Adult Titles for the YA reader!

So I've been thinking about Titles classified as "Adult". I mean Red Rising by Pierce Brown is sold in the Adult Sci-Fi /Fantasy section of my local bookstore, but it really meets the qualifications of a "Young Adult" book. I don't really believe books should be separated by this silly notion of  'Young Adult' and 'Adult'. I've read MG, YA, NA, A, and  PB's and don't particularly prioritize my TBR by the age group it's marketed to. That being said some 'Adult' books have exhausting prose (though that can be true for YA as well), graphic sexual content, and/or graphic violence, all of which I would prefer to avoid. So If you're like me and LOVE your YA fiction but sometimes crave an 'Adult' book I've got what you need.

A list of my favorite 'Adult' Books that could pass for (or read like) YA:
*(please be aware some of the books listed have a bit of violence, and/or sex but nothing I found too off-putting to my particular taste and NONE of them have what I term dull prose!)*


1)

THE RED RISING SERIES
by Pierce Brown *Swoon*
 - This series has SOME adult language, Pierce doesn't really censor it here...at all. There is a bit of adult content but nothing too major that I noticed. I've only read Red Rising so far, but Golden Son is sitting pretty on my TBR. The first book is kind of like Hunger Games in space with a really great concept. It really picks up near the middle and becomes something you can't put down. You become invested, You become a Howler!

                             

                                                       


<--- Peirce & I <3


                 My copy of  Golden Son ----->






2)  A Darker Shade of Magic & A Gathering of Shadows

by Victoria Schwab

I LOVE this series. I think one character MAY be YA aged, but for those of you who don't know V writes YA too. I think this book would appeal to her YA readers as much as her new 'Adult' following.

ADSOM & AGOS are positively magical! I can't think of a character I didn't adore & those of you who know me, Prince RHY is LIFE <3 With  4 parallel Londons to enjoy and a Kell what could go wrong?



3) The Aeronauts Windlass/Furies of Calderon/Dresden Files
by Jim Butcher

The Aeronauts Windlass is Jim's Newest book. It's a Steam Punk Fantasy that totally kicks butt! Half the characters are Young Adults! Romance is an after thought in this story where the citizens of one Spire start a war with the other. We're talking magic crystals, Air ships, Cats and a Girl named Gwen who I adore!!
<---- That's me & Jim



There is no sexual violence and little bad language ( if any). I think YA readers who are into steam punk right now will really love this Gem.

Jim has a Fantasy series as well, The Furies of Calderon which is pretty much EPIC so Tavi is also ....wait for it.... a YA character! At least in the beginning he is.

There is also Jim's most famous series the Dresden Files, this one is in no way a YA BUT it's about a Wizard Deceive in Chicago with a pet skull!!!  So it could be worth checking out. They're longer reads, for me anyway, but totally enjoyable. Kind of Like Skulldugger Pleasant meets Harry Potter for 'grown ups'.

4) The Hamilton Affair

by Elizabeth Cobbs 

***********Did someone say HAMILTON?*******

Okay so This one is actually still on my TBR. It's being marketed as a YA Crossover - which basically means fun for Young...and Old Adults?

Hamilton is pretty much the IT thing the past few months and with good cause. The Hamilton Affair tells the story Of Our buddy Alex and his life. There is War, Romance & Elizabeth Schulyer! It's sure to be a great read and I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into it (though, not literally, poor book).

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?

If you've read The Hamilton Affair I would especially like to know what you thought of it.

<3 A-

WAIT DON'T GO....THERE'S MORE!


** Notable Mention**
The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain

The Green Rider series can be found in the Adult Fantasy section at the book store, but it's really very YA. Its about a girl named Karrigan... I think she's about 17 in book one. It is my absolute Favorite Fantasy series of all time EVER! If you're looking for something new to read give this beauty a try! You won't regret it (Unless you do, in which case our friendship is extremely questionable from this point on).

Bookitcon: Chapter Two

Bookitcon: Chapter Two

*I am super excited for BookItCon chapter 2 and it's only a few weeks away! Last year was a blast and I can already tell this year is going to be even better, I mean, LOOK at that line up! And just in case this is the first time you're hearing about the event, our favorite hostess, Nori has supplied us with EVERYthing we need to know:

Hope to see you all there <3

Who?

(Full list can also be found here: https://ububiz.com/2016-author-list/)

Albert Borris

Amanda Foody

Anna Breslaw

April Lindner

AV Geiger

Barbara Dee

Beth Fantaskey

Charlotte Huang

Claire Legrand

Emma Chase

Eric Smith

Jodi Meadows

Josh Berk

Julie Chibbaro

Julie Eshbaugh

Karole Cozzo

Kathryn Holmes

Kendall Kulper

Kit Grindstaff

Lee Kelly

Lisa A. Koosis

Mackenzi Lee

Martina A Boone

Mia Siegert

Nancy Norbeck

Phoebe North

S Usher Evans

Sandy Hall

SJ Goslee

Victoria Scott

What?

Bookitcon: Chapter Two is a charity book event. We currently have 28 incredible authors in our lineup. The book event will include meet-n-greets with the authors, along with two panels and the opportunity to get all of your books signed by all of the authors!

If you purchase the VIP ticket, you will also be invited to a VIP dinner/after party with the authors, along with getting an extra hour to get your books signed!

Schedule:

2:30- 3:30pm VIP signing! (open to VIP ticket holders only)

3:30- 6:00pm Regular signing! (open to all attendees)

3:30- 4:15pm Panel A- Surprises in Publishing!

4:30- 5:45pm Panel B- Facts + Fiction!  

6:00- 8:00pm VIP Afterparty! (open to VIP ticket holders only)

Panels:

Surprises in Publishing

Moderator: S Usher Evans

Panelists: Anna Breslaw

Kathryn Holmes

Lee Kelly

Jodi Meadows

Julie Eshbaugh

Facts vs Fiction

Moderator: Claire Legrand

Panelists: Beth Fantaskey

Sandy Hall

Kendall Kulper

Mia Siegert

Eric Smith

Where?

16 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057

When?

Sunday, August 7th, 2016

Why?

I decided to start UBUbiz because I wanted a way to combine my passions for reading, business, and charity/community service. After wracking my brain for months, the idea of Bookitcon suddenly appeared! This is my second year hosting Bookitcon, and I can’t wait.

Bookitcon: Chapter Two isn’t just your ordinary book event. I’m working with the nonprofit Grace in the Mud and two K-8 schools in Camden, NJ to help them grow their outdated libraries. The proceeds from this event will be benefiting them.

You can find more information on Grace in the Mud by going to their website (http://www.graceinthemud.org/home.html), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GraceintheMud), or gofundme (https://www.gofundme.com/justforgirls).

Other Info:

Interested in attending? Great! You can buy a ticket through the website: www.UBUbiz.com or just click here! (http://bit.ly/BC2tickets)

Are you dying of jealousy because you’d love to be able to attend and get books signed by the attending authors? Don’t fear, because virtual signings are here! You can purchase books by any of the attending authors and get it shipped to your house, easy peasy!

Link: http://bit.ly/BC2onlinesales

Are you currently unsure but want to stay up to date with all of the latest news? Make sure to subscribe to the UBUbiz newsletter!  http://bit.ly/1O4vM5O

Social Media Links:

Website: www.UBUbiz.com

Twitter: @UBUbiz

Insta: @ububiz_

Blog Re-Launch Party

Hey Guys!!! I Am SO beyond thrilled to finally share my new & improved Blog with you all!
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU I PRESENT TO YOU....


TA DA!


I am super excited to re-launch my blog here on blogger with it's epic new look! And who do we have to thank for this amazing eye candy? The super Claudia Victoria at Penmarkings ( click the link, visit her site, she has the most adorable slogan)!

Okay now that we've expressed our love for Claudia on to the books!

Okay yea those are my books... but that's besides the point! 

So going forward I'd like to really make my reviews a bit more critical. I think it will help my writing and be a bit more fun! Before I do that though I'm going to share a quick recap of the books I've read and loved so far in 2016 ( and yea there are quite a few).

Burning Glass - Kathryn Purdie- Not only the 1st book I read in 2016 but my favorite!!! All of the love!

Emmy & Oliver- Robin Benway

Compulsion- Martina Boone

Queen of Shadows/A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J Maas

Truthwitch- Susan Dennard

This Savage Song- Victoria Schwab

My Lady Jane-The ladie Janies- You will literally laugh until you cry

The Crown's Game- Evelyn Skye

Green rider (Books 1-5)- Kristen Britain- <3 this series!

Earths End,Water's Wrath- Elise Kova

The Island & Chasm- S Usher Evans

A Gathering of Shadows -Victoria Schwab- KELL

The Almost Girl & The Fallen Prince-Amalie Howard

Lady Midnight- Cassandra Clare

The Marked Men -Jay Crownover- ALL OF THEM *Swoon*

The Best I could- R.K. Ryles

The Star Touched Queen- Roshani Chokshi

Red Rising- Pierce Brown!

Stalking Jack the Ripper- Kerri Maniscalco- OMG THIS BOOK

The Raven King- Maggie Stefvater

Poisoned Blade- Kate Elliott - Even better than Co5 which I loved.

A Torch Against the Night- Sabba Tahir- SO MANY FEELS

A Shadow Bright & Burning- Jessica Cluess

The Continent- Keira Drake- This is one of those books that will change the world

The Great Hunt- Wendy Higgins- Swoon

Three Dark Crowns- Kendare Blake- Team Kat

Disruption- Jessica Shirvington

Those are my favorites so far! Let me know if you've loved any of these books too:

AND keep an eye on my page I feel a giveaway coming on.....

<3 A-

The Fallen Prince

The Fallen Prince
May 22, 2016




I received a review copy of The Fallen Prince by Amalie Howard from SkyHorse Publishing..
The Fallen Prince started off slower than I had expected, it seemed to pick up exactly where The Almost Girl left off...but I soon realized almost an entire year had passed. In the beginning I was frustrated with a lot of Riven's decisions, but that soon changed.
The author brings back some of the characters from The Almost Girl and introduces us to some new and exciting characters as well. I particularly enjoyed Bass. I felt like his interactions with Riven were almost more real than Caden's. Which is a little disappointing if you are a lover of Caden. I was also less than thrilled about how weak Riven’s mother seemed in this book, especially when she was so awesome in the last one.
And honorable mention to that one scene near the pillars in the Outters that nearly broke my heart!

The Fallen Prince is full of the same cyborg excitement as the Almost girl, and I love the way Amalie paints a picture of the word she has created. In the Fallen prince we are introduced to another entire group of people we had no idea existed ( I can’t say much more without spoilers) BUT the imagery surrounding these people is vivid and beautiful.
The best part by far was the action. Amalie knows how to write amazing edge of your seat action to keep you turning the page. It didn’t get intense until about 30% into the story but as soon as it gripped me, it refused to let go ( sort of like a certain suit i’d love to get my hands on).
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun Sci-Fi read & I think if you enjoyed book 1 you will be equally pleased with the continuation of the story. Though, personally, I did enjoy The Almost Girl a little more than The Fallen Prince

** Also How Great are these covers Guys??? ** 

** I LOVE the Look of The Almost Girl cover **

The Island

The Island
March 6, 2016

So I've followed S Usher Evans on Twitter for a while . She seemed pretty cool but I'd never read one of her books before. She tweeted about a Kickstarter she was running to back her upcoming book and I was like “Hey I totally support you. I'm going to back this.” So I did and I ended up with a copy of The Island.

I sat down a couple of weeks later and figured if I backed it I ought to read it. AND to my absolute delight it was a fantastic story. Theo is this kick a** pilot girl who has such a strong personality I loved her instantly! The Princeling (who has a name but we don't use it) is a seriously complex character.

Note: I kind of adore him too but I'll never admit it.

Second Note: A special shout out to Princelings brother who I seriously hope gets a bigger part in book two and turns out to be the guy I've made him in my imagination.
It did take me a couple of chapters to really get into the story but once I did I was ALL about it. The world building really picked up nicely. I wondered How were they going to survive ? Who would kill who first? Bunnies and wolves!
I don't want to throw spoilers out there but there were quite a few times I was saying

“ What the What?”

If you're thinking of reading The Island please do. Then let me know if you're team Theo … Or Team Princeling … So we can both know where this friendship stands.

Biography


S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.




Evans is the author of the Razia series and Empath, both published by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing.

Q & A – With Jodi Meadows - Author of The Orphan Queen & The Mirror King

Q & A – With Jodi Meadows - Author of The Orphan Queen & The Mirror King
April 8, 2016
Hey Guys,


So in case you haven't heard...or live under a rock (which would be pretty cool & I'd like to visit if that's okay) the sequel to our beloved Orphan Queen is just days away from being released to the public! That's right... The moment we've all been waiting for! The Mirror King is about to hit shelves EVERYWHERE! Excuse me while I flail !!!
Jodi is easily one of the sweetest people EVER and I was lucky enough to be allowed to pick her brain and Bring you this exclusive Q&A! ( Insert round of applause). Without further ado I give you The Mirror King!

(Well okay.... I give you a photo of the cover, but it's a REALLY good cover People!)

Q&A – With Jodi Meadows


*What is the most challenging aspect of writing for you? Characterization, feelings, setting etc..

Insidious plots. You might be surprised to learn this, since I'm getting a reputation for causing readers such pain, but figuring out what the super tricky bad guys are up to is pretty difficult for me.


*Feeling peckish? What is your go to writing snack for those really tough scenes?

I wish I could say cookies, because I love cookies so much. But I also love when my pants fit correctly. So generally it's just water. Or coffee, if I'm on a deadline. Or it's winter. Or I just want coffee. How many cups is too many cups?

*No spoilers, but the end of Mirror King was intense! Did you always have the end of MK and the Wil's story planned out or was it something that came to you as you wrote?

I knew overall where the series had to end, but I did not have it planned out from the beginning! I wish I had. I think writing The Mirror King would have been a lot easier if I'd taken the time upfront!


*What has been the most rewarding part of being a YA author?*

People reading my books and responding to them in strong, passionate ways. It floors me that anyone can love these books as much as I do -- it really does! And seeing people have such intense reactions to the series brings me such joy. Not (only) for the pain and suffering the end of OQ caused readers (though admittedly, that was delightful), but because I loved writing these books. It's nice to see people love reading them.

*We all know how much I Love James, which one of the characters in Mirror King is the most dear to you and why?

Probably Wilhelmina. She's the main character, so she has to be very special to me in order to reach main-character status. I just adore her toughness, her willingness to do what's necessary, and her complete loyalty -- once it's been won.

*Now that Wil's series has come to an end, is there anything you can tell us about your future books? What can we readers look forward to?

My next project doesn't have a title yet, just a code name (Cell Story), but it does have dragons. And romance. And lots of different islands said to be the gods who fell from the heavens.






*That's all for now! I can't wait to hear what you all think of the Mirror King. I hope you all will love it as much as I did. I also hope your heart is full of forgiveness, because after reading, you're going to need it.*

!!!PREPARE FOR THE FEELS!!!

P.S I thought this was going to post on 4/2 ..... So all that stuff I said about it hitting shelves soon is no longer a thing... It's OUT !!! Run, Skip, Fly, Teleport, Hoverboard whatver you've got to do to get to your nearest & dearest bookstore and go snag yourself a copy! Your soul will thank you, even if your heart doesn't.

Liars and Losers Like Us

Liars and Losers Like Us



January 2, 2016
Liars and Losers like us by Ami Allen-Vath
Release date March 15 2016




I can't remember if I ever read a book where the MC infuriated me SO much! That's what makes this book so fantastic. Bree drives me nuts and her teenage mind makes the choices that frankly LOTS of teens might make. More than once I found myself screaming at the book " NO BREE Just pick up the phone!"
The romance is perfect Sean Mills is super swoony and some of the girls poor Bree has to put up with are down right wretched.
This book is about more than prom, romance, or snobby girls who need to be slapped.

This story deals with real life mental health issues and it deals with them in a gritty/real way. Bree suffers from anxiety in a big bad way, something I can relate to 100% and the author depicts it astoundingly. The book even touches on teen *spoiler* and *spoiler* and those left behind to deal with the aftermath . I'm not a huge reader of contemporary YA, but Liars and Losers like us was SO much more than your typical teen love, brooding, drama fest.

You Guys are going to LOVE this book!