Sunday, April 29, 2018

May Preview

Hello everyone, I'm trying a new thing on my blog to let people know about the upcoming month and all the exciting things that are happening. In this new post, I'm going to be talking about a few exciting posts that I'll be writing in May as well as some of my anticipated book releases and other events that are going to be happening! Let's go ahead and jump into it! 

~~~

First, I'm going to start with my TBR for this upcoming month. There are a lot of exciting releases that I can't wait for as well as a lot of books that I've been meaning to read for a while. I do plan on reading other books than the ones on this list, but I'm not sure what those other ones are at the moment. I think I'm just going to see how the month takes me and I'll go from there! 

The first that I am going to talk about is my book of the month for May and that is A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas. This is my second most anticipated book of the year and I can't believe that I'm going to have it in my hands in two days. 

Next, I want to read Furyborn by Claire Legrand. It's one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I've had an arc of it for a while now, but I've been putting off reading it because I didn't want to wait a year and a half for book two. I'm so excited to finally read it, though!

Then I want to reread Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff so that I can move straight into Obsidio. I love this series but it's been almost 2 years since I read the sequel and I want to be fully refreshed before I go into the final book. Plus, I want to put off my heart breaking just a little bit longer. This series just means so much to me and I want to be able to experience it knowing everything that has happened and not forgetting anything. 

I also want to read is When Evil Comes to Play by B.L. Brunnemer. This is the fifth book in her YA RH series and it's one of my favorite series out there. I've been anticipating this book for so long and I can't wait for it to release on May 4. 

The last book I have on my TBR is Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister. I got an e-arc of this through Netgalley and it sounds like such a cute, fun read. I think it'll be perfect for the beginning of summer and I'm very excited to get into it this month. 


~~~

I have a few exciting posts coming up in the month of May. If you don't know, my post schedule is Sunday, Wednesday, Friday with occasional posts on other days if it's celebrating a book release. The most notable of the upcoming posts that I have planned are my A Court of Frost and Starlight book review, my Furyborn book review, a book tag that I am currently creating right now, and a wrap-up for my freshman year of college with tips for upcoming students and things I loved about it. 

~~~

May has always been an exciting month for book releases and there are so many releasing in the coming weeks. The ones that I have listed here are not all of them, but they're the ones on my radar. Obviously, I don't have the money to get all of them, but they're still all pretty exciting. 

On May 1st, we have a whole plethora of books releasing. I think we all know which one I am most excited about, but there are a few others that are also out on this day that are pretty exciting. We have mostly fantasy books here, but there's a science-fiction thrown in as well. 

On May 4th, we have a novel by an independent author releasing. It's one of my most anticipated releases of the month and I can't wait to have it in my hands! 


Releasing on May 15th, we have the following two books. One is a new release about dragons and traitors while the other is a long-awaited conclusion to a popular series. 

On May 22 we have one of my most anticipated books of the year releasing. This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy about prophecies, magic, and so much more. I can't wait for it to be released for the world to read. 

On May 29 we have two more of my anticipated books releasing. I can't wait to have them in my hands. I've already read and reviewed one of them, but I'm still so excited for its release so that I will finally have people to talk to about the events that happened!

~~~

May is hopefully going to be an exciting month filled with lots of events and things to do. I know for sure that a lot of people are looking forward to something at the end of the month in particular, but I sadly, will not be able to go. 

First things first, my last day of classes is on May 1st. My last final portfolio is due on the 8th and I will be moved back home on the 9th. In 10 days I will be reunited with my niece and family, my friends, and my amazing bookshelves. If you can't tell, I'm very excited to be done with all these final papers and such and for summer to be starting!

On May 10th, I am officially beginning my novel. It's the day after I get home from college and I'll have everything outlined by then. I'm using a program called Pacemaker to help me stay on track with my word count. At the moment, I have it set to 150,000 words (equivalent to 600 pages), by my birthday on August 10th, but I am not sure if it's going to take that much to write the story. That is the max that I am setting for it, though. 

I will also be starting back up my BookTube channel. Now that I have a new camera, I am even more motivated to do it. I can't wait for my first video to go up. I have some big plans for this channel that I think you all will enjoy! 

There's also the Fierce Reads tour which is happening. I might be able to go to one of the signings, but it's not for sure yet. It's likely that I won't be able to, but I'm still keeping my thoughts optimistic. I'd love to meet Taran Matharu and get all of his books signed. 

I am also going to be starting back up at work towards the end of the month. If you aren't aware, I'm a lifeguard at a country club and it's my dream job. I can't wait to be back with my coworkers and back making money.

Book Expo and, with it, BookCon begin at the end of May. I wish that I had the money to go to New York City to attend, but it's just not possible. If it were in Chicago like it was the first time I went, then I would be able to go but at the moment I just can't. Still, I'm excited for everyone else who is getting to go and hopefully I'll be able to trade a few of my arcs for ones that they pick up at the con. 

Other than that, there's not much else going on in May. I'm hoping to visit my dad and grandparents as well as see Infinity War. I think primarily my focus this summer is writing my novel, reading, and working. I want this summer to be productive and I can't wait for all the possibilities it will bring!

~~~

Thanks for reading! Here's to a fantastic May.
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Friday, April 27, 2018

Let's Talk: "The Oddling Prince" by Nancy Springer Book Review

Title: The Oddling Prince
Author: Nancy Springer
Genre: Fantasy
Page Length: 288 pages
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Date Started: April 20, 2018
Date Finished: April 25, 2018
Rating: 1/5 stars 

*I was sent an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review*

I really wanted to like this book. I really truly did. It just wasn't happening for me. I was so excited when I got the notification from Netgalley that I was going to be able to read it but I was very disappointed. I DNF'ed this book at about 40% because I had no desire to read it and I had other things to read.

I thought that a lot of things happened too easily or quickly. The pacing felt wrong, the characters felt flat, and I just didn't care at all about what happened. I wish that I could say that I connected to this story, but I didn't. There were plenty of info dumps for things I didn't really need to know but there wasn't enough explanation for things that needed it.

Maybe this is a book that a lot of other people love, but I could not get past these things and enjoy it at all. That's really all I can say on this book: I just didn't enjoy it at all.

~~~

Thanks for reading! I'll catch you guys next time!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Fandom Items

Hello everyone! It's time for another Top 5 Wednesday! This week's theme is one that I'm super excited about and can't wait to share with all of you. For this week, we're talking about our Top 5 Fandom Items! I have a lot of merch and fandom items that I absolutely love. Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments below and we can discuss together!

#5. This for me is anything Sarah J. Maas or Harry Potter. Will buy pretty much anything that deals with either of these two fandoms. As they're my two favorite fandoms, it should be no surprise that this is the case.

#4. I love character cards. I have the Shadowhunter Tarot cards (link here) and I absolutely adore seeing all the characters. I also have a set of The Hazel Wood character cards and I can't wait to read the book so that I can enjoy these cards more. I also will be getting a set of the Furyborn character cards in the mail soon from my preorder and I'm beyond excited! I just love putting faces to descriptions! 

#3. Some of my favorite pieces of merch are from HappyHelloCo on Etsy. This shop makes gorgeous magnetic bookmarks of book characters as well as keychains and pins. I have so many Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses inspired bookmarks and keychains and I plan on getting so many more!


#2. I love my Helion candle from A Court of Candles. Helion was one of my favorite characters in the third ACOTAR book by Sarah J. Maas and when the seller announced that his candle was limited edition and only available for a few days, I knew I had to get it. It smells like summer and sunshine and happiness.

#1. My absolute favorite item is my ACOMAF book sleeve from Book Bud on Etsy. I has one of my favorite quotes from the book on it and the design is just beautiful. It's also big enough to fit ACOWAR and so I just love it even more because of that!

~~~

Well, there you have it: my top 5 fandom items! Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for a new book review coming Friday!!!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

15 Thoughts While Reading "Sky in the Deep"


Hello everyone! I am doing a new series on my blog. April is just the month of new series! This particular one is just a quick little post that will accompany all of my reviews as well as occasional other books that I read and don't review. As I read, I will write down a bunch of thoughts that I have while reading and compile them into a post! 

Now, I do need to put in a disclaimer before I do this. These posts WILL be spoiler! I repeat: they WILL HAVE SPOILERS! As these are thoughts that I have while reading the book, there will be instances where I name specific scenes or moments. I will put this disclaimer at the beginning of every post, but please note that now! Also, it is good to note that you won't really understand these unless you've read the book. I also don't have chapter/page #'s at this time for when these thoughts came, but they are in order.

Also, happy book birthday to this awesome book!! I'm beyond excited that I was able to read and review this book before publication and I'm so happy that all of you now get to read it as well! Here's is my non-spoiler review if you want to know my coherent thoughts on this book.

1. Eelyn reminds me of Aelin--such a badass.

2. I'm as frustrated as Eelyn with Iri.

3. Halvard is cute though.

4. Brb actually gonna cry.

5. Are Fiske and Eelyn going to end up together?

6. Tears.

7. More tears.

8. Fiske is going with her--yay!

9. I hope the two come together to fight the Herja.

10. "Are we still enemies? You and I?" "No" AHHHHHHH

11. "We die fighting or we die hiding. Which do you chose?" This is one of my new favorite quotes.

12. yes Yes YES! I KNEW IT YESSS!

13. I am getting scared--aw I only have 40 pages left.

14. Stay with him Eelyn stayyyyyy

15. Oh that was beautiful.

Sky in the Deep Links
Book Review (Non-Spoiler)
Goodreads
Amazon

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page!

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS.

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link.

~~~

Friday, April 20, 2018

Hardest Book Lover Would You Rather

Hello everyone and welcome back! Today I have a pretty exciting book tag that I've seen floating around and have been wanting to do for a while now. It was created by Buzzfeed and is the Hardest Book Lover Would You Rather. I'm not sure if this is actually going to be that hard, but I'm looking forward to doing it nonetheless!

~

1.Would you rather have a friend who loses your books, or one who dog-ears them?
I've made it pretty obvious to my friends who borrow books that they can only borrow on the condition that they don't dog ear or otherwise maim/lose a book of mine. If they were to lose or damage a book of mine, they would have to buy me a new one. I also provide post-it notes when people borrow my books to use as a bookmark, so theoretically neither of them should happen. However, if we took these precautions away, I'd rather have a friend who dog-ears them because at least I'd still have the book and dog-earing isn't that bad anyway. 

~

2. Would you rather secretly love a book everyone else hates, or secretly hate a book everyone else loves?
Neither of these really bother me because I generally hold the belief that everyone is entitled to their own opinion on books and it doesn't impact me what somebody else cares about. I'd probably secretly love a book because I want to love all the books I read and I don't want to hate any. 

~

3. Would you rather be stuck on a very long plane or train ride without a book?
I don't really read books on planes, but I have read a little bit on trains before. It depends on the train, though. If it's the Amtrak from Chicago to my home, then I'd probably read a book, but I'm not going to read it on the Metro/Metra or any elevated trains. Planes and those types of trains give me motion sickness, so I would probably spend time audiobooking. Either way, I wouldn't really care if I didn't have a book on either, though it's easier on trains because sometimes they have free wifi for Netflixing. 

~

4. Would you rather have dinner with your favorite author or your favorite character?
This is tough. I love my favorite author but I was speechless meeting her and I wouldn't want to have an embarrassing meal where I was starstruck the whole time. So I'd probably do my favorite character, even though I'd have to think for a while on who my favorite character is. 

~

5. Would you rather date a character you have a crush on or your crush from real life?
This is so hard for me, but I feel like I'm going to have to go with a character that I have a crush on. Currently, the only IRL crush I have is Tom Holland, and he's a celebrity so I'm not sure if that even counts. However, Rhysand would be such an amazing partner. Maybe I could convince him and Feyre to let me into their bed. Or, alternatively, Helion is also one of my favorite characters and I would definitely turn down anyone for him. 

~

6. Would you rather have your favorite book turned into a movie, or your favorite movie turned into a book?
This is hard, because a lot of recent adaptions are either hit or miss for books. I do really want to see my favorite books turned into movies, but I would prefer TV shows. However, my answer for this is that I would rather my favorite movie be turned into a book. There are so many amazing movies out there that I really want to be able to read as well. 

~

7. Would you rather read a book with an annoying cliffhanger, or one where your favorite character is killed off?
Probably the cliffhanger one, if I'm being honest. I've dealt with plenty of annoying cliffhangers before, but if my favorite character is still alive that's all I need. 

~

8. Would you rather lose the ability to read any new books, or the ability to reread books you've already read?
I can't not read new books. I love rereading books with a passion, but I love discovering new books even more. Thank god I don't actually have to chose, though. If it came down to it, I'd skip rereading in favor of new ones. 

~

9. Would you rather live in a library or a bookstore?
This is pretty tough. I think probably a library I guess. Bookstores are nice, but they don't often have as much comfy seating and I would be worried about messing up the brand new books when I read them. But libraries would probably have couches or comfy chairs or beanbags and the books there are designed to be read and then put back on the shelf.

~

10. Would you rather lose your place or get a paper cut every time you read a book?
Lose my place. I've lost my place plenty of times and it's pretty easy to find it again. But I don't want a paper cut. That shit hurts.


~

11. Would you rather have to always read in the dark, or always read books with tiny text?
Always read books with tiny text. I can always hold it closer to my face but reading in the dark just puts such a strain on my eyes and makes me not want to continue reading. 

~

12. Would you rather read by a fireplace, or on the beach?
Fireplace. Sunlight reflects off of pages and it's really bright and I feel like I'd be too worried about sand getting in my book to read on a beach. I'd happily do a beach day, but not with a book. 

~~~

Well, there you have it! What were your answers to these would-you-rathers? Let me know in the comments below! Also, be sure to stay tuned for a new book review for an upcoming release going live on Sunday. 

~~~

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Top 5 Wednesday: Ideal Mash-Ups

Hello guys and welcome back to another Top 5 Wednesday! I feel like the topics this month are just bomb.com and I'm so excited about this one! I can't even explain my excitement except by saying let's just go ahead and jump in to my ideal mash-ups!

5. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan.
Can you imagine all the shit Percy and Harry would get up to? It would be hilarious! I just feel like both of these series could bring so much to a mash up and it would just be phenomenal. Can you imagine Hermione going on a quest with the campers? Or Percy helping fight Voldemort? I would pay big money to see that.

4. Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco with The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
I think seeing Audrey and Thomas try to solve mysteries while in one of the Illuminae books would be fantastic! I think that the science fiction would prove to be very interesting when it comes to how they would go about things in solving it.

3. Supernatural and The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare.
I think that Supernatural could go really well with any of the books by Cassie Clare. I'd actually die if I saw Sam and Dean in The Infernal Devices if I'm being honest. I just think that it'd be interesting to see how the mythologies in each would adapt to each other.

2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Night Shift.
These technically aren't books as they're TV shows, but I would love to see these together. I feel like Brooklyn Nine-Nine is so funny and brings so much good social commentary in and I would love to see the medical and drama aspects of The Night Shift. I can definitely picture one of the characters from Brooklyn Nine-Nine walking into the night shift to arrest a perp who needs medical attention and things just going from there. I need it.

1. Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses...both by Sarah J. Maas.
Can you imagine Rowelin meeting Feysand? I need it! Plus, I really want Aedion and Helion to meet. That would be fantastic. Or Amren and Manon. I just need all of these characters to meet. I feel like it would be a pissing match at first but then the characters would grow to like each other and they would all become fast friends who prank each other.

~~~

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for a new book tag on Friday and a new ARC review on Sunday! xoxo
Lauren

~~~

Follow this blog by clicking "Follow" on the right hand column! Add me to your Google+ Circles on the left hand column! New content every month from Reviews to Hauls to Tags! Don't forget to check out all the other parts of this blog by following the different links at the top of the page! 

Follow my Instagram here. Giveaway at 1k followers!

Get 10% off of HD Movie Codes (sponsored by Movies Anywhere) when you use "INFLUENCER" at checkout! *I do not receive commission from HD Movie Codes--I just want to save you some $*

Get 10% off your first order, plus 50 rewards points, when you use this link to purchase a personal aromatherapy diffuser from Monq

Get 10% off your first order on A Court of Candles when you use this link.

Subscribe to Owlcrate using this link and get a discount off your first box using AVIREADS

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

~~~