Contemporary Books Giveaway

Hey everyone!
I have come in possession of two extra ARCs. One is a signed copy of Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook. The other book is Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan.
Here is what Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook is about:
Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.
They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.
Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....
When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.
Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.
I have actually already read this and it is amazing. A full review will come closer to the release date. 

And this is the description for Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan:
Michael Hassan’s shattering debut is a tale of first love and first hate, the story of two high school seniors and the morning that changed their lives forever. It’s a portrait of the modern American teenage male, in all his brash, disillusioned, oversexed, schizophrenic, drunk, nihilistic, hopeful, ADD-diagnosed glory.
And it’s a powerful mediation on how normal it is to be screwed up, and how screwed up it is to be normal.
I am really excited to read this book soon. 
Anyways, to enter, just fill out the form below. US Addresses only. Ends on December 10th.

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The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando

Source: Publisher
An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory
With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.
Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win.
I adored Dreamland Social Club and was really excited to read this book. I found it to be a really fun and realistic read. Mary is a great character. She is about to go off to college and wants to have that last hurrah before going off to university. Like myself, Mary doubts herself and if her dreams are grand enough or if she is good enough for a boy that she likes.  I loved her friends. Her best friend Winter, her best guy friend Patrick, and Dez,  all have their own motives and reasons for participating in the Scavenger Hunt. They also each have an importance to the scavenger hunt. Winter reminded me of several girls that I know that didn't value themselves as much as they should have been. Patrick was sweet, but he didn't understand why some of his actions were bad. Dez was so funny and made me laugh so much. This book was an extremely fast read for me. I ended up reading it in two hours in one sitting. The plot is very quick and fun, but still has a mix of seriousness too. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it to be very funny and enjoyable. Tara  Altebrando is a great writer and I am excited to read more from her. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Source: Publisher
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Karou is an awesome character. I liked that she was really creative and fierce. She was just a very lively character that thrived on her independence and strength. She doesn't compromise herself, but challenges people. Avika was also an awesome character and I liked that he was strong and evolved over time.
Zuzana was a great friend. She challenged Karou, but still wanted the best for her.  The plot was epic. By the time that I finished this book, I wanted more. Part of the reason is that Taylor created a complex story in a very imaginative  world that I felt immersed in from the first page to the last page. This story was extremely original and spectacular.  Taylor's writing was amazing.  It is just so beautiful and honest and hard to explain without making it me sound like more of a fangirl. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more. If like me in July, you haven't read this book, even though you have heard great things about it. You need to forget everything else on your To-Read Pile and read this like now. 

Dreams vs Reality of the Future

In two weeks, I start my second year of University. I am majoring in English Literature and Creative Writing and I often get asked the question that many liberal arts major hate: So, what do you plan on doing after college?
There is the practical Sarah that says she going to get a Masters Degree in Library and Information Studies, which will most likely give me a job with probably benefits and not be paid in monopoly money. There is also the dream Sarah that would like to get a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, where practically Sarah says I will probably freelance write and not have important things like insurance and such. Even though I would enjoy either career. I love reading books, but I also love writing. I am not torn between them, since they aren't exclusive to one or the other.
One of my university friends suggested that I should stop thinking about this, because I don't graduate for three years and technically I could always do both or just apply to both and see where I am accepted.
Either way, I am thinking about this especially when I fill out loan applications and they ask what I am going to do two years after graduation. The truth is that like most people I don't know what I am going to do. If I asked fifteen year old or seventeen year old Sarah, she would have a different image of where I would be. One would think that I would be Pre-Med and the other Finance(I don't like Math or Science as much now).
Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else felt this way or didn't really know what they were going to do as a young adult.
Best Wishes, Sarah.

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.
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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.