Question, Uncategorized

Trying…

Guys. Once again, I feel like I’m apologizing for being absent for so long. It’s never intentional, but life gets in the way sometimes and the last few months have been hectic.

So, what should I post next? Books and ratings for my reads so far this year? Reviews from August? My current update for books on my shelves? I’ve got so much I want to talk about and having trouble finding my footing.

Any suggestions for a new meme or topic you’d love to see more of, comment below. I implore you to help a girl out. Love you, awesome nerds.

-Lauren xx

Uncategorized

New Year, new books, new pages.

Hello, friends! I’ve absolutely sucked at posting updates the last couple years. But one of my resolutions is to get on here and actually post some updates about my reading, reviews, challenges, all that good stuff!! I’m also planning to post some of my BuJo pages, so if you see any you’d like to see updates for, let me know!! Hope your new year is starting out well, I’ve been sick for nearly a week now, so hopefully this will pass. Love to everyone.

Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Contemporary, dystopian, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Uncategorized, Young Adult

January’s Reads (2022)

This year started off pretty well, I’ve actually done quite a bit of reading so far. We started off the year with a whole lot of packing- 3 moving truck’s worth. And then we spent quite a bit of time driving across the country to our new home in Kentucky. It’s been an adventure, for sure and we’re so happy to be here. But, here’s what I read in January of 2022:

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. FINALLY listened to the audio version and loved it, then listened to it again on our drive out here with my boyfriend so he could finally read this book.
5/5 on this read, as always.

REVIEW:

I’m writing this review all over again because I just absolutely love this book and even though it’s a re-read I think I fell even more in love with this book.

Kristoff and Kaufman are just absolutely genius when it comes to collaborations, this was such an incredible story and such a UNIQUE way to tell it. It’s got some of the most amazing writing because half the time you don’t even realize it’s such an odd format and you’re so into the story that you look down after reading for half an hour and you’ve flown through more than 50 pages because you’re just so engrossed.

The characters are amazing as well. Kady being the badass she was from beginning to end and seeing every side of Ezra and just… gahhh. They’re both so genuine! And then there’s AIDAN. Fuck, man.

This book just raises so many questions and brings up so much about humanity and it’s highs and lows and everything in between. The more I sit here and revel over everything that happens, the more I just want to read it over and over again. Literally, it’s that good.

And now I’m just rambling, but I LOVE this book.

2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout. A solid 4/5 for me.

REVIEW:

This was a great continuation of Poppy’s story. I absolutely love her as a character and the world-building in this book was fantastic. I love these characters so much and getting to read their journey has been great.

These books are pretty spicy and I absolutely love that about them. Armentrout is such a great author and I love seeing her expand her universes from beyond the same sort of formular, her writing gets better as she goes. Definitely can’t wait to finish the series.

3. How Not to Fall in Love by Jacqueline Firkins. 4/5

REVIEW:
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This book was so cute. I loved Harper and despite her being blind to certain things, it felt real. Everything came together in a way that thrilled me, but there were some realistic bumps along the way.

I flew through this book in what would’ve been one sitting, but ended up being two. It was so cute, I had to know how it all played out.

I definitely want to check out other books by this author because I loved the way she writes. Overall, a very cute romance, and a very quick read.

4. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. 5/5

REVIEW:
One of the best fake dating stories I’ve yet to come across. This book was so cute from beginning to end, I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.

I absolutely loved Olive and loved watching her grow over the course of the book. I loved her friends. Anh especially and all the shenanigans she forced Olive into, especially when it came to Adam.

I flew through more than half of this book in one sitting because I had to know how it all played out.

5. The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson. 4/5

REVIEW:
What a ride. I definitely enjoy the mystery aspect behind these books and can’t wait to read the next one to see where it goes. This one progressed nicely over such a short period of time and I really want to know what happened to the added mysteries towards the end.

Stevie still isn’t my favorite character, but I did like her in this one more than the last, I feel like she’s grown a bit, but she’s still annoying at times- I wish she’d just tell people the damn truth more often, but I digress.

With how this one ended, I immediately went online and purchased the next one, so hopefully I’ll have it in my hands soon so I can see what happens next.

6 & 7: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 4/5 and 5/5

REVIEWS:
HUNGER GAMES:

Boy, oh boy. I read this again for the first time in years as a buddy read with two of my absolute best friends, Ashley and Tiffany. I loved this even more than I thought I would and ended up finishing the book in two sittings. (oops)

I loved seeing how different this was from the movie after just having watched it a few days prior, and as always, the book is better. There are a lot of little moments of rebellion, certain things said or done by characters that are omitted from the movie and I feel like that takes away some of the oomph from certain moments. Haymitch’s character is toned down so much from the movies, but I feel like it was so important for him to sober up enough to help them throughout, seeing as that’s not his usual operating status; You can tell right off the bat when they start going at him that he realizes he may actually have a chance of seeing one of them make it through.

I love Katniss even more in the books, being inside her head as she goes through everything she does gives you way more insight as to why she’s making the decisions she does and I feel like that’s something they really couldn’t do in the movie.

I’m sad that they cut Madge out of the movie because her character is one Katniss actually thinks rather kindly of, and that’s big for Katniss.

There are so many details left out of the movie but this book really sets the stage for the rest of the series and gives you a good understanding of how much the people of Panem suffer on a regular basis at the hands of the Capitol.

Catching Fire:
Another book that I had absolutely no problem plowing through. I contained myself more with this one because it’s my favorite, but still finished earlier than we had planned for our buddy read. Oops.

Yet again, I forgot just how much of the “little” moments were left out of this book- Madge yet again, Darius, and so much else. I loved getting to know some of the other victors from the other districts, even if they were in less favorable conditions.

The games in this book take up so little of the book itself, but the arena is beyond crazy with how it’s set up. And again, all the little things Katniss misses until it’s too late- like the watch at the beginning.

This series will forever hold a special place in my heart, it was one that really kicked my love of all things sci-fi and dystopian into gear and made me that much more of an avid reader.
_______________________________________

Whelp. I read 7 books in January and all in all, it was a great moth of reading. Did you read any new favorites in January this year? I know, it’s going back a while, but this has actually been fun getting to reflect on what I’ve read so far this year. The Love Hypothesis is definitely a new favorite for me! That’s all for now.
~Bookschief_Managed

Uncategorized

Getting Back to it

Well, it’s been a while. My family moved states at the beginning of the year and we spent the few months prior doing almost nothing but packing up the house we’d lived in for 30 years. My book life hasn’t slowed down by any means, I just didn’t have enough energy to get on here and update like I should’ve been doing. So, I’m back, and I hope to stay that way. Going to start going through this year’s reads and leaving reviews as a way to get back into this, since I’ve read 37 books this year already.

So, what’ve you read this year? What’re your favorites? Anything you were disappointed by? Let me know!

Book Reviews, dystopian, Sci-Fi, Uncategorized, Young Adult

Life-ish

I_OO6MV7

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Read: 6/16/19-6/20/19

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Your past doesn’t make calls on your future. It doesn’t matter who you were. Only who you are.”

Guys. I cannot express my love for this book enough. There’s just absolutely no way I can do any sort of justice for this masterpiece. Kristoff, you’ve done it again, damnit. This book was one that I couldn’t put down and that I loved for so many reasons, I just can’t get over it. I will have the absolute WORST book hangover because of this.

This book was a mashup of so many different worlds and stories and through it all, it was one of the most unique and gripping books that I’ve ever read. Guys, this was Mad Max, I, Robot, Alita: Battle Angel, Anastasia, and so many others and I cannot- CANNOT express how much I loved it. I don’t know how Kristoff made it work, but he did. And he made it work so well.

Plus, it was full of beautiful quotes like these:

“Breathing in the ink and feeling all those wonderful lives beneath you fingertips. In between the pages, I’m an emperor. An adventurer. A warrior and a wanderer. In between pages I’m not myself-and more myself than in any other place on earth.”

“It’s simple to love someone on the days that are easy. But you find out what your love is made of on the days that are hard.”

“Your scars tell who you are. Your skin is the page, and your scars are the ink, telling the story of your life.”

And those are just some of my favorites.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? That prologue was absolutely heart wrenching. Kristoff didn’t waste time letting you know this book was going to be a damn tragedy.

“Almost everybody called her Eve”

And boy, did I love our MC. Eve and her fauxhawk had me hooked from the first page. She’s determined, stubborn, and just an all-around badass.

Lemon Fresh. I kid you not, you guys, that’s her name. And I adore her. She and Eve had one of the purest, most refreshing friendships I’ve ever read about in a book. They were sisters in something so far beyond blood and I absolutely loved their friendship.

CRICKET. Cutest little robot in the world. He reminded me a bit of Marvin from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but only because of the big old head. He was just an absolute delight and I love how much he hated on Ezekiel as they interacted. All I can say is: him fixing the window in the car.

Kaiser. What a good boy. Every good dystopian or sci-fi novel needs man’s best friend, right? The way Kristoff introduced and used the blitzhunds in this novel. SO. COOL. All I wanted to do was give Kaiser a good scratch behind the ears and take him home with me. That dog is TOUGH.
Ezekiel. Gahhh. I honestly feel for him. I don’t want to say a whole lot, so that I’m not giving away any plot points, but I loved him.

The romance wasn’t overdone. The plot moved along at a great pace- it made you want to keep reading and the action scenes were great. The plot, the development, the world, all of it was amazingly well done. I’m thrilled that I waited until the last minute to read this book, because if it wasn’t going to be in my hands on Tuesday, I would be livid. To all of you who read this when it came out and who are also waiting to get your hands on DEV1AT3, I’m so so sorry.


-Laurenxx

Uncategorized

End of Year Book Survey!

As usual, I love to see what That Artsy Reader Girl is up to at her blog and when I saw she got this from Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner I had to try it. It’s such a fun way to really get a look into your reads for the year! 🙂



2018 Reading Stats:

Number of books read: 52

Number of rereads: 12

Most read genre: YA Fantasy

Best in Books:

1. Best books you read in 2018:

YA FANTASY: The remainder of the Pendragon series, Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Legendary by Stephanie Garber, and Furyborn by Claire Legrand.

YA SCI-FI: Thunderhead by Neil Shusterman, and Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

CONTEMPORARY: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram.

2. Book you were excited about and thought you’d love but didn’t:

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes. It just didn’t explain things the way I’d hoped and we were left with so much emptiness in plot.

3. Most surprising (in good or bad way):

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. I honestly fell in love with it and was NOT expecting that at all, I just wanted a quick read to get me through a slump, and it did.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):

Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I mean, if you haven’t read it, do it.

5. Best series you started in 2018. Best sequel of 2018. Best series ender of 2018.

Started: Warcross by Marie Lu, and Furyborn by Claire Legrand.

Sequel: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer.

Series ender: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018:

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, it was the first solo-authored book of his I read.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/ was out of your comfort zone:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I don’t typically read adult contemporary because the sex tends to be a bit much for me in a book, but I read it because of a recommendation and LOVED it.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdowbable book of the year:

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

9. Book you read in 2018 that you’re likely to re-read in 2019:

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018:

Salt for Air by M.C. Frank or Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare.

11. Most memorable character of 2018:

Ella Rodriguez from Cinder & Ella.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018:

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

13. Most thought-provoking/ life-changing read of 2018:

Didn’t really read a lot of “life-changing” stuff this year.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2018 to read:

The entire Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale.

15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2018:

“A great character needs trials to overcome—experiences to give them depth, to make them vulnerable, relatable, and likable. Good characters need hardships to make them strong. The idea makes sense, but it still sucks if you’re the heroine.”

-Cinder & Ella

16. Shortest and Longest reads of 2018:

Shortest: Batman & the Signal (168)

Longest: Queen of Air and Darkness (880)

17. Book that shocked you the most:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I just loved all the Japanese lore and wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did.

18. OTP of the year (you’d go down with this ship):

I mean, obviously Julian and Emma from The Dark Artifices but also Ella Rodriguez and Brian Oliver from Cinder & Ella.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship:

Emma and Cristina from The Dark Artifices or the entire Blackthorn family.

20. Favorite book from 2018 from an author you’d previously read:

Warcross by Marie Lu.

21. Best book from 2018 that you read solely based on a recommendation:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018:

Joshua Templeman from Cinder & Ella.

23. Best 2018 debut you read:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa.

24. Most vivid setting you read this year:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. Seriously guys. Exploring rural Japan alongside samurais and a half-yokai MC.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/ was the most fun to read:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. You want witty banter? That’s your book.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2018:

Salt for Air by M.C. Frank, Legendary by Stephanie Garber, and Furyborn by Claire Legrand.

27. Hidden Gem of the Year:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa.

28. Book that crushed your soul:

The Soldiers of Hala (Pendragon #10) by D.J. MacHale

29. Most Unique book read in 2018:

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

30. Book that made you the maddest (not that you necessarily hated):

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer. Mostly because Nova frustrates me to no end.

My Blogging/ Bookish Life:

1. New favorite blog you discovered in 2018:

Technically any of the blogs I followed this year, but I’m going to be better about keeping up with everyone in 2019.

2. Favorite review you wrote in 2018:

Probably my review for: Cinder & Ella

3. Best discussion/ non-review post:

Don’t really have any that I *love*.

4. Best event that you participated in:

Marissa Meyer’s signing for Archenemies, which was AMAZING.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life:

My best friend and I are working on starting a blog and a YouTube channel and I could not be more excited.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year:

I hit a really bad reading slump and that’s always so disheartening.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog:

Everything was about the same, around 15-20 likes.

8. Post you wished got a little more love:

All my reviews.

9. Best bookish discovery:

Honestly, just loved visiting The Last Bookstore in LA again. If you’re ever in the area, go there.

10. Did you complete any reading challenge or goals you’d set for yourself at the beginning of the year?

Yes!! I just finished my Goodreads challenge of 52 books!

Looking Ahead:

1. One book you didn’t get to in 2018 but will be your number 1 priority:

Kingdom of Ash … I know. I know.

2. Book you’re most anticipating in 2019 (non-debut):

The Toll by Neil Shusterman

3. 2019 debut you’re most anticipating:

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare.

4. Sequel you’re most anticipating:

Finale by Stephanie Garber.

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/ bookish life in 2019:

Be more on top of myself with my reading and DNF if I really don’t like the book.


-Laurenxx

Uncategorized

WWW #3!

Herro, lovelies! It’s time for another WWW!

For those of you who don’t know what this meme is, it started over at Taking on a World of Words  and it really just answers a few simple questions.

Basically, you answer the three W’s each week, which are:

-What are you currently reading?

-What have you recently finished reading?

-What do you think you’ll read next?



Photo Sep 26, 10 21 45 AM

What I’m currently reading!

I got the ARC for Shadow of the Fox a couple weeks back and started reading it a couple days ago… it’s so freaking good! I’m hoping to have it finished by today so I can post a review! I grabbed The Hating Game from the library last week because it came highly recommended to me by one of my best friends! And One Dark Throne has been on my TBR since I bought it when it was released last year. About time I read it!


What I’ve finished reading recently.

Some really great books in here! Review for Cinder & Ella here: Cinder & Ella Review and for Furyborn here: Furyborn Review ! A Spark of Light review will be posted on here on October 2nd when the book is released!


 

What I plan on reading next!

Gahhh I’ve got so many books to read and absolutely CANNOT wait to get to these ones!



-Laurenxx

Fantasy, Informative, Sci-Fi, TBR Tackle Thursday, Uncategorized, Young Adult

TBR Tackle Thursday! Part 16

Hey hey, howdy hey! I’ve got an abundance of energy right now and figured it was the perfect opportunity to knock out this week’s TBR Tackle! I’m feeling good about making some progress through this!

For those of you who haven’t done this before but need to get rid of some books from your ever-growing TBR list, here’s what to do:

  1. Go to that list of yours wherever it’s at.
  2. Go to the OLDEST stuff listed.
  3. Pick a chunk (5,10,15, 25, however many you want to go through) of books.
  4. Read the synopsis, and decide if you’re going to keep it on that list or if it’s one of those books that sounded good at the time.
  5. Post your list and your verdicts!


186074

1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Synopsis:

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

Verdict:

I mean, I’m sure it’s great but this doesn’t sound like a book I’m going to enjoy at the moment, so I’m going to say REMOVING for now!


index

2. Maplecroft by Cherie Priest

Synopsis:

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one….

The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.

But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.

This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.

Verdict:

Nope. Not a big mystery/ thriller person. REMOVING!


4cbaaab3363df43dd080e99b8cfa918d

3. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Synopsis:

Although I had never seen him before, I recognized him immediately. I’d have known his voice anywhere. This was the guy I’d seen on my last journey back in time.

Or more precisely, the one who’d kissed my doppelganger while I was hiding behind the curtain in disbelief.

Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended – and rather eccentric – family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors’ peculiar history, she’s had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn’t been introduced to “the mysteries,” and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesly. It comes as an unwelcome surprise when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.

She’s totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He’s obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she’s seen in any century…

Verdict:

This sounds even better than I’d thought. Plus I own it! KEEPING!


18910286

4. Insanity by Cameron Jace

Synopsis:

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland’s real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

Verdict:

This sounds super interesting and I love Alice in Wonderland! KEEPING!


Unteachable-194x300

5. Unteachable by Leah Raeder

Synopsis:

Maise O’Malley just turned eighteen, but she’s felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.

But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.

When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can’t get Evan out of her head. He’s taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.

That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.

Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they’re real and genuine; apart, they’re just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.

Smart, sexy, and provocative, Unteachable is about what happens when a love story goes off-script.

Verdict:

Yup. This sounds good and I’m definitely going to check it out soon! KEEPING


9780689876059_hr

6. To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones

Synopsis:

Her friends have a joke about her:
How can you tell if Colette is lying?

Her mouth is open.

Fifteen-year-old Colette is addicted to lying. Her shrink says this is because she’s got a very bad case of Daughter-of-a-famous-movie-star Disorder—so she lies to escape out from under her mother’s massive shadow. But Colette doesn’t see it that way. She says she lies because it’s the most fun she can have with her clothes on. Not that she’s had that much fun with her clothes off. At least not yet, anyway…

When her mother drags her away from Hollywood to spend the entire summer on location in a boring little town in the middle of nowhere, Colette is less than thrilled. But then she meets a sexy biker named Connor. He’s older, gorgeous, funny, and totally into her. So what if she lies to him about her age, and about who her mother is? I mean, she has to keep her mother’s identity a secret from him. If he finds out who she really is, he’ll forget all about Colette, and start panting and drooling and asking her for her mother’s autograph. Just like everyone always does.

But what Colette doesn’t know is that Connor is keeping a secret of his own…

Verdict:

I’m torn. I used to love Sonya Sones, but I think I’m a bit beyond this kind of book now. REMOVING.


220px-The_100_book_cover

7. The 100 by Kass Morgan

Synopsis:

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth’s radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents — considered expendable by society — are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life…or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she’s haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor’s son, came to Earth for the girl he loves — but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind’s last hope.

Verdict:

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and have even put off watching the show until I’ve read them all. So… KEEPING!


13138734

8. This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Synopsis:

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet’s rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn’s blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Verdict:

Loved the first book for this one! And I won this in a giveaway, so definitely KEEPING!


1532794792187

9. Frostfire by Amanda Hocking

Synopsis:

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who’s determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She’s not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

Verdict:

I’ve heard good things about this one, why not? KEEPING!


18460392

10. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Verdict:

Definitely been wanting to read this one! KEEPING



*** TOTAL KEPT/ REMOVED: 7/3 ***

Not too shabby, I would say. At least I removed a few!

-Laurenxx

dystopian, Fantasy, Informative, Sci-Fi, TBR Tackle Thursday, Uncategorized, Young Adult

TBR Tackle Thursday (#6)

It’s that time again! Stoked to see what I’ve got for the week. I actually thoroughly enjoy going through this, and I think part of that is being reminded of all the good books I still have to read. :p

Let’s see what I can get rid of this week!

11043618

1. What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Synopsis:

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Thoughts:

I honestly don’t remember having added this to my TBR, but I am definitely intrigued!

Verdict:

Keeping this one, for sure!

675614

2. Book of Shadows (Sweep #1) by Cate Tiernan

Synopsis:

Something is happening to me that I don’t understand.

I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can’t do. Powerful things. Magical things. It scares me.

I never chose to learn witchcraft. But I’m starting to wonder if witchcraft is choosing me.

Thoughts:

Okay… so, the synopsis seems a bit lacking to me, but something about this book sounds super interesting.

Verdict:

Keeping it for now! If I can get a copy of this, I’ll definitely read it.

51NBTOzPUlL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

3. One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

Synopsis:

“Mistakes have been made.”

Drew Silver has begun to accept that life isn’t going to turn out as he expected. His fleeting fame as the drummer for a one-hit wonder rock band is nearly a decade behind him. His ex-wife is about to marry a terrific guy. And his Princeton-bound teenage daughter Casey has just confided in him that she’s pregnant—because Silver is the one she cares least about letting down.

So when Silver learns that he requires emergency life-saving heart surgery, he makes the radical decision to refuse the operation, choosing instead to spend what time he has left to repair his relationship with Casey, become a better man, and live in the moment—even if that moment isn’t going to last very long. As his exasperated family looks on, Silver grapples with the ultimate question of whether or not his own life is worth saving.

Thoughts:

I love the author’s other story This is Where I Leave You, but I admit I’ve only seen the movie, I found out it was a book afterwards when my mom finally admitted she’d read it and wanted to see the movie.

Verdict:

Staying. I do want to read this and his other stuff too. The story line definitely sounds intriguing.

13645645

4. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Synopsis:

When Davy Hamilton’s tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn’t feel any different, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

Thoughts:

Oooh intrigue. I don’t remember adding this one either but it sounds SO GOOD.

Verdict:

Keeping it. Yes. I want to read it so bad.

13518102

5. Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Synopsis:

Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated, conservative deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean.

Thoughts:

The concept is definitely interesting.

Verdict:

Screw it. I’m keeping this one, I think I’d actually really enjoy it. This book sounds like it’d be right up my alley.

71M2IEOx3nL

6. Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Synopsis:

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

Thoughts:

I actually remember adding this to my shelf a couple years  ago, and I ended up with a copy of this one about two days after I finished Scythe.

Verdict:

Keeping! I love his writing style and I’m definitely up for reading this one soon.

ember-no-c

7. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Synopsis:

Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness…

But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?

Thoughts:

Ehh… it sounds fairly interesting, but I don’t know if it’s one I’d enjoy.

Verdict:

Removing. It’s one of those I probably won’t end up reading to be honest.

81GBqsoRPaL

8. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Synopsis:

R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn’t want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

Thoughts:

I’ve seen the movie and I definitely enjoyed it… I don’t know how much I want to read it though.

Verdict:

Removing. At least for now, I’ve got so many books to read and I don’t know if I’ll pick this up after watching the movie.

8928054

9. Shine by Lauren Myracle

Synopsis:

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Thoughts:

Meh. I’m not a big mystery person. I don’t know why I added this to begin with.

Verdict:

Removing.  I won’t pick this one up.

11988046

10. Pivot Point by Kasie West

Synopsis:

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier…

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through… and who she can’t live without.

Thoughts:

Yup yup yup! This is definitely right up my alley and sounds absolutely amazing.

Verdict:

Staying. For sure.


***Keeping/ Removing: 6/4***

Whelp, progress is progress! I won’t complain about this!


Currently Reading:

Lola and the Boy Next Door (page 237)

Ender’s Game (page 100 ish? :p )

-Laurenxx