Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop #2 (US/Can)

Welcome to my stop on the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop hosted by the lovely Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not A Writer and Valerie at Stuck In Books. This hop is an opportunity for us to share books that we could not put down with you guys.

What You Can Win

I'm giving away my ARC of Gated by Amy Christine Parker to one lucky reader in the US or Canada. (I'm in the middle of moving and birthday season for my family, so I can't do the international shipping this time.) Find out more about the book below, and you'll find the Rafflecopter form at the end.

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound’s underground fortress–the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she’d rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

You can check out my review of Gated HERE!
Be sure to add it on Goodreads, too, with the button below:


Giveaway Requirements

Review: Shadows by Robin McKinley

Title: Shadows
Author: Robin McKinley
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin)
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: September 26, 2013
A compelling and inventive novel set in a world where science and magic are at odds, by Robin McKinley, the Newberry-winning author of The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, as well as the classic titles Beauty, Chalice, Spindle’s End, Pegasus and Sunshine.

Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.

Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.

In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.

My Review

I am a long-time fan of Robin McKinley's work, ever since I was in middle school, and I've read quite a few of her novels. (Most of them multiple times, and we're not going to talk about The Hero and the Crown.) When I started Shadows, I had my heart set on the world-building or characters to rival those beloved reads. Instead, I got a story which, if I had to wrap it up with ony one word, is "meh".

Blog Tour (Guest Post & Giveaway): I.T. Confidential by C.D. Rahm

Tour Schedule



Title: I.T. Confidential
Author: C.D. Rahm
Publisher: Boondoggle Press
Release Date: August 29, 2013
If you could be a fly on the cubicle wall of an I.T. Professional someone would probably throw a stale bagel at you. But before they did, you would see what C.D. Rahm reveals in this tell-all book.

At great personal risk to career and plastic pocket protector, Rahm takes us on a tour of corporate malaise, rampant confusion, dinner-plate-sized chocolate chip cookies, and lousy box lunches.

Pulling no punches (except possibly the spiked punch from the disastrous office holiday party) he reveals everything: managers behaving badly, professional time-wasters, fast-food junkies, and the hygienically challenged.

An I.T. insider, his is a world of technology for all, productivity for none. It is a place where the confused and frightened lead the overworked and clueless. This is where polyester slacks meet PowerPoint presentations, and budgets meet their doom.

When network systems come down, I.T. professionals get up. And march straight to the vending machine. C.D. Rahm has been there, done that, and soiled the t-shirt.

Now you can know what I.T. geeks know: That if you have a chip on your shoulder you have probably stuck your head into the wrong port.

Whether you’re a tech expert or you don’t know your app from a hole in the ground, you will be astounded or at least mildly surprised by what you discover in I.T. Confidential.

Guest Post

Out Of Control Dress Codes
C.D. Rahm

Blog Tour (Spotlight & Giveaway): I.T. Confidential by C.D. Rahm

Tour Schedule

Book Blast (Giveaway): Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster

Title: Sisters In Love (Love in Bloom: Snow Sisters #1)
Author: Melissa Foster
Publisher: World Literary Press
Book Blast Organizer: Book Nerd Tours
Release Date: September 1, 2013
Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

Sisters in Love is a light, uplifting work of women’s fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes. Readers of books by Jane Porter and Beth Kendrick will enjoy Danica and Blake’s story.

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble


About the Author

September New Release Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the September New Release Giveaway Hop! As always, it is being hosted by the magnificent O'Dell at Book Twirps and the glorious Dani at Refracted Light Reviews.

What You Can Win

This month I am featuring some September new releases that I have already reviewed here on Bibliophilia, Please. You will be able to choose one of the six books, if you are the winner. Here are the books, and the links to my reviews are below them:

Debut Authors Bash 2013 (Interview): After Eden by Helen Douglas

Hello, bashers and readers, alike! I'm so happy that you stopped by to visit my blog today to read my interview with debut author, Helen Douglas. After Eden is her debut novel that will be released in November. I read and enjoyed it several months ago, and you can find my review HERE. I hope you enjoy finding out a little bit more about Helen as much as I did!



Title: After Eden
Author: Helen Douglas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: November 5, 2013
The day Eden met Ryan changed her world forever. Actually, not just her world. Ryan has time traveled from the future to save the world. In a few weeks, Eden’s best friend Connor will discover a new planet—one where human life is possible. The discovery will make him famous. It will also ruin the world as we know it. When Ryan asks Eden for help, she must choose between saving the world and saving her best friend’s greatest achievement. And a crush on Ryan complicates things more than she could have imagined. Because Connor is due to make the discovery after the girl he loves breaks his heart. That girl is Eden.

Grounded in a realistic teen world with fascinating sci-fi elements, After Eden is a heart-pounding love triangle that’s perfect for dystopian fans looking for something new to devour.

Helen Douglas Interview

Please tell us a little bit about After Eden in your own words but with a Twitter twist – 140 characters or less.

A boy from the future. A girl from right now. And a secret that’s out of this world. (Love story with a sci-fi twist.)

Who was your favorite character to write in the novel?

Blog Tour (Audiobook Review & Giveaway): Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard

Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard Tour Schedule



Title: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard (Zoe & Zak Adventures #1)
Author: Lars Guignard
Publisher: Fantastic Press
Acquired Via: CBB Book Promotions
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Zoe and Zak are lost in exotic India, where gods and magic still exist. Before they can find their way home, they just have to do one little thing...

...Save a mythical creature from an ancient evil that wants to rule the world.

When Zoe Guire goes along on her mom's business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. An elephant god speaks to her from the bottom of a swimming pool... She and her classmate Zak get locked in a trunk and shipped off to a strange city near the foothills of the Himalayas... and a crazy snake charmer tells them they've been chosen to protect a mythical creature called the Ghost Leopard from an ancient evil that wants to take over the world.

As they travel deeper into the majestic mountains known as the Realm of the Gods, things get even weirder. If she and Zak want to make it back to their parents, they're going to have to tap into powers they never knew existed.

Because if they don't, things will never be the same for any of us ever again.

My Review
Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard is a super fun audiobook that I listened to over the course of about two weeks. It is about two kids who go to school together who happen to run into each other in India while traveling with their parents. They weren't really friends at the start of the novel, but we see the progression of their relationship. (Not THAT kind of relationship - they're eleven.) It reminds me of The 39 Clues series mixed with magical realism.