Shelf Candy Saturday #76: Cruel Beauty, by Rosamund Hodge

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly feature

showcases beautiful book covers,

and provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

just click HERE.

This is my choice for this week!

Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge

Hardcover, 336 pages

Balzer & Bray

January 28, 2014

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

This cover, when I first came across it, left me absolutely speechless!  I found it while visiting a new blog, The Sirenic Codex, where it was included in a post titled Top 5: 2014 Cover Reveals.  P.E. Mari, the author of this blog, had in turn discovered it on the website Epic Reads, in one of their blog's posts, titled Winter 2014 Cover Reveals Roundup.

First of all, red roses are my favorite flowers!  I do like other types and colors of roses, but I will always prefer red ones.  To me, they speak of love, passion, and romanticism!  The one on this cover was obviously photographed at the height of its beauty.  Its perfect whorls are actually mesmerizing.

The stunning aspect of this cover is the rose's seamless fusion with the spiral staircase.    This is a stroke of genius on the designer's part!  This fusion has been achieved to such a degree of perfection that it simply seems natural to have the rose flow into a spiral staircase.  The result is an image which is highly pleasing to the eye, as well as very symbolic. 

Book Blogger Hop #26 (7/12 - 7/18): How long have you been blogging?

Welcome to the new

Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffec-Addicted Writer!

He took over this hop from

Jennifer @ Crazy For Books.

I'm so glad he decided to

continue with this weekly feature!

For more information, click HERE.

What to Do

1.) Post on your blog answering this question:

How long have you been blogging?

2.)  Enter the link to your post in the

Linky list on Bill's blog.

3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and

comment on their posts. 

4.)  Be sure to find out next week's

question when you visit Bill's blog!

My Answer

I've been blogging since September 22, 2010.  I can't believe it's nearly three years already....but it is!

My very first post was a short one about Twilight.  I only published three posts that first month.  Not much of a beginning, true, but things grow...and so here I am, almost three years later, with a bit more knowledge, but still learning!  It's been a fun ride, trying out new things, meeting a lot of very nice bloggers and reading their wonderful posts....and I'm looking forward to more blogging fun for years to come!

Here are some posts from that first year:

Book Review: Fallen, by Lauren Kate

Book Review: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

How well read are you?

My Book Collection: Partial Views!

Twilightdreamlover's Picks: January 2011

What did you think of my answer?

I'll go check out yours, too!

Waiting On Wednesday #82: Tandem, by Anna Jarzab

This is a weekly event hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine!!

It showcases future releases which

we book bloggers are

eagerly anticipating!!

Here's my choice for this week!

 Tandem

(Many-Worlds Trilogy#1)

Anna Jarzab

Hardcover, 448 pages

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

October 8, 2013

Romance, Science Fiction,

Young Adult Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

Shelf Candy Saturday #75: Forgiven, by Jana Oliver

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly feature

showcases beautiful book covers,

and provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

just click HERE.

This is my choice for this week!

Forgiven

(The Demon Trappers #3)

Jana Oliver

Trade Paperback, 354 pages

St. Martin's Griffin

March 27, 2012

Paranormal Fiction, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

This is obviously a composite cover, and an absolutely stunning one!  All the component images fit so perfectly together -- the girl, who is cautiously checking behind her to see if she's being followed, the gorgeous, stylized wings in the center of the cover, the dark city, and the orange plumes of smoke.   They all make a very interesting, very compelling composition.

The wings remind me of those found in Egyptian art, although they're not quite similar.  Still, the effect is very exotic.

The title of this novel has been very strategically placed, and the font used is perfect.  It's graceful, yet doesn't overpower the images.

Although I do own this book, it's somewhere in this vast library I live in....so, when I find it, I'll come back and post the name of the cover artist.  Meanwhile, I invite you all to simply enjoy!

What do you think of this cover?

Leave me a comment

and let me know!

Stacking The Shelves #19: Family Magic, Blood Purple, Irish Folk & Fairy Tale Omnibus, and THREE Highland Guard Romances!!

This is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer, Lili,

Stephanie, Helen, and Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews!

(I have decided to start participating

every other week, though, because of

time constraints.)

As the title implies, this is all about

sharing the books you're adding

to your shelves, be they physical or virtual.

For the complete rules, and to sign up,

just click on the link above.

This week's haul!! 

 

Books Purchased

I have recently interviewed the author of

this very exciting YA paranormal novel,

and greatly enjoyed her answers.

The book itself promises to be

a great read!  That's why I could hardly wait

to get it from Amazon!

You can read the interview HERE.

Family Magic

Patti Larsen

Hardcover, 405 pages

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

I first saw this book on

the author's blog, and immediately

fell in love with the cover!

This novel presents a kingdom of vampires

originating in the Middle East,

with a fighting princess included!

Most of the reviews were positive,

so I ordered it right away!!

Blood Purple

Ashley Nemer

Trade Paperback, 159 pages

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

This one showed up on my radar

when I was preparing a

St. Patrick's Day post last year.

I have always been fascinated by fairy tales, and,

since I wasn't too familiar with Irish ones,

decided to purchase a book about them. 

Irish Folk and Fairy Tales Omnibus

Michael Scott

Trade paperback, 656 pages

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository UK