Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Time's Divide by Rysa Walker


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.


This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Time's Divide

By Rysa Walker


Publisher:  Skyscape
Release date: October 20, 2015

From Goodreads:
The Cyrists are swiftly moving into position to begin the Culling, and Kate’s options are dwindling. With each jump to the past or the future, Kate may trigger a new timeline shift. Worse, the loyalties of those around her—including the allegiances of Kiernan and the Fifth Column, the shadowy group working with Kate—are increasingly unclear.
Kate will risk everything, including her life, to prevent the future her grandfather and the Cyrists have planned. But, when time runs out, it may take an even bigger sacrifice to protect the people she loves.

My Thoughts:
I love love love The Chronos Files. Time's Divide is the third and final book in the series and it will be released on October 20, 2015. Even though this marks the end of this series, Rysa Walker did mention that she might return to this world with prequel series, but not right away as she is currently working on a new series, The Delphi Project.

The Chronos Files include: Timebound, Time's Echo (novella), Time's Edge, Time's Mirror (novella), and Time's Divide.

Time's Divide being the last book in the series is bittersweet. On one hand I am very happy to get closure and resolution, but on the other hand I am not ready to leave this world created by Rysa Walker. I think if you are a fan of time travel this is the series for you. It is without a doubt my absolute favorite time travel series.

The cover for this book is gorgeous! I originally started buying these books on my Kindle, but I fell in love not only with the story, but the covers as well, so I switched to the physical copies as I must add these to my personal library.

If you are interested in this book, there is currently a Giveaway on GoodReads you may enter until October 20, 2015. If you want to enter this giveaway, make sure to click on the cover picture above for a link to this amazing giveaway.

Have you read any of the books in the series? (if you haven't, make sure to pick this up, you won't regret it) 

Top Ten Tuesday [8]



Top Ten Tuesday is an amazing weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I had  a little mishap yesterday with my post, so I am a bit late in posting this, but since I had it all written out and ready to post I figured better late than never. :)

This week’s topic is Top Ten Books To Read If You Like This Super Popular Book/Author. I decided to alter this topic a bit for the week and wrote a Top Ten If You Liked This, Try This. The possibilities are endless on this topic, but here are my top ten selections:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Paper Towns by John Green – The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider

Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver – Matched trilogy by Ally Condie

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Legend by Marie Lu– Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

The Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier– Timebound series by Rysa Walker

Divergent by Veronica Roth – Defiance by C.J. Redwine

The Young Elites by Marie Lu– The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raasch

Tell me your readalikes in the comments below. 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.


This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Six of Crows
By Leigh Bardugo


Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Release date: September 29, 2015

From Goodreads:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

My Thoughts:
I just finished The Grisha trilogy and I already miss the world Leigh Bardugo created. It is one of my favorite fantasy worlds in YA literature and I cannot wait to return to it. The events of Six of Crows take place before the events in The Grisha Trilogy. You don't need to read The Grisha Trilogy before reading Six of Crows, as they are not related besides taking place in the same world. If Six of Crows is your first read, you'll just be introduced to an amazing world that will stay with you for a very long time once you finish the book. I am super excited for Six of Crows to be available. The premise, the world, the author, and the cover are all attracting me to this book.

I am cover lusting when it comes to Six of Crows. Leigh Bardugo posted a video of the cover and inside of the book on her twitter; you can check it out here. Blew me away! I was a drooling mess while watching this. I can't wait to hold it, and pet it, and hug it, and love it, and read it :D

Is this on your TBR list? How exited are for its release?

Sunday, September 20, 2015

TBR Book Tag


I was tagged by Lucy at Things Lucy Reads and Eve at Functioning Insanity for this awesome tag. Thank you both so much. Sorry it took me a while to get to it. 

How do you keep track of your TBR pile? 
I try to update my Goodreads as often as possible. However, I also keep a color coordinated excel spreadsheet that identifies which format I own for each book (hardcover, paperback, or ebook). I found this to be more useful as I sometimes have a book in multiple formats. :)

Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?
I think it’s pretty even between the two. While I prefer physical books, I like being able to carry multiple books at once on my Kindle, especially when I travel. For example, this week I’ll be going to a conference in Connecticut and I’ll probably have additional reading time each night in my hotel room. So I made sure to download lots of goodies to my Kindle.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
Mostly mood and read-alongs that I want to participate in. I do try my hardest to prioritize all ARCs I receive because I want to give them the attention they deserve.

A book that's been on your TBR list the longest?
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. This book as released in 2010 and I bought the complete series sometime in 2013, but I never got around to reading them. I really hope to get to them soon.

A book on your TBR strictly because of the beautiful cover?
I don’t think I have any books that are on my TBR just because of the cover; I will pick up a book because the cover appeals to me, but the description has to appeal to me as well in order for me to make the purchase or add it to my TBR.

A book you recently added to your TBR?
Air Awakens by Elisa Kova.

A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading?
Never say never, but right now, I have no plans on reading the Need series by Carrie Jones, even tough I own a couple of the ebooks.

A book on your TBR that everyone has read but you?
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows. I need to read these ASAP!

A book on your TBR that you're dying to read?
The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for?
There is no way I can choose just one, so here are a couple that I am dying to read as soon as they are released: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch, Winter by Marissa Meyer, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh, The Rose Society by Marie Lu, and A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir.

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?
The Legend series by Marie Lu. I actually read the first book in the series when I was hoping to attend YALLFest. There were so many authors attending, so I started reading the first books in many series just to make sure I read at least one book for each author I was palling to meet. I am still trying to finish reading those series, and Legend is one of them. I can’t wait to get to read Prodigy and Champion. I really loved Legend.

How many books are on your Goodreads TBR shelf?
As of right now 209. Dang it! That’s a lot and it keeps on growing.


My Nominations:
Kristianna @ Downright Dystopian
Barb @ Booker T’s Farm @ Books and Nails and PuppyDog Tales 

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Stacking the Shelves [9]


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, physical or virtual. This includes books you buy from your local bookstore or online, ebooks, ARCs, and books you borrow from your friends or library.

If you want to find out more about Stacking the Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

This week I have a tiny book haul; I was trying to be good since I have quite a few books on my TBR that I've already purchased. However, I was missing the novella's for this week's read-along with my Goodreads group Perpetual YA Bookworms (join us, we'd love to have you). We are currently reading the Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige; next week we are reading the four available novellas as ebooks: No Place Like Oz, The Witch Must Burn, The Wizard Returns, and Heart of Tin. 

                         

                         

What books did you get this week? Please leave a link to your Stacking the Shelves post so I can check it out. Have a great weekend! 

Thursday, September 17, 2015

An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir


From Goodreads

Laia is a slave. 

Elias is a soldier. 

Neither is free.


Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Rating: 5 Stars

An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut novel from author Sabaa Tahir. This novel has it all and is absolutely spectacular in every area: plot, characters, setting, conflict, and romance. While reading this book I had to keep reminding myself that this is a debut, not because it had any issues, but because it was so spectacular that I was amazed that this was Sabaa Tahir’s first book. She is an astounding storyteller, her world building skills are impressive, and the characters are very well developed and unforgettable. I don’t even know how she could get any better.

One of my favorite things about this book is the unexpected way it started. I had a feeling that it would be a fast paced read and I wasn’t disappointed. I read this book in two sittings. My friend Eve at Functioning Insanity and I decided to read this as a read-along. Since the book is 450+ pages, we decided to split it in two sections thus allowing us to talk about the story as we read (and constantly think/obsess about it when we weren’t reading it). Even with the book being quite long, I still wanted more when it ended; I never wanted it to end.

The world created by Tahir is very unique in the fantasy genre; the Martial Empire is inspired by the Roman Empire which we never get to see in the fantasy world. The Empire described is brutal, death surrounds its citizens at every corner. The Empire has its people living in fear and in horrible conditions. The Scholars, who are at the lowest level in the Empire, live in the most despicable levels of poverty, and some are forced into slavery. The Martials Empire is training some of their chosen children at Blackriff in order to make them become a Mask, the most elite class of ruthless soldiers in the Empire.

There are many characters introduced throughout the novel, each well developed and important to the story. The main two characters, Laia and Elias, were absolutely amazing. The story is narrated in alternating points of view of both Laia and Elias.

Laia is a Scholar, who lives with her grandparents and brother as both of her parents were killed. When her brother is arrested for treason, she decides to try everything in her power to save him. Her best hope is to locate the Resistance and align herself with them in order to free her brother, Darin. However, everything has a price and the price the Resistance demands from Laia is information that she is to obtain while being a spy posing as a slave at Blackriff. With Darin’s life at stake, Laia feels like she has no option but to become a slave for the Commandant, the head of Blackriff and also the most cruel and ruthless person in the empire. The Commandant also happens to be Elias’ mother.

Elias, even though he is currently training to be a Mask, doesn’t want it. All he wants is to get as far away as possible from all the horrible things, brutality, and ruthlessness he is faced with every day at Blackriff. And even further, from his mother, the one who seems to hate him most. Just as he is making the last preparations for his escape, he is chosen to participate in the Trials in order to become the new Emperor. The Trials are the most gruesome of tests in which four chosen candidate from Blackriff must compete, with the last man/woman standing becoming the next Emperor/Empress.

Laia and Elias’ paths seem to cross more and more as the story evolves. The dual points of view allow us to get to know the two main characters very well. I like how as the story evolves and the Trials transpire, Elias, who is introduced as a strong character but through the Trial he weakens emotionally and is desperate for an escape, while Laia grows from this very innocent and naïve girl into a very strong protagonist. The contrast in the two main characters development was absolutely fascinating to read.

There were many other side characters that were introduced as the story progressed, each was very well developed and very intriguing. Tahir took her time developing their personalities and getting the reader invested in their future.

An Ember in the Ashes is an action packed story that has it all: love, loss, hope, fear, betrayal, friendship, and sacrifice.  The depth of the story combined with the intricate plot and the multitude of characters allowed the reader to judge and determine who they thought they could trust and who they wanted to root for. The ending was somewhat of a cliffhanger, as there were so many things left unanswered. There were many things that Tahir introduced and hinted at throughout the novel but never fully developed, that will leave readers longing for the sequel.

An Ember in the Ashes is without a doubt one of the best debuts for 2015 and one of my new all-time favorite novels. The author took me on a wonderfully thrilling adventure, that was heartbreaking at times, but that showed me the true value and power of love. The relationships and friendships developed in the midst of a pretty horrific world shows just what lengths we as humans are willing to go to for those we love and cherish, and the sacrifices we are willing to make. Tahir’s writing style is absolutely flawless. This was a phenomenal read that has me convinced that I will read anything Sabaa Tahir decides to write in the future. Until then, like those who read this before me, I must patiently await the release of A Torch Against the Night, the epic sequel set to be released on April 26, 2016.


Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.


This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Carry On
By Rainbow Rowell


Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: October 6, 2015

From Goodreads:
Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

My Thoughts:
I am a huge Rainbow Rowell fan. I've read all her books, some multiple times. Fangirl is by far my absolute favorite and I was always curious about the world she created at Watford School of Magicks. When she announced that she was going to write Carry On I was beyond excited. Rowell managed to capture my attention with snippets of the story that were shared in Fangirl; I really wanted to know more about Simon and Baz.

The cover is so simple and powerful. I am absolutely in love with it and I can't wait to receive my copy of this book. This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Carry On will be released on October 6, 2015.

There is a giveaway on Goodreads going on until September 30, 2015. If you would like to enter, click on the cover picture above. Good luck!

Is this on your list of most anticipated releases of the year? Let me know in the comments below. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday [7]


Top Ten Tuesday is an amazing weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday Freebie!!! What does that mean? It means I get to choose the topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. And I chose: "Top Ten Books of 2015...so far"

This year has been a great reading year thus far. I read 49 books of my 60 book challenge (82% done), I am way ahead of schedule. YAY!!! So the books I read this year are a combination of standalones and series. If I read multiple books from the same series or read an entire series I decided to mark those as one entry. So without further ado here are my selections, in no particular order. I also provided links for the reviews I wrote (spoiler free), if you guys want to hear my thoughts on any of the books listed.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovenn

The Lunar Chronicles (Scarlet and Cress) by Marissa Meyer

The Grisha Trilogy (Shadow & Bone, Siege & Storm, and Ruin & Rising) by Leigh Bardugo

The Young Elites by Marie Lu


Timebound by Rysa Walker

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Every Day and Another Day by David Levithan

What topic did you decide to write about on Freebie Tuesday? Let me know in the comments below. :)



Saturday, September 12, 2015

Stacking the Shelves [8]


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, physical or virtual. This includes books you buy from your local bookstore or online, ebooks, ARCs, and books you borrow from your friends or library.

If you want to find out more about Stacking the Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

Last week I had to skip my Stacking The Shelves post due to Dragon Con (which was amazing!!!), so this post is a recap of the last two weeks.

Books

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas – I still need to catch up on this series, because what I’ve read I love. Still got a few to go before I get to this, but I am super excited. I had this pre-ordered months ago.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice – I love the Vampire Chronicles! I had all but this in hardcover, so I had to complete my series.

Ebooks

Just One Year by Gayle Forman – I actually don’t own Just One Day yet, but I found this on a Kindle daily deal and I couldn’t pass it up. I’ll probably end up buying the first book when I am ready to read this duology.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy – This was also a great find on Kindle and I decided to grab it. I’ve had this on my wishlist for a very long time.

Be With Me by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout) – I read the first book in this series a few years ago and really enjoyed it so when I saw this on sale I knew I had to grab it.

Library

Crank and Glass by Ellen Hopkins – I managed to find the audiobooks for these at the local library so I will listen to them very soon.     



The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma – We are reading this book for book club this month and I was lucky enough to find a copy at my local library. If all goes according to plan I will finish this book today. I am about half-way through it and I really like it.


NetGalley

Super excited about all the books I got from NetGalley. I have some work to do as some of these come out pretty soon.

Lost Princess by Dani-Lyn Alexander –October 13, 2015

Nirvana by J.R. Stewart – November 10, 2015.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel – April 26, 2016

Reviews Posted

The Young Elites by Marie Lu


If you read any of these books, please let me know in the comments below. Hope you guys have a great weekend and thank you so much for stopping by!