Mundie Moms

Monday, September 21, 2015

The Fiery Trial by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson / Book Spotlight / Mundane Monday #256



Happy Mundane Monday! The next installment of Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy: The Fiery Trial will be out TOMORROW, September 22nd, 2015! We can't wait to read it. Here's a little bit about the e-book:

Simon and Clary reunite as they witness a Parabatai ceremony…and discuss their own plans to be bonded. One of ten adventures in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

Simon and Clary act as witnesses to the parabatai ceremony of Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn…and discuss their own parabatai plans in this precursor to The Dark Artifices.

This standalone e-only short story follows the adventures of Simon Lewis, star of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments, as he trains to become a Shadowhunter. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy features characters from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, and the upcoming Dark Artifices and Last Hours series. The Fiery Trial is written by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.


Get it tomorrow from Simon & SchusterAmazon | B&N and wherever e-books are sold!

WILD CRUSH by Simone Elkeles / Excerpt #2




WILD CRUSH, the second book in Simone Elkeles's Wild Cards series hits shelves tomorrow! You can check out my review for Wild Cards, book one in the series, here. Today I've got an exclusive excerpt of WILD CRUSH to share with you. First, here's a little bit about the book:

ABOUT THE BOOK


When the only girl you want is the one you can't have... 

Bad boy Vic Salazar breaks all the rules except one: Don't make a move on your best friend's girl. It’s a Guy Code that Vic lives by. It doesn't matter that he's had a crush on her for years. Monika Fox is off limits. 

Monika has a secret of her own and when a tragedy throws her and Vic together, the only boy she trusts is the one she shouldn’t confide in. Vic. 

As Vic struggles to keep his distance, and Monika struggles with her secrets, will their wild connection violate every rule both vowed never to break—about relationships, about friendship, about love?


Pre-order your copy from Amazon | iBooks. Add it to Goodreads 


* Mundie Moms is a family friendly blog, and readers may find that a couple words are edited in the excerpt below, to keep today's post family friendly.


EXCERPT #2 Wild Crush

I tried to challenge Vic, but instead of making him want to be a better man he’s given up.
Suddenly the door to the garage opens. Bernie appears in a tailored suit, and he’s holding a huge bouquet of roses in his hand.
“Did you just come from a funeral?” Isa jokes.
“No,” Bernie says, completely serious. “I came to take you on a date.”
Isa backs up. “I told you I don’t date.” She “narrows her eyes at Alex. “Don’t you dare say a word, Alex.”
Alex holds his hands up. “I’m not sayin’ anything, Isa.”
Bernie hands Isa the flowers. “Go on a date with me.”
“I can’t,” she says.
“Why not?”
“Because…” Isa tosses the flowers in the trash. She starts walking away, but then rushes back to the garbage can and pulls them out. “ - you for doin’ this to me, Bernie.”
“I’m just trying to love you,” he says.
“Yeah, well all the guys I’ve loved die. You want to die?”
“I will eventually,” he says. “I’m not afraid of dying. And I’m not afraid of you. Go out with me.”
“I have work to do.”
“I’ll help you catch up on work.”
“I fired you, a***ole.” Isa’s words are harsh, but the way she’s cradling the huge bouquet, as if it’s her lifeline to happiness, shows her true feelings.
“You can fire me a thousand times, and I’ll still come back,” Bernie says. “You and I can make a great team. Just go out with me tonight. If you want me to leave you alone after tonight, well, I’ll consider it.”
“Do it,” Alex says. “Give the poor gringo a chance.”
Isa glares at him. “I didn’t ask your opinion, Fuentes.”
Alex shrugs.
I’m afraid to give Isa my own advice for fear she’ll yell at me or fire me on the spot. But I do it anyways. “He’s not going to give up,” I tell her. “And those flowers are gorgeous.”
Isa sighs loudly. It takes a long time for her to respond. Finally, she swallows and says in a weak voice. “Fine. Let me change first.”
“Don’t change,” Bernie says, taking her by the hand and stopping her. “I’ll take you just the way you are.”
“You’re a geek,” she says.
“I know. I’ll bet you never went out with a geek before, Isa. Let me give you a hint. Geeks make the best husbands.”
Isa rolls her eyes, then turns to me as Bernie leads her outside. “If you want to come by to talk to Vic tonight, you can. I’ll be back late, I guess.”
I bite my bottom lip nervously as she hands me a key to the shop. “You sure?”
“Hell, if anyone can pull him out of his darkness it’s you.”
“How do you know?”
Isa winks. “I don’t know a lot, but I do know you scare the s*it out of him. And he ain’t afraid of anything.”

ABOUT WILD CARDS


Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Add it to Goodreads


After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?


Fire & Thorns Series Read-Along: The Bitter Kingdom, Chapters 29-42 #ReadingRae



Welcome to the week of our #ReadingRae read-athon. I'm a little sad it's our last post! This has been such a fun read-along. It's been a long time since I've read an entire series back to back like this. I loved. It's been such a blast taking part in this with some fabulous blogger friends. I absolutely adore Rae, and have loved reading this series to gear up for tomorrow's release of Walk On Earth A Stranger

We this being our last week, today we're discussing chapters 29 - 42 of The Bitter Kingdom. Before I share my thoughts, and incase you're just joining us, here's a little bit about the The Bitter Kingdom

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Rae Carson
Published by: Harper Collins
Released On: August 27th, 2013
Series: The Girl of Fire and Thorns #3
Add it to Goodreads

The champion must not waver.
The champion must not fear.
The gate of darkness closes.


Elisa is a fugitive.

Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight.

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lucero-Elisa né Riqueza de Vega, bearer of the Godstone, will lead her three loyal companions deep into the enemy's kingdom, a land of ice and snow and brutal magic, to rescue Hector and win back her throne. Her power grows with every step, and the shocking secrets she will uncover on this, her final journey, could change the course of history.

But that is not all. She has a larger destiny. She must become the champion the world has been waiting for.

Even of those who hate her most.


My Thoughts

I can't believe it's over! I have loved reading this series, especially back to back. It's one of my all time favorite series. Okay, down to the good stuff. First off, I have loved watching Elisa grow and become this incredibly fierce, and strong women. She knows herself, and her wants. She's not afraid to go after what she wants (Hector *cough, cough*), nor is she afraid to ask for help, and rely on her friends when she needs it. 

One of my favorite lines from the book is from page 428 - "I hope so. But I meant me. I'm beautiful to me." 


I felt like that is one of the most powerful lines in the book. It sums up Elisa's growth, it sums up the women is has become, and whom she is now. She's secure and happy with whom she is, and that's such a crucial thing. She doesn't need anyone else's acceptance of whom she is, except for from herself. Now, the other thing I loved about these chapters is Elisa and Hector! This line is from right before their WEDDING!


Second, we have a wedding!!! Elisa and Hector are a match made in YA book heaven. Seriously, can they be any more perfect for each other?! No, they can't. I love how they get each other. I love their love and support for each other. Most importantly, I love how they've always supported each other for who they are. They've never forced the other to be anyone other than who they are. I love their stolen moments together, and those scenes.... *sigh*. The get married!!!!!


Third, the characters in this book are great. Rae Carson does such a wonderful job at creating characters that are more than just supporting characters, who fizzle away after the story is gone. She creates strong characters who support the story, and are very much apart of the story as Elisa and Hector are. I love her blend of action, romance, and the mythology/lore that is at the heart of the story. Readers have learned about Elisa's powers along side Elisa, and I really liked that.


I loved this series, and I really enjoyed this book. I have to say, that wedding may make this my favorite book from the series. 








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