Waiting on Wednesday #99

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Publication Date: November 4th, 2014

Summary-

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has.

But across Brittany, the tides of war are drawing ever nearer, with France pressuring the beleaguered duchess from all sides. Annith’s search for answers threatens to rip open an intricate web of lies and deceit that sit at the heart of the convent she serves. Yet to expose them threatens the very fabric of her existence and risks an unforeseen chance at love, one that she can no longer deny. Annith must carefully pick a path and, gods willing, effect a miracle that will see her country—and her heart—to safety.

I love Robin LaFevers' writing style so I am super excited for Mortal Heart.

What are you waiting on? :)

Top Ten Tuesday #37

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Today's topic is: 

top ten books people have been telling me that I must read

Here's my list:

 

Yes Tanja, I can feel your eyes on me. *hides* 

 

 

Yes Janhvi, I'm listening. 

 

 

Yes professor. Noted.

What about you, huh? Let me know your answers/ list in the comments below or simply leave me a link to your post so I can come check it out. Happy Tuesday, and happy reading, everyone! 

Review- Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar

Goodreads Summary:

Sachin Kundalkar started on his first novel at 20 and finished it when he was 22. The novel was Cobalt Blue, the story of a brother and sister who fall in love with the same man, and how a traditional Marathi family is shattered by the ensuing events – a work that both shocked and spoke to Marathi readers. 

“Thankfully, no one calls it a gay novel anymore. That term is so passé. Now about 12 years later, I feel the brother and the sister are not two people but masculine and feminine sides of the same person. And the book is thus, in turns, a feminine and a masculine monologue,” says the author.

REVIEW:

I came across this review of author Sachin Kundalkar's Cobalt Blue when I was searching for some absurdity-themed Marathi novels, and I was completely intrigued by the sound of it. Cobalt Blue may not have anything to do with absurdity, but it sounded so good to me. For quite some time now, I had my eye on the book, and I was excited to pick up and read the English edition of the Marathi novel translated by Jerry Pinto. Even though it's my mother-tongue, I am not the most comfortable reading in Marathi, and this book has really made me want to step out of my langue comfort zone and read the original. Somewhere, when I came across Cobalt Blue, I knew that the book would be amazing, and I can proudly say that it was just that- simply and purely amazing. There are many aspects of this book that can be contemplated over deeply and discussed thoroughly, but that would be lengthy and time consuming, so I will just write about its amazingness, taking into consideration the points I feel are the most important. 

What I loved the most about Cobalt Blue- and I'm being biased here- is that it's set in my very own, lovely and incredible city of Pune where there is a peaceful and easy coexistence of tradition and modernity. I loved exploring my own city through the book, and was astounded when a shop that belongs to a family friend was mentioned. The story takes place in a simple Maharashtrian family of two brothers Aseem and Tanay, a sister Anuja and their parents. Whilst here, I would like to stress on Jerry Pinto's retention (of which he speaks in the Translator's Note) of some Marathi terms that can be translated, but sound more authentic and convincing when used the way they are. I, for one, found it very normal and nice. The Joshi family open up a room in their house for a paying guest. That's when the person whose name we do not get to know until the very end (what admiration I have for Mr. Kuldarkar), but who plays the most significant role in the story, comes into the lives of Tanay and Anuja, who are fascinated by the carefree, dashing, independent and quirky personality of their paying guest. 

The first half of Cobalt Blue is a second person naration where Tanay directly addresses the paying guest, while the second half of the book is from Anuja's point of view where she narrates her journey with the paying guest. That brings me to another thing that I loved about the book, and that is the simultaneity of a heterosexual and a homosexual relationship. Although the two relationships are the focus of the book, sometimes, it seemed to me like the story was more about the Joshi family, wherein everyone knows one another, but no one really understands each other. It's so good that I can't even describe how well everything is done. That aside though, Cobalt Blue is not about discovering, accepting or exploring sexuality, it's about embracing it. In a very conscious and subtle way, the author keeps the family on one side entirely and the two love struck siblings on another side. The consequences of both the relationships are devastating and let me get one thing straight- I had been waiting to read a book like this for so long. A book where things left unsaid, remain unsaid. A book where things left undone, remain undone. It was astounding and so very amazing. 

There is something so intriguing and mysterious about Cobalt Blue that I wanted to read it so bad and once I began reading it, I didn't want it to end. But honestly, like I said before, I was waiting for a book like this and I'm more than glad I finally stumbled upon it. Seriously, Cobalt Blue has proved to me that Marathi literature is so precious and there are so many gems to be discovered. On a purely personal level, I don't like to shout out about the books that I loved and find special. But something about Cobalt Blue makes me want to take up the job of letting people know about its beauty and just thrusting the book (even if it's my very own and henceforth treasured copy) in their hands just so they know how beautiful it is. The story is amazing. The writing is amazing. The translation is amazing. The book is simply amazing. 

RATING:

Second Blogoversary Celebration Giveaway (IN & INT)!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Raise your hands up in the air and join Janhvi and me in celebrating our second Blogoversary! 

Happy Blogoversary to us!!! 

It's our second blogoversary on the 16th of August, but because we haven't been posting on weekends since some time now, we thought we'd start celebrating a day in advance. We're super duper excited. Honestly, we can't believe it's been two whole years of blogging. It's been so much fun. We've had our ups and downs like everyone does, but what matters most is the fact that we've been having a great time pursuing our hobby and the most awesome part of blogging (and I'm sure other bloggers will agree with me on this one) is blogger friends! We've met some absolutely awesomesauce people who we can proudly call our friends. We heart you all large, but I have to say a special thank you to Aman @ Enticed by Books, Glass and Tanja @ Ja Citam, a ti?, just because we heart them a bit more. 

Besides our super awesome friends, we also have the ever awesome publishing houses to thank. They're the reason we get free books, after all. But jokes aside, we always have a nice time interacting with authors and publishers. We heart you all as well, but I have to specially thank Srishti Publishers and Distributors (we heart you guys a bit more), Alchemy Publishers, Hachette India, Harlequin India, Harper Collins India, Jaico Books, Random House India, Rupa Publications and Westland. We're sorry if we missed any. Just know that we heart you, we're just forgetful that way. Readers, you should thank them too because these awesome guys are the reason we can give away books to you guys. 

Of course, I cannot stop before thanking all our dear, made of awesome, full of awesome and sprinkled with awesome readers! We cannot thank our readers enough for reading and respecting whatever it is that we have to say. Thank you for tolerating us! 

*group hug* 

Well, celebration calls for gifts! And, no. We aren't asking you to give us anything. But we're giving you something. Just becasue we heart you all. 

So. Let's get onto the giveaway we have planned for you! No, wait. Let's get onto the AWESOME giveaway we have planned for you. Seriously. It's AWESOMESAUCE. It makes me wish I was a reader of our blog instead of the co-founder. It also makes me wish I were rich so I could ship internationally. But unfortunately, we're poor students. So we have one awesome giveaway for our international readers and we've made not one, not two, not three, not four, not five but SIX prize packs with lots of books for our dear Indian readers.  Also, we have some surprise elements thrown in the prize packs, but it's a surprise, so keep guessing! 

Before I reveal the prizes to you, let me just get a few rules cleared up: 

*Because we're being (super) generous, all we ask of you is to follow us. Following our blog via GFC or Bloglovin' is mandatory. The other entries are optional. 

*Enter by filling up the appropiate Rafflecopter form(s) below. 

*The giveaway lasts for a month. Once winners are picked, they will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or else we'll be compelled to pick new winners.

*If you have any questions whatsoever, let us know and we'll clear your doubts. 

Oh, and here are our social media links to make your work slightly easy. 

Twitter- @justjanhvi and @SarikaP8

Facebook- The Readdicts Book Blog

Instagram- @justjanhvi and @SarikaP8

Google+- The Readdicts Book Blog

Goodreads- Janhvi and Sarika 

What can you win, you ask? Let me list it for you and you can enter along! 

INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive a book of their choice from The Book Depository (provided they ship free to your country) under $10! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Go HERE if the form doesn't load. 

INDIA ONLY GIVEAWAY:

Six winners will receive one prize pack each. Pictures of the prize packs can be seen below. Let us know which one you prefer. We'll try to give you that one itself, but on a purely first come, first serve (reply in this case) basis. 

1) The fun Hachette India Middle Grade Pack

2) The mostly Hachette Adult and a few Non- Fiction titles Prize Pack

3) The super Srishti Prize Pack

4) The mostly Jaico Prize Pack

5) The Young Adult Prize Pack

6) The Mythological/ Historical Prize Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Go HERE if the form doesn't load. 

That's all we have for you, guys. I sincerely hope you loved the post and that you stick with us in the future like you've been sticking with us all this time. Once again, I'd like to thank all of your for being so AWESOME. 

We heart you all and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! 

Love,

 

Cover Reveal + Giveaway- Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

Goodreads

RELEASE DATE: September 9th, 2014

Blurb:

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about a hot and wickedly tempting rock star. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Once Rock Addiction is out, swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the book.

STALK HER:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

$50 GIFT CARD

Reader to receive an Advanced Read Copy (ebook, 2 winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share Link

THANK YOU!

I am super excited for Nalini Singh's Rock Addiction. I am a HUGE Nalini Singh fan and love all her paranormal books so can't wait for this. What do you think of the cover? :)

Review- Its in His Kiss by Jill Shlavis

Summary-

ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

Review-

It is no secret that I love Jill Shalvis' books. I adore the Lucky Harbor series so of course when I got a chance to read It's in His Kiss I got right to it. It's in His Kiss is the tenth book in the Lucky Harbor series. This book starts off the last set of trilogy which will be in the series. Its the story of Becca and Sam and I really loved it.

Becca needed an escape from her life so she's moved to Lucky Harbor. Lucky Harbor was supposed to be just a pit stop for her but soon it becomes so much more. I really liked Becca. She was sweet and sassy and not afraid to show her feelings. She had her genuine fears and a horrible past but she was still very determined. All in all Becca was very easy to relate to.

Then we have Sam. Sam with his two friends Cole and Tanner run a boat business. I really liked Sam but he was a stubborn man. Sam has had a hard past and he knows never to mix business with pleasure. When Becca starts working for Sam he can't resist her. Sam was the typical brooding hero. He was strong and silent. I really liked how protective he was of Becca. He does behave like an ass at times but he knows when he's made a mistake.

Becca and Sam were really good together. Becca's sweetness was the perfect balance to Sam's jadedness. They had incredible chemistry and the intimate scenes were sweet yet sexy. I absolutely loved watching Sam unknowingly fall for Becca and Becca regaining her confidence because of Sam. They were good for each other.

I also loved Sam's friends Cole and Tanner. Tanner is still a bit mysterious but I loved Cole's sense of humor. I am really looking forward to his book next. It's in His Kiss was a wonderful read which makes you feel good at the end of the day. I love the town of Lucky Harbor so I enjoyed It's in His Kiss.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Cover Reveal- Snark and Stage Fright by Stephanie Wardop

Hi guys! I'm excited to be participating in the cover reveal for author Stephanie Wardop's Snark and Stage Fright, hosted by the awesome peeps at YA Bound. Let's see what's in store for you! 

Snark and Stage Fright

by Stephanie Wardrop

Release Date: 10/14/14

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Happily-ever-after isn’t as happy or forever as Jane Austen makes it look. Just something Georgia Barrett learns when her sharp tongue costs her the only guy she’s ever really cared about: Michael Endicott.

Determined to move on, Georgia lands the lead role in the school’s fall musical. But to survive on stage, she’ll need to learn to express herself without her protective shield of snark. She soon discovers being honest with others means being honest with herself, and the truth is she’s still in love with Michael.

But from the looks of Michael’s new girlfriend, Georgia isn’t the only one who tried to move on. Apparently, some people are just better at it than others. And when Michael and his girlfriend join the cast of the fall musical, Georgia finds out that snark and stage fright are the least of her worries…

About the Author:

Stephanie Wardrop grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, a town mostly famous for being a railroad card in Monopoly. After giving up on her childhood goal of becoming a pirate, she decided to become a writer but took a detour through lots of college and grad school and ended up teaching writing and British and American literature. She's the author of the Swoon Romance e-novella series Snark and Circumstance, based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and lives in western New England with her husband, kids, cats, and gecko.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Do you like the cover? I think it's cute, and I've read the first two in this series, so I hope to catch up with it sometime. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you're looking forward to the book!