Shon's January 2019 Wrap Up

It's the last day of January, Bookworms!!

Can you believe that January is over already? It's been a good book month for me. Not only did I read a lot of great books, but I also added some really good books to my collection as well. I also added a few new Funkos and other goodies to my collection this month, thanks to my Funko Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty Box.

Keep on reading to find out more about my book month!

Reviews:

• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• Here and Now Series by Lexi Ryan

Books Acquired:

• Vicarious by Paula Stokes
• Ferocious by Paula Stokes
• You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando
• You Won't Know I'm Gone by Kristen Orlando
• Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
• Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
• Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
• Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
• Now I Rise by Kiersten White
• Slayer by Kiersten White
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
• City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Books Read:

1. Ringing in the New Year by Alexa Riley
2. Raw by Belle Aurora
3. Raw: Rebirth by Belle Aurora 
4. Verity by Colleen Hoover
5. Lost in Me by Lexi Ryan
6. Fall to You by Lexi Ryan
7. All for This by Lexi Ryan
8. Curious by R.G. Alexander
9. Fired Up by Riley Hart
10. The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory
11. Dirty Headlines by L.J. Shen

In Progress

• The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin
  
• Slayer by Kiersten White 
• The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Overall January was a great month and good start for this new year. I read 11 books this month! I'm definitely hoping that I can keep my reading mojo throughout the rest of the year!

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #60: The Ruin of Kings

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: The Ruin of Kings

Author: Jenn Lyons
Expected publication: February 5, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

There are the old stories. And then there’s what actually happens.

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn't what the storybooks promised.

Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it . . .

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Top Ten Tuesday | The Ten Most Recent Additions to My To-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

I love browsing through goodreads upcoming releases to see what I'm missing from my monthly readings. Here are a few titles I added to my January ~ June 2019 tbr.

Are these titles new for you as well?

Series Review | The Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry

Have you heard of humane peaceful killing? What about respecting a life by making a kill that is noble so it will protect your heart and soul?

The Rot & Ruin series show a completely different take on zombies. The depth, the warmth, the humanizing of zoms, I've never read such a fresh perspective of seeing the zombies as loved ones instead of the living dead.  

The story is told through the eyes of a naïve sheltered teenage boy, born into a zombie infested world, and knows nothing of the world prior to First Night.

Benny, Nix, Chong, Morgie, Lilah, and Riot faces tough decisions during their growth and training. They quickly lose their innocence as their soul is chipped away little by little.

What a compelling journey. An epic story of growth, apprenticeship, human heart, and love. By far, my new favorite series of the year. If the world ever end up like the Rot & Ruin, I hope there will be people like these six who will defend it and breathe life to it. 

Warrior smart.

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #59: King of Scars

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: King of Scars
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Expected publication: January 29, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 


There were books I set aside and some I started but fell for that nasty bug called distraction and haven't picked up again since...

 

Which books did you mean to read in 2018 but didn't?

Shon Review: Here and Now Series by Lexi Ryan

Here and Now Series
by Lexi Ryan
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: April 6th 2014 | May 29th 2014 | August 2nd 2014
Publisher:  Ever After, LLC
Pages: 216 | 235 | 199
Genre: Romance | New Adult | Contemporary
Source: Bought

Synopsis

The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost...perfect.

But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don't remember dating, attempting to run a business I don't remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a façade propped up by secrets I don't even know I have?

I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself.

My Thoughts:

Lost in Me Review:

What just happened? What I have done? How have I survived reading this? I am speechless and my mouth is still open after I finished this book! If you don’t like stories that leave you with more questions than answers, then don’t read this book.  I loved all the characters in this book but that didn’t stop me from suspecting some of them of being part of the mystery. And yes, it ends on a CLIFFHANGER!!

Fall to You Review:

Oh my gosh! With such a huge cliffhanger at the end of book one, I was so happy that I could grab book two immediately! And I was not disappointed. Not only did I get some answers to this mystery, I also was treated to some twists that made me doubt my conclusions about how this was going to end. And, of course, there are still several questions to be answered…including one very important one, one that has my heart racing!!

All for This review:

What a great ending! As the story was moving to the conclusion and more details were provided, I started to get anxious. The events that occurred when she had her fall, was surprising and I was really shocked when I found out the truth.

This series is so addictive that I could not put it down.

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #58: Circle of Shadows

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: Circle of Shadows
Author: Evelyn Skye
Expected publication: January 22, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied behind his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.

As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging to the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark. So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group.Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Shon Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

Verity

by Colleen Hoover
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: December 7, 2018
Publisher: Hoover Ink, Inc
Pages: 333
Genre: Romance | Thriller | Contemporary
Source: Kindle Ulimited

Synopsis

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.


Hello bookworms! I know it’s been awhile. Sorry for the very long absence there! I have been both busy and not busy. I just hope you’ll be happy to join me as I rediscover blogging and reading. You’ll be pleased to find out that I have a book review for you today.

My thoughts:

I don't even really know where to start with this one. Holy crap what did I just read!!!

The story is so twisted it’s hard to talk about the storyline without giving it all away. I will say at one point I was a little disturbed by some of the things, that were said and done in this book. That at time it was actually uncomfortable for me to read.

And that ending! That ending came out of nowhere! My mind was blown! That ending was magnificent and wicked at the same time.

It was an intense read, and I recommend reading it. Just be prepared for your mind to run with possibilities and heart to race.

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday | New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

There are several new to me authors that I discovered in 2018.
Some of the series I enjoyed reading so much, I went ahead and read their other works as well. 

1.  Kristen Ashley describes a fantastic parallel universe of modern cross magical in the epic Fantasyland series.

2. Laura Thalassa writes about a warring kingdom that lived an undying king. In order to quell senseless killings, a young soldier was sent as sacrifice, discovers it was more than she can handle in The Fallen World series.

3. Jonathan Maberry humanizes zombies and gives new perspective to life after the invasion of the living dead nearly wiping out the entire world in the Rot & Ruin series.

4. Adrienne Young builds an incredible warring tribe that is character driven in a captivating and conflicting story in Sky in the Deep. Fantastic debut author.

5. Dhonielle Clayton writes a tale on the extreme cost for beauty in The Belles.

6. Sara Holland paints a rich world that barters blood as commodity in Everless. 

7. Eoin Colfer is witty and clever with the tale of a 12-year-old mad genius in Artemis Fowl.

8. Becca Fitzpatrick depicts a world of fallen angels living amongst humans in the Hush, Hush series.

 

9. Alexandra Christo creates a superior race of sirens vs humans in To Kill a Kingdom.

10. Laura Sebastian paints an alluring tale of an overthrown kingdom led by a dictator in Ash Princess.

First Read of the Year! | Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black
Published January 8th 2019 by Little, Brown Books
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Fairies
Page: 336
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

Synopsis

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. She bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
 
Review

Holly Black is cruel. There's a level of frustration to being mortal: helpless, weak, powerless. By that I mean, without an army backing you are helpless, without the strength of the land you are weak, without the fae abilities of protection you are powerless.

Jude changed the game. She is now in a level of power, however, her power in the monarch still has its limitations. She has control of the game but for how long? The heavy weight of kingship is taking a toll on her body and spirit. 

I hate how she continues to be mistreated, disrespected, and not taken seriously. She bites her tongue and supresses all her hardships and those around her are too blind to take notice. I rejoice at her winning a small victory, I am shaken at her being outmaneuvered. Holly Black plays with my heartstrings time and time again. Just when I see the light at the end of the tunnel, she drops something and I'm left with my mouth hanging wide open.  

Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) review can be found here.