The Summer Reader Book TAG

Original video and tag created by islandOFbooks.

Figured it was a perfect time to get to this TAG. I could not be more excited to finally be in summer. Although it has been feeling like spring the past few days. Canada Day is tomorrow, and that always feels like to the start to summer for me though.

Lemonade: pick a book that started off bitter but got better.
Unravel Me for sure. I pretty much hated Shatter Me. Juliette was a whiny brat. Adam was super emo and made Juliette worse. I'm surprised I continued the trilogy. But I wanted to give it a chance. Unravel Me started out rocky. I skimmed a bit, but than Adam started to piss off which meant Juliette became less whiny. The more Warner didn't hurt my increased liking of the book either.

Golden Sun: pick a book that made you smile beyond compare.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda will always be my answer to a question like this. I still smile whenever I think of it. Simon is just one the most adorable, most feel good books. Gives you all the fuzzy feelings. 

Tropical Flowers: pick a book set in a foreign country.

Like 90% of the books I read. But let's go with Wanderlove. The MC travels to central America and the author does such a ridiculously good job describing her travels that I felt like I was there too. Definitely a perfect visceral reading experience.  

Tree Shade: pick a book in which a mysterious or shady character was first introduced. 

I'm feeling like answers to this question could be a little spoiler-y. So I'm just going to go with my new favourite book, The Wrath and the Dawn. There be a few mysterious characters. I had a hard time trusting the motives of at least a handful of them.

Beach Sand: pick a book that was grainy, and the plot barely developed.

I'm going to go with quite a popular book; An Ember in the Ashes. I did DNF it around the 50% mark because I was bored and really the plot had gone nowhere in that time. By the time I reach the half way mark in a fantasy book I'm expecting a lot to have gone down and we're at the point where the shit is hitting the fan. We were barely getting into some plot progression here. Zzzzz....

Green Grass: pick a character(s) that were full of life, making you smile.

Because I'm still obsessed with this book(and now the move trailer), Mark Watney from The Martian was an absolute hoot. He's in the most dire situation. Like his survival is pretty much nil. But he never loses hope or his sense of humor. I don't know the last time I laughed so much well reading.

Watermelon: pick a book that had some juicy secrets.

Harry Potter. Is there any other books series where everyone is hiding something and you don't really know who Harry should be trusting?

Sun Hat: pick a book that had a vast, big universe/setting.

The Lord of the Rings is the most expansive universe I've come across. Just so detailed and brilliant. 

BBQ: pick a book in which a character was portrayed as a hunk.

Pretty much 95% of the books I read have hunky guys in them. It's pretty much one of my reading requirements. Jennifer L Armentrout is my best go to for the most hunkiest book boyfriends. And the first one to pop into my brain was Roth from The Dark Elements. God, he is delicious.

Summer Fun: pass the tag on.
Samantha @ The Secret Life of a Bookworm

Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library

Charnell @ Reviews From a Bookworm
Jen @ Ebony Ink Reviews

Happy reading!

Brittany

Showcase Sunday #83

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme held by Books, Biscuits and Tea. It allows fellow bloggers to show off any books or bookish things they've compiled over the week.

Hey. So I thought to myself that I could get away with doing a Showcase Sunday post every two weeks because I'm slowing down on the acquiring books. Apparently I'm a bit delusional. There is a ridiculous amount of books from these past two weeks. And I'm going to have to do a post next Sunday because there's even more still on their way. *shrugs*
I haven't made a BookOutlet order since last year. But that doesn't mean I'm not checking it out everyday. Or that I don't always have a full cart. Well I finally hard to crack because they got a limited amount of Outlander hardcover editions in. I NEEDED that. Not only is it my favourite book, but I also collect copies. So of course my order needed to be worth the shipping and also $35.00 so I could use the $5.00 coupon. Yah get me. Good thing was that of those five books I'd read four. Soooo no worries. My Owlcrate also arrived. It's freakin' perfection. Not only have I been dying to read More Happy Than Not but look at that banner!
As most of you are aware, I'm not a classics reader. As much as I keep trying to be. So to try and remedy that I picked up a few of Penguins Little Black Classics. They're so short that I can fool myself into thinking I'm getting into a classic.
Anyhow, a lot of e-books also. 98% romance and NA. Because that's how I roll. But I've also read most of them by now. And plus I don't count e-books towards my TBR.

Purchased

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera 

Low Vol 1: The Delirium Hope by Rick Remender & Greg Toccchini

Rat Queens Vol 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe

The Beautifull Cassandra(Little Black Classics #33) by Jane Austin
Alone of the Beach at Night(Little Black Classics #10) by Walt Whitman

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Girl on the Run by Jane Costello

Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell
Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

Screwdrivered(Cocktail #3) by Alice Clayton
Twisted(Tangled #2) by Emma Chase

Sempre(Sempre #1) by J.M. Darhower
Disarm(Disarm #1-6) by June Gray

Outlander(Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

E-Books Purchased

Kindle Freebies

Gifted

**Thanks so much to Samantha for sending me these. And the key chain too**

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Tomorrow, When the War Began(Tomorrow #1) by John Marsden

**Thanks so much to Juhina for passing these along**
Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
Sweet(Sweet #1) by Emmy Laybourne

Netgalley

What did you guys get this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Impossible Blossoms

You wait all year to see them blossom
and when they finally do
you stare at the petals and peer closely inside
you smile at them because they are so delightfully alive
you photograph them, the same way you do each year
and then after a few minutes this thought arises:
they are impossible to take in.
Maybe because they shrivel after one day.
Or maybe because that's just the way things are.
You can't make anything last. But that's OK.
The lilies make me believe that there is a supremely powerful
energy in the universe and thankfully some of it blooms as flowers

Weekly Wrap-Up June 20th-26th

I managed to finish six books this week. All NA and romance. It's just the way it is. Four of the were e-books. Two physical. One of those being a re-read.

Easy(Contours of the Heart #1) by Tammara Webber *****(re-read)
I really needed to re-read this one. So I did. I've half written a review for it. So I will get that up next week.

At Any Price(Gaming the System #1) by Brenna Aubrey ****
I freakin' love Mia and Adam together. Or apart. Or fooling around. I just wanted to reach into the book and smash their faces together. I love me a good nerdy couple. And the sexual tension was just melting off the page. I knew Adam's MO from the start but it still didn't take away from me needing to see how Mia would react. I thought it was so super sweet. May have gone about it in not the smartest way. But that's the way of romance. Not only did I love Mia and Adam, but the supporting cast was great. Added a lot to their story. Very solid romance book.

At Any Turn(Gaming the System #2) by Brenna Aubrey ****.5
Clearly I needed to jump right into the second book. This one is from Adam's POV. Which I really liked. He may have come off as a bit of an asshole in the beginning. Wasn't really thinking about Mia's dreams, more that he didn't want to lose her. Which lead him to some very idiotic moves. But I got it. Mia was so hot and cold. They were both suffering through emotional whiplash. Just stop with the secrets. Ugh! Okay, they actually didn't brother me that much. I just wanted my new OTP to be happy in love. And it wasn't working out that way for most of this book. I still loved the book. The ending made it impossible not to dive into the next book. Obviously I did just that.

At Any Moment(Gaming the System #3) by Brenna Aubrey *****
What a change in ton this one took. My eyes were constantly red. But I was so impressed with how everything was dealt with. The emotions and actions of Mia and Adam were 100% realistic. Obviously I was so sad for Mia. But Adam really impressed me. He didn't try and take advantage of the situation. He didn't let his emotions run his motives. He put Mia first and than was true enough to realize that love doesn't fix everything. You have to work on yourself and be the best you can be before you can do the same for your partner. Just absolutely loved this finale to Mia and Adam's story. So much. Annndddd I am beyond excited to get William's book later this year. I have never read a book with an Autistic MC. I fully believe that Aubrey will do a fantastic job.

Kaleidoscope Hearts(Hearts #1) by Claire Contreras ****
One of my favourite romance tropes is the brothers best friend romance. It's sooo appealing to me. Right away I wasn't sold on the story. It wasn't the relationship, just something was missing. But that changed at about the 25% mark. I don't really know what it was. Maybe just a little change in Elle's attitude(it wasn't bad to being with). Whatever, it picked up at that point and I became fully invested. First off I really loved Elle's relationship with Vic, her brother. Being in your mid-twenties and moving in with your brother is not ideal. Especially when he's a bachelor. But it made for some funny and awkward moments. Romance wise the tension between Elle and Oliver was hot. I love when there's a angsty romantic history. Elle not trusting Oliver to leave her again with a broken heart was warranted. But getting Oliver's POV helped understand where he was coming from. Although he is still a jerk for the way he left her. I understood him. Kids are impressionable and him wanting to be fully established in life before settling down is totally logical. But I guess he failed to realize that life might through you wrench and it's alright to go with it. Anyhow, another solid romance with a great couple. 

Disarm(Disarm #1-6) by June Gray ****

Basically this one has three of my favourite romance tropes; he's her brother's best friend, roommate and in the Air Force. So there was like a 1% chance I wasn't going to love it. Was it amazing? No. But it was mostly everything I needed it to be. Henry and Elsie's relationship development was pretty much on point. The whole I've known you for forever, have loved you from afar may seem really romantic. And I really think it is. But I also see it come with a shit load of complications and history which can be harder than getting together with someone you just met. So Henry and Elsie going throw ups and downs and heart break the way they did really kept the relationship real. Although I thought this book was their complete story, it wasn't. Of course I'm okay with that. The hard part is waiting for the next book to show up at my house.

What did you guys read this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany

White Rose

Dream of You by Jennifer L Armentrout Release Day Launch

Dream of You by Jennifer L Armentrout

Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts Inc
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2015
Pages: 100
Series: Wait For You #4.5/1001 Dark Nights
Add to Goodreads

Abby Erickson isn't looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she's thrust into the hands of the sexiest man she's ever seen - Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.

amazon.com| amazon.ca| amazon.co.uk| 

EXCERPT:

Detective Hart asked a few more questions. Did I notice if they had gotten in a car? No. Was a name even spoken? Not that I recalled. Did they say anything to the man they shot? I wasn't sure. Eventually, he got up and left the room to retrieve some photos they wanted me to look at.

I was alone with Colton.

Any other time I probably would've been beside myself with nervousness, but at this point, I barely registered his presence. All I wanted to do was go home and forget this night.

“Abby?”

My gaze slowly lifted at the sound of my name. His voice was deep and gruff—a morning voice.

He leaned toward me, placing his arms on the table. Short dark hairs dusted powerful forearms. The few times I’d seen him over the years, I hadn't been in close proximity to him, but now I could see the tiny differences between the Colton I’d admired from afar in high school and the one sitting in front of me, some ten years later. Fine lines had formed around the corners of his eyes. His jaw seemed harder, and the five-o’clock shadow was something new.

Something sexy.

I really needed to stop thinking in general.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Abby?” he asked, and real concern filled his voice.

I shook my head slowly as a shiver raced down my spine. “Yes. No? I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

“I can imagine.” He glanced at the door as he moved his shoulders, as if working out a kink. “We’ll get you home soon.”

Slouching in the metal chair, I sighed. “Is this…the start of your shift or…?”

Colton’s cobalt gaze tracked back to me. “I usually get off around eight, but we work in cycles for homicide calls. It was our weekend.”

“Sorry,” I whispered, and then frowned. “I don’t even know why I apologized. It’s got to be hard working those kinds of hours, having to be on call.”

“I imagine it is for some, especially those with a family.” One side of his lips quirked up, and despite the dire situation, my stomach dipped a bit. He lifted his left hand. “Obviously, I’m not married. I wouldn't know.”

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:


# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer 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. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

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

website| facebook| twitter| goodreads|

Happy reading!

Brittany

Weekly Wrap-Up June 13th-19th

So I've managed to finish seven books this week. Four of them were e-books. Two physical books. And one audio book.

We'll Always Have Summer(The Summer I Turned Pretty #3) by Jenny Han ***

This book made me crazy. From the second page I knew where it was going and left me feeling frustrated already. This trilogy is centered around a love triangle, but from the first book you know which guy is going to be the chosen one. I never liked that guy. Hell, I don't even like Belly. For this book though Han did something I absolutely despise, she intentionally made the other guy unlikable. Even though he hasn't been up till that point. He did something that should be unforgivable in his relationship with Belly and than his personality just kept becoming too fun and not like previous him. Belly should never have forgiven him. I felt like she did everything to prove a point. Which, UGH! But funnily enough, even knowing I wasn't going to like the outcome, this is actually my most liked book of the trilogy. I think Han did a good job with all the emotional confusion. And for a few small seconds she did make me feel sorry for that one guy.  

Sweet by Emmy Laybourne ***

Okay let's start with the positive and say that Sweet has a really good message to it. Yes, it is about a cruise to specially introduce the world to this miracle weight lost product. But Sweet is very body positive. The MC is not 90lbs. She has curves and loves her body. She also tells her BFF how beautiful she is. Sweet also shows how there is never a quick fix. Good old diet and exercise is the key to being healthy. That being said, Sweet was just fucking weird. It turned horrifying and messed up. Laybourne is a really good story teller. I just think this one missed the mark. I liked the beginning, but by the middle I was just skimming more than not. The ending was also kind of an open ending. I get it. Doesn't mean I like it.

The Offer by Karina Halle ****

Firstly, I wish I'd known that this is technically part of a series. The author says it's a stand alone. Which yes, companion books are. BUT I didn't know that this follows characters introduced in an earlier book, which means I was spoiled for that previous book. Not totally a big deal. But I would have read The Pact first. Anyhow, The Offer is a pretty good romance. I really don't have much to say except it was quick and engaging. I liked Nicola and how she was dealing with being a single mother at a younger age. And how she's trying to learn to accept help without seeing herself as a failure. Bram was funny and manly. I loved seeing him with Ava(Nicola's daughter). He just was a little too crude and alpha male for me to actually fall for him. I've recently discovered Halle's books and I've found her to be a pretty solid romance writer. I'll definitely continue to pick up more of her work.

The Wrath and the Dawn(The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh *****
All the stars. Take all the stars! This is gorgeous. Beautiful. Wonderful. Brilliant. The Wrath and the Dawn is everything. It's one of those books where I love it so much but don't have the words to convey that love properly. Everyone needs to read it and discover how uniquely beautiful everything in this book is. Writing, story, characters are on point. And the romance, HOLY! Can I use breathtaking? I'm going to use breathtaking. I really can't form the proper words here. Just the development of Shazi and Khalid's relationship gave me every feel. Bad decisions were made but those bad decisions made Brittany very very happy. Because they lead to one of the best romances I've read.

"What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?" he whispered.
"If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed." The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
"No." His hands dropped to her waist. "Destroy me." pg.166/167

Shopaholic to the Stars(Shopaholic #7) by Sophie Kinsella **

This is just getting absurd. Becky was funny the first few books. But now I can't deal with her antics. She's also always been super selfish, self involved and superficial and it's just getting worse and worse. She's not growing with age or even after becoming a mum. Which totally shows in her extremely bratty kid. I don't know how Luke continues to put up with her. He's such a calm and patient person towards her. Becky doesn't deserve it. I know this series is humorous chic-lit, and it's supposed to be more on the absurd side, but it's not funny anymore. I realized that in the last book. Which should have stopped me from continuing on with this unnecessary continuation of too long series. It clearly didn't because I'm a sucker. A sucker who will more than likely read the next book too. I still enjoy a lot of the supporting cast. It's just Becky. She needs to grow the eff up.

Heart & Soul(Lost & Found #5) by Nicole Williams ****
First off, this is a fantastic NA series that flies under the radar. Very little sex. More centered around the characters and romantic relationship development. Both along with the writing are done extremely well. After the little tidbit we found out about in the previous book, I was anxious to get back to and get a close on Jesse and Rowan's story. It was definitely a pretty emotional finish. But still wonderful. Now I'm really hoping Lily and a certain boy get their own book. Fingers crossed!


Hard Knocks(Ultimate #0.5) by Lori Foster ***
I've had this novella for a while. Having just get the second book off Netgalley I figured now was a good time to actually read it. It's definitely a good introduction into Foster's writing and story structure. You get a quick intro to the male leads for the forthcoming books. Plus get to see how Harper and Cage got together. Which I'm assuming(based on my romance reading experience) will be the go to couple for structure and relationship advice for guys in their books as they try to win over their ladies. I'm definitely not into MMA, boxing, etc... But as soon as you add a sport into a romance novel I'm not going to care if I like said sport or not. Romance sports books are pretty much my biggest weakness. Anyhow, I'm excited to see how Foster's Ultimate series plays out.

What did you guys read this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany