but super stressful because I was never really clear on what my teacher wanted. lol. I also made an 8-minute powerpoint audio/visual presentation for my first plan. The course also required I write reviews of scholarly publications and participate in weekly discussions on our required readings. It was a very intense course.

My collection development course was interesting… I was paired up with a classmate and we had to put together a 15-minute audio/visual presentation on weeding library collections. I also did a group assignment on the principles of collection development, which I did not find incredibly useful. The bulk of my final grade came from a 20-item collection I developed for the same library I used in my marketing class. I decided to do it on art and its influence on popular culture. Seeing as how I got my undergrad degree in art history, I thought this was a really fun topic and I enjoyed my 20+ hours of research. Not only did each collection item have to fit the theme, it also had to have positive professional reviews from publications such as Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. I spent a lot of time researching those and quoting them in my justifications for each item. I also had to fight for why the collection was necessary, how I would maintain the collection and add to it in the future, and I had to include an itemized list of prices and vendors. I also had to design a marketing tool to advertise the collection to the general public. We all know graphic design is my thing, and I made a large format poster that looks awesome.

I’ve always enjoyed collection development, and this was the third collection I developed for my program. I’ve also done a children’s picture book collection on multicultural friendships and a teen collection on post-apocalyptic topics (fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction, reference, DVDs, CDs, etc.). I find collection development to be a bit of a treasure hunt and I have a lot of fun searching for items. This has been something I’ve learned about myself since I joined the program, and I’m actually surprised! It’s a good kind of surprise, though.

This was probably the most work intensive semester I’ve had, hence the lack of activity going on here on the blog. I’ve done my best to keep up, but I know things slowed down a lot. I did get A’s in both classes, though! 100% in marketing and 99% in collection development, so my devotion pid off. Now I have a few months off to read and relax and enjoy the summer before jumping in to my final semester. I’m taking my last class this fall, and it’s my capstone course. Essentially, I will be designing and conducting a research study. My final paper of the program will be discussing the results of that study and their applications and relevancy to the field of information science. I already chose my topic, but more on that in a later post!

Yay summer!!!