Quotes (#146)

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Morning Swooners,

I had a great but exhausting weekend and now I'm so damn tired it's not even funny. But alas work and responsibilities await. Here are some quotes to start the week off on a good note.

“Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.”
~Jean Genet

“Heaven would never be heaven without you.”
~ Richard Matheson, What Dreams May Come

“Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all.”
~ Toni Morrison, Beloved
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
~Toni Morrison,  Song of Solomon

“Don't ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn't fall in love, I rose in it.”
~Toni Morrison, Jazz
“As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.”
~ Toni Morrison

“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”
~ Toni Morrison

Have a wonderful week!

Stacking the Shelves (#29)

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

In the month of February these were the books that we added to our shelves.

Gifted/Bought:

RIDERS by Veronica Rossi

PARTY GIRL by Rachel Hollis
SWEET GIRL by Rachel Hollis
SMART GIRL by Rachel Hollis

THE EPIDEMIC by Suzanne Young

For review:

BEAUTIFUL BOSS by Christina Lauren

DEEP DARK by Laura Griffin

COME ON CLOSER by Kendra Leigh Castle

HER FOREVER HERO by Melody Anne

FLY WITH ME by Chanel Cleeton

From the library:

BEAUTIFUL BASTARD by Christina Lauren

SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier

THE HEIR by Kiera Cass

ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

Nahomi and I really need to slow it down. Too.Many.Books!

What did you add to your shelves?

On Our Nightstand (#5)

On Our Nightstand is where we show the state of disarray our nightstand look holding all the books we are currently reading.

One night, I was halfway through a book when I knew I was going to finish it right then and there. So, before snuggling in for the night, I went ahead and grabbed my next TBR book and put it on my nightstand just so I didn't have to get up and get it. I looked at my nightstand, which is just stack of pretty boxes, and had an idea. After talking about this with Nahomi, we're going to be sharing, occasionally, how the towering books on our nightstands look with our readers.

My nightstand have been looking like this for the past few weeks. Same books and (different) water bottles. Taking my sweet time reading and not rushing it.

I'm currently reading The Epidemic by Suzanne Young, Tempting Her Fake Fiance by Julie Patricka on my iPad/phone, and I'm listening to the audiobook of Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren on my phone Overdrive account.

How is your nightstand looking?

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress 
(The Lunar Chronicles #3)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: Library
Review by: Nahomi

Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...

In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

5 stars out of 5 stars 

Cress is one of my absolute favorite books of this series to date! Every time I think that I can’t fall in love with this series anymore, I read the next book and I fall in love all over again. Cress follows the same format as the previous two books but adds the perspective of Cress a Lunar shell that has been locked away in a satellite in order to hack earthen systems and spy for Queen Lavana.

Cress is fast paced and more of an emotional rollercoaster than the previous two installments. There is so much happening in Cress that I couldn’t finish fast enough! Experiencing life through Cress’s eyes is great because she is experiencing everything for the first, and has a sense of wonder that isn’t often depicted in novels.

It was fun getting to know Carswell Thorne and Cress. Carswell reminds me of Flynn Ryder from the Disney movie Rapunzel.  He adds a lot of the comedic relief during some of the more serious moments of the novel. Cress is brave and really comes out of her shell as the story progresses. She goes through some major personal growth throughout the novel and comes out stronger at the end of it. There are some major plot twists thrown at us in Cress, which left me speechless. I need to get my hands on Winter ASAP!
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Waiting on Wednesday (#146)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren

Expected Release Date: February 29, 2016

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this e-novella, Will Sumner and Hanna Bergstrom (from Beautiful Player) find that a wedding and everlasting love were just the beginning.

One Player tamed. One nerd girl satisfied. And one more major life decision to make. When Will fell for Hanna, her quirky sense of humor and fierce dedication to her career were part of the attraction. (Not to mention her coy newbie attitude toward sex and her willingness to let him teach her everything.) But when the job offers start rolling in for her—and oh, they do—Hanna has trouble deciding what she wants, where they should live, and how much she should burden Will with the decision. Magic between the sheets is only one part of a relationship...getting on the same page is quite another altogether.

Yay! We get more Hanna and Will!! They are such a great couple and I loved Beautiful Player. I just can't wait to get my hands on Beautiful Boss!!

What are you "Waiting on?"

Quotes (#145)

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Morning Swooners!

I've been and going to continue dealing with a lot of pressure and expectation at work for the next couple of weeks so I'm jumping between feeling optimism and panicky. So those two gifs are a true representation of me. So today's theme is optimism!

“Finally, she mused that human existence is as brief as the life of autumn grass, so what was there to fear from taking chances with your life?” - Mo Yan, Red Sorghum

“And also don’t forget, the reason opportunity is often missed is that it usually comes disguised as hard work.” - Clifford Irving, TRIAL - A Legal Thriller: Clifford Irving's legal novels: Book 1

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” - Alice Walker

“Patience is a conquering virtue.” - Geoffrey Chaucer

“My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn.” - Louis Adamic

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” - Hal Borland

“It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.” - Philip K. Dick, VALIS

That's it for me. I'm gonna go and focus and breathe and just hold strong till this crazy time is over. Have a good week!

Favorite Friday (#56) - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a bi-monthly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I absolutely love this series! Cinder has the perfect blend of action, mystery and romance! I fell in love with the characters and the world. Cinder is such a great read, and Marissa Meyer is at the top of my favorite author list.

About the author:

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squish able book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too. I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy. 

What are one of your favorite reads?

Review: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Silver Shadows
(Bloodlines #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: July 24, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.
Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.
For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .
Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

4 stars out of 5 stars

Holy crap, this book you guys. I remember starting this book and quickly reading the beginning chapters so I can find out what happened after the ending of The Fiery Heart. We were left in a crazy cliffhanger and so I anxiously read this book hoping for some answers and resolution. And I got them, just not as quickly as I was hoping.

Silver Shadows take us on a crazy ride of emotions. Both Sydney and Adrian are dealing with the repercussion of being together and the people they fear the most learning about them. Sydney manages to retain some strength and hope, even though it was almost extinguished, in getting out of her situation. Adrian, on the other hand, he really disappointed me. He fell back to some of his old ways and I really did not understand it. I thought he was above it yet with Sydney gone, he is unable to remain strong for her in battling his demons.

Silver Shadows made me nervous at times because time and secrecy is important and precious so I was a nervous wrecked throughout most of the book. I was worried about Sydney, then I was worried how Adrian was going to help her, and how they were going to get themselves to safety. Richelle Mead played with my emotions with this book, especially in the end. I knew something was going to happen so I was prepared for the other shoe to drop but it didn't make it any easier knowing. I can't wait to see how Richelle wraps up the Bloodlines series and how she gives Sydney and Adrian their much needed happy ending.

Waiting on Wednesday (#145)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

After the Wood by Kim Savage

Expected Release Date: February 23, 2016

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

“Statistically speaking, girls like me don’t come back when guys like Donald Jessup take us.”

Julia knows she beat the odds. She escaped the kidnapper who hunted her in the woods for two terrifying nights that she can’t fully remember. Now it’s one year later, and a dead girl turns up in those same woods. The terrible memories resurface, leaving Julia in a stupor at awkward moments: in front of gorgeous Kellan MacDougall, for example.

At least Julia’s not alone. Her best friend, Liv, was in the woods, too. When Julia got caught, Liv ran away. Is Liv’s guilt over leaving Julia the reason she’s starving herself? Is hooking up with Shane Cuthbert, an addict with an explosive temper, Liv’s way of punishing herself for not having Julia’s back? As the devastating truth about Liv becomes clear, Julia realizes the one person she thinks she knows best—Liv—is the person she knows least of all. And that after the woods was just the beginning.

Um...this sounds SO good. I've been waiting for this release for a while so I'm super excited that the wait it infinitely shorter.

What are you "Waiting on?"

Blog Tour Stop: Review: Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Erin Jade Lange

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah
Author: Erin Jade Lange
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: NetGalley/ARC provided for blog tour
Review by: Jenn

"The Breakfast Club" gets a modern, high-stakes reboot in this story of four very different teens and a night that changes them forever.

The Rebel: Once popular, Andi is now a dreadlocked, tattooed wild child.
The Bully: York torments everyone who crosses his path, especially his younger brother.
The Geek: Tired of being bullied, Boston is obsessed with getting into an Ivy League college.
The Pariah: Choosing to be invisible has always worked for Sam . . . until tonight.

When Andi, York, Boston, and Sam find themselves hiding in the woods after a party gets busted by the cops, they hop into the nearest car they see and take off—the first decision of many in a night that will change their lives forever. By the light of day, these four would never be caught dead together, but when their getaway takes a dangerously unpredictable turn, sticking together could be the only way to survive.

With cinematic storytelling and compelling emotional depth, critically acclaimed author Erin Jade Lange takes readers on literary thrill ride.

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. But it did not influence this review in any way.*

I was super excited about starting Rebel Bully Geek Pariah, especially because of the comparison to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club. The book starts off nicely, with Sam, our narrator and pariah, getting fired from her job. It follows her as she meets our rebel, Andi. From there on, we are thrust into the story and meet the rest of the characters.

Once I started reading, I realized that this book nothing like the John Hughes' movie. I had to put the comparison away and read the book on it own.The only real comparison between the book and the movie is the characterization of the characters. They are group of different people with different backgrounds and upbringings and they come together in a night no one will forget.

Rebel Bully Geek Pariah had some twists that I was not expecting and made it an entertaining read. I so was not expecting the ending and I like how Ms. Lange managed to do that twist. However, I had some trouble connecting with the Sam and the rest of the characters. Maybe it was because there was a lot going on and I just wanted to see how they were going to get themselves out of mess they had gotten into. Also, I didn't believe or see the flirtation and romance that bloomed between two of the characters. It didn't make sense to me, at all.

All in all, I enjoyed Rebel Bully Geek Pariah. It not The Breakfast Club but it a quick and easy read.

About the author: 

author, journalist, obsessive-compulsive list maker.
AWKWARD 3RD-PERSON OFFICIAL BIO:
Erin writes facts by day and fiction by night. As a journalist, she is inspired by current events and real-world issues and uses her writing to explore how those issues impact teenagers.
She is an only child, so she spent a lot of time entertaining herself as a kid. This required her to rely heavily on her own imagination, which is probably why she became a writer.
Erin grew up in the cornfields of northern Illinois, along the Mississippi River in one of the few places it flows east to west. She now lives in the sunshine of Arizona and will forever be torn between her love of rivers and her love of the desert.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Website

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

2/15: Emily Reads Everything  - Q&A

2/16: Books and Swoons - Review

2/17: Fangirl Confessions - Erin's YA picks for Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah

2/18: Take Me Away to a Great Read - Review

2/19: Latte Night Reviews - Review

Week 2:

2/22: Andi's ABCs - Review 

2/23: The Hardcover Lover - Sincerely Yours Letter

2/24: Novel Ink - Review

2/25: The Book Addict's Guide - Playlist

2/26: Resch Reads & Reviews - Review

Blog Tour hosted by: The Irish Banana Review

Quotes (#144)

Morning Friends,
I'm on vacation this week! I am so looking forward to being off of work this week. I have a lot of things to accomplish this week, so wish me luck. I just finished reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and I loved it! I hope you enjoy todays quotes!

“Just... isn't giving up allowed sometimes? Isn't it okay to say, ‘This really hurts, so I’m going to stop trying’?”
“It sets a dangerous precedent.”
“For avoiding pain?”
“For avoiding life.”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“I miss you."
"That's stupid," she said. "I saw you this morning."
"It's not the time," Levi said, and she could hear that he was smiling." It's the distance.”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“How do you not like the Internet? That's like saying, 'I don't like things that are convenient. And easy. I don't like having access to all of mankind's recorded discoveries at my fingertips. I don't like light. And knowledge.”
~ Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend."
"I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I likethat we're not friends."
"Me, too. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“You give away nice like it doesn't cost you anything.”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“She didn't have words for what Levi was. He was a cave painting. He was The Red Ballon. She lifted her heels and pulled him forward until his face was so close, she could look at only one of his eyes at a time. "You're magic," she said.”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“I don't like hello. It makes me sound like I have dementia, like I've never heard a phone ring before and I don't know what's supposed to happen next. Hello?”
~Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

Have a great week!