Feb 28, 2021

12th Blogversary Contest Winners!

 

Good morning everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! I'm already in the lamenting that it's Sunday morning phase and essentially realizing tomorrow is Monday. Lol.

Anyway, time to announce the winners of my 12 Blogoversary giveaway! Thank you to everyone who entered and to all who did their daily entries! 

Let's get right to it! The winner of a book of their choice up to $20 (USD) is...WENDY HUTTON! 

Congrats Wendy!!

And the winner of a $30 (USD) gift card to the bookstore of their choice is...DIAMOND KEELING!! 

Congrats Diamond!! 


Winners have been contacted and will have 48 hours from the time of their email stamp to respond or else new winners will be chosen. Thanks again to everyone who entered!






Stacking the Shelves


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.

 

This was another insane week! It started out really rough and then Thursday and Friday were a little easier, which was a relief. Although, all the while I kept waiting for the $#*t to hit the fan, so I couldn't really enjoy the break in chaos! Lol. Really not much else went on. Still waiting on an international package, if I found the right tracking number it still hasn't really came into US territory yet. And it's been almost two weeks!! Then my AEITA Fairy Loot set still hasn't shipped yet. My tracking had told me it would arrive Friday and when I went to check it, it said a label had been created and that was it! So that was a bummer. Panicking more over my non Europe package that hasn't arrived yet, pretty sure the first one is officially lost. :(


Anyway, here's what I got this week:


Screams You Hear by James Morris--was making a BAM order and decided to throw this one in the basket to apply for a coupon I had!
Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost--keeper copy! Was dismayed to see that they changed the mass market paperback size! I guess to justify the raise in price? I'd rather it stay the same style/size/shape as the traditional MM paperbacks. :(
Kingdom of Shadow and Light by Karen Marie Moning--since I discovered my B&N didn't have Jeaniene's book I found that at Walmart and then I found Karen's there too, so I thought why not?


For review I received:


 Heart of the Bear by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC)--Already read and reviewed!
Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee (ARC)


THANK YOU Alyssa & Entangled Teen!

 

 

And then I won a prize in Pages of the Night's week of giveaways and my luck scored me the only Caraval related prize:

 It's so pretty! And yes, it went right on my Caraval case!

 

THANK YOU Britnee! 

 

Then my preorder gift for The Iron Raven arrived and I loved them!

The artwork is so pretty! Puck and my favorite cait sith, Grimalkin!!


THANK YOU Inkyard Press!

 

Then just as I hit schedule on my post, this arrived in the mail:

 

My preorder gift for Covet!! Character cards, stickers, a bookmark, and poster art of the Vega brothers!


THANK YOU Entangled Teen!


Then I was also surprised to receive a rewards gift card in the mail:



 

Then I picked up a few Easter-y bookstagram props as well and that was it for me this week! Hoping my international book comes soon so I can show you all its grace and glory! Lol! What all did you get this week?

 

 




Feb 27, 2021

ARC Review--Heart of the Bear by Alyssa Rose Ivy

 

Love often comes when we least expect it.

Bear shifter Shaw is at a loss. His role as an agent for the Rangers has him running non-stop, and he can’t get over his best friend's decision to quit in the dead of night. He’s not thrilled about being partnered with a human for his latest mission, until he meets Janie.

Janie is homesick. The excitement of being a consultant for a supernatural agency has worn off, and all she wants to do is go home. She’s about to call it quits until she gets to know her new partner, Shaw.

Working together on a mission with high stakes and deception at every turn, Janie and Shaw might just have to take their partnership to a whole different level.

*New Adult Paranormal Romance*

 

 

I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

 

Returning to The Chronicles world is a little like returning home after a long time away. Alyssa Rose Ivy returns us to The Heart Chronicles with Heart of the Bear. Each of these books in this particular series have all been standalones, but you usually see the next book's characters while in the current one. It's a great way to expand the series but also letting readers dive in at a moment's notice.

In this story we meet Janie who is a human consultant to the elite group the Rangers who are basically a super secret police force for the Society. Janie is a researcher and was once a history teacher, her skills are usually needed on cases where they need to learn about whatever baddie they're chasing or something about the area...however it relates to the case. Janie is starting to tire of the job though, she misses her home and her teaching job. But her life is about to get shaken up when she's give a new partner.

Shaw is a bear shifter and he's being given a partner for his most recent case. Shaw and Janie are being sent to a town that is being afflicted with vampire attacks. And as usual, Janie and Shaw don't quite click when they first meet. Janie is a smart young woman who says what's she's thinking and Shaw isn't exactly the hotheaded shifter you'd expect. He's rather thoughtful, but still has a bit of an attitude. But sparks fly whenever they're together.

Shaw and Janie are waylaid on their mission when a pair of Allures approach them. They need the help of the Rangers as something is happening to their powers...they've diminishing. But Janie and Shaw know better than to take the Allures at their word and do their own bit of investigating their story. What they uncover is a mountain's worth of secrets!

This book was absolutely amazing! It was so refreshing to have a lighter read after a string of epic fantasies. Diving back into the paranormal world was seriously like coming home! I positively LOVE this world that Alyssa has created! It's so extraordinary. Truly a world I'd like to be apart of! Lol. There's just something about reading paranormal books that take place in our world but hide their own society within ours.

The romance between Janie and Shaw was done remarkably well! There's always some level of resistance between the star-crossed lovers in this series, and eventually one falls for the other first and starts a pursuit of sorts and then or course, there's the actual falling in love with each other! I guess sometimes I feel like the love springs up a little too quickly, but I feel like when it comes to shifters meeting their mates, they just know right away, so a one-sided feeling of love is expected. Of course, it doesn't stay one-sided for long at all. But I guess I wouldn't have minded if it took a wee bit longer before declarations of love were being made.

The ending was pretty shocking too! A total twist to the series of events that were being laid out! I feel like there was enough groundwork being laid out that another installment to the Heart Chronicles could be possible. When you have different characters starring in each installment, there's no telling how long the series could go! Only time will tell. As always, I will say that with Alyssa's books you can easily pick up any of her books and dive into the story at large! If you have yet to join the Chronicles world I would highly urge you to do so!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


Heart of the Bear is out now!






Challenges Monthly Wrap-up: February

 CHALLENGE 1: 2021 New Release Challenge

Near the Bone by Christina Henry (4/13/21)--Review to come at a later date
Witchshadow by Susan Dennard (6/22/21)--Review to come at a later date
Heart of the Bear by Alyssa Rose Ivy (2/25/21)--Review to come later today


I'm up to 8 new releases! They've pretty much all have been review books but they still count! Lol!



CHALLENGE 2: Beat the Backlist 2021 Reading Challenge


Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning (8/6/19)
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (12/1/20)


I'm at 6/20, not bad, not bad. Let's hope I can get that number up for next month!





CHALLENGE 3: 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning (Sea Witch)
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes)


I'm at 6/10 series now! I might be able to raise this challenge...possibly. I still have quite a few series to start, so 10 might be safe! Lol!



CHALLENGE 4: 2021 Discussion Challenge

When You Don't Like a Favorite Author's Book
Ice-Cream
Teens Playing Teens
Door Peepholes


Okay, so I'm having a harder time on this challenge than I thought! My brain has been overworked from work that trying to think of silly things to talk about have been few and far between. But hey, I had 3 discussions this week! Lol!








Feb 26, 2021

Book Blogger Hop

 

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

 

This week's question is: Do you use Goodreads to keep track of your books? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews

 

 

MY ANSWER: Yes. 

Do I always remember to add my books to Goodreads...not as much! Lol. Like 98% of the time I do remember, the other 2% I remember when I go post my review. I sort of stopped adding the "currently reading" feature to whatever book I'm reading as I sometimes round up the days I'm reading. If I only read for an hour on one weekend day, I'll say I started the book a day later and finished it whenever I finished it kind of thing.

 

 

 


 

Feb 25, 2021

Random Thursday

So after a nice long break from Shane Carley's True Facts That Sound Like BullS#*t let's get back to learning some totally bizarre and totally true facts!


(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Did you know that the flatworm can use its "sexual organ" as a weapon?


That's just bizarre.



(image borrowed from Disney Wiki)

Did you know that during mating season lions have sex dozens of times of the day?


Oh Simba...smh. Lol.



(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Did you know that the "horror frog" earns its name because it will purposely break its leg bones to creat weaponized spurs?


Oh cringe!



(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Did you know that the wood frog can hibernate up to seven months? No other animal is known to hibernate for even six months!


Dannnnng!



(image borrowed from Aduna)

Did you know the African Bottle Tree can hold hundreds or even thousands of liters of water at any time?


Wow! That's a big trunk!






Feb 24, 2021

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

What if Meg had to become a god?

After Hercules proves he's a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can't be with Hercules because she's, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus--as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest.

The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex's current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend who immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld. Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick-wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?

Written by the author of Mirror, Mirror and Conceal, Don't Feel, Jen Calonita's latest twist is sure to delight and surprise.
  


I still have a lot of these Twisted Tales to read but it never stops me from adding more to the TBR pile! Lol!


TITLE: Go the Distance
AUTHOR: Jen Calonita

PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
GENRE: Disney Retelling
RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2021





Feb 23, 2021

Let's Discuss: Door Peepholes

 

Okay, so again, as I was watching Are You Afraid of the Dark this weekend, I was noticing something that I have noticed before in other TV shows and movies. The doors. Have you ever noticed something weird about people's front doors? They have NO peepholes!!! What is up with that?


Where Have All the Peepholes Gone?


Sidenote: yes, I have 90s fever on the brain! Lol.

Okay, I know even as I start this discussion, not all doors have peepholes. Our current front door does not, and honestly, that is one thing I don't like about it. Yes, there's side windows that are foggy so as not to let people peek in, but obviously, if you were to "peek out" people would see you. I liked that the peephole allows for the privacy of checking to see if it's a cute little Girl Scout at your door or some other dude selling junk you don't want! Lol.

But back to TV and movies and their doors. Why don't they ever have a peephole? Or even if they do...why don't people use it when they hear that ominous knock? When the lights suddenly go out and there's a loud echoing knock...WHY would you pull your curtains back and look out the window?! Yes, if there's no peephole I see that temptation. But honestly, when I hear it I try to peek out the window in the room next to the door to try to see what's going on...mainly waiting for said person to walk away from our door.

I always felt like peepholes in doors were kind of necessary for safety reasons. I mean seriously, if you live alone and someone's knocking on your door, you kind of want to see who it is without them seeing you. Wouldn't you? Why are manufacturers making doors without these anyway? It drives me nuts. Do they not see this as a safety precaution? I mean I guess I see there being a reason why one would not want this in their door.

I remember once as a kid, I saw a movie I shouldn't have because of an inconsiderate adult, where the person checked the peephole at the door after hearing a knock and the bad guy had a gun to the peephole on his side and shot her. Soooo....yeaaaaaahhh...I do have that bit of fear with peepholes.

Do we think maybe the lack of peepholes is on part of the movie making people. Like let's not let the character have that safety option? Let's let them be stupid and look out the window point blank!

 

Have you ever noticed this with movies or TV shows lately? It's the same thing with people leaving their doors unlocked all the time! From small town places to freaking New York and other large cities! Lol.

 

 

 


 

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.

 

If you've read the description of Witchshadow, you will know that this is not spoilery! :)

 

"Iseult stared at Aeduan, shocked. Elated. Aeduan was here, somehow, standing before her." p 85*


 

*Quote comes from the ARC therefore it and its page number are not final.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Witchshadow
AUTHOR: Susan Dennard

PUBLISHER: Tor Teen
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: June 22, 2021



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

 

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud (Claire @ Book Lovers Pizza)

 

*in no particular order
**I think I figured out the hack to get three pictures in a row! It's more time consuming than Blogger Legacy, but that's Inferior New Blogger for you.


 

10. SOULLESS by Gail Carriger--Alexia had me in stitches throughout this series! She was way ahead of her time!
9. HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins--Sophie had snark! Loved that girl!
8. SOME GIRLS BITE by Chloe Neill--Merit was the queen of snark! She was hilarious and not your typical vampire!


7. WICKED by Jennifer L. Armentrout--Tink had me laughing so much in this series!
6. DEAD WITCH WALKING by Kim Harrison--but before there was Tink, there was Jenks, and omg, this pixie was hilarious!
5. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--Janco still remains one of my most favorite characters! He's such a goofball, but still badass!




4. HUNTING PRINCE DRACULA by Kerri Maniscalco--I felt like Thomas just got funnier as the series went on!
3. FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT by Darynda Jones--Charley was a riot! Even her t-shirts had me laughing! All the quotes before the chapters that came from something she likely owned had me loling!
2. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--Katy and Daemon had a great dynamic even before they became a couple! They both had me laughing at things they said or did!



1. LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber--and of course, my girl, Tella, takes #1 because she constantly had me laughing! The girl has sass I loved that about her!