Ohana Talks: Favourite Debut Authors of 2016

   Hello, hello, hello! 

   Today, on Ohana Talks, I'm going to tell you guys about my top favourite Debut authors of 2016. There were a lot of fabulous debut authors this year. Unfortunately I wasn't able to read all their books but from the year, but out of the ones I did read, here were some of my favourites! I already can't wait to read what they have next in stored for us!

Katherine McGee

The Thousandth Floor

HarperCollins

Released: August 30th, 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   New York City as you’ve never seen it before.

   A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

   Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

   A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

   Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

   Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

   Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

   Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

   And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

   Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you’re this high up, there’s nowhere to go but down…

Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of The Sands

Viking

Released: March 8th, 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic.  For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female.

   Amani Al’Hiza is all three.  She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

   Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew.

Jessica Cluess

A Shadow Bright and Burning

Random House Books for Young Readers

Released: September 20th, 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Henrietta can burst into flames.

   Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she’s shocked when instead of being executed, she’s named the first female sorcerer in hundreds of years and invited to train as one of Her Majesty’s royal sorcerers.

   Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the prophesied one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

   But Henrietta is not the chosen one.

   As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Evelyn Skye

The Crown's Game

Balzer + Bray

Released: May 17th, 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

   And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

  Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

   For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

   And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

   As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

   Those were my favourites from the year! Who were your favourite debut authors from the year? Are there any debuts that you're looking forward to next year?

Ohana Reads 3rd Blogiversary!

   It's been another year already, holy crap, oh how time flies when you're having fun. In the past year, so much has happened, for better or worst. I've started University, wither I like it or not, I joined more bookish things, and I overall got a lot of things done. I didn't let 2016 break me, that's for sure.

   Although a lot was accomplished, I didn't stick to some of my goals like I said I would. I didn't host any giveaways, I didn't really advertise my posts, but I did talk to bloggers and my online friends more! This year, things will definitely be different than last year, although I'm not sure if that's for the best yet.

This is my Break Down of the Year:

Over 140, 950 Total page views

208 Published Comments

384 Published Posts

My Top Series Enders of 2013 being my most viewed post...at 47, 310 views

The Ohana Reads 2nd Blogiversary Post being my most viewed post of 2016... at 731 views

59 Bloglovin Followers

14 GFC Followers

53 People have me in their Circles

895 Twitter Followers

86 Facebook likes

381 Instagram Followers

   Like every year, I say I only ever focus on a few sites in particular, and this year is no different. Twitter was definitely a priority this year, and in my mind GFC is as well, even if I don't boost it often. 

   Although it varies everyday, I'm really satisfied with my average number of pageviews per day, this year. I find that I get around 250 pageviews, roughly each day. To think that 250 people visit my blog a day, honestly just amazes me. That number sure has grown since I first started out. 

   I know I said this last year as well, but this year I think I'm really going to drop Facebook. I don't even check my blogs Facebook page anymore, and so I think that it's really time to go. I guess we'll see, what happens with that.

   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 2016 Great:

Joy from Joyousreads

Kristie from Lost in Ever After

Sara from Just Another Story

Sabrina from Behind the Book Reviews

Mari, Ola and Lauren from The Autumn Bookshelf

Nori from Read Write Love 28

Brittany from Brittany's Book Rambles

and

Steph from Doodle's Book Reviews

   Like usual, Stephanie was a huge part of my year, I even got to meet her for the first time. It was the best feeling, finally being able to meet one of your best friends for the first time. Lots of tears were shed, but I honestly had the best time being able to spend a whole week with her. I love this girl, with all my heart and I can't wait to see her again soon. I love you lots girl. 

Highlights of Ohana Reads 2016:

   1. Since I first started blogging, I've encountered a few Winnipeg Bloggers to talk with online. For the first time this year I've actually had the chance to meet them all in person, and become super close with them. This group consists of Joy from Joyousreads, Kristie from Lost in Ever After, Sara from Just Another Story, Sabrina from Behind the Book Reviews, and Mari, Old and Lauren from The Autumn Bookshelf. We try to hang out at least once every month, and its become something that I look forward to. I love hanging out with these girls, and I can't wait to hang out with them more this year!

   2. This year, I was asked to become a member of MYRCA, the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award. I couldn't be more excited to be apart of something that encourages young readers to read, and honestly, I get to read as a job. MYRCA has already made my life all that more fun, with getting to meet Kenneth Oppel, to just getting to meet every month and discuss Canadian Books that we love. I've only been apart of MYRCA for half a year, but I'm super excited to see where else it takes me. 

   3. In 2016, I was able to go to my second book convention. I was able to go to BEA 2016, with one of my best friends, Stephanie from Doodle's Book Review. It was sort of a last minute decision on our part, but in the end it was the best decision. Besides meeting Stephanie in person for the first time, I was also able to meet so many other book friends that I had been able to befriend online in the past few years. Obviously bringing home 80+ books was also another highlight, but just making so many memories to look back on was a favourite. Just looking back at that trip, always brings a smile to my face. Although I probably won't be able to do BEA again, anytime soon, I look forward to seeing more friends and attending more signings and conventions in the future! 

Goals for 2017:

   1.  With the end of 2016 being a little iffy for me blog wise, one of my goals for 2017 is to actually make time to plan and write posts for the blog. I love running this blog, and I don't want to give it up or let it die, so I gotta keep up with posts.

   2. I've only ever seen Ohana Reads as my own, but it's always nice to switch things up and have other people bring their ideas to the blog. For 2017, I'm going to try to have multiple guest posts on the blog. So if you're interested in maybe having a post or two on Ohana Reads, shoot me an email and I'll try to work something out!

   3.  It's not really a goal for Ohana Reads, but I want to actually write a book. I've plotted out a few already, and started little things but I'd like to actually write it this year. I'm one of the biggest procrastinators I know, so we'll see how that turns out. 

Giveaway

To celebrate another year passing, I have a giveaway for you all. The giveaway features my favourite 2016 releases that I read in 2016! 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 runs until February 6th, 2016.

To enter the giveaway click the link below.

ENTER GIVEAWAY.

   Thank you guys so much for all your support in the last year, I wouldn't have done it without you all! Hopefully 2017 will take it easy on us all, we sure as heck need it!