Wednesday, January 31, 2018

January Wrap Up & Book Haul!


Happy Last Day of January, Bookworms!!

Seriously, can you believe January has come to an end already??
I'm thrilled that it's been a pretty awesome book month for me.
Not only did I read and reread a lot of great books,
but I also added some really awesome books to my collection as well.
Keep reading to find out more about my book month!

*My January Book Haul*

Everless by Sara Holland
Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

*My January Wrap Up*
 * = books Reread

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi *
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi *
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton *
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen *
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Scythe by Neal Schusterman
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff *
After You by Jojo Moyes *

*Not Pictured*
** e-books and audiobooks **

Forever my Girl by Heidi McLaughlin
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Spring Girls: A Modern-Day Retelling of Little Women by Anna Todd
Hunted by Meagan Spooner
The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Victoria by Daisy Goodwin
Unqualified by Anna Faris
A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole

_______________

(I'm not sure how Everless ended up in my wrap up photo, as I read it last month. Doh!
I hope I remembered everything else!)

I also added a few new Funkos and other goodies to my collection this month,
thanks to my family and some friends for birthday gifts!

So overall; January has been a great month,
and I feel like it's a great start for this new year.

I can't believe I read 21 books this month! That is a new all-time record for me.
I'm definitely hoping that I can keep my reading mojo throughout the rest of the year!

Ok, tell me, how was your month??
What books did you read and add to your collection??


Waiting on Wednesday #303 - Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37643553-children-of-blood-and-bone
Children of Blood and Bone
(Legacy of Orïsha #1)
by Tomi Adeyemi
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ISBN: 9781250170972

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

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy. (Goodreads)

Um, did you read the summary for this book??
If not, go back and read it. I'll wait.
...
Does this book sound awesome, or what??
I'm really getting into fantasy novels at the moment, 
so this book sounds like my kind of read.
And, I've seen a lot of good things about the book,
so I can't wait to finally check it out for myself!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Tuesday, January 30, 2018

My Thoughts: Hunted by Meagan Spooner (Audiobook)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24485589-hunted
Hunted
by Meagan Spooner
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: March 14th 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 374
ISBN: 9780062422286
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Retelling
Source: Library Audiobook

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast? (Goodreads)


I’ve had Hunted by Meagan Spooner sitting on my TBR for way too long, but this Beauty and the Beast retelling seemed to be calling my name lately. And seeing how I’m in the process of trying to catch up on all the things I’m behind on, I decided to bump it up on my TBR. I am so glad I did. I love a good retelling, and I happen to have a thing for anything Beauty and the Beast as well. This book was not at all what I expected, but it was a really enjoyable read!

As I mentioned above, I have a strong weakness for all things Beauty and the Beast, and since I’m already a big fan of Meagan’s writing, I knew I was going to like this book. And what’s not to like about it? The characters were awesome; I especially loved the main character, Yeva, (Beauty), who is fierce and brave, and held her own in just about any situation she was thrown into. These are my most favorite types of characters, and I’m thrilled that I’m starting to see them more often in books. There were some interesting secondary characters in the story as well, including the Beast, who is mysterious and very dark and dangerous. He’s definitely one of those characters that grows on you over time.

The storyline for the book was also really enjoyable as well! It was a completely different take on the story than I am used to, but it was also familiar in some ways as well, and I liked that. Who doesn’t love a fun spin on their favorite story? I listened to this book in audio format, and I enjoyed it so much, I basically listened to the whole audiobook in one day. I imagine it would be a quick read if I were to actually read the book, which I may have to do again in the future!

Overall; Hunted by Meagan Spooner was such a great read! If you’re a fan of Beauty and the Beast retellings, or just retellings in general, definitely add this book to your TBR! And if you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. *smile*

Monday, January 29, 2018

My Thoughts: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Audiobook Review)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one
Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: August 16th 2011
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Pages: 374
ISBN: 9780307887436
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Dystopian
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. (Goodreads)


You know those books that you’ve had one your shelf for way too long, and it seems like everyone has read it but you? Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is one of those books for me. I think almost everyone I know has read this book, and while I have wanted to for a while now, I never managed to pick it up. Then I saw the trailer for the movie, and I decided that I would have to read the book as soon as possible. I am so glad that I finally read it. Everyone warned me that I would absolutely love this book, but I totally did not expect to love it as much as I actually did. It was great!

I didn’t really know what to expect going into the book, as neither the summary for the book nor the movie trailer explain much, but I have to admit I was pretty curious by what little I knew of it. Having finally read the book, I have to say that there was so much that I liked about it! I don’t want to give too much away, as I’d rather you read the book for yourself to see what you like about it, but… The world-building for the book was pretty insane. Not only because of the dystopian type future that the main characters lives in, but also in the virtual reality world that has been created. Imagine being able to escape the reality of life and go to a place where you could be anyone or anything that you wanted to be.( For an introvert like me that’s a dream come true. Bahaha!)

Besides the world-building, the storyline for the book is completely engrossing as well, and there are a lot of great characters throughout the story, including the main character, Wade/Percival. I spent a good chunk of the book rooting for him, and for his friends as well. My favorite part of the story, hands down, is the 80’s nostalgia. (I’m an 80’s baby, if you haven’t guessed. *wink*) I LOVED this! So many of the games I played growing up where mentioned, as well as all the 80’s movies that I’ve never had a chance to watch, but totally plan to binge-watch as soon as possible. (This will be happening ASAP.) Put all these things together, and you have an excellent story to read.

Though I own a physical copy of this book, I opted to listen to it in audiobook format, because I had so many people tell me that it’s a great to listen to. And, it’s narrated by Wil Wheaton, so there’s that. Wil did such an awesome job narrating the story. I totally spaced out many times while he read the story to me, and I could picture everything perfectly in my mind. They say the narrator definitely makes the story, and that’s definitely the case with this one. If you have the opportunity to check out this book in audio format, do it!

Overall; I didn’t expect to love Ready Player One by Ernest Cline as much as I did, but I totally do. I’m super excited to get my hands on his next book, Armada, which I hear is another pretty awesome read, and is apparently being made into a movie (or tv show?) as well. (Yes, I plan to listen to the audiobook for it too!) If you’ve not yet checked out Ready Player One, I strongly recommend that you do so, and I hope you enjoy the book just as much as I did.
audiobook-review

Sunday, January 28, 2018

My Week in Review • Week 4

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!

http://www.thereaderbee.com/2018/01/my-thoughts-spring-girls-by-anna-todd.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24485589-hunted

This week was another not-so-good reading week for me, but it was a little better than last week, so there's that. I finally finished reading The Spring Girls by Anna Todd, and you can see my thoughts for it on the blog here. This was the first ever book that I've read by Anna, and it was interesting.

I also read Hunted by Meagan Spooner, which I have been meaning to read for a while now, and I'm SO glad to have finally read it. I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I'm hoping to have my thoughts for it on the blog this week.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one

I also read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline this week, and I was totally not prepared to enjoy this book as much as I did. (Even though EVERYONE told me that I would!) I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Wil Wheaton, who did a pretty awesome job reading the book to me. I loved it, and I now can't wait to see the movie. I'm hoping to have my thoughts for this book up on the blog this week as well!


No new movies this week, but hopefully some next week!


https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/



So I spent a good chunk of this week being sick, but I do believe I am finally on the mend. (And thank goodness for that. I hate being sick!) Now it's time to play the catch-up game, and I have SO much that I'm behind on. It never ends. Sigh.

That's pretty much all I've been up to this week. It's been a long week, and I'm enjoying the weekend, while trying to prepare for next week. The next two weeks are going to be pretty insane, but after that, I may actually have some free time again. I hope!

That's all for this week, so...

Friday, January 26, 2018

My Thoughts: The Spring Girls by Anna Todd

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297512-the-spring-girls
The Spring Girls
by Anna Todd
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781501130717
Genre: Fiction | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy

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Available for Purchase:
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Four sisters desperately seeking the blueprints to life—the modern-day retelling of Louise May Alcott’s Little Women like only Anna Todd (After, Imagines) could do.

The Spring Girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—are a force of nature on the New Orleans military base where they live. As different as they are, with their father on tour in Iraq and their mother hiding something, their fears are very much the same. Struggling to build lives they can be proud of and that will lift them out of their humble station in life, one year will determine all that their futures can become.

The oldest, Meg, will be an officer’s wife and enter military society like so many of the women she admires. If her passion—and her reputation—don’t derail her.

Beth, the workhorse of the family, is afraid to leave the house, is afraid she’ll never figure out who she really is.

Jo just wants out. Wishing she could skip to graduation, she dreams of a life in New York City and a career in journalism where she can impact the world. Nothing can stop her—not even love.

And Amy, the youngest, is watching all her sisters, learning from how they handle themselves. For better or worse.

With plenty of sass, romance, and drama, The Spring Girls revisits Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, and brings its themes of love, war, class, adolescence, and family into the language of the twenty-first century.  (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

The Spring Girls is the first book that I've ever read by Anna Todd, even though I've had quite a few of her older books on my TBR for a while now. I must admit that I'm a little bit intimidated by how many books are in her After series, so I always end up putting off starting it, but when I saw that The Spring Girls was a standalone novel, I was curious to give it a shot. It was an interesting read!

Ok, I should probably start this by saying that The Spring Girls is a modern-retelling of Little Women. I have not had the pleasure of reading Little Women before, and I've not seen and movie/tv adaptations for it either, so I absolutely cannot compare this story to that one in any way. (Actually, the only things I know about the original Little Women story are the spoilers mentioned on Friends. *grin*). That being said, other than knowing some of the names of the original characters, I basically went into this book completely blind, and not knowing at all what to expect.

One thing that I really liked most about the books was the characters. There were so many Spring girls: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, and, of course, Meredith, the mom. I absolutely LOVE stories that have big families. The story is told from the perspective of three of the four sisters; Jo, Meg, and Beth. I enjoyed the different viewpoints, as each sister was so different from each other in their own way. They have this really awesome bond that I always hear that some sisters have, but have never actually seen in real life. They don't always get along, but that bond is still there, and so strong. All of the characters were interesting, but I found myself relating a LOT to Beth; especially with the anxiety issues. (I totally get it.) She's totally my favorite sister.

The storyline for the book was fluffy and entertaining, for the most part. I do feel at times that it was a little ramble-y at times, especially when describing things the simplest of things. There was a lot of extra detail that I felt really didn't need to be included, and I found myself skimming over most of these parts. (Was that just me?) Otherwise, I enjoyed the story, and I now definitely want to check out the original story as well.

Overall; I thought The Spring Girls was an interesting read, and it definitely made me want to check out the original Little Women for sure. I'm really curious to know what I will think of the story once I have read the original, and I'm curious to see what others thought of the books as well. I'm also curious to pick up the After series now as well. :)


Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #302 - Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34942737-defy-the-worlds
Defy the Worlds
(Constellation #2)
by Claudia Gray
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: April 3rd 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316394109

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

Noemi Vidal has returned to her planet, Genesis, as an outsider. Ostracized for refusing to sacrifice Abel, the galaxy's most advanced mechanical man, she dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying right into a trap.

Abel, now fully aware of his soul and captaining his own ship, never thought he'd get to see Noemi again, not when the entire universe stands between them. But when his creator, Burton Mansfield, delivers news of Noemi's capture, Abel must go to her, no matter the cost.

In a race against time, Abel and Noemi band together to stop Mansfield once and for all. The depraved scientist has engineered a way to achieve immortality, but that technology comes with perils of its own. Abel and Noemi are about to discover a secret that could save Genesis and Earth...or destroy them all. (Goodreads)

Confession: I still have not read the first book in this series.
*ducks head in shame*

I actually own the book, and it's sitting on my shelf...
I just haven't had a chance to get to it yet.
I'm hoping to soon, however!
And I can't wait to add Defy the Worlds to my collection as well.
I know I will love them both!
:)
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Really Liked but Can’t Remember Anything/Much About


January 23: Books I Really Liked but Can’t Remember Anything/Much About
________________________________

Happy Tuesday, Bookworms!!

Today we're sharing our list of books we've read and really liked,
but really don't remember much about! (I have a LOT of those. Haha!)

Listed below are just a few books that I've read,
but I seriously don't remember too much about.
AND, all of the books listed below except ONE are series that I've started,
but haven't yet finished as well. That's something I want to fix this year!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22328546-red-queen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17399160-snow-like-ashes

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8490112-daughter-of-smoke-bone https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36381037-cinder

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9462812-die-for-me https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13574417-alienated

Die for Me by Amy Plum
Alienated by Melissa Landers

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821111-the-young-elites https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6068551-shiver

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Graceling by Kristin Cashore


Ahhhh, so many books!
I am really looking forward to diving into these again.
And hopefully my memories will come flooding back when I do.
(I *love* it when that happens!)

(And hopefully I can finish all of these series as well.)
:)

What books made your list this week?
Leave a link in the comments so I can check them out!

Monday, January 22, 2018

My Thoughts: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious
(Truly Devious #1)
by Maureen Johnson
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: January 16th 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062338051
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.(Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

I’ve had my eye on Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson for a while now, and I was super curious to finally get started on it. I’ve read a few of Maureen’s books in the past, but it’s been a while since I read those, and I was pretty excited to read something new from her. (Yes, I’ve had the opportunity to read something new by her before now, as I own quite a few of her other books that I haven’t read yet, but I digress). I finally found this book at the top my TBR, and I’m glad that I had a chance to read it. It was an interesting book!

Stevie Bell is obsessed with true-crime, and wants nothing more than to work for the FBI when she’s older. When given the opportunity to attend school at the mysterious Ellingham Academy, Stevie decides that her main goal is to solve the cold-case murder that happened there way back when the school first opened. But when a murder happens again, it’s up to Stevie to figure out exactly what’s going on, and how a similar crime from the past could be happening again in the present.

I thought Stevie was an interesting main character. I love how interested she was in true-crime, and even though that’s something I am not at all into, I still found myself relating to her in many ways. I liked how quick her mind works, and I’m super curious to see how she’s going to figure things out over the course of the next two books in the series.

I also really enjoyed the mysterious storyline for the book, and how it kept me guessing. I also thought that the back-story of what happened at the school in the past was interesting as well, and super curious to see how all of these things will tie together throughout the rest of the series. I read this book fairly quickly, so if you’re looking for a fun, mysterious read, this may be the book for you.

Overall; I thought Truly Devious was really quick, mysterious read, and I’m really curious to see what’s going to happen in the next book. I also need to try to read more of Maureen’s books that I haven’t yet read, starting with the Shades of London series, which I keep meaning to pick up but haven’t yet. (I must do that soon!) If you’re a fan of murder mysteries, do check out Truly Devious!

Sunday, January 21, 2018

My Week in Review - Week 3


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/29589074-truly-devious https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29239940-the-orphan-s-tale

This week was not the best reading week for me, unfortunately, thanks to weather and school closings, as well as me being sick. I did, however, finally finish Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, which I'm hoping to have my thoughts for up on the blog this week.

I also read The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff, which is from my Winter TBR list, and I really enjoyed this book. I'll definitely be checking out more books by this author in the future.


I did watch quite a few movies this week, mostly because I've been too sick to do anything else, and there's just something about curling up with a blanket and watching your favorite movies when you're sick. Am I right? I really enjoyed rewatching all of these. Actually, it was my first time watching Bridget Jones Diary, which I watched with my book club ladies. I can't believe I have never seen the movie before! I love Mark Darcy. Sighhhhhh.

https://www.instagram.com/thereaderbee/



As I mentioned above, this has been a pretty crazy week with the weather, school closings, basketball games, doctors appointments, and illness. I'm tired just thinking about it. Ha! Hopefully next week things will be back to normal, as normal as they can be for January, anyways. Now if I can only survive the next few weeks, then hopefully everything will be back to normal for a while. We shall see!

So, how was your week this week? Did you read a lot? Watch a lot?
I hope you all had a great week!