Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about.

In this modern day spinoff of Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera. 

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn -- an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known.

A. G. Howard brings the romantic storytelling that Splintered fans adore to France—and an entirely new world filled with lavish romance and intrigue—in a retelling inspired by a story that has captivated generations. Fans of both the Phantom of the Opera musical and novel, as well as YA retellings such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, will devour RoseBlood.

Rose Blood releases on January 10, 2017 from Amulet Books

I loved her other series: Splintered, so I am absolutely dying to read this book. It sounds so good and I can not wait to delve into it. Some people have already read early versions of this and they say it is so good. And that cover. *Swoon*

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Music Monday #11

I got this idea from the blog Trust in the Words. 

Smoke and Fire by Sabrina Carpenter

Wow. Never knew she could sing like this but apparently she can. The beat is catchy and I love the lyrics. :) 

Happy reading everybody! <3

APRIL BOOKS ON MY SHELF!

April Books on my Shelf!

I got this idea to call it Books on my Shelf from http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/

Today I am going to be doing my April To Be Read (TBR). I have fewer books on this list than I have in past months. Part of that reason is I am not sure how much time I'll have to read this month and part of that reason is I'd rather focus on my writing and doing blogposts. Plus, I need to work on my school-work. And this is also a very loose TBR. Some of the books on here I don't have to read but they are all books I want to read. We shall see how this month goes.

My TBR challenge is: Read a book by an author you haven't read. For this challenge I chose Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. I am already more than halfway through this book and it is so good. It also won The Black Eyed Susan award and I think I know why. I can not wait to finish this book. Review will come next week.

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

The second book I have on this list is Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. I have heard such good things about this book that I am so excited to start reading it.

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

The third book I have on this list is The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. AH! I can't wait to read this book! I am taking it on my school trip to Boston this coming weekend and I hope to finish it there. And of course a lovely review will come your way. 

Ancient Evil threatens the Elves: The ancient tree created by long-lost Elven magic, is dying. When Wil Ohmsford is summoned to guard the Amberle on a perilous quest to gather a new seed for a new tree, he is faced with the Reaper, the most fearsome of all Demons. And Wil is without power to control them....

The fourth book I have on this list is City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. The first book was awesome so I am going to continue with the series. I am also taking this to Boston and I hope to finish it as well. Cause the bus trip will be long and I don't want to watch movies the whole time. 

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

The fifth book I have on this list is The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa. Yes. I was supposed to finish this over Spring Break but The Flash and Teen Wolf got in the way. 

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. 

The sixth book I have on this list is the Persutopia Book of the Month. It is The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Yes, I have read this book but I am so down for a re-read. 

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

AND that is it. I told you I had less on this TBR. Well, I will see you all soon for the rest of my haul and my spring most anticipated books!

MARCH WRAP-UP!

So, it's the end of the month and that means another wrap-up! I know I haven't finished the book haul but I will do it in the next couple of days. I read a lot this month which I am very happy about as normally I read around five to six books but this month I read a grand total of eleven books and I'm halfway through another! Now, before I say too much, let's get on with this wrap-up!

NETGALLEY BOOKS

The first book I got for review was Lions in the Garden by Chelsea Luna. I rated this 4.5 crowns. I really enjoyed this book but I couldn't give it five crowns because the romance moved a little fast and the romance between Radek and Mila utterly disgusted me but I have a feeling there will be more of it in the books that have yet to be released. But I still recommend it to anyone who wants a short historical read.

The second book I got for review was One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank. This was a contemporary book about a girl who had to go to Paris with her brother for her dad's wedding. I really enjoyed this book even though I only rated it 4 out of 5 crowns. I don't normally reach for contemporaries but I thought this one sounded good. I really liked how the main character Sophie played the piano and was really passionate about it. This releases on June 7th.

The third book I got for review was A Daring Sacrifice by Jody Hedlund. This was a Historical Fiction story about a female Robin Hood. As soon as those words were shown to me, I was down and I requested it for review but I wasn't as happy with it as I should have been. I only rated this book 4 out of 5 Crowns because there wasn't half as much 'being Robin Hood' as I would have liked. The majority of this book was the romance aspect which had me a little bit annoyed more often than not. But nevertheless it was a pretty good read. 

The fourth book I got for review was A Reaper of Stone by Mark Gelineau. This was a short novella of about 90 pages. I rated this five Crowns as it was amazingly written and had so much development for just a short novella. I highly recommend this and I will be checking out future works by this author. 

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first physical book I read was a collection of novellas for The Lunar Chronicles series. As I have mentioned before, this is one of my favorite series of all time. I rated this five out of five Crowns as it was beautiful. Some of the stories even had me tearing up. And one had me full on crying so I suppose that's a good sign. If you have not read The Lunar Chronicles series, I highly recommend it. 

The second physical book I read was Dangerous Deceptions by Sarah Zettel. I rated this book four out of five Crowns but I almost rated it 3.5 Crowns. This book wasn't as good as the first one but it was still pretty good. I didn't think it had as much action as the first one which bummed me out a little. 

The third physical book I read was A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris. I rated this book Five out of Five Crowns as it was positively amazing. It was cute, and fluffy and still managed to keep my attention throughout. Plus there was time travel which totally sells me. 

The fourth physical book I read was City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I waited for-ever to read this book and I really enjoyed it. It was hilarious and serious all at once. My favorite characters were Alec and Clary but they were all good characters. I was a tiny bit upset about the fact that Clary wasn't a badass female heroine but maybe there is time. I rated it five out of five crowns, nevertheless. 

The fifth physical book I read was Fallen by Lauren Kate. I rated this book five out of five crowns as well. I wasn't sold by the cover and the beginning was kind of boring but it got better and I really enjoyed it. But here was another book without a strong, badass female heroine. Oh well. Guess I can't have everything. 

The sixth physical book I read was The Heir by Kiera Cass. I went in with very low expectations. Extremely low. But I came out rating it four out of five crowns so that was interesting. I hated the main character for the first almost half of the book but then she got a lot better and I actually enjoyed the book. A Selection for a female also proved to be rather interesting. Awaiting the next book...

The last physical book I read was Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. I loved this book. Finally a strong female heroine. Wow. How many books have I read this month without one? Anyways. I adored this book. I loved the characters, hated the bad guy and loved the world. I can not wait for the next book. My rating was five out of five Crowns!

Reviews This Month: 

Lions in the Garden 

One Paris Summer

A Daring Sacrifice

A Reaper of Stone 

City of Bones

Fallen

March's Crazy Book Haul Part One!

Hello everyone. It is the end of the month which means another book haul is here. And I kind of went crazy this month so this is going to just be part one of the book haul as I don't want this post to be too long.

Without further ado, let's get on with part one of my crazy book haul.

The first three books I bought from Thrift Books because I like getting cheaper books!

I bought Poison Study by Marie V. Snyder. This book has been recommended to me and most people have really enjoyed it. I have so many books on my TBR shelf so this might take a while to get to. 

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

I also bought Winterspell by Claire Legrand. This is a Nutcracker retelling which sounds so good. 

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince…but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted—by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets—and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed—if she leaves at all.

The last book I bought from Thrift Books was The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. This was a book I have only wanted to buy for a couple months. Ever since the TV show; The Shannara Chronicles came on, I've wanted to watch it but I usually read the book before I watch the movie so I am going to be doing that next month!  

Ancient Evil threatens the Elves: The ancient tree created by long-lost Elven magic, is dying. When Wil Ohmsford is summoned to guard the Amberle on a perilous quest to gather a new seed for a new tree, he is faced with the Reaper, the most fearsome of all Demons. And Wil is without power to control them...

Then I have seven books I got from a book sale at a high school near mine. 

The first book I got is The Voyage of the Jerie Shannara Antrax by Terry Brooks. This is another book by Terry Brooks and since it was $1.00, I just decided to buy it. I'm not sure when I'll read it though. 

The second book I got was Evermore by Alyson Noel. I was intrigued by the cover and it does sound like a book that I would enjoy. 

After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact to suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school — but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head - wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is - or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

The third book I got was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. If you have not at least heard of this book, I will seriously question your existence. Most people have really enjoyed this book so I will be picking this one up in the future. 

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

The fourth book I got was The Vampire Diaries The Awakening and the Struggle by L.J. Smith. Honestly, I don't know why I bought this. People have said that the books were really bad and that the show is much better but I wanted to see what it was about. 

The fifth book I bought was Defy by Sara B. Larson. This was the only book I bought that I have actually read. I enjoyed this book much to my shock as many others have not enjoyed it. I agree that it didn't live completely up to my expectations but I still really enjoyed it and wanted to own the series. 

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

The sixth book I bought was The Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz. There was a Disney movie that was made based on this book and I really wanted to watch it so I bought the book. Yay!

Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world.

But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?

Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.

Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent's daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon's eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.

Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen's daughter, Evie, doesn't know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she's a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal's little tricks.

Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he's not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon's eye.

Carlos: Cruella de Vil's son may not be bravest, but he's certainly clever. Carlos's inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon's eye and ending the banishment for good.

Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon's eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She'll just need a little help from her "friends." In their quest for the dragon's eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain't so bad

The last book in this part of the book haul is The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. I've heard many good things about this book and naturally I wanted to pick it up. And it's a Middle Grade book which I love!

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.

Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

The next part will be coming soon so stay tuned and happy reading!

Top 5 Wednesday | Least Favorite Book in your Favorite Series

  TOP FIVE WEDNESDAY

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY IS A WEEKLY MEME HOSTED BY LAINEY. YOU BASICALLY GET A NEW TOPIC EVERY WEDNESDAY, AND YOU LIST YOUR TOP 5 BOOKS RELATED TO THAT TOPIC. HEAD OVER TO THE GOODREADS GROUP, AND ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST OF WEDNESDAY-ERS IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING!

Today’s topic is “Least Favorite Book in Your Favorite Series” and this is actually a hard topic to do as I don't like criticizing any of my favorite series. Just keep in mind that I love all of these series and these were just the books that were either lacking in action or made me super annoyed or sad. Plus these are in no particular order.

5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins-

I didn't hate this book but I could barely finish it. The first time I read the first three quarters of the book and skimmed the last part. And then last year when I finally decided to read the whole thing, I was in utter disbelief and tears. 

4. The Elite by Kiera Cass

I didn't hate this book. I just found it slower and some of the characters annoyed me at certain times. It just wasn't my favorite. 

3. Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

I did not hate this book at all. I really liked it. I just HATED Umbridge. She basically ruined the book for me with her creepy torture pen. *shudders* Yeah, not exactly something little kids should see. 

2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

This one was just not as interesting as the others. Partly because Wolf and Scarlet are my least favorite couple out of all of them. 

1. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

I didn't like this one because of some of the events that happened at the end. And they redeemed someone way too fast. 

Top Ten Tuesday || Nine of my Most Recent 5 Star Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s 10 Of Our Most Recent 5 Star Reads/Best Books

1 Winter

by Marissa Meyer

"Yeah, but broken isn't the same as unfixable." 

This series is basically my favorite series of all time; as of last year. The writing is beautiful and there are times when it almost makes you cry. I love Marissa Meyer's series and it was one of my five star reads over the past few months. 

2 A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Maas

"Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy." 

I don't think this book could get away without a five crown rating from me. It was so beautiful, and horrifying at the same time. If you have not read it then go read it cause it is AMAZING! 

3 The Heart of Betrayal

by Mary E. Pearson

This series is freaking amazing! I loved the first book and I loved this book which is the second. The two love interests are both swoon-worthy and I really hope the series ends well as it has been amazing so far. 

4 Stars Above

by Marissa Meyer

These are the novellas from The Lunar Chronicles series which as I said before is one of my favorite series. It has everything I like in it and I recommend it to everyone. 

5 A Tale of Two Centuries

by Rachel Harris

This is one of the first contemporaries that I have really really enjoyed. I highly recommend it if you want something short and sweet. Perfect remedy after a sad book. 

6 A Reaper of Stone

by Mark Gelineau

This was a short novella (around ninety pages) and I really enjoyed it. The plot was good and the world was well-developed for a short book. 

7 City of Bones

by Cassandra Clare

I never thought that I would actually like this book. Correction: love this book! I put off reading this for years because I thought it looked dumb and I ignored my friend's opinions. And now that I have read it, I know that I was wrong. 

8 Shatter Me

by Taherei Mafi

This is a book I just finished so the review is not even written yet. But I loved this book. I thought the concept was pretty unique and the main character is tough as nails. I loved it a lot and I highly recommend it. 

9 Fallen

by Lauren Kate

This book was amazing. I loved it even though it creeped me out at certain times. There were so many bad reviews of this book on Goodreads that I was freaking out and beginning to second guess my choice to read this book but now that I have finished it, I knew I made the right decision to keep reading!.

Sorry this post is a day late. I've been busy with Spring Break. What? It's a thing.