30 Mar 2018

#BlogTour: MY FRESHMAN YEAR OF FABULOUS by Jennifer DiGiovanni // #GuestPost + #Giveaway

30 March 0 Comments
Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for

MY FRESHMAN YEAR OF FABULOUS by Jennifer DiGiovanni!

I have a Guest Post for you today from the author so you can learn more about the book. At the bottom of the post is a giveaway so make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom. But first, let's learn more about the book!

MY FRESHMAN YEAR OF FABULOUS

Author: Jennifer DiGiovanni
Series: School Dayz #4
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Publication Date: March 30, 2018

Summary:
INCLUDES a FREE BONUS novella called MY SUPER IMPORTANT INTERNSHIP

When Avery Thornton needs to escape a first day of school disaster, she ducks into an equipment room to hide and meets someone else who’s also having a really bad day. Eli Fields just got demoted to third string on the football team, a sport he doesn’t even really want to play.

On the hunt for a dance partner before her competition season begins, Avery discovers Eli’s secret, non-football life outside of school. She thinks he could be the dance partner she’s dreamed about. But Eli wants no part of dancing with Avery. When someone else steps in as Avery’s partner for competitions, she and Eli begin practicing steps “just for fun.” 

But, is that really all that Eli wants? 

And although Avery has found a perfect partner, she’s learning that perfection doesn’t necessarily equal happiness.
Purchase:

5 Best/Worst Parts about Writing in the Same Universe


Hi Books and Ladders! Thanks for joining the blog tour for My Freshman Year of Fabulous. This is the final book in the School Dayz series and I’ve been writing in the same high school universe since book one. Although the main characters change in each story, I’ve tried to bring back familiar faces by rotating through a circle of friends. In some ways, this has made developing a series easier for me. Here are my 5 best parts about writing in the same universe:

Continuation

I get to write about what happens after the HEA! Although YA romances end with a happily ever after (or happy for now), I like to show how couples deal with the post-we-just-fell-in-love stage. The couples shift to the background in future stories, but you can still see how they’re growing in their relationship (or not.)


Familiar Setting. 

It’s easier to imagine the setting in my head when I’ve already worked through the universe in previous books. This gives me more time to focus on other aspects of the book, such as character development and plot.

28 Mar 2018

#Discussion: Top 5 YA Couples of All Time

28 March 1 Comments
Hello everyone! I know I typically don't do actual love discussions but I love love so here are my favourite YA Couples of All Time.


Miel and Sam from

WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS

Author: Anna-Marie McLemore
Series: N/A
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
My Review!

Summary:
When the Moon Was Ours follows two characters through a story that has multicultural elements and magical realism, but also has central LGBT themes—a transgender boy, the best friend he’s falling in love with, and both of them deciding how they want to define themselves.

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.

But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
Purchase:

Miel and Sam have such an amazing relationship and it made me crave intimacy and warmth from someone who cherishes me as a person, a friend, and as someone they want to spend the rest of their life with.

Maria and Lily from

AS I DESCENDED

Author: Robin Talley
Series: N/A
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
My Review!

Summary:
“Something wicked this way comes.”

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.
Purchase:

Looking for a f/f power couple? Maria and Lily are just the pair for you. I love going into books with an established relationship and these two have such a strong connection. The best part is that this is a retelling of Macbeth which is ah-mazing! There are so many great aspects to this book.

26 Mar 2018

#BlogTour: FORGED IN FIRE by Kayelle Allen // #Blitz + #Giveaway

26 March 0 Comments
Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for

FORGED IN FIRE by Kayelle Allen!

You can get the book for FREE until tomorrow so be sure to download it. Plus at the bottom of the post you can win a colouring book. So let's get to it!


FORGED IN FIRE

Author: Kayelle Allen
Series: Bringer of Chaos #2
Publisher: Romance Lives Forever Books
Publication Date: February 3, 2018

Summary:
When the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that's the problem. He's not.

Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their pods and it's up to Pietas to free them. He can't release one at a time. It's all or nothing. He's facing over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue and he has no way to answer.

23 Mar 2018

#Discussion: 5 Books to Read on a Plane + #Interview with Kelly deVos!

23 March 0 Comments
Hey y'all! I am heading to Ottawa for the weekend and am choosing to fly there (because otherwise its a 12 hour trip). While I was packing for my trip, I had a hard time choosing which book to bring to read on the flight there so here are five books you should read on a plane... Plus, learn more about FAT GIRL ON A PLANE by Kelly deVos in my interview, which is down below! I will note that I will actually be reading CHOICES, RULES, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION by Elinor and Vincent Ostrom


FAT GIRL ON A PLANE

Author: Kelly deVos
Series: N/A
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Summary:
Don’t miss this unforgettable debut novel, told in two timelines, about smart fashion, pursuing your dreams, and loving yourself! 

FAT. 

High school senior Cookie Vonn’s post-graduation dreams include getting out of Phoenix, attending Parsons and becoming the next great fashion designer. But in the world of fashion, being fat is a cardinal sin. It doesn’t help that she’s constantly compared to her supermodel mother—and named after a dessert. 

Thanks to her job at a fashion blog, Cookie scores a trip to New York to pitch her portfolio and appeal for a scholarship, but her plans are put on standby when she’s declared too fat too fly. Forced to turn to her BFF for cash, Cookie buys a second seat on the plane. She arrives in the city to find that she’s been replaced by the boss’s daughter, a girl who’s everything she’s not—ultrathin and superrich. Bowing to society’s pressure, she vows to lose weight, get out of the friend zone with her crush, and put her life on track. 

SKINNY. 

Cookie expected sunshine and rainbows, but nothing about her new life is turning out like she planned. When the fashion designer of the moment offers her what she’s always wanted—an opportunity to live and study in New York—she finds herself in a world full of people more interested in putting women down than dressing them up. Her designs make waves, but her real dream of creating great clothes for people of all sizes seems to grow more distant by the day. 

Will she realize that she’s always had the power to make her own dreams come true?
Purchase:

What Makes It Plane Worthy?

It's right there in the title: this book is about a plane! And the narrative is going to spin fatphobic thoughts on their head and I can't wait to dig into it. I'm living for this trend of fat representation in YA books, so I was really excited when I read about this one in PW! Not only is it fat rep, but it is also fashion related!! Which is not often something you see. As a classified "fat girl" who loves fashion, I am really looking forward tp reading this.

21 Mar 2018

Subscription Box #Review: #DiversityBear

21 March 0 Comments
I love surprises and subscription boxes so I decided to buy a few different ones and then review them for you guys because why not! So you will get to see a few different subscription box reviews over the next few weeks because they all arrived!

Just so everyone knows, I live in Canada, so the prices and such that I am going to talk about are in Canadian Dollars and shipping times are international from the Netherlands to Canada as well.


Disclaimer: I was chosen to be an Instagram representative for DiversityBear and was sent this box for review. I am required to post pictures on Instagram of the contents, but I chose to review it on my blog as well. Receiving the box for free did not impact my opinion of the contents. However, as a perk, you can order a box for yourself using my discount code LADDERS05 to receive a percentage off your order.

The DiversityBear website!

Every Other Month! Right now, it is offered as a single month purchase. The March theme is "Meet Your Destiny" and the May theme will be announced soon!

Each Crate is: €20 plus delivery.

Delivery in the EU is €5, non-EU delivery is €20.


That equates to about $62 Canadian.

19 Mar 2018

#ARCReview: THE DIMINISHED by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

19 March 1 Comments

THE DIMINISHED

Author: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Series: Untitled Duology #1
Source: Won in a Giveaway
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary:
In the Alskad Empire, nearly all are born with a twin, two halves to form one whole…yet some face the world alone. 

The singleborn 

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. Though he has been chosen to succeed his great-aunt, Queen Runa, as the leader of the Alskad Empire, Bo has never felt equal to the grand future before him. 

The diminished 

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. Raised by the anchorites of the temple after her family cast her off, Vi has spent her whole life scheming for a way to escape and live out what's left of her life in peace. 

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I won a copy of this ARC in a Twitter giveaway. This has no impact on my opinion.

This is a really cool and interesting book. I love the fact that unlike a lot of fantasy novels, we aren't given a whole lot of backstory and history. Instead, we are expected to be fully immersed in the world, the story, and the types of challenges that these characters face on a day to day basis. But it really worked. 

14 Mar 2018

#Discussion: Book Club Guide for THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

14 March 0 Comments
Are you in a book club? There are lots of free resources for book clubs and reading groups but they tend to be for Adult books or bestsellers, so I thought I would test out creating a reading group guide for some YA books! 

I'm going to start with THE YOUNG ELITE by Marie Lu and if people tell me they enjoy this content, I will expand to other books and series as well. So let me know in the comments if you used this, enjoyed this, and want more of this in the future.

In this post you will learn more about THE YOUNG ELITES, see my review of the book, and way down at the bottom you can click on a link to the PDF version of the book club guide I created. As a disclaimer, there is a QR code in the PDF guide that has an affiliate link to Amazon.


THE YOUNG ELITES

Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites #1
Source: Purchased at BookOutlet
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.


It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
Purchase:
I really enjoyed this one! I loved how dark and twisted Adelina was and that she embraced it to use her magic. I don’t even really now what to say. I was thoroughly satisfied with my reading of this one and would recommend checking this one out because it is the start of what promises to be a stellar series.

12 Mar 2018

#Discussion: Leveraging Your Blog On Your Resume

12 March 3 Comments
I know a lot of my readers are in the working world or in college and university so I am going to give you some pointers as to how to discuss things you do on a day-to-day basis on your resume. A little background: I am a designated Human Resources professional and worked as a recruiter for a year so I know about what people look for when they are reading resumes. So here are some easy ways to fix up your resume and use your developing skills to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

9 Mar 2018

#BlogTour: CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi // #Review + #Giveaway

09 March 2 Comments
Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi!

I have a review of the book for you today plus one lucky Canadian can win a finished copy of the book in the giveaway below courtesy of Raincoast Books. Be sure to check that out all the way at the bottom! But first, let's learn more about the book...

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE

Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Series: Legacy of Orïsha #1
Source: ARC via Raincoast Books
Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary:
Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion of the novel.

This was such a fantastic debut that I read all 600 (!!!) pages of ARC in one sitting (sorta - I stopped to watch ice dancing for a bit). I thought there were a lot of elements that were really well done and this was a good character study. However, I had one complaint but it definitely isn't enough to really bother me while reading.

7 Mar 2018

Subscription Box #Review: DIVERSITYBEAR

07 March 0 Comments
I love surprises and subscription boxes so I decided to buy a few different ones and then review them for you guys because why not! So you will get to see a few different subscription box reviews over the next few weeks because they all arrived!

Just so everyone knows, I live in Canada, so the prices and such that I am going to talk about are in Canadian Dollars and shipping times are international from the Netherlands to Canada as well.

Disclaimer: I was chosen to be an Instagram representative for DiversityBear and was sent this box for review. I am required to post pictures on Instagram of the contents, but I chose to review it on my blog as well. Receiving the box for free did not impact my opinion of the contents. However, as a perk, you can order a box for yourself using my discount code LADDERS05 to receive a percentage off your order.
The DiversityBear website!


Every Month! Right now, it is offered as a single month purchase. The February theme was "Power of Words" and the March theme is "Meet Your Destiny"!

Each Crate is: €20 plus delivery.

Delivery in the EU is €5, non-EU delivery is €20.

That equates to about $62 Canadian.

5 Mar 2018

#Discussion: New Adult Book Recommendations!

05 March 1 Comments
A Twitter firestorm was had over YA books set in college versus NA books versus everything else in the world, pretty much. Each side had it's valid points but in all honesty, it is an overdone and tired conversation. One mostly perpetuated by people who only see the surface of what NA is and think that it is nothing more than a stereotype.

So today's post is for you if you want to start reading more older YA/NA which I'm titling "Books With Protagonists Who Are 18-25 That Have Minimal Romance" I am going to do the best I can to be inclusive, diverse, and hit as many genres as possible, but I am one woman and cannot do it all.

Note: Some of these books may be labelled "YA," some may be labelled "NA," and some may be labelled "Adult." But I am including them if the protagonists is between 18-25.

Contemporary