30 Jun 2015

The Codex: An Angel's Guide to Seducing a Human by Joe Duck

30 June 0 Comments
The Codex: An Angel's Guide to Seducing a Human by Joe Duck

Goodreads Synopsis

When an ancient book capable of summoning a demon is stolen from heaven, Narius, a young and not so bright angel of knowledge, is cast down and ordered to destroy it.

If he fails, he can never return to his blissful life as a lazy library guard.

Fortunately, to aid him in his quest, Narius is accompanied by the Codex, a theoretically holy book, who sprouts terrible courtship advice like a cheap fortune cookie.

Upon arrival to the world below his, Narius is tricked into helping Emily, a greedy sorceress in a bit of a pickle, trying to deal with a hungry dragon.

Together, the human and the angel must overcome enchanted apples, evil elves and the impoverished dragon or risk watching their world burn.



29 Jun 2015

Seven Weeks to Forever by Jennifer Farwell

29 June 0 Comments
Seven Weeks to Forever by Jennifer Farwell

Goodreads Synopsis
Seven Weeks to Forever - a young adult romance beach read about unstoppable love and impossible choices.

Cassidy Jordan knows she'll die a few weeks after her eighteenth birthday, and she can't wait. This is her second time here, and she knows what's waiting for her in The Life-After — the place most mistakenly call "the afterlife." Getting back there is supposed to be easy: she just has to find nineteen-year-old Riley Davis and help him get his life on track. By the time she finds him, though, she has only seven weeks to help him. Riley will die too young if she fails, and she'll never see The Life-After or this life again.

But no one told her helping Riley would mean dating him; she hasn't dated anyone since the love of her first life caused her death the last time she turned eighteen. When Cassidy realizes she's falling for Riley, she's faced with a choice: give him the life he's meant for and leave when it's time, or give up eternity for the true love she's never had, knowing Riley will die the same way she did in her first life and that her entire existence could end at any time.

28 Jun 2015

Top 20: #FAC16

28 June 0 Comments
Coming out of the whirlwind that was the Twitter Chat for "Fledgling Authors Chat 2016" as hosted by Rachel, Kristen, and Nicola, I have a lot of feelings -- and so does my wallet. I had a great time and talked to a lot of amazing authors, so here is a list of the Top 20 books I will FOR SURE be checking out next year (these are listed in no particular order)! You can check out Rachel's blog for a complete list of all the books and authors who participated or try and scroll through the #fac2016 tag on Twitter!

All of these link to the book on Goodreads and the description of them are based on the author's answer to "Describe your book in five words" that was part of the chat! There will be a picture of the cover of the book with it if there is a picture of the cover up on Goodreads.

Dying Wish by James Raven

28 June 0 Comments
Dying Wish by James Raven

Goodreads Synopsis
Murder, kidnap, torture—these are not words usually associated with Hampshire’s beautiful New Forest. But when local author Grant Mason has a heart attack, he makes a bizarre dying wish: he wants his loyal assistant to burn down his house. His request sets off a chain of events which leads to a police hunt for a missing couple and a deranged killer. DCI Jeff Temple and his Major Investigations Team take on their toughest case yet, and in the process they uncover dark secrets that were meant to stay buried forever. This is the fourth book in the DCI Jeff Temple series.

27 Jun 2015

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

27 June 0 Comments
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads Synopsis
A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone GirlThe Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.
 

26 Jun 2015

The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

26 June 0 Comments
The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

Goodreads Synopsis
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

22 Jun 2015

Ukiyo (Blud #1) by Mario Saincic

22 June 1 Comments
Ukiyo (Blud #1) by Mario Saincic

Goodreads Synopsis
Archaeology professor by day, backup shooter by night… 

On a routine assignment, Ukiyo finds herself dragged into a world of danger and deception when she is forced to pull the trigger and kill a man. Torn between the agency that funds her research and a man she knows nothing about, she has to choose sides in a secret war that dates back hundreds of years.

Guardian, protector, and her own personal demon… 

Burislav vowed to watch over her, but hiding his cursed birth right ends up being a secret that could cost Ukiyo her life. When he’s forced out of the shadows after more than twenty years, keeping her safe isn’t as easy as he thinks.

21 Jun 2015

Apprentice (The Black Mage #2) by Rachel E. Carter

21 June 1 Comments
Apprentice (The Black Mage #2) by Rachel E. Carter

Goodreads Synopsis
She survived a trial year at the Academy, but that was just the easy part…
Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice in Combat, her school’s most notorious faction of magic. When she finishes she will be a mage, but in order to do so she has to survive four years with a training master she hates and her old nemesis, Priscilla. To make matters worse the unwanted attraction Ry feels for her sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival Prince Darren is at an all time high –even though he is betrothed to the very girl she can’t stand.

Really, the only bright spot to Ryiah’s new life is the time she spends with her friends, including an older apprentice named Ian, who she finds herself thinking about quite often.

Just when things start to get comfortable they take a turn for the worse. An apprentice is killed in a rebel attack and several mages end up dead. Unwittingly, the apprentices find themselves in the midst of a budding unrest between Jerar and its northern neighbor, Caltoth. For Ryiah the impending conflict means many things, but as her apprenticeship draws to a close she finds her biggest problem at home.

Unfortunately for her, Darren’s not going anywhere
.

20 Jun 2015

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

20 June 0 Comments
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

Goodreads Synopsis
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?


15 Jun 2015

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West

15 June 0 Comments
Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West

Goodreads Synopsis
Knowing the outcome doesn't always make a choice easier...

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through... and who she can’t live without.


14 Jun 2015

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 3) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

14 June 0 Comments
Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 3) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

Goodreads Synopsis
The threat of Mortmain''s Infernal Devices looms as the Shadowhunters race to work out a way to counteract the mechanical monsters. Meanwhile, plans for Tessa''s marriage to Jem are underway, despite her fiancé''s failing health and the unresolved feelings between her and Will. When Tessa is captured, Will must leave his comrade behind to save the woman they both love... But with the final missing piece-Tessa herself-in Mortmain''s possession, can anything stop his plot for revenge?

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 2) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

14 June 0 Comments
Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 2) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

Goodreads Synopsis
A prequel to Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city’s sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends – including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing…

13 Jun 2015

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

13 June 0 Comments
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Goodreads Synopsis
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 1) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

13 June 0 Comments
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices: Manga, Volume 1) by Cassandra Clare and Hyekyung Baek

Goodreads Synopsis
A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing...

12 Jun 2015

Just Approved! Eeny Meeny by M. J. Arlidge

12 June 0 Comments
Hey guys! I was just approved for another book on NetGalley which came out on June 2, so I will try to make sure to get it read and reviewed before the end of the month. It is a adult mystery and thriller and has a pretty good rating on Goodreads so I am hoping for the best! Check it out below...

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

12 June 1 Comments
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Goodreads Synopsis
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.


11 Jun 2015

Third Sentence Thursday (5): Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol 1

11 June 0 Comments
Third Sentence Thursday (5): June 11, 2015
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vol. 1 by John Vornholt, Arthur Byron Cover, and Alice Henderson
I was supposed to have this one done last week for my #TBRTakedown, but I am still chugging away at it. School has been really busy and I am not getting as much reading done as I would like. Hopefully I can catch up on the weekend! Without further ado, here are three third sentences from the first volume in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels!

#summerRES2015 Challenge Book List!

11 June 2 Comments
I am trying really hard to clear off my TBR pile by the end of this year so I am joining another reading challenge. The specifics of this one is to literally just read as much or as little as you want and any books are okay. So I will be using all my NetGalley reads as this reading challenge! That way I clear off my NetGalley list by the end of August 2015!
 

Fractured Dream by KM Randall 
Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally
Poor Man's Fight (Poor Man's Fight #1) by Elliott Kay
Rich Man's War (Poor Man's Fight #2) by Elliott Kay
The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling 
Awake by Natasha Preston  
Center of Gravity by Laura McNeil
If You're Lucky by Yvonne Prinz 
The Single Game by Amanda Black  
Return of the Ascendant by Raine Thomas 
A Stellar Affair by Laurel Richards  
Dark Avenging Angel by Catherine Cavendish 
Descent by Tara Fuller  
Celtic Viking by Lexy Timms 
The Gateway Through Which They Came (The Gateway #1) by Heather Marie
The Gateway of Light and Darkness (The Gateway #2) by Heather Marie
The Seventh Crow by Sherry D. Ramsey
King Callie (Callie's Saga #1) by B. Lynch
Forecast by Elise Stephens  
The Soul Thief (Angel of Death Series #1) by Majanka Verstraete 
Ultimate Justice by Trevor Stubbs  
Prodigal & Riven by Sherry D Ficklin & Tyler H. Jolley 
The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino 

So that is 23 books over those three months, I have faith that I can do it. I really want to get my NetGalley cleared off so I don't feel guilty when I request titles.

10 Jun 2015

Dirt Daughter by Michele Shaw

10 June 0 Comments
Dirt Daughter by Michele Shaw

Goodreads Synopsis
In Dirt Daughter, seventeen-year-old Elena Black has concealed the secret to her childhood friend’s murder for eight years. With the possibility of a college scholarship looming, she plans to keep that secret and flee her dysfunctional home; one with a drug-addicted mother, a stepsister she just met, and a bitter, abusive uncle. But, when a detective reopens the cold case and a friend sets her up on a date with the new boy at school, the past and present collide, threatening Elena’s future plans…and her life.

Wishlist Wednesday (5): Pivot Point by Kasie West

10 June 0 Comments
Wishlist Wednesday (5) - June 10, 2015
Pivot Point by Kasie West

This week's Wishlist Wednesday is one that has been on my wishlist for a while but I just haven't picked it up yet. It is called Pivot Point and is about Addison Coleman who can see in to the future and make decisions about what she sees there! Check it out below!

The Fire Children by Lauren Roy

10 June 0 Comments

The Fire Children by Lauren Roy

Goodreads Synopsis
Two children escape the darkness of their underground dwellings, to find adventure, magic and terrible danger await anyone who ventures above ground.

Fifteen years have passed since Mother Sun last sent her children to walk the world. When the eclipse comes, the people retreat to the caverns beneath the Kaladim, passing the days in total darkness while the Fire Children explore their world. It's death to even look upon them, the stories say.

Despite the warnings, Yulla gives in to her curiosity and ventures to the surface. There she witnesses the Witch Women -- who rumors say worship dead Father Sea, rather than Mother Sun -- capturing one of the Children and hauling her away. Yulla isn't the only one who saw the kidnapping; Ember, the last of the Fire Children, reveals himself to Yulla and implores her to help.

Trapped up above and hunted by the witches and the desert wind, Yulla and Ember must find a way free his siblings and put a stop to the Witch Womens' plans, before they can use the Fire Children to bind Mother Sun herself.


9 Jun 2015

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

09 June 0 Comments
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Synopsis
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. 


Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

8 Jun 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (5)

08 June 0 Comments
Since last Monday was the end of the month of May, I used Monday as my monthly wrap-up and since it was #TBRTakedown this week, I posted my list of what I would be reading during the week on the day before. Confusing, I know. Either way, here is a list of the books I read this past week, a whopping 10! I didn't finish all of the #TBRTakedown books, but I will get to them, I promise.
What I read this week...
A Murder of Mages: A Novel of the Maradaine Constabulary by Marshall Ryan Marseca. This is a mystery novel that involves magic and murder. Two of my favourite things! There is also a strong female lead, so I would suggest picking this one up!

Red Nights by Shari J. Ryan. This is another murder-mystery novel with a lot of twists and a really lovely love interest. There is a lot of symbolism in it and it is well written, keeping you on the edge of your seat.


Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne. Fifteen year old Edie and her mom have been on their run for years from Edie's abusive father. When the past catches up to them, Edie has to learn to survive on her own.


Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy. A steampunk historical-fiction fantasy novel that follows Ardis and Wendel in their attempts to conquer evil.

Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy. The book that started the Netflix series about a small town in Pennsylvania, Hemlock Grove. After girls start turning up dead after the full moon, the town turns their attention to Peter Rumaneck, the resident Gypsy, for the murders.


A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris
A steampunk Cinderella retelling that focuses on Ellie and the curse her step-mother has placed upon her and her father in order to get what she wants. How far is Ellie willing to go to break the curse?

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips
Lexi doesn't want to become her mother, so she surrounds herself with perfection in hopes that she can fake it long enough to survive. However, she finds herself slipping into her old ways and has to face the truth to become who she really is, not who she is pretending to be.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A classic dystopian novel about the world in which books are illegal and burnt upon being found.

Fablehaven (Fablehaven #1) by Brandon Mull. When their parents go on a cruise, Seth and Kendra are sent to stay with their grandparents. Once they get there, they find out that their grandparents are the caretakers of the magical conservatory, Fablehaven.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith. This review won't be posted until August since the release date for this novel is September 1st! However, I enjoyed it a lot. Like a lot, a lot.


What I plan to read this week...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vol. 1 by Nancy HolderIn every generation, there is a Chosen One. A slayer destined to protect the human race. She alone must fight the demons of hell. She alone must risk her life to stop the spread of evil. Buffy is the Chosen One.

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa MeyerCinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. 

The Fire Children by Lauren M. Roy. An ARC from NetGalley that follows two children escape the darkness of their underground dwellings, to find adventure, magic and terrible danger await anyone who ventures above ground.

Fractured Dreams (The Dreamer Saga #1) by K.M. RandallIt’s been eight years since Story Sparks last had a dream. Now they’re back, tormenting her as nightmares she can’t remember upon waking. The black waters of Lake Sandeen, where her Uncle Peter disappeared decades before, may hold the secret to Story’s hidden memories, or a truth she’d rather not know. 

What are you planning on reading this week? Sound off in the comments! Lots of love and happy reading! xx

Fablehaven (Fablehaven #1) by Brandon Mull

08 June 0 Comments
Fablehaven (Fablehaven #1) by Brandon Mull

Goodreads Synopsis
For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite.

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken -- Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good -- powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most.
 


7 Jun 2015

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

07 June 0 Comments
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Goodreads Synopsis
The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.

Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.

6 Jun 2015

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips

06 June 0 Comments
Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips

Goodreads Synopsis
When Lexi Shaw seduced Oakfield High's resident bad boy Tyler Flynn at the beginning of senior year, he seemed perfectly okay with her rules:

1. Avoid her at school.
2. Keep his mouth shut about what they do together.
3. Never tease her about her friend (and unrequited crush) Ben.

Because with his integrity and values and golden boy looks, Ben can never find out about what she’s been doing behind closed doors with Tyler. Or that her mom’s too busy drinking and chasing losers to pay the bills. Or that Lexi’s dad hasn’t been a part of her life for the last thirteen years. But with Tyler suddenly breaking the rules, Ben asking her out, and her dad back in the picture, how long will she be able to go on faking perfect?


5 Jun 2015

Sharon's Spring Challenge Reading List!

05 June 0 Comments
Sharon's Spring Challenge (April 1 - June 30, 2015)

1. Spring Ahead! The phrase "Spring forward, Fall back" helps people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks. At 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward one hour ahead of Standard Time. Read a book about time travel. 

I read Earth & Sky (Earth & Sky #1) by Megan Crewe on May 17th. This book features aliens and time travel!

2. Spring into action - to suddenly begin moving or doing something. Read a book where a character makes an impetuous decision. 
The entire Escape From Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith falls into this category. I read most of them in this time period.

3. Spring, a mechanical device that stores energy. Read a steampunk book - Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan "What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner." It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. Most steampunk books have mechanical devices in them.

I read two steampunk books! Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy and A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris.

4. Spring Cleaning. Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning. Read a book that has been on your TBR list the longest. 

I don't know if it has been on there the longest, but it has been on there for almost two years, so I'm going to say that Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy is the one I read for this challenge.

5. Spring Break is a vacation period in early spring at universities and schools in various countries in the northern hemisphere. Read a book that takes place at a college or during spring break. 


I read Parallel by Lauren Miller on May 1st. It takes place at a college and has some time travel so I chose for it to go under this category.

6. She’s/He’s no Spring Chicken. New England chicken farmers discovered that chickens born in the Spring bought better prices, rather than old birds that had gone through the winter etc. Sometimes farmers tried to sell the old birds as a new spring born chicken. Smart buyers often complained that a tough fowl was "no spring chicken" and so the term now is used to represent birds (and even people) past their plump and tender years. Read an old favorite or a book you have been putting off reading. 

I had been putting off reading The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan but finally got around to it and am glad I did.

7. Spring to mind - to appear suddenly or immediately in your thoughts. Read a book that was released in 2015 or the newest book on your TBR list. 


Surprisingly, I have read lots of books that were released in 2015. My favourite one was The Corridor (The Corridor #1) by A.N. Willis because it explores multi-universe theory.

8. Spring in his step If you walk with or have a spring in your step, you walk energetically in a way that shows you are feeling happy and confident. Read a book that has a character who exhibits these characteristics or an action genre book. 


I read Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs. Kenna may be a "ordinary" but she does everything in her power to save her mom and that is what a hero is to me.

Blog Tour: Review Tour | A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris

05 June 0 Comments
A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris

Genre: Historical-Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Release: May 21, 2015
Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson
Find Online: Amazon CAAmazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Description:
Benjamin Grimm knows the theater is much like real life. In 1876 Philadelphia, people play their parts, hiding behind the illusion of their lives, and never revealing their secrets.

When he reunites with his childhood friend Eleanor Banneker, he is delighted. His delight turns to dismay when he discovers she has been under a spell for the past 7 years, being forced to live as a servant in her own home, and he realizes how sinister some secrets can be. She asks for his help, and he can’t refuse. Even if he doesn’t believe in ‘real’ magic, he can’t abandon her.

Ellie has spent the long years since her mother’s death under the watchful eye and unforgiving eye of her stepmother. Bewitched and hidden in plain sight, it seems no one can help Ellie escape. Not even her own father, who is under a spell of his own. When she sees Ben one evening, it seems he is immune to the magic that binds her, and her hope is rekindled along with her friendship.

But time is running short. If they do not find a way to break the spell before midnight on New Year’s Eve, then both Ellie and her father will be bound forever.

Blog Tour: Review Tour | Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

05 June 0 Comments
Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

Genre: Historical-Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Release: May 11, 2015
Cover Artist: DamonZa
Find Online: Amazon CA | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Description:

She never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer.

1913. Austria-Hungary. Ardis knows better than to save a man on the battlefield. Even if he manages to be a charming bastard while bleeding out in the snow. She hasn’t survived this long as a mercenary without some common sense.

When she rescues Wendel, it isn’t because he’s devilishly handsome, but because he’s a necromancer. His touch can revive the dead, and Ardis worries he will return from the grave to hunt her down. Besides, a necromancer can be useful in this world on the brink of war.

A gentleman of questionable morals, Wendel drops to one knee and pledges his undying loyalty to Ardis. She resists falling for him, no matter how hot the tension smolders between them. Especially when she discovers Wendel’s scars run much deeper than his skin, and it might be too late to truly save him from himself.