Guest Post & Book Promo: RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW by Robert Eggleton!

Today we have a guest post from author Robert Eggleton, as well as a promo for his book, Rarity from the Hollow! Rarity has been featured here before, but the book is new and improved, so be sure to check it out below.

Guest Post:

Hi Amanda. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about books that I like and some of my favorite books.

Of Great Appeal – Books, Books, Books

Like a roller coaster ride, a beach vacation, or, well, use your own imagination here, the enjoyment of some books ends once the last page has been read. Other stories, like a lasting love, linger on for days, weeks, maybe for years, consciously or subliminally adding to our enjoyment or understanding of life itself in a much deeper way. Depending on my mood, that’s the books that I like the best, the stories that linger and resurface unexpectedly – books of any genre that have a literary element. 

Are you looking for short-term thrills or true love in literature?

Life can be tough, that’s for sure. Most of us need to escape reality at least every now and then, in one way or another, and to some degree. Some people get totally blitzed on drugs or alcohol…. Of course, all of life’s problems are still there, maybe worse, when these folks sober up. Other people will binge on food, video games…. Of all addictions, reading is the least harmful, and often healthful or beneficial during our individualized pursuits of happiness.

Sometimes, depending on my mood, I will pick a quick escapist novel, stay up all night reading, feel awful the next day, and forget about the experience the next day afterward. I read books in all genres, including romance. I don’t finish them all, however. If it’s a cookie-cutter novel with only the names of the characters changed from other similar stories, I’m sorry but life is too short to relive the same fantasies over and over again. Even if I’m in the mood for a short-term escape from reality, I try to pick something that at least sounds different based on book reviews.

Rarity from the Hollow, my debut novel, was likely the result of my interest in most genres. It is adult literary science fiction, sort of, but, mostly, this novel is genre bending and reflective of my broad reading interests and disinterests. One found: “…soon I found myself immersed in the bizarre world… weeping for the victim and standing up to the oppressor…solace and healing in the power of love, laughing at the often comical thoughts… marveling at ancient alien encounters… As a rape survivor… found myself relating easily to Lacy Dawn… style of writing which I would describe as beautifully honest. Rarity from the Hollow is different from anything I have ever read, and in today’s world of cookie-cutter cloned books, that’s pretty refreshing… whimsical and endearing world of Appalachia n Science Fiction, taking you on a wild ride you won’t soon forget….” http://kyliejude.com/2015/11/book-review-rarity-from-the-hollow/

I like books that include real-life issues, like racism or poverty, or metaphors and allegories of such in fantastical setting, and that are character-driven. Like I said before, I’ll read simple escapist novels with fast action plots sometimes, but mostly as filler between my major investments of time in more literary reads. After all, even Harry Potter addressed racism when he gave a sock to Dobby, the House Elf, to free him from slavery.

I’ve read so many books in my lifetime, representing every genre that I know about, it would be impossible to pick the ones of greatest appeal. I’m looking forward to reading more in the relatively new genre, “CliFy” – science fiction with climate change as a predominate theme. Daniel Bloom, a journalist living in Taiwan and who also posted a glowing review of Rarity from the Hollow on Amazon, has been credited with coining the term for that genre, similar to how Wikipedia also credited Ursula K. Le Guinn with coining the term “Social Science Fiction.” With so much political debate about climate science after the 2016 presidential election, I bet that Clify takes off with readers.

Okay, I’ve stalled long enough. I’ll give you one title of a favorite book: The Color Purple. I especially loved the genuine sounding colloquial dialogue of this story. Other than that book, don’t ask me about why I picked this book a minute from now because I would likely give you a different title as the most appealing novel that I’ve ever read, and another title, and another title, and …………………….

Take care and I hope that you appreciate Rarity from the Hollow.   

Blurb:

Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in the hollow is hard. She has one advantage -- an android was inserted into her life and is working with her to cure her parents. But, he wants something in exchange. It's up to her to save the Universe. Lacy Dawn doesn't mind saving the universe, but her family and friends come first.

Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire.

“The most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in years.”

—Temple Emmet Williams, Author, former editor for Reader’s Digest

“Quirky, profane, disturbing… In the space between a few lines we go from hardscrabble realism to pure sci-fi/fantasy. It’s quite a trip.”

—    Evelyn Somers, The Missouri Review

. "…a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy…what I would have thought impossible; taken serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse…tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…profound…a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy." -- Awesome Indies (Gold Medal)

“…sneaks up you and, before you know it, you are either laughing like crazy or crying in despair, but the one thing you won’t be is unmoved…a brilliant writer.” --Readers’ Favorite (Gold Medal)

“Rarity from the Hollow is an original and interesting story of a backwoods girl who saves the Universe in her fashion. Not for the prudish.” —Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author

“…Good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.” -- The Baryon Review

Comfort Zones: Please note that there is a mention of a child having been murdered in this novel, by the meanest daddy on Earth. However, there is no scene and she plays a comical and annoying ghost most of the story. Here's a finding by Awesome Indies about the first edition to help you decide if this novel is too far outside of your comfort zone: “a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, only instead of the earth being destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass, Lacy Dawn must…The author has managed to do what I would have thought impossible; taken serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse, and written about them with tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…Eggleton sucks you into the Hollow, dunks you in the creek, rolls you in the mud, and splays you in the sun to dry off. Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate…it’s a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy.” http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holly-by-robert-eggleton/ The early tragedy feeds and amplifies subsequent comedy and satire.

Please also note that the character mentioned above (Faith) is a victim of sexual abuse. Sexual content in the novel:

• While the protagonist occupies the body of an eleven year old, she is the product of genetic manipulation by Universal Management for millennia;
• Lacy Dawn began her trainings via direct download into her brain five years before the beginning of this story, so she has been fed information about every known human subject, including biology, reproduction, economics…for years before readers are introduced to her (ET involvement is an opening chapter reveal);
• Her best friend, Faith, as a sexual abuse victim, has a sad and unhealthy awareness of sexuality;
• The android has no private parts, "not even a little bump," and is much less mature emotionally than Lacy Dawn throughout the story;
• There are no sex scenes in the novel and only references, including the disclosure about Faith's victimization by a reference and as a flashback with no scenes;
• As the android pursues humanity and starts going through an accelerated human development stage, he never develops any actual sexual interests but does try to kiss Lacy Dawn on the cheek once;
• Lacy Dawn vows not to have sex for the first time until after she is married -- a traditional and now unusual family value;
• She is fourteen years old when the novel ends and has typical teenage interests but remains untouched, not even a first real kiss;
• There are normalized sexual references and innuendos between Lacy Dawn parents after their romance was rekindled -- the father was cured of PTSD and the mother's self-esteem improved, in part, because she got new teeth as part of the deal to save the universe;
• But, the above sexual references are presented as puns, nothing on screen, and are milder than most romance novels that I've read, such as by Nora Roberts.  

Piers Anthony, best selling fantasy author during the '80s and '90s, found that my novel was “…not for the prudish.” Kevin Patrick Mahoney, editor of the once noteworthy site, Authortrek, found that my story was, “…not for the faint hearted or easily offended….”   An early voice in the first chapter speaks about things that no child should know. It is that of a traumatized child – a voice most of us never listen to, or want to hear, but in real life is screaming. I'm a retired children's psychotherapist. The language and concepts in this story are mild in comparison to some of the stuff that kids have said during actual group therapy sessions that I have facilitated over the years. By child developmental stage, it is similar to the infamous early adolescent insult in E.T.: “penis breath.” It is tame in comparison to the content of the popular television series, South Park, which has been devoured by millions of teens. My story does include marijuana smoking, but that subject has been frequently broadcast in the news as state move toward legalization, when legislation is introduced, or debates emerge. Except for a scene involving domestic violence in the third chapter, there is no violence or horror -- no blood, guts, gore, vampires, or werewolves. The “F word” is used twice, but the all other profanity is mild colloquialism. Rarity from the Hollow is a children's story for adults with a HEA ending like a romance novel.

Political Allegory: You may be interested in this press release:  http://www.pr4us.com/pr-2618-trump-presidency-predicted-in.html. The original © was 2006. You would have to read the novel to find out how Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, convinced Mr. Rump (Bernie Sanders) to help talk Mr. Prump (Donald Trump) into saving the universe. The political allegory includes pressing issues that America is fighting about today, including illegal immigration and the refuge crisis, extreme capitalism / consumerism…. Mr. Prump was a projection of Donald Trump based on the TV show, The Apprentice. Part of the negotiations in the story occur in the only high rise on planet Shptiludrp (Shop Until You Drop), a giant shopping mall and the center of economic governance, now more easily identifiable as Trump Tower. There is no political advocacy in the story, other than sensitizing readers to the huge social problem of child maltreatment, but the allegory is much more obvious now that Donald Trump is a household name. A similar press release: http://www.pr.com/press-release/695122 .

Positive Reviews of the first edition: The first edition of this novel had a formatting error that has been corrected. The second reads much smoother. Despite the formatting problem, the first edition was awarded two Gold Medals by major book review organizations, was named one of the best releases of 2015 by a Bulgaria book critic, and received twenty-six five star reviews and forty-three four star reviews by independent book review bloggers. An unsolicited Top 100 Amazon Reviewer found:

"Rarity from the Hollow written by Robert Eggleton, to be fully honest, was much more than expected and a great read – semi-autobiographical literary work full of beautiful and ugly things, adventure, romance, pain and humor…."

About the Author: I recently retired after 52 years of contributions into the U.S. Social Security fund so that I could write and promote my fiction. I’m a former mental health psychotherapist in West Virginia. But, after coming home drained from working with child abuse victims, I didn't have the energy left to begin its self-promotion. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program in my home state. http://www.childhswv.org/ A listing of services that are supported can be found here: http://mountainrhinestones.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-giveaway-rarity-from-hollow-by.html.  

 BUY LINKS:

www.lulu.com/shop

Amazon - eBook
Amazon - Print

DogHornPublishing

Find Robert Online:

http://www.lacydawnadventures.com

Goodreads

Facebook

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LinkedIn

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Weekly Reading Update 5/5 - 5/12/16!

I was on vacation this past week, so you'd think I would have read a lot, right? Nope! We were down in Disney World, so my family and I were running all over the parks. I may have also vegged out at the pool, reading a lot of Star Magazines. Sometimes you just need some mindless reading material while hanging out poolside. So now on to what I did manage to read!

First up was Brave Enough by M. Leighton, the third book in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series. I read and reviewed this one for Romance Reviews Today, and it was definitely worth a read. It might actually be my favorite of the series, I'm not sure. And even better, it can be read as a standalone, so if you want to give it a shot - I'd say go for it! But be sure to check out Strong Enough (book 1), and Tough Enough (book 2).

Next up was Alex by Sawyer Bennett. I have been a part of a Facebook group called The Locker Room for a while now, and Sawyer Bennett is one of the coaches (aka administrators). I love what I have read by the other authors, so I'm working my way through all the coaches' backlists. I can't believe I've never read anything by Sawyer Bennett before! Alex was a fun read, and I can't wait to continue with the next book in the series, thanks to my library's digital collection.

I also read Never Let You Go by Monica Murphy, the direct sequel to Never Tear Us Apart. Oh man, if you want an emotional read that will mess you up - look no further. This is the third series I've read by Monica Murphy (I didn't finish the other series, but I am working my way through them), and I'm fairly positive she just sits around thinking up ways to torture her poor, innocent characters. And she's just so good at it! She breaks me heart every time, and I love her for it all the same. It's hard to review such an emotional read - but I somehow managed it. You'll be able to see my review at Romance Reviews Today!

Just yesterday, because I couldn't put it down, I read the entirety of Make Me Sin by J. T. Geissinger. Okay, if you really need a good cry, look no further. This is definitely going on my wish-list, because it was just.. so good. Painful, but good. Like sometimes when you get a massage and it hurts, but it's a good hurt? I already own the first book, Sweet As Sin, because that's another one I couldn't put down. And now I'm desperate for Brody's book, which better be next (and SOON) or I will start tearing my hair out!

And because I'm still in my rockstar phase, I moved immediately to Taking The Lead by Cecelia Tan. As of typing this post (Thursday afternoon) - I haven't actually finished it yet, but it's oh-so-good so far. I've been procrastinating all of my unpacking because I just can't bring myself to put this one down yet. You're lucky I took a break to type up this post!

So that's it for me this week. Anything I read on your TBR? Or have any spectacular reads to share?

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

On re-reading old favorites - are they as good the second (or millionth) time around?

When I'm feeling down, or stressed, or just in a grumpy mood - I re-read some of my favorite books (or series!). You may have noticed something like that in last week's Weekly Reading Update - since I was working my way through the Princess Diaries series.

I guess I like the feeling of returning to a familiar world, seeing some familiar "faces" (or what I imagine them to look like, anyways!), and knowing what kind of ending I'm getting into. And I just figured that was something everyone also enjoyed. But apparently not!

A friend of mine once told me she rarely re-reads books. She already knows what's going to happen, so why bother reading them again? The magic is gone.

But is it? I don't think so. In re-reading a book, I always pick up on things that I missed the first time around. When you're first reading a book, you're picking up clues here and there to the ending, but so much gets lost because you're not sure what you're looking for. A reader is mostly paying attention to the main story, and all the little subtle things fall through the cracks.

But when you re-read... you can finally catch them! It just adds so much to the story. Also, at least for me, it really does feel like coming home. I generally stick with certain authors for re-reads, but every so often I get incredibly nostalgic and go for ones I read years and years ago. Some examples? The Princess Diaries series and the Jessica Darling series. I often toss the Georgia Nicolson books as well, since I read them all around the same time, so they are forever stuck together in my mind.

But what about everyone else? Am I just a crazy person for loving to re-read old favorites? It just always feels so comforting.

Let me know what you think!

Weekly Reading Update 2/20-2/26/16!

Another Weekly Reading Update! My week started off slow since I had to work all weekend and extra long days during the week, but I still managed to sneak in some reading time.

As we’re still in the midst of the Teen Reading Challenge, I started my weekend with some graphic novels..

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, volume 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North. This was super cute, but I wasn’t wowed like I have been with some other Marvel titles. I’m definitely planning to continue with the second volume, though.

I also read The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks. Goodreads has been recommending this graphic novel to me for years, and I always ignored it. Until I found this list of the best graphic novels written by women - and Superhero Girl was on it. So I broke down and requested it from the library, and now I’m mad at myself for waiting so long! It was great. Definitely check this one out. Girl power!

Another book I had been putting off even though I heard some great things - Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker. This is on a list of “Essential New Adult Books” that I found in a book review magazine. I copied down the list of titles, and I’m working my way through them, even though I had already read pretty many on the list. Ten Tiny Breaths was so good. Emotional, gritty… and definitely messed up. But so, so good. I’ve already requested book 2!

I also went on a bit of a Princeless binge.. as in, I read Princeless: The Short Stories, Princeless volume 4, and Princeless: Raven The Pirate Princess. If you like girl power graphic novels, this is definitely a series to pick up. In fact, Raven's book was like Rat Queens, but safer for a younger audience. They're so cute, well written, and everything I could have hoped for when I wanted a good new series to read.

I think that's more than enough for this week.. but don't worry, I have plenty more manga volumes requested from the library, so I will be a reading fool soon enough!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Weekly Reading Update 2/12-2/18/16!

Still in the first month of the Teen Reading Challenge, so you’ll have to continue to suffer through some manga updates. Actually, the challenge runs through April, so best prepare yourself now, sorry! Not everything I read was for the teen challenge - there are some awesome other books mixed in.

First up is Asa, by Jay Crownover. The final book of the Marked Men series, and it was an excellent ending indeed. I may have gotten a little emotional a time or two, especially at the end. Author Crownover said that the Marked Men may show up in her new series, The Saints of Denver, here and there, and I’m hopeful that’s true. I definitely can’t wait to start The Saints of Denver - beginning with Leveled, the prequel novella.

Next is The Earl and the Fairy, volumes 1 and 2, by Mizue Tani. Not my first historical manga, but it still felt different, if that made sense. I was surprised such a big plotline was wrapped up in two volumes, but at the end of volume 2, you see that it’s definitely not over. I already requested the next volumes, so I’m excited to see where it goes!

After that, I read Captive Hearts, volumes 1 & 2, by Matsuri Hino. I initial decided to try out this series because the description was ridiculous and adorable sounding. But it wasn’t until I actually got the manga in my hands that I realized that is only one of the three stories included in this volume, so that story is very short, and the others even shorter. The second volume just contains the main story, so that was an improvement… but I don’t think I’ll read any more in this series.

The next book was one I reviewed for Romance Reviews Today, so alas, I’m not allowed to cross-post them. Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy was absolutely awesome. I loved it. And now I have to wait for an eternity (or like.. three months?) for the next one. It reminds me a lot of Asking For It and Begging For It by Lilah Pace, but with a lot less rough sex. A lot less sex in general, actually. But definitely check it out if you like your romance on the dark, edgier side.

Next up, Sweet As Sin by J.T. Geissinger - man, did I both love and hate this. I’m fickle, when it comes to fiction - sometimes I can be really strict about how characters act and react to things, and other times I’m more lenient than I would be in real life. I think if Nico treated me the way he sometimes treated Kat, I’d punch him in the nose, leave and never look back. But in fiction, I enjoyed it because it brought more drama to an already drama-heavy book, and sometimes I just like characters to suffer and have to jump through extraordinary hoops to get their happy ending.

Next I read two graphic novel memoirs, “Are You My Mother?” by Alison Bechdel, and “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast. The Bechdel book was good, but while she emphasized that it was a book about her mother, it focused more on Bechdel’s interest in psychoanalysis than anything else. The second book, by Chast, was a memoir about her taking care of her parents in their final years. This one really hit home, since I recently went through a similar situation. Both were incredibly well written, but I will admit to liking Chast’s book more.

I actually read more than this (as in.. the entire run of Hot Gimmick - 12 volumes! And 5 volumes of Sensual Phrase..) but I figured this was more than enough for this week!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Weekly Reading Update 2/5-2/12/16!

Another week, another bunch of books read! Still working hard on reading as much as possible for the Teen Reading Challenge - got to make sure my team wins! Let's dive right in, shall we? Click on any cover to be taken to the Amazon page!

First up, I read Monster: The Graphic Novel by Walter Dean Myers. This is a book I've always wanted to read, but alas, it just never felt the right time whenever it was checked in at the library. So when I saw the graphic novel available, I jumped at the chance. It's not quite the same, and I still hope to read the book - but the graphic novel was great, and the story was excellent!

Next up, is Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan by Aimee Major-Steinberger. I found this to be super interesting. Half travel guide, have travel memoir - and all graphic novel! I thought the illustrations were adorable, and it definitely made me want to travel to all the cool places she visited. And I definitely learned about some local customs I hadn't before. For example, apparently I might not be so welcome at some hot springs because I have a tattoo, even though it's tiny. Apparently tattoos are mostly popular with gangsters in Japan, so they just won't let any tattooed people in.

Also this week, I read Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. And.. well, I'm not going to talk about this one too much, because it was just too weird for me. I'm not sure I can even talk about it, because I don't know what to say. It's just... weird.

Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick. I'm almost mad I read this, because now I have to wait to read the next volume. It's a great read for those that like alternative, dystopian, or girl-power comics. Definitely on my list of favorites for the year!

Next is Hawkeye volume 5: All New Hawkeye by Jeff Lemire. Lemire is an author I keep an eye on, because I love his stuff. Sweet Tooth was so good. And I was definitely interested to see what he would come up with for his first time working with Marvel - and with Hawkeye, no less. I liked this volume, it delved into Hawkeye's past, which I found incredibly interesting. But I need more!

And last, but by no means least - Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Loved Loved LOVED this!! I figured I would love it anyways, because this author wrote Lumberjanes, and I can't get enough of it. But Nimona was special and perfect and I want to own it so I can read it again and again. I'm not even sure I could properly describe it - cutesy, but can be a dark dystopian fantasy kind of thing. But also amazing.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Weekly Reading Update! 1/29/16-2/4/16!

Once again, it's time for another Weekly Reading Update! I swear, the second I get some down time, I'm making a graphic for this...

Anyways! On to what I've read.

Wow, I’ve read a lot this past week! It helped that most of them were graphic novels. February begins the library’s Teen Reading Challenge, where participating staff members read as much teen fiction, teen nonfiction, and books of interest to teens as possible in order to find good suggestions for reluctant readers or eager readers.

First up.. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. I read this because I heard a few songs from the musical they made of the comic, and I desperately wanted some idea of what was going on. I’m not sure reading this helped - it was a great graphic novel for sure, but I’m not sure how they made a musical out of it. Hopefully I will get the chance to see it!

Next.. God Is Disappointed In You by Mark Russell. I got this one thinking it was a graphic novel, which is not true. But it was definitely interesting. Author Mark Russell went through every book in the bible and summarized it in modern day language. It was actually pretty fascinating. I went to Catholic school and studied the bible when I was younger - and yet there was definitely a lot I forgot!

After that, I moved on to The Wit and Wisdom of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes. I’m a huge fan of Downton Abbey, and when my library added this to the catalog, I had to check it out. It was a fun look back at the series - and made me excited to watch the final season!

Next up was another graphic novel, Hawkeye volume 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction. While I did enjoy this graphic novel, I thought this one was trying to be too smart for its own good. That said, I’m excited to see where the series goes from this point, especially since the next volume is written by Jeff Lemire - an excellent graphic novelist!

So every year, for the teen reading challenge, I try to pick up some new manga. Basically, February through April (how long the challenge lasts), I give myself free reign to read a bunch of different manga titles to see if I like them. We don’t have many (or any?) manga readers at my work, so I do my best to at least be somewhat versed in what’s out there. So this year, one of the new titles I’m trying out is Kimi no Todoke: From Me to You by Karuho Shiina. I read volume 1 and 2, and I’m interested enough to keep going. But I have to say, it’s not my favorite thing I’ve read…

Another graphic novel - Giant Days, volume 1 by John Allison. I loved this! Friendship, Feminism, and a mustachioed mystery man - everything a good graphic novel needs. I can’t wait until volume two, which unfortunately doesn’t come out for another couple months…

And yet another graphic novel.. The Professor’s Daughter by Joann Sfar. Oh man, I loved this. But that ending! I refuse to spoil it for anyone - but trust me, this is a good one. If you like graphic novels, give it a shot!

The next one I read and reviewed for Romance Reviews Today - Midnight Wrangler by Cat Johnson. Just felt very run of the mill to me. It wasn’t bad, by any means. It just didn’t have that magic that makes a book something special, you know? I am still eager to read the next one in the series, releasing in a couple months!

And last, but definitely not least, The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman. I wouldn’t call this a graphic novel, more like an illustrated short story, as there are actual walls of text every few pages. I liked this story, but I can see why some would not. Quite a few people at my work have read this, and it seems you either like it, or thought it was stupid. I enjoyed it, and I liked the format - I would like to see more short stories released like this in the future.

Well, that’s it for this week - and what a week it was! Expect a few more weeks like this in the near future, since I have a bunch of graphic novels and manga requested at the library to get me through the Teen Reading Challenge.

What have you read and loved this week?

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Weekly Reading Update! 1/16-1/22/16!

It's time again for my Weekly Reading Update, a new feature on this blog for 2016. I missed last week, but it worked out okay since I read NOTHING last week - I was too sick to function. But now I'm (mostly) all better and back at the reading game.

This week I read and reviewed "Fighting Dirty" by Lori Foster so be sure to check out that review if you haven't already (find it HERE). Another great one by Lori, and I can't wait to see how her next series goes!

But this weekly update is for books that I have read and did not review on the blog - such as books I just read for fun or books that I received to review for Romance Reviews Today, and I am unable to cross-post.

And as always, feel free to follow me on Goodreads (link on the sidebar) to see all my status updates!

First up: MISCONDUCT by Penelope Douglas. I think what I loved most about this was the dialogue between the two. They had a playfulness that seemed so genuine and even had me smiling a few times. So thank goodness I didn't read it in public. Same goes for the sexy scenes - definitely hot. This isn't one of those "read it in the break room at work" type of books! Make sure you check it out if you like your books steamy! Click the cover to to Amazon.com and buy it today!

Last but definitely not least, I read DESCENDER, VOLUME 1: TIN STARS by Jeff Lemire. This one blew me away. Everything I have read by Jeff Lemire so far has been fantastic, but this one definitely so. If you remember the movie AI from forever ago - this has a similar feel. But it's so good. I can't wait for volume 2! Click the cover to find it at Amazon.

Well, that's it for me this week, so far! Hopefully next week I will be back in the full swing of things, with plenty of reviews and updates to keep your reading lists overflowing!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

End of the year review: Favorites from 2015 and looking forward to 2016!

First up, let's talk about a couple of my favorite reads from 2015! I'm including both books I reviewed as well as just read for fun. And if you'd like to see more of what I read (not just books I review), be sure to follow me on Goodreads! Link on the side.

A series I fell in love with this year: Asking For It series by Lilah Pace! I read both "Asking For It" and "Begging For It" by Lilah Pace. This duet is not for the faint of heart - it deals with some super tough subjects and it's definitely for mature readers. But wow, it was so amazingly well done. Check out my review of "Asking For It" posted in October 2015!

A graphic novel that blew me away: Well, okay, there were a bunch (Saga, Ms. Marvel, and and so many more!) but I definitely want to mention Cairo by G. Willow Wilson. This was something Goodreads recommended to me, and thanks to interlibrary loan, I was able to read it! I was blown away, really. I loved the way the author wove together such a fascinating fantasy world.

Favorite nostalgia read: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot. I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this one. This book made me really happy - like, giggling to myself happy. I didn't know how much I missed this series until I read this. So then I had to search out all the short stories and novellas I had missed just to get more of the series. Check out my review of "Royal Wedding" posted in August 2015! Also, if you liked "Royal Wedding" by Meg Cabot, check out "The Royal We" by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan!

I had tons more books that I loved this year, but these three were definitely at the top of the list. Be sure to check them out!

Looking forward to 2016: So I've already decided to once again do the Popsugar 2016 reading challenge. I did this one in 2015 and loved it! It really made me branch out from my usual reads. The 2016 list is shorter, but it's got some great categories. Follow/Friend me on Goodreads to see everything I read for the challenge.

Also, Bookriot has a 2016 challenge as well, and I'm considering it. Especially since there could be some cross-listing. But would that really be fair?

Happy Reading, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

I'm back! Mostly!

Hey all! As you could see (hopefully) from my review yesterday, I am mostly back in action! I have a new laptop, so I should be able to post reviews as normal once again.

Windows 10 is definitely different than my old Windows 7 laptop, which I will miss wholeheartedly. I did a lot of work on that old thing - it got me through my Master's degree! And that 50+ page thesis. Good times, good times..

I'm still adjusting to this new device. Every time I try to scroll on a page, it automatically adjusts the zoom, which is pretty annoying. And as of right now, it won't let me upload pictures to the blog, though I'm hoping that's just an internet issue. Hence why this is a boring old text post.

Which is a whole other problem - new computer is working fine, but very very slow. I'm hoping that's just because of how bad the internet has been acting lately. I used to be able to watch Netflix, have my phone on, and be browsing the internet on my tablet or laptop and everything would be super fast. I'm currently down to one (maybe two, if I stretch it) device connecting at a time. Fingers crossed it's just the crappy weather.

I hope everyone had a good holiday, will continue to have a good holiday season, and will have a happy and safe New Year!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~