Book Blitz - Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (WEEK 2)

 

Let's Get Lost

by Adi Alsaid

Publication date: 29th July 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Purchase: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Indie Bound/Harlequin.com

Synopsis:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.
Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Early Praise: 

“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss.  ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.”  - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

Guest Post:
The Year of Re-read

At the start of the year, I realized something interesting. I watch movies over and over again, re-watch whole seasons of tv shows, memorize albums’ worth of songs. But I almost never revisit books, not even the ones I love.

I felt that I might be missing out on the pleasures certain books have provided, not to mention missing out on some understanding of subtler themes, characterizations, foreshadowing, whatever. I was missing out. So I decided this year would be the year of the reread.

Granted, of the 22 books I’ve read this year, only 9 have been rereads, so it hasn’t been a very concentrated effort. But that’s 9 more than usual.

Below is the list of books I’ve re-read this year. Some books I fell in love with all over again, some I could read a little more analytically when I knew what was going to happen. In one or two the experience wasn’t quite as enjoyable the second time around, since a closer look can often reveal faults. And though whenever I pick up a book for a second time, I’m thinking about all the millions of books I haven’t read even once, the experience has been good enough that I’ll look to reread for the rest of my life.

• Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
• Sum; forty tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• Everything is Illuminated by Joshua Safran Foer
• Best American Short Stories 2006 edited by Ann Patchett
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
• How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
• Paper Towns by John Green
• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

About the Author:

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.  

Author Links: LET'S GET LOST WEBSITE | AUTHOR'S WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Giveaway

1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost

1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag

1 Harlequin TEEN notebook

1 Let’s Get Lost sachel

1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Waiting on Wednesday #9 - The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted on Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection by me is:

The Vault of Dreamers

Magisterium #1

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien

Publication Date: 16th September 2014

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Page Count: 432 Pages
(Hardcover)

Summary from Goodreads: 

From the author of the Birthmarked trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when your dreams are not your own.

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success:  every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

Release Day Blitz - Before You by Amber Hart

We're so excited to celebrate the release of BEFORE YOU by Amber Hart from Kensington Teen! This multicultural romance has us swooning! 

Before You

by Amber Hart

Publication date: 29th July 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Buy it at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it is both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying in exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad it’s all a lie.

It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don't care.

Eighteen-year-old Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars, Diego doesn't stand a chance of fitting in. Nor does he want to. His only concern is staying hidden from his past—a past, which if it were to surface, would cost him everything. Including his life.

At Oviedo High School, it seems that Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez do not belong together. But fate is as tricky as it is lovely. Freedom with no restraint is what they long for. What they get is something different entirely.

Love—it will ruin you and save you, both.

 

EXCERPT:

“Hi, I’m Faith Watters.”

Those are the first words I speak to the new Cuban guy in the front office. He grimaces. He’ll be a tough one. I can handle it, though. He’s not the first.

I can’t help but notice that he looks a lot like a model from the neck up—eyes the color of oak, strong bone structure. Everywhere else, he looks a lot like a criminal. Chiseled, scarred body … I wonder for a second about the meaning behind the tattoos scratched into his arms.

One thing’s clear. He’s dangerous.

And he’s beautiful.

“I’ll show you to your classes,” I announce.

I’m one of the peer helpers at our school. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but it counts as a class. Basically I spend the first two days with new students, introducing them around and answering their questions. Some parents with kids new to the school voluntarily sign their students up, but it’s only mandatory for the international students, of which we have a lot. Mostly Latinos.

            This Cuban guy towers over me. I’m five six. Not tall. Not short. Just average. Average is good.

This guy’s not average. Not even a little bit. He must be over six feet.

            I glance up at him, kind of like I do when I’m searching for the moon in a sea of darkness.

“Looks like you have math first. I’ll walk you there,” I offer.

            “No thanks, chica. I can handle it.”

            “It’s no problem,” I say, leading the way.

            He tries to snatch his schedule from my hands, but I move too fast.

            “Why don’t we start with your name?” I suggest.

            I already know his name. Plus some. Diego Alvarez. Eighteen years old. Moved from Cuba two weeks ago. Only child. No previous school records. I read it in his bio. I want to hear him say it.

            “You got some kinda control issues or somethin’?” he asks harshly, voice slightly accented.

            “You got some kind of social issues or somethin’?” I fire back, holding my stance. I won’t let him intimidate me, though I’ll admit, he’s hot. Too bad he has a nasty attitude.

            The side of his lip twitches. “No. I just don’t mix with your type,” he answers.

            “My type?”

            “That’s what I said.”

            “You don’t even know my type.” No one does. Well, except Melissa.

            He chuckles humorlessly. “Sure I do. Head cheerleader? Date the football player? Daddy’s little girl who gets everything she wants?” He leans closer to whisper. “Probably a virgin.”

            My cheeks burn hot. “I’m not a cheerleader,” I say through clamped teeth.

            “Whatever,” he says. “Are you gonna give me my schedule or not?”

            “Not,” I answer. “But you can feel free to follow me to your first class.”

            He steps in front of me, intimately close. “Listen, chica, nobody tells me what to do.”

            I shrug. “Fine, suit yourself. It’s your life. But if you want to attend this school, it’s mandatory for me to show you to your classes for two days.”

            His eyes narrow. “Who says I want to attend this school?”

            I take the last step toward him, closing the gap between us. When we were little, Melissa and I used to collect glass bottles. Whenever we accumulated twenty, we’d break them on the concrete. When the glass shattered, the slivered pieces made a breathtaking prism of light.

I cut myself on the glass by accident once. It was painful, but worth it. The beauty was worth it. It’s funny how the bottle was never as beautiful as when it was broken.
 
About the Author:

Amber Hart grew up in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. She now resides on the Florida coastline with family. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She's the author of BEFORE YOU, AFTER US, UNTIL YOU FIND ME, and sequel to UNTIL YOU FIND ME (untitled as of yet). Represented by Beth Miller of Writers House. 

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | PINTEREST

Book Blitz - Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (WEEK 1)

 

Let's Get Lost

by Adi Alsaid

Publication date: 29th July 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Purchase: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Indie Bound/Harlequin.com

Synopsis:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.
Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Early Praise: 

“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss.  ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.”  - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

Guest Post:
Top 5 Things to Pack and Top 5 Travel Reads 

Top 5 Things to pack

5. Books

4. Notebook/pen

3. My “I wish I could fly” penguin t-shirt for airplane days.

2. If it’s a road trip, snacks.

1.  Not much else. I prefer to keep it light.

Top 5 Travel-Themed Reads/Books to Read on the Road

• With Friends like These by Danny Wallace- A very funny man—the author of Yes Man—decides to revisit long lost friends across the globe. A touching and entertaining read about the things worth traveling for. 
• Timbuktu by Paul Auster- A canine protagonist will teach you more about loneliness and how to be okay with it than any other book I’ve read. A great companion to the inevitable lonesome lulls while traveling. Plus it’s nice and light, so easy to carry with you.
• 101 Summertime Knock-Knock Jokes- Just kidding.
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- To vicariously go where no man has before, and to find the answer to the universe.
• Best American Travel Series­- I usually go for the Best Shorts collections, but I picked up one of the travel collections once and it immediately made me want to hit the road. The pieces range from touching to insightful to just plain entertaining. With contributors like Anthony Bourdain and Gary Shteyngart, there’s something in it to please everyone, and plenty of ideas for not just where to go next, but how.
• Tales from Nowhere edited by Don George- Another collection of short pieces, all sent from different nowheres. From the back copy: “Nowhere is a setting, a situation and a state of mind. It's not on any map, but you know it when you're there.” A great non-fiction companion to Let’s Get Lost.

About the Author:

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.  

Author Links: LET'S GET LOST WEBSITE | AUTHOR'S WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Giveaway

1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost

1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag

1 Harlequin TEEN notebook

1 Let’s Get Lost sachel

1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: