BookCrushin’s Deck The Shelves Giveaway- Our Favorite Reads of 2014
Welcome to our 2nd annual Deck The Shelves Giveaway where we do some year end posts and give you a chance to win some actual books to help deck your shelves!! Be sure to check back every couple of days leading up to Christmas! We will also will be throwing in other items, like signed & unsigned swag, gift cards, ebooks and more! Share with your friends and be sure to follow the rules of each giveaway post!
Today we are each sharing our Top 5 Favorite Reads of 2014! Be sure to enter the Deck the Shelves Giveaway YA #2 by using the Rafflecopter below!
Shannon’s Top 5 of 2014
My top 5 includes 4 books from 2014 and one released all the way back in 2012! A mix of young adult, paranormal and contemporary. Out of the all the books I’ve read this year, these emerged as my favorite. Let us know in the comments what books you loved the year!
*I cannot say enough good things about Theresa Kay’s Broken Skies. A sexy alien, dystopian society, and romance. Just awesome. Cannot wait for the sequel.
Broken Skies (Broken Skies #1) by Theresa Kay
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publication: March 10th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived.
Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed.
One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.
Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back.In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell’s world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.
Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple.
Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales down his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.
In this world where alien and human are at odds, the connection forming between the two has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.
*How could I not choose Opposition the final book in one of my favorite YA series of all time? Sad to see this one come to an end but it had a fitting farewell.
Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: August 5th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.
She can’t believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.
Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.
They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.
War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.
*The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi is one of my favorites of all time! Warner will go down as my top book boyfriend. In fact, since I also read Unravel Me in 2014, it’s getting an honorary mention here as my #6 favorite of 2014 🙂
Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: February 4th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”
With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.
The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.
*Me Before You does not fit into the mold of books that we usually review on BookCrushin. To me it can’t really be classified but the closest would be contemporary. However, it moved me so completely, and featured a twenty-something heroine who quite literally comes of age in this book that I couldn’t not feature it. This book has stayed with me long after I read it and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
Category: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication: December 31st, 2012
Purchase: Amazon
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.
*Sinner might seem like an odd choice for me since I had some issues with it but at the end of the day, Cole and Isabel are two of my favorite characters ever put to paper and I was ecstatic for them to finally have their story.
Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #4) by Maggie Stiefvater
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: July 1st, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy.
Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole’s story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole’s darkest secret — his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel’s life. Can this sinner be saved?
Kelly’s Top 5 Reads of 2014
Wow what a year of books! There were about a 200 that I wanted to read but probably didn’t. So sad, but I did read some amazing books this year. I am easy to please but some of the books I read this year were so phenomenal that I have been telling everyone about them! The one book that had to be on my list is Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater. Which, of course, was also on Shannon’s list. So I won’t repeat it here, but just know that Sinner has been my go-to answer whenever anyone has asked me which book was my favorite of the year. I also freaking loved Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout, but again I am trying to not repeat everything, but just know those two books were phenomenal additions to their respective series. It was so hard to chose this year as so many books were so damn good! The rest of my list isn’t in any particular order they are all 5 star reads that were released in 2014!
*How can I not list both of the Dark Elements series? Both were published this year & I loved them so freaking much – both are definite 5 star YA paranormal romance reads! Oh & ROTH! I read each book the day it was released & couldn’t put them down! I am dying for the final book, Every Last Breath (Most Anticipated of 2015). Have we mentioned we love JLA?!
White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Published: February 25th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
One kiss could be the last.
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.
Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: October 21st, by Harlequin Teen
Purchase: Amazon
Every touch has its price
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
*As much as I want to list both books in the series again, (someone might call foul!), I would totally list both of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University series! But since I will chose just one, it has to be Silas. Wait, am I talking book boyfriends or books…ahhh well we all know that it’s really the same thing! RIGHT?!
All Broke Down (Rusk University #2) by Cora Carmack
Category: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication: October 28th, 2014 by William Morrow
Purchase: Amazon
In this second book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack s New Adult, Texas-set Rusk University series, which began with All Lined Up, a young woman discovers that you can’t only fight for what you believe in… sometimes you have to fight for what you love.
Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.
Environmental issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name it, she’s probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He’s in for a different kind of fighting. And though he’s arrogant and infuriating, she can’t help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.
Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it’s trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He’s met girls like her before fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn’t think he’s broken, and he definitely doesn’t need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about: his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.
Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.
*Oh how I love a unique dystopian and a perfect ending! Well the final installment in the Under The Never Sky trilogy fulfilled both of those requirements for me. When I was going through my 2014 read list I almost choked up just thinking about how this book and series has moved me. It was just so full of all of the feels. Pure perfection. A must read for dystopian fans.
Into The Still Blue (Under The Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Publication: January 28th, 2014 by HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon
The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do—and they are just as determined to stay together.
Within the confines of a cave they’re using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn’t just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival–he’s also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.
In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.
*My next selection is the prequel to the super fun ya fantasy series, Mortal Enchantment. This novella even won the 2014 Reader’ Choice Award for Short Story/Novella! Plus it is FREE in ebook form! I loved both books that I read so far & I have the 3rd book in the series, Fragile Reign waiting for me (it should be up next on my short TBR list)! If you love YA fantasy, I highly recommend this series! Plus you will have a chance to win the entire series, signed & personalized below!
The Shadow Prince (Mortal Enchantment #1) by Stacey O’Neale
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publication: March 25th, 2014 by Phoenix Reign Publishing
Purchase: Amazon
Review (includes book 2 Mortal Enchantment)
This prequel novella is FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!
Every sacrifice has consequences.
Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:
Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.
Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he’s capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
*The following series has absolutely infected me! I devour these books every time another one is released! I have become such a loon over what is going on that I may have started dreaming about this world! 😉 The most recent release, (Un)Bidden is the 4th book in the Judgement of the Six series and it is a little different than the 3 previous books but once you are hooked…you are HOOKED! Check out the first book Hope(less) for FREE at ebook retailers!
(Un)Bidden (Judgement of the Six #4) by Melissa Haag
Category: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: November 24th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon
I left home because I didn’t want to end up in a cage like a lab rat. Hitching rides, begging for cash, and sleeping on the ground got old fast. That was the only reason I braved an overgrown path to a group of buildings. I’d hoped to find a bed and a decent night’s sleep. However, what I found was a place overrun by werewolves.
While on the run, Charlene finds herself surrounded by werewolves, creatures she can’t control with her mind like she can humans. Their existence has her believing she’s found a safe place to stay, a place where secrets are okay. However, she soon discovers she’s anything but safe. Charlene must learn how to use her abilities to influence the strange new species because if she can’t, the next bite she suffers might just kill her.
Read how the cycle begins, and have no doubt. Charlene’s past will shape the future of the Judgements.
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win Deck the Shelves YA 
Giveaway #2!
Share with your friends and be sure to follow the rules of each post!
Today, you need to use the Rafflecopter to officially enter, but in order to open more chances to win be sure to comment on this post and tell us what book you wanted most this holiday!
Deck The Shelves YA #2 Includes:
All 3 books in the Mortal Enchantment Series by Stacey O’Neale – Signed & Personalized (or ebooks for INTL)
& Signed Get Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #6) by Jillian Dodd
& a $5 gift card to Amazon or B&N or iTunes
Open INTL with the option to pay for shipping *see rules & fine print below*
Merry Christmas to you too! And I’d love to win the signed Mortal Enchantment series. I hope you guys have a great holiday!
Would love to win this amazing series!!
I’m hoping I get replacement of 50 shades, since mine was stolen.
Happy Holidays
Once Upon a Time (Fairy Tales Are for Morons Book 1) is the book I’m most jonesing over right now. I read the excerpt and it looked soo funny! 😀 Merry Christmas to you ladies! And thank you for such a wonderful giveaway! 😀
I wouldn`t mind winning this giveaway 🙂
Well I couldn’t possibly be honest without saying BOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKSSSSSS
haha or gift cards to get some:)
Merry Christmas!!!
Awesome! Signed books are the best for Christmas!! Thank you 🙂
Would love to win this giveaway!! Thanks for the chance!
I would love All Broke Down !!! Thanks!!
I’m really looking forward to fairest by Marissa Meyer and the new series by Sarah j mass. I’m hoping to use gift cards for those! And I really want to read bad Romeo.
I got all of colleen hoover’s books signed.
Wow ! Would love to win this amazing series !!
I really wanted Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward of Christmas. And I got it! 🙂
One i really want is wicked by Jennifer l armentrout! I love her books they are amazing
thanks for the chance!!! Awesome giveaway!!!
I would love Snow Like Ashes or Stone Cold Touch; both were amazing!
Thank you for the chance! I didn’t get any books for Christmas but got a gift card I bought some with ☺
I wanted the Lux series but I received The Iron Trial, Salvage, Of Neptune, and Tortured Souls and thanks for the giveaway!! 🙂
I really want Bright Side!!