Top Anticipated March Releases!

March 2, 2016March 1, 2016Leave a comment

WHY DO ALL THESE BOOKS COME OUT THE SAME DAY?!?!?!?!

Young Adult

*****

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

The Darkest Artifices #1

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, healing but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: Honestly, with the way the last three TMI books went, you’d think I’d have no desire to read this book. However, CoHF made me seriously love Emma and Julian so much and it does take place basically in my backyard so I’m seriously excited about this book.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands #1

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: I have heard so many amazing and good things in this book and it keeps popping up on my radar. I seriously want this book in my life. Plus this book cover is so freakin’ gorgeous.

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living.

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: This is another book that has been on my radar for the past few weeks. The cover is gorgeous and Jeff and I became friends on various social medias and I love love love the sound of this book, and definitely can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

A Thunder Road Novel #2

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Release Date: March 29th, 2016

My Thoughts: It had taken me a long time to give Nowhere But Here a chance but once I did, I was just so in love. I have never really been into motorcycle gang/family sort of stories but oh wow this one was just so freakin’ good so I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

*****

New Adult

*****

Us by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen

Us #2

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

My Thoughts: I loved loved loved the first book so much and I think that Elle and Sarina are two of my favorite NA authors, hands down. They write such great hockey romance and I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on the continuation of Jamie and Wes’s story.

*****

What are some books you’re looking forward to this month? Share in the comments!

Top Anticipated October Releases!

October 2, 2015October 1, 2015Leave a comment

Young Adult

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl #2 (sort of)

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, dosage but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Release Date: October 6, 2015

My Thoughts: I literally can’t wait to get my hands on this book. As soon as Rainbow said she’d release it, I have just been counting down the days to hear more about Simon and Baz. Its so weird to be such a fan for a fandom that’s not even real but its so true. I adore Simon Snow and I can’t WAIT for this book!

A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

Release Date: October 6, 2015

My Thoughts: I think that Mindy has a beautiful way of writing and an incredible storyteller and I’m really excited to read this book. I’ve had an ARC for months but just haven’t had the time to read it, but I’m so excited for it!

Cinderella’s Shoes by Shonna Slayton

Cinderella’s Dress #2

The war may be over, but Kate Allen’s life is still in upheaval. Not only has she discovered that Cinderella was real, but now she’s been made Keeper of the Wardrobe, her sole responsibility to protect Cinderella’s magical dresses from the greed of the evil stepsisters’ modern descendants. But Cinderella’s dresses are just the beginning. It turns out that the priceless glass slippers might actually exist, too, and they could hold the power to reunite lost loved ones like her father—missing in action since World War II ended. As Kate and her boyfriend, Johnny, embark on an adventure from New York to Italy and Poland in search of the mysterious slippers, they will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Release Date: October 6, 2015

My Thoughts: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the first book in this series and Shonna is so nice as hell, and I can’t wait for the second one. The main character is just sassy and wonderful and I really can’t wait for more adventures in this historical romance.

The White Rose by Amy Ewing

The Lone City #2

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude. But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm. But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

Release Date: October 6th, 2015

My Thoughts: I’ve already read this book and its incredible and such a great follow up to the amazing book that is The Jewel. I’m lucky that I was able to read this already and I’m glad that its coming out soon!

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type. Until now. When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams. . . .

Release Date: October 13, 2015

My Thoughts: I mean, come on. Black Widow AND the amazing Margie Stohl…I was sold from the moment that I first found out this was going to be an actual thing. There needs to be more of Black Widow in the world – and all the female Marvel and DC characters – and I’m glad this book is coming out and I’m stoked about Margaret being at the helm.

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell. Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves? Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

Release Date: October 13, 2015

My Thoughts: I literally can’t handle the excitement that is this book. When I read that first book…I couldn’t handle how excited I was when I finished this book. Its just so insanely good. Sara is an incredible writer and storyteller and I think there should be more fantasy like this in the world. I can’t wait to see how this story continues.

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

The Young Elites #2

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

Release Date: October 13, 2015

My Thoughts: I’ve literally had this in my possession since July and I haven’t read it, no matter how excited I’ve been about it. I hope to read it before its released because my goodness, the first one was just incredible and I can only imagine that it gets better and better.

Trust Me, I’m Trouble by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Trust Me #2

Staying out of trouble isn’t possible for Julep Dupree. She has managed not to get kicked out of her private school, even though everyone knows she’s responsible for taking down a human-trafficking mob boss—and getting St. Agatha’s golden-boy Tyler killed in the process. Running cons holds her guilty conscience at bay, but unfortunately, someone wants Julep to pay for her mistakes . . . with her life.

Against her better judgment, Julep takes a shady case that requires her to infiltrate a secretive organization that her long-gone mother and the enigmatic blue fairy may be connected to. Her best friend, Sam, isn’t around to stop her, and Dani, her one true confidante, happens to be a nineteen-year-old mob enforcer whose moral compass is as questionable as Julep’s. But there’s not much time to worry about right and wrong—or to save your falling heart—when there’s a contract on your head.

Release Date: October 13, 2015

My Thoughts: Mary Elizabeth is awesome and her first book is so fun. I love it because the main character is just not what you expect, and she’s not exactly a hero and that’s what makes it so fun because you love her the entire book. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans she gets up to in this second book.

Poet Anderson…of Nightmares by Tom Delonge and Suzanne Young

Poet Anderson #1

Jonas Anderson and his older brother Alan are Lucid Dreamers. But after a car accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas sets out into the Dream World in an attempt to find his brother and wake him up. What he discovers instead is an entire shared consciousness where fear comes to life as a snarling beast called a Night Terror, and a creature named REM is bent on destruction and misery, devouring the souls of the strongest dreamers. With the help of a Dream Walker—a guardian of the dreamscape, Jonas must face his fears, save his brother, and become who he was always meant to be: Poet Anderson.

Release Date: October 20th, 2015

My Thoughts: One of the coolest YA authors writes a book with Tom Delonge from Blink 182? Do I honestly need to say much more than that?

New Adult

The Fifteenth Minute by Sarina Bowen

The Ivy Years #5

Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel “DJ” Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. There’s something haunting his dark eyes and she needs to know more.

DJ’s genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can’t get close to Lianne, and he can’t tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

Release Date: October 13, 2015

My Thoughts: I read this a few days ago. Amazing. Just keep writing Sarina. I’m just in love.

Middle Grade

Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase #1

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

Release Date: October 6, 2015

My Thoughts: I just got this in the mail and I’m really so very excited to read this. I am wary, of course, I love Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus as well, but I never was sold on the Egyptian series so I’m hoping Magnus Chase captures me in the same way Percy did once upon a time. I have high high high hopes for it!

General

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Cormoran Strike #3

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the highly acclaimed series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, it is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

Release Date: October 20, 2015

My Thoughts: The first two novels have just been absolutely amazing. JKR has a way with mystery and crime. She has a way of making her voice shine but also creating a whole new voice with these incredible novels. And I love that she still writes as Robert. It makes me happy as hell. I can’t wait for this!

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What books are YOU excited for in the month of October? Share them in the comments!

Blog Tour: “Every Last Word” by Tamara Ireland Stone – Spotlight and Giveaway!

May 7, 2015May 10, 20151 Comment

Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s stop on Tamara Ireland Stone’s blog tour for her brand new release, treatment Every Last Word. I have been wanting to read this book and was SO excited to be able to get my hands on a copy. I’m also excited to be seeing her in just a week at the RT Book Lover’s Convention! If you are there, ambulance please make sure to say hi!

I’m even MORE excited to be sharing all of this with you. We’re going to learn a bit more about Tamara, about her new book, I’m going to review the book and there’s an epic giveaway. So let’s get started!

About Tamara Ireland Stone

Tamara Ireland Stone is the author of Time After Time and Time Between Us, which Melissa Marr praised as a “beautifully written, unique love story,” and has been published in over twenty countries. A former Silicon Valley marketing executive, Tamara enjoys skiing, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two children. She lives just outside of San Francisco.

You Can Find Her At:

Her Website / Her Facebook / Her Twitter / Her Tumblr / Her Instagram / Her GoodReads

About Every Last Word

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Find the book at your local bookstore on June 16th or preorder at the following links:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Book Depository

The Giveaway!

One winner will receive:

A Copy of Every Last Word

A Copy of Time Between Us and Time After Time

Giveaway only open to those with US addresses. Prizes provided by Disney Hyperion.

To Enter:

Find this photo on MY instagram and repost it with the hashtag: #anerdgirlsaysTISgiveaway! You have until Thursday, May 14th to enter so get at it!

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Tuesday Top Ten: 2015 Movies I Can’t Wait to See!

January 20, 2015January 20, 20154 Comments

I figured it would be really great for me to do a Tuesday Top Ten that didn’t revolve around books! One of my bookish resolutions this year was to focus on some more nerd, dosage other than books, information pills even though books are my LIFE. But its time to bring more nerd into this and there are SO many amazing movies hitting the theaters this year, so let’s count the top ten that I can’t wait to see!

10. Cinderella

I love Disney. I work for Disney. I love princesses and I love princess stories. And I think Cinderella is a fun story, not only the Disney version but the original versions as well. So I’m interested in where this version is going to go. I haven’t seen Malificent (I know, I know) but I heard it was actually pretty good and an interesting story so I’m sure Cinderella is going to be quite fun.

9. Jurassic World

YES. There are so many things about this that just make me want to squeal with excitement. Chris Pratt, my god, yum. Dinosaurs. Yes. Weird new hybrid invented dinosaur. WHAT. There’s just so much awesome. I love the entire trilogy. I know most people won’t agree with me but I love every Jurassic Park movie so I’m dying for this new one. I grew up with this and I’m glad to have a new one coming SO soon.

8. Pitch Perfect 2

Uh duh. I think everyone is ready for the Bellas to sing again. I love music. I love musicals. I love Glee and High School Musical and pretty much anything where there is singing and dancing and I absolutely adore Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson so I’m really excited for this movie. Plus, I think my dad is even more excited about it and it might make a kind of cool daddy-daughter date haha.

7. Love, Rosie

Okay, I gotta be honest. I wasn’t a massive fan of the book. I liked the story, the concept but I had to kind of push myself through the book. But the story had a great concept to it so I’m really excited to see it done in the movie, especially since I heard the changes done might make me happier than the book did. Plus I absolutely adore both Lily Collins AND Sam Claflin SO much, so so much so I’m anxious to FINALLY see this movie!

6. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Um. Thor. Captain America. The Incredible Hulk. Hawkeye. And number one: Ironman. Oh god that Robert Downey Jr. Plus it will have Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill which makes me super happy as well, so I’m just excited. The first Avengers was fantastic and I’m eager to see another installment. I’ve been anxiously waiting for it, and I’m just so sure its going to be amazing!

5. The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

I was really super impressed by The Maze Runner when it released this past summer/fall. I liked the book well enough but it was kind of bizarre and I thought it translated SO much better on screen. Its a very visual concept so it was great to see on screen. Now, The Scorch Trials…I never even finished the book, so I’m determined to do so and I’m eager to see if what turned me off about the book is fantastic on the screen. Plus its more Dylan O’Brien and you can NEVER go wrong with that.

4. The Divergent Trilogy: Insurgent

YES. Tris and Four. And Theo James, and god, I love this book. I really like Insurgent. I know its not as good as Divergent and its sloppy but I love it. I love that we see Amity and Candor (especially Amity) and I love the struggle that Tris goes through. There’s so much that goes on this book. Of course that means we’ll be leading into the disaster that is Allegiant but I still am excited for this movie. And after The Maze Runner, I have hope that movies can take the flaws that I don’t like in a book and make it beautiful in a movie.

3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

I mean, duh. I am SO excited. Its the END. SHIT is going to go down. My favorite character in the entire series is going to die and I’m going to crumble into a tiny little depressed version of Sara. Sigh. Plus it means the very last red carpet premiere and I’ll be so bittersweet about it. It’ll be fun to see the end of the series and to see how it all plays out, what is the same as the book and what isn’t and all that sort of thing. I’m SO SO very ready for it.

2. Inside Out

I’ve always always always been excited for every single Pixar movie that comes out but I’m really excited for this because the trailer for it is FANTASTIC and HILARIOUS. I literally can’t handle it. I’ve seen it a couple times now and I giggle every time. I’m excited to see a truly original Pixar movie again, and to just have my mind blown. I’m totally ready to for it. Pixar is known for being original and new and fun and exciting and its been awhile since I really felt like they delivered on that but I have lots of hope for Inside Out.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

O.M.G. I literally….can’t even handle this. I can’t. Its SO long away and we’ve only gotten one small trailer with barely any information but its STAR WARS. Literally my favorite movies in the entire world, and my first ever fandom and I can’t handle it because its going to have Princess Leia and Han Solo again and the Millennium Falcon in the trailer legitimately made me cry. I can’t HANDLE it. Every time I think of it, I go through such conflicting feelings: excitement and despair…because its SO far away. Sigh.

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What movies are YOU excited for this year? Share in the comments!

Tuesday Top Ten – Most Anticipated Winter Releases!

January 13, 2015January 4, 2015Leave a comment

Welcome to the new year everyone! Its a brand new beginning and all of that sort of thing. But the best part of the new year is this: NEW STUFF. All that stuff that was “next year” is now THIS year. And that includes books.

Now its time to talk about the top ten books that I’m getting excited for this winter! Check them out, troche and let me know what books YOU’RE excited about!

**10. The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson**

The third installment of the series, price and I’ve been waiting for it for so long. I feel like I’ve been waiting for so so so long for this book that I absolutely need to reread the first two books to remember what the hell is supposed to be going on in the third book.

Release Date: February 10th, 2015

**9. Dead to Me by Mary McCoy**

I am so excited for this debut novel…I think its my most anticipated debut novel of the year. I absolutely adore Mary, she’s a librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library and has always been a dear friend and supporter of me and this blog, and I can’t wait for her book. Its set in the 1940s, amidst the glitz and glamour of the film age and it sounds deliciously thrilling. I can’t WAIT.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2015

**8. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord**

I am so so excited for this new novel by Emery Lord. I had NO idea who she was until she was on a panel with…I think Stephanie Perkins at the Festival of Books and I just loved everything about her. Plus she was so cute and I don’t know haha, I wanted to read her book. I absolutely LOVED Open Road Summer. She has a fresh teen voice and a total knack for addicting romance and I can’t wait for this one. Max sounds amazing.

Release Date: March 31st, 2015

**7. I Was Here by Gayle Forman**

Gayle Forman is a QUEEN of contemporary YA lit. She blows my mind with everything that she writes, especially Just One Day/Just One Year (which were optioned for film!!). I’m VERY excited for a brand new release from her, especially since the synopsis makes it sound like another emotional roller coaster. Oh Gayle.

Release Date: January 27th, 2015

**6. Salt and Stone by Victoria Scott**

This one would be much lower on the list but I’m spoiled as hell and I already read it and know how absolutely amazing it is. But now that I know its great, I’m dying to get that book with that beautiful cover in my hands, and for everyone else who loves the first one, you’re going to love the second one even more. Its a truly heartbreaking.

Releases: February 24th, 2015

**5. Fairest by Marissa Meyer**

I know! A novella on the list. For those that don’t know me, I’m usually not a massive fan of novellas, and find most of them are unnecessary. But…but…I think Fairest is going to be spectacular. One, because Marissa Meyer is a fantastic writer. Two, Levana is SUCH a mystery and maybe some of this will shed a little light, and maybe it’ll open up new possibilities for Winter. Either way, I’m excited for it.

Release Date: January 27th, 2015

**4. Invaded by Melissa Landers**

This is another winter release that I’ve already read. And one that I totally absolutely love. But I think I’m really excited about this because I KNOW how good it is and I get to meet her this year! Plus, if I can have more Aelyx and Cara in my life, I’m totally okay with that! And maybe if we all show love to Invaded and buy it, we WILL get more!

Release Date: February 3rd, 2015

**3. The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith**

I mean. Duh. I want my hands on this book so badly. I’ve been trying to get my hands on an ARC of this thing for MONTHS and have not been able to do that. I am dying for this book. Every single thing about this book sounds amazing and Andrew is an incredible author. When I interviewed him last year and he described the book as “It’s about a ship that gets stuck in ice, a fifteen-year-old kid, a schizophrenic who thinks he can speak to Joseph Stalin, a summer camp for kids who are addicted to technology, the de-extinction of a species of crow, and there’s a bigfoot in there, too. You know…the typical stuff.” Come on. I’m sold.

Release Date: March 10th, 2015

**2. Unchanged by Jessica Brody**

I’M DYING TO READ THIS BOOK. I need to know what happens next. Unforgotten left on such a crazy, heartbreaking, emotional note and I’m dying to see what happens next for Sera and Zen and Kaelen. It hurts just to even think about it because of allllll the crap that went down in the second book and I need this book in my hands. You hear me, Jessica? Give me the book and no one gets hurt ;)

Release Date: February 24th, 2015

**1. The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead**

Yes. Please. More Adrian Ivashkov. Oh and of course Sydney too. But definitely Adrian. And after that ending in Silver Shadows, I basically wanted to scream, get in a car and drive up to Richelle’s house and demand that she tell me everything that was going to happen next. Luckily, I’m a patient girl (ha!) and its nearly upon us to find out the ending to this fantastic series! AND I’m finally going to meet Richelle! AGH

Release Date: February 10th, 2015

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What are some the books that you’re looking forward to releasing in January, February and March? Make sure to share them in the comments!

Leigh Bardugo’s Ruin and Rising Launch Party at The Last Bookstore!

June 19, 2014June 19, 2014Leave a comment

I’m just going to start off by saying this: Leigh Bardugo and her friends really know how to throw a party. A launch party that is.

The first “real” launch party that I ever attended was Leigh’s last year for the middle book of the Grisha trilogy series, treat Siege and Storm. It was a total blast so when Leigh told me about her party back at the Festival of Books, ambulance I knew that this was something that I could not miss.

I met up with my friends Sylvia and Alex, and we ate some delicious pizza and Slurpees that were literally perfect for the moment. We then drove to pick up my friend Cassandra and made our way to The Last Bookstore.

If you’ve never been to The Last Bookstore in LA before, its an incredible place to go. There are books everywhere, and rooms that are like mazes, and tunnels and really cool doors and its just beautiful. Its one of the most beautiful bookstores I’ve ever seen. Leigh could not have picked a better place to launch her final novel in the Grisha trilogy.

There was lots of food to eat, and drinks too called “The Ruin” and “The Rising.” They were delicious, both the non-alcoholic ones and the ones with a kick ;)

The decorations were SUPER awesome. The entire bookstore was transformed to celebrate the series, and I just wanted to take pictures of everything.

The first pages of Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising

Leigh was introduced, in such a lovely way, and talked to us for a bit. She never fails to both make me laugh and inspire me. She read a bit from a diary that she had when she was about ten years old, and it was SO funny. Then she went through the basic plot line of Labyrinth. Yes, the David Bowie Labyrinth. It was, and has remained, a favorite movie of hers and she talks about why that is. We reach this pivotal moment of the film, where it goes from being a children’s movie to something a bit more, and she believes that it is YA. She talks passionately about YA, about reading it and writing it, and it was just plain beautiful. Leigh is incredibly inspiring.

She also read a very small bit of the beginning of Ruin and Rising, and then we all were dismissed for food, drinks and fun…oh and signing too.

My friends and I immediately departed for the photobooth. I had a TON of fun with it last year, and I was eager to get back into it again, with some of my most awesome friends :)

I also had the guts to get into the booth by myself this time. I SO would not have done that a year ago!

They also had a manicure station as well, but I’m a compulsive nail biter and I tend to stay away from that haha.

We finally decided to get in line to meet Leigh and it was a great time, as always. We talked a bit, and I told her I would see her in Vegas next week for the Fierce Reads stop and she signed my copy of Ruin and Rising. We also got lots of swag, which is always good. I love getting my hands on more bags, and bookmarks and pins.

And I got my special launch party edition sticker too, which my Siege and Storm has, and was MUCH needed for my Ruin and Rising.

As we were saying goodbye to everyone, and leaving the venue, there were two guys manning the front security desk. We had asked them early if there was a way to get our hands on the giant posters, the ones that I posted earlier, that had the first pages of each novel of Grisha trilogy. We were told that we couldn’t have them, because they were needed the next day at Leigh’s event down in San Diego. I know I was disappointed but it was okay. As we were leaving though, the two guys flagged us down and handed the posters over, making us SO incredibly happy. We ran back into the bookstore and made sure to get these posters signed by Leigh!

All in all, it was a great night, full of a TON of fun, especially the book kind, which is my favorite :) It is always a blast hanging out with my friends and meet new ones, and to see Leigh Bardugo again. She’s brilliant, hilarious and inspiring.

I definitely can’t wait for more launch parties for Leigh in the future!

Oh! I also got to talk to Leigh’s mom again, who remembered me from the last launch party, and a picture was totally necessary. I even put them back to back so you could see. What a sweetheart and so proud of her daughter. I love it!

I have finished Ruin and Rising already so watch out for a review coming VERY VERY soon!

Happy Reading everyone!