2016 Challenges!

I wasn't very good at keeping up with challenges in 2015 so I'm only going to do two for 2016. If I do well, maybe I'll join more :D


I had a fun time last year doing the Debut Author Challenge so this year I am going to participate again :D

 

2016 Debut Author Challenge

Hosted by that Artsy reader girl.

I'm going to aim for 10 debut reads again!

I found this Prequel & Sequel Challenge through Shelly @ Read.Sleep.Repeat. and it looks like fun so I decided to join!

 

2016 Prequel & Sequel Challenge

Hosted by Novel Heartbeat & Writer Grrl Reads.
 

I will aim for 25-50 points: Amateur~

 

I will use the Challenges tab at the top to try and keep track. Hopefully I'll be able to keep them updated since I'm only doing two challenges this year ;)

 

Are you doing any 2016 Challenges?

WoW #78: The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere #1) by Heidi Heilig

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

The Girl from Everywhere
(The Girl from Everywhere #1)

by Heidi Heilig

February 16, 2015

464 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

 

Did you read that summary? The promise of adventure, romance and mystery has me hooked. Bonus that Heidi is super sweet! Everyone go follow her on Twitter!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Happy Holidays Giveaway!

 

I hope everyone's enjoying their holidays! We're almost into the New Year and today I have a very sweet giveaway to share with you guys!

 

 

I am giving away a swag pack (see below) of Sharon Biggs Waller's upcoming book The Forbidden Orchid! What's more is the winner will also get a finished copy of the book when it's available! So enter away!!

 

Giveaway

 

Rules:

1. US/Can only.

2. This giveaway will run until January 29, 2016.

3. No giveaway accounts and please don't follow then unfollow.

4. I will check all entries so please be honest or you will be disqualified.

5. The winner must respond to my email within 48 hours or I will have to pick another winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends

by Marieke Nijkamp

January 5, 2015

292 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one
student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Stacking the Shelves #76

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

My sister's friend is downsizing so she gave this boxset to my sister who gave it to me! I was so excited because I've been thinking about getting myself a set for the longest time! Catching Fire is my favourite sequel of all time but I might chuck out Mockingjay LOL..

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 

I won this book from Heather @ Books and Quilts. Need to get my hands on the first book but I've heard really amazing things about the series so can't wait to see for myself :)

Every Word by Ellie Marney

 

I received some review books from Raincoast Books. Thank you! My sister and I have already started colouring ;)

 

Keep Merry and Color On by Meredith Mennitt

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Happy Holidays~

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Ripple and I hope you're having a wonderful time with family and friends :D

Review: My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Since it's Christmas Eve I thought it would be fitting to share my thoughts on this beautiful winter anthology :D

My True Love Gave to Me

edited by Stephanie Perkins

October 14, 2014

321 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

WoW #77: Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Revenge and the Wild

by Michelle Modesto

February 2, 2015

384 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.

 

Westie sounds explosive, I really want to meet her! And seriously, I'd read this book just for the cover XP

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: Paradise Road (Paradise #2) by C.J. Duggan

*Review contains spoilers.

Paradise Road

(Paradise #2)
by C.J. Duggan

November 22, 2015

336 pages

Goodreads  Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

The Road to Paradise is never easy

After a year on the coast, Lexie Atkinson can't settle back into country life. She’s missing the glitzy, gritty nightlife of the big city and the group of misfit friends she’d loved to hate. She knows to move forward she has to go back – back to face the guy who stole her heart.

But when Lexie arrives in Paradise City to work out if her future includes bad-boy surfer, Luke Ballantine, he is nowhere to be found.

With no home, no money and no Luke, Lexie gets a job slinging drinks at the wild Wipe Out Bar. Soon her heartache is eased when broody bar owner, Dean Saville, starts taking an interest and stirs more than just her drinks. But nothing is ever as it seems in Paradise City and when Luke barrels back into town, Lexie has a choice to make. But who will end up with the broken heart: Luke, Dean … or Lexie?

Stacking the Shelves #75

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

I received some belated birthday gifts off my wishlist~ So happy I now own a physical copy of A Darker Shade of Magic *pats the pretty*~ And I can finally start the Shatter Me trilogy!

 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Vengeance Road by Erin  Bowman

I requested this one for review from S&S Canada. Thank you!

The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

by Becky Albertalli

April 7, 2015

303 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Excerpt Blitz: Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1) by Brenda Drake

 

 

 

Thief of Lies
(Library Jumpers #1)

by Brenda Drake

January 5, 2016

400 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels-magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books-rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren't busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

 

WoW #76: Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Assassin's Heart

by Sarah Ahiers

February 2, 2015

400 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

 

The romance and revenge aspects have me really pumped for this one!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
(The 5th Wave #1)
by Rick Yancey

May 7, 2013

457 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Ripple Loves Book Swag!

 

Mellow is a post I'll be doing from time to time (mostly on Sundays) just to show off my cat, Ripple, a little bit ;)

Today's Mellow post is a little different because Ripple's showing off some book swag! I received these swag from authors to help them promote their books. I'll be handing some out to my local bookstore hopefully soon. Ripple wanted to perfect his modelling look so I let him practice with these pretty bookmarks ;)

 

What do you guys think? Canada's Next Top BookCat Model? XD

If you'd like to see more pictures of him, he's on Instagram :)

Stacking the Shelves #74

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters is so pretty I had to buy it~ Illuminae is a win from Giselle @ Xpresso Reads. Thank you!!!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius

 

This is from Indigo @ Adventures in YA Fiction when she did a birthday celebration giveaway. There was also a butterbeer candle that smells delicious! Thank you for sending them to me :)

 

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Thank you SMP for this beautiful holiday anthology <3 Ripple loved the cookie cutters so much he wouldn't look up XP

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

 

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Review: Madly (Potion #1) by Amy Alward

Madly

(Potion #1)
by Amy Alward

September 29, 2015

384 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.

Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?

And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news.

No big deal, then.

WoW #75: The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

The Dark Days Club
(Lady Helen #1)

by Alison Goodman

January 26, 2015

496 pages
 

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman’s eagerly awaited new project: a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!

London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

 

I have yet to read anything by Alison Goodman and this one sounds right up my alley so of course I'm waiting on it ;)

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: Inherit the Stars (Inherit the Stars #1) by Tessa Elwood

Inherit the Stars

(Inherit the Stars #1)
by Tessa Elwood

December 9, 2015

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

Stacking the Shelves #73

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

This is a win from Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. I've had my eyes on this one so thank you! Many thanks to the author for sending it to me signed!

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

 

I received three very exciting books from Raincoast Books! One is a finished copy for participating in a blog tour and the other two are review books I am over the moon excited about!!!!! No words can express how incredibly lucky Ripple and I feel! Thank you so much Raincoast!

 

First & Then by Emma Mills

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Cover Reveal - Giveaway: Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy #3) by Danielle L. Jensen

Today I have a super special cover reveal for you guys! I'm extremely honoured to help reveal the cover of Warrior Witch, the final book to Danielle L. Jensen's epic The Malediction Trilogy! It is gorgeous! But first, here's a little about the book :)

Warrior Witch

(The Malediction Trilogy #3)

by Danielle L. Jensen

May 3, 2016

Goodreads  Amazon  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes, one must become the unimaginable

The witch is dead, the curse is broken, and the trolls are free of their mountain prison. Cécile and Tristan have accomplished all it was foretold they would, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed. Because the trolls are not the only creatures now free to walk the world.

Enclosed within the safety of Trianon’s walls, Cécile and Tristan scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king. But Cécile and Tristan both have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

The thrilling conclusion to the breakout Malediction Trilogy by Goodreads Choice finalist Danielle L. Jensen.

 

 

From Danielle: "I'm very excited to share the cover of Warrior Witch with all you lovely readers! I've been exceptional lucky to have wonderful covers for all my books, but I think this one is my favorite. Not only is it beautiful, it perfectly captures the spirit of the novel. Thanks so much to the team at Angry Robot and designer Steve Stone for doing such an amazing job!"

 

Now that we've heard from Danielle herself,  here is the beauty you've all been waiting for!

 

WoW #74: Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about!

 

Sword and Verse

by Kathy MacMillan

January 19, 2015

384 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.

Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.

 

A standalone fantasy! How rare is that? (Very!) Alyssa @ The Eater of Books! praises it (click on her blog and she'll convince you ;D) so I'm looking forward to it!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

TTT #43: 2016 Debuts Novels I'm Dying For!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish where people share their top ten things according to the topic of that week.

I'm pretty sure these need no explanation so I'm just going to go ahead and show them to you :D

1. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

2. Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
3. Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

 

4. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
5. Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

 

6. These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
7. Love, Lies & Spies by Cindy Anstey

 

8. Dreamology by Lucy Keating
9. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen
10. Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

If you're interested in learning about more 2016 Debuts, check out Sassy’s Fangirl Debuts! Talina over at Sassy & Dangerous has created a really fabulous feature to help spread the news about all the awesome 2016 Debuts!

 

What 2016 Debuts are you looking forward to?