Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday, WoW


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

This week, I'm featuring:
Invaded (Alienated, #2)
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?


Releases: February 3rd 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Top Ten Goals/Resolutions for 2015






“Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists.


This Week’s Topic: Top Ten Goals/Resolutions for 2015.

Bookish Goals
1. Schedule as many as possible in advance
2. Read more from my TBR especially library books
3. Less stress-- I have already started this some but I have went from usually 4 reviews a week and scaled back to 2. It gives me more posts for the future as well as more time to comment on my favorite blogs and those who comment here.

Non- Bookish
4. Spend more time with my mom
5. Figure out a low impact exercise and be consistent with it. Don't hit it too hard to start... I have fibromyalgia and am prone to other sprains, strains and breaks so I need to do moderation so I don't get hurt from too much at once.
6. Potty train my 3 year old
7. More date nights with my hubby
8. Get caught up on our DVR log
9. More balance with time management
10. Eat better

Monday, December 29, 2014

Review: Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine


Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires #6) by Rachel Caine

In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?
”add
Publishes in US: June 2nd 2009 by Signet 
Genre: ya paranormal,vampires
Source: bought
Series?#1 Glass Houses 
#2 Review: The Dead Girls' Dance
#3 Midnight Alley
#4 Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 

Buy it:
US buyers:
Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound |Amazon
Canada:
Chapters Indigo | Amazon CA
UK:
Waterstones | WH Smith | Amazon UK

Author stalk away:~site series

 

   I wanted to read this one because I am addicted to the series, and can't get enough right now. It is nice to be able to binge on a series and not have to worry about forgetting details and having that burning need to have the next one right that second and the let down of having to wait another year or so for the characters you have fallen in love with and the romance that has your own toes tingling. 

   It is hard to see Claire in this one because she is serving Bishop because of the magical tattoo that he gave her that compels her to obey him. She has become an understandably outcast in Morganville for those loyal to Amelie or maybe just hates Bishop. That includes Eve, which breaks her heart and mine too because I love their tight friendship. 

   Shane is captured in this one, stuck in a cell with his dad because of his ties to the anti-vampire movement his dad is in charge of. Its hard having the distance between them because I love seeing them together. 

    One good thing in this one is that Claire is turning seventeen which means that it is not illegal for her and Shane to be together once they are finally reunited. 

   The betrayals and double crosses in this one had my mind spinning, but I loved how this one ended and tied up. Though, my addiction is screaming for me to go ahead and read the next one.

Bottom Line: Loving this series, and nothing about this book changed that.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Do you think you'd have the courage or desire to join an underground movement?

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Bought Borrowed and Bagged


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

What I read:
Ghost Town (The Morganville Vampires, #9)
source: bought
In Her Wake (Ten Tiny Breaths, #0.5)
source: netgalley
Invaded (Alienated, #2)
source: Disney

Last Week on the blog:
Echoes of Us (The Hybrid Chronicles #3)
Source: Harper Teen


My week:
Great christmas with my girls. I got a Wii U and so happy about that. Also got to see my roomate from college.
 we remade the reindeer that got lost thanks to a graphical genius friend


 hand/feet prints, one for each christmas

 gingerbread house making with cousins

 christmas morning

 opening my wii u


What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Holiday Interview Answers (From You Interview Me)



Favorite kind of chocolate?
Reeses cups, though I will eat most any chocolate. I am a bit of an addict


If you were going to step outside your reading "comfort zone" what type of book would you give a go?
Well, there have been lots of books where I have stepped out of my comfort zone, even if I didn't keep reading in that genre. When I was younger, I read only babysitters club and Lurlene McDaniel. When I outgrew BSC, I would read anything McDaniel wrote (and still do, in fact). That is contemporary, mostly about sick kids, so emotional contemporary. And in some aspects, I still read a lot of that.
But with Harry Potter and Eragon, it began to open some of the doors for me to read fantasy-- then I started on Robert Jordan's books. Though, that is where I mostly stopped with adult fantasy series.
Next phase of my reading began with Twilight. I was then addicted and nothing else would do (huge reading hangover and post-amazing-series depression, until I found fanfiction, and there was about 6 months of that. And THEN I discovered book blogging because I started searching for what to read after Twilight.
So then I had fantasy, paranormal vamps, and contemporary. Meyer suggested The Hunger Games and then I fell in love with dystopia. With the River of Time series, I found historical fiction that I enjoyed. I read a lot of bible study books as well. I adored His Bright Light by Steele about her bipolar son, as well as another biography about a girl with cystic fibrosis. As far as new adult, I got into it with K.A. Tucker and Christina Lee. I have tried books with poetry like Speak, and although I don't like many of them, I have found a few. As far as novellas, I have finally given in with Elementals and Ignite Me series. For poetry collections, classics, graphic novels as well as anthologies, that is something that doesn't really speak with me, as is most non-fiction except cookbooks with pictures. I tried Black Daggerhood series as far as adult urban fantasy (think that is the classification) but didn't like, so I suppose that would be the next step for me to broaden my horizons.


Favorite indulgence?
Reality TV. I love Dance Moms and Teen Mom.

Have you ever considered co blogging?
I would consider bringing someone onto the blog with me, but I don't know about joining another.


How do you choose what you will read next?

I keep a google calendar with my arcs and requested. I have a pub date document with others I have bought, as well as amazon and goodreads lists of what is at my library and ebook library that I want to read. 

What is one genre you absolutely would never want to try, if there is one?
Hmm... I have a few established that I don't like. But I have tried them. Poetry collections, classics, graphic novels as well as anthologies as is most non-fiction except cookbooks with pictures
How do you find the time to read? Where do you usually do it?

How is balancing real life with blogging? 

Very challenging at times, especially keeping up with commenting. I have two little girls-- I am a stay at home mom, but I volunteer at school, keep up a blog for the girls (pictures and updates), and volunteer at church

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday, WoW


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

This week, I'm featuring:
The Fill-In Boyfriend
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.


Releases: May 5th 2015 by HarperTeen

What are you waiting on?

Monday, December 22, 2014

Review: Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang

 Echoes of Us (The Hybrid Chronicles #3) by Kat Zhang
To change the world, I may lose everything
All Eva ever wanted was the chance to be herself. But in the Americas, to be hybrid—to share your body with a second soul—is not tolerated past childhood. Now Eva and Addie, her sister soul, are constantly on the move, hiding from the officials who seek to capture them. But the tide is changing. A revolution is brewing, and people are starting to question the hybrids' mistreatment.
Then Marion, an ambitious reporter, offers Eva and Addie a daring proposal: If they go undercover and film the wretched conditions of a hybrid institution, she will not only rescue them, she'll find a way to free Jackson, the boy Addie loves. It's risky, and Eva will have to leave Ryan and her friends behind, but if she succeeds, it could also tip the scales forever and lead to hybrid freedom.
As Eva and Addie walk into danger, they cling to each other and the hope of a better future. But the price they might pay is higher than they ever could have imagined.

”add

Publishes in US: September 16th 2014 by HarperCollins
Genre: ya dystopia/paranormal
Source: Harper Teen
Series? The Hybrid Chronicles #3
My Reviews:
#1 What's Left of Me
# 2 Once We Were

Buy it: Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound Book Depository

Author stalk away:
http://www.katzhangwriter.com
Twitter: KatZhang
publishingcrawl.com
katacomb.blogspot.comwww.facebook.com/katzhangwriter

 

    I wanted to read this one because I have enjoyed Addie and Eva in the previous series.

     Going in I really didn't remember a whole lot of this one. With the hybrids there were double the characters to remember and besides Addie and Eva I didn't remember the other ones really. Besides Jackson and  Ryan I remember the romance with them. But I quickly got back into the action and started to pick up pieces of what I'd forgotten.

    Its pretty apparent the sister bond with Addie and Eva. Even though they've learned to give each other their own time they also had to learn in the last one the power of them working together. That continues to be a theme in this one as they're sent on a mission to record the environment in the facilities. I was nervous for them going back in but I knew that they were brave and that they would do anything to expose what was going on inside.

   I enjoyed the end of the series, it came.to an ending that I didn't think would be possible.
There were many surprises and twists that I never saw coming. Losses and victories that made the story believable and and.ending of hope for the hybrids and the possibility of peace and balance for Addie and Eva.
 

Bottom Line: Good series ending, I was satisfied with the character development and plot resolution.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Do you think you could be in a relationship if you shared a body with someone else?

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Bought Borrowed and Bagged


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

What I read:
Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, #1.5)
source: bought
The Red Tent
source: borrowed
Wicked (A Wicked Saga, #1)
source: bought

Last Week on the blog:
The Heart of the Ancients: Kailmeyra's Redemption (Kailmeyra, #3)
source: author
All the Bright Places
Source: Random House via netgalley
sent:
 Court of Thorns and Roses thank you Bloomsbury
 Invaded thank you disney hyperion


New giveaways exclusive to my blog:
My week: Had Jillian's 3rd birthday, she had a great time.


 she loves ariel



 my oldest katie with her best friend



What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.