17 Books I am Looking Forward to in 2017

Happy New Years Day!!!! If I was home in South Carolina right now, we would be having collard greens and black eyed peas as part of our traditional lunch. I don’t know when this started or why we do it, but we do, and honestly it is not my favorite part of NYD. With it being the new year, means that I have to come up with some new years resolutions!

Sam’s New Years Resolutions:

1. Read 100 books in 2017 (Goodreads Challenge)
2. 17 of those books should be from this list
3. Write and defend my thesis (hopefully I’ll be done and be able to graduate by December)
4. Blog at least 3 times a week (let’s see if I can do a better job this year)
5. Visit somewhere new

What are your family traditions on this day? Do you have any reading/blog resolutions?

So without further ado, here are 17 books that I am looking forward to this year (if you click the covers, it will take you to their Goodreads page)!

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Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Expected Publication: January 10th 2017

Publisher: Amulet Books

A retelling of Phantom of the Opera? Yes, please!

 

 

Wires and Nerve, Volume I by Marissa Meyer

Expected Publication: January 31st 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

I will gladly dive back into the Lunar Chronicles universe, anytime day or night.

 

King’s Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard

Expected Publication: February 7th 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

I wasn’t a huge fan of the 2nd book, so I am hoping that this will redeem the series for me!

 

Lifeblood (Everlife #2) by Gena Showalter

Expected Publication: February 28th 2017

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Showalter is one of my instant buy authors! I just loved her White Chronicle series, so I have high hopes for this series. Which means I have until the end of February to read the fist book!

The End of Oz  (Dorothoy Must Die #4) by Danielle Paige

Expected Publication: March 14th 2017

Publisher: HarperCollins

I really enjoyed the first two books, but I need to finish the 3rd book before this one comes out!!!

 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Expected Publication: March 28th 2017

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

I just started reading Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, and I love it. So I can just imagine that this will be a great new book!

 

Missing by Kelley Armstrong

Expected Publication: April 18th 2017

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

This seems a bit different from Armstrong’s normal paranormal books, so I am very excited to read this one!

 

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Expected Publication: May 2nd 2017

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books

I don’t think anything is needed to be said about this series =)

 

The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2)

Expected Publication: May 16th 2017

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

I wasn’t very impressed with the first book, but the ending has me wanting to know what happens next!

 

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

Expected Publication: June 6th 2017

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

I love everything by Dessen and I am sure that this will not be an exception!

 

Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons) by Leigh Bardugo

Expected Publication: August 29th 2017

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

4 different authors, 4 different DC super heroes! I cannot wait for this come out!

 

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Superman (DC Icons) by Matt de la Pena and Batman (DC Icons) by Marie Lu have expected publications of 2017, but I don’t know when they will actually be released.

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Untitled (Thrones of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas

Expected Publication: September 5th 2017

I am a few books behind, but I am glad that I will finally be able to catch up to everyone since there will be no more books after this!

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 The Glass Spare (The Glass Spare #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Expected Publication: September 2017

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

I have never head of this author, but the premise looks very intriguing!

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The Gatlon School for Vigilantes (The Gatlon Trilogy #1) by Marissa Meyer

Expected Publication: November 7th 2017

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

I have high hopes for Meyers new trilogy away from TLC!

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Ever the Brave (A Class of Kingdoms #2) by Erin Summerill

Expected Publication: December 5th 2017

Publisher: Hmh Books for Young Readers

I just got the first book a few weeks ago, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. If I like it I will definitely be checking out this book!

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What books are you looking forward to this year? Are you excited for any of the books on my list just as much as me? Let me know in the comments!!

16 of My Least Favorite Books in 2016

Yesterday I did a post on the books that I enjoyed this year (if you missed it you can check it out here). Now it’s time for a list of books I did not enjoy this year. These are the books that I gave 1-2 stars or didn’t even give a rating. The covers are linked to their Goodreads page.

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Mechanica (Mechanica #1) by Betsy Cornwell

Published: August 25th 2015 by Clarion Books

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Review: This is a Cinderella retelling that has a strong feminist plot. Too bad that it was boring and the pacing was slow =/. Check out my review here.

A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe

Published: September 13th 2016 by Another World Press

Rating: DNF

Review: This is about a princess who finds out she is a changeling and doesn’t really have secret powers. Thats about the most I could get into the book unfortunately. It has a really good premise, so it’s definitely a book to look at if it suits you. Check out my review here.

A Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Published: September 4th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Rating: 1 star out of 5

Review: This book was very dark and compelling in the beginning, and then it just tapered off. I DNFed it so I don’t think it deserves a 1 star rating until I actually finish it, but it was not my cup of tea.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Published: January 5th 2012 by Pamela Dorman Books/Viking

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Review: This was a very slow paced book that just bothered me. The main character was bullied by her family and boyfriend and she just let it happen. Then she starts to gain confidence in herself, but only because a boy told her to…ugh. Check out my full review here.

How To Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather

Published: July 26th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Rating: DNF

Review: This book bothered me a lot and it was just so unappealing that I didn’t even finish it. The MC had a lot of flaws that didn’t make her a very relatable character. Being described as Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls is a disservice to that time in history and the movie. Check out my full review here.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Expected Publication: March 7th 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

Rating: DNF

Review: This book has a really good premise. I read an eArc of this and thought that the book just went on forever. I would be interested in reading this again after it’s published to see if it had more edits. Check out my review here.

Starstruck (Starstuck #1) by Brenda Hiatt

Published: August 1st 2013 by Createspace

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Review: This was my first ever audiobook, and I don’t think that helped very much. I thought the main character was very whiny. So needless to say I did not like it very much. Check out my full review here.

The Neverland Wars (The Neverland Wars #1) by Audrey Greathouse

Published: May 9th 2016 by Clean Teen Publishing

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a very hard book to get into. I don’t think I even made it to Gwen getting to Neverland. Check out my review here.

Between the Bleeding Willows (Demon Hunter #1) by D.A. Roach

Published: March 8th 2008 by Limitless Publishing LLC

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Review: This is a book about angels and demons that reminded me a lot of other books. Check out my full review here.

Burning Glass (Burning Glass #1) by Kathryn Purdie

Published: March 1st 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a slow moving book. The first 100 pages were great along with the last couple of chapters. The rest on the other hand was filled with love triangles and nonsense. Read my full review here.

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The following 6 books are books I read but didn’t write a review for:

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Published: October 27th 2015 by Random House Delacorte

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

 

3 Willows: the Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares

Published: January 1st 2009 by Delacorte Press

Rating:  2 out of 5 stars

 

 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Published: January 13th 2015 by Riverhead Books

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Review: This book was hard to follow a little bit while listening to the audiobook, but I did enjoy the movie much more surprisingly.

Fire Girl (A Tale of Witches and Wolves #1) by Andy Mulberry

Published: April 28th 2016 by Blueglass Press

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

 

Hidden Deep (Hidden Saga #1) by Amy Patrick

Published: March 23rd 2015 by Oxford South Press

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

 

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (Twiligh #1.75) by Stephenie Meyer

Published: October 6th 2015 by Little, Brown

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Review: I think 1 stars is being very generous to this book. A book should not put you to sleep =/

16 Books I Enjoyed in 2016

2016 is coming to a close and I have read a lot of good and not so good books this year. So I have compiled a list of my favorite 2016 reads. If you click the covers it will take you to their Goodreads page! I have also included my full reviews for you to look at if a book sparks your interest! So without further ado here is my list (in no particular order):

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone (DoSaB #1) by Laini Taylor

Published: September 27th 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a great start to a new (to me) series! I loved the world that Taylor has built and can’t wait until I can pick up the second one to continue Karou’s story! Check out my full review here.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows Book #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Published: September 20th 2016 by Henry Holt and Company

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: This was everything and more that I wanted in an end to a duology! This book had so many twists and turns that it was very hard to put down! Review.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Published: November 19th 2016 by Little, Brown Book Group

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: One word. Niffler. He alone (along with stepping back into the wizarding world) would be enough to want to watch the movie and read the book over and over again! Check out my review here.

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

Published: September 6th 2016 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: This book was fantastically creepy and so good at the same time. I am not one for horror, but I read Kurtagich’s debut novel last year and I could not put it down! So I knew I would enjoy this one just as well! Check out my review here.

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Published: July 26th 2016 by Point

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was my first Kasie West book, and I don’t think it will be my last! This was a very adorably contemporary novel that’s very different from my normal go to books. Check out my review here.

An Ember in the Ashes (AEitA #1) by Sabaa Tahir

Published: April 28th 2015 by Razorbill

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: An oppressive Empire, a rebel group, and spies! Sounds kind of like Star Wars, but this doesn’t take place in space. This was a great debut novel for Tahir and I can’t wait to get my hands on A Torch Against the Night! Check out my review here.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Published: May 17th 2016 by HarperTeen

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a great book about a girl with psychological issues that she works very hard to overcome. For a contemporary this one took on some darker issues, but still maintained a humor aspect with a little romance thrown in. Check out my review here.

Red Death by Jeff Altabef

Published: November 28th 2016 by Evolved Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a great dystopian meets King Arthurs court type novel. Check out my full review here.

The Demon in the Wood (The Grisha #0.1) by Leigh Bardugo

Published: August 18th 2015 by Henry and Holt Company (BYR)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: This novella made me feel sympathy for the Darkling and I wished this was longer! Really if you haven’t you should read all of Bardugo’s short stories in this universe, they are all fantastic. Check out my full review here.

Flashfall (Flashfall #1) by Jenny Moyer

Published: November 15th 2016 by Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: I read this arc over the summer, and I really loved the new world that Moyer created for us! Check out my full review here.

Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon

Published: September 27th 2016 by Blink

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Langdon wrote a masterfully written mystery, fully of twists and turns while trying to uncover the true murderer. Check out my full review here.

The Assassin Game by Kirsty McKay

Published: July 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was a little Nancy Drewesque in trying to figure out who the assassin in the game was before getting killed. I never figured out who the assassin was and the ending took a surprise turn! Check out my full review here.

The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C.J. Redwine

Published: February 16th 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

Review: Who can resist a Snow White retelling? While there are some elements that are similar to the original, Redwine was still able to make this her own story and I enjoyed every minute of it! Check out my full review here.

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab

Published: July 5th 2016 by Greenwillow Books

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was my first Schwab book and it definitely won’t be my last! It was great trying to figure out who was the hero and who was the villain. Check out my full review here.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I and II by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Published: July 31st 2016 by Little, Brown UK

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This has been a great year for Rowling =) I am still waiting for Scorbus to happen!! Check out my full review here.

Lost in Wonderland (The Twisted and the Brave #1) by Nicky Peacock

Published: April 14th 2016 by Evernight Teen

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This was an action packed Alice in Wonderland retelling, except Wonderland is a secret agency that trains vigilantes that hunt down serial killers. Check out my full review here.

 

Have you read any on my list? What are some of your favorites from this year?

 

 

Halloween Read-a-thon TBR

I saw this on Anushka’s@LivingInPages blog, and thought this was a super cute idea! This was created by Lauren@WonderlessReviews,so if you are interested in joining check out the original post for the details here.

 

First, Happy first day of October!!! I love everything about October and Halloween! Normally, it is the time of the year where the weather starts to cool off, and everything pumpkin spice starts to appear! Where I’m from, we get everything great about Halloween and fall except the weather! (So unfortunate that I only get a small window in the year to wear my cute fall and winter clothes :().

However, here is my TBR!! (These gorgeous banners are made by Lauren herself)

Pretty self explanatory. There’s no “guidelines” if you think a cover is creepy for whatever reason then it counts!

Dawn Kurtagich was an accidental find earlier this year, and I am really excited to read her new book! Looks super creepy!

By Supernatural or Paranormal I mean books that feature things such as: ghosts, vampires, witches, werewolves ect.

I loved the first book, and I think it’s time to finish the series and read the second one!

 

In my opinion people are scarier than monsters so for Horror or Thriller this means a book where real people are the ones who are causing all the scariness.

 

With a tagline of “love, death, and murder” who can resist this book?

Again, pretty self explanatory. Fun fact: the witching hour is 3am-4am, but obviously I’m not going to force you all to read at that time . Unless you’re like me and have insomnia. So just read a book after the sun has set! This doesn’t have to be done in one night! You can read a book at night for the duration of the read-a-thon.

 

Every 12 years, there is a forgetting and what is written down in your book is your truth and identity. With the Forgetting about to happen again, Nadia has to race against the clock before Gray will forget her! This sounds really intriguing and most likely will only be read before going to bed at night, just like most the books I read.

There’s two options for this challenge. You can choose TRICK and read a scary book you’ve been putting off OR you can choose TREAT and read any book you want from ANY genre (not just horrors ect.)

I choose Treat!

 

I loved Simmons’ book The Glass Arrow, so I can’t wait to see what her new book is about! I am not much of a horror/thriller person, so I chose a science fiction/dystopia novel!

Read six books! Your sixth book can be any scary book you want. Only do this if you want! I know how it is to feel intimidated by read-a-thons so I really wanted to try and make this as relaxing as possible. There’s probably no way I’m going to be able to do this, but it’s fun to try!

I read the first book last year, and loved it! I don’t know why I haven’t read the rest of the series, but I think October will be a good month to finish them!

That was my TBR.

Thanks to Lauren for hosting this spooky Read-A-Thon!

What is on your TBR this month?

The Alphabet Book Tag

I have seen a few posts about this tag recently and thought ‘why not’ I wanna do this. 

The Rules:

Pick a book that is on your shelf (TBR) or one that you have read in the past and fill out each letter of the Alphabet with the title.

The Tag:

A- Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield (TBR)

B- Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie (TBR)

C- (The) Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (TBR)

D-  Divergent by Veronica Roth

E-Eon by Alison Goodman  (TBR)

F- Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong (TBR)

G- Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes (TBR)

H- Harry Potter (all of them) by J.K. Rowling

I- Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

J- Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

K- Killer Game by Kirsty McKay 

L- (The) Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

M- (The) Medium by mr graham

N- (The) Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

O- (The) Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

P- Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (TBR)

Q- (The) Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

R- Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo 

S- (The) Shadow Queen  by C.J. Redwine

T- Trial by Fire  by Josephine Angelini

U- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

V- Velvet by Temple West

W- Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

X- Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (TBR)

Y- Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige (TBR)

Z- Zathura by Chris van Allsburg (TBR)

This was a fun tag to tag part in and I hope it gives you guys an insight into the types of books I read. I TAG EVERYONE (Just tag me in it to let me know you have done it, I wanna see your answers)

Does anyone else have any problems finding X or Z books?

April 5th

April 5, 2016 seems to be a big day for YA authors. It seems as if everyone and their mother is going to be releasing a book.

Let’s see there is:

1. The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows
2. Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong
3. Golden by Melissa de la Cruz
4. The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
5. The Demonists by Thomas E. Sniegoski
6. Silence by Mercedes Lackey
7. When We Collided by Emery Lord
8. Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

My to-read bookshelf is going to expand by about 5 more books in just one day! I don’t know why all these authors decided that April 5th was the best day to release their book, but I can’t wait to hit up the bookstore to find out for myself!

 

16 Books to Look Forward to in 2016

2016 is upon us, which means a whole new year of new publications! Last year we had new series popping up everywhere  (Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, etc.) This year their stories continue, which I am extremely happy about! The list below is in no particular order in recommendation, but by publication date.

The 16 books I am looking forward to this year:

January 5, 2016 by St. Martin’s Griffin

I give this book 3 out 5 stars

Check out my review here.

 

 

January 19, 2016 by St. Martin’s Griffin

I give this book 5/5 stars

Check out my review here.

 

February 2, 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

A collection of short stories from the Lunar Chronicles universe? Yes, please! My sister’s birthday just happens to be this day as well, too bad she doesn’t read that much. I guess I could be a good sister and purchase this book 😉

 

February 9, 2016 by HarperTeen

I am so looking forward to this next installment! I have already pre-ordered a signed copy from Barnes and Noble! Which is something I almost never do, but I just happened to be online looking for something else and just went ahead and bought it!

Check out my review here.

 

February 16, 2016 by Balzer & Bray

This is another Snow White re-telling, but looks very promising.

Check out my review here.

 

 

February 23, 2016 by Harlequin Teen

This is a new series from the author that gave us the White Rabbit Chronicles. Hopefully this will be just as good!

 

 

February seems to be a very popular publishing month. There are about 5 or so more books that are coming out that didn’t make this list because I already picked 4. So definitely keep an eye out for the others ;).

 March 1, 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

This is her debut novel, about a 17 yr old girl is forced to use her powers to protect the emperor from would-be assassins.

Check out my review here.

 

April 5, 2016 by Razorbill

I loved the Vampire Academy series, so I will definitely be checking her new series out! To avoid an arranged marriage a girl must join the glittering court.

 

 

    April 5, 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

This is the conclusion to the Orphan Queen series. The wraiths are destroying the two kingdoms, and Wil must somehow protect them all.

 

 

  April 26, 2016 by Scholastic Press

This is the 4th and final book in the series. Blu doesn’t believe in true love after being told she will cause hers to die, but after being around the Raven Boys, she’s not to sure anymore.

 

 April 26, 2016 by Harlequin Teen

In the 3rd installment, Ember and Riley must use Garrett’s knowledge of the Order to come up with a plan to avoid an all out war.

 

 

 May 3, 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

This is the 2nd book in the series.

 

 

 

 May 3, 2016 by Harper Teen

This will be the last book in the series. I haven’t read the 4th one yet, but I will most likely before this one comes out!

 

 

 June 28, 2016 by Delacorte Press

I give this book 4.5/5 stars

Check out my review here

 

 

 August 16, 2016 by Delacorte Press/MIRA Inc.

This is the 2nd book in the series.

 

 

 

Witch’s Pyre (The Worldwalker Trilogy #3) by Josephine Angelini

September 20, 2016

I’ve enjoyed the first two, and I can’t wait to see how this story ends!

 

 

 

And an extra novel just because I can:

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

September 22, 2016 by Orion Children’s Books

Check out my review here.

 

There are plenty of great books also coming out after September, but if I did that then I wouldn’t be able to call this 16 books for 2016. =p

Like Heartless by Marissa Meyer coming out in November, so excited for this one to be released!

 

 

My Top 15 Books Published in 2015

As 2015 comes to a rapid close in the next few days, I became a little nostalgic for all the books that I read this past year. I started to compile my list of all the books that I read this year with 3 stars and above. My list quickly grew to over 30, so I took out all of the 3 star books, and then books that have more than 2 in one genre (or at least I tried). This list will not be in any particular order of recommendation, but rather when they were published. The information collected on these books was taken from Goodreads.

Here are my top 2015 YA books:

 

Author: Jeanne Skartsiaris

Paperback, 232 pages

Published January 14th 2015 by CreateSpace

ISBN 1502770636 (ISBN13: 9781502770639)

Snow Globe is a story about a teen who tries to do the right thing but continues to find trouble with her smart mouth and fearless attitude. Working at the assisted living facility, Aja learns compassion and how important yet fragile life is.

 

Author Kristen Simmons

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published February 10th 2015 by Tor Teen

Original Title The Glass Arrow

ISBN 0765336618 (ISBN13: 9780765336613)

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

Author Jodi Meadows

Hardcover, 391 pages

Published March 10th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books

Original Title The Orphan Queen

ISBN 0062317385 (ISBN13: 9780062317384)

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. She is a spy. She is a threat.

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

Author J.L. Weil

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published March 27th 2015 by Dark Magick Publishing (first published March 20th 2015)

Original Title White Raven

ASIN B00UZKSFHK

DREADFUL LIES.
UNEXPECTED LOVE.
IMPOSSIBLE TRUTH.
It only took one heartbeat to change my life—one chilling phone call in the middle of the night.

Author Kelley Armstrong

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published April 7th 2015 by HarperCollins (first published April 1st 2015)

Original Title Empire of Night

ISBN 0062071270 (ISBN13: 9780062071279)

Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least, they were.

Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than they could have imagined. With treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on all their influence and power to overcome deadly enemies—not all of them human—and even avert an all-out war

 

Author Jennifer Estep

Paperback, 323 pages

Published April 28th 2015 by Kensington

Original Title Cold Burn of Magic

ISBN 1617738247 (ISBN13: 9781617738241)

There Be Monsters Here. . .
It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

The sequel to this novel, Dark Heart of Magic, came out in October 2015. If you like the first one definitely check it out as well!

Author Julie Kagawa

Hardcover, 444 pages

Published April 28th 2015 by Harlequin Teen

Original Title Rogue

ISBN 0373211465 (ISBN13: 9780373211463)

Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.
A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

Author Sarah Dessen

Hardcover, 417 pages

Published May 5th 2015 by Viking

Original Title Saint Anything

ISBN 0451474708 (ISBN13: 9780451474704

Peyton, Sydney’s charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion’s share of their parents’ attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton’s increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?
Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

 

Author Carrie Ryan

Hardcover, 375 pages

Published May 26th 2015 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

ISBN 0525426507 (ISBN13: 9780525426509)

I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
                                 I’m the friend of a dead girl.
                                 I’m the lover of my enemy.
                                And I will have my revenge.

Author Rachel Vincent

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published June 9th 2015 by Delacorte Press

Original Title The Stars Never Rise

ISBN 038574417X (ISBN13: 9780385744171)

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she’s too busy trying to actually survive. Her town’s population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she’ll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie’s sin has put her in serious trouble.
To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?
Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can’t survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

 

Author Gena Showalter

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published September 29th 2015 by Harlequin Teen (first published September 17th 2015)

Original Title A Mad Zombie Party

ISBN 0373211821 (ISBN13: 9780373211821)

The enemy has risen from the grave. Together we slayers must stand, or one by one we will fall.

This is the fourth book in this fantastic series. If for some reason you have not read the series, definitely pick them up! You won’t be disappointed.

Author Sherry Thomas

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published October 13th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

Original Title The Immortal Heights

ISBN 0062207350 (ISBN13: 9780062207357)

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

Author Margaret McHeyzer

Published October 26th 2015 (first published January 1st 2015)

If I were dead, I wouldn’t be able to see.
If I were dead, I wouldn’t be able to feel.
If I were dead, he’d never raise his hand to me again.
If I were dead, his words wouldn’t cut as deep as they do.
If I were dead, I’d be beautiful and I wouldn’t be so…ugly.
I’m not dead…but I wish I was.

 

Author Marissa Meyer

Hardcover, 824 pages

Published November 10th 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Original Title Winter

ISBN 0312642989 (ISBN13: 9780312642983)

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Fairest also came out in the beginning of the year, and was a great read as well. Of course, no list would be complete without the stunning conclusion to the Lunar Chronicle series!

And last but not least on my list is:

Author Sonya Weiss

Paperback, 208 pages

Publication: December 22nd 2015 by Lyrical Press, Inc

ISBN 1616509988 (ISBN13: 9781616509989)

Their love is a ticking time bomb. 
 
Juliet Sawyer was born to save the world. Gifted with incredible powers, she’s the only one standing in the way of The Great Extinction, the prophesied battle between Supernaturals and humans. In order to keep her sister safe and avenge her father’s murder, she’ll have to infiltrate the ranks of the Supernatural leaders who wish to destroy her. But the one thing she didn’t count on was falling in love…with someone who wants her dead.

The gorgeous and dangerous son of one of the Supernatural leaders, Riley West is in charge of training the group for war—now including Juliet, whose father is responsible for killing his family. But the more they train together, the more intensely their passion for each other burns. The deeper Riley is drawn in by Juliet’s beauty, the closer he gets to the secrets she keeps: one that will challenge everything he believes in—and one that could lead to her death. Together, can their forbidden love help stop the war? Or will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

 

2016 Movies that I am Looking Forward to

Merry Christmas!

Today, I have many reasons to be thankful, family and friends takes the top spots! Also, among my list are movies! I love being able to go to the movies and get wrapped up in that world for a few hours. One of the many reasons why I love reading as well. I guess you can say I am a big movie buff. This past week as my husband and I are off of school and work, we spent a little more than 24 hours and binge watched the Star Wars saga! I really enjoyed watching them all, my husband not so much. It was his first time and I made him sit through Every. Single. One.

So for Christmas, we met up with a friend and watched the new one, The Force Awakens. Don’t worry this post will not contain any spoilers or a whole lot about the movie in fact. As I was watching all of the previews, it dawned on me that 2016 is going to have a lot of awesome movies coming out! So I compiled a list of all of the movies I want to see in 2016! I am really going to need a good paying job to afford my reading and movie going habit! 😉

January:

5^th– Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (this one is only going to be released for two days in a few theaters, I think it’ll be okay for me to celebrate my birthday a few days early!)

8^th– The Revenant (because Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hardy, enough said. At least something good will come out on my birthday! Looking forward to that!)

22^nd– The 5^th Wave (I should really read the book first!)

29^th– Fifty Shades of Black (why would you not want to see a parody of any sort?)

February:

5^th– Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and The Choice (woo another Nicholas Sparks novel adaptation!)

12^th– Deadpool (!!!!) and How to be Single (most likely will wait for Redbox on this one)

19^th– Risen

26^th– Gods of Egypt (Gerard Butler ;)) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

March:

4^th– London Has Fallen (Gerard Butler, again.) and Zootopia (looks very cute)

18^th– The Divergent Series: Allegiant (I am glad that this is not a 2 part movie, Hollywood seems to really love doing that lately to trilogy’s)

25^th– Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

April:

1^st-God’s Not Dead 2

15^th-The Jungle Book

22^nd– The Huntsman: Winter War (really excited about this one, maybe it’s the fact that Snow White is not in it, hmm…)

May:

6^th– Captain America: Civil War

27^th– X-men: Apocalypse and Alice Through the Looking Glass (looks like I will be going to the movies twice this day!)

June:

3^rd– Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

10^th– Now You See Me 2

17^th– Finding Dory (about time!)

24^th– Independence Day Resurgence

July:

1^st– The Legend of Tarzan and The BFG (loved that book when I was little)

8^th– The Secret Life of Pets

15^th– Ghostbusters

22^nd– Star Trek Beyond and Ice Age: Collison Course

29^th– Bourne 5

August:

5^th-Suicide Squad

12^th– Pete’s Dragon

October:

7^th– Gambit (one of my favorite X-men characters, behind Rogue of course) and The Girl on the Train

14^th– Underworld 5

November:

4^th– Doctor Strange

18^th– Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (I will watch and read anything from the HP universe!)

23^rd– Moana (a new Disney princess!)

December:

16^th– Star Wars:Rogue One (I guess we get to continue the tradition and go see this Christmas day!)

21^st– Assassin’s Creed

25^th– Jumanji and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiars

There are tons of other movies coming out, but some of them I haven’t heard of or watched a trailer. So I am sure that as I see them, I will add them if they aren’t here already.

What movie are you looking forward to the most next year? There are way too many for me to pick just one, which is why I made a list 😉