Swag September ~ What we are reading!

What is Swag September?

Swag September is organized by Amber at Paradise of Pages. It will occur through the whole month of September. You don't need to worry how much you read during the month, the only thing you need to do is when you do read, read only the books that you have swag for. If it isn't on a piece of swag you read, don't read it. There will be guest posts, interviews, excerpts, a read-a-thon, and lots and lots of giveaways. Where can you go wrong? For any information or questions you may have as well as updates, visit Amber over at Paradise of Pages. ~From Amber at Paradise of Pages

Kristalyn, Beighley and Meaghan at The Sarcastic Palmtree are all participating in Swag September so we thought we would put together a post to let you know what we will be reading this month.  In addition, we will be helping Amber out with her Swag September posts for extra promotion so you can catch the special posts and giveaways included in this fun even this month at BOTH Paradise of Pages and at The Sarcastic Palmtree.  Make sure you are reading books that you have swag for this month so you can enter these great contests and giveaways!  There are a lot of authors that have donated not only swag, but books as well for this fantastic event!

Kristalyn's Swag September Reading List

 In no particular order and as always, subject to change on my reading whims! 

Darkness of Light ~ Tammy Farrell

Make It Count ~ Megan Erickson

Behind the Wooden Door ~ Emily Godwin

Upside Down ~ Lia Riley

Out of Play ~ Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry

How We Fall ~ Kate Brauning

Beighley's Swag September Reading List

In no particular order and subject to change

Unlikely Allies ~ Tiffany King

Mutilate My Heart ~ Emily Godwin

Wishing For Someday Soon ~ Tiffany King

Summer on the Short Bus ~ Bethany Crandall

Jordyn ~ Tiffany King

Meaghan's Swag September Reading List

Meaghan is taking over our Memory Lane Monday feature this month.  These are the books she will be reading.

American Girl on Saturn ~ Nikki Godwin

Mutilate My Heart ~ Emily Godwin

Now it's your turn!  Join us for Swag September and get to reading all those books you have that cool swag for!  We have the sign up linky below so you can join right now!  

Sarcastic Song Shuffle ~ August 2014 Edition

We listen to music all the time in our house so we thought it would be fun to share some of the music we love with you in a blog post every month.  Get ready, because everyone is grabbing their iPods and then...

WE ARE GOING TO HIT SHUFFLE!

Coconut

Female ~ Age: 9

Favorite music groups/artists:  One Direction, Justin Bieber, 

Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone

Coconut's Playlist

1. Love You Like a Love Song ~ Selena Gomez
2. Be the One ~ Cody Simpson
3. She's Not Afraid ~ One Direction
4. Round & Round ~ Selena Gomez
5. 11:11 ~ Austin Mahone
6. Because Of You ~ Kelly Clarkson
7. Acapella ~ Karmin
8. Say Somethin ~ Austin Mahone
9. Social Casualty ~ 5 Seconds of Summer
10. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) ~ Frozen Soundtrack 

Toucan

Female ~ Age: 13

Favorite Music Groups:  One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer

Likes to listen to Top 40 Radio Hits.

Toucan's Playlist

1. Does He Know? ~ One Direction
2. Brokenhearted ~ Karmin
3. Put Your Hearts Up ~ Ariana Grande
4. Without You ~ David Guetta featuring Usher
5. She's Not Afraid ~ One Direction
6. Secret ~ Austin Mahone
7. Choose Your Battles ~ Katy Perry
8. Beside You ~ 5 Seconds of Summer
9. One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) ~ One Direction
10. Pool Mashup ~ Pitch Perfect Soundtrack

Flamingo

Female ~ Age: Adult

Favorite Music Group: Bon Jovi

She will pretty much listen to and enjoy anything.

Flamingo's Playlist

1. Kiss Me Kiss Me ~ 5 Seconds 
2. California Sad-Eyed Girl ~ Rockapella
3. Little White Lies ~ One Direction
4. Wanted ~ Hunter Hayes
5. Picture to Burn ~ Taylor Swift
6. Bed of Roses ~ Bon Jovi
7. Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya? ~ Bryan Adams
8. Renegade ~ Daughtry
9. Lost Highway ~ Bon Jovi
10. Because We Can ~ Bon Jovi

Banana

Male ~ Age:16

Likes to listen to pretty much any kind of music.  

Doesn't have a favorite Artist.

Banana's Playlist

1. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) ~ Frozen Soundtrack
2. Popular Song ~ MIKA & Ariana Grande
3. Cruise ~ Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly 
4. He Could Be The One ~ Hanna Montana
5. Secret ~ Austin Mahone
6. Leave the Pieces ~ The Wreckers
7. Adrienne ~ The Calling
8. Amnesia ~ 5 Seconds
9. Lengendary Lovers ~ Katy Perry 
10. Something For The Pain ~ Bon Jovi

Last up ~ Surfboard

Male ~ Age: Adult

Doesn't like any particular artist, just songs.  Most of Surfboards musical selections are not a favorite with anyone else at The Sarcastic Palmtree.

Surfboard's Playlist

1. Dude (Looks Like A Lady) ~ Aerosmith
2. Unskinny Bop ~ Poison
3. (You're) Timeless To Me ~ Hairspray Soundtrack
4. Tessla Girls ~ OMD
5. My Next Thirty Years ~ Tim McGraw
6. Summer Nights ~ Grease Soundtrack
7. Standing Outside the Fire ~ Garth Brooks
8. Trailer For Rent ~ Pistol Annies
9. (It's Just) Desire ~ Nelson
10. Livin' on a Prayer ~ Bon Jovi

There you have it!  Let us know what's on your playlist these days (we love new music) and tell us whose list made you smile!

Songs of the Summer 2014

Summer is one of the best times of  year for fun music.  We love to listen to music pretty much all day, every day, at the Sarcastic Palmtree.   This is a list of what we have all been listening to this summer, in no particular order.

Disclaimer:  We don't really listen to the radio during Summer so our list is purely original.  :)

Hilary Duff ~ Chasing the Sun

The latest and greatest from Hilary Duff is this fun tune.  It's peppy and summery and we love it!

Cody Simpson ~ Surfboard

Nothing says Summer like this song by musician and surfer Cody Simpson.

"So come on.  Let the ocean take us away..."

Play It Again ~ Luke Bryan

Let's slow things down a little bit.  When I heard this song at the start of the Summer I knew it was one that would stay on my playlist until at least the end of Summer...It's still there!

*NSYNC ~ Pop

Somehow this song worked it's way onto our playlist and like a bad virus we can't seem to shake it.  

Austin Mahone ~ Next To You

This album was surprisingly awesome.  Next To You is our favorite on the album although you can't go wrong with pretty much the whole thing.

Shout out to our resident Mahomie Coconut or we probably would have never found this album.  

"Clap Your Hands! Let The Bass Kick!"

Justin Timberlake ~ Not A Bad Thing

Every Summer playlist needs a couple slower songs and this is our other one.

Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj ~ Bang Bang

This song has all the elements you look for in a party tune:  dance beat, great lyrics, and exceptional vocals.  Bang Bang reminds me a lot of the epic Lady Marmalade from Moulin Rouge.

One Direction

One Direction has been a staple at our house for a while now.  We love the bulk of their songs but thought we would do a mini top 5, in no particular order, of our favorites from this Summer.

I Would 

Does He Know?

Teenage Dirtbag

She's Not Afaid

Up All Night

One Direction vs. 5SOS ~ She Kissed so Perfect

Shout out to Beighley's friend @NiallGrabbedDaD who introduced us to this awesome mash up!  It has all the best of both songs and puts it in to one amazing song.  

5 Seconds of Summer

If I had a buck for every time 5 Seconds of Summer is played or talked about at our house I could pay my house payment for a year.  This has absolutely been the #1 played album for us this summer and it's only been out a month.  Here's a list of our top 5 favorites...in no particular order:

Good Girls

Mrs All American

Tomorrow Never Dies

Amnesia

Voodoo Doll

So there you have it, our list of favorite songs from the Summer.  What have you been listening to this year?  

Bracing The Blue Line by Lindsay Paige ~ Cover Reveal

Red Coat PR Presents a Cover Reveal for 

Bracing the Blue Line 

by Lindsay Paige

Release Date: September 27th, 2014

 Synopsis:

 Neil, Grant, and Winston are college hockey players and roommates in vastly different relationships that intertwine three stories into one.

Captain Neil Lawson wants to run for the hills when a one night stand shows up on his doorstep, pregnant with his baby. His past haunts him before fueling him into being a part of this girl and this baby’s lives, but it won’t be that easy.

Goalie Grant Faison is a curious guy who starts doing small favors for the sports photographer of the college paper. There’s something more going on with the girl who has three overprotective brothers, but for once, Grant can’t ask questions. He has to wait for her to tell him on her own. 

Defenseman Winston Brooks secretly dated his best friend’s younger sister in high school. Now that she’s attending his university, they try being friends. Their love never died and soon, it reignites. Winston has to keep history from repeating itself before he loses his girl once and for all. She’s not the same girl she used to be though.

The guys must battle their issues, both past and present, while falling in love along the way.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22743096-bracing-the-blue-line

Pre-order links:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00MZEDRZY

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bracing-the-blue-line/id910376644?mt=11

About the Author:

Lindsay Paige is the author of the Bold as Love series, Don't Panic, and You Before Me. She is also the coauthor of The Penalty Kill Trilogy.

She has three passions in life: reading, writing, and watching hockey, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins. Among the pile of books to read, stories to write, and games to watch, Lindsay is also focused on completing college.

Lindsay resides in North Carolina and is inspired by the world around her and the people in it. Many of the aspects in her books stem from her love for hockey and her struggles in life and with anxiety, as evident in Don't Panic.

She is currently working on numerous solo works and a couple of projects with coauthor Mary Smith as well.

Author Links:

Blog:

authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com/

Twitter:

twitter.com/lindsaypaige11

Facebook:

facebook.com/authorlindsaypaige

Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/authorlindsay/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5264554.Lindsay_Paige

Memory Lane Monday #22: Banana Edition ~ Review ~ What A Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn

Memory Lane Monday is a weekly meme that Amber at Paradise of Pages and Kristalyn (and Beighley) at The Sarcastic Palmtree, came up with. We have been wanting to re-read some of our favorites but feel overwhelmed by all the other new books coming out that our re-reads get put to the side. We have decided we don't want to put them aside anymore, so we will be taking turns putting up our reviews on our blogs throughout the month. This does not mean we won't keep up with recent releases, it just means we will make more time for those we have read before as well.

Jaden Sinclair knows he'll never amount to anything...so why would he deserve a girl like Priscilla Mendoza? Since last summer, things have been screwed up between Jaden and Pris. He knows it's his fault, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to go a few rounds with her new boyfriend. He also knows he’s the loser his dad calls him, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her. After getting a huge bomb dropped on him, Jaden lashes out and lands himself in jail. Everything in his chaotic life is turned upside down and to make it worse, his mom kicks him out in order to side with his dad. Yeah, he’s totally a prize for a girl like Pris. Sebastian, Aspen, and Pris are all going places in their lives...and he knows he can't keep tagging along for the ride. The group has one last chance for The Epic Adventure they've been looking for: a road trip to New York, where Jaden's friends will be going to college. Unfortunately, the more time Jaden hangs around Pris, the harder it is to keep the carefully constructed walls between them so she doesn't find out what a train wreck he really is. When the trip ends, Jaden has to decide if he's ready to say goodbye to his friends, and the girl he loves. He knows what he needs, but will he be man enough to go for it?

To see my memory post click here. 

At First Sight

I thought that this would an awesome sequel from the moment I saw it... and I was right!  

Characters and Relationships

I don't even know where to start...  Jaden was raised in a bad home by horrible parents who told him he was nothing.  As much as I liked reading the parts he was at home, I didn't like to read them.  I liked the writing, but I also didn't like how much of horrible guy Jaden's dad is.  His dad is much more horrible than his mom... and it's sad at times to see how much more he cares about her than she cares about him.  Surprisingly enough, I liked being able to watch his relationship with Pris go father than just friends.

Is This A Kissing Book?

Yes!  It's a kissing book... probably no more than What A Boy Wants, but it is a little more "mature" that its predecessor, which is understandable, because the characters are more mature as well.

Don't Leave Me Hanging

This book's ending is pretty final... It's another good ending, but I think that by the end, all the characters are changed in a good way, even though it may have taken some a harder pathway to get there.

The Best Gems

• Graduation!
• ROAD TRIP!  *Pumps fist in the air*
• Go Fish!
• New York City Baby!

The Sum Up

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better companion book from Nyrae Dawn.  She is an amazing writer and I love her books.  This book is probably my favorite of her's that I've ever read.  She knows how to write the best boy voice possible, I don't think that anyone will ever be able to hold a candle to her talent.  She also does a good job at being realistic.  It was awesome to see Jaden change throughout the whole book, to finally see him break free of everything, and everyone, that was holding him back.  Even though it's sad to say goodbye to Sebastian, Jaden, Pris, and Aspen, it was done in the best way possible.  Thank you Nyrae Dawn for such an amazing book! 

Thanks for visiting for the past month!  Memory Lane Monday was so much fun to do... I can't wait to do it again!

~Banana

Here's how Memory Lane Monday works:

• Each week the co-hosts will trade off with recapping when it is a re-read or what they have heard so far about the book and the other co-host will put up their review. 
• The participants can read anything that they remember reading in the past, or something that they have wanted to read that has been around for a while and just haven't gotten around to reading it yet for whatever reason.
• Participants can decide if they want to recap the book before reading it or just put up a review of what they read.
• Anyone can join in, just please link back to our blogs as well as add your name to the linky so we can hop around and see what everyone is reading.
• Please put our banner on your post as well, so we all look the same!
• We ask you kindly to follow BOTH of our blogs.
• Most importantly remember to just have fun! :)

We will be providing each week a linky that you will be able use to link your posts for us and everyone else to see as well. All we ask is for you to put up our banner as well as a link back to both hosts on your post. 

The Write Stuff by Tiffany King ~ Release Day Launch

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.

Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her?
After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.

Amazon       Barnes & Noble       iBooks

About Tiffany King

USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask. 

For information on any of Author Tiffany's titles, visit her blog at 

www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Where to connect with Author Tiffany

     Twitter     Facebook     Pinterest     Blog     Goodreads

Email- authortiffany@yahoo.com

"Dreams do come true...Dream big."

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart ~ Review

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth. 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

I was planning to do this review in my normal fashion, but after starting I decided, since the book was hardly worth my time to read, it is hardly worth my time to do a lengthy review.  While reading We Were Liars, I kept waiting for something substantial to happen the entire time.  There was some mysterious thing that happened that was eluded to the entire time and I kept waiting for something to happen to at least give us clues as to what had happened but they never came.  

I kept complaining the entire time I read that this book wasn't good and my family kept asking "Why are you still reading it then?" to which I would reply, "I am waiting for it to redeem itself.  I have heard it's so good!"  I had heard so many great things about it from people that I generally like similar books with so I was SURE there was going to be something to make it all click together coming up...never happened. The ending, where you finally do find out what the whole mystery was, I said to myself  "Really?  Are these characters, even as teenagers, that stupid?" Needless to say, I was very disappointed.  

This was one of the worst books I have read in the last year.  I know it worked for other people, and I am happy for them, but the only reason this book is getting a 2 from me is because I actually finished it.  I almost gave up on it several times but I guess I just needed to know what actually did happen and was waiting for that ultimate book redemption to show up even though it never did.  Thank heavens I checked this one out from the library and didn't buy it!