Showing posts with label Adi Alsaid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adi Alsaid. Show all posts

Monday, April 20, 2020

Bookstagram Mondays: (3)


My family on my dad's side is german, my grandparents were from Germany. My sisters and I went to a german immersion school growing up. I took german classes until I was in grade 10. 

While I've grown rusty over the years, I still collect german editions of books. I don't have a huge selection as it's expensive to ship from Germany, and the books are just expensive in general, but I'm proud of my collection. 

Do you collect different language books?

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Top 10 Most Anticipated Reads of the First Half of 2020

A new year, a lot of new books. And with every new year, comes a bunch that you're dying to read. Below are 10 of my most anticipated reads of the first half of 2020. Because, of course, there will be 10 more that I'm dying read come fall.

  

And those are them. What are some of your anticipated reads for 2020? Are you excited for any of these titles?

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Book Review: Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak by Adi Alsaid

Release Date: April 30th, 2019
Read: April 26th-28th, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review



Description from GoodReads:


The summer after senior year is not going as eighteen-year-old Lu Charles expected: after her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her, Lu can’t write a single word, despite the fact that her college scholarship is tied to her columnist job at hip online magazine Misnomer. Then, she meets Cal.

Cal’s ever-practical girlfriend Iris is looking ahead to her first year of college, and her plans do not include a long-distance boyfriend. When Lu learns that Cal and Iris have planned to end their relationship at the end of the summer, she becomes fascinated and decides to chronicle the last months the couple will spend together.

The closer she gets to the couple, the more she likes them, and the more she wants to write about them. The summer unfurls, and Lu discovers what it really means to be in love. On the page, or off it. The book is touching exploration of love and how it shapes us both during a relationship and after it has ended.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Ohana Reads 4th Blogiversary!


   For the first time since starting my Blog, I missed my Blogiversary. The last year has been almost completely different than any other year, I continued on with University, I got a job as a bookseller at my favourite place on earth, and I completely neglected Ohana Reads.

  When I first started to notice the gap between the blog and I, I blamed it on University. If this past year has taught me anything, I would say it taught me that I have changed as a person, as along with me, my determination towards the blog. With this realization, I've come to understand that I will never be like I was when I first started Ohana Reads, so this upcoming year will have some changes.

   The first being, I will no longer have a set schedule when it comes to posts, but you can still expect the odd post from me. The second, that I've somewhat gained a co-blogger. My cousin Sarah has slowly been dragged into the crazy book life along with myself, and with that I asked her if she'd like to post some reviews on Ohana Reads, and she agreed! So expect a few reviews from her in the future, and maybe a few other things!

  Anyways, time for me to tell you about my 2017!

This is my Break Down of the Year:

Over 176, 943 Total Page Views
238 Published Comments
439 Published Posts
My Top Series Enders of 2013 being my most viewed post...at 47,317 views
The Ohana Reads 3rd Blogiversary Post being my most viewed post of 2017... at 1092 views
23 GFC Followers
54 People have me in their Circles
1,138 Twitter Followers
92 Facebook likes
446 Instagram Followers

   With my total number of posts not even being close to the number I had last year, a bunch of my numbers dwindled this year. It was to be expected, and so there can't really be any hurt feelings on my part. I did however spend a lot of time on Twitter, so I'm not really surprised at how much larger that number got.

   Like always, the year wouldn't have been anything with out amazing friends and amazing people in general. Here are the people that made my year great. (Definitely give them a follow)


People Who Made 2017 Great:

Kristie from Lost in Ever After

Ola and Lauren from The Autumn Bookshelf
I can always rely on the three girls above to talk about the latest and greatest teen novels, new book covers, as well as anything really. I can't wait to see what our group chat has in store for 2018!

Learning a knew job is always tough, and so I'm so glad to have this girl help with all my ridiculous questions as well as suggest and shove new contemporary teen novels in my face. I look forward to our Outlander and gossip nights in the future!

Of course no list would be complete without mentioning my online sister and name twin, Steph. It was a long and tough year for you, especially with the heart transplant, but I'm so happy to have been there alongside you, even if it was only through a phone screen. I can not wait to see your face in person again in July! 

and finally

 Sabrina from Behind the Book Reviews
I literally would not have been able to get through this year without Sabrina, she helped me get through University classes by taking them with me and making them actually interesting, as well as joining me with my insanity and obsession of books. You're so much more than just a book friend now, and I can't wait to spend the next year fingerling over books, clothes and so much more, with you!



Highlights of Ohana Reads 2017:

   1. Half of 2017 was my new job at McNally Robinson, and the job was definitely my #1 highlight for the year. I've made so many new friends, and who would have thought that someone could actually enjoy working for 8 hours straight? Along with being able to work with books constantly, the job itself has kept me mentally sound with all the other craziness that has happened in my life. I look forward to the upcoming years at McNally Robinson!

   2. As part of working at McNally Robinson I've learned a bunch of new things about the publishing industry. One of those new things, being how bookstores decide what to carry in their stores. One of my managers knew how fascinating I find the industry, as well as the fact that I'm going to school to work in the industry, and so she let me sit in on a few buys. In the end I got to see a Simon and Schuster buy, as well as a Raincoast one. I can not wait to be apart of the next buy!

   3. This one isn't really that book related, but a highlight of my year was being able to see Stephanie finally get a heart transplant. I've known her for longer than my blog was even a thing, and so I know how much of a big deal this was for her and her family, and I couldn't be happier for her.


Goals for 2018:

   1. This is a weak goal, but my top goal is to at least have one post every week or second week. It doesn't sound like much, but I'd really love to at least try and get back into a routine.

   2. I want to mentally prepare myself and be able loosen the reigns for Ohana Reads. I'm very obsessive when it comes to possession, and so I want to be able to not freak out when my cousin starts posting on Ohana Reads.

   3.  Then finally, my final goal as well as my new years resolution. I want to read all my ARCs before their publication date. So far I'm already behind by one, but I really hope to stick to this and actually read them all.

Giveaway

To celebrate another year passing, I have a giveaway for you all. The giveaway features my favourite 2017 releases that I read in 2017! Good luck!

- Ohana Reads Giveaway Policies apply. (Check out the policies page)
- Open to any country that can receive books from Book Depository!
-Price of book limited to $25 Canadian.
- Winner gets to choose from any book pictured or any book from one of the series pictured.
- Must have followed @OhanaReads on Twitter, and had Retweeted the Tweet. (I will be checking)
-Giveaway closes February 6th, 2018!


To enter the giveaway click the link below.



   Thank you guys, always, for your continued support for Ohana Reads. Hopefully 2018 will take it easy on us all, and that it'll be a good one!


Monday, October 16, 2017

Book Review: North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

Release Date: April 25ht, 2017
Read: August 6-9th, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Source: Bought




Description from GoodReads:


   His whole life has been mapped out for him…

   Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the US, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family, where he attends an elite international school. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

   When his older brother, Felix—who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel—is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother’s voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father’s plan for him. Worrying about his mental health, but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the United States and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss’s daughter—a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what’s most important to him and where his true path really lies.

Review:


   What a world.
   As most of you know, I am the biggest Adi Alsaid fan. I own all his books, and am always impatient for his next latest and greatest. It was no different with North of Happy.

   One thing I learned right away from North of Happy, was that I was going to be constantly hungry while reading the book. The book is about Carlos, a kid with a love of cooking and food. With saying this, you get a lot of different recipes that keep popping up while you read, the same with at the beginning of each chapter. The book starts out with a recipe to start off each chapter, so you get somewhat of an idea of what each character is eating and of what you suddenly want to eat. One thing I didn't enjoy about the book was that the recipes were not whole/complete recipes, so you were left wondering how to actually make the dish.

   There are a lot of times when in YA when the character does and acts a completely different way than teens do in real life, by them being the "outcast" or "stood out from the others". North of Happy actually has realistic characters. Carlos and his friends did things that I would have done right before going into University, drinking after work, hanging out late into the night, making the mistake of choosing one thing over another, heck, I still do all of that. It was refreshing to actually be able to relate to a character for the first time in a long time.

   Finally, I really enjoyed how the novel showed how Carlos got over his grief. Grief never goes away, you just have to learn how to live with it, and that's exactly what Carlos did. The grief was always a constant in the novel, and how Carlos eventually came to terms with it. It was all nicely written and I couldn't have done it better myself.

   North of Happy has quickly become one of my favourite contemporary novels, and like always, I can't wait to see what Adi Alsaid has in store for us next. 


Rating:


Favourite Quote:


"Plain Omelet: 3 eggs, who the fuck knows?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Food, Grief, Being hungry while reading



Friday, June 30, 2017

June Wrap Up 2017

   Like most of the months, June was all over the place for me. From graduations, to my sisters finally being done school for the summer, and to getting a new job! So it was busy and hectic as usual, and of course all the days blurred together. 
   Unfortunately for June, I wasn't able to get out of my book slump, which was my fault. I ended up picking two books that I just could not enjoy, resulting in me not wanting to pick anything else up after them. Hopefully the next thing I pick up ends up being really good and fixes my mistake for June.
   Some of you may follow me on Instagram, or maybe just noticed that I changed my Bio on most of my social media platforms, but for those of you who haven't noticed or heard, I got another job! Come the last week of June, I got a call for an interview to one of my favourite places, McNally Robinson. Also known as my local Indie bookstore, one which I occupy more frequently than not. Anyways, shortly after the interview they called me back and I was hired! I've already had my first shift, and I couldn't be happier working there. Having already known most of the people in the department that I'm in, from always stopping by, everything has been so easy to adjust too! You'll probably be hearing much more about the store in the next upcoming months!
  Like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, June time brings graduations, and one that I went to this Spring was for my good friend Sabrina, who you all know from the book blog Beyond the Book Reviews. So if you guys have a spare moment, definitely head on over to her blog and congratulate her!

   That pretty much sums up my month, so now onto the monthly stats!


Books Read:

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau 
The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson

Book Haul:


Books Reviewed:


July Releases I'm Excited For:



   That's it for this month! Come back next month to see what shenanigans I partook in during the month of July!



Saturday, January 7, 2017

Ohana Talks: Top 5 Most Anticipated Reads of 2017

   Hi guys!

   For today, I'm going to tell you about my most anticipated reads for 2017, or well at least my top 5 so far. Of course I'm still not sure what they're going to announce later in the year for the fall, and obviously I haven't included the final Throne of Glass book (I didn't really want to bother since a title and a cover haven't been revealed yet), but I've put together my current list for you anyway. Without further ado, my top 5 anticipated reads (so far), for 2017!


North of Happy

Adi Alsaid
HarlequinTeen
Expected: April 25th, 2017


Description from GoodReads:


   Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the US, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family where he attends an elite international school. His friends and peers-fellow rich kids-have plans to attend college somewhere in the US or Europe and someday take over their parents' businesses. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

   When his older brother, Felix--who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel--is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother's voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father's plan for him. Worrying about his mental health, but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the US and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss's daughter--a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what's most important to him and where his true path really lies. 

Traitor to the Throne

Alwyn Hamilton
Rebel of the Sands, #2
Faber & Faber
Expected: February 2nd, 2017 (For the UK Edition)


Description from GoodReads:

   This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

   Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

   Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

The Dark Calling

Kresley Cole
The Arcana Chronicles, #5
Expected: 2017


Description from GoodReads:


   N/A


The Crown's Game

Evelyn Skye
The Crown's Game, #2
Balzer + Bray
Expected: May 16th, 2017


Description from GoodReads:


   Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

   Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

   For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

   With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves. 


A Court of Wings and Ruin

Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3
Expected: May 2nd, 2017


Description from GoodReads:


   Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

   As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 



   And those are them! So what do you guys think? Have you guys heard of them before? Are you excited for them too? Anyways, what are you looking forward to releasing in 2017? Let me know so I can add them to my TBR pile!


Sunday, May 29, 2016

BEA 2016: Day 2


   Day 2 of BEA ended up being waaaay more packed than the 1st day, but also less stressful if you can believe it. With having the the day before in mind, we were able to plan our day to our advantage.

   The day for me started out with me running to the Macmillan booth in hopes of getting a ticket to the Metaltown 9:30am signing, once we were let onto the floor, but unfortunately I got there right as they ran out of tickets. So onto the Audrey Coulthurst 10am signing I went, she was one of my most anticipated authors for BEA so I was very happy to have been lucky enough to be roughly 25th in line!

Amy Lukavics signing The Woman
in the Walls
Eleanor Herman and I
   From 11am-11:30am, I was in line for Amy Lukavics and Eleanor Herman. At these times, they both had separate signings. They were signing The Woman in the Walls and Empire of Dust. Both ladies were the sweetest, and both had the cutest style! With Amy wearing a spiderweb dress and Eleanor dressing fancy to match her books!


   When I was in line for Eleanor, I was actually able to meet Bayram from Never Ending Books! I had first met him line when I first became a blogger, and it was awesome to finally be able to meet him! I actually was able to hang out with him a lot through out BEA, after him I also started to meet so many other amazing bloggers that I am friends with online! Although I didn't recognize many faces at first, it was heart whelming to have had them recognize me and say hello! Even with me being in aw for most of the convention, the peak of the aw factor was definitely when I got to meet bloggers in person!
Becca from Pivot Book Totes
   Including Bayram, I was also able to meet Brittany from Brittany's Book Rambles, As some of you already know, I adore her. So it was a FABULOUS experience! Becca from Pivot Book Totes, Becca is another person that I met when I first started blogging, and I learned so much from her when I first started blogging. It was an honour to meet her! Nori from Read Write Love 28, known as the Blogger Mom, Nori is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, she's just as sweet in person as she is online! And that's just some of the fabulous people I got to meet! I can't even begin to list or remember them all!

   From there I was forced to join the two insanely long lines for the Macmillan 1pm ticket drop. Sounds weird right? That's because it was. There wasn't an official ticket line until 12:45, I got there at 12pm. With nothing organized, it was chaos. In the end there was a stampede, and MANY unhappy people. All to get a ticket for the Marissa Meyer signing of her latest novel, Heartless. This ticket drop was by far the worst experience of BEA, right next to the second ticket drop for Marissa but that's a story for Day 3. Please take a look at the video below, just to see how hectic the whole day got.


   But in the end I was able to get a ticket for Vassa in the Night, and so my day would go on nicely. I wouldn't let not getting a ticket ruin my day.


   Both my sisters are big book nerds, just like myself. So I promised that there would be a few books that I'd pick up for them. Both had very specific requests, the youngest with a super small list and the other with a huge one. All the books on their lists being super hard to get, or not at BEA at all. So to actually get one from that super small list, I had to go to a Ransom Riggs signing. Ransom was signing Tales of the Peculiar. So after the Eleanor signing, I was off to see if I could get a ticket to his signing.

   After rushing there, I was able to get my hands on a ticket, but not only was the line HUGE, the 'book' that Ransom was signing turned out to only be a sampler. So I was forced to wait in an half an hour signing for a sampler that wasn't even going to be for me. At least in the end my sister was satisfied.

   From there I ran to the Jennifer Niven, Holding Up the Universe signing line where Stephanie (Doodle's Book Reviews) was holding a spot in line for me. Having not read All the Bright Places yet, I didn't really have much to say to Jennifer. But in all, she was such a sweetie anyway.

Jennifer Niven signing Holding Up the Universe
   From there I went straight to the Sarah Porter signing for Vassa in the Night. Where I once again ran into Bayram! So for the duration of the signing line, I was able to have someone that I knew to
Steph (Doodle's Book Reviews), Bayram (Never Ending
Books), and I. 
hang with. Which did't happen all that often, but you did make friends wherever you went.

   After that I had an hour to kill, so I used that time for food. Honestly, with everything going on you would always forget about basic things like food, water, and bathroom breaks. That was probably one of the biggest things about the convention that you really needed to worry about. Carrying snacks in your bag was a must throughout everything.


Adam Silvera
   From there I went to my last signing of the day, which was for Adam Silvera and History is All You Left Me. Where I could not give up the chance at messing with Adi Alsaid. Adi had some what threatened to not be friends with people who got to meet Adam, as well as if you read History is All You Left Me before him. And so, this is how the following photo came to be.
   I was also lucky enough to have met the OwlCrate ladies while waiting in line for Adam's signing. They were the sweetest! They even asked for my business/blogger card!


   While I was in line for Adam, the Empire of Storms cover was released. From what I heard there was an ENORMOUS crowd surrounding the Bloomsbury booth, and the crowd was just as excited as I was to see the cover. The cover did not disappoint as you all have probably seen. It was at a bit of a point where people were in line for selfies with the cover, I mean how could one resist a selfie?


   After that my day ended with me in the 5pm Epic Reads Drop line for Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. Steph and I had missed the drop the day before, so I wanted to be firstish in line to make sure that I got it. With Steph still in line somewhere else and me holding our spots roughly 40 minutes before the drop, I thought for sure that she would make it. But as I waited with a few other lovely ladies, someone who was originally in line with us, (we were still holding a spot for her.) very slowly approached us and whispered how Caraval, was being given out at the Macmillian booth in tote bags. Being one of the most anticipated books at BEA, and having not a lot of information on how to get it at the convention, it was in all of our best interests to run. That's exactly what we did, after throwing a quick text to Steph about the tote bags, I was off. Running in and out, I was super quick and was also able to get back my position in the Three Dark Crowns line. Something I did not know until I was back in line, was that Stephanie Garber was actually at the booth signing the ARCs that they handed out. With the Epic Reads drop line being closed off, Steph was not able to get back in line with me but she, as well as her mom were able to get their ARCs of Caraval signed. Her mom actually got hers signed to me because she knew I missed out on getting mine signed. So in the end we swapped and we were both happy!


   And finally my Book Haul from day 2!



   There you have it! Day 2 of BEA! Day 2 was probably my biggest hauls of all three days, and one of my most jam packed!

   If you haven't seen my other posts from BEA you can see those here:


   Until the next post!