Bout Of Books Official Sign Up

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.

This is my third time participating and I hope we get a good turn out because it is so much fun! Please join and challenge yourself. I am challenging myself to read.

1) Shades of Grey- Jasper Fforde
2) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns- Frank Miller
3) Violins of Autumn- Amy McAuley
4) This Side of Paradise- F. Scott Fitzgerald
5) Small Medium at Large- Joanne Levy

April Wrap up

I completed my TBR this month which is super rare so I am quite excited about this fact. I also read a lot of bigger books this month so that was also pretty awesome.

 

The books I wanted to read were

 

Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan
Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers
Fuse- Julianna Baggott

The False Prince- Jennifer A. Nielsen

Fragments- Dan Wells

The Prince- Kiera Cass

Mila 2.0- Debra Driza

I Hunt Killers- Barry Lyga

The Ivy- Lauren Kunze

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins (Re-read)

The Evolution of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins

Angelology- Danielle Trussoni

 

The books I read were

 

Books I own: 14

Borrowed from the Library: 10

E-Books: 4

Total: 24

 

Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan
Cracked Up To Be - Courtney Summers
Fuse- Julianna Baggott

The False Prince- Jennifer A. Nielsen

Fragments- Dan Wells

The Prince- Kiera Cass

Mila 2.0- Debra Driza

I Hunt Killers- Barry Lyga

The Ivy- Lauren Kunze

French Milk- Lucy Knisley

Dark Triumph- Robin LaFevers
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins (Re-read)
The Best and Hardest Thing- Pat Brisson
Austenland- Shannon Hale
The Evolution of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins
Angelology- Danielle Trussoni
The Runaway King- Jennifer N. Nielsen
What Happens Next- Colleen Clayton
Clash- Nicole Williams
The Modigliani Scandal- Ken Follett
Midnight in Austenland- Shannon Hale
Crash Into Me- Albert Borris

War Brothers- Sharon E. McKay
Ubreak My Heart- Melissa C. Walker

 

 

What did you read this month?

 

Stacking the Shelves (69)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Hello, my name is Sara and I have a book buying addiction. I tried to seek help but bought more books. I am also known at my two favorite book stores so that's awesome. My fiancee is not as excited about this fact as I am but I ma trying to change his mind. Unsuccessfully.

Bought Used

Burned- Ellen Hopkins (Loved it. I did not own it but now I do)

Bought New

3 books for $10. There is no way to turn that offer down.

Once a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough
Vixen- Jillian Larkin (I now have a paperback and hardcover)
Bloody Valentine- Melissa De La Cruz

I though I was done then I went back to Chapters and bought...

Lock and Key- Sarah Dessen ($2!! and brand new)
Angel Fire- L.A. Weatherly (Another $2 find)

Clash- Nicole Williams (Kindle)
Tortured- Caragh M. O'Brien (Free on Kindle)

 

What did you get in your mailbox?

The Best and Hardest Thing- Pat Brisson

Title: The Best and Hardest Thing
Author: Pat Brisson
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: No
Rating: 4/5
















Goodreads Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Molly Biden has always been studious, dependable, some might even say saintly. And she's sick of herself. So when she spots mysterious bad boy Grady Dillon, she devises a plan to make herself over into someone new, someone who will attract Grady's attention. She succeeds but a little too well. When Molly discovers she?s pregnant, she's forced to make the hardest choice of her life. This addictive readable portrayal of Molly's struggle to accept her pregnancy and the fact that her life will never be the same is told entirely in poetry, from sonnets to haiku.

Thoughts

I just recently heard about this book. I was watching a book haul where this book was mention (I cannot remember the name of the youtubber) but it sounded interesting so I ordered it from the library.

This book is written in verse from the point of view of fifteen year old Molly. She hates being considered a goody two shoes so she starts dressing differently and attracts the attention of the school bad boy Grady. When she finds out she is pregnant she struggles with the decisions she has to make. Does she want to keep the baby?

Molly is a frustrating teenager, her grandmother is not shy about telling Molly to be careful and even provides her with contraceptives. She tried so hard to attract Grady even though he is clearly just using her. Even though Molly was completely frustrating, she also made some hard choices. I did want to shake her for making bad choices but I also found she was not completely clueless. She does not shy away from responsibility, and does not try to blame anyone else for the choices she has made.

The story is pretty predictable but even though I knew what was going to happen, I still wanted to keep reading, I wanted to see what Molly was going to do next and how she was going to react. This is a super quick read, I think it took me maybe an hour to read it. I did enjoy it and I gave it a 4/5. It kept my attention even it was predictable.

Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan

Title: Glow
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Source: Bought new
Series: Yes
Rating: 3.5















Goodreads Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

This book is not what I first expected, I do have to get something out of the way before going into too much detail and it is something I wish I knew before I read this book so I could have been more prepared. This book brings a large religious portion into it near the end which comes out of nowhere and sadly to me felt a little preachy. I have my own views on religion and I found this book tried to force you to share the author's views.

The book starts off strong, Waverly is a typical teenage girl, the only difference being is she is part of the first generation to be born in deep space. Early on in the book, her boyfriend, Kieran proposes to her and before she can fully process the request they are attacked by there assumed ally ship and things start going downhill. Waverly and Kieran are separated, and Kieran is stuck with Seth who Waverly cannot fully comprehend what she feels for him. As Waverly fight to survive and reunite with her family and friends, Kieran is fighting to keep control. As the captain to be, power automatically falls to him during the time of crises but not everyone is keen about having Kieran in control.

Waverly has a lot to deal with, her culture is pressuring her to marry Kieran and become a young mother, but Waverly is not sold on the idea and starts thinking about a life outside of the one that has been set for her. Kieran was a little pushy, I was not a big fan of him. In the beginning I thought he was ok, maybe asking a little too much of Waverly but not a bad person, but once things start happening on the ship he seems more interested in power than actually helping others. I understood to a point why he acted this way but I found it hard to forgive him. Seth is a complete wild card and really it's hard to know where he stands. He does some pretty awful things but then he seems to change so it is really hard to tell who is the real Seth. Is it the tyrant or the misunderstood boy?

The story is about living on a spaceship heading towards a new planet because earth is no longer inhabitable. The people chosen for the ship were hand chosen while everyone else was left on earth. The life on the spaceships was divided by religious and non-religious but the lines start to blur and the book becomes very religious which seemed completely out of context for the story. Kieran starts to push his new found beliefs on others and the strain between inhabitants on the ship start to grow. The novel is action pact which the point of view switching between the two ships and through the eyes of Kieran and Waverly.

The ending of this novel made me change my thoughts about it. I really enjoyed the beginning but the ending I found rushed and quite frustrating. I am unsure if I want to continue reading this series, I gave this a 3.5/5 because I did really enjoyed the first 2/3 of the novel but sadly the ending is keeping me from giving it a higher rating.

Stacking the Shelves (68)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

After last weeks ridiciously large hall I was trying not to buy any books this week. That ended on Monday with Kindle's daily deal.


Borrowed from the Library

The Best and Hardest Thing- Pat Brisson.
What Happens Next?- Colleen Clayton
This is What Happy Looks Like- Jennifer E. Smith

Bought New

Defiance- C.J. Redwine ($1.99 on Kindle)
The Season- Sarah MacLean
The Demon of Gloamingspark Yard- Eldritch Black (Free on Kindle)
Clockwork Prince- Cassandra Clare

Bought Used

The Hunger Games- Susan Collins (No idea where my original copy went)
The Angel Game- Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Bought it in paperback for $2.99)
The Swan Kingdom- Zoe Marriot
My Soul to Take- Rachel Vincent
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns- Frank Miller

What did you get in your mailbox?

Dark Triumph- Robin LaFevers

Title: Dark Triumph
Author: Robin LaFevers
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Yes
Rating: 5/5















Goodreads:

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

This is just a forewarning about this book. Be prepared to lose track of time and possibly your mind slightly. This book caused me to be late for work. I am not making this up. I was at work on time and just waiting to start and so I decided to read a few more chapters before work. Bad idea. I somehow convinced myself while reading that I actually worked later and so I was officially late for work. My boss fixed my schedule but I have never been late or absent from work and this book broke that for me. You have been warned.

This review may contain spoilers so if you have not read the first book I suggest you do so before continuing and plus if you not have read the first book in this series you need to because you are missing out. 

This novel is from the point of view of Sybella. I thought it would be from the point of view of Ismae but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the story was going to be from a different character's point of view (I also found out book three will be the same. Yay!). Sybella is a character that was significant in Grave Mercy but her history was not fully revealed. There were pieces of the puzzle given but not enough to get a real feel where of who she was and how she came to serve Death. This book goes into detail on how Sybella came to become the girl who came to the covenant half mad with grief and despair.  Sybella has a lot more secrets that even the covenant was aware of which are revealed in bits and pieces throughout the novel. Sybella has a lot from her past she would prefer that none in her life would find out but sadly her sense of security slows starts to crash down around her.

Characters from the first book in the series did make an appearance again. The one I have to point of of course is Beast. I absolutely love him and I totally squealed when he appeared in this book. I have no shame admitting that. I loved every mention of him, I want more Beast. He is my favorite character. Legit. Ismae is also back which makes me happy. I loved her as a character and I am grateful the story brings her back.

The plot is a continuation from the first novel. The duchess is in danger, and Beast will stop at nothing to protect her. There is also romance. Beast finds love. Finally. I could write an entire review just about how much I love Beast, he plays a large part in this novel and him and Sybella have some major chemistry which usually ends with her being sarcastic to him. Sybella wants to trust him but her past makes her weary of trusting anyone. The story had a smooth transition from one book to the next, the only transition that was noticeable was the change in point of view. This book felt like a continuation of the first novel and I never felt like I was lost.

I absolutely loved this book. I thought there would be no way it could live up to my high expectations but it did and I felt completely satisfied with the ending and hungry for more. I am already dying to read the third novel in this series. I want to know where the characters are going to end up and where the story is going to go from here. This deserves nothing less than a 5/5 rating.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jamie at The Broke and the Bookish.

 

 

This week's topic is a rewind so I get to pick a past topic. I am going to go with the topic from March 12 2013 which was top ten books at the top of my spring 2013 TBR list.

 

 

1) Unbreak My Heart- Melissa C. Walker

 

This is a recent purchase for me, I really enjoyed Melissa's Violet series so when this came on sale for Kindle I bought it and this book just looks like a spring/summer book which makes me want to read it.

 

2) Fourth Comings- Megan McCafferty

 

This book has been on my shelves forever. I have been taking my time to read this series because I don't want it to end *sob* but I need to know what is going to happen to Jessica and Marcus.

 

3) The Miseducation Of Cameron Post- Emily M. Danforth

 

I have wanted to read this book since I first heard about it which was before it even came out but I still have not read it.  I found this on sale for my Kindle and I want to dive into it asap.

 

4) The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom- Christopher Healy

 

This is another one that I bought on sale and have been dying to read. A Fairy tale re-telling from the prince's point of view, I totally need to read this.

 

5) The Space Between- Jessica Martinez

 

Her first novel blew me away so as soon as I knew she was coming out with another book I ordered it immediately and now it is just sitting on my shelf.

 

6) The Evolution of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was one of my favorite books of 2011 so I waited impatiently for the sequel and now that it is on my shelf waiting.

 

7) The Demon King- Cinda Williams Chima

 

I have heard nothing but good things about this book and I bought it a long time ago from Chapters and planned to read it immediately but other books got put before this one.

 

8) Gone- Michael Grant

 

The first four books are sitting on my shelf but of course I have not read any of them. I need to read all of them but I will start with book one.

 

9) The Dark Divine- Bree Despain

 

Why have I not start this series yet? Why?! This book sound so good and I look at it constantly but I always tell myself there are other books I should read first. I am going to remedy this soon.

 

10) Rules of Attractions- Simone Elkeles

 

There is no reason why I have not read this book. I absoutely love Simone Elkeles books, they are always fast and I can get through them in one sitting easily so there is no reason why I have not had time to read this.

 

 

What is on your list to read in the spring?



Stacking the Shelves (67)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I am not going to even try to justify the amount of books I accumulated this week. All I am going to say is I got a lot of awesome sounding books.


Bought Used

Violins of Autumn- Amy McAuley
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer
The World of Pooh: The Complete Winnie-The-Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
Eleven Minutes- Paulo Coelho
By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept- Paulo Coelho
The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern
The Light Between Oceans- M.L. Stedman
Roses- Leila Meacham (Really enjoyed this book)
Wild- Cheryl Strayed
Wicked- Gregory Maguire

Bought New

Midnight in Austenland- Shannon Hale
This Side of Paradise- F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Angel Experience (Maximum Ride#1)- James Patterson ($2.99 on Kindle)

Gifted

My fiancee took me to Chapters on Wednesday and he bought me some books since I found 3 for $10.

Sean Griswold's Head- Lindsey Leavitt
Cryer's Cross- Lisa McMann
Darkness Becomes Her- Kelly Keaton

I also got a signed bookmark from Eve Silver for her book Rush. It's pretty.

Unsolicited

Dr. Fuddle and the Golden Baton- Warren L. Woodruff (No idea where this came from but thank you to whoever sent it. I also got a bookmark. I love bookmarks).

Borrowed from the Library

Dark Triumph- Robin LaFevers
Let's Pretend This Never Happened- Jenny Lawson
Austenland- Shannon Hale
The Runaway King- Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

What did you get in your Mailbox?

French Milk by Lucy Knisley

Title: French Milk
Author: Lucy Knisley
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Series: No
Rating: 3/4















Goodreads Summary:

A place where young Americans can seek poetic magic in the winding streets of a beautiful city. The museums, the cafs, the parks. An artist like Lucy can really enjoy Paris in January. If only she can stop griping at her mother. This comic journal details a mother and daughters month-long stay in a small apartment in the fifth arrondissement. Lucy is grappling with the onslaught of adulthood. Her mother faces fifty. They are both dealing with their shifting relationship. All the while, they navigate Paris with halting French and dog-eared guidebooks.


This book was sort of meh. I wish there was a better word to describe it but I really cannot think of one at this point. This is about Lucy and her mother who go to Paris together when Lucy is in her early 20's. Lucy recently finished college and she leaves her boyfriend John to travel to Paris.

I liked the beginning and I though the story would be more about Paris itself but it seemed to focus more on what was going on with Lucy and not a much about Paris. The synopsis on the back of the book made me think this would be a story about Lucy's relationship with her mother but it focused more on what was going on in Lucy's head.

The plot was a little flat, Lucy seemed more focused on her life back home and did not really seem to embrace her life in Paris. When Lucy did explain about her life in Paris it was detailed and interesting, I loved the art in the novel, I thought that Lucy was a really good artist but overall the book was not what I thought it would be and it was a little bit of a letdown. I gave it a 3/5.

Arkham Asylum: Maddness- Sam Kieth

Title: Arkham Asylum: Maddness

Author: Sam Kieth

Source: Bought used

Series: Yes

Rating: 5/5











Goodreads Summary:

It is the most feared house in all of Gotham. It contains the worst that the city has to offer. It is the place where the Dark Knight's most dangerous and psychotic foes call home. Writer / artist Sam Kieth, the creator of THE MAXX, invites you to spend 24 hours in the most haunted house in the DC Universe, Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in this original Batman graphic novel.

This book is amazing. I went in looking for Batman Arkham Asylum which sadly my library does not carry but the bookstore owner advised he did have this book so to purchase it.  I am a huge Batman fan. I am complete nerd and I love it.

The art and story in this book is amazing. It follows the lives of the nurses and staff who work in the Arkham Asylum. This book is really dark which I figured it would be but I think a warning should be given before someone decides to pick this book up. If you do not like dark novels then I do not recommend this book.

The novel starts by following a nurse named Sabine who is a young mother who wishes she did not have to work at the asylum. She is learning about the patients from one of the older nurses at the asylum. The point of view jumps around a little bit and shows what the patients and other staff members while she works a 24 hour shift.

The art is absolutely stunning, it was beautiful and detailed. There was so much detailing in every picture. I am really excited to read the other novels in this series. I more than likely will try to buy them used due to the fact that there is over sixty books in this series I believe they retail for around $19.99. I wish I could write a better review about how much I liked this book but I am having a hard time articulating exactly how I feel.

Stacking the Shelves (66)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I am trying my best not to buy any books right now since I have t save up for my wedding. Boo. I did go to the library (again) but I am determined to read more books I already own.

Borrowed from the Library

French Milk- Lucy Knisley

Bought New

Grave Mercy- Robin LaFevers (Bought this in soft cover. I know I already own it for my Kindle but it's just so awesome)

Shades of Grey- Jasper FForde (Dying to read this forever. I found it in a Wal-Mart bargin bin for $5.49 so I picked it up)

The Raven Boys- Maggie Stefvater (Kindle for under $5)

Gifted

Insatible- Meg Cabot

What did you get in your mailbox?

Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel- Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academt: The Graphic Novel
Author: Richelle Mead
Source: Borrowed from the libray
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5














Goodreads Summary:

After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It’s filled with intrigue, danger—and even romance.

Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.


Thoughts:
I have this entire series sitting on my self but I only read the first one. I thought it was good but I did not fall completely in love with the series which is why I still have not completed the series. I decided to read the graphic novel to see if it would grab my attention more than the written novel did.

This book covered the main plot points, so I was glad I read the novel first so that I got more information than the graphic novel provided. I liked that it covered the main points, and it grabbed my attention and made me want to continue with the series. I want to re-read the first novel and then continue on from there.

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir and she is a bodyguard for best friend Lissa who is a Moroi vampire princess. They ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy which is a boarding school for vampires. Rose went on the run with Lissa to protect her but now they have been caught and are now being dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy. Rose believes that Lissa is still in danger and not everyone is glad that Lissa and Rose are back, it is getting harder and harder for Rose to protect Lissa as the leader's of the school believe this is the safest place for Lissa.

This book takes place in a board school which is full of vampires. I really enjoyed this story, I love the setting, so many things are happening. It's hard to describe this book without giving too much away. They are some pretty delicious sounding love interest in this book. This books got everything I love in a book, action, adventure, a great plot and good looking love interest. I really hope the second book will grab my attention more than the first one did. I have heard that this series does get better as it goes along so I may need to slog through the first few until it grabs me.

Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi

Title: Unravel Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Source: Bought new
Series: Yes
Rating: 5/5















Goodreads Summary:

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war

I have to make a confession. I totally pre-ordered this book but I have taken forever to read it because I was so afraid of where this book was going to take me. I seen a spoiler about what happens with Warner so I knew what I was getting into so I kept putting it off. I re-read Shatter Me then I knew I had to read Unravel Me asap. I loved this book but it made me feel so many emotions, I was sad and happy and frustrated constantly. Love this book.

Juliette is free but still feels trapped. She does not know what has happened to Warner and she is keeping secrets from Adam and the others at Omega Point. There were times where I wanted to shake certain characters *cough Adam & Juliette cough*. Subtle I know. I actually started to understand why Warner is the way he is but I still think he is a total jerk head. Adam is still one smexy man. Do not judge you all know you feel the same way.

This is such a great continuation to the story. I absolutely loved it, this ending made me frustrated. I wanted to throw the book and yell things so instead I am writing this completely rambling review. I feel the need to use lots of caps but I am trying to contain myself. I need book three, I have to know what is going to happen. I need more Adam and sadly some Warner because eve though he is a jerk head he is delicious to read about. This book got a total 5/5 from me. It is totally on my favorites list, I love staring at the books on my shelf. Amazing.

April TBR

I did not get all of the books read off my March TBR sadly. I found a ton of library books I wanted to read instead so I did do a good amount of reading but just not as many of my own books as I would have liked.

The books I did not get to last month but the ones I want to get to this month are;

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins
The Evolution of Mara Dyer- Michelle Hodkins

The other books I would like to get to this month;

Angelology- Danielle Trussoni
Glow- Amy Kathleen Ryan
I Hunt Killers- Barry Lyga (Started this at the gym so I want to finish it)
The Ivy- Lauren Kunze
Cracked Up To Be- Courtney Summers
The Prince- Kiera Cass
The False Prince- Jennifer A. Nielsen
Fragments- Dan Wells
Fuse- Julianna Baggott

What do you plan on reading this month?