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 a rather quiet week I feel like. It's eerie and odd. Lol! Though the week didn't start off too good when my Abe Books order came in and the book that I was expecting to be "LIKE NEW" "NEVER BEEN READ" came in clearly "read" condition with cover creases and wear and tear and bent page corners. So wasn't happy, but I guess I should've figured a "LIKE NEW" book would never be sold for so cheap. Plus there was ZERO mentioning of an "irremovable" cover sticker. I LOATHE those! I swear publishers made those just to annoy the heck out of readers! Those stickers ARE THE DEVIL!!

via GIPHY

*substitute Ben Franklin for irremovable cover stickers ;) 


But anyways, here's what I bought this week:

Divergent by Veronica Roth--the UK edition to complete my collection and the one that came in clearly been read and beaten condition, but "LIKE NEW"!

Tiger's Dream by Colleen Houck--holy mammoth this baby is huge! I bought the real book edition and this baby is 800+ pages! Harry Potter length people!! Almost considering buying the ebook now just so I don't put any wear and tear into the spine! I intend to meet Colleen at the Origin Event in November and want to have the fully Tiger Saga signed and that includes this beauty!

Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas--okay, I told myself I would not buy this until I read her first duology but Amazon had it on sale and it was the last copy in stock and I just auto clicked it before I could really think about what I was doing! Lol!

Then for review from the author I received:

 

Warlock's Embrace by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC)

THANK YOU Alyssa!!

 

 

 

And that's it my friends! I didn't do too bad all things considered! What did you all get?

Behind the Screen: A Book Blogger Tag

So this was a tag/post I've saved for when I found time to actually do it! Lol! I saw it over at It Starts at Midnight but was actually created by Amber at Du Livre, as well as this image being hers too! It sounded like fun and I thought, why not?!


When did you first start blogging and what was your first review?

I first started blogging on January 29, 2009. I've told this story in some fashion numerous times already but to reiterate, I am a HUGE FAN of Rachel Vincent's books! Her first series, Werecats series was a favorite of mine! I was on The Pride, which was the fan discussion board and this is where I spent a lot of my time for those early years. Then Rachel mentioned a contest, one in which the winner would win an ARC of Prey, the next novel in the series. You basically got entry points for everywhere you posted a review of her book. I posted to Amazon, I posted to Borders--because yes, my beloved was still alive at the time, and I was trying to figure out more post points because I WANTED THAT ARC! Among Rachel's examples was writing a blog post/review, so I thought why not? I can do that! So I headed over to Blogger which was the easier free platform for blogging and went about the process of creating a blog. When it came to choosing the title, aka, like the first step, I thought a GREAT read sounded about right because that's what I thought Pride was. It was a GREAT read! Emphasis on the little "a" capital "GREAT" and little "read". 

Suffice to say that I didn't win the contest sadly. But I thought why not keep the blog. It could be fun! Mind you that there wasn't a lot of people out there in 2009. Seriously, last year I just cleaned out all the blogs listed on my "following" page and to have deleted like 1/3 of them because all those bloggers I followed since the very beginning had left. Basically...I had NO IDEA what I was doing! There wasn't a lot of people to follow so I didn't have a lot of blogs to check out and see how I would want to run my own. 

I warn you, the review I have linked here...is scary. I mean...I haven't looked back at this in ages because when I did...woooohooooo boy, it was scary!! You've been warned! ;)


Who/what inspired you to start blogging?

Uh...well...no one I guess? As I mentioned above my blog came into creation because I was trying to get more contest entry points. I thought a blog would be the easiest to do out of the offered selections and after I lost the contest I just kept the blog up and running because why not? It was fun to have a place to talk about the book I read...even if no one was really reading said posts!


What is a blog-related goal that you have?

Really, to just always have fun with it! I like blogging that's why I've kept at it for almost 10 years now. Yeah, I'm not a widely known blogger or anything. I rarely get ARCs despite being at this for a decade and while I do still get ARC envy I know the book will be out eventually and I then turn to one of the currently) 300+ books I am DYING to read that I already own! So really, my goal is to always have fun with said blog no matter how few hits/views I may get.


What is one thing you wish someone had told you about blogging?

Well one thing is...how in the heck do you create/design your own blog? I have zero tech skills when it comes to such things. I was extremely lucky to have won this design that I have up currently a few years ago and I've never changed it because I have no idea how! Lol! Plus I still like it!

I guess another is...what the heck do I need to have in my Edelweiss profile that will make publishers approve one of my requests instead of rejecting it? It's sooo frustrating, because if said book makes it over to Netgalley, I request there and almost always get approved for it there instead. It's straight up weird!


What was your biggest blog-related accomplishment?

Besides gaining followers which seriously amazed me with every single one...I think it was when I first saw my name inside a book being quoted from a previous review!

The book I was quoted in was the paperback version of Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland, the book I was quoted for Twisted!! (still experiencing the worse heartbreak ever that the series will never ever be finished!)

What type of posts do you enjoy writing?

I'm guessing we need to say something other than reviews here? It's these posts that I always struggle with for some reason! Lol! Though I do get enjoyment out of my Random Thursday posts where I share truly random pieces of knowledge I read about from some source or another! They can be fun!

Where do you usually blog? What does your setup look like?

I blog at my desk in my room...no place special.

And I may have had to clear off some of the junk I keep meaning to put away somewhere but haven't done just yet. And no, after moving it off for the picture I put it right back where it was. Though to be fair, one is my RedBox movie I need to return plus a mini grocery list and then there's my reminder/coupon to get my eyes examined next weekend! So that's staying out for the foreseeable future!


What was your last five-star read?

That would be the book I finished just yesterday, Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout! I swear I think I've given all her books 5 stars! No surprise there!

What was your last 1-star read?

I first thought I never did a 1-star rating but when I went over to Goodreads and checked--also noticing oh-wow-did-I-forget-to-post-some-reviews-last-year-(and-2015)--I ended up giving three books 1.5-star ratings. Ironically all were read in 2014...so yeah, not a good year for me there I guess! Lol! Those books were:

Clicking the covers should take you to the review on Goodreads--should you want to read them, which is basically the same review I post on my blog! 

Upside is I've learned to choose books that I know I will like. Generally the books I pick for myself tend to be 4-5 stars, books I might take a chance on can be anywhere from 3-5 stars. Though last year I did have one that was very upsetting but I ended up giving 2.5 stars, so it wasn't quite a 1-star!



What are three words that make you pick up a book?

* magical
* paranormal terms: vampire, ghost, demon, witch...you get the idea!
* mystery


What is your Hogwarts House?

Shockingly...

That's where Pottermore sorted me. Never would've guessed it myself!


What is your favorite reading environment?

I like reading in my bed. It's comfy cozy and I have Daemon looking out for me! Lol!

Really, I can read anywhere! As long as I can be in a somewhat comfortable position to sit still for hours on end and preferably have some peace and quiet!


What advice would you give to new bloggers?

Honestly? Have fun with it! Do what you want the way you want and don't worry about your follower numbers or numbers in general. We're readers after all. I always think of blogging as a hobby, something to do alongside my reading hobby. It should never ever feel like a chore, an obligation, or a job. It should always and forever be fun!



And that's it! If you like this post idea consider yourself tagged!


And since this was somewhat discussion like, I am counting it for my Discussion Challenge as well! Oh yeah! I got 2 done this month! Lol!

The Search Continues...

For a roommate at The Origin Event! I've been meaning to post this post for weeks, but March has been crazy busy! I do my blog posts on the weekends and this is the first weekend where I am not wrapped up in some event.

So once again I just want to say that I am DEFINITELY attending The Origin Event this November! I've bought my ticket and I've got a room at the event hotel booked! I have 2 Queens so if anyone wants to go as far as 4 to a room, I'm down with that! I would just love to go to this event with a blogger pal! I've found that author events like this are much more fun when you have a friend to go with.

Anyone planning on going to this and want to bunk up? Do you know anyone going who might need to bunk up with a pal at the hotel? I REALLY want to meet up with other bloggers at this event so don't be shy! Send me an email (mine can be found in my review policy tab) or send me a tweet or DM! I'm super shy as it is too, so making myself write one of these posts each month is something of an amazing feat! Lol!

Review--Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

In the midst of trying to figure out what to read before I start planning for my reading of books for the next signing, I decided it was FINALLY time to finish Jennifer L. Aremntrout’s Wicked series! For that I had to start with Torn as I had only read Wicked previously. Naturally, there are no recaps for the new adult or adult books (that I could find) so I had no concrete memory of the first book sadly since I read it way back in 2014, but for some reason, I was still able to dive right back into the series as we pick up where we left off. And as the story moved along, I was able to recall what had gone down the first go around.

Ivy has just learned that she is in fact the Halfling that everyone thought was Val, her best friend who ended up betraying her and the Order to the Prince. Ivy knows that she will have to keep this a closely guarded secret from everyone or else it will cost her her life. Lying to Ren though is the last thing she wants to do as the two of them have only continued to grow closer.

But Ivy’s secret will be the least of her problems as the Prince from the Otherworld is free and he’s going to be coming after Ivy for there’s a prophecy about where the Halfling the bears the Prince’s child will open the gates to the Otherworld permanently, letting all the fae free into the human world. But she has to willing consent to such an act, which gives Ivy some sense of safety, but as the reader we know better.

Things were incredibly intense in this one for now Ivy knows what she is and is terrified of telling Ren but at the same time wants to be completely honest with him. Things are a wreck as the Order is trying to hunt Val down for they believe she’s the Halfling. This was a most intense read for there was a lot of secrets coming about in this book, ones being held, ones being revealed, and more being exposed. It made for a thrilling read! Every time something caused an interruption with my progress, I grew very irate because omg, this is a Jennifer L. Armentrout book! Leave me alone world! Lol!

It wasn’t long before I remembered my undying love for the brownie that is Tink! He is such a riot, a brownie with an Amazon Prime shopping problem! Ordering things that are way too big for his little size! I was amazed to find that Tink plays a bigger role in this story than he did last time. At least, I am pretty sure he wasn’t as present in the previous book. His character is involved a bit more in the storyline this time I feel like and of course his continued arguments with Ren are to die for!

Naturally with any JLA book you are guaranteed to be swept off your feet with a sizzling and heartfelt romance! It never ceases to amaze me how much I swoon with her books, but yeah, each new book boyfriend I gain is a JLA one! Ren is just an amazing guy. There’s not much else to say. There was a series of conflict in this one that jeopardized Ivy and Ren’s relationship that had me worried for quite a while. I won’t touch on it more than that. Regardless of that factor the romance before the conflict was absolutely stunning and I loved it!

The tension in this one was rather thick. We have Ivy on a mission to find Val and before we know it that part comes to a conclusion and we have the Prince left to deal with. There were some things that happened that I was able to see coming and I kid you not, I was legit shouting out loud at the characters when these things were happening, trying to steer them in the right direction. Yeah. Needless to say the plot kept me very hooked and very involved! Lol!

The ending was another surprise though one I was halfway anticipating. It’s setting things up for what is sure to be an epic finale! The best part about waiting to read a book or series is that you can binge through all the way if you time it right! So now I will be happily diving into the final book of the series and see what will come about, hoping that Ivy saves the world in time! Torn was yet another book that I easily fell in love with which once again reminds me why Jennifer L. Armentrout will always remain on my favorite author list!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

 

Book Blogger Hop

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

 

 

 

This week's question is: When meeting with friends, do your discussions usually turn to books? (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

 

 

MY ANSWER: Here's where my answer gets a little sad. I don't get out too much these days unless it's for work, errand run, the occasional dinner outing, or a book signing! Lol! Yeah...I don't get out much. But when I end up at a book signing I usually talk with people there about books, naturally!

Mini-ish Review--We Can Be Mended by Veronica Roth

We Can Be Mended is a short-story epilogue that focuses on Four and takes place five years after Allegiant, the conclusion of the Divergent series.

Some time ago, Veronica Roth decided she wasn’t quite done with the world of Divergent. Allegiant had ended the way she wanted it to but then she realized there was still a part of the story that hadn’t been told. So she wrote it for herself, We Can Be Mended is the short little story that takes place five years after Allegiant. This was initially the pre-order incentive for Carve the Mark, but is now available to all in the paperback version of said book.

Five years after the events of Allegiant, Tobias finds himself at a reunion of sorts in the old Dauntless headquarters. He reunites with some of the friends he hadn’t seen in a while, who were there when everything went down back then. Christina is there as well and the two get to talking and remembering things when everything first started in Divergent. Tobias is still grieving Tris and at least once a year he puts himself through enduring his fears again. There’s still four of them, but they’ve changed and naturally one of them is seeing Tris die. It’s strange to fear something that has already happened, but I take it that Tobias would rather take any form of Tris than no Tris at all.

I heard somewhere that Veronica once thought to have Christina and Four become a couple instead of Tris. For some reason I had never heard that during my reading of the series, but knowing that now, I can see why things turned out the way they did in this little story. It was about Tobias letting go and moving on, something Tris would’ve wanted for him.

It’s truly short little story and one I really enjoyed. I am glad Veronica wrote this because I remember feeling such sadness for Tobias at the end of Allegiant. This is definitely the ending that the series truly deserved.


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

 

Random Thursday

Time for another rousing round of Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans' Curious Questions by Dave Smith! 

(image borrowed from Youtube)

The first Disney roller coaster to have a loop was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at Disneyland Paris in 1993. There was also (assuming in the same park) Space Mountain in 1995 and in other parks was Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and California Screamin'.

(image borrowed from Youtube)

"The first Disney video game that was released were Tron games for Mattel Electronics' Intellivision and Atari in 1982."

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

The origin of the Buena Vista name comes from the street where Disney Studio is located. The company moved to this street in 1940. When Disney set up its own film distribution company in 1953, the name was an easy choice!

I feel like this is common knowledge, yet I feel like sharing it anyway!

(image borrowed from Fred Allen's Old Time Radio Home)

Before Radio Disney came about, Disney's first radio series was known as Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air. It was heard on NBC in 1938, and Walt Disney did the voice of Mickey Mouse!

(image borrowed from Gas Mask and Respirator Wiki)

This gas mask in the shape of Mickey Mouse is said to be the most unusual item in the Archives. It was produced by the Sun Rubber Co. for use in England during WWII. It as thought that kids might be more willing to carry their gas mask around if it looked like Mickey!

That's definitely odd! And maybe a tad creepy looking.

(image borrowed from Disney Parks Wiki)

Tokyo Disneyland has a Cinderella castle, much like the one in Walt Disney World. It's different from the US one in that, at one point, there was a Mystery Tour that highlighted some of the famed Disney villains!

I'd want to go on that tour if I ever had the chance to visit! They'd need to reinstate that tour then! Lol!!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

As of the then upcoming movie Ant-Man in 2015, there were 700 Disney theatrical features!

Review--Four by Veronica Roth

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.

I have finally, finally read Veronica Roth’s Four! I was a huge fan of the Divergent trilogy, possibly one of the few after how it ended. I never had issues with that. Though I did always enjoy Four’s character and having a set of novellas dedicated to telling his story of before he met Tris was something I definitely wanted to read! I will divide this up into mini reviews as I always do for novella/short story collections!

The Transfer

I did read this one some years ago when these novellas were initially going to be released one at a time. Then they were all compiled into what we know as Four today, or however long ago it was when it released! Lol! The Transfer is basically Four’s Choosing Day ceremony and how he came to choose Dauntless.

Once again, I forgot what a cruel father he had, the leader of Abnegation no less. Tobias Eaton, as he’s known then, was ready to make a new life for himself since he could freely choose to escape his father and he decides that Dauntless is the best course for him. His journey was much like Tris’ was and it was interesting to see things from his point of view.

Rating 4.5/5 stars


The Initiate

This story goes into Four’s initiation trials in order to become a full member of the Dauntless faction. He throws himself into his training and trying to overcome his fears, when his sort of mentor, Amar brings him out for a game of Dare with some of the other Dauntless members. It’s a night he’ll always remember; he also gets his first tattoo as his dare.

We get our first look at Jeanine Matthews in this one when she’s called in to look at a possible problem with the test simulator. It seems there’s something peculiar with Four’s test results. Though, Amar helps him out of what could be a sticky situation.

There was a good deal of suspense in this one, even though it’s so short. Some shocking reveals too. By the end, we know where Four stands in his new faction.

Rating 4/5 stars


The Son

In this story, Four learns the truth about his mother. Since it’s been ages since I read the books, I was finding it hard to remember what Four actually knew and what Four/Theo knew from the movies (first and second, because yeah, that third one…). Four’s next challenge comes with his placement in the Dauntless society. The leader Max thinks he has potential to be another leader as well and wants to put him through the training process, along with Eric, much to Four’s dismay.

Four starts to learn a thing or two about what’s really going with the Dauntless faction and their ties to Erudite. He’s starting to make a stand for himself and while he doesn’t know what may come, he knows which side he’ll want to be on.

This story was a little less adventurous for me. While it was still enjoyable, I felt like it was just a little too slow and in the end, what did we really learn? But it still provided a good deal of information and made for an interesting story, if not entirely lovable.

Rating 3.5/5 stars


The Traitor

We now are at the point where Divergent takes place. Tris has chosen Dauntless as the faction she wishes to live and grow in. Though things have changed greatly in the two years that Four was an initiate. Now the initiates have to fight for their right to be considered Dauntless, as it was Eric’s bright idea to do this and he was able to convince the leader, Max to go along with it.

Four has been keeping a quiet eye on things, he’s since learned a few things are happening within the factions. Something is going to happen, and when he learns that it’s an attack planned on Abnegation, he’s not sure who to tell. Everyone seems to be keen with how things are running within the factions.

But he also notices that there’s something different about his initiate, Tris. They spend quite a bit of time together. It was nice seeing things from Four’s point of view. Though it has been years since I read Divergent, I can’t recall what I felt when reading it all from Tris’ point of view.

This was a rather interesting story. It’s definitely longer than the others too and helps us see what was going on with Four while we were busy with Tris in moments in Divergent. It ends on a high note, or rather some very intense conversations that will soon lead to action!

Rating 5/5 stars
 

There is also the added bonus of reading a few more scenes from Divergent from Four’s point of view. There’s the time when Tris was the first to make the jump, when she was having her first meal with the other initiates, and then when a drunken Four comments on her tattoo—to sum up briefly. Naturally, I don’t really remember these moments from the book and my brain might be meshing the movie in with some of the moments, but I felt like the first movie didn’t do too terrible with its depiction. Like with any of the novellas, it was fun to be in Four’s head. Moreso with these I guess because he was interacting with Tris in all these moments. Just some fun little bonus scenes to read!

Overall I’ll say that this was fun series of novellas! Since the majority of the trilogy was from Tris’ point of view, I liked having this extra bit with Four being the storyteller. It was fun and definitely something I’d recommend if you were a fan of Divergent! Note that these novellas took place before the first book, with the fourth one being during Divergent. There’s nothing in them that regards Insurgent or Allegiant, so even if you didn’t like how things turned out in the end and still enjoyed the first book, you will definitely enjoy this one too!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

 

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.

In the second book of the Carve the Mark duology, globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth reveals how Cyra and Akos fulfill their fates. The Fates Divide is a richly imagined tale of hope and resilience told in four stunning perspectives.

Fate brought them together. Now it will divide them.

The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable.

Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: He will die in service to Cyra’s family. And when Cyra’s father, Lazmet Noavek—a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead—reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever.

As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may—or may not—be her father. For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.

I haven't started this series yet because I've made it a point to read duologies back to back (when able!)! Veronica's coming to St. Louis the week after this releases so I suspect I'll start Carve the Mark around then! :)

TITLE: The Fates Divide

AUTHOR: Veronica Roth

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

GENRE: Fantasy YA

RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2018  

From the New York Times, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of The Iron Fey and the Blood of Eden series comes the fiery, hugely anticipated finale of The Talon Saga…

INFERNO

What if dragons walked among us in human form? Enter a modern fantasy of heroes, sacrifice, forbidden love and enemies turned allies who have no choice but to fight side by side… Don't miss the epic conclusion as Ember, Riley and Garrett face off against Dante and the Talon dragon clones. Join them…or burn.

So so so sooooooooooooooooooooo cannot wait to read this one! I positively LOVE Julie's Talon series and I cannot wait to see how it all ends!



TITLE: Inferno

AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa

PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen

GENRE: Paranormal YA

RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2018 

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.

"I wanted to dive back into Agathe Christie but instead settled for an oldie but a goodie, relying on Harry Potter and the whirlwind of the Triwizard Tournament to engage and tire me. Harry had just taken a bath with the golden egg, and my eyes started to flutter as Snape confronted him on the stairs.

Then...a laugh.

I heard it--I definitely heard it. A human laugh." p 130*

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




TITLE: Brightly Burning
AUTHOR: Alexa Donne
PUBLISHER: HMHBooks for Young Readers
GENRE: Sci-Fi YA
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018 

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 on My Spring TBR

*in no particular order

**TBR for me usually means books I already own, so for my picks I'm going from what I already have vs the new releases

10. FOUR by Veronica Roth--I still haven't read this one! I feel like one of the very few people who wasn't upset with the Divergent trilogy, so I plan to give this one a read very, very soon!

9. THE NAMED by Marianne Curley--I plan to re-read the first three installments of The Guardians of Time series so I can read the latest one which just released this month! I LOVED this series when I first read it and remember feeling devastated over its ending so I cannot wait to read the newest installment after a round of catch-up!

8. CARVE THE MARK by Veronica Roth--Veronica is coming to St. Louis next month!! I am super excited! She hasn't been here since Insurgent released! Still kind of shocked she's returning too! Lol! Since she's coming for The Fates Divide so I plan to read the first book of the duology then buy the second one at the signing to be read thereafter!

7. DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING by Tricia Levenseller--Fierce Reads is coming to St. Louis in May! Tricia Levenseller is among the authors coming so I want to get her books read beforehand as well!

6. THE SHADOW QUEEN by C.J. Redwine--STILL need to start this series! I'll be meeting the author at The Origin Event later this year so I want to try to get caught up with this series by then!

5. TORN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--to behind in so many series of one of my most favorite author pains me! I've got to make it a better priority to read her books asap!!

4. THE DEAD LIST by Jennifer L. Armentrout--another one I've been meaning to read! Heck, I meant to read it when it was online for free! That's how long I've had it! LOL!

3. HAVEN by Mary Lindsey--another author at The Origin Event who's book I want to read before attending!

2. TITANS by Victoria Scott--I was on the Street Team for this one but for reasons unknown, my ARC never arrived. I bought the book when it came out but other review books kept getting in the way, then other new releases I was dying for...and here it sits. Since Victoria will be at The Origin Event this one's on my list to read before November as well!

1. ALMOST MIDNIGHT by C.C Hunter--another book I want to read before The Origin Event! One last farewell to the Shadow Falls gang!