Follow Friday, 18+ Blogger Tag Along, Friday Hop!

Hallo everyone! Are your tongues still a little green from all the green beer? Skin a little red from all the pinches when people caught you not wearing green? Maybe you happened to find that famed pot of gold... in which case, are you willing to share?

Whether or not you're recovered from St. Patty's Day, Friday is upon us! This means another edition of Follow Friday, 18+ Blogger Tag Along and the Book Blogger Hop! A chance to find new blogs, new friends, and hopefully some new followers.

Some news/linkies first:
Go HERE to enter my giveaway for a print copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee!
Follow me on Goodreads, and follow my blog on Twitter @Novel_Addiction. And grab my blog button on my righthand sidebar, if you're so inclined. =)

Now, without further ado... the hops!


Q: How did you come up with your blog name? After a book buying binge, I was told I was a book addict. Well, it's true. And while I do love books of all kinds, fiction/novels are my favorite - so hence the name, Novel Addiction. It used to be Glow's Novel Addiction because of my online pseudonym Morning Glow, but I mostly dropped that. Mostly.


Q: What was your favorite book you read last month? Tough one.. I'll say "My Fair Succubi" by Jill Myles. LOVE that series! Or maybe Cat & Bones #5... Yay Jeaniene Frost, YAY Bones!


Q: Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once? Well, I used to constantly have several going at once. Because I'd keep one in my purse, one in one room, one in another.. But then I stopped and went down to one at a time. Now, I'm back to two. Mostly because one book I'm reading is HUGE and takes a lot to get through, so I read other review books in between.

Thank you for dropping by! If you have a blog, be sure to leave the link/url so I can visit! I always follow back.
Make sure to stop by on Monday for another contest!
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

My gosh, the epicness. REVIEW of "Song of Eidolons" by Jessica McHugh

 Be sure to enter my contest for a copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee HERE!

Why this book?: Jessica told me I'd like it. I should learn to trust her judgement, she writes good books.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Fantasy, Immortality, The Fountain of Youth, Isolation, Reality is usually not as good as fiction - but Delaney's life is pretty epic

From the back of the book: Delaney Lortal is a unique breed of girl. She is well spoken, extremely well read, and highly ambitious for love, but it is not those qualities that make her so unique. It's not even because in twenty-two years of life, she has never set foot outside of her grandfather's house. What makes her so unique is the truth behind a mysterious secret that has made her a target of a clandestine Order called the Orisanima. As wonderous as it is heartbreaking, Song of Eidolons follows Delaney's journey of enlightenment as she struggles to peel back the layers of deceit to discover the amazing truth about her origins.

My Review: I don't know why I was surprised when this novel turned out to be so amazing. I read "The Sky: The World" by Jessica last year ( My Review ) and I absolutely loved it. So after two equally wonderful books, I'll just know to expect it from now on. "Song of Eidolons" features excellent characters, not just the good ones, but the deliciously evil villain as well. Delaney's feelings, emotions, and complex history are completely breathtaking, to say the least. And Dags, her grandfather, is so noble and yet so.. not. The story itself is epic and emotionally moving. A tale that blinds you with it's brilliance and magnificence.

"Song of Eidolons" is written beautifully, similar in style to the high fantasy novels I read and loved so much when I was younger. To say the writing flows is putting it mildly. The dream sequences within the story had me confused, as Delaney is herself in them, but not, make sure to stick with it. The payoff in the end, when Delaney and the reader finally learn about her origins, is well worth that momentary confusion.

I wish I could talk more about how truly wonderful and original this story is, but I'm afraid of giving away too much. And the shock and awe of Delaney Lortal's origin and creation are not something I would want to steal from any reader. So go read the book, really.

Cover Loving: At first, the cover doesn't seem to be a big deal - nothing special. But once you read the book, you realize the cover fits perfectly.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended. Fans of fantasy and mind-blowing tales will absolutely love "Song of Eidolons." An author you will want to keep an eye on!

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I'm still a little speechless and flabbergasted by how good this book was. Delaney's story and life are so deep and enchanting, this is definitely a book for my keeper shelf!

Want to pick up a copy of "Song of Eidolons" by Jessica McHugh? Get it at Amazon.com! Have you read "Song of Eidolons" or another book by Jessica McHugh? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Whatcha Got Wednesday #20

Welcome to another Whatcha Got Wednesday! My own little weekly meme where I show what I got in the past week. I don't do this to brag or to show off my stash for the week, but to get people excited about books and to maybe start some discussion!

First up: Go HERE to enter my contest to win a print copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee!

This week? All books I bought myself. Eek!

BOUGHT:
"A Lot Like Love" by Julie James - Sounds soo good.
"Weddings from Hell" Anthology - Ahh Bones is in one story!
"Primal Bonds" by Jennifer Ashley - True story: I thought the guy on the cover was holding a whip at first...
"Lockdown (Escape from Furnace) by Alexander Gordon Smith - This series was mentioned in a Teen Lit Webinar I attended at work (Library!), and I picked it up to try it out. If it's good, I'll suggest it to the librarian that purchases the Teen novels.
"Corralled" by Lorelei James - Love love love Lorelei James!
"Assassin's Honor" by Monica Burns - Sounds amazing. Cover isn't too shabby either.
"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins - Finally, I own the entire set now, and can make my mother continue reading the series. ;)

Well, that's it for me this week! Lucky some of these were purchased on sale (two were 25% off, the rest were 30 - 40% off). I love buying books, but I really need to stop. Especially when I have so many books to review (which I am steadily working through).

Tune in tomorrow for my review of "Song of Eidolons" by Jessica McHugh! And make sure to enter my contest, click the link at the top to go to the contest post.

Happy reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Kiss my petunia! REVIEW of "Darkfever" by Karen Marie Moning

 First up, enter my contest for a copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee! Link in the righthand side bar. =) Or just click HERE.
Why this book?: Started a Paranormal Book Club for the patrons at work (library!) - "Darkfever" was chosen as book 1.

Disclaimer: I actually won my copy of "Darkfever" eons ago in a contest. So while I did get it for free, it was not given to me in exchange for a review by the publisher/author/etc.

Type: Urban Fantasy, Series, Fae, Sidhe, Unseelies everywhere - oh my!, Glamour, That guy totally needs to loosen up, Series has potential, IRELAND!

About the book: Mac's sister is dead, and the Irish police haven't caught the killer. When the authorities inform Mac's family that they are sending the case to their cold case division, Mac takes it upon herself to fly to Ireland, and she'll make sure she hounds the police until her sister's murder is solved. But things aren't that simple, and Mac finds herself on a search for an ancient text as well. There are creatures in Dublin that not everyone can see, unfortunately Mac can, and it's making her sick. So she turns to the one person that has the information and skills that she needs to find her sister's murdered and the book, Barrons. But there's something not quite right about him...

Review: "Darkfever" was an interesting read, and the beginning of a series that people refer to as crack. Essentially, this means that not only is it a much loved series that people will defend to the death, but it is epic as well as addicting. I did enjoy Mac's character, I like to see characters break out of the regular stereotypes I see a lot of in urban fantasy - most of the female characters are tough, in charge, and never really bother with their hair or nails. Mac cares a lot about what she wears, what she looks like, and disdains dark colors - she'd rather be in bright pink and rainbow colors than dressed in all black leather. And along with all the pink, she has some brains as well. She's incredibly inexperienced when it comes to the magical world she's thrown into, but she's smart enough to learn and develop the skills she needs to survive.

Fans of the book, or at least a lot of female fans of the book, swoon over Barrons. I didn't really understand that obsession. Frankly, I found Barrons incredibly uptight and extremely aggravating, I wanted to tell him to pull the stick from his rear end and loosen up a little. However, he was redeemed a little, at least in my eyes, near the end of the book. I saw some development there, and I hope to see that continue in the future books, and then maybe he will achieve swoon levels.

All in all, the book was alright, and I enjoyed it enough to finish it, and I do plan to continue reading the series. I saw a lot of potential in this first book, and everyone speaks to highly of the Fever series, I want to know why! So if you're a fan, feel free to follow my progress as I move on to the next book. You know, as soon as I get to it.

Cover Loving: My cover is different than the one Amazon has. However, I like both. I'm not sure which I like better, actually. Mine has lightning though - lightning is pretty cool.

Recommendation: This book was enjoyable enough, and I'm recommending to myself that I need to read the rest of the series. I'd say fans of fae myth and urban fantasy will enjoy "Darkfever."

Final Rating: I'm giving "Darkfever" by Karen Marie Moning a THREE out of FIVE (3/5). It certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I instantly fell in love with. In fact, it took me until near the end before I couldn't bear to part with it. But I saw some things I liked, so I do plan to continue with the series.

Have you read "Darkfever" and/or the rest of the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning? Or how about her Highlander series? What are your thoughts? Please share them in the comments. Want to pick up a copy of "Darkfever" - get it from Amazon.com via the link to the left.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

BLB Tour: GIVEAWAY of "Insight" by Author Jamie Magee!

******************CONTEST CLOSED, THANK YOU!********************



 Welcome to stop #4 on author Jamie Magee's blog tour! What's going on this leg of the tour, you ask? A giveaway!! One lucky duck will be able to win a PRINT copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee!

First, a bit about the author herself: Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

INSIGHT: Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift.RULES:
~ Fill out the form below to enter (You can comment, but it won't count).
~ One entry per person.
~ Contest ENDS March 24th (3/24) at 11:59 PM.
~ Winners announced and emailed Friday March 25th.
~ You must be 13+ to enter.
~ US entrants only (Sorry!).

Find Jamie:
Website: Insight Jamie Magee
Goodreads: Jamie Magee
Facebook: Insight Jamie Magee
Amazon: Insight (Insight series)
Smashwords: Insight

ETA: Please ignore the "Sample Question 2" below. Didn't happen to catch that until now. If you feel so inclined, use it to just say hi. =)



Have a great week, and Happy Reading!
A huge thanks to Jamie Magee for offering a copy to giveaway!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Quickie review: my new bookcase (Thanks CSN!)

 Mine is actually a darker colored, but close enough. Anyways! Just a quick product review for your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: I received this bookcase in exchange for a review from CSN stores.

I read a lot, and I own a lot of books, so I needed a good quality bookcase that is not too big, since I'm short on freespace in my room. So when contacted by CSN for a product review, I went bookcase searching. This bookcase was a perfect choice. I love the deep color, and it's the perfect height to sit at the end of my bed. You can adjust the height of the shelves themselves, so I'm able to fit even my most awkwardly sized books on a shelf. The item is of excellent quality, and I know it's sturdy enough to last for a long time.


I am incredibly bad with any sort of home improvement projects, so I was a little worried about putting it together myself. However, the instructions were crystal clear, and I had my bookcase together in no time.

As I said, I loved this product so much I now have two of them! They both sit in front of my bed, holding my favorite series and novels. This is definitely a bookcase I would recommend to a friend, especially if they need a smaller one that won't take up a lot of space.

Final rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! I just love these bookcases - sturdy, perfect size, and easy to maneuver if you find yourself wanting to rearrange your space. Definitely a good deal for the price, and the processing and shipping of my order was beyond fast.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Random Acts of Kindness [RAK]

I have heard bloggers mentioning this program, and I thought it would be something nice to try! Who doesn't want to get packages in the mail from bloggy friends? And you always get a great feeling when you give someone a gift. So here we go, here's my wishlist and such for March's RAK!

My Wishlist for March:
"Awakened" by Ednah Walters
"Blood On Silk" by Marie Treanor
"A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness
"The Demon Trappers Daughter" by Jane Oliver

Visit the Book Soulmates to join in on the fun! Here's the link to the March signup!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~