Queen of Thieves by Katherine Bogle (ARC Review)

Ruthless commander. Cunning thief. Deadly blademaster. 

Narra is a second generation thief raised in the Guild by her iron-fisted father. Growing up, she dreamed his death would free her, but when he shows up dead in the wreckage of a train destroyed by the Revolution, the happiest day of her life is ruined by one word: traitor. 

Her father is accused of betraying the only thing she thought he ever really loved; the Thieves Guild. To prove his innocence, and remove the stain from her name, Narra will go to darker places than she ever thought possible and be forced to work with people she doesn’t dare trust. 

If she fails, she’ll lose more than her sanity or her life. 

She’ll lose the Guild. 

Set in a steampunk world on the cusp of civil war, Queen of Thievesintroduces a dark tale where family lies, magic might be real, and thieves fall for revolutionary princesses. 

Book Overview:

Author: Katherine Bogle | Series: Clockwork Thief | Format: eBook - ARC | Length: 368 pages | Publish Date: August 21, 2018 | Genre: YA Fantasy | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Odessa is one of Karthia's master necromancers, catering to the kingdom's ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it's Odessa's job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised--the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa's necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer's magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

Book Overview:

Author: Sarah Glenn Marsh | Series: Reign of the Fallen | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Alex McKenna | Length: 12h, 53 min | Publish Date: January 23, 2018 | Genre: YA Fantasy, LGBTQ | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. 

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Book Overview:

Author: Erika L. Sánchez | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Kyla Garcia | Length: 9 hours, 41 mins | Publish Date: October 17, 2017 | Genre: YA Contemporary | Literary Awards: National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (2017) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. With wit and wisdom, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between these four women and their American-born daughters. As each reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined...

Book Overview:

Author: Amy Tan | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Gwendoline Yeo | Length: 9 hours, 5 mins | Publish Date: September 21, 2006 | Genre: Cultural Fiction | Literary Awards: California Book Award Gold Medal for Fiction (1989), Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction (1989), Northern California Book Awards for Fiction (1989), National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Fiction (1989), National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (1989) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Book Overview:

Authors: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl | Series: Caster Chronicles | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Kevin Collins, Eve Bianco | Length: 17 hours, 20 mins | Publish Date: December 1, 2009 | Genre: YA Paranormal | Literary Awards: Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor book (2011), William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee (2010), Audie Award for Paranormal (2011), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen is starting to get more comfortable with her newfound vampire powers, but she still has many unanswered questions. A trip to Italy in search of her grandfather only serves to make things more confusing. What secrets are the leaders of The Committee hiding? Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the famous Four Hundred Ball. In true Blue Blood fashion, the ball is totally fab, complete with masks and hidden behind this masquerade is a revelation that will change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

The thrilling sequel in Melissa de la Cruz's vampire mythology has all the glamour, attitude, and vampire lore that made the first book a hit.

Book Overview:

Author: Melissa de la Cruz | Series: Blue Bloods | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Christina Moore | Length: 7 hours, 1 min | Publish Date: May 1, 2007 | Genre: YA Paranormal | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★| Recommend: Yes

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

Book Overview:

Author: Nic Stone | Series: None | Format: Hardcover | Length: 210 pages | Publish Date: October 17, 2017 | Genre: YA Contemporary | Literary Awards: William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee (2018) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Now a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba

“An impressive work of mythic magnitude that may turn out to be Stephen King’s greatest literary achievement” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), The Gunslinger is the first volume in the epic Dark Tower Series.

A #1 national bestseller, The Gunslinger introduces readers to one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations, Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake.

Inspired in part by the Robert Browning narrative poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came,” The Gunslinger is “a compelling whirlpool of a story that draws one irretrievable to its center” (Milwaukee Sentinel). It is “brilliant and fresh…and will leave you panting for more” (Booklist).

Book Overview:

Author: Stephen King | Series: The Dark Tower | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: George Guidall | Length: 7 hours, 20 mins | Publish Date: June 13, 2017 | Genre: Fantasy/Horror | Rated: ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Maybe

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court. She's the executioner. As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies-a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Book Overview:

Author: Melinda Salisbury | Series: The Sin Eater's Daughter | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Amy Shiels | Length: 9 hours, 4 mins | Publish Date: February 24, 2015 | Genre: YA Fantasy | Literary Awards: Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult (2016), North East Teenage Book Award Nominee (2015), YA Book Prize Nominee (2016) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne,her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler's life changes dramatically. The death of a popular schoolmate haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan's most exclusive social circle. Its members are the powerful, the wealthy, and - as Schuyler soon discovers - the unhuman. They are Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they've been invincible. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all?

Book Overview:

Author: Melissa de la Cruz | Series: Blue Bloods | Format: Paperback | Length: 302 pages | Publish Date: April 1, 2007 | Genre: YA Paranormal | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?

Book Overview:

Author: Rachel Caine | Series: The Morganville Vampires | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Cynthia Holloway | Length: 8 hours, 30 mins | Publish Date: October 3, 2006 | Genre: YA Paranormal | Rated: ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Maybe

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades, an okay relationship with her parents, and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when a mysterious boy named Ben starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she's inexplicably drawn to Ben and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help-but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

From the best-selling author of Blue is for Nightmares comes a new series that's sure to be a thrilling and chilling teen favorite.

Book Overview:

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz | Series: Touch | Format: Paperback | Length: 252 pages | Publish Date: November 10, 2009 | Genre: YA Mystery/Paranormal | Rated: ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Maybe

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. 
 
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

Book Overview:

Author: Kevin Kwan | Series: Crazy Rich Asians | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Lynn Chen | Length: 13 hours, 53 mins | Publish Date: May 20, 2014 | Genre: Contemporary | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.

Book Overview:

Author: Julie McElwain | Series: Kendra Donovan | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Lucy Rayner | Length: 18 hours, 39 mins | Publish Date: April 11, 2016 | Genre: Mystery / Time-Travel / Historical Fiction | Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction (2016) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Book vs. Movie - Catching Fire

Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games!

I mean, welcome back to another Book vs. Movie Showdown! I love these posts so much. Can't you tell? Anyway, I'm back with another one, and this time it's a sequel. I haven't read sequels in so long! Or actually, if you have seen my earlier postings, I usually read the first book of a series and don't go on to the next one for many years. It's a bad habit, but I'm slowly getting over it.

You guessed it! This showdown is all about Catching Fire, the second installment of The Hunger Games! It's only getting better and better in my opinion, and I'm very excited to see which one wins. Are you ready? Let the games begin!

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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

Book Overview:

Author: Suzanne Collins | Series: The Hunger Games | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick | Length: 11 hours, 37 mins | Publish Date: September 1, 2009 | Genre: YA Dystopia | Literary Awards: Golden Duck Award for Hal Clement Award for Young Adult (2010), Soaring Eagle Book Award (2011), Children's Choice Book Award for Teen Choice Book of the Year (2010), Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2010), Teen Read Award Nominee for Best Read (2010), DABWAHA Romance Tournament for Best Young Adult (2010), Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book and Young Adult Series (2009), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2010) | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch."

Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.

Book Overview:

Author: Erika Johansen | Series: The Queen of the Tearling | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren | Length: 14 hours, 30 mins | Publish Date: July 8, 2014 | Genre: YA Fantasy | Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy & for Debut Goodreads Author (2014) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Book vs. Movie - Ella Enchanted

Is it time for another Book vs. Movie Showdown already? You bet it is!

I got lucky this time around because Ella Enchanted was actually on Netflix and I haven't watched that movie in so many years. It's honestly one of my favorite movies, mostly because of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. Perfect movie boyfriend, am I right?

So as you probably guessed - because my excited personality gave it away already - this showdown will be on Ella Enchanted. If you haven't read my review, make sure you check it out! I'd appreciate your feedback. And here we go!

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Book Overview:

Author: Nicola Yoon | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Bahni Turpin & Robbie Daymond | Length: 6 hours, 45 mins | Publish Date: September 1, 2015 | Genre: YA Contemporary | Literary Awards: Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2017), Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee (2018), Soaring Eagle Book Award (2016), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2017), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Preis der Jugendjury (2016)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Goodreads Author, and for Young Adult Fiction (2015), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2017) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Buddy Read Discussion: When Dimple Met Rishi with Brittany

Hello Everyone!

I'm so excited to post my second ever Buddy Read Discussion collaboration post! This buddy read was with Brittany at bookwormbrittanyy and we got to read When Dimple Met Rishi. If you haven't checked out my review, be sure to take a look there first!

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Turn back now if you don't want to be spoiled!

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella is a girl with a most unusual gift, and her story has charmed readers and critics alike. Now Miramax Films brings this wholly original Cinderella story to the silver screen, complete with princes, ogres, wicked stepsisters, and a fairy-tale ending fit for a princess.

Book Overview:

Author: Gail Carson Levine | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Eden Riegel | Length: 5 hours, 42 mins | Publish Date: September 1, 1997 | Genre: YA Fantasy | Literary Awards: Newbery Honor (1998), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (1999), Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (2000), Grand Canyon Reader Award for Teen Book (1999), Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award for Grade 6-9 (2000)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (1999), Iowa Teen Award (2000) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Book Blog Collaboration: Buddy Read with Brianna

Hey everyone!

I am so proud of my collaboration progress! Not only do I have three amazing collaborations with three beautiful ladies, but I just began another collaboration with one of my bookish best friends! I am so excited for this one, especially since it's a series read on a pretty popular book series that I've haven't read before.

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce my friend Brianna from helloobsessedbilbiphile. I have known Brianna in the bookish community for over a year, and I absolutely adore her. I am so glad that I get to finally do a collaboration with her. So we are going to do a series buddy read on The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare! How exciting is that right? Go check out her blog and see all of her content!

Here's a mini Q&A so you can get to know Brianna:

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Book Overview:

Author: Sandhya Menon | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Sneha Mathan & Vikas Adam | Length: 10 hours, 46 mins | May 30, 2017 | Genre: YA Contemporary | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2017) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

Book vs. Movie - The Hunger Games

Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts to another segment of Book vs. Movie!

It's been a long time coming, right? I actually should have done one for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children but I hadn't watched the movie in a while by the time I read the book. Who knows? Maybe I'll do a reread and a rewatch in the near future?

So I decided to read The Hunger Games for the first time ever, after all of the movies came out and have been out for a while now. Of course, I had to rewatch The Hunger Games as well since it's been over ten years? Maybe longer? While the book is so fresh in my head, I decided to do this segment to compare which one was better, to me.

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Book Blog Collaboration: Buddy Read with Kayla

Hey everyone!

So it looks like I have another blog collaboration! I'm so excited that I get to work with such amazing bloggers, all while doing the one thing I love the most: reading!

I'd like to introduce Kayla from Books, Boxes & Baubles. Go check out her amazing blog and stay tuned to our future buddy reads. Our first one will be The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. I have been wanting to read this for so long, and for some reason, I've just kept putting it off. But now, here's my chance!

Here's a little Q&A so you can get to know Kayla:

Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

A kingdom burns. A princess sleeps. This is no fairy tale.

It all started with the burning of the spindles.

No.

It all started with a curse…

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape…or the reason for her to stay.

Book Overview:

Author: Lexa Hillyer | Series: Spindle Fire | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham | Length: 8 hours, 25 mins | Publish Date: April 11, 2017 | Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

January Wrap-Up!

Hello everyone!

This is my first ever monthly wrap-up post, and I'm so proud of my progress this month. It's only the ending of January, and I already hit my Goodreads goal! This is such a big deal for me since the past few years I've been on Goodreads have shown that I can be close to making 30 books, but I never quite get there. I was worried that I wouldn't make it, but I did my best.

And I succeeded!

Totally bad grammar, but I think I can slide.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

Book Overview:

Author: Suzanne Collins | Series: The Hunger Games | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick | Length: 11 hours, 11 minutes | Publish Date: September 14, 2008 | Genre: YA Dystopia | Literary Awards: Georgia Peach Book Award (2009), Buxtehuder Bulle (2009), Golden Duck Award for Hal Clement Award for Young Adult (2009), Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Older Readers (2012), West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) for Older Readers (2010)
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (2011), Red House Children's Book Award for Older Readers & Overall (2010), South Carolina Book Award for Junior and Young Adult Book (2011), Charlotte Award (2010), Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (2010), Teen Buckeye Book Award (2009), Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for Young Adults (2010), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2010), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2010), Evergreen Teen Book Award (2011), Soaring Eagle Book Award (2009), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2010), Sakura Medal for Middle School Book (2010), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award (2009), Florida Teens Read (2009), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Preis der Jugendjury (2010), Iowa High School Book Award (2011), New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2011), Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (2010), The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2009), Lincoln Award (2011), Kinderboekwinkelprijs (2010), Missouri Truman Readers Award (2011), Cybils Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2008), Literaturpreis der Jury der jungen Leser for Jugendbuch (2010), The Inky Awards Shortlist for Silver Inky (2009), Prix Et-lisez-moi (2011), Missouri Gateway Readers Award (2011), Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for High School and Intermediate (2011), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2009)  | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

the longing.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being a human. 

the linger.

For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

Book Overview:

Author: Maggie Stiefvater | Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Dan Bittner, Pierce Cravens, Emma Galvin, & Jenna Lamia | Length: 10 hours, 38 mins | Publish Date: July 13, 2010 | Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance | Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Goodreads Author, Favorite Heroine, Favorite Book, Young Adult Fantasy (2010) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Maybe

Book Blog Collaboration: Buddy Read with Brittany

Hey everyone!

I'm so happy to announce that I have another book blog collaboration! Everyone meet, Brittany, and go check out her blog: bookwormbrittanyy. Together, we will be doing future buddy reads, starting with When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. I am so excited to be doing an official blog collaboration with Brittany, as we have done two buddy reads together so far. Stay tuned for our discussions! Here's our Q&A with Brittany so you can get to know her more:

Everless by Sara Holland

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Book Overview:

Author: Sara Holland | Series: Untitled | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Eileen Stevens | Length: 10 hours, 1 min | Publish Date: January 2, 2018 | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES