January Reading Challenges Wrap-up

Yay! January is almost over and I seem to be on track for all my reading challenges. This month has been a bit crazy for me because a pipe broke in my house and it flooded the majority of my home. Luckily things are under control and while it will be a couple of months before everything will get repaired, things are finally starting to settle down some. I am very happy to say that despite all the setbacks I was still able to keep on track. So here is a recap of my reading month:

Goodreads Challenge:

I finally committed to it: 100 Books. For years I’ve been wanting to do this, but I always felt like it might be too much, but I want to go for it at least once, so this year is the year. As of today I read 8 and I have a couple that are started (some past the half way mark), but I still need to finish; I have a really bad habit of reading multiple books at once.

Rock My TBR challenge:

For this reading challenge I didn’t have a specific number of books I wanted to read, I just wanted to be able to put a good dent in my TBR pile. For January, the books I am counting towards this challenge are:

Deliverance by C.J. Redwine (review)

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (review)

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

Time’s Edge by Rysa Walker

Time’s Mirror by Rysa Walker

Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

Series Ender Challenge:

For this challenge I set a Level 4 goal of reading more than 15 series ender books and during the month of January I managed to read 2 books towards that goal: 

Deliverance by C.J. Redwine (review)

Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

All in all I am super happy with how things are moving along in all of my challenges. I hope you all had an equally successful month! Let me know in the comments below how you are doing with your challenges. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Assassin’s Heart by Sarah Ahiers

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:

Assassin’s Heart

by Sarah Ahiers

Publisher:  Harper Teen

Release date: February 2, 2016

From Goodreads:

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. 

My Thoughts:

This book came out of nowhere for me. It wasn’t originally on my radar and I stumbled across it by accident, and I am so happy I did. The description promises a fantasy of epic proportions. I’ve always been a fan of the paranormal but over the last couple of years it would appear that my tastes have shifted more towards fantasy. Assassin’s Heart seems to have it all; fantasy elements, adventure, action, and romance. Ahiers’ debut novel takes the classic Romeo and Juliet and adds a new unique twist set in a fantasy worlds and with that she managed to capture my attention. I cannot wait to get my hands on this very promising debut.

What book are you most excited about this week?

Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard

From Goodreads:

There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia. . . .

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about.

Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper:

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor . . . from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Rating: 4 Stars

Something Strange and Deadly is Susan Dennard’s debut and I can’t for the life of me figure out why I waited so long to read this. To be completely honest I didn’t know much about the author until whispers for Truthwitch came along. I had seen the Something Strange & Deadly trilogy around and was curious about it but things always seemed to get in the way. Then, last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Susan Dennard and I knew, based on her personality alone, that I would read anything she writes. She is by far one of the coolest, nicest people I have ever met and I really hope I will get to meet her again.

The distinctive concept presented in Something Strange and Deadly was something that grabbed my attention from the very first page and held it until the very last page. The book is very unique in its composition, an excellent blend of Victorian era, steampunk elements, zombies, spirits, necromancers, and voodoo. Dennard is a remarkable storyteller, with a remarkable ability to create rich, vivid, and visually stunning scenes and an impressive ability to develop unforgettable, easy to love characters. Dennard portrayed several ethnicities in her characters which was a pleasant surprise as I am a huge supporter of diversity in YA.

Eleanor is a very well developed, easy to love character from the beginning; she is smarty, witty, snarky, and sassy, all traits that will endear her to the reader. With her brother missing, her family is almost penniless, and her mother trying to marry her off to any rich young man, Eleanor seems to have her plate full. But when all hell breaks loose in Philadelphia, she must find a way to get her brother back before it’s too late. So she enlists the help of the Spirit Hunters who are entrusted to protect the city from supernatural forces. I adored the Sprit Hunters: Joseph, Jie, and Daniel were all charming in their own way and I quickly became attached to all of them. I particularly liked the time Dennard took to develop individual relationships between Eleanor and each of the Sprit Hunters; each relationship was beautifully crafted. The Spirit Hunters introduce Eleanor to a whole new world she didn’t know existed and it’s plain to see that she truly belongs to it, even more so than the proper cookie cutter world she is forced to live in.

The plot, while a bit predictable at times, still allowed for surprises. Dennard introduced me to a genre I didn’t know I was missing out on: steampunk, and for that I am grateful. I particularly enjoyed Dennard’s original take on zombies. She did not make them the main ‘baddie’ of the book, but rather tools used by a mastermind necromancer. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the necromancer that had me guessing and second-guessing everything. There are magic elements used woven with science to create a perfect blend that is sure to satisfy fans of both paranormal and steampunk as there are many unique, creative, and original inventions that are presented and explained throughout the book.

Overall, Something Strange and Deadly was a fast-paced, exciting read that kept me captivated until the very last sentence. This book had it all: adventure, action, magic, romance, and mystery. It was an outstanding read, unique in its composition, with amazing characters that I am fully invested in and cannot wait to learn more about. The first book created the perfect setting for the sequels giving the reader vague glimpses and clues on future locations and what’s to come. Something Strange and Deadly ended on a very interesting note, to say the least, and I cannot wait to see what adventures Eleanor embarks on in A Darkness Strange and Lovely. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

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:

Unhooked

by Lisa Maxwell

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Release date: February 2, 2016

From Goodreads:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

My Thoughts:

A Peter Pan retelling? Yes please! Recently I’ve been pretty much obsessed with all the retellings that have hit the shelves. I am absolutely fascinated with the way authors manage to take a well-known story, put their spin on it, and give us a brand new story to love. This retelling seems to put a much darker twisted spin on the original Peter Pan story and I am super intrigued by it. Lisa Maxwell is a new to me author and I am super excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. This is a fantasy novel set in Neverland and I am beyond ready to join Gwen on her adventure!

What book are you most excited about this week?

Top Ten Tuesday [16]: Top Ten Books I’ve Recently Added To My TBR

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

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books I’ve Recently Added To My TBR. For this post I had to really dig around because I tend to add books to different lists in different places. Every time I see a book that interests me on other blogs I tend to add it somewhere, just to make sure I keep track of it, so I end up with books on my Amazon Wishlist, my Goodreads to read shelf, or my excel spreadsheet (I LOVE spreadsheets!!!). So after consulting all of my resources, here is what I came up with:

1.   Ruined

by Amy Tintera

(release date: May 3, 2016)

2.   The Star-touched Queen

by Roshani Chokshi

(release date: May 3, 2016)

3.   The Crown’s Game

by Evelyn Skye

(release date: May 17, 2016)

4.   Reign of Shadows

by Sophie Jordan

(release date: February 9, 2016)

5.   Elementals

by Michelle Madow

(release date: January 26, 2016)

6.   S

by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst

7.   -10. The Seven Realms Series

by Cinda Williams

(The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gary Wolfe Throne, and The Crimson Crown)

Are any of these on your TBR? If you read/reviewed any of them, I’d love to hear/read your thoughts. Please leave me a link in the comments below J

Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

From Goodreads:

Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.

Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.

Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.

But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them?

Rating: 5 Stars

Deliverance is the epic conclusion to the amazing Defiance trilogy. There’s absolutely nothing more I could have asked for from this series; I loved everything about it. I read and reviewed both Defiance and Deception; this review of Deliverance will be spoiler free for the conclusion, however spoilers from the previous books will be included.

The continuation of the story took a much darker turn, but it was wonderfully suspenseful and beautifully crafted. The trilogy maintains the alternating points of view between Rachel and Logan, both narrating in first person.

Deception left us in a major cliffhanger; Rachel and Logan were separated. Rachel was badly injured and kidnaped by Ian, Logan’s estranged brother, and is being taken to Rowansmark to receive the pain atonement for not returning the stolen tech once she knew where the tech came from.  At the same time Logan is imprisoned in Lankenshire with Willow. His only chance to get Rachel back is to ally himself with the one person he vowed to kill, the Commander.

The final battle is upon us in Deliverance. Rachel and Logan are both fighting for the same goal: get rid of the Commander and the tech that controls the Cursed One. While separated, Rachel discovers new horrific information that makes her reconsider her wish to escape Ian’s capture. Her new plan is to try to destroy Rowansmark from the inside; but before she can do that she has to survive the journey to Rowansmark.  Rachel’s character grew so much in this novel. She endured tremendous loss throughout the series and the grief was starting to take its toll on her in Deception. However, in Deliverance a more mature, stronger, wiser, and worthy heroine emerged.

Logan, whom I simply adored since Defiance, also grew as a character. He finally came to terms with his origin and came to embrace his role and abilities of a true leader. He is the exceedingly good guy, extremely smart and kind. He loves Rachel with a fierceness that was just amazing to read.

Even though they are separated in this book, the love and devotion they have for each other is so strong. I think they are the perfect balance for each other; Rachel is very impulsive and sometimes jumps the gun, while Logan is very strategic and likes to plan out all possible outcomes. Even though they both were dealing with their own inner demons, the love they shared was stronger than everything they had to endure.

Willow and Quinn were also heavily present in this book. They are both pivotal characters that leave quite an impression on the reader. I loved how well developed they both were and the more involved roles they played throughout the novel. I don’t think either Rachel or Logan would have been able to overcome everything that was thrown at them without Willow and Quinn by their side.

All of Redwine’s characters were so well fleshed out. While reading it seemed that every character had such a major role in the overall story. Every death had meaning, every speech had a lesson to be learned, and every character’s actions were very well thought out for the overall story, making every single character very impactful.

One of the most fascinating things in Deliverance was C.J. Redwine’s ability to take some of the villains in the story and give enough development to allow the reader to see some vulnerabilities and make them more relatable. Even though we can’t forget all the horrible things they are responsible for, we get to see that these characters weren’t born evil. There were many events throughout their life that had a negative impact and created the monsters we now face.

Deliverance is an action packed, fast paced, and totally epic conclusion to a series. The character development and world building that Redwine delivered in this book far surpassed my expectations. As great as I think each book in the series was, this conclusion completely blew my mind. Everything wrapped up in a highly satisfying way. Redwine’s writing style was flawless, she is an amazing storyteller and I am looking forward to her future projects.

Waiting on Wednesday: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

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:

Stars Above

By Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: February 2, 2016

From Goodreads:

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.

Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….

The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.

After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess

The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century... 

My Thoughts:

I've said this before, but it still stands true so I'll say it again: The Lunar Chronicles is one of the best series to ever be written. I read Cinder, Scarlet, Fairest, and Cress and fell in love with the world created by Marissa Meyer.  It is just one of those spectacular series that once it grabs you it won’t let go. When it comes to fairy tale retellings, I believe Marissa Meyer is pretty much queen. I was blown away by how she took very distinct fairytales with strong female leads, and managed to re-write these characters and stories in an entwined epic universe. I didn't read Winter yet, but I did purchase it and plan to read it in February. I had initially planned to read it in December, but my plans fell through because of my job. I ended up working 13+ hours every day, so by the time I got home I was just brain dead. So February it is. 

I am beyond ecstatic that Meyer decided to write more in this world. Stars above is  a collection of stories set in the Lunar Chronicles world. More Iko, Cress, Thorne, Cinder, Scarlet, and the whole gang. I could not be any happier. I plan on reading both Winter and Stars Above in February, so I have a feeling that I'll have one amazing reading month!

Also, can we all take a quick moment to marvel at the breathtakingly beautiful cover? LOVE!

What book are you waiting for? Let me know in the comments below :)

Top Ten Tuesday [15] : Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't

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

This week's topic, Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't, was a bit sad for me to write, because I really really wanted to read all these books but work and life just got in the way. All of these books were on my most anticipated releases of 2015 and I actually pre-ordered most of these. Regardless of whether I pre-ordered or not, I still bought all of these books because I really wanted to make sure that I supported the books and authors that mattered to me. So now they are all just sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. But fear not, these books are scheduled to be read within the first few months of 2016. Because of the Rock My TBR and 2016 Series Enders challenges I am participating in, I made these a priority and have a few buddy reads scheduled to make sure I get to them ASAP. I am actually currently reading a few of these, so hopefully by this weekend this list will be a bit shorter. Here are my top 2015 releases that I didn't read yet:

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 

2. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

3. Winter by Marissa Meyer

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

5. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

6. Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

7. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

8. The Heir by Kiera Cass

9. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

10. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

What 2015 releases didn't you get to? Leave me a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post and I will make sure to check it out. 

Deception by C.J. Redwine

From Goodreads:

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive. 

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

Rating: 5 Stars

A few months ago I read Defiance and fell in love with CJ Redwine’s writing style and ability to tell a story. I wrote a spoiler free review for Defiance (which you can check out here). For my review of Deception, I will keep my review spoiler free for it, however there might be a few very vague spoilers for Defiance.

Deception picks up right where Defiance left off, with Rachel and Logan trying to figure out what to do with the few survivors of Baalboden. The story does not take any time to get into action, and just like Defiance, the story is extremely fast paced and action packed. In order to survive, Logan, Rachel, and the survivors of the attack on Baalboden at the end of Defiance, make plans to trek across the Wastelands to nearby city states in hopes of finding help and asylum.

The first few chapters can be a bit overwhelming because there are lots of new characters introduced, however, as the story progresses everyone finds their place and role within the story. Just like Defiance, this book is written in alternating points of view between Rachel and Logan, both narrating in first person, making it easy for the reader to understand each of their struggles and fears.

The romance between Rachel and Logan is one of the sweetest, most beautifully developed, and extremely deep relationships I have ever read. The fiery, witty Rachel we met in the first book is gone. The new Rachel struggles with her grief and tends to shut everyone out, including Logan. Logan struggles with his new leadership role, not because he isn’t doing a good job, but because he feels responsible for every life lost in his group. While both Rachel and Logan have their own personal issues and insecurities, one thing that never falters is the love they have for each other.

The journey through the Wastelands is not easy, as the Commander is following them and a traitor is amongst their group. It was heartbreaking reading some of the horrible things that were happening and knowing that someone in their group was responsible. The suspense created was so brilliantly written.

The other characters are also very well developed. In addition to all the new characters introduced in the first few chapters, we see some familiar names from Defiance. Willow and Quinn play huge roles in this book; we get to know both of them more and more as the story progresses. The story Redwine created for them was exceptionally intriguing and exquisitely layered.

While I believed Redwine’s writing style and word building abilities was great in Defiance, she still managed to grow and improve her craft. The continuation of her story took a much darker turn, but it was wonderfully suspenseful and beautifully crafted. There is a major cliffhanger at the end, but luckily all books in the series have been released so I didn’t have to wait a full year to find out what happens next. All in all, Deception was a perfect sequel, an action packed and emotionally intense read that that made me smile, shocked me at times, made me cry, and had me begging for more. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

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:

Salt to the Sea

by Ruta Sepetys

Publisher:  Philomel Books

Release date: February 2, 2016

From Goodreads:

The author of Between Shades of Gray returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

My Thoughts:

I've always been fascinated by World War II stories and Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray has been one of the best in my opinion. Throughout the novel I could tell that she did her research and managed to transport readers to a place that they might not have wanted to go to, but needed to go in order to fully understand the depth of depravity that people experienced during that time. Her novel was not easy to read, but it is one of the most important novel I ever read. I cried and it ripped my heart to shreds, but it was beautifully written and in the end gave me hope for humanity.

I truly believe that Ruta Sepetys is one of the best historical fiction authors writing in the young adult genre. I believe her dedication to her research and the subject matter will make for another remarkable novel that I cannot wait to read.