Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

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

"Oh, forget this. I couldn't listen to this shit. I lifted my hand and extended my middle finger. No one saw me, but it made me feel better." Kindle loc. 57%

TITLE: Oblivion (Onyx)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled: Teen
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2015

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 New-To-Me Favorite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015

*in no particular order

*a combo of previously published and debut authors

1. DANIELLE L. JENSEN--I really enjoyed this series so far! It's just an amazing fantasy kind of read and cannot wait to see how it ends next year!

2. LIBBA BRAY--I just read this one in August and still need to read the sequel, but I loved Evie! I was a little unsure about the 1920s setting, but it totally blew me away!

3. ELLE COSIMANO--another author I finally dove into this year and wow! This series so far is just awesome! I really hope there's a third book because these mysteries are incredible with that nice added touch of terror!

4. KRISTIN CAST--I think I only ever read 1 of the books she co-wrote, but I remember it just wasn't for me. But her first solo read was pretty awesome! Though I felt like it ended too soon, I really hope the next one comes out soon!

5. ANNE BISHOP--another author I just picked up this year! I really enjoyed this first book in the series and really need to get caught up on the rest!

6. DEMITRIA LUNETTA--another new to me author I just read this year, about 2 months ago really! This was an awesome dystopian type read and I cannot wait to see how it ends in book 2!

7. SABAA TAHIR--one of the amazing debut authors I read this year! Really loved reading this one and so happy to hear we get at least 1 more book!

8. DAWN KURTAGICH--this book was A-MAZING! I loooove a good creepy read and this book soooo fits the bill!

9. RENEE AHDIEH--I looove a good retelling and this one was pretty awesome! Granted, I can't really remember A Thousand and One Nights well, I remember reading a similar story called The Storyteller's Daughter that runs along the same lines. This book was just awesome as well with how it took off with that storyline!

10. DANIELLE VEGA--loooooved her books! She's a 2014 debut author, but naturally, I fell behind, but I read both books this year and was scared senseless and loved every moment of them! Best yet, The Merciless is getting a SEQUEL next year!!! :D

 

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:

 Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Storm by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC) (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What I Hope to Read this Week:

Fatal Fortune by Victoria Laurie

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays 

Winter Winner!!

Waiting on Wednesday

2016 Challenge #1

Random Thursday

Follow Friday

Stacking the Shelves

Happy St. Nicolas' Day!

Happy St. Nicolas' Day!!

Today is St. Nicholas's Day! It's a German tradition--as well as other countries--that St. Nicholas would visit the houses of all the good little boys and girls and leave treats and small gifts in their shoes. 

Since my grandma on my mom's side was German, we celebrated this day! When I was little St. Nick would visit and fill my stocking with an ornament or two and other small gifts like chapstick and such! Plus candy! Can't forget the Reese's!!

Even though we are older, we all still put our stockings out the night before and hope that St. Nick brings us goodies! Haven't had a bad year yet! ;)

So does anyone else celebrate this day? 

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!


I had a pretty good week this week again! Didn't buy anything, but I did get a few more of my Secret Santa gifts and review books! 

I did buy this one book though:

 Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For review from the author I received:

Storm by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC)--already read & reviewed!

THANK YOU Alyssa!!

Then from my Secret Santa, I received:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder--the UK YA edition by Mira Ink

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder--the UK YA edition by Mira books

THANK YOU Secret Santa! Can't wait for the last gift to see who you are! ;)

Awhile back I backed Rachel Caine's Kickstarter to write another Weather Warden novel! Rachel's Weather Warden series was one of my first adult reads and I LOVED it! So naturally, I backed the project! I received my second set of perks (I still need to read the first novella she sent me) and it was a set of trading cards and a SIGNED print of the cover art for the first book! Signed by both Rachel and the cover artist!! So cool!

Then I received another of my Black Friday DVD orders! 1 more set to go!!

Supernatural: Season 10 DVD

Jurassic World BlurRay

And that was my week! What did you all get?!

ARC Review--Storm by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Underneath our greatest flaws lie our greatest strengths.

Jared barely has time to process the revelation that his mother is a witch before his life is once again turned upside down. He wakes up in a time and place he thought he had left behind with no clue how to get out.
When Vera shows up the stakes are even higher.

Racing to find a way back to reality and to fix mistakes, both must face new truths about their identities, and what they are made of.

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

Storm is the final book in Alyssa Rose Ivy’s Empire Chronicles series, and it was one I quite enjoyed! Jared was a character that took some getting used to, but pretty much after Allie and Levi got together, he started to grow on me. So I guess it wasn’t long before I started rooting for him when this spinoff series started. Though, it wasn’t to be with Casey, as we saw in the first book, it was just to find his own happiness, and that he does.

When Storm starts, Jared finds himself waking up in his old room, his very, very old room that was in the apartment he shared with Levi and Owen. Jared has somehow gone back in time to before Levi and Allie met. There does get a little bit of complexities when it comes to the “time-traveling” notion, as the past he’s in, is only a possible version of the past…it does get explained better than I can put into words, but basically as long as Jared can get himself out of this past and back to his own present, whatever mistakes he make here won’t effect his future.

It’s not long before Vera joins him, when she tries to wake Jared with a kiss, he somehow pulls her into this past world. For in their own time, Jared and Vera appear to be deeply asleep.

Jared and Vera have a lot on their plate with trying to get back to their own time, but Jared is also trying to figure out a way to rescue his mom. Then there’s Tiffany to deal with, who’s also in this version of the past and trying to muck things up. Such as preventing Allie and Levi from ever meeting, though if Jared doesn’t find a way to get back to the present and destroy this version of the past, it will lead into an unknown future. So there’s definitely a lot of tension going on in this one as Vera and Jared race to figure out how to go about doing things. And can I just still say, how blown away I am that Tiffany turned out to be an evil b…witch?! Lol. I had really liked her character initially, but then she had to turn out to be an evil witch in disguise.

It was kind of fun in a way, because we get to see how all the characters were from wayyy back in the beginning of Flight. Toby is back to being a persistent ass in trying to get Allie back, Levi has his haughty attitude back in full…and yet Jared is still his newly matured and grown self. It makes for interesting developments for sure. Owen, sadly, just seemed not to really be present. I mean he’s there, but it’s possible he was dealing with the aftermath of leaving Daisy. He was just very melancholy.

I have very much enjoyed watching Jared mature. He’s no longer that playboy from when we first met him. A lot has changed him. I love seeing him with Vera because those two are pretty much perfect for one another. Their chemistry is definitely swoon worthy on the pages.

While I had initially heard that this was the last book in the Empire Chronicles portion of the Chronicles world series at large, there is a bit of a cliffhanger. Or more like fodder for another story, one that would have to involve Jared somehow, and then Vera by proxy. But I have yet to hear of any details yet. It’s also possible that issue might pop up in Daisy and Owen’s story since it’s of the same world. Only time will tell I guess, unless I go bug Alyssa about it! ;)

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Follow Friday

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

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list  

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. 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
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question: What's your favorite ice cream flavor? - Suggested by Not Tonight I'm Reading

MY ANSWER: So not the right question...

But anyway, my original favorite is vanilla. Yup. Plain and simple! But I do like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough! And Cake Batter! And ooh Peanut Butter Chocolate! 

So yeah...more than just vanilla!

 

Random Thursday

Taking a break from my little book of fun facts, here are some fun facts regarding the Harry Potter park!!! I read this article on Yahoo awhile back, here's the link if you want to read it in full! Otherwise, I'll be sharing it here this week and next! 15 Amazing Secrets Hidden Inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by Kristin Harris is the name of the article!

"1. There's a British red phone booth located right outside the entrance to Diagon Alley. 

If you go inside the phone booth and dial MAGIC (962442), you'll get a message from the Ministry of Magic on the phone. Extra secret: the phone is an exact match to the phone that was used in the movie.

2. Inside the Quality Qudditch Supplies store (where you can buy your very own Quidditch gear!) the trophies on the tops of the shelves are props from the actual Harry Potter movies.

The props manager went through 200 40-foot containers filled with props from the movies where he hand-selected what would be place around Diagon Alley.

3. Even the music you hear is the same from the movie. 

Inside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (where you can buy ah-mazing novelty toys inspired by the books and films) the music you hear is actually the same music played in the background of the movie when they go into Weasley's store.

4. The Leaky Cauldron has 80 pieces of artwork on the walls that are exact replicas of the art from the films. 

The Leaky Cauldron, the incredible dimly-lit tavern where you can order food inspired by the films, also has luggage placed around that is straight from the set of the Potter movies.

5. The giant dragon that's the centerpiece of Diagon Alley was sculpted by Grim Court, the lead sculptor from the Potter movies. 

The dragon shoots out super-hot flames every 15 minutes, causing everyone in Diagon Alley to stop immediately and snap pics. (It's that cool.)

6. Wizards and witches can cast actual spells throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, with their new life-changing interactive wands. 

When buying a wand, you'll receive a map with 34 marked locations. When you locate the medallions, you must say the spell name and do the wand gesture that's listed to make the magic happen. There are a few secret locations that are unlisted, but if you ask the expert spell-casters nearby, they might show you. Extra secret: If you place your spell map under the black light when inside Knockturn Alley, the shapes of the spells that are written in "invisible ink" will appear.

7. You can even visit the tattoo parlor! 

For the Potter movies, they built the tattoo shop from the books, but it never made it into the films. In Knockturn Alley, they recreated the storefront for the tattoo parlor, featuring all of the props from the movie set—including all of the tattoos and artwork (which are interactive and glow).

8. Inside Borgin and Bourkes in Knockturn Alley, you'll find tons of props from the Potter movies. 

The hat rack that you can see in the window of the store in the movies can be found in the shop, and a little sculpture with nails sticking in him was taken from Lupin's Dark Arts classroom in the movies. Extra secret: if you go up to the Vanishing Cabinet in the store you can hear the bird chirping inside!"

Stay tuned for the rest of the factoids next week!

2016 Challenge #1

1. The challenged will run from January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016. The sign up link below will remain open until November 30, 2016 at 12:00pm.
2. Anyone can enter! You don't have to be a blogger, just as long as you review the book you've read. You can review on your book on your blog, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc.
3. Any genre, length, or format of book counts as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your self for some time. Short stories and novellas do count! The only stipulations that the book must have been released in 2015 or earlier. No 2016 ARCs or 2016 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed.
4. On the last Monday of every other month (see schedule below), we will post a wrap-up for the previous two months. These posts will be done by one our bloggers and will contain new linky for you to add your own wrap-up posts or reviews.
5. You don't have to follow Bookish to join the challenge, but you do have to follow us to be entered in the giveaways.
6. Use #2016TBRPile to keep in contact with fellow challenge participants, to encourage each other on, and make new friends!

How many books are you planning to read for this challenge?

1-10 A Firm Handshake

11-20 A Friendly Hug

21-30 First Kiss

31-40 Sweet Summer Fling

41-50 Could This Be Love?

50+ Married with Children

Redacted the book club info, as I rarely have time for book of the month reads. Click here to read full post. :(


Want to join?

1. Write a post about joining the 2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge on your blog. If you don't have a blog, post about it on Facebook or tweet about it via Twitter. Link up in the linky below using the link to your post/tweet.
2. In your post, don't forget to include the button/banner, link back to our sign up page, the level you are aiming for, and - if you want - a list of books you're hoping to read for the challenge.
3. Place the challenge button in your sidebar (please use the grab link at the bottom of the post).
4. That's it! You're done! Welcome to the challenge, stay tuned for lots of fun! And most importantly, good luck with tackling your TBR Pile!

This is my favorite challenge to do every year! Though last year, I didn't quite get to Married with Children! I still did good in my Sweet Summer Fling section! Going to try for Could This Be Love for next year!

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...

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

Medium M. J. Holliday battles demons in the tenth Ghost Hunter Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of No Ghouls Allowed.

M.J., Heath, and Gilley, are back home in Boston, where their new film is sure to be a monster hit!  To promote the film, the studio is sponsoring a special exhibit of supernatural artifacts at a local museum. Unfortunately, Gilley—whose mind is engaged with wedding plans—gets talked into donating to the exhibit the very dagger that keeps the dangerous ghost Oruç and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms. Before M.J. can recover the bewitched blade, there’s a murder and a heist at the museum, and the dagger is stolen.

Now Oruç is coming for M.J. and her crew, and he's bringing with him some fiendish friends from M.J.’s haunted past. She, Gilley, and Heath are certain to be in for a devil of a time. M.J. may even need to recruit a certain skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal party crashers from turning Gilley’s wedding bells to funeral knells. . . .

So behind in this series! Really need to get caught up on this author's books! EEP!

TITLE: A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder

AUTHOR: Victoria Laurie

PUBLISHER: NAL
GENRE: Paranormal Mystery

RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2016

The New York Times-bestselling author returns with another installment in the wildly popular Iron Druid Chronicles—a fantasy adventure that’s Harry Dresden meets American Gods.

This hilarious and action-packed urban fantasy series is set in a modern world in which all the gods of every pantheon are alive and well, as in American Gods; its hero is a smart-mouthed, buttkicking magician, like Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden. But it’s told in a smart, witty, unforgettable voice that’s all Kevin Hearne—a star in the fantasy world. This addictive and wildly imaginative series stars hero Atticus O’Sullivan: a handsome, tattooed Irishman who looks like a young rock star, but is in actuality a 2,000-year-old Druid with extraordinary magic powers. In Staked, Atticus has his final confrontation with the clan of vampires who have been bent on destroying him—including Leif, his former best friend and now enemy.

Another series I am behind on! So hard to do a WoW for a series I need catching up in!

TITLE: Staked
AUTHOR: Kevin Hearne
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: January 26, 2016

 

WINTER WINNER!!!

Sorry for the delay! My new work has a lot stronger firewall than my old, so I can't blog while at work anymore. Sigh...

But onto the reason you're all here! Time to announce the winner of the SIGNED copy of Winter, SIGNED poster of the gorgeous end-pages of Fairest, and swag!!

And the winner is..............really wish I could insert a drumroll................

LISA MANDINA!!

Congrats Lisa!!


Okay, so it's looking like I will have to wait until after the holidays to do my next big giveaway, which will be international! I swear! Even if I have to double my blogoversary giveaway come January, I will!! I just got get through the holiday bills, personal property taxes, regular taxes, and all those other "fun" adult things school neglected to teach us. So hang tight guys! I SWEAR there will be a giveaway in the near future!

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

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 grinned, and yanked the hanging back, revealing the hidden door behind it. It stood slightly ajar, held open by a bronze spaniel someone had place in the crack as a doorstop. An enormous padlock splayed open and dangled from its hasp.

Please. I prayed as I grasped the crystal door knob. Please don't let this be the room where they hide the deformed cannibal cousin. 'Cause it's just too damn early for that." Kindle loc. 13%*


*Quote comes from the eARC therefore it and its location are not final.

TITLE: Into the Dim
AUTHOR: Janet B. Taylor
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers
GENRE: Time-Traveling Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016

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 2016 Debuts Novels That "Caught My Attention"

*in no particular order 

**So apparently I don't really have that many. Basically with debuts I tend to wait until reviews come in before making a final decision. Though there are always the occasion debut that I look forward to on my own!

1. FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP by Sarah Glenn Marsh--this sounds intriguing, part mystery and part witchy!

2. INTO THE DIM by Janet B. Taylor--partially cheating since I am reading it already! LOL. But it involves time traveling which pretty much has my attention!

3. BURNING GLASS by Kathryn Purdie--this is yet another one that just sounds intriguing!

4. BLACKHEARTS by Nicole Castroman--a Blackbeard tale? Sounds promising!

5. THE READER by Traci Chee--sounds a bit intriguing but still not sure if it's for me! The title is what caught my eye!

6. THIEF OF LIES by Brenda Drake--a read involving bookishness? You have to ask?

And that's about all I've found so far!