Tangled 'N' Books

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday #7: Crooked Kingdom

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

Title: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Expected publication: September 27th
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Synopsis

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #39: All About Audio freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is All About Audio freebie -- aka top 10 audiobooks you should listen to, 10 books I want to listen to on audio, 10 bands you should check out, 10 podcasts you should be listening to, 10 of my all time favorite albums, 10 songs I love, really whatever you can come up with.

Tina's Top 10 Audiobook & Narrator Recommendation

1. Harry Potter series - By far, without a doubt, Jim Dale's narration is the best. He created 134 different character voices and won 2 Grammy awards for Harry Potter <3.

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone series - Khristine Hvam has such a sweet melodic voice. I've been listening to her since this series and I will continue to listen to every book she narrates simply because she takes me to a happier place.

3. Empire of Storms - this is by far, the best narration Elizabeth Evans has done to date. She lost the pretentious spiteful arrogance in her voice and gave the best performance. It was soothing and gave the read such a pleasant flow. I highly commend her performance.

4. The Raven Boys series - Will Patton's voice is like a breath of fresh air. He transports me into a magical world of make believe.

5. Mistborn series - Michael Kramer makes everything written by Brandon Sanderson powerful.

6. Grisha series - Lauren Fortgang brought The Darkling to life and I enjoyed every minute of the Grisha adventures.

7. Divergent series - soothing and fun, Emma Galvin made this series a very enjoyable read.

8. Grey - surprisingly Grey is actually really good because of Zachary Webber's narration; I would otherwise dismiss this book. Hmm I should look into what else he's read.

9. Shiver series - I enjoyed both the narration of David LeDoux's sexy masculine voice and Jenna Lamia's innocent wonder. They helped me enjoy Maggie's beautiful "book of poetry" that much more.

10. Ender's Game - my first audiobook. I remember learning about the world of audiobooks from my Intro to Business professor. He was nearing blind and that day made me dive heavily into the world of narrations. Opened my mind and forever changed my life.

What is your favorite audiobook?

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Ben & Jerry's Book Tag

The Ben & Jerry's Book Tag! We first discovered this tag on Lauren Stoolfire's blog. It looked a lot of fun and we can't wait to try it.

1. Vanilla Caramel Fudge - Pick a light and fluffy contemporary

Tina: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - truly a fast fluffy feel good read

Wendy: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2. Mint Chocolate Cookie - A new release that you wish everybody would read

Tina: Paper Princess by Erin Watt - I devoured this book! Don't remember how I came across it, probably from reading Captive Prince reviews on goodreads. Then shortly after, Shon & Wendy followed and now we're huge fans.

Wendy: Twisted Palace (The Royals #3) by Erin Watt

3. Cherry Garcia - An ending that was bittersweet

Tina: Mistborn and The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson - sigh, such a good story and the world building is beyond crazy. I know the ending is left open so more side stories can be written but I need something more conclusive.

Wendy: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

4. Strawberry Shortcake - A book containing your OTP of OTP's

Tina: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - most definitely Grace and Sam <3

Wendy: Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer

5. Milk and Cookies - Two authors that if they collaborated, they would go perfectly together

Tina: What would this crazy world building look like if Brandon Sanderson can mash his genius expanse of intricate details in EVERYTHING with Orson Scott Card's plots and foreshadowing??? Anyone???

Wendy: Michelle Hodkin and Erin Watt. hehehehe

6. Boston Cream Pie - A book that had you turning the pages late at night

Tina: Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop - pretty much the entire plot is given away in the beginning chapters but you want the characters to advance quickly so you end up burning the midnight oil.

Wendy: Currently... The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

7. Chocolate Therapy - A book that makes you feel better after a long day of life

Tina: My go-to-read-always. I like to drown myself in Karou & Akiva goodness.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday #6: Stalking Jack the Ripper

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

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
To Be Release: September 20th
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #38: Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of X Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of X Genre (I know, I know. Picking all time faves. I'm MEAN. But I like knowing people's definitive faves). Can also break it down into sub-genre if that helps?

Shon's Top Ten Favorite New Adult books

1. Paper Princess (The Royals #1) by Erin Watt

2. Broken Prince (The Royals #2) by Erin Watt

3. The Score (Off-Campus #3) by Elle Kennedy

4. Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy

5. Us (Him #2) by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy

6. Raw (RAW Family #1) by Belle Aurora

7. Sugar Daddy (Sugar Bowl #1) by Sawyer Bennett

8. Sugar Rush (Sugar Bowl #2) by Sawyer Bennett

9. The Exception by Sandi Lynn

10. The Anatomy of Jane (WJM #1) by Amelia LeFay

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Shon & Wendy Review: Sugar Daddy by Sawyer Bennett

Title / Author: Sugar Daddy by Sawyer Bennett
Published: May 24th 2016 by Loveswept
Page: 220
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Source: Bought
Series: Sugar Bowl
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis
Seduction has never been so sweet! The New York Times bestselling author of the Cold Fury series—Alex, Garrett, Zack, and Ryker—returns with the first novel in a hot new trilogy.

Sela Halstead lost her innocence in a way that no sixteen-year-old should ever have to endure. She’s spent years trying to forget that night even while wondering about the identities of the monsters who brutalized her—until a telltale tattoo flashes across Sela’s TV screen. The incriminating ink belongs to Jonathon Townsend, the millionaire founder of The Sugar Bowl, a website that matches rich older men with impressionable young women. Obsessed with revenge, Sela infiltrates Townsend’s world, only to come face-to-face with a tantalizing complication: Beckett North, his charismatic business partner.

The tech mastermind behind The Sugar Bowl, Beck always gets what he wants, in business and in bed. And yet, for a man who’s done every dirty thing imaginable, there’s something about the naïve, fresh-faced Sela that sparks his hottest fantasies. Because with her, it’s not just about sex. Beck opens up to her in ways he never has with other girls. So why does he get the feeling that she’s hiding something? In a world of pleasure and power, the shocking truth could turn them against each other—or bind them forever.

Note: Sugar Daddy ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story continues in Sugar Rush and Sugar Free!

Shon's Thoughts: I loved it. It was a beautiful written story but the beginning started a little slow for me. I like that idea of Sela wanting revenge so I was a little disappointed when it turned into a romance novel. I was hoping that the author would have focus more on the revenge plot.

But that ending! OMG! That ending had me like. I can't even...

Wendy's Take: At first I didn't want to continue reading this book for the soul purpose of someone being raped, but then I kept reading and got interested in the story-line. I want to know what happened NEXT! The book ends with a very good cliff hanger and now I need to know what happened! Ahhhhhhhhh. This book is a new adult genre. I mean pretty Fifty Shades of Grey erotic. Although 50 shades didn't have this much drama, its pretty close to it when it comes to romance. Can't wait to start the 2nd book.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Blog Tour: REN: Awakened by Brittany Quagan

REN: Awakened by Brittany Quagan
Published August 24th 2016 by Balboa Press
258 pages
ISBN 1504362942
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Review Copy

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase: Kindle

Seventeen-year-old Ren Nagel knows that the strange things she’s seen are real—even if no one else believes her. But, when she's locked up in a psychiatric hospital; she loses hope that anyone will ever truly be on her side.

Then everything changes. With the help of a new friend, Ren breaks out. It's when she's on the run that she learns who she really is.

Hunted by evil, Ren must learn to control a power she never knew she had, organize a coalition of people she never knew existed, and remind humanity why fighting the darkness is a big part of being human.

Sometimes, feeling different is much more than just a feeling. For Ren, it means the fate of the world.

Sometimes I want to scream at the top of my lungs until my voice is completely gone. Or until the pressure blows off my head, whichever comes first. The stress they put on me; I can’t handle it. It just builds and builds, and one day I’m going to POP. It’s even worse when I’m mad. The things that happen … well … I can’t help it; they just do.

You’d probably be just as pissed if you were in my shoes. I mean, do you have any freaking clue what it feels like to have been lied to for your entire life about who—or what—you are? To know that everything you thought was real couldn’t be further from the truth? And still, after everything I’ve learned, the lies keep coming.

I’m supposed to do things … change reality as we know it. But every corner I turn brings me to another obstacle, another lie.

You’d think that asking a simple “what” or “how” would get you the answers you need. Not when you’re dealing with these people. They have so much to say, yet they say nothing at all. And you know what? Secrets really piss me off. I know they’re hiding plenty from me.

By the way, I’m Ren. I’d love to have a typical going-off-to-college story with all sorts of teenage, rebellious debauchery. But I don’t. My story isn’t working like that; it never has. I’ve always been different than most. Whatever that means. For me, it means that my life has never been one you could call normal. Some of you can relate, which is great because you’ll be a big help in all of this.

I’ll try to break this down quickly for you so we can get on with the story. A few months ago, my life changed completely. Not that I had some lovely fairytale life to begin with. Life had always been a struggle, but then things got crazy. Things I never thought could—or would—happen, did. And now I, well, we (and by “we” I mean you and me and the rest of the world) really are smack dab in the middle of mayhem.

Before my life flipped upside down, I couldn’t even walk in public without thinking I was going to die. It didn’t matter where I went or who I was near; my chest would get heavy; I’d sweat bullets and twitch; my heart would race; I couldn’t breathe. Sometimes I’d want to throw up or curl into a ball. Sometimes I’d faint. I didn’t know why it happened. If I tried to explain to anyone, like a doctor, what I experience, they would just tell me I was paranoid or that I had anxiety disorder. Then they’d slap me on meds. It all changed when I met them, though. Everything changed. Because I learned the truth. And now it’s time for you to learn.

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About the Author:

Brittany Quagan, known by family and friends as "Brittles," was born in Connecticut, twenty-something years ago and spent most of her life day dreaming like the stereo-typical Gemini she is.
Growing up, she wanted nothing more than to live a life of magic, mayhem, and writing, never knowing her dreams were being manifested into a reality with every wish and intention.

As a teen, her anxiety-riddled existence became nothing less than a burden, but she was determined to escape it and convinced there had to be more going on than just "being anxious." It wasn't until she met a new group of friends who guided her down a path of understanding energy and intuition that her life changed and she was able to overcome this.

Today, Brittany owns Journeys: School for the Soul, LLC in Windsor, CT.; an anxiety relief, intuitive development & healing center to help others who suffer from anxiety/panic disorder, those who believe in the unseen to tap into their intuitive selves, and to help people grow, find empowerment, manifest like a boss, and heal from wherever it is they feel stuck.

Ren's story isn't one that just came to Brittany; it's a story she lived. Most of what you read about in the adventure-filled series are experiences that are very real, that actually happened as it is entirely based on Brittany's life, and people she has met along the way. The series is one that's dwelled inside Brittany since she was a child, but couldn't be told until she finished living it for herself.

When Brittany isn't teaching, counseling, or writing, you'll find her traveling with friends & family on a quest for adventure wherever she can, dying her hair every color of the rainbow, playing with her three nephews, trying craft beers, ruthlessly rating buffalo wings from all over the country, and talking to the moon. Most recently, she traveled to Alaska to dance on a glacier and bike down a mountain crying from hysterical laughter and extreme fear of plummeting to her death.

REN: Awakened is her first published book.
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