April Wrap Up!

   This month was absolutely fantastic, book wise and in my personal life. The weather has finally gotten to the point where I can wear skirts and shorts, it's rains enough that all the dirt and mold has been washed away from the winer. It finally feels like Spring.

   This month book wise I've gone on a Lets Get Lost Adventure (Sorry if that sounds a little corny;), I reviewed a ton of books, received a bunch of books, and lastly I will be reviewing for a local Indie!

    Recently I visited my local Indie, McNally Robinson, and discovered they have a reviewing program for ARCs they receive! So I've officially signed up and will be sending my reviews to them every once in a while, my first ARC I'll be reviewing is The Cage by Megan Shepherd! If you'd like to see my reviews for them then check out Two Thumbs Reviews!  

   Okay and I know it's a small little thing but Cassandra Clare answered one of my questions on Twitter this month, if you know her then you know this isn't a small thing. So it made me feel special,  even if it was a basic question. 

  Personal wise, I've been working every weekend as well as hanging out with my friends. It's been one of my busiest months ever, and I loved it.

   Besides that, I haven't really done anything worth mentioning. Hmph maybe I'll be able to say more next month, either way it's time for the books stats!

Books Read:

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
The Cage by Megan Shepherd
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Book Haul:

The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (ARC)
The Cage by Megan Shepherd (ARC)
Kuss des Tigers- Eine unsterbliche Liebe by Colleen Houck (German Edition)(Signed)
Pfad des Tigers - Eine unsterbliche Liebe by Colleen Houck (German Edition)(Signed)
Fluch des Tigers - Eine unsterbliche Liebe by Colleen Houck (German Edition) (Signed)

Books Reviewed:

Lets Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Half- Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

May Books I'm Excited For:

A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (5th)
The Heir by Kiera Cass (5th)
Until the Beginning by Amy Plum (5th)
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge (5th)
The Wrath & Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (12th)
Velvet by Temple West (12th)
Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia & Margret Stohl (19th)
The Cage by Megan Shepherd (26th)
Charmed by Michelle Krys (26th)
P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han (26th)


   That's it for this month! Let's hope this warm weather keeps up for May!

Waiting on Wednesday: (39)

The Cage

Megan Shepherd

The Cage, #1

Balzer + Bray

Expected: May 26th, 2015

Description from GoodReads:

   When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

   Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

   As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

Why I Want It:

  WHO WOULDN'T WANT  TO READ ABOUT PEOPLE CAGED IN A ZOO? LIKE C'MON PEOPLE.

Why You Should Want It:

  *See above*

   That is my Waiting on Wednesday for this week, will you be picking up The Cage? What are you waiting on this week?

Book Blitz: Life Unaware

   Welcome to the Life Unaware Release Day Blitz! I'm really excited to finally be able to read Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen! I hope you are too!

Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen

Release Date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Paperback, 320 pages

Description from GoodReads:

   Regan Flay has been talking about you. 

   Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.

   Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.

   The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan's going through, but what nobody knows is that Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched...

   Especially Regan Flay.

    

I love writing, day-old chinese food, and my nail polish is always chipped. My YA novel, KATANA, will be released, spring 2012 by Flux. You can check out my website at www.colegibsen.com Word to your mother. (But seriously, you should call her. She worries.)

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   Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Release Date: March 31st, 2015

Read: March 14-15th, 2015

Publisher: Harlequin Teen 

Series: Sisters of Blood and Spirit, #1

Format: ARC, 288 pages

Source: Author in exchange for an honest review/ book pendants

Description from GoodReads:

   Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living. 

   Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife. 

   Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive. 

Review:

   Don't look. Don't Look.
   I saw the cover for Sisters of Blood and Spirit and just knew I had to read it. It immediately became one of my most anticipated books of the year. I requested it, and asked everyone I knew if they had a copy, then finally Kady Cross offered to trade me for pendants. I was ecstatic!
   I had originally wanted SoBaS for its beautiful cover but boy was the book itself fabulous too. I loved both sisters, Wren the dead girl with life, and Lark the sister alive but not wanting to live.
   The ghost Cross created creeped me the heck out, it had the perfect balance of eerie and disturbing. Along with the cuts and scratches you couldn't see, I had the chills. It was glorious.
   The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the fact the book was supposed to have a shadowlands where the dead people live, but the only thing we saw there was the library. We didn't really learn anything about it either. So I hope the sequel will teach us a lot more about it.
   Overall Sisters of Blood and Spirit was a stupendous read, and I can't wait to learn more about the shadowlands in the sequel!

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Can I kiss you again later?" ~ Ben 

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Ghosts, Spirits

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

The Heir

Kiera Cass

The Selection, #4

HarperTeen

Expected: May 5th, 2015

Description from GoodReads:

   Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought. 

Why I Want It:

   Obviously I want to read the story of America's and Maxon's kids! Who wouldn't! I'm going to be in for a treat. I've always loved when authors would write more novels that take place later in the future when the characters are older. 

Why You Should Want It:

   Honestly The Selection series is one of my favourites because it includes princesses, princess and a love triange that actually makes sense. It's a dystopian bachelor and princess book!  You just have to love it!

 That is my Waiting on Wednesday for this week, will you be picking up The Heir? What are you waiting on this week?

Book Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: August 14th, 2014

Read: March 27th- April 1st, 2015

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Series: Covenant, #1

Format: Paperback, 383 pages

Source: Won

Description from GoodReads:

   The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi - pure-bloods - have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals - well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

   Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:

   Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

   Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem - staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck. 

Review:

   Is this what you wanted?
Greek mythology is a thing of mine, I just love it. Whenever I hear about a new YA book featuring it, I make a bee-line to get myself a copy. With Half-Blood I couldn't do that, I had the hardest time trying to find a copy. I checked all the places I would normally would get books and had no luck, it wasn't till I checked Book Depository that I had some luck. They were out of stock, but at least they carried it. Eventually I ended up winning a copy, a UK copy. So now I am happy and content.
   I love Jennifer L. Armentrout, I really do but this one wasn't one of my favourites. It reminded me too much of Vampire Academy, Alex's sass, the loving the instructor, it was just too similar.
   Besides that Half-Blood was a nicely written books, I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the books. I'm excited to see a bit more of Seth and hopefully some greek gods! 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"It’s just words and words mean nothing. Only action does."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Supernatural, Paranormal

Book Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

Read: March 23rd-26th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury US Childrens

Series: Throne of Glass, #3

Format: Hardcover, 562 pages

Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

   While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? 

Review:

We'll stain this kingdom red.
   I had seen the commotion on Twitter about this series before I had actually started reading the series, most of the commotion was the fuss about getting an ARC of Heir of Fire at BEA 2014. With everyone freaking out about it I knew it was time to start the series. Like I said in my Crown of Midnight review, I was not a fan of Throne of Glass but I continued on to reading Crown of Midnight anyway, which I had adored. Hopping onto Indigo.ca I ordered this baby in seconds.
   If it is possible I think I liked Heir of Fire more then I liked Crown of Midnight. In HoF we were introduced to more characters, some of whom told their story and were not just there for a bit of brief background information or to foreshadow further events. Manon immediately became one of my favourite characters with all her wickedness, being an Ironwitch made her even better. Then there was Rowan, oh boy. I hope that ship sails.
   I grew tried of Chaol and Dorian in Heir of Fire, I felt like Chaol had his chance but betrayed Celeana. Aedion even though he was a new character, I grew tired of as well. I couldn't stand him, he creeped me out in a way that I just can't explain.
   The events in Heir of Fire all had a specific meaning and took a large part of the Throne of Glass series, even if you knew it or not. With Heir of Fire you can feel the embers starting to burn and preparing for the explosion that will be the end of the series.
   Throne of Glass made me intrigued, Crown of Midnight made me weep, Heir of Fire made me break, I wonder what Queen of Shadows will do to me?
   Queen of Shadows is expected to be released September 1st, 2015, and I will be spending every minute till then putting my life back together after what Heir of Fire did to me.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

   "I am going to rattle the stars." ~ Celaena 

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Fairies, Magic

Trailer Reveal: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

   Hey Y'all!

   I'm super excited to be able to reveal Nowhere But Here's Book Trailer! I'm super excited and have been dying to get a copy of it since I heard about ARCs being released! So I hope you enjoy!

 Nowwhere But Here is being released on May 26^th, 2015!!

NOWHERE BUT HERE 

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Series: Thunder Road Series

Expected: May 26th, 2015

Description from GoodReads:

   Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

    Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

   No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you 

   

Pre-Order NOWHERE BUT HERE, Register your Pre-Order and you’ll get the eBook you’ve been asking for, Abby’s Story, CHASING IMPOSSIBLE absolutely free! PLUS, you’ll also be entered to win a $500 VISA Gift Card! Register at http://bit.ly/1Mt8cjr.

 

And check out the amazing trailer for

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

 

  About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and
remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON,  BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

   Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait for Nowhere But Here to be released, I hope now you feel the same way!