Weekly wrap-up: January 25-31

This is one of those weeks in which I actually read a lot, but I don't finish much of it.

Completed:

Fairest (Lunar Chronicles #0.1) - Marissa Meyer: ?? stars. I sometimes have difficulty rating books when they're different from other books in the same series, and Fairest is definitely different. Enjoyable, but I'm still trying to figure out how I feel because dang. That was some crazy stuff!

Currently Reading:

The Young Elites audio - Marie Lu. I don't feel like I'm engaging well with the audio because I find I don't want to listen to it very often. Of course, that might also be because I just bought 1989 so all I want to do is listen to Taylor Swift non-stop.
Soulprint - Megan Miranda
We Can Work It Out (Lonely Hearts Club #2) - Elizabeth Eulberg. I think I can see where this is going, and it is not going in a direction that's good. Tread with caution, Penny Lane!
"The Moth in the Mirror" (Splintered #1.5) - A.G. Howard. Jeb is everything. Step off, Morpheus.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

All Fall Down audio - Ally Carter

Bought:

Half Price Books:
Dare You To, Crash Into You, and Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #2-4) - Katie McGarry
Vampire Academy (VA #1) - Richelle Mead
Goddess (Starcrossed #3) - Josephine Angelini
Every Day (Every Day #1) - David Levithan

Aaaand I'm about to go buy a bunch of books at B&N for Marissa Meyer's Fairest signing this afternoon.

Weekly wrap-up: December 28 - January 24

Yeesh. More like a monthly recap than a weekly. First the holidays and then tons of work. I feel like a super slacker for not posting much lately.

Completed:

All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) - Ally Carter: 4 stars. This is like Princess Diaries had a baby with The Fugitive with a little "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and feminism thrown in for good measure. Honestly, All Fall Down is pretty different than Ally's previous books because Grace is a LOT more fragile than Cammie or Kat, at least at the beginning of their respective series. Full review to come
"The Queen" (The Selection #0.4) - Kiera Cass: 2 stars. Meh. I was really underwhelmed. I like Amberley just fine, of course, but I still think Maxon's dad is a douche. The things he does, how he manipulates Amberley and forces her to change just to see if she'll do it for him. Gross.
Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2) - Victoria Scott: 4 stars. Really emotional sequel. I'm still totally into Tella's story. I'm really looking forward to sharing my full thoughts during the blog tour next month!
Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard #3) - Christina Lauren: 4 stars. Yep. Will and Hanna are probably my favorite couple in the BB series. I'd skimmed the book before but hadn't read the entire thing yet. Very enjoyable!
A Court of Thorns & Roses (ACOTAR #1) - Sarah Maas: ALL THE STARS. YAAAASSSS! I can has book 2 now, kplzthx? Full review coming when I find words other than OMG TAMLIN I WANT MOAR.
Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard #2) - Christina Lauren: 4 stars. Like Player, I'd just skimmed this previously. After reading ACOTAR, I really wanted something else swoony and sexy, and this fit the bill!
An Ember in the Ashes (Ember in the Ashes #1) - Sabaa Tahir: 4 stars. Really cool, unique world. Love the development of ALL the characters, not just the mcs. This book is thought-provoking and FEELS-destroying. I'm still trying to unwind my thoughts!
Splintered (Splintered #1) - A.G. Howard: 4 stars. LOVE this retelling. It's classic but totally punk rock at the same time, and that's such a cool tone for the book. I love how Anita really found some amazing twists to the timeless tale. Also, SO MANY SWOONS. Jeb is absolutely delicious!
Landline - Rainbow Rowell: 5 stars. Loved this. Absolutely loved it. Georgie and Neal's story is beautifully heart-breaking, but it's also inspiring and hopeful. Plus...CATH AND LEVI OMG.

Reread:

Boycotts & Barflies - Victoria Michaels: 3 stars. This has always been a favorite book of mine, but I didn't enjoy it as much this time around. I was a lot pickier with the writing, both in style and technique. I have a feeling this might be my last reread, at least for a while. I have no desire to read a book that was a favorite, only to find that I hate it later on. :(
My True Love Gave to Me audiobook - Stephanie Perkins et al : 5 stars. Loved the book; love the audiobook. I think it's awesome each of the authors picked their own narrators, and each narrator gave life to each story perfectly!
Anna & the French Kiss audiobook - Stephanie Perkins & Kim Mai Guest: 4 stars. It's funny how I LOVED Anna and merely liked Lola, and my experience with their respective audiobooks was exactly the opposite. 
Being Sloane Jacobs - Lauren Morrill: 3 stars. I really enjoyed the book (see my full review here), but the audio was fairly unexceptional. It was good, but nothing more.

Currently Reading:

The Young Elites (Young Elites #1) audiobook - Marie Lu. I STILL don't quite know how I feel about this book after I read it last year so I'm hoping the audio will help me clarify some things.

Unhinged (Splintered #2) - A.G. Howard. I haven't started this one yet, but it's next on my shelf when I get off work!

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

Working in a library means I have ACCESS TO EVERYTHING!!!!

I Was Here - Gayle Forman

Firefight (Reckoners #2) - Brandon Sanderson

"Moth in the Mirror" (Splintered #1.5) - A.G. Howard

The Young Elites audiobook - Marie Lu

Bought: 
ummm....please remember this is like a MONTH'S worth of books. Also, I have a TON of events coming up!

B&N:
Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2) - Jennifer Echols

Mistborn trilogy box set - Brandon Sanderson. Don't tell my brother in law; this is his birthday present!

and I have a bunch of preorders

Amazon:
surprisingly, nothing since last time

Half Price Books:
WHERE DO I START?!
The Young Elites - Marie Lu
Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson
The Little Prince & Other Stories - Wordsworth. This is pretty amazing. It has Little Women, The Secret Garden, The Jungle Book, and TONS of other kids classics!
Romeo Redeemed - Stacey Jay
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - April Genevieve Tucholke
Bloodlines - Richelle Mead
Obsidian - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Cursed - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Half-Blood - Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Rules for Breaking - Ashley Elston
Matched - Ally Condie FINALLY. It is surprisingly difficult to find a NICE hardcover of this book!

Book Outlet:
*buys ALL the NTTBF books*
Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) - Sarah Mlynowski
The Dark and Hollow Places - Carrie Ryan
The Dead-Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan
The Liberator - Victoria Scott
The Warrior - Victoria Scott
To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han
The Year of Shadows - Claire Legrand
The Cloak Society - Jeramey Kraatz
Villain's Rising - Jeramey Kraatz
Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo
Siege & Storm - Leigh Bardugo
Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo
Article 5 - Kristen Simmons
Breaking Point - Kristen Simmons
Three - Kristen Simmons
All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin
Because It Is My Blood - Gabrielle Zevin x2 oops! I didn't check the quantity!
In the Age of Love and Chocolate - Gabrielle Zevin

Blue Willow Bookshop:
These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
This Shattered World - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner x2 this was intentional

Murder by the Book:
Firefight - Brandon Sanderson x3 also intentional


Events Attended: 
1/7: This Shattered World tour with Amie Kafuman & Meagan Spooner. I am SO excited to have finally met Amie and Meagan! This stop was so much fun because we all just chatted and celebrated These Broken Stars hitting the NYT bestseller list, which Amie & Megan found out about RIGHT before the event! And how's this for cool: Publisher's Weekly posted a picture of the event on their website!
1/24: Firefight tour with Brandon Sanderson. I am honestly exhausted right now because I got home so late from this. TOTALLY worth the drive!

Weekly wrap-up: November 23 - December 27

As I'm sure you've all noticed, I took a bit of a blogging break in December. Now that I'm working six days a week between two jobs, I needed some chill time this last month. However, the new year brings another opportunity to start off fresh in all regards so here I am, getting back into the swing of things.

Oh, and since I missed celebrating my blogiversary in December, I'm just going to move the festivities (aka giveaways) to January. Hope you don't mind. :P

Completed:

Gone Too Far - Natalie D. Richards: 5 stars. Intriguing and thought-provoking, which is just how I like my NDR books. Full review to come shortly.
Rebound (Boomerang #2) - Noelle August: 4 stars. I was concerned about this book because Allison is so unlikeable in Boomerang, but she and Adam work, ahem, quite well together.
Talon (Talon #1) - Julie Kagawa: 5 stars. Love love love love this. While Blood of Eden is still my favorite series of Julie's, Talon is fresh and exiting, and I love how her passion for dragons really shines in this book. I can't wait for book 2!
"From Me to You" (Lonely Hearts Club #1.3) - Elizabeth Eulberg: 3 stars. These Lonely Hearts Club novellas were sweet, but I wanted just a bit more length and substance for them. I wanted them to have a little more story to them, but their purpose seems to be primarily to reintroduce readers to Penny Lane, her budding relationship with Ryan, and, of course, the Lonely Hearts Club. Clearly the main conflict in We Can Work It Out is going to be Penny trying to balance the club and her relationship.
Inspire (The Muse #1) - Cora Carmack: 3.5 stars. I love that Cora is trying something new with a paranormal romance, and I like using Greek mythology-inspired muses for the paranormal because while Greek mythology is not very new to fiction, muses are. I really like the characters in Inspire, but I want more of the paranormal and more conflict. Full review here.
Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5) - Katie McGarry: 2.5 stars. This was not quite what I expected, and thus, Breaking the Rules is not what I wanted. I was just so frustrated that Echo and Noah couldn't talk to each other. This is my least favorite in the series.
Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout: 4/4.5 stars. Really, REALLY like this book. The characters are so much fun, the world is interesting and alive, and the story is fully-fleshed and un-put-downable. There were a few details that I guessed early on, but Jennifer threw in enough surprises that I didn't feel cheated. So excited for book two! Full review to come.
"Until Midnight" (Alienated #1.5) - Melissa Landers: 4 stars. Very sweet novella about Cara and Aelyx's Christmas in space on the eve of their separation. I love these two together! My one complaint is that I could have done with more kissing because reasons.

Reread:

Along for the Ride audiobook - Sarah Dessen & Rachel Botchan: 3 stars. Nice audio, but nothing super special. Rachel's voice actually sounded a lot like Idina Menzel's, which was interesting.

Currently Reading:

Graceling audiobook - Kristin Cashore. This is interesting because they have a full cast for the audio in addition to some background music. It's working for me so far.
My True Love Gave to Me audiobook - Stephanie Perkins et co. Each story is read by a different narrator, which I like. So far I've listened to Rainbow's, which is narrated by the amazing Rebecca Lohman, Kelly Link's, whose narrator really brings this quirky paranormal-ish story to life, and most of Matt de la Pena's. I'm in love! 

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

Now that I work in a library, it's suuuuper easy for me to check stuff out myself!
My True Love Gave to Me audiobook - Stephanie Perkins et co
Graceling audiobook - Kristin Cashore
Anna & the French Kiss audiobook - Stephanie Perkins
Landline - Rainbow Rowell
Even In Paradise - Chesey Philpot
They All Fall Down - Roxanne St. Claire
Scarlet (Scarlet #1) - A.C. Gaughen
The Girl with the Windup Heart (Steampunk Chronicles #4) - Kady Cross

Bought:

B&N:
Most of these were gifts, but the last two are mine.
Champion (Legend #3) - Marie Lu
Play (Stage Dive #2) - Kylie Scott
Shape of My Heart (2B #3) - Ann Aguirre
Unraveled (Crewel World #1) - Gennifer Albin
The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsberg
Bitterblue (Graceling #3) - Kristin Cashore
A Mad Wicked Folly - Sharon Biggs Waller
A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) - Claudia Gray

 

Amazon:
*buys ALL the novellas* No, really. I also pre-ordered a ton of stuff.
Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys - Kate Brian. I love this book dearly so when I saw it was a Kindle deal of the day, I had to snag an ecopy!
"Outcast" (Defiance #0.5) - C.J. Redwine. I haven't read this trilogy yet, but I want to binge it soon!
The Outlanders (Fulfillment Saga #2) - Erin Rhew
"Until Midnight" (Alienated #1.5) - Melissa Landers. LOVE this series!
"The Queen" (Selection #0.4) - Kiera Cass
"From Me to You" (Lonely Hearts Club #1.3) - Elizabeth Eulberg
Kiro's Emily (Rosemary Beach #10) - Abbi Glines
Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout (ebook & paperback)

Half Price Books:
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Earthbound (Earthbound #1) - Aprilynne Pike
Die for Me, Until I Die, If I Should Die (Revenants #1-3) - Amy Plum
Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) - Rachel Hawkins
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) - Gabrielle Zevin
Proxy (Proxy #1) - Alex London
A Wirld Without Princes (The School for Good and Evil #2) - Soman Chainani
Hallowed (Unearthly #2) - Cynthia Hand

Book Outlet:
The Winner's Curse (Winner's Trilogy #1) - Marie Rutkoski
Sekret (Sekret #1) - Lindsay Smith
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend (Broken Hearts & Revenge #1) - Katie Finn
Something Real - Heather Demetrios
Nil (Nil #1) - Lynne Matson
(and more Book Outlet books coming because BOXING DAY SALE!)

Gifts:

My holiday gift #bookhaul, courtesy of @thewhimsicalmama, @lilifeinberg, @whatisakelly, @diamondnaz, my sister, and another #SecretSanta whose identity remains unknown! #TBTBSanta #bookspiral Thank you all! ♡

A photo posted by Mary Hinson (@knoxdiver) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:15pm PST

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) - Michelle Hodkin. Thanks to my BFF Maura of The Whimsical Mama for this beautiful book + loaning me Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano + my awesome MTSU-inspired hat & scarf PLUS a surprise Epic Reads *book shimmy* tote signed by Laini Taylor and Jim di Bartolo (I ship them so hard)! <3

A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall. This one is thanks to my dear friend Lili of Lili's Reflections!

A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall. This copy is thanks to the lovely Kelly of Effortlessly Reading aka whatisakelly.

Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John & The Pout-Pout Fish - Deborah Diesen & Dan Hanna. Both of these are from Christina of Ensconced in Lit, who is absolutely darling. I forgot to add these to my book haul picture! :(

Many thanks to Diamond of Dee's Reads for my TBTBSanta package, which held Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall, and Storm Born by Richelle Mead plus two gorgeous nail polishes and a book light!

On the Fence - Kasie West & A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall. I'm not quite sure who this package is from because I haven't figured it out yet, but this is another Secret Santa I participated in. Thank you, mystery Santa!

Spells (Wings #2) - Aprilynne Pike, The Reckoning (The Taker Trilogy #2) - Alma Katsu & The Rogue (Traitor Spy Trilogy #2) - Trudi Canavan. These are from my sister, who read the descriptions and thought they sounded like books I'd like.
Altered Perceptions  - Dan Wells (plus BrandSand, Ally Condie, Lauren Oliver, Claudia Gray, Aprilynne Pike, Kiersten White, Shannon Hale, and more!). My brother supported the Indiegogo campaign for this anthology, and he gave me both his rewards: this and a 20 minute phone call with Lauren Oliver (which happened about 3 months ago, but it deserves a second mention because duh)!
Looking for Alaska - John Green (signed). My new boss Kristin gave me this. I LOVE working in a library!
Slow Cooker Quickfixes & Cooking Light Complete Cookbook. I am quite the hopeless cook so my mom keeps throwing cookbooks at me in the hopes that I will figure what the heck I'm doing in the kitchen.

For the record, I think it is ironic and awesome that I ended up with four copies of the same book. I mean, this is me we're talking about. I have duplicates of everything! Thank you all for your generosity and friendship! <3

Weekly wrap-up: November 16-22

DANG this has been a very busy week! I can't really complain because it was all fun, but it'll be nice to have a chill holiday week. Also, I 100% am a librarian now! I start at the library in two weeks, and I couldn't be more excited! Here's hoping your week was fantastic too!

Completed:

The Shape of My Heart (2B #3) - Ann Aguirre: 3 stars. I enjoyed this book, but it was my least favorite of the series. I know it had to be last because of the timing, but it was difficult to read this after As Long As You Love Me both because I think ALAYLM is the best book in the trilogy and because ALAYLM takes place away from the apartment, and it was weird to suddenly be back for Max and Courtney. Also, Courtney says things that I just don't get, and Max was much, MUCH more fragile than I expected him to be, which made me look back and realize I never understood him, which makes me love him a little less than I did before.

Reread:

The DUFF audiobook - Kody Keplinger & Ellen Grafton: 1 star. Since I only listen to books I've already read (and liked), usually I give points for already being a good book. Not this time. I hated Ellen Grafton's voice! She sounded like she just had a tongue piercing or some very invasive dental work and her tongue was swollen or something. Also, her voices for the characters were not distinct enough, and there's just a really whiny quality to her voice overall that made me not just dislike the audio, but I also didn't even like the story the second time around. VERY disappointed with this audio, and I will certainly NOT be listening to any of Ellen's other audiobooks. Farewell, Zombies vs. Unicorns and Wake!

Currently Reading:

Talon - Julie Kagawa. 

Anna & the French Kiss audiobook - Stephanie Perkins. It's so weird. I LOVE Anna and liked Lola, but I'm pretty sure their audiobooks are going to flip flop them because the Lola audio is AMAZING while the Anna audio is simply good.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

I haven't been to the library in WEEKS because of my work schedule! :(

Bought:

Half Price Books:
Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger & Beautiful Player (2x) - Christina Lauren

Sweet Filthy Boy & Dirty Rowdy Thing (2x) - Christina Lauren

Grim - Christine Johnson

Book People:
Talon - Julie Kagawa

Giveaways & Contests:

Aaaahhhhhh! Thank you, @whatsarahread! #bookmail #Grisha

A photo posted by Mary Hinson (@knoxdiver) on Nov 11, 2014 at 10:16pm PST

I won this AWESOME Grisha prize pack from Sarah of What Sarah Read!

Events Attended: 
11/17: Talon tour with Julie Kagawa
11/18: Mockingjay Part One advanced screening
11/20: Christina Lauren & Anna Todd signing

Weekly wrap-up: November 9-15

This week can best be described as an emotional roller coaster. Interview for a new job went great, then my house was broken into. GOT the job (I'm gonna be a LIBRARIAN!!!!!), then tons of drama at my current one. I'd like a few days where it's nothing but happiness, kplzthx. That would be great. Needless to say, I did NOT get a lot of reading done this week!

Completed:

99 Days - Katie Cotugno: 4 stars. This book has some really important things to say about the way we treat other people. Not only is it commentary on slut shaming, but it also deals with the way people feel they have a right to comment on others' relationships. I think many people will be uncomfortable with the cheating and family relationship aspects of this novel, but it really is quite good, and I recommend you give it a try. It's just not going to be for everyone.

Currently Reading:

The DUFF audiobook - Kody Keplinger. I enjoyed this book when I read it a couple years ago, and when I saw the audio on sale at Half Price, I figured I'd pick it up and reacquaint myself before the movie comes out next year (MAE WHITMAN FTW). Sadly, the audio is not doing it for me. Not only do I not care for the narrator, whose voice for each character are not distinct enough and who sounds like she either received a shot of Novocaine in the tongue or recently received a tongue piercing and can't quite talk properly yet, but I like the story much less too. Also the narrator pronounces Wesley's name like WEZ-ley, and I hate that.
The Shape of My Heart (2B #3) - Ann Aguirre. I am also sad to say I'm not enjoying this one as much as I had anticipated. I loved books one and two, but this one just isn't quite at the same level. Hoping it picks up.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

nothin'!

Bought:

B&N:
Let the Sky Fall - Shannon Messenger

Half Price Books: (HPB has coupons this week. COUPONS. FOR 40-50% OFF)
The DUFF audiobook - Kody Keplinger
The Winner's Curse and The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkoski
Tiger's Quest - Colleen Houck
Sublime - Christina Lauren (WHO I GET TO MEET NEXT WEEK!) 

Events Attended: 
11/12: Everblaze tour with Shannon Messenger. I always have a GREAT time with Shannon! She's so much fun!

Weekly wrap-up: October 26 - November 8

Very mixed week, feelings wise. I got real on the blog for the first time. That was terrifying. It's really hard to admit difficult truths and be honest about personal weakness, and I just want to say how much I appreciate those of you who have taken the time to comment and tell me it's okay. You guys are amazing, and I love you for it. Thank you for your patience and your understanding and your support. In other, happier news, I have applied for a bookish job, and I have an upcoming interview. Cross your figners because this would be an incredible opportunity for me, and I really, really, really want this to work out!

Completed:

Lead (Stage Dive #3) - Kylie Scott: 3 stars. Enjoyable. I REALLY liked Lena, but I was less enthused about Jimmy because of his extreme douchiness in Lick. I also didn't feel much of a story this time around. The conflict didn't entirely work for me. However, it's still fun, it's still sexy, and Mal is still ridiculous. I am so pumped for Deep!

Sweet Filthy Morning After (Wild Seasons #1.5) - Christina Lauren: 3 stars. I really like getting Ansel's pov, FINALLY, but I actually wasn't wild about the narrator. Short and sweet bonus story that I enjoyed, but I wish it hadn't been an audio exclusive.

Diamonds in the Rough (Secret Diamond Sisters #2) - Michelle Madow: 2 stars. I was really interested in this series, and I liked The Secret Diamond Sisters (although it didn't blow me out of the water), but this one was merely okay. I feel like the character talk about things they've done instead of DOING things on the page. Also, there's some redundancy, and I feel like the cast is a bit too large. This series feels like a Vegas version of Gossip Girl, but whereas characters do things in GG over the course of several books or episodes or seasons, the Diamond girls are spinning in circles over the course of a chapter or two. Sadly, the best word I can use here is underwhelmed, and that makes me really sad.

"Two of Us" (The Lonely Hearts Club #1.2) - Elizabeth Eulberg: 3 stars. Cute and sweet. I really love Penny and Ryan together. These shorts aren't really necessary, but they are doing a good job of reintroducing the characters and their dynamics.

Dirty Rowdy Thing (Wild Seasons #2) - Christina Lauren: 5 stars. Finn and Harlow have some crazypants chemistry for sure, and it's SO much fun to read! Not only is this book super sexy, but there's a well-executed and realistic plot going on. I was really, really impressed. Also, I am SUPER excited because Christina and Lauren are coming to Dallas like in a week! YAAAAAAY!

"Bridge of Snow" (Winner's Trilogy #0.5) - Marie Rutkoski: 5 stars. I am SO not okay right now. I mean, I should have expected it after both Winner's Curse and Winner's Crime destroyed my tender feelings, but dang. I didn't realize such a short story would make me cry so fast! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Not only did Marie absolutely NAIL the lyrical literary quality of the story-within-the-story, but she also kept the feel of the Winner's books in the dynamic between Arin and his mother, which was so sweet and tender and precious and utterly heartbreaking.

Currently Reading:

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer. I'm participating in a Twilight reread with some friends on Twitter, and it's soooo much fun!

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

Nada!

Bought:

B&N:
I....don't think I've bought anything in the past two weeks....

Amazon:
Dirty Rowdy Thing - Christina Lauren. I wasn't going to, but I couldn't NOT buy it.

Events Attended: 
11/5: Roadside YA Tour with Tessa Gratton, Julie Murphy, and Natalie C. Parker. SO MUCH FUN.

Weekly wrap-up: October 26 - November 1

Originally, I was planning to read a bunch of first-in-a-series books this week, but after The Young Elites, I really just needed to keep it contemporary. Oddly, I was apparently big on road tripping this week. Also, I got to moderate another panel this week which was awesome! How was your week?

Completed:

Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid: 4.5 stars. Really enjoyed this, but there were just a couple minor complaints that kept it from being a total 5 for me.
The Fine Art of Pretending (Fine Art of Pretending #1) - Rachel Harris: 4 stars. I loved the first half of this so much more than the second half, but overall, this is a Rachel Harris novel: it's sweet, funny, emotional, and relatable. And if you're not in love with Brandon by page 10, I don't believe you.
The Young Elites (Young Elites #1) - Marie Lu: ?? stars. I'm going to be honest. I don't really know WHAT to rate this book. I enjoyed it, but it's so unexpectedly dark (well, not entirely unexpected because I heard reviews mentioning said darkness, but I was not expecting the extent of said darkness) that I felt my enjoyment lessen. Also, this is pure speculation on my part, but there's an epilogue that leads me to believe that book two will be going in a certain direction, and that makes me nervous. But to alleviate any fears, Marie is a masterful writer and world-builder. The prose is gorgeous.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson: 5 stars. OH MY GOSH WHY DIDN'T YOU PEOPLE TELL ME TO READ THIS SOONER?????

Reread:

Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine & Eden Riegel: 2 stars. This is one of my favorite books, and I got a real craving to reread it after I watched the movie a couple weeks ago. However, when I realized the narrator was a child, I said some REALLY bad words. Does Eden do a good job of reading the book? Sure, I guess. Does she do a good job of keeping characters' voices distinct and individual? She tries. Are those different vocies and tones tolerable? Not really. Also, I don't want a CHILD NARRATOR while I'm over here cheering for Ella and Char to make adorable babies! Also also, in a complaint that actually has nothing to do with Eden's narration, I often wonder the wisdom of audio adaptations of books with fictional languages. That (the attempt to read gnomish and ogrese, not the book as a whole) was painful to listen to, truly (not that the book as a whole was fantastic either, much to my utter dismay).

Currently Reading:

The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare. I know, I know. I started this ages ago. I just keep having to put it on hold for other books!
The 5th Wave audiobook - Rick Yancey. YAY DUAL NARRATORS!!!! Liking this so far!

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The 5th Wave audiobook - Rick Yancey. I wanted to reread before I start The Infinite Sea, and I heard the narration is fantastic. Here's to hoping!
Fire (Graceling #2) - Kristin Cashore. I just finished the audio and LOVED it. To right a review, I wanted to have the actual book on hand.

Bought:

B&N:
The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed #1) - Page Morgan
The Lovely and the Lost (The Dispossessed #2) - Page Morgan 
Winterspell - Claire Legrand x2. I usually try not to buy books before their official release date because that actually can affect sales numbers, but I really could not resist when I saw two copies. I had a huge B&N coupon available for this weekend only and only in stores. B&N coupons are not available for preorders either. PLUS now I can ship them off to be signed!!!
Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld
Rumble - Ellen Hopkins

Amazon:
"Lie for Me: Griff's Story" (Find Me #0.5) - Romily Bernard
I went a bit bananas this week and preordered a veritable butt-ton (a unit of measure common in the American South, just fyi) of novellas and short stories

Gifts:
Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld. My dear friend Karen of Teen Librarian Toolbox gave me this beauty just because she saw I tweeted that I couldn't wait to read it. <3

Giveaways & Contests:
For Real - Alison Cherry. Alison did a quick giveaway on her Twitter for this one, and miracle of miracles, I won! I'm super excited for it because I LOVE sister books AND romance AND reality tv! This book and I are a match made in heaven! Thank you, Alison!

Events Attended: 
Let's Get Lost tour with Adi Alsaid. Harlequin Teen & Irving Public Library let me moderate this awesome panel with Adi. We had a lot of fun! Giveaway coming soon!

Weekly wrap-up: October 19-25

To say this week was insane is a gross understatement. Last Saturday, I was at Texas Teen Book Festival. It was a lot of fun to see many of my fellow Texas bloggers and hang out with authors like Gayle Forman, Lauren Oliver, Becca Fitzpatrick, Cory Doctorow, Will Ritter, and many others; however, the event was partially outside, which is a problem in Texas (I GOT SUNBURNED. IN OCTOBER). We were hot, tired, and pretty smelly at the end of the day. Also, news of you-know-what broke right at the beginning of the festival, and I was outraged the entire day. I have rarely been so livid in my life. How dare an author research personal details about a blogger who wrote a negative review and then use that information to stalk the review AT HER HOME? That is absurd, and I refuse to fall for her lame attempts at humor and to pretend she is the victim in this situation. Here's my public declaration: I will not EVER review that author's book or give her any further publicity on Mary Had a Little Book Blog. I will not stand for it. Instead I will focus my time and energy into authors who actually appreciate their readers and who write dang good books!

Reading wise, I enjoyed myself this week. I mean, Jennifer Echols, come on! She's my favorite!! <3 <3 <3 And I just got back from the Texas Book Festival, which was fantastic. It wasn't wall-to-wall ya authors, but that almost made it better because it seemed more personal, less of a people version of a cattle drive.

Completed:

Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) - Jennifer Echols: 5 stars. SAWYER OH MY GOSH THAT IS ALL.

The Secret Diamond Sisters (Secret Diamond Sisters #1) - Michelle Madow: 3 stars. Cute, but a bit chaotic. There are a few too many characters for my liking, particularly all the love interests running around. Hoping things will settle in book 2, although one question I had in 1 has already been answered in 2, and I am somewhat disappointed by it. So...we'll see.
Lead (Stage Dive #3) - Kylie Scott: 3 stars. This was a fun book, but I didn't outright love it the way I loved Lick and especially Play. I really enjoyed Lena, but Jimmy....I'm just not the kind of girl who likes bad boys.

Reread:

Behemoth (Leviathan #2) audiobook - Scott Westerfeld & Alan Cumming: 4 stars. Still an amazing reading by Alan Cumming, but I liked this a little less than Leviathan. I might be burned out on the story by listening to them back-to-back, though.

Currently Reading:

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins. I'm rereading so I can review it for a friend and loving it just as much the second time around.

Diamonds in the Rough - Michelle Madow

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

None. I should probably go restock my audiobooks...

Bought:

B&N:
The Infinite Sea - Rick Yancey

All Broke Down - Cora Carmack x2

My True Love Gave to Me - Stephanie Perkins

Parallel - Lauren Miller

Spellcaster - Claudia Gray

Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle

Half Price Books:
The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey
Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp - Rick Yancey

Events Attended: 
10/25-26: Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX. Saw Claudia Gray, Shannon & Dean Hale, Lauren Miller, Stephanie Perkins, Jennifer E. Smith, Rebecca Serle, Lindsay Cummings, Rick Yancey, Dayna Lorentz, Meg Wolitzer, Lindsey Lane, Sherry Thomas, and Cora Carmack.

Weekly wrap-up: October 12-18

There is a 99% chance I'm at Texas Teen Book Festival RIGHT NOW so YAY BOOKS. Didn't post this week because my mom was in town, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. I honestly cried when I said goodbye to her last night. My mom drives me nuts, as mothers tend to do, but I love her, and she's a really good mom. Like really good. The best, actually, and not just because she got me addicted to reading (but she did, and that's awesome!). How has your week been?

Completed:

The Winner's Curse (Winner's Trilogy #1) - Marie Rutkoski: 4.5 stars. Really cool fantasy. A bit slow in the beginning, but picks up after a Major Turn of Events flips the tables. Those chapters are definitely my favorites!

The Winner's Crime (Winner's Trilogy #2) - Marie Rutkoski: 5 stars. SO MANY FEELINGS. This book just broke my heart. I want to put Kestrel and Arin in a room, bar it, and tell them they can't come out until they tell each other the truth AND make out. That makes me sound like a Peeping Tom, but holy crap, I do love it when they kiss! One of my favorite characters from WC1 was sadly not around much, but there are plenty of new awesome characters to love, one in particular. *hugs Verex* If you read this, take emotional care. You're in for a ride!

Reread:

Leviathan (Leviathan #1) audiobook: Scott Westerfeld & Alan Cumming: 5 stars!!!! YUSSS! When you have an award-winning performer reading an audiobook, it's going to be spectacular. Alan's voices are spot-on. He's seriously incredible!

Currently Reading:

Behemoth (Leviathan #2) audiobook - Scott Westerfeld

Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) - Jennifer Echols. *does a happy dance* I wanted to finish it by today, but sadly, that just didn't happen. :( Still, I love it. SAWYER. That is all.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

nada!

Bought:

B&N:
Lailah - Nikki Kelly

My True Love Gave To Me - Stephanie Perkins <3<3<3

Half Price Books:
Where She Went - Gayle Forman
Just One Day - Gayle Forman
Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
Specials & Extras - Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Let the Sky Fall & Let the Storm Break - Shannon Messenger
Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
Zombies Vs Unicorns - Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
Isla & the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
I bought another book at the same time as Isla but I honestly don't remember what it was...

Amazon:
"Bridge of Snow" (Winner's Trilogy #0.5) - Marie Rutkoski
Again - Lisa Burstein

Events Attended: 
Afterworlds tour with Scott Westerfeld. I have got to find a link to the video he shared. SO FUNNY.
Texas Teen Book Festival!!!!!!!!

Weekly wrap-up: October 5-11

Slow reading week because of work and my mom visiting, but TARVER AND LILAC!!! *flails* Ahem. Seriously, though, I ship these two so hard, and it was nice to revisit them. I might have to listen to the TBS audio again when This Shattered World releases and binge them. Also: T-minus ONE WEEK until Texas Teen Book Fest and TWO WEEKS until Texas Book Fest! Becca Fitzpatrick! Gayle Forman! Rick Yancey! Marie Lu! Sarah Maas! SO MUCH AWESOMENESS!

Completed:

All Broke Down (Rusk University #2) - Cora Carmack: 4 stars. I didn't love this as much as All Lined Up, which I thought about obsessively for weeks after I finished it, but All Broke Down is still a good book. Silas and Dylan have crazypants chemistry, and there is enough depth to the characters and story to make it more than just a romance.

"This Night So Dark" (Starbound #1.5) - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner: 4 stars. Mmmm, Tarver!

"Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky" (Lunar Chronicles #3.1) - Marissa Meyer: 4 stars. Mmmm, Thorne!

Currently Reading:

The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare. Still working on it.
The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld. Alan. Effing. Cumming is the narrator. *does a happy dance*

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

nada

Bought:

B&N:
Lailah - Nikki Kelly

Black Ice - Becca Fitzpatrick

Stay With Me - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Amazon:
"This Night So Dark" - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Half Price Books:
Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen
Unwholly - Neal Shusterman
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Giveaways & Contests:
Remeber Me - Romily Bernard. I won this ARC from Jessica of Crossroad Reviews during one of her Read On chats with Romily, Mindy McGinnis, and Kristi Cook. Thank you!

Events Attended: 
Fierce Reads tour with Gennifer Albin, Jessica Brody, Nikki Kelly, and Marissa Meyer. Macmillan and Irving Public Library teamed up to make this an amazing event! Good times were had by all!

Weekly wrap-up: September 28 - October 4

This has been a challenging week. In addition to being sick, I'm extraordinarily stressed about work at the moment. Also a huge storm hit Dallas a couple days ago, and Roomie and I were without power for about 34 hours or so. First world problems, I know, considering some of the families in our own neighborhood have entire trees lying on their roofs. However, it's tough to be without electricity when both the neighbors across the street and the shopping plaza behind our house had power. Screw you, storm! All of this has left me in a fairly foul mood. Hoping your week was much better than mine!

Completed:

Lailah (Styclar Saga #1) - Nikki Kelly: 3.5 stars. Really cool & unique origin story, but the character development isn't all the way there yet. Full review here.

For Real - Alison Cherry: 5 stars. Fun story with heartfelt sisterly-ness. A must-read for any reality tv lover, but also excellent for anyone who doesn't watch it! Full review closer to to pub date.

Reread:

The 5th Wave (5th Wave #1) audiobook - Rick Yancey, Brandon Espinoza & Phoebe Strole: 5 stars. I really enjoyed the book, and the audio rendition was absolutely perfect! I will definitely be looking up Brandon and Phoebe's other work because they were phenomenal!
The Lonely Hearts Club (Lonely Hearts Club #1) - Elizabeth Eulberg: 5 stars. I loved this book, and when I needed a little bit of comfort this week, this book gave it to me. PLUS I've been wanting to reread it before We Can Work It Out is released.

Currently Reading:

Nothing, at the moment. I finished my current book and my current audio at the same time so it's time to find new ones. I think I'll be listening to Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld next.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

nothing!

Bought:

B&N:

nada!

Amazon:
"A Hard Day's Night" (Lonely Hearts Club #1.1) - Elizabeth Eulberg

Half Price Books:
I know you probably don't believe this, but I went to the huge HPB clearance sale in Dallas where there were like 6 rows of tables full of ya books.....and I didn't buy a single thing.

Weekly wrap-up: September 21-27

Originally, I was planning to read a bunch of first-in-a-series books this week, but after The Young Elites, I really just needed to keep it contemporary. Oddly, I was apparently big on road tripping this week. Also, I got to moderate another panel this week which was awesome! How was your week?

Completed:

Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid: 4.5 stars. Really enjoyed this, but there were just a couple minor complaints that kept it from being a total 5 for me.
The Fine Art of Pretending (Fine Art of Pretending #1) - Rachel Harris: 4 stars. I loved the first half of this so much more than the second half, but overall, this is a Rachel Harris novel: it's sweet, funny, emotional, and relatable. And if you're not in love with Brandon by page 10, I don't believe you.
The Young Elites (Young Elites #1) - Marie Lu: ?? stars. I'm going to be honest. I don't really know WHAT to rate this book. I enjoyed it, but it's so unexpectedly dark (well, not entirely unexpected because I heard reviews mentioning said darkness, but I was not expecting the extent of said darkness) that I felt my enjoyment lessen. Also, this is pure speculation on my part, but there's an epilogue that leads me to believe that book two will be going in a certain direction, and that makes me nervous. But to alleviate any fears, Marie is a masterful writer and world-builder. The prose is gorgeous.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson: 5 stars. OH MY GOSH WHY DIDN'T YOU PEOPLE TELL ME TO READ THIS SOONER?????

Reread:

Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine & Eden Riegel: 2 stars. This is one of my favorite books, and I got a real craving to reread it after I watched the movie a couple weeks ago. However, when I realized the narrator was a child, I said some REALLY bad words. Does Eden do a good job of reading the book? Sure, I guess. Does she do a good job of keeping characters' voices distinct and individual? She tries. Are those different vocies and tones tolerable? Not really. Also, I don't want a CHILD NARRATOR while I'm over here cheering for Ella and Char to make adorable babies! Also also, in a complaint that actually has nothing to do with Eden's narration, I often wonder the wisdom of audio adaptations of books with fictional languages. That (the attempt to read gnomish and ogrese, not the book as a whole) was painful to listen to, truly (not that the book as a whole was fantastic either, much to my utter dismay).

Currently Reading:

The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare. I know, I know. I started this ages ago. I just keep having to put it on hold for other books!
The 5th Wave audiobook - Rick Yancey. YAY DUAL NARRATORS!!!! Liking this so far!

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The 5th Wave audiobook - Rick Yancey. I wanted to reread before I start The Infinite Sea, and I heard the narration is fantastic. Here's to hoping!
Fire (Graceling #2) - Kristin Cashore. I just finished the audio and LOVED it. To right a review, I wanted to have the actual book on hand.

Bought:

B&N:
The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed #1) - Page Morgan
The Lovely and the Lost (The Dispossessed #2) - Page Morgan 
Winterspell - Claire Legrand x2. I usually try not to buy books before their official release date because that actually can affect sales numbers, but I really could not resist when I saw two copies. I had a huge B&N coupon available for this weekend only and only in stores. B&N coupons are not available for preorders either. PLUS now I can ship them off to be signed!!!
Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld
Rumble - Ellen Hopkins

Amazon:
"Lie for Me: Griff's Story" (Find Me #0.5) - Romily Bernard
I went a bit bananas this week and preordered a veritable butt-ton (a unit of measure common in the American South, just fyi) of novellas and short stories

Gifts:
Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld. My dear friend Karen of Teen Librarian Toolbox gave me this beauty just because she saw I tweeted that I couldn't wait to read it. <3

Giveaways & Contests:
For Real - Alison Cherry. Alison did a quick giveaway on her Twitter for this one, and miracle of miracles, I won! I'm super excited for it because I LOVE sister books AND romance AND reality tv! This book and I are a match made in heaven! Thank you, Alison!

Events Attended: 
Let's Get Lost tour with Adi Alsaid. Harlequin Teen & Irving Public Library let me moderate this awesome panel with Adi. We had a lot of fun! Giveaway coming soon!

Weekly wrap-up: September 14-20

I didn't do a ton of reading this week for various and sundry reasons, one of which being seeing an early screening of The Maze Runner, but I really enjoyed what I did read. Also, I managed to contain my book buying, which is always a bit shocking when I manage it. What are you reading?

Completed:

Wild (Ivy Chronicles #3) - Sophie Jordan: 5 stars. I first read one of Sophie's books back in February and loved it. It led me to more of her books and sparked what has become a great friendship. The Ivy Chronicles is an amazing realistic series that is equal amounts fun and serious, sweet and sexy, jaded and innocent. I love these characters and their stories, and honestly, I want more (SOPHIE WRITE HUNTER'S FULL STORY PLZ!!!), but this is also a perfect ending for the series. The good thing about series finales is...the authors we love are then free to write more beautiful and perfect stories, and honestly, I'm already excited for what Sophie has next.
Remember Me (Find Me #2) - Romily Bernard: 4 stars. This middle book does a great job of being its own book, containing its own individual story, while building the overall series arc. Also, I LOVE one of the new characters. Like, seriously, I love him. Full review here.

Reread:

Fire (Graceling Realm #2) audiobook - Kristin Cashore & Xanthe Elbrick: 5 stars. I know plenty of people prefer Graceling and Bitterblue over Fire, but I really loved this novel, and the audiobook only made me love it more. I love how an audiobook brings out subtleties that I don't notice when actually reading a novel!

Currently Reading:

Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid: I'm really liking this!
Ella Enchanted audiobook - Gail Carson Levine: I watched the movie on Netflix and got the BIGGEST craving to reread it.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

After The End - Amy Plum
The Art of Lainey - Paula Stokes
Biggest Flirts - Jennifer Echols
Earthquake - Aprilynne Pike
Silver Shadows - Richelle Mead
On the Fence - Kasie West
Ella Enchanted audiobook - Gail Carson Levine
Leviathan audiobook - Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth audiobook - Scott Westerfeld
Goliath autdiobook - Scott Westerfeld

I know, I know what you're thinking. Just last week I said I was cutting down on my library borrowing. HOWEVER, most of these books I've either already read or I've already got a copy. I do this weird thing where I like to check out books by authors I love, even if I already have a copy. Helping to circulate your library's books is actually a really good way to encourage your library to keep buying those authors' books, which means those authors sell more books which means publishers buy more contracts which means authors write more books. Basically EVERYBODY WINS!

Bought:

Kindle:

Elevated - Elana Johnson

Half Price Books:
My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick

Weekly wrap-up: August 24 - September 13

I missed a couple weeks of posting wrap-ups so here's the full gamut. And what an amazing few weeks it was! I was picked for some tours, I received some AMAZING books, I was inspired for a secret project, and I was asked to moderate Adi Alsaid's Let Get Lost event in Dallas. Finally, I got to talk to LAUREN OLIVER on the phone. Um, wut. Yes, really. My brother actually set it up. He won a phone call from Lauren for supporting Brandon Sanderson's Altered Perceptions anthology on IndieGoGo, and he passed it on to me because he's awesome. THANKS, BRO!! It's been a rough summer with work, and even after my summer position ended, things at work have been a bit bananas for other reasons. These past couple weeks are really what I needed to get my head back in the game and refocus on some delightful bookish goings on!

Also, a note: you may notice a trend in my completed books. Also, I haven't been around much lately. I am planning to address those things very soon. There are some ch-ch-ch-changes coming soon!

Completed:

All Lined Up (Rusk University #1) - Cora Carmack: 5 stars. This book gave me SUCH a hangover! As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again!
Crossing the Ice (Ice #1) - Jennifer Comeaux: 3.5 stars. Sweet love story, but a tad predictable. Full review here.
Lick (Stage Dive #1) - Kylie Scott: 5 stars. LICK is right! This series is HOT. I am so grateful to Cora Carmack for recommending it!
The Jewel (The Lone City #1) - Amy Ewing: 3.5 stars. A dystopian that is unique in some ways but with certain familiar elements. Enjoyable, but I didn't love it.
Play (Stage Dive #2) - Kylie Scott: 5 stars. I may have enjoyed this more than Lick simply because Mal is HILARIOUS. I'm in love!
As Long As You Love Me (2B trilogy #2) - Ann Aguirre: 4 stars. Even though I can relate so much more to Lauren than Nadia, for some reason I think I like I Want It That Way just a little bit more. Review to come in a couple weeks for the tour.
Stay With Me (Wait for You #3) - J. Lynn: 4 stars. *FLAILY ARMS* I get to be on the blog tour for this one too, and I'm so glad for it! This isn't my favorite of the series, but I do like that JLA created several different kinds of conflict in this book, rather than focusing on primarily internal conflict. Review to come!
In the Shadows - Kiersten White & Jim di Bartolo: 5 stars. This book has the flavor of other books, but it's wholly unique in its story and execution. Kiersten and Jim are a great team, just as Jim is with Laini. I definitely look forward to more collaborations like this and more authors taking chances to create entirely unique reading experiences. Review coming!

Reread:
The Host (The Host #1) - Stephanie Meyer & Kate Reading: 2 stars. This is one of my favorite books....ever. Seriously, I love it. I reread it all the time. 5 freaking stars. However, I'm just not loving the narrator, and that really bums me out. :( Kate's voices are just not good enough for these characters. Not only is there not enough distinction between Mel and Wanda's individual voices, but I was also disappointed in Kate's voices for Jamie, Ian, and Jared. Jeb's voice was the ONLY one I was okay with. Her regular narration was fine, I guess, but her voice seemed too old for 20 year old Wanderer/Melanie. Also, considering the split nature of the story and characters, I wish Hachette had just invested in two narrators.

Currently Reading:
Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid
Wild (Ivy Chronicles #3) - Sophie Jordan: !!!!!!!!
Fire audiobook - Kristin Cashore

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

I'm taking a step back on my library borrowing. I've been a really bad patron lately.

Bought: (bet you can't tell whose events I'm going to soon!)

Half Price Books:
Anna & the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins x3
Lola & the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins x3
Isla & the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

Crewel - Gennifer Albin x2
Unremembered - Jessica Brody
The Karma Club - Jessica Brody
Cinder - Marissa Meyer
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Cress - Marissa Meyer
Lux: Opposition - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Fire audiobook - Kristin Cashore
The Immmortal Rules - Julie Kagawa
Let's Get Lost - Adi Alsaid

Kindle:
Make It Count - Megan Erickson
Make It Right - Megan Erickson
"Summerfall" - Claire Legrand

Giveaways & Contests:
The Jewel (Amy Ewing) & Kiss of Broken Glass (Madeleine Kuderick). Won these in a Twitter giveaway from Lisa Maxwell. Thanks, Lisa!

Events Attended:
8/28: Cora Carmack & Ann Aguirre signing in Austin
9/13: Kiersten White, Stephanie Perkins & Jennifer Mathieu signing in Houston (I'm on my way there NOW!!)

Weekly wrap-up: August 17-23

Last week was the first time in....possibly ever that I missed posting a weekly wrap up, but I swear I had a good excuse! I actually got really, really sick. Missed three days of work and everything (which is not so good). The good news is that my summer position at work is officially over as of yesterday! *does a happy dance* This summer broke my heart because I did not want to fall into the same slump as last year, but this position was placed on me very last minute. It was a good opportunity professionally, and although I missed blogging dearly, I know I made the right choice to focus on work. Now that fall is here, my work schedule will be a little less hectic so I'll have more time for blogging! YAY! The other good news is that even though I was dying (maybe not, but it felt like it!), I was able to get a LOT of reading done last week! I'm right on schedule with my #ARCAugust reading, and I've made time for some other great books as well. What have you been reading?

Completed:

Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout: 4 stars. I didn't love this quite as much as White Hot Kiss, but I still really enjoyed it! The love triangle is much more triangular shaped this time around, and I am into Zayne BIG TIME, which is saying something because as of the conclusion of WHK, I was 100% Team Roth! Full review coming closer to pub time!
Losing It (Losing It #1) - Cora Carmack: 4 stars. After meeting Cora, I thought it was high time I see what everyone else has been talking about and read this NA staple stat! Very enjoyable if a bit predictable. I'm not a fan of the love triangle, but I do relate to Cora's voice, tone, and style.
"Keeping Her" (Losing It #1.5) - Cora Carmack: 4 stars. Props to Cora for this sweet novella that actually managed to surprise me!
My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories - Stephanie Perkins: 5 stars. When I heard about this book, I squeed like the raving fangirl I am. When I received access to the drc, I screamed silently and did a victory dance at work. Honestly. My coworkers stared. This is ya short fiction at its finest by some of ya's best. I'll also review this fully closer to pub date, but I want to go ahead and warn you guys now to lower some of your expectations. There is a rumor going around about one author's story based on a couple represented on the cover. That rumor is simply untrue, sadly. That couple is NOT hers, and those characters are NOT the ones you think they are. Trust me, I am as disappointed as you are. But her story is just as lovely as all the others she has written, and I think you'll love it. Hopefully one day we will get to see those characters again. *fingers crossed*
Famous In Love (Famous in Love #1) - Rebecca Serle: 4 stars. I really enjoyed this until I got to the end because I really thought that it was a standalone, and the ending made me go "WUT." But IT IS FIRST IN A TRILOGY!!! So yay! I'm not loving the love triangle, but this is a book that kind of makes fun of love triangles so it's definitely one of the better ones. I just want to get to know the characters a bit better too! Also, the book inside the book was just released as a novella! As Locked is also a trilogy, I wonder if & hope that Little Brown will also be releasing the other two Locked books before the release of the other two Famous in Love books. If that makes ANY sense to you, God bless you.

Isla & the Happily Ever After (Anna #3) - Stephanie Perkins: 5 stars. LOVE!!! Seriously, this book was perfect and amazing and well worth the wait. I couldn't put it down! This book is one of the ones that reminds me why some of these 4 stars don't make 5. I just can't rank them equally because Isla really is a masterpiece.
Faking It (Losing It #3) - Cora Carmack: 4 stars. I think I liked this just a bit more than Finding It because of the heart in this story. Something about the emotions between Cade and Max just really touched me.

Reread:

Currently Reading:

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

Bought:

Kindle:
Losing It (Losing It #1) - Cora Carmack

"Keeping Her" (Losing It #1.5) - Cora Carmack
"Seeking Her" (Losing It #3.5) - Cora Carmack

All Lined Up (Rusk University #1) - Cora Carmack

Half Price Books:
Losing It - Cora Carmack
Faking It - Cora Carmack

B&N:
Prince of Shadows - Rachel Caine
Mortal Danger Danger - Ann Aguirre
Magnolia - Kristi Cook
Alienated (Alienated #1) - Melissa Landers
Sandstorm - James Rollins x2
The 6th Extinction - James Rollins (these JR novels are all presents for my fam)

Giveaways & Contests:


Events Attended:
8/9: Pop Cultured signing with Ann Aguirre, Rachel Caine, Rosemary Clement-Moore
8:15: James Rollins's The 6th Extinction tour

Weekly wrap-up: August 3-9

Not a whole lot of reading got done this week, but it was a great week! Monday, I got to meet Gayle Forman & Chloe Moretz AND see If I Stay (highly excellent, btw! Review & giveaway to come!), Tuesday I drove down to Austin for JLA's Opposition tour, but I also got to see my friends Katie of Mundie Moms, author Heather Self, and K.P. Simmons of InkSlinger and I also met Cora Carmack, Jenn of the YA sisterhood, and Vilma of Vilma's Book Blog!

Completed:

I Want It That Way (2B trilogy #1) - Ann Aguirre: 4 stars. Cute story, interesting characters, and a unique depth to both.

Currently Reading:

Insurgent (Divergent #2) audiobook - Veronica Roth. I'm having a bit of a crisis with this one. I just...don't want to read it? Maybe it's because I'm subconsciously trying to avoid ever reading Allegiant because somehow in the last year I've had difficulty finishing certain series, but I just don't want to listen to the audiobook. I'm sad because I really enjoyed reading Divergent and Insurgent two years ago, but the audio makes me really dislike the story at the moment. My other theory is that maybe I'm just a little tired of Divergent EVERYWHERE. Or maybe I'm just being grumpy because I watched the movie last night with friends, and I was fine.
The Book of Broken Hearts audiobook - Sarah Ockler. This book gets ALL THE POINTS for being diverse without being diverse just for the sake of diversity, but the audio also gets points for having a diverse narrator too!
Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout. Sadly, I'm falling behind in my Arc August reading, but that's because I had two book events this week and was social two other nights. But I'm loving this book, and I'm already itching for #3!

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The Bro Code - Neil Patrick Harris
The 5th Wave (5th Wave #1) audiobook - Rick Yancey
Four: A Divergent Collection - Veronica Roth
The Assassin's Blade: Throne of Glass novellas - Sarah J. Maas

Bought:

Book People:

Opposition (Lux #5) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half Price Books:
Just One Year (Just One Day #2) - Gayle Forman
Crank (Crank #1) - Ellen Hopkins
Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) - Marissa Meyer
Opal (Lux #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Deeper - Robin York
Harry Potter & the Order of the Ohoenix - J.K. Rowling (British edition)

Amazon:
"Infinite Repeat" (Art of Lainey #0.5) - Paula Stokes

Giveaways, Contests & Gifts:
The Mime Order chapter sampler - Samantha Shannon

I got this totally awesome package from the lovely Vicky Savage this week (technically I got Illuminosity last week, but I couldn't not include it!). Thanks, darling!
Events Attended:
If I Stay promo tour with Gayle Forman & Chloe Moretz + If I Stay screening
Opposition tour with Jennifer L. Armentrout

Weekly wrap-up: July 27 - August 2

Some things that happened this week: you all discovered exactly how much of a book hoarder I am in this week's Top Ten Tuesday, which has actually been updated because I missed a few books... I was given a 5-star review at work by one of my campers (he drew the 5 stars on my hand), who said I was a great museum camp principal. Also, I found out that Gayle Forman & Chloe Moretz are coming to Dallas for the If I Stay promo tour AND I got tickets to an advanced screening of the movie! WOO HOO! How did your week go?

Completed:

Magnolia - Kristi Cook: 5 well-deserved stars! I really, really loved this book. Read my review here & enter to win the blog tour prize!

Reread:

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) audiobook - Marissa Meyer & Rebecca Soler: 4 stars. I loved Cress the best out of the books, and I really enjoyed both the Cinder and Scarlet audiobooks, but for some reason, I was less impressed with the production this time around. I think it may have been because I started this immediately after listening to Dreams of Gods & Monsters, and the DoSaB audiobooks were simply perfect. I still enjoyed Rebecca's performance, especially all her accents, but I just felt like the quality wasn't quite where I had thought for the first two.

Currently Reading:

Insurgent (Divergent #2) audiobook - Veronica Roth. I'm having trouble getting back into the Divergent world, but I know I need to listen to this now so I don't have to try to get it from the library again. Also, it is high time I try to finally read Allegiant and finish the series.
Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2) - JLA. Roth is a liar, and Zayne is in major crush so I really need Layla to get with the program.
I Want It That Way (2B #1) - Ann Aguirre. I like this so far! Nadia and Ty have incredible tension.
City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments #6) - Cassandra Clare. This is going to be like Dreams of Gods & Monsters: a slow read.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The Elite (The Selection #1) audiobook - Kiera Cass

Bought:

B&N:

If I Stay & Where She Went (x2) - Gayle Forman

The Young World - Chris Weitz
Silver Shadows - Richelle Mead

Half Price Books:
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Just One Day - Gayle Forman
Enclave & Outpost - Ann Aguirre
Please Ignore Vera Dietz - A.S. King
The Morganville Vampires volume 1 - Rachel Caine
Texas Gothic - Rosemary Clement-Moore

Giveaways & Contests:
Talon - Julie Kagawa. This book is courtesy of the lovely Meredith of Pandora's Books. I won this during the Pandora's Wonderland Twitter party for insisting that zombies would beat dragons in a zombie vs dragon fight and speculating on the possibility of the existence of zombie-dragons aka drombies

Gifts: 
Illuminosity (Transcender #3) - Vicky Savage. Thank you, Vicky!! <3

Events attended: 
8/2: Chris Weitz's The Young World signing @ Irving Public Library

Weekly wrap-up: July 20-26

YAY BOOKS! I'm finally really getting back into the swing of reading and blogging a bit more than I have the rest of the summer, and I love it! Also: HOLY BOOK HAUL, BATMAN!

Completed:

Transcender: First Timer (Transcender #1) - Vicky Savage: 4 stars. See my review and interview with Ryder Blackthorne HERE.

Black Ice - Becca Fitzpatrick: 4 stars. This book is INSANE, you guys. I know it's a thriller, which is different from what Becca's done before, but still, I was not expecting what happens. Even when I figured out some of the mystery, there were a lot of unexpected surprises both good and bad.

Currently Reading:

Magnolia - Kristi Cook. Once again I am experiencing a bout of bookish coincidence as the male lead in Magnolia is named Ryder as is the male lead in Transcender, which I did not realize going into either of them.
Cress audiobook - Marissa Meyer. This is my favorite book of the three, but I'm liking the audio a bit less than I did Cinder and Scarlet. :(

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The One audiobook - Kiera Cass
Insurgent audiobook - Veronica Roth
City of Heavenly Fire audiobook - Cassandra Clare

Bought:
Amazon:

Streaming Stars (Transcender #2) - Vicky Savage. I enjoyed Transcender: First Timer so much that I had to have the next book asap!

Half Price Books:
The Art of Lainey - Paula Stokes
The Break-Up Artist - Phillip Siegel

The Murder Complex - Lindsey Cummings
All That Glows - Ryan Graudin

B&N
Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5) - Miranda Kenneally
Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) - Jennifer Echols
Don't Look Back  - Jennifer L. Armentrout
Be With Me - J. Lynn
Frigid - J. Lynn

Giveaways & Contests:
The Treatment - Suzanne Young. I won this during The Treatment Twitter party awhile back hosted by Nova of Out of Time. We had a great time, and I'm so excited to have this book! I'm a big fan of Suzanne's so when I got it, there was definitely some book hugging going on! Thank you so much, Suzanne & Nova!

And this lovely stack comes with a whole heap of gratitude to my good friend & TLA roomie Karen (@TLT16) and her fellow librarian/blogger Christie (@mz_christie), both of Teen Librarian Toolbox, and the entire staff of the Grand Prairie Public Library! You guys are amazing!

Events Attended:
Electrifying Authors for Teens panel @ Grand Prairie Public Library featuring Lindsey Cummings, Krissi Dallas, Mary Gray, and Heather L. Reid

Weekly wrap-up: July 13-19

I was sick this week and missed three days of work. I didn't blog very much, but I got so much reading done! I AM pretty excited, though, because one of the posts from this week was my first review in a while. I feel like I'm getting my feet under me again. I don't feel guilty about needing to focus on work this summer, but I do feel sad that I haven't been able to post as much as I had hoped. How was your week? What are you reading?

Completed:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) - Laini Taylor: 5 stars. Of course it's 5 stars. This series is one of the most poetic, beautifully written series I've ever read, and the story is just as phenomenal. Yes, writing and story are two different things, but they work flawlessly in this series. Well done, Laini!
This Summer - Katlyn Duncan
This Shattered World (Starbound #2) - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner: 4 stars. Not quite as amazing as These Broken Stars but it's really quite a different story. I do love Jubilee and Flynn, and I am very interested to see how they will be part of the third book. Yes, before you get your panties in a wad, Tarver and Lilac do have some part to play, but I actually advise you to wait until after the novella releases in October to read TSW if you are lucky enough to receive an early copy. I think the novella will put things into place before you dive into the swamps of Avon.

Reread:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters audiobook - Laini Taylor & Kristine Hvam: 5 stars! I liked listening to this audio while reading it, although I was always a little behind with the audio. Khristine is one of my favorite narrators. She's crazy talented! I can't wait to listen to more audio that she's done.

Currently Reading:

Transcender: First Timer (Transcender #1) - Vicky Savage: 56% complete. Oh my Ryder. I'm part of the blog tour so keep a look out for my post at the end of the week!
Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle. This is the book I read when I'm stuck in line somewhere. It's very slow going, but I like it so far. Seems very tongue-in-cheek, sassy, and fun. I'm very glad the LB employees at TLA suggested this one to me!
Black Ice - Becca Fitzpatrick. FINALLY.

New to my bookshelf this week:

Library:

The Forever Song - Julie Kagawa
The Treatment - Suzanne Young
The Selection Stories audio - Kiera Cass
Cress audio - Marissa Meyer. This is my next pick, then I'll probably listen to Insurgent and then City of Heavenly Fire, which I'm going to simultaneously read/listen to like I did with DoGaM.

Bought:

B&N:
All That Glows - Ryan Graudin
Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo
Siege & Storm - Leigh Bardugo
Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo

Half Price Books:
A Million Suns - Beth Revis

Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo

I will be buying a bunch of books at HPB tonight for the Mighty Mississippi Book Blast event, but since that's after noon, I'll be including those books on next week's wrap-up.

Audible:

Night of Cake & Puppets audio - Laini Taylor. My Twitter soul twin Sarah told me about this last night, and I had to have it. I didn't even know there was an audio edition of this story because it's just a novella. But it's a Laini Taylor story so OF COURSE I need to listen to it! I love this novella, and I'm really excited to have the chance to listen to it. Can't wait!