Cover Reveal ~ Precious Things by Stephanie Parent

Precious Things

by Stephanie Parent 

Release Date: May 2013

Cover Deisgned by: Allie Brennan of B Design 

Cover reveal organized by: YA Bound

Summary from Goodreads:

Isabelle Andrews isn’t supposed to be here. She isn’t supposed to be a freshman at Hartford Community College, she isn't supposed to be living at home and working at her dad’s failing bakery, and she definitely isn’t supposed to be taking Intro to Electronic Music Production, a class that will get her nowhere toward her goal of an English Ph.D. by age twenty-five. But when her dad’s latest business fiasco eats up her college fund, Hartford Community College is exactly where Isabelle finds herself—and thanks to her late enrollment, she doesn’t even get to choose her classes. Stuck with Electronic Music and way-too-easy English courses, Isabelle is determined to wallow in all the misery she feels entitled to.

But community college brings some unexpected benefits…like the fact that a certain overworked, over-scheduled Electronic Music professor hands over most of his duties to his teaching assistant. His tall, green-eyed, absolutely gorgeous teaching assistant. When TA Evan Strauss discovers Isabelle’s apathy toward electronic music—and, well, all music—he makes it his mission to convert her. The music Evan composes stirs something inside Isabelle, but she can’t get involved—after all, she’ll be transferring out as soon as possible. 

Still, no matter how tightly Isabelle holds on to her misery, she finds it slipping away in the wake of all Hartford Community offers: new friendships, a surprisingly cool poetry professor, and most of all, Evan. But Evan’s dream of owning his own music studio is as impractical as Isabelle’s dad’s bakery, and when Evan makes a terrible decision, everything Isabelle has gained threatens to unravel. Soon Isabelle discovers that some of the most important lessons take place outside the classroom…and that in life, as in Evan’s favorite Depeche Mode song, the most precious things can be the hardest to hold on to.

About the Author

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

 

Follow Stephanie at:
Blog| Twitter|Goodreads  

Special Small Book Haul: One Book: One Month Anniversary Gift!

About a month ago I started dating the most wonderful man in the world! His name is Matt and I love him so much!

Tuesday March 19th was our one month anniversary. A few days before he asked me what I wanted for our anniversary. I told him just to get me a book. :) He said he would pick out the book. :) 

So, this is the book My Matt got me:

 

The picture is a bit blurry. It is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende!! We had talked about it and I mentioned I wanted to read the book but didn't have it yet! And he got it for our one month anniversary!

If you're reading this, thank you again! And I love you sweetie! Mwah! <3

<3 Amanda Leigh

Happy Birthday Johnny Cade!!!!

The Outsders is one of my two favorite books. And Johnny Cade is one of my two favorite characters from this book. Today is Johnny Cade's birthday, A while ago I found a list on The Outsiders' website with most of the character's birthdays. So today I am doing sort of a tribute to him. 

Reasons To Love Johnny Cade:

# 1: He is SOOO sweet!

#2: He cares so much about his friends! 

#3: He saved those children from that burning building!

#4: He's open to poetry (Robert Frost - "Nothing Gold Can Stay") and literature (Margaret Mitchell - Gone With the Wind)!

#5: He will always stay gold!! 

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Mini Challenge #5 ~ Best Blogging Moments

I am getting quite tired. But I wanted to do this post quickly because I think it is a great one. What are your top blogging moments and/or favorite posts?

Top Blogging Moments:
1. The Chapter Chicks following my blog!
2. Getting to post the cover for my first book, Thousands of Mornings!
3. Getting to post that I am publishing my poetry and photography collection. (Thousands of Mornings.)!
4. Getting nominated for the Liebster Blog Award!
5. Any time I get to interview authors! (Victoria Scott, Ami Blackwelder, Andrea K. Robbins!)
6. Getting to 25 followers.

So those are my top moments - so far. ;) What about you guys? And what do you think of my top moments so far? :)

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Mini Challenge ~ Book Playlist

I don't remember which number mini challenge this was, but I know it was earlier in the day and so this post is very late. But I really liked this challenge so I am going to take part in it. For this we have to make a playlist for something book related. 

I am going to do a playlist for the books in the first cycle in The Vampire Diaries series. Simply entitled The Vampire Diaries.There are four books in total in this series: The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury, and The Dark Reunion.

This is a collective playlist for all of them. Here is my playlist:

1. I Want You by Kelly Clarkson
2. Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine
3. Save You by Kelly Clarkson
4. Haunted by Taylor Swift
5. Cut by Plumb
6. Beauty of the Dark by Madds Langer
7. Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran
8. If No One Will Listen by Kelly Clarkson
9. Dark Horses by Switchfoot
10. Sunsets and Car Crashes by The Spill Canvas

There you go! What do you think? Hope you guys like it! 

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Mini-Challenge Number 4 ~ Letter to My Younger Blogger Self

I have only been blogging for a little over a year. This challenge is to write a letter to your younger blogger self giving them advice if you can. Like I said, it hasn't been that long, but I'll give it a shot.

Dear Amanda (Me),
You are starting out on this blogging journey. I am you a year and three months later.You DO keep up with this blog. Unlike your other ones. Your first attempts. I expect that is because you have a stronger resolve this time. Now that you know that authors should try to create a strong web presence. 

Just be yourself. Don't worry about what people WANT to hear. Or what you think they want to hear. If you like a book, don't be scared to write that. Also, if you DON'T like a book don't be scared to write that either. Just go for it. And go with your blog post ideas. 

I'll tell you a secret. In about six months, you'll have your own poetry and photography collection to write blog posts about too. 

And just ask for advice and do research when you need to when it comes to the technological stuff. I know that's not your thing. But trust me, you can do it. And your blog looks pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Good luck! 

Love,
Amanda Leigh Morey (You)

<3 Amanda Leigh

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Interview with Orisi of Orisis's Blah, Blah, Blah

Hi! I am participating in the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon today! I am late to the party. But here is my interview with fellow book blogger Orisi from Orisi's Blah Blah Blah. I have an interview over at Orisi's blog as well! 

I've checked out Orisi's blog! It looks wonderful! It is very awesome and impressive! Besides books, Orisis also love movies. I particularly love the To-Read pile page over at Orisi's blog! Go check it out at oblahblah.blogspot.com 

Oh, love the blog's name too!

Unfortunately, there is this INCREDIBLY INFURIATING white box around some of the text that JUST WON'T GO AWAY!!! No matter how many times I try. And I've tried like...8 times. No joke. So, it was either not post the interview or post it with the damned white box! So I am so so sorry. I don't know what is going on!

1)How did you get into blogging?

Great question. I moved to Abu Dhabi a couple of years ago and wanted to have a place to document our adventures over here in the Middle East. It meant that our friends and family could keep up. So I started a blog for that very reason. I graduated from University with a degree in English (literature being the major in that) and so I've always read a lot... and always have a lot to say. A friend of mine (MabisMab @ www.mabismab.com) had a book blog and so I would cruise her blog and thought it was awesome. Every time I would finish a book (or even watch a movie) here in Abu Dhabi I would bombard my friends (who usually haven't read the book) with my opinions and annoyances etc etc until I realised it would just be better for all if I just started writing about my bookish thoughts in blog form. So that's how I got in to blogging and book blogging!!!

2)What is your favorite part about blogging?

My favourite part? I think the community makes it so worth-while, but the best part... and this may sound silly is that I am totally immersed in so many other book-blogs that I get to update my 'To-read pile' every week! It is awesome. There is always good stuff to read recommended by other bloggers!

3)What is your favorite subject to blog about?

Books, books and books. Although to be honest I love writing about movies too, but my favourite is books, especially discussions on genre!

  

4)Do you have a favorite “bookish” blog post you've done?

I really enjoyed writing my review on Macbeth: A Novel by AJ Hartley and David Hewson. 

5)What is your favorite book? Favorite author?

I really love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

6)Favorite book to movie adaption?

That would easily be To Kill a Mocking Bird. The book was brilliant and the film was amazingly done.

7)And now one for just for fun. If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be?

I'd be Mint Chocolate Chip - because I love to chew gum and I love chocolate, haha! A strange answer indeed!

Thank you Orisi for stopping by the blog!! And thank you for interviewing me!! Now go show Orisi some love!!

<3 Amanda Leigh