Saturday, December 31, 2016

December Wrap Up!

   Hello friends!
   I hope you guys had a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! I know it's been a really long time
since I've last talked to you guys, and I'm sorry for that. Like I said when I originally left on my hiatus, school was taking a lot of my time. Hopefully this second term will be different and I'll actually be motivated to blog during it.
   In this last couple of months, I haven't really done a whole lot besides go to school and work. But with the Christmas season I've done a lot of shopping. When I wasn't studying for my exams or writing papers, I was shopping. I did fantastic on the present front, if I don't say so myself. 
   Besides the Holidays, my friends and I went to a friends cabin out north of my city. A four hour drive, out to Lake Manitoba. No service, no running water, it was a heck of a time. I loved being able to relax and just hang out with our friends. 
   Anyways, like I originally said, that was my slow month. Hopefully the next few months will be better!

Books Read:



Book Haul:


January Books I'm Excited For:



   That was my month, I'll see you next month!

Friday, December 30, 2016

Recommendation Fridays: The Night World Series by L.J. Smith

   I've been a fan of the Night World series by L.J. Smith, since I first discovered the Twilight Saga.  After just starting my obsession with reading, the Night World series was the first series I picked up after finishing the Twilight Saga. It was the perfect series to get me out of my slump. Originally I had only picked up the first omnibus, but surprisingly I finished that in a week. And so the trend started, I would finish the omnibus in a week and then head to a store and pick up the next omnibus. The series had me hooked, with the first 6 books being their own little stories, and then the last 3 slowly connecting them all. Even though it's been 7 years since I read the last omnibus, and 19 years since the last book was released, I'm still awaiting the day when the final book in the series will be released. (The series is being published in hardcover, with new covers for the first time since the omnibus'. So I have hope that this means the series is finally coming to an end.)
   The series is full of vampires, witches, werewolves, shapeshifters, it has everything really. If you're looking to go back to the good old days, where the YA books were filled with simplistic but entertaining reads, as well as vampires, then this is the series for you. 

   Since first picking up the series, I've collected the omnibus', the original 1990s first published editions, some of the german editions and you bet your butt that I'll be picking up the hardcover editions! You could say I'm a bit obsessed.

The series would probably be best for people who like the following books:
Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Witches, Soulmates, Ghouls

Night World, No. 1 by L.J. Smith


Release Date: June 3rd, 2008
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Night World, #1-3
Format: Omnibus Paperback, 729 pages


Description from GoodReads:


   Includes:
   Book 1 - Secret Vampire
   Book 2 - Daughters of Darkness 
   Book 3 - Spellbinder 

   Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

   In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World.

   Fugitives from Night World, three vampire sisters leave their isolated home to live among humans in Daughters of Darkness. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.

   Two witch cousins fight over their high school crush. It's a battle between black magic and white magic in Spellbinder.


Night World, No. 2 by L.J. Smith


Release Date: November 18th, 2008
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Night World, #4-6
Format: Omnibus Paperback, 662 pages


Description from GoodReads:


   Includes:
   Book 4 - Dark Angel
   Book 5 - The Chosen
   Book 6 - Soulmate

   Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

   In Dark Angel, Gillian is saved from drowning by her guardian angel. Only visible to Gillian, Angel will fulfill her heart's every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gillian must question who he truly is and where he came from.

   Armed with a wooden stake, martial arts, and the will to resist a vampire's mind control, Rashel struggles to avenge her mother's death in The Chosen. Then she meets Quinn, her soulmate, who is part of the world she has vowed to destroy.

   Hannah receives notes warning her of incredible danger in Soulmate. But if death is her destiny, is the Lord of the Night World's love strong enough to save her?


Night World, No. 3 by L.J. Smith


Release Date: April 7th, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Night World, #7-9
Format:


Description from GoodReads:


   Includes:
   Book 7 - Huntress
   Book 8 - Black Dawn
   Book 9 - Witchlight
   Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters - they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

   The apocalypse is drawing near. But four Wild Powers can save the world from the impending doom. Circle Daybreak, an underground organization with both Night World and human members, is searching for the four who can stop the darkness.

   A vampire hunter - who is half vampire - stalks her own kind to protect humans in Huntress.

   In Black Dawn, Maggie stumbles upon an old Night World kingdom where the ruling vampire prince is both an enemy and an ally.

   And Circle Daybreak hires Keller, a shapeshifting panther, to guard a new Wild power in Witchlight. But when Keller falls in love with the Wild Power's soulmate, her love could destroy everything...


   That is the Night World series for you! I hope you guys pick up the series, I hold it close to my heart!

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Guess Who's Back, Back Again!

   Hey Guys!

   So I'm back after my almost 3 month Hiatus, or at least I'm trying to be. My Fall Term of University is over, and the Winter one is slowly approaching. But like I did in August, I'm trying my best to have a bunch of posts ready to go for January and February, so that you guys will still be seeing posts from me!

   I've got a bunch of reviews ready for you guys, as well as a Blog Tour and a giveaway for my Blogiverary on the 3rd! So make sure to keep an eye out for that!

   I'm still slowly trying to get back into things, but hopefully I'll still find the time and motivation to blog through the term and not have to take another hiatus. But we'll just have to wait and see!



Thursday, October 13, 2016

Hiatus

   Hi guys,
   As you guys have probably noticed already, I've been pretty distant and haven't had a lot of posts for you to read. With University, I've been pretty busy and just haven't had the chance to put anything together. I've had no real ideas for anything either. September was rough, I didn't get a lot of books read, so I don't have anything to review. 

   I don't know how long this Hiatus will be, but I do promise you that when I do return, I will have posts after posts for you guys to read! Hopefully in the time I'm gone, I'll be able to get into some sort of routine that'll allow me to read and blog alongside school. 

   Sorry guys, but I'll talk to you real soon,

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Read: October 4th-9th, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.1- 0.5
Format: Signed Hardcover, 435 pages
Source: Bought




Description from GoodReads:


   Discover where Celaena Sardothien's thrilling saga began

   Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

   When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches—and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

   A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

   Included in this volume:

   The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
   The Assassin and the Healer
   The Assassin and the Desert
   The Assassin and the Underworld
   The Assassin and the Empire 

Review:


   Words can be just as deadly as steel.
   This series is basically a huge part of my life now, but I never really got the chance to read The Assassin's Blade until after reading Queen of Shadows. When it comes to reading, I'm not usually a huge fan of novellas. If, like The Assassin's Blade, they come out as a bind up in print form, I will eventually pick them up. But they aren't a high priority. 
   The Assassin's Blade was just like I expected it to be, just a bunch of short stories of Celaena before she was Aelin, when Sam was still alive and they were still working for Arobynn. I really enjoyed being able to see who Celaena was and what she was like before Endovier. In Throne of Glass it sort of felt like Celaena was all talk and no action, with the novellas we got to see some of that action, even if we still never got to see why she was considered the greatest assassin next to Arobynn. 
   Sometimes novellas are all over the place position wise, with the five in The Assassin's Blade, that wasn't the case. Each novella basically took place right after each other, with only a small passing of time between them. The last one ending right as Celaena reached Endovier, I do sort of wish that we got to see her surviving in Endovier though. 
   The only thing I found with the stories was that no matter how hard I tried, I just could not love Sam. I knew what was going to happen to him since I had read the original series first, and so I just couldn't connect with him. 
   The Assassin's Blade was a sweet little bit of backstory to Celaena's story. Where I enjoyed the book as quick little stories, I still prefer reading the storyline the main series has. But I am looking forward to seeing what Chaol's novellas will be like.  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:


“There was no way in hell she was going to move to the southern continent without all of her books."

"Where do men find it in themselves to do such monstrous things? How do they find it acceptable?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural, Fairies, Rebellion, Romance, Assassins, Magic, Demons



Saturday, October 8, 2016

OwlCrate Monthly Haul: September Box 2016


  Hi y'all! So today I wanted to show everyone my September box from OwlCrate! In order to not spoil anything for anyone, I decided to wait and post it a good while after most people have received theirs already.

   OwlCrate is a monthly bookish YA subscription box, which every month features a new theme. Each box features a recently released YA book, along with a few bookish goodies created specially for the box.

This months theme is: Darkness!


This months box included:


- A Fortune Telling Bath Bomb from Da Bomb Frizzers.
-A fabulous Six of Crows book mark from Evie Bookish!
-A marvellous candle inspired by Celaena's chocolate cake in Throne of Glass from The Melting Library
-A passport like first look at Moon Chosen by P.C. Cast, from St. Martin's Press!
-The first episode of a thriller like mini series, REMADE. Don't forget to check out the rest of the series from Serial Box!
-Of course an exclusive OwlCrate pin, that goes with this month's theme.
- And finally, Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, along with a signed bookplate, a letter from the author, and a fortune teller inspired by the book!


Next months theme is: Once Upon a Dream!

Stay tuned to see what's in store for that box!



Sunday, October 2, 2016

Ohana Talks: Top 5 Favourite Authors.

   Since I began my obsession with reading oh so long ago, I've come to read a lot of books over that time, and with those books, I've fallen in love with so many great authors. Today I wanted to show you all, my top favourite authors. The authors that I own almost all of their books, as well as multiple editions of them. Many of them don't need any help getting their books out there, they're already big names, but I wanted to show them off to you anyway.

   I was originally just going to do my top 5, but I found that I had two authors that were tied in 5th place. So now I have 6 total.


Marisa Meyer/ Kiera Cass

   I was lucky enough to have met both Kiera and Marissa, to be completely honest, I've met all the authors on this list, expect one. I met Kiera Cass back in 2014, at YALLfest. She still remains one of the sweetest people I have met in my entire life. She adored how loved my copy of The Selection was, as well as The Selection and The Elite earrings that my sister was wearing. (That I made, hehe) I've loved her book since that one camping trip when I happened to have picked up The Selection at the library to bring along, and finished it in one day.
   I first met Marissa at BEA 2016, when I went through what you could say was A LOT of trouble to get tickets to her Heartless signing/ARC drop. I've adored her books since I first read Cinder, oh so long ago. Her Lunar Chronicles had been instant pre-orders, the minute the next book in the series was announced. 


Richelle Mead

   The Vampire Academy series was one of the first series' that I got into when I first started reading. My mom thought that because I started reading because of Twilight, that it was the vampires that sucked me in. (LOL, excuse my pun.) And so my love of Richelle Mead started. I went from reading and loving her Vampire Academy series, to her Bloodlines series, to eventually reading all her adult series' like the Dark Swan series. As of today, I've read everything but two books that Richelle has published, and I just can't wait to read her latest upcoming book, Midnight Jewel


Cassandra Clare

   Cassandra's City of Bones is what got me into her writing. The first trilogy of the series, The Mortal Instruments, was all released when I first picked up the series, and so I was able to read them all as a binge read. But it wasn't until I realized that she had a prequel series out as well, that I really became a fan of hers. I picked up Clockwork Angel, and read it, I believe in a week, although, Clockwork Prince is what really got me hooked. Will and Jem are who won my heart. Since then, I've read everything that connects to the Shadowhunters, and made it my mission to own all of them in hardcover. 


L. J. Smith

   The Night World series was another one of the series that got me into reading, reading it after Twilight but before Vampire Academy. I had picked up the Omnibus of the first three books, and so I was able to read them all at once. Even though the three should have lasted me a while, I had to go to the bookstore twice in the following two weeks to pick up the next two omnibus'. To this day, the series still has a place in my heart. Unfortunately it's been almost 19 years and we still don't have a conclusion to the series, but I still have hope. I even own the originally 1990's editions of the series. 
   I fell in love with the original few seasons of her Vampire Diaries TV show as well, even though it's totally different from the books. I still love them just the same. 
   She is the only one of my top five authors that I have yet to meet, I hope to change that one day.


Sarah J Maas

   I met Sarah J. Maas back at YALLfest 2014, along with Kiera Cass. At the time I had only read her Throne of Glass, which I hadn't really enjoyed. It wasn't until after that festival that I received the first ARC for her new book/series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, that she finally had me obsessed. I couldn't wait for the sequel, but since it was an ARC, I knew I had a long wait ahead. So I finally picked up the rest of the Throne of Glass series. Today, the A Court of Thorns and Roses series remains my all time favourite, and her Throne of Glass series is just a little bit below on that list.
   For her A Court of Mist and Fury tour, I was able to meet her again, but as a true fan. I was a blubbering mess, but at least I was able to see her and have my prized books signed for my collection.


   Those were my top 5,(6) all time favourite authors. Who are your favourites? What stories do you have behind those authors? What do they mean to you? I'd love to hear about your favourites!

Friday, September 30, 2016

September Wrap Up 2016

   This month was a whirlwind of everything. I started University,  I officially started my year being a part of MYRCA, and a bunch more things. It was all very exciting and nerve-wracking, all at once. You could say that it was a lot to take in. 
   The month started off with me starting school, so with a lot of money spent later. I'm going to the University of Winnipeg, enrolled in their Rhetoric Joint Communications Program with another local school, Red River Collage. The program has many streams, I'll be going through the Business stream in order to eventually be able to work in publishing as a publicist. With not really being a school person, it hasn't really been my favourite. But I guess another 5 years isn't a whole lot of time. 
   So with being out of High School, and starting technically, the second part of my life, I decided a change was in order. So roughly $150 later, I am now the proud owner of a nose piercing and short hair. They've both been great so far, shoving my nose in warm salt water twice a day hasn't been ideal, but soon enough that will be over, and I'll be able to rock a nose ring. I'm really excited to see how that turns out.
Kenneth Oppel accepting the award
   I had my first MYRCA meeting at the beginning of the month, as well as hosting our award ceremony for the Winner of last year. The winner ended up being Kenneth Oppel with his book, The Boundless. The ceremony turned out phenomenally, all the kids had a great time. In order to be invited to the ceremony, the children had to have read a majority of the nominated books. In the end, most of the kids had already read The Boundless, so they were overjoyed to meet Kenneth. He started off with reading a passage from the book, then went on to talk about the backstory from the book, and talking about the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He then went on to have a Q&A with a bunch of the students.  Having been in charge of the Twitter account for MYRCA, during the event, I posted a lot of pictures and videos from the event. After the ceremony he went onto doing a signing for the kids, and when it was time for him to go, MYRCA threw together a Scavenger Hunt for the kids to enjoy, featuring characters from last years nominees.
   Kenneth was a joy to meet, he had such a sense of humour! I was lucky enough to have had dinner and lunch with him, as well as a bunch off other members from the group. With The Boundless being about a train, we ended just discussing trains and my trip to Churchill, Manitoba for a majority of the time. It was a blast to have had the chance to have seen him so many times!
   Between MYRCA, and University I didn't really get to chance to read a lot this month. Yes I know my read pile looks pretty big, but a majority of those books were from the beginning of the month when school had yet to start. Oops. After reading and doing a book report for one of my classes, I should be able to read whatever I want. *eyes Empire of Storms and Heartless*
   That was my month, October is sure to be just as busy, so I'm sorry if the blog is going to be lacking a bit. I promise that I'm slowly getting into the routine of things, and that I'll be able to post more in the future!

   Now for the bookish stats!
   

Books Read:


Book Haul:

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel (Signed Paperback)


A huge thank you to Raincoast Books, Calla, and OwlCrate for the phenomenal
books this month!

Books Reviewed:



October Books I'm Excited For:



   That was September! Now to mentally start preparing myself for October!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Blog Tour: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter


   Hello and welcome to the Vassa in the Night Blog Tour, hosted by Raincoast Books! Today I have for you a small except from the book, as well as my review of the book! I hope you enjoy my stop, as well as the rest of the tour!

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter


Release Date: September 20th, 2016
Read: September 26th- 27th, 2016
Publisher: Tor Teen
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 304 pages
Source: BEA 2016



Description from GoodReads:


   In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves they’ve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now—but not Vassa’s working-class neighborhood.

   In Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters—and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.

   But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair…

Review:


   I've made myself empty.
   At BEA 2016, there was talk about Vassa in the Night every so often that you'd have it stuck in the back of your mind for the rest of the day. Lucky enough for me, I was able to snag a ticket to the Vassa signing/ARC drop. So I went home with a signed ARC, that was eventually stolen by my sister, but she let me read the book when I was chosen for the tour!
   The first thing I noticed was that Vassa is not like any other kind of retellings. When beginning the book, I had actually no idea about what the original story even was, even now, I still don't. The story bounces back and fourth between past and present for a majority of the story, for a benefit of knowing backstory. I found this to be a bit confusing, especially with such a unique storyline. Grocery Stores with legs, living hands, like you'd find in The Adams Family, and then there's the little talking doll, Erg. I think with such a unique story, it would be best to look into the Russian Folktale before picking it up.
   Even with the interesting setup that was Vassa's family, I still enjoyed the sister bound between Vassa, Chelsea and Stephanie. Although Stephanie was a twat, at times. Chelsea reminded me, of myself and how I treat my sisters. Honestly, in all, Vassa's whole family just peaked my curiosity. Who leaves their family behind to become a pet?
   Although Vassa in the Night was not what I was expecting, nor was the story always straightforward, and a bit confusing. I still enjoyed the craziness of it all, and look forward to hearing what else everyone thinks about it. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:


"I wish we'd finally cease to bleed."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Magic, Russian Folktales 



   There’s plenty of nothing in Brooklyn, but BY’s still hogs vacant space as if it was afraid of getting emptiness deprivation sickness. Not many stores in the city have parking lots but our local BY’s franchise is surrounded by a field of dead cement that takes up a whole small block, though cars never seem to park there. As I get close the stench is like sick sweet fur in my nostrils, and I try not to look— but who can keep from looking at that? The parking lot is ringed in by poles maybe thirty feet high, and on top of every pole a severed head stares down, some with eyes and some with just gutted pits. A few heads are fresh and still have humanish colors, just a little too gray or too white. With my weird pallor I’ll fit right in, I guess. Others have mossy patinas, verdigris mold, or purplish pockets of rot. I don’t want to recognize Joel, but I do. He’s spiked to my left and it looks like he’s staring off at the sky, dreaming of bleeding into the moonlight. His smooth black skin has gone ashy and sort of prickly, as if it’s covered in iron filings. I acknowledge that many intelligent people would say I’m exhibiting poor judgment, doing something so dangerous out of pride and rage, and, I mean, no doubt. But somehow looking at Joel gives me my first little shiver of hope that maybe I will go home tonight and fling the lightbulbs straight into Stephanie’s face. With any luck they’ll explode and engulf her in snow-white flames.
   It’s only logical: BY’s can’t kill everyone who shops there. If they did, they’d go out of business.
   At the center of the ring of poles, BY’s dances. Just like in the ads, the building hops and swivels on giant chicken feet, on yellow legs that manage to be at once wobbly and graceful. Its orange plastic sides glow with this relentless singeing shine that hurts to look at, and the beams lancing out of its plate-glass windows bow and scrape across the pavement. As if they were searchlights. Always looking for someone. The orange building bends with a dramatic forward swoop, a distorted trapezoid of light lunges toward my feet, and then I see that not every pole has its own personal head on top.
   No: there’s exactly one that is empty.


   I write stories that seem to me to be quite true enough for all practical purposes. Among them are
VASSA IN THE NIGHT, THE LOST VOICES TRILOGY, and the forthcoming WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW and TENTACLE AND WING. Realism makes little sense to me and I experience more truth in the fantastic. I always have new novels underway, both Young Adult and Grownup/ Literary/ Speculative. When not writing my own weird stuff, I can often be found leading creative writing workshops with amazing young NYC public-school writers via Teachers & Writers Collaborative. Or I might be drawing, or gardening, or wandering wraithlike through the streets. I live in Brooklyn, land of mystery, with my awesome husband Todd and our two cats, Jub Jub and Delphine.

   Represented by Kent D. Wolf of the Friedrich Agency.



   Thanks for stopping by my blog for my part of the tour! I hope you enjoyed my review and excerpt!


September 19th:


September 20th:


September 21st:


September 22nd:

Pingwing's Bookshelf

September 23rd:


September 26th:


September 27th:


September 28th:

Ryley Reads

September 29th:
Ohana Reads

September 30th: