Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #255

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

WINTERSONG BY S. JAE-JONES

Goodreads Description:

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.


Hardcover, 448 pages
Expected publication: February 7th 2017 by Thomas Dunne
Pre-Order here and here

Ahh. I didn't really know that I was excited about this book. Until I finally read the summary last week. And gosh. I am so excited about this one now :D I think it sounds awesome. I just hope the romance will end happily, lol :) I'm nervous, yet all kinds of excited too. This cover is beyond gorgeous. Sigh. Cannot wait. 
What are you waiting for on this snowy Wednesday?

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Review: Metaltown by Kristen Simmons

I had been so excited to read this book for ages. As I adore Kristen. And I thought this one seemed so amazing. Then I was lucky enough to win an ARC of it, and now I have finally gotten to read it. But oh. I have so many thoughts about it. And most of them are not good. At all. Sobs. I'm just angry. I'm so, so angry.

I'm giving this book two stars. I had hoped to rate it higher. But it was impossible. I had so many issues. Sigh. But I also feel like this book could have been amazing. The writing is gorgeous. The plot was exciting. And Ty was perfection. But Colin and Lena ruined this book. Ugh. And I'm simply very bitter about it.

I'm going to have a lot to say about this book. And I'm not going to be very positive about it. I'm also going to be sharing a whole bunch of spoilers, so this is my warning to you about that. I cannot write this review of mine without mentioning all the parts that bothered me. Because those parts are still bothering me. I need to get them out of my mind. I need to forget about this book. And I need to do it now. Sigh. Though I will be getting the hardcover. And I will be keeping my precious ARC of this book. Because it is gorgeous. And I do love this author. But yeah. This book was not a favorite of mine. And I would not re-read it. Not ever. So glad it is a standalone. Which I just about never thinks about any books. Sigh. But yeah. This one was just bad. Ugh.

Honestly, though, I could have loved this book a whole bunch. Because the writing is gorgeous. And I liked the plot a whole bunch. This world was amazingly done. I loved reading about metaltown and how people were doing there and all those poor people and the war and ahh. I thought those parts of the book were amazing. And I loved Ty so goddamn much. But I felt like she wasn't treated right. This should have been her book. But it wasn't. Three point of views. One chapter each. Yet Ty got the smallest parts of it.

Final warning. I'm going to write a very spoilery review. I will share details about the ending. I will share details about the romance. So yeah. If you do not wish to know, don't read more. Shrugs. But at the same time, I wish I had known before reading this book. Sigh. Because I went into it expecting to love it a whole bunch. And so I was disappointed. But even so. I couldn't have loved this. I just couldn't. And so I have so many things I wish to share about it. Ack. If I can find the words. I shall try my best. It won't be positive.

This book is told from three different point of views. There is Colin and Ty and Lena. I thought I liked Colin at first. He and Ty have been friends for four years now, they are always together. He is seventeen, she is fifteen. He seemed okay. But hahaha. Then Colin sees Lena. And he falls in love with this rich girl right away. He starts pushing Ty away. He keeps choosing Lena instead of her. He is being such an asshole towards Ty. He forgot about her all the damn time. Friends don't do that. They do not. Ugh. He was bad.

And sigh. Lena. I wish I could say I loved her. But I did not. I found her chapters to be the most boring. She was such an boring girl. Spoiled rich kid. And not even a nice girl. The way she was thinking about Ty, when she had only seen her a few times, it was not okay. Hmph. I mean, sure, Lena has a mean father and an abusive brother. Whatever. I sort of felt sorry for her at times, but not much. Because I did not care for this girl. She came between Colin and Ty; ruined their friendship. Hmph. Did not like one bit.

And then there is Ty. Ah. She was my most favorite part of this book. I loved her so much. I thought she was the main character. But the moment Lena enters, Ty gets pushed in a corner. We don't get to read much about her at all. And I am so pissed off. Because Ty was the most amazing girl. Kind and sweet and loving. She had just started having a crush on Colin. And I shipped them so hard. But he never saw that. He kept calling her his best man. Wtf. That bothered me so much. Ty was the sweetest girl. Grrr.

We get to know a bunch about Ty. And I loved that. But. One night she gets attacked. Almost raped. We learn that she has been raped before. Sort of. It is never mentioned again or mentioned for real, and that was annoying. She sees Colin the same day; she's all beaten up. He is angry. Thinking about going after the guys. But then Lena walks in the door. And then he forgets all about Ty and that she was attacked. Goddamn it. This boy was the worst boy I have read about in a long time. I'm so upset about it. Asshole.

And then Ty gets hurt for real. A work accident kind of thing. Acid marks all over her face. One of her eyes are blind. She feels so ugly. And never once does Colin tell her it's okay. Never once does he tell her she looks good. Not. Once. I am so angry. He was a shitty friend. Always. Ty deserved better. She was the best friend. And hurting. All the time. He didn't care for her one bit. I'm so angry about it. Which is why I did not like this book. Sigh. Ty wasn't written fairly. She should have been the star of the book. Sigh.

I guess that Colin also had issues. With his mom being sick and whatnot. But I didn't care all that much, after he started treating Ty that way. He was just an asshole. There is just so much I want to say about this book. Sigh. I haven't mentioned the plot yet. Colin and Ty live in Metaltown. A poor city where they have to work at a weapons factory to live. Yet they work all day, no breaks, almost no money, and ahh. They had such awful lives. All the people did. And I loved reading about it. And the other characters.

I sort of knew that this book would be based a bit on Les Miserables. But I did not know that the story of the three main characters would be exactly the same. Damn. It was annoying. I mean, I loved Les Mis, the movie. But I would never want to read about a love triangle like that. Never. In a way, this wasn't a normal love triangle, but at the same time it still was. And I hated it. I hated it oh so much. I just feel so disappointed. I had such high hopes for this book. I thought the romance would be amazing. Sigh.

But no. The romance was not good at all. Colin and Lena were both awful people. Ty was the best. And Ty got no romance at all. Colin and Lena did not fit together at all. I don't get why they fell in love with each other right away. Ugh. I just. I loved Ty so much. And she was treated so badly all the time. At the end of the book, there is a big fight. Ty goes looking for Lena, because of Colin. And Ty ends up getting killed. And being in pain all alone for a long time before dying. I'm so goddamn angry about it all. Uuugh.

Ty deserved so much better. And I just. I cannot deal with it. This book sucked. Okay, fine, I did love parts of it. I loved Ty. But I'm so angry. That ending was shitty. Oh, and there is a family secret that is about Ty, and her parents. Hahaha. I guess that would have been very exciting. If she had not died. Grrrr. So angry. Ty deserved more. I just. I now wish to forget about reading this. Which makes me so sad. I really did wish to love this one. But I couldn't. Not after how Ty was treated. Not after she died too. Ugh. So sad.

Okay. I have now written way too much about this book. Yet I still feel like I could write so much more. Ahh. But I will not. I just. I did not love this book. I loved parts of it, yes, but not nearly enough. I do want others to read it, though. I need to know if I am the only one who feels this way. Sigh. Metaltown is all kinds of gorgeous. I just wish the inside were just as awesome. Also, do let me know if you read my whole review, with all the spoilers. I just couldn't stop writing about this. Sigh. I wish it had been different.


Monday, August 29, 2016

Cover Reveal: The Thickety: The Last Spell by J. A. White

Oh gosh, I love this series so much. And the cover for this final book is beyond gorgeous. I'm in love with it. So pretty :D I love all the colors for these covers. And all the artwork. Swoon. So much gorgeous. This is book four in this stunning middle grade series. And also the last book. Sad face. I want more. I have loved reading these amazing books. I have even read book one three times, lol. And will read it a fourth time before reading this final book :D Eee. I'm so excited. I just love this story so much. And the writing. And all the characters. And ahh. I cannot wait to read this pretty :D Crossing all my fingers that I will manage to find the ARC. <3 But if not, I cannot wait to get my hardcover of it in April :D If you haven't read The Thickety books yet, then you must get started. Now. They are all amazing. I love them so much.


The spellbinding conclusion to the critically acclaimed Thickety series. In The Thickety #4: The Last Spell, Kara and her brother Taff must find the hidden pieces of Princess Evangeline’s grimoire to defeat Rygoth and her army of witches in one last good versus evil battle.

Kara and Taff have discovered that the Spider Queen is searching for Princess Evangeline’s grimoire, the Vukera. Legends say that any witch who wields its dangerous magic would be indestructible. Kara and Taff have to stop the Spider Queen from finding the ancient weapon—and destroying everything.

They will travel through time with an old enemy, come face-to-face with the creatures that guard the grimoire’s pages, and unravel a king’s dangerous secret, before one final battle against the Spider Queen. But can Kara save the people she loves and cast a spell that could change magic forever?




Sunday, August 28, 2016

Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom Blog Tour: Guest Post

I'm so excited to take part in this blog tour today :) My post is the final one of the tour. And I'm having an awesome guest post by the author :) I love it. I haven't read this book yet, but I'm hoping to do it one day. It looks so awesome. I love that cover. Plus it sounds pretty exciting too. You should all get this one :) Thank you so much to Josh at Random House Children's Books for letting me take part in this awesome blog tour. The blog tour has been going on for all of August, you should see the full schedule for it here :D










A Little Bit of Scary
By David Neilsen
 


My debut novel, Dr. Fell and the Playhouse of Doom, is a Middle Grade horror/comedy/adventure featuring three kids who must deal with an enigmatic stranger and, in doing so, find themselves drawn into a dark place they may or may not be ready to experience. I very purposefully worked to make it creepy and dark (while still allowing for some humor), writing it in many ways for those kids ready to--as I say in the dedication--peer into the darkness.

I was not one of those kids.

If you had approached my 10-year-old self and told him that I’d eventually write not only creepy Middle Grade books but full-on adult horror short stories, I would have looked at you, confused. Well, first I would have asked if you had a time machine and if I could maybe go for a ride, and then I would have laughed in your face. Unless you had a time machine and offered me a ride. Then I’d still laugh, just not in your face.

Growing up, horror was the last thing I was interested in. I had no desire to be scared. Ever. I remember one Halloween when I was maybe 11 or 12. The big sister of a neighborhood friend put together a ‘haunted house’ and all the kids went in. I didn’t want to, told anyone who would listen that I didn’t want to, and ended up in line anyway because all of my friends were in line and because the girl (who was one of my babysitters) promised it wasn’t so bad. When it was my turn, she opened the front door and led me down into the dark basement, talking about the dead bodies she’d found and asking me to stick out my hand to touch the brains or guts or whatever.

I screamed holy terror and wouldn’t stop screaming until she turned on the lights and showed me the bowls of noodles (intestines), wet sponges (brains), chilled grapes (eyeballs), and all the other various grocery items she’d gathered up for her show. Didn’t help. Even with the lights on and a bowl of limp spaghetti staring at me in the face, I continued screaming.

When I got into high school, horror movies were all the rage. Specifically the slasher flicks. Nightmare on Elm Street. Friday the 13th. Halloween sequels. Child’s Play. All my friends went to see them without me. They gave up asking me to join them after the first or second attempt. Even my girlfriend would go see one with our friends and we’d meet up later. Nothing could get me to see those movies. I did not want to be scared.

But something odd started happening as all my friends saw Freddy and Jason and Michael and Chucky and Pinhead do their dirty work. After the films, they’d talk about what they’d seen. I would try to tune them out as they described Freddy performing various cruelties, but every now and then they’d mention something about where Freddy came from. The story behind the horror. The mythologies of the films.

I got intrigued. I still wasn’t going to see the movies, but I wanted my friends to see them and then tell me all the origin stories. The curses or myths or legends behind the nastiness. I wanted to learn about the worlds created within the films. Meanwhile I was a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy. Yes, sometimes those films had horrific elements here and there (I still have trouble watching the snake come out of the skeleton’s mouth after Indiana Jones and Marion escape from the Well of Souls), but I could always cover my eyes and ears during those parts and know that it wouldn’t stay scary for very long.

During and after college, I saw a few almost-horror or classic-horror films on video. I survived the original Halloween pretty well, made it through first Aliens and then Alien, left the room when Nightmare on Elm Street started (still haven’t seen it). But the movie that probably did more to shift my thoughts regarding horror may have been The Blair Witch Project. This was a seriously scary movie, and there was no gore. No scenes of people being opened like a can of sardines. It was just seriously scary. And it had a marvelous mythology to go along with it. Who was the Blair Witch? Where did she come from? What was the curse? What was with all those stick-figure tree men? A couple of other atmospheric horror films came along like The Sixth Sense and The Others and I found myself enjoying them quite a bit.

I’d found my niche. It turned out I didn’t mind being scared, I just didn’t want to see a lot of people killed in nasty and imaginative ways.

My writing eventually evolved along the same lines. I enjoyed coming up with creepy backstories and creating different worlds in which to play, each with their own rules. I wanted a dash of wonder to go along with my skin-crawling creepiness. This led me to Middle Grade Horror, which is where I have nestled in and made myself a home.

The skepticism of my 10-year-old self is understandable, particularly when you consider that I was a teenager in the 1980s, when horror was synonymous with “crazy people killing teenagers.” I like my horror bloodless and filled with tension. Forget the unkillable madman stalking people, give me a sinister old man, a creepy house, and a terrible secret any day.


“Such deliciously creepy fun! I fell in love with Dr. Fell! So will urchins and whippersnappers everywhere.” —Chris Grabenstein, author of the New York Times bestsellers Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The Island of Dr. Libris

When the mysterious Dr. Fell moves into the abandoned house that had once been the neighborhood kids’ hangout, he immediately builds a playground to win them over. But as the ever-changing play space becomes bigger and more elaborate, the children and their parents fall deeper under the doctor’s spell.

Only Jerry, Nancy, and Gail are immune to the lure of his extravagant wonderland. And they alone notice that when the injuries begin to pile up on the jungle gym, somehow Dr. Fell is able to heal each one with miraculous speed. Now the three children must find a way to uncover the doctor’s secret power without being captivated by his trickery.





David Neilsen is the author of Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom, and several other odd, weird, supernatural, and occasionally slightly disturbing books and stories. David is also a professionally trained actor who works as a professional storyteller up and down the Hudson River Valley and in New York City. His one-man performances based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft have sent many screaming into the hills in search of their sanity.

Where to find David Neilsen:

We hope you enjoyed the blog tour for David Nielsen’s DR. FELL AND THE PLAYGROUND OF DOOM! In case you missed part of it, you can head over to My Brain on Books to start again. Thanks for joining us!

Saturday, August 27, 2016

In My Mailbox #252

Time has been moving so fast this year. Feels like it is almost Christmas already. Gosh. I have so not read as much as I wanted to this year. Sad face. But hoping to read more these next few months :) Fingers crossed. I have just had a difficult year. Sigh. Being so sick all the time. Ugh. But yeah. I did read a little bit this week, and starting Metaltown later today :D I'm excited. I had a good week; despite not feeling the best. And I got some amazing mail too :D Some gorgeous trade books. <3 Ahh. I am in love. Also blogged a bit too :) I posted my review of The Possibility of Somewhere. Ugh. This week I'm waiting on The Burning World :D Then I read The Little Prince :) Which was a bit meh. I then read The Return of the Young Prince, which was awful. Ugh. My newest Book Collection is books by Michelle Hodkin :D Eee. Anyway. I got some gorgeous mail. I had a good week. Still obsessed with Pokemon Go, haha :D Sister and I have started watching The Fall, which only has a few episodes. It's pretty amazing and awful. Gah.



Vassa in the Night + Nemesis. Thank you so much Tracy for trading with me :D SO happy about these.
Going Wild + This Savage Song. Thank you so much Emily for trading with me :D Ahhh! I am so thrilled.
Zootopia. This tin box thingy is all kinds of gorgeous. I own many from other movies too, hih :) So cute.
Heartfire. Ahh. I loved book 1. Have yet to read book 2. And now book three is out :D I shall read soon.
The Bronze Key. Eee :D UK edition arrived a week before US publication. <3 So excited to read this one.
Hermione Pop. Ahh :D It was finally a bit on sale, so I got to buy this train :D Now just need the other two.





Happy Hello Bookmarks. I simply love buying bookmarks from this amazing woman. She is the best :D Ahh. I own so many, haha. I shall share my collection soonish :) They are all on my wall. Love. Still missing some. Anyway. I adore Criminal Minds :D And Harry Potter. <3 I'm never ever reading any books by Sarah, though.. but I couldn't help but buy this bookmark. Because it is gorgeous. Love :D


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, August 26, 2016

Book Collection #26


26th week of my new Book Collection posts. I will be doing this every Friday. And I am loving it. I own so many amazing books, and I love that I get to share my collection of many of them. I will be posting all my collections randomly, but I love them all. I hope you will all enjoy these posts of mine. Would love to know if you have any collections like mine; if you own and love these books too. Let me know. I love my books.


Books by Michelle Hodkin.

I love this collection of mine. Eee. I simply adore these books. Okay, fine, I haven't yet read the third one. Ack. I'm not sure why. I loved book one and two oh so much. I just haven't had the time yet. Because I need to re-read the first two books first. Which I'm super excited about. I will get it done soon. But yeah. These books are beyond gorgeous. And I love the story. And the characters. And oh gosh, I own a bunch of these signed. Eee. Just missing book three personalized to me. And, uhm, I have four copies of book one personalized to me. Heh. One is my precious ARC. One is a paperback. And two hardcovers. One ordered, and the other because I met Michelle in Orlando years back. Ack. She's awesome. I just adore these books. Wait. I just looked at my reviews of the first two books. And it has been four whole years since I read them. Oh gosh. Yeah. I must re-read them very soon. I cannot wait to do that. So excited.



Review: The Return of the Young Prince by A. G. Roemmers

Okay. This book was bad. Like, really, truly bad. I just feel so disappointed. I had really hoped to love this one. I read The little Prince for the first time today. I didn't love it, but I liked it a little. And so I was excited about read this sequel too. But gosh. It was so awful. I'm even giving it one star. Which I don't do often. Sigh.

I'm not going to write a long review for this book either. It is longer than The Little Prince, this one being less than 160 pages. I'm just so thankful it wasn't above 200 like it says. Sigh. I had so much trouble reading this book. I wanted to quit all the time. I almost fell asleep even. Ugh. It was just so bad. Which sucks.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed some parts of this book. But I really didn't. I thought it would be a sequel to The Little Prince. And, sure, the prince is in this book. Now a teenager, having left his small planet once more. But this is not his story. At all. This is the story of the man he meets in the road, as he is telling the story. And this whole book felt like a big lecture or whatever about everything in life. It was the single most boring thing I have ever read. I read it, then I forgot it the same second. It was so awful. Ugh. I'm so upset about it, lol. I wanted it to be so much better. But it wasn't. There are a few days of road trip. All they do is talk boring stuff. So disappointed. I had a bunch of issues with the writing. Not good. And I felt nothing for the story. At all.

I guess I could write a longer review for this book. But I don't want to. I don't want to at all. Because it was pretty short, despite me feeling like I would never stop reading it. It didn't actually take me that long to read, lol. But it was the most boring thing. And I'm so disappointed in all of it. So not really mentioning the rest of the plot, because I felt like there wasn't any. Summary mentions that there would be parts of the prince's stories. Not true. He talks for a couple of pages in this one. That's it. Ugh. Wanted more of him.

I feel badly about it, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone read this book. I just found it to be so bad. I mean, sure, some could enjoy it. But I don't understand why at all. Sigh. I just feel so disappointed. I really had wanted to love it. One plus side, it looks gorgeous. Shrugs. But that's it. Anyway. Huge thank you to Cailin at Oneworld Publications for sending me this gorgeous book to read. I'm sorry I ended up disliking it so much, lol. It means the most that I got the chance to read it. Though I'm never re-reading it.


Thursday, August 25, 2016

Review: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I have finally read this classic book. Which I'm pretty sure that everyone has read by now, lol. I have heard a bunch about it. Yet I haven't really felt the need to read it before now, after getting The Return of the Young Prince from the UK publisher to read. And so I finally gave it a try. I think I liked it a little bit. It was interesting.

But yeah. I didn't love this story. Which makes me a bit sad. I had some issues with the writing, and I just didn't think the book was all that exciting. But I also did like it a bunch. So I'm giving this book three stars. I found the little Prince to be pretty adorable and I was curious about getting to know him better. So I did like that.

I'm not going to write such a long review for this book, because it really is pretty short. And not all that much happened. But I'm going to try to talk a little bit about it. First, I think I read the wrong version of this book, lol. I only own one copy, which is this small paperback that I got on sale online a few years ago. It is a 1995 version of the book. And the illustrations inside did not have any color. Sad face. And when I search, it looks like they were all supposed to have colors. Aw. But still. I did like the drawings. They were pretty cute. I had a few issues with the writing, though. I just didn't manage to connect with the story. Aw. But then again. I did enjoy reading the story. And I do recommend reading this book. And I'm glad that I finally got to read this book.

I'm unsure what to say about this book. It is about a man crashing his plane in the desert. He's all alone, but then a little boy shows up. They start talking, with the boy telling him about his life and how he is living alone on a small planet. I felt so sorry for this boy. Sniffs. I did like his stories. I just felt like the book might have been too short, lol. I'm pretty excited about reading The Return of the Young Prince next. Hoping I will like that book more than I did this one. Fingers crossed. Though I did like this one too, just no love.


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #254

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE BURNING WORLD (Warm Bodies #3) BY ISAAC MARION

Goodreads Description:

Being alive is hard. Being human is harder. But since his recent recovery from death, R is making progress. He's learning how to read, how to speak, maybe even how to love, and the city's undead population is showing signs of life. R can almost imagine a future with Julie, this girl who restarted his heart—building a new world from the ashes of the old one.

And then helicopters appear on the horizon. Someone is coming to restore order. To silence all this noise. To return things to the way they were, the good old days of stability and control and the strong eating the weak. The plague is ancient and ambitious, and the Dead were never its only weapon.

How do you fight an enemy that's in everyone? Can the world ever really change? With their home overrun by madmen, R, Julie, and their ragged group of refugees plunge into the otherworldly wastelands of America in search of answers. But there are some answers R doesn't want to find. A past life, an old shadow, crawling up from the basement.


Hardcover, 512 pages
Expected publication: February 7th 2017 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books 
Pre-Order here and here

Ahh :D I pretty much loved Warm Bodies. And I adored the movie too. And oh gosh, I am SO thrilled about this sequel :D It is going to be amazing. But I'm also worried. I do not want my couple do end up dead. Hmph. But yeah. I haven't read the prequel sequel thingy, but I shall read that before this one comes out :) So nervous. So excited. I'm going to love this. Ahh. Over 500 pages. I very much approve. 
What are you waiting for on this burning Wednesday?

Monday, August 22, 2016

Review: The Possibility of Somewhere by Julia Day

Oh, how I wish I could have loved this book. I do not have good experiences with contemporary books. But I have read a few that I loved like crazy. I had hoped to enjoy this one too. Because it do look gorgeous. And I'm taking part in the blog tour in a few weeks. But sadly, this was not for me at all. Had so many issues.

I'm giving this book two stars. I had hoped it would be higher, but, well, I'm thankful it didn't end up being a one star, lol. Which could have happened. Because, yeah, I had so many problems with this book. I liked the main character well enough. Eden was pretty sweet. I sort of liked the romance. But the rest of it sucked.

I sadly did not like the writing. It was okay for the most part, but it wasn't good at all. Which makes me so sad. I had more hopes for this one. Sigh. I felt like the whole book was telling things. I didn't get to see why Eden wanted to be with Ash. I didn't feel anything for their romance. I didn't get why Eden was friends with the new girl, as there weren't all that many scenes between them. And then there was so many time jumps. I did not get them at all. Like, Eden was going with her friend on a road trip for a week. All that was just jumped past. And then Christmas was jumped past. And the final interview for the school was jumped past. All it did was annoy me greatly. Ugh. For the most part, I did not like this. I did not hate it, though. But zero love.

I wish I could have loved this book. I really did want to. But it was simply impossible. I did like a few things, which is why I did not stop reading this book. But I did not love anything about it. Sigh. It is told from the point of view of Eden. She's taking her last year of high school. She lives in a trailer park with her step mom and her dad. They are poor. She has to pay so much for them. Ugh. Boring. She has zero friends. Then a new girl shows up, they turn instant friends. Obviously. And the boy starts seeing her too.

I just. I had so many problems with all of this. I wish I could have loved the boy. But I just did not care for Ash. Shrugs. I didn't like it when they kissed. Because it was written so badly. I didn't see their friendship at all, since it wasn't written at all. Ugh. Eden is a smart girl, smartest in her school. Which I did like. Sort of. She also babysits for this family. And I did like those two kids. Kurt has autism. It was pretty interesting to read about. But not interesting enough, sadly. About only thing I liked. A few kids that were adorable.

I think most of my issues with this book was that I felt like everything has been done before. It felt like every other contemporary book. And that just disappointed me. I'm so tired of reading about the same things. High school. Girl and boy not friends at first, then they fall in love right away when they start talking. Ugh. And they are forbidden to be together. Usual break up. Girl having issues with her father, ending up being hit by him. It is all just the same. The same boring story, and not even written well. Sigh.

I just feel like not much happened in this book at all. There are so many time jumps. And I didn't really care for Eden. Or her past. Which was boring. I didn't care for Ash either. I didn't swoon for the romance at all, though I did think it was sort of sweet. A few times. But mostly this book was boring. I wish it had been better. But I just found the writing to be so bad and I did not care about just about everything. Her dad was such an awful person. Yet he was not punished for anything. Eden just let everything go. Ugh.

Which reminds me. There is this one girl who was supposed to be the bully or whatever. She took a picture of Eden and Ash that she posted online, so that their parents found out. Boring. But she did it so that no one knew it was her. She also broke so many rules posting that picture without permission. Eden even got proof of it. But then she talked to the girl, and felt sorry for her after a second, and so she did nothing. And oh god, it bothered me. This book just made me so angry. Sigh. I didn't even like the ending.

Huge thank you to Brittani at St. Martin's Press for inviting me to take part in this blog tour, and for letting me read this book via Netgalley :) I'm sorry that I did not like it very much. But I am glad that I decided to give it a try, even so. I must say that I was pretty disappointed with The Possibility of Somewhere. I had hoped it would be more amazing. Oh, well. I did try to like it. And I do think others may enjoy it. I just did not. I think I said everything I wanted to about this book. I just couldn't come up with more things to say.


Saturday, August 20, 2016

In My Mailbox #251

Time is moving so fast these days. This week we finally got a couple of days with summer heat. Ahhh :D It was perfection. But yeah. This summer has mostly been crappy. Ugh. Wishing I could afford to go on a nice beach vacation. Aw. Next year for sure, though. Just need to save money :) Anyway. This has been a good week. I captured 8 more new pokemon, haha, so now have 99 out of 151 different ones :D Most happy about Venusaur, I think :D Anyway. I did manage to read two books this week, so I'm happy about that. But gosh damn. I did not know how I ended up with SO MANY eARCs to read. Too many. Ahh. I must start reading one of those today, I think. Many are the one genre that I do not love, haha. But hoping to have luck with these books :) Fingers crossed. Just haven't started yet, as I have been busy being outside on these nice days :) Oh, and sister and I started watching Quantico. We have four episodes left. Ahhh. I am in love with this show. Have you seen it? If not, get moving! I also finally got to see Finding Dory at the cinema; it finally arrived, haha :) I loved it. Very much. Anyway. I also blogged a little this week. I posted my book recommendation of Walk on Earth a Stranger :D Then my review of Like a River Glorious. <3 This week I'm waiting on Pyromantic :) My Book Collection this week is by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis :D Love. These days I have also taken tons of pictures of books and eARCs that I'm going to read soonish, as it will get dark in a few weeks, sobs, so figured I should take the pictures now that I will post on instagram when I read the books, haha :) Anyway. Hoping to read more next week.



Nevernight. Eee. Two gorgeous UK editions :D Hardcover and paperback. Only missing 1 edition now :D
The Flame Never Dies. I did not love book one. But. I am pretty excited about this one even so :) Soooon.
Gustav Gloom #6. Ahh! Final book :D I have only read to book three. Ugh. Catching up very soon. Pretty.
City of Thirst. The US paperback arrived this week :D YAY! And so gorgeous. Ah, I love these books.
The Return of the Young Prince. Thank you so much Cailin at Oneworld :D I'm reading it very soon. <3
Miraculous Ladybug. I love this show. The most. So I had to get two copies of the first new comic book, hih. There will be more. Ahh. And those figures :D But sobs. I got lucky with amazon shipping. Now twice as much. Makes me so sad, as I am missing so many of the figures. I really need to buy them all. Hmph.
The Secret Life of Pets. I had to get the big plush cat too, lol. And another figure. Chloe is so adorable.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, August 19, 2016

Book Collection #25


25th week of my new Book Collection posts. I will be doing this every Friday. And I am loving it. I own so many amazing books, and I love that I get to share my collection of many of them. I will be posting all my collections randomly, but I love them all. I hope you will all enjoy these posts of mine. Would love to know if you have any collections like mine; if you own and love these books too. Let me know. I love my books.




This collection of mine only include two books. But I had to share about them. And I do have many copies of them both, lol. This middle grade series is one of my most favorite. The books are so well written and so fantastic. The story is amazing. And gosh, how heartbreaking too. I am dying for book three, which comes out next year. Aw. Sadly, I do not own the ARCs for these two books. But I want them very much. I also don't have any signed books, aw, but one day I shall buy them. Yeah. I adore this collection of mine.



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #253

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

PYROMANTIC (Firebug #2) BY LISH MCBRIDE

Goodreads Description:

Ava is having a rough time. Getting rid of Venus didn’t set her free—she’s still Coterie. Her new boss seems like an improvement, but who knows if he’ll stay that way? The Coterie life changes people. And since she’s currently avoiding her friends after (disastrously) turning down a date with Lock, well, everything kind of sucks.

Then she gets sent to handle two local thugs with were-hare Sid. But when they arrive, the thugs are dead and a necromancer has raised them as mindless, aggressive zombies. Ava is faced with an epidemic—something is turning normal creatures into killing machines. Unfortunately, this means she has to work with Lock and his new girl. Worse than that, she has to work with her ex, Ryan. Compared to facing such emotional turmoil, she’d rather take on an entire herd of flesh-eating kelpies . . . or she could just do both. Isn’t she just the lucky gal?


Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: March 21st 2017 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pre-Order here and here

I really liked book one, Firebug :) Though it do feel like ages since I read it. Ack. But yeah. Ever since I read it, I have been dying to read this sequel :D Pyromantic is going to be awesome. I love that cover. Though it says it isn't final. Aw. I have been waiting so long for this book, and it still isn't out until March next year. ACK! I hate waiting, lol :) Wishing I could get one of those gorgeous ARCs I have seen have been made. <3 But anyway. I must admit that I'm so goddamn nervous about this book :( Seems like there will be an awful love square sort of thing. And I don't want that. I don't want that at all. Sigh. I ship Ava and Lock the most, and I'm upset that they aren't together. Ugh. Just, yeah. Please don't let it be a bad love triangle :) I have hope. Anyway. Super excited about this book :) Want to read it now, though.
What are you waiting for on this fiery Wednesday?

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Review: Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Eee, I have waited so long to get to read this book. And now I finally have. And oh, I loved this sequel a whole bunch. The writing is still pretty gorgeous. And the characters just get better and better. Plus the story is moving forward so fast, and I love it oh so much. So glad that I finally got to read and love this book.

I'm unsure how to talk about my feelings for this one. I think I loved book one a little bit more, but I still loved this so much. There is so much happening at all time. Book one took place over so many months. This one takes place in just about one month. Ack. It's more fast paced, but also a bit slow at times.

I just adored this book so much. I love that it is told from the point of view of Lee, aka Leah, whom I still think is the very best. She's such an amazing girl. And I love reading about her. I love reading about her powers over gold, and how much it is changing in this sequel. Eee. It was pretty amazing to read about. I cannot wait to know more about it in book three. So excited. Lee is also just such a good person. And I love that about her. This book starts about a month  after the end of book one, which I liked. I loved getting to see all the characters I adored in book one again right away. All the characters in this book was amazing to read about. Though there are some old ones showing up too, and that just made my heart hurt. Ack! There was so many evil men.

In this book they are all building a town in California. Where they search for gold too. And gosh, reading about it all was just so much fun. I loved how Lee helped them all. But also how they all helped her too. I loved how Becky opened a restaurant, sort of, and how she is still the worst cook. She's awesome. And I loved all the other characters too. So much. I feel very bad for one of the families, though, ack. There is a big fire early on. Someone dies. It was very sad to read about. Sniffs. But so awesome and exciting too.

My favorite characters are, as always, Lee and Jefferson. I love reading about their small romance. How he has been crushing on her forever. How she is just starting to feel the same way. How she is still a bit unsure around him, and gah. It was just so cute to read about. The romance isn't very big, but it is so amazing. More in this one than the first book. Eee. They are just the cutest. Jefferson is still an amazing person. I love how he tries to make Lee see that she loves him too. I love how cute he is with her. Swoon.

There is just so much happening in this book. So much awful too. So many people die. Which was pretty heartbreaking to read about. Yet all kinds of interesting too. Sadly, we get to see more of Lee's uncle, Hiram. And oh god. I hated this man. I hated him beyond words. We learn more about him. Some things I'm not sure are true or not. But yeah. I did not like him at all. Plus side, he had two people working for him that I liked a bunch. Especially the giant man. But gosh. Hiram was the worst. And that's that. Hmph.

I'm not going to say much about this book. Just that I liked it a whole bunch. And that I found it pretty easy to read. The ending is perfect, but gah, I wish this book was even longer. I love how this book is more about looking for gold, and more about Lee's gift. It was so interesting to read about. Well, okay, everything was interesting to read about. I had a few small issues at times, when I had trouble paying attention, but I'm okay with that. Mostly I loved this book. And it is most definitely a five star for me. Yess.

There is one thing about this book that bothered me. Hmm. The Indians. I get that they are being treated in the worst way. And it breaks my heart to read about. It was so evil and awful. But. I did not like how they treated Lee because of it. Like it was her fault. Like she could do better. Like they had more pain than her. That bothered me a whole bunch. Yes, they have it worse, but that does not mean Lee didn't have it bad. That does not mean they can talk to her that way. It wasn't a big deal, but it bothered me.

I think that my most favorite part of this book was the ending. It was beautiful. And just awesome. I feel like it ended in a good place, but gosh, I am beyond thrilled that there will be a third book. Still so many things I wish to know. And the story isn't complete yet. I just can't wait for it to be out. It will be amazing. Sigh. I loved Like a River Glorious oh so much. This sequel was fantastic. It is full of adventure and romance and gold and evil people. I had so much fun reading this book. Though it also broke my heart.

Huge thank you to the publisher for my auto-approval on Edelweiss, so that I could get this precious right away. I cannot wait to get my hardcover of it too. And still looking for that stunning print ARC. Ack. I want very much. But yeah. These books are so stunning. The covers are gorgeous. And I simply love this story to pieces. If you still haven't read book one, get moving. You will need this sequel. And you will love it too. So glad I got to read this book right now. Because I enjoyed reading it oh so much. Don't forget to order it.


Sunday, August 14, 2016

Book Recommendation: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson


I'm so glad I finally got to re-read this book. Eee. I read it in April last year, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since then. When book two showed up on Edelweiss, I knew it was finally time to re-read this precious. And I'm so happy to say that I still love this book the most. It's so interesting and exciting and I loved every part of it. The writing is beyond gorgeous. The setting is so interesting and a bit awful too. I'm just in love with this book. Can't wait to read book two next. So excited. I have waited so long, lol.

I'm not sure what I wish to share about this book this time. So probably not going to write such a long review. But gosh. There is so much I love about this one. Writing is perfection. All the characters are amazing to read about. And I found the story to be so so exciting, even this second time reading it. Still a bit sad it was mostly about a long journey, lol, but I didn't mind at all. Because this journey was exciting and horrible and I loved reading about it to pieces. So much happens. We get to know all the characters.

This book tells the story of Lee aka Leah. She is such an amazing girl to get to know. Almost sixteen years old at the start of the book. She is awesome and hunting and other things, which girls don't do in this time period. Hmph. But Lee doesn't care. And I loved that about her. In the beginning, we get to know about her life and about her mom and dad. And oh, they seemed so amazing. Sigh. I need to know more about them. Hmm. But then a few pages later they die. Well, are murdered. And oh, I felt so sad for Lee.

There is just so much happening in this book. First getting to know Lee and her family, and her best friend, Jefferson. I loved their friendship. Though he did leave her behind. Hmph. But I couldn't blame him for that. Anyway. I ship them the most, and reading about the two of them was just the most awesome. I adored Jefferson. And I loved getting to know him too. There is a lot of time spent in this book getting to know the different characters; I simply loved that. So many of them were amazing. Some, definitely not.

Lee also has a secret. She can sense gold around her. Which is just the most amazing thing. Eee. I loved reading about the times when she sensed it. So amazing. Not much of it in this book, but more coming up, and I cannot wait. Eee. I just loved Lee's gift. So interesting and exciting. I don't know what else to say. This book is about a journey that lasted more than half a year. Many died. Which was a bit horrible to read about, yet exciting too. I loved getting to know those that Lee travelled with. They were awesome.

I'm not able to share all the reasons for why I love this book. I just love it the most. The story is incredible. The writing is the best. And the characters are all so interesting to read about. There is only a little bit of romance, but it was perfect. Could have been a love triangle, but it wasn't. Not really. Not at all. So no worries about that. Jeff and Lee needs to be together. Eee. They are way too cute together. I just. I love this book so much. And I'm beyond excited that there are two more books in this series to read. Yess.

Seriously, if you still haven't read Walk on Earth a Stranger, then you must do so. Right away. Because this book is stunning. All kinds of amazing. Plus, it's so gorgeous too. I will never not love this story. And I think you will all love it too. So go read it, if you haven't yet. This book was about the journey to California. Book two will be about being there, I think. And gosh. I am so excited to read it. And even more excited because this is a trilogy, and a third book will be out in around a year. Eee. I cannot wait to finish them.


Saturday, August 13, 2016

In My Mailbox #250

I must admit that I'm still busy playing Pokemon Go just about all the time, lol. I have caught 91 out of 151 different Pokemon. What about you? :D It is just so so much awesome. If you don't play it yet, get started. Anyway. I had a good week. Still forever behind on commenting, but I did do a bit this week, so yay :D Commenting more in a few days, and then I shall finish catching up, hopefully :) Right now I'm busy re-reading Walk on Earth a Stranger, eee, so that I can read my eARC of book two :D SO excited. I have peeked. I am pleased. Yessss. Anyway. I have seen a bunch of movies and such lately. I watched The BFG in Norwegian, and, well, it kind of sucked. Ugh. And I read that the ending was different from the book. Whyy? So mean. I also watched It Follows. Which I liked, lol. And I saw the show Stranger Things, which I also liked a bunch, yet did not find scary at all. Aw. But still. Dying for season two :) Anyway. I also got a bunch of awesome mail that I love very much. <3 Sigh. So happy. And I blogged a bit too. I shared the cover for Wires and Nerve. <3 This week I'm waiting on Wayfarer :D I posted my review of The Dark Days Club :) And this week my Book Collection is books by Soman Chainani :D Eee. I had a good week. Despite feeling shitty all the time. Ugh. That never goes away. Hmph. But I'm doing pretty good, so yay :)

Alienated Series Posters. International. Ends 08/16. Last chance!



Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I do love Harry Potter. Yet I'm not sure when I will read this one, lol :)
Nevernight. 3 of 6 arrived :D Eee! Black edges! Signed US! Ahh :D They are all gorgeous. I love this one.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon. I adored this book very much. And this hardcover is simply so gorgeous.
The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart. Ahh :D Thank you so, so much for trading with me Calla. <3 Love.
Alienated + Invaded + United. Eee! Finally got United :D And all of these are personalized to me :D Ahh! Thank you so much Melissa. <3 And Author, Author :) Sharing the personalized parts on Insta tomorrow.
The Ever Never Handbook. The gorgeous international paperback edition :D Eee. I so loved this book.
City of Thirst. Gosh, I loved this book so much. Paperback finally came out in the UK, so had to get it :D
Pop. Eee, my Pocahontas pops finally arrived :D Gorgeous! And Harry Potter creatures :D Ahh! Love.
Passenger Swag. Ahh! I won this from Alexandra ages back :D I am SO happy with it all. So gorgeous.



Like a River Glorious. AHHH! I AM SO HAPPY :D This book FINALLY showed up on Edelweiss. <3 I have been waiting since APRIL. Ugh. I hate waiting, lol :D But now it is finally mine. And I'm starting it tomorrow, after my re-read of book one, and I am so excited. Siiiigh. I just. Yeah. I need the print ARC more than anything. Hmph. It will complete my collection of books by Rae :D Just missing this ARC. <3 I want. I need. Anyway. Dying to read it :D Almost time.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Friday, August 12, 2016

Book Collection #24


24th week of my new Book Collection posts. I will be doing this every Friday. And I am loving it. I own so many amazing books, and I love that I get to share my collection of many of them. I will be posting all my collections randomly, but I love them all. I hope you will all enjoy these posts of mine. Would love to know if you have any collections like mine; if you own and love these books too. Let me know. I love my books.


Books by Soman Chainani

I adore my tower of books from this series. Because, gosh, I love The School for Good and Evil books beyond words. They are all amazing. And heartbreaking. And evil. And romantic too. I wish I owned the ARCs of book one and two, so looking for those still. And wanting swag so badly. Ack. But at least I have two books personalized to me, eee, so I'm very happy about that. I might own a whole bunch of these books, but I couldn't not buy them. Yet I only have one hardcover of book one. I need to find another one that will not be for reading. Just, I love these four books so, so much. Agatha is my hero. She's the best.



Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Review: The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

I finally got to read this book. Yess. I have been wanting to read it for ages, as I adore this author. I loved her first two books, Eon and Eona. Though it has been so many years since I read them. Yet I knew I had to read this one. And I'm so glad I finally had the chance. Because I liked this book a whole bunch. A four star read.

I'm unsure how to talk about this book. It took me so many days to read it. Ack. But not because I was bored, because I wasn't. The book was always interesting and exciting. The writing is beyond gorgeous, and I had no issues with it at all. But yeah, it took me some time to read it, but that's okay. I still enjoyed it very much.

I found all the characters in this book to be so exciting to read about. They were all written so well and I wanted to know more about all of them. The book is written from the point of view of Lady Helen, whom is eighteen years old. And gosh, I adored this girl. She was smart and fun and I simply loved reading about her. And getting to know her. But yeah. She lives in the year 1812. And it sounded like such an horrible time to live in. Well, if you were a woman, that is. So many rules. Not allowed to do most things. Always looking for a husband. Sigh. But it wasn't really that bad, so I'm happy about that. I loved that Helen lived with her aunt and uncle. Though it was sad that her parents were dead. She has an older brother, whom I liked, but didn't love at all. Hmph.

Helen's uncle was the worst sort of man. I hated how he controlled her. And I just spent the whole book wanting someone to punch him, lol. I still wish for that. Hmph. He was just awful. Thankfully, he did not physically hurt Helen in the book, but I feel like he hit her a few times, maybe. Shudders. But I did like her aunt a whole bunch. She was pretty kind. But I did feel bad for her, having to live with such a man. Sigh. Though her aunt also just wants Helen to marry. Hmph. I do not approve of having to marry, lol. No need.

I loved reading about Helen's life. How things were in that time period. I loved reading about all of it. All of the balls and parties. The different clothes. All so much fun. I especially loved reading about Darby, who works for Helen, but is also her friend. She was such a kind person. And I simply adored her. She was such a good friend. Reading about her and Helen was so much fun. I loved their friendship. There is also a whole bunch of other awesome characters in this book, and I had so much fun reading about them all.

While this is sort of a historical book, it is also not. There are demons in this place. And a few special people hunting them. And gosh, I loved reading about it all. I loved how the hunting took place. I loved how it wasn't really possible to know who was a demon. And I loved the ways they could check to see, to figure it out. This book is about Lady Helen. And how she has been changing for some time now. She has this energy inside of her, that she does not understand at all. And ahh, I loved reading about it so much.

I'm not really sure how to describe this book. Not at all. It is about Helen finding out she is different. That she can save people. That she is one of few people who can do so. And oh, how I loved reading about it all. I loved how she reacted to everything she learned, though she did go back and fourth about some things a bit too much. But I also didn't blame her. Not really. It was just so interesting to learn about the Reclaimers. And their powers. So different. So awesome. Not sure what else to say. It was so amazing.

I must mention my new favorite character. Lord Carlston. Whom is named William, which I adored very much. He is some years older than Helen, but only around twenty five, so nothing too big. I didn't mind. He was a bit cold and different to understand. Yet he could be very gentle and awesome too. I loved how they flirted a little bit. How they grew to care more for each other. Though this book does not really have a romance at all. Aw. But I think one is happening, and I want it very much. It will be the very best. I need it.

One thing that bothered me a bit in this one, which is probably one of the reasons for why it isn't a five star, is that there is another man interested in Lady Helen. He even propose to her. And she likes him too. Yet she has feelings for Lord Carlston, not the same for this other man. Yet he wants to marry her. Even at the end of the book. And I fear it might be a triangle. I don't think so, but you never know. And another girl is interested in Carlston, so that might be drama too. Ack. But yeah. I don't think so. Fingers crossed.

Okay. I'm running out of words for this lovely book. I'm so glad I finally read it. While I didn't give it five stars, I still loved it. It was awesome. And I am dying to read book two. I need it very much. I simply loved all the characters. And the plot is so exciting and fun. I just really need the sequel. Ack. Right away. I cannot wait to read more about Lady Helen and Lord Carlston. And this world. And all their friends. And gosh. I did think this book was all kinds of exciting. If you still haven't read it, then you need to. Right now.