Guest of the Month #3

Have you ever wished you knew more bloggers? Do you want to have the chance to guest post on other people’s blogs? Would you love to have a break and have a post written for you? You are in the right place!

What is Guest of the Month club?Guest of the month club is a monthly opportunity to collaborate with different bloggers! Every month you will be paired with a different blogger. You will each plan a guest post for the other’s blog (topic suggestions will be provided every month!). Then all of the club members will post on the same day of the month to make blog hopping easier. This event is hosted and organized by Emily @ Emily Reads Everything.

This Month's Guest is Cyra from Rattle the Pages

Beyond the Blog: Top 5 Books I Want to Read in 2016

Hello everyone! I’m Cyra (Sear-ah) from Rattle the Pages! I’m happy to be hosted today by Emily for the Guest of the Month Club! Today I’m going to be talking about the top 5 books I can’t wait to read in 2016!

First of all, this topic really isn’t fair because there are SO many amazing books coming out this year, I don’t know how I’m supposed to pick just five! So I cheated a little bit!

First, here are the top five books that I want to read this year that are NOT debuts!

1. The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson - I absolutely adored The Kiss of Deception! I really liked The Heart of Betrayal as well! After the ending of HOB, I think that things were as bleak as they could possibly be for Lia and things can literally only go up from there. I can’t wait for this one!
2. Remembrance by Meg Cabot - I was SO excited when I heard about this book! I used to have EVERYTHING by Meg Cabot, but when I was running out of bookshelf space, I gave them to the used bookstore. So I can’t even reread this series in anticipation of this book! I need to get these books again because these were my absolute favorite of her books! Even if I can’t get them soon, I heard that this one can be read as a standalone so that’s awesome!
3. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - After that HEARTBREAKING betrayal that SUNK MY SHIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN, I need to know what happens next. I am SO excited for this book!
4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses. I loved Feyre and Tamlin. I’m excited to read this book, but also scared because if there’s going to be a love triangle and Rhysand is one leg of it, this is quickly going to become a book that I really don’t care for. I HATED Rhysand!
5. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - I love WWII historical fiction! This one sounds like it’s gonna be really sad, but really good! I can’t wait to dive into this one!

Now for top five debuts that I want to read this year!

1. Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie - I have heard nothing but good things about this one and fantasy is my favorite genre. So I think that this one will definitely be a hit with me!
2. Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan - I don’t think that this is the author’s general debut, but I think it’s her YA debut. Not sure if that’s right or not, but that cover is literally the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever been fortunate enough to lay my eyes on.
3. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye - This one just sounds really good. I just really want it. I don’t even really have a reason except that it sounds fantastic.
4. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi - This one sounds so good! The idea of a fantasy inspired by Indian Mythology really excites me! 
5. After the Woods by Kim Savage - The summary of this book reminds me of an episode of a crime drama like Criminal Minds or something! Crime dramas are my favorite so I’m really excited for this one!

Those are just a few of the many, many books that I am anxiously awaiting this year. I need them all like, yesterday!!

Poison Tour

Poison by Lan Chan
(Wind Dancer #1)
Publication date: September 1st 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Synopsis: Since the night her mother was murdered, sixteen-year-old Rory Gray has known one truth: There are no good Seeders.
In post-apocalyptic Australia, the scientists known as Seeders have built a Citadel surrounded by food-producing regions and populated with refugees from the wars and famine. To maintain their control, the Seeders poisoned the land and outlawed the saving of seeds.
It’s been six years since Rory graced the Seeders’ circus stage as the Wind Dancer and still the scars on her body haven’t healed. Even worse are the scars on her heart, left by a Seeder boy who promised to protect her.
Now the Seeders are withholding supplies from Rory’s region for perceived disobedience. Utilising the Wanderer knowledge she received from her mother, Rory must journey to the Citadel through uninhabitable terrain to plead for mercy.
However, the Citadel isn’t as Rory remembered. The chief plant geneticist is dying and rumours fly that the store of viable seed is dwindling. The Seeders are desperate to find a seed bank they believe Rory can locate, and they will stop at nothing to get it.
To defy the Seeders means death. But Rory has been close to death before–this time she’s learned the value of poison.
Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, strong protagonists, minority characters, circuses and nature!

AUTHOR BIO:
Lan Chan is a writer, gardener and professional procrastinator based in Melbourne, Australia. She is still waiting for her super powers to manifest but until then she writes young adult novels featuring strong female protagonists, minority characters and has a particular interest in dystopias and urban fantasy. Lan’s debut novel POISON, the first in her WIND DANCER series is due for release in September 2015.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

This is a unique dystopian, I loved that the focus was on seeds and genetic modifications to plants. I also really liked that it was set in Australia.

This book takes off at a fast pace that does not let up. There were a few graphic/violent scenes that were a bit much for me. While the plot moved at an exiting pace, there were times when I felt like Aurora lost her focus on her journey. But there were plenty of plot twists that kept me on my toes. The world building was OK, but could have used more details. A few details seemed unrelated, but later in the book they came together. I felt like this could have been executed a little better. Unfortunately, the book lacked character development. I did, however like that there was not a heavy focus on romance. I was a little let down by the ending because the story felt unfinished. All that being said, I did enjoy reading the book, it was exciting and I am really interested in reading the next book in the series.

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Orphan Queen

The Orphan Queen
Author: Jodi Meadows
Series: The Orphan Queen #1
Publication Date: March 10, 2015
Source: Purchased
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads: Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

This book had a really slow start for me. At some point it picked up a tiny bit and because more interesting. I like Wilhelmina and was really intrigued by her world and he story. I struggled with the concept of the wraith - like I just didn't really get it. The middle of the book moved at a decent pace, but was a bit unbelievable. The characters was interesting, for the most part, but none of them stuck out to me as extraordinarily well developed. The plot twists were fun, but a bit predictable. The ending just annoyed me. Overall, I liked the book and enjoyed reading it, but there really isn't much to say beyond that.

2015 Wrap Up

2015 was one of the busiest years for me! I finished my master's degree, planned my sister's wedding shower and bachelorette party, went to my sister's wedding abroad, started a new job, and my mother in law passed away. Unfortunately, all this stuff took away from reading and blogging. I greatly appreciate all the readers and bloggers who continue to read my blog.

Here is an update on the challenges I participated in 2015.

2015 Book Blog BINGO hosted by me 

(I was totally not prepared to host a challenge and not many people participated in this, but to those of you who did, thank you!)

My Goal: A Double Bingo

Status: Met

A book that takes place in a school: The School for Good and Evil

A book purchased in 2014: Shadow and Bone

The second book in a series: Siege and Storm

A book with magic or paranormal characters: Ruin and Rising

A book written by an author that you've never read before: The Donor

A book with romance: A Wizard Rises

A book published in 2015: Bright Fire

A book that made you cry: The Sin Eater's Daughter

A review persuaded you to read it: The Winner's Curse

A book outside your comfort zone: Moneyball

A book that has been on your TBR shelf for two years or longer: Ashes of Foreverland

A book with a dragon: The Girl at Midnight

A book more than 500 pages: Days of Blood & Starlight

A book with a beautiful cover: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

A book with a color in the title: Scarlet

A book you (should have) read in high school: The Book Thief

A book from the New York Times Best Sellers List: Queen of Shadows

A fairy tale retelling: The Wrath and the Dawn

A book that someone recommended to you: Six of Crows

2015 Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
hosted by Falling for YA

My Goal: 25 books and 80%

Status: half met (9 books, 91%)

1. The Donor by Nikki Rae

2. A Wizard Rises by AJ Nuest

3. Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

4. A Time of Reckoning by AJ Nuest

5. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

6. Hidden Huntress by Danielle Jensen

7. Spelled by Betsy Schow

8. Lion Heart by AC Gaughen

9. Hidden Gates by DT Dyllin

2015 Discussion Challenge

hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction 

and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

My Goal: 1 - 12 Discussion Dabbler

Status: Met (even though I was really hoping to complete one discussion per month)

1. Book Event Etiquette
2. Rereacds and Reviews
3. Book Previews
4. Promoting Archived Posts
5. Adults who read YA

2015 Goodreads Reading Challenge

My Goal: 70 books

Status: Not Met (45 books)

Guest of the Month #2

Have you ever wished you knew more bloggers? Do you want to have the chance to guest post on other people’s blogs? Would you love to have a break and have a post written for you? You are in the right place!

What is Guest of the Month club?Guest of the month club is a monthly opportunity to collaborate with different bloggers! Every month you will be paired with a different blogger. You will each plan a guest post for the other’s blog (topic suggestions will be provided every month!). Then all of the club members will post on the same day of the month to make blog hopping easier. This event is hosted and organized by Emily @ Emily Reads Everything.

This Month's Guest is Heather from Based on a True Story

Beyond the Blog: Favorite Holiday Traditions

Hi! I'm Heather from Based on a True Story. Emily is hosting me today for the Guest of the Month Club. The topic this month is:

Favorite Holiday Traditions

As soon as I read that I knew I was in trouble. My family doesn't have any. We are entirely free-form around the holidays. In fact, we are so flexible that our major holiday tradition is sitting down sometime on Thanksgiving to decide when Christmas is going to be this year. You'd think that would be an easy answer but it turns out that it isn't. I'm lucky in that my husband's family is far away so we only have to visit my family on holidays. Other people in my family have to balance several celebrations. I have a stepdaughter and so if we want her to be involved in my family's Christmas we need to take her mother's family into consideration. To make that easier, we've decided that Christmas can be anytime. This year the get together for my father's family was December 13. That party has been held as late as February in previous years to make it easier for everyone to get there. The celebration for my immediate family is actually happening today (December 26). That's fairly close to actual Christmas day for us and I'm a little disappointed. If you push it back to New Year's you can hit the after Christmas sales for all your Christmas shopping.


What do we do on December 25? Actually, I'm sort of nervous about that day. A few years ago there was a huge ice storm here and all the power was out for several days including Christmas. It highlighted how truly everything is closed on Christmas. You can't buy food except for at gas stations and that was slim pickings. We ended up finding a working movie theater and eating popcorn and nachos for our meals because we couldn't cook anything. Ever since I stock up for Christmas eating like we might starve to death any minute. We also go to movies every Christmas which horrifies my mother because she thinks that everyone should be home with their families on that day but she's going to be going with us this year. Welcome to the dark side, Mom!
 

 I also like driving around on Christmas morning and looking at all the abandoned parking lots. It is so quiet outside that it feels like a scene from a movie about life after an apocalypse.
 
 It is very peaceful.

Does Your Family Have Any Holiday Traditions?

Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn 
Publication Date: May 24, 2012
Source: Purchased
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

This book had a somewhat slow start and the timeline was a bit confusing. There were alternating points of view; Nick in the present and Amy via diary entries starting years ago. Each character has a unique voice, so the characters felt well done.

At about the halfway point, the story got going and there were some major plot twists. The story was intensely suspenseful and kept my brain spinning. The main characters became unreliable, but in an interesting way. The author clearly understands the thinking of a sociopath. I felt sucked into the story, especially as the plot began to move at a more steady pace. However, I was let down by the ending, it felt like an obvious ploy to write a sequel. I'm not sure that I would read a sequel because things just felt too crazy to me.

December Netgalley Reading Challenge Update

This challenge is hosted by Falling for YA. Basically the goal is to tackle your review books and get your feedback percentage up.

My goal is 25 books and to maintain a percentage of 80% or better. 

Here's a fun update: I finally posted my Netgalley badges on my blog!! 

My current percent is 91%.

Unfortunately, my progress is pretty slow... I have been struggling to find titles that I am honestly interested in reading an reviewing. I just can't bring myself to request books, just to request them.

Here is my progress so far:
1. The Donor by Nikki Rae
2. A Wizard Rises by AJ Nuest
3. Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
4. A Time of Reckoning by AJ Nuest
5. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
6. Hidden Huntress by Danielle Jensen
7. Spelled by Betsy Schow
8. Lion Heart by AC Gaughen
9. Hidden Gates by DT Dyllin