Smugglivus 2013 Guest Bloggers: Kat Kennedy and Steph Sinclair of Cuddlebuggery Book Blog

Welcome to Smugglivus 2013! Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2013, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2014.

Who: Kat Kennedy and Steph Sinclair, the awesome duo who run Cuddlebuggery Book Blog and write about all things YA.

Please give a warm welcome to Steph and Kat, everybody!

Stephanie Sinclair: It’s good to be back at The Book Smugglers. But mostly we’re just impressed they invited us back even though Kat almost broken their gumball machine last time.
Kat Kennedy: Once again, so sorry about that. In my defense, I thought it was one of those “break in case of emergency” situations.
Stephanie Sinclair: Right. Of course.
Kat Kennedy: So, what’s the plan, Steph?
Stephanie Sinclair: Well, we’re going to play a game called How Well Do you Know Your Co-Blogger. We will guess what each other’s favorite books were for the year and predict which ones we’d cut a blogger for in 2014.
Kat Kennedy: I’ll lose.
Stephanie Sinclair: And I will mostly likely win.
Kat Kennedy: I might as well give up now.
Stephanie Sinclair: Loser buys the winner their favorites. Make my day, Kat!
Kat Kennedy: Wait, what?! WE DID NOT DISCUSS THIS BEFORE!
Stephanie Sinclair: Surprise! Are you surprised?
Kat Kennedy: Goddamnit. Yes!
Stephanie Sinclair: Let’s commence!
Kat Kennedy: Alright, let’s get this monument to my neglect over with.

Stephanie Sinclair: Yes, prove to the world how much you love me by taking your turn first.
Kat Kennedy: Alright, your favourite books for this year?
Stephanie Sinclair: Yup.
Kat Kennedy: Clearly that would be September Girls.
Stephanie Sinclair: Oh, so you got jokes, homey?
Kat Kennedy: I got them. Can you take them? What books came out this year?
Stephanie Sinclair: T_T Don’t you run a book blog?!
Kat Kennedy: Do they have to be published this year? Or just your favourite book that you read?
Stephanie Sinclair: No, just read this year.
Kat Kennedy: The Winner’s Curse

Stephanie Sinclair: YES. But that’s cheating because that’s also one of yours.
Kat Kennedy: But you also really loved that Fantasy audio book.
Stephanie Sinclair: Ah, The Seven Realms series. Perfection.
Kat Kennedy: Yes, by Cinda Williams Chima. The Demon King

Stephanie Sinclair: Yeah, that’s the first book.
Kat Kennedy: Alright, what was my favourite book this year?
Stephanie Sinclair: Okay. This is easy because you only read, like, two books this year.
Kat Kennedy: So true.
Stephanie Sinclair: Cinnamon and Gunpowder.

Kat Kennedy: Ah! Yeah, you got it.
Stephanie Sinclair: You raved and raved about those pirates.
Kat Kennedy: I also loved The Collector. And Siege and Storm.

Stephanie Sinclair: Of course! Yes, to those. Fantastic characters and fun plots in both of those.
Kat Kennedy: KINSLAYER. How did we forget that? It’s like my brain isn’t even functioning.
Stephanie Sinclair: Oh damn. I’m sorry. I forgot to turn your switch on again.
Kat Kennedy: Don’t bother. Anywho – books for next year. Our most anticipated.
Stephanie Sinclair: Wait! I had more favorites!
Kat Kennedy: Well, hurry up with them!
Stephanie Sinclair: Nice try, Kennedy. You’re still losing and buying me books.
Kat Kennedy: But I got The Winner’s Curse right!
Stephanie Sinclair: Wow. One. You get a cookie.
Kat Kennedy: sigh
Stephanie Sinclair: I also loved The Distance Between Us by Kasie West.

Kat Kennedy: You read that book? That book exists?
Stephanie Sinclair: Yes, and it was bursting with cute feels.
Kat Kennedy: LOL. Umm. So do I have to take more wild stabs in the dark now? You’re really planning on dragging out this embarrassment?
Stephanie Sinclair: Don’t forget the part where I’m enjoying it.

Kat Kennedy: Grrr. Okay, let me think.
Stephanie Sinclair: You could cheat and visit our blog…
Kat Kennedy: Shhh… I’m trolling Goodreads for your shelves. Oh! Oh! Cress! And, The Fault Line.

Stephanie Sinclair: wipes tear. Aww, Kat. You found my GR page all by yourself!
Kat Kennedy: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Who doesn’t pay attention now, huh? Hey, look, I just woke up. I can barely even list my own name!
Stephanie Sinclair: Fault Line was brilliant.
Kat Kennedy: How do you maintain all these shelves?
Stephanie Sinclair: Also, Gated, Charm and Strange and Unteachable stand out for me.

Kat Kennedy: Yeah I remember those. Now that you mention them.
Stephanie Sinclair: I do have a lot of shelves. Easy 50 or more. face palm I’m supposed to have your undivided Internet attention!
Kat Kennedy: Yeah, I know. I’m looking at them now. I think you have a shelving problem. You might need an intervention.
Stephanie Sinclair: It’s how I stay organized.
Kat Kennedy snicker
Stephanie Sinclair: Especially with 2014 around the corner.
Kat Kennedy: Well, what books am I looking forward to for 2014? Bet you can’t say!
Stephanie Sinclair: Evertrue. Ruin and Rising. Third Lotus book. White Hot Kiss.
Kat Kennedy: You’re forgetting a few.
Stephanie Sinclair: Winner’s Curse 2.
Kat Kennedy: That one was a cheap stab in the dark.
Stephanie Sinclair: With a butter knife. 😉
Kat Kennedy: You’re forgetting one very, VERY important book.
Stephanie Sinclair: Well, you’re an enigma!
Kat Kennedy: Without naming this book, you’ve lost the game, babe.
Stephanie Sinclair: The next EL James book?
Kat Kennedy: Hahahahahahahaha. I see you’re also full of jokes.
Stephanie Sinclair: The next book from Susan Ee. I don’t think it’s titled yet.
Kat Kennedy: How did we not mention World After earlier?
Stephanie Sinclair: Probably because I haven’t read it yet. Like Kinslayer.
Kat Kennedy: Well, my number 1 most anticipated read, the one I most, MOST want to read is…Into the Still Blue.

Stephanie Sinclair: Oh yeah. That.
Kat Kennedy: LOL
Stephanie Sinclair: Totally slipped my mind.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, your most anticipated reads.
Stephanie Sinclair: Come at me, bro!
Kat Kennedy: I’m also going to go with White Hot Kiss. Anything Susan Ee ever publishes.

Stephanie Sinclair: Yup and yup. Including her grocery list.
Kat Kennedy: Heartless?
Stephanie Sinclair: What’s that?
Kat Kennedy: New Marissa Meyer book?
Stephanie Sinclair: OHHHHH. That comes out next year?!
Kat Kennedy: I dunno. shrugs
Stephanie Sinclair: You suck.
Kat Kennedy: Oh, wait, 2015. Bleed Like Me
Stephanie Sinclair: I’m looking forward to Winter, which comes out in 2015, but I’m a spoiled blogger who will read it next year. Yes. I will read anything Christa publishes after reading Fault Line.
Kat Kennedy: Winner’s Curse #2.
Stephanie Sinclair: Oh c’mon!
Kat Kennedy: Because if we don’t mention this series FOUR TIMES in this chat then we’re just failing at life.
Stephanie Sinclair: Hahaha.
Kat Kennedy: Dreams of Gods and Monsters?
Stephanie Sinclair: Hell yeah!
Kat Kennedy: That’s all I got.

Stephanie Sinclair: Not too shabby. I also need the following in my life: Landline by Rainbow Rowell. Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West (or anything else she decides to write) And probably a bunch more, to be honest. 2014 is shaping up to be awesome.

So let’s tally this up.
Hmm…
Looks like the winner is…
ME!
Wow!

I’d like to thank my mom, The Book Smugglers and most of all, Kat Kennedy!
If it weren’t for my lovely co-blogger not knowing enough about my favs, she wouldn’t be buying me a lovely stack of books.
Thankfully, I’m incredibly meticulous about shelving and she can easily refer back to that. Woo-hoo!
Kat Kennedy: I dunno, I think I win. After all, I could easily start listing some special toys you want for Christmas. 😉
Stephanie Sinclair: Ohhh… Um. Kat wins.
Kat Kennedy: Ya. I win.
Stephanie Sinclair: I’ll have this in the mail pronto, mistress.

Thank you so much, girls!