The Weekend Update - 7.26.14

So, since my end-of-the-week post isn't just about what I got in my mailbox or on my Kindle each week -- though that is a big part of it, I won't lie -- I decided to change up the title and intro a bit.  I might tweak the format a bit over the next few weeks, but for the most part, it'll contain the same stuff: stuff I got, stuff I did, and stuff that's coming up on the blog.  Plus, I get to use the awesome GIF you see here and blow kisses to all the people who sent me lovely books and bookish things.  Oh, and I've started linking up to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews since I'm not using a specific meme title anymore.  April's also doing her own Stacking the Shelves posts on Sundays.  Stop by and say hi!  =)

Alas, my stay-cation is almost over. Katie and I didn't really do a lot besides be lazy, read (me), play Minecraft (her), paint our nails, and swim, but we had a great time doing it. :) Oh, and Katie got her first official haircut. She'd had a trim before, but this time, we took off a substantial amount, and she loves it. But it makes her look older, more mature, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. :( Still doesn't seem like we had enough time together. I am not looking forward to her going back to school in a month, though I am better prepared than I was last year when she was going into kindergarten. ;0)

Anyway, here's what I scored this week:


For Review:

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas - I really enjoyed The Burning Sky last year and I've been hearing the best things about this sequel. I already had a galley from EW, but I'm super happy to have this gorgeous cover in my hands, as well.
The Jewel by Amy Ewing - April and I will be buddy-reading this one soon. I've heard comparisons to The Selection, which has me worried, but I'm not sure if that's because of the similar but pretty covers or if the story is that comparable.

ETA: audiobook copies for review


The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson - I had a galley of this for review, but then I was offered a copy of it on audio, and since I've been seeing mixed reviews, I thought this might be the better route. Some books are just better on audio.
Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover - I've already read this, but I'm dying to hear the voice put to Daniel. :)

Purchases:

Shimmer by Paula Weston - I feel like I've been waiting ages for this to arrive, but that's probably because I pre-ordered it like five months ago. o_O I know some people are only now getting review copies of Haze so I should feel lucky to have this, but you know how entitled us bookish types can get when it comes to our favorite series. :P

Library:


The Taking and The Queen of the Tearling were both review books I didn't make it to prior to release, plus I'd seen a lot of mixed reviews, so I wasn't sure they were worth spending my precious reading time on. Hence me picking up the audio versions from the library. I've read nothing but good things about Breath, Annie, Breathe and even though I haven't read any of the other books in the Hundred Oaks series, I'm taking a chance on this one. Let's call it an experiment to see if that whole "this book can be read as a stand-alone" thing holds true. :) I've been intrigued by Six Months Later since Summer went crazy for it last year, and my library finally got it on audio. Yay me!


So, that's my haul. How about you? What did you get this week?

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Not a Drop to Drink - audio (April)
• Wild Cards - audio (Jen)
• Alias Hook - audio (Jen)
• Second Chance Summer - audio (April & Jen)

Current Giveaways: 

Win a copy of COURTED, the PB compilation of GILT & TARNISH!

Look for new giveaways in the coming weeks, including our first ever Twitter-only contest and a giveaway of the complete Maze Runner series in anticipation of the new film!

Promotional/Discussion Posts:  

• Desert Island Picks, the Character Edition - The Top Ten Characters We'd Wanted to be Stranded With
• Waiting on Wednesday - The Start of You and Me begins with The Secrets We Keep version
• SYNC 2014 - Week 11 Books Up for Grabs - Headstrong & The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Midsummer Romance Blog Tour featuring an interview with Katherine Longshore
• When Imitation Isn't the Sincerest Form of Flattery - a discussion on copycats and stolen ideas

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! It's happening. I'm trying to pace myself because I know it's still another year or so until the next book but it's SO hard not to sprint to the end. On a side note, how freaking gorgeous are these covers? I usually detest angel books with girls in pretty dresses on the covers, but these are so different and rather inspired if you ask me. I could be biased, though, since it is one of my favorite series. :D

I'm hoping the audio was the way to go with this book since the reviews are so varied for Tearling. So far, it's not bad. But I've only been listening sparingly as I do laundry, which is to say, not very much since I'm on vacation and spending most of my time in a swimsuit. =)

Upcoming Reviews:

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