Finally Friday!: The First

Finally Friday! is a weekly post on Doodle's Book Reviews that hilights a recently acquired book that I've been waiting to get my hands on. Feel free to leave a comment!

(Front and back covers of The Tenth Anniversary Edition. Front is the traditional cover, back is the LIFE AND DEATH cover)

If you know me at all, then you know that I'm a mega Twihard. I can't get enough of the story, whether it's the books or movies. No matter how much hate the series acquires, it holds a special place in my heart.

For the tenth anniversary of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer pulled a Beyonce and dropped a new book. LIFE AND DEATH is a gender-swapped retelling of Twilight, told from the eyes of Beau Swan, a male human who falls in love with a female vampire.

This came out of nowhere, and while I didn't have the ability to run out and get my hands on a copy, I recently found a package on my doorstep. It turned out that one of my best friends had sent it to me as a belated birthday gift, and it was one of the most unexpected and fantastic surprises.

I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this one, but I'm stoked to be able to add LIFE AND DEATH to the Twilight section of my bookshelf. Review to come soon!

Waiting on Wednesday: Endure by Sara B. Larson

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that hilights upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.

Title: Endure (Defy #3)

Author: Sara B. Larson

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Description from Goodreads: At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian t any moment.Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

I read and loved the first two books, DEFY and IGNITE, and have been sitting on pins and needles, awaiting this conclusion. I'm eager to see how Alexa gets around certain obstacles that were led up to in IGNITE, and of course I can never get enough of King Damian. My hope is that the wait for this one won't be too gruesome. Only a few months left!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that hilights upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.

Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 8, 2016

Description from Goodreads: A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an Act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona-- kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson's hand in marriage.
Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there's no denying the unspoken lure between them... or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He's determined to keep his focus on the task at hand-- ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family-- yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers' tale, "The Singing Bone," New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.



"Rugged hunters,
romantic tension,
outlawed magic,
and a princess willing to risk all to save her people"

What part of that DOESN'T sound absolutely enthralling?

I'm super excited for this one. I love the fairy tale element, and for whatever reason, GREAT HUNT is giving off some Disney's Brave-type vibes, so I'm ready to see what Wendy Higgins gives us! I'm really hoping to snag an ARC, seeing as I'm very curious as to what this story will entail and how it's going to be executed. GREAT HUNT is definitely on my list of most anticipated reads for next year!

Manic Monday: The First

Manic Monday is a weekly post at Doodle's Book Reviews that hilights the current week's TBR, the previous week's book haul(s), and any big bookish plans for the current week. Feel free to leave a comment!

Welcome to the first post for Manic Monday! As you read above, this is a weekly post where I'll spill you on any book hauls, my TBR for the week, and bookish plans (i.e. signings, conferences, meet-ups, etc.) I may have for the upcoming week. So, let's get started!

TBR:*

This week, I'll be reading MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ASGARD, as well as DANGEROUS CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I did a lot of reading last week, where I read the entire Caster Chronicles in five days, starting BEAUTIFUL CREATURES on Monday and finishing BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION just an hour before meeting Margaret on her BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED tour on Friday, so I'm not shooting for a huge TBR this week. Plus, I'm reading Magnus Chase with a buddy, so it'll be a bit of a slower read than I'm used to, due to making sure we're reading the same things at the same times.

Book Haul:

Last week's haul includes the book mentioned above, DANGEROUS CREATURES, as well as book two in Ridley's series, DANGEROUS DECEPTION. Also included are Margaret Stohl's BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED. and the newly-released anthology AMONG THE SHADOWS, by thirteen authors, such as: Demetria Lunetta, Mindy McGinnis, Lydia Kang. THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales, FIRST & THEN by the lovely Emma Mills, VIOLENT ENDS ( another anthology, by Shaun David Hutchinson, Kendare Blake, and more.), FUZZY MUD by Louis Sachar, and FRONTLINES were additions this week as well. 

Bookish Plans:

Slowly but surely, the event season is winding down. There are a few in November, but not too many, and I have 0 scheduled from now until the first of the month. If something pops up, I will definitely update you, but as of now, October = 0.

*Disclaimer: I am a MAJOR mood reader. TBR is always subject to change.

Site Reconstruction!

    Hey guys! Just wanted to let you all know that the blog is going to be going under some reconstruction for the next few weeks, so please bare with me. We're trying to get a few design things straightened out, so until then, the site may look a little wonky. Stay with me! I'm working on getting everything back in ship shape as fast as I can!

Book Review: NIL By Lynne Matson

     Once upon a time, a blogger friend of mine started tweeting #NilTribe and #WinNil and I wanted to know what this was about. I found the author on Twitter, started entering giveaways, and became super stoked to read this book called NIL by Lynne Matson. FINALLY my stack has began its descent into smallness, so I picked up NIL and started it. I have to say that NIL was the most impressive read I've enjoyed in quite a while and I'm going to try not to rant and ramble. No guarantees, though.
     Charley doesn't know exactly how she got onto this island. She remembers walking across the Target parking lot and seeing something shimmer towards her, and then... she woke up on this beach. After surviving a few days on her own, seeing people is just what she needs to take the volleyball withdrawals away. Especially when one of those people is Thad. Island hunk extraordinaire, he introduces Charley to life on NIL-- the island where you have exactly 365 days to escape, or you die.
     While searching for the gates that lead back home, Charley and Thad discover truths -about themselves, each other, and the island as well- that just might change the way they see things. With Thad's 365th day approaching fast, the race against time to send him home is on. Will Thad make it, or will his body stay on NIL forever?
     I could go on for hours about this book. The plot was so well thought out, and the details so intricately woven... NIL is an insane read. And it's no easy breezy carefree read either. This one had me stressing out and sitting on the edge of my seat the whole way through, not to mention the cascade of tears. Looking for a good read to bid farewell to summer? Look no farther-- NIL is what you need. And it's based on an island *sing songy voice*! I would give NIL a 5/5 stars. I have absolutely no complaints with or about it. Let's all take a moment to just appreciate Lynne Matson for writing this book!

Returning from An Unexpected Hiatus

Hey there! I hope you all had a great summer and have transitioned back into your classes well. I realize that I haven't posted in a bit, and there is a reason for this. Anyone who blogs knows that running a blog is a TON of work. It takes a lot of energy and time, which I just did not have this summer. So, unannounced (I know, I failed to tell you) I took a hiatus just to kind of get organized and get everything back in working order. 

I have now returned, with some fun things in the works and big plans in mind. Keep checking back to see what's going on... I'll have some things coming up for you soon, and I can't wait to see what happens. As for what to expect, well, you'll just have to wait and see. Possibly a website re-vamp in the future, possibly some new features, possibly some fantastic authors and giveaways. 

The Blogisodes are being put on hold for now. I have some technical issues to work out with that, but they will definitely make a comeback once those kinks get worked out. 

In the meantime, grab a book and hold on tight! It's going to be a bumpy ride getting things going again, but with your help-- sharing and liking posts, etc-- hopefully we can get back to where we were, and then shoot for the stars.