'Bout of Books Read-A-Thon 2013

I've decided that I need a really good, intense read-a-thon to get me through a whole bunch of books and hopefully catch up on my Goodreads challenge. There's a lot of other fun things going on like challenges and giveaways but I'm only going to be reading.  Reading as much as I possibly can when I'm not working or sleeping.

So I decided that 5 books is a pretty noble goal and if I get through 3 of them then I will be happy! So here's what I tentatively plan to read during the read-a-thon:

So a bunch more ARCs from last year and a few books I got for Christmas that I still haven't read. Wish me luck!!

Review: Gilt

Title: Gilt
Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Source: Library/Purchased

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

My thoughts:

There is just something about historical novels that just enrapture me! Especially the Tudor Era! I love discovering more about kings and queens and beheading people for the smallest of actions. It’s a quite fascinating.

I was definitely enthralled by this story of Catherine Howard told by one of her closest friends named Kitty. Catherine Howard is one of King Henry VIII’s later wives and this story just goes to show how old he really was and the long term effects of his jousting wound had on his marriage and the country in general. Anyone who ever working in his court was always under scrutiny and their every action was watched under a microscope. They never knew who was going to turn who. It’s all very interesting!

Kitty is an interesting character. She’s the plainer more subdued version of her friend Catherine Howard and she’s not obsessed with getting to court like all the other girls her age. But, of course, when the opportunity to go to court arises she does not turn it down. The whole book is pretty much about keeping Catherine Howard’s affair a secret from the King’s spies. I knew what was going to happen in the end but the getting there was really intriguing! I sometimes found myself hoping that they wouldn’t get caught but like I said, I know the history of King Henry VIII and his wives. But I still loved it!!

All in all, Gilt is one of my favorite reads of this year so far! It is definitely a great story to get myself lost in!

August TBR Jar!

I loved pulling books out of a jar so much last month, that I think it's a new staple of how I'm going to choose the books I read for the month. I like it better this way because it's all by chance! So now every month I'm going to randomly select two books out of my regular TBR jar which contains all the finished copies of books that I own and have not yet read. And then I choose two books out of my ARC TBR jar which contains all the ARC I haven't read yet.  And then I have the book club book for the month, maybe a library book and also an e-book.  So that's about seven books every month which is pretty good!

So here are the books I have randomly selected for this month:

I'm so excited to read these books! I remember really enjoying Immortal Beloved and I pretty much bought Hemlock as soon as it came out and I have yet to read it! Both of the ARC are books I picked up at ALA 2012 and I'm glad I can be moving them off my shelf soon. 

Book Club book for August: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Already read it and it's absolutely amazing!! I was literally weeping by the end!

Currently reading: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters because it is due back at the library on Tuesday! Pretty good so far! 

My Book Haul: August 3, 2013

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

Welcome to my book haul for the last 2 weeks! I literally have zero internet access most of the time so I'm trying to get this in fast!

Bought: 

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (AKA JK Rowling)

Library:

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

The Murmurings by Carley Anne West

For my Nook:

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

The Secret Language of Girls by Francis O'Roark Dowell

Shelf Candy!!!

My sister bought me this amazing clock! It blends so well on my shelf that most people can't even tell! Love it :)

My Book Haul: July 20th

Yay! I have another book haul for you guys!! I didn't realize until now but I bought a lot of books this week and I'm excited for you guys to see!! So I downloaded this blog go app because the Internet at my house is not working so I'm posting this from my phone! We'll see how it turns out haha! 

Library:

The Originals by Cat Patrick

In the Shadows of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Bought:

The Lucky One by Anna Godbersen

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Hide and Seek by Sara Shepard

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

I am so excited for all my books this week!! Especially Eleanor and Park. I normally don't buy books that I haven't read yet or aren't a part of a series I love but I have not heard one bad thing about it so I decided to bite the bullet. And I was like 50th in line for it at the library and I didn't want to wait! So what did you guys get this week?

 

Review: The Indigo Spell

Title: The Indigo Spell
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

My thoughts: 

Richelle Mead is hands down, by far my favorite paranormal author! And I'm pretty sure this is how all my reviews of her books start. She is just one phenomenal writer and she continues to blow me away with her books! Do you guys realize that The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart and Gameboard of the Gods are all published this year?!? Man, Richelle Mead sure was working hard last year! 

The Indigo Spell was just another great installment in the Bloodlines series! I loved the sexual tension between Sydney and Adrian! It just continued to build and build until there were a few hot and steamy moments that made me want to cheer. I think it's so funny that she's always telling herself that she can never be with someone like Adrian because he's a Moroi but when it comes down to it she just can't control herself or her feelings! She has huge feelings for Adrian and I really hope they win out in the end. 

I'm also intrigued by all this magic that is being introduced to the series.  The Vampire Academy world is so vast and I'm continually surprised by all the new aspects that are coming out of the woodwork.  But this magical element is just so awesome and how Sydney is taking to it.  If she thinks that she doesn't really like the Moroi then she really doesn't like the magic and she continues to resist! But I have a feeling that the magic is also going to win out in the end. Oh, this series is just so amazing!!!

Needless to say, I cannot wait for the Fiery Heart!!! I will be there, at the bookstore, on release day, ready to dive into the next installment of the Bloodlines series!!

Waiting on Wednesday (96)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Vicious
Author: Victoria Schwab
Hitting the Shelves: September 24, 2013

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will.

Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?