Bout of Books 9.0

Hey there my fellow bookish darlings!
What better way to start of 2014 than a READ-A-THON! And a week long one at that, with tons of fabulous giveaways and mini-challenges. Wanna participate? Here's the deets:


The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


My Goals:
Read at LEAST 1 book a day. I can TOTALLY DO THIS! And twitter chat with all you lovely fellow book readers. Take NOTES during my reading, tag things i like, highlight, whatever! And most importantly, make sure i have fun!

My TBR:

     

  

         

1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
2. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
3. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
4. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
5. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning
6. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
7. Angelfall by Susan Ee

REVIEW: Fangirl

Fangirl
by Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 438-US Hardback
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: September 10, 2013
My Rating: 5/5
Book Summary:

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? --goodreads.com

My Thoughts:
This was such a perfect witty and lighthearted read, full of hilarious dialogue and some incredibly likable characters. And although i found myself laughing through a majority of the story, there were still some extremely tender and touching moments that weaved throughout the entirety of the book.  

Our main character Cath, truly spoke to me, and reminded me of myself on so many levels; Her quirkiness, nerdy tendencies and addiction to to all that is Simon Snow. She's sarcastic and true, and is a character that i think many readers will find themselves relating with. Not only with with her involvement in fandom, but with her deep rooted issues as well.

The love story the unfolds throughout is one that i did not expect at first, but am so extremely glad that it happened. It's one of hilarity, sweetness and some awkward, real-life moments. The kind of moments you yourself find in, and always wonder if it happens to anyone else.

After flipping the very last page, i couldn't help myself but order every other book that Rainbow Rowell has written. She has one of the most wonderful author voices that i have ever had the pleasure of experiencing, and i am so very excited to see what she has in store for us next. 

Book Haul

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

Blythewood by Carol Goodman

  

For Review:

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

(Big thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copies)

Needless to say, I've had a seriously awesome week in books. I already own and have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but as i'm sure most of you can fully understand, there's no harm in having more then one edition! I'm not sure how many of these newly collected books i'll be able to get to in the month of November, seeing as how i'm trying to bust my way through NaNoWriMo... but i'm sure December will be a full month of lounging and reading. Hope you all have a great week. 

#FridayReads

Good evening my bookish lovelies,
I know it's been a while since i've done any updating, however i promise you, it's for good reason! Not only am i now in full swing of Fall semester at University, but i've recently begun writing my very first novel. On top of all that i've been spending my days as a mum and girlfriend (while also sneaking in as many naps and NetFlix TV shows as i can.) Now that you're in the know, how about a post on what i plan on reading this weekend:






1. First, i'll be trying to finish up the last couple hundred pages i have left in The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. I am really quite obsessed with this read and can't wait to read more of Brown's work.










2. If i've got any other spare time, i'll be hoping to start Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. The first book in this trilogy, A Discovery of Witches, was one of my favorite books of 2012. I am more than thrilled to continue on see what happens!





How about you? What are your #FridayReads? 
Follow #FridayReads hashtag on Twitter. My handle: @hmmcw

Bout of Books 8.0 Read-a-thon

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

My Bout of Books TBR:

1. Juliet by Anne Fortier

2. DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

3. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

4. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

If i finish these 4, ill be sure to add another boom or two to the list. Whats on your Bout of Books TBR?

#30dayread Challenge

There's a current book challenge ensuing through the BookTube-ing community that's quickly picking up steam.. the 30 Day Reads Challenge.  Of course the moment i heard about this, everything in me was screaming I MUST PARTICIPATE. Lately i've been in a bit of reading slump, so what better way to remedy such a tragedy. I'll be following BookTuber SHOUTAME, and her 30 day plan. Find below a quick YouTube link to her video discussing her TBR pile and a little more about the challenge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI8NeIj8KPo

Here's some quick info:

1. Challenge starts today (June 17) and runs through July 16.
2. Read at least 200 pages a day for 30 days
3. Read any book you fancy, whether short or long (a fantastic way to knock out some of those massive novels we all have sitting on our shelves.)
4. By the end of the 30 days, you will have read at least 6,000 pages
5. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram with #30dayread

You can follow my progress here on the blog as well as...

Twitter: hmmcw

Instagram: hmmcw



Waiting On Wednesday: The Bone Season.

Weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Showcase which books you're going crazy over to be released!

The Bone Season

by Samantha Shannon

Release Date: August 20, 2013

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The honest to god truth as to why i am utterly thrilled to start this book? Critics have hailed Shannon as the next J.K. Rowling. I MEAN SERIOUSLY?! Quite honestly i'll probably go into this story with a bit too much expectation... but my goodness am i excited to see if it truly lives up to the hype. 

REVIEW: The Bookman's Tale

The Bookman's Tale
by Charlie Lovett
Pages: 369-US Hardback
Publisher: Viking Adult
Release Date: May 28, 2013
My Rating: 4/5
Book Summary: Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter Byerly isn’t sure what drew him into this particular bookshop. Nine months earlier, the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, had left him shattered. The young antiquarian bookseller relocated from North Carolina to the English countryside, hoping to rediscover the joy he once took in collecting and restoring rare books. But upon opening an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries, Peter is shocked when a portrait of Amanda tumbles out of its pages. Of course, it isn’t really her. The watercolor is clearly Victorian. Yet the resemblance is uncanny, and Peter becomes obsessed with learning the picture’s origins.

As he follows the trail back first to the Victorian era and then to Shakespeare’s time, Peter communes with Amanda’s spirit, learns the truth about his own past, and discovers a book that might definitively prove Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all his plays.

My Thoughts:

I am always a total sucker when it comes to any sort of historical fiction, especially a story that jumps back and forth between present time and the past. The Bookman's Tale did an absolutely fabulous job of doing just so...smoothly and in such a way that flowed with ease and such intrigue. You can tell that Mr. Lovett really did his homework, and researched every bit of information to make this fiction story so unbelievably.. well, believable. Whether it was the intense description of book binding, Victorian art, Shakespeare, or rare books, you felt your brain growing bigger by the page.

You really connect with our main character Peter, in such a way that towards the end of the book (MUST.KEEP.AWAY.SPOILERS!), i found myself weeping uncontrollably. And my god that has only happened to me on two other occasions from a story. That moment right there is what solidified that this was a great story indeed. 

The only flaw i could possibly find, was that sometimes there was too many characters. You easily forgot about some when they were first introduced, and as they made appearances later on you couldn't remember who the hell they were or what significance they had.

I whole heartedly recommend this new release to ANYONE who loves books, and loves to collect books. It's fun, it's fast paced, and it truly kept me up until all hours of the night. I just HAD TO KNOW how the mystery wrapped itself up.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. 

Here's where you share what you've recently read, are currently reading, and what you're about to read.

Read:

The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett

Currently Reading:

Faefever (Fever #3) by Karen Marie Moning

Up Next:

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

(Netgalley ARC-Release Date: August 20, 2013)

Bout of Books Read-a-thon 7.0

Whoo hoo! I'm finally participating in my first read-a-thon... and my goodness, 7 days?! I'll be able to knock out some books that have been lingering in my TBR for quite some time. Unsure what this read-a-thon is all about? Have a little looksie and the below paragraph and join on in!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

My Bout of Books TBR:

1. House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

2. (finish) Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

3. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

I've still got quite a bit to go in the the monster that is The Name of the Wind, so hopefully i'll be able to breeze through that over the next day or two... while also indulging in my X-Files TV marathon. This is for sure going to be the best week ever.

TEASER TUESDAY:The Name of the Wind

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme where you give a quote from the current book you have your teeth sunk into. Make sure it's spoiler free!

                   The Name of the Wind

by Patrick Rothfuss

'"My father laughed and roughed my hair. "Just pity him, my boy. Tomorrow we'll be on our way, but he'll have to keep his own disagreeable company until the day he dies." 

"He's an ignorant blatherskate," I said bitterly."

-pg. 67

I am more then in love with this book so far, although i do have to admit the 700 and some odd pages is a bit intimidating, especially considering the amount of books i'm trying to read by the end of this month. HOWEVER, i'm only about a 100 pages in so far, and i can already whole-heartedly recommend this!

May 2013 TBR

May 2013

Here it is ladies and gents... this months TBR (and holy fudge, is it a huge one.) Most of these reads I've accumulated through my local library. Their selection over the last year or so has grown to be downright freaking phenomenal. They always seem be on the ball with new releases.

  
   
  

1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

2. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

3. A Natural History of Dragons; A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

4. The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

5. The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

6. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

7. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

8. Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

This list has me dramatically shaking in my boots. Not only do i have quite a few hefty reads in there, but there are so many! And i'm sure i'll try and sneak a few additional ones in there as the month moves along. Hope you all enjoy your month, and i can't wait to see what you've got your noses dug into.

Waiting On Wednesday: Star Cursed

Weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Showcase which books you're going crazy over to be released!

Star Cursed

(The Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)

by Jessica Spotswood

Release Date: June 18, 2013

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

I fell in love with the first installment of this series, Born Wicked, from the very first page. It was full of historical loveliness, witchy joo-joo, and a slew of fantastic characters. So, needless to say, i am MORE than thrilled to finally be able to sink my teeth into book number 2. 

Teaser Tuesday: Walking Disaster

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme where you give a quote from the current book you have your teeth sunk into. Make sure it's spoiler free!

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

(Beautiful #2)

"The hairdryer was turned on in the bathroom, and I looked at the clock. The only thing worse than having to be okay with Abby leaving on a date with Parker, was Parker having to wait on Abby in my apartment. Keeping my cool for a few minutes while she got her purse and left was one thing. Looking at his ugly mug while he sat on my couch, knowing he was planning how to get into her pants at the end of the night, was another." 

-pg. 152

Waiting on Wednesday-Gameboard of the Gods

Weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Showcase which books you're going crazy over to be released!

Gameboard of the Gods

by Richelle Mead

Release Date:  June 4, 2013

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

GAH! I am borderline obsessed with pretty much every series that Richelle Mead has published. Vampire Academy, Dark Swan, Georgia Kincaid... you name it, i freaking love it. So, why wouldn't i be drooling over her new future release? Especially because it sounds like the perfect mix of ingredients to make a stand-out novel. 

REVIEW: Poison Study

Poison Study (Study #1)
by Maria V. Snyder
Pages: 412-US Paperback
Publisher: Mira Books
Release Date: March 1, 2007
My Rating: 5/5
Book Summary: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

My Thoughts:

Quite honestly, I have had this book in my TBR list for years. YEARS. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I haven't been completely and utterly overcome with excitement to dig in, it's just that every time I decided NOW... now is the time i'm finally going to read it, something just.. stopped me. That kind of gut feeling you get when you tell yourself now is not the time for this story. And this is where I begin to kick myself in the ass. What in the hell was I thinking? Okay, whatever. We've established that I suck. But seriously...

Poison Study was unlike anything I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Quite frankly, Maria V. Snyder is a literary mastermind, and i don't use that term often. The characters she  created really just seep into your being. You are not just a mere bystander, watching over their happenings.. you are there. You are Yelena. You feel everything she feels, and does everything she does. Yelena is a ture heroine, and one the I admire whole-heartedly. And quite frankly, Valek is HOT. I'm pretty sure he just got added to my list of top 5 fictional male characters that i'd like to get a little hot and steamy with. Oops. Did i divulge too much? Who the hell am i kidding? Once you read this, i know you'll totally agree.

The world building in this story is truly original and really quite beautiful. It's hard to pull yourself out of Ixia and back into reality when you're away from the pages.

Immediately after closing the last page of Poison Study, i proceeded to grab my Kindle and purchase the second in the series, Magic Study. SO. FUCKING. EXCITED.