Blog Tour: Naturals by Tiffany Truitt (Review + Playlist & Giveaway!)

 

Lot of excitement going on in this post today. I have a couple of things to get to first though before I start the fun. I'm so happy to be part of the NATURALS blog tour...and if you don't know what Naturals is all about, it's the sequel to Chosen Ones, a series that I just highly recommend! Ms. Truitt has dropped by and graciously shared her playlist, which will be shared in just a bit along with a giveaway (tour-wide)!

So, everyone knows that I generally have some heavy thoughts when it comes to sequels. What were my thoughts when I picked up Naturals?

Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.

Goodreads 


Chosen Ones became one of my new favorite dystopias last year, and I sat on pins and needles waiting for the sequel. I’m excited to say that Naturals was just as amazing and didn’t disappoint, and now I’m eagerly awaiting the next yet again!

The world that Tiffany Truitt has built is intense and gritty. It’s in your face from the moment you begin reading. The most noticeable thing in the sequel would be the character changes. Where Tess was a bit naïve and still learning a lot in the first book, by the second, she has developed and grown into a strong and smart character full of edge. At times she felt a bit too judgmental or clingy to things/ideas, and I found this underlying message through this development. Henry aggravated me often and I don’t want to go into detail in fear of spoilers because of this being a sequel review--but I wasn’t a fan of his character. This sequel was more about the character development than the action for me I think, though the action was still there, the details gritty and gripping, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I particularly liked learning more about the wider part of this world outside of Templeton, the Isolationists and their lifestyle, and the dangers that kept me on edge and reading.

This is not a series you want to miss.

 
 

Did you know that books can have music playlists/soundtracks like movies and television shows? No? Well they can. Or at least, I've always liked to believe they can. Personally, I love music almost as much as I do reading and writing. It's about the next best thing. I especially like pairing them up. I love reading and then later hearing a song and thinking to myself, " that really fits the character's moment/mood/etc."

 

For this blog tour, I did something a little different and asked Ms. Truitt what her playlist would be for Naturals. She gave an amazing list, and because of that, I wanted to throw in some of the music videos.

Welcome Ms. Truitt!

 

TT: Today, I am here to talk about music….only one of my favorite things in all the world. So, thanks to The Bookaholic for hosting me. :)

Me: So glad to have you here!

TT: The playlist for Naturals represents a combination of music I listened to while writing the novel, and more current songs that I feel go with the general theme of the story.

(Me: I've included a few of the videos embedded below.)

 

NATURALS Play List:

 

1. Awolnation - Sail

 

2. Mumford and Sons – Broken Crown

 

3. Florence and the Machine - No Light, No Light

 

4. Imagine Dragons – Apocalypse

 

5. Lumineers – Stubborn Love

 

6. Rhianna – Stay

 

7. Frank Ocean – Thinking About You

 

8. LCD Soundsyem – Someone Great

 

And just for fun…here’s the play list for book one, Chosen Ones

 

 

CHOSEN ONES Play List:

 

 

1. Somebody's Blues - Jimmy Eat World

2. Hero - Regina Spektor

3. Hurricane - 30 Seconds to Mars



4. Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

5. Come Alive - Foo Fighters

6. Windowstill - Arcade Fire

7. My Body is a Cage - Arcade Fire

8. Closer - Kings of Leon

9. Awake My Soul - Mumford and Sons

10. Running Up that Hill – Placebo

11. Paradise – Coldplay

12. Sing for Absolution – Muse

 

 

 

Me: Such fantastic music. I love SO much of this! :) Thank you, Ms. Truitt for stopping by with your own personal soundtrack today!

 

And last but not least!
 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below before you leave! Hope you enjoyed today's stop.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Triple Threat Blog Tour: Interview with Yelena Black

Hey everyone! I'm here today hosting part of the Triple Threat Blog Tour for Bloomsbury! In case you missed it earlier last month, I had Megan Miranda at the blog, talking about her newest release Hysteria! This time, I'm happy to have Yelena Black to share about her recent release, Dance of Shadows! :)

 

 

ME: Welcome to The Bookaholic, Ms. Black! Could you tell us a bit about what inspired the idea behind DANCE OF SHADOWS?

YB: I love mysteries and the world of ballet—and there is something inherently mysterious about the world of ballet, which dates back many centuries. I loved the idea of taking that quality of the dance and crafting a story about legend and ritual, but also about a young girl—Vanessa Adler—and how she and her older sister (and her friends!) get tangled in this world. 
 
ME: What sparked your interest in writing? Did you always want to be an author?

YB: I have always loved reading. I actually used to sleep with the Anne of Green Gables series. They were so heartfelt and honest. I also loved Kurt Vonnegut’s books, because they always made me laugh. I loved Judy Blume, because she spoke to me girl-to-girl, and told me things that I could never ask my mother about. And of course, Harry Potter, which still gives me that magical feeling of excitement, even though I’ve read it dozens of times. So I guess my answer is: Yes. I have always wanted to be a writer. I also have a love of dance, and studied ballet when I was younger, which helped to inspire my book, Dance of Shadows.

ME: What is one quirky fact about yourself?
 
YB: I love bicycling and running, and was once a trained bicycle mechanic. I'm also an amateur seamstress and thus loved writing about the clothes in this book.

ME: If you could cast your own characters for a movie, which actors would be your choice?

YB: I would cast Emma Watson as Vanessa, Logan Lerman as Justin, and Dave Franko as Zep. Fingers crossed!


ME: Do you have any other future projects in the works for us to look forward to?

YB: I am currently editing the sequel to Dance of Shadows!


Thank you so much for being at the blog today!


Follow Yelena Black on Twitter

Read my review of Dance of Shadows. Add Dance of Shadows to your Goodreads.



　

Blog Tour Review: Throne of Glass

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: August 7th
Genre: YA Fantasy

See it at Goodreads


After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.


I'm proud today to be one of the tour stops for Throne of Glass! Be sure to see the bottom of the review for other links and information. This is also a review for the BEA Book Club so check out their reviews as well! :)



Throne of Glass took me to a new world full of magic, action, mystery, and romance. I could not put this down!


It’s not often that I read “high/epic” fantasy, but I’m proud to say I picked up a gem to add to my list of pleasant surprises this year. What I found really appealing was that it wasn’t a struggle to read, which is usually the problem for me when it comes to this genre. Admittedly, I had doubts before I requested this book due to all the hype and the genre. I’m so thankful I took the chance anyway or I would’ve missed out on this fantastic story!


Calaena is a character worth rooting for. She’s tough, intelligent, and determined. But even with the hard-edged exterior, there’s a softness to her that comes out for the reader to see--a vulnerability--and she has flaws. She starts out as arrogant, sometimes rude and too sarcastic for her own good. At first, it’s a bit hard to like her. Until she proves herself and begins to grow into a more admirable person with certain things she does and says. I loved that development for the reader. She’s also a bit more girly than you’d expect some edgy assassin to be, and that’s what I really loved.


I had some minor issues with the story though. Nitpicks maybe. But they weren’t enough to distract me away from my enjoyment overall. There is budding romance and hints at a love triangle. To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle idea. That’s the only thing in the entirety of the story that messed it up a little for me really. I adored both Chaol and Dorian as characters on their own, but throughout the entire story, I had a hard time seeing the romantic interest with either of them for Calaena. Chaol would be her best match though, that much I could pick up on, due to his background and their chemistry. I liked Dorian’s personality better though. Sigh. I felt a bit of a tug of war--maybe my own fictional triangle when it came down to it. Because of the personality and my fondness for him, I think I’ll be Team Dorian. Haha.


I felt the world-building was solid and easy to visualize. I’m such a history geek that even when it comes to fantasy, I like to know the history. There was enough to satisfy my inner nerd here, but I would have been thrilled with even more. I wanted to especially know more about the magic and Wyrd marks. It was fascinating. I became invested in the characters easily. Sometimes there were unanswered questions or areas where I felt could have been worked out some (especially with the king). I’m hoping a lot more will come for the next book.


I’ve said it before. I guess I’ll say it again. I should read more into this style of fantasy. It seems that over the last year or so, I’ve had a lot of luck in this genre and have found some good ones. I really love how an author can pull you right into their crafted world and make you feel as if you’re there with their characters. Maas does this perfectly.


For me, Throne of Glass was genuinely breathtaking. When I sat down to start reading, I had no idea or intention to finish in only a matter of hours…but that’s what happened. I only find books that do that to me a few times a year, so I’m glad this was one of them.


One of my favorite quotes: “Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”










I want to thank Bloomsbury Children’s Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review, as well as to be a part of the Throne of Glass blog tour.


Go to the Throne of Glass Facebook page by clicking the tour button below.

Follow Sarah J. Maas on Twitter


Become a fan of Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads






I’m also proud to be reviewing this book with The BEA Book Club.

See their reviews as well at their blogs:


Shanella


AJ


Alexa



Happy reading!


 

Announcement

Note: I did post this on my author blog as well. Though I'm trying to keep both my book blog and author blog separate, I wanted to share this with all of you lovely followers also. Please feel free to not read the post if you're not interested. Haha. I'll still love you either way. :P

Today, I'm featured on the fabulous Marta Acosta's author blog, Vampire Wire! Did I also mention there is a contest there as well? Whoops, I guess those are the magic words, huh? :P
Be sure to stop by and read the great interview. There's also some (very yummy, I might add) Supernatural videos to add for eye candy.


I want to thank Ms. Acosta for the feature and interview. It was a blast answering all the questions!