Waiting on Wednesday #246 - Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark
(Untitled Duology #1)
by Veronica Roth
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: January 17th 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780008159481


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

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not — their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuve, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive — no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive — or to destroy one another. (Goodreads).

WHOOO HOOOO!

A new book by Veronica Roth!!
This book sounds really awesome, and I can't wait to check it out.
I'm super curious!!
I've already preordered my copy. Have you??

**"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 REWIND: Books on my Summer TBR (That I STILL haven't read yet.)

August 9th: Top Ten Rewind - Books on my Summer TBR
(That I STILL haven't read yet.)

1. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - I've had this book on my TBR for way too long. I had planned to finally read it this summer, so I need to get on it ASAP!!

2. Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - Yep, another Morgan Matson book on my list! I love the cover for this book, and the story sounds awesome. I hope to read it soon!


3. That Summer by Sarah Dessen - Summer just isn't summer without reading a Sarah Dessen book! I've almost read ALL the books that I own by her, so I'm trying to read the last few slowly, so that I can savor them!

4. Hearts, Fingers and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn - This series is SO addictive! I still need to read this last book in the series, and I need to get started on it soon!


5. Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins (& more!) - Stephanie Perkins, y'all! I loved My True Love Gave to Me, and I can't wait to dive into Summer Days and Summer Nights as well!

6. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby - This book has been on my TBR for the longest, for a couple of years at least, and it's definitely on my MUST READ THIS SUMMER list!


7. Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols - Ah,  yet another book that has been sitting on my bookshelf forever. I am really looking forward to finally starting this one!

8. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - I read the first book in this series with my book club, and I really enjoyed the story, AND the movie as well! I need to finish this series already!!


9. All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frant - This is a book that I probably wouldn't normally pick up, but I've seen it around a lot on Instagram and Twitter, and the story sounds awesome, so I thought I'd give it a try!

10. The Island House by Nancy Thayer - Same with this one! I love the covers for both of these books, and they both sound like really awesome reads!


So, that's my list...

Blog Tour: A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

A Week of Mondays
by Jessica Brody
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9780374382704
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Review Copy

Add to Goodreads

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

When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true...

Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
I was super excited to finally start A Week of Mondays, as it is the first book I've ever read by Jessica Brody! I've had her Unremembered series on my TBR for way too long, and I was really excited to finally read something by her. I love a good contemporary novel, and I really, really enjoyed A Week of Mondays more than I expected to!

I really, really liked the main character in the story, Ellie. After a really horrible day, she asks for a do-over, because she just knows if she had another chance, she could do everything differently. And that's exactly what she got, a chance to make things right, and chance to find her real self along the way. I really enjoyed going on the journey with Ellie to find herself. So much that she went through in this book reminded me of my time at high school, both the good and the bad, and it was interesting to see it through someone else's eyes.

The storyline for this book was a lot of fun, even though it did have some emotional moments, and it made for a perfect summer read! I adore contemporary novels, so it only took just a few pages for me to become completely engrossed in the story. The more I read, the more I loved the book, and at 464 pages, I did not expect to finish this book as quickly as I did. One of the things I loved most about the storyline was how much it reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day, which just happens to be one of my favorite movies. That alone had me in love with the story before I even started it!

Overall; A Week of Mondays is the first book I've read by Jessica Brody, but it definitely won't be the last! I enjoyed this book SO much more than I expected to, and I'm really, really looking forward to reading more of her books as soon as possible, starting with her Unremembered series!

Waiting on Wednesday #245 - Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

Long Way Home
(Thunder Road #3)
by Katie McGarry
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: January 31st 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN:


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

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all. (Goodreads)

To be honest, I am SO behind on this series!!
I somehow also missed the cover reveal for Long Way Home as well.
But as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be my WOW pick this week!
I really enjoyed Nowhere But Here,
and I still need to read Walk the Edge,
but I can't wait to add Long Way Home to my collection!
The cover is so pretty!!

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

*United by Melissa Landers* Launch Blitz & Giveaway!!

UNITED Launch Blitz & Giveaway


Hey there, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce the release of UNITED, the final book in the Alienated trilogy. Our star-crossed lovers Aelyx and Cara have overcome some heavy obstacles to be together—riotous mobs, alien hybrids, and worst of all, high school on two planets. Now to stay together they’ll have to unite their people against a common enemy, a threat more deadly than they ever imagined. (NBD, right?) I’ve written an ending to this trilogy that makes my heart happy, and I hope you’ll love the conclusion as much as I do!

What do reviewers have to say about the series?

“The author’s storyline is out of this world.” –VOYA on Alienated

“The unusual plot and world building are ingenious.” –Library Media Connection on Alienated

“If [the third novel] is as entertaining as this tale, it can’t come soon enough.” –Kirkus Reviews on Invaded

“A fun genre-blending series that will only gain traction as it continues.” –Booklist on Invaded

If you love hot aliens, snarky humans, and wild sci-fi adventure, make sure to pick up a copy of UNITED today. It’s now available in stores and online.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/25XrSct
iBooks: http://apple.co/1sGfH1Z
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1tqvT7u
Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1XpeAjN
Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1Uc75wb

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a set of all 3 mini-posters in the Alienated series—signed by me! The giveaway is open internationally.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

The State of the Blog * Summer 2016

State of the Blog

Hello, Bookworms!!

I wanted to take a moment to sit down and write up a blog post
explaining where I've been for the past month.

You may have noticed that it's been a little quiet around the blog lately.
(Or, you may not have noticed at all, and that's cool too!)

This summer I had plans.
BIG PLANS.
I was going to read ALL the books, and post ALL the blog posts,
and relax and just have a great summer.

Well, that didn't happen.
(Anyone who has kids will understand this.)

Life was crazy. I found myself needing a break.
DESPERATELY.

So I took some time off from the blog, and it was nice.
I was still crazy busy, but not having to worry about the blog made it less stressful.

And that really got me thinking...
Thinking about something that has been on my mind a lot lately.

Is it worth it??
Do people even read blogs anymore??
When did blogging stop being fun??

As my fellow bloggers know, blogging is a LOT of work! And it takes a LOT of time as well.
It takes me an hour or more, (on a good day), to write out a book review and schedule a blog post.

And usually I'm so busy during the day that I usually only have time to blog late at night, when I could be getting in some much needed sleep.

So now I'm constantly thinking:

Do I want to  keep blogging?

Well, the short answer would be:
YES!

I love my blog.
I've met SO many great people through it,
and have discovered SO many awesome books as well. I'd love to keep it going.

BUT, to do so, THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE!!

I can no longer climb my way through piles of review copies.
At one point this year I have over 20 review books in ONE MONTH.
It definitely made reading feel like more of a chore, than the fun hobby I love.
(This is mostly MY fault. I have to learn to say NO!)
That can't happen again.

So I'm definitely going to have to be more picky about what books I choose to review.
Especially when I have TONS of books I've BOUGHT MYSELF sitting on my shelves
waiting to be read.

That's another thing.
I want to read MY books!

Do you know how long I've been trying to get through the Harry Potter series??
And there are SO many books that came out this year that are STILL sitting on my shelves, just waiting to be read.

I think if I can make reading fun again, then blogging will become fun as well.
At least I hope, anyway!!

So that's where I'm at at the moment.
I'm going to give this plan a go and see how things work. Hopefully things will get better.

If not, I'll always still be around!
You can always find me on Twitter and Snapchat, Instagram and Tumblr!

I'm not going out without a fight. Not just yet!!

Wish me luck!!

My August 2016 TBR & Most Anticipated Releases!!

Happy August, Bookworms!!

Wow, is it really August already??
This year is just going by too quickly.

July was not a good reading month for me,
so a lot of the books that were on my TBR last month, are on this months as well.

There are SOOOOO many books I'm excited for this month,
most importantly, The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson,

which is totally my most anticipated book for 2016.
And it will be here on TUESDAY!!

I also still haven't started my Harry Potter rereadathon, so that's on my list (again)

for this month as well.

Let's hope I can actually get through all the books I have planned!!


My August TBR includes:

  The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
How to Keep Rolling After the Fall by Karole Cozzo
A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody
The Gilded Cage by Lucinda Gray
Poppy by Mary Hooper
The Island House by Nancy Thayer
All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank

The Death Cure by James Dashner
(#DashnerDash Reread!!)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J. K. Rowling
(I MUST START THIS REREAD ALREADY!)

Here are some more August releases I'm super excited to read:

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
A Beautiful Funeral by Jamie McGuire
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
United by Melissa Landers

Gah, so many great books this month!!
I really hope that I will have time to read them ALL!!

What books are you most excited to read in August??

July 2016 Wrap Up & Book Haul

*July Book Haul*

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead*
Icons by Margaret Stohl*
The Smaller Evil by Stephanie
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

*Found these for a DOLLAR at the Dollar Tree!!

*July Wrap Up*

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner


SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I had planned to get SO MUCH READING done over summer break,
and it's totally not happening. AT ALL.
Silly me for thinking I'd actually get anything done with three kids,
and all their friends, being home for summer.
HAHA!
Luckily, they all go back to school in about a week in a half,
so hopefully I can get back to my normal routine. :)

The books I did manage to read this month were all really great!
And I'm excited to add my new Hamilton books to my collection.
(If you follow me on Snapchat or Twitter, you'll know just how obsessed I am.)
*wink*

Here's hoping August will be the month I get caught up!!

How did your July turn out??

Book & Movie Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Audiobook)

The Maze Runner
(The Maze Runner #1)
by James Dashner
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 6th 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780385737944
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Dystopian
Source: Library

Add to Goodreads

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

"If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. (Goodreads).

My Thoughts...
My first experience with The Maze Runner by James Dashner was back in 2014, when I started listening to the audiobook of the series. I remember really enjoying the story, and I ended up binge-listening to the next two books in the series as quickly as possible. When I heard about the #DashnerDash, a binge read of the series in anticipation of The Fever Code's release on September 27th, I knew I wanted to participate! This time I actually read the book, instead of listening to the audiobook, and I FINALLY watched the movie as well. Here are my thoughts on both!!

As I mentioned above, it's been a good 2 years since I first read The Maze Runner, and I was worried that I might have forgotten a lot of the story since I've read a LOT of books since then, but once I got back into the story, everything was surprisingly familiar to me. I love the setting for the story. Can you imagine, living in a huge maze? I also really loved all the characters, and most importantly, the friendships that were formed over the course of the story. It was all great, and I really loved diving back into the story.

I ended up enjoying the movie a lot more than I expected to, even despite all the changes from the book. I do understand that they have to make some changes when they make a movie adaptation, but for me, those changes can either make or break a movie. These changes I was not at all annoyed with.  All of the actors in the movie were so great, especially Thomas, Chuck, Newt, Minho, Frypan, and yes, even Galley. Theresa as well. Also, the graphics in the movie were pretty awesome. That maze was HUGE!! I loved how realistic it all looked, and I can't wait to watch the next movie.

Overall; This is my second time reading The Maze Runner, and I can't wait to continue on with the series. I'm excited to read ALL the books this time as well! Check back soon for my book & movie review for The Scorch Trials, which I'm reading now!! There's still time to participate in the #DashnerDash reread, so if you haven't started reading the series, here's your chance!! And don't forget to check out the movies as well!

My July 2016 TBR & Most Anticipated Releases!!

Hey, Bookworms!!

Can you believe that it's July already?!
Half of 2016 has already come and gone.
I'm currently 4 books behind on my reading goal for the year,
So I need to step up my reading game this month!

One thing I'm really excited for this month is that I'm starting my
Harry Potter Readathon!!
One of my goals for 2016 is to reread the series
and actually finish it this time!
I'm so excited to get started on it, and ALL the other books I have planned for July!!


My July TBR includes:

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Poppy by Mary Hooper
How to Keep Rolling After the Fall by Karole Cozzo
A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

The Last Star by Rick Yancey
(I'm DETERMINED TO READ THIS!!)

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
(#DashnerDash Reread!!)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J. K. Rowling
(for my Harry Potter Re-Readathon!!)

Here are some more July releases I'm super excited to read:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
A World Without You by Beth Revis

Flying by Carrie Jones

What books are you most excited for in July??