Tuesday, September 17, 2013

PAGE IS FINALLY UP!

New Blog is Finally UP!

Please, from this day forward, inquire about review request and so on, over there!

http://manhattanreader.com/

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Second Update

I know that I've been saying that I'm going to start blogging, and I am! But the struggle is with the designer who I'm trying to work with isn't getting back to me in a timely manner and I just don't know what to do at this point since they are the ones who are in control of most of what's happening. At this point I'm starting to get frustrated over this, because I have a pool of books that I have read and want to review and have a lot of blog tour stops that are coming up and I don't understand why things are going so slowly at this point. I'm doing everything I can, but I do know that I will be functioning in a new blog soon (I paid, so it's going to happen).

Again, I'm sorry that I've not updated at all. It has been a struggle working through all of this, but I hope to get working soon on the new blog, whenever that will be.

Please hold on tight and I will be in full force very soon!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Update

I know that a few weeks ago I mentioned things about moving and such. Well, my life kind of fell into pieces and I wasn't able to do what I needed to get done in order to officially move myself over to Wordpress just yet.

I did just want you all to know that for sure, for sure by the start of September I will officially be moved in. It might be sooner than that, hopefully, like the last week in August, but for sure things will be rolling more smoothly after that.

As it stands, I'm not accepting review requests at the moment unless you are a publisher, an author that I've worked with in the past before, or if you give me a due date that's far enough advance, and at this point I'm talking November/December territory.

I don't know when I will be accepting new requests. At this point in time I have a lot of reviews that I need to do and I've been terrible at keeping up with things.

As you can see I haven't updated my blog, because I don't see the point in reviewing if I'm no longer going to be here. With that being said, though, I have done some mini-reviews on my Goodreads, mostly for outstanding Netgalley reviews, because there's a lot of those as well, but also some other stuff.

So go ahead and add me as a friend if you like.

Hopefully when I speak to you guys next time I'll be settled into my new home!

Peace!

MB

Friday, July 26, 2013

Moving On, Changes, and GIVEAWAY!

Yesterday, I announced that I had a little announcement to make and I figured that now would be the perfect time to announce it!

I am moving! This blog is closing! Now, I don't mean that I'm done with book blogging, because I really do enjoy it, but I am done with blogger. It was a good run, and I thought I would at least stay for another year, but after getting in contact with someone they convinced me that it was best to say goodbye to blogger and get my own domain at Wordpress. So, I'm officially joining the Wordpress crowd.

I'm a little nervous for the move, but at the same time I'm not, since I'm technically not moving, someone else is moving for me.

Some call it lazy, I call it smart. As much as I love messing around with technology and creating websites and whatnot, knowing myself I would probably screw something up and lose everything. Granted, I don't have thousands of post or anything, which is why this is the perfect time to move. I'd rather do it now then later on when I have a lot more data and can lose a lot more.

Anna from Anna Marie More Designs is doing not only doing a design, but allowing me to get my own domain on her server, so that's all very exciting!

The official blog won't launch until August 1st, though, so keep on eye out on that. Also, in the big changes arena, is the fact that I am going to be getting a new domain. I will officially own manhattanreader.com (it doesn't exist yet, so don't bother going to it) but I'll make sure that whatever needs changing will get changed.

Finally, because of all the excitement I want to host a big giveaway! It's a little closing up shop, cleaning out the bookshelf, starting something new giveaway.

I have a lot of books that will be going, so the way that this may or may not work is that I'll put up a list of books that I have, and I will pick five winners. There are five packages, two YA packages, two Adult packages, and one a mixture of the two. Each package has four/five books in them, and some of them are signed. Some are also nonfiction that have been spread across.

Package 1: YA









The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch
Journey to Virginland: Catena by Armen Melikian
Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

Package 2: YA







Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch
Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb

Package 3: YA & Adult










Journey to Virginland: Catena by Armen Melikian
Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves 
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Emotional Vampires: Dealing With People Who Drain You Dry by Albert J. Bernstein

Package 4: Adult










The Expats by Chris Pavone
Never Tell by Alafair Burke
Assisted by John Stockton
Dissident Gardens by Jonathan Lethem

Package 5: Adult













Teatime for the Firefly by Shona Patel
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton
Dominion by C.J. Sansom
The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Night Film by Marisha Pessl

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BIG NEWS COMING SOON!

Accurate blog post title is accurate.

Big bloggy news coming your way!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Come Alive by Jessica Hawkins

Title: Come Alive
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: May 30th, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 275
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Netgalley
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Come Undone
Age Group: Adult

Determined to move on with her life, Olivia Germaine has vowed to forget David Dylan. Struggling to keep her head above water, she focuses on her new promotion and refuses to drown in the memory of their night together.

But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him . . . and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.

Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David?

And can David stay away like he promised?

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

So, this is one of those books where the people that are around me while I'm reading this wished that I was illiterate.

The way I wanted so badly to just jump Olivia and end her was so profound. I understand her, the commitment she made to Bill. But come on! The feels! The feels for David Dylan! They are there; I can see it, Pluto can see, all can see it except her!

David Dylan, I want you. Olivia might be difficult, but I will take you.

I just don't understand who would put themselves into that type of suffering. The way these two are, there is just no denying their attraction and their emotions for each other.

The whole thing was such an emotional roller coaster, I wasn't sure if I would come off of it in one piece, to be honest. I was pulling my hair at everything. I don't know how Hawkins does it, I honestly don't, because she is just a master at this.

The struggle that Olivia was facing and just how things were working out, or not working out in this case.

I still cannot believe I have to wait until September for the last book. One thing Hawkins has going for her is the fact that she keeps me wanting to come back for more and more!


Come Undone by Jessica Hawkings

Title: Come Undone
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: January 1st, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 289
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Netgalley
Interest: Series
Age Group: Adult

Olivia Germaine has already found love. Devoted wife, loyal friend, determined career woman - she’s created the life she always envisioned.

But when Olivia locks eyes with a handsome stranger across a crowded room, he peers a little too closely and sees emotions she thought she’d buried long ago.

David Dylan, alleged playboy and eternal bachelor, challenges Olivia to confront the life she’s built and to make decisions that could either lead to happiness . . . or regret.

Will Olivia be able to draw the line between lust and love?

And can David respect that line?

Can anyone say Best Erotic Literature of 2013?! I can, I can!

Okay, so maybe erotic isn't the genre this one falls under (even though there were plenty of scenes that had even me reaching for a glass of water) this romance novel is different and enjoyable. Hawkins never lost my attention throughout the book, and I am so glad I got the chance to read it!

At first, when I saw that this was bout a married woman possibly cheating, I thought I would hate her. I do, but only because she's so stubborn! I understand how she must feel and what she would be going through, but I just wanted to smack some sense into her or at least pray she sees the light soon.

The tension between her and David was so hot that if someone even thought of lighting a match it would start a huge fire.

I read this in one night, there was no sleeping until I found out what happened at the end.

I thought I would end up dying in the end when I saw where Hawkins left me. I am so glad that there was a second book and that there will be a third! I am so happy and so sad, because of the wait.

This is one of those moments when I wish that authors would write faster!

Still love this series though. It isn't just about the romance and the sex, but about finding oneself.

So, I have to say, this is the Best Romance Book of 2013! Heck, maybe it can even have both made up awards.