Thursday, February 25, 2016

Upcoming Event Info - Live Twitter Chat with Shawna Yang Ryan, author of Green Island

Hello there, readers!

I want to inform you all about an upcoming live chat session with Shawna Yang Ryan: it will take place on Twitter and it is open for everyone ALL AROUND THE WORLD! This will take place on Sunday, 28th February 2016 (GMT: 9 AM). So, set a reminder in your phones NOW!!!

Blurb:

A stunning story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan over the course of the twentieth century.

February 28, 1947: Trapped inside the family home amid an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island, just after midnight as the city is plunged into martial law. In the following weeks, as the Chinese Nationalists act to crush the opposition, Dr. Tsai becomes one of the many thousands of people dragged away from their families and thrown into prison. His return, after more than a decade, is marked by alienation from his loved ones and paranoia among his community—conflicts that loom over the growing bond he forms with his youngest daughter. Years later, this troubled past follows her to the United States, where, as a mother and a wife, she too is forced to decide between what is right and what might save her family—the same choice she witnessed her father make many years before.

As the novel sweeps across six decades and two continents, the life of the narrator shadows the course of Taiwan’s history from the end of Japanese colonial rule to the decades under martial law and, finally, to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. But, above all, Green Island is a lush and lyrical story of a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: how far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?

Book Links:

| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo |

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tweenache in the Time of Hashtags - Judy Balan

Rating: 5/5 Book Emojis!




Note: I received this book from the author for an UNBIASED review. Receiving this book doesn't change my true opinion of the book whatsoever. 

This is the second book in the 'Nina the Philosopher' series (however can be read as a Stand-Alone) and is MUCH better than the first one even though I rated it 5 Stars. This may be the result of Nina growing up... Anyways, This book is actually Nina's blog where she narrates whatever happens in her life while venting out her emotions. This all is written through a 12 YO's (very plausibly/incredibly) mind. This book takes the reader through the amazing 12th year in Nina's life, dictated by her.

The plot is very intriguing and captivates the reader till the very end. The highlights of this year were: 1. A new NERD in the class - Anna 2. Nina gets her first period (Don't worry, the story does NOT revolve around this topic) 3. She has her FIRST CRUSH (Lalalalalala/Hilariously written) 4. Her Dad finally is introduced in the series (Nina's mom is a single parent).  All the characters of this book were entertaining and had their own importance.

What I really like about this book is that it is written by Judy Balan. She is AN AMAZING writer and the way presents the emotions of a 12 YO is commendable and also very relate-able. I mean, we all have been through this age and it is not only strange but is fascinating too. Especially, what a creative, yet ordinary 12 YO girl sees in the world is  interesting through this story.

Coming to the 2 special features of this series - The Quotes and The Format : this book has been written in such a way that while being humorous and enticing, this book is very very virtuous to its sense. This is only because Nina has been brought up in that way and this is what makes the book a compulsion for any young reader and a parent who wants their kid to read quality and entertaining books. The story is very gripping (is NOT AT ALL dragged anywhere), which can be proved by its page length - It promises 200 pages of a Fun-Packed Read!



CONCLUSION: Just go ahead and buy it. If you are a teenager who wants to read something - READ IT! If you are a parent and want your kid to read something - BUY IT! If you have someone above the age of 12 and you want to gift something to him/her - GIFT IT! If YOU ARE above 12 years of age - READ IT! I want you to read it - no matter what and NO QUESTIONS ASKED. 

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Blog Tour - Last Vacation ~ Sarah Elle Emm

About the Book:
Seven days have passed since Naples real estate agent Megan MacKenna has heard from her twin sister, Madeline, who was vacationing on the beautiful, Caribbean island of St. Croix. Though authorities are not convinced there is a case to solve, Megan knows with all of her heart something happened to Maddy. When Megan receives a direct warning to leave the island or end up like her sister, she turns to the only person who has taken her seriously since she arrived, Gabe, a breakfast cook at a local diner. 

Undercover DEA agent, Gabriel Walker has been building his cover for months, waiting for the opportunity to work his way into the infamous Torrez crime ring. When Megan shows up asking questions and Gabe realizes her twin’s disappearance might be linked to the Torrez men, he has to convince her to go back to Florida before she becomes their next victim. 

The closer Megan gets to the truth, the more Gabe begins to suspect he is missing a huge piece of the puzzle. And someone is closing in on Megan…

Buy Links:


Fun Fact:



I grew up visiting the island of St. Croix with my family. As an adult, I lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands, on both St. Croix and St. Thomas. I always wanted to write a fiction story that took place there, but I never took the time to write it until recently.



Excerpt:

Megan peered out at the vast expanse of ocean gleaming in the bright morning sunshine before her. The turquoise waters seemed to go on forever. From the Caribbean Airways in flight map, she had noted theislands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. John were in the far off distance. She had been told a faint view of the densely populated St. Thomas could sometimes be seen on a perfectly clear day, but no matter how she strained her eyes, she couldn’t quite see it today.

Had Maddy hopped on a sailboat and continued her travels to another island as the police officer had suggested? It wasn’t like Maddy not to check in. Her cell phone had been going straight to voice mail since the last photo Maddy had sent, and according to the cell company, the cell phone was out of service range. Something had happened to her sibling. The last communication with Maddy had been an unexplained picture of an iguana. No message, no text, nothing. Just an enormous, slimy, dragon-resembling lizard. Megan sunk her head to her chest. Where in the world was her sister?

“Everything okay, Miss?”

Startled from her hopeless thoughts, Megan sat upright at the sound of the low voice. Her eyes scanned the length of the man standing before her, and she pursed her lips together. She guessed he was probably about six-foot-two.

As she sat silently, observing him, the man repeated his question, “Are you okay?” His tone bordered on cautious, but concerned.

“Everything’s fine,” she finally managed with a tight voice.

With a smile, his concern faded away, and he reached behind his back to untie a grease-spotted apron. He folded the apron up, pulled out a chair at the table right next to Megan’s, about a foot and a half from her, and sat down.

An internal alarm went off, making Megan feel extremely uncomfortable with his proximity, and she fidgeted with her hands as he stared at her, finally forcing them into her lap. How could a voice so soothing go with a gruff-looking character like him? And what in the world was he doing sitting down so close to her?

About the Author:

Sarah Elle Emm is the author of the HARMONY RUN SERIES, a young-adult fantasy and dystopian series, released in May 2012 by Winter Goose Publishing. (PRISMATIC, May 2012, OPALESCENT, February 2013, CHATOYANT, September 2014, NACREOUS, August 2015) Her debut fiction novel, MARRYING MISSY, was published by Bird Brain Publishing in October 2011. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Evansville, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Germany, England, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has traveled extensively beyond. Sarah lives in Naples, Florida with her family. When she’s not walking the plank of her daughters’ imaginary pirate ship or snapping photos of Southwest Florida scenery, she is writing.




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