Sunday, December 31, 2017

December 2017 Wrap Up & Book Haul!!


It's the LAST DAY of December, Bookworms...
AND the Last Day of 2017 as well!!

I'm closing out the year with a pretty great book month.
Not only did I read a lot of books, but I added a lot of new ones to my collection as well.
Keep reading to find out more!
*My December Book Haul*

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
The Death Cure (Movie Tie-In Edition) by James Dashner
The Fever Code by James Dashner
The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Ready Player One by Earnest Cline
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Frostblood by Elly Blake
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

*My December Wrap Up*

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, & Lauren Myracle
A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray
The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Screenplay) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

*Not Pictured*
Roomies by Christina Lauren
Can't Let Go by Gena Showalter
Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
The Chronicles of Narnia Series (Books 1-7)
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Before Now by Norah Olson


As I said, a pretty great book month for me!
I'm *really* hoping that I can keep up this momentum in 2018,
so that I can knock even MORE books off my ever-growing TBR.
*wink*

Tell me, how was your December??
What books did you read and add to your collection??

Until next year, Friends!!

Week in Review • Week 51 AND 52


Happy Sunday, and Welcome to my weekly Week in Review post!

Here I share all the things I've been up to during the previous week.
Check back every Sunday for new post updates!

Now, here's what I've been up to this week!

(I didn't have much to report for last week, so this is my week 51 & 52 in review!)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068742-love-life-and-the-list https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33930071-before-now https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32320661-everless?from_search=true

Over the past two weeks I've managed to read quite a few books! The three books above are all review books that I read. I'm a little behind on writing reviews at the moment, but I'm hoping to have my thoughts for these books up in the next few days. All of them were pretty great reads!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23299513-the-shadow-queen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7806720-the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12893742-the-serpent-s-shadow

I also finally finished my re-read of The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine, and I'm now looking forward to reading The Wish Granter and The Traitor Prince soon! And I finished The Serpent's Shadow, the last book in the Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan, and I'm SO excited to finally be starting the Magnus Chase series in January!

AND, I read ALL of the books in the The Chronicles of Narnia series this past week as well. I'd been wanting to read the series for a while now, mostly because I hear good things about the books, and also because I wanted to watch the movies as well. I happened to be looking at the narrators for the audiobooks last week, and there were SO many awesome readers for the audio, I decided that I HAD to listen to the books right then. I'm so glad I did!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4765284/

I've spent the past two weeks trying to get caught up on my movie watching goal, (which is to watch 100 movies in 2017), and I think I'm actually going to pull it off! I have four movies left to watch on my list, and those are all movies with New Year's themes or settings, and I'm planning to watch them later today!

We mostly watched a LOT of Christmas movies over the past two weeks, and a few old favorites as well, so I'll spare you the pain of listing them all here. We did go see Pitch Perfect 3 in theaters this week, so that was fun! Here's hoping I can do a better job of keeping up with my movie goal in 2018!

https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/
I can't believe that this is my last update for 2017! What a year it has been. I've read a lot, listened to a lot, watched a lot, (not really), and walked a lot! I'm really looking forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for me, and I have my fingers crossed that it's all good things!!

That's all for me this week! So, until Next Year...

Thursday, December 28, 2017

18 Books I Plan to Read this Winter


Sooooo, I meant to share this post on the first day of Winter, but didn't actually get it up in time, thanks to some health issues. But, better late than never, right?!

I am always so happy when Winter rolls around. It brings Christmastime, a New Year, and cold weather that's perfect for snuggling under a blanket with a warm drink and a good book. This is my most favorite season ever!!

And with a new season comes a new seasonal TBR! I started making these TBR's earlier this year, and I really love how they push me to read books that I've want to read for a while, but never had time to get to. So, here are just a few books I'm hoping to read this Winter!!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6909919-pride-prejudice https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/899777.The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice is one of my most favorite books, and I want to start a new tradition of reading the book every year. So it's one of the first books I plan to start this year!!

2. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - I am stepping WAAAAAY outside my comfort zone for this book, as I've never really been interested in it, but I wanted to give it a try to see how it goes! I'm hoping to watch the movies as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35791968-still-me https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31371240-goodnight-from-london

3. Still Me by Jojo Moyes - I am SO excited for this book to release! I just recently finished my re-read of Me Before You, and I'm planning to start re-reading After You soon. Still Me will be released on my birthday, and it will be the best gift ever!

4. Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson - I've been meaning to read this book since it was released earlier this year, and I still haven't gotten around to it! It sounds awesome, and I can't wait to check it out.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489134-the-bear-and-the-nightingale https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32051912-the-alice-network

5. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - I have to admit, I'm super curious about this book! I've seen a lot of talk about it lately, and I can't wait to check it out.

6. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - This is yet another book that has been on my TBR for way too long! I literally pass by my copy of it every day, and I still haven't picked it up. I plan to fix that soon!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853621-the-nightingale

7. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly - Lilac Girls is another book that I've been meaning to read since it was released! I was gifted a copy for Christmas, and I'm super excited to finally read it.

8. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - This book has been on my TBR for FOREVER! I think I'm the only person I know that hasn't read it. I can't wait to dive into it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16250900-code-name-verity

9. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - Ah, yet another book that I've been meaning to read but haven't got to. The last book I read by Ruta I really loved, and I'm hoping I will this one as well!

10. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Another book that has been on my shelf for way too long! I've heard nothing but good things about this book. I'm hoping to read it soon!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29239940-the-orphan-s-tale?ac=1&from_search=true https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18143977-all-the-light-we-cannot-see

11. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff - I actually had this book from the library earlier this year, but didn't have time to read it before it had to be returned. I MUST read it this year!

12. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - Yet another book that I feel like everyone has read but me. I'm super curious about this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog?from_search=true https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653967-the-women-in-the-castle?from_search=true

13. Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman -  This is yet ANOTHER book that I've had on my TBR for forever! Super curious to dive into it!

14. The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck -  This book was released earlier this year, and while I tried really hard to work it onto my TBR, I just couldn't make time to read it. I'm hoping to get to soon!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33566868-love-and-other-consolation-prizes?ac=1&from_search=true https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455782-shatter-me

15. Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford -  I have not read anything by this author before, but I have one of his previous books on my TBR for a while now, and I'm super curious about it and this one!

16. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi -  I'm starting my re-read of the Shatter Me series this winter, in preparation of the new book that's releasing in March that I'm also super curious about.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34130008-unqualified https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34114362-what-happened?

17. Unqualified by Anna Faris -  Ok, Anna Faris is too cute, and I'm super curious about her book! I have the audio for it, and I'm planning to start it soon!

18. What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton -  What Happened is the next pick for my book club, and I have the audio for it as well! Super curious for this one.


There you have it, friends! Just a few books that I've been meaning to read for too long, that I hope to finally read this Winter. These do not include new releases and other books on my monthly TBR's, but I'm hoping I can stay caught up!

What books are you excited to read this Winter??

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #299 - Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29739428-hero-at-the-fall
Hero at the Fall
(Rebel of the Sands #3)
by Alwyn Hamilton
Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Publication Date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780451477866

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths. (Goodreads)

Ahhh, is anyone else *really* excited to get their hands on this book??
I. Can't. Wait!

Of course I totally plan to re-read Rebel of the Sands and Traitor to the Throne
before Hero at the Fall is released,
even though I've already read the first book twice already,
and pretty much have it memorized at this point.
The story is just SO good, and I can't wait to see how it will all wrap up in the end.
:)
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #298 - Honor Among Thieves & Heart of Iron

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30129657-honor-among-thieves
Honor Among Thieves
(The Honors #1)
by Rachel Caine
Website | Twitter | Facebook
& Ann Aguirre
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date:
February 13th 2018
Publisher: 
Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN:
9780062570994

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository


Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight. (Goodreads)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35181314-heart-of-iron
Heart of Iron
by Ashley Poston
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 27th 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062652850

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves? (Goodreads)

This week I'm excited to bring you not one, but TWO Waiting on Wednesday picks!
These two book covers look so pretty together, I just had to share them both.
And did you read those summaries?? Both books sound really awesome!
I managed to get my hands on an e-ARC for both books,
and I'm super excite to get started on them!!
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Sunday, December 17, 2017

Week in Review • Week 50


Happy Sunday, and Welcome to my weekly Week in Review post!

Here I share all the things I've been up to during the previous week.
Check back every Sunday for new post updates!

Now, here's what I've been up to this week!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15507958-me-before-you https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16081588-let-it-snow

This past week I finished 4 books, which is not as many as I had hoped, but definitely better than none! Two books I read this week were re-reads for me; Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was the first on my list, and I also re-read Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, which is a pretty adorable holiday read, and our December #AlltheBooksReadalong pick as well!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9067850-the-throne-of-fire

I also finished The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan, and I'm hoping to finish up The Serpent's Shadow this week, so I can move along to the Magnus Chase series in January! I also read Comfort & Joy, which is the first book I've ever read by Kristin Hannah, which was also a good holiday read as well.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059026/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0170016 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111070/

I also managed to squeeze in three holiday movies this past week as well. A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my most favorite Christmas movies, and I'll probably end up watching it a few more times before Christmas is over. I also watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause as well.

https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/
I am so beyond happy right now, because Christmas Break starts in just a day and a half! The hubby is officially on vacation for the rest of the year, and the kiddos will be on break starting Tuesday, and I can't wait. :) I'm really looking forward to some lazy holiday days!

This coming week I plan to finish up the last two review books that I have to read for the year, and I'm hoping to get all my blog posts scheduled as well, then I plan to spend the rest of the year reading books and watching movies! That sounds like heaven, right?? ;)

That's all for me this week, friends! I hope you've all had a great week as well!