ARC August Update Week #3!!

Well, I'd say this week I didn't do as well as I would have wanted for my ARC August challenge, but I am hoping I'll be able to give it a final push next week and reach my challenge goals and complete all the books I had added!

This week I didn't manage to read too many books as it is, so I only read 2 ARCs and one of them is a novella... but I also have another 2 ARCs started, so I'm hoping to finish another one tonight itself!

Hopefully I can finish those two ARCs and hopefully another 2 more next week to reach my challenge goals, but we'll see cause I have a cupcakes order to fill on my days off!

Showcase Sunday #45!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

This week has been a very good one when it comes to physical books, cause my missing parcel from Book Outlet was found on the P.O., got more giveaway wins in the mail and also got books from TBD!

I also got myself a few books for my Kindle: Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs and a pair of her novellas and also got myself Touch of Frost and Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep on the recommendation of Jenny from Supernatural Snark, cause if Jenny says I ought to read these books, I have to!

Purchased (via The Book Depository)

Finally got my preorder of Dangerous Boys, I really hope I'll have time to read it soon! Also got me more Jennifer Brown books, since I loved Torn Away!

Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas

Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Purchased (via Book Outlet)

Finally got my missing order from Book Outlet and so many gorgeous books in this one, even a graphic novel!

Parallel by Lauren Miller

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

Revelations by J. A. Souders

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

Frankenstein by Gris Grimly

For Review (via NetGalley)

This week Random House Children and Random House UK were very nice to me an approved a pair of requests on NetGalley! Thank you!

The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

Swamp Bones by Kathy Reichs

Won In A Giveaway

This week has also been extremely good on the giveaway front! I got my amazing prize from Meagan Spooner and my copy of Starbreak that I won from Jen Ryland's July giveaway at YA Romantics! Thank you so much Meagan and Jen!!

I cannot wait to finally read back to back Starglass and Starbreak by Phoebe North! Science fiction duologies for the win!

I got a signed and dedicated ARC of Lark Ascending that I cannot wait to sit and read and loads and loads of amazing signed swag, including signed book plates for all my other books by her and with Amie Kaufman! Ain't Meagan the best??

Purchased (via Etsy)

And here it is! Another absolutely stunning Pivot Book Tote!! This amazing Fangirl tote is available at Becca's Etsy Shop! And I simply adore mine!! Aaaand it matches my special edition of Fangirl!

That's all for this week, which was quite a wonderful post wise week! I'm still rather overwhelmed with life a bit, and I'm not being a very good bloggy friend cause I suck at commenting as of late! Sorry guys, I hope to have more time to catch up on visiting and commenting on your blogs!

What all did you guys get this week?

Saturday Pages: Mini reviews of Outcast & Swamp Bones!!

Hello guys!

This week's Saturday Pages is happening a lil latter than usual, but they almost didn't happen... I was extremely tired last night and went to sleep without having any posts ready and today I woke up feeling rather tired still, but I decided to still manage to crank up a pair of novellas reviews that I had pending!

One of them is a novella that I got this week on NetGalley so it will totally count for my ARC August list!

 Swamp Bones: A Novella by Kathy Reichs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I've always been a big of both this series by Kathy Reichs and Bones the tv series (at least till I lost interest once the drama got a bit too much for me) even if they were rather different. I had forgotten a bit about the books till I saw this novella on NetGalley and realized I had missed reading one book and there was another coming! So I just got the previous book to this one and preordered the next!

Swamp Bones is a novella that can be read without having read all the Tempe Brennan books since it's a story on its own, but I don't think it's the best of the Tempe stories either.

But even as one of the weakest stories in the mystery sense of the murder(s) to be solved, cause there was a point were the suspect was pointed at too easily, so much that I was expecting it to be a red herring, the story was always fascinating because of the way the science is weaved in. Even if most of the science was about pythons in this one, and snakes are one of my few irrational fears!

Tempe can be a bit too rash and impulsive and given some of the bad situations that has got her into in the past, it makes me wonder why she doesn't seem to learn given how intelligent a character she is. I guess we all have our flaws, and hers is being a bit rash and overly optimistic on outcomes.

All in all, a good enough novella that really got me in the mood to read more Tempe Brennan books! 3 stars to this one (for the too obvious resolution).




Outcast by C.J. Redwine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Outcast is the very much awaited novella featuring our dear Quinn and his sister Willow's story before they meet Rachel and Logan and become allies. This is the story of why Quinn understands how broken Rachel can be and how both he and his sister got exiled from their tribe and came to meet Rachel's dad.

Quinn has always been a very interesting character and we knew there was a lot more to his past than what he himself or his sister had revealed before, both about what caused their exile and why Quinn refused to kill when fighting and in this novella, we find out exactly how horrible their childhood was being trained to be killers with the excuse of being defenders, and how abusive their relationship with their father was.

We see Quinn from feeling like what they're doing is wrong, to finding the strenght to face his father and try to put a stop to his madness when he thinks of protecting his sister and finds an unexpected ally on Rachel's father when Jared stumbles onto the village's perimeter trying to hide from Rowansmark agents.

For a short novella this one packs a really emotional punch and we find ourselves loving and understanding much better both Quinn and Willow and even get a lil better understanding of what a good man Rachel's dad was. One of those novellas that are a joy to read, even with the tough themes in it which earns it 5 stars.



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Friday Reads: ARC Review of Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini!!

As my final entry for this week's Friday Reads is one of those ARCs that you cannot believe your good luck on getting a copy! I'm so very thankful that Mac Kids Books took pity on me on Twitter and allowed me to get an eARC of this one!

Since it's an ARC it's also part of my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge, but not of ARC August since I read this one a while back, totally skipping on my review pile! ;)

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Trial By Fire is one of those quite awaited books for this year since I loved Josephine Angelini's other series (Starcrossed). When I saw that I had missed it being a read it now on NetGalley, I conmiserated with fellow bloggers on Twitter and was immensely lucky to be given a chance to read it by the publisher, so a big thank you to Mac Kids & Feiwell 6 Friends!

As I started reading the book I was a bit confused at first, cause I was expecting witches and burning and for some reason I thought it'd be historical fiction paranormal, but what happens is that we meet Lily Proctor, a girl that is allergic at almost everything and that's having the hardest time ever trying to have a normal as possible life. We see her as a recluse with a best friend that she has a crush on and that has been jumping from girl to girl for the longest time. So far all very contemporary (and a very confused Pili) but things change quickly with betrayal and hurt and Lily finds herself in a very different place altogether.

This is when the real book started for me, even if everything that happened before made sense as the book progressed and some of the things that happened and the people she had in her life were relevant and I'm sure will continue to be so in the rest of the series, once Lily finds herself in a different Salem is when the book really takes off!

The world building of this one simply blown me away, I loved the concept of multiverses and how this world and Salem had the same players and so many things were similar to our world but also essentially completely different. Science and magic as different ways to achieve (more or less) the same thing. How witches hold their magic as their tool and form of control, cause as much as they do a service to the population they also can hold them hostages to those comforts. Quite a good commentary in itself to positions of service and power and the corruption of the best of intentions.

Lily coming to a different Earth where there's another Lillian already and having to deal with the purpose that her other self set on, learning that she's much more here than just a feeble girl allergic to the world and dealing with a whole new version of the people she had in her life... Learning and finding herself powerful and dealing with the temptation of imposing her own will on others was a very interesting journey to read, and seeing how she would fight to remain herself even with all the changes around her made me like Lily a whole lot.

As far as the romance in this book it was a lil on the complicated side, with Rowan being the one that has to help, but with a lot of baggage from his past and his relationship with Lillian. The way the relationship progresses in fits and starts and how they get connected was a bit painful but had me very much rooting for them to get together.

The book has everything, magic, science, enviromental concerns, political intrigue, rebellions, abuse of power, multiverses and one hell of an ending that surely leaves you begging for the next book! Damn those cliffhangers! Very well deserved 4 stars to this one!



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Friday Reads: Opposition by Jennifer L Armentrout!!

Hello guys! Happy Friday! Mine is not the start of a weekend off, but at least I'm back on 3 to 10 pm schedule, which means I can sleep in in the mornings!

I'm starting this week's Friday Reads with a review for yet another series finale and an August release. As such it is not one part of any of my various challenges, but one of those "ME" reads!



Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I started the Lux series on a whim, cause although I wasn't drawn to them, I was waiting for the next Covenant book and I thought "Why not?" and damn, I got totally addicted and ended up binge reading the first 3 books! Then the wait for Origin was quite awful cause of that evil cliffhanger and even if the cliffhanger wasn't as bad this time, it's always bad waiting for the final book of a series!

Given that it is the final book of the series some spoilers for previous books might be expected but I promise no spoilers for Opposition itself!

Opposition starts very much where Origin left us, with the Lux's arrival, Daemon disappearance (along with Dee and Dawson) and Katy left to worry and wonder. The beginning was a bit odd while you wait till working out what the heck is going on now. But never fret, things won't stay weird for long, and soon enough Katy and Daemon will be again the amazing team that they are, ready to face whatever comes together.

That is one of the strengths of these books I feel, the great relationship between Daemon and Katy, the chemistry, the banter, and the way they support each other! Daemon wants to protect Kary but also accepts that she is not going to want to be left behind or treated as useless and he actually really appreciates how kick ass she has become. They don't hold each other back and that is always a sign of a healthy relationship.

Daemon still got his sass and smartass attitude, even when it really wouldn't be a great idea to display, but that's the Daemon we all know and can't help but love. Katy has grown a lot and she's got very good at dealing as best as she can with all the crap that has been thrown her way, but she hasn't stopped being her nerdy bookish self, and I absolutely adore that!

Opposition has plenty of action, even if there's also a lot of planning and the final battle ends up being more personal than massive final showdown. There is conflict, heartbreak and also a lot of hope, some old friends from other books and plenty of humour here and there to lighten the tension a little bit.

The epilogue was a nice way to round it up, and even more after you read the extra epilogue that JLA wrote on her blog (the first line of that one made me giggle btw!) and this was a great final book for the series. Who would have thought I'd love a series of aliens in high school, huh? Very deserved 4 stars for this one!



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First Chapter, First Paragraph #8: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley!!

First Chapter, First Paragraph is one of the two memes that I will be alternating on Thursdays in place of my Ink & Batter posts during the summer, when I won't be baking due to the heat!

I discovered this meme via the ladies of My Shelf Confessions, and it is hosted on Tuesdays by Bibliophile by the Sea. But since I already have my blog tours posts and Tell Me Tuesdays, I thought that it'd work best on Thursdays for me!

The idea of this meme/feature is quite self-explanatory from its name, we share the first paragraph of the first chapter of our current read! Quite a good teaser for others to read and see if they'd be intrigued!


This week I'm sharing the beginning of an ARC I got approved by Harlequinn Teen via NetGalley that will release next month and that I'm buddy reading with the awesome Becca from Pivot Book Reviews (and Totes!).

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley



"Lie #1 


There's no need to be afraid


Jefferson High School, Davisburg, Virginia February 2, 1959


THE WHITE PEOPLE are waiting for us.


Chuck seem them first. He's gone out ahead of our group to peer around the corner by the hardware store. From there you can see all Jefferson High."



What do you think? Would you want to know more?
What are you reading right now?

Waiting On Wednesday #56!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

Sooo, what book am I really really really looking forward to this week? First World Problems by LeighAnn Kopans!

Goodreads Summary:

"Sofia Cole has always been able to get anything she wants through begging, flirting, and shameless manipulation of everyone around her.

Sofia doesn't think that Dad sending her on a gap service year to Guyana to address how "spoiled" she is will change any of that.

Sofia just might be proven wrong.

(A companion novel to SOLVING FOR EX (February 2014,) FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS is a standalone Upper YA/Lower NA contemporary romance.)"


Why am I eagerly awaiting First World Problems? Well, LeighAnn Kopans is one of my beloved authors and this one is a NA companion novel for one of my fave contemporaries of the year, Solving For Ex! I cannot wait to read how dear Sophia gets thrown completely out of her comfort zone!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Tell Me Tuesdays #8!!

Tell Me Tuesdays is a meme/feature created by the awesome ladies of Please Feed The Bookworm and La La In The Library where we can share how we choose the book we are currently reading from our TBR pile!

I'm always curious about that, cause as much as I tend to make myself a rough schedule for books to read and the like, I'm quite a mood reader and sometimes I just HAVE to ignore my schedule and read something else!

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley



 In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

 Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...


I got approved on NetGalley for Lies We Tell Ourselves and I'm doing a buddy read of it with my bloggy friend and awesomely talented Becca of Pivot Point Reviews and Pivot Book Totes! And I'm also finally reading Mortal Danger, after I got the sampler with the 5 first chapters and read some really great reviews from some of my bloggy friends!


So what are you all guys reading and how and why did you decide to pick up that book? Shiny new ARC? Comfort read? Scheduled for review? Must have new release? Tell me!!