My Thoughts: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One Of Us Is Lying
by Karen M. McManus
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Publication Date: May 30th 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9781524714680
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Mystery
Source: Library Book

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A New York Times bestseller

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
I've had One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus on my reading list for a while now, but never seemed to have the time to read it. I was determined to read it this fall, as it seriously sounded like the perfect murder mystery novel! I'm really glad that I added it to my Fall TBR, as it was a great read to kick off October!

The story is told through the four main characters viewpoints; Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper. (I always love this, as I feel we get SO much more information having so many different points of view.) I really liked each of these characters, especially since they were all so different and unique in their own ways. They worked really well together to figure out what happened, and I loved the bond that they formed over the course of the book. (And, funnily enough, I pictured them all as the characters from the show Riverdale, so that was fun!)

I really enjoyed the murder mystery storyline of the book. I've been reading a lot of them lately, as they are the perfect books to read around Halloween time, and this one was great. It was a little predictable in some areas, though that's probably because I've read a lot mysteries lately, (AND because I'm pretty much naturally suspicious of everything), but there were a few twists that kept me guessing as well. It was also a really quick read! Whenever I sat down with the book, I flew through the pages. SO good.

Overall; I enjoyed reading One of Us is Lying, even more than I actually expected to. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Karen in the future, as I will definitely want to check out whatever she comes up with next!

Week in Review • Week 40

Good Sunday Morning, Bookworms!
I hope you're all enjoying your weekend.
I'm not at all ready for mine to end,
BUT... It's Fall Break, so at least I have the upcoming week off. ;)

Here's what I've been up to this week:

This week I finished two books, and both books were from my Fall TBR!! The first book was A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena, and the second was One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. I really enjoyed reading both books, as they were great murder mysteries to kick off my Fall reading list.

Also, I totally pictured the kids from Riverdale as the characters while reading One of Us is Lying!

This week I got started on my 31 Days of Halloween Movies list, and I'm already behind. Haha! We did watch Hocus Pocus, because it's the best movie to kick off October, and we watched Beetlejuice as well!! These movies really never get old, and I can't wait to watch the rest of the movies on my list!

It's officially Fall Break for my kiddos, thank goodness, and I'm SO looking forward to having the week off. Er, or at least not having to wake up super early for a whole week. :) I'm planning on getting ALL kinds of reading done this week, but with the kids home, I doubt I'm going to accomplish much. But... maybe I can get to work on that Halloween Movie List at least!

:)

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

My Thoughts: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

The House of Hades
(The Heroes of Olympus #4)
by Rick Riordan
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Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 597
ISBN: 9781423146728
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Mythology
Source: Own

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At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
The House of Hades is the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, and I can't believe I've already finished reading it. Scratch that, I can't believe that I'm almost finished with the whole series! I've been trying to space out my reads of this series, but they always seem to go by way too quickly. (Which I shouldn't complain about, because at least I'm not having to wait a year or more for a new release.) Instant gratification is awesome when you're reading a book series. Right??

Ahem, as I was saying... I actually finished The House of Hades a few weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to sit down to write out my thoughts until now. I really enjoyed the book, which I totally expected, as I've enjoyed the whole series so far. The characters are so great, and they all work so well together. You'd think that it would get confusing having so many characters and different narrators throughout the story, but it doesn't, and it just works really well. These characters have grown so much over the course of the series, and I just really love them all.

The setting for the book was interesting. Part of it was set in the Underworld, which sounds completely horrible, and I was really worried about Percy and Annabeth there for a while. I didn't like that the characters were split up so much in this story, so I'm hoping they'll be staying together again in the next book, which I'm super excited to get started on. I'm hoping to start it asap, as I really want to know what's going to happen next, while also not wanting the series to end at all. Sigh. Bookworm problems, right??

Overall; The House of Hades was a great addition to the Heroes of Olympus series, and I'm super excited to get started on The Blood of Olympus right away. I still have SO many questions, and I'm hoping to finally get some answers in this final book in the series.

My October 2017 TBR & Most Anticipated Releases!!

Happy October, Bookworms!!

October has finally arrived, and that makes me SO happy!
In case you didn't already know, it's one of my most favorite months of the year.
Mostly because October is when it finally (usually) starts to feel
like Fall here in the South.
(Hopefully it will hurry, because it's too hot here!)

I have a pretty massive TBR for October,
because it includes both my Oct TBR AND part of my Fall TBR.
I'm hoping to actually read most of these books. :)

In October I'm planning to continue my re-read of the Harry Potter series with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'm also re-reading Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson and The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin!

I'm also planning to start a re-read of The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater this month as well! I read the series way back when, but never had a chance to read The Raven King. I found all of the audiobooks on Hoopla, and I'm super excited to get back into the story, and, hopefully finish it this time!

I'll also be reading The Blood of Olympus, the last book in the Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I'm going to be so sad to see this series end, but I'm also excited to move on to the next series by Rick.

I hadn't originally intended to read Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo , but I enjoyed Shadow and Bone so much, I really must continue with the series!

 Ally by Anna Banks and Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao are two review books that I'm excited to start this month.

*Anna Dressed in Blood* by Kendare Blake is our October pick for #AlltheBooksReadalong! If you're on Instagram, feel free to join us!

I also have the above e-ARC's to read as well!

Ringer by Lauren Oliver
Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
Top Ten by Katie Cotugno
Can't Let Go by Gena Showalter

And the above books are part of my Fall TBR!

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Bonfire by Krysten Ritter
The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

AND... I a few audiobooks as well.
(Are you starting to feel as overwhelmed as I am??)

Umberland by Wendy Spinale
Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson *
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater *
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby


Can we now please talk about new releases??

I have these three books pre-ordered, and I can't wait for them to arrive!!

Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater


Wow, so this does not look as intimidating in my spreadsheet as it does in this post. Haha! If you made it this far, you're really awesome! Wish my luck that I will actually get through most of the books that I want to read. I know I'm going to need it!

Now tell me, what books are on YOUR October TBR??
And, what book(s) are you MOST excited to read??

Week in Review • Week 39

Happy Sunday morning, Bookworms!
And HAPPY OCTOBER to you as well!!

It's always weird when my week in review post falls 

around the same time as my end/beginning of the month posts.
But, I decided to post this anyways, because it's about more than just books.
:)

Here's what I've been up to this week...

So this week I managed to read four books. That's right, FOUR! It's been a while since that has happened. :)  The first book I read was One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, which is the second book in the Three Dark Crowns series. I thought this series was a duology, but there's actually going to be two more books in the series, so I'm super stocked for those! I also read Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart, and I'm hoping to have my thoughts up for it soon!

I also finished The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, both of which are re-reads for me. I'm planning on finishing my rereads of both series this month so that I can start The Becoming of Noah Shaw and Into the Bright Unknown asap! :)

I also had a chance to watch two movies this week as well. The first was Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which was really, really good. Colin Firth. Channing Tatum. Mark Strong. Drooooool. I can't wait to watch it again, even though I'm a little pissed off at the movie as well.

I also watched An Affair to Remember with my fellow book club ladies. This was my first time ever seeing the movie, though I've seen the remake before so I knew what to expect, but I enjoyed it as well.

So, this week was a pretty good week! Not only did I get to watch a few movies, but I also reached my Goodreads Reading Challenge Goal of 100 books! I can't believe I met my goal so early in the year, so what did I do? I raised it. lol! Which will probably happen a few more times this year, as I still have SO many books I want to read this year. :)

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

September 2017 Wrap Up & Book Haul!!

Happy Sunday, Bookworms!!
Can you believe today is the LAST day of September??
This month has gone by wayyyy to quickly,

but I'm totally ok with that because October is FINALLY HERE!!

September was a pretty awesome month for books,
so keep scrolling to see what books I read,

and what books I added to my collection as well!!

*My September Book Haul*

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Warcross by Marie Lu
Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows
Renegades by Marissa Meyer

SO many great new books added to my collection this month!
I've only read 3 of them so far,
but I'm excited to get started on the rest of them soon!

*My September Wrap Up*

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling *
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo *
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson *
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin *
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter **

* = Re-reads

** = not pictured

10 books for September is not too bad, though I had hoped to read more.
Regardless, I'm all geared up to get started on my October TBR,

AND I've already started on my Fall TBR.
So many books... bring it on, October!!

What books did you read and add to your collection in September??

My Thoughts: One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

One Dark Throne
(Three Dark Crowns #2)
by Kendare Blake
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Publication Date: September 19th 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9780062690456
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy / Own

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The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake was definitely one of my most anticipated reads for 2017, especially after that massive cliff-hanger ending in Three Dark Crowns. I've been pining away all year just waiting to get my hands on this book, and now that I've finally read it, I'll be pining away for the next books!!

Can I start by saying that all of the characters in this book are awesome?? The three of the queens are all interesting, and each in different ways. I'm super curious to know what exactly is going on with one queen in particular, and I'm hoping we find out in the next book. Jules is still my most favorite character in the whole book, and I think I enjoyed her parts of the books the most, even though ALL the parts were pretty great.

For some reason I thought this series was just a duology, and I kept expecting the story to wrap up the closer I got to the end of the book, but it didn't. I totally didn't realize that there will actually be two more books in the series, which would make it a... quadrilogy? Regardless, I'm pretty stocked that there will be more books to read, because I totally didn't get enough of this story, and I'm super curious to know what is going to happen next.

Overall; If you loved Three Dark Crowns, you'll definitely love One Dark Throne! Kendare Blake definitely does not disappoint, and I will anxiously waiting to get my hands on both the third and fourth book in this series, both of which are currently untitled, but are set to release in 2018 and 2019 respectively. I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Waiting on Wednesday #292 - Still Me by Jojo Moyes

Still Me
(Me Before You #3)
by Jojo Moyes
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Publication Date: January 23rd 2018
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
ISBN: 9780399562457

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From the sensational #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, a new book featuring her iconic heroine of Me Before You and After You, Louisa Clark

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She is thrown into the world of the superrich Gopniks: Leonard and his much younger second wife, Agnes, and a never-ending array of household staff and hangers-on. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her job and New York life within this privileged world.

Before she knows what's happening, Lou is mixing in New York high society, where she meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. In Still Me, as Lou tries to keep the two sides of her world together, she finds herself carrying secrets--not all her own--that cause a catastrophic change in her circumstances. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places? (Goodreads)

Did you know that there's going to be a third book in the Me Before You series?
There is!
I am SO super excited to read Still Me, as I loved both Me Before You and After You.
I'm planning to re-read both books this Fall before this new one is released in January,
and I can't wait to get back into the story!

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

My Thoughts: There's Somone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House
by Stephanie Perkins
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Publication Date: September 26th 2017
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Pages: 289
ISBN: 9780525426011
Genre: Young Adult | Horror
Source: Review Copy/Own

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Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
There's Someone Inside Your House was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, because, well... it's Stephanie Perkins, y'all! I've loved everything that I've read by her so far, so I knew I would love this new book as well, even though I'm SO not a fan of horror stories. But, I pushed through and read the book despite my dislike of creepy stuff, and I'm so glad that I did!

There are a lot of interesting characters in the story to keep up with, but I'll warn you not to get too attached to anyone, because you never know who the next victim will be. And though this is a thriller/horror story, there was still some romance in the storyline that was super sweet as well, and it was classic Stephanie Perkins. I think I loved that part the most.

The storyline for the book definitely excelled with the creep factor, but it really wasn't anything I couldn't handle. (Ok, ok... Some of the descriptions of the murders were gross, and I had to set the book down for a moment, but that's about it.) There was a pretty good bit of suspense throughout the story, and that definitely kept me interested. This book was a really quick read, not only because it came in at just under 300 pages, but also because the story completely grabs your attention, and you'll definitely want to know what happens next.

Overall; If you're a fan of horror stories, you should definitely have There's Someone Inside Your House on your reading list! It would also be great for your Halloween TBR as well, as the story is set in the Fall season, which makes it a great Halloween read. Do check it out!

Week in Review • Week 38

Happy Sunday, All!!

Can you believe this is the last Sunday of September??
This month has gone by too quickly, yet I'm really glad to see it come to and end.
September has totally not gone as I had planned. Sigh.

I have a small update for this week, believe it or not!
Keep reading to see what I was up to!

This past week I finished two books I've been working my way through, the first being Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore which I've already shared my thoughts for on the blog, and also The House of Hades by Rick Riordan, which I hope to have my thoughts up for soon! I can't believe that I'm almost finished with this series!

I also shared two of my Fall TBR's on the blog earlier this week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Fall TBR
& 20 Books I Plan to Read This Fall

I am super excited to get started on ALL of these books, and I'm totally trying not to feel completely overwhelmed. Haha!

Yeah, yeah... I've seen the Shrek movies about a million times already, but I couldn't resist watching them again. I love these movies!

This week, while attempting to get caught up on my reading, I'm ALSO going to try to get caught up on my Fall Tv shows from last year as well. I'm so behind!

I *really* don't get how people have time to read all the books, and watch all the movies and tv, and blog and update their social media and EVERYTHING. How do they find the time?? I'd really love to know, because I'm forever behind on everything. I need to take a time management course or something. Haha!

That's all for me this week, here's hoping for a better update next week!!