Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (37) Dream On

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases that we're really excited about.

This week, I'm excited about...

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I'm late with my post again this week.  This week is Top Ten most anticipated releases of the first half of 2016.  I don't know that I can limit it to ten...

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Review: The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth

Title: The Killing Jar
Author: Jennifer Bosworth
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Release Date: January 12, 2016

Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret.

She’s haunted by a violent tragedy she can’t explain. Kenna’s past has kept people—even her own mother—at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she’s plunged into a new nightmare. Her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance.

On the heels of the assault, Kenna is exiled to a nearby commune, known as Eclipse, to live with a relative she never knew she had. There, she discovers an extraordinary new way of life as she learns who she really is, and the wonders she’s capable of. For the first time, she starts to feel like she belongs somewhere. That her terrible secret makes her beautiful and strong, not dangerous. But the longer she stays at Eclipse, the more she senses there is something malignant lurking underneath it all. And she begins to suspect that her new family has sinister plans for her…

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (36) Rebel of the Sands

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

Oh man, I got better. This post was done ahead of time! WHAT!

Anyway... This week, I'm excited for...

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Look at me, being less late with my post this week! It's an improvement, I swear.  TTT, the awesome feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

And today's theme is Top Ten books I wouldn't mind Santa bringing me. 

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Review: Fairmist by Todd Fahnestock

FairmistTitle: Fairmist
Author: Todd Fahnestock
Publisher: F4 Publishing
Release Date: January 29, 2015

The Debt of the Blessed

Within the Thiaran Empire, citizens put on jeweled masks and turn away from those who are taken. As long as one child is sacrificed each month to the Slinks and nobody interferes, their society will thrive.

But seventeen-year-old Grei’s mind is alive with treason, and he plunges into the heart of a prophecy that will drive the Slinks back to their fiery dimension. All he must do is travel to the capitol city and sacrifice one last innocent.

As Grei wrestles with the prophecy and battles those who would kill him, he hurtles toward his final decision: save the empire, or save his own soul.


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (35) Into the Dim

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Oh wow guys. Look at how horrible I am. I haven't done a TTT in over a month. And this one is super late lol.  OOPS!

Okay getting back to the usual, it's a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

And today's theme is top ten reads from 2015! I really wanted to do this one even though it will be difficult to choose.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Review: Thicker than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Thicker Than WaterTitle: Thicker than Water
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Kensington Books
Release Date: December 29, 2015

Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her best friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers.

Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden…

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Future Book Tag!!

Omg I'm horrible.  Sam at Tsundoku Books tagged me weeks back.  My first excuse is that I was busy at the time.  But then I just forgot.  And so here I am, finally remembering to do this tag (which looks really awesome btw).

The Tag...
Choose five books to answer the questions.  I will list them here so you know what I've chosen as what book number.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Thanksgiving Pre-Order Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Sam Frost for winning my Thanksgiving Pre-order Giveaway!  Check your email.

And don't worry, guys.  I'll have more giveaways coming your way in January!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Sunday Discussion: The Glory of Critique Partners


This week's discussion post talks about how wonderful critique partners can be.  Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment or send me an email at christinathebookreader@gmail.com

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Review: The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)Title: The Mirror King
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: April 5, 2015

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.



Tuesday, December 1, 2015

November Wrap-Up

Oh dear... Where has month gone??

Well.. I did not get much reading done this month at all.  But there is something that I did do.

Winner 2015 - Web Banner

That's right!  I wrote over 50k words in November.  So let's see how that affected the rest of my month.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

SST Review: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett + GIVEAWAY!




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The Anatomical Shape of a Heart
Title: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Goodreads: Click Here!

Artist Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she's spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Leonardo da Vinci’s footsteps, she's ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital’s Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive . . . and possibly one of San Francisco’s most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is—and tries to uncover what he’s hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in Beatrix’s own family’s closet tear them apart?


Saturday, November 28, 2015

Review: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Title: This Raging Light
Author: Estelle Laure
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 22, 2015


Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.





Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving + GIVEAWAY!

Image result for thanksgiving turkey clipart

For those in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving!  For those not... well I'll be out of town all weekend.  My ten year highschool reunion is this weekend too (ugh).  

I'll have my laptop with me so I can check up on the blog.  And as always I'll be on twitter.

So to celebrate, I'm giving away a pre-order of one of the following 2016 releases! Anywhere TBD ships to!
The Mirror KingPassenger
The Stars Turned Away (W.T.)Glass Sword


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 23, 2015

Review: Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Inherit the StarsTitle: Inherit the Stars
Author: Tessa Elwood
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Release Date: December 8, 2015

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Discussion: Writing with Playlists

Every Sunday I take a bookish topic and discuss.  Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment or send me an email at christinathebookreader@gmail.com,

This month I'm talking a lot about writing, probably because of NaNoWriMo.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Review: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than NotTitle: More Happy Than Not
Author: Adam Silvera
Publisher: Soho Teen
Release Date: June 2, 2015

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?



Monday, November 16, 2015

#TheShelfieHop Book Shelf Tour!

Review: No Rest for the Wicked by M.L. Sparrow

No Rest for the WickedTitle: No Rest for the Wicked
Author: M.L. Sparrow
Release Date: December 1, 2015

When a rich gentleman finds a beautiful young woman lying in the snow, on the brink of death, he takes her back to his house and, when she has recovered, employs her as a maid. Immediately Elira realizes that Anthony Luther is no ordinary man and nothing about the house she now lives in is as it seems, for Anthony is a powerful wizard.

Inexplicably drawn together, they begin a tentative romance, but it’s not just Elira’s uncertainties and the rules of upper-class society which drive a wedge between them; rivalries and a precious family heirloom, a priceless necklace of unforeseen power handed down through generations, threaten not only the couple’s happiness, but also their lives and the safety of the people around them.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Sunday Discussion: Dealing with Inspiration (or Lack There-of)


This week's discussion topic is one that people talk about a lot.  What do you do when you don't know what to write?

Saturday, November 14, 2015

The Mirror King: A Review in Emojis

So as promised, my initial thoughts while reading The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows.  Sadly, blogger does not support emojis (boo!).  So here they are in picture form to convey my feelings while reading.

Enjoy my completely SPOILER FREE review before my actual review publishes.

Friday, November 13, 2015

YALLFest!!!

Homepage

Hey guys! Today, my sister and I are going to YALLFest in Charleston.  I'm so excited!  I am bringing a ton of books to get signed, and I'll probably be buying more.  I also have some duplicates to get signed and do a giveaway with!


I'll probably be around the twitter-sphere posting pictures and such.  But I won't be responding to comments made on the blog until I get back to Florida on Sunday.  I have some posts scheduled (as always) so it's not being neglected :)

I can't wait to do a post to wrap up everything that happens and everything I get! (Hoping to get a Passenger ARC!!!)

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (34) The Rose and the Dagger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

This week I'm excited about...

Monday, November 9, 2015

Review: Hello? by Liza Wiemer

Hello?Title: Hello?
Author: Liza Wiemer
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Release Date: November 15, 2015

One HELLO? can change a life. One HELLO? can save a life.

Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.
Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.
Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.
Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.
Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.

Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian).


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sunday Discussion: Ode to Jodi Meadows

Every Sunday I take a new bookish topic and discuss.  Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment below or email me at christinathebookreader@gmail.com.

This is quite possibly the best post ever.  Seriously.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless by Richelle MeadTitle: Soundless
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: November 10, 2015

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

Friday, November 6, 2015

NaNoWriMo Update

NaNoWriMo
It's November! You know what that means. Writing, writing, and more writing.  Now that the first week of NaNo is almost over, I'd like to share an update on my progress.


Thursday, November 5, 2015

October Wrap-Up

Oh my gosh. October went by far to quickly.  So I guess I'll just dive right in!

Any big updates this month?  Well I had a huge bubble of inspiration hit for a new project.  I'll be working on multiple things now for NaNo, so should be fun.


What I received this month
I bought Ice Like Fire (actually it was a birthday gift that finally came in lol) and Illuminae.
For review, I receved The Mirror King (more to come on this) and Fairmist
And I received an ARC of Asunder through #booksfortrade. YAY!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (33) Glass Sword

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

This week, I'm excited about...

Monday, November 2, 2015

Review: Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton

Rarity from the HollowTitle: Rarity from the Hollow
Author: Robert Eggleton
Publisher: Dog Horn Publishing
Release Date: March 6, 2012

Lacy Dawn is a little girl who lives in a magical forest where all the trees love her and she has a space alien friend who adores her and wants to make her queen of the universe. What’s more, all the boys admire her for her beauty and brains. Mommy is very beautiful and Daddy is very smart, and Daddy’s boss loves them all.

Except.

Lacy Dawn, the eleven year old protagonist, perches precariously between the psychosis of childhood and the multiple neuroses of adolescence, buffeted by powerful gusts of budding sexuality and infused with a yearning to escape the grim and brutal life of a rural Appalachian existence. In this world, Daddy is a drunk with severe PTSD, and Mommy is an insecure wraith. The boss is a dodgy lecher, not above leering at the flat chest of an eleven-year-old girl.

Yes, all in one book.

It is a children's story for adults with a happily ever after ending.


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Sunday Discussion: On Writing

Every Sunday I find a new bookish topic to discuss.  Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment below or email me at christinathebookreader@gmail.com

This week I want to talk about what I'm writing.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Review: Reciprocal by Heather Crouch

Reciprocal (Infinity #1)Title: Reciprocal
Author: Heather Crouch
Publisher: Dream Big Publishing
Release Date: July 7, 2015

Love knows no limits or boundaries. Can we choose who we love? In this new world that the government has created, we aren't free to choose. I have fallen in love with a person from another realm. They are called the Peregrinus and we know virtually nothing about them. There are rebels amongst our people who want destroy us. They want to eliminate the Peregrinus. They feel threatened that they are trying to take over our country like the long ago terrorists. This war brewing isn't unfamiliar to my country and I wonder at what cost it will stop. For me, I long to chose who I can love but it may cost me my life. Is love worth the fight?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (32) Shadow Queen

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

This week, I'm excited about...

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish,

This week's top ten theme is Top Ten books to read for Halloween (I'm not very creative at 11pm.. sorry lol)

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Sunday Discussion: On Writing Reviews

Every Sunday I find a new bookish topic to discuss. Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment below or email me at christinathebookreader@gmail.com

This week is specific to blogging.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: September 1, 2015

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Friday, October 23, 2015

#BBCP Orange Team Interview with Jessi

Team Orange.png

For the Orange Team's #BBCP, we decided to interview each other.  So, here's my interview with 
Jessi



Thursday, October 22, 2015

Book Blogger Tag

Thanks to Nori from ReadWriteLove28 for tagging me in this.  I love doing tags!

It's question time!!!

1. How many times do you check your email a day?
This is kind of embarrassing. I have no idea. I have two personal accounts plus my work account (which is always up on my work computer).  I check my personal accounts sporadically throughout the day.  Like every 30 minutes or so xD

2. How many times are you on Goodreads?
It depends.  I go on if I'm in the middle of a discussion or something.  Or if I'm updating my reading progress.  But I don't spend a lot of time on it.

3. How long does it take you to edit your posts?
Depends on the post and how much time I have before it goes live.  Memes take a few minutes max.  Reviews and discussions take a lot longer (especially discussions).  For me, when I finish a book, I write the review immediately.  That review itself doesn't take long to write but it's not very good.  So if I can, I let it stew in my queue for a few days so I can go back and edit over and over before I'm happy with it.

4. What kind of laptop do you use?
Just assume I use a laptop. Sure.. Which I am currently using lol. It's a Toshiba Satellite (rather old) and it's not my main computer.  My main is a desktop gaming computer. Which is currently not hooked up because my desk is disassembled.

5. How often do you check Twitter?
Let's see.. The twitter app gives me notifications on my phone all day. And when I'm home, I have it open in a separate tab (one of ten minimum tabs I use)

6. Why do you use the blogging website you do?
For me, I can't afford to pay for my blogging platform. So this was the best option.

7. Are you good at keeping up with reviews, tags, etc?
Generally, yes. There has been the occasional time that no. And I'm honestly really far behind on my reviews at the moment, but it's not due to blogging behind. It's reading behind.

8. How many times a week do you post?
I have my schedule posted here, which is subject to change week to week.  But in general, I always try to have a review, discussion, and two memes.  So four.  There are times that I don't have the time or inclination to do the week's Top Ten Tuesday post.  But generally it's four.


I tag... SamSarahZoeyBrittany.
As always, if you weren't tagged and want to do it, go ahead!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (31) Morning Star

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

This week, I'm excited about...

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's Top Ten theme is Top Ten things I would ask the bookish Genie.. Oh this...

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday Discussion: A Thousand Nights vs. The Wrath and the Dawn

Every Sunday I find a new bookish topic to discuss. Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment below or email me at christinathebookreader@gmail.com

This seems to be the year for Arabian Nights retellings.  A Whole New World,  The Wrath and the Dawn, and A Thousand Nights (not to mention The Forbidden Wish coming out next year).

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Review: Over the Dragonwall by Dennis Montoya and H.C. Strom

Over the DragonwallTitle: Over the Dragonwall
Author: Dennis Montoya & H.C. Strom
Release Date: October 7, 2014

A thousand years ago the gods brokered a peace treaty with the dragons to save mankind. As a monument, the magical Dragonwall was built stretching from the Dwarven city of Farreach to the port city of Seareach. Over generations, the great dragon’s stories have turned to myths and the treaty forgotten. The wall’s magic is failing and the call for a hero goes unanswered.
Oberon a young monk and his friends leave the city of Delvingdeep to answer the riddle of the existence of dragons. No one expected a short cut though a swamp would ever lead them on a heroic adventure over the Dragonwall.


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (30) Assassin's Heart

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're excited about.

This week I'm excited about...

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Sunday Discussion: Getting Bored


Every Sunday I try to find a new bookish topic to discuss.  Have an idea for a discussion post?  Just leave a comment below or email me at christinathebookreader@gmail.com.

This week I want to talk about getting bored with what you're reading.