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!


Thursday, January 5, 2017

Book Review: Spindle by E.K. Johnston

Release Date: December 6th, 2016
Read: October 12th-December 6th, 2016
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Series: A Thousand Nights, #2
Format: ARC, 386 pages
Source: BEA 2016




Description from GoodReads:


   The world is made safe by a woman...but it is a very big world.

   It has been generations since the Storyteller Queen drove the demon out of her husband and saved her country from fire and blood. Her family has prospered beyond the borders of their village, and two new kingdoms have sprouted on either side of the mountains where the demons are kept prisoner by bright iron, and by the creatures the Storyteller Queen made to keep them contained.

   But the prison is crumbling. Through years of careful manipulation, a demon has regained her power. She has made one kingdom strong and brought the other to its knees, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When a princess is born, the demon is ready with the final blow: a curse that will cost the princess her very soul, or force her to destroy her own people to save her life.

The threads of magic are tightly spun, binding princess and exiled spinners into a desperate plot to break the curse before the demon can become a queen of men. But the web of power is dangerously tangled--and they may not see the true pattern until it is unspooled.

Review:


   They have to make sure there aren't any loose threads.
   It took me a long time to get through Spindle, almost 3 months to be exact. Although that mostly had to do with school taking up most of my time, but the story itself was also kind of slow.
   I went into Spindle thinking it was just going to be a Sleeping Beauty retelling, I also went into it knowing that it was a sequel to A Thousand Nights, but you would not need to have read the first book in order to understand Spindle. Knowing that, I was excited to hop into the book. I found myself a little disappointed with the story, I found the idea to be interesting but for some reason I could just not find a hook in the story to keep me enticed.
   Overall, my favourite part of the story was what I believe a Islamic/Arabic feel to it. The world having been made up, had no specific location in our world associated with it, but the characters and people in the story could be connected to the specific culture(s). The characters names, their customs, their attire, they could all be associated with the culture. My favourite part was that it was obviously not the main focus of the story, but rather just who they were as people, and not just something added to further the plot. There aren't enough of these kinds of stories in YA, and I look forward to seeing more stories like this in the future.
  Spindle was a story filled with mythical creatures and adventure, I would definitely recommend to people who are fans of retellings. 
   

Rating:

Favourite Quote:


"This is how curses work. They poison everything."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Sleeping Beauty, Adventure, Magical Creatures



Tuesday, January 3, 2017

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

Mari, Ola and Lauren from The Autumn Bookshelf

Brittany from Brittany's Book Rambles

and

   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!

Monday, January 2, 2017

January TBR Pile


   Hi all! 
   Starting this month, I'm going to (try and), start a new monthly feature! I'm going to start creating a monthly tbr post. Each month I'm going to pick a pile of books to read, or at least pick through to read. I know for the most part, that I won't finish the pile each month, especially with School starting again in a few days, but I will have a small pile to choose my next read from. Without further ado, my January TBR pile. 

January TBR Pile








   That's my TBR for the month! Let's hope that I can finish at least half of it!

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!