Thursday, June 30, 2016

Summer TBR Wipeout 2016 Challenge

1
The Summer TBR Wipeout Challenge is hosted by The Candid Cover.

Here is all the info:

To make the Summer TBR Wipeout simple and inclusive to everyone, I am opening this up to anyone who wants to participate. You do not have to run a book blog or a website for that matter. All that I ask is that you create your posts on some sort of social media website, such as Instagram, Facebook or Tumblr, etc. You can also read backlist books, ARCs, new releases or anything else that has been beckoning you to read it. There will be 4 posts in total that you can link up to here on The Candid Cover. To sweeten the deal, I will also be giving away a book of choice from the Book Depository worth up to $20 CAD. As always the giveaway is open internationally as long as TBD ships to you!
 
Schedule:
  • June 18- July 3: Sign-ups open!
  • July 3: Introductory post- What books are you planning to read this summer?
  • July 17: Update post #1- Tell us how your reading has been going so far. What books have you read? Were they enjoyable? What’s next on your TBR? Etc.
  • July 31: Update post #2
  • August 14: Wrap-up post- How did your summer reading go? Did you wipeout some books from your summer TBR?

I tend to be a mood reader, so my TBR will likely change multiple times, however there are a few books that I definitely want to read!
 
Tentative TBR:
~Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
~A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
~Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
~The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
~Fire Falling by Elise Kova
~Earth's End by Elise Kova

Blogger Summer Reading Program Challenge

The Blogger Summer Reading Program is hosted by Bekka at Pretty Deadly Reviews and Whitley at Reading With a Vengeance.

Here is all the information:

The details:
  • Set your goals! There is no baseline requirement to join in this challenge. Only you know your own reading habits and what will be easy and what will actually be a challenge to complete.
  • Track your weekly reading, and every Sunday, come back and report on whether or not you reached your weekly goal.
  • Win prizes! There will be an epic giveaway at the end of July – the winnings will be announced when we start reading July 1st. Each week that you meet your goals = another entry in the Rafflecopter. Trust us, you want in on this package.
  • There will also be a twitter chat on June 30th at 8pm Eastern (#BloggerSRP!)
To sign up:
  • Make a sign-up post with your goals! This can be a simple tweet stating something like “I pledge to read 2 books a week for the Blogger Summer Reading Program!” Or it can be an entire blog post. It’s all up to you!
  • You do not have to be a blogger to join, we’re just not very good at naming things.
  • Add the link to your sign-up announcement in both the linky (so we can all see who’s participating!) and the Rafflecopter (for that giveaway entry!)
  • Have fun!

I don't want to set my goals too high, as I don't know what the rest of my summer might end up like right now. So I'm going to set my goals a little on the low side.

My Goal:
To read 1 book a week

I might end up surpassing that goal, but I'm not too sure about that.

I'll keep track of my progress here as well.

Week 1
~Finished Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
~Finished Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Week 2
~Finished A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
~Finished Fire Falling by Elise Kova

Week 3


Week 4


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #34: "Crystal Crowned" by Elise Kova

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Crystal Crowned (Air Awakens Series #5) 


Title: "Crystal Crowned"
Author: Elise Kova
Expected Publication: July 12, 2016

Long live Solaris.

One bloodthirsty ruler has been overthrown by another, casting the shadow of death over the Solaris Empire. Vhalla Yarl stands upon the stage of fate, prepared to do battle one final time. Fragile alliances will be tested and new bonds will be formed as the world is reshaped. She fights as the champion of peace, but when the night is darkest will she be able to pay the price of a new dawn?


I've only read Air Awakens, but I hope to catch up and read Fire Falling and Earth's End pretty soon. I absolutely loved the characters and the world-building, and can't wait to see what happens to Vhalla next! I've heard so many great things!
 
Preorder
 
What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #59: Ten Series I Still Need to Finish

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This Week's Topic: 
Ten Series I Still Need to Finish 

1.
Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
I have no idea as to whether or not I'll read this book, especially with how it ends. Maybe one day. 

2.
Emerald Green (Precious Stone Trilogy, #3)
I read the first two books a couple years ago, so I'm not so sure how well I'll remember what happened... 

3.
Spell Bound (Hex Hall, #3)
Same as above.

4.
The Nightmare Charade (The Arkwell Academy, #3)
I actually read the second books relatively recently (as in last year), so I think I remember everything.

5.
Oblivion (Lux, #1.5)
I love this series, and was so excited to hear about this book, but I'm kind of bummed that the physical copy doesn't have all of the books in Daemon's point of view. I'd be cool with a 1,000+ page book.

6.
Through the Dark (The Darkest Minds, #1.5, #2.5, #3.5)
Yeah, it's a collection of short stories, but I still consider it a part of the series. I bought it recently and can't wait to dive right in, but I'm not ready for the feels to possibly come back.

7.
Untamed (Splintered, #3.5)
Same as above, but I have yet to buy the book. But I did read one of the short stories, The Moth in the Mirror, when it was just an ebook.

8.
Stolen (Taken, #0.5)
While I was disappointed by the trilogy, I do want to read Bree's story, as she was one of the few things I liked about it.

9.
Champion (Legend, #3)
I started this one, but had to return it back to the library before I could finish it. However I do want to read it soon. 

10.
Requiem (Delirium, #3)
Same as above.

As you can see, I haven't finished many series, and these are just a few. I have a huge list of series that I need to finish, and I'm hoping to make some progress on that list this year!

Monday, June 27, 2016

What's on My Radar ~ Juy '16 Releases

What's on My Radar highlights the releases for that month that I'm excited for and gives the opportunity to discuss what everyone is looking forward to.
 
July 5
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) 


There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

July 12
Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things, #2) 


June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

 
Crystal Crowned (Air Awakens Series #5) 


Long live Solaris.

One bloodthirsty ruler has been overthrown by another, casting the shadow of death over the Solaris Empire. Vhalla Yarl stands upon the stage of fate, prepared to do battle one final time. Fragile alliances will be tested and new bonds will be formed as the world is reshaped. She fights as the champion of peace, but when the night is darkest will she be able to pay the price of a new dawn?

  July 19
A World Without You 



Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her.

 
Torn (A Wicked Saga, #2) 


Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

  July 31
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 


Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.


I haven't read the book that comes before Shiny Broken Things, but I just heard about it recently and since it's a book about ballerinas, I HAVE to read it. I need to catch up on the Air Awakens series so I can't read the finale. I'm excited to try Beth Revis's contemporary, as it's a genre I'm slowly easing into. I'm super nervous for Torn, especially with how Wicked ended. And OF COURSE I need Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! 

How many of these have you read already? What are you looking forward to in July?

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Review ~ "The Return" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Return (Titan, #1)Title: "The Return"
Series: Titan, #1
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
 
Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
 
Published: February 16, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 335
Format: Paperback
Source: MeL Cat

 
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
 
The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…

It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Review ~ "The Mirror King" by Jodi Meadows

The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)Title: "The Mirror King"
Series: The Orphan Queen, #2
Author: Jodi Meadows

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Tumblr ~ Pinterest

Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 531
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #33: "This Savage Song" by Victoria Schwab

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) 


Title: "This Savage Song"
Author: Victoria Schwab
Expected Publication: July 5, 2016

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.
I haven't read any of Victoria Schwab's books yet, but I plan to read ADSOF soon. Everyone seems to love her books, so I can't wait to finally dive into them! I love how creepy this sounds, and how there's a huge good vs. evil conflict. I do enjoy evil characters. ☺
 
Preorder
 
What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #58: Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
 
This Week's Topic:
Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year
 
While I have read 10 2016 releases, I didn't love all of them, so I'm going to list my favorite releases, and then some of the releases I'm planning on reading soon!
 
2016 Releases I Have Read
1.
Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)
I absolutely loved Truthwitch, no that I was surprised. Magic, war, best friends, and a hot mercenary? Yes, please.
 
2.
Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles, #4.5)
I'm still not over the end of The Lunar Chronicles, but at least a collection of short stories helped to ease the pain.
 
3.
The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3)
After the end of The Winner's Crime, I was worried that the ending wouldn't be as good, but I was wrong and The Winner's Kiss was amazing!
 
4.
The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)
I loved her Defiance trilogy, even if I still need to finish it, and I loved The Shadow Queen just as much and can't wait to see what she does with the next book.
 
5.
The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)
I'm pretty sure the ending of The Orphan Queen broke everyone, and The Mirror King was just as much as an emotional roller coaster with all the twists and turns.
 
6.
Starflight (Starflight, #1)
I wasn't sure about this book initially, as I bought it on a whim, but I was totally surprised and really liked it! I'm super excited for the sequel!
 
7.
Summer of Sloane
I decided to give this book a try, and loved this beachy contemporary romance! I'm slowly working my way into YA contemporary.
 
8.
The Possibility of Now
I read this book for a book tour and thought that it was a super cute contemporary romance about learning to live in the moment!
 
2016 Release I Will Read
9.
A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
I started this just recently, and I'm absolutely loving it! Can't wait to get further in!
 
10.
Passenger (Passenger, #1)
I've heard some mixed reviews, but I can't wait to start this for TBRTakedown 4.0 this week!
 
What have your favorite 2016 releases been, and which ones do you plan on starting soon?
 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ "All the Feels" by Danika Stone

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All the FeelsTitle: "All the Feels"
Series: N/A
Author: Danika Stone
 
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ YouTube ~ Pinterest ~ Tumblr
 
Published: June 7, 2016
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: ebook
Source: I received an ARC as a participant of this blog tour
 
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Review ~ "Forged" by Erin Bowman

Forged (Taken, #3)Title: "Forged"
Series: Taken, #3
Author: Erin Bowman

Website ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ Instagram

Published: April 14, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source: MeL Cat

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

The time has come to make a stand.

Gray Weathersby and his group of rebels are determined to bring down the Franconian Order. But they may be too late. The Order is closer than ever to its ultimate goal—building an unstoppable army—and every generation of Forgeries is more sophisticated, harder to detect, and deadlier than the one before.

Now the rebels have joined forces with new allies, the Expats. But when even the most familiar faces can’t be trusted, Gray will have to tread carefully if he wants to succeed—or survive.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Review ~ "The Winner's Kiss" by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3)Title: "The Winner's Kiss"
Series: The Winner's Trilogy, #3
Author: Marie Rutkoski 

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
 
Published: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 484
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought 

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
 
Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday #32: "And I Darken" by Kiersten White

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


And I Darken 



Title: "And I Darken"
Author: Kiersten White
Expected Publication: June 28, 2016

NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.

And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

I LOVED Kiersten White's Paranormalcy trilogy, and when I heard that she was publishing a historical fantasy series, I knew I had to have it. I don't know too much about Vlad the Impaler, but I can't wait to see him rewritten as a young woman. I think that definitely changes things, as people don't typically think young noblewomen can be vicious and brutal. But I love that. I've heard mostly positive things, but I have heard of a few points to it that I don't like too much. But I guess I'll have to read it to find out what I think! 

Preorder
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

What are you waiting on?