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.

 

"'Natasha, this is the moment you get to decide between death or rebirth. The choice is entirely yours.'" p 46-47*

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Stealing Infinity
AUTHOR: Alyson Noel
PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen
GENRE: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2022

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 I Wish Had an Epilogue

 

*in no particular order
**now some of these might have turned into I want an epilogue the length of a full novel since this particular series was cancelled...but that still totally counts! Lol.

 

10. THE DARKEST MAGIC by Morgan Rhodes--yes, a cancelled series, so I need a full length epilogue to wrap things up magically!
9. TWISTED by Gena Showalter--cancelled as well! Bring me that 400+ page epilogue!
8. NIGHT MAGIC by Jenna Black--a cancelled series that cut me deep, real deep. So a 300+ page epilogue will do!

 

7. NOCTURNE by Syrie James--there was supposed to be a sequel. It never happened. I never even found out why. So I'd like an epilogue to kind of make things happier please!
6. STRANGE AND EVER AFTER by Susan Dennard--an ending that cut me deep as well, before Black's naturally. I feel like an epilogue to see that the right choices were made would've been nice.
5. DOOMED by Tracy Deebs--I feel like an epilogue that showed the aftermath of things going back to normal would've been nice here.

4. THE LAST STAR by Rick Yancey--I remember thinking at the end of this one how an epilogue would've been nice. I felt like more needed to be said, yet it wasn't.
3. AS OLD AS TIME by Liz Braswell--I guess I wanted an epilogue more so we could see the Beast become the nameless Prince. I just felt like the story could've gone on longer than it did.
2. A GHOUL'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER by Victoria Laurie--I think I wanted an epilogue here because it was the end of a series! True, there's a spinoff I've got to start, but yeah, I would've liked an epilogue here.

1. A HAUNTED HOUSE OF HER OWN from LED ASTRAY by Kelley Armstrong--so I was doing some deep diving into my review collection and I found myself writing about my desire for more or at least an epilogue of this particular short story of Kelley Armstrong's, so there you go! Lol.

Let's Discuss: ARC Boxes

 

As a book reviewer one thing that I have loved is when publishers send an ARC box to me! I mean, it's not just an ARC for a book I am excited for, there are other promo goodies in it and sometimes the items tie to the book itself! It's something that still excites me despite all the years I've been blogging.

ARC Boxes

Granted, despite being a blogger for 13+ years, I've only gotten less than 10 of these things! I've seen other newer blogger get stacks of them over the years, and I won't lie, it kind of hurts. But each box I do get I treasure! I legit can't bare to part with the box or anything inside of it! Lol.

My most recent one I received last week was for Stealing Infinity! It came with a cool little necklace that has a stone inside of a silver box, pencils, and this amazing magnetic-sand hourglass. I really need to take a different picture to get the whole idea! Hopefully you'll see that on my instagram this week if I get myself taking pictures after I write this post! Lol.

I always found something so magical about the extra items. I especially love it when the items come from the book (if possible). It just makes the book and the magic come to life. It's also probably why I have a hard time parting with the items/box/book, even after I buy a finished copy!

If you're one of the lucky readers to receive these magical ARC boxes, how do you feel about them? Do you save everything from the box? Do you keep the box? This post really turned into me just gushing over my latest box, but the magic and love I feel applies to the other boxes I received over the years as well.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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:

Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall (4 stars)

 

Review That Was Posted:

 

Trouble with the Cursed by Kim Harrison (ARC) (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel (ARC)

What I MIGHT Read Next:

At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday
Random Thursday
Book Blogger Hop
Stacking the Shelves--The Super Cool Edition

 

 

 

 

Stacking the Shelves--The Super Cool Edition

 

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 Reading Reality.

 

Well, though we still have over a week left in Spring, Summer has officially arrived...and I am counting down the days to that one week of Fall weather we get before it turns to Winter! One thing to know about Summers in St. Louis is that they are insanely hot and the humidity is super high! I get nauseous walking out to the mailbox, it is that bad! You'd think living here all my life, I would be used to it...I am not! Other than dreadful weather the week was pretty mundane. Work is slowly picking up, there are good days and not so good days. It's good being busy but what I don't like is having the vendors want to reach out to me before I've even had time to open my email. Legit had that one day this week and I was like, seriously? Yes, I'm working from home, and though I get my laptop setup plenty early I still don't clock on/sign in/open email until that clock turns 8! 

The week was sprinkled with goodness towards the end of it! It's always fun when the packages start rolling in and when you knew things were coming but can't always remember what was supposed to come first! And there were surprises! I love surprises! So here's what I got:

Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer--keeper copy!
For the Throne by Hannah Whitten--I still need to read the first book but thought it best to buy the final one to read back-to-back! Also, really annoyed that B&N once again neglected to tell me of their online sale Tuesday! What's the point of paying for a membership if you don't even get that kind of notice?!
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong--keeper copy! I totally forgot to go to the store the weekend of its release. I felt shameful. 

For review from the publisher I received the most awesome ARC BOX!! I was ecstatic to see this one coming up the driveway!

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel (ARC)
it came with pencils
a necklace--hopefully I will learn its meaning in the book!
a super cool magnetic-sand hourglass!

THANK YOU Entangled Teen!!

Then I also got a super cool box filled with Street Team swag and preorder incentives from Crystal Smith! I was on the Street Team for Greythorne and my goodies were delayed due to unforeseen events, but they have arrived and I was so excited to see them! I even posted a video on Instagram...my first unboxing video. I didn't narrate what I was opening though as I was taking a 5 minute work break, and things get a little wavy with the camera at the end as I opened another box within the main box! So watch carefully! ;)

I got a collection of bookmarks
crystal sugar lollipops
a collection of stickers
a button
a necklace
a mini map
a pocket mirror
a keychain
and an adorable handmade mini snow globe!

THANK YOU Crystal!!

Then I sent in a SASE to Kim Harrison to get her latest book freebie item! I've been collecting her freebies pretty much since The Hollows went hardcover at book 5! I wasn't entirely sure if I'd get one with my book I ordered from her store, so to be safe, I sent in the SASE and my freebie arrived this week:

I read an ARC of Trouble with the Cursed already, so I know exactly what this is! I love how creative Kim has gotten with her freebies and finding just the right, lightweight item to send out! That she can always find something cool to tie in with her books is another plus!

THANK YOU Kim (& Guy)!!

Then I ordered myself a new tote bag from one of my book sleeves dealers (lol) at Fandom Sleeves. Yes, my book sleeve addiction had finally been put to rest...for the most part. Working from home means I don't need to protect my book on my commute, but when I saw Maribel was creating tote bags out of spare fabric squares I knew I needed one! Just one, I swear! My tote bag collection is still pretty big back from my convention days! 

Ah, how I miss RT...

I did one side Disney and one side spooky for my eclectic personality! Lol. What's also funny is I have at least 3 book sleeves made from these patches of fabric!

And finally, my last goodie was yet another book sign from Bookish Signs and More! I had seen a few cute little "book review" signs floating around and at the last sale, I decided I needed one! I thought it would be fun to (try) to get in the habit of posting quick little pictures to let people know when I have a review up. Though...if I am reading a kindle book that will be difficult, so we'll see where things go on that front! But I decided to go with the same color as my library sign as it kind of matches my blog...and will look pretty on my black bookcases where I imagine taking a lot of these quick pictures! 

One of these days I hope to get around to doing a blog makeover, but as I've been happy with my design I haven't sought out a new template. But if I do, it will definitely still have purple in it! Lol.

And that was it for me! It wasn't a bad week at all! What did you get this week?

 

Book Blogger Hop

 

 

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

 

 

This week's question is: Have you ever forgotten to post a review? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer) 

MY ANSWER: Maybe? I mean somewhere in the early days, my "schedule a post" might have malfunctioned or I forgot to correct the date and time. I usually noticed this the day of the post needing to be up and corrected it some hours later...luckily, I don't think it was ever for a tour post that has to be up at certain times. Those I am always diligent in making sure the time is perfect! Lol.

Review--Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

 

A supernatural thriller about one girl's hunt for the truth about her mother's disappearance.

Sophia's first memory is of drowning. She remembers the darkness of the water and the briny taste as it fills her throat. She remembers the cold shock of going under. She remembers her mother pulling her to safety before disappearing forever. But Sophia has never been in the ocean. And her mother died years ago in a hospital. Or so she has been told her whole life.

A series of clues have led Sophia to the island of Bitter Rock, Alaska, where she talked her way into a summer internship at the Landon Avian Research Center, the same center her mother worked at right before she died. There, she meets the disarmingly clever Liam, whose own mother runs the LARC, as well as Abby, who's following a mystery of her own: a series of unexplained disappearances. People have been vanishing from Bitter Rock for decades, leaving only their ghostly echoes behind. When it looks like their two mysteries might be one and the same, Sophia vows to dig up the truth, no matter how many lies she has to tell along the way. Even if it leads her to a truth she may not want to face.

 

After reading Kate Alice Marshall's last book, I was pretty much hooked for her books! Our Last Echoes proves that Marshall will continue to delight and terrify me with her words. This book was definitely more mysterious and bizarre than the previous Marshall book I read. It was still eerie for sure, but it did present more questions to.

Sophia is now eighteen and free to leave her foster parents' house and set out on her own. The one thing she wants to do more than anything is find out what happened to her mother. She was told she died when she was young, and thus the reason she entered the system, but when Sophia gets a message that tells her her mother could still be alive, she's eager for answers. Sophia finds herself going to Bitter Rock, Alaska to act as an intern with the Landon Avian Research Center in order to find the answers that she needs.

Bitter Rock is definitely a small town of mystery. There's not many residents here, the LARC group takes up the majority of the population. Strange things happen here, things that people don't talk about. Sophia will do whatever it takes to get her answers though. Joining her in her quest is Liam, the son of Dr. Kapoor, and her "boss." There's also Abby, the stranger who told her her mother was still alive. These three teenagers are set to discover the impossible and hopefully find Sophia's mother along the way.

This book was weird you guys, straight up weird! I loved it! I also want to say that this book was told through the mixed media way. While we get the standard storytelling of a first person point of view, we also get transcripts of video feeds or other recordings that help to tell the story from the past. We learn what was going on Bitter Rock where Sophia's mother was working years ago. You won't be prepared for these answers though.

I will admit to a bit of confusion at times, mainly when it came to the "weird" stuff. I know! Out of all the times to find myself a little lost, it happens at my favorite parts! I think it had to do with what was really going on here. It's also something I'm still struggling to comprehend. I mean, I have an idea of what it all was and meant, but if that's what Marshall intended, I have no idea. When you read things about the strange and bizarre you have to suspend your beliefs on what is normal and natural, you have to expect the unexpected and live with the unexplained. Sometimes things really are what they seem to be.

I will say there was just a dash of romance. Not much, but the story didn't really have time for romance itself, so it wasn't really missed. Sophia and Liam grow closer, and there are bonds forming with Abby. They were a pretty tight trio for being together such a short time and enduring what they did.

The ending is wild! It's completely and totally wild! It really leaves you thinking on everything that happened in the climax and you're wondering just what happened as well! Lol. It's definitely a book that will throw you through a loop and leaving you hanging upside down. It's totally bizarre and twisted and it was everything I could've hoped for! I perhaps might have wanted just a tad more explanations spread throughout when it came to the weird and strange, there was also something at the very end that kind of tripped me up. I mean, I think I get it, but then again...lol! So very puzzling indeed! 

If you're looking for a book that will give you all the frights and totally twist your mind inside out, then Our Last Echoes is the read for you!

 

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

 

 

 

  

Random Thursday

 

Time to learn more fun facts from history in True Facts That Sound Like Bull$#*t by Shane Carley. I'm already worrying about what I will fill these posts with in the coming months since I'm just about finished with the fun facts from this one. I might need to change up what I do here on Thursdays. We shall see!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

In the 18th century the average height for a man was about 5'6", nowadays the average height is 5'10".

According to Google, Paul Rudd is 5'10", hence the picture! Lol.

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Teddy Roosevelt was shot once when he was delivering a speech...he finished the speech. 

Wonder where he was shot then, because ow!

(image borrowed from History)

Stalin practiced the earliest form of photoshop before there were even computers. He was known for erasing people from pictures when they left his inner circle. Pictures of him with advisors would dwindle over time as they left.

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Rumor has it that Lyndon B. Johnson modified the White House showers to shoot a jet of water directly at his p***s. Apparently this was verified in Kate Andersen Brower's The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.

I mean, okay?

(image borrowed from Encyclopedia Britannica)

Did you know that The Black Death killed a third of Europe's population in just five years?

I never realized the numbers were so big!

Can't Wait 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.

 

The Princess Bride meets Game of Thrones in this commercial YA trilogy from acclaimed fantasy author Sarah Henning.

The epic tale concludes with The King Will Kill You, as the newly-crowned Queen Amarande and Luca, her one true love, seek peace among the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky. Wartorn and regicidal, all five kingdoms must confront the power-mad king determined to seize control of the continent--and kill Amarande and Luca in the process.

Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Adrienne Young will love this kickass heroine and fast-paced fantasy adventure inspired by The Princess Bride.  

I am excited to see how this one will end! It's been fun so far, though I did feel The Princess Bride vibes kind of ended in the second book, I'll be excited to see if they are revived here!

TITLE: The King Will Kill You
AUTHOR: Sarah Henning
PUBLISHER: Tor Teen
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2022