The Dreaded Blogging/Reading Slump

   Life takes over, it happens to all of us at some point. Things that prevent us from spending time on our much loved blogs. Normally this happens to me when I get sick or extremely busy. During these occasions my brain will become sluggish at the end of the day and I will choose to watch TV verses needing to concentrate on what I'm reading. So that means I don't get much reading done. The same goes with writing. When I'm super busy I don't really feel like sitting down and writing out a few posts. I'm tired. I don't want to create anything, I want something to entertain me instead, with no work required on my part.

   Sometimes I do read, but actually have no interest in writing a review. Don't get me wrong now, I love writing my blog posts, its just that sometimes it can feel like a bit of a chore. When this happens to me, I end up with around three or so books read, no reviews done up, and a week or so with no posts on my blog. That's when I start feeling guilty. It's also when I start procrastinating to myself that I will try and write up a post before the day is out, but then I don't. Hello blogging/ reading slump.

   This is what I do in that situation. I back off. I don't ever force myself to read when I'm not in the mood for it, if I did I would never retain the information that I read. Since reading is one of my favourite pass times, I know that eventually I will want to read again.  When I do start reading I ALWAYS take notes. Post it notes in a physical copy or highlighting and notations in my ereader. That way I won't forget any of the points I wanted to discuss or any of the smaller parts of the story that I could overlook. Then I can hold off on writing the review until I can get around to it.


   Eventually we all make time for the things that we love, and when those creative juices start flowing again, I grab my notes, sit down with a coffee and my laptop, and bang out a few posts. Normally, I will try and write a weeks worth of posts in this situation because after writing one I get in the zone and just keep going.

    When this happens, I normally end up finding my routine again and I'm all good for a few months. Have you ever experienced the dreaded blogging/ reading slump. If so how were you able to overcome it. share with me peeps, I would love to know. As always, thanks so much for reading.

A List of my Reviews

  Just to make things a little easier, I've arranged my reviews in alphabetical order by author, for your reading pleasure. Enjoy =).

A

Anderson, Jodi Lynn
- Tiger Lily

Argyle, Amber
- Witch Fall

Armentrout, Jennifer L.
- Obsession
- Unchained (J. Lynn)
Lux Series
- Shadows (novella)
- Obsidian
- Onyx
- Opal
- Origin
Covenant Series
- Daimon (novella)
- Half-Blood
- Pure
- Deity
- Elixir (novella)
- Apollyon
- Sentinel

B

Brashares, Ann
- The Here and Now

Buckley, Andrew
- Stiltskin

C

Capeta, Amy Rose
- Entangled

Carter, Aimee
The Goddess Test Series
- The Goddess Legacy
- The Goddess Inheritance

Cass, Kiera
The Selection Series
- The Prince (novella)
- The Elite
- The Guard (novella)

Charbonneau, Joelle
The Testing Series
- The Testing
- Independent Study

Clare, Cassandra
- Clockwork Princess
The Bane Chronicles (novellas)
- What Really Happened in Peru
- The Runaway Queen
- Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale
- The Midnight Heir
- The Rise of Hotel Dumort 
- Saving Raphael Santiago 
- The Fall of Hotel Dumort
- What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything
- The Last Stand of The New York Institute
- The Course of True Love [and First Dates]

Condie, Ally
Matched Series
- Matched
- Crossed
- Reached

Cooper, Jill
- 15 Minutes

Crossan, Sarah
Breathe Duology
- Breathe
- Resist

D

Dashner, James
- The Kill Order

E

Eddleman, Peggy
- Sky Jumpers

F

Fairleigh, Lindsey
- Echo Prophecy
After the End Series (with Lindsey Pogue)
- After The Ending
- Into the Fire

G

Garcia, Kami
- Beautiful Creatures (books vs movie)

Gentry, Lynne
- Healer of Carthage

H

Hamstead, Katie
Kiya Trilogy
-Hope of the Pharaoh
-Kiya: Mother of a King
- Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty

Harris, Rachel
- My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century

Hill, C. J.
- Erasing Time

I

J

Johnson,Jaleigh
- The Mark of the Dragonfly

K

Kagawa, Julie
Blood of Eden Series
- Til the World Ends (novella)
- The Eternity Cure

Kay, Theresa
- Broken Skies

Khoury, Jessica
- Origin

L

London, Alex
- Proxy

M

Maas, Sarah J.
- Crown of Midnight

McNeil, Gretchen
- Ten

Meyer, Marissa
The Lunar Chronicles
- Glitches (novella)
- Scarlet
- The Little Android (novella)
- Cress

N

O

Oakes, Colleen
- Queen of Hearts: The Crown

Oliver, Lauren
Delirium Series
- Annabel
- Requiem

P

Q

R

Revis, Beth
Across the Universe Series
-As They Slip Away (novella)
- Across the Universe
- A Million Sons
- Shades of Earth

Riordan, Rick
- House of Hades

Rossi, Veronica
Under the Never Sky Series
- Roar and Liv (novella)
- Under the Never Sky
-Through the Ever Night
- Brooke (novella)
- Into the Still Blue

Roth, Veronica
Divergent Series
- The Transfer (novella)
- Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story (novella)

S

Sanderson, Brandon
- Steelheart

Sharp, Elizabeth
- Supernova

Sheridan, Kellie
- Follow the White Rabbit

Showalter, Gena
- Alice in Zombieland

Strauss, Lee
Perception

T

Terrill, Cristin
All Our Yesterdays

U

V

W

Walls, Annie
The Famished Trilogy
- Taking on the Dead
- Controlling the Dead

Wood, Heather Topham
- The Memory Witch

Y

Young, Moira
- Red Blood Road

Z

Feature & Follow -Have any pets? Tell us or show us!

  The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Rachel of  Parajunkee’s View  and Alison of Alison Can Read . Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs! The purpose of this meme is to find and gain new followers. So follow me however you would like and I will follow you.


This Weeks Question/ Topic

Have any pets? Tell us or show us!

Yes I do have pets ♥ They're my other babies =D

Milo - We got our sweet puppy from the animal shelter around a year and a half ago, he was 8 weeks old. Milo is a riot! He loves to run and play, and he really is a gentle soul. He is afaird of everything though. The wind, birds, loud noises etc, and he did bark at a bucket for 15 minutes once lol.

Binx - Our cat hasn't even been part of our family for a year yet and I couldn't imagine life without out him. You know that saying 'you don't train a cat, a cat trains you', I'd say that this is true lol. This guy knows exactly what to do to get what he wants.

Or

Quotable Thursdays - Controlling the Dead (Famished, #2) by Annie Walls

 Quotable Thursdays  is a meme created here at Mo_Books where I like to pick a quote or two from a great book (be careful not to choose spoilers) and explain why I like them.

 My pick this week is:

Controlling the Dead (Famished, #2) by Annie Walls

Why I like it

    In the beginning of Controlling the Dead, Kansas (the MC) is emotionally broken from the events that occurred in Taking on the Dead (book, #1). I was so sad to see her this way! This quote was a highly anticipated moment in the series for me. My eyes where glued to the page and the scene definitely brought on a lot of emotion. Rudy is kick ass awesome, he always has the perfect thing to say.


If this quote has grabbed your interest add it to Goodreads

 Thanks for stopping by my Quotable Thursday =). If anyone know of any great quotes please share with me and join in the fun with your own QT.

Waiting on Wednesday - Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine  showcasing upcoming books that we are waiting, often impatiently, to be released.

My WoW pick this week is....





Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis 
Expected Release date - June 17th 2014
Published by Amulet Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

Amara is never alone. Not when she's protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when they're fleeing across dunes and islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she's punished, ordered around, or neglected.

She can't be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all that alongside her, looking through her eyes.

Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every time he blinks, he's yanked from his Arizona town into Amara's mind, a world away, which makes even simple things like hobbies and homework impossible. He's spent years as a powerless observer of Amara's life. Amara has no idea . . . until he learns to control her, and they communicate for the first time. Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious.

All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan's breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they'll have to work together to survive--and discover the truth about their connection.

Why I want to read it

    The cover of this book is only okay for me. What grabbed my attention was the synopsis. It sounds like it will be full of all that sci fi goodness that I love to much. Thoughts being projected in ones head from someone on another planet, sounds pretty cool to me.

    What books are you waiting on? If you have a WoW pick of your own please share the link.

Review - KIYA: Rise of a New Dynasty by Katie Hamstead

 

KIYA: Rise of a New Dynasty  (KIYA, #3) by Katie Hamstead
Release date - February 24th 2014
Published by Curiosity Quills Press
Source - NetGalley
Add it to Goodreads
Buy it here - Amazon/ kobo
My Rating -

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Description (from Goodreads)

Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.

Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears  for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay's children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and pushing for power.

But Tut is in trouble. While Ay's daughter draws Horemheb's attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone's distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.

My Review

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

   If  I had to sum this story up in one word, I would use beautiful. The emotions that poured from the pages was a surprise for me. I guess that as I've read on throughout the series, I've managed to become quite attached to  Kiya / Naomi. Her story has definitely warmed my heart and I will truly miss her now that it has come to an end. I have to say that Katie Hamstead really did a number on me with this fantastic piece of historical fiction. If I wasn't crying about the loss of life, I was crying about the true love that Naomi and Malachi felt for each other. When I finally finished blubbering, I was shaking my fist at all the baddies wanting to tear them apart with my bare hands.

   The story did have a few predictable moments, and I'm not talking about Tut's death, but the author managed to write these scenes so they were believable and flowed properly, in my opinion, with the story line. The characters in this story are very well developed and I think that I loved every single one of them. Although I do think that Horemheb is still a complete asshat, I enjoyed him more so in this novel than in any of the previous ones. The other thing that made this story so great was the world building. I felt that it represented an accurate description of what life would have been like for the Hebrew people and all of the dangers of living in this era.
   
   In closing, I would like to add that this was my favourite book from the trilogy. Not only did it give me some extreme feels, but it also left me with the perfect book hangover. The ending couldn't have been more perfect then what it was. I finished it feeling completely satisfied.

I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.


You may also be interested in these reviews.

Hope of the Pharaoh (KIYA,#1)
Kiya: Mother of a King (KIYA, #2)

Cover Reveal - Tempting the Bodyguard by J. Lynn

Tempting the Bodyguard by J. Lynn

Release date - May 12, 2014

 Blurb:

  A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

  He can protect her from everyone except himself.

  Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.

  Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy.

  She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

# 1 NEW YORK Tattention.USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Where You Can Find Jennifer:

Twitter / Facebook / Website / Entangled website author page

  I know that romance isn't my preferred choice in genres, but I am a huge fan of Jennifer Armentrout aka J. Lynn, and I would read anything that she writes. This cover is super sexy and the blurb grabbed my attention. It sounds like a keeper to me =D.

Blog Tour (Review) + Giveaway - Justice Buried by Hilary Thompson

Today I'm happy to be taking part in the Justice Buried blog tour hosted by Shane at IFB tours.

 

Justice Buried (Starbright #1)
by Hilary Thompson
Release date - January 15th 2014
Add it to Goodreads
Buy it here - Amazon
My Rating - ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ½

Description (from Goodreads)

The people need Justice, but she's not listening. One hundred years before, the Great Sickness reduced the world to three cities. Now the community of Asphodel is trapped underground, waiting for the prophesied maiden of Justice to return and save them from their Fates.

Sixteen-year-old Astrea is supposed to be this savior - too bad for them she isn't a believer. Trea fights against her false destiny: she rebels against her family and friends, then refuses her arranged marriage to the charming but deceitful Lexan. Learning her life is in danger, Trea is forced to trust Lexan - until she discovers a power she never knew she had, and one he already knew he did.

As betrayal closes every door, Trea decides she must submit to her stars and accept her fate. Then a handsome stranger offers her an unexpected escape and the chance to create her own destiny.

Quote

We are an underground people. People who worship the sun, moon, and stars, yet have never seen such things ourselves. My partnership with Lexan allows the prophecy to begin. The star-bright maiden and her scales of justice. I am – without asking, without wanting – a savior of Asphodel.

My Review

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

    I loved the astrology and mythology aspect to this story. Not only did I find it interesting, but I also thought it was an original and unique idea, unlike anything I have read before. Justice Buried was an easy flowing, fast paced read with good world building and an interesting place setting. I enjoyed the premise of Asphodel's people living underground for a century waiting for the prophesied one's to lead them to a safe upside.

    There was fabulous character development and I really felt that I got to know the characters in this story and watched them grow.. I loved how Astrea and Lexan were paired together based on the times of their births and I also loved that just because they were destined to  be together didn't mean that the characters had an intsa love thing going on. Their relationship progressed in a way that I found to be believable. The mystery that unravels towards the end was very entertaining and the love triangle aspect was intriguing. I don't know which guy to root for =\ I liked them both! I can't wait to hopefully find out in the near future, just who Astrea will choose.

    In closing, I would like to add that I never had a boring moment reading this novel and that I think Hilary Thompson wrote a spectacular novel for her debut. one thing I would love to see is Astea's diamond implant of the Aries constellation on her face. I'm really curious of what it would look like.  I would recommend this to any fans of mythology and YA. I highly look forward to continuing this story with the next installment. I give this a 4 ½ stars out of 5.                    

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hilary Thompson is an independently-published author who released her debut Young Adult novel, Justice Buried, in January, 2014. 

  Justice Buried is the first in a dystopian fantasy series incorporating mythology and astrology, with the second full-length title due later in 2014. She also teaches high school English, which gives her some insight into her target audience, and helps her maintain a thick skin.

Blog  | Twitter  | Facebook

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Review - The Course of True Love [and First Dates] by Cassandra Clare

The Course of True Love [and First Dates] (The Bane Chronicles #10)
by Cassandra Clare
Release date - March 18th 2014
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
ebook, 40 pages
Add it to Goodreads
My Rating -

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Description (from Goodreads)

Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood might fall in love—but first they have a first date.

When Magnus Bane, warlock, meets Alec Lightwood, Shadowhunter, sparks fly. And what happens on their first date lights a flame...

My Review

   Being a fan of The Mortal Instruments series, I was not surprised that I enjoyed reading these intimate moments between Magnus and Alec. Discovering all of the feelings that Magnus had brewing inside for a Nephilim that was like no other that he met before. There was this one particular moment on their date when they heard an interesting song at the subway. It was hilarious and it gave me a lol moment.
 
   Alec was never a favourite character of mine. I actually never really cared for him, but after reading this story and seeing a more loving and awkward side to him changed my mind about him. of course I found Magnus' character to be perfect! but I may be slightly biased because I just love this high warlock so much. This was my second favourite edition in the Bane Chronicles, definitely a must read for any Mortal Instruments fans.

I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

You may also be interested in these reviews



What Really Happened in Peru | The Runaway Queen

  Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale | The Midnight Heir | The Rise of Hotel Dumort | Saving Raphael Santiago 

 The Fall of Hotel Dumort | What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything | The Last Stand of The New York Institute  By Cassandra Clare, Sara Rees Brennan & Maureen Johnson

What's new and not so exciting in the life of Mo

     Hey there my fellow book nerds, you may have (or haven't) noticed my absence here at Mo_Books over the past week. I have to say that I have been feeling pretty darn guilty for not posting anything. I have welcomed a number of new readers (thanks guys) and I haven't been giving you anything new to read. So to break my radio silence, I thought I would fill you in on what has been occupying my time - with GIFs =)

   I basically start my days like this...

(minus the birds)  wishing that I could just sleep in a little longer. But alas, that is not meant to be.

   

    Firstly and foremost, I am a mom and a wife. I have two beautiful children, a daughter, age 11 and a son, age 4. As of late, they have been keeping me busier than they ever have before. In the last month I have had doctors, optometrist, and dentist appointments. with 5 more planned trips to the dentist for April. There was primary school registration for my son, along with his preschool functions. My daughter is also a social butterfly. She's involved in drama and just about any function her school is having. Take that and add in my husband. A few months ago he broke his hand, he waited a week before going to the doctor (men!) and then required  surgery to fix it. He has had a few appointments and occupational therapy sessions this past month as well, along with a dentist appointment. He made me come to every one of them! It appears that no on can do anything around here unless I'm holding their hand. I do feel pretty important, but jeez Louise they keep me running.

      To shake things up my hubby and I decided to take on the task of getting rid of the bookkeeper and tackling our own books to save some money. We own our own floor installation business and there are so many different things that go into keeping track of revenue and expenses. Have a mentioned that I HATE math!?! Well I do! Trying to understand all of these things is totally stressing me out.

 This is what I dream about now =/     

      So with all this going on right now I keep asking myself

"What about my blog?" 

     Like I said, I've been feeling pretty guilty about not posting stuff but I do plan on things settling down some in the next few weeks. I really hope that I can catch on to this accounting thing soon, but I know I'm about half way there, so the stress should disappear  soon.

      Some good news at least is that I have been able to get some reading done. So when I do finally get around to it, I will have some reviews to share with you. As always guys, thanks so much for reading.

Feature & Follow - Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it…nicely.

  The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Rachel of  Parajunkee’s View  and Alison of Alison Can Read . Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs! The purpose of this meme is to find and gain new followers. So follow me however you would like and I will follow you.


This Weeks Question/ Topic

Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it…nicely.

  Changeling by Philippa Gregory

When I first heard that Philippa Gregory had a young adult novel coming out I was so excited. She is my author of historical fiction and I really hyped myself up about it. Then I read it. This was my reaction...

Hugely disappointed!

  The writing just didn't have the magic that her other novels had and it was pretty bland in comparison. There was a little bit of mystery and a conspiracy but I found the story to be boring and underdeveloped. This is certainly not a book that I would recommend.

Or

Quotable Thursdays - The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

  Quotable Thursdays  is a meme created here at Mo_Books where I like to pick a quote or two from a great book ( be careful not to choose spoilers ) and explain why you like them.

 My pick this week is:

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

“I want to take you for pleasure, and hold you in my arms for desire. I want you to know that it is your kiss that I want, not another heir to the throne. You can know that I love you, quite for yourself, when I come to your bed, and not as the York’s broodmare.”
I tilt back my head and look at him under my eyelashes. “You think to bed me for love and not for children? Isn’t that sin?” His arm comes around my waist and his palm cups my breast. “I shall make sure that it feels richly sinful,”

- Edward IV to Elizabeth Woodville

Why I Loved It

    Even though I thought their relationship started off kind of violent, I felt that these two had one hell of an epic love.  I thought Edward and Elizabeth genuinely loved each other whole heartily. Something that was rare with royals. History states that they did have a passionate romance that continued until Edward's death. They did have 10 children together! Sounds like they couldn't keep their hands off each other to me.


If this quote has grabbed your interest add it to Goodreads

 Thanks for stopping by my Quotable Thursday :-). If anyone know of any great quotes please share with me and join in the fun with your own QT.

Waiting on Wednesday - Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine  showcasing upcoming books that we are waiting, often impatiently, to be released.

My WoW pick this week is....





Heir of Fire  (Throne of Glass #3)
by Sarah J. Maas
Expected Release date - September 2nd 2014
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Hardcover, 530 pages
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn.

Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

This third novel in the Throne of Glass sequence, from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, is packed with more heart-stopping action, devastating drama and swoonsome romance, and introduces some fierce new heroines to love and hate.

Why I want to read it

  I normally try and wait until at least the cover has been revealed before I pick a book for my WoW. But since this still has a synopsis, I just couldn't resist. I NEED to find out where this story is going. Is Celaena finally going to be able to "stick it to the man"? One thing is for sure though. I'm dying to read more about Choal because he is so freaking awesome! I also can't wait to check out these new characters I'm going to love to hate. .



What books are you waiting on? If you have a WoW pick of your own please share the link.

Top Ten Tuesday - Most Unique Books I've Read

 Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at  The Broke and the Bookish, This weeks list is Top Ten Nine Most Unique Books I've Read (maybe the MC was really different, maybe it was the way it was written, a very unique spin on a genre or topic, etc.) .

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

 This story was told from Tinkerbell's point of view. The interesting part was that she couldn't talk and although she may have been the main character, it was told like she was an observer.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

 This is still the only book I've read that was based on a society of people that physically alter themselves to be beautiful and basically all resemble each other.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

 I had never before read a dystopian book based on a society of peoples intellect before. Until I read this one.

Justice Buried by Hilary Thompson

 Astrology has always been an interesting topic for me and this was the first book that I can ever remember reading that is incorporates it into the story.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

 I loved this unique and original story of a world were love of any kind was forbidden.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 I love fairy tales and I love science fiction. This is the only book that I've read that has both. I think it's a seriously awesome combo!

Queen of Hearts: The Crown by Colleen Oakes

 I have read and seen many different renditions of Alice in Wonderland but this was the first time I ever read a story completely based on the Queen of Hearts.


The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 This book introduced me to frighteningly, spectacular zombie like vampires.


Breathe by Sarah Crossan

 This book's completely original idea of a world with no oxygen due to the devastating loss of all plant life, really hit a soft spot with this nature lover.

Fill me in on what would make it on your list. As always, thanks for reading.

Review - The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Release date - April 8th 2014
Published by Delacorte Press
Hardcover, 288 pages
Source - NetGalley
Add it to Goodreads
Buy it here: Amazon / kobo

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Description (from Goodreads)

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.
But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.
From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

My Review

   On the cusp of the 22nd century, humanity is living on a planet of death. The only way to escape was to time travel to the past, where life on Earth is still safe. Preena and the people in her community of "travelers" they are sworn to never expose what time they traveled from and they go to extreme measures to make sure things stay quiet. Preena has always followed the rules and assumed that the leaders in her community were still doing something to prevent the terrifying future that the planet had coming. As the days draw nearer to that pivotal point in time, it becomes evident to Preena that she , with the help of her friend Ethan, will have to try and change things for the better herself.

  I love time travel books and this story was full of that sci fi goodness that I enjoy so much. I liked that the author wrote about some future technology that Preena has in her time, like memory banking. It sounds so interesting! and I was happy that there was a little bit of Earth's history (future to us) included as well. Preena's character was fascinating. I really enjoyed reading about some of her moments when she first arrived to the 21st century. I also enjoyed that the author explained what the "traveler's" did to try and conform themselves and appear to be from the present time.

  Something I didn't like about this books was the insta love. I really did adore both Preena and Ethan's characters but how he was basically, instantly captivated by Preena, did kind of bother me. They for sure didn't have your typical YA style romance, so I guess in a way that made up for the insta love thing. The other thing I didn't quite believe in the story was in the end, when Preena goes toe to toe with her councilor. The way that the characters reacted at this time was what I found to be inaccurate.

 In conclusion I would like to add that I have been seeing some less than stellar reviews for The Here and Now. It's being compared to the authors previous books. I have never read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, so I couldn't tell you if the series is better then this book but I know what I like, and I liked this. There was good character development and the plot was enjoyable. The story was fast paced and flowed together nicely.
I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

New Releases - April 2014

 For my second post of the day I've got a list of the new books being released during the month of

              

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan / Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen / Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige




             


Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor / Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong / The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

                         

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout / The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

   

My Not So Super Sweet Life by Rachel Harris

                        

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins / The Taking by Kimberly Derting




 These are the books that I am most interested in being published this month. For a list of the top 200 books coming out in April  Click Here. Did any of the books I chose catch your eye? Let me know in the comments below.