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Friday, February 28, 2014

Blog Tour: GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith [Review, Trailer & Giveaway]






Title: GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE
Author: Andrew Smith
Genre: Fiction | YA | LBGT
Release Date: 2/11/14

Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He is stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann.


Ultimately, it is up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.







This is the truth. This is history.
It’s the end of the world. And nobody knows anything about it.
You know what I mean.




Holy Shit !!! 

This book is about everything, as all good books are. You know what I mean.

Banned books, teen love with all its questions, sex, history, a dead mad scientist, unstoppable corn, giant praying mantises and little blue kayaks. I don't want to give anything away. All of that has been has been mentioned by other reviewers. You just need to read the book to see how it all comes together.

Andrew Smith has the ability to grab me and put me right into a story. This book was no exception. Austin, Robby, and Shann feel like friends and I will miss them. Thank you, Andrew. I absolutely cannot wait until the next Andrew Smith book comes out. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I promise you won’t be sorry.

When you are done reading it I hope you will recommend it to all your reading friends. Just like I am......
Guest Review by: Karin Baker






Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several Young Adult novels, including the critically acclaimed Winger (Starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness—an Amazon “Best of the Year”) and The Marbury Lens (A YALSA BFYA, and Starred reviews and Best of the Year in both Publishers Weekly and Booklist).



He is a native-born Californian who spent most of his formative years traveling the world. His university studies focused on Political Science, Journalism, and Literature. He has published numerous short stories and articles. Grasshopper Jungle, coming February 11, 2014, is his seventh novel. He lives in Southern California.



Twitter | Facebook | GR | Website



*Bonus!
For those of you that purchase a copy of GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE any time during the month of February will receive a one of a kind #unstoppableprizepack filled with lots of goodies.


To qualify you must send proof of purchase dated before 3.1.14 to amydelrosso(at)gmail(dot)com.




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Official Book Tour: MAJRA by J. Simon - Review, Trailer & Giveaway!











“In distant Sa'bahr, divinely inspired lunatics spend their lives inscribing every story ever told upon the backs of giant tortoises. The tortoises spend their lives weeping, for they cannot read the wondrous tales written upon their own backs...”

Aris has managed to live a quiet life, even in a stark desert land of glorious tales and beautiful lies, crazed artists and mad hermits. So what if he has a knack for tales? A mere messenger can't change the world. Mighty great works he'll leave to mighty great men.
Now the soldiers of Majra have come to pacify his “savage” people.

Few dare stand against them. Certainly Aris never meant to. Taking work with the invaders was a way to help his family, not gain insights into the alien ways of their singular truth.

Beset by beguiling widows and vengeful plutocrats, firebrand Sheyks and 
sword-tongued maidens, the choices Aris faces could save his land—or break it.






I was asked to read this book and give a review. This is my 1st leap into this genre. The story was a bit difficult to get into at first. I am so glad I stuck with it though. I got to travel to a foreign land while reading this book. I just love it when an author succeeds in taking me there (to the story) instead of just placing it in front of me.

This isn't just one story, but a bunch of little stories that the author manages to weave together. With love, lies, and conflict in it, the story picked up and took me by surprise.

So my honest opinion is that you should grab this book and give it a chance. I doubt you will be disappointed.
 I doubt very highly that you will be disappointed.
 *Guest Review by Karin Baker*















J Simon is a small blue bird who has been published in magazines and anthologies ranging from Baen's Universe to Writers of the Future.

 This surely indicates a lapse by the Guardians of Taste, and inquiries are being made. 

There is also a very small chance that nuclear test fallout has transformed J Simon into a gigantic nuclear starfish poised to attack Tokyo, but these reports have yet to be confirmed.





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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Blog Tour: MAJRA by J. Simon [Schedule, Trailer & Giveaway]










“In distant Sa'bahr, divinely inspired lunatics spend their lives inscribing every story ever told upon the backs of giant tortoises. The tortoises spend their lives weeping, for they cannot read the wondrous tales written upon their own backs...”


Aris has managed to live a quiet life, even in a stark desert land of glorious tales and beautiful lies, crazed artists and mad hermits. So what if he has a knack for tales? A mere messenger can't change the world. Mighty great works he'll leave to mighty great men.

Now the soldiers of Majra have come to 
 pacify his “savage” people.
 Few dare stand against them. Certainly Aris never meant to. Taking work with the inavders was a way to help his family, not gain insights into the alien ways of their singular truth.


Beset by beguiling widows and vengeful plutocrats, firebrand Sheyks and 
sword-tongued maidens, the choices Aris faces could save his land—or break it.
















J Simon is a small blue bird who has been published in magazines and anthologies ranging from Baen's Universe to Writers of the Future.

 This surely indicates a lapse by the Guardians of Taste, and inquiries are being made.  

There is also a very small chance that nuclear test fallout has transformed J Simon into a gigantic nuclear starfish poised to attack Tokyo, but these reports have yet to be confirmed.






  
February 24thAll About Books Divas – Review
February 25thI Read Indie – Playlist/Spotlight
February 26thDavid Moore – Review
February 27thKaidans Seduction – Review
February 28thLRB Guest Post – Review





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Friday, February 21, 2014

Blog Tour: GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith [Review + Giveaway]






Title: GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE
Author: Andrew Smith
Genre: Fiction | YA | LBGT
Release Date: 2/11/14

Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He is stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann.


Ultimately, it is up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.







This is the truth. This is history.
It’s the end of the world. And nobody knows anything about it.
You know what I mean.




GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE is definitely not your ordinary YA novel. Nor does it fall within the confines of contemporary, paranormal, or any other genre. Smith crosses the genre gap by bridging elements of each type of novel into one epic journey.


The characters are raw, original, and real. As a reader, it is next to impossible to not be able to relate to Austin, Robbie, and Shann. Their lives are depicted in a way that interconnects into a dizzying, spell-binding story arc that leaves the reader breathless and full of questions.


The concept of main character, Austin, using the book as a means of recording history is brilliant – as is the incorporation of giant praying mantises, genetically modified corn, and the end of the world. Those plot points sound far-fetched and completely unrelatable, but Andrew Smith makes them work.


Smith has a very unique writing style – it is definitely one of the kinds that as a reader, you will either love or hate. While many parts of GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE are hilarious (I seriously laughed out loud and have quotes jotted down everywhere), you have to have a very open mind and understand Smith as an author. His humor is dry and somewhat crass, but when used in the context of the novel, it is original and perfect.


GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE was the first novel I have read by Andrew Smith, but will definitely not be my last. I know I will be pulling his previous books down from my shelves as soon as possible and re-immersing myself into the genius that is Andrew Smith.

Guest Review by: Victoria Lucas






Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several Young Adult novels, including the critically acclaimed Winger (Starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness—an Amazon “Best of the Year”) and The Marbury Lens (A YALSA BFYA, and Starred reviews and Best of the Year in both Publishers Weekly and Booklist).



He is a native-born Californian who spent most of his formative years traveling the world. His university studies focused on Political Science, Journalism, and Literature. He has published numerous short stories and articles. Grasshopper Jungle, coming February 11, 2014, is his seventh novel. He lives in Southern California.



Twitter | Facebook | GR | Website



*Bonus!
For those of you that purchase a copy of GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE any time during the month of February will receive a one of a kind #unstoppableprizepack filled with lots of goodies.


To qualify you must send proof of purchase dated before 3.1.14 to amydelrosso(at)gmail(dot)com.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


     
                       
               
Hosted by: