{WOW} LUCKY IN LOVE by Kasie West

"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 selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Lucky in Love
Author: Kasie West
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment -- She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

Two new Kasie West novels next year!?! This is amazing!!!! Her books always leave me smiling and content and her covers are just the cutest! This one sounds equally adorable, though I did see another book's synopsis that rang a little familiar with that whole lottery plotline. Still, I'm sure I'll love this one and it will easily have a home on my shelf, next to all of her other books. :D

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: adorable, contemporary, grabby hands, kasie west, lucky in love, scholastic, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{WOW} THE LOVE INTEREST by Cale Dietrich

"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 selection is...








's Pick:

Title: The Love Interest
Author: Cale Dietrich
Series: n/a
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: May 16, 2017

There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets.

Caden is a Nice: The boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: The brooding, dark-souled guy, and dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose a Nice or the Bad?

Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be – whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die.

What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.

First, awesome cover for the win! Looks very spy novel to me and I am in love! Second, that premise has me hook, line, and sinker! Wantwantwant!!!


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, cale dietrich, grabby hands, macmillan, the love interest, thriller, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Updated #booksfortrade | You Pay Shipping Offerings

Okay, so since some people over on #booksfortrade didn't want to read the post first and didn't understand why I was asking so much for shipping or why I preferred not to trade unless it was for something I really want, I'll just put this here again before showing what's left:

As I said in a previous Weekend Update post:

Be on the lookout for a new trade post soon...a different kind of post, too. I know there's been a lot of drama over on the #booksfortrade tag lately, but I still want to complete my collections and help some others along the way. I've thought about posting something regarding all the drama, but what I want to say most is that just because that's what you see on the tag doesn't mean that there isn't beauty happening behind the scenes. I've helped more than a couple people with their collections without asking for anything in return...except maybe some good karma. :) I just wish people focused on that aspect more...

So, here's the deal, guys. I have a ton of books that I just don't plan on ever re-reading, and if Katie ever shows a desire to read them, well, we have access to the capital's library and she has a Kindle, so we're square. But I don't want to pack them all up and haul them all the way to Half Price Books -- which is an hour away from my house -- only to get some paltry amount for the lot of them, which I'd likely then turn around and spend on more books. Or Funkos.

Which is not an altogether bad idea, but there is another option: put these books into the hands of people who really want them. People who possibly collect them.

For the cost of shipping, of course. (Or trade. I'm always open to a trade, if it's mutually beneficial, but I already have too many books -- obviously -- to just trade for any old thing.) I paid for a lot of these books, so it's only fair that I not have to come out of pocket to ship a free book to someone else, right? But -- and this is a big but -- I ship US Priority Mail, which only takes 2-3 days, comes with tracking and picks up straight from my office so I don't even have to make a special trip to the P.O. But the bubble mailer costs around $7 to ship and it only goes up from there, depending on how many books a recipient is requesting. So, if you find that you want several, I can ship a medium size box, which holds around 7-8 books for $13.45. And I'd require payment via PayPal upfront so that I can use those funds to immediately pay for shipping and send the package out ASAP. I mean, I want these books out of my house, stat.

Before I show you what I have, I wanted to share my own wishlists. Maybe we can make some magic happen and make everyone happy. I'm going to be optimistic about this and pretend that I'm not about to be inundated with requests. And I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but I do reserve the right to turn down any trade...or to request a picture of your collection so I can see the pretties. =) Or if you're getting greedy with the freebies, I'll put the kibosh on this. Also, I really want these to go to collectors, first and foremost, so if several people request and I see that one is a big-time collector of a series, they get first dibs. My books, my call.

First, my unicorn wishlist(s). You know...the titles you'd give your left kidney for. You only need one, right? I will only trade items from the picture to the right for these items or ARCs with similar release dates, except for swag items. (If you have one of my swag wishlist items, let me know what you're looking for and I'll see if I have it.) Also? That Divergent ARC? I will only trade for either the TOG ARC, TTTT SDCC ARC, Caraval (UK) ARC, Wintersong ARC, or TTTT (UK) ARC. But honestly, I'd just really like it to go to a hard-core collector...and I already have one in mind. ;0)

The Unicorns

ARC of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

ARC of Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

ARC of On the Fence by Kasie West
ARC of Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
ARC of Asunder by Jodi Meadows

The New & Future Releases (some may not be available yet)
ARC of Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
ARC of Caraval by Stephanie Garber (UK ARC)
ARC of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
ARC of Hunted by Meagan Spooner
ARC of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
ARC of Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton (UK ARC)

Swag
Admit One bookmark/ticket for Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Raven Cycle book hugger illustrated by Maggie Stiefvater
Sampler + buttons of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Crooked Kingdom poster by Leigh Bardugo

Other than that, please note that I usually prefer to trade like for like (meaning ARC for ARC, HC for HC, PB for PB), though there always exceptions to the rule. The pictures below start with newer and unreleased ARCs, then move to older ARCs and then on to finished copies.

My full wishlists can be found here and here (both Goodreads) or together here (2nd tab on spreadsheet).

I'll be adding these to the #booksfortrade tag later in the day, but I hoped to ease myself back into this. Also, I'm re-upping on supplies so I can send out the books next week. I'm ready to have my spare bedroom back! Especially since I need to get it ready for holiday visitors soon!

So, if you see something you want, email me at mrsjbruce @ gmail dot com or tweet me @starryeyedjen. Leaving a comment on this post is probably the worst way to broker a trade, just sayin'. And if you have something from my wishlist but don't see anything here, hit me up because I have other books I might be willing to part with for the right trade. =)

Happy trading!

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Labels: book collecting, book hoarding, book purging, bookish wishlist, books for trade, grabby hands, have you seen this

Let's Approach This BOOKS FOR TRADE Thing Differently, Shall We?

As I said in a previous Weekend Update post:

Be on the lookout for a new trade post soon...a different kind of post, too. I know there's been a lot of drama over on the #booksfortrade tag lately, but I still want to complete my collections and help some others along the way. I've thought about posting something regarding all the drama, but what I want to say most is that just because that's what you see on the tag doesn't mean that there isn't beauty happening behind the scenes. I've helped more than a couple people with their collections without asking for anything in return...except maybe some good karma. :) I just wish people focused on that aspect more...

So, here's the deal, guys. I have a ton of books that I just don't plan on ever re-reading, and if Katie ever shows a desire to read them, well, we have access to the capital's library and she has a Kindle, so we're square. But I don't want to pack them all up and haul them all the way to Half Price Books -- which is an hour away from my house -- only to get some paltry amount for the lot of them, which I'd likely then turn around and spend on more books. Or Funkos.

Which is not an altogether bad idea, but there is another option: put these books into the hands of people who really want them. People who possibly collect them.

For the cost of shipping, of course. (Or trade. I'm always open to a trade, if it's mutually beneficial, but I already have too many books -- obviously -- to just trade for any old thing.) I paid for a lot of these books, so it's only fair that I not have to come out of pocket to ship a free book to someone else, right? But -- and this is a big but -- I ship US Priority Mail, which only takes 2-3 days, comes with tracking and picks up straight from my office so I don't even have to make a special trip to the P.O. But the bubble mailer costs around $7 to ship and it only goes up from there, depending on how many books a recipient is requesting. And I'd require payment via PayPal upfront so that I can use those funds to immediately pay for shipping and send the package out ASAP. I mean, I want these books out of my house, stat.

Before I show you what I have, I wanted to share my own wishlists. Maybe we can make some magic happen and make everyone happy. I'm going to be optimistic about this and pretend that I'm not about to be inundated with requests. And I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but I do reserve the right to turn down any trade...or to request a picture of your collection so I can see the pretties. =) Or if you're getting greedy with the freebies, I'll put the kibosh on this. Also, I really want these to go to collectors, first and foremost, so if several people request and I see that one is a big-time collector of a series, they get first dibs. My books, my call.

First, my unicorn wishlist(s). You know,...the titles you'd give your left kidney for. You only need one, right? I will only trade items from the picture to the right for these items, except for swag items. (If you have one of my swag wishlist items, let me know what you're looking for and I'll see if I have it.) Also? That Divergent ARC? I will only trade for either the TOG ARC, TTTT SDCC ARC, Caraval (UK) ARC, or Wintersong ARC.

The Unicorns

ARC of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

ARC of Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

ARC of On the Fence by Kasie West
ARC of Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
ARC of Asunder by Jodi Meadows

The New & Future Releases (some may not be available yet)
ARC of Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
ARC of Caraval by Stephanie Garber (UK ARC)
ARC of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
ARC of Hunted by Meagan Spooner
ARC of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Swag
Admit One bookmark/ticket for Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Raven Cycle book hugger illustrated by Maggie Stiefvater
Sampler + buttons of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Crooked Kingdom poster by Leigh Bardugo

Other than that, please note that I usually prefer to trade like for like (meaning ARC for ARC, HC for HC, PB for PB), though there always exceptions to the rule. The pictures below start with newer and unreleased ARCs, then move to older ARCs and then on to finished copies.

My full wishlists can be found here and here (both Goodreads) or together here (2nd tab on spreadsheet).

I'll be adding these to the #booksfortrade tag later in the day, but I hoped to ease myself back into this. Also, I'm re-upping on supplies so I can send out the books next week. I'm ready to have my spare bedroom back! Especially since I need to get it ready for holiday visitors soon!

So, if you see something you want, email me at mrsjbruce @ gmail dot com or tweet me @starryeyedjen. Leaving a comment on this post is probably the worst way to broker a trade, just sayin'. And if you have something from my wishlist but don't see anything here, hit me up because I have other books I might be willing to part with for the right trade. =)

Happy trading!

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Labels: book collecting, book hoarding, book purging, bookish wishlist, books for trade, grabby hands, have you seen this

{WOW} THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden

"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 selection is...








's Pick:



Title: The Bear and the Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Series: n/a
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

A young woman’s family is threatened by forces both real and fantastical in this debut novel inspired by Russian fairy tales.

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.

All I needed to read was inspired by Russian fairy tales, and I was sold. But then the rest of the premise sealed the deal. Especially the part about the wild, willful girl and the stranger with piercing blue eyes. =D

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, fairy tales, fantasy, grabby hands, katherine arden, random house, retellings, the bear and the nightingale, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Have You Seen This? | #booksfortrade - Updated 7.18.16

Big shout-out to Andi at Andi's ABCs and Brittany at The Book Addict's Guide for putting together such an awesome feature and helping the rest of us realize our dream of book hoarding collecting, lol.

Still hoping to trade for some of the ARCs I seriously covet while also culling some books that I've already read or no longer plan to collect and keep in my "library".

I've created an ARC wishlist on Goodreads, but here is a list of my most wanted ARCs to complete my collections:

ARC of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

ARC of Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

ARC of Asunder by Jodi Meadows
ARC of On the Fence by Kasie West
ARC of Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Of course, I'm also willing to trade newer ARCs for newer ARCs. ;) I have more than what's listed below, but I have yet to read them, so if you have something on my list but don't see anything you want, maybe send me your wishlist so I can see if one of those is on it and I can hurry up and read it and then send it to you?? :P Here's some of my 2016/17 ARC wishlist:

ARC of Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
ARC of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
ARC of Caraval by Stephanie Garber (UK ARC)
ARC of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
ARC of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
ARC of Vicarious by Paula Stokes
ARC of The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid (pending)
ARC of The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury
ARC of The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker (pending)
ARC of Scythe by Neil Shusterman (pending)
ARC of Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Sampler + buttons of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
The Raven Cycle book hugger illustrated by Maggie Stiefvater

Also, I have a ton of finished copies, but I'm not going to post those right now. If you're interested, DM me on Twitter for pics. :) Here's my finished copy wishlist. Those listed above are just some of the ARCs that remain the most elusive from my collection.

Recent successful amazing trades (aw, yeah!):

ARC of Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Thanks, Sabrina!!!!)
ARC of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Thanks, Beth!!!!)

ARC of A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

ARC of Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Thanks, Jessica!)

ARC of Slasher Boys and Monster Girls by April Genevieve Tucholke (Thanks, Rachel!)
ARC of Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke (Thanks, Nicole!)
ARC of Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (Thanks, Rachel!)
ARC of The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows (Thanks, Lisa!)
ARC of Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
ARC of When We Collided by Emery Lord (Thanks, Sabrina!!!!)
ARC of My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
ARC of Rebel Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (the one with the simple blue cover)
ARC of The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (Thanks, Crystal, Bridget & Liz!!!!)
ARC of Caraval by Stephanie Garber
ARC of Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
ARC of Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
ARC of A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
ARC of A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
ARC of Replica by Lauren Oliver (Thanks, April!)
ARC of Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge (Thanks, Sabrina!)
ARC of The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

And below are pictures of what I have available for trade. I also have this trade list, as well as a comprehensive wishlist (2nd tab).

2016 ARCs

highly sought after ARCs
(for these, I will *only* entertain offers from the above wishlist of coveted ARCs)

2015 ARCs

2014 and older ARCs

I'd be willing to ship multiple books for anything on my highly coveted list of ARCs above -- unless you're also seeking a highly sought after ARC, in which case it's one for one -- if that helps any. =) Also, if you have something on my wishlist that you'd be willing to trade but don't see anything you want among my offerings, still hit me up because I might be willing to part with something not shown here. =D

I'll continue using the #booksfortrade feed as well, but I thought I'd spread the word a bit more here on the blog, too. If you want to make a trade, comment below, email me at mrsjbruce at gmail dot com, or hit me up on Twitter at @starryeyedjen.

For the tl;dr crowd, the books I have for trade are pictured above and this is my ARC wishlist. This is my finished copy wishlist. =) I reserve the right to refuse any trade. I might also be willing to trade multiple items for the right trade. :D

Thanks for taking a look and potentially helping a book hoarder achieve her dreams of allthebooks!

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Labels: book collecting, book hoarding, book purging, bookish wishlist, books for trade, grabby hands, have you seen this

{WOW} SHADOWCASTER by Cinda Williams Chima

"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 selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Shadowcaster
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Series: Shattered Realms, book #2
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Alyssa ana'Raisa is the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of Fells, a queendom embroiled in a seemingly endless war. Hardened by too many losses, Lyss is more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, she goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn't pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.

Across enemy lines in Arden, young rising star Captain Halston Matelon has been fighting for his king since he was a lýtling. Lately, though, he finds himself sent on ever more dangerous assignments. Between the terrifying rumors of witches and wolfish warriors to the north and his cruel king at home, Hal is caught in an impossible game of life and death.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series, this is a thrilling story of the unfathomable costs of war, the allure of dark magic, and two principled and conflicted characters, drawn together despite everything they stand to lose.

I cannot believe how long it took me to discover the wonder that is Cinda Williams Chima's writing, but I'm elated that I did. I've listened to and loved her Seven Realms series several times already since discovering it, and then I rolled seamlessly into Flamecaster earlier this year and fell for the world even harder. And it seems that rather than focusing on the characters from that book, we get some new ones to love and hope and fear for! YAASSSSSSS!!!!

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, cinda williams chima, favorite authors, favorites, grabby hands, harper-collins, high fantasy, magic, must-read, shattered realm, waiting on wednesday (wow)