Random Thursday

Okay today's the last day of Disney World Fun Facts! Next month I have a whole new theme going on that I'm excited about! LOL, though I'm betting not many of you will be as thrilled! It's going to surround one of my all time favorite movies ever! But that's for July! Then I will have maybe 2 weeks worth of Disney and then it might finally be time to use the books I bought last year!

• Walt Disney World is almost 44 years old.-- The first theme park opened on Oct. 1, 1971. 
• You can't buy gum anywhere in Disney World.-- That's why you never see it stuck in unfortunate places! 
• The Jungle Cruise has actually developed its own self-sufficient ecosystem.-- Plants in the ride are now native to the jungle and can survive on their own. 
• The parks use "smellitzers" to make the smells of different areas match the theme.-- Main Street USA typically smells like cookies and vanilla, but around Christmastime, the strategically placed vents release the smell of peppermint. 
• Epcot's Spaceship Earth installment weighs 16 million pounds. 
• There is a wedding ring embedded into the concrete of the Haunted Mansion.-- People believe that it belonged to the hanging bride you see on the ride. 
• The Be Our Guest restaurant serves "the grey stuff" from the song.-- In the song "Be Our Guest," the memorable lyrics say "try the grey stuff, it's delicious!," and you can actually order the dessert off the restaurant's menu.--which is sooo something I will want to try if the family trip next year pans out!!

Once again, I want to credit Hilary White for all these wonderful Disney World Facts! And if you'd like to read the article in full, here is the link:

http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Disney-World-Facts-37378819?stream_view=1#photo-37393802

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.

Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she's over it. She's the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it's her small town's ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She's got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them. 

This one sounds freaking freaky!! I cannot wait to read this one! I might save it for October too!!


TITLE: The Creeping
AUTHOR: Alexandra Sirowy
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
GENRE: Thriller YA
RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2015

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself. 

Sooo excited for Colleen's new series!! Loved her Tiger's Curse Saga and can't wait for this new Egyptian themed series!


TITLE: Reawakened
AUTHOR: Colleen Houck
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: August 25, 2015

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

"The creature paused and lifted its nose, then looked over its shoulder, its eyes bloody fire in the darkness. I wondered if it had some sense of my presence, but it made no move to flee and, after a few more seconds, it turned and went through the door on the left.

Inside was a dead man." Kindle loc. 1%*


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

TITLE: Wicked Embers
AUTHOR: Keri Arthur
PUBLISHER: Signet Select
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 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: My Ten Favorite Top Ten Topics We've Ever Done In The Past 5 Years

*in no particular order

1. Characters I'd Like to Check In With

2. ALL TIME Favorite Authors

3. Books I'll Probably Never Read

4. Authors I Own the Most Books From

5. Characters I'd Want With Me on a Deserted Island

6. Characters That Would Be Sitting at My Lunch Table 

7. Underrated Authors & Book Series in Urban Fantasy

8. Authors I've Read Only Read One Book From But NEED to Read More

9. Places that Books Have Made Me Want to Visit (whether fictional or real)

10. Books or Series I Want to Re-Read 

Review--Enduring Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Fighting darkness takes light.

Desperate to save James, Charlotte scours Energo for answers with Calvin and Liam at her side. Kevin and Samantha head to Alaska to find the one item that might destroy Blake, but the search is only the beginning.

As time runs out, Charlotte and Kevin discover that keeping Energo from eternal darkness will take a sacrifice no one expects.

Now that was an ending! Alyssa Rose Ivy's Enduring Light begins with the end. Yeah, in a sense, that's true. We get a short prologue of a major event at the end and I immediately started brewing with ideas and speculations! And naturally, I went back and forth throughout reading this one, but I can say that I was right in the end, with my first initial guess! And it's a bittersweet feeling.

Enduring Light opens up a few weeks later after the events of Perilous Light. And a lot has changed. Charlotte has her mother back, after thinking her dead for years. James is still comatose after risking his life to protect Charlotte. And naturally, there's still an inner debate taking over Charlotte over when it comes to her love for Calvin and her growing love for Liam. Yes, unfortunately, it's a dreaded love triangle. I have to admit, I initially thought we'd hit a love square, as I thought James would play a more prominent role in the scheme of things considering she meets him first. But alas, he was just a friend! Which didn't bother me so much. He always made me laugh and I enjoyed his moments in the books, but sadly, he was AWOL for the duration of this one.

Charlotte and Kevin must once again separate from each other as they work on separate parts to help save the kingdom, country or whatever you want to call Energo from Blake's tyranny. Charlotte must look for a scroll that will aid her in the mission to put an end to Blake while Kevin looks for a magical stone that will also help in the mission.

This time we get even more points of view, besides Charlotte and Kevin, we get Liam and Samantha. No Calvin this time. Which didn't bother me so much. I could never really get behind Calvin and Charlotte's romance. I wanted to, believe me, I did. I want to like the main couple because I know they'll be together for the series. (Though I have read different series where that didn't happen, but those are few and far between) But I guess Charlotte and Calvin just had too much of an insta love connection. And it was almost disturbing. But I get that it was part magical that led to their connection, but again, I just couldn't get behind it! I was totally rooting for James or Liam, even though it seemed James was never a contender for Charlotte's heart.

This one was still quite adventurous. Both Charlotte and Kevin are off on their own perilous journeys and they were exciting ones. So much happened and you're left wondering about certain characters and other situations. The outcomes were a tad slow to reveal, but when they did they were quite surprising.

Things wrapped up nicely in this one. As a series ender that's to be expected (by me at least). I have to say, I was quite happy with it. Though one teeny, tiny thing at the end had me scratching my head, but really it's nothing to write home about! LOL! Just a tiny nuisance that left me wondering, why? Other than that, I really enjoyed this one! I wish I could be moving onto Forged in Stone now, which I was under the impression had connections to this series which brought on my reading this trilogy first. But sadly, I must now move onto some review books, but I will be returning to this world soon. (That is if my impression that the two series are related is true!) Hopefully.



Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Mini ARC Review--Spellbinder by C.C. Hunter

When magic, romance and family secrets collide, the result is spellbinding!

Miranda Kane has always felt like a screw up–at least when it comes to her ability to wield magic. Her only sanctuary is Shadow Falls camp, where she’s learning to harness her powers as a witch. But thanks to her shapeshifter boyfriend who called it quits and ran off to Paris, both her heart and powers feel broken.

When she unexpectedly lands a top spot in a spell casting competition in France, she flies out with her best friends Kylie and Della. But her trip takes her straight into the heart of a dangerous supernatural mystery–and a heated romance. What Miranda doesn’t expect is for her investigation to unleash shocking revelations…about herself, her family, and her arch enemy. Now Miranda must step up and show everyone that she’s a witch to be reckoned with….before it’s too late.

I received this eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


The world of Shadow Falls has been a favorite of mine since the very beginning! I loved Kylie's story and going with her on her journey about love, friends, learning what she is and all the adventures that came of it! I am loving Della's series as well as she learns more about her family ties and opening herself up to her feelings, whether they result in good or bad. So to now have Miranda have her own story, the third in the trio, this positively delighted me! C.C. Hunter's Spellbinder, while novella, is still Miranda's chance in the spotlight and it was a marvelous story indeed!

Miranda is still heartsick over the way Perry left her just like that. Breaking her heart as he moved halfway around the world. Now she finds herself gearing up for a competition to become a high priestess and wouldn't you know it, it takes place in Paris, the very city Perry ran off to.

But nearly instantly danger strikes and two of the competitors are murdered, before they even began the competition back in the States. Burnett is there along with Shawn, who happens to have a soft spot for Miranda. It seems all the girls are in the midst of a love triangle, yet Kylie's is already resolved and things ended happily on all accounts. Della still harbors feelings for Steve and Chase and that's one triangle I can't seem to figure out who to root for! And the same goes for Miranda's here as well. I was all for Perry in the beginning, but his breaking up and leaving Miranda hurt me like it hurt her. And then when the two finally meet again, it's like Perry wants things to go back to the way they were before. He's learned to control his abilities and he's ready to play boyfriend again, and this angered me.

Shawn on the other hand is a sweet guy. I can't decide if I am totally team Shawn yet, but I have to say I was rooting more for him then Perry. I don't like that Perry thinks he can try to make things up and be Miranda's boyfriend again lickety split. It's aggravating!

Moving aside from the romance, there was yet another shocking reveal in this one. I refuse to touch on it, but all we can say it was jaw-dropping! 

Familiar faces make appearances in this one, it really ties the two companion series together in a way. I wish Lucas could've been in it, but alas, this is not Kylie's story so there was no need for him. The pacing to this one was great! It was a tad slow in the beginning, but really it was just the starting point, the pace never faltered after that and it was excitement after more excitement!

The only thing about the ending I didn't like was the romance was never really resolved. Miranda still has her choice to make. And it's killing me not knowing which guy she will choose. Will she return to Perry after he broke her heart and expects things to go back to happy romance time or give Shawn a try...and there's more to Shawn then I'm telling you, but I'll let you experience that for yourselves! So my burning question now is, will Miranda's story be resolved in Unspoken or will she get another novella?! And since I read this in ARC format that means the wait for knowing the answer will be that much longer! Grr...



Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars--basically because of how things ended with the romance and the not knowing and the not knowing of when we can see it resolved resulted in a minor .5 takeoff. But other than that I loved this novella! As I do with all the Shadow Falls books!


Spellbinder releases June 30, 2015

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:

Daughter of Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis (4 stars)

The Iron Queen by Kaitlin Bevis (3.5 stars)

Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy (3.75 stars)

Perilous Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

Enduring Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

What I Plan to Read this Week:

Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Post of Randomness--DISNEY RELATED!

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Follow Friday

Stacking the Shelves--the return of the HOLY CHEEZITS edition

Stacking the Shelves--the return of the HOLY CHEEZITS edition!

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!


The haul this week was epic! I was a very bad girl! I went shopping at TBD and bought a few books I've been wanting to get for awhile. Nothing new new. Just UK copies of books I already own, but have been pining for the gorgeous UK covers. So I decided to buy them. Why I bought nearly all the ones I wanted in the same credit card billing period, I have no idea! A girl starts book shopping, she can't stop. And THEN B&N sent me coupons! How can I say NO to coupons?! It's not possible!! So yes, I was a very, very bad girl! Am I sorry? No!

Upside to the spending I get points towards a B&N gift card and saved an extra 5% with every B&N purchase! So it's a win-win, right? I think so! Until the bill comes in!


So, let's start with the Book Depository Order:

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout--UK Copy

Unremembered by Jessica Brody--UK Copy

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody--UK Copy

Unchanged by Jessica Brody--UK Copy

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey--UK Copy

Goddess by Josephine Angelini--UK Copy. I had already found the previous 2 books at my HPB and OCD demanded that I get the third one now because I couldn't handle the waiting to find it at HPB since the first two were months apart! I'm okay with owning a book 1 in the series if I can't find the rest. But yeah, with JLA, I need them all! LOL!

 Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini--UK Copy. I LOVED this cover, so I had to buy it!

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo--UK Copy. This was actually an Abe's Books find! I saw this cover from another blogger and I knew I had to have it. So I tracked it down and got it this week! Isn't it oh so pretty?!

So those were all already owned and read books. I just bought UK copies! ;)

And here's what I bought this week, for new reads:

Perilous Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy--already read and reviewed!

Enduring Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy--currently reading!

Pure Blooded by Amanda Carlson--already read and reviewed! A Keeper Copy!

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil

Dark and Damaged by Multiple Authors--I bought this one mainly for Erin Kellison and Colleen Gleason's novellas! It was only .99 for the whole set, so I thought, why not!

Then I won Becky from Book Bite Reviews BEA Contest, again! I wasn't able to get my first pick Truthwitch, which I learned right away when I saw the line tickets for it! But Becky more than made up for it with this haul:

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker (ARC)

Those Girls by Lauren Saft (ARC)

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout--SIGNED!

Soundless by Richelle Mead (ARC)--SIGNED!

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle (ARC)--SIGNED!

Plus a cute box of greeting cards and a Word Cloud Classics Bag!

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH Becky!!

And THEN for review from the publishers via Netgalley, I received:

Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur (ARC)

Crucible Zero by Devon Monk (ARC)

THANK YOU Signet Select, Roc, and Netgalley!!

And then I received some SIGNED bookmarks from MacKenzi Lee! I'm so excited about her upcoming debut, This Monstrous Thing!

THANK YOU MacKenzi!!

And then last week, Julie Kagawa opened up her Etsy shop, so naturally, I was game for trying to snag a dragon! I got lucky and bought this gorgeous little blue guy! Loved the swirly colors to him!

And that dear friends, was my outrageous week! It was a very happy one too!! Sooo, what did you all get??

Review--Perilous Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Would you sacrifice everything for a world you barely knew?

A year has passed since Charlotte and Kevin first stepped
through the gate into Energo and neither has been able to settle back into their normal lives. Charlotte tries to distract herself from thoughts of Calvin with the antics of James and her growing friendship with Liam. Kevin can’t seem to shake his feelings for Samantha as he adjusts to his new identity as a college basketball player.

When they unexpectedly return to Energo, both Charlotte and Kevin must face their fears and become the leaders they were always meant to be.

Moving right along with the After Glow trilogy, I read Alyssa Rose Ivy's Perilous Light in the same amount time I did with the first book! They're rather quick reads, and enjoyable ones too! 

The one thing that still nags at me that I can't seem to get on board with is the romance! Seriously! It bugs me to no end!! Charlotte is soooo in love with Calvin and for some reason it drives me bonkers! I get that they are fated to be with one another, but I guess, to have that deep romantic connection just appear at the drop of a hat nags me. It's insta love to the extreme! What's worse, Charlotte still has these feelings despite Calvin's actions from the last book. She still loves him irrevocably. And I still feel like she has better options than Calvin. There's still this possibility with Liam, who was her crush from her early teens, and I still can't help but like James. He can be annoying for sure, but there's just something I like about that guy!

Okay, so now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the review. That above was my only problem with the book. I can't ship this romance for the life of me and I keep telling myself to get used to it, but I just haven't managed to get there yet.

It's been a year since Charlotte, Kevin and co. have returned from Energo. They bring with them James and Henry, another of Charlotte's guards who was loyal to her. Life has gotten to be pretty normal, but almost immediately the group heads back to Energo. There's been a plan of a resistance almost since the moment they left, now it's time to move the resistance forward and put a stop to Blake. While Kevin is out recruiting the other countries? territories? to their side, Charlotte, her uncle Monty, James, and Liam go off to find her mother. For as we learned last go around, Charlotte's mother is very much alive and being held prisoner somewhere by Blake.

The story is still told through Charlotte and Kevin's point of view, though this time Calvin gets a few turns as well. And what with my sort of dislike for the guy, you can imagine how I felt about that! Though he does go through a lot of startling revelations. Things Charlotte already knew, naturally, and is soon alongside Charlotte and her cause. Though I can't help but feel Charlotte took him back a little too easily, it was her undying love for the guy that was the main motivator.

I was surprised by how much of the book was spent in Energo. It was nearly all of it, but as the story moves along, you learn why that is. There's a connection for Charlotte and Kevin to Energo and it's very deeply rooted in family. Which we still haven't seen their father yet, but there was yet another startling reveal towards the end of this one that puts him in a new light! I expect we'll be seeing him in the final book of the trilogy.

It may seem like I am not enjoying these books because of the romance, and while I am not at all enjoying that factor, I am enjoying the books! They are rather intriguing. I am realizing that Energo is basically a fantasyland of sorts. Magic exists as do a few other surprises. It's a series that's pretty rich in world building, especially in this one. Why we don't get detailed details, I feel like I have a better grasp on what this world is all about and I'm sure I'll be learning more about it in the final book as well.

Alyssa is most popular for all her New Adult series and this seems to be her only YA one from what I gather, and it's still a remarkable read! True, there's no strong romances or swoon worthy ones, but the books are packed with some pretty decent action and character development! Charlotte has done a lot of growing and maturing in these two books, you wouldn't recognize her from the girl she was at the start of the series. I cannot wait to see how things end with her story and all her friends and family!


Overall Rating 4/5 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 is: If you were to get a tattoo, what would it say or what would the graphic be? Or if you have a tattoo, share a picture and its meaning. - Suggested by Second Run Reviews 

MY ANSWER: Oh I don't know! I have a fear of needles. Like I seriously HATE them! Every time I had to get an IV put in when I was in the hospital, I had a nurse who DUG the needle through the skin on my hand trying to hit the "juicy" vein. Well, those veins never really work for IVs. I have since learned to give them my arm in the corner where there's a nice "juicy" and cooperative vein. The nurse told me she always gets the vein and only has to stick me once...she stuck me once and then DUG, literally dug and dragged the needle around trying to get into the vein! OW!!!

So yeah...me and needles? Uh uh!

But I think if I were to do something bookish I would like an open book with scribbles in it to make up the words and then above the book have in a pretty script: Carpe Librum

That or maybe a cute green worm with glasses reading a book. No words necessary because, duh: bookworm! ;)

That's what I'd get possibly if I didn't have a fear of needles!

**Really ironic, my family and I were just discussing tattoos at dinner this evening before I wrote this post! Kinda funny in a cosmic sort of way! LOL!