BookTube-A-Thon 2015 TBR

So it is almost time for the BookTube-A-Thon and while I do not make videos, I do follow many BookTubers. I've been in big slump lately but I'm hoping to be successful with this read-a-thon. The readathon is taking place between Aug 3rd and Aug 9th and is being hosted by a bunch of different people including Ariel Bissett. There are 7 "challenges" for this read-a-thon and I'm hoping to complete all of them.

1// Read a book with blue on the cover
2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name
3// Read someone else's favourite book
4// Read the last book you acquired
5// Finish a book without letting go of it
6// Read a book you really want to read
7// Read seven books

Here are my choices:

For the blue book I'm going with Nil by Lynne Matson. I recently got this so I'm looking forward to picking it up.

By far my most ambitious choice is for author who shares same first letter of last name. I'm going with The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. I really want to read this trilogy and need an excuse to start it.

The hardest one to choose was someone else's favorite book. For this I'm going with a book/companion series that everyone raves about. I loved Anna and the French Kiss and just haven't picked up Lola and the Boy Next Door yet. So I cannot wait to pick up another Stephanie Perkins book.

For the last book I acquired, that would have to be Armada by Ernest Cline. I'm a little worried about this one because they was so much hype, but I have heard it does not live up to Ready Player One. What helps me in this situation, is the fact that I have not read Ready Player One Yet. Hopefully I will enjoy it because the premise is intriguing.

As for the most "ridiculous" challenge of finishing a book without letting go of it, I've chosen a short book in One Thing Stolen by Beth Kephart.

I'm going to read my eARC of Beastly Bones for book I really want to read, since I have been putting it off and it comes out in September.

Finally, for the seventh book to finish up the last challenge, I'm going with The Girl in 6E by A. R. Torre. Shannon from Leaninglights and Lindsey from Lindsey Rey have both read and enjoyed this book, so I'm looking forward to it.

I will be tweeting throughout the read-a-thon and doing daily updates there, along with instagram posts. 

Are you participating? What is your TBR?

Book Haul #11: Adding to my evergrowing collection!

I have not posted a book haul since late May, so of course I have acquired way too many books since then. The grand total for this haul is 29.

Since there are so many, I'm going to do do the haul in 5 different groups based on when I got the books. Links to Goodreads as always!

Velvet by Temple West, Lux Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Tempest, Vortex, & Timestorm by Julie Cross, The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd.

When my mom was in London for work, she went to Waterstone's to get me the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. I love the British covers so much more than the US, so I was really happy she got them for me. 

I have been collecting Harry Potter books since forever, so I have now acquired the first book (SS) in Italian, and the second book (CoS) in Ukrainian. I won One Thing Stolen by Beth Kephart in a giveaway. I splurged and bought both To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. And finally, I won Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley in another giveaway!

I had previously gotten the second and third books in the Dante Walker Trilogy from book outlet so I finally picked up The Collector by Victoria Scott to complete the trilogy. In that same order I also go Nil by Lynne Matson and Avalon by Mindee Arnett. I won a bunch of giveaways getting, Survive the Night by Danielle Vega, Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley, Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca, and The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent.

Finally, I added some adult books to my collection. I got The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse (this was my sole Prime Day purchase).  From Half Priced Books, I got The Girl in 6E by A. R. Torre, 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad, and The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. Finally, from Penguin Random House, I got Armada by Ernest Cline and Freedom's Child by Jax Miller.

And that is the end of this monstrous book haul.  Unfortunately of these 29 books, I have only read 7 of them not including the HP books that I will never read. My TBR is out of control at 61. In May during my last book haul, my TBR was at 64. So while I'm not increasing, I'm not making any progress on #0by16. 

What books have you gotten recently? Let me know in the comments!

Beastly Bones by William Ritter (Waiting on Wednesday #7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s eagerly anticipating!

“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Beastly Bones will be released September 22nd, 2015 by Algonquin Young Readers!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Jackaby. For me, the characters are the best part. They  are very unique and add to the story in their own way. I cannot wait to get back into the world of Jackaby and Abigail. I also really love the covers for this series, especially the orange of this one!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday #21- The Stars Never Rise

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme where you post a quote from a book you are currently reading. It is hosted by A Daily Rhythm.

“In third grade, I'd once knelt in the posture of penitence in the middle of the school hall for four hours for turning in an incomplete spelling paper. I'd never failed to finish an assignment again.”
                                       - The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

The world that Rachel Vincent has constructed in this book is absolutely fascinating. I'm loving how involved the Church is and how the world has changed since the degenerates appeared.

Find the book here: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Let me know in the comments what book you are currently reading!

August New Releases

These are the new releases that I'm most looking forward to in August! Again, there are not very many for this month, but I do have two to share.

Title: Court of Fives
Author: Kate Elliott
Publication Date: August 18th, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
About: I got an ARC of this book and I really enjoyed it. It focuses around this skills course call the Fives that lower class citizens take part in. The main character is part of the upper class but still runs in the Fives.  It is a really good start to the trilogy.
Where to Find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Title: Legacy of Kings
Author: Eleanor Herman
Publication Date: August 25th, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
About: There is quite a bit of hype for this book and it is a retelling of Arthur, so it sounds great. From what I have heard, it does a really good job in terms of portraying the time period accurately. I also know Eleanor Herman did a lot of research for this series.
Where to Find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Did I forget any books that you are looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Publication Date:  April 1st, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Won in a Giveaway
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

"All you need is a little push sometimes. Sometimes it's a tornado; sometimes it's the kind of right arm that gets you a football scholarship. He had been set to go. Until eight and a half months ago, that is."- pg. 5

I know there is some controversy with this author, along with the publisher, but I don't want to judge this book based on any of that. I went into this book with no expectations, I was just looking forward to reading a book about an alternate Oz. Right off the bat, this book impressed me with its vivid descriptions and its world. I loved the idea of this almost post-apocalyptic Oz, where Dorothy has run rampant and has enslaved the people.

I appreciated that like the Wizard of Oz, we got to see a little bit of Amy in her own world and the hardships she goes through pre-tornado before she is thrown into Oz. Then once she is in Oz, we get this amazing back-story on what happened after Dorothy left and then when she came back.

I really enjoyed our main character, Amy. She was reluctant at first, and slowly saw why she was needed. I appreciate a hero who does not agree to fix everything right away and has to grow into their role. As for the other characters, I have no idea who you can trust and who is on what side, and I really like that. I like that there is the potential for so many twists and turns.

One last thought, I'm beyond peeved by the back cover of this book. It gives away a huge plot detail that you literally do not find out until the last like 10 pages of the book. This was horrible marketing for the book and incredibly disappointing to me that something that is revealed that late in the story is blatantly put on the back. So as an FYI for everyone who wants to read this, do not look at the back of the book (hardcover at least) or you will be spoiled.

Now I really need to get my hands on The Wicked Will Rise after that ending! Have you read the series? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Waiting on Wednesday #6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s eagerly anticipating!

 

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.

Carry On will be released October 6th, 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin!

Fangirl is one of my favorite books of all time, so I cannot wait to read about Simon and Baz in their own book. I'm also really hoping this becomes a series, so we get lots of Simon and Baz.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?