Shon's February Reading Wrap Up & Book Haul

~February Book Haul~

Purchased Books:

Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

The Gilded Cage by Lucinda Gray

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton 

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey

LDK (Volume 6) by Ayu Watanabe

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
The Valiant by Lesley Livingston
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard 
Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill 

Trapped in Silver by Emily Sowden*

Giveaway Books:
Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

 Free Books:

The Marvelous Misadventures of Ingrid Winter by J.S. Drangsholt*

* ebook/audiobook, not pictured

~February Wrap Up~

 February was a great month for books!
I added so many great ones to my collection, and I'm hoping to start reading them soon, once I'm over my reading slump.

How was your month?? What books did you add to your collection??

Happy Reading!

Tina Reviews: Wolf by Wolf

Wolf by Wolf written by Ryan Graudin
Published October 20th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Alternate History, Young Adult

Page: 400
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina
 

Synopsis

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe.

Review

The fantasy aspect of skinshifting completely threw me off. I thought this is a "what if" type of scenario. What if Hitler won, what would the world look like? With the fantasy element, a story about the aftermath of WWII became more bearable to read.

The story begins with Yael's journey. Her arrival at camp, picked out of a cluster of kids by the camp doctor, her first experimentation, and the characters that shaped her life. She wants to do something, be more than who she is. She wants to see her skinshifting as more than a "monster" quality and make use of it for the resistance.

The story blew me away. At first, I wasn't sure where the story was heading and scenes fell into place, I began to wonder. I developed a theory for the book conclusion and it went exactly as I imagined. And more elements of surprise follows... wow this is a story that makes you dive into the next book right away!

Friday 56! February 23, 2017

The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. 

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence, or few, just don't spoil it.

4. Post it.

"the ninjas who had advanced from the tress stared at the floating sword, and Taro heard them murmuring, nervous. Then the sword fell to the ground and lay still. There was a commotion among the attacking ninjas. One of them pointed at the sword, and another shouted something. Taro thought he heard the word akuryou, "evil spirit."

From the book:

Blood Ninja by Nick Lake  

Have a great weekend :)

Xo

Wendy

Thursday Thrills 2/23/2017

Is it just me or did this Thursday come faster than usual? And maybe this past three day weekend had something to do with it but I'm sure glad its almost the weekend again. I hope you enjoy this weeks Thursday Thrills.

1. When they ask what I do in my spare time?...

2. Hi. My name is Wendy and I' a bookaholic.

3. What is sleep?

4. A picture has never been so accurate in my life lol.

5. My To Do List is just sitting there getting longer.

Have a happy and safe Thursday!

Xo,

Wendy

"Waiting On" Wednesday #22: The Hate U Give

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Title: The Hate U Give
Author:  Angie Thomas
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
Expected publication:  February 28th
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?  Let us know in the comment section below.

-Shon

Top Ten Tuesday #61: Ten Books I Loved Less/More Than I Thought I Would

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Books I Loved Less/More Than I Thought I Would (recently or all time) -- or you could do something like books I liked more/less than everyone else. 

Books I Love Lees Than I Thought I Would

Shon's Picks
 
 1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
So many people loved Anna and the French Kiss while I had such a strong dislike for it. 

2. Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout
The plot sound interesting and very unique. (They had me at K-Pop). Sad to say that this book is not for K-Pop fans or anyone who is a fan of all things Hallyu.

3. A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls by Jessica Spotswood
Collection of short stories from fifteenth bestselling young adult authors. With that many bestselling authors in one book, you would think that this book would be a slam dunk. It was not.

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I think if I had just read the synopsis about this book instead of listening to others people opinions and review on this book. I would not have gone into this book with such high hopes and expectations.

5. Black Diamond by Ali Dean
I don't know what happened the book start off so promising and towards the end it kind of just fizzle out.

Wendy's Pick

6.  Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas 
Man this book was very hard to get through. I enjoyed the first 2 books, but this one got me into a reading slump. The book is basically Celaena training once again and a few more boys to add to her list of lovers. ( How many more boys will we encounter? Should I sign her up for the next bachelorette?)

7.  Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead 
I got a little annoyed with Rose & her obsession with Dimitri & having to prove that he isn't strigoi anymore. The last bit of the book was what brought it back up.

8.  We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 
I'm going to be honest and say that it took a lot for me to finish this book. The writing is unusual for me and I did not like it. The story line was decent. Although I'm they type to like more detailed characters/story lines. Over all in O.K. book.

9.  Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1) by Sophie Jordan
It has a pretty cover.

10. Black Diamond by Ali Dean
OK, so in the beginning I was so into this book and about mid-way it started to get to childish. A lot of whining and back and forth rants. NO ACTION! LOL! 

 

Contemporary Reviews 3 by Tina

Hello all! This is my third update on my Bookish/Blog Goals of 2017. I dare say I didn't see myself as an avid contemporary reader and I've quite enjoyed this experience. Are you discovering new reads you didn't think you'd like as well?

Here are my thoughts:

I resisted reading this novel... for a long time. I knew reading a Colleen Hoover book would entail an emotional roller coaster ride and I prepared myself for a story of tears and heartache. The first 150 pages I did good. Actually, I couldn't believe my eyes at the sweetness and perfect relationship of Lily and Ryle. So that made me grip the edge of my seats in deathly fear. And then... completely out of the blue, the defective human disorder appears. Despite my reaction to Ryle's unlikely behavior, I enjoyed the book immensely. I can see Lily loving both Ryle and Atlas. It took me until the Acknowledgement before I realized why this book was written. Truly, I don't find how a person can "lose their mind" in moments of violence believable or if it's an actually disorder, but I understand why she wrote it. I feel deeply bad for anyone who has experienced such moments described in this book.
 

I'm sad to say this one is a let down. The story is light good-nature Christmas tale that featured bullying and human kindness. I see the struggles but didn't feel them.

This is a book Shon strongly suggested I read. I can see why she enjoys it so much. It is a cute story about a girl who suffers an extreme form of ptsd where she believes she creates bad luck to those around her. She struggles through challenges she sets for herself to improve her mental health. 




Have you checked our first Contemporary Reviews page or second Contemporary Reviews page? Let me know your thoughts.

Manic Monday #10: The Best and Worst Fictional Presidents

Hello bookworms. Happy Monday! In honor of President's Day I decide to make a list of the best and worst fictional presidents from both Books, Television and Film. 

The Worst

1. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic (Harry Potter)
2. Presidents Snow and Coin (The Hunger Games)

3. President Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn in Scandal)
4. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart in Olympus Has Fallen)

The Best

1. Abraham Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)

2. President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen in The West Wing)
3. President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman in Independence Day)
4. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford in Air Force One)



Let us know who are some of your favorite or least favorite fictional presidents and the comment down below.

Sunday Post #5

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. You can find more info here: Sunday Post Meme


Happy Sunday Bookworms!! So, here what going on with Tangled 'N' Book. 

 

Book Outlet:

The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid

The Shadow Hour (The Girl at Midnight #2) by Melissa Grey

This is what I’m currently reading:

 

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

 

Last Week On The Blog:

• Manic Monday: I’m In A Reading Slump
• Contemporary Reviews 2 by Tina
• Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Hate-To-Love Romances
• "Waiting On" Wednesday: Long May She Reign
• Thursday Thrills
• Friday 56!: Don't You Forget About Me
• Shon & Wendy Review: Sugar Rush 

Monday, February 20th

• Contemporary Reviews 3 by Tina 
• Manic Monday: The Best and Worst Fictional Presidents

Tuesday, February 21st

• Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday, February 22nd

• "Waiting On" Wednesday

Thursday, February 23rd

• Thursday Thrills

Friday, February 24th

• Friday 56!

HAPPY READING!!!

Shon & Wendy Review: Sugar Rush by Sawyer Bennett

Title / Author: Sugar Rush by Sawyer Bennett
Published: August 16th 2016 by Loveswept
Page: 216
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult
Source: Bought
Series: Sugar Bowl
Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis
In the steamy and suspenseful sequel to Sugar Daddy (“A totally gripping take on romance and revenge!”—Lauren Blakely), a heartbreaking rift threatens to unravel a dangerous alliance . . . and a fragile new love.

After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She's closing in on the site's heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend's business partner and her lover, by her side. She'd thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?

Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn't exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT's trust and pretend that they're still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.

Note: Sugar Rush ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck's story concludes in Sugar Free!

Shon's Thoughts: I like how book to pick up exactly where book one end. I was scared it was going to be like six months later and then the story will be told in flashbacks.

I am in love with book two. It is everything I wish book one was.

Spoiler alert!

I like how Beck is helping Sela with her revenge. I really like the P.I. that Beck got  to help bring JT down. His plan to bring JT down was so good.

When JT call Beck from the hospital the next day after the fight. A vision of Hannibal from The A-Team pop into my head with him saying. . .

Wendy's Take:

This BOOK!

It still has me like...

I love BECK! I really thought he was going to lose her for a moment and then when his brain connected all the dots it was like all HELL broke loose. I saw the real Beckett North. And YUM.

That lucky little Sela!

Speaking of Sela, Girllll. It pained me to see how she poured out her little heart and got tossed to the curve. But Beck came through for her and then understood where she was coming from. Their bond grew so much stronger. And the s-e-*.

Their revenge plan was genius! Just goes to show how much someone can do with a lot of money. Everyone just needs to stick to the plan. But I wouldn't be surprised if shit went haywire. *cough*

Which brings me to JT. OH MY GOD. That explains who Ally is and why she is important. PLOT TWIST, although to be honest I kind of saw that coming.What I didn't see coming was how this book ended. It was such a good cliffhanger. 

GIVE ME MORE! lol

Friday 56! February 17, 2017

The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. 

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence, or few, just don't spoil it.

4. Post it.

"Reluctantly, I take a step forward, back into the press box. I wish I had waited to take the pill. I have maybe ten minutes before I start feeling its effects and I don't want to be around Jonathan when that happens."Well?" I prompt him now. His gaze meets mine for a second before quickly sliding away again. "I know you do some work for Elton, but do you, like, really work for Elton?"

From the book:

Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn 

Have a great weekend :)

Xo

Wendy

Thursday Thrills 2/16/2017

Dear Thursday,

I'm glad your back. I missed you.
LOL. Its been one tough week and time feels like it stopped. No joke. So I'm glad these little thrills can make my week a little less hectic 😊. Hope it makes the end of your week less hectic too. Enjoy!

1. 24 hours. Or I will come looking for you LOL

2. This bookshelf is everything! Why can't they have these at a club!

3. True love<3

4. Me escaping reality

5. I get so giddy hehe

Have a happy and safe Thursday!
Xo,
Wendy

"Waiting On" Wednesday #21: Long May She Reign

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Title: Long May She Reign
Author: Rhiannon Thomas
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected publication:  February 21st
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult 


The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.


What are you waiting for this Wednesday?  Let us know in the comment section below.

-Shon

Top Ten Tuesday #60: Top Ten Favorite Hate-To-Love Romances

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is top ten favorite hate-to-love romances (from books or movies or tv), top ten favorite (or least favorite) insta-love romances, favorite slow-burn romances, favorite star-crossed lovers, etc. etc. Can go so many ways with this one).

This week is going to be fun! Why pick one, when you can pick all?

  Favorite Love-To-Hate Romances

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead 

Broken Prince by Erin Watt

Favorite Hate-To-Love Romances

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Raw by Belle Aurora

Blood to Dust by L.J. Shen

Least Favorite Insta-love Romances

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Favorite Star-Crossed Lovers

 Divergent by Veronica Roth