Blog Tour: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Bookish Delights is excited to be participating in the Penguin Random House Blog Tour for Royals by Rachel Hawkins! Check out the review below and feel free to visit the other stops on the tour as well! 

Book: Royals

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

Genre: YA Contemporary/Romance

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 304

Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Hawkins is the author of Ruby and Olivia, Journey's End, the Rebel Belle series, and the New York Times bestselling Hex Hall series. Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel taught high school English before becoming a full-time writer.

Connect with the author via social media:
TUMBLR | TWITTER | GOODREADS |WEBSITE |


REVIEW:

First of all, the timing of this book just couldn’t be any better. What with the news of Kate just having her baby last month and Prince Harry and Angela Merkel preparing for a royal wedding, it’s almost too perfect ;).
Anyways, the book centers around Daisy Winters, soon-to be the sister-in-law of the future king of Scotland. Unfortunately, due to a blog post detailing a mishap between a certain recent ex of hers, Daisy is forced to go to Scotland in the hopes that she slowly fades away from the attention of the tabloids. While over there, though, Daisy gets herself into the wrong crowd of royals. And instead of erasing her from the public view, this only increases her popularity with the royal watch publications.
One aspect of the book that I really liked was how it approached the idea of the public side of the royal family and how it doesn’t always match up with reality. In the U.S., we’re conditioned to believe that famous people live these perfect lives, but truthfully, they’re just like us. They may have more money and recognition, but they still experience many of the same problems that we do. And boy, is the royal family in this book not perfect! There are so many complicated love triangles weaved into this book that by the end I actually started to lose track of who likes who. Not to mention all the other random royal misshapings that occur throughout the novel!
Something else that I really enjoyed was the humor in this book. Daisy was such an entertaining character! Especially in this one certain scene, when Miles and Daisy are arguing about fact-checking gossip: *

    “‘Wasn’t aware tabloids counted as “research,”’ Miles says, folding his arms over his chest, and okay, yeah, definitely stuck up.
    I cross my own arms, mimicking his pose. ‘They’re actually all we’re given to read in America,’ I say. ‘Tabloids for books, sad slices of cheese in plastic for lunch . . . It’s truly a godforsaken place.’” 

And finally, just something that I would like to quickly address is the tiny issue of the setting. Historically speaking, Scotland hasn’t had a monarchy in like serval hundred years. And yes, I understand why the author chose to set it in the UK (because they’re one of the only countries that still has a monarchy) but still. I just think the book would’ve been much better had she created a new kingdom, like Genovia in the Princess Diaries. This would have added more plausibility and eliminated any possible technicalities that readers (especially natives) might have with the story.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book! It was pretty much everything I expected it to be (a cute YA contemporary romance) and I’m really excited that I’ll have the chance to dive into this world again (maybe around 2019-2020?).

 *Quote taken from unfinished copy of the book


RATING: 4 STARS



BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE BLOG TOUR STOPS FOR ROYALS!!!


BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

WEEK ONE

April 23 – Book Briefs – Review + Pinterest Board/Styleboard

April 24 – Ex Libris – Essentials for Your Royal Wedding Party

April 25 –  Novel Novice – Top 5 Things to look For At A Wedding

April 26 – Fiction Fare – Review

April 27 – YA Book Nerd – Creative: Preparation for a Royal Wedding

WEEK TWO

April 30 – I am a Reader - Moodboard

May 1 – The Clockwork Bibliophile – Review + Book Feature

May 2 – PaperTrailYa - Review

May 3 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – Five Reasons To Read

May 4 – Shell’s Stories – Review

WEEK THREE

May 7 – Books and Blends – Review

May 8 – Isabellactivist – Bookstagram Post with Royal Recommendations (Books, Tv Shows, Movies)

May 9 – The Blonde Bookworm – Review

May 10 – Bookish Delights – Review

May 11 – Xpresso Reads – Review

The Price Guide To The Occult by Leslye Walton Released Today!!

Book: The Price Guide To The Occult
Author: 
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: March 13, 2018
Genre: YA Fantasy/Witches
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Source: I received an ARC & Finished Review Copy from the publisher in exchange for a publicity/promotion post.
Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | 
Book Depository | Goodreads | IndieBound

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Blackburn women are cursed. Ever since the extraordinary witch Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island centuries ago and was shunned by the eight "original" settlers, Blackburn witches have been doomed to carry out a brief whirlwind affair with a descendant of the Original Eight. The vengeful curse, however, had unintended side effects: it diluted the Blackburns' supernatural powers. That's perfectly all right with seventeen-year-old Nor Blackburn. All she wants is a quiet, unremarkable life—her powers are blissfully unexceptional, her love life pretty much nonexistent. Nor hopes the curse has played itself out through enough generations that she'll finally be spared the drama. But when a mysterious book comes out promising to cast any spell for the right price, Nor senses a dark storm headed straight for Anathema—and straight for her.

In her second novel, Leslye Walton spins a dark, mesmerizing tale of a girl stumbling along the path toward self-acceptance and first love, even as the Price Guide's malevolent author—Nor's own mother—looms and threatens to strangle any hope for happiness. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LESLYE WALTON was born in the Pacific Northwest. Perhaps because of this, Leslye has developed a strange kinship with the daffodil--she too can only achieve beauty after a long, cold sulk in the rain. Her debut novel, THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER, was inspired by a particularly long sulk in a particularly cold rainstorm spent pondering the logic, or rather, lack thereof, in love. She was named a William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist for the publication of her novel The Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. The book received several accolades, including the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Pacific Northwest Book Award, was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award, and was short-listed for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. The book was also number one on the Spring 2014 Kids’ Indie Next List, and was named one of the best books of 2014 by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, the Boston Globe, Bustle, Hudson Booksellers, Amazon, and more.

Leslye is a full-time writer living in Seattle, Washington. She spends her time eating chocolate cupcakes, and doting on her chihuahuas, Mr. Darcy and Doc Holliday. Her next novel, THE PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT, is set to be published in March 2018.

CONNECT WITH LESLYE WALTON VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST |

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BELOW IS A VARIETY OF INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT:


1. CHECK OUT THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK! IT IS VERY STUNNING, WITH RED EDGES! I ALSO SHARED PICTURES OF THE ARC & SWAG I RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLISHER:

 

2. WATCH THE FABULOUS BOOK TRAILER!

THE TRAILER WAS GREAT, WASN'T IT?! IF YOU LOVE BOOKS ABOUT WITCHES, YOU'LL WANT TO PICK UP THE PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT, AS IT IS A WONDERFUL READ! CHECK OUT SOME FABULOUS QUOTES FROM THE BOOK TO PIQUE YOUR INTEREST! (SEE BELOW)



3. SPIN THE WHEEL BELOW BY CLICKING MULTIPLE TIMES TO REVEAL SOME WITCH WISDOM FROM THE MATRIARCH WITCH RONA BLACKBURN!

*NOTE: THE INTERACTIVE SPIN THE WHEEL BELOW IS BEST VISIBLE ON A COMPUTER. ALSO THERE IS A VOLUME BUTTON BY THE WHEEL IN CASE YOU WANT TO HEAR THE WHEEL SPIN!









I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE WITCH WISDOM AND HAD FUN SPINNING THE WHEEL! WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE FROM THE QUOTES ABOVE? YOU WILL FIND THE REMAINING WITCH WISDOM QUOTES AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER IN THE BOOK. AND EACH QUOTE RELATES TO A CERTAIN SPELL, WHICH IS ALSO THE CHAPTER TITLE, SO BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT! 

4. MY FAVORITE WITCH QUOTE COMES FROM CHAPTER THREE. ARE YOU CURIOUS WHAT IT IS? FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! 


5. TRY DOING THIS FUN ACTIVITY:

THE FOLLOWING SPELLS BELOW RELATE TO THE WITCH QUOTES ABOVE IN THE SPIN THE WHEEL. CAN YOU MATCH THEM UP? TRY IT!

CLOAKING SPELL
TRANQUILITY SPELL
CALAMITY SPELL
REVELATION SPELL
COURAGE SPELL
REANIMATION SPELL
VANISHING SPELL
ILLUMINATION SPELL

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WELL I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME SHARING THE PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT WITH YOU! I HOPE YOU LIKED THE INTERACTIVE NATURE OF THIS POST. REMEMBER, THIS BOOK RELEASED TODAY, SO IF ANY OF THIS BLOG POST INTRIGUED YOU, BE SURE TO PURCHASE A COPY OF THE BOOK! I MADE IT SUPER EASY FOR YOU. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK ON ANY BUY LINK AT THE TOP OF THE POST AND YOU ARE SET! ALSO BE SURE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS BOOK! THANKS FOR READING! REMEMBER, WITCHES RULE!

Blog Tour Review: People Like Us by Dana Mele

 

Book: People Like Us

Author: Dana Mele

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: February 27, 2018

Genre: YA Contemporary

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 384

Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | 

Book Depository | Goodreads |

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A sharp psychological thriller that's just right for fans of One of Us is Lying and Thirteen Reasons Why--this story will seduce, mislead, and finally, betray you.

Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she's reinvented herself entirely. Now she's a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl's body is found in the lake, Kay's carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay's finally backed into a corner, she'll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make...not something that happened.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dana Mele is a Pushcart-nominated writer and a work at home mother. A graduate of Wellesley College, she is a former actor, lawyer, musician, and briefly, associate producer. She prefers tea to coffee, snow to sand, and stars to sunshine, and she lives in the Catskills with her husband and toddler. This is her first novel.

CONNECT WITH DANA MELE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Also Check Out the People Like Us Tumblr

FOLLOW THE REST OF THE BLOG TOUR:

SCHEDULE for PEOPLE LIKE US

WEEK ONE

February 19 – Lindseyybooks – Review

February 20 – Bibliobakes – Review

February 21 – Bookish Bug – Review + Creative Instagram Picture

February 22 – Twinning for Books – Review

February 23 – The Bookish Crypt – Review

WEEK TWO

February 26 – Brooke Reports – Review

February 27 – Bookish Delights – Review

February 28 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Review + Styleboard

March 1 – Never Too Many To Read – Character/Suspect Profile

March 2 – Dauntless Books and Penguins – Review

WEEK THREE

March 6 – Touch My Spine Book Reviews – Review

March 7 – The Night Owl Book Blog – Review

March 8 – A Simple Taste of Reading – Review

March 9 – Books.Tea.Quotes – Review + Instagram Picture

MY REVIEW:

What an incredible debut by Dana Mele! This is definitely a gripping, addictive thriller with all of the surprising twists and turns that make for a great read! I really enjoyed it. Full of delightfully disturbing drama from teens at a privileged boarding school called Bates Academy, this novel includes a murder mystery, bullying, lies, scandals, hidden secrets that are unveiled, and revenge. In addition, loss of friends and family and learning how to cope is also looked at. This debut was pitched as a mix between Thirteen Reasons Why and Pretty Little Liars, so I had to read it. This book lived up to my expectations and so much more. It has such a unique and creepy spin by including computer-coded riddles from a revenge blog that is written by a dead girl named Jessica that is found murdered near her school in the beginning of the story. These riddles need to be solved by Kay, a star soccer player who is the protagonist in the story, who also has a past that haunts her. Damning secrets from various students are revealed and revelations are made. A murder mystery at its heart, a thorough investigation leads to an array of suspects with the hope of the murderer eventually being implicated. 

This novel does have some bi-sexual and lesbian representation, which produces complicated love triangles that bewilder everyone's suspicion of who is guilty and who is not. Smartly done, this complex story containing so much intrigue and suspense, will leave you in awe. The plot is no holds barred and vicious and the pacing is on point. The dense length of the book favors the plot style, in terms of important gradual revelations. The who-done-it reveal at the end will shock you and will make you appreciate Mele's hard work in strategically formulating this novel that much more.

This novel really speaks to the intensity of the damaging effects of bullying and the unfortunate results of it in the aftermath of a twisted coping method. Do two wrongs really make a right? Does revenge really constitute justice? How should one cope with bullying or depression or the death of one's family member or friends? Or how can bullying be avoided? Social issues in high school, while they make for juicy novels, are at its best, important and serious issues to be looked at and dealt with appropriately. While this novel takes a look at the extremely dark road that bullying can lead to, it is unfortunate that any student has to deal with these kinds of issues. We all need to take responsibility for our own actions and realize how much of a negative effect we can have on others based on the way we treat people. Ideally we should all treat people how we would like to be treated.  

I highly recommend Dana Mele's debut mystery/thriller, People Like Us, which showcases a lingering problem in our society, bullying and its effects, especially in a school setting. The dynamic relationship between families, friends, and romantic partners is also featured. I loved it! This is a top YA debut for February that you won't want to miss out on!

MY RATING: 5 STARS

Bookish Delights Is On Vacation For A Week

Bookish Delights is on vacation starting today, Feb 24 - Mar 4 2018. All reviews except for the People Like Us Blog Tour which is scheduled for Feb 27, will be posted after the vacation. Sorry for any inconvenience. I hope everyone is enjoying some great books!

Review: The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg

Book: The Tombs
Author: Deborah Schaumberg
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 20, 2018
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 448
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | 
Book Depository | Goodreads |










ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York, 1882. A dark, forbidding city, and no place for a girl with unexplainable powers.

Sixteen-year-old Avery Kohl pines for the life she had before her mother was taken. She fears the mysterious men in crow masks who locked her mother in the Tombs asylum for being able to see what others couldn’t. Avery denies the signs in herself, focusing instead on her shifts at the ironworks factory and keeping her inventor father out of trouble. Other than secondhand tales of adventure from her best friend, Khan, an ex-slave, and caring for her falcon, Seraphine, Avery spends her days struggling to survive.

Like her mother’s, Avery’s powers refuse to be contained. When she causes a bizarre explosion at the factory, she has no choice but to run from her lies, straight into the darkest corners of the city. Avery must embrace her abilities and learn to wield their power—or join her mother in the cavernous horrors of the Tombs. And the Tombs has secrets of its own: strange experiments are being performed on “patients”…and no one knows why.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DEBORAH SCHAUMBERG was born in Brooklyn, not far from where The Tombs takes place. She grew up renovating dilapidated old houses with her family. Her and her father would walk the rooms, floor by floor, making up stories about the inhabitants that were filled with dark secrets, monsters, and, of course, ghosts. Deborah is a writer and an artist whose work always has an element of fantasy to it, and since she also studied architecture, settings are equally important. It was on a trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary in Nepal that she imagined a girl with the ability to see energy, and the seed of The Tombs was planted. Deborah is a member of the SCBWI, through which she met her agent. She collects old bottles and her favorite holiday is, you guessed it, Halloween. Deborah lives with her family and two dogs in Maryland, just outside DC.



CONNECT WITH DEBORAH SCHAUMBERG ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |



MY REVIEW:

The Tombs is a wonderful debut by Deborah Schaumberg, that blends fantasy and history to produce a story that not only showcases fascinating special powers and Gypsies, but also the interesting political and economic climate of New York City in 1882, after the civil war, when the country's turmoil was still evident, due to capitalist greed, continued discrimination and injustice of people of color, immigrants, and low-income people, especially factory workers. 

Sixteen-year-old Avery is a welder at the ironworks factory and discovers that she is an aura seer, possessing special powers just like her mother, who was taken three years prior by men in crow masks and locked in the Tombs asylum for a supposed mental illness. However, secretive happenings have been going on in the Tombs, including experiments on patients for unknown reasons, so things are not what they seem. And the men in crow masks eventually try to stalk and capture Avery as well as others with special abilities and try to imprison them in the Tombs for their own deceptive purposes. This leads Avery, along with her best friend Khan, to go to the Gypsies for help, in order to rescue her mother from the Tombs, which stands for Temple of Mind Balance Studies. Avery learns more about her abilities from the Gypsies to prepare herself. Also during this time, factory owners are learning how to deal with the threat of labor unions forming and eventually the two storylines blend together into one cohesive story.

Inventions were also prominent during this time, so Avery's father's job as an inventor suited the story well. It was interesting to read about his new creations. I also loved how talented Avery was at welding and appreciated the special projects she did as well. Avery also proves to be a very brave and selfless person, based on her actions. I was also fond of Seraphine, Avery's intelligent falcon. I later learned through the author's notes that Peregrine falcons actually nest on top of New York City bridges, so the inclusion made it very realistic.

The Tombs itself added an eerie feeling to the story as well as the men with crow masks. The Tombs asylum is located in the basement of a prison, which is old and creepy, with padded rooms and locked doors, nurses with unusual head gear on, odd contraptions used for experimentation in the lab, and a greenhouse for a special, dark purpose. Also, whenever the masked men followed Avery, it created suspenseful moments, and added to the disturbing aura of the story.

The historical world building of New York City in 1882 was just spectacular. It was very authentic and the descriptions of that time were well detailed and really made you feel like you were back in that era of airships and horse and carriages, etc. The inclusion of the progress of the Statue of Liberty being built, bridges being built, and inventions of the time really added to the aura of the time period and setting. 

I also enjoyed how Gypsies had a positive role in the story and were talked about in a good light by helping Avery polish her skills as an aura seer by informing her about her abilities and by making her practice tuning into her second sight to read auras. Also the added bonus of knife throwing practice was interesting! It was also nice how each person's supernatural ability was different and the variety was refreshing in terms of the fantasy element of the story. I just would have liked to see more usage of the supernatural powers in the story. 

Due to the heavy fantasy and historical nature of the story, the romance isn't the main focus and isn't as prominent as in other stories I've read, but it does include a mild love triangle. The romance that is featured does seem to develop quickly and the love triangle resolves itself just as fast towards the end. I am fine with less romance in a story, as long as the main storyline delivers, which this one does. 

The pacing of the story is somewhat slow, since the book sits at over 400 pages, but the storyline becomes very thorough as a result, and thus very enjoyable for someone who loves being immersed in the intricate historical details of the story and the engrossing fantasy elements. I particularly treasured this.

The Tombs brings forth a unique storyline full of adventure and intriguing danger. Full of daring and entrancing characters, interesting supernatural abilities, and a captivating historical setting, this novel is definitely a delight to read. The ending is satisfying and impressive. You won't want to miss out on this debut.


MY RATING: 4 STARS