Cicely Loves Books

I am so excited to welcome Jessica Khoury to the blog to chat about her newest book, THE FORBIDDEN WISH. 1. So I have to ask, why Jinni’s?  They’re one of the most popular supernatural creatures in all of mythology—so why are there so few of them in YA? They’re so incredibly cool! They can have awesome powers, are wonderfully complex, have their own world parallel to ours, their own politics, feuds, and history. They can be monstrous or totally hot. They’re a mine of stories, and I’m so glad to see more and more jinn stories coming out. 2. You mentioned that this story has been tugging at you for years – how long have you been working on THE FORBIDDEN WISH?  Since before Origin , my first book, came out! So… since 2012ish. Four years now! 3. What was the best part about writing Zahra?  I really loved her backstory, and how complex she is. My favorite kind of characters are defined by chiaroscuro , the contrast of light and dark. Zahra is one of these characters—with the p...

EEEK! I am so excited to kick off the start of the blog tour for THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE. I actually read this book in 2015, shortly after it popped up on Edelweiss, and I immediately fell in love and tweeted and ordered friends to read it. Review: If Veronica Mars was stranded on a lifeboat with a handful of 09ers, this is what would happen. If you don't get that reference ... My heart is sad for you. THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is one of the funnest, wittiest, snarkiest books I've read in years. Denver is a powerhouse main character with a dry wit and comedic timing that will have any reader giggling and smiling. When Denver crashes a cool kids party in Malibu the night an earthquake hits and triggers a tsunami, she never expected to be stranded on a lifeboat with her former BFF turned mortal nemesis, Abilgail, Abigail's two lackey mean girls, and one very intuitive but chill surfer boy. As they fight to survive and not lose hope, you will cheer with them, cry with them and laug...

Title:  The Smell of Other People's Houses Author:  Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock Publication Date:  2.23.2016 Series:  N/A Source:   Finished copy from publisher Rating:  4 1/2 Stars Summary ( from Goodreads ): In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. This deeply moving and authentic debut is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.   Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.   Four very different lives are about t...

Title:  Reign of Shadows Author:  Sophie Jordan Publication Date:  2.9.2016 Series:   Reign of Shadows #1 Source:   ARC from publisher Rating:  4 ½ Stars Summary ( from Goodreads ): Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead. But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized. With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet. Wi...

Fast 5 w/Gena Showalter 1.        Describe your favorite writing scenes (location, smells, drinks, etc.): GS:  I usually write in one of two places: my office or my bed.  Either way, I always have a bottle of water with me.  In my office, I’m enveloped by the delicious scent that wafts from my favorite candle in the whole world (a cupcake candle courtesy of Naomi from French –n- Books)  In bed, I’m usually enveloped by the horrendous scent of dog fart.  My menagerie of dogs prefers to nap in my bed with me in it, and they will pester me until I give in. 2.        How old were you when you got the writing bug? GS:  I started writing in junior high, slowed down a bit in high school, stopped to get married and have a family, then started again after dropping out of college...for the second time.   At that point, it took five years and seven manuscripts to become a published author.  3...

Title:  Unexpected Rush                Author:  Jaci Burton Publication Date:  2.16.2016 Series:   Play By Play #11 Source:   Finished copy from publisher Rating:  4 Stars Summary ( from Goodreads ): All the Right Moves For Barrett Cassidy, playing defense for the Tampa Hawks is a dream come true. And now he may have discovered his dream woman. Harmony Evans, once the sweet, gawky teenage sister of his best friend and teammate has grown into a smart, gorgeous woman with moves he finds hard to resist. But he knows he can’t get involved with his best friend’s sister—it’s guy code. Harmony has always gone after what she wants with single-minded determination, from her independence to her education to her career in social work. She never expected her youthful crush on Barrett to develop into something deeper. And she’s not about to let some ridiculous man rules or her brother stand in he...

An excerpt of Marcus Walker, aka Death, of RIDERS In this short excerpt, main character Gideon (aka War) and Marcus aren’t quite seeing eye to eye. Enjoy! Marcus had just produced a scythe. It materialized in a dusty swirl, extending from his hand to the desert earth. A freakin’ scythe. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Wasn’t Death—the Grim Reaper—always shown with a scythe? Still, this was the first one I’d ever seen in person and let me tell you— a staff with a massive curved blade at the end? Terrifying. This was no ordinary scythe, either. The thing glowed in the night, soft like the moon, but it put off enough light to illuminate Marcus’s face. His eyes were steady and cold. Glacial. Pure glacial fury. All for me. VERONICA ROSSI is a   New York Times   bestselling author of fiction for young adults. She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with he...

Happy swooning, everyone! With it being so close to Valentine's Day, I am excited to share with you guys my first fictional crush. Now, this is a guy you probably remember from days long ago. He was brave and selfless and a bit of a budding bad boy with a heart of gold (he had a whole tortured artist vibe). And did I mention he suffered a brutal tragedy that gutted him and left me in literal tears (this was the first time I ever cried while reading a book. That guy? Jess Aarons from BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. He was the first boy to make me swoon, the first boy to make me cry, and the first boy to leave me feeling hope and satisfied at the end of a book. So, who was the first (fictional) boy to make you swoon? And now for some fun - because when all else  fails, a giveaway is always the answer: a Rafflecopter giveaway Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour: 14 Days of Fictional Swooning Schedule February 1st -   Fiction Fare Masters of Swoon February 1st - ...

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting when I picked up THE SHADOW QUEEN by C.J. Redwine, but I don't think I ever expected to find one of my new favorite books. From the very first page, Redwine captivated me with her breathtaking prose and seamlessly woven story.  And this is coming from a girl who tends to be quite skittish around fantasy. Lorelei is every bit the kick ass heroine you would expect Redwine to pen, but more than that, she has a heart and conviction that drive this book. It's easy to see why she amasses followers and supporters throughout the book. She went through a crazy amount of growth during the book - transitioning from a girl on the run to a warrior on a mission. Now let's talk about Kol and how no one told me there were dragons in the series . What a freaking amazeballs surprise and take on the huntsman aspect of this Snow White  retelling. I feel like that's not very spoilery since you learn this factoid very early on in and people have ...

Announcing a new book by M.R. Merrick! In a world where being Supernatural means you’re in danger, Ash Lawson is front and center. After years of helping others escape ATOM—a government entity known for abusing Supernaturals—he’s captured, and saving himself will prove to be the most difficult task he’s undertaken. Tryst Rivera is a Succubus and veteran at the Academy, a facility tasked with converting underage Supernaturals into cooperative ATOM soldiers. She’s endured her time mostly unscathed, but when Ash arrives and their lives are tethered to one another, she’s placed in immediate danger. With escape at the forefront of his mind, Ash struggles with the idea of life under ATOM’s thumb. He’ll die before he converts, but his life isn’t the only one he’s responsible for, and he already has more blood on his hands than he can bear. When a chance for freedom arises, Ash needs to decide how much—and who—he’s willing to risk for a second chance. Add to Goodreads Coming March 15, 2016 Abo...