Showing posts with label Gina Damico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gina Damico. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

August Wrap Up 2016

   August was certainly as busy as July was, and I definitely got as much reading done, maybe more. Starting with a bunch of books that I had to get done for publishers. 
   Like last month, my family went camping again. This time to a closer location, maybe 15 minutes away from my home. Because of the campsite being so close, we ended up having a ton of visitors. They ranged from visits from family, to friends, to many squirrels that decided to taunt and mess with my dog. Then there was my new hammock that I got to finally try out, unfortunately everyone else had the same idea too..

   After camping, for a brief moment of actually being my home after a week of camping, I was able to celebrate my best friends birthday with her! We spent the evening hanging out with her boyfriend, and another friend of ours, then going out to eat. Overall I had an amazing time, and I couldn't have been happier that my bestie wanted to spend her birthday with me. 
   Then exactly the next morning my family went on a quick weekend trip to the US, Fargo, North Dakota to be exact. Sometimes we enjoy heading down there for a weekend of shopping, and oh boy did we shop. My bank account is weeping still, and it's been a couple of weeks already. oops. I did get tons of amazing shoes, purses and clothes though.....
   Probably the best thing about that trip was that I finally got to use my Cold Stone Creamery gift card that Steph had gotten me for my birthday last year. We don't have CSC in Canada, so we had to celebrate the occasion with a ridiculous picture after waiting so long to try it.
   Besides that, I've worked the rest of the time or I've spent my time driving my sisters around for summer camps or work as well. Not the best way to spend the last few days of my Summer Break but whatever.
   With University starting shortly, I've had to say goodbye to a few of my friends who went out of province for school. I'm excited for them to go to school out there, but I'm sure as heck going to miss them. 
   And that sums up my August, with me going to University for the first time I'm not sure what you guys should expect for September. I already have a ton of things scheduled and ready to go, but I guess we'll have to see where things take me from there.
   Until next month!

   Now for the monthly stats:

Books Read:


Book Haul:

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow (ARC)
Sisters of Salt and Iron by Kady Cross (Hardcover)
Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Paperback)
Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (German Edition Hardcover)
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Hardcover)
Trono de cristal by Sarah J Maas (Spanish Edition)
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (ARC)
Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder (Paperback)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Hardcover)
The Turning by Jennifer Armintrout (Paperback)
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole (Paperback)
Recreated by Colleen Houck (Hardcover)
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West (Hardover)


   A HUGE thank you to Simon and Schuster, Adi Alsaid, my best friend and my sister for 
most of the books I received from this month!

Books Reviewed:


September Releases I'm Excited For:



   That's August! I'm super excited to see what's to come, but I'm also super nervous at the same time. Anyone else starting University for the first time this fall? Tell me about some of your new experiences, I'd love to hear them!



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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Blog Tour: Wax by Gina Damico


   Hello, and welcome to the Wax by Gina Damico Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I'm super excited to be apart of the tour, especially considering I get to host on Wax's official Book Birthday! So a big happy birthday to Wax! Today I have for you a quick interview with Gina Damico, my review of the book, and a giveaway! 

Wax by Gina Damico


Release Date: August 2nd, 2016
Read: July 22nd-23rd, 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 368 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for a honest review


Description from GoodReads:


   Paraffin, Vermont, is known the world over as home to the Grosholtz Candle Factory. But behind the sunny retail space bursting with overwhelming scents and homemade fudge, seventeen-year-old Poppy Palladino discovers something dark and unsettling: a back room filled with dozens of startlingly life-like wax sculptures, crafted by one very strange old lady. Poppy hightails it home, only to be shocked when one of the figures—a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to know what he is—jumps naked and screaming out of the trunk of her car. She tries to return him to the candle factory, but before she can, a fire destroys the mysterious workshop—and the old woman is nowhere to be seen.



   With the help of the wax boy, who answers to the name Dud, Poppy resolves to find out who was behind the fire. But in the course of her investigation, she discovers that things in Paraffin aren’t always as they seem, that the Grosholtz Candle Factory isn’t as pure as its reputation—and that some of the townspeople she’s known her entire life may not be as human as they once were. In fact, they’re starting to look a little . . . waxy. Can Poppy and Dud extinguish the evil that's taking hold of their town before it’s too late?

Review:


    7:10 a.m.: Escalate a scandal
   Wax was my first ever request from Raincoast, the Canadian publisher to HMH Books for Young Readers, as well as a quite a few others. When their June newsletter released with Wax as an option to request, I couldn't not request it once I read its description. Then I was accepted to be apart of its blog tour and I knew I had to read it asap!
   Now I've read many books in my lifetime, and never in my life have I read a book with a character as perky as Poppy. She, herself was a whole element to the book, besides everything else that was going on. Even with the incident that made her a "celebrity", she was always cheerful and full of life. In some cases you couldn't help but feel the cheerfulness yourself. Poppy was a different type of person than you usually experience when reading YA, and I have to say, it was a refreshing twist.
   I loved how Dud, our little wax boy, was such a newbie to everything, including speaking. It was great that he didn't just pop out a gorgeous YA boy for Poppy to fall in love with. Her teaching him about life was ridiculous to watch, and not to mention entertaining. Wax did not have any romance in it, and I can happily say that the book turned out great without it.
   Wax, itself was a completely weird and unique book to read. With wax people taking over a town, and hundred year olds being immortal as wax, everything is not as it seems. Gina Damico has a hit for people of all ages, and I can't wait to see what new she has in store for us!


Rating:



Favourite Quote:


"Milk comes out of the babies?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Candles, Small Towns, Unique Stories

    


Wax is your fifth book to be released after your debut series Croak, in that time since you first
became a published author, what do you think has changed in your writing? What advice would you give other writers who are looking to one day publish a YA book?

   After five published books (and a sixth on the way) I think I’ve become more adventurous in terms of playing with formulas – in other words, writing plots and characters that are a bit more unexpected than what you might see elsewhere in the YA world. WAX is a strange mishmash of comedy, horror, and mystery, and if someone comes away from reading it thinking, “Well, that wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” then I’m very happy with that reaction. I mean, I also hope they liked it. But I’m always aiming for something completely different, because there are readers out there who are itching for unique, funny, odd-in-a-good-way books – me included – and I like to be the one who can deliver on that. My books aren’t for everyone, but they are very much for a certain type of awesome weirdo, so awesome weirdo: I am here for you.

   As for advice for aspiring writers, I would say that you must, must, must get feedback on your draft. Pick someone you know and trust, give them free reign to be completely honest, steel yourself for some harsh truths, and listen. You don’t necessarily have to incorporate their feedback into your work, but it is important to give it its due, really think about whether changes would work and make it a better manuscript. The worst thing you can do is think that you’re infallible and your words are golden and not a single comma needs to be moved. Readers see your work differently than you do, and what makes sense in your head might not have been adequately expressed on the page. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the bubble of your manuscript; fresh eyes should be appreciated for the godsend that they are. Use them liberally, and ply them with chocolate as needed.


   Gina Damico is the author of Croak, Scorch, and Rogue, the grim-reapers-gone-wild books of the Croak trilogy. She has also dabbled as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker and breadmonger. A native of Syracuse, New York, she now lives outside Boston with her husband, two cats, and one dog, and while she has never visited hell in person, she has spent countless waking hours at the Albany Regional Bus Terminal, which is pretty darn close. Visit her website at www.ginadami.co.


3 winners will receive a hardcover of WAX! US Only.


   Thanks so much for stopping by my stop on the tour! I hope you all pick up a copy of Wax! And Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour!






Week One:

7/25/2016- Once Upon a Twilight- Interview
7/26/2016- Eli to the nth- Review
7/27/2016- BookHounds YA- Guest Post
7/28/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
7/29/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

Week Two:

8/1/2016- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
8/2/2016- Ohana Reads- Guest Post
8/3/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
8/4/2016- YA Book Madness- Interview
8/5/2016- A Gingerly Review- Review

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Sunday, July 31, 2016

July Wrap Up 2016

   July was busy, busy, busy. There was never a dull moment. Starting with celebrating Canada Day with friends, then our annual schools over clean up, (We do a huge clean up of our house), celebrating my sisters birthday, working, wisdom teeth removal, camping, like I said, it was jam packed. 
   The two things that took up most of my time were my surgery and my camping trip. With school being done, I finally got my wisdom teeth removed and was able to stay at home for a good amount of days. My friends were fabulous, a few of my close friends came and visited me on multiple days bringing ice cream, popsicles, and season 4 and 5 of Game of Thrones. It was a good couple of days, if you didn't count the constant pain in my jaw, and not being able to eat solid foods. 
   For camping, my family and I went to a somewhat close campground with family friends of ours. We were gone a week, and I pretty much got all my reading done within that week.  When I wasn't reading, we watched horror movies, and went fishing. Then there was the couple times we walked through a clay path and became walking grey beings, and jumped off a cliff into the lake. 
   Then finally, the last week of the month was jam packed with trying to kick my sister out of the house so that we could plan her Harry Potter Surprise Party. Which took place yesterday, we had her party in the morning then headed out to the official Harry Potter Party that was being hosted by McNally Robinson in honour of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child's release! We had Mandrake Cupcakes, a Wanted Wizard Photo Booth, and we tie dyed a Hogwarts House Crest Shirt with our house colours! It was great, and boy was my sister surprised. 
   Overall, it was phenomenal day and I think my sister was over the moon happy. And that was my month! August will be almost as packed, but either way I'm super excited!

Harry Potter Party

   Now for this months stats!  

Books Read:

Book Haul:

The Hunt by Megan Shepherd (ARC)
Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge (ARC)
As I Descended by Robin Talley (ARC)
In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken (Paperback)
United As One by Pittacus Lore (Hardcover)
Ice Kised by Amanda Hocking (Paperback)

A huge thank you to McNally Robinson and their Two Thumbs Up program, and Vivien from @deadtossedwaves for trading me The Hunt on #BooksForTrade!

Books Reviewed:


August Books I'm Excited For:





   That's it for July! I got a quite a bit of reading done if I say so myself! Hopefully August will be the same way!

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