Waiting on Wednesday (82): Grave Phantoms by Jenn Bennett

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Grave Phantoms (Roaring Twenties #3)
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Berkley Sensation (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Feisty flapper Astrid Magnusson is home from college and yearning for the one thing that’s always been off limits: Bo Yeung, her notorious bootlegging brother’s second-in-command. Unfortunately her dream of an easy reunion proves difficult after a violent storm sends a mysterious yacht crashing into the Magnussons’ docks. What’s worse, the boat disappeared a year ago, and the survivors are acting strangely...

Bo has worked with the Magnusson family for years, doing whatever is needed, including keeping his boss’s younger sister out of trouble—and his hands to himself. Of course, that isn’t so easy after Astrid has a haunting vision about the yacht’s disappearance, plunging them into an underground world of old money and dark magic. Danger will drive them closer together, but surviving their own forbidden feelings could be the bigger risk.


I just love Jenn Bennett's books, so I'm so excited about the newest in her Roaring Twenties series. I can't wait to read about Astrid's and Bo's romance, especially since Bo thinks that Astrid is off-limits.

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Winter TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR


1. Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (The Rules of Scoundrels #4) by Sarah MacLean
November 25, 2014
This is out today!! MacLean is one of my favorite Historical Romance authors, and I can't wait to see how she ends one of my favorite series. I also can't wait to read Chase's story!



2. Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal
I read Shades of Milk and Honey a few years ago, and I really liked it. I just never got around to reading the sequel. I've heard that the fourth book in the series is amazing, so I definitely need read it.

Blog Tour (Spotlight): The Sharp Hook of Love by Sherry Jones

Title: The Sharp Hook of Love: A Novel of Heloise and Abelard
Author: Sherry Jones
Publisher: Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: October 7, 2014
The first retelling of the passionate, twelfth-century love story since the discovery of 113 lost love letters between Heloise d’Argenteuil and Pierre Abelard—the original Romeo and Juliet.

"While I sleep you never leave me, and after I wake I see you, as soon as I open my eyes, even before the light of day itself." —Abelard to Heloise

Among the young women of twelfth-century Paris, Heloise d’Argenteuil stands apart. Extraordinarily educated and quick-witted, she is being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess in the service of God.

But with one encounter, her destiny changes forever. Pierre Abelard, headmaster at the Notre-Dame Cloister School, is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers in France. His controversial reputation only adds to his allure, yet despite the legions of women swooning over his poetry and dashing looks, he is captivated by the brilliant Heloise alone. As their relationship blossoms from a meeting of the minds to a forbidden love affair, both Heloise and Abelard must choose between love, duty, and ambition.

Sherry Jones weaves the lovers’ own words into an evocative account of desire and sacrifice. As intimate as it is erotic, as devastating as it is beautiful, The Sharp Hook of Love is a poignant, tender tribute to one of history’s greatest romances, and to love’s power to transform and endure.

Praise for The Sharp Hook of Love

"Heloise is the sort of heroine you cannot help rooting for: brilliant and naïve, vulnerable and tough. The Sharp Hook of Love will have you up all night holding your breath as you turn each page." - Rebecca Kanner, author of Sinners and the Sea

"Jones weaves history and passion in a tale full of emotional heft that questions what it means to truly love someone..." - Kirkus Reviews

"A sensual journey into twelfth century Paris. With a sharp eye for historical detail, Jones weaves an unforgettable, compelling tale about enduring love." - Lynn Cullen, nationally bestselling author of Mrs. Poe

"Passion and treachery mingle in Sherry Jones's explosive novel The Sharp Hook of Love. Wrenching and erotic, this is a grand romance in every sense of the word." - Mary Sharratt, author of Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen

Buy Links
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | B&N (Nook)
B&N (Paperback) | Books-a-Million | iBooks | IndieBound


About the Author

Book Deals: November 24, 2014

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Price: $2.99
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life.

This book has an average of 3.99 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Blog Tour (Review, Interview, & Giveaway): The Tree of Water by Elizabeth Haydon

Title: The Tree of Water (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #4)
Author: Elizabeth Haydon
Publisher: Starscape (Macmillan)
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Acquired Via: PR by the Book
The epic voyages continue in The Tree of Water, the fourth adventure in bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon’s acclaimed fantasy series for young readers, The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

As Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, it is the duty of young Charles Magnus "Ven" Polypheme to travel the world and seek out magic hiding in plain sight. But Ven needs to escape the clutches of the nefarious Thief Queen, ruler of the Gated City, whose minions are hunting for him. His friend, the merrow Amariel, has the perfect solution to his dilemma: Ven and Char will join her to explore the world beneath the sea.

As they journey through the sea, Ven finds himself surrounded by wonders greater than he could have ever imagined. But the beauty of the ocean is more than matched by the dangers lurking within its depths, and Ven and his friends soon realize that in order to save thousands of innocent lives, they may have to sacrifice their own. For everything in the ocean needs to eat...

My Review

First off, I'm going kick myself for not doing my homework. When The Tree of Water was offered to me to review, my brain shut down, and I immediately responded, "YES! YES! YES!!!!!" (or something like that). If I would have been thinking clearly, I would have checked out the book on the publisher's page or Goodreads and seen that it was the fourth book in a series. *sigh*

Book News and Deals: November 21, 2014

On November 19, 2014, Barnes & Noble announced its New Nook Audiobook App for Android. The new app is available in the Google Play store or on your Nook.

Barnes & Noble is also offering two free audiobooks from a selection of five books for first-time downloaders. The offer is available from November 18, 2014 to January 31, 2015, and the selection of books will change each week until January 31, 2015. The current selections are Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg and Seabiscuit by Lauren Hillenbrand.

Don't forget that Barnes & Noble also offers a free book, app and video each Friday. Today's book selection is Code of Honor (Intrepid Heroines Series, Book 1) by Andrea Pickens.




Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Price: $2.99
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

This book has an average of 4.02 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars. I adore Maggie Stiefvater, and I really enjoy this series. You can read Kayla's review here.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini

Title: The Heart Does Not Grow Back
Author: Fred Venturini
Publisher: Picador (Macmillan)
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
EVERY SUPERHERO NEEDS TO START SOMEWHERE...

Dale Sampson is used to being a nonperson at his small-town Midwestern high school, picking up the scraps of his charismatic lothario of a best friend, Mack. He comforts himself with the certainty that his stellar academic record and brains will bring him the adulation that has evaded him in high school. But when an unthinkable catastrophe tears away the one girl he ever had a chance with, his life takes a bizarre turn as he discovers an inexplicable power: He can regenerate his organs and limbs.

When a chance encounter brings him face to face with a girl from his past, he decides that he must use his gift to save her from a violent husband and dismal future. His quest takes him to the glitz and greed of Hollywood, and into the crosshairs of shadowy forces bent on using and abusing his gift. Can Dale use his power to redeem himself and those he loves, or will the one thing that finally makes him special be his demise? The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale, introducing an exceptional new literary voice in Fred Venturini.

My Review

I don't read too many "superhero" books, but I have always liked the idea of those that are not really traditional. The Heart Does Not Grow Back sounded like Spider-man, but more realistic, so I jumped at the chance to read it.

I jumped way too quickly.

Book Deals: November 20, 2014

Title: Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Price: $1.99
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

This book has an average of 3.95 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I rated this 5 out of 5 stars. You can read Kayla's review here.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Book Deals: November 19, 2014

Title: Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1)
Author: Lori M. Lee
Price: $1.99
In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

This is a Kindle daily deal, so the reduced price is only good for today, November 19, 2014. This book has an average of 3.72 stars out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I haven't read it yet, but I did buy it when it was released. This doesn't seem to be available as an e-book on any of other major e-book retailers, but it is part of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Waiting on Wednesday (81): The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THERE ARE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE KISS OF DECEPTION!



Title: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2)
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan)
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

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


Look at that gorgeous cover! It is soooo much better than The Kiss of Deception. Kayla and I both loved The Kiss of Deception, so we're both excited about the sequel and its awesome cover. You can read Kayla's review here and mine here.

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Deals: November 18, 2014

Title: The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister #1)
Author: Courtney Milan
Price: Free
Sometimes love is an accident.

This time, it’s a strategy.

Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly--so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.

But that is precisely what she gets.

Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's up to, he realizes there is more to than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match...

This book has an average of 3.89 stars out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I gave it 4 stars. Courtney Milan is one of my favorite Historical Romance authors, and this is the series that started my love affair.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Buy Links
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I Cannot Wait To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Sequels That I Cannot Wait to Read


1. The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson
July 7, 2015
The Kiss of Deception has been one of my favorite books this year, so far. You can read Kayla's review here and mine here. And the sequel's cover is sooooo much better.



2. The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon
January 27, 2015
Birthday book! I love that my birthday is on a Tuesday this year because several good books will be out. I really enjoyed the dark and gritty world of The Bone Season and can't wait to see where the next one takes us. You can read Kayla's review here.

Book Deals: November 17, 2014

Title: Darkfever (Fever #1)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Price: $1.99
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands...

This book has an average of 4.18 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I rated this 5 out of 5 stars.

Please remember to check prices before buying. These prices are subject to change without notice.

Book News: Universal Options Gayle Forman's Duology

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal has optioned Gayle Forman's duology Just One Day and Just One Year, with plans to combine them into one movie. Also, Fake Empire is set to develop, and Gayle Forman will executive produce. Fake Empire was formed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who also developed Gossip Girl. Josh Schwartz also created and executive produced The O.C.. I'm so excited about this as The O.C. and Gossip Girl were both guilty pleasures of mine during high school and college.

Just One Day is the story of Allyson Healey's European vacation, where she meets and spends a day with the unpredictable and carefree Willem. Just One Year picks up somewhat during the middle of Just One Day and is Willem's story.

Gayle Forman's If I Stay hit theaters this summer and will be released on DVD on November 18, 2014. I LOVED If I Stay, even though I don't usually enjoy sad books. I really liked the movie, too. I can't wait to see more of her books made into movies!

Links

Gayle Forman
Website
Twitter
Goodreads

Books
Just One Day
Just One Year
If I Stay

Movie
If I Stay

Are You Excited About Gayle Forman's Possible New Movie?

Gratitude Giveaway Hop (INT)

Hello again, giveaway hoppers! Believe it or not, I think this is my first time participating in this hop put together by the lovely Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Which is weird because I'm always so thankful that you guys visit my blog! Either way, I have something that I think is awesome up for grabs today.

What You Can Win

Right now I'm listening to the final installment in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, which has been one of my all-time favorite YA series. Here's a little about the book:



Title: Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: November 4, 2014
The wicked will know her.

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn’t mean she has…


Doesn't that sound awesome?! And if you haven't read the series, I'm going to be a sweetheart and let you choose one of the earlier volumes if you win.

Giveaway

Review: The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr

Title: The Fire Seekers (The Babel Trilogy #1)
Author: Richard Farr
Publisher: Skyscape (Amazon)
Release Date: November 1, 2014
Acquired Via: Kindle First
The time of our immortality is at hand.

An undeciphered language in Crete. A rash of mysterious disappearances, from Bolivia to Japan. An ancient warning at the ruins of Babel. And a new spiritual leader, who claims that human history as we understand it is about to come to an end.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Calder’s world falls apart when a freak accident brings personal tragedy—and he discovers there’s a link between the accident and a wildly successful new cult, the Seraphim. Catapulted into a violent struggle for humanity’s past and future, he’s not even sure who the enemy is, or if he’s battling a phantom that doesn’t exist. But as Daniel puts his life on the line, he is forced to conclude that our very survival as a species will depend on who, and what, we choose to believe.

My Review

When I saw The Fire Seekers as one of the Kindle First options last month, I jumped at it. I really like thrillers with a sci-fi/fantasy element, and it was an added bonus that this one was based on religious mythology. I've always been fascinated by Babel, Mesopotamia, and anything ancient like that.

The Fire Seekers started out really strong. I loved meeting Daniel and getting the build-up to where the synopsis promised the book would go. I just knew that I'd be on for a wild ride. Unfortunately, it was one that go stuck on its way to the top. I was flying through the book, and I felt myself slowly losing interest. By the halfway point, I didn't really care anymore. I would only read a page or two at a time before putting it down.

I have no idea where The Fire Seekers was going plotwise, but if you're interested in this sort of thing, I hope you like it more than I did. As for me, I'm off to see what other books are out there.

- DNF -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond


To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an digital copy of the book for reviewing purposes from the publisher prior to the release date through the Kindle First program. This has in no way affected the outcome of the review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Waiting on Wednesday (80): Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels #8)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace Books (Penguin)
Release Date: August 4, 2015
In the latest Kate Daniels novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews, magic is coming and going in waves in post-Shift Atlanta—and each crest leaves danger in its wake…

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece...


The newest Kate book has a cover! I have no idea where this series is going after the last book. Ilona Andrews said that the last book was the end of a story arc, but not the end of the series. After this book, there will only be two more until the end of the series. I might cry when this series ends.

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Wish Would Get Their Own Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Characters I Wish Would Get Their Own Books


1. Samwise Gamgee ("Sam")
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
To me, Sam was the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo would never have gotten anywhere without Sam.



2. Hermione Granger
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I could have filled this list with only Harry Potter characters because they're all so interesting. I'm limiting myself to only two. Hermione is my favorite character out of all of Harry Potter, and I would love to see her get her own book.

Review: The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin

Title: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan)
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Acquired Via: Library
An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin.

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.

This is a fascinating story of the prejudice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.

My Review

The Port Chicago 50 is the story of 50 African-American men accused of mutiny by the Navy during World War II. Prior to the Civil Rights movement, these men pioneered the desegregation of the military, demanding safe working conditions for African-American soldiers. At the time, African-American were the only soldiers given the menial but dangerous job of loading live bombs onto Navy ships headed to war. Not allowed at sea themselves, these men were pushed to load ammunition faster, with no training on weapons safety or potential hazards. When an explosion erupted at the pier, the Port Chicago 50 refused to return to work and risk their lives until the Navy adopted universal safety measures. In response, the Navy court-martialed the Port Chicago 50 for mutiny. The Navy’s punishment for a mutiny conviction during wartime was death.

Blog Tour (Interview & Giveaway): Resisting Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries

Title: Resisting Ruby Rose (Ruby Rose #2)
Author: Jessie Humphries
Publisher: Skyscape
Blog Tour Organizer: Blog Tours By Elana
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Still reeling from the heartbreaking events that unfolded on Grissom Island, Ruby Rose is trying to come to terms with the fact that she’s gone from a vigilante in killer shoes to a stone-cold killer. Everyone from her therapist to her smoking-hot boyfriend keeps trying to convince her that she hasn’t crossed over to the dark side, but Ruby isn’t so sure. It doesn’t help that her nemesis, Detective “Mastermind” Martinez, is still out there, waiting for another chance to take her down.

When an alleged CIA agent named Skryker shows up and asks for a meeting, Ruby figures it just means more questions about her case. But he has information of an entirely different nature and a job offer: join an elite force of young assassins, including Skryker’s right-hand guy, Quinn Donovan. Quinn is distractingly charming, handsome—and deadly. Ruby resists becoming a killer again, but as she becomes more ensnared in a web of deceit, no one around her is safe.

Author Interview

Kayla: Hi Jessie, thank you so much for stopping by Bibliophilia, Please! Please tell us a little bit about Resisting Ruby Rose in your own words but with a Twitter twist – 140 characters or less.

Jessie Humphries: Thanks for having me! Okay, here’s some tweetage:

Ruby Rose’s turn as a teen vigilante ended in carnage and betrayal. But with her nemesis at large and the CIA looking to recruit her, how long can she resist her killer instincts?

Kayla: Ooooh! Sounds dire! What was your writing process like for Resisting Ruby Rose versus the first book, Killing Ruby Rose?

Waiting on Wednesday (79): Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Of Silk and Steam (London Steampunk #5)
Author: Bec McMaster
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: March 3, 2015
When her father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge against the Duke of Caine. Leo Barrons, the Duke's heir, has long been her nemesis, and when she discovers he's illegitimate, she finally has leverage against the one man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

Sentenced to death for his duplicity, Leo escapes by holding Aramina captive. A woman of mystery, she's long driven him crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she's hiding something; he doesn't know it's the key to saving his life.


I just finished the fourth book in the series, Forged By Desire and really enjoyed it. I have always been intrigued by Barrons, and I love the enemies to lovers trope, so I can't wait for the next book!

What are you waiting on this week?

Trailer Reveal: Anomaly by Tonya Kuper

Title: Anomaly
Author: Tonya Kuper
Publisher: Entangled Teen (Macmillan)
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Reality is only an illusion.
Except for those who can control it...

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

My first boyfriend dumped me—happy birthday, Josie!—my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening...

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.

When hottily-hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead...

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