Month of Guests 2013: I Want To Read That

I'm over the moon to say we have the brilliant Sammee from I Want To Read That here with us today!  She's been part of this event every year and I'm so excited that she's joining in once more - and opening the event with a bang!!

Hi! I'm Sammee from I Want To Read That - a book blog for most things YA! I'm not scared to admit I have a major addiction to books and own far too many! In fact I think they are taking over the house... I also spend my working life surrounded by books as I work as a Bookseller - so I get to play with books all day:D

I'm delighted to be taking part in Megan's Month of Guest and decided to talk about the books I'm most looking forward to reading in 2013...

My 2013 Must Reads

I’ve realised since I started blogging that it’s not just reading that I love – I also love finding new books – there is something about seeing the covers and reading the synopsis that makes me super excited to get my hands on them!  Plus I always kid myself by saying that pre-orders don’t count as buying books (yes, yes I know!) But I always have fun searching online for books that just jump out at me as must reads - and there are usually many that do just that… When Megan asked me to write a guest post for her I jumped at the chance – and what better to base it on than my addiction to searching for more books (that many of my friends will argue I really don’t need). So here goes – here are my choices as must reads for 2013 releases:

Crash Into You - Katie McGarry Having loved Pushing the Limits and Dare You Too I need to read this. Plus how much do I love the cover??? 
Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally I love Miranda Kenneally's books so this is an absolute no brainer. Plus an upstairs/downstairs style romance - sign me up! 
Wild Cards - Simone Elkeles So far I haven’t read a book by Elkeles I didn’t love. Plus the whole football thing just gets me thinking of Friday Night Nights (Riggins *swoon*)

Goodbye, Rebel Blue - Shelley Coriell I really, really liked Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe when I read it and this one sounds awesome! 
Just Like Fate - Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young Written by two authors I really like … I have to read this. 
Notable – Marni Bates Oh I so love Marni Bates! Her books are seriously funny – love, love, love them.

Dirty Little Secret - Jennifer Echols It’s Jennifer Echols – do I need to say more?
Right of Way - Lauren Barnholdt A companion novel to Two Way Street – yes please!
Where the Stars Still Shine - Trish Doller Something Like Normal was brilliant – it really blew me away - so I’m super excited to get my hands on this one.

United We Spy - Ally Carter I’m so addicted to this series it is so not funny. I’m gutted this will be the last one:-( 
Fracture - C.J. Daugherty Two words: Carter West! 
The Distance Between Us - Kasie West Sounds just like my kind of book at the moment! --- So yes I am still on my contemp kick (and it shows no sign of going anywhere) but there are some books outside of contemp that have seriously caught my eye (and the 1-click preorder button on Amazon…)

Slayers – C J Hill Dragons! 
Infinityglass - Myra McEntire I LOVE this series! 
Demonosity - Amanda Ashby Zombie Queen of Newbury High and Fairy Bad Day were ace – this one looks brilliant too! So that's my list - what books are you looking forward to reading in 2013?


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Thank you so much for your brilliant post, Sammee!  It just wouldn't be Fortnight of Guests without you!!
Hope you all enjoyed Sammee's post!  And don't forget to follow Sammee's Blog: I Want To Read That, follow her on Twitter and Goodreads! :D
And keep up to date with MonthOfGuests on Twitter using #MonthOfGuests2013!  And stop by tomorrow for a brilliant post by the wonderful Nina from Death, Books And Tea!!

Fortnight of Guests 2012: I Want To Read That

Hi! I'm Sammee from I Want To Read That - a book blog for most things YA! I have a major addiction (or obsession!) with books and I have far too many! But I kind of like that:) I also spend my working life surrounded by books as I work as a Children's Bookseller for Waterstones.

I'm really excited to be taking part in Megan's Fortnight of Guests again this year. I have been trying to persuade Megan that she really needs to read more romance novels – but I’m not sure I’m succeeding so far…

To try and tempt her (and you guys) I thought I would write my guest post on...

My Favourite Romance Authors/Reads.

Hope you enjoyJ

I don’t know why I love reading romance novels as much as I do.  Even when I am reading a different genre, such as dystopian or horror, I love it when the story has a romance element.  It is a major draw for me!  So I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that I always gravitate back to romance stories.  Here are some of the authors I love…

Jennifer Echols:

Ever since reading Going Too Far I have been a MASSIVE fan of Jennifer Echols.  I adore her books and read them as soon as they arrive.  I have really enjoyed them all and definitely recommend them.  I think Going Too Far is still my favourite but I also loved Boys Next Door and her latest book The One That I Want.

Jenny Han:

I love her ‘Summer’ series.  I loved Belly and I adored both Conrad and Jeremiah!  All three books totally rocked, getting better and better with each book! I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

Simone Elkeles:

I cannot write this post and not mention the writer who created one of my favourite fiction characters ever.  Yep I’m talking about a certain Alex Fuentes.  If you have not been introduced to him yet you really need to track down a copy of Perfect Chemistry pronto…

The rest of the trilogy and the other Fuentes brothers are just as swoonsome!  I loved all three.  I wish there were more!

Also worth checking out are Leaving Paradise and Returning to Paradise.  Both are great reads and I loved the romance element between Maggie and Caleb.

Luisa Plaja:

I love Lusia’s books!  Especially the ‘Kiss’ series and her new book Kiss Date Love Hate.  I love the characters she creates – Albie, David and Drew are major hotties  but they are also really nice guys.  And I love thatJ

Keris Stainton:

I’ve really enjoyed both of Keris Stainton’s books!  And Dan Bailey is one of my favourite boy characters!  I really adored him in Della Says OMG.   And Finn from Jessie Love NYC?  Can I have him please? J 

I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on her new book Emma Hearts LA when it publishes in June!

Eileen Cook:

I adore her books.  I love the characters she creates - her main characters are always great fun and really sassy! And the romance element is always really, really good!  My favourite so far is The Education of Hailey Kenrick – I loved it.

Kieran Scott

I really, really like She’s So Dead To Us and its sequel He’s So Not Worth it.  I love Ally and Jake and can’t wait to read the third book when it comes out.  I enjoy that you get the story from both points of view!

I also really loved Geek Magnet.  The romance is really sweet but there is also more to the story.

 Elizabeth Scott

How can I not mention Elizabeth Scott?  I love the genuine connection she creates between her characters.  You really believe in them.  Stealing Heaven, Perfect You and Love You Hate You Miss You are currently my favourites.

Lauren Barnholdt.

Two Way Street, Sometimes It Happens and Watch Me are my favourites of hers.  I always like the narrator and the guys are usually someone I can appreciateJ  Again, the romances are sweet and I quickly invest in the two of them.

CJ Skuse:

ROCKOHOLIC!  Honestly I love that book soooooo much!  I fell in love with Jody and Mac.  You need to read it!

Denise Deegan

Both And By The Way and And For You Information blew me away.  I loved the characters and the romances are absolutely spot on.  Love, love them!

Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are awesome!  Romance fiction at its best. How can you not fall in love with St Clair and Cricket??? I can’t wait to read more by this author.

I think I should stop there – but I could probably go on forever!  I hope you discover an author here that you love just as much as I doJ

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Thank you so much for the amazing guest post Sammee! And you didn't need to convince me - you've already won me over! I can't wait to get my hands on all these books! 

Oh, and guys - check out Luisa Plaja's post on the 16th to get an authors POV on the YA romance genre! :D
Everyone, if you liked this post, make sure you follow all the FoG events on Twitter at #FortnightOfGuests

Fortnight of Guests: I Want To Read That (Cover Wars: US vs UK)

Hi!   I'm Sammee from I Want To Read That - a book blog for most things YA!  I have a major addiction / obsession with books and I have far too many!  But I kind of like that:)  I also spend my working life surrounded by books as I work as a Children's Bookseller for Waterstone's.

I'm really excited to be taking part in Megan's Fortnight of Guests and opted to do a post on one of my favourite things:  Book covers.  Hope you enjoy:)

I love book covers. I don't know why they have such an influence on me but they really do. A good cover can be the difference between me being interested in a title or dismissing it. There have been occasions when I have been really excited about a book release only to have that excitement die somewhat at the sight of the cover - and of course it works the other way too. I hear about a book and feel my anticipation for it build and then I see the cover and suddenly I MUST have that book!

One of the things that really interests me is the differences in covers in different countries or for different releases (such as Hardback and then Paperback). From this Cover Wars was born - a way to compare different covers for the same book.

When Megan asked if I do a guest post for her I jumped at the chance and I thought I could do something a little different - get you guys to vote. It's US vs UK, there are five rounds - who will win?

Round One: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

I really, really like the UK cover. If I saw it on a shelf it would catch my eye - but put it next to the US one and I automatically drift towards it. I think it is the gorgeous read hair! So my vote is US

Round One: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

• US
• UK

View Results
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Round Two: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

There is no contest here I'm afraid - my vote is UK all the way!

Round Two: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

• US
• UK

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Round Three: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Like Fury, I do like the UK one but I LOVE the US one. It just really appeals to me - there is something haunting about it. And I have to say in this instance it doesn't feel like they are the same book. So, my vote is US.

Round Three: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

• US
• UK

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Round Four: My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

Okay so I love the US covers but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the UK ones - especially this one! So obviously my vote is UK

Round Four: My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

• US
• UK

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Round Five: The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clemment-Moore

I really like the new cover they produced in the UK but as soon as I saw the US one there was no competition! I absolutely adore this cover and am trying to convince myself I really do need two copies so I can justify buying it! Gorgeous - so my vote is US

Round Five: The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clemment-Moore

• US
• UK

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

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So who did you vote for? US or UK?

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Well, we'll wait and see who has the most votes in the end.  US or UK...  Thanks Sammee: that was great fun!  And such gorgeous covers!