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Thursday, August 31, 2017

Summer 2017 Bookish Bingo: Wrap-up Post @ironteethbitch


This is my Wrap-up Post for the Summer 2017 Bookish Bingo hosted by Becca at Pretty Deadly Reviews.

Well, I knew it was going to be tough to complete this one but I think I did pretty good!

FINISHED: 18/24 BOOKS
3 Bingos
  1. OVER 5 YEARS OLD: Unspoken by Lisa Jackson
  2. ROMANCE (Paranormal Romance): Souljacker by Yasmine Galenorn (Lily Bound, Book #1)
  3. WHITE COVER: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel (The Book of Ivy, Book #1)
  4. BLUE COVER: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  5. REVOLUTION AND REBELLION: Raging Star by Moira Young (Dust Lands, Book #3)
  6. AWARD WINNER: The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Oz, Book #2)
  7. FLOWERS ON THE COVER: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves (Blood Rose Rebellion, Book #1)
  8. NAME IN TITLE: Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict by Alice Cooper
  9. A SEQUEL: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress, Book #2)
  10. FAMILY DRAMA: Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
  11. THRILLER: Burntown by Jennifer McMahon
  12. AUTHOR FROM ANOTHER CONTINENT: Broken Angels by Graham Masterton (Katie Maguire, Book #2)
  13. OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE (my first graphic novel): Mercy Thompson: Moon Called, Volume 1 by David Lawrence, Amelia Woo, and Patricia Briggs (Mercedes Thompson Graphic Novels, Book #1.1)
  14. SUMMER RELEASE: Final Girls by Riley Sager
  15. SCI-FI (POST-APOCALYPTIC): Beyond Exile by J.L. Bourne (Day by Day Armageddon, Book #2)
  16. ON YOUR TBR FOREVER: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel (The Book of Ivy, Book #2)
  17. TRAVEL: Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper
  18. LGBT+: The Chosen by J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #15)
  19. ACE REP:
  20. RED COVER:
  21. LATINX MC:
  22. A BOOK ABOUT FANDOM:
  23. A BOOK WITH A MAP:
  24. ROYALTY:


That was fun, Becca! Thanks for hosting :)

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics @amylukavics ‏@HarlequinTEEN

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa @ Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.


Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:


TITLE: The Ravenous
AUTHOR: Amy Lukavics
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2017
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 304 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Horror
ISBN: 9780373212606
From the outside, the Cane family looks like they have it all. A successful military father, a loving mother and five beautiful teenage daughters. But on the inside, life isn't quite so idyllic: the Cane sisters can barely stand each other, their father is always away, and their neglectful mother struggles with addiction and depression.

When their youngest and most beloved sister, Rose, dies in a tragic accident, Mona Cane and her sisters are devastated. And when she is brought back from the dead, they are relieved. But soon they discover that Rose must eat human flesh to survive, and when their mother abandons them, the sisters will find out just how far they'll go to keep their family together.

I haven't yet read anything by this author, but I've heard that her books are scary!


What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Hidden Gems in the Young Adult Genre #TopTenTuesday


This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Today's list is:

Hidden Gems in the Young Adult Genre


The Book of Ivy and The Revolution of Ivy
by Amy Engel
(The Book of Ivy, Books #1-2)
I read this duology this year, and I think it's highly underrated. I received the first audiobook for review back in 2014, and then I went on a blogging hiatus due to personal circumstances and never listened to it until this year. I was blown away, and I actually don't recall seeing any hype about this series on any other blog. I loved it, and I recommend it if you enjoy dystopia.



Nemesis
by Brendan Reichs
(Project Nemesis, Book #1)
This is a great fast-paced thriller, with a unique sci-fi premise. Imagine getting killed on every even-year birthday?!



Scars
by Cheryl Rainfield
This book broke my heart. It deals with sexual abuse and incest, and the teenage victim deals with it by cutting. That's the author's arm on the cover, so she knows of what she writes. **Caution: Because of the subject matter, I would say this is for the upper-end of the YA range.



Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel
(Gone with the Respiration, Book #1)
Steampunk really isn't my thing, but throw in some zombies and - oh, yeah! This book was a pleasant surprise.



by Kassy Tayler
(Ashes Trilogy, Book #1)
I loved this YA dystopia/steampunk! The world-building is phenomenal, and this reminds me that I need to get back to this series and finish it!


by Denise Jaden
This YA novel deals with heavy themes, like peer pressure, eating disorders, abuse and sexual relationships. I wasn't expect the graphic detail, so this is a caution for YA at the upper-end of the range. The book is an emotional rollercoaster, and you'll be put through the wringer and shed a few tears.




So, what hidden gems do you recommend? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Monday, August 28, 2017

Bout of Books 20 Read-a-Thon: Wrap-up Post #boutofbooks

This is my Wrap-up Post for the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon!

I did not have much time this week to sit and read. I made good progress on my audiobook, but not so good on the others.


I finished one book:



by Haylen Beck


I'm Still Reading:

by Ezekiel Boone
(The Hatching, Book #2)


The Chosen
by J.R. Ward
(Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #15)
[on my iPod]


I did post my Daily Updates on Twitter:















I participated in most of the daily challenges (I skipped Day 2 because it involved re-writing a synopsis, which was not something that I could do quickly!):













Here are the final tallies for the read-a-thon:

Total pages read: 174 pages
Total minutes listened: 13 h, 21 min
Total books finished: 1

Thanks again to Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal for hosting!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something from the library. I loved the first one in the series! This one has been slow going for me, mainly because I've been super busy and haven't had much sit down time to read.

TITLE: Skitter
SERIES: The Hatching, Book #2
AUTHOR: Ezekiel Boone
PUBLISHER: Random House Canada
PUBLICATION DATE: May 30, 2017
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 304 pages
GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction/Apocalyptic
ISBN: 9780345816511
Tens of millions of people around the world are dead. Half of China is a nuclear wasteland. Mysterious flesh-eating spiders are marching through Los Angeles, Oslo, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, and countless other cities. According to scientist Melanie Guyer, however, the spider situation seems to be looking up. Yet in Japan, a giant, truck-sized, glowing egg sack gives a shocking preview of what is to come, even as survivors in Los Angeles panic and break the quarantine zone. Out in the desert, survivalists Gordo and Shotgun are trying to invent a spider super weapon, but it’s not clear if it’s too late, because President Stephanie Pilgrim has been forced to enact the plan of last resort: The Spanish Protocol. America, you are on your own.

I am taking this nine-week course with a group of people, which features DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. I'm looking forward to this! I've heard the book is great.

TITLE: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
PUBLISHER: Zondervan
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 314 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help
ISBN: 9780310585909
Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

I'm listening to:

Something from my review pile.

TITLE: The Chosen
SERIES: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #15
AUTHOR: J.R. Ward
NARRATOR: Jim Frangione
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: April 4, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 17 hrs and 32 mins
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
A scorching forbidden love threatens to tear a rift through the Black Dagger Brotherhood in J. R. Ward s newest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla.

Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation, and death.

As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love . . . or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.


I just finished:

TITLE: Here and Gone
AUTHOR: Haylen Beck
NARRATOR: Abby Crayden
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: June 20, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 9 mins
GENRE: Mystery, Thriller
Here and Gone is a gripping, wonderfully tense suspense thriller about a mother's desperate fight to recover her stolen children from corrupt authorities.

It begins with a woman fleeing through Arizona with her kids in tow, trying to escape an abusive marriage. When she's pulled over by an unsettling local sheriff, things soon go awry and she is taken into custody. Only when she gets to the station, her kids are gone. And then the cops start saying they never saw any kids with her, that if they're gone than she must have done something with them...

Meanwhile, halfway across the country a man hears the frenzied news reports about the missing kids, which are eerily similar to events in his own past. As the clock ticks down on the search for the lost children, he too is drawn into the desperate fight for their return.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Stacking The Shelves and Sunday Post



This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Team Tynga's Reviews, which she describes as follows:

"Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"




Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme




Well, here we are...hard to believe it's the end of August! This is the last full week of summer before the kids have to return to school. Thankfully, the forecast is showing that the weather will be sunny and warm so the kids can enjoy the last bit of summer holidays.



I won these Kindle e-books in a giveaway hosted by Michelle at Seasons of Reading for the High Summer Read-a-Thon:


 Saving Toby
by Suzanne McKenna Link
(Toby & Claudia, Book #1)


Keeping Claudia
by Suzanne McKenna Link
(Toby & Claudia, Book #2)

Thanks again, Michelle & Suzanne!



Audible had their Buy 1 Get 1 Sale, and here's what I picked up:



Abducted
by T.R. Ragan
(Lizzy Gardner, Book #1)


No Coming Back
by Keith Houghton


Full Package
by Lauren Blakely


Dirty English
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
(English, Book #1)


I also picked up more cheap Daily Deals from Audible:


The Next Always
by Nora Roberts
(Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, Book #1)


Open Season
by C.J. Box
(Joe Pickett, Book #1)


If you are an Audible member, you can download this FREEBIE until Sept 3rd at 11:59 PM PT:


Private
by James Patterson
(Private, Book #1)


Did you grab this FREEBIE from Penguin Random House Audio earlier this week? It was a 48-hr free download from August 23rd at 12:00 PM ET to August 25th at 11:59 AM ET.

Lyra's Oxford
by Philip Pullman
(His Dark Materials, Book #3.5)


Recap: Last Week On The Blog

Sunday: Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post


Friday: Audiobook Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Here and Gone by Haylen Beck


What books have you added to your shelves this week? If you are also participating in either of these memes, please leave me the link to your blog post in the comments so that I can come and drool over all your goodies!

Friday, August 25, 2017

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Here and Gone by Haylen Beck @HaylenBeck @stuartneville @PRHAudio

TITLE: Here and Gone
AUTHOR: Haylen Beck
NARRATOR: Abby Crayden
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: June 20, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 9 mins
GENRE: Mystery, Thriller
Here and Gone is a gripping, wonderfully tense suspense thriller about a mother's desperate fight to recover her stolen children from corrupt authorities.

It begins with a woman fleeing through Arizona with her kids in tow, trying to escape an abusive marriage. When she's pulled over by an unsettling local sheriff, things soon go awry and she is taken into custody. Only when she gets to the station, her kids are gone. And then the cops start saying they never saw any kids with her, that if they're gone than she must have done something with them...

Meanwhile, halfway across the country a man hears the frenzied news reports about the missing kids, which are eerily similar to events in his own past. As the clock ticks down on the search for the lost children, he too is drawn into the desperate fight for their return.
MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

This book is every mom’s worst nightmare, and I made the mistake of listening to it while on a road trip with my kids! It did freak me out, but I couldn’t stop listening.

Audra Kinney is on the run. Her abusive ex-husband, Patrick, is trying to take their kids away from her and she decides to leave New York and heads to California to stay with a friend. While driving through Arizona, Audra gets pulled over by the Sheriff for a bogus reason. He says that her vehicle is overloaded and that she doesn’t have enough clearance above the wheel and is concerned that it isn’t safe. She tells him that that she intends to stop at Silver Water, which is just a little over a mile away, but he insists on following her there and to take some of her goods in his trunk to offset the weight in her vehicle. As he is going through her things in the trunk, he presumably finds a bag of marijuana. Even though she’s been clean for two years, she second-guesses whether it was a stash that she had hidden long ago but forgotten about. Audra is arrested, and the Sheriff calls in another officer to pick up the kids. Her two young children, Sean and Louise, are crying, scared, and confused. After Audra is locked up, she asks what will happen to her children and the Sheriff replies, “What children?”

As a mom, I cannot imagine what would be going through Audra’s mind! At first, she thinks that her rich ex-husband paid off the Sheriff to take her kids from her. It’s natural that she would assume that her ex would be behind it, but the reality is actually much more disturbing!

It’s tough to rate something like this because I find crimes against children so disturbing to read. In particular, hearing the exchanges between the people on the dark web were enough to turn my stomach! The Sheriff was also a pretty vile villain. I thought the book was very well written and suspenseful, and my heart ached for what Audra was going through. As I mentioned earlier, I listened to this while driving with my kids on a road trip and I made sure that I didn’t speed because I didn’t want to risk getting pulled over by the police! Paranoid? Yes, absolutely! I blame Beck for that.

This author is new to me, and he also writes as Stuart Neville. I will definitely be picking up more of his books!

Abby Crayden’s narration was done very well, and I thought she was a great fit for the pace of the story. Audra’s angst and the children’s fear were so convincing, and she made it difficult for me to take my earbuds out! Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list. Thanks again to Random House Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

This book qualifies as:

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