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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Review and Compare Thursday: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie


Stand alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:
"First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion."

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Review Wednesday: The Rose Society by Marie Lu


The Young Elites #2

Goodreads Blurb:
"Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

Bestselling author Marie Lu delivers another heart-pounding adventure in this exhilarating sequel to The Young Elites."

Monday, December 28, 2015

R&R Review Monday: The Novice's Journal by Lillian Nyato


The Zoe Brown Trilogy #2

Goodreads Blurb:
"When the pentagram chain was presented into Zoe's world, it changed her overall perspective completely. She became a witch, which was the first of many journeys that she was forced to travel.
But now, the discovery of an old journal raises havoc. It triggers her to revisit her past, confront her darkest fears and deal with a difficult future.
Doomsberg is far from being safe and her family and friends are not spared from the heat.
As if that is not enough, matters of the heart betray her collected composure. She is torn between two suitors who affect her at different intervals. Both of whom are fighting to win her heart.
The Novices Journal is a journey that tests her patience, her courage, her willpower and her emotional stance.

In the process, tough choices must be made, ones that make her grow and others that make her suffer."
 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Review Thursday: The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis


The Chronicles of Narnia Chronological Order #6

Goodreads Blurb:
"Jill and Eustace must rescue the Prince from the evil Witch.

NARNIA...where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell...and where the adventure begins.

Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor...or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face and face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved."



Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Tag Tuesday: 12 Days of Books Tag


I saw this tag back in 2014 at Ashley's blog: Falling Down the Book Hole!  It looked different and fun so I thought I'd give it a try!  Also, a bit of a note, I started this tag in October (I know, I know, I'm really slow at these things) and just now, on the 18th, Ashley posted this year's edition of the tag!  You can find that post HERE.  Same questions (unless I somehow am not able to read correctly today) except for 2015 and not 2014.  Enjoy!



Saturday, December 19, 2015

Bookish Discounts


I haven't done one of these in a while and I've been seeing some good deals come through BookBub lately so why not?  Here are some of the ones that I'm especially interested in :)

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Soulless by Sarah J. Pepper - Cover Reveal



Sarah J. Pepper
(Once Wicked Series, #1)
Publication date: February 23rd 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy
@theunconventionaldamsels who rock piercings, refuse to conform to society’s rules, and aren’t obsessed with labels, check out the “Once Wicked” series. Happily Ever After doesn’t define the misunderstood evil villains we love to hate. Their story is so much deeper than their fairy princess counterparts, yet were never told. That’s a damn shame. They aren’t always as wicked as they are made out to be. Well, not all of them. So until the clock strikes midnight and the (other) glass shoe drops, enjoy these not-so-Prince-Charming book boyfriends in this modern series, #OnceWicked.

“Soulless” (#1 of the Once Wicked Series)
We don’t get to pick who we fall head-over-heels for. Sometimes they are the Mr. Right’s. Sometimes they are the White Knight’s. But sometimes they are the vilest of men. I just happen to fall in love with a monster. In doing so, I became one myself. But I never regretted the night I met Rumpelstiltskin.

“Priceless” (#.5 of the Once Wicked Series)
The first time Piper and I would meet wouldn’t be coincidental, but rather a series of debts that’d unite us. I am a high-roller. However, it was her mother who gambled away Piper’s freedom for her own screw-up Happily Ever After. Nevertheless, Piper is my prize. And when the time is right, I will collect my winnings.
***“Priceless” can be found in “Fairy Tale Confessions,” a collection of fairy tales by fourteen bestselling authors.***


Author Bio:
Sarah J. Pepper specializes in dark, paranormal romance - think "happy ever after" but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn't only filled with hugs, kisses, bunnies, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It's in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of - both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn't always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn't mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit? Get a glimpse inside her head at www.sarahjpepper.com

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Review Tuesday: Carrie by Stephen King


Stand alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:
"Carrie knew she should not use the terrifying power she possessed... But one night at her senior prom, Carrie was scorned and humiliated just one time too many, and in a fit of uncontrollable fury she turned her clandestine game into a weapon of horror and destruction..."

Monday, December 14, 2015

BookBlogWriMo 2015 - Day 30: A Wrap Up of BookBlogWriMo 2015


Today's Topic: A Wrap Up of BookBlogWriMo 2015

This year's BookBlogWriMo has been really fun!  It did interfere slightly with NaNoWriMo (but that's my won fault for being too ambitious).

I wouldn't say that it improved my writing skills, more that it just gave me more writing time.  Which is always a good thing!

I've also gotten several ideas for discussion posts in the future (I know, I haven't done one of those for a looooong time!).  So I think the coming year should be really good in terms of original content!

Other than that, I don't really have anything more to say!  I mean, it was super fun and I'll definitely be participating next year!  So without further ado, here are all of the topics and their links!


1: History of Your /blog/What Has Changed Since BookBlogWriMo 2014
2: The Blogger Behind the Blog
3: What Do You Read?
4: Why Do You Read?
5: #ThrowbackThursday - Favorite Childhood Books
6: Favorite Book Quotes
7: Favorite/Least Favorite Things To Read About
8: #SuperSunday - What Makes A Book Blog Work?
9: #MotivationMonday - How do you make sure you post to your blog?
10: #TenOnTheTenth - Top Ten Favorite Books
11: The Mind Of A Book Blogger
12: #ThrowbackThursday - Favorite Book Review(s) That You've Written
13: #FiestyFriday - How do you approach writing negative reviews?
14: What role do books play in your life?
15: Author Buddies
16: Blog Tours or Independent Reviewing?
17: Your Review Process and System
18: Book Wishlist
19: #ThirstyThursday - Book Character Crushes
20: Book Pet Peeves
21: #SocialSunday - Social Media Links
22: TBR List
23: e-Reader or Paper?
24: #TopTenTuesday - Top Ten Blog Posts
25: #WisdomWednesday - Any advice for new bloggers?
26: Book Footprints - What was the last book you read that left it's mark?
27: #FlashbackFRiday - What was reading like for you as a kid?  How has that changed?
28: #ShowMeYourShelves
29: The Future Of Your Blog


And with that, BookBlogWriMo 2015 is officially ended!  I already can't wait for next year! :)

Sunday, December 13, 2015

R&R Review Sunday: Alicia's Sin by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza


Carlos Mann Trilogy #2

Goodreads Blurb:
"REVENGE, MURDER, ADULTERY, OBSESSION, GHOSTS, GYPSIES, TIGERS, WITCHES, FREUD, MYSTERY, DRUG LORDS, CHINATOWN, MEXICO, VIENNA... AND THE SPANISH INQUISITION!

To avenge her parents’ death, sadistic sex trafficker Tiger Joy sends deadly assassins after Carlos and his beautiful ghost wife Alicia. The pair escapes to Cancun where they battle witches and drug lords to help their friend Señor Popcorn win the love of his life. But the Afterlife Judges aren’t happy with Alicia’s temper, and they send her off to anger management therapy with the ghost of Sigmund Freud. In old Vienna, the spirit of a seductive crown prince tempts Alicia, and then she’s captured by gypsies who put her on display in the Ghost Chamber of their traveling carnival. Alicia commits an unforgivable sin, and it finally gives Tiger Joy the perfect chance for revenge."

BookBlogWriMo 2015 - Day 29: The Future Of Your Blog


Today's Topic: The Future Of Your Blog

As I've mentioned in other posts, I really hope to have a new blog design sometime next year (I'm not entirely sure it's going to happen in January anymore :( ) as well as having all of my R&R's done by the New Year.

I'm also still hopeful I'll be able to finish my Goodreads challenge.  Currently I've read 90 books out of 150 although that's the reviews that I've posted - I've actually read about 120.  I know I can do it!!  I'll be hardcore reading and reviewing over winter break, that's for sure!

As for the long term future, well we'll just have to see!  I hope to continue blogging for many years to come.  I really do enjoy it and the community is so wonderful!  We'll have to see how busy my life gets in coming years but it is my sincere hope that I'll continue with this blog.

That's pretty much all there is to say!  Come what may and all that jazz :)

How long do you think you'll be blogging?  How are you doing on your yearly challenges?

Saturday, December 12, 2015

BookBlogWriMo 2015 - Day 28: #ShowMeYourShelves


Today's Topic: #ShowMeYourShelves

This prompt is relatively simply!  I'll show you my lovely shelves of books!  These are just my physical books - I have a whole host of kindle books but that would be quite the long post if I put those in too!  And of course the books I have on my Kindle app (different Amazon account) and iBooks!  So I'll just do physical books :)



Here's an overview of my first book shelf.  There's actually another half to this bookshelf (this is the right half) but I haven't filled it with books yet!  I keep all the books that I've gotten recently (as in within the past 2 years) so these are mostly 'blogging' books.


This is the top left portion.  I have the following books:



This is the top right portion.  I have the following books here:



This is the last part of the entire bookshelf - the bottom portion!  All I have down here are the books that my dad lent to me to read.  I'm either using them for school research or English projects.  They are:



Now for the other bookshelf!  Here's an overview:


This is the shelf that I keep all of my other books (mostly books from my middle school years).  I also have my TBR jar, puzzle that I have yet to finish, and Rubix cube on.


Here's the top shelf!  Like I said, I have my Rubix cube and puzzle on this shelf (as well as a baseball that I caught at a baseball game a while back and my owl book-stop).  Here are the books from left to right:



This is the middle shelf!  Here are the books from left to right:



Down on the last shelf is just Little Women and a bunch of crafting and Dr. Suess books so I won't list those.


These are the books that are currently on my night stand either from the library or books that I'm still reading (yeah... Blood of Olympus...)



And that's it!  How are your shelves organized?

Friday, December 11, 2015

BookBlogWriMo 2015 - Day 27: #FlashbackFriday - What Was Reading Like For You As A Kid? How Has That Changed?


Today's Topic: What Was Reading Like For You As A Kid?  How Has That Changed?

Hmmmm... You know, I think there's actually a bit of a difference between my childhood reading and my reading now.

First off, when I was little, I'd just reread the same books over and over and over and over and over again, only adding a new book when my parents would buy me one for my birthday or Christmas.  Now, I use the library so much and I only reread a book if I really liked it and bought a copy of it.  I didn't really get books from the library when I was a kid and now it's basically my sole source of books (except for R&R's)!



Secondly, obviously, I'm reading different kinds of books.  When I was little, I was obsessed with books about everything animals.  Now, while I do enjoy reading books about animals, I also love fantasy, realistic fiction, YA, Adult, NA, and the whole spectrum of books that are available.  History didn't interest me as a little kid but it does now and I really enjoy reading historical fiction and just history books in general.


One thing that hasn't changed since my childhood is how many books I read.  When I was a child, I did have a little more time for reading (because, you know, what else do you do as a kid?) but I read roughly 100 books in 9 or 10 months like I do now.  Even though the books got longer, I somehow can keep up!  I was always a bookworm and in recent years, I've just changed the variety of books I read and their subsequent genres!


How has your reading changed since you were a child?

Thursday, December 10, 2015

R&R Review Thursday: The Gift of the Quoxxel by Richard Titus


Stand-alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:
"King Norr was not content. He longed to know the world beyond his tiny, island kingdom of Nibb. Nibbians, however, were not a seafaring people. Why travel elsewhere, they said. What could be as perfect as Nibb?

Even so, Norr wistfully watched foreign ships pass. Inevitably, they approached, hesitated, then sailed away. Why was that? 

And that wasn't the only mystery.

There appeared to be a monster lurking in the bay.

Not only that but -- 

-- a prankster had set the palace afloat.

-- a little girl arrived who sang, but would not speak.

-- and possibly woolly drumbkins had devoured Doctor Hinkus.

Faced with these challenges, Norr had little hope to make it through the day without an abundance of "haddocks." 

Additional features of this book include --
-- illustrations and interactive glossary "



BookBlogWriMo 2015 - Day 26: Book Footprints - What Was the Last Book You Read That Left It's Mark?


Today's Topic: Book Footprints - What Was the last Book You Read That Left It's Mark?

There's one book that comes to mind when I read this prompt.  It truly left it's mark on me and made me think about our own mortality and how the human mind deals with loss.  That book is:


An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor.

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.


This book wasn't an easy one to read and there were definitely tears shed.  However, it has such a profound meaning that kept me thinking days after I finished it.  It talks about how everything, including the concepts of good and evil, is entirely subjective based on perspective, experience, and our own psyche.  This boy Conor's mother is about to die from cancer.  All he wants to be is visible to people.  All he wants is the pain to go away.  Not his mother's pain, but his own and he's ashamed for it.  There is a tree in his backyard that turns into a monster and tells him stories that, looking shallowly don't relate at all, but looking deeply, matter the most.  It's the kind of book that makes you think about your own existence as well as your mind and everyone else's mind's around you.

I truly loved this book and am thinking of rereading it soon.


Are there any books that have left their mark on you?

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

R&R Review and Giveaway Wednesday (and event links!): In the Shadow of Thy Wings by A.M. Heath


Ancient Words Series #2

Goodreads Blurb:
"Devastation sweeps across the land, and the families of Maple Grove cannot escape when war arrives at their front doors. After her father entrusts her with a new and dangerous task, Sally Chandler must find the courage to obey despite her fear. Meanwhile, her best friend, Claire Harper, is determined to serve others, even if it means putting herself in danger. But with a certain handsome Union soldier stationed nearby, Claire finds her heart in danger of falling for the enemy. Their differing loyalties create complications that neither could expect; her twin brother fighting for the Confederacy is only one of them. Frank Harper left home with one goal in mind – to become a prosperous plantation owner. Two years later, not only is he further from his goal, but he's beginning to question his own desires--something that becomes more complicated when his heart becomes involved. The families of Maple Grove must learn how to survive the uncertainty of war and a country split in two. While the war in the nation rages on, the battle within grows stronger. Will they learn that the only safe place to hide is in the shadow of Thy Wings?"

BookBlogWriMo - Day 25: #WisdomWednesday - Any Advice for New Bloggers?


Today's Topic: Any Advice for New Bloggers?

Here are a few things I wish that I knew when I first started blogging about 2 years ago!

1.  You are blogging for you.  Seriously.  Don't post things just to gain followers.  If you aren't enjoying posting those things and you're doing it just for the followers, something's wrong and you need to stop and reassess exactly why you are blogging.

2.  Don't be afraid to talk to other people in the blogging/book community!  Everyone is super nice and welcoming!  I was kind of afraid to talk to other people because I thought they would dismiss me because I was a newbie.  I couldn't have been more wrong!

3.  Taking a hiatus is perfectly okay.  While you do have an obligation to the people who read your blog, you also have an obligation to yourself to enjoy yourself in life and if your life is just getting to busy to blog, take a break for a couple of months!  Like I said before, if blogging becomes a chore, take a break!


That's it, actually!  Just be yourself and have fun with blogging!  The blogs I like reading most are the one's where you can feel the author's personality jumping through the screen.  I feel like I really get to know people just by reading their posts!

Do you have any advice for newbie bloggers?

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Not The One by Amy Daws Release Blitz

Title: Not The One
Author: Amy Daws
Release Date: Dec 8, 2015
Find on Goodreads
~Not The One is Full Length Standalone Adult Romance~
My name is Reyna Miracle.
Even though a part of my name is Miracle, there’s nothing miraculous about me.
My body portrays the tales of my life.
Every feeling, every heartbreak, every emotion.
Marked. Inked. Stained.
A walking canvas of my messed up truth.
But there’s one confession I can’t put in a tattoo.
A confession that will kill me to tell, but my best friend died before I had the chance.
Now I’m left with him.
The only one who can hold me in the night and squeeze that spot on my neck that feels like my lifeline between sanity and chaos.
But we don’t work together.
We’re absolute poison for each other.
We’re a stifling, suffocating, sickness of darkness.
But I feel safe...because I’ve made an art of pushing people away.
Now he’s pushing back…
And making me believe...
Making me wonder...
Maybe, just maybe...
I could be the one.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes</ div>
After several swallows, he closes his eyes and lowers the bottle. “Easy there, sport.” My voice has a menacing tone to it. “We both said we were going to cool it on the drinking.”
“You just nicked my entire glass of red!” he retorts.
“You look like this isn’t your first bottle, Hayden.”
He sighs heavily and glares at me. His damaged, hard gray eyes searching my face for further argument. Mindlessly, he glances down to my chest and the lids of his eyes droop as heat flourishes beneath them.
I instantly know he’s no longer angry about the wine.
He begins to stalk slowly toward me—his tall, wiry build gliding silently across the white tile floor. I back up until I hit the half wall beside the fridge. “We said we weren’t going to do this anymore, Hayden.” I hold my hand out, pressing it to his firm stomach to stop him from coming any closer. I want to walk away, but a larger part of me wants to stop thinking about Liam. And there’s only one way to do that.
Hayden sighs and grabs a piece of my hair. He brings it to his lips. “You look sexy as fuck, Rey. I like your hair like this.” He rubs the silky, dark strand against his lips. A playful smirk dances in his eyes.
“Nice key change, Hay. But you should take those fuck me eyes elsewhere.”
He hunches over and nuzzles his mouth into my neck, licking and kissing a trail up to my ear. “Now why would I want to do that?” he whispers, his voice husky.
I can feel him grinning against my skin as goose pimples flare out on my neck beneath his warm breath. I ball up a chunk of his T-shirt into my fist for some semblance of control. His hands move to grip tightly around my waist and I could scream at my body as it arches into his embrace.
This is exactly what Hayden does to me. He makes me lose all sense of thought and purpose. It’s part of the draw. He’s a freaking mess like me and I ache for the pleasure I know he can grant me.
“We say a lot of words,” he mumbles against my neck and nips playfully. “Let’s do less saying…and more fucking.”
Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated romantic comedy series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It's emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.
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