Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for This Raging Light By: Estelle Laure is.....  !  Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Half-Blood

Series: (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - Spencer Hill Press, 281 Pages (October 18th, 2011) UK - Hodder & Stoughton, 383 Pages (August 14th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week I've picked a book that the covers are pretty similar yet different.

What I'd like to know is which one packs more of a punch to you? Which one makes you want to read it over the other. Tell me below!

So I guess you'd like to know which one gets my vote this week?? Well... I'm kind of a purist and since I own and have owned the US cover for a long while now I'm going to give that version a vote. US wins for me this week!

Michelle I like how similar but different these covers are. The US cover is very bold and dramatic, whereas the UK cover has gone in a subtle direction with the background colour.

Like Lisa owning the US cover, I had the UK book, and I do think the the cover above portrays the cover perfectly, and it's the one that also gets my vote this week.

UK wins for me, which cover do you like the most?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Half-Blood (Covenant #1) NOW!

Title: Inside Out (Insiders #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira Ink
From: Second hand bookshop
Format: Paperback, 315 pages (January 1st 2011)
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution...

Review: 5 stars - When I read this book a few years ago on a borrowed kindle from a friend, I wasn’t that enamoured with it. I had read and loved Snyder’s Chronicles of Ixia novels (Study and Glass series) and I suppose I thought Inside Out would be the same and it wasn’t.

On my previous read I only rated Inside Out with 3 stars. This time it gets a full 5 stars.

After years of waiting (I don’t know why); I finally acquired Outside In (Insiders #2) for Christmas. Snyder was also doing a book signing near where I live at the end of March, so I knew I had to read the books, and being so long ago that I read Inside Out, it deserved a re-read.

As a fan of what I now know to be sci-fi dystopian fiction, having read a lot of well known titles, it finally twigged in my mind that Inside Out is just that. I think my relatively new love of genre has made me enjoy the book even more.

Trella is a scrub, she works in the lower levels of Inside. She keeps her nose out of trouble and herself to herself with the exception of Cogon- her one friend. The Upper levels of Inside are where the named families live in comfort in their individual apartments and lack of manual labour. The scrubs keep Inside going, where as the Uppers man the computers.

Trella is known amongst the other scrubs for her need to hide in the pipes/air ducts which cover Inside. Earning her the nickname “Queen of the Pipes”.

Cogon comes to Trella one day and wants to introduce her to a prophet who has knowledge of Gateway- the door to Outside. Prophets have stated the same thing in the past, and Trella has gone along to appease Cog who really believes there is something else out there.

Domotor the prophet known amongst the Insiders as “Broken Man”, was previously living with the Uppers has been sent to the lower levels of Inside because he got too nosey and started delving into files he shouldn’t have been looking at. He knows a lot about Inside, including Trella’s real name and who her parents are. Most Scrubs go by their first name and don’t know their family names because they are brought up by a care mother.

Trella decides that out of curiosity she will try and find the disks that “Broken Man” has hidden above his old room in the Upper floors. Little does she know this search will be the start of something she never thought possible.

Inside Out is a fast paced sci-fi novel that brings to the forefront a few key themes that often make dystopian fiction what it is. It brings into question the class system and authorative control  in its own way. Friendship, first love (although it’s not the main theme in the story and doesn’t take anything away from the sci-fi adventure itself), deception, adventure and it reminds us that even when times are hard, there is hope.

I love Trella’s character. Yes she is a loner, but she has her reasons. She has a feisty, sometimes snarky personality and always tries to see the full picture. She has been let down before and doesn’t want it to happen again. She is relentless and won’t give up on something because it doesn’t go right first time. But at the same time she has a caring side.

Cogon ‘Cog’ initially seems like a nice guy, he wants to protect Trella like a big brother would as they were brought up by the same care mother. As time goes on we see the true Cog and I went a complete 180 on loving this character to hating him.

Riley- can I surround him with love hearts?
He’s a sweetheart. The way he treats Trella and talks to her without the usual Scrub stigma is great. He doesn’t treat her like most Uppers would with Scrubs; he treats her as an equal, even if their initial meeting isn’t the best.
Riley has toys from his childhood “Sheepy” the sheep and Mama Sheepy and he uses them unintentionally at first to bond with Trella and then as their relationship progresses it’s something to keep their friendship.
Although he shouldn’t help Trella he does and then near to the end of the book he damn near makes me cry.

The rest of the characters in the book- Jacy, Anne-Jade and Logan hold their own special charm and place in this book. I can’t wait to see what happens in Outside In. These characters will hopefully have the chance to flourish.

One last mention goes to Domotor a.k.a. “Broken Man”. He plays a huge part in the background for this book and without him Trella wouldn’t have gotten her into as many fixes as she does.

I felt that all the way through I wasn’t sure whether to trust him or not- probably Snyder’s intention to add to the mystery of his allegiance to the Upper or Lower floors.

I also felt at times he was very ungrateful. Trella helped keep him alive and yet he complains he’s been left alone. I’d rather be alone and alive knowing people are fighting for me than dead.

Inside Out is a gem of dystopian sci-fi fiction, I know I will be recommending for years to come.

Recommended for fans of Maria V. Snyder’s other books. Fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner series.

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover is... the US COVER!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: The Pledge
Series:The Pledge #1
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: US - Margaret K. McElderry, 323 Pages, (November 15th 2011), UK - Allison & Busby, 380 Pages, (26th March 2012)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

About the Author:

Kimberly is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins), THE PLEDGEtrilogy (Simon & Schuster), and THE TAKING trilogy (HarperTeen).

She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal place to write anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood.

She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children who provide an endless source of inspiration.

Find Kimberly Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week Michelle has selected a book I haven't had a chance to read yet, BUT sounds pretty amazing. And when I'm looking at these covers there are things that draw me in for each.

I love how dark and somewhat simple the US cover is. And I love the filigree on the UK cover... And since I haven't read this title it's making this week a bit difficult when choosing.

So, I think I'm going to go with - the US cover. I've seen it in person and I like how it feels a bit more finished than the UK cover. If we were to have a cover that blended these two together would be pretty perfect. So, this week the US wins for me! Which one gets YOUR VOTE? Tell us below in the poll.

Michelle Look at both of these covers I am torn over which one I like the most. The UK one doesn't seem to portray the feel of the story, but I do like the prettiness of the cover. The USA one fits the story, but I don't really feel like I can pick anything about it that particularly stands out for me. My decision this week is going to go on the prettiness of the cover, so for me the UK wins this round. Want to know what I thought of the book, check out my review here.

VOTE for YOUR favourite cover of The Pledge by Kimberly Derting NOW!

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There's still time to vote!!!

Voting is easy!

Voting is FUN!

Let's all help make Tristan Knight

Number ONE!!!

***Scroll down to find out how YOU can vote for Tristan Knight!***

As I'm sure many of you are aware it's that time of the year again for the "New Adult" Crush Tourney. Last year I was lucky enough to be Tristan's advocate and this year I'm helping from the side lines as I cheer on the one, the only, the amazing and EPIC Character Tristan Knight from Kristie Cooks Soul Saver Series!!!

It's one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE series and I just wish everyone would check it out. The first book is FREE and shouldn't be missed.

In the tourney Tristan is one of the few supernatural heroes/Book Boyfriends so for everyone who's looking for something different when it comes to an "New Adult" title, look no further! I PROMISE you won't be let down.

These books are filled with not only one HOT HOT HOT character - Tristan but so many other wonderful characters too! Kristie's writing is wonderful and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat one minute and fanning yourself the next from the steam that comes off the pages, WOW!

So, now it's up to you guys. We really need your help.

And when I mentioned above how easy voting is, I meant it!

Please take a minute and help with a vote for Tristan Knight!

Where to vote: NA Alley

Voting times: Matches will run for 24 hours, 12 a.m. to 12 a.m. EST.

Voting in US starts 12AM EST on the 8th and ends 12AM on the 9th

Voting in UK starts 5AM on the 8th (London time) and ends on the 9th 5AM

Voting in Australia starts 2PM on the 8th (Sydney time) and ends 2PM on the 9th

Join in on Facebook at: How do you do, Supernatural New Adult?‏

Tweet using the hashtag: #KnightRiders 

THE FIRST BOOK IS FREE FREE FREE!!!

Title: Promise (Soul Savers #1)
Author: Kristie Cook
Publisher: Ang'dora Productions, LLC , 425 Pages (August 7th, 2011)
Add to: Goodreads
Order your FREE eCOPY here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: New Adult Paranormal Romance ** Mature Content ** Recommended for ages 16+ due to sexual situations and language

First installment of award-winning author Kristie Cook's bestselling Soul Savers Series
Alexis Ames has a life full of promise...but not all promises can be kept.

When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can't be real, she decides it's time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family's secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy...until she discovers he's not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.

Their union brings hope and promise to her family's secret society, the Angels' army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy - Satan's minions and Tristan's creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

1st Place - 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award - Fantasy (Published) by Florida Writers Association

About the Author:

Kristie Cook is a lifelong writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at www.KristieCook.com.

Find Kristie Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Voting is easy!

Voting is FUN!

Let's all help make Tristan Knight

Number ONE!!!

As I'm sure many of you are aware it's that time of the year again for the "New Adult" Crush Tourney. Last year I was lucky enough to be Tristan's advocate and this year I'm helping from the side lines as I cheer on the one, the only, the amazing and EPIC Character Tristan Knight from Kristie Cooks Soul Saver Series!!!

It's one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE series and I just wish everyone would check it out. The first book is FREE and shouldn't be missed.

In the tourney Tristan is one of the few supernatural heroes/Book Boyfriends so for everyone who's looking for something different when it comes to an "New Adult" title, look no further! I PROMISE you won't be let down.

These books are filled with not only one HOT HOT HOT character - Tristan but so many other wonderful characters too! Kristie's writing is wonderful and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat one minute and fanning yourself the next from the steam that comes off the pages, WOW!

So, now it's up to you guys. We really need your help.

And when I mentioned above how easy voting is, I meant it!

Please take a minute and help with a vote for Tristan Knight!

Where to vote: NA Alley

Voting times: Matches will run for 24 hours, 12 a.m. to 12 a.m. EST.

Voting in US starts 12AM EST on the 8th and ends 12AM on the 9th

Voting in UK starts 5AM on the 8th (London time) and ends on the 9th 5AM

Voting in Australia starts 2PM on the 8th (Sydney time) and ends 2PM on the 9th

Join in on Facebook at: How do you do, Supernatural New Adult?‏

Tweet using the hashtag: #KnightRiders 

THE FIRST BOOK IS FREE FREE FREE!!!

Title: Promise (Soul Savers #1)
Author: Kristie Cook
Publisher: Ang'dora Productions, LLC , 425 Pages (August 7th, 2011)
Add to: Goodreads
Order your FREE eCOPY here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: New Adult Paranormal Romance ** Mature Content ** Recommended for ages 16+ due to sexual situations and language

First installment of award-winning author Kristie Cook's bestselling Soul Savers Series
Alexis Ames has a life full of promise...but not all promises can be kept.

When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can't be real, she decides it's time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family's secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy...until she discovers he's not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.

Their union brings hope and promise to her family's secret society, the Angels' army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy - Satan's minions and Tristan's creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

1st Place - 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award - Fantasy (Published) by Florida Writers Association

About the Author:

Kristie Cook is a lifelong writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at www.KristieCook.com.

Find Kristie Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Into the Still Blue By: Veronica Rossi is...UK!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Red Glove
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: US - Margaret K. McElderry Books , 325 Pages, (April 5th 2011), UK - Gollancz , 272 Pages, (June 14th 2011)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: The cons get craftier and the stakes rise ever higher in the riveting sequel to White Cat—now in paperback!

After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov’s retribution, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life.

That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family that’s tied to one of the big crime families—and whose mother’s cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is coming to terms with what it means to be a worker, and he’s figuring out how to have friends.

Except normal doesn’t last very long. Soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past—a past he remembers only in scattered fragments, and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on, because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive….

About Holly:

Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh) The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart). She is also the co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner). Her most recent works are the middle grade novel, Doll Bones, and the dark fantasy stand-alone, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series ( She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

Find Holly Online: Website | Journal | Twitter | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week we have the original US cover and the creep-tastic UK cover. Since this is a series I haven't read yet (don't yell!) BUT I have them this one (this US cover) on my shelves I'm inclined to give my vote this week to the US cover. The UK cover seriously creeps me out and I'm not sure which one fits better, but I like that the US one is mysterious and the gloved hand is somewhat chilling.

So, US wins for me this week. Which cover is the winner in YOUR eyes? Cast your vote below!

Michelle Once again I have to go the with the UK cover for Red Glove. The USA version looks creepy, but in a wrong way. The red glove just doesn't look right on the models shoulder. The UK one has the great wrinkled effect on the cover and the red glove really stands out from the background. UK wins for me thins week.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of White Cat by Holly Black NOW!

QuestionPro

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Lisa from A Life Bound By Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick is... the US Cover!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: US - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers , 352 Pages, (May 4th 2010), UK - Simon and Schuster UK, 343 Pages, (July 7th 2011)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

About Morgan:

Morgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize. It has since been published in five different languages and six different countries.

In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.

Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2014.

Find Helen Online: Website | Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa For this weeks title I do have the US copy and haven't ever seen the UK cover until now. I love the US cover but I think the UK cover has something pretty special about it. Having not read this one but have heard TONS of amazing things about it for some reason I believe the UK cover just gives something extra to the story.

So, this week my vote goes for... the UK cover!! Now it's your turn, vote for which one is your favorite below.

Michelle If I hadn't read this book, or even owned a copy I would instantly pick the USA cover. I love how summery and simplistic it is. But I own a copy of the UK version and the picture above does not do the cover any justice. It has texture and each picture/graphic is imprinted into the cover, giving it a reverse 3D effect. My vote is UK all the way!!!!!!!

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour NOW!

online surveys

Title: Here Lies Bridget
Author: Paige Harbison
Publisher: Harlequin, January 18th 2011, 315 pages
From: Bought from The Works bookstore
Format: Paperback
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved can barely even look at her anymore.When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough.

Review: 3.5 stars. Here Lies Bridget is the story of high school queen Bridget Duke. She enjoys the highlife- parties, spending her Dad’s money and being popular. But at the same time she makes life unbearable for her friends, family and teachers.

The book is written in first person POV, as Bridget tells us how the events unfolded.

When she’s involved in a car accident; her conscience takes over or maybe she’s got a guardian angel that’s trying to ‘show her the light’. Whichever you believe; after the accident Bridget finds herself in the shoes of the people who she made suffer. She is shown what has happened from the other person’s perspective, and in my opinion it was reminiscent in a way of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
When she realises how she’s made people suffer. Bridget gets a second chance at life and the opportunity to make things right with her friends and family. She definitely learns a lesson and I do wonder if the author wanted the reader to realise that there is a consequence for the things we do on a daily basis and that some people don’t realise how their behaviour can affect others.

I found it a completely different read to Harbison’s New Girl, which I loved. But I would recommend reading it, if only to make yourself aware that your actions can affect others and that people channel their energy into different things for different reasons-  some of these possibly to hide things that they themselves are insecure about.

I will admit that I almost gave up with this book. However I am glad that I persevered with this book as I really got into it about two thirds of the way in and I enjoyed the end.
I think the reason I nearly gave up was because I disliked Bridget so much. Credit to Paige Harbison that she wrote a character that I felt so strongly about.

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for UNRAVELING is... the UK COVER!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: US - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 304 Pages (June 7th, 2011) UK - Egmont BooksLtd, 288 Pages (June 6th, 2011)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

About the author: Cat Patrick is an author of books for teens. Her debut novel, FORGOTTEN (available now), is about a girl who can remember the future instead of the past, and was praised by NYT bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher, as a "mindbending," one-sitting read. The book is being translated into 21 languages and Paramount bought the movie rights, with True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld attached to star as the main character, London Lane.

Patrick's second (unrelated) novel, REVIVED, is about a girl who's part of a secret government program to test a drug that brings people back from the dead. REVIVED will be available in the US May 2012, and in the UK and Australia Summer 2012.

Patrick lives near Seattle with her husband and twin 3-year-olds, and is afraid of zombies, planes, and zombies on planes.

Find  Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK! Love, Love, LOVE! And between the two covers, I have to say that I'm sticking with the US cover for this round. I'm not sure either really represent the story all that well, but I think the UK cover is kind of odd. So, this week I'm all about the US cover. If you haven't read this one yet, you are MISSING out! Check out my review: Here

Michelle I have yet to read this book, but from reading the synopsis I have to agree with Lisa and vote for the USA cover this week too. I have no idea how the UK cover fits with the book at all and if I were to pick them from a shelf I would definitely go for the USA one first.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Forgotten NOW!

surveys & polls

Title: Beautifully Broken (Spellbound #1)
Author: Sherry Soule
Publisher: Moonlight Publishing, 301 Pages (July 22nd 2013)
Add to: Goodreads

Check out my review for: Beautifully Broken

Synopsis: Deadly Witchcraft. Ghostly Threats. Doomed Romance.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Fallen Oaks. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

When sixteen-year-old Shiloh Trudell takes a summer job at Craven Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes enchanted by his charms.

Finally, Shiloh’s met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent is immersed in the cunning deception that surrounds the mysterious Craven Manor. So much so that he may lose sight of what is truly important to him. And she can’t decide whether she wants to shake him or kiss him. Yet neither one of them can deny the immediate, passionate connection growing between them.

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, Shiloh will finally begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist and decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

Excerpt from the epic Spellbound series

By: Sherry Soule

Today bestselling author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! All the previously published books in the Spellbound series have been rewritten and republished with more epic romance and suspenseful thrills. The new versions also include exclusive bonus material and brand new scenes. Even additional scenes from charming, bad-boy, Trent Donovan’s point-of-view! To help promote the new editions, she is doing this awesome book tour to share the update with fellow booklovers.

Sherry is sharing an exclusive excerpt from part one of the gripping Spellbound series: BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN. Enjoy!

Excerpt:

As we traveled through the house, filling our lungs with dust and mold, Trent and I found a way to entertain ourselves. In the second parlor, Trent launched a dusty tapestry pillow across the room at my face. It smacked me right in the nose.

This. Meant. War.

Gently placing Charm on the couch that Trent had just uncovered, I sank behind the antique sofa, grabbing the small cushions placed across the back. Ammunition was important.

“Surrender now! And I promise I won’t take you as a prisoner-of-war!” I called from my bunker.

Trent peaked around the doorjamb, grinning from ear-to-ear. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got this.”

A cushion flew through the air, sailing over my head. It landed with a resolute—poof!—against the wall behind me.

I gloated. “Ha! You missed.” Standing, I hurled a few small decorative pillows toward the doorway, but none of them struck home.

Trent chucked one more that glanced off the top of the couch, right in front of my face.

“Ohmigosh! You almost hit me. Brat!” Just then, because I was so intent on hollering at him, another dust-laden pillow whacked me right on side of the head.

Furious, yet laughing, I threw pillows in rapid-fire succession at the doorway, using up the last of my ammunition. But he dodged all my efforts. Then I ducked back down, holding my sides and laughing my ass off. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had this much fun.

Trent reappeared in the doorway, snickering. “Missed me! Missed me! Now ya gotta kiss me!” he taunted.

I peeked over the sofa and our eyes locked. “Oh, really?”

His face reddened. “Um. Yeah. Guess I should try to act my age, huh?”

Giggling, I extricated myself from behind the couch and petted Charm, who had made herself very small in the corner of the sofa. “Yup. At least act half your age, puhleeze!”

We both crossed the room and met in the middle. Trent absently tucked loose hair behind my left ear, caressing my cheek.

“That was…” He searched for the right word. “Fun.” A genuine grin spread across his face, lighting up the entire room. “We should finish up.”

Clasping his offered hand, we left the parlor, heading into the more unknown recesses of the mansion.

Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Official website: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com

Official Spellbound Series blog: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4925996.Sherry_Soule

BUY BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN (book 1):

ISBN: 978-0976180425

ASIN: B0058DE8YI

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/18NB8CG

Kindle: http://amzn.to/OnCDca

NOOK: http://bit.ly/Q6mGqx

Kobo: http://bit.ly/18C4KQK

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/14edSHU

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet.  Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US.  So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions. We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Book Wars is a new feature for both of us which we hope to post every Monday, while we get it up and running this is subject to change as we participate in other features or tours we have committed to prior to setting up Book Wars.

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Seraphina is..... the US COVER!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Angel Burn (Angel #1) - UK: Angel (The Angel Trilogy, Book 1)

Author: L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: US - Candlewick, 449 Pages (May 24th, 2011) UK - Usborne Publishing Ltd, 512 Pages (October 1st 2010)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: They're out for your soul.
And they don't have heaven in mind...

Willow knows she's different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people's dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. she has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself does. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces and that he's one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.

About the author: 

Lee Weatherly was born in 1967 and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She lives with her husband in Hampshire, England, where she writes, goes on walks, tries out new recipes and has a cat named Bernard.

L.A. Weatherly is the pseudonym for Lee Weatherly. You can follow her on Twitter at @LA_Weatherly

Find L.A. Online: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week we're taking a look at the Angel Burn covers and I'll admit that this is an easy one for me. Hands down, the US cover. There's just something a bit off putting in the UK cover. It's creepy and not in a good way. So, my vote this week goes to the US cover.

Michelle Like Lisa my vote also goes for the USA one this week, I have not read this book, but after reading the synopsis the UK cover just doesn't seem to fit, it seems more like a zombie angel than an angelic angel.
I love how the USA cover has the shimmer of light around the cover model, it makes it feel more ethereal and is very fitting for an angel book.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Angel Burn NOW!

survey services

 

Labels: 2011 release, 2013, Blog feature, book promotion, book wars, Candlewick, cohost, Much Loved Books, US vs. UK, Usborne Publishing UK, YA

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