Top Ten Tuesday: Our Recent TBR Additions

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =) We're game.

This week's topic is the Top Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List:

April's Picks:

I totally went with the lazy path tonight because I'm beat after this long stressful Monday. I literally pulled up my goodreads list and picked off all my latest adds. I have no idea when I'll get to any of these. If I had to pick the ones I will get to first, it would be The Queen, Turtle Bay, The Summer After You + Me, and City Love.

but who even know when that will be? lol. I'm really digging The Selection series right now, so The Queen will be read soon. :)



Jen's Picks:

A few of these -- like Sea of Stars, Hidden Huntress, and P.S. I Still Love You -- should have made it to my TBR way before now, but I only just read the first book in each of those series. All the rest are new to me and are fantasy or retellings or just sound plain awesome. My TBR shelf on Goodreads has over 1700 books listed, and I know it's unreasonable to expect that I'll ever get to them all, but does that stop me from adding more each week? Nope. Not even a little bit.


What new reads have you added to your TBR lately? Be sure to share a link to your TTT post so we can visit!

Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Title: The Start of Me and You
Author: Emery Lord
Series: n/a
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

After loving Open Road Summer when I read it with April last year, I knew I'd have to read everything else Emery Lord writes. She just writes these amazing stories about real girls, with real friendships and real issues, and they're completely relatable. That said, I'm having a really difficult time deciding which of her books I liked better.

"I used to think rewatching and rereading were embarrassingly boring pastimes. But there is something to be said for how comforting it is to already know what happens. There is no such luxury in real life."

I think the biggest difference for me was that Open Road Summer was full of swoons and country music, whereas The Start of Me and You was more about the main character opening herself up to the experiences she'd shut herself away from after the death of her boyfriend. Paige is kind of a nerdy shut-in, and so it was a lot easier to identify with her character than with Reagan from ORS. It was also easier to see myself in Paige as she pined away for a total hottie while remaining totally oblivious to the fact that his cute, nerdy cousin was into her. And that's why there were fewer swoons, though the swoons we got were very, very nice.

My favorite aspect of both books, though, was definitely the friendships. Paige has this amazing, supportive group of girlfriends who've helped her survive the last year without completely breaking down. Do friends like this really exist in real life? Because I've never had a group of friends that were THIS good to each other. Every time I started to suspect that one of Paige's friends was up to something or was about to show disloyalty to one of the others, the author made it right again, proving I had no reason to doubt these girls and their affection for one another.

"They were normal when I wanted to be normal, and they held me when I wanted to cry. When it all closes in, there are only two kinds of people: best friends and everyone else."

I applaud the author for showing young women that this is what we should expect, from our friendships to our romances. We deserve boys who will listen and respect us and will share their stash of Girl Scout cookies with us. And we deserve friends who are honest and will be there no matter what and who we can trust not to stab us in the back. I adore that the author includes these types of relationships in her books, and I can't wait to read more of them. We need more uplifting stories like this!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

I'm Emery, and I write books about flawed girls who are really trying, complicated families, friends who show up even when everything's going down in flames, the boy who Gets You even when you don't expect it, and the summer that changed everything.

Open Road Summer is out now, and The Start of Me & You releases March 31st, 2015.

Find Emory:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

Stacking the Shelves # 60

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a way to share with everyone all the goodies you've received through out the week. 

Just click the covers to be taken to their goodreads pages. 

Purchased

I saw the trailer for this movie last week and Jess and I decided we will be reading it together before the movie comes out. Lucky us, the kindle version is on sale. :)

Other than that, it's been pretty quiet around here. It's still cold and miserable out, but I'm still hopeful that Spring will get here eventually. lol. *fingers crossed*

Hope you all had a great week!

The Weekend Update - 3.28.15

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!  =)

The weather here this weekend is going to be absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait to do some reading outdoors! I have PLENTY to read, too, not that I'm complaining. I just don't know how I'm ever going to fit them all in. o_O

To top things off, we've got tickets to Frozen on Ice tonight, too. I've never been to any of those "on ice" shows, but I'm sure this will be worth the smile it's going to put on Katie's face. :D

Anyway, here's what I scored this week:

For Review:



Illusionarium by Heather Dixon - Yay for another copy! Guess this means it's time for a giveaway! :D
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge - Already read & loved an egalley; happy to have an ARC to grace my shelves! [review]
Dust to Dust by Melissa C. Walker - Haven't read the first book...is it worth picking up?
Vanished by E.E. Cooper - A cross between Gone Girl and Pretty Little Liars? I'm intrigued...

Gifted/Traded:



Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - Now I just need finished copies of both! :D

Library:



The Beautiful and the Cursed and The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan - I've been told an ARC of The Wondrous and the Wicked is on its way to me, so I'm preparing for that final book with a re-listen of the first two. Love this series on audio...the French accents are gorgeous!

Purchased:



The Falconer by Elizabeth May and Slammed by Colleen Hoover - I just couldn't resist that Audible sale! The first will be a re-read/listen, but I've never read Slammed. I love everything else I've read of Hoover's, though!


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

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Last Year's Mistake - Jen
• Red Queen - April

Current Giveaways:


Winners have been selected for these giveaways.

Please check back soon for more contests...I'm still in the middle of Spring Cleaning, so there will definitely be more giveaways to come!

Promotional/Discussion Posts:  

• The #TopTen books from our childhood that we'd love to read again
• #WoW - this week, we're waiting on Hello, I Love You & Ice Like Fire
• Breaking Bad Was So Good, wherein April gushes about Breaking Bad and why you should watch it, too

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:

OMG I HAVE THIS IN MY HANDS!!!!!! I am freaking out!!! As I type this, I've only read, like, 25 pages, but it is already SO AMAZING! I can't believe it's almost over, though. I already have all the feels and I've barely even started! :(

Finished my re-listen of The Beautiful and the Cursed yesterday, and I'm on track to finish this one before the final installment arrives early next week (for me). I can't freaking wait! This series just doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Upcoming Reviews:

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Breaking Bad Was So Good - Spoiler Free Gushing

A couple years ago, my husband and I decided to try watching Breaking Bad. It was on Netflix, and we had heard so many good things. I know this blog is primarily about books, but I just have to tell you all about how much I loved this show.

For those of you who don't know much about it... I'll give you a brief intro. Walter White is a chemistry teacher and he's been diagnosed with cancer. He doesn't make a ton of money, in fact his family is kind of struggling financially from the get go. So... what to do with all those medical bills? Pay them with drug money of course. Mr. White sets out to make some high quality meth, and make money for his family to have in case he does not beat the cancer.


You see, his son is special needs and his wife is expecting their second child. What is a man to do? Provide, that's what.

He could probably do without the tighty whity's. They aren't very bad ass, but they do make an appearance all the way through the series, and I laughed every time.

This show has everything. It has some of the best written in humor I've ever watched in a show. Which was surprising, considering the subject material. It has action, and gore. It was just perfect.

I didn't think I was going to like it as much as I do. I mean, drugs, they aren't exactly my thing. I don't really like reading about drugs, or watching movies involving drug cartels and stuff. But Breaking Bad is different.

We had a conversation with my brother in law, back when we first started watching the show. Our nephew was a big fan, but my BIL, not so much. When we asked him why, he proceeded to tell us that he didn't like the show because he felt that it glorified drugs.

I can see how it could be taken that way, especially early on in the series, but there is a much bigger message here. I think to fully grasp the beauty of this show is to finish it out. The ending, was perfect. Some people complain about series finale's and about how they weren't satisfying enough, but this one.. Wow.

We were very sad to see the series end but thankfully there is a spin off prequel series call Better Call Saul. It follows a character who happens to be one of my favorites.

I cannot stress enough how great Breaking Bad was. If you have Netflix, you definitely have to try this show out.

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen
Publisher: Orion
Publication Date: February 10th, 2015
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

I was a little nervous about picking this one up, because it only earned 3 stars from Jen. You can read her review here. Red Queen is compared to Graceling and The Selection. I read Graceling a long time ago and I liked it. I can't really vouch for it's comparison to The Selection though, because I've only just started that one. 

I try not to read to much into the... "This book is such and such book meets such and such book". Because half the time.. it's all bull shit. And it's nothing like either. Red Queen reminded me of a lot of different books, but it worked for me. It was a nice blend. 

I'll be honest in saying that one of the things that made reading this so enjoyable was the fact I buddy read it with Jess. Reading with a friend is so freaking fun, especially when you read a book like this that has so many twists and turns. There were many WTF texts flying between our phones. 

Red Queen wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but I did go in somewhat blind and that added to the experience. I read the blurb months and months ago back when I added it to my 'to read' list, but I did not read it before we started. 

I loved the whole Silver/Red blood thing. It kind of reminded me of the Red Rising world, with the color classes.. but less complicated. I wish I had silver blood. How cool would that be. And not to be gross, but I kept wondering if these silver bitches had silver periods!! They would almost have to, right? I really want to know! And if a red and a silver were to procreate, would their blood then look pinkish? Like a metallic pink? 

Anyway, I thought Red Queen was super fun and interesting. It leaves you hanging a bit.. but what series book doesn't? I'm really looking forward to reading the next one. 

About the author:

After growing up in small town Massachusetts, Victoria attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She graduated with a BFA in Screenwriting, which is exactly the degree being sought after in a recession.

She tries her best to combine her love of history, explosions, and butt-kicking heroines in her writing. Her hobbies include the impossible task of predicting what happens next in A Song of Ice and Fire, road trips, and burning through Netflix.

Find Victoria:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr

Waiting on Wednesday: Hello, I Love You & Ice Like Fire

"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: Hello, I Love You
Author: Katie M. Stout
Series: n/a
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 9th, 2015

A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

This book looks all sorts of adorable. :) And the cover is super cute.





's Pick:



Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #2
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 13, 2015

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Snow Like Ashes was a welcome new entry into the fantasy genre by a fantastic new debut author. I'm eager to see if she keeps up the momentum of the first book -- while bringing some swoons, as well -- as she prepares to separate her characters once more in this sequel. Also, she must have some serious pull with the Cover Gods because the covers for this series are amazing.


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