Top Ten Tuesday (3)

**Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we are given a new topic to make a top ten list. :) 

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2014 (bookish, not bookish or a blend)

BLENDED LIST:

1. Write reviews IMMEDIATELY when I am done with a book. 

   

2. Schedule posts in ADVANCE! This way if "real life" gets me away from the computer for a bit hopefully I have some stuff already up.

3. LESS time on Twitter O.O This one will be HARD!!

4. Get more organized, in blogging and in real life.

5. Exercise and eat right....I mean isn't this a universal one?!

6. Go to more book signings

7. Try out new genres

8. Be more money savy $$$$$

9. Get on a regular sleeping schedule....seriously I don't sleep a lot and I have three kids and it's BRUTAL!

10. Spend more time with the hubs away from electronics ♥ 

What are some of your goals??

Unhinged by A. G. Howard

**SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SPLINTERED**

Unhinged (Splintered #2)

by A.G. Howard

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

My Thoughts:

I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED....did I mention LOVED this book. It was perfection, sprinkled with awesomeness, rolled in incredible! *throws confetti*

Ok now that that's out of my system...

If you are a fan of Splintered get ready for another amazing story full of Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus and all the Wonderland ways...except this time we are staying in the human realm. O.O While I missed Wonderland and still hope we get more of that setting in Ensnared (which I think we will), this book worked nicely and made a clear message that Alyssa isn't going to have it so easily picking her human realm over the Wonderland realm. And she isn't going to get to choose so easily where her heart lies.

So I'm going to do this review a little more "formal" than I normally do because I'm afraid if I don't have a little bit of structure I will just totally fan girl all over the place....

THE LOVE TRIANGLE: Howard hands down writes one of the best triangles I have ever seen. Triangles are hard to do in a book and hard to get right and make feel realistic BUT when I have read two books in a series and STILL can't choose which guy I prefer then the author is doing something right. I am usually the first to jump on the "bad boy, loner" train (ahem Morpheus) and leave the "good guy" (ahem Jeb) in the dust, but it just hasn't been this way at all. I was hoping this book would make me finally clear on whose "Team" I was, but all it has done is made me decide I'm on TeamJebpheus....I just CAN'T choose. Jeb is a good guy, but he also has the hot edge and he is SO fierce and loyal to Alyssa that I just want him to be happy and get everything he wants. I love the way he handles the things he discovers in this book, it all made me love him even more. I want to give more details but...SPOILERS! O.o  MORPHEUS he is deceiving, mischievous, annoying, but gosh darn-it he loves Alyssa and under it all he is a good guy. I loved being able to see little chinks in his armor in this book finally. It was all SO swoony!

THE PLOT: There were SO many unexpected to twists in this book that I would of NEVER seen coming....like AT ALL. When we start discovering all these little secrets about Wonderland along the way I was in shock most of the time and SO ready to see where it is all going. I also like seeing all the memories that were brought into play between different characters and finding out more about Wonderland and the creatures there in general.

THE CREATURES: Honestly I just want to give a shout out to Chessie & Rabid....because I totes love them and I want to walk around with Chessie on my shoulder for reals ♥

THE ENDING: The ending....WILL KILL YOU....you have been warned! It will leave you to BEG A.G. Howard for Ensnared NOW because gosh darn-it January 2015 is WAY to far away and we all just need to know all the things and MY BABIES....... :-(

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

I completely recommend this book to anyone and everyone that can read....seriously!

What's On The Agenda (1)

♥ January 5th-11th ♥

(New Sunday Feature where I share what's planned for my week!)

Reading:

  

 

Reviewing:

 

      Jan 6                       Jan 10          

Cover Reveals:

AS YOU TURN AWAY by Molli Moran (@bookwhimsies) Jan 8

What's New This Year:

I'm going to be doing some awesome challenges this year! I've signed up for a series challenge, stand alone challenge, bingo challenge, and will be introducing a challenge of my own. Each week this month I'm going to be introducing each challenge I signed up for and the one I will be starting next month hosted on my blog. This coming Friday I will have all details up about the challenge I will be hosting, then each Friday after in Jan I will tell you more about the other challenges and what I plan to do to accomplish them! So excited to share all the things that are in store in the blogging world for me this year. :-)

Hope you stop by and see all the awesome things posted this week. Let me know what's on your agenda ;-) And if anyone else is interested in doing this feature with me let me know!

Stacking the Shelves (6)

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

I have not done a STS since September but I plan to keep up with it much better now that things in my personal life have calmed down! 

So this week I went on a bit of a eBook buying binge. O_O Uh-oh right! Well in my defense they were all SUPER good deals, soooo.....yea! But here are my lovelies:

eBooks:

       

     

 

  

  

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (Amazon sale $1.99)

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (Amazon sale $1.99)

Mila 2.0: Origins: The Fire by Debra Driza (Amazon FREE)

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (B&N 50% off sale $2.99)

Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom by Tiffany King (Amazon deal $0.99, #1 is on there for FREE)

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith (Amazon daily deal $1.99)

15 Winter Reads by several YA Authors (Amazon monthly sale $0.99)

Wait For You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L Armentrout) (Amazon deal $0.99)

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd (Amazon daily deal $1.99)

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Amazon daily deal $1.99)

Resisting the Hero by Cindi Madsen (Entangled Pub for review)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Random House via Netgalley)

**Some of these are still at the low prices, some of them have gone back up sadly. ALSO I have this one already but for those that don't Incarnate by Jodi Meadows is $1.99 on monthly deals. :)

Prints:

The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow (Harlequin Teen)

So that's it for me this week. What all did you get? Let me know guys ♥

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

**I received this eARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

No One Else Can Have You

by Kathleen Hale

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

My Thoughts:

This review is really difficult to write. The book is so unique that it makes it hard to out into words just what I thought about it, besides the fact that I liked it. But I will try! 

Let me start off by saying...this book is not going to be for everyone. I've noticed it's a pretty much "you love it or you hate it" kind of book. I think it will take a certain person to love it. It is definitely one of the weirdest, quirkiest books I have ever come in contact with. The characters are weird, they talk weird, and they make extremely weird, inappropriate jokes....BUT somehow I still completely adored it. I was thoroughly entertained on every page. I don't know if it was Hale's intentions for the book to be quirky or to be seen this way...but I don't say it in a bad way. This book definitely is unique and very refreshing. 

It did a really good job in capturing a small town and what truly are some of their ways. They don't want to let outsiders in and you all have these little quirky ways of doing things when it comes to your neighbors. That was shown spectacularly. It also did a good job of showing how a small town girl was able to look outside of the box and see what even the police weren't able to see. 

The mystery part of the story isn't going to be one for people that are REALLY into mystery/thriller books. I was able to guess who it was before even halfway through. I know a lot of people that didn't figure it out until the very end, but I don't read any mystery/thrillers really so I feel like if I guessed it an avid reader of that genre would of gotten it quickly too. Also it isn't dark, well maybe one part, but I won't say when for spoiler purposes. So if you are looking for some intense thriller, this isn't it. But if you are looking for an entertaining, fun read that will make you laugh, go "say what", and learn a little along the way you would probably enjoy this. Just keep an open mind. ;-)

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Inhuman by Kat Falls (Mini Review)

** I got this e-ARC from Scholastic via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Inhuman (Fetch #1)

by Kat Falls

In a world ravaged by mutation, a teenage girl must travel into the forbidden Savage Zone to recover lost artifacts or her father’s life is forfeit.

America has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.

Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught.

Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy

My Thoughts:

(Mini Review)

I'm a huge lover of dystopian and this is one I was really excited to get a chance to read. The story line is certainly unique and intriguing and overall I enjoyed this book. 

At first, I thought I wasn't going to get much into it...I honestly don't know why, there was nothing wrong with it, maybe it was just me, but I quickly found myself very caught up in everything that was happening with Lane, Rafe, and Everson. Lane was an awesome YA heroine who could really hold her own; Rafe was your "bad-boy", outcast who you just couldn't help but love; and Everson was your "good guy" strong soldier. There is definitely what looks like a love triangle...but you won't get any complaints from me because it was done right! Team Rafe by the way ;-)

 There was AMAZING world building, I really felt like I was there with them. The whole dystopian spin was something definitely new and different that I have not seen even remotely done before. The ending is one that will leave you wanting more ASAP. I definitely added this to my list of books to buy in hardcover...because I mean come on...do you see that cover? 

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Defy by Sara B Larson

**I received this ARC from Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Scholastic Press. 

Defy (Defy #1)

by Sara B. Larson

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Thoughts:

This book really took me a while to get through, almost 2 weeks. At first I thought it was just the fact that I have been in a bit of a reading rut over this last month, but nope it wasn't. It in fact was that I started a book I thought was a high fantasy but turned out to be mainly about romance. Now I'm not against romance in any way, shape, or form, BUT when I think a book is about something completely different.....well I get a little bit irritated. It's like ordering a Dr. Pepper from Sonic and going to take a drink and it's Rootbeer instead.....SURPRISE!!!! Not in a good way either.  (I can't stand Rootbeer)

Anyways, the romance wouldn't have been SO bad IF it hadn't completely taken over the plot for at least 60% of the book, and it had been believable. I mean the high fantasy part of the novel....pretty much nonexistent. Instead it was all about romance and what seemed to be a forced love triangle. Now I'm no fan of insta-love but I can handle love triangles when done right....this was not done right sadly. Thing is...it really could of been though. A little tweek here and there and this triangle would of been the kind that would of had all us girls saying #TeamRylan #TeamDamian on twitter and raising our pitchforks and such! But nope....instead I eye rolled my way through several pages when these little "love scenes" happened. 

Now I will say that after the 50% mark the plot started to pick up and we started to get a little action outside of the Alexa/Damian/Rylan triangle and I started thoroughly enjoying the book. The high fantasy part kicked in BUT we still had no world building for the most part and the end shifted right back to the triangle. *sigh* Honestly the only point I see for the next book is to see who Alexa picks, which means I don't have much interest in reading it...because as I said before that's not what I was getting into this book for and it's just not all that believable. 

I know it may sound like I really disliked this book, so why give it the rating I did? Well despite all the unbelievable things with the romance I really did like Damian. I mean he's super swoony, seriously he is. I liked him so much I think the book might have even been better if written from his POV and told his story instead. It's not that I didn't like Alexa, she just focused on boys too much, and that's not what I really was hoping for. I also really found the little bit of back story we did get to be quite intriguing, had it of been more focused on that and the sorcerers and the kingdoms I could of really loved it I think. 

Do I think this book is BAD? No, not at all. Do I think others will love it? Yes I really do. I think some girls will definitely get in a tizzy over Rylan and Damian, and they will love the triangle and all the romance. BUT if you are looking for a high fantasy with a plot focused on high fantasy, best to skip this one.

My Rating:

♥♥♥