Release Day Blitz with Giveaway: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

 

 

I'm super excited that Queen of Shadows releases today and that I get to share the news and an awesome giveaway! If you haven't yet heard about the kick butt awesomeness that is the  Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, be sure to check out all the details below :D

 

Queen of Shadows
(Throne of Glass #4)

by Sarah J. Maas

September 1, 2015
Bloomsbury USA Childrens

656 pages

Goodreads  Indigo  Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

ARC August Update #4

 

ARC August is hosted by the lovely Octavia @ Read.Sleep.Repeat and it is an event where everyone participating reads their ARCs and try to catch up on the ones they've fallen behind on. It can maybe even help bring up your NetGalley ratio!

 

 

I can't believe it's already the last week of ARC August! Where did time go? I only managed to finish A Curious Tale of the In-Between this week but overall for ARC August I read these three ARCs! I wish I'd finished more but I'm happy that I have gotten some  time to read at all :)

 

 

How many ARCs did you manage to finish in August?

Stacking the Shelves #59

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

 

BookOutlet had a sale or I had a coupon (something like that) and yep you guessed it, I got some books ;)

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

 

I won this one from Rachel @ Fiktshun. Thank you Rachel and thank you to the publisher for sending it to me! I think Ripple's ready to go on a Joyride XD

 

Joyride by Anna Banks

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

September 1, 2015

320 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. It’s a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, but basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in fifteen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives. New next door neighbors. I look out the window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. I want to learn everything about him, and I do. I learn that he is funny and fierce. I learn that his eyes are Atlantic Ocean-blue and that his vice is stealing silverware. I learn that when I talk to him, my whole world opens up, and I feel myself starting to change—starting to want things. To want out of my bubble. To want everything, everything the world has to offer.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

WoW #60: Queen of Always (Stolen Empire #3) by Sherry D. Ficklin

 

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

Queen of Always
(Stolen Empire #3)

by Sherry D. Ficklin

September 15, 2015

161 pages

Goodreads  Amazon
 

Goodreads Summary:

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

If her time at court has taught Catherine anything, it’s that there is no room for weakness in Imperial Russia. With the Empress’ health failing and rumors of a change in the line of succession, her place in the royal line is once more in jeopardy. Tormented by her sadistic husband and his venomous mistress, Catherine must once more walk the fine line between pleasure and politics—between scandal and survival.

When her young son becomes the target of those rebelling against Peter’s reign, Catherine will have to rise up to protect herself, her child, and her nation from his unstable and potentially catastrophic rule. This means putting herself at odds with the most dangerous man she’s ever known, trusting those who once proved to be her enemies, and turning a nation against its sovereign. In the ultimate battle for the crown, new alliances will be forged, loyalties will be tested, and blood will be shed.

Don’t miss this breathtaking conclusion to the Stolen Empire series!

Queen of Tomorrow is a YA historical fiction based on the life of young Catherine the Great. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most dynamic women in history.

 

I am beyond excited but also so scared for this one! The heart-pounding conclusion ahhhh!!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Cover Reveal with Giveaway: Life After Falling by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Today I've got a cute cover reveal for you all. Alyssa is one of my favourite New Adult authors so I'm thrilled to help share the cover of her new Contemporary Romance story!

Life After Falling
by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

October 15, 2015

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

One tangled cassette tape. Two tangled lives.

Cassidy snaps. She quits her job and fiancé all in the same day and ends up on her parents’ doorstep. In the midst of everything she is determined to fix a broken cassette tape that she thinks holds the key to rediscovering happiness.

On her quest to fix the tape she meets Leo, a guy as down on his luck as she is lost. What starts with curiosity leads to something resembling a relationship and maybe a chance at love.

And here is the cover!

Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns

by John Green

October 16, 2008

305 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
Who is the real Margo?

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Cover Reveal - Exclusive Character Bios & Giveaway: Fire Falling (Air Awakens #2) by Elise Kova

Today I'm so excited to help Elise unveil the cover of the second book in her Air Awakens series! First, here's a little bit to get you acquainted with the books~

Air Awakens
(Air Awakens #1)

by Elise Kova

August 25, 2015

377 pages

Goodreads  Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond...

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined. 

Fire Falling

(Air Awakens #2)

by Elise Kova

November 19, 2015

Goodreads

Synopsis:

Soldier… Sorcerer… Savior… Who is Vhalla Yarl?

Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire’s monster?

Now here is the cover!

ARC August Update #3

ARC August is hosted by the lovely Octavia @ Read.Sleep.Repeat and it is an event where everyone participating reads their ARCs and try to catch up on the ones they've fallen behind on. It can maybe even help bring up your NetGalley ratio!

Ripple and I really enjoyed Walk on Earth a Stranger! It was a little different from what I imagined but I really loved the setting and the overall feel of the story.

 

 

Next I'm starting A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano! It sounds really interesting :D

Stacking the Shelves #58

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

So thrilled I won this amazing package (book with a journal and fridge magnets)! I've heard great things about this one so I'm definitely looking forward to reading it :) Ripple's preparing himself for the serious read.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

 

Chapters had a 2 for $15 deal on select paperbacks so I picked up these two. Sarah Dessen books are not to be missed and this is one of the rare ones I haven't read yet! I've heard only great things about the Chao Walking trilogy so naturally had to get this first book~ XD

 

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

 

I won this one from Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. That cover just looks creepy good! Thank you Jana and Flux!

 

Secret of the Sevens by Lynn Lindquist

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Review: A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin (The Debutante Files #1) by Sophie Jordan

A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin
(The Debutante Files #1)

by Sophie Jordan

July 29, 2014

384 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

The last woman on earth he would ever touch . . .

Declan, the Duke of Banbury, has no interest in ushering Rosalie Hughes, his stepsister, into society. Dumped on him with nowhere else to go, he's determined to rid himself of the headstrong debutante by bestowing on her an obscenely large dowry . . . making her the most sought-after heiress of the Season.

. . . is about to become the only one he wants.

But Rosalie isn't about to go along with Declan's plans. Surrounded by fortune hunters, how is she supposed to find a man who truly wants her? Taking control of her fate, Rosalie dons a disguise and sneaks into Sodom, a private club host to all manner of illicit activity—and frequented by her infuriatingly handsome stepbrother.

In a shadowed alcove, Declan can't resist the masked temptress who sets his blood afire . . . any more than Rosalie can deny her longing for a man who will send her into ruin.

WoW #59: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

 

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

 

 

Everything, Everything
by Nicola Yoon

September 1, 2015

320 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

  

I actually won an ARC of this one and recently read it. It's beyond good!! Pick it up, you won't regret it :D

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Release Day Launch - Giveaway: The Hazards Series by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Today is the release day launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy's The Hazards Series, Books 1-3 box set! This box set contains the first three books in the series, THE HAZARDS OF SKINNY DIPPING, THE HAZARDS OF A ONE NIGHT STAND, and THE HAZARDS OF SEX ON THE BEACH. It's on sale for $3.99 for a very limited time so be sure to grab it now!

 

 

About THE HAZARDS SERIES, Books 1-3:

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping

This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

 

The Hazards of a One Night Stand

One small town boy, one girl who wants more, one roll in the hay...

 

Hooking up with your high school crush is a bad idea, a really bad idea. It was only supposed to be one night, one brief departure from my real life, but nothing ever works out exactly the way you plan.

Colton Waters was everything from my past that didn't fit into my present, so why did he have to show up at my college and pledge the one frat I couldn't avoid?

 

Because nothing is ever meant to happen just once. At least not the life changing things that mean the difference between falling apart and falling in love.

The Hazards of Sex on the Beach

One broken heart, one drink too many, one steamy night in the sand...

No one warns you about the dangers of drinking with a broken heart. At least no one warned me. I never imagined I'd fall for a musician, especially not one like Chase, but then again I never expected to have my heart broken into a million pieces by the frat guy I thought was the love of my life.

 

Sometimes it's the rash decisions, like hooking up in the sand, that lead you to the best places—the kinds of places where it's possible to let yourself fall in love again.

 

Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio:
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Website  Author Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Blackmail Boyfriend 

by Chris Cannon

August 11, 2015

267 pages

Goodreads  Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

ARC August Update #2

 

ARC August is hosted by the lovely Octavia @ Read.Sleep.Repeat and it is an event where everyone participating reads their ARCs and try to catch up on the ones they've fallen behind on. It can maybe even help bring up your NetGalley ratio!

 

 

I finished Everything, Everything and it was oh so good!!!!! Just wow :D My review will be up closer to the release date.

 

 

I'm currently half way through Walk on Earth a Stranger and I'm loving the setting!

Stacking the Shelves #57

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

 

I had a $10 cash card to Chapters so I decided to get this one! I'm pumped to read it!

 

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

I won this one from MaryAnn @ Chapter by Chapter! Thank you to MaryAnn and the publisher for sending it to me. I love this cover! The colours are beautiful~

The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

DNF Review: The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski

The Moment of Letting Go

by J.A. Redmerski

August 11, 2015

432 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . .

WoW #58: Legacy of Kings (Blood of Gods and Royals #1) by Eleanor Herman

 

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

 

 

Legacy of Kings
(Blood of Gods and Royals #1)

by Eleanor Herman

August 25, 2015

384 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

 

The story sounds fascinating, I need it!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Tabby Talk: Drafting and Saving Reviews

Tabby Talk is a discussion post I thought I'd do occasionally where I'll share my random thoughts on something and include my cat in them ;)

Today I'm wondering how everyone drafts their reviews and whether you save a (physical or digital) copy of it.

 

So lately I've just not been feeling up to writing reviews. I used to feel very excited to start a blank page and then fill it up with my thoughts. Not so much any more :( This got me thinking maybe I need to change it up and write my reviews somewhere other than in the draft section of Blogger.

 

Usually while I read, I jot down bullet point notes about the book in my phone's notepad. After I'm finished with the book, I translate those notes into complete sentences and finish writing up my review (before blogging) under Goodreads' review section and (after I started my blog) in Blogger's draft section. I guess it could be I'm kind of tired of staring at the same interface so lately I've been less motivated to write reviews. How do you draft up your reviews? Do you physically write it out? Or are you like me and use the draft section? Do you ever feel like it's daunting to stare at the same blank page and have nothing to write down?

 

This brings me to another question that I've had for a long time. The problem with using Blogger or any type of blogging platform to write up reviews is you don't get a copy of it! Whatever publishes is what you have. So if for whatever reason, Blogger ever fails or Goodreads ever gets deleted (my weird irrational fears) then I would lose all my reviews. All my hard work gone. Poof. Since realizing that, I've started saving copies of my reviews but I haven't gotten around to saving the older posts. Now I'm wondering, do you save a copy of your review in your computer? Maybe a physical print out just in case something unexplainable ever happens?

ARC August Update #1

 

ARC August is hosted by the lovely Octavia @ Read.Sleep.Repeat and it is an event where everyone participating reads their ARCs and try to catch up on the ones they've fallen behind on. It can maybe even help bring up your NetGalley ratio!

 

 

So I'm starting a bit late but better late than never? I thought I wasn't going to have a TBR pile but after looking at my books I guess I do lol. Here's Ripple posing elegantly with them ;)

 

 

I've started reading Everything, Everything and so far so good :D

Stacking the Shelves #56

 

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


Thank you HCCFrenzy for this ARC!! I'm super excited~~!!

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

I won this stack of books from Lola @ Hit or Miss Books~ Thank you Lola! I'm really looking forward to Everything, Everything :D

The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig
Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos
A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano
The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak
Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan
You and Me and Him by Kris Dinnison
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

This was an Instagram win from J @ The Reading Nook Reviews from a long time ago which I totally forgot on my shelf. Oops but thank you <3

 

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?

Review: Brown-Eyed Girl (Travis Family #4) by Lisa Kleypas

Brown-Eyed Girl
(Travis Family #4) 

by Lisa Kleypas

August 11, 2015

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Wedding planner Avery Crosslin may be a rising star in Houston society, but she doesn't believe in love--at least not for herself. When she meets wealthy bachelor Joe Travis and mistakes him for a wedding photographer, she has no intention of letting him sweep her off her feet. But Joe is a man who goes after what he wants, and Avery can't resist the temptation of a sexy southern charmer and a hot summer evening.

After a one night stand, however, Avery is determined to keep it from happening again. A man like Joe can only mean trouble for a woman like her, and she can't afford distractions. She's been hired to plan the wedding of the year--a make-or-break event.

But complications start piling up fast, putting the wedding in jeopardy, especially when shocking secrets of the bride come to light. And as Joe makes it clear that he's not going to give up easily, Avery is forced to confront the insecurities and beliefs that stem from a past she would do anything to forget.

The situation reaches a breaking point, and Avery faces the toughest choice of her life. Only by putting her career on the line and risking everything--including her well-guarded heart--will she find out what matters most.

WoW #57: Bounce (Boomerang #3) by Noelle August

 

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

Bounce
(Boomerang #3)

by Noelle August

August 25, 2015

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition for the first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment, she figures why not? Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part.

Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real and not at all “acted. ”

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. He knows if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought.

Skyler and Grey have every reason to resist each other. But, like a song neither of them can get out of their minds, they have no choice but to go where the music takes them.

 

I've enjoyed the other two books in this series so can't wait to read more! The cover's so cute! It's definitely my favourite :D 

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Review: Pieces of Olivia (Charleston Haven #1) by Melissa West

Pieces of Olivia
(Charleston Haven #1)

by Melissa West

July 15, 2014

210 pages

Goodreads  Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

Olivia Warren used to be a normal girl with a bright future.
But on one fated night, everything changed.

Hiding the scars of her past up her sleeves, Olivia transfers her enrollment from Columbia University to The College of Charleston, determined to pursue her own dreams for the first time in her life.

She intends to allow herself a bit of alone time to heal... that is, until she meets Preston.

Preston is best friends with her roommate, completely hot, and off-limits. But the chemistry between them is instantaneous—and as the pair begins to spend more time with one another, their feelings for each other build into something undeniable, something powerful enough to heal Olivia’s deepest scars.

Olivia tries to put her own past behind her and trust Preston, but she discovers that his past might be more present than she ever bargained for…
 

2015 "Real" Book Challenge July Wrap-Up

2015 "Real" Book Challenge hosted by Swoony Boys Podcast and Fic Fare.

I read these 'real' book in the month of July!

 

 

I didn't think I'd read a lot but three's not too bad right? ;)

How many 'real' books did you read in the month of July?