Cover Characteristic: Suitcases/Purses

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Book Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR

Author: Morgan Matson (Twitter)

Genres: Contemporary, Road Trip

Format: Hardback (Amazon)

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life.

oining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Now I understand why bloggers/vloggers are always expressing there love of Morgan Matson. I absolutely loved this book!

Audiobook Review: The Magicians (The Magicians #1) by Lev Grossman

Title: The Magicians

Book Series: The Magicians, Book #1

Author: Lev Grossman (Twitter)

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Magic

Format: Audiobook (Amazon | Audible)

Narrators: Mark Bramhall

Length: 17 hours & 24 minutes

Release Date: August 11, 2009

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge, 2015 Audiobook Challenge

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

Psychologically piercing and dazzlingly inventive, The Magicians is an enthralling coming-of-age tale about magic practiced in the real world-where good and evil aren't black and white, and power comes at a terrible price.

I'd read this before about four years and hated it. It was hard to pinpoint exactly why I felt this way, but I remember having a strong dislike for this book. Someone else I spoke to at a book club meeting expressed the same sentiment. I think I know why -- that idiotic comparison to Harry Potter. I could just imagine myself getting to the end of this book and thinking WTF that was nothing like HP!

Cover Characteristic: Black Covers

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Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Top 5 Best Book Covers: April 2015

Top 5 Best Book Covers is monthly meme created by The Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. The rules are simple: on the first Saturday of every month, post your 5 favorite books covers that are being released in the current month!

#1
EMPIRE OF NIGHT
Book Series: Age of Legends, Book #2
Author:  Kelley Armstrong (Twitter) 
Genre(s):  YA, High Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal
Release Date:  April 7, 2015

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, they are all but prisoners in court, forced to watch and wait while the Emperor decides whether to help the children of Edgewood, who remain hostages of the treacherous Alvar Kitsune.

But when the emperor finally sends the girls on a mission to rescue the children--accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of men--the journey proves more perilous than any of them could have imagined. With lies and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on every bit of influence and power they possess to unite their people and avert an all-out war.

 

 

Cover Characteristic: Pink Covers

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Cover Characteristic: Hair

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Hearts of Fire by L.H. Cosway

Hosted By Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

HEARTS OF FIRE
Author: L.H. Cosway (Twitter)

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 9, 2015

The Circus Spektakulär is proud to present Jack McCabe: Fire-breather, knife-thrower, risk-taker.

My house burned down when I was just a boy, robbing me of both my parents.

Now I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me.

Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life.

I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook.

My brother doesn’t know me, and if I have it my way he never will.

Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her.

I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of the ring. In truth, I could be considered one of them.

We were fashioned from different cloths, never intended to mix. So I watch her. I try not to touch, even when her eyes invite me.

Join us in the Spiegeltent and let us give you a show. Allow my Lille to draw a picture for you in paint and sweat and skin.

The truest love is always the hardest to let in.

This is a standalone romance that tells the story of Jack McCabe, Jay Fields’ long lost, presumed dead brother. It is not necessary to have read Six of Hearts in order to enjoy Hearts of Fire.

Why I Picked It:  I really wanted to read Six of Hearts when I first heard about it. But like so many others, it got buried in my TBR. To know that this is a spinoff of sorts has reignited my interest in Six of Hearts so I can check this out, because the premise alone is a draw.

Top Ten Tuesday: FREEBIE (My Favorite Series)

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, as they are "particularly fond of lists".

This Week's Topic:

FREEBIE (My Favorite Series)

My Answer:

For this freebie post, I've decided to cover a topic I never tire of discussing — my favorite series. As of today, these are My Top Ten Most-Beloved Series, in descending order, with my favorite series listed first. No surprises if you've visited my blog, it's The Dresden Files. Each series is represented by my favorite book so far; so at the same time, beware of spoilers:

COLD DAYS
Book Series:: The Dresden Files, Book #14
Author:: Jim Butcher (Twitter)
Genre(s):: Urban Fantasy, Mystery

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his new found powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

Why I Love It:: I discovered this series on Audible, so James Marsters gets a lot of the credit. I loved him on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Spike, so when I saw his name as the narrator, I picked it up immediately. I'd never heard of The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher, and embarrassingly enough, a few years back I didn't really read many books by men (sexist much, I know. I'm not sure why). Anyway, after the first book I was in love and marathoned through about 6 books back-to-back. I've listened to the full series to date at least 4 times in the past 2-3 years. Crazy right.

Audiobook Loyal:: I'd also bring up the concept of being "audiobook loyal". Which means, for this series, it's audiobook only. For me, James is Harry. I do have a signed copy of Skin Game, I just am not sure if I'll ever read it. 

      

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Releases I Meant To Read, But Didn't Get To

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, as they are "particularly fond of lists".

This Week's Topic:

Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To

My Answer:

This list could be massive! But these are the books I was genuinely excited for but never got to. I spent much of 2014 revisiting my most beloved series from beginning to end. Especially the Harry Dresden series. I marathoned that 15-book series, and almost started from the beginning again. YEP, I was cray cray for rereading in 2014. But in 2015, these books right here, shall be read. Oh yes, they shall be read:

ZODIAC
Book Series:: Zodiac, Book #1
Author:: Romina Russell (Twitter)
Genre(s):: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Astrology, Mythology

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

WHY I PICKED IT:: L-O-V-E Astrology. I am an Aquarius -- a proud Aquarius (however, not in this universe, however, but I digress). So as soon as I read the synopsis, I was all over it. Granted, this book released last month, so it's not too bad I haven't read it yet. Besides the astrology angle, it sounds like a well-developed world. So ready to dive in.

         

Audiobook Review: Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

Title: Breakable

Book Series: Contours of the Heart, Book #2

Author: Tammara Webber (Facebook | Twitter)

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary

Format: Audiobook (Amazon | Audible)

Narrators: Zachary Webber

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Release Date: May 6, 2014

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise - until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy.…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Tammara Webber, the New York Time best-selling author of Easy, now delivers a daring and entirely new perspective on love, and why falling for it is beyond our control.

FIRST IMPRESSION:: Landon in a hospital bed ... after. It was as awful as can be expected. I was not immune to cries for his mother; almost brought tears to my eyes in just a few sentences.

Cover Characteristic: Sports

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Cover Characteristic: The End (Last Books In a Series)

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Book Review: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

                                  

Title: Wallbanger

Series: Cocktail, Book #1

Author: Alice Clayton (Twitter)

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Humor, New Adult

Format: Audiobook (Audible)

Narrator: Heather Smith

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins 

Release Date: May 13, 2013

USA TODAY bestselling indie author Alice Clayton delights readers with the sexy, laugh-out-loud romance of Caroline and Simon in Wallbanger, the first book in the Cocktail series!

The first night after Caroline moves into her fantastic new San Francisco apartment, she realizes she’s gaining an—um—intimate knowledge of her new neighbor’s nocturnal adventures. Thanks to paper-thin walls and the guy’s athletic prowess, she can hear not just his bed banging against the wall but the ecstatic response of what seems (as loud night after loud night goes by) like an endless parade of women. And since Caroline is currently on a self-imposed “dating hiatus,” and her neighbor is clearly lethally attractive to women, she finds her fantasies keep her awake even longer than the noise. So when the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts Simon Parker, her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. The tension between them is as thick as the walls are thin, and the results just as mixed. Suddenly, Caroline is finding she may have discovered a whole new definition of neighborly…

In a delicious mix of silly and steamy, Alice Clayton dishes out a hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.

FIRST IMPRESSION:: I will have to admit this was a pleasant surprise. it was funny and sweet and sexy and believable. That doesn't always happen. I usually end up liking the main character or the love interest more, but, i actually liked Caroline and Simon pretty equally. Both funny, lovable characters. Can't forget about Clive. 

Cover Characteristic: Stilettos

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. 

Book Beginnings & The Friday 56: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hosted By Rose City Reader & Freda's Voice

"Book Beginnings" is a weekly event that shares the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. "The Friday 56" is also a weekly event, sharing a sentence from page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)


My Pick This Week: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell  

“There was a boy in her room.
Cath looked up at the number painted on the door, then down at the room assignment in her hand.
Pound Hall, 913.
This was definitely room 913, but maybe it wasn’t Pound Hall—all these dormitories looked alike, like public housing towers for the elderly. Maybe Cath should try to catch her dad before he brought up the rest of her boxes.”

~ p. 1 

“Reagan was staring at Cath now, frowning. She was wearing tight black jeans and a black top. Maybe she was going out, not to work.
“Your trash can is full of energy bar wrappers,” Reagan said.
“You were looking through my trash?” Cath felt a rush of anger.
“Levi was looking for a place to spit out his gum.… So? Do you have an eating disorder?”
“No,” Cath said, pretty sure it was exactly what she’d say if she did have an eating disorder.
“Then why don’t you eat real food?”
“I do.” Cath clenched her fists. Her skin felt drawn and tight. “Just. Not here.”
“Are you one of those freaky eaters?”
“No. I—” Cath looked up at the ceiling, deciding that this was one of those times when the truth would be simpler than a lie. “—I don’t know where the dining hall is.”

~ p. 56 

Cover Characteristic: Swimwear

Hosted by Sugar & Snark

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic.