Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab & BOOK HAUL Y'ALL


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme, 
hosted by Breaking the Spine,
that showcase upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. 

Today's Book:

by: V.E. Schwab
Release Date: February 24th 2015



From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.

Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands.

There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, who first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

I didn't have that much luck with V.E. (Victoria) Schwab's The Archived but I really enjoyed her action packed, super-natural world in Vicious.

A Darker Shade of Magic seems to have a lot of elements that I LOVE to read about. Magic, royalty, adventure and danger. I'm so ready!!

...OMG! and look at that cover! Frame it and hang it up. I dig it!

The only thing that sucks..... THE WAITING!!! Release date is not til February of 2015...UGGGHHH!



Anticipation is such an aggravation 

Hopefully A Darker Shade of Magic will make your "TBR" list.
Can't wait to see what y'all are waiting for


**Before I go I just wanted to share with y'all my BOOK HAUL**
Short list this weekend:

The Art of Neil Gaiman by Hayley Campbell~ Neil Gaiman is one of my top three favorite authors, so when I saw this, YEA! I had to have it.


Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson~ I already own a copy but when I because they came out with this one and it's new cover I just had to have it. Got it, currently reading it and enjoying it, immensely! i brandon sanderson

Thanks for stopping by y'all!

 BIG HUGS and Lots of Love 


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Top Ten Complete Series Sitting in my Bookcase...waiting to be read


Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that features a new topic each week where we have to put down our top ten of it.

Today's Topic is a Freebie:
(choose any topic you like)

Top Ten Complete Series That I have not yet started but have hanging out in my bookcase


1.) The Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini



2.) The Seven Realms Series by China Willams Chima


3.) His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman



4.) Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness



5.) Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J R R Tolkien



6.)  The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud



7.) Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson






9.) Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning



10.) The Dark Towers Series by Stephen King



When it comes to books and if they're in a series, I am an absolute sucker and will buy the complete series. There is an amazing new/used bookstore in my town that has the best prices on books. If I see a book that I've been interested in for a while AND the complete series is there too, I'll go ahead and buy it.
Not only because I want to read it but also because it'll make my library look super nice with the complete set.
The series that I have listed above are series that are already complete, with no more books coming out.
Don't even get me started on the series I have but are still waiting for their sequel's to be release (or written)
I'll give you a glimpse... 

Splintered Series by A.G. Howard
Splintered (#1) & Unhinged (#2)

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
Name of the Wind (#1) & The Wise Mans Fear (#2)

The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
They Way of the King (#1) & Words of Radiance (#2)

...remember, that's just a glimpse!!

It's hard to keep me away from a series!
I just love em so.....


 BIG HUGS and Lots of Love 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Review: SCARLET Book #2 in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet 
Book #2 in The Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can I just begin with saying how much I ADORE this series!!

....but it didn't start off that way ;)

Coming into this series, I was a bit quizzical but as soon as I started reading book one, Cinder, I was easily convinced and blown away with how much I was loving the story.

Then along comes book two, Scarlet, and I was super nervous that I wasn't going to like it. I was already invested in what was going on with Cinder and wasn't sure I wanted to read about someone else. Instead of being nervous, I should of had no doubt that Marissa Meyer's was going to turn it out. She did an excellent job at introducing new characters and blending Scarlet's story with Cinder's.



Scarlet is searching for her Grandmother who has been kidnapped and when she takes matters into her own hands, mysteries start to unravel and secrets are revealed. Scarlet and Cinder paths finally cross bringing together one crazy and unforgettable cast of characters. 



I thought the character's in Cinder were great!
 Scarlet's characters are unforgettable!
 I can not end this review without mentioning the Han Solo-esque, arrogant but oh so charming, Carswell Throne. I thought he was the star of the entire book.

ICarswell Throne!

 Hopefully we'll get more of him throughout the rest of the series!



Each book has a refreshing, sci-fi/fantasy spin on a classic fairy-tale. Cinder was from Cinderella, of course, and Scarlet is from Little Red Riding Hood.
I've already jumped into book 3, Cress, and I'm excited to read Meyer's sci-fi, intergalactic take on the classic Rapunzel fairy-tale.

If y'all haven't read Cinder or Scarlet yet, GO OUT AND GET THEM!! It's just a really fun, action packed story with just the right amount of romance

It's definitely a great series to read, especially right now, in the summertime, pool side or beach side. Set up a blanket in the grass with some shades and your set!


5 Star 
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
• to purchase this awesome book ~
click here for goodreads link
....here for Amazon
....here for Barnes&Noble



 BIG HUGS and Lots of Love 



Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Books That Almost Didn't Make It!!


Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that features a new topic each week where we have to put down our top ten of it.

Today's Topic: 

 Books We Almost Put Down But Glad We Didn't

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

It took me forever to actually pick up this book. It seemed that everyone had read this book and the other books in the series, leaving me feeling "left out" when everyone was discussing the release of the series' 3rd book, Cress.
When I finally did read the book, I started to question if I was really into the whole, Cyborg, intergalactic, sci-fi, fairy tale feel of it. 
I was and THANK STARS! because it has easily become one my favorite books/series out there.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I seen the movie and thought it was okay. Then a friend recommended that I read the book, not only was it better than the movie (of course) but it was also one of her favorite books.


It took me some time to get into it and the whole time traveling mumbo jumbo was tiring, confusing, repetitive and kind of predictable. But I decided to stick with it and was not disappointed. It ended up being really good, AND IT MADE ME CRY...hahaha!!



Abarat by Clive Barker

I remember buying this book during my "non-reading" period, bored browsing through the book store, needing something to bring with me on a road trip. I read the first chapter then forgot all about the book.  I remember finding it when cleaning out my car, months later and threw it away b/c it had some kind of "spillage" on it.
When I started reading again this was one of the first books I thought about, found it at a used book store for $2 bucks and it has become one of my Top 5 favorite books ever.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

This book was recommended to me by a number of ladies on Goodreads.I started to read it then set it down, thinking "not for me". Then one day I had a doctor's appt. and quickly grabbed this book to bring with me and surprisingly got hooked. I found myself reading half the book in the driveway of my house. My husband came outside, asking if I was ever gonna come in to make dinner. I was thinking more like "I can come in and do a lot more than make dinner..." ;) hubba hubba LOL!!!!
( us ladies on Goodreads are doing a summer read/re-read of the Fever Series and I CAN'T WAIT!!! So Excited!! Wooooo Hoooo! ♥)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I was REALLY excited about reading this book. I just knew I was going to love it. Ehhh....it was just, okay! I was so disappointed that I but it down and read something else. But b/c so many people told me I should give it another chance, I did and I'm actually happy I did so. I ended up liking the book. I really finished it so I could read the 2nd book in the series, Crown of Midnight, which I heard is, a whole lot better, than the first.
Finger Crossed!!


Now, I don't exactly have 10 books that I almost put down but glad I didn't, so I thought I'd do:

Books I Picked Up and Just COULD NOT finish or get into:

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

I actually read this whole book. Uggghhhh and it was awful! I was able to stick through the whole thing, 1 because it was an easy read and 2 I really wanted to know who the killer was (even though I predicted it within the first few chapters)
I ended up giving this book a 1 star rating and I do not recommend it to anyone!!!



Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

The movie was coming out in theaters for this series and so I wanted to read the first book before it did. Yea, well I ended up reading the first paragraph over and over again. For some reason I could not get passed the first couple of pages.
Later on, I heard that the movie was that good either.
**My husband bought me the entire series for Valentine's Day and I didn't even read past the first page of the first book. Lol! I felt so bad. I ended up trading it in for other books that I know I read and Love! "sorry babe"**

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

This is a book that I am so disappointed in myself for not liking. I love the concept of the book, I love the beautiful cover of the book, I mean, What's not to love right! Sadly I was just really REALLY bored with it. I found it to be super repetitive and really slow. I do think I will try to read this again. I have to give it another chance, I mean, I bought the sequel, The Unbound,  for goodness sake!

DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!


Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Okay, lets get this straight! This book is not on this list b/c I didn't like the ending like all the other haters of this book. I did not mind the ending. I question it and the reason why, but this book is up here b/c of how it was constructed. I hated how the whole series was done with Tris's POV and then all of a sudden, add Four's POV, making the book one big mess. Jumbled, repetitive, boring.... I was not pleased with this final book..
(I watched the Divergent movie and LOVED it! Shailene Woodley was an amazing Tris)


I was interested in this book when a friend said I just HAD to read it. That I should read it with my hubby before bedtime. YEAH RIGHT! This book was so dirty! NASTY! Not subtle or nicely done. My hubby and I definitely aren't prudes but this book had us laughing, disgusted, and sympathetic towards the characters in the book.
It was fun, as a joke read, but definitely not something I find interesting or have the stomach for.



I hardly ever find a book that I don't finish or that isn't a 4/5 star book.
I'm constantly reading reviews and taking recommendations. They only time I get bummed over a book, is when I read a new release and it sucks. Rarely ever will a recommended book suck for me.

What about y'all? What's some books you couldn't finish or you thought was gonna suck but ended up being worthy of your time!


 BIG HUGS and Lots of Love