Mar 31, 2017

COVER COPY REVEAL--Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes

Were your ears ringing at some point today? It might have been me squealing at the cover reveal for the (SOB!!!) final book of the Falling Kingdoms series! Check it out!!!!


As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?


My heart!! My heart can't take it! This wait!! But AHHHHHH!! The cover!!! The PEOPLE!! I can't breathe!!! And the description! I mean I knew things weren't going to end just right there like they did, but even logic can be overridden by the heat of the moment!!! I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS ONE!!! Best (upcoming) birthday week ever!!! *As were the last 5 years as well! LOL!


Immortal Reign releases December 12, 2017





  

Mar 30, 2017

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: It's Rachel's (Parajunkee) Birthday! What Book Should She Read?


MY ANSWER: Skipping the question from last week...or this week? Things got muddled for me when I saw the February 30th question and since I feel like I can't answer last week's question since there aren't any books or series I am ashamed I enjoy...though scandalous covers do make public reading more awkward...I thought I'd just jump back on track to this question!

Now I struggle to think of a book she may not have read yet...let's see...I guess I will go with one of my old favorites because not everyone has read the "classics"! LOL!
 
Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why.

The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm "inside" their classroom.

Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.
 
 
I read this before Paranormal YA was a genre! It was a very rare day indeed when I would find such a book on the shelves and believe me, I looked! And looked and looked! As I pretty much pulled very single book off the shelf that looked like it might potentially be paranormal! LOL!
 
This cover makes it hard to see but between the characters is a castle! It's supposed to be off in the distance with the lightning flashing behind it, but yeah, Goodreads made the cover super bright in between the people for some reason!
 
 
 
 




Random Thursday

The last day this month for diving into That's a Fact Jack: A Collection of Utterly Useless Information [Updated] by Harry Bright and Jakob Anser, we'll go back to the Disney book of answered questions! I find I really like this pattern of alternating monthly rather than weekly! It's just easier when I schedule my posts a week out to just keep returning to the one book instead of digging out one then the other! LOL!

(image borrowed from Goodreads)
"Prosopagnosia is the inability to recognize faces, including one's own image in a mirror. Sufferers of this rare disorder know that they are looking at a face but they cannot say to whom the face belongs."


I'd say I suffer from this 50% of the time...though I do know my own face! Can you guess the example face? ;)


(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
"Charlie Chaplin once lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest. He failed even to make the finals."
 
 
This is just astounding! I mean...how does that happen? Though, in a slightly similar yet still different scenario, Debbie Macomber, wasn't quite recognized by a bookseller who "corrected" her on the correct pronunciation of her own last name. Let's just say things were revealed during checkout as to who was right! LOL!
 
 
(image borrowed from Pintrest)
"Though John Lennon claimed to be the walrus, he is actually a trilobite, a prehistoric ocean dwelling arthropod. The four species, Avalanchurus garfunkeli; A. lennoni; A. simony; and A. starri, are named after Art Garfunkel, John Lennon, Paul Simon, and Ringo Starr, respectively."
 
 
It's been too many years since my class unit regarding The Beatles to fully understand what this tidbit is telling me. But points for knowing it's The Beastles!
 
 
(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
"Artists have more sexual partners. Researchers suggest that creative people excel at attracting mates, acting on sexual impulses, and doing more than their share of ensuring species survival because they often display 'schizotypal' characteristics--the positive side of schizophrenic personality traits."
 
 
I figure "artists" could mean both the painting/creating type as well as the performing type! Hence the picture...mostly for laughs!! LOL!
 
 
 
 
 


Mar 29, 2017

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.
 
 
Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Red Queen, The Crown’s Fate is the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Crown’s Game, an atmospheric historical fantasy set in Imperial Russia.

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves.
  

Ironically one I just won two weeks ago! I'm planning to read this series very very soon!! I think after my next next read! ;)

AUTHOR: Evelyn Skye
PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2017



The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.
 
 
The other book I ironically picked up last week! This is my next read!! And I cannot wait!
 
AUTHOR: Renee Ahdieh
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2017




Mar 28, 2017

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker




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.



"Riley gave a bark of laughter, as if he couldn't help himself, and shook his head. 'I think I've been dethroned.' He chuckled as the Eastern dragon raised a brow at him. 'The king of BS is dead. Long live the queen.'" Kindle loc. 23%*


*This quote comes from the eARC, therefore it and its location are not final.








 
TITLE: Legion
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen
GENRE: Paranormal/Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 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: Top Ten Authors I am DYING to Meet!
 
 
*in no particular order
**I've been very blessed to meet several favorite authors already, but I still can't help but want to meet a few! Though they're likely to be the hardest ones to meet ever!

THE ONES I WAS SOOO CLOSE TO MEETING!
 

10. MAUREEN JOHNSON--I think it might have RT 13 or 14 that I was sooo close to meeting her! Sadly she had to cancel last minute!
9. KAREN MARIE MONING--again, I was sooo close to meeting her at RT 12 but I think she canceled early on. Hoping to meet her one day at a signing, but yet I can't seem to find one on a weekend that's in easy driving distance! 
8. TAHEREH MAFI--I nearly met her at BEA last year, but alas, I couldn't get to her line in time. I did get to see her from a distance though. One day!
7. KADY CROSS (and her many alter egos)--ironically, I almost met her RT 12 as well! But she too had to cancel last minute due to illness.


AUTHORS I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO MEET (which really can encompass every single author I've read and loved but have yet to meet but will narrow it down to these last 6.):

    
6. MARIANNE CURLEY--I've loved her books ever since Old Magic first released!
5. CARA LYNN SHULTZ--really enjoyed her magical books as well! Still in a state of denial that it's all over! That The Dark World just ends with the first book.
4. L.J. SMITH--the real one. Not the one the publisher called L.J. to write their Vampire Diaries finale. Still grumbly about that.
3. ALYSSA ROSE IVY--my most favorite NA author ever!! I ADORE her Paranormal YA titles!
2. LIZ BRASWELL/TRACY LYNN--I LOVED her first fairy tale retelling Snow! I reread that one at least 4 or 5 times as a teen. Her newest Disney retellings were pretty much misses, except for the final one As Old as Time! My love for Snow though overpowers any misbegotten feelings for those other two books.


and of course, this one will pretty much be on all our lists...


     
1. J.K. ROWLING--nuff said.
 



Mar 27, 2017

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:

As Old as Time by Liz Braswell (4.5 stars)
100 Hours by Rachel Vincent (ARC) (3.75 stars)
Soldier by Julie Kagawa (5 stars)


Review That was Posted:

 Vigilante by Kady Cross (ARC) (5 stars)


About to Start Reading:

Legion by Julie Kagawa (ARC)


What I Plan to Read this Week:

The Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (ARC)


Other Posts of Interest:






Mar 26, 2017

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!



Well I had a pretty good book week this week. Though tragedy struck on Thursday when my copy of The Diabolic came with a damaged cover spine! And after going through the ordeal of a return with Amazon, I've been waiting for several days--since I filled it out on Thursday to begin said return and I mailed it off Friday--and they still haven't shipped it!! It's driving me bonkers! They should be shipping it right away! I mean I am returning my damaged copy because I'm not paying for two copies. I'm just aggravated! They really ought to be shipping it Friday so that I could've had it by the weekend, but alas! They tell me Tuesday. So that won't be in my haul until next week...hopefully. *grumbles*


This week for review I received some good ones, two ironically are ones I've read but the publishers were kind enough to send finished copies and I still got one new book I am super excited to read right after my current read or about to be current read!

Missing by Kelley Armstrong--review to come
Blade Bound by Chloe Neill--review to come
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (ARC)


THANK YOU Crown Books, Berkley Books, and Penguin Books!



And because I've already been seeing the contents of LitCube and Owl Crate being showcased on Instagram, I though I might as well show you them as well! So here's what was inside those boxes last week!










Mar 25, 2017

WINNER!!!

Time to announce the winner of their choice of any Beauty and the Beast retelling/inspired tale book!! And the lucky winner is...


LAURA SCHUTZ


Congrats Laura!!


Thanks again to everyone who entered! This was positively one of my most favorite contests, other than my Halloween one, to do! I am so happy to bring to you guys a selection of Beauty and the Beast retellings! I'll hope you'll check a few of these out when your TBR piles allow it!






Review--Soldier by Julie Kagawa

The price of freedom is everything.

When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.

As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises.




Diving into Julie Kagawa's Soldier over a year after I read Rogue as an ARC was pretty difficult, I'll admit! I couldn't really remember much of what happened besides the bit of a cliffhanger that we ended with when Garret told Ember how he felt and then left because she didn't say stay...and basically put me in a turmoil of a wreck! And thankfully things pretty much pick up where we left off!

Garret is headed to London to see what he can learn about the St. George, he's looking for answers because he's been awakened to the fact that the Order has been lying to him and the other soldiers, for many years. And not only does he learn a whopper of a secret, but he also meets a new dragon of the Eastern Orient type, the cousin or brother or whatever you want to call it to the Western dragons! It was definitely an interesting situation he found himself in, plus learning about a whole new dragon specie! In a way, this was a Garret book because we got to learn a lot about this soldier and his past. I kind of liked how his flashbacks were titled Sebastian rather than Garret, because it obviously shows us that he was a different person back then!

Moving back to the other dragons of the story, Ember and Riley have been on the move nonstop with Wes in tow as they try to outrun Talon and the Order. In the meantime they've been given a bit of lead on a possible breeder location from Griffin who is wanting their protection in exchange and this basically leads us into the thick of action and more secrets! 

There was quite the bit of intrigue in this one! We're learning more and more about the secrets from the Order and Talon! They're both knee deep in them it seems! The Order keeping things from Garret, Talon keeping things from...everyone! It's insane! But it's the good kind of insane in some ways! Because it makes for a plot thick with tension and suspense! There's still a good deal of action as well!

Then there's Dante, Ember's twin brother who still gets his occasional chapter. Before I believed that maybe Dante wasn't as immersed with Talon as we thought...or at least I was apparently thinking that when I wrote my review of Rogue! But after reading Soldier I realize how ridiculous that notion is! Dante is getting deeper and deeper into Talon it seems and becoming their perfect employee! It's kind of scary in some sense since he still fully believes in everything Talon stands for and doesn't know the things that Ember and Riley know.

Which brings me to my next point, the romance. We have here one of the most difficult love triangles ever! I was conflicted in my choice for Ember. Granted I leaned more heavily towards Garret for reasons and I did still like Riley. But after reading this one, I can firmly say that I am definitely Team Garret. I have no love for Riley anymore. I'm not sure what changed about him or if maybe his true colors are just finally coming to fruition. I just couldn't help but feel like Riley was getting too possessive of Ember. Already claiming her as his. That she belongs TO him. Not with him, TO him. I can't remember exactly where in the book that he says this, but there was clearly a TO and that started giving me very bad vibes. It was starting to feel to me that Riley just wants to possess Ember, she's a thing to be owned. His dragon wants her and that's that. It doesn't really help matters that poor Ember is still conflicted. She's very much in tune with her human side as well as her dragon side and despite her dragon claiming Cobalt as hers, Ember isn't sure if Riley is meant for her. I guess having Garret back in the picture doesn't really help matters either for it's not long before his trip to London has him running back to the states to help Ember and Riley out of the unknown dangers.

The bad part about reading a series so far apart from one another is never being able to remember the past details. At least for me. Binging series is highly recommended! Lol! But in the long run, I kind of felt like Soldier read like a spy book in some ways, which isn't a bad thing! It was so intriguing! There were secrets being revealed, enemies to be dealt with, and you're always wondering if other new interlopers could be trusted! It definitely made for an intriguing storyline and an even more gripping pace!

In true Julie Kagawa fashion, she ends this one with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger! I didn't feel as pained with the Rogue ending but this one? This one was painful!! If you have yet to pick up this series, so far I'd recommend waiting until you have Legion at the ready, but knowing Julie, she might have a killer cliffhanger there too! And there's only one more book in the series after that, so I may even go as far to say to wait to binge read this incredibly amazing series until all the books are out!

The Talon series so far has been a fast paced and incredible journey! I mean DRAGONS people! I've never realized I was longing for a dragon read until I read Talon! I love seeing this mythical creatures in action! And Julie's dragons are one of the most amazing ones I've seen to date! If you've yet to read her amazing series I highly recommend you do...possibly starting next year. I'll let you know if it's safe to read Legion after I've finished it! LOL!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars