Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WWW Wednesday (29)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?


What are you currently reading?
Amanda
Omg finally! I know, me too.

Erin
I don't even know how to follow a book like Clockwork Princess, so I just keep going back and forth between these three.

What did you recently finish?
Amanda
I found this really unique and as much as I loved the beginning, I loved the last 1/3 of the book the most.

Erin
This book. Was. AMAZING! Definitely the best book of the year, and the best ENDING of ever.

What do you think you'll read next?
Amanda
Haven't decided yet. Time to dive into my TBR pile and find a good one.

Erin
I've decided I really need to start this series, because I LOVE Vampire Academy, and I'm going to Richelle's Anderson's Bookshop signing in May, which is for The Indigo Spell, book 3.



What are your answers?

Make sure to check out our AWESOME giveaway going on right now!

—Tea for Three Team

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (9)

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play along, just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
I actually finished Clockwork Princess a couple days ago, but I haven't really read much since, so CP2 is where the teaser is from this week.
"I may have helped you before," Magnus said. "But this—" He sighed. "Think, the pair of you. If someone is buying up all the yin fen in the country, then it is someone who has a reason. And who has a reason to do that?"

It was quite hard to find a non-spoilery teaser, as this is the last book in a trilogy, but on my 4th at-random page flip, I came came across this one, which I think is a really great teaser (but, as I have read the book, I could be wrong).


What do you think?

—Erin

Giveaway: Grave Mercy or Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers {CLOSED}

Hey guys! So Amanda and I are going to Robin LaFevers' signing at Anderson's Bookshop on April 7th, and because I just LOVE the His Fair Assassin books (and want to shove them into the hands of EVERYONE), I'm giving away winner's choice of Grave Mercy in paperback or Dark Triumph in hardcover, to be signed and personalized at the event!

The giveaway starts now and goes through April 5th, so there's enough time for winner response before the signing. Also, the winner only has 24 hours to respond, and must be 13 years or older with a US mailing address. Be sure to read all the rules (just above the rafflecopter) before entering.

For those not familiar with Grave Mercy, here's the synopsis from Goodreads:
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

And here is Dark Triumph's synopsis from Goodreads (not spoilery for GM):
Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

The Rules:
—Must be 13 years or older to enter.
—Open to US ONLY.
—Giveaway ends 3/5/13 at 11:59pm EST.
—Winner will have 24 hours to respond to our email, if no response is given a new winner will be chosen.
—All entries are checked, and any false entries will be deleted.
—We at T3 are not responsible if the package is lost or damaged in the mail.
—Erin

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (34) & Book News (2)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Erin's Books:
Inside Out by Maria V Snyder
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
The Gathering Dark by Christine Johnson
Clockwork Princess (signed) by Cassandra Clare

Inside Out and The Gathering Dark came from Haley via YA Book Exchange, The Sky is Everywhere and Finnikin of the Rock are library books, Clockwork Princess came from Books of Wonder, and Froi of the Exiles I bought.


Book News is a new thing we're doing, and while the title may change, the point is to recap what has gone on in the book world over the past week. (Keep in mind, for right now it's all YA lit news)

Only a few cover reveals this week (all covers linked to Goodreads).

Rachel Caine revealed the cover on Twitter. It releases November 5, 2013 from NAL Hardcover/Penguin. This is the last planned Morganville Vampires books (#15).

Stacey Jay revealed the new cover on her blog. It releases July 23, 2013 from Delacorte BFYR. According the Stacey, the cover was changed because the old one didn't show that while this was a retelling, it was also set on another planet, and booksellers were concerned that the old cover was too paranormal romance-looking (though there is romance, it's just not paranormal). Here's the old cover, for reference:


That's everything for this week. What do you think?

—Tea for Three Team

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

WWW Wednesday (28)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?


What are you currently reading?
Amanda
Still, I know. I'm being super slow about it and only reading at night before bed.

Erin
I am so close to being done with this, only 70 pages left.

What did you recently finish?
Amanda
Oh poo! Nothing new from last week.

Erin
It was SO GOOD!

What do you think you'll read next?
Amanda
This and only this. I'm debating if I should start rereading the series now or wait till summer.

Erin
My pre-order hasn't even shipped yet, so I just went out and bought another copy. I'm making myself wait until I finish Scarlet before I begin.



What are your answers?

—Tea for Three Team

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (33) & Book News (1)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Erin's Books:
MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Mind Games by Kiersten White signed bookmark
The Archived by Victoria Schwab signed bookmarks & tote bag

The Mind Games bookmark came from Kiersten White, The Archived swag came from Jessica @ Read My Breath Away, and everything else I bought.


Book News is a new thing we're doing, and while the title may change, the point is to recap what has gone on in the book world over the past week. (Keep in mind, for right now it's all YA lit news)

Lots of cover reveals this week (all covers linked to Goodreads)!

Shelf Life revealed the cover. Unbreakable (The Legion #1) releases October 1, 2013 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Shelf Life revealed the cover. Two Boys Kissing releases August 27, 2013 from Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Susan Dennard revealed the cover. A Dawn Most Wicked (A Something Strange and Deadly novella) releases June 4, 2013 e-book only from HarperTeen Impulse.

Elizabeth Fama revealed the (paperback) cover. The Monstrous Beauty paperback releases October 1, 2013 from Square Fish/Macmillan.

YA Highway revealed the cover (and is hosting a giveaway for and ARC). Alienated releases February 4, 2014 from Disney*Hyperion.


That's everything for this week. What do you think?

—Tea for Three Team

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

WWW Wednesday (27)


WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading?
Amanda
Why haven't I read this book before now? It's right up my alley!

What did you recently finish reading?
Amanda
This was really good, Isaac reminded me of a less jaded Harry Dresden and there were awesome nerd references galore! 

What do you think you'll read next?
Amanda
I swear, I'm not reading anything else before this!

What are you reading this week?

-Tea for Three Team

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (8) & Tuesday Tea Break (1)

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play along, just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
 This week's teaser comes from Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I just started this book last night and am reading it for the Vaginal Fantasy Book club over on Goodreads, it's this month's main pick!


"Here was an itch that could not be scratched in public...Karou gave him a short respite and kept drawing. As soon as he started to relax and...unclench...she struck again and had to stifle a laugh when his face went rigid. Another bead vanished between her fingers. Then another."

This scene was so fun and wonderfully written! As a whole it gives you a good sense of Karou, the main character, and the fun that you can expect to find throughout the book.


Tuesday Tea Break

This post needs a header. Unfortunately, we don't have one, but if you would be so kind as to imagine a really pretty one right up there at the top, that would be great! Thanks <3!

So while I sit here gorging myself on chili cheese fries (yum!) and trying to decide if I can even think of enough books for this weeks Top 10 Tuesday (I can't) I figured it was time for an update. Things have been pretty quiet around here lately and the natives are getting restless. We've been tossing a few ideas around to try and shake things up and a few have stuck. Here's a list!

Things we'd like to implement here at T3:

1. Post-"taste" Reviews.

After much discussion over lattes (hot chocolate for Erin) we came to the conclusion that most people don't read reviews. If you're the kind of person that reads the whole review, please don't take offense to this claim. We love and appreciate you for the beautiful butterfly that you are! But the truth is, they don't and we include ourselves in this group too. I personally get so many reviews everyday that I just don't have time to read ALL the ones that interest me. I usually look at the rating and then skim through the actual review looking for something interesting. Some reviews are just ridiculously long and in-depth. Neither Erin or I are that analytical when it comes to reviewing books (Lisa is, but she's been busy with moving and what not) so we like a quick summary of thoughts on the book. Pros, cons, etc.

Enter the Post-"taste" Review! Eh, get it? Post-"TASTE" like haste, only tea themed...okay. I'll admit, I came up with as a joke title, but we kept coming back to it and it just stuck. We like it. It's staying. Anyways, the Post-"taste" Review is a quick 3-5 sentence quick review of our thoughts on the book. Great for the people who just want to know the good and the bad.

2. Tuesday Tea Break Vlogs.

This is a recent addition that we haven't implemented yet. We're still working out the logistics, but we like the idea because it's something different. I don't know of many review blogs that have vlogs. Maybe I just haven't found them, whatever. We're behind of a lot of things, author signings, release updates, all sorts of things, and vlogs would be a faster way, over all, for us to get those out to you guys! Also, I used to make vlogs and I really miss them.

Not only will we catch you up on all things bookish in our little corner of the internet, but we can catch you up on anything else we feel like, AND introduce you to our favorite teas! I mean, we're a tea themed review blog but we really don't have much tea stuff going on here and that makes us sad.

3. New "Sunday Posts"

We'd like to give you guys a more "all-inclusive" sunday post and not just "hey, look at all the books we got!"Partly because it's the same old, same old every week and partly because I haven't been buying books (still on my self-imposed book buying ban) so I don't feel like I have much to contribute. We're working on what kind of content to fill the sunday posts with still, so if there's anything that you guys would like to see let us know! We'd love your input!


So those are the main things going on over here. We're trying to make a blog that's more interesting for all of you, our darling readers. Let us know how we're doing!

Have a wonderful day!

—Amanda

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

WWW Wednesdays (26)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading? 
Erin
I'm not very far into this yet, but so far it's pretty good.

Amanda
  

Lisa



What did you recently finish reading?
Erin
This book was so good! I almost started re-reading it two days ago, because I couldn't decided on what to read after I finished. For me, it ranks right up there with Anna and the French Kiss.

Amanda
I've been really slow this week. :(

Lisa

What do you think you'll read next?
Erin
I really need to get to this, so I WILL read this next, I will! (<--That's me trying to make myself promise to read it next.)

Amanda

Lisa
  


What are your answers? We'd love to hear!

—Tea for Three Team

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (32)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Erin's Books:
Neferet's Curse by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Altered (signed) by Jennifer Rush

Altered ("I've Been Altered," "I <3 Nick") & Bot Wars by Jennifer Rush/J.V. Kade pins

Jellicoe Road and The Truth About Forever I picked up from the library, and Neferet's Curse I bought at B&N. I got Altered and pins from Jenn's Altered launch party Thursday (I should have a recap up tomorrow), which was pretty awesome!


What did you get?

—Tea for Three Team