The TBR Tag

Last week, we were tagged by Sabrina at I Heart YA Fiction to do a post all about our TBR piles. This tag was created by Rachel at A Perfection Called Books and Dana from Dana Square. It's a great way to discuss how we manage our TBR piles and showcase a few of the titles on them! It also has the potential to be quite embarrassing. =D


How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Jen: Um, like this?

In all seriousness, though, I use Goodreads to add books to my TBR shelf, but I use a spreadsheet and Google calendar to keep track of my review TBR pile. I have a few shelves on GR that assist me in keeping track of these review books, but there is just nothing like that spreadsheet to a spreadsheet nerd like myself.

April: Goodreads...definitely. I keep track of my review books in a Word document.

Is your TBR mostly print or ebook?

Jen: Probably about half and half these days. I have more unread physical copies on my shelf than I care to admit, but the same is true of my Kindle. Oh, wait...you didn't ask about audiobooks...but that's probably a good thing, lol. If we were doing that split, it would probably be 40% print, 40% ebooks, and 20% audiobooks. *sigh*

April: Haha, if you asked me that a couple years ago, I would have said print. Now, it's kindle hands down. I have a serious problem when it comes to buying kindle copies on sale.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

Jen: Most of the time, I resort to my handy dandy review schedule, i.e. that wonderful spreadsheet I mentioned before. BUT, I'm a bit of a mood reader. So, sometimes, I'll just decide to read a book that's not due for release for months, just on a whim. I'll also nix things off my schedule when I've read enough bad press for a title that I no longer have any interest in reading it. But mostly, I try to read things in order of publication. Though, I have been known to sneak in some older books from my shelves. =)

April: I used to just read what I wanted. It was awesome. For the most part, if I really want to read something, I will read it, but more often than not, I choose a review book that's closest to release.

A book that's been on your TBR list the longest?

Jen:  I love Neil Gaiman. But for some reason, I am always scared to start his books.

April:  I kind of feel ashamed that I haven't read this one yet. I heard that she should have stopped with the first three. So I'm afraid to pick this one up.

A book that you recently added to your TBR pile?

Jen:  Just saw this on a WoW post this week and it sounds cute. Sometimes a girl just needs cute. ;)

April:   I saw someone add this to their TBR recently and anything that says mermaids sticks out to me because Aubrey is obsessed with them. :)

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover:

Jen:  I didn't even know what it was about, but I saw that cover and knew it had to be mine. And then to find out it's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty? Even better.

April:  I haven't heard all that much about this one, but I added it to my list because the cover is gorgeous.

A book on your TBR that you NEVER plan on actually reading:

Jen:  Not a fan of Anna Carey's writing at all. I don't know how I made it through the first two books in the Eve series, but I know I rated them low and it's doubtful I'll ever finish. Don't know why I decided to add this to my TBR, other than everyone else was doing it at the time.

April:  I quit this series, but not before I added this one to my Goodreads.

Jen: Oh, don't feel bad, April. I've got a ton of Abbi Glines books on my TBR shelf on GR, too, probably even have one or two on my Kindle, but I have no desire to read them now, either.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for:

Jen:  Soooo many but probably this one most of all.

April:  I'm so freaking excited to read this one.

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you:

Jen:  I know.

April:  Especially now that the Starz show is out.. everyone is reading them.

Jen: Yeah, I'd planned to read it, too, April, but it's mammoth. Even the audio is 30+ hours. I love the show, so I'm just going to stick to that and maybe one day when I have nothing else to read, I'll pick up Outlander. (Yeah, right....nothing else to read, pshaw.)

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you:

Jen:  Actually, it's the second book that comes so heartily recommended, but I can't very well start the series in the middle, now can I?

April:  I've had numerous people recommend this one. Good thing I have it! Just wish I had the time.

Jen: I know you have a physical copy, but I was recommended the audio and I'm kind of in love with it now. And one of my least favorite narrators performs it, if that tells you anything about just how good the audiobook is.

A book on your TBR that you're dying to read:

Jen:  Soon, my precious...soon.

April:  This just came out...and, oh, how I want to read it. Maybe someday. lol.

The number of books on your Goodreads TBR shelf?

Jen: 1,662...and growing by the day...it was 1,646 when I first started this post :P

April: 855, I guess that's not too bad in comparison to Jen's. lol

We now tag:

Marlene @ The Flyleaf Review
Kristen @ My Friends Are Fiction - she's taking a bloggy break :)
Summer @ Blue Sky Bookshelf
Danielle @ Love at First Page
Cait @ Notebook Sisters
Nereyda @ Mostly YA Book Obsessed


We hope you have fun with this, too! =D

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Labels: goodreads, tags, TBR pile

{Audiobook} Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Series: n/a
Narrator: Allan Corduner
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: September 12th, 2006
Source: Borrowed Audio from Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids - as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

I'm a little late to the train on this one. So many of my friends have read and loved this book. Finally, I got around to it. And I can kind of see what all the rage is about. 

The Book Thief is beautiful and terrible all in one shot. The writing and story was top notch, but I did find myself bored at times. These kind of books are hard for me to stay interested in. I got the audio through my library and I had to take it back out because I didn't finish it the first time around. This story is depressing. I mean.. it takes place during World War II, so of course it's depressing. It was hard to listen to. There were moments though, moments of hope that just lit me up with warmth, and for those moments, I'm glad I listened to it.

The narrator is death! And that was pretty freaking cool. I loved how he mentioned little things early on, and you didn't get to see them play out until the end. The narrator did a fantastic job of reading death. If I could do it again, I would listen to the audio. I kind of followed along on my kindle, but mostly I stuck with the audio. 

I have not seen the movie.. but I plan to. I think I will like it. Maybe even more than the book. We will see.

Rating The Book Thief was tricky... because if I had to rate it based on my interest, it would be a 3 or 3.5, but the writing is a 5 hands down. So that brings me to a solid 4 I think. I'm glad I gave this one a shot, but I probably won't read any of his other stuff. 

About the author:

Markus Zusak was born in 1975 and is the author of five books, including the international bestseller, The Book Thief , which is translated into more than forty languages. First released in 2005, The Book Thief has spent a total of 375 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and still remains there eight years after it first came out.

His first three books, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe and When Dogs Cry (also known as Getting the Girl ), released between 1999 and 2001, were all published internationally and garnered a number of awards and honours in his native Australia, and the USA.

Find Markus:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: Audiobook, death, knopf, markus zusak, movie, reviews, the book thief, world war II

Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #1
Publisher: Putnam BFYR
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

I've been anticipating The Young Elites for what feels like forever. I was not, however, anticipating just how dark this novel would be. I loved Marie Lu's LEGEND series and thought it was incredibly strong from start to finish. I sense that the same will be true for THE YOUNG ELITES series, as well.

The thing is, there's not a single character in this book who is well and truly good. Not one. They manipulate to their own ends. They scheme with ulterior motivations. I wouldn't trust any of them, and Adelina is right to keep everyone at arm's distance, even if it means she has to face her demons on her own. Adelina is not simply facing adversity at the hands of her captors or from her would-be allies...she's facing death because of who she is and what she can do...and what she now knows.

When she meets the members of the Dagger Society, she thinks she may have finally found kindred spirits. Adelina is broken and has been since she emerged from the blood fever that ravaged the city, killing many and leaving many more marked, including Adelina. As a malfetto, her life has not been easy, but it was made even less so by a father who only wanted to use her to his own ends. Making her situation worse still was the fact that her younger sister had not received any marking as a result of the fever and was therefore perfect in the eyes of their father and doted on as such.

I loved the sister dynamic in this book, most especially because it was so very reminiscent of the one in Cruel Beauty, another book I read and loved earlier this year. A hard, demanding father's expectations of his eldest daughter. His doting on the younger, more beautiful sister. Love, misplaced hatred, and jealousy that all lead to a broken bond...and all in the name of protecting one another. Adelina's memories paint quite the portrait of her relationship with Violetta, colored by her jealousy that she is marked and Violetta is perfect. But there are moments that show Adelina in a less harsh light. It's just a shame that the only one who seems able to keep Adelina from the darkness is her sister.

But others seek to fuel the darkness in Adelina, to harness the power that the darkness calls forth and use it for their own purposes. Adelina doesn't know who she can trust, only that she must do everything in her power to save her sister from the Inquisition. In doing so, she might risk the ultimate betrayal...and the only love she's ever known.

If you're anything like me, you saw one girl + two boys and immediately suspected that a love triangle was afoot. You'll quickly discover that, though the synopsis does lend itself to an air of triangularity, at least one of the potential love interests is otherwise engaged already. And I don't mean in the matrimonial sense, only that this character's affections are already spoken for. So, fear not, haters of love triangles...your ship will have smooth sailing...sort of. I enjoyed the romance that developed, for the most part, and when it was on, it was ON, but I still felt like something was missing. That could have something to do with the fact that I never fully connected with any of the characters, thanks to their continued evil-mindedness, though.

Also, I might lay some of the blame with all of those viewpoints. Adelina's is most prevalent, but from time to time, we are launched into Teren, Enzo and even Raffaele's perspectives and thoughts, though from a third-person point-of-view as opposed to Adelina's first person. I was intrigued to learn more about what was happening with the Daggers and at the Inquisition Tower, but I also felt that it pulled me away from feelings I could have developed toward Adelina's precarious situation, instead of thinking she was as bad as all the rest.

The ending of this novel is just as unsettling as the beginning and no less intense. I don't think it could've ended on a better note, albeit dark and dire as can be. It was soul-crushing but also elegant in its destruction. I don't know that I'd have wanted it any other way, even if it means that possibly even more disturbing things are coming as a result. I am just in awe of Marie Lu's ability to continually surprise me at every turn, to completely destroy what little heart I had left after her characters dashed it to pieces with their villainy. And I can't wait for her to do it again in the next book.

GIF it to me straight:

Mind = Blown

And be sure to check out my giveaway for The Young Elites, plus the entire LEGEND series by Marie Lu:

Marie Lu Prize Pack
US only
Ends 9/30

About the author:

Marie Lu is the author of the New York Times bestselling Legend series. She spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one boyfriend, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Find Marie:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: fantasy, marie lu, penguin, reviews, superpowers, the young elites

{Audiobook} Review: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Title: The Infinite Sea
Author: Rick Yancey
Narrator(s): Phoebe Strole, Ben Yannette
Series: The 5th Wave, book #2
Length: 8 hrs 13 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The hugely anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave.

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse.

No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test.

Readers will watch in awe as the Others give their answer to Cassie’s defiance.

Mild spoilers for the first book in the series, but no spoilers for this installment.

Considering how much I tend to love anything of the science fiction persuasion, I don't actually read all that much that fits in this category. I freely admit that it took quite a bit of coaxing to get me to even give The 5th Wave a chance last year. Once I did, though, I understood why so many were lauding it as one of the best books of the year. The sequel is no less amazing. In actuality, I might even consider The Infinite Sea to be even more brilliant and compelling than its predecessor.

We know the stakes. We know who we're fighting against. And we know who our allies are. Until we don't. Things are different in this second installment. It picks up where The 5th Wave left off, with the surviving kids holed up in a hotel, trying to figure out their next plan of action, waiting for Evan -- assuming he survived, and trying to come to terms with how these alien invaders infiltrated the human race and turned us against each other. And most of the book is narrated by Ringer.

Sure, Cassie still throws her two cents in every once in awhile, but this sequel really focuses on Ringer and her struggle. I wasn't really a fan of Ringer's in the first book, and that hadn't really changed at the beginning of this one. But I think that's the beauty of adding an additional narrator, along with expanding upon older characters (Poundcake!) and introducing a few new characters (Razor!). Where I wasn't able to connect with Ringer before, I was inexplicably drawn to her character in this book the more I experienced from her perspective. She isn't a nice person but she is a practical one, and witnessing her battle her own humanity -- versus doing what needed to be done -- did lead to seeing her character in a new light.

The new characters and perspectives had me so fully engaged in the story that I was repeatedly caught unawares by the direction of the story. I knew what was happening with Evan in the first book. I even suspected the deception employed at the base and what role Vosch played in it. This book, however, was anything but predictable. I barely had a moment to catch my breath before we were racing off after another unfortunate truth, something else so horrible it had heretofore been beyond the scope of possibility.

It probably helped that Phoebe Strole continues to be absolutely enthralling as the female narrator in this series. She portrayed Cassie as the hopeful survivor in the first book and does so here in this novel, too, but she also portrays the sharp-tongued Ringer and manages to make both characters sound unique while doing so. Ben Yanette was not the original narrator in The 5th Wave, but without listening to the two audiobooks side-by-side, I don't know that I would have actually noticed much difference. I think that listening to the audiobook definitely helps separate the characters' voices, especially with so many perspectives spread throughout the novel, and both narrators do a splendid job of giving each character their own voice. The audio helps make each voice more distinct than they might otherwise appear in the text, notably with the numerous allusions made by the characters to the infinite sea and the philosophizing that runs rampant whenever they do mention it.

This series is so different from all of the other YA sci-fi books I've tackled. It's brutal, ruthless in its exploration of human nature, and it strives to get to the nitty-gritty of what makes us human...and what it would take for us to lose our humanity. The author endeavors to explore not only the physiological affects of the alien infiltration on the survivors -- and the aliens -- but also the psychological toll it's taken on them all. Assimilation? Annihilation? What is the aliens' endgame? And will the survivors live to see it to fruition? I love that I have absolutely no idea, especially not with the curveball thrown at the end of this book. I only wish I had the next installment on hand so I could satisfy my curiosity.

GIF it to me straight:

Yes! Yes! YESSSSSS!!!!

About the author:

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.

Find Rick:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: aliens, audiobooks, favorites, must-read, omfg, penguin, reviews, rick yancey, sci-fi, the 5th wave

Waiting on Wednesday: Twisted Fate & The Fill-in Boyfriend

"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 WoW selections are...








's Pick:




Title: Twisted Fate
Author: Norah Olson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Publication Date: January 20th, 2015

When Alyson meets Graham Copeland, the new boy next door, she instantly feels like he’s a kindred spirit—shy and awkward like her, someone who has trouble making friends. It’s impossible to resist having a crush on him.

As usual, her sister, Sydney, sees things differently. In Sydney's mind, Graham's odd personality and secretive past scream psychopath, not sweetheart. Her gut is telling her to stay away from him, and to protect a love-struck Alyson from her own naïveté. But despite her instincts, Sydney is surprised to realize that a part of her is drawn to Graham, too.

And the more Sydney gets to know him, the more she realizes just how right—and wrong—she is about everything.

Perfect for fans of Michelle Hodkin, and E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars, Twisted Fate is an unputdownable novel, teeming with suspense.

These kind of books are seriously growing on me and this cover is so eye catching. I cannot wait to start this one!





's Pick:



Title: The Fill-in Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Series: n/a
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 5, 2015

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Kasie West is on my author auto-buy list and with good reason. Her books tend to feature an adorable romance and have the cutest covers. And I think this book is going to be beyond cute....I'm hoping for some serious hijinks to ensue with a plot like that! :)

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: beautiful covers, contemporary, funfunfun, harper-collins, kasie west, norah olson, psychological thriller, suspense, the fill-in boyfriend, twisted fate, waiting on wednesday (wow)