About Books

One of the first things I do when I turn on my computer every morning is check out the latest news, reviews, and more on some of the many book blogs out there. Whether you like YA, fantasy, romance, or another genre, there’s a book blog (or two or three dozen) devoted to it.

Here are some of the blogs I like:

All Things Urban Fantasy: One of my favorite things about this blog is the weekly Wednesday post about new book covers that have been released.

Books and Things: This blog has a little bit of everything — reviews, giveaways, blog tours, blog hops, and author interviews.

Dear Author: I like the daily book news posts, along with the monthly threads for authors to post about their new releases and for readers to share what books they are (or aren’t) enjoying.

Fiction Vixen: Another blog that features a little bit of everything — reviews, giveaways, book deals, and author interviews.

Literary Escapism: One of the things I like about this blog are the roundups of all the new covers and excerpts that can be found online, along with news from authors about their latest projects and release dates for new books.

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Yet another blog that features a little bit of everything — reviews, book deals, news, videos, and more.

Smexy Books: I like the weekly wrap-up of what the reviewers are reading, as well as the weekly top ten post.

Supernatural Snark: I like the mix of YA, paranormal, and urban fantasy titles reviewed on this site, along with books in other genres.

The Book Smugglers: This blog focuses a lot on YA and includes reviews, author interviews, giveaways, and more.

Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks: One of things I like about this blog is the conversational posts/questions about books. For example, a recent post asked what folks do after they read a really good book.

There are many, many more book blogs out there, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. Half the fun is finding a blog you like that delivers the news, reviews, and features that you want in an informative, entertaining way.

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite book blogs?

Confession time. I have a bad habit. I will be all excited about a new book coming out, actually purchase said book, and then … I won’t read it. Or when I do read it, it will be weeks, if not months (or longer), after the release date. Sigh.

Part of this is just my schedule. I’m writing four books this year, along with blogging, social media, and all the other things that authors do. So it always seems like I should be working and writing instead of reading.

But my goal this summer is to make more time to read and to whittle down my TBR pile a little — so I can make room for more books. LOL. It’s a vicious cycle, I know.

Anyway, here are some YA books in my TBR pile that I’m looking forward to reading this summer. Note that the book descriptions are from Goodreads:

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore:

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen:

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

What are you looking forward to reading this summer?