Guest of the Month

This month, I decided to participate in Emily's Guest of the Month Blog (http://www.emilyreadseverything.com) and was paired with the wonderful Wren! So without further ado, here is the amazing and wonderful Wren!

5 reasons that prove that I am the most awkward person ever when I'm not blogging

Getting Ready for that Truthwitch Hype!

So Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is really taking over twitter! I feel like everywhere I go I'm always seeing stuff about Truthwitch and how amazing it is or just general hype about its release date on January 5th this coming year. So as of today, that means that we have 44 days until it finally hits stores! Now I have not been one of the lucky ones to receive an ARC of this book nor have I gotten onto a street team for it. However, that does not mean that I am not insanely excited for this book or that I have not come up with my own ways to show my excitement and support for it.

I am a part of the Clanless clan on Twitter, which basically consists of some amazing fellow book people who are not officially a part of the Truthwitch Street Team but yet are still hopefuls to become a part of it. We are hoping to do something to show our love and support of Truthwitch as a group and while we are still figuring out ideas of what we want to do, I figured a blog post was in order on my end of things.

I know that there are quite a few of us who have not received a Truthwitch ARC and are patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for the book to release so we can devour it! But what do we do in the mean time? How do we fill that gap?

Well, with other books of course! So I thought I would post a list of books that have been filling that gap for me.

Pocket Letter Tutorial and Giveaway

So thanks to the wonderful Andi (@andiABCs) at Andi's ABCS, I have attempted my first ever pocket letter and I've fallen in love! Andi started up a project for bloggers to get together and send some pocket letter love to each other. I absolutely love making cards and sometimes even doing scrapbook pages but had yet to attempt a pocket letter. So when I saw the sign-ups for this project I just knew that I had to be a part of it. One of the requirements for this project, is that at least 2 of the pockets need to be book related. This can really equate to anything, a quote, a picture of the book cover, a book related drawing, etc. Anything so long as 2 of the pockets are related to books.

I got paired with the awesome Stefani (@StefaniSloma)and began trying to think of different ways that I could go about this pocket letter. I went on pintrest and pinned as much as I could find for different ways to design the pockets as well as different goodies to include in it. And slowly, I began working on my first ever pocket letter. I knew that this first one was not going to be the one I would send out to Stefani, but rather one for me to start with and get an idea of how I might work with these nine small pockets.

Once I was finished, I asked around on Twitter to see if anyone would be interested in this tutorial and was so happy to see that quite a few people would love to see me post my pocket letter tutorial. So here I am with pictures and all ready to describe my process and some things that might help you with your own pocket letter!

  At the bottom of this post, you can find out how you can enter to win this pocket letter!

Seven Nights to Surrender Launch Day Blitz

Seven Nights to Surrender Launch Day Blitz

About the Book:

  

SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER by Jeanette Grey (November 3, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; Art of Passion #1)

By day, he'll show her a side of Paris not found in any guidebook. By night, he'll introduce her to a passion beyond her wildest dreams. In this sensuous story of indulgence and desire, Jeanette Grey delivers one of the most romantic reads of the year and proves why she is fast becoming a must-read star.

SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER
Kate arrives in Paris hoping to find inspiration. Instead she finds Rylan. In a swirl of stolen kisses and hot, tangled sheets, Kate is quickly swept away by the sexy stranger, longing to surrender to his expert touch. With Rylan, nothing is forbidden-except the truth.

An American ex-pat worth millions, Rylan never flaunts his fortune. Rather, he guards his identity from everyone, especially women. No strings, no commitments, no complications. But the second his lips taste Kate's soft, sweet skin, everything changes. For the first time, Rylan has found someone to share his every want and need. Yet he knows that secrets stand between them. To keep her, he'll need to confess the truth before it's too late . . . even if doing so could mean losing Kate forever.

Buy the book!

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An Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway from Seven Nights of Surrender by Jeanette Grey! 

Kate stayed firmly planted in her seat as he offered to help her up. Trying her best to appear unaffected, she arched one eyebrow. "Does this usually work for you?"
The guy didn't pull his hand back or in any other way appear to alter his strategy, and Kate had to give him points for that. "Yes, actually."
"Interesting."
The sad truth was, his offer was beyond tempting. The attention was nice, especially after her self-esteem had been beaten down the way it had in the past year. Hell, in the past twenty-two. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who spoke fluent French showing her around, either. That he was as attractive as he was just made the deal sweeter.
"Not working so well on you, then?" he asked as she considered him.
"Not so far."
His smile only widened. "Good. I like a girl who's hard to crack." Standing up straighter, he held his palms out at his sides. "Come on, what have you got to lose?"
"I'd say my wallet, but that's already gone."
"See? Low stakes. Listen, you don't trust me." That was an understatement. Was there a man left on Earth that she did? "I don't blame you. Devilishly handsome man wanders into a café and buys you a drink without asking? Offers to show you around town? Very suspicious."
"Very."
"So let's make this safe. You said you wanted to see the Louvre? Let's go to the Louvre. I'll show you all my favorites, and then if I haven't murdered you by supper time, you let me take you someplace special. Someplace no guide book in the world would
ever recommend."
She was really running out of reasons to say no. It was a good plan, this one. They'd be in a public place. She'd have time to feel him out a little more. And if he wasn't too much of a psycho, well, everyone had to eat, didn't they?
Still, she kept up her air of skepticism. She rather liked all his efforts to convince her. "I don't even know your name."
The way his dimples shone when he lifted up one corner of his mouth was completely unfair. Extending his hand again, he offered, "Rylan. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Rylan. That was unusual. She liked it.
"Kate," she volunteered in return, and with no more real excuse not to, she accepted the handshake, slipping her palm into his. Warm fingers curled around hers, his thumb stroking the side of her hand, and oh. The rake. He bent forward as he tugged on her hand, twisting ever so slightly so he could press his lips to the back of her palm.
"Charmed."
"I'll bet you are." But her pulse was racing faster, and the kiss felt like it seared all the way to her spine.
This man was dangerous.
He straightened up but he didn't let go. Sweeping his other arm toward the door, he asked, "So?"
She hummed to herself as she gazed up at him, as if there was any question of what she was going to do. His blue eyes sparkled, like he already knew her answer, too.
"Well." She rose from her seat, feeling taller than usual. More powerful. Maybe it
was all the flattery of a guy like this hitting on her. Maybe it was the headiness of making this kind of a decision. Either way, it made her straighten her shoulders and insert a little sway into the movement of her hips.
"Well?"
"Lead on," she said.
He didn't let go of her hand. "That's what I was hoping you'd say." With a squeeze of her fingers, he took a step toward the door. "Let's go look at some art."
External pressures aside, she had come to Paris to be inspired by beauty. She could find it on the walls of a famous museum. And she could find it in the lines of this man's shoulders and throat. The latter might not have been what she'd had in mind when she'd set out, but what was a little bit of a diversion?
You couldn't find yourself without taking a couple of side trips, after all.

About the Author: 
                                             

Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When she isn't writing, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.

Social Media Links:

Website

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Twitter

Goodreads

Giveaway! 

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Where Have I Been?

So if you've been following my blog at all, you will have realized that I basically dropped off of the face of the Earth pretty much two months ago. Where exactly have I been during this time? To be honest, I've been at home. The catch, my computer is on its way out the door so I've been pretty afraid of even going on it for a few minutes as the few times that I have tried my computer has either frozen on me or has shut down during use. So to save myself from the headache of losing anything off of my computer before I can get it backed up, I have only been using my phone data for the past two months. However, I am looking at getting a new computer so I should be back to posting reviews here soon. In the meantime, I'm going to do a post with short book reviews for the books that I have read in the time since I've been active.

What books can you expect to see reviews for?

Blightborn
As White As Snow
As Red As Blood
A Darker Shade of Magic
Stirred with Love
The Indigo Spell


What books Have I gotten recently?

Thanks to my amazing #otspsecretsister I am now the proud owner of The Scorpio Races and A Court of Thorns and Roses both of which I have started reading because I can't resist them!

I also won a copy of A Curious Tale of the In-between and have started reading this book as well.

And thanks to Netgalley, Booktrope Publishing, Penner Publishing, St. Martin's Press, Harmony Ink Press, and Random House Publishing Group. I have also gotten copies of The Scam, Mad About the Hatter, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light, Firsts, Crystallum, and Mind of the Phoenix.

#ARCAugust Week 2 Recap

Well, I sort of fail at this. Two weeks have come and gone, and not much activity can really be seen by me. But never the less, I am here to recap my past two weeks of reading.

To start with, I have managed to finish two books so far this month! Although, neither of the books I have finished are actually ARC copies, I'm hoping that throughout this month I can knock out at least a few of the Netgalley reads that I have.

So here is what I have read this month:

And a list of my Current Reads:

And now for the list I hope to read:

Alright so there is a list of all that I have read this month, and what I hope to accomplish throughout the rest of the month. Here's to hoping the other half of ARCAugust is much more productive. 

Also you can now follow my blog on bloglovin: 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14378829/?claim=scwa3pjr4pt">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Secret Stash Saturday #1

So it's taken me a while to get around to my first post of Secret Stash Saturday but never the less, I am here and boy do I have some goodies for you! Of course, because I'm such a huge Harry Potter nerd I figured for this first Secret Stash Saturday, I would show you some of the amazing Harry Potter merchandise that I have come across.

But before I can do that, I want to mention that this idea was actually inspired by Katie at Katie's Book Blog She does a section for her Etsy obsessions and thought it was a really cool idea. Definitely go and check out her blog if you haven't already done so. She has a lot of awesome reviews as well as cool Etsy items to put on your Wish List!

Burn, Re-Write, Re-Read

Alright so I've seen this going around on Twitter a lot lately, and I thought why not give it a shot. And because I'm a glutton for punishment I'm going to do ten different rounds. Yes that's right, ten rounds of book burning, re-writing, and re-reading! However, I will be breaking it up into two separate posts. So lets get to it!

Maniac Monday #3

#otspsecretsister, Camp NaNoWriMo, and more!

Welcome back to another Maniac Monday! This week, I'm going to talk about the #otspsecretsister tag, my progress with Camp NaNoWriMo, and a few other things!

So to start with, I want to go over this amazing thing that is happening over on Twitter that goes by the #otspsecretsister tag! What exactly is it, you wonder? Well, it's this amazing thing that Brittany, Amy, and Alyssa started that pretty much runs like a six month long Secret Santa event, except it's for book lovers!

What exactly do you do for this Secret Sister event? You would need to head over to any of their blog pages and read over the FAQs first, after doing that and making sure that its something that you have the commitment for, check out their blog page for the Round 3 sign ups and send them an email with the required information. Please note that they must know you in order to be able to sign up for this event. If this sounds like something you might like to do, but don't yet know any of these three lovely ladies, start using the #otspsecretsister tag, talk to them, and get to know them. They are a pretty fun group and not at all scary so don't be shy!

If you want to check out any of their blog pages or check them out on Twitter, you can find them here:

Brittany:
Twitter: @bookaddictguide
blog: http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/

Amy:
Twitter: @trippingbooks
blog: http://www.trippingoverbooks.com/

Alyssa:
Twitter: @WithTheBanned
blog: http://bookstakeyouplaces.com/

Now I realize, I still really haven't answered what exactly one can expect from joining #otspsecretsister so here it is. By joining #otspsecretsister you get to make new friends who love books just as much as you do. So by signing up for this event, you will get your own secret sister as well as be someones secret sister. Throughout a span of six months, you will send your sister sister goodies, cards, pick me ups, and basically anything else that you can think of. When you sign up, you pick a price range that works best for you, and each month you should be sending your secret sister some goodies that will equate to that amount. However, while its fun to send and receive cool items and books, this event is really about getting to know other people and sending cheerful notes. So definitely remember to send those thoughtful letters/cards/etc to your secret sister just to let them know you are thinking about them! So that is what #otspsecretsister is all about. Sending another book lover some cheer and letting them know that you are thinking about them! It's going to be great fun and I seriously can't wait until I get my Secret Sister!


Camp NaNoWriMo:

This month I'm attempting to work on Camp NaNoWriMo with a goal of writing 50,000 words during this month. However, at day 13, I'm so far behind its not even funny. But I'm not going to give up. Even if I don't make it to 50,000 words written this month, I will have written more words than I originally had so that is still very much a win for me.

I've been mostly working on my Original Fiction novel for this goal, but the other night I hit a small snag and decided to begin working on my Harry Potter Fanfiction novel again. I was pleasantly surprised when a section that I've been hung up on for quite some time began working itself out and suddenly the chapter was almost done! Tonight, I'm hoping to work on my stories a bit more, maybe finish off that chapter I was working on last night and maybe see if I can get my Original Fiction story to play nicely.

Book Update:

So the other day, my boyfriend surprised me and decided to take me out for lunch and then we were going to go hang out at the zoo and just have an "us" day. However, after lunch, we decided that it was much to warm and gross outside to spend a lot of time out so we decided to hit the Mall of America and just wander around. To make this better, I got to stop into Barnes and Noble, talk about a lucky girl!

Of course, its extremely tempting walking through the many rows of books and even worse when I make it into the YA section. I was only going to buy one book since I still have so many sitting around my house, waiting for me to pick them up, but then I ended up with a dilemma between which book I should get. So I wandered up and down the YA section, picking up a bunch of books (that I still so badly want), but then I came to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and after all of the hype and excitement and amazing things that I've heard about it from my Twitter friends, I knew that this had to be the next book for me.

But of course, things can't be quite that easy because then I see The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski and I suddenly couldn't decide! I've heard great things about both of them and they were both really high on my wish list of books and I just didn't know which one to get. So then my boyfriend finally comes up to me and sees me with both books in my hand and asks me how much they are. I tell him, and was completely expecting him to tell me to only get the cheaper one, but instead, he surprised me and told me to get both! I am now the extremely happy owner of both Throne of Glass and The Winners Curse and I can't wait to begin reading them!

Anyways, I think this is where I'm going to leave it for this Maniac Monday post! If you have any questions at all, want to tell me how amazing these books are, send some words of encouragement for Camp NaNo, or just talk, feel free to leave a comment! 

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Under the Empyrean Sky (Heartland Trilogy #1)

Author: Chuck Wendig

Summary: Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow? And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie? his first mate and the love of his life? forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry? angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. Cael's ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever. 

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 3/5

To Be Read Tuesday #2

Welcome to the second To Be Read Tuesday! This week I'm going to discuss the series that won as the next series I need to read, The Raven Boys.

So I've ever only heard great things about this book and I've contemplated it before, but I have always put it aside for some other book. Now after the urging of a few different friends, this book and the others in this series have found their way to the top of my To Be Read list. So what am I thinking about this book?

One, that cover! Like seriously though, whoever designed this book cover knew exactly what they were doing. It's eye catching and intriguing. Everything about this cover really screams out to me. From the wisps to the large Raven and what looks like eyes on it wings, I don't have a single fault against this cover. It definitely hints towards a darker book, with some intrigue, and some mysterious aspects to the book. I feel like this book will have some surprises in store for me. 

Two, the summary. The concept of this book is just fantastic. I love that a group of soon-to-be dead people walk by and that the main character has never seen them before, but this time, she does. And in doing so, it attaches her to four boys she never would have originally found herself hanging with. From there, we get to know a little bit about the four boys that I feel like are each going to take a piece of me with them. But really the thing that gets me most from the summary, is that we know that something is wrong, and that our main character is either the killer or has found her one true love in the boy she sees as the soon-to-be dead. So much is left open and I'm really not sure what I should expect for this book other than the fact that I'm sure its going to be a great read. 

And three, four boys means four times the heartache and possibly falling for each of them in their own way. Like seriously, how is my heart supposed to handle this? 

So there you have it, my thoughts about The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. 

Ashes to Ashes by Melissa C. Walker

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Ashes to Ashes

Author: Melissa Walker

Summary: A timeless and romantic ghost story that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, her spirit travels to another dimension called the Prism. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who guides her as she learns how to bring peace to those she left behind. But Callie soon uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: some of the souls in it are angry, and they desperately want revenge. These souls are willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

Perfect for fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, this thoughtful and suspenseful novel will have readers eager to read the sequel, Dust to Dust.

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Rating: 4/5

Maniac Monday #2

So this weekend, I sort of failed at posting anything on my blog. I would love to blame the holiday on this, but sadly that doesn't even come close. I spent my holiday on my computer at home so really I shouldn't have any excuse however, I do have a few good ones. One, its Camp NaNoWriMo and I seriously need to get going on it, even after spending the majority of my day working on it on Saturday. And two, I spent all day Sunday doing stuff for another website that I'm on. It was a lot of fun and I wouldn't have changed it for the world, but doing that meant I didn't write my blog entry. Oh well, I'm here today and that's all that counts.

What are some things I'm looking forward to this week? Well, I've got some fun posts coming up, including, The Raven Boys, my top ten summer reads, and my favorite book to movie, as well as some other fun topics so keep your eyes out for that.

Other non-blog related news, I will be spending a good portion of my time writing for Camp NaNo and hopefully catching up on word count since I'm currently sitting about 10K behind but I know that I can do it, I just have to remember that a first draft doesn't have to be good... the words just need to get on paper. That's probably one of the biggest things I struggle with. I want it to sound perfect right away even though that's not always possible so I just have to take things slowly and forget about the need to be perfect and just let it all flow out.

In reading news, I'm currently making my way through Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker as well as reading Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig and they both seem to be taking me by surprise a bit so I'm really looking forward to finishing them up soon. I'm also really excited because I was able to talk my boyfriend into watching The Maze Runner with me this weekend, and we both actually liked it, even though he had told me he wasn't going to watch it. So I was a bit surprised when the next day, he came home from work with the rest of the books in the series (I already had The Maze Runner, just haven't read it yet). And things get even better that he actually wants to read the series, but he wants to wait until I've finished reading them. Guess this means I need to put time aside soon and get to those books so he doesn't have to wait too long for them.

What is currently on your reading list? Have any of them taken you by surprise yet?

July To Be Read List and June Wrap Up

June was an exciting month for me! I got more active over on Twitter and met a bunch of lovely bloggers. I came up with theme days for my blog and even read and reviewed a few extra books than I had originally planned on. So lets take a look at what I had managed to do during the month of June.

For book reviews:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

And a list of my non-book review posts:
My Favorite Pairings
Ten Book Series You Should Read if you Haven't Already
My Announcement for Theme Days
Series Sunday #1- Harry Potter
Maniac Monday #1

So altogether, I would say that June was a really successful month for me! I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing new books and also coming up with some fun new things to do with my blog.

Now onto my hopes for July!

I have a lot of books that I'm looking forward to reading this month and I've already managed to get one done! You can check out my book review for the newly released Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton here! So what other books I'm I hoping to read this month?

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Blightborn by Chuck Wendig
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

I also have a bunch of others that I would like to read as well, but my main focus will be to get through those four books. Beyond the reading and reviewing aspect of my blog, I would like to maintain my daily themes throughout the month and have a new post everyday! This shouldn't be too hard to do as I've already got the topics figured out for each day.

Have you read any of the books on my to-read list? What did you think of them? Also, do any of you have any fun posts or book reviews planned for July?

Favorite Friday #1

As a big reader, there is nothing like finding that amazing spot to just hangout with a good book and maybe a drink or two. That is why, for my first Favorite Friday, I am going to talk about my favorite places to read!

I just moved a few months ago, actually, it will be a year in October, and I'm still learning each day of different places in the house and outside that make nice reading spots. Of course, laying in my bed and curling up with a book before I go to sleep is always a wonderful feeling, but someday's, it just doesn't work for me. I get tired out from just laying there all day, or I get restless and can't get comfortable. So recently, I've taken upon myself to find better places to read during the day when my bed just doesn't do it for me. So far, I have found a few new wonderful places to hangout and read.

The first place, is the lovely library I have in my house.

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Wicked Charms

Author: Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

Summary: Murdered and mummified more than ninety years ago, bootlegger Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle once found and re-hid a famous pirate’s treasure somewhere along the coast of New England. A vast collection of gold and silver coins and precious gems, the bounty also contains the Stone of Avarice — the very item reluctant treasure seeker, Lizzy Tucker, and her partner, Diesel, have been enlisted to find. While Lizzy would just like to live a quiet, semi-normal life, Diesel is all about the hunt. And this hunt is going to require a genuine treasure map and a ship worthy of sailing the seven seas . . . or at least getting them from Salem Harbor to Maine.

Greed is eternal and insatiable, and Lizzy and Diesel aren’t the only ones searching for the lost pirate’s chest. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to finding it, and are willing to commit murder or make a deal with the devil, just to hold the fortune in their hands. One of those people may even be Wulf, Diesel’s deceptively charming and enigmatic cousin. Wulf desires the Stone of Avarice. He also desires Lizzy. It’s hard to say how far he’s willing to go to gain either one.

It’s a swashbuckling adventure full of raiders, monkeys, minions, and mayhem. Lizzy and Diesel are going to have to do everything they can to keep their heads above water and hope they are living a charmed life.

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Rating: 3.5/5

This book was received though NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. In no way does this influence my thoughts on the book. 

After reading the first two books in this series, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this one, after all, it seemed like they followed a general plot path and didn't shake things up much. However, I was pleasantly surprised from the beginning of the book. 

Top Ten Thursday #1

Today we are going to look at the top ten books I'm looking forward to being released later this year. (that was a mouthful)

So without further ado, here are the top ten I'm looking forward to!

Waiting on Wednesday #1

For my first Waiting on Wednesday, I thought it only appropriate, that I talk about the one book that I'm most excited for, Soundless by Richelle Mead!

*Image and Summary taken from Goodreads

Summary: For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever... 

To Be Read Tuesday #1

This week on To Be Read Tuesday, I'm going to talk about Those Secrets We Keep by Emily Liebert.

*Image and summary taken from Goodreads

Summary: On the surface, Sloane has the perfect life—an adoring husband, a precocious daughter, and enough financial security to be a stay-at-home mom. Still, she can’t help but feel as though something—or someone—is missing....

Hillary has a successful career and a solid marriage. The only problem is her inability to conceive. And there’s a very specific reason why....

As the wild-child daughter of old family money, Georgina has never had to accept responsibility for anything. So when she realizes an unexpected life change could tie her down forever, she does exactly what she’s always done: escape.

When these three women unite for a three-week-long summer vacation in beautiful Lake George, New York, even with the idyllic location as their backdrop, the tensions begin to mount. And they quickly discover that no secret can be kept forever.... 

The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: The Shadow Revolution: Crown and Key

Author: Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Summary: They are the realm’s last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they’re going to need a lot more silver.

 
As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield.
 
After a lycanthrope targets Kate’s vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane—but quickly discover they’re dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined.

Release Date: 06/02/15

Rating: 2/5

Maniac Monday #1

Today is all about plotting. Starting on July 1st, I will be going through the amazing journey that is Camp NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a month long goal to try and write 50,000 words which equates to about 1,667 words a day! It's a lot of fun and has helped me to get my ideas flowing and the words onto paper. 

There are two different ways that people generally go about it, plotting or pantsing. I have found over the past few years that I have participated in NaNo that I tend to do much better when I plot ahead of time rather than pantsing or mostly pantsing the month. The only problem with this, is that camp starts in less than 2 days time and I am still plotless. I guess I have really vague general ideas for my story but the gaps of unknown are vast. So that is why today is going to be spent plotting out my novel. I am determined to fill in these vast areas of unknown and pull together a plot to work on for the month of July. 

As for what you can expect out of me for the rest of this week, tomorrow I will discuss Those Secrets We Keep, Wednesday we look at the novel im most excited for, Soundless. On Thursday, I'll count down my top ten books I'm looking forward to being released later this year. Friday will cover my favorite place to read. And on Saturday, I will discuss some cool book related merchandise, although I'm still deciding what that will be. You can also keep your eyes on the look out for at least 2 new book review posts this week, The Shadow Revolution, and Wicked Charms!

So there you have it, my week laid out for you. But before you go, I have a few questions for you!

Are you going to participate in Camp NaNo? If so what are you hoping to accomplish in July? 

What are you most looking forward to on my blog this week? 

Also don't forget to help me pick out the next book series I should begin reading. To do so, either comment here or on my top ten series list! 

And I'm still looking for cool book related merchandise so if you know of any awesome etsy shops, or you make stuff and would like to be featured, email me at escapeunderthecover@outlook.com. Thank you for reading!

Series Sunday #1

Welcome to my first Series Sunday post! Today, I want to discuss a series that is very near and dear to me, one that has recently had some exciting news come about. What series might that be? It is the wonderful, magical, series of Harry Potter!

Now I know that pretty much everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows at least a little bit about this series but either way, I thought that this would be a wonderful series to cover for my first Series Sunday. Why do I think this will be a good series to cover?

Theme Days!

Theme Days!

So I've been thinking a bit about some fun different things that I can do with my blog. I mean I will of course still be doing the book reviewing and (hopefully soon) some giveaways. But I want to make this blog as fun for you guys as it is for me. So I decided, why not do a different theme each day to keep things interesting and allow me to get to know you guys and you guys to get to know me better. 

Below you will find a list of each day of the week, and what exactly that theme will mean. 

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich

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*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Wicked Business

Author: Janet Evanovich

Summary: Lizzy Tucker's once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to her unnaturally talented but off-limits partner, Diesel.

When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences. On their way they'll leave behind a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and general mayhem.

Diesel's black sheep cousin, Gerwulf Grimoire, also wants the Stone. His motives are far from pure, and what he plans on doing with the treasure, no one knows...but Lizzy Tucker fears she's in his crosshairs. Never far and always watching, Grimoire has a growing, vested interest in the cupcake-baker-turned-finder-of-lost-things. As does another dangerous and dark opponent in the hunt - a devotee of lawlessness and chaos, known only as Anarchy.

Treasures will be sought, and the power of lust will be unmistakable as Lizzy and Diesel attempt to stay ahead of Anarchy, Grimoire, and his medieval minion, Hatchet, in this ancient game of twisted riddles and high-stakes hide-and-seek.

Release Date: 06/19/12 by Bantam

Rating: 3.5/5

Wicked Business is the second book in the Lizzy and Diesel series.

Ten Book Series You Should Read If You Haven't Already

Ten Book Series You Should Read If You Haven't Already

Are you looking for a new series to dive into but don't know where to start? Below, I've compiled a list of 10 (actually 14) different series that I believe you should try if you haven't already.

So lets get started!

My Favorite Pairings

My Favorite Pairings

We all have them, the pairings that we hope for and fall head over heels in love with. The ones that we yell at our books in frustration when they just can't see how good they would be together. And yet we squeal (or at least I do) in delight when they finally get together. Here is a list of my top ten favorite book pairings. 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Summary: Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. 

Release Date: 2/05/13

Rating: 5/5

I have to admit, I was slightly nervous to read Scarlet. We were saying good bye to having Cinder as our main character and gaining a new one, and I just wasn't sure how I would feel about the lack of Cinder in the book. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself quickly enjoying our new main character, Scarlet, and barely noticed the length of time we went without sight of Cinder.

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Wicked Appetite

Author: Janet Evanovich

Summary: For centuries, treasure hunters have been eager to possess the stones, undeterred by their corrupting nature. The list is long — Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, to name a few. Now the Stones have found their way to Salem, Massachusetts, and so has Gerwulf Grimoire, adding himself to this rogues’ gallery of power seekers. He’s an uncommonly dangerous man, with a hunger for the forbidden, and a set of abilities that are way beyond ordinary. Abilities that he feels entitle him to possess anything he might desire.

That would include Elizabeth Tucker, the woman he needs to find the Stones. She’s freshly transplanted from New York City to Boston’s North Shore. With a new job as pastry chef at Dazzle’s bakery and an old house inherited from her Aunt Ophelia, her life is pretty much on track …until it’s suddenly derailed by a guy named Diesel, a rude monkey, and a ninja cat.

Lizzy can handle the monkey and the cat. She’s not sure about Diesel. He’s offering up his own set of unusual talents, promising to protect her from Grimoire. The kind of protection that Lizzy suspects might involve guarding her body day and night.

The Seven Deadly Sins are pride, greed, lust, envy wrath, sloth and gluttony. That pretty much covers everything that is wicked. Diesel thinks it also pretty much covers everything that’s fun. And Lizzy thinks Diesel and the Seven Deadly Sins cover everything her mother warned her about.

Release Date: 09/14/10 by St. Martin's Press (first published 09/14/09)

Rating: 3.5/5

To celebrate the upcoming release of Wicked Charms (book 3), I will be reviewing all three books over the next few weeks! 

This book is one that I've had sitting on my shelf for quite a while now, and with the upcoming release of the third book in this series (Wicked Charms), I felt that it was time to finally sit down and read it. I am no stranger to the works of Janet Evanovich, I'm a sucker for the Stephanie Plum series (and even enjoyed the movie), so I was very much looking forward to starting a new series by her. 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Release Date: 1/03/12

Rating: 5/5

For years, I have gone by the book section at Target, or gone through Barnes and Noble and have come across this book, but for reasons unknown to me, I had continued on my way, leaving this book behind. Then I began to hear things about this book. Small whisperings at first but then I began to hear things from my friends. I heard of how great this book was and how it was easily among some of their favorite books. So about a week ago, I was going down the book aisle at Target and saw this book once more, and decided why not give it a try. 

And boy am I glad that I did! (and a little mad that I didn't read it sooner)

Powerless - Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Powerless

Author: Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs

Summary: Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.

Release Date: 6/02/15

Rating: 4/5

I first came across this book through Goodreads.com through their first reads giveaway. I was lucky enough to have been selected as a winner for this book and I was super excited to get it. I really didn't know what to expect when the book came to me, I  had never heard of either author before so I wasn't familiar with either of their works or writing styles. I was also a bit nervous about the book seeing as it was a collaboration project so I worried that the differences in writing styles would come across in the book. However, I was still really excited to receive my copy and began reading it almost straight away. 

My first opinion of the book, was that it was an interesting premise to go off of. Kenna (the main character) is powerless and is constantly surrounded by superheros in her everyday life. Even her mother who has no superpowers has a large role among the superheros. And then to introduce villains who still try to portray themselves as being bad so to speak, but yet not doing a great job of it. Seriously, if its three villains versus one powerless teenage girl, you would think that the villains would completely overpower her. However, Kenna, is resourceful and ends up making it through the run in, only to be left thinking about one of the villains, Draven. To make matters worse, she finds that her best friend, a superhero, is dating a villain. Then her house is broken into and completely overturned.

Saint Anything - Sarah Dessen

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Saint Anything

Author: Sarah Dessen

Summary: Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and -lately- concern. When Payton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? 

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time. 

Release Date: 5/5/15

Rating: 5/5

It is no secret, that Sarah Dessen is among my favorite authors and to be completely honest, I was prepared to come into this story ready to nit pick. There was only one problem with this plan. From the moment that I started reading, until the moment that I finished it, I was so sucked into the story, that there was nothing that I could find to nit pick about. 

I love how Sarah tackles such hard hitting topics in her stories and how she completely nails them. Her characters are so realistic and plenty of times throughout the story, I could find myself agreeing with how Sydney felt. She captures the feeling of being lonely, and feeling invisible really well, and it really makes this story pop. And its not just her main character Sydney who is well written, but each supporting character has a moment to shine and really show what they are made of. 

As I've already said, this story was one that I didn't want to put down. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, phone next to me (I read this on the Kindle App), because I just didn't want to stop, not even to go to sleep. Though obviously sleep won out. And then there was the issue of work. I found myself reading small bits of the story every moment that I could, on the bus to and from work, during my lunch break, as soon as I got home. Pretty much every waking moment that I wasn't already preoccupied with work or another inexcusable activity, I was reading Saint Anything. 

I found myself curious with each chapter that I read, wanting to find out more, and telling myself that I would read "just one more chapter". Though one more chapter easily became two more chapters, which in turn became three. And part of that is because the writing flowed together really nicely. Each chapter easily segued into the next and I never felt like I was missing information or that there were large gaps of time to break up the flow. 

In comparison to Dessen's other books, I do feel that while this may be book number 12 for her, this book has brought something new to the table. It may have touched on some of the same topics as her other books, a female teen finding her way in the world and coming to discover more about herself over the course of the book as well as some romance aspects tied in, but the way they were presented felt different to me. I found myself waiting for events to happen based off of her previous books, but instead, found myself pleasantly surprised when they never came. 

And of course, one of my favorite bits about Sarah Dessen's novels, are the small nods to her other novels with mentions of a characters name, school, or even radio station. Each time one was mentioned, I would smile to myself, as if I was one of a few in on a secret. But these nods to her other novels also helps for her world to feel more realistic to me. Lives are intertwined in strange ways sometimes, and not always in noticeable ways, and for the author to add in these small mentions really helps bring home the idea she uses in Saint Anything, "In any moment, there were so many chances for paths to cross and people to clash, come together, or do any number of things in between." 

Saint Anything is definitely a book worth reading. It gave just the right amount of information to never feel overbearing and to also make me want to continue reading. The characters are realistic and definitely relate-able, and while the topics covered may be considered more hard hitting (drunk driving, drug use, feeling invisible, family issues, etc) the story never feels like its too much or too dark.

Also, if you haven't already read any of Sarah Dessen's other stories, I highly recommend them, especially if you like stories with realistic characters, hard hitting plot points such as divorce, rape, and eating disorders, as well as topics of self-discovery and family.

The Beginning of It All

Here we are dear readers, the beginning of it all. The blank sheet, just waiting for words to begin pouring out onto it. This is what all things must start out as, and there is no going back from here, not really. No matter how hard we try, our blank sheet will no longer be blank, instead it will be riddled with typo's and crossed out words (or maybe that's just my notebooks), and even if we try to start over, there will still be small marks left over, marks that will always be there with us. So this is where we will begin.

And what a better way to begin, then to hear your suggestions for books you think I should read. So please, leave me a comment and tell me those awesome books that you have read! And it doesn't just stop at Original Fiction, you can also leave you suggestions for Harry Potter fanfiction that you think I should read and review. I do most of my fanfiction reading at harrypotterfanfiction.com and I will read any pairing, rating, genre, or era. So feel free to suggest any and all of your favorites.

Please also consider donating to help keep HPFF (harrypotterfanfiction.com) alive. You can do so Here. HPFF is a fantastic website that has helped many people from all around the world. Its a safe place where people can experiment with new writing styles, coming together to discuss writing and books, and feeling more confident with their writing abilities.


So what are you waiting for lets hear those suggestions!