Sunday 30 November 2014

Showcase Sunday #63

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.


Hello! How was your guys week? Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. Did anyone get some crazy good deals? Black Friday has definitely migrated north, so I took advantage of some online stores. I would not be caught dead in the crowds the flock to actual stores. UGH! Here at work we have a Black Friday promotion so that made the phones and online chat cray cray. Like seriously my head was spinning(and it wasn't even a good deal. haha). With work being busy the blog kind of takes a back seat. I'm clearly an awful worker because I usually do post of my blogging from work, but now with being in the busy season I get less blogging done. So my review schedule has gone out the window. But it is what it is. I just need to figure my shit out. Lol.
Guys! I only have one book this week! And I didn't even pay for it. BUT it's an exciting one. It's one of my most anticipated 2015 releases. I'm reading it right now even though it doesn't come out till March. I just couldn't wait. :D But don't worry, next week will be a bigger haul as I may have taken advantage of Book Outlets crazy good Black Friday deal.


Netgalley


What did you guys get this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Top 5 Wednesday: Big Books

Top 5 Wednesday is a meme started by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Find the list of all the #T5WFamily here.

This weeks topic is:


Top 5 Books Over 500 Pages!

I'm no stranger to bigger books. Page numbers don't really scare me. Small writing on the other hand... I feel like I'm turning into a broken record. So rather than list my absolute top 5 favourite big books, that I'm constantly mentioning, I'm going to go with some other favourites that probably don't get the screen time they do deserve. 

5. The Lost Girls

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but when I do I make it count. I totally picked this one up a couple of years ago because 1.the cover 2. I'm a travel agent, and this is about travel and 3. the girls in the book are around my age. The Lost Girls reads really easy. Almost like fiction. It makes want to travel. The girls go a hell of a lot of places and the way they describe the different countries is vivid. God, how I wish I could drop everything and travel the world.

4. Clockwork Princess

I like the Mortal Instruments enough, but the Infernal Devices is where it's at. I love love love this trilogy to pieces. Clockwork Princess is easily one the best series enders I've read. It's solid. Not a single thing about it is amiss. I love Tessa. I love Will. And I LOVE Jem. I will also give it to Clare, damn does she know how to write an epilogue.

3. Cress

The Lunar Chronicles is pretty much everything I could want in a series. I mean sci-fi fairy tale re-tellings. C'mon. Perfection. Cress really proved that Meyer knows what she's doing. It's hard to think of these books as separate. It's kind of like a continuation where new characters keep showing up. Cress, herself, was everything you would imagine a teenage girl would be when she's been isolated for most of her life, with nothing but her fantasies. The wait for Winter is going to kill me.

2. The Mark of Athena

I can't believe that after 10 years there's no more Percy to look forward to. *sobs* Anyhow, The Mark of Athena is easily my favourite book of the whole PJ/HoO-sphere. The whole book is freakin' intense. Everybody is finally together. Turns out it finally hit my that Percy and the gang are really not kids anymore. And that cliff hanger. Worst and most literal cliff hanger ever.

1. Froi of the Exiles

The Lumatere Chronicles is the perfect example of a trilogy that you can throw in someone's face when they say there's no good YA fantasy. Firstly, this person is stupid and deserves a throat punch. Secondly, if you have not read The Lumatere Chronicles than you lead a very bleak life my friend. Froi is the second book in this brilliant trilogy. It's one of those times where after reading the first book you're like there is just no way the second book can even come close to topping that. And than mind blown, because apparently that author is a robotic alien for reaching into your mind and writing your perfect book. That is Froi.

What are some of your favourite big books? *queue singing*

Happy reading!

Brittany 


Tuesday 25 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Winter TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is: 

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR!

If you follow me on Instagram(and if you aren't, why not? My pictures are pro-star. Lol), I posted a picture a few weeks ago with about 20ish books that I really want to read this winter. I than made myself a list of 60 books that I want to read by winters end. With over 300 books on my physical TBR shelves I need to do some serious reading this winter to get that number down. So those 60 books are the ones I will make myself reach for first when I'm in need of my next read. And because I suck, quite a few of those are series enders and continuation of completed series. Why do I feel the need to not finish off a series? It's stupid. Anyhow, I guess these are the top 10 books off that list that I want to read the mostest.



What's on your winter TBR?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Monday 24 November 2014

Miniviews #18: More Than Exes & Screwdrivered

More Than Exes by Elizabeth Briggs
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: October 28th, 2014
Series: Chasing the Dream #0.5
Pages: 79
Source: Netgalley/Publisher
Rating: 4/5
I've been seeing the first book in this series, More Than Music going around Goodreads with generally good reviews. We all know how I love me some NA. And with my recent discovery of loving me some NA centered around music it was a no brainer that I would be giving this series a go. More Than Exes is a novella, but I was happy to start with it as it would give me a taste for the writing style and story. NA is very hit or miss, especially now with it folding the market. I can get tricked so easily. That was thankfully not the case here. Although More Than Exes is short, it left me wanting more what's to come for the characters introduced. This novella centers around Kyle, the keyboardist in the band. Although he's covered in tats and piercings he's still categorized as the nice guy, which isn't really the title you want when you're in a band. Or when he's constantly competing with his brother(the lead singer in the band) for attention from the ladies. Kyle's also still hung up on his ex, Alexis. Even though she dumped him three years ago he can't seem to forget her. He might even be going crazy because she can't be at his show right now. But she is. So after three years he's forced to accept they need to talk. As they go on an adventure to find the bands missing bassist, Alexis drops some secrets and feelings that Kyle is having a hard time believing and can't understand.
Like I mentioned, More Than Exes is only a novella, but it's a complete story. Very cute and fun. Introduces us to Jared and Maddie(the MC's for the first book in the series), as well as the rest of the band. I really liked Kyle and Alexis and was happy to see them get their HEA after so many years apart. It's also exciting to know that I'll probably get to see glimpses of their relationship in the next book(the pro to companion series). The writing flowed really easily, with the kind of banter I love in NA. The sexy times weren't forced or cringe worthy. Totally hot and intense. More Than Exes was great introduction into Briggs writing and story telling. I'll be continuing on with the next book, More Than Music as soon as I can pick it up. I can't wait to see what Briggs can do with a few hundred more pages.


Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Series: Cocktails #3
Pages: 320
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4.25/5
Add to Goodreads
Alice Clayton hasn't failed to deliver on the LOL's in her past books. So I knew going into Screwdrivered I'd be in a for a night of laughs and swoon. Of course I was not wrong. As much as I loved Simon and Caroline's story in the previous books, Viv and Clark have become my favourite of Clayton's characters. We briefly meet Viv in Rusty Nailed. She's Simon's high school friend. So when they reconnected at their high school reunion I knew I was going to love her story. Viv is spunky and vivacious. She hasn't completely conformed to her families lifestyle, so that makes her a little bit of an outcast. Viv also has a soft spot for romance novels. Like so much so that even though her life is nothing like a typical romance novel, so can foresee herself falling in love like the women do in them. So when her estranged great aunt dies and leaves Viv her small town California home, Viv jumps at the chance for a major life change and heads across the country. Unfortunately for Viv the home is nothing like she remembered as a child. It's pretty much on its last leg and falling apart with every step she takes. The biggest surprise though, is the farm hand the house seems to come with. He apparently doesn't own a shirt, but why would Viv mind that? He may be good at ignoring her, but isn't that how all romance novels go? Once he notices her and they have an intense sexual moment they'll fall madly in love. It's hilarious that Viv believes that. But it's totally true because most of us romance readers probably fantasize like that too. I can't be the only one with a ridiculously long list of book boyfriends... Unfortunately for Viv(or fortunately in my opinion) the local librarian/historian/nerd, Clark seems to be making himself a prominent fixture in her life. With his glasses and tweed jackets complete with elbow patches he's nothing like the cowboy in Viv's fantasy. Viv and Clark's banter is fantastic. They're butting heads and arguing every other sentence. But it's intense too. It's that slow intense burn that makes their first sexual encounter that much more hot and steamier. Clark is an old soul. Viv's snarky attitude really gets Clark to his wits end. She may seem impossible to him but that's what makes the attraction super fun. I love how every character Clayton creates is so so different with their own funny quirks. I really don't think I laugh out loud as much as I do when I read one of her books. Screwdrivered has definitely has been the funniest and hottest of the Cocktails books yet. When I'm in the mood for a true romcom there's no second thought that I won't turn to a Clayton book. She's seriously the queen of the romcom. Everything in book form that I love in a movie. Sure the titles and covers might be a little cringe worthy(especially when reading in public), but that's what adds to the humour that goes along with the series. The titles make total sense with the comedy that Clayton brings to her writing. I'm really hoping we're going to get a future novella of Viv and Clark, because what we know is coming into their life would be hilariously fantastic to get to read about.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Sunday 23 November 2014

Showcase Sunday #62

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.

Hey guys, what's up? The weather this week. Ah! Winter showed up so early. We got way too much snow for November. Temperatures were well below freezing. And now tomorrow it'll +11 with rain. So all the snow will be gone. Mother Nature is really having some major mood swings. The only(and I mean only) pro to colder weather and snow is that I get much more busy at work. People want to get the hell outta here. I wish I was the one heading south...
Yesterday(Saturday) I got to meet Eric Walters. He's a well known Canadian author with something like 70+ books published(crazy). I've actually only read one of his books, but thoroughly enjoyed it. So meeting him made me pick up a few of his other books to get signed and I'm super excited to read them soon time. There was also a few excellent Kindle Daily Deals this week for relatively new YA books that I've wanted to pick up. Score. 

Purchased
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: I couldn't pass up purchasing this beautiful Puffin Chalk edition(I'll probably get the whole collection). I've never read it, seen many many movie versions. So I've added it to my Christmas TBR.
Chapters
Wave by Eric Walters
Walking Home by Eric Walters

E-Book Purchased

Netgalley


Happy reading!

Brittany

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Top 5 Wednesday: Rebellion Groups

Top 5 Wednesday is a meme started by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey. Find the list of all the #T5WFamily here.

This weeks topic is:

Top 5 Favourite Rebellion Groups!

I feel like this one was kind of hard for me. There were a few groups that came to my mind instantly, but they're not terribly unique. Oh well, they are my favourites so it is what it is. I also couldn't really think of any rebellion type groups outside of dystopians/fantasies(I may just be overlooking some obvious ones), but I guess that's where you would find the bulk of politically driven stories.

5. Avery/Fifteen Realms

I can't think if there was an actual name for Avery's group. But it doesn't matter, this "rebellion" is totally all Avery. Well not completely. But she is so totally kick ass and things wouldn't have gone the way they did without her.

4. Patriots

The Legend trilogy is just full of rebellious acts against different political groups. And like a lot of rebellion groups, the Patriots definitely have problems of their own. That's why I'm on team Day & June. I just freakin' love this trilogy!

3. Divergent/Factionless

Insurgent is one of my favourite books/sequels. I love the turn the story takes.

2. Mockingjay

Is that what the rebellion is called? I just re-read Mockingjay, so I'm going with that.

1. Dumbledore's Army

Was there any doubt that the DA would be on here? Nooooooo.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I'm Dying For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is: 

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Get My Grabby-Hands On!

This was a hard one. I'm anticipating so many sequels/series enders/whatevers. I have so many series on the go with books still to come(or where authors have heard my wishes and are continuing on with a series that was finished years ago) (some also don't have titles or covers, but I don't care) that I couldn't only pick 10. So I've got 12. Deal with it. #sorrynotsorry :)



What sequel are you dying to get your hands on?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Sunday 16 November 2014

Sunday Showcase #61

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.

Hey peeps. How was the week? Nothing terribly exciting here. Except I did get my Mockingjay tickets. 8pm Thursday can not get here fast enough. I'm so excited. Just did a reread and that has got me pumped. I've got a solid guess at where they'll split the movie. But it should be fantastic.
I didn't mean to get any physical books this week. But you know how it is, I stepped into Chapters and I never leave empty handed. I got some really good Kindle deals(I hardly buy e-books over $2). And it turns out I had forgotten I'd signed up for a blog tour. Mai Tai'd Up turned up in my email and I was a little confused. Oops. Not that I'm complaining the other books in the series are a great laugh. Just took me by surprise. 

Purchased
Gracefully Grayson by Amy Polonsky: I'd heard about this one, but when I was browsing Chapters I saw the spin and picked it up, read the first few pages and knew it was coming home with me.
Deep Blue(Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly: I've had my eye on this one since it was released. But I've yet to have good luck with a mermaid book. Now with the ARC of the 2nd one coming my way, I thought it would be a good time to start this. Oops. 

E-Books Purchased

Netgalley

What did you guys get this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany