The Weekend Update - 9.27.14

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!  =)

Autumn is finally in the air here in North Texas! We got a bit of a cold front and the temps are staying below 90° and the evenings are a bit chilly and. It. Is. Wonderful.

The great State Fair of Texas opened yesterday, and by some miracle, that's the day Katie's school district decided to hold parent/teacher conferences. So as soon as we were finished with Katie's, we booked it to the fair grounds to get our fill of corny dogs, rides, games and shows. The hubby is a huge fan of The Voice, and we got to see the Swon Brothers perform last night, too.

I'll post pictures to my Instagram account later so you can see all the fun we had. ;0) But we've got Katie's soccer game today, so we need to focus on that right now. After the beating the girls took last weekend, they are ready for a win today -- even if they don't technically keep score yet. I do, though, lol. Oh, but Katie scored her first goal at last week's game and her Nana and Papa were both there to cheer her on. I'm really glad we decided to sign her up this year. It's been a good thing for all of us. =D

Anyway, here's what I scored this week:

For Review:

Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan (finished copy in conjunction with the blog tour) - I'm going to be honest. I am terrified of this book. Terrfied. I have never played Bloody Mary at a sleepover, nor do I have any intentions of doing so. No way am I inviting evil spirits into my home. I also can't believe I'm the same girl who so badly wanted a Ouija board as a kid. My mother touted the same "evil spirits" response back at me when I asked, and I can see her point now. I've read too many books and seen too many movies since then. o_O

Silverblind by Tina Connolly (unsolicited finished copy) - I haven't started this series yet -- okay, that's a lie. I tried to start Ironskin back when it released and I put it aside, but so many love these books that I need to give them a chance. I no longer have my copy of Ironskin...do they need to be read in order?

Gifted:

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson (finished copy + poster/map) - A thank you from Ksenia/Macmillan for participating in the blog tour. I LOVE MAPS! I can't wait to get a frame and hang this next to my maps for The Grisha Trilogy! Or should I frame the book cover side? Decisions, decisions...

Purchased:


Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan - Huge, huge fan of this series and the author's snark, so I had to nab myself a copy of the final book.

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

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Burn for Burn (April)
• The Infinite Sea (Jen)
• The Young Elites (Jen)
• The Book Thief (April)

Current Giveaways: 

Giveaway for The Young Elites & the Legend series by Marie Lu

Win a PB of Looking for Alaska!

Enter to win 1 of 5 new PBs of The Sky is Everywhere!
Promotional/Discussion Posts:  

• Our Fall TBRs - the top ten books on our Fall TBR piles
• Q&A with author Jandy Nelson - interview for the I'll Give You the Sun Blog Tour
• Waiting on Wednesday - this week we're waiting on Twisted Fate & The Fill-in Boyfriend
• The TBR Tag - we were tagged to reveal some embarrassing details of our TBR piles

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:

I put off reading this third book in The Raven Cycle for as long as I could, but it's time. I finished my re-read/listen last week and I've been dying for more Gansey and Blue and the rest of her Raven Boys. Also, I had to know what they made of Maura's note. And it's already as amazing as I'd expected.

The end is nigh and I am unsure of how I feel about that fact. I adore Kami and her group of sleuthing, magical friends, and I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. I've been reading teasers on the author's site since I finished the last book, and I know that big things are coming.

Upcoming Reviews:

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