Tuesday, July 31, 2018

My July 2018 Wrap Up & Book Haul!


Happy Tuesday, Bookworms!!

Can you believe that today is officially the LAST day of July??
This month has floooooown by!
I'm not quite ready for July to be over,
mostly because I don't want our Summer Break to be over,
but I have a lot of great books on my August TBR, 
and I'm excited to start those!

But before we get to that, here's my Wrap Up for July!!

Hocus Pocus & the All-New Sequel by A.W. Jantha
Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
The Lightning Thief - Illustrated Edition - by Rick Riordan



Warcross by Marie Lu
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
The Mermaid by Christina Henry
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare


*not pictured*

Contagion by Erin Bowman
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
When We Found Home by Susan Mallery
Mystic Summer by Hannah McKinnon
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
One Small Thing by Erin Watt
Twisted Palace by Erin Watt


July was another great reading month for me!
I didn't know if it would be or not, since the kids were kind of busy all month.
But, I'm totally not going to complain about reading 21 books!

There weren't a lot of new releases this month,
and I didn't have any books pre-ordered,
but I still added some pretty cool books to my collection this month,
and I can't wait to read the ones I haven't read yet!!

That's my July Wrap Up!! How was your month??
Check back tomorrow to see my August TBR!!

Monday, July 30, 2018

My Thoughts: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36502054-sea-witch
Sea Witch
by Sarah Henning
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: July 31st 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062438775
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Retelling
Source: Edelweiss

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

Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.
But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

The rise of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits—to become a monster. (Goodreads)


The first thing that drew me to Sea Witch by Sarah Henning was its absolutely stunning cover. If you know me at all, you know that I can’t resist a gorgeous cover! Then I discovered that this was a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, and I just knew that I had to check it out. I’m a huge fan of retellings, and I was super curious to see the authors take on this classic story. It was definitely worth the read!

I really enjoyed the storyline for this book. As I said, I love a good retelling, especially those of The Little Mermaid, because, seriously, there are not nearly enough mermaid books in my life. The story is told from the two main characters alternate perspectives, which was nice. There’s a bit of romance in the book as well for these characters, but to be honest, I didn’t really buy into it, and there’s a reason why. I love that the book is set both at sea and a faraway kingdom, because both are completely fascinating to me. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout the book that caught me by surprise, and I LOVED that about the book. I totally didn’t see a few of them coming, and that doesn’t happen often for me! And which is also the reason why I’m choosing to be pretty vague with this review. I don’t want to accidently give away any of the surprises, so do read the book so you can enjoy them as well!

Overall; Sea Witch was a really quick and enjoyable read for me! I enjoyed the authors take on the original story, including the twists that I probably should have seen coming but didn’t. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Sarah Henning in the future, including her next book, Throw Like a Girl, which is set to release sometime in 2019!

My Week in Review • Week 28 - 30



Happy Sunday Monday, Bookworms!!

Welcome to my weekly Week in Review post!

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

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


It's been a while since I've updated, so this post may be a little long! Sorry, I'm trying to get back in the habit of updating again!



I've read quite a few books since I last updated, and I really enjoyed them all!

This month I finished the last two books in the Summer series by Jenny Han, and it was really awesome to read these books again. I also read Susan Mallery's newest, When We Found Home, and Mystic Summer by Hannah McKinnon!



I officially started my re-read of The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare this month, and I looooooooved re-reading Clockwork Angel! I can't wait to get started on Clockwork Prince next month. I also finished In the Afterlight , closing out the Darkest Minds series, and I'm SO excited for the new book and the movie to come out later this month! Contagion by Erin Bowman and The Mermaid by Christina Henry were two review books I had for this month, and they were both great!



I really enjoyed reading Sea Witch by Sarah Henning, which was a Little Mermaid retelling, and you can see my review for the book on the blog today!! I also finished Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas and Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton this week, and I FINALLY read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which was SO good!

Wow, what an update. So many books!




I've watched a few movies over the past few weeks, including Blockers, which was kind of hilarious, and very relatable. We also had a Mission: Impossible movie marathon before going to see the new movie, M:I Fallout this weekend. Ghost Protocol is still my favorite, I think, but these movies just get better and better as they go along!!


The Hubby and I also finished watching the last season of The Office, and it totally made me remember why I hate getting invested in a series. They always come to an end! I hate letting go of my favorite characters!!


Sigh.

We have now moved on to Parks and Recreation though, and I'm really enjoying it so far!


SOOO many pictures. Check out my Bookstagram HERE.




Sorry that it's been so long since I last updated! I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. We only have about a week and a half left of summer break, and then the kids will be heading back to school, which will hopefully give me a little bit of free time. (We shall see!)

Not much left to update, I suppose. So....

Thursday, July 26, 2018

My Thoughts: Contagion by Erin Bowman

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068650-contagion
Contagion
(Contagion #1)
by Erin Bowman
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: July 24th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062574145
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Horror
Source: Edelweiss

Add to Goodreads

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

It got in us

After receiving an urgent SOS from a work detail on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is dispatched to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission.

Most are dead.

But when the crew arrives, they find an abandoned site, littered with rotten food, discarded weapons…and dead bodies.

Don't set foot here again.

As they try to piece together who—or what—could have decimated an entire operation, they discover that some things are best left buried—and some monsters are only too ready to awaken. (Goodreads)


Contagion is the very first book I’ve read by Erin Bowman, even though I’ve had quite a few of her previous books on my TBR for the longest. I was beyond thrilled to finally read something by her, and even though this book scared the daylights out of me, I’m really looking forward to reading more by her soon!

So let’s talk about Contagion! The first thing that drew me to this book was the awesome cover. (In case you didn’t already know, it’s SUPER hard for me to resist an awesome cover. Sigh.) Then I read the summary and discovered that the book was set in space. SPACE! Yes, give me all the books set in space, please! If you’re not totally hooked by this point, then keep reading because this book also has SO MUCH DEATH, as well as a contagion that kills just about everything. Does this sound like something you’d want to check out?? Yep, I thought so!

Contagion is told from the viewpoint of a few different characters in the novel, and this is my most favorite thing ever, because with SO many different viewpoints, we get SO much more information. (The contagion itself even has a viewpoint, which was a little creepy!) The storyline for this book was super addictive, and highly suspenseful. I’m a pretty big chicken when it comes to thriller books, but I kind of love that this book freaked me out so much. I definitely flew through the pages, and since the book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for information on the next book, which I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Overall; if you love a good suspenseful thriller, do check Contagion! I don’t read books like this often, but I’m really glad I decide to read this one. I was hooked on the story, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, which is currently untitled, but set to release sometime in 2019. I’m also even more excited to read some of Erin’s previous books now, and I’m trying to decide if I want to read the Taken series or the Vengeance Road series first. So many choices! I can’t wait to read them both.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #324 - Dance of Thieves & These Rebel Waves

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35796008-dance-of-thieves
Dance of Thieves
(Dance of Thieves #1)
by Mary E. Pearson
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: August 7th 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 9781250159014

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

A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions. (Goodreads)

Yooooooooou Guyssssssss...
*TWO MORE WEEKS* Until this awesome book is released!
I've been sitting on an ARC of this, and I'm hoping to start it tomorrow,
and I absolutely can't wait!!
If you're of fan of the Remnant Chronicles series,
you'll definitely want to check out this spin-off series. :)


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29422091-these-rebel-waves
These Rebel Waves
by Sara Raasch
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: August 7th 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062471505

Add to Goodreads

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

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace. (Goodreads)

And the new book by Sara Raasch is releasing in two weeks as well!!
I really enjoyed her Snow Like Ashes series,
and I'm hoping this new series will be great as well.
I'm super excited to check it out!!

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


Monday, July 9, 2018

My Week in Review • Week 26 & 27



Happy Sunday, Bookworms!!

Welcome to my weekly Week in Review post!

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

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


Ah, another bi-weekly week in review this week. Sigh.
I'm hoping to get back on schedule soon!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333338-save-the-date https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299763-crooked-kingdom https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36301023-my-plain-jane

The past two weeks have been kind of crazy, but I did manage to get some reading done! I finally worked Save the Date by Morgan Matson onto my TBR, and it was just as cute as I expected it to be. I also read Crooked Kingdom, and say goodbye to the Six of Crows series. I read My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows while lounging in the pool over the 4th of July, and it was a great read as well!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35380161-the-summer-i-turned-pretty https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35750273-one-small-thing https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13079982-fahrenheit-451

I decided to re-read the Summer series by Jenny Han again this summer, and I quite enjoyed re-reading The Summer I Turned Pretty! I am hoping to read the second and third books in the series this month as well. I also read One Small Thing by Erin Watt, which was pretty interesting, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which I read with my son! (This book was not at all what I was expecting.)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576048-fawkes https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36127456-listen-to-your-heart https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37771077-warcross

The last three books that I read this week were Fawkes by Nadine Brandes, which was very unique and also not at all what I expected. I was determined to read Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West this month, and the book made me want to find ALL kinds of new podcasts to listen to. (Yeah, right... I'm usually always listening to audiobooks.) And I FINALLY read Warcross by Marie Lu, a book that I have been trying to get to for FOREVER. I can't wait to read the next book when it's released.



I also managed to watch a few new movies as well, all of which I really enjoyed.

The husband and I are still working our way through The Office,
and we will be starting season 8 soon!


Check out my Bookstagram Feed here!



Life is still pretty busy in TheReaderBee household, and I don't think it's going to let up anytime soon. Sigh. I'm trying to figure out a way to make the most of what free time I have, because being behind on everything really sucks!

At least I'm kicking butt on the reading front. I'm so close to my goal of 150 books, and the year is only about halfway finished! I love that I'm actually getting to read some of the books that I've been wanting to read for a while now, like the Six of Crows series and Warcross for instance, so that's definitely been awesome this year. :)

That's all I can think to update for this week! How has your July been so far??