On Our Nightstand (#2) - Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead Edition

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 sharing, occasionally, how the towering books on our nightstands look with our readers.

Nahomi is driving up Orlando today and we get to see each other(!) and hang out and talk blog stuff, as well as books and life stuff. But the reason she is doing the three-and-a-half hours drive to see me is not necessarily for us to hang out. We got tickets to see Janet Evanovich in Kissimmee for the release of her newest Stephanie Plum book, Tricky Twenty-Two, on Saturday November 14th. Also, Richelle Mead will be in our local indie bookstore Books and Books promoting her latest book, Soundless. Lots of bookish stuff happening this weekend!

With that in mind, it no wonder why our shelves are filled with books, preparing for this weekend.

Nahomi's nightstand:

Nahomi just finished Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis (not pictured), is starting Soundless by Richelle Mead, and is re-reading part of Finger-Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich.

I am currently reading Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis on my iPad, Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead (not pictured) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret by J.K. Rowling with my husband. I hope to start Soundless by Richelle Mead soon. And I have Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich.

This time, its my nightstand that looks scary.

How does your nightstand look?

Mini Review: Becoming Us by Allie Everhart

Becoming Us 
(Jade #7)
Author: Allie Everhart
Release Date: December 12, 2014
Publisher: Allie Everhart
Source: Personal copy
Review by: Nahomi

Jade and Garret thought the robbery in their neighborhood had nothing to do with them, but the pieces are finally starting to come together. Someone’s been working behind the scenes, pulling the strings to determine Garret’s fate.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Jade and Garret are talking things out, becoming even closer, making plans for their future. Plans that may never happen.

When Garret finally learns the truth, he’s left with an agonizing discovery about the past and an ultimatum regarding the future.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Becoming Us covers a lot of ground after Finding Us. Where in Finding Us there is a hint of mischief Becoming Us is where we actually find out who's behind all of the mysterious acts from the previous book. I always love reading about Jade and Garret but I really enjoy Harper's and her family's storyline.

The pacing of this book is a little faster than the last, but I feel it was still a little slower than I would have liked it. I loved catching up with a lot of the supporting characters that we didn't get to see in the last book of the series. There was more intrigue and mystery than in the previous two books, which is a plus for me! And the ending... HOLY CANOLY gave me heart palpitations! I'm jonesing to get my hands on Always Us.

Waiting on Wednesday (#134)

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:

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp 

Expected Release Date: January 5, 2016

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03 a.m.
The auditorium doors won’t open.
10:05 a.m.
Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival

With the way the United States is going with school shootings, this book caught my attention from the beginning. I'm curious to see how the author handle such a delicate subject like this.

What are you "Waiting on?"

Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Spirit Bound
(Vampire Academy #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jennifer

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

5 stars out of 5 stars

Richelle Mead has completely broken my heart with this book. WHY, Richelle, WHYYYY? After putting my heart together, you just HAD to break it again and then leave me in need of a really strong drink. Guh. If you haven't realized by now, my love for this series just increases with every book and my emotions are always all over the place, so beware of my rambling review.

Rose has come back to St. Vladimir's and to Lissa. The duo are back together and are planning for their future after graduation. While doing what is necessary to be able to graduate on time, Rose receives words that Dimitri (be still my heart) is on the look for her. This time though, he is set on killing her. Rose concoct a plan in order to be ready for when she and Dimitri are face to face again. Like all of Rose's plan, they are out of this world and crazy.

Spirit Bound is one roller coaster after the other. I always felt like I was trying to catch with Rose and the gang. I love that we got spend more with Rose and Lissa this time. Lissa, after spending the majority of the series being taken care of, is set on helping and being there for Rose. We also get more time with Eddie and Adrian, which is always fun. There is such a different contrast from the last book, Blood Promise, to now. Rose actually has help with her shenanigans and it interesting to see how everyone reacts to them. They always tends to hear about her crazy ideas after the act not while in play.

There's some plot points I don't want to talk about considering it a pretty big ones but I'll say that I had my heart in my throat so many times. I knew what I wanted to happen but I was worried because I wasn't sure how it would work out. But when it DID, I was over the moon. Of course, there was this issue that Rose (and me) hadn't counted on. Which is when my feels just about bubbled over. There is only so much a girl can take, you know. And I'm not even talking about that ending. THE ENDING. What the hell is going to happen? I mean, hello!

But seriously, if you're still reading this, I hope my ramblings somewhat made sense because I'm not sure if it did. I love this book and this series but I can never seem to control myself when talking about it. I always want to talk about the feels, the characters, the plot points, the romance, the action, the everything! I'm looking forward to Last Sacrifice but I'm sad that it'll be the end for the series. I've gotten quite attach to Rose and the gang.

Quotes (#131)

Link

Morning Swooners,
I have a lot of things going on this week, but I'm determined to face this week head on. There are a few author events going on at the end of the week that I am super excited about! Check back in on Friday we are hosting a giveaway! In the mean time lets get to the quotes.

“And how shall I think of you?' He considered a moment and then laughed. 'Think of me with my nose in a book!”
~Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Time and I have quarrelled. All hours are midnight now. I had a clock and a watch, but I destroyed them both. I could not bear the way they mocked me.”
~Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
~Shel Silverstein

"What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain.”
~Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

“I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours. ”
~Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

“The only thing better than imagining Dimitri carrying me in his arms was imagining him shirtless while carrying me in his arms.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe—kind of surprises me myself—but I guess it has to happen. It's probably some kind of karmic way to balance out the universe. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to have one person so full of awesomeness.”
~Richelle Mead, Shadow Kiss

I hope your week is great! 

Favorite Friday (#49) - Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly 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: Sisterhood Everlasting (Sisterhood #5) by Ann Brashares.

Four friends
One sisterhood
Ten years later, the story continues

On the cusp of turning thirty, Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget are now living separate lives, out on their own. Yet despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness. Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

I LOVED the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and when I found out about this book, I bought it, sat down and didn't get up until I was done. I cried, I mourned the end of an era but I loved this book. It was so beautiful and if your a fan of the series, I seriously recommend this one if you haven't already read it. And if you have, let's hug. I know we need it.

About the author:

Ann Brashares is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, 3 Willows, The Last Summer (of You & Me), and My Name Is Memory. She lives in New York City with her husband and their four children.

Author's links: Website / 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: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Until Friday Night
(The Field Party #1)
Author: Abbi Glines
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: ALA AC 2015
Review by: Nahomi
    

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

This is the first Abbi Glines book that I've read, and let me tell you it definitely won't be the last. I fell in love with this story and Abbi's writing. The story is honest, it doesn't sugar coat the bad situations the characters find themselves in, which I find refreshing. Until Friday Night is heart wrenching and full of emotional turmoil. I felt emotionally drained by the end of the story, but I was also left with this sense of hope and contentment for the characters because eventually they will be ok.

I'm a sucker for dual points of view stories, so I was definitely excited to read both Maggie and West's povs. I got a better overview of the story because where Maggie was definitely more in her head and a good observer, West's pov offered more action and interaction with the other characters throughout the novel. The contrast between the two characters created a good balance between the actions and introspection of the novel.

 I loved Maggie's strength. Others tried to make her fragile but I admire how she handled herself and wasn't afraid to make the difficult choices. My heart broke for West several times over for him and his family and what they were going through. I can't even imagine the pain that accompanies such a huge loss like the one both Maggie and him experienced. I love that neither character is entirely good or bad but somewhere in between. The dynamics between all of the characters really drew me into the story and fueled my need to know what happened next.

 I was really emotional while reading Until Friday Night to the point of crying and having to take a moment before continuing. I absolutely loved everything about this story and I can't wait to read Under the Lights.

Waiting on Wednesday (#133)

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:

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Expected Release Date: June 7, 2016

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

I can't wait to see what these three wonderful authors have got in store for us! The synopsis is interesting. I am looking forward to getting my hands on My Lady Jane!

What are you "Waiting on?"

Review: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Hotel Ruby
Author: Suzanne Young
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: ALA AC 2015
Review by: Jenn

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Program comes a brand-new haunting, romantic, and suspenseful story about one girl's search for healing in a grand and mysterious hotel full of secrets.

"Stay tonight. Stay forever."

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she's grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother's death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions--including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey's pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel's dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She's torn in different directions--the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between in a place that is so much more than it seems...

Welcome to the Ruby.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Suzanne Young since I read her book The Program and became hooked on her story telling abilities. Hotel Ruby was everything I was expecting from Suzanne: complex characters, emotions that you can feel as you read, and a world you can't help but get sucked into. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey Suzanne took me on in Hotel Ruby.

Hotel Ruby is creepy and a little strange. Audrey, her brother, Daniel, and their father are drowning in grief after the death of their mother and wife a few months ago. Unable to cope with the loss, their father is sending Audrey and Daniel to live with their grandmother. On the way, they make a stop for the night at Hotel Ruby. What starts as a detour ends up being an unexpected surprise.

I'm not exactly sure how to talk about this book because half the fun is learning about the allure of the Ruby as you read. I can say that throughout the entirety of Hotel Ruby I had this foreboding feeling. Suzanne does this very well. Any emotion that she wants her reader to feel, she does it with her words and descriptions and it done so very well. I wanted for Audrey and her family to just get the hell out of the Ruby because I was on edge. Also, I always felt like I couldn't trust any of the characters we met. Even Elias, Audrey's love interest. Audrey and Elias had a bit of an insta-love which kind of turned me off. Elias was a bit of enigma and we don't learn about his story until late in the game. Because of that, I feel like I didn't have enough time to trust him. However, I did like his and Audrey's banter and conversations that they shared.

One of my favorite parts of the story is how the ending played out. By the time we learn the truth about everything, I wasn't sure how it was going to end. There were some twists that I didn't see coming at all but I liked how it did end. Suzanne Young has always managed to get me to read her books in one sitting and Hotel Ruby was no different. If you're looking for a creepy read I definitely recommend this beauty.

Quotes (#130)

Link

Hi there Lovelies!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and ate lots of candy thanks to Halloween. Those calories don't count by the way. I hope so at least because I don't even want to think about how much candy I ate. I'm currently feeling like that cute, tired doggy up there. Monday is never a good morning. I only hope that it gets better from here on out. Let's do some quotes, shall we?

“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.” - Emma Donoghue, Room

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”- Deepak Chopra

“The truth is life is full of joy and full of great sorrow, but you can't have one without the other.” - Andre Dubus III, House of Sand and Fog

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” - Julia Child

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” - Steve Jobs

“She wanted something to happen - something, anything: she did not know what.” - Kate Chopin

I really needs some encouragement so that's why today's quotes are all about just doing the best that you can and to keep at it. I hope these words help you guys out just as I hope they help me out too. Have a great week!