Nov 30, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.



All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.


Cannot wait to see how this series ends!! Seriously hope I can find a series recap of book 1 too! So can't remember what happened! :(

TITLE: Wayfarer
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: January 3, 2017



No description at this time












Well I still need to read the next book anyway, but I am caught up with the novellas if I recall! LOL!


TITLE: Dark Side of the Rainbow
AUTHOR: Danielle Paige
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
GENRE: Fairy Tale Retellings YA--is this a genre? It should be!
RELEASE DATE: January 3, 2017




 

Nov 29, 2016

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Books and Beat

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc


Be advised! This teaser is not for the faint at heart! 

"Although my mother had taught me basic letters, it was my grandmother who had taught me to read and love books,bringing several volumes whenever she visited. And my mother's compendium of herbs had been invaluable. The thought of all those books in the library dissolving into ash was unbearable.

'What are you doing?" Arcus shouted.

'Saving the books!" p 51*


*This quote comes from the ARC, therefore it and its page number are not final.






TITLE: Frostblood
AUTHOR: Elly Blake

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: January 10, 2017






Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.



This week's topic is: Holiday Gift Guide Freebie--The Mystery Reader


*in no particular order


10. OMENS by Kelley Armstrong--this is a very, very intriguing mystery series so far! It's not a typical mystery series, but then it is! There's always a mystery of some sort going on that Olivia gets involved in, but then there's the greater mystery of what Cainsville really is too!
9. WHAT'S A GHOUL TO DO? by Victoria Laurie--the start of an epically awesome paranormal mystery series!! M.J. can see ghosts and she tries to help them move on and in this series she finds herself involved in mysteries that somehow come paired with a ghost or two!
8. ABBY COOPER: PSYCHIC EYE by Victoria Laurie--another fab mystery series! And you guessed it, this involves a psychic! Think like PSYCH except Abby is legit! There's still a good dose of humor, friendships, and romance too!


7. DEVIL MAY RIDE by Wendy Roberts--another fun paranormal mystery series, that sadly seemed to have fallen off the shelves. The author did start to self pub two more installments but I never saw more past that. Sigh...but this one involved a crime scene cleaner. Basically coming in to clean up the scenes of murders and death after forensic people give her the OK! Oh...and she sees ghosts too! Usually of the victims!
6. SECONDHAND SPIRITS by Juliet Blackwell--the start of yet another incredible paranormal mystery series! A nice cozy mystery series too! Lily is a witch and dress shop owner, and you guessed it! Crime solver!
5. IF WALLS COULD TALK by Juliet Blackwell--another paranormal mystery series that I love! Mel fixes up houses and gets them ready to be sold. She too sees ghosts and somehow gets involved in crime solving too! I'm vastly behind on these two series so I am slowly forgetting the details of their involvement in crime solving!

4. DON'T LOOK BACK by Jennifer L. Armentrout--the amazing Jen does it all!! Here was her first YA thriller mystery! And it was amazing! I cannot wait for her adult one next year!
3. SWERVE by Vicki Pettersson--this was Vicki's first thriller as well! It was a really good mystery! Soooo twisted! I loved it!
2. MADE FOR YOU by Melissa Marr--yet another incredible thriller YA read! It too was twisted and creepy! But again, I loved it!


1. BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES by Laurie Faria Stolarz--an old school classic! I read this years ago and loved it! It might have been my first mystery/thriller esque type read with a blend of magic thrown in! It was incredible!!





Nov 28, 2016

Early Review--Winter Halo by Keri Arthur

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels comes the second in the futuristic fantasy series that will make you want to keep the lights on...

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between worlds, they allowed entry to the Others. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....


The humanoid supersoldiers known as the déchet were almost eradicated by the war. Ever since, Tiger has tried to live her life in peace in hiding. But in the wake of her discovery that Central City’s children are being kidnapped and experimented on, Tiger’s conscience won’t let her look the other way.

The key to saving them lies within the walls of a pharmaceutical company called Winter Halo. But as she learns more about the facility, Tiger’s mission is derailed by a complication: Winter Halo’s female security guards are being systematically attacked by an unknown force.

Now Tiger must summon all her gifts to stop those responsible for both atrocities—no matter the cost to herself...


I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Keri Arthur continues her new sci-fi series with Winter Halo as journey with Tiger once again as she fights to rescue the missing children who have been kidnapped and used to experiment on. I found myself once again struggling to remember what happened in the previous book and even worse, struggling to understand what was happening in this book. I am fearing that Keri’s new sci-fi series just might not be quite the read for me.
This world is very different from my norm. Even in the other futuristic books I’ve read, this world is nothing compared to those. Which can be a good thing, but I struggled to really understand what all has happened in this new world. There were wars between just about everyone. As a dechet, Tiger has it rough because she is seen as an enemy to man and paranormal alike, just because she was used as a weapon of war. Tiger is very much her own person though and no one controls her any longer.
The enemy…which I am still not 100% clear on who that is still, still has half of the missing children in its clutches. Meaning Tiger still has to work with Jonas who has made it clear he has no love for dechets. Yet, still there is a kind of spark between these two. One that they both try to ignore, but it seems even that trying is coming to an end. The ball clearly remains with Tiger and what she will do with it is anyone’s guess.
I truly think it’s the world-building that has me struggling to understand this new series. It’s a bit too much for my addled mind I guess. I am not much of a sci-fi reader, and some of the events that continue to happen here clearly belong to that realm. Don’t get me wrong, we still see bits of magic and paranormal kind of lore going on and I enjoy those aspects, it’s just that the rest of the world in this book really takes a lot out of me. I struggle to concentrate and comprehend and it’s becoming too much for me to handle.
I did still enjoy the characters though! Truly they are what held me together. I love Tiger’s fierceness and her devotion to saving these children. Jonas, though he may be a bit of a hardass at times, is also enjoyable because he too is passionate about rescuing the children. And as I said, Tiger and Jonas’ interactions together are reaching new levels! Sure there’s still bantering and teasing between them, but there’s very little coldness between them anymore. And with literal talks about them trying to see if something could happen between them, well, it kept me reading is all!
It’s hard for me to talk much about the pacing, as again, I mention my struggles with this world there were times I felt like I was kind of just distantly reading about things and would be sucked back into the book at various intervals when there wasn’t a lot of overthinking done on my part. Never once did I consider DNFing though. I am too stubborn for that when it involves a favorite author of mine, though I am hesitant to say if I will be continuing this series. It’s hard because I do love Keri’s work, but it’s just something about this series that I am having a hard time connecting with. And as I said, it’s more on the world-building level and it being just a bit too complicated for me to fully comprehend in certain areas. Unfortunately those areas make an overall understanding even harder to come by.
But still, this read was still pretty enjoyable for me when I did have an idea of what was going on. I loved the characters! They are truly what kept me going in my times of struggle. Tiger’s ghostly children friends, Cat and Bear are remarkable! I love that these ghostly children as so comical and fierce! They are really well developed characters too considering that they are ghosts! While I am curious to see what an endpoint for this series might look like, I am not 100% certain I will be going that far.

Overall Rating 3/5 stars

Winter Halo releases December 6, 2016


It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.


Last Week I Read:

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles (ARC)--Review to come at a later date
Shattered Glass by Maria V. Snyder (5 stars)
Winter Halo by Keri Arthur (Early Copy)--Review to come at a later date


About to Start Reading:

Frostblood by Elly Blake (ARC)


What I Hope to Read this Week:

Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder (ARC)--only reason I'm not starting with this one is because I know I'm going to be super busy this first day of the week, possibly second day too! And I want to be able to give this one all the attention and time it deserves!


Other Posts of Interest:





Nov 27, 2016

Stacking the Shelves

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!



This was a crazy week! The holiday totally throws regular life out the window. This coming week is likely to be hectic. I left work an hour early Friday and I left a few things unfinished, which is no biggie, but thinking about all those little things that I need to do, plus a new hire orientation is already making me wish for next weekend! LOL!

But anyway, here's what I got this week:

The Operator by Kim Harrison--keeper copy
Shattered Glass by Maria V. Snyder--already read, reviewed, and LOVED!


For review I received:

Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder (ARC)


Then my Secret Sister gift arrived:

An awesome fairy tale themed box with a Beauty and the Beast painted picture, stickers, bookmark and necklace
Coloring markers
a pencil pouch with fairy tale items on it
Red by Alyxandra Harvey
Towering by Alex Flinn
Disney Facts Revealed by Dave Smith & Ill. by Al Giuliani--we'll be having some FUN Random Thursdays soon! I'll probably go back and forth between this and my other books I still plan to use!
and best of all: REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!! Yum!!

Thanks Sis!


And then with my Black Friday shopping, which was done mostly online due to working and whatnot, I bought my DVDs but those haven't shipped yet, but one thing I did buy at B&N was this beauty:

HEDWIG!!

It looks a LOT like the Athena owl statue I bought from the Parthenon in Tennessee but I couldn't help myself!! LOL!



That was my haul! What did you all get?






Nov 24, 2016

Follow Friday

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

 

The Rules:

  • The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
  • You create your own post using the post prompt.
  • You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt.
  • Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
  • If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
  • The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
  • It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
  • As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

Specific RULES:

  • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
  • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed FOLLOW as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
  • Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
 
This week's prompt is: What are You Most Thankful for in the Blogging World?


MY ANSWER: Without a doubt in my mind...all the friends I've made through blogging! Growing up I struggled to make good friends, and I've really found that in blogging! I've met so many incredibly nice people! Better yet, we all share the love of reading and gushing over books! We even like the same books! LOL! This was a great struggle with the few friends I did have growing up too!

So yes, I am grateful for all my blogging friends! Thanks you guys!!! 





HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!!




 

Random Thursday--Thanksgiving Day Edition!

Happy Turkey Day everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the holiday! I'm trying, but I'm dreading about going to work tomorrow. One downside to my job. I can't request Black Friday off. Ugh. This is when I get all my Xmas shopping nearly finished. And by sitting at my desk with nothing to do, because there usually isn't anything for me to do but a few things that are done within an hour, my Xmas list gets longer and longer because I can't buy the things NOW. Okay, ranting over! Sorry about that! ;)


Here are some fun Thanksgiving facts that I found at Coolest Holiday Parties.com, called Coolest Thanksgiving Facts! Just click the link to read all the factoids! I just picked a few here!




  • Thanksgiving wasn't declared a national holiday until 1941. It was then that Congress decided that every fourth Thursday in November would be Thanksgiving.--that's just odd! I still don't get why it's on the fourth Thursday! 
  • Turkeys have heart attacks! When the Air Force conducted test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would literally drop dead!--sooo odd!
  • 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving--I'm in the 9% myself! Yeah...I'm weird!
  • Thomas Jefferson thought that Thanksgiving was one of the most ridiculous things that he ever heard of!
  • Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the national bird a turkey!--definitely would look odd on the quarter!
  • One of the popular symbols of Thanksgiving is corn!--never would've guessed that!
  • 50% of Americans will put the stuffing inside of the turkey on Thanksgiving--and once again we are in the the OTHER 50%! Lol.
  • Turkeys were one of the first animals in America to be domesticated
  • The First Thanksgiving lasted for three days--and Congress decided to short change us I see!
  • The Guinness Book of Records marks that the largest turkey weighed 86 lbs and was at the heaviest turkey contest in London, England in 1989--dang!!!




Nov 23, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.


Lily Bennett is less than thrilled to be the new kid as she starts her junior year in high school.

But soon after classes begin, she meets a classmate, Cole Drepeau, with whom she forms an immediate and intimate bond. As Cole and Lily grow closer, Lily learns about the murder that divided the town more than thirty years before. In 1985, graduating senior Amber Greeley snapped, killing her boyfriend Ben—Cole’s uncle—and taking her own life.

Lily feels inexplicably linked to Amber, and she can’t help but think that there’s more to the girl’s story. Determined to investigate the truth about Cole’s uncle’s death, Lily and Cole are pulled into a dark mystery—one that shakes the constraints of the world they’ve always believed in.

Masterfully told by best-selling author Victoria Laurie, this novel alternates voices between Lily and Amber, a generation apart, as decades of dark family secrets and treacherous betrayals are woven into the most epic of love stories.



I loooove Victoria's books! So excited for a new YA read from her! So far it's looking like a standalone! Which might be fun! 


PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
GENRE: Mystery YA
RELEASE DATE: December 13, 2016 




 

Nov 22, 2016

Mini Review--Shattered Glass by Maria V. Snyder

While trying to teach her adopted daughter, Reema, how to work with molten glass, Opal receives a letter from Master Magician Zitora Cowan requesting Opal's immediate help. Zitora resigned from the Sitian Council over two years ago to search for her lost sister, and no one has heard from her since. The letter is probably a trick, but Opal refuses to pass up the opportunity to help her mentor, who may be in genuine trouble. Good thing Opal isn't that easy to fool. With her two soldier friends Nic and Eve providing backup, the three travel to a small town in the Jewelrose Clan. But can they rescue the Master Magician without being caught in the same trap? 








As soon as I heard that Maria V. Snyder had a novella out I immediately went to Amazon and bought my copy of Shattered Glass! I am a HUGE fan of Maria’s and if she’s going to have more books/stories out based in her Study world, I am soooo going to be there! Shattered Glass brings us back to Opal at last and we get to go on quite the adventure with her!

It’s been ages since I last caught up with Opal and her story! Though I do remember bits and pieces of it and the more important part of how everything ended and where she was at with HEA ending. She and Devlen are married. The man who had kidnapped her and tormented her, is no more. He’s a changed man and I truly, truly love that! I love seeing characters change like this. But that’s not where our story lies, I just wanted to mention it because I got all swoony with how much Devlen loves Opal. Lol.

Moving on, Opal received a letter from Zitora who she hasn’t heard from in over two years. She was going to find her sister when last we heard from her. She has found her, but things are not quite happy as she would’ve hoped and she needs Opal help in helping her sister. Opal decides right away to make the journey to see her with Nic and Eve in tow, but before they can leave they are waylaid by a pack of soldiers. Narrowly escaping them they travel far to not a kingdom, but what’s almost like an enclosed compound. There they find Zitora and her sister who is sick and being held captive by her husband who’s a bit overly paranoid.

And so begins the action and adventure as Opal and her friends try to devise a plan to help Zelene and her sons escape. Though a short story, Maria still knows how to incorporate everything that I love about her books, there’s spine-tingling romance, a round of laughter, and a heaping amount of kick butt action! It was amazing!! And though I should’ve been warned ahead of time in some ways, I was not prepared for that ending! Things are wrapped up to a nice conclusion for the most part, but Maria couldn’t help but leave us with a cliffhanger! One that just leaves your jaw hanging, no less! From what Maria has said, things will be continued in Dawn Study! So I cannot wait even MORE for that one to come out soon!!

This is a MUST read for all Study and Glass fans! It definitely helps keep me somewhat sated until Dawn Study releases, though I really want more. So I guess in the long run, it only made me need Dawn Study more! Lol! I loved it though, so it’s no hardship. It’s truly a remarkable read!

 


Overall Rating 5/5 stars



Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Books and Beat

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc



"'Of course it's not a fight," said Val. 'I'm just watching out for you because you're a goddess.' She paused. 'A real fight? Please. I love you. Don't make me make a Tumblr.'" p 205*


*This quote comes from the ARC copy, therefore it and its page number are not final.










TITLE: The Edge of Everything
AUTHOR: Jeff Giles
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
GENRE: (Light) Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2017



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.



This week's topic is: Thanksgiving Freebie: Books I am Thankful For!


*in no particular order


10. VERONICA MARS: THE THOUSAND DOLLAR TAN LINE by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham--finding my love for Veronica late in life I was THRILLED when a book series would pick up where the movie left off. Sadly, it seems it only lasted 2 books. And I still need to read that second one...
9. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--the book that started it all! My obsession with vampires and all things paranormal link back to this beauty!
8. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--another book I devoured time and time again growing up! My first experience with time travel blended with magic! It was perfect!!


7. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--what I believe was my first werewolf book and pretty much spawning my love for them as well! It was sooo epic! And trust me, this book is a MILLION times better than its movie! And there's a mystery involved too!
6. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--what helped spawn my love for adult fantasies! Though this book has been categorized as both, I found it in the adult section, therefore I will always consider it adult! LOL! And it also started a great friendship with Maria as well!
5. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling--this was a huge part of my teen years. I started it when I was 11 or possibly just turned 12, so I basically grew up alongside Harry in some ways!


4. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--to read a book about a book blogger was just friggin amazing! I loved that Katy loved to read! I loved that she read books I've read. And I LOVED that she didn't take Daemon's crap! That she gave the snark right back to him! I LOVED even more that she dumped her spaghetti on his head! And yes, I loved Daemon too!
3. THE MEDIATOR: SHADOWLAND by Jenny Carroll aka Meg Cabot--this series was sooo important to me! As a young teen growing up and desperately wanting to read something paranormal involving teenagers my age or close to it, Suze was actually older than me when I was reading about her for the first time! It was the PERFECT series for me! I loved Suze's snark! I loved the ghosts! I loved Jesse! It was EXACTLY what I needed!!
2. REMEMBRANCE by Meg Cabot--yup! Thankful for this one too! It was the finale that I didn't know I needed! And WOW! Was it freaking amazing!! It was like the Veronica Mars movie in a way! Seeing everyone again after sooo many years have gone by! I legit cried when I got it out of sheer happiness to be returning to this world again! *And the ugliness that later came with my cc being stolen by buying it online doesn't even damper my love for this one!


1. UNTITLED INTERTWINED #4 by Gena Showalter--it's not out yet. There's no title yet. There's no given release date yet. But I am so. INCREDIBLY. GRATEFUL. That this book will finally be existing soon! Gena answered my question on the Goodreads chat and said that she will eventually make time for this one! It might be a novella, but it WILL BE the ENDING that we've all been waiting for! And I am seriously waiting with bated breath! I CANNOT WAIT!!! And I AM SOOOO FREAKING HAPPY and GRATEFUL that it WILL EXIST!!! 😂😂