Trick or Treat Round the Block Book Tag

I was tagged by Amanda from A Brighter Shade of Hope, so click the link to check out her answers! I love doing book tags, and since it is Halloween this is the perfect one to do! (P.S. I really liked her Halloweenesque photo above, so I decided to use it for this book tag as well)

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#1 Creepy house on the corner of the street: book with a creepy cover

This is probably my favorite book by Kurtagich right now, so if you haven’t read it, I definitely suggest you check it out!

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#2 Lights out (party poopers): a book you want to read when you want to escape

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#3 The house that gives out the cheap candy: guilty pleasure book

Normally I read a lot of fantasy books, but sometimes I like to pick up a contemporary romance novel!

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#4 The house with the best decorations on the block: best haunting/Halloween themed cover

Since the Wonder Woman movie came out earlier this year, you can imagine how many little Princess Diana’s are running around tonight! I think I probably saw about 10 in my new little neighborhood alone!

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#5 The house that gives out the best candy: #1 Halloween recommendation

I’ve only read half of this book so far, but I can tell you that I am enjoying it so far! It has the supernatural element that makes it perfect for Halloween!

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Speed round:

#1 Corn maze or haunted house? Corn maze. Although I have learned to never go to a haunted corn maze with my husband, because he will leave me behind. Can you imagine what would happen if we went to a haunted house?!

#2 Classic or unique costume? I love unique costumes, but I am not creative enough to make them so classics are best! My little girl went as Cinderella and Tinkerbell this Halloween, and I definitely just bought them from the Disney store. lol.

#3 Sexy or scary costume? Can I choose comfortable? When I was in college and high school, I definitely choose sexy as much as possible. Now though, I would just prefer to be comfortable especially since all I do now is pass out candy and eventually start taking my baby trick or treating.

#4 Comedy or horror Halloween film? Comedy, because I’m a wimp and can’t handle scary movies.

#5 Chocolate or sour candy? Is this even a legit question? Chocolate all the way!

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I’m tagging anyone who wants to do this cute fun little tag! Although, in my time zone you only have an hour and a half to complete this before Halloween is over!

A cute picture of baby Groot and Star Lord funkos, just because =)

Goodreads Monday (10/30/2017)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner, and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!
This week I have chosen:

Title: Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Published: September 20th 2016 by HarperTeen
Goodreads Summary:

When kingdom come, there will be one. In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born–three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose..it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf since I met Blake last October! I just got her second book in this series, so I think I may have to add them both my November TBR pile! I have hard mixed reviews on this series, so what are your opinions?

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

P.S. I can’t believe Halloween is tomorrow!! I’ve decided that Baby Sophia is going to be Tinkerbell, and I’ll probably dress as either a runaway bride or Sailor Jupiter…I’ll probably decide right before I start giving out candies to the kiddos. If you’re dressing up, what are you going as?

Book Blogger Hop: Week of the 20th-26th

Book Blogger Hop: Halloween Edition!

 

This weekly hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer, featuring a question about books each week. The purpose is to bring bookish bloggers together, basically. To participate, write a post about the question for that week and add your link.

This weeks question: Off the book topic – What is your favorite scary movie? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

This one is a little hard, because I for one do not watch scary movies if I can help it! But, I do have a “horror-esque” TV show, does that count? Stranger Things is by far one of my new favorite shows on Netflix, and I cannot wait until Friday so that I can binge watch the new season! Netflix has a lot of hit or miss originals, and this one is definitely a hit in my house (and a whole bunch of others)!

The last horror movie I watched was a couple years ago with my husband and some friends, we watched Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, with Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce. It’s not even that bad of a movie, scary wise, but man I’m a wimp. The premise is that these little gremlin type things (I don’t even know what they are called) come out only at night or in the dark, and they love children teeth. So these little gremlins would go around this house and try to kill the adults and take this little girls teeth. The very next day I had to go to work (by myself) and I was terrified that a little gremlin was going to come after me in the dark to kill me. So I ran around from room to room turning lights on, and leaving the door open just in case the light went off I could try to escape to the next room. At least this movie only haunted me for the weekend. I won’t tell you what I did after I watched Saw and The Haunted Mansion. ::face palm::

What is your favorite horror movie or TV show? Have you done anything crazy after watching something?

Waiting on Wednesday (10/25/2017)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by  Jill from Breaking The Spine that shows the upcoming books that many of us are anticipating! This week, I’m waiting for…

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Title:  Renegades (Renegades #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Expected Publication:  November 7th 2017

Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads Summary:

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

No words can express how excited I am for this book to come out! I am a huge Marissa Meyer fan after discovering the Lunar Chronicles a couple of summers ago! I just hope that this book lives up to expectations.

What are you waiting for this week?

 

Illuminae Book Review

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

I am frequently underestimated. I think it’s because I’m short

I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf since last October, and I don’t know why it took me a year to finally pick it up and read it! I am kind of glad I did though, because after I read the second one I only have to wait a few months for the third and final book in the series to be released.

Most people would say I’m pretty cold, but I think of it more as…private. People are always saying “how are you?” to each other, and I guess I don’t see why I should answer such a personal question for just anyone

First off, I would like to say that I really liked the format of the book. It’s definitely not for everyone as it’s told through interviews, IM’s, e-mail exchanges, and a few other formats. I really liked the ones that made you rotate the book and where words made up pictures. So although it is almost a 600 page book, it goes by very fast because of the format. I was able to read it all from Friday night to Sunday morning (and while taking care of a baby in between).

Whatever the don’t want me to see, that’s where I’m digging. I need to be where the secrets are

Although the book starts off with interviews of Kady and Ezra’s experience of the invasion, you slowly start to get a sense of who they are as a person. By the end of the book, you know them pretty well and feel as if their fight is your fight as well. This book has three main obstacles for our MCs to overcome:  (1) they are being pursued by Beitech because they want to eliminate any witnesses to the invasion, (2) there is a mutated virus going around that command is being hush hush about, and (3) something is going on with the AI that is in charge of the Alexander (AIDAN). At first all three didn’t seem related to each other and I wondered how the authors were going to tie them all in, but thanks to all of the documentation you get a pretty good sense of what is going on. It doesn’t take very long for the pieces to start clicking together (with the help of Kady’s newly learned hacking skills of course).

What you do when stuff like this happens is you LIVE, you survive it, that’s how you honour the ones you lost

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! As someone who doesn’t read science fiction that often, I thought this book did an excellent job of living up to the hype that surrounded it when it first came out! I definitely recommend this if you are a sci-fi lover, or even if you just need to branch out and try something new!

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published: October 18th 2016 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary:

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.”

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

I just finished reading the first book in this series, and I will have that review up soon (hopefully, lol). I really enjoyed the first one, and I have heard nothing but good things about the second book. My only fear is that I will love the second book just as much as the first, and then have to wait all the way until March for the third book to come out!

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (10/18/2017)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by  Jill from Breaking The Spine that shows the upcoming books that many of us are anticipating! This week, I’m waiting for…

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Title:  The Night Realm (Spell Weaver Book #1)

Author: Annette Marie

Expected Publication:  October 20th 2017

Publisher:  Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Goodreads Summary:

Clio would love nothing more than to go home. But as the illegitimate daughter of the nymph king, she’s stuck in the human world, exiled until she can earn a place in the royal family. Then her half-bother offers her a chance to prove herself. All she has to do is acquire some magic … by stealing it from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld.

Lyre prefers to go unnoticed, which is a tricky objective for an incubus. He can’t hide his looks or his coveted spell weaving skills, but he’s learned to mask his true intentions. As an unwilling pawn of the tyrannical Hades family, he stays alive by keeping one step ahead of his masters.

Now he’s been assigned to watch over a visitor from the Overworld—one who’s definitely hiding something. And with her unholy talent for triggering chaos and catastrophe, his job just keeps getting more perilous. Clearly, she’ll never survive this world.

The thing is, he’s no longer sure he can survive it either.

I discovered Annette Marie on NetGalley, when I received her book Chase the Dark from her Steel and Stone series. (If you haven’t checked it out yet, you definitely should!) I devoured that series in about one week, and was left wanting more! I can’t wait to see what her new series brings (that is actually a spinoff of the original).

Side note: I have a 2 month old today and I can’t believe how big my little one is getting =D. Any other book blogging mamas out there?

Goodreads Monday (10/16/2017)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3)

Author: Susan Dennard

Published: July 22nd 2014 by Harper Teen

Goodreads Summary:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

With supernatural forces, epic romance, and a mysterious Egyptian city, Eleanor and her team are set for an adventure they will never forget.

It has been a tumultuous time for Eleanor Fitt since life as she knew it in Philadelphia came abruptly to an end. Although the Spirit-Hunters Joseph, Jie, and Daniel have helped her survive, Eleanor has lost just about everything.

And now, Jie is missing taken by the evil necromancer Marcus. Eleanor is determined not only to get her back but to finally end this nightmare. To do so, she must navigate the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt amid the rising Dead, her unresolved feelings for Daniel, and her volatile relationships with Joseph and Oliver, her demon. And it won’t be easy. Because Allison, her friend from Philadelphia, has tagged along, becoming strangely entangled in Eleanor’s mission.

It will take all of Eleanor’s powers of black magic, and all of Daniel’s and Joseph’s trust, to succeed. But there will be a price.

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

Book Blogger Hop: 10/13-19

Book Blogger Hop: Halloween Edition!

 

This weekly hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer, featuring a question about books each week. The purpose is to bring bookish bloggers together, basically. To participate, write a post about the question for that week and add your link.

This weeks question: Who is your favorite horror/suspense author and why? (submitted by Kitty @ Vicarious Bookworm)

I am not one for much horror, but I have read a few here and there. Currently, my favorite horror author is Dawn Kurtagich. She has only written two novels and I loved them both! The Dead House is a psychological thriller with urban legends mixed in and I didn’t want to read this book at night. Kurtagich’s writing style is amazing and filled with so many plot twists that you don’t see them coming until they have already passed! For me that is very important, I don’t like reading books that are predictable because those can get very boring very fast.

Are there any other Dawn Kurtagich fans out there? If not, who is your favorite horror author?

 

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic Book Review

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

Published: September 26th 2017 by MacMillan/Imprint

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

This book included:

1. Ayama and the Thorn Wood
2. The Too-Clever Fox
3. The Witch of Duva
4. Little Knife
5. The Soldier Prince
6. When Water Sang Fire

Since I have already written individual reviews on three of them (you can click on the link to read them), I will focus mainly on the three new ones for this particular review.

Bad fates do not always follow those who deserve them

First off, I just wanted to say that the illustrations in the book by Sara Kipin were simply amazing. They were just as creepy and beautiful as the short story they are based upon. Even if you didn’t read the story, the illustrations themselves gave you a visual representation of what was going on during that time. I honestly, would love just a copy of the picture at the end of each story for my office!

This is the problem with making a thing forbidden. It does nothing but build an ache in the heart

Ayama and the Thorn Wood, kind of set up how we can expect the rest of the stories to be. As in not to expect the Brothers Grimm versions, where everyone has a happy ending with the perfect guy and running off into the sunset together. All these fairy tales take on a much darker theme and have completely different messages than the typical fairy tale.

What harm can a little hope do?

I couldn’t tell if Ayama and the Thorn Wood was a retelling or not, but the last two stories was definitely retellings of The Nutcracker and The Little Mermaid. I loved the direction that Bardugo went with these retellings, and if she wanted to do another book just like this (but longer) I would totally be okay with that. These were just the right amount of dark and imaginative that I expect from Bardugo. I don’t want to go into more detail and spoil anything for you, but there was definitely a Darkling cameo in When Water Sang Fire. I didn’t realize that when he first appeared, but by the end I definitely realized who he was and I wanted more!

This goes to show you that sometimes the unseen is not to be feared and that those meant to love us most are not always the ones who do

Overall, I loved this short story collection and was very sad when it ended. Even if you haven’t read any of Bardugo’s other books, you should definitely check this one out. You don’t even have to read the others to understand what is going on since this is basically the Grishaverses version of our Brothers Grimm.