Haulin' the Books #102

It's been three weeks since my last book haul, so you know things have gotten out of hand over here. #ihavenospaceleft
Few things; I'm no longer using the Showcase Sunday meme. I'm pretty sure it's not active anymore. So I figured I'd just think of something else to call my book hauls and do my own thing. 

I'm not very good at this computer blog graphic formatting thing. So please forgive my trials as I try out different graphic things before I overhaul the blog. I'm, finally, trying to learn. Although I'm lazy, so we'll see how much learning I do. *shrugs*
In exciting news, Jojo Moyes is coming to Toronto in less than two weeks. I'm still waiting on the rules and guidelines for the signing to be release. But you can guarantee that if I can I will get ALL the books I own of hers signed. Only thing that sucks is having to buy After You in hardcover. I have an e-ARC, which she clearly can't sign. But I need that book signed, so my wallet will have to forgive me.
I attended(virtually) Raincoast's Fall Teen Preview yesterday, and GUYS, sooooooooooooo many good books coming later this year. A good bunch were already on my radar. But also a good bunch were not. This is why I love when Raincoast does their previews, I hear about even more books and my TBR expands exponentially.  

Purchased

Outlander | The Great Gatsby | Kiss the Sky | Fuel the Fire | Me Before You
This pile are all books that I've read(some multiple times) and love. Outlander and The Great Gatsby are books I collect all the editions of. I'm not there yet, but I will be. How could I not grab the movie edition of Me Before You? C'mon. Also my third edition of the book. #noregrets  And Kiss the Sky and Fuel the Fire are books I LOVE but have in e-book. Obviously I needed them on my shelf for real; I'm also slowly collecting that whole series in paperback.

The Rose and the Dagger | A Court of Mist and Fury | Radio Silence | The Falconer | The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion | No Love Allowed | The Star-Touched Queen
How many other wallets out there are empty? The past two Tuesdays were INSANE with new releases. A Court of Mist and Fury and The Rose and the Dagger were my top NEEDS because both are life. The Star-Touched Queen was getting so much amazing buzz that I knew I had to have it. Radio Silence is a book I'd not heard of until recently when like five of my Goodreads friends from the UK were reading it and all said the same thing; incredible and speechless. Of course I bought it. There was an awesome promotion going on at Chapters, which was why I picked up The Falconer, No Love Allowed and The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion. 

Kindle Purchased

For Review: ARCs

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover| One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Canada

Wicked Heart by Leisa Rayven| Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige| One Was Lost by Natalie D Richards
Thanks so much to Raincoast

The Memory Book by Lara Avery| Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott| I'm Still Here(Je Suis La) by Clelie Avit

Thanks so much to HBG Canada

For Review: e-ARCS

What books have you guys picked up recently?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Weekly Wrap-Up April 30th-May 6th

This week I managed to read four books. All four were physical books; two being re-reads and one an ARC.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover *****

Yup, I'm a lucky girl. Look out for my review much closer to release day; probably end of July.

Forever With You(Wait For You #5) by Jennifer L Armentrout ****(re-read)

When I want to re-read something I re-read it. A lot of the time for no reasons except because I can. And that's how this re-read came about.

A Court of Thorns and Roses(ACOTAR #1) by Sarah J Maas *****(re-read)

Had to re-read because it'd had been a year and half since I first read it. And thankfully I did because apparently I didn't remember as much as I thought I did.

A Court of Mist and Fury(ACOTAR #2) by Sarah J Maas *****

Find my review here.

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What did you guys read this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany

Missing Mom!

She passed on October 17, 2015.

We miss her.

This morning, I was looking for a necklace to wear. I searched my two jewelry boxes. Nothing. Finally, I tried the bottom drawer of my night table, where jewelry sometimes pops up.

There I found this tiny box I didn't recognize.

In it was a magnificent cameo.

And then I remembered.

I bought this for my mom 38 years ago, the first time I was in Florence, on the Ponte Vecchio -- the spot where my husband and I made the decision to get married!

Beneath the cameo was a tiny piece of lined paper folded in half. It read "Cameo is for Claudia" in pencil.

That's when the tears started up. That's when I realized anew that my mother is gone on this Mother's Day. I called my sister Karen and cried some more.

But then we realized, we have each other, and my sister Holly and my brother Rich. And our Dad.

Better to think about what you have than what you don't.  We have so many memories.

We love you Mom!!

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Pages: 624
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5
Add to Goodreads

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

This review contains spoilers for A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury. 

I don't know if my emotions and feelings have done so many 180s well reading a book. Ever. I spent a good half of this book enraged at Maas and her inability to stick with a romance. Which really prevented me from thoroughly immersing myself in the story. Then comes the second half where I am confused and torn over my love of the original ship but am falling in love with the new(and ultimate) ship. And thus starting to hate on Tamlin for his treatment of Feyre, whether intentional or not. And GOD, all I'm thinking is am I allowed to love this book? I AM A WALKING CONTRADICTION!

My emotional journey

I am so mad at Maas for making me hate Tamlin. I was of the set mind that Feryre didn't try hard enough to get Tamlin to listen. I felt like she needed to give him that ultimatum of you are losing me. I felt like she "ran" off well there was still a little bit to go before that breaking point. BUT also this story is amazing and I do hate Tamlin. I pity him and his stupid failings and his stupid spitefulness. Tamlin just didn't get it. He was smothering her.

Rhys, you broke my heart. His tale is one of ultimate hardship. Which made me love Rhys for everything he is. For everything he has done for his people. For him being everything Feyre needed him to be as she found herself and learned to become this new person. Tamlin would never be able to see Feyre as an equal; let her be her own person. God, not only was it this bond forming between Rhys and Feyre, but it was the tension and banter and the way they were bringing each other happiness in a dark time. And the sex, wow. Yea, the hot moments from ACOTAR pale in comparison to Rhys.

Feyre is a wonder. Maas put her through the fucking ringer. The way she climbed out of her darkness and becomes so so strong and illuminating is bloody breathtaking. Seriously. Where Celaena turned into Aelin and became someone to despise because of a terrible attitude. Feyre just got better and more amazing.

Going to the Night Court was even better than imagined. The imagery being painted of the land was stunning. The best part? Meeting Rhys's inner circle. The familiar bond is so much fun and intimate. I love how they bring Feyre in, make her one of their own, show her much needed compassion all because The High Lord trusts her. And secretly needs her there.
ACOMAF is ultimately an epic tale. Betrayal, friendship, love, revenge, scheming, adventure, romance; it all is weaved together magically. I'll admit that under my excitement and need for ACOMAF I was scared. QoS has really left a lingering resentment and well that was creeping into my ACOMAF feels.

THAT ENDING! Those last 30 pages! Holy shit! I can't even. What the hell is life? The third book is going to be a shit storm and I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT.

Me=the worm. Apple=book. Sword=Sarah J Maas

And here we are at the end where I'm fully in love with everything to do with this book. Yes, I may still harbour some rage at Maas for seeming to have a signature romantic move. But hell, RHYS AND FEYRE ARE GOLD TOGETHER. ACOTAR was everything but there is no doubt that ACOMAF is a hell of a lot more. Once my frustration had cooled and Rhys got into my blood I was done for.

Happy reading!

Brittany

Weekly Wrap-Up April 23rd-29th

Guys, I finished binging The Office yesterday. So this should mean I'm back to life and more reading will happen. 

This week I managed to finish four books. One e-book. Three physical books; one being an ARC and another being a re-read.

The Raven King(The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater ****

It's as confusing and whimsical and weird and addicting as expected. There's no way to sum up this series. There's no way to explain this series. You go in reading it for the experience. And the characters. Because come on, the characters are the series. Blue and The Raven Boys. Maybe because it's been so long since BLLB, or maybe it's just how it is, but they were at their best in this book. 

The Raven Cycle is a great series. It's so weird and different and even beautiful. I'd like to say The Raven King has some shocking moments but I barely knew what the difference between shocking and what the hell is going on moments were, so let's just leave at it's exactly the book you think it will be, a Maggie Stiefvater book.

I will say that the lack of kissing was quite a disappointment. For me there was that one amazing moment, the other was to be expected. But that amazing moment, yea, it should have been multiplied a few times because kissing.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian ***.5

Find the review here.

The Wrath and the Dawn(The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh *****(re-read)
This is even more glorious the second time around. Absolutely everything about The Wrath and the Dawn is stunningly beautiful.


Dirty(Dive Bar #1) by Kylie Scott ****
I enjoyed Scott's Stage Dive series and was excited to see her writing a spin-off type series. Now, after having read Dirty, I can say I'm super excited to see what this series brings. Because Dirty was a big step up from Stage Dive. That had a lot to do with Lydia, she's fucking awesome. She's mouthy and quick witted. Doesn't take shit from Vaughan. Not that Vaughan was a bad guy. He's was just a guy that needed to get his shirt sorted. Vaughan is a good guy that knows how to apologize after he's been a dick. Their chemistry and banter is great. The supporting characters were well rounded with complex problems of their own. Dirty turned out to be a really fun romance that brought the chuckles.

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What did you guys read this week?

Happy reading!

Brittany

10% Happier

If you've always wanted to meditate, but could never figure out how to start, or how to keep going day after day, I would highly recommend a new meditation program called 10% Percent Happier. The program, which offers a "clear, easy to use, step-by-step guide" to meditation, is billed as "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics."

Each day, the instruction begins with a short conversation between a highly experienced meditation teacher and ABC News Anchor Dan Harris. In 2004, Harris suffered an on-air panic attack in front of millions of TV viewers. The experience led him to daily meditation. These conversations are aimed at people who have looked askance at meditation, even as millions and millions of Americans are turning to the practice to reduce stress, improve concentration and boost brain health.

The introductory conversation is followed by a ten to 15 minute meditation with the experienced meditation teacher. The first seven days of 10% Happier are free, so you might as well try it (if you subscribe, the program costs only $10 a month.) 

Even after all these years I have been meditating, I am learning an incredible amount from this wonderful series. Try it and see for yourself!

Help! I'm Drowning in Books! (TAG)

I was TAG'd by my good buddy, Sarah to do this TAG. Which was created over on BookTube by Lindsey Rey; who I've been watching for a few years now.
Is it any surprise when I say my TBR is out of hand? I could literally drown in my unread books. Does that stop me from buying new ones well all these perfectly good books are sitting here yelling at me to give them a go; of course not. I have a book acquiring problem and I will never try and cure it. Books make me happy and how can I deny myself happiness. And whatever, they'll get read one day.

What book have you been unable to finish?

I'm not shy with my DNF'ing. So there's a few I could have picked. But I thought let's go with a popular book that I thought was sooooo boring. I tried guys. I just don't get the appeal. Nothing happened in the first 42% of this book. There was no way I could make myself stick out the rest in the hopes it got better. I just didn't care.

What book have you yet to read because you haven't had the time?

There are a few reasons holding me back from spending the time to read The Name of the Wind. The main reason is the exactly the time I will have to devout to this read. It will be slow going and probably take me a week. And I like to read as much as I can. This will take ALL my time. I think the way to go about this is go to a beach for a few days with only this book.

What book have you yet to read because it's a sequel?

I didn't know how to take this question because I do have sequels I haven't read because I've yet to read the first book. But I choose Quintana because I lovvveeee this series and for some ridiculously stupid reason I haven't finished it off by reading Quintana. At this point I will need to reread the first two books because I've naturally forgotten all the details.

What book have you yet to read because it's brand new?

You all know I acquire new books every few days. Radio Silence is one of my latest(spoiler for my next haul) buys. I recently saw quite a few of my UK Goodreads friends reading this one and all were saying the same thing, incredible. And they all seemed at a loss for words. Needless to say it ended up in my hands.

What book have you yet to read because you read a book by this author and didn't enjoy it?

I read Sweet Evil a few years ago and found it to be kind of terrible, cliched and exactly what you would expect for a YA paranormal. For some reason I picked up See Me when it was super cheap for Kindle. Who knows when I'll get to it; but I guess that's the beauty of an e-book, it doesn't take up space.

What book have you yet to read because you haven't been in the mood for it?

I love Kristin Hannah. Of course I jumped at the chance to snag this for review in late 2014. The problem; Hannah's books are always emotionally draining. And yes I love a sad tale every once in a while, this one also happens to be a WW II tale. So that likes triples the emotional value. And I'm just not prepared as of yet.

What book have you yet to read because it's humongous?

The Outlander series is huge in page count and words. So many words. Dense words. Really these's no rush to read this book because who knows how long till we get the next one. It's always years and years. 

What book have you yet to read because it was a cover buy that turned out to have bad reviews?

So much beauty. Such mixed reviews. Even if I never read this book the cover will live on my shelf forever.

What is the most intimidating book in your TBR pile?

Besides all the classics I own which are intimidating because I don't want to read them. The Final Empire isn't intimidating because of page count, it's the love and popularity that scares me. I want to love this book sooooo much. More often than not I'm the black sheep and the hype can destroy the possible happiness a book contains. At some point, when I can go a week without seeing this book mentioned I will embark on this journey.

Have you guys read any of these books? Am I seriously missing out by overlooking them(Tanya, I know. I know)?

Happy reading!

Brittany