Review: Goddess of the Night (Daughters of the Moon #1)

Author: Lynne Ewing
Goodreads Rating: 3.80
Pages: 294

Vanessa, who has always had the special power to become invisible, discovers that she and her best friend Catty, a time-traveler, are goddesses of the moon who must fight together to overcome the evil Atrox.

Waiting on Wednesday #4

 (Waiting on Wednesday brought to you by our friends at Breaking the Spine)

Author: Julie Murphy
Goodreads Rating: 4.17
Pages: 384
Expected Publication: September 15, 2015

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

I am so beyond excited for this! I heard many good things about the book and the author. I've recently been experimenting with more contemporary books and this one seems right up my alley.

First off, I have been struggling with my weight for a while. I'm the heaviest I have ever been since getting a full time career and I have been battling with my weight and self-image for years (as many girls/women have).

The main reason I want to read this is book is I have a feeling Will is going to be a big inspiration for me on how to love the skin I'm in and who I am. Not just for me, but for all women who don't feel beautiful. Break the standards of beauty! I'll be cheering for Will the whole way :)

What book are you waiting for? Post your link or comment below!!

Movie Monday: Future Book Adaptations

Hey all! Welcome to Movie Monday! We usually use this to compare movie and books that we have seen/read but today I'm going to tell you about what books you may want to pick up before their movies/TV shows come out later in 2015-2016!

Let's start with the fabulous sequels that are due to come out...

 Remember the movie, Maze Runner? Bunch of kids trapped in a maze? It didn't get a whole lot of publicity, which makes me sad because it was a good movie (especially for a book adaptation). Well, if you didn't know, Maze Runner is a trilogy and the sequel, Scorch Trials, hits the big screen September 15, 2015. Not a whole lot of time to catch up on this series but I do recommend the books and the movie :) I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing Teresa in a bigger part.





 Let's start with the obvious. Mockingjay Part 2 is set to make it's debut November 20, 2015. I'm personally excited to see one of my favorite actresses, J. Law, finish up this amazing movie series! I read Hunger Games before the movies came out and have been picking apart the movies (like I normally do) but I just can't be disappointed in them. They are great movies even if you read the book before hand. I expect nothing less from the final chapter (so to speak) of Mockingjay :)

This I am excited for! I loved Rick Yancey's, The 5th Wave, and am beyond excited to see what they do with it for the movie. I've seen a few different premier dates so I'm just going to say it's set to come out January 2016. If you haven't read this book yet, get on it! It's like the Walking Dead.... but with Aliens! We will see Chloe Grace Moretz (you may know her from Kickass as Hit-Girl) as Cassie Sullivan and Nick Robinson (Zach from Jurassic World) as Ben Parish. Overall, not a bad cast choice :) I'm excited to see where they take it!!




 Like most series --> movie adaptations, the final book will be broken into 2 parts. The first part is scheduled to appear on the big screen on March 18, 2016! I, personally, have procrastinated on the last book so I need to get on this quick. Luckily, I have some time. Like Hunger Games, I've been trying to read the books before watching the movies and have been slightly disappointed in the movie adaptations. As a movie, they aren't bad and it is obvious why they have a huge following. But comparing it to the books... I'm just not impressed. I think with these next few movies I will concentrate more on watching it as a movie instead of one based off a book.

If you are a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, you are about to get excited! We are apparently skipping The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and are getting The Silver Chair, set to come out sometime in 2016. It does take off from Prince Caspin but this time we have 3 friends, Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole, and Puddleglum, who set off on a journey to rescue King Caspin's son. Should be an interesting movie and is definitely something to keep an eye out for.


There we have some big names to look out for on the big silver screen in the coming year! But how about the small screen? Here are some book to TV show adaptations to keep a look out for ;)

 We are getting a second shot at enjoying The Moral Instruments!! After the flop of a movie, I'm happy that this series is getting a second chance! We will see Katherine McNamara (who will also be in Scorch Trials as Sonya) as Clary Fray and Dominic Sherwood (who played Christian Ozera in Vampire Academy) as Jace Wayland. A pretty interesting cast and also appearing on ABC Family has me all giddy inside for this!! I, again, have found many different premier dates for this so I will say keep an eye out in Early 2016!

The popular series by Tahereh Mafi is finally getting it's small screen debut!!! I prefer book --> TV show adaptations personally since the producers aren't really limited by how long the adaptation should be. Mafi posted on Twitter in June saying the series rights has been sold to ABC Signature Studios and that she is consulting a producer for the show! If the show is a go, we can expect to see this fabulous TV show appearing sometime in Fall 2016!! Plenty of time to read through the series!

This breaks my trend of YA books --> movie/TV show adaptations but I can't help it! I'm a Ward fan! For all my fellow Warden fans, I'm happy to share that the rights to her newest series, the Bourbon Kings, was sold to NBC in hopes of gracing us with a TV show!!!!...... at some point.....Yes, I do not have a more specific date but the news was just released from the Warden herself on Facebook a week ago. Also sadly, she does not have any potential actors in mind :'(

What do you think about these future book to movie/TV show adaptations?? What are you excited for? What are you dreading? Have you heard of any others not listed here?? Share below!!

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Goodreads Rating: 4.59
Pages: 656
Release Date: September 1, 2015

 Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

I'm currently reading Heir of Fire so this book is being released at an amazing time for me. I'm almost finished and can say I probably am going to go and preorder the book after I'm done with this post. I'm so excited to see what goes on with Celaena, Dorian, Chaol, Aedion and Rowan :) So many questions that need answering. Plus, the series is just amazing so there really isn't much else to say in regards to why I am waiting on pins and needles for this <3

You and Me and Him

Author: Kris Dinnison
Goodreads Rating: 3.55
Pages: 288

 “Do not ignore a call from me when you know I am feeling neurotic about a boy. That is Best Friend 101.” —Nash

Maggie and Nash are outsiders. She’s overweight. He’s out of the closet. The best of friends, they have seen each other through thick and thin, but when Tom moves to town at the start of the school year, they have something unexpected in common: feelings for the same guy. This warm, witty novel—with a clear, true voice and a clever soundtrack of musical references—sings a song of love and forgiveness.

Waiting On Wednesday #8?

I really need to go back and count these but I think this is the eighth WOW post I've done for the blog.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday is for a book that should actually be called MY FRACTURED FEELS instead of it's actual (and lovelier title) Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

There are INNUMERABLE reasons why I need this book in my hands yesterday.

1. THIS SERIES GIVES ME LIFE. Seriously.
2. Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner are narrative geniuses.
3. We get more TARVER MERENDSON.
4. Did you hear me? TARVER MERENDSON.
5. We finally get to see Corinth. Super excited about that.
6. Do we get to meet Daddy LaRoux?
7. We get to follow Sofia Quinn around? She's a BAMF and a lady and I'm dying to hear more of her story.
8. I really can't wait to meet Gideon, the computer hacker.
9. I hope there's a Lee and Flynn appearance.
10. The cover makes me want to dive in.
11. My heart needs to be put back together and broken again. Just like the stars were and the world was shattered and the light is fractured. We need to fix that.
12. I just need it. Please.
13. I need a good cry. A happy cry, a sad cry, a my-god-it's-so-beautiful-cry. Just gimme. I think this book will deliver.
14. I need to imagine Chris Pine as Tarver. (No seriously, it's a legit headcanon.)


HOWEVER, I never want this series to end so I will wait many wednesdays for this book. Because when I have it in my hands that means it's over. And it can't be over. This world is too fascinating, the characters too amazing, and the writing too captivating to leave behind.

Blog Tour: Not After Everything

Author: Michelle Levy
Goodreads Rating: 4.09
Publisher: Penguin
Page Count: 336
Format: Finished Copy Received from Publisher

Synopses: 

 Fans of Eleanor and Park, The Spectacular Now, Willow, and Perfectly Good White Boy won't be able to put down this gritty but hopeful love story about two struggling teens.
Tyler has a football scholarship to Stanford, a hot girlfriend, and a reliable army of friends to party with. Then his mom kills herself. And Tyler lets it all go. Now he needs to dodge what his dad is offering (verbal tirades and abuse) and earn what his dad isn’t (money): He needs a job. It’s there that he reunites with Jordyn, his childhood best friend, and now the token goth girl at school. Jordyn brings Tyler an unexpected peace and, finally, love. But with his family in shambles, he can’t risk bringing Jordyn too deeply into his life. So when violence rocks Tyler’s world again, will it be Jordyn who shows him the way to a hopeful future? Or after everything, will Tyler have to find it in himself?

This tough, realistic page-turner reveals a boy's point of view on loss and love—perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Tim Tharp, Julia Hoban, Carrie Mesrobian, and Mindi Scott.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was hard.

It's sad to realize that you haven't read as many books as you thought you had. Even sadder when you realize that you haven't read that many by the same author! Alas, here it is.

Brianna's picks:

J.K. Rowling

I've read the first three Harry Potter books multiple times. The only one I haven't finished is Order of the Phoenix.

Nancy Holder 

For those don't know, Nancy Holder is the QUEEN of the Buffy tie in. Her ideas are incredibly original and her characterization of all the Scoobies is so spot on. She even makes me care about her original characters.

Christopher Golden

If Nancy is the Queen then Christopher Golden is the King. His Buffy tie-in novels are epic.


Randi Resfield and H.B. Gilmour

I was kind of obsessed with the T*Witches series as a kid and I own all 10 books in the series, even if I haven't read the last one yet. I'd love to get to it one day and totally embrace my ten-year-old nostalgia.


John Green

I once read all of his books--except Let It Snow--back to back, my heart breaking at the end of each. Of course I saved TFIOS for last. I'm a masochist that way.

Madeline L'Engle 

I first read a Wrinkle In Time when I was in fourth grade. It was magical and I found an instant friend
in Meg Murray. I soon devoured the next three in the series and while I haven't actually read the complete set, I know I can save them for a 'dark and stormy night' and feel welcomed back by Charles Wallace, Meg and the rest of the Murrays.


Nicole's Picks:

Scott Westerfield 
I was so totally in love with his work since The Midnighters Series, it really is one of my favorite series (and I still hold onto hope for a TV series although it is probably long gone. Not surprising when I had the chance to meet Scott, I totally blew it and fangirled to the extreme. But that's a story for another day.

Sarah J. Maas
Does she need explaining? She's such a wonderful author and great person. I latched onto Throne of Glass and will continue through Queen of Shadows and beyond. Love her work and as a person.

Review: Midnight Thief

Author: Livia Blackburne
Goodreads Rating: 3.70
Pages: 376

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life.

Book Through Thursday

Book Through Thursday is a weekly meme that asks a questions about books and/or reading. It's a discussion post so please leave your answer (or link to your answer) in the comments! Interested in participating yourself? You can find the question for the week here.

So since there wasn't a new question posted (and this is the first time I'm doing this), I'm using the question from last week.

How do you store your books? On bookcases? In piles? In piles on bookcases? Are they sorted? Do you know where everything is? What’s the most creative storage you’ve seen or used for your books?

I have two bookshelves: one for unread books and the other for read books. Both bookshelves are organized alphabetically by author (the easiest organization system I have found).

Since I have a plethora of unread books... I have some books stacked on the floor. As I move books to the "Read shelf", I gradually move books off the floor and onto the unread shelf.

 I've seen a wide range of ways to organize books: by color, genre, title. I've also seen a bunch of creative bookshelves, usually in different shapes. But this....

Is just pure awesomeness! If it was more in a couch form (to allow me to lay down, aka my ultimate reading position), I'd be screaming...

Be sure to post your answer to the topic question in the comments or post a link to your answer :)

Waiting on Wedneday #2

(Brought to you by our friends at Breaking the Spine)

Author: Betsy Cornwell

Goodreads Rating: 3.84

Pages: 304

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

Top 10 Fairytale Retellings

(Top Ten Tuesday brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish)

Time for another Top 10 Tuesday and I absolutely LOVE this week's topic!!! I'm going to divide this into two sections: 1-6 are my favorite retellings and 7-10 are retellings I want to read. Enjoy!

My Favorite Retellings

 1. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
Duh this is my number 1 :) I am only completely in love with the whole series and it is probably one of my favorite retellings ever! Retelling Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel so far (With Snow White coming in November ;) )

2. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
Another sci-fi retelling of Snow White that keeps pretty close to the original Snow White (as opposed to the Disney-fied version). Really enjoyed it and it is one of my favorite retellings :) I absolutely love Essie and Dane!



3. The School for Good and Evil (#1) by Soman Chainani
Another great retelling with a twist. Kids are kidnapped brought to a school for training the princes/princesses and villains of popular stories. Absolutely love this series :)

4. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
A retelling geared toward adults that is a cross between some popular princesses (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White) with Charlie's Angels. Now, it's the princesses turn to save the prince from Cinderella's horrid stepsisters. These princesses kick some major booty!

5. Grim edited by Christine Johnson
This is a collection of short story retellings by a bunch of popular YA authors like Julie Kagawa and Claudia Grey. All stories are inspired by different Grimm fairy tales (and I highly recommend reading the originals to compare to the retellings). I really enjoyed reading the multitude of different stories. Some took a fantasy spin, some took a sci-fi spin, and some just took the original story in more detail. There was something for everyone :)

6. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
A great retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed the relationship between Nyx and Ignifex from beginning to end. It also had a lot of the elements from the Disney version in it :) And this was actually an ending that was, as I described, "cute as a baby bunny" :)

Retellings I Want To Read
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A retelling of Beauty and the Beast with some Faerie lore mixed in. A retelling of my favorite fairytale, by one of my favorite authors? YES PLEASE!

8. Splintered by A.G. Howard
This has been on my TBR list for a while and I'm still super excited for this Alice in Wonderland retelling :) Good thing I have both this book and it's sequel.

9. Beastly by Alex Flinn
I've heard so many good things about this book! It's a retelling of my favorite fairytale that I'm even surprised at myself for not reading this yet. I'm going to have to get on this....

10. The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
Again... another Beauty and the Beast retelling :) I've seen this on a number of WoW's and am so excited to dive into this!!

So tell us.... what are your favorite retellings?? :)

Review: The Darkest Path

Author:
Goodreads Rating:
Pages:

A civil war rages between the Glorious Path--a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier--and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.