Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #6 - Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross



"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine  
This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!! And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :)  
What I'm currently waiting for... 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Blog Tour/Book Review - The Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard + win an eBook copy!





Title: The Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard
Release Date: 12/30/14
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Dates read: February 18-19th, 2015

Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis:

Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away.

A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.

The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.

Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.

Top Ten Tuesday #6 - Top Ten Favourite Heroines from Books (or TV/Movies)


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by   The Broke and Bookishwhere we can post lists of our top ten bookish things of the week. This week's theme is "Top Ten Favourite Heroines from Books (or TV/Movies)"
I squealed when I saw that this was this week's theme! I mostly read books with female protagonists so this is a subject I am well-versed in!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Book Review - The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, books 0.1-0.5 (novellas)
Pages: 448 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens USA
Dates read: February 20th-22nd, 2015
Goodreads Synopsis:
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.
Rating: 5/5 stars

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Cover Reveal Thursday #3 - Dumplin' by Julie Murphy


Hey everyone! I've decided to start this new feature called Cover Reveal Thursday! This won't be a recurring meme because covers aren't necessarily reveal every week. Basically, whenever a cover is revealed from one of my favourite series/authors (or a debut author's book that I'm looking forward to), on the Thursday of that week, I'll post it here and discuss it a little because I am definitely one of those people that judges books by their covers. 

Hope you enjoy!

This week, the cover of Julie Murphy Dumplin' was released. I only found out about this today and I am so excited! Read on to see the gorgeous cover.

Book Blitz - The Dream Catcher by Anya Monroe



The Dream Catcher
Release Date: 02/19/15
300 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
***Paddle boards, bonfires & bikinis won’t help Penny. She craves the boy from the woods; not knowing she’s already caught in his nightmare. ***
Penny’s nightmare is ruling her life and she doesn’t know why. It started a few months ago, and since then Red Bulls, 5-hour Energy Shots, and Starbucks drive-thru are her lifeline.
When Penny’s parents decide to take their research of a rare Native American cult to a remote cabin for the summer, she's less than enthused.
Then Penny meets Delsin in a clearing in the woods, and her view of the world awakens. Apathy defines her, but Delsin lives life to it’s fullest. A shaman-in-training, he is everything Penny is not.
Each morning she comes to the woods, handing pieces of her heart to him, but when Penny is confronted with her worst nightmare, Delsin asks for a sacrifice Penny didn’t see coming.

Buy Links:

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Book Review - Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas


Title: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, book 3
Pages: 562 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Dates read: February 13th-17th 2015
Goodreads synopsis:
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?
Rating: 4/5 stars
This review contains spoilers

Waiting on Wednesday #5 - The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine  
This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!
The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!! And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 
What I'm currently waiting for... 

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Book Review - Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas


Title: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, book 2
Pages: 418 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Dates read: February 10th-12th 2015 (Hardcover copy)
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
 Rating: 4.5/5 stars
This review may contain spoilers

Top Ten Tuesday #5 - Top Ten Book-Related Problems I Have

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by  The Broke and Bookish where we can post lists of our top ten bookish things of the week. This week's theme is "Top Ten Book-Related Problems I Have"

Again, this is something that I have lots of, so this list was easy enough to conjure up.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Cover Reveal Thursday (err Friday....) #2 - Ice Like Fire, Six of Crows and Dreamland


Hey everyone! I've decided to start this new feature called Cover Reveal Thursday! This won't be a recurring meme because covers aren't necessarily reveal every week. Basically, whenever a cover is revealed from one of my favourite series/authors (or a debut author's book that I'm looking forward to), on the Thursday of that week, I'll post it here and discuss it a little because I am definitely one of those people that judges books by their covers. 

Hope you enjoy!

This week, there were three covers released that I really, really loved: Sara Raasch's Ice Like Fire, Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows (aka the reason I waited til today to post this) and Robert L. Anderson's Dreamland !

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #4 - Persuasion by Martina Boone


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine  
This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!
The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!! And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 
What I'm currently waiting for... 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Book Review - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Series?: Throne of Glass, Book #1
Pages: 404 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Dates read: February 7th-9th 2015 (hardcover copy)
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
Rating: 5/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday #4 - Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we can post lists of our top ten bookish things of the week. This week's theme is " Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books"

I actually have quite an extensive list about what I like and dislike in book romances, so narrowing that down to ten is gonna be difficult... but I'll try :D Today's top ten Tuesday will be split into two parts: 5 things I like in romance novels and 5 things I dislike in romance novels!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

ARC Book Review - None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Title: None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio
Series?: N/A
Pages: ARC, 352 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Dates read: February 5th to 7th, 2015 (Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for the chance to read & review this eARC!)

Goodreads Synopsis:
A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.
What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant? When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.
But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned--something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts." Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Cover Reveal Thursday - Persuasion by Martina Boone & Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray!


Hey everyone! I've decided to start this new feature called Cover Reveal Thursday! This won't be a recurring meme because covers aren't necessarily reveal every week. Basically, whenever a cover is revealed from one of my favourite series/authors (or a debut author's book that I'm looking forward to), on the Thursday of that week, I'll post it here and discuss it a little because I am definitely one of those people that judges books by their covers.

Hope you enjoy!

This week, TWO covers from my favourite series were released: Martina Boone's Persuasion and Claudia Gray's Ten Thousand Skies Above You. See them below!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #3 - Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith



"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine 
This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!
The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!! And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 
What I'm currently waiting for... 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Book Review - Little White Lies by Katie Dale

Title: Little White Lies by Katie Dale
Series?: N/A
Pages: 384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Dates read: January 31st - February 2nd, 2015 (ebook)
Goodreads synopsis:
The first time Lou meets mysterious Christian, she knows he is The One. But Christian is hiding a terrible secret. Why does he clam up every time Lou asks about his past? Why doesn’t he have any family photos, and why does he dye his blond hair black? When Christian’s house goes up in flames, his tires are slashed, and he flees for his life, Lou insists on going with him. But as Christian’s secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he’s ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in grave danger? And what if their accidental meeting wasn’t an accident at all...?
Review: 4.7/5 Stars

Top Ten Tuesday #3: Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read from the YA Contemporary genre


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we can post lists of our top ten bookish things of the week. This week's theme is "Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't/Want To Read from X Genre."

Contemporary YA is a genre that I've slowly been getting into these last few months. I've read Jennifer E. Smith's books and one of Katie Cotugno's books (reviewed here), but there are still quite a few that I haven't read. Those are the books today's Top Ten Tuesday will focus on: YA contemporaries that I've heard lots of good things about but haven't read yet.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

January Round-Up + Stacking the Shelves #1


Well, look at that, it's already the end of January! The Bookish Raven has been up for a month now, and things seem to be going pretty well so far! Here's a round-up of what this month looked like for me and The Bookish Raven in the book world!