Stacking the Shelves (20)

 Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share their weekly book hauls! I absolutely love showcasing what I received over the week, and seeing what goodies everyone else got as well!!!

Purchased:

Isla & the Happily Ever After *SIGNED* by Stephanie Perkins

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Mila 2.0: Renegade by Debra Driza

Won:

Made For You by Melissa Marr

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Gifted:

Unmarked by Kami Garcia

For Review:

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Many thanks to Harper Teen, Andye, and Sarah!! 

SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BECCA LAND?

I know, I know. I haven't been around. I said I was getting back into the hang of blogging, but then I got this HUGE order (12 totes) from author Nikki Kelly for her upcoming book Lailah, and then I did three others this week. That's 15 totes!! Crazy, huh? I'm exhausted. I haven't been able to even read this week, because all I have done is painted, but I got them all finished. I'll have a post up on Tuesday, showcasing all my recent totes so be sure to stop by then.

This is basically a two week update. Over the past two weeks, if you hadn't already guessed, I've basically been painting my life away. Paint, paint, paint. Don't get me wrong, I totally love it!! I am just struggling a bit to find time to do other things as well, on top of my normal job too! I'm trying to think of some exciting things that have happened though. Hmm. 

Oh! I did the ALS Challenge. In a Dunk Tank. On our local news station. It. Was. AWESOME. And unsurpisingly, freezing! 

I was also a Guest Judge for Adventures in YA Publishing's #PitchPlus5 contest! You can read all about that here!

I watched The Amazing Spiderman 2 and cried at the end. WTF. 

I am nearly halfway to my goal for BEA15! Whaaaat.

Ooh! I was also featured in the Heir of Fire Fan Art Trailer, er..well, Dixie, my dog, was! But now, because they chose us as one of the winners, we get our names in the Acknowledgements of the next book, AND Signed copies of all the books in the series! O.o I screamed when I found out they picked us. 

Watch it below! :) Just look for the doggy reading! 

Other than that, I cannot think of anything else happening at the moment. This weekend, I've told myself no painting totes, no matter what, so I can catch up on the blog and my reading in between breaks at work. So far, it's worked! Hopefully everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. Be safe! 

BLOG POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:

• DISCUSSION - Don't use READING as a PUNISHMENT! 
• Tote(ally) Tuesdays (2)
• ARC Review - Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
• Waiting on Wednesday (29)

That's it for me!

Did you get anything amazeballs this week?

Link me up so I can come see! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating!

This week I'm waiting on:

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Releases on: September 30th, 2014 ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

FROM GOODREADS: The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince... but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted-- by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets-- and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed-- if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

WHY I'M WAITING:

1. DAT COVER.

2. It's a fairy tale retelling. Enough said.

3. The Nutcracker! Which I'll admit, I don't necessarily remember anything about. BUT STILL.

4. This Prince Nicholas sounds like someone I might inevitably add to my book bf list.

5. Clara has a secret life?! NEED TO KNOW MORE.

What do you think of my WoW?

What is your WoW for this week?

Let me know in the comments, and be sure to leave me a link so I can come back and leave you some comment love! 

Thanks for stopping by Pivot Book Reviews!

ARC REVIEW: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley Published by: Harlequin Teen on September 30th, 2014 Series: No Pages: 384 Format: ARC Genre: Historical Fiction Source: For Review Rating: 4/5 BUY THE BOOK or ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
FROM GOODREADS: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.
Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on, and tormented daily.
Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "seperate but equal". 
Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truth's about race, power, and how they really feel about one another.
Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.
MY THOUGHTS:
Dear Lies We Tell Ourselves,
How do I even begin to talk about you? You broke my heart to begin with. Shattered it. I struggled reading the first few "parts" of you, specifically because kids are so cruel. No, not just kids. People are cruel. They are monsters. Especially to the poor integrators. My heart ached so much for Sarah and her sister and friends. The thought of being treated that way because of the color of my skin just flabbergasts me. I've never understood racism. It sickens me. What sickens me even more is the fact that stuff like this actually happened in the not so distant past, Lies We Tell Ourselves.
You are not a light read at all. I picked you up for a buddy read with my dear friend, Pili, and even she struggled with you. Not because you aren't good, because that isn't it at all. You were fantastic. Your author is fantastic. You are simply a wonderful debut. I think, you are just a little bit difficult to swallow, if that makes sense. Some parts of you were horrific. I have never read a historical fiction book quite like you before. Not only do you cover the bad parts of integration, but also some good parts that take awhile to see. I urge readers to pick you up, because you teach a lesson. A valuable lesson that reminds us to never treat others as if they are beneath us because of their race or sexuality.
Ah, yes. You were my very first venture into LGBT territory. I've never read a book about a girl with feelings for another girl, but it was refreshing! It's a breath of fresh air to read a diversified book like yourself. 
I didn't realized until I started reading you that you were told from two POVs, Sarah and Linda's. *smacks head* However, I loved reading from Sarah. Sarah is as hard-headed and outspoken as I am, even if she bites her tongue most of the time or tries to. I tend to do the same, which is maybe why I enjoyed her so much. She had spunk, and I love spunk. As soon as I saw I was going to be reading from Linda's POV, I was less than thrilled. At your beginning, she's not very favorable, and I dreaded hearing the racist thoughts in her head, but after awhile, she grew on me. There's a lot more to Linda than I expected, and I enjoyed watching her growth throughout each chapter, or 'lie'. You aren't told in chapters. Your chapters are cleverly called, "Lies", which is awesome!!
Again, even though you were tough to get through at points (because how in the world did people live with themselves when they treated others they way they did?! and I also cringed at every single explicative name every single time), you are a book that shouldn't be missed, Lies We Tell Ourselves. Great debut. Flawlessly executed. Fabulous job, Robin. I'm curious to see more from your author soon, Lies We Tell Ourselves, and I leave you with FOUR hearts. 
Not lying to myself at all about how much I liked you,
Becca

Are you looking forward to Lies We Tell Ourselves?

Have your read it already?

What did you think?

Let's discuss!

TOTE(ALLY) TUESDAYS (2)

What is Tote(ally) Tuesdays?

Well, fellow bookish friends, I'm glad you asked! I've been absent somewhat on here for the past few weeks, because I opened an Etsy shop! Yay! I've always been an artistic person, mostly with drawing, but over the past few years, I've dabbled in acrylic painting more and more. I started painting shoes for my nieces and nephew for holidays/birthdays, but then I got a wild hair to try and paint a tote! I surprised my best friend, Sarah, with one, and then my partner for a bookish swap, and then my blogging idol & friend, Andye! You can see pictures of all those totes here, and even enter an INT Giveaway to win a customized tote for yourself! Or go check out my very first Tote(ally) Tuesdays post!

However, I have been painting like crazy after opening my Etsy for orders, and everyone always goes crazy in love on twitter when I post a pic of my most recently painted totes. So I thought, maybe I should start posting them semi-regularly on the blog in one convenient place! Voila! Tote(ally) Tuesdays was born!

This is going to be a huge post of totes so prepare yourselves!! 

*Ahem* 

Anna & the French Kiss Tote #2 (Purchase HERE)

Custom Anna & the French Kiss tote!

Custom Isla & the Happily Ever After tote!

Custom Compulsion tote #1! (Win it here!)

 Custom Compulsion tote #2! (Win it here!)

 Custom Compulsion tote #3 (Win it here!)

Ignite Me tote! (Purchase HERE)

Custom Kitty and Books tote!

Simon & Baz (Fangirl) Tote! (Purchase HERE!)

Fangirl tote! (Purchase HERE!)

Fangirl tote! (Purchase HERE!)

Custom tote for Emily's brother of the cover of his poetry book!

Custom Throne of Glass tote!

Custom Book Quote Tote!

PHEW! And trust me, that's not even all of them! I swear I have painted over TEN Fangirl totes here recently! That's awesome, but crazy! I never ever thought my Etsy would take off like it has. I'm happy to say that I have raised 1/4 of my BEA2015 FUND already! Woo Hoo! 

I mostly do custom orders, so if you have something in mind, you can contact me here, or email me at BECCAF97200 AT GMAIL DOT COM! 

Let's discuss!
Which tote is your fave?
What quote would you absolutely LOVE to see on a tote?!

DISCUSSION: Don't use READING as a punishment!!!

I told myself I wasn't going to rant about this.
I really did.
Several times, in fact.
But after the weekend passed, this was still bugging the crap out of me.
You see, someone was over at my house the other day (not going to name names), but their kid was acting up, and this was the punishment they threatened their child with if they didn't stop being a booty head...
"If you don't stop, you're going to be sent to your room with no TV, no iPod, no music, no phone, NOTHING, except a book. All you will have is a book to read. Do you want that? If not, then stop it."
OH MY GOD THE HORROR!
And it just seriously rubbed me the wrong way. I probably looked like this.

FINE. I totally did make that face.

I mean, seriously?! It's no wonder that most children hate reading. If you're using reading as a punishment, you're basically brainwashing them into thinking that reading is something that should be hated. It's ridiculous. Not only because reading is the bomb dot com, but also because you're setting yourself up for more trouble down the road. 
What happens when your kid has to do a book report, but refuses to read because they hate it and associate it with punishment? They aren't going to read it. They aren't going to do their book report. Or they are going to half-ass it and get a horrible grade. All because of the fact that you used it as a punishment!!! 
I understand that you want to punish your kid. Really, I do. Because kids are shit heads some times, but do it another way. ANY OTHER WAY. Send them to their room to write sentences. 
"I will not be a shit head." "I will not be a shit head." "I will not be a shit head."
Times 100.
Not really those exact words, though, because that's probably worse. Do teachers even make kids write sentences anymore? Or is that something that is just showing my age? Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is there are plenty of other ways to punish your kid, besides threatening them with a book. It hurts my heart to see something I cherish used as a punishment. It's not right, and I beg and plead of you not to do this to your kid. You should strive to have a reader as a child! Readers are the best! I should know, because I know hundreds of readers. That's right. HUNDREDS. And they are some of the absolute best people I've ever met! 
What do you think? Do you know someone who uses reading as a punishment? Do you use reading as a punishment? Do you agree or disagree with me? Let's discuss!

Stacking the Shelves (19)

 Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share their weekly book hauls! I absolutely love showcasing what I received over the week, and seeing what goodies everyone else got as well!!!

PURCHASED:

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

DIVERGENT DVD!!! 

WON:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Special Edition) 

Sister's Fate by Jessica Spotswood *SIGNED*

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

So what's happening in Becca Land??

It's been two weeks since I did a weekly recap, so hopefully this is all the stuff I got! Thanks to Sarah, Jessica, and someone else ( I can't remember who I won The Spindlers from b/c it was like seriously six months ago or longer!) I have literally been painting non stop these past two weeks! I am currently covered in paint. But the good news is, I've raised about 1/4 of what I'm hoping to so I can go to BEA15! WOOT! Thank you all so so so much! I will also have a post next week showcasing all the nifty new totes I've painted. If you can't wait, or want to order one, you can check out my Etsy! Other than painting, I've read just a handful of books (mostly because I've been painting so much. Did I say that already?) Then there is the real job on top of that, which has been cray cray lately. I need a vacation, or at least, a day to just catch up on sleep/reading/blogging/everything. HA! So sorry if my posts are only here and there. I'm trying not to neglect the blog, or you guys (I MISS YOU!), but it's really hard! I'm slowly but surely getting the hang of everything though! Thanks for sticking around during the radio silence, and welcome to some new followers! *WAVES* I hope you stick around for some epicness! There are TWO giveaways going on right now on here as well! You can find them on the right sidebar at the very top! GO ENTER!! :)

Blog Posts You May Have Missed: 

• DISCUSSION: Is bullying in books unrealistic to you?
• TOTE(ally) Tuesday
• Waiting on Wednesday (28)
• ARC REVIEW: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
• Compulsion Trailer Reveal & Giveaway(s)
• Cover Puppies (25) - Compulsion by Martina Boone
• ARC REVIEW: Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

That's it for me, I think! What about you guys? Did you get anything amazeballs this week?

ARC REVIEW: Deliverance by C. J. Redwine

Deliverance by C. J. Redwine Published by: Balzer & Bray On: August 26th, 2014 Series: Defiance #3 Pages: 480 Format: ARC Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian Source: For Review Rating: 5/5 BUY THE BOOK or ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
FROM GOODREADS: Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One. 
Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she's become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies' clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she'll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out- if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.
Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark's power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may just be the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.
But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan's love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them?
MY THOUGHTS:
Dear Deliverance,
WOW! Just, wow!!! Did I say "Wow" yet? Because WOWWWW! Sorry, Deliverance, I tend to lengthen certain words and capitalize all the letters when I'm extremely excited about something, and you are something I'm EXTREMELY excited and satisfied with. You were just unbelievably amazing, and I'm so incredibly devastated that I have to say goodbye to your world. I love you so much. I don't want to say goodbye to these characters!! 
Ahem. Anyways, your predecessor books were every bit as amazing as you are. I bought Defiance when it first came out, and didn't read it for like a year and a half. Until my friend told me, I needed to do it right that second. I did. I'm so glad I did, and that she pushed it on to me, because I was hooked! And after Deception? Gosh, I was seriously marking down the days on my calendar until you released. I was lucky enough to get an early copy of you, and I'm sorry it took me so long to read you. Me=busy busy busy right now. But every second I wasn't reading you, I desperately wanted to be. 
Rachel and Logan are one of my favorite OTP's ever, and it was killing me that they were separated most of the book. What each of them went through was excrutiating. It felt like I was going through that pain with them. But each and every one of your characters are so strong and resilient. It make take them a while to get to that point, but they overcome, and that's what I love so much about your author, C.J. Redwine. If she wasn't already on my auto-buy list before I read you, Deliverance, (SHE WAS) she would definitely be now! 
Your action was spot-on. Suspense! Lies! Deception! AND an OH MY GOD WHAAAAAT?! moment. Actually maybe a few, but one is a really big one. My mouth was hanging open at that part. Me=mind f*cked. There are also many deaths deep inside your pages. I was scared to keep reading because I didn't want one of my favorites to die, because apparently that's some sick thing authors like to do to us now. Plus, I mean, you have dragon thingies in you, and swords, and bomb-ish stuff. People have to die. It's a must. Also that Epilogue? You gave me goosebumps! 
All in all, you were a fabulous last installment, Deliverance. I cannot state that enough. I loved every single letter, word, sentence, paragraph, page....oh, you get it? Okay. I'll stop. I think you are an underrated trilogy..one that has been seriously overlooked, and if someone hasn't read your first book (Defiance), I shall plead with them and push them to their nearest book store!! You are a series that MUST NOT BE MISSED! FIVE HEARTS!!
Enchanted by you always, 
Becca 
P.S. SO MUCH QUINN! I HEART HIM! Back off, everyone, C.J. said he was mine!! :) 

Are you looking forward to Deliverance?

Have your read it already?

What did you think?

Let's discuss!

Cover Puppies (25) - Compulsion by Martina Boone

Cover Puppies is a weekly post here on Pivot Book Reviews, where I combine my extreme love for my doggies and YA books, and puppify my favorite book covers!

This week, I'm featuring..

(Gentry & DIxie)

COMPULSION by Martina Boone!

Releases on October 28th, 2014

FROM GOODREADS: Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson had been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

BUY THE BOOK!

**

GUYS. THIS BOOK IS AMAZEBALLS. I HAD TO PUPPIFY IT.

It was the paw-fect choice to bring back Cover Puppies with a bark! (Puns intended!)

You NEED this book in your lives, so pre-order it! Still not convinced? I'll push this book on you some more. OR you can go watch the super neat-o trailer that I revealed with some other blogs yesterday, and enter for FAB prizes. You really do not want to miss out on these prizes, guys.

Have a paw-rrifc day! Thanks for stopping by Cover Puppies and Pivot Book Reviews! <3