October Wrap Up

Borrowed: 2
Books I Own: 1
Total: 3

End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
Fortunate, The Milk by Neil Gaiman

September Wrap Up

The List
Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Large book/ Life of a book addict list)
End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (TBR forever)

Books I own: 0
Borrowed: 10
Audiobook: 4
Total: 10

Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Second Life by S.J Watson
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Pocket Wife by Susan H. Crawford
The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati

September TBR

This is a super late TBR, but I have not read any of these books yet so I figured I could still post it.

The List
Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Large book/ Life of a book addict list)
End of Days by Susan Ee
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (TBR forever)

Book Haul

My post have been super sporadic lately and I actually considered closing down my blog but I miss posting. I am going to try to keep posting more often but life is crazy right now. 

I went to the library yesterday and picked up a ton of books and I noticed I had forgotten to post my last few hauls so I decided to make one big haul.

Borrowed from the Library

Second Life by S.J Watson (audiobook)

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong 

Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (audiobook)

Boomerang by Noelle August

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham (audiobook)

Missoula by Jon Krakauer (audiobook)

I Was Here by Gayle Forman (audiobook)

Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (audiobook)

The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford 

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Black Dawn, White Raven By Elizabeth Wein

An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati

 A Tale of the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (audiobook)

Borrowed from a friend

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

 

Gifted

End of Days by Susan Ee

What did you get in your mailbox?

August Wrap Up

I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately which has helped me read a lot. 

Books I Own: 14
Borrowed: 2
Audiobooks: 5
Total: 16

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf 

Stir- Fry by Emma Donoghue
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb 
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly 
Jessica Darling It List 2 by Megan McCafferty 
Honey and Clover Vol 3 by Chica Umino 
Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee
World After by Susan Ee
After Dark by Haruki Murakami 
Perfect Fifths by Jessica Darling 
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand 
This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel
Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky 

Review of Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Title:  Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
Author: Neil Patrick Harris
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5









Goodreads Summary:
Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born in New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

I am a huge Neil Patrick Harris fan. I loved him on How I Met Your Mother and I have been a fan ever since. I listened to this book on audiobook and he narrates the book and has his husband David Burka also comes in once in awhile. 

I loved learning about his family and how he became an actor. He starts in his childhood and works his way to present day where he and his partner are parents to twins.  He is unabashed and honest about how he came out as a gay actor and how he worried what it would do for his career.  His love for his children, Gideon and Harper and for his partner David is heart warming. 

This book made me laugh out loud and at times made me incredibly sad. I loved this book.

July Wrap Up

Books I own: 5
Borrowed: 5
Audiobook: 3
Total: 10

How to Tell Your Cat is Plotting to Kill you by Matthew Inman
The Martian by Andy Weir
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire 
Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett 
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly 
What If? : Serious Scientific Questions to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe 
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

August TBR

I am keeping this month short again, but I am slowly getting back into a normal reading schedule.

To Read List

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (Life of a book addict list)

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 
She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb (Life of a book addict list/ big book)

Book Review of A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay

Title: A Paris Affair
Author: Tatiana De Rosnay
Source: From the publisher 
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
Does a fruit taste its sweetest when it is forbidden? Is that which is prohibited always the most pleasurable? In this passionate and perceptive collection, Tatiana de Rosnay paints a portrait of the most forbidden of loves, in many different shades—sometimes tragic, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartfelt, always with a dry wit and an unflinching authenticity. 

I have always been a fan of Tatiana De Rosnay's books since I read Sarah's Key.  I am not usually a fan of short stories, but I enjoyed this collection. This is a collection of short stories about adultery set in modern day.

The start of this book threw me off at first since her books are normally set in a historical setting so when the book mentioned a cell phone it caught me off guard. The book was split between men and women committing adultery. In some  stories both parties were married and in others only one was married and the other was single.

There is eleven stories and each of the women in the story has a different perspective of their marriage and how they find out that their husband has cheated on them. There is revenge and sadness and sometimes even humour. 

I liked all of the stories and I am looking forward to her future work. 

Book Unhaul (Part 2)

Here is part two of my giant unhaul :)

The List

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Someone Like you by Sarah Dessen
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
World Without End by Ken Follett
Interview with the Vampire By Anne Rice
The Vampire Lestat By Anne Rice
The Queen of the Damned By Anne Rice
The Vampire Armand By Anne Rice
Memnoch The Devil By Anne Rice
The Tale of the Body Thief By Anne Rice
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Bro Code for Parents by Barney Stinson
A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
The Outlander by Gil Adamson
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
The Last Song by Nicholas Evans
The Time Travelerer's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Woods by Harlan Coben
The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
Dark Horse by Tami Hoag

Total: 34

Another Book Unhaul (Part 1)

I have been MIA again lately. Life is crazy busy, but I had the weekend off so I decided yesterday I was going to do an unhaul.

I thought it would be small, but once I started I wanted to go through every single shelf and be strict with myself and get rid of any books I no longer have an interest in reading at this time or I know I will not re-read.

The List

Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
CandyFreak by Steve Almond
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Light in August by William Faulkner
Consumed by Benjamin R. Barber
Olive Kitteridge by Katherine Strout
The Women in White by Wilkie Collins
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Northhanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre
The Little Horse of Iron by Lawrence Scanlan
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Fugitive Nights by Joseph Wambaugh
Finnegan's Week by Joseph Wambaugh
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
Code to Zero by Ken Follett
Hornet Flight by Ken Follett
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Sekret by Lindsay Smith
Skandal by Lindsay Smith
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg


Total: 30

Book Haul

My amazing husband took me to Bookoutlet for our wedding anniversary and I picked a few books out.

Bought New
The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover 
After by Anna Todd
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky 
This is not a Test by Courtney Summers 
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Trouble by Non Pratt
Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong 
No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong 

For Review
A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay 

What's in your Mailbox?

June Wrap Up

June was another flop for me. Life has been super busy and I have not been reading lately to top it off. 

The List
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict

Books I own: 8
Borrowed: 1
Audiobooks: 4
E-Books: 1
Total: 9

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin 
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt 
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt 
Trinity by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm 
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
On The Pleasure pf Hating by William Hazlitt
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky 
A Paris Affair by Tatiana De Rosnay 

July TBR

The List
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict/ started)
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (On my TBR since 2012)

I am keeping this list extremely short since my reading has been lacking a lot lately. I hope to read more than these two, but if I only get to these two then I am ok with that.

May Wrap Up

I did not do a lot of reading done in May. I had emergency surgery at the end of April and I was off work and I could not concentrate enough to read. I hope to read a lot more in June.

The List
On the Pleasure of Hating by William Hazlitt (The Life of a Book Addict list)
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)

Books I Own: 6
E-Book: 1
Audiobook: 3
Borrowed: 5
Total: 11

Oxygen by Carol Cassella
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins 
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus 
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud 
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
Redeployment by Phil Klay
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

June TBR

May was a flop for reading for me which I cover in my May wrap up. I hope that June is a better reading month for me than May was. 

The List
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict)

Review of The Unfortunates by Sophie McManus

Title: The Unfortunates
Author: Sophie McManus
Series:  Standalone
Source: From the publisher for review
Release Date: June 2 2015
Rating: 2/5









Goodreads Summary:
Cecilia Somner’s fate hangs in the balance. A larger-than-life heiress to a robber baron’s fortune, once known for her cruel wit as much as for her tremendous generosity, CeCe is now in opulent decline. Afflicted with a rare disease and touched by mortality for the first time, her gilded, bygone values collide with an unforgiving present. Along with her troubled son, George, and his outsider wife, Iris, CeCe must face the Somners’ dark legacy and the corrupting nature of wealth. As the Somner family struggles to find a solution to its troubles, the secrets and lies between CeCe, George, and Iris grow entangled. CeCe’s world topples, culminating in a crime as unforgettable as it is unexpected.

I am really not sure what direction this book was trying to go in. It starts off really slow and I was not quite sure the story was trying to tell me and I don't really know what genre this is suppose to be or trying to be. 

The characters are not likeable and I have never met anyone like George before and I really hope I never do. George is a terrible person. His mother always bails him out of everything and he says he loves his wife Iris but I don't think he truly understands love. The way he treats Iris is terrible. CeCe is George's mother  and one of the narrator's of the story and she is suffering from a disease similar to Parkinson's disease and she is very old fashion and does not want people to know she is sick. Iris is George's wife and she comes from a completely different background from George. There was a lot of minor characters who appear and disappear from the story. 

We start the story with finding out CeCe will be heading to a trial drug program away from home. She starts to change slowly and gets a new perspective on her life and on her son, George. CeCe is not a fan of iris, even though Iris has never done anything to CeCe besides not being from old money. Iris learns some of the truth about George when his mom is no longer there to bail him out. She sees a whole new side of him, but she still allows him to treat her terribly as she attempts to shelter him from what he's done while also trying to keep her personal and work life together,  The story is a little sporadic and it jumps all over the place. 

Overall I was not a fan of this novel. I had a really hard time getting into the story and I felt the characters were not realistic, however I do assume that there are characters who act like George and CeCe, but I have not met them and I do not know anyone who has.  I'm glad I checked this out as it is her first novel, but I just did not connect to the story.

Stacking the Shelves

Borrowed from the Library
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong 
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman 
Solitaire by Alice Oseman 
Sculptor by Scott McCloud 

Borrowed from a Friend
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire 
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Spring Unhauling

I was off sick so when I started to feel a little better I did a little spring cleaning. I got rid of a ton of books and my husband took care of cleaning out most of our kitchen cupboards.

Here is what I am unhauling: 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
The Future of Us by Jay Asher 
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga 
Rot and Run by Jonathan Maberry 
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe
Angelfall by Courtney Allison Moulton
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Eona by Alison Goodman
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter 
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter 
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Beautiful  Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 
Plague by Michael Grant 
Hunger by Michael Grant 
Lies by Michael Grant 
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini 
If We Kiss by Rachel Veil 
The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1) by L. J. Smith 
The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #2) by L. J. Smith 
The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) by L. J. Smith 
Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries, #4) by L. J. Smith 
Frozen by Robin Wasserman 
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles 
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles 
The Bandito Massacre by Peter Edwards 
Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci 
Rodie: My Life on the Road with Coldplay by Matt McGinn
Where Rainbows End by Ceclia Ahern 
The New World by multiple authors, edited by Christopher Golden 

Where I have been

My post has been super sporadic and my read books in April was only eight and the reason for that is I has emergency surgery just over a week ago and I have been off from work since. The pain medication I have been on has been making me super tired plus the surgery itself has been painful and my recovery has been a lot slower than I would like.

I am returning to work Monday since I can finally move around without too much pain. I move a lot slower than normal, but I can sit up without being in horrible pain. I went to the emergency room and they found something not quite right with my right ovary so they told me to come back the next day for an ultrasound after giving me some pain pills and sending me home. I went back the next day and found out I needed emergency surgery and I needed to stay overnight.

Since I have been sick I have not been reading or doing much of anything but sleeping so I hope to get caught up soon! 

What have you been up to?

April Wrap Up

The List
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/Goodreads shelf since 2012)
The Future Collection by Beth Revis (e-book)
Oxygen by Carol Cassella (The Life of a Book Addict List)
Skandal by Lindsay Smith (for review)

Books I Own: 7
Borrowed: 1
Audiobooks: 2
Total: 8

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison
Skandal by Lindsay Smith 
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
The Future Collection by Beth Revis by Beth Revis
Confess by Colleen Hoover

May TBR

The List
On the Pleasure of Hating by William Hazlitt (The Life of a Book Addict list)
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)

Stacking the Shelves

For Review 
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
Weightless by Sarah Bannan
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus

Borrowed from the Library
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
I Was Here by Colleen Hoover
At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review of Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Title: Hold Still
Author: Nina LaCour
Source:  Borrowed
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

Caitlin just found out her best friend has committed suicide and left her journal for her to try to understand why she committed suicide while Caitlin is left trying to make her way through high school and answering all of the questions people have about Ingrid. 

I love Nina LaCour. I have read all three of her novels and they are all excellent. She writes realistic characters who may not  always make the best choices but she makes you understand the character and I never felt any frustration with the characters or the story.  I liked seeing Ingrid through her journal and through Caitlin's perspective. Caitlin brushed a lot of little things off that Ingrid did and then when we see Ingrid's side we see the darker side of her having a bad day where she felt so worn down and sad and couldn't put up a good face.

I loved that Caitlin's parents were involved in her life and also that Ingrid's family was also mentioned throughout the book. Once Ingrid was gone, her family did not completely fade from Caitlin's life. They were still there in the background. 

I wish I read it earlier. I discovered Nina when she wrote her second book then I read her most recent release and then this book.  A little out of publication order but all excellent. 

Stacking the Shelves

I did not buy any books this week, but I did borrow a few so my list is not too extensive but I am of course excited to read all of them. 

Borrowed from the Library
Confession by Colleen Hoover
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (audiobook)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (audiobook)
The Kitchen Boy: The Last Tsar by Robert Alexander

Won
Sister's Fate by Jessica Spotswood

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review of Skandal by Lindsay Smith

Title: Skandal
Author: Lindsay Smith
Source: ARC from the publisher
Series:  Yes
Rating: 3.5/5









Goodreads Summary:
The dramatic sequel to Sekret, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.

Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal.

I am a little late to the party on this one since it came out on the 7th and I was still in the middle of reading it but I finished it and I need to get my thoughts down on this one because they are a little all over the place.

The stories continues on from the first book, but our characters are now in America and the cold war is heating up. The author based part of her story around the actual experiments that the CIA did during the cold war involving LSD experiments and attempting to create mind control. 

The story picked up where the last one left off and I was total absorbed until I got to the middle. The story started to drag and Yulia was becoming this soft character who couldn't do anything and seemed to just mope around a lot. I started to really dislike her. Where was the awesome character from the first book then the end picked up and Yulia re-appeared as her kick butt self. 

I think there is going to be a third book, but I could see it being a duology. She ended it on a high note and it would be great to have another book but I do not feel unsatisfied or have any big questions lingering. 

Review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Title: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Source: Bought used
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:

Henrietta Lacks, as HeLa, is known to present-day scientists for her cells from cervical cancer. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells were taken without her knowledge and still live decades after her death. Cells descended from her may weigh more than 50M metric tons. 

HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks was buried in an unmarked grave.



Henrietta Lacks cells were taken without her permission when she went to John Hopkins to be treated for cervical cancer.  Her family fought with John Hopkins for years saying they should have been compensated for the million dollar industry her cells started.

The author not only went into detail about HeLa cells and what they have done for science, but she also investigated Henrietta's life before she found out she had cancer and after she found out she had cancer and also her children's lives and how her dying at such a young age has affected them.

I thought the book was very thought out and through without being bogged down with information. She made it an interesting story while also including a lot of scientific information.

Henrietta's family has not had an easy time with the media attention brought on by their mothers cells. It also brings up a lot ethical issues such as should doctors be telling their patients they may make money from their cells? And are doctors clear enough on the consent forms?

This book made me think and I loved it. I gave it a 4/5.

Stacking the Shelves

I did a little book shopping this week so I decide to post a haul.

Bought Used
More Than This by Patrick Ness
Heart- Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Borrowed from the Library
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook)

Bought New
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

What did you get in your mailbox?

March Wrap Up

The List
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Started this but I did not finish it)
All Lined Up by Cora Carmack (e-book)
Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready (The Life of a Book Addict List)
Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty 

Books I Own: 12
Borrowed: 6
Audiobooks: 7
E-Books: 2
Total: 18

Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty 
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This Shattered World- by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
All Lined up by Cora Carmack 
The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
Wings by Aprilynne Pike 
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
No Escape by Michelle Gagnon
The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Fairest by Melissa Meyer
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

April TBR

The List
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/Goodreads shelf since 2012)
The Future Collection by Beth Revis (e-book)
Oxygen by Carol Cassella (The Life of a Book Addict List)
Skandal by Lindsay Smith (for review)

Review of The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: The Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series:  Yes
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

There is a ton of hype surrounding this book. The cover immediately grabs your attention then of course reading the inside flap lures you in and then you read the book and completely understand why there is so much hype surrounding this book. 

Mare is an excellent protagonist. She takes none crap and she does not allow herself to become a love struck teenage girl. She has far too much on her plate to be bothered with boys. I like that she has feelings for a guy, but it does not overpower the story at all. I would also like to congratulate Aveyard on not making the love triangle the main focus in the first novel. There is a few characters who it seems might create a love triangle, but Mare has no time for that. I love Cal and Malvin as the princes. They are complex and I want to learn more about both of them. I think Farley could have her own novella because she has a lot of back story that I am curious about her.

This society has silvers bloods are the elite and red bloods are considered a lower class and are the workers for the silvers. Mare gets a job working for Silvers and a freak accident causes her to be brought to the silver's attention.

I am excited for the rest of this series.

Stacking the Shelves

This is another library haul.  I have been trying not to buy books. My local Goodwill is having a 50% off day next week so I might find some good finds. 

Borrowed from the library
Hold Still by Nina LaCour 
Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan 
The Song of Roland by Michael Rabagliati 
Little Women by Louise May Alcott (audiobook)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (audiobook) 

Gifted (Chapters gift card)
Jessica Darling It List #1 by Megan McCafferty 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review of Wild by Cheryl strayed

Title: Wild
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Source: Bought used
Series: Standalone
Series: 3/5









Goodreads Summary:
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.

I found this book used for really cheap and I was really interested in reading this novel. The movie is coming out shortly and I decided I wanted to read it before I considered watching the movie hoping it would be an interesting story of a woman who decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.

The story was a lot different than I thought it would be. We learn early on in the novel that Cheryl's mother has died at a young age from cancer and for the entire novel Cheryl uses this as an excuse for everything. She uses it as an excuse to ruin her marriage with her husband but seems to not understand why he may be attached to to other people after they are divorced. She uses it as an excuse whenever she has hurt anyone in her life. I was not a fan of Cheryl for not only using her mother's death as an excuse, but also because she seemed convinced everyone was attracted to her and when she did not get her way she would make these people sound like they were cruel individuals. 

There is a lot of people who float in and out of the story but I found all of them were memorable in their own way. Her description of the trail was sporadic and she skipped a lot of the trail and hitchhiked a lot and described her experience in that situation almost as much as she explained the trail.  

This novel's saving grace were the characters and the trail. I loved reading about the trail. I have donated this novel. I liked it but I was not in love with it. 

Review of Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title:  Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer 
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. 

This review  contain spoilers if you have not read the Lunar chronicles or this novel. 

Meyer is showing us how Queen Levana became the queen and why she uses glamour. I felt a little sympathetic for Levana, but then her horribleness starts to show itself again. She starts using her persuasion on people at a young age to get what she wants and her sister is not much better.

We see briefly Winter and Cinder as children playing together and find out how Levana came to have Winter as a daughter and what led up to Levana trying to murder Cinder. Levana's sister clearly is also off her rocker, and her making fun of her sister and not allowing Evret to leave with Winter. Ugh. 

Conclusion is Levana is evil and even though she had a terrible childhood I think even if she had a loving childhood she would still be a crazy queen. She forced Evret to marry her and stay with her because she could not stand that he did not love her. Poor Evret. 

This is is a must read for fans even thought I wanted Winter to be out right now so I know how it will all end. I need to so badly. 

Stacking the Shelves

Borrowed from the Library
Wings by Aprilynne Pike (audiobook)
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook)
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The Things We Cherish by Pam Jenoff
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review of Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty

Title: Fourth Comings
Author: Megan McCafferty
Source: Bought new
Series:  Yes
Rating: 4/5









Goodreads Summary:
At first it seems that she’s living the elusive New York City dream. She’s subletting an apartment with her best friend, Hope, working for a magazine that actually utilizes her psychology degree, and still deeply in love with Marcus Flutie, the charismatic addict-turned-Buddhist who first captivated her at sixteen. 

Of course, reality is more complicated than dreamy clichés. She and Hope share bunk beds in the “Cupcake”—the girlie pastel bedroom normally occupied by twelve-year-old twins. Their Brooklyn neighborhood is better suited to “breeders,” and she and Hope split the rent with their promiscuous high school pal, Manda, and her “genderqueer boifriend.” Freelancing for an obscure journal can’t put a dent in Jessica’s student loans, so she’s eking out a living by babysitting her young niece and lamenting that she, unlike most of her friends, can’t postpone adulthood by going back to school. 

Yet it’s the ever-changing relationship with Marcus that leaves her most unsettled. At the ripe age of twenty-three, he’s just starting his freshman year at Princeton University. 

This is the fourth books in the Jessica Darling series. I cannot say too much without giving away too much information. This book is so amazing and the series keeps getting better and better as it goes along. 

The book is from Jessica's point of view just like the other books, but this one felt different to me. It still had the same sense of humour, but I also felt my heartbreaking slowly in a million different ways. The ending tore my heart out and I had to read the first chapter of the final book because there is no way I could not. The final novel so far looks like we may see things through Marcus's point of view.

Everyone needs to read this series, there is so much awesome in these books. Jessica Darling ages slowly in front of us and you get to see her experience love and heartbreak and friendship in varying degrees. Also Jessica's family is hilarious. Her dad especially cracks me up. They are a little dysfunction but they are all there for each other. 

I want to read the final book in the series this year but I am trying to space it out because once I finish this I am done with the Jessica Darling series. I have only read the first book in the pre-teen Jessica Darling series and it is just as good. McCafferty brings the same sense of humour into this series.