An Explanation and Apology

So, I have had somewhat bad news for the past few months and I have been processing it.
It isn't new news that I am sick.
I have been open about it for the past six years.
I finally met with a specialist that understands my disease and was able to tell me everything that happened.
Pretty much I had a bone infection that would have disappeared instantly, if it was treated right.
It wasn't. It took over a year to start a treatment to get rid of this. Bone and infection aren't good friend.
As a result, there is a lot of a damage. My right hip joint is severely damaged.
My right sacrum joint doesn't show up on x-ray  or MRI and the left is severely eroded. Like when your bone breaks, the left side is trying to repair it. So I have bone spurs causing pain and inflammation. This is what has been causing my immune system to be overactive.  A lot of the muscles are  on Level 3 on the weakness scale, which means that they move, but not as well as they should.  So there is a lot of work to do,  to get as well as possible. I also have other health issues as a result and I am dealing with those too. I am also on some medicines that should begin to work in the next few weeks.
I am not angry or sad about this. It was just a lot to accept and writing it out, made it seem well real. At the same time, it feels really good to know what is going on
Anyways, I apologize for not posting regularly. I meant to explain why a while ago, but life got really crazy. I was close to finishing writing a book and the end of a year of college, when I found this out.
I hope that everything is going well and reviews soon.
Thank you for your patience.
Sarah.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Source: Bought

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.
To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.
But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. 
When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

It is now secret that I have loved Courtney Summers' other books and when I heard about This Is Not A Test, I got really excited to read it. Sloane isn't the usual survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse and the back story that Summers added. It made the story more vivid and I became further invested in the story. There are several other characters that added to the story. Rhys was strong, but his instinct to survive didn't over shadow his humanity. Grace was a sweet and kind character, but still wanted to live. Trace was angry and frightening, but mostly he wanted to protect Grace. Since she is the last that remains of his family. Harrison was afraid. Cary was a leader and wanted the best for everyone. I felt a connection to all of the characters and felt that I could honestly be any of them.
The plot was really exciting and I kept on thinking would I do that? The details that Summers add to the story were frightening and made me visualize it. Also while the book is about survival, it doesn't make survival boring. I didn't want to stop reading and that feeling lasted with me long after the ending.  This story was original for a zombie novel, because it added a feeling of suspense from Sloane's past. I also liked the idea of a school, because for most teens, they dread school. Now they are forced to either survive in a place that they hated or contend with zombies that want to murder them. The relationships were also different in the book. It wasn't the usual need for intimacy that is in a lot of survival novel, but something more realistic. Summers' writing style is sharp, fierce, and sparse. I enjoy her writing and find it to be amazing. Even thought it is during a Zombie Apocalypse, it remains realistic. As always, I can't wait to read more from Summers and highly recommend  that you read This is Not a Test as soon as humanly possible. I promise that you will not regret reading this book. 

7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

Source: Publisher
When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.
Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgment . . . or maybe she just craves the thrill of the game. But as the hunt progresses, their relationship heats up. Soon their madcap mischief spirals out of control. Blythe is faced with arrest and expulsion, among other catastrophes - until Luke shows her what the Scramble (and love) is really about.

 Blythe is a very likable character and I like that she was a strong character. She grew a lot in the book as she learned more about herself. Luke is a very intelligent and nerdy character. He was also sweet. The cover makes it seem like it is just a romance, but it also had a lot to do with self-discovery and deciding what to stand up for. The plot was really quick and I found myself engrossed in this book. Kristin Walker creates hilarious and happy books that are super quick reads. If you like A Match Made in High School, you will definitely love this book. I am excited to see what Walker will write next. 

Winner of Fierce Reads Contest

Chloe won Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Sarah won Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.
Angie won Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne and Struck by Jennifer Bosworth.
Emails have been sent. You have 48 hours to contact me.

The Immortal Rules Contest

I have one copy of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa for giveaway.
Here is the synopsis:

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.
Just fill out the form below and have US address by  the end of July 20th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fierce Reads Contest: Six Signed books (3 winners)

I went to the Fierce Reads event in Seattle on the 9th. It was really fun and a great event. It has taken ten days to post this contest, because I have moved out of my dorm, unpacked everything, and my brother left for Indonesia yesterday. So my time has been very busy. Anyways, I have six books to giveaway. Here is what the books are:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.
Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.  
With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?


Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.
Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. 
In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Stone and Blood by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

To enter, comment with what you think makes a book a Fierce Read and include which books that you would like to win from the contest.
For extra entries (1 each) like Fierce Reads on Facebook, Follow @MacKidsBooks on twitter, or tweet about the giveaway (Please include @sarahbear9789 in the tweet) and make sure to include it in a comment. 
This contest is international and there will be three winners. It ends on July 1st.  I hope that you are all having a great week.

Guest Post with Susan Carlton about Music

I have the pleasure of hosting Susan Carlton today. She was born in San Francisco, but wasn't of age until the hippie era had ended. Lobsterland was her first book and Love and Haight is her second book, which is about hippies, San Francisco, music, and much more. She has also written for magazines, including Self, Elle, and Mademoiselle,  She now lives in Massachusetts with her husband. She is talking about the influence that music had with Love & Haight. I hope you enjoy!

I loved cuing up the turntable while writing Love & Haight, which is set in 1971. Yep, still have my turntable. My playlist was heavy on the San Francisco sound—bands that came of age along with drugs and peace and love. It was an epic time in San Francisco…Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Moby Grape and, of course, the Dead.

One of my favorite scenes in the novel takes place in the giant old Tower Records, which used to be on Bay and Columbus in San Francisco. Chloe, my main character, and Teddy, her ex, go into a listening booth, like a payphone except with less glass and less air. 

These are songs to write to, dance to, make out to.

• Power to the People—John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
• Lookin' Out My Back Door—Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Sunshine of Your Love—Cream
• The Joker—Steve Miller Band
• Somebody to Love—Jefferson Airplane
• The Weight—The Band
• For What It's Worth—Buffalo Springfield
• Evil Ways—Santana
• Piece of My Heart—Big Brother and the Holding Company
• Loan Me a Dime—Boz Scaggs
• Friend of the Devil—Grateful Dead
• Get Together—The Youngbloods

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Source: Publisher
Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.
So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...
I would like to disclose that the first time that I read this book was before there were ARCs. Even with my early read of Bittersweet, I hope that you will value my review. 

Hudson is a very amazing characters. She thought she knew what her dreams are and now she is trying to redeem a mistake that she made. I could connect to Hudson so well, because she was very similar to most teenagers. I liked that she was ambitious and strong.There are two boys in the book, one is sweet and charming and the other isn't as sweet. For example, Hudson's best friend Dani was a perfect balance to her and added humor and reason to the book. Bug is Hudson's brother and is so adorable.  The other boys on the hockey team that Hudson trained with were random and hilarious. It was one of my favorite parts of the book.  Either way, Ockler creates  realistic relationships, through out the book. Ockler knows how to craft brilliant characters with multiple dimensions, while still keeping them relatable to her audience.

The plot of Bittersweet was amazing. It dealt with cupcakes, ice skating, and teenage angst. The amount of love that Hudson had for baking was awesome. I adored reading the cupcake mixtures and really wanted a cupcake after reading this book. The ice skating was really awesome and I enjoyed watching Hudson attempt to accomplish her dream. The teenage angst in this book is definitely warranted, Hudson is trying to decide what she wants without disappointing anyone in her family and is still processing everything that happened.  The complex plot was original and funny and Ockler crafted a story that was easy to get immersed in.

It is no secret that I love Sarah Ockler. Twenty Boy Summer and Fixing Delilah were both amazing and I honestly didn't know if Bittersweet would measure up. I was very reluctant, when I picked it up. Luckily it was amazing. Ockler's writing was original and fantastic. I can't wait for more from Ockler in the future.  She created complex characters that are realistic and interesting, while having an amusing, but serious plot that is skillfully written. I would definitely recommend this to fans of her previous books, Sarah Dessen, Jennifer Echols, and Stephanie Perkins.

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

Source: Publisher
When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

Sara was a very hardworking character, that even with all of her dedication to dancing, she was full of self-doubt. She doesn't feel that she is worth it. She also couldn't tell anyone about her choices and actions. I found her relationship with Remington to be complex and hard. At times, the relationship was creepy and I didn't enjoy it.  While this book is centered around dancing, it is mostly about Sara trying to discover who she is. The plot was relatable and interesting. I think that it is something that anyone can relate to. There was a lot of originality in the story. I liked the hope that was infused in the novel. Kehoe is an amazing writer, but I feel like the word choice could have been better in a few place. At the same time, it was gorgeous and thoughtful in other places. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys verse, especially, if you are a fan of Ellen Hopkins or Amanda Grace. I am excited to see what Kehoe will write next. 

Love and Haight by Susan Carlton

Source: Publisher
 It’s 1971, and seventeen-year-old Chloe and her best friend MJ head to San Francisco to ring in the New Year. But Chloe has an ulterior motive—and a secret. She’s pregnant and has devised a plan not to be. In San Francisco’s flower-power heyday, it was (just about) legal to end her pregnancy. 
But as soon as the girls cross the Golden Gate, the scheme starts to unravel amid the bellbottoms, love-beads, and bongs. Chloe’s secrets escalate until she betrays everyone she cares about. MJ, who has grave doubts about Chloe’s plan. Her groovy aunt Kiki, who’s offered the girls a place to crash. Her self-absorbed mother meditating back in Phoenix. And maybe, especially, the boy she wishes she’d waited for.
 I really liked Chloe, because she accepted her action and was trying to make it right. MJ was funny and snarky. I really liked her. Kiki was very erratic and strange, but I liked that. MJ's brother was also sweet. The context of this book was really interesting. Like I have never read a book like this. The plot was about a very serious  topic, but had fun moments at the same time. I liked that the era of this book. It was embodied really well and I loved it. Carlton was amazing writer that knew how to make humor in serious topic. I recommend that you read this book, if you want something funny and based in the 1970's.