Saturday, July 4, 2015

Stacking the Shelves #105 & Weekly Wrap-Up




Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s ReviewsIt is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.

This week, I added the following books to my shelf, both from Amazon:


Playing for Keeps
(Neighbor from Hell #1)
by
R.L. Mathewson


Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of.

The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but that notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.








AND...

Trust Me
(Rivers Edge #1)
by
Lacey Black

After all of the devastating betrayals by the one she loved, Twenty-two year old Avery Stevens has spent three years raising her daughter alone, with her family and best friend as a support system, never leaving her small hometown of Rivers Edge, Missouri. Though Rivers Edge holds the pain of her past, it also holds the one person she wants but can’t have – her brother’s best friend, Maddox Jackson. When she learns the attraction might not be one-sided, will Avery be able to trust Maddox with the one thing she’s held onto tightly for the past few years? 

Police officer Maddox Jackson is a ladies’ man with one foot out the door. Never planning to settle down, Maddox fights the attraction he feels for his best friend’s little sister, Avery. But can he continue to fight it when his body and his heart are leading him to the one woman he shouldn’t want? 

When secrets are finally exposed, can Avery and Maddox trust each other enough to overcome the past, handle the present, and preserve their future? Can Avery trust Maddox with her heart? Will Maddox be able to convince Avery to take the chance?



Weekly Wrap-Up







So... what did you add to your shelf this week?
I'd really like to know.
Please leave a comment below.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Swoon Thursday # 145 ~ The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass 0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas




The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.

Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!


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My Swoon for this week comes from:

The Assassin's Blade
(Throne of Glass 0.1-0.5)
by
Sarah J. Maas   


First - The Blurb:



Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches—and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire




Second - The Swoon(s):


“I love you,” he repeated, shaking her again. “I have for years. But if I asked you to pick, you’d choose Arobynn, and I. Can’t. Take. It.”
“You’re a damned idiot,” she breathed grabbing the front of his tunic. “You’re a moron and an ass and a damned idiot." He looked like she had hit him. But she went on, and grasped both sides of his face. “Because I’d pick you.”
And then she kissed him.


This was such a sweet moment in the story. One I just had to share with you.

I've been meaning to start this series for a while now but never seemed to find the time. After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, and loving it, I made a concerted effort to bump this one up the TBR pile, and so far, I have not been disappointed.
The Assassin's Blade (which consists of five Novella's) is an awesome introduction to this series and I'm looking forward to reading Throne of Glass and discovering more of Celaena's story.


My Rating: 5 out of 5


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Okay, so what do you think?
If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday # 41 ~ Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray




Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.


This week I’m waiting on: 


Ten Thousand Skies Above You
(Firebird #2)
by
Claudia Gray  


Expected publication: November 3rd, 2015 by Harper Teen




Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions. 

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared. 

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.




So, what are you waiting for?
Please leave a comment below with your WoW link!


Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Teaser Tuesday # 148 ~ The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Recently, my daughter was asked to write a book review for her Year 7 English class. The aim of the exercise was to compare a chosen book (The Jewel) with the one selected by her teacher (Boy Overboard). After reading her assignment, I thought it would make a great post, so with her permission, here it is:

Comparative Book Review
by
Melissa Phillips


The Jewel
(The Lone City #1)
by
Amy Ewing

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.



Boy Overboard
by
Morris Gleitzman


Jamal loves playing football, which isn't easy if your goalie only has one leg and you keep having to dodge landmines to get your ball back. Jamal's stubborn little sister Bibi is even better at football than Jamal. But girls playing football is against the law in Afganistan. When it is discovered that Jamal's mother has been secretly running a school, the family must leave their home immediately and begin a long and dangerous journey to Australia. The children survive separation from their parents, hunger, and violent smugglers only to find that Australia isn't as welcoming as they had thought but, even though they face an uncertain future, Jamal, Bibi and their parents know that as long as they are together, that is all that matters.








The Jewel and Boy Overboard.
Two totally different books, yet still there are similarities. I read Boy Overboard because I had to, and throughout the whole thing I was just kind of, well… bored. I read The Jewel because the spine of the gorgeous cover caught my eye and I had to know what was inside.

The two of them are so different. The Jewel is a dystopian novel and Boy Overboard is based on fact. The Jewel is set in The Lone City, which is located in the middle of the ocean. Boy Overboard is in the ocean at one time but it is mainly based around Afghanistan. Afghanistan is just one big area, whereas The Lone City is divided into five circles, The Marsh, The Farm, The Smoke, The Bank and The Jewel. Another big difference between the two, is that in The Jewel there is a love interest, and in Boy Overboard the main objective is getting to Australia. That being said, in both Boy Overboard and The Jewel, one of the main aims is to survive.

While there may be differences, there are also some similarities. For example, both the main characters have rules they have to obey, they are both trying to escape the place in which the story is set, they both try to protect the people they care about, both of their lives are threatened and at the end, both of their hearts are broken. For Boy Overboard, Jamal finds out he's not in Australia. And in The Jewel, well, I wouldn't want to spoil the story, because it happens right at the end, like I mean on the last page.

So, which did I prefer? Drum roll please… and the winner is… The Jewel. It was pretty obvious. Boy Overboard is not my kind of read. It wasn't bad, it's just not something I'm interested in. The Jewel I read because I chose it. It is a dystopian novel which is my favorite genre. It started a bit slow, but once they got into The Jewel, I just couldn't put the book down. I literally read half the book in one go and finished it the next day. To me, if a book is that good, then it's definitely a book I want to read. And The Jewel is one of my favorite books. As soon as the sequel is released, I'm definitely going to read it, because I think it's going to be even better, and I just can't wait to see how the story continues.


Melissa's Rating: 4.5 out of  5 for The Jewel

And a brief tease:

“It would be easier to forget you," he says to me, "and these past few weeks we've had together. It would be easier if I could hate you. But the sad truth is, I will more than likely love you for the rest of my life.” 



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Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Tease, please leave a comment below.



TBR Tuesday # 103 ~ On the Rocks (Last Call #1) by Sawyer Bennett & Make It a Double (Last Call #2) by Sawyer Bennett




My good friend Sharrice from Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction came up with the idea of 'TBR Tuesday'

If you want to join in the fun, then just do the following:
From your book shelf or your e-reader, pick a book that you own that is still on your TBR list. Post it however you want to, then leave a link below so others can see what's waiting to be read.


This week for me its:


On the Rocks
(Last Call #1)
by
Sawyer Bennett

He left to travel the world for fame and glory, but only after spurning Gabby Ward and crushing her young heart. Now Hunter Markham has come back home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open up Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic. 

Gabby Ward is not happy that Hunter has returned. Bitter over his rebuff years before, she’s content to stay far away from him and his dangerously charming ways. 

Gabby’s well-schemed plans to ignore Hunter go up in flames when he presents an offer to her that she simply can’t refuse, throwing them together in a common quest to each reach their goals. Working together day in and day out proves to be problematic for Gabby, who soon realizes that the feelings she had for him are still very much alive. Hunter struggles to reach through to Gabby’s cold heart, all while starting a new career away from his life as a top ranked, professional surfer.

What starts out as a mutual business arrangement soon turns into a passion that neither of them can continue to deny. 

Hard choices lay ahead for both of them when Hunter is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to return to the pro surfing tour.

Choices that could destroy what they have built or take them further than they ever had dared to hope.



And...


Make It a Double
(Last Call #2)
by
Sawyer Bennett

Brody Markham has endured a nightmare, spending the last five years in prison and losing everything that was dear to him. Now he’s back home, trying to survive in a world he doesn’t recognize anymore. While his family and friends desperately try to reach through to him, he shelters himself further and further away from their love.

Alyssa Myers has worked her entire life to distance herself from the luxurious and privileged lifestyle in which she was raised. Running her non-profit agency, The Haven, she is content to spend her days helping abused animals find sanctuary, which fulfills her in a way that money just can’t buy.

Maybe it’s that she recognizes in Brody some of the same characteristics she sees in her homeless wards, but Alyssa is powerless to stop her personal quest to make Brody whole again.

While Brody struggles to surface from the darkness, Alyssa tries to protect her heart in case he’s not willing to accept the light that she offers him.



I've had both these books on my shelf for quite a while now. I really need to bump them up my TBR pile.



SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!
Leave a comment and tell me what's waiting on your TBR pile.