Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul • Week 3

Happy Sunday, Bookworms!!

Welcome to my weekly Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul post!

Here I'll be sharing what books I read over the past week,
and what books I bought, borrowed, and received for review as well.

Check back every Sunday for new updates!

I purchased these three books this week after I made a list of series that I wanted to read this year, and realized that I didn't have copies of these. I'm super excited to read them all!


LIFELIK3 by Jay Kristoff
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

• • •

This book arrived in my mailbox this week from Flatiron Books, and I'm really enjoyed it so far!
(I'm also giving away a copy of Instagram this weekend, so check that out!)


Enchantee by Gita Trelease

• • •

And I borrowed these two books from the library this week after hearing lots of talk about both books, and they both sound super good!!


The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

• • •

And lastly I added a few new e-ARCs to my collection as well! (SUPER excited to start these!)


House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams
The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts


• • •    • • •    • • •

It wasn't my best reading week this week, but I did finish up two books, and both were really great! I am hoping to have my thoughts for both of these books up on the blog this week.

Slayer by Kiersten White
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

• • •

That's all for me this week! How was your week??

My Thoughts: Evermore by Sara Holland

Evermore
(Everless #2)
by Sara Holland
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: December 31st 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062653697
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss / Own

Add to Goodreads

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

The highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestseller, Everless!

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one. (Goodreads)

Evermore by Sara Holland is the much-awaited sequel to Everless, which I read when it first released last year and really enjoyed. After reading the first book last year and being really drawn by the story, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen in this sequel, especially since this is was the final book in the duology. I was definitely not disappointed!

The thing that drew me to Everless, (besides the gorgeous cover), was how unique the story was. I don’t think had ever read anything like it before, and I was instantly hooked as I turned the pages. The ending, of course, was a cliffhanger, and it left me pining away to get my hands on the sequel. Since I have read many books after the first read of Everless, I ended up re-read it before starting Evermore, just to give my brain a little refresher before starting the sequel, and I’m so glad I did. There was so many little details to the story that I had forgotten, and I’m glad I could re-read to remember those again.

That being said, I seem to feel a bit different about the sequel. I enjoyed the story very much, and loved that a lot of my lingering questions from the first book were answered, but… this book just seemed to have a slightly different feel to it than the first book did. And I’m not even sure why, to be completely honest. There were a few things that felt a bit rushed, and a few things that were a bit confusing as well. I probably need to re-read the book again to figure out where things went wrong for me.

The characters were still great, and I enjoyed getting to know more about Jules and Caro, and some of the secondary characters as well. I love Jules for her strength, and getting to know more of her backstory was really interesting. I do wish she had been a little less indecisive throughout the book, as she seemed to change her mind about things quite a bit throughout the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the storyline, and I definitely need more books with sorcerer’s and alchemist in my life!

Overall; Evermore was definitely an interesting follow-up to Everless, and having finally read the book, I’m kind of sad to see it end. This definitely could have been a longer series, but I’m happy with the way things wrapped up in the end. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Sara in the future!

Waiting on Wednesday: Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss & On The Come Up

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss
by Kasie West
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062675798

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

Lacey Barnes has dreamt of being in a movie for as long as she can remember. However, while her dream did include working alongside the hottest actor in Hollywood, it didn’t involve having to finish up her senior year of high school at the same time she was getting her big break. Although that is nothing compared to Donavan, the straight-laced student her father hires to tutor her, who is a full-on nightmare.

As Lacey struggles to juggle her burgeoning career, some on-set sabotage, and an off-screen romance with the unlikeliest of leading men, she quickly learns that sometimes the best stories happen when you go off script. (Goodreads)

Is anyone else SUPER excited for the new Kasie West book??
It sounds super cute, and I can't wait to read it!!

On the Come Up
by Angie Thomas
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062498564

Add to Goodreads

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

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

This is another book that I'm super excited for! I read The Hate U Give last year,
and really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read Bri's story next!!

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

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018

January 15: New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018

2018 was a great year for discovering new-to-me authors, and I had the pleasure of finding quite a few awesome new ones! Here are just a few new-to-me authors that I can't wait to read more of!

Neal Shusterman
Ernest Cline



Evelyn Skye
Angie Thomas



Cora Carmack
Heidi Heilig



Kevin Kwan
Claire Legrand



Sally Thorne Josie Silver

There you have it! That's my list of just a few of the authors I discovered in 2018! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by them as soon as possible, and discovering more authors as well!!

What authors made your list this week?? Leave your links in the comments so I can check out your post as well!!

My Thoughts: My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

My Favorite Half-Night Stand
by Christina Lauren
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: December 4th 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781501197406
Genre: Adult Fiction | Contemporary | Romance
Source: Edelweiss/Own

Add to Goodreads

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

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever. (Goodreads)

I absolutely could not wait to get my hands on My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren, as I have loved pretty much every book they have released so far, and I knew I would end up loving this one as well. And, of course, I totally did!!

The contemporary romance genre is quickly becoming one of my most favorite genres to read, as most of the time these books are super cute and sweet, and they’re just what I need at the moment. Christina Lauren books never fail to put me in a good mood, which is probably why I devour them as quickly as I can. My Favorite Half-Night Stand gave me all the feels. Not only did it have some sweet and steamy moments, but it also made me tear up a few times, but I ended it with a smile, and that’s the best feeling ever.

The book has a lot of interesting characters, including the two main characters, Millie and Reid, and the story is told from their two different perspectives. (I LOVE THIS!) Millie is the lone woman in her group of friends, and she’s also a college professor who specializes in serial killers. Sounds pretty awesome, right? She was! Her story was so interesting and I couldn’t help but devour it. I loved all the guys in the story as well, and the friendships that they all had was really sweet. But… It was Millie and Reid’s story that I loved the most.

Overall; My Favorite Half-Night Stand is definitely one of my most favorite reads by Christina Lauren, and it’s also one of their books that I will definitely be re-reading again soon. It’s marked right up there with Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, which I also loved. I am now anxiously waiting to get my hands on their next book, The Unhoneymooners, which is currently set to release in May, and I can’t wait to check it out! Fans of Christina Lauren books, if you haven’t already, do check out My Favorite Half-Night Stand!

Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul

Happy Sunday, Bookworms!!

Welcome to my weekly Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul post!

Here I'll be sharing what books I read over the past week,
and what books I bought, borrowed, and received for review as well.

Check back every Sunday for new updates!

• • •   • • •   • • •

Before you get started on this post, let me explain...

Since it's a new year, I wanted to try something new with the blog. I was looking at the stack of books that I added to my collection this week, and it reminded me of how way back when we all used to do weekly book haul posts, and I thought it was something I'd like to do again!

So, instead of doing a Week in Review of my WHOLE week, I'm going to share the books I read during the week, and those that I added to my collection as well. Hopefully this will be a little easier on me, and I can get back in the habit of posting again.
*fingers crossed*

Keep reading to see what books I read this week, and those that I added to my collection as well!

This week I added three exciting new releases to my collection,
and I've already devoured one of them, and am halfway through the second (Slayer)!


The Wicked King by Holly Back
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
Slayer by Kiersten White

• • •

Next up I have three books that I've wanted to add to my collection for a while now!


China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

• • •

And these two books are courtesy of Berkley Romance! I'm currently in the process of devouring The Bride Test, and I can't wait to start Ayesha At Last soon!
(Pssst - It's a Modern Day Muslim Pride and Prejudice!!)


The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Ayesha At Last by Jalaluddin


• • •   • • •  • • •

I also finished up a few books this week as well!

Talon by Julie Kagawa is a new-to-me book, but I am thrilled to have finally read it!
I'm excited to continue along with the series, and I'm kicking myself for not having read it sooner!

I finished my re-read of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black this week as well, as a little refresher before I dive into The Wicked King, which I am hoping to start soon!

And I also devoured Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus this week as well. It was SO good, you guys! Fans of One of Us Is Lying will definitely love this book.

• • •   • • •  • • •

That's my update for this week! If you see a book you like, definitely check it out!
And hopefully I will have more to share next week!

My January '19 TBR!!

Happy First Day of January, Bookworms!!

It's a brand new year. Are you ready to read SO many awesome books this year??
I am!!

January is going to be an awesome month for both new and old books,
and I can't wait to dive into as many as I can.

This year I'm trying to read more books I own but haven't read,
as well as more new-to-me books,
so I have a lot of those on my TBR this month.
I am really excited to read them all!!

Here's what I'm planning to read this month:

This month I have only one book on my TBR that is a re-read, and that is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I originally read this book back when it was first released, but I never finished the rest of the books in the series. I definitely want to tackle it this year!!

I also have a few new-to-me book series on my TBR this month, including Talon by Julie Kagawa, and Falling Kingdom by Morgan Rhodes! I have wanted to start both of these series for a while now, and I'm thrilled to finally do so.

Slayer is the first book in a brand new series by Kiersten White, and I'm really excited to dive into it this month!

I also want to add more rom-coms onto my TBR this year as well, and I'm super excited to have Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren on my list, as well as The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli!!

I also want to check out as many book-to-movie adaptations as I can this year, so I'm reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple , and I'm super excited to start it. The movie looks good too!

And I wanted to add some historical fiction into the mix, so I'm hoping to read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly as well!!


I also have a few review books on my TBR this month...

And a few pre-orders as well...

SOOOO super excited for all of these!!! I hope I can find time to read them all.
(Or most of them, at least!)


So, that's my TBR for this month! What are you planning on reading this month??

Happy New Year!! 2019 Goals & Resolutions

HELLO, 2019!!

The new year has officially arrived!!
Whooo hooo!!!

Admittedly, 2018 was not the best year for me. It was a great year for reading, (225 books read), but, not such a great year for blogging or much of anything else, really. I feel like I spent most of the year in the biggest funk ever, but, I've been working on it, and I feel like things are getting better. (Hopefully!!)

That being said, I have a few goals and resolutions, (both bookish and non-bookish), that I'd like to work on it 2019, and if things go as I hope they will, 2019 should a really great year.


*2019 Bookish Goals*

Read 150 Books!
This was my original goal for 2018, and I ended up going well over it. While reading that many books was awesome, I didn't really get to do much of anything else during the year, so I want to keep my goal simple for this year, to include time for other things.

More Catching up on Series!
This is something that I started doing in 2018, and I definitely want to keep it up! I read, or finished reading, quite a few different series that I had read on and off over the years, and I have a long list that I'd like to tackle this year as well!!

Read More of what I want!
Another thing I started in 2018 was to take on less inquiry books, and read more of the books I own. This was awesome, as I got to read what I *wanted* to read, and not what I *needed* to read. I loved this, and definitely want to keep it up.

More Historical Fiction and Romance!
I have always loved historical fiction stories as well as romance novels, and I found myself reading more and more of them this year, and I loved it! I definitely want to read more this year, as well as mysteries!!


*Other 2019 Goals*

Get back into Blogging!
I have been the worst blogger lately, but I seriously just feel like I've had no energy to blog. I was actually torn between shutting down the blog, and wanting to do ALL THE THINGS for the blog, so for now, I'm going to just go with it, and hopefully things will come together in the end. I love my blog. I don't want to close it. I have SO many ideas for it. I just need to find the energy to do it!


Watch More Movies and TV Shows!
I never seem to have time for movies or tv, because I always have my nose stuck in a book! BUT, I've watched some really awesome movies and shows recently, and that makes me want to see more, so I definitely want to see more!! (This also includes more book-to-movie adaptations, because I really want to do a feature for them on the blog this year!!)

Try to listen to Podcasts!!
One would think that as much as I love audiobooks, I would also love pocasts, but... I don't. I was hoping to do a podcast feature on the blog this year, but first I need to find some podcasts that I actually like!

Bullet Journaling and PLANNING!!
Sigh... I cannot seem to get in the habit of keeping a bullet journal, but I finally found one that I really like, and I'm hoping that I can actually keep up with it this year! *fingers crossed!*

*Word of the Year*

I've never picked out a work of the year before, but I wanted to this year, and my word is...
...
...
*more*
...
...
I know what you're thinking... that's not really a good word for the year. But to me, it is. This year I want so much more.

More ME.
More Family.
More Books.
More Movies.
More trying something new.
More getting out of my zone.
More EVERYTHING.

But mostly, more ME.

I think I am stuck in a rut because I'm stuck on me, so I want MORE for AND from myself this year. I hope this will help. I need it to help.


*2019 Resolutions*

Stay Healthy and Make Time for Myself!

Spend more time with the family!

Keep up with Social Media!
(I am SO bad at this.)

Save Money!

...


That's my list of goals and resolutions for this year!
What are some of yours??