Sunday Post #18 and Stacking the Shelves November 30th, 2014

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.   With NaNoWriMo going on, I kind of like this so I can recap that as well as what I did on the blog during the week.  And, as of about 20 minutes from the time I started writing this post, I finished and won NaNoWriMo by hitting my 50,000 word mark!!

Last week on the blog:

• Top Ten Tuesday:  Top 10 Books on my Winter TBR List
• Waiting on Wednesday:  The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass
• Happy Thanksgiving Post
• Review:  Revival by Stephen King

As you can see, I didn't get much done this week for the blog.  I honestly only got one book read, and a lot of that was because I had over 15,000 words to get written in order to win NaNoWriMo.  Then of course Thanksgiving was busy with a lunch at my mom's and a dinner at my dad's.  Saturday I had another family get together, and then had to work at the bookstore in the evening.  But yay!  I'm done with NaNo now, so I can do some reading this month!  And reading I plan to do!!  (And get caught up on my TV that is sitting on my DVR waiting to be watched.)

This week on the blog:

• Review:  Between the Shadow and the Soul by Susanne Winnacker
• Review:  The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
• Maybe Top Ten Tuesday
• Waiting on Wednesday
• Maybe Cover Characteristics hosted by Sugar and Snark
• ????  Another Review?

I'm hoping to get more books read than two this week, but we will see.  The current one I just started may not be as much my type of book as the other one I've read by the author, but I'm very excited to give it a chance.  But I am hoping to make sure that I do post once a day in December, so I may need to figure out some kind of post for tomorrow, unless by some strange miracle I can finish the current book I'm reading by then.

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  Not a ton of books to add, but, I got a new Nook with the big sale they had for Black Friday at Barnes and Noble.

So far I think I love it.  I'm just trying to figure out how to get Edelweiss to download the books to it!  It's not working the same way as my Nook HD did, which if you remember when I got that one, that it didn't work the same way the Nook I'd had before that did!  You'd think a touch screen would be easy enough, especially since it is a real tablet, but I've not had a lot of success with it yet.  

Physical books:

 I won these from Adventures of a Book Junkie's Blogoversary.

Physical ARC:

I grabbed this at the bookstore where I work part time, thinking that I'd read the first one.  Turns out I haven't.  I guess maybe I'll go see if anyone wants to trade anything good for it over on YA Book Exchange. 

E-books downloaded for cheap:

I saw this for sale on Wednesday for $2.99, but I needed my paycheck before I could afford it. When I saw it was still on sale for that price on Friday, I went ahead and got it.  Well, then I got an email saying I'd won a copy in a giveaway.  I still want an actual copy of this beautiful book, and I really do like to read actual books better, my Nook is used more often for e-galleys and e-novellas, so I'm still excited to get the actual book.

E-galleys from Edelweiss:

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 I mentioned the first one a while back I think that I was interested in it. The 2nd one I've got an ARC of the first book by the author, but hadn't read it yet, so didn't think I should download this one.  Then I read that this is a standalone book, so I went ahead and downloaded it.

And that was my week, not a lot of actual books I guess, but a new Nook is pretty cool!  Or it will be once I can get all my e-galleys from Edelweiss sent over.  The Kindle ones transferred as soon as I downloaded the Kindle app to it.  So that'll be something I work on later this week when I'm ready to read my next e-galley on the Nook.

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: Revival by Stephen King

If you remember a couple weeks ago I got to go to an event and see Stephen King in person.  It wasn't the type where I got to actually meet him unfortunately.  But still, being in the same room with him and getting to hear his answers to a lot of questions was one of the neatest things ever.  I still haven't read his last book, Mr. Mercedes, which I've heard is very good.  I got a copy of this at the event though, so I had to read it as soon as I could fit it into my reading schedule.  This month has not been a great one for reading, but it has been great for writing.  I'll update everyone tomorrow night in my Sunday Post when hopefully I'll be able to say that I hit the 50,000 word mark and won NaNoWriMo for the first time!  And then, I'm so looking forward to December and being able to get back to reading more!

I have to say that Stephen King has really gotten back into the writing that hooked me when I was younger.  I loved Doctor Sleep, and this book was great as well.  At first it was just a good story, I wasn't sure where the actual horror or any type of supernatural storyline would be.  It actually came in a little bit, maybe halfway through the story.  And honestly, it was a less of that than he used to have in stories.  I might have liked a bit more of it, but when that horrible part of the story showed up, it was pretty scary. 

The main character is Jamie, who of course grows up in a small town in Maine. When he is about 8 years old, his town gets a new minister, Charles Jacobs.  Reverend Jacobs is young, and he has a young beautiful wife, and a very young little boy named Morrie.  Right away Jacobs takes a liking to Jamie, and shows him the model train table at the church, and also talks to Jamie about his hobby of working with electricity.  During this time things seem pretty normal for a small town.  And the Reverend is well liked.  When Jamie's older brother has a skiing accident that may cause him to be unable to speak for the rest of his life, Jacobs tries an experimental treatment with electricity that seems to help.  While he says that really it was more of just getting Con, his older brother, to think and work at speaking again, Jamie wonders if it was truly something to do with the electricity. 

Not long after this, there is a terrible accident which causes Jacobs to basically lose his faith, and he breaks down in such a manner that he gives a sermon showing just how far he has dropped away from God.  So he is relieved of his job.  Not too long after this, Jamie learns that he enjoys playing guitar.  The guitar leads him to play in rock bands.  And this of course leads to where you think it would lead, drugs.  It is when Jamie gets to a very low point with the drugs that he runs into Jacobs again.  Jacobs is able to use his electricity studies to help Jamie with his drug problems, but he is doing a type of electric show at a carnival.  After a while he leaves the carnival and moves elsewhere.  But he doesn't leave Jamie hanging.  He sends Jamie to work with someone who owes him a favor, and once again Jamie is allowed to work in the music industry.  Years later he will come across Jacobs again. This time he is healing people, one of those religious types of shows.  And while Jamie is still healed, he's had side effects.  And he will begin researching the other people that have been cured by Jacobs, and find that others have their own side effects.  And not all are minimal. 

It is in this final bit of research that Jamie will find maybe Jacobs is out to do something that isn't natural.  Jacobs' obsession has changed him so that he is no longer the likable reverend Jamie met when he was a young boy.  It will be this final goal of Jacobs' that will lead to the horrors of the story.

I will say the final goal was different than exactly what I'd thought it would be.  But definitely this goal made a little more sense at being something that someone might actually try compared to what I'd thought it would be.  A very good story, and so now I'm pretty eager to get around to reading Mr. Mercedes. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to do a quick post today to wish everyone who celebrates a happy thanksgiving!  I love this holiday for the time I get to spend with family that I don't always get to see much for the rest of the year.  The food is always good as well.  I get a big lunch at my mom's house, and then I get my dinner at my dad's house.  Of course, there's not much better time to add a Supernatural Gif than when you're talking about a traditional Thanksgiving dish.

 

Here is a list of all the bookish things I'm thankful for this year.

1. I'm still extremely thankful that I'm finally in a library job and out of the classroom.
2. I'm grateful that as a blogger I get more opportunities to read books early.
3. I'm grateful for the new manager at the bookstore where I work part time who saved a really awesome ARC for me a month or two ago.
4. I'm grateful for having a sister who lives in NYC so that I was able to have a free place to stay and attend BEA this past summer.
5. I'm grateful for getting an old friendship back this year that has helped me to be very close to winning NaNoWriMo this year.

Those are the main things, but also, I'm very grateful for all of my followers, as well as all of the blogs that I follow myself where I get to talk about books with other book lovers and learn about books I might not have learned about otherwise.

Now I have to go get dressed and head to my first meal of the day.  A bit early so that I can see my sweet 2 year old niece before everyone else gets there.

I'll leave you with some stuff from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Thanksgiving episode.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  I loved The Selection series, and am so excited that there is going to be another book after what we thought was the last one.  So without further ado, here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.






I just cannot wait for this!!  I'm so excited.  And I love that the new cover is just as beautiful as the others.  I wish so many authors could go back and visit the children or whatever in these types of series.  Just like I'm sure a lot of us would love to visit Harry Potter's kids like at the end of the last movie.  
So, what are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books On My Winter TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by The Broke and The Bookish.  This list will be made up of actual books I have sitting to read, as well as some e-galleys and ARCs.  No particular order, just the top 10 I thought of.

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All are new, upcoming books except for the last two, which are at the top of my physical TBR pile to get read soon!

Sunday Post #17 and Stacking the Shelves November 23rd, 2014

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.   With NaNoWriMo going on, I kind of like this so I can recap that as well as what I did on the blog during the week.

Last week on the blog:

• Top Ten Tuesday:  10 sequels I can't wait to get my hands on
•  Waiting on Wednesday:  The Hunted (The Living #2) by Matt de la Pena
• Promo Post:  Orion's Curse (The Andromedra Strain #2) by Amy Bartelloni
• Review: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
• Cover Characteristic:  Last book in a series
• Review:  Creed by Trish Leaver and Lindsay Currie
• GIF Tag
• Promo Post:  Malice by Amity Hope

 I was able to get my two reviews in this week.  Several promo posts also this week. For NaNoWriMo I was on track as of Wednesday.  Then Thursday I spent from 2 pm until 10 pm in the movie theater doing a Hunger Games marathon including the new Mockingjay  Part 1, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Friday night I was just exhausted.  Saturday I was helping my mom at her booth at the craft fair during the day, and then in the evening I went to see Interstellar with my dad.  This morning I had to work at my part time job, but then I went and wrote for about two hours.  I got another 2,000 words in.  I now have 7 days left for NaNoWriMo, and over 16,000 words left to write.  

This week on the blog:

• Review:  Revival by Stephen King
• Review:  Between the Shadow and the Soul by Susanne Winnacker
• Top Ten Tuesday:  Top 10 books on my Winter TBR
• Waiting on Wednesday

The Friday 56 is a possibility for the week as well, but it will depend how the whole week goes with Thanksgiving.  I'm hoping to finish Revival this week, and then start my e-galley of Now That You're Here.  But as it is the last week of NaNoWriMo, and I am determined to win it this year by finishing with 50,000 words, my reading my not get done this week.  My writing plans include Monday and Tuesday nights for 2-3 hours each night.  Then I have most of Wednesday to write, and I plan to spend a big part of the day writing with my writing buddy.  Thanksgiving will be a lunch at my mom's and a dinner at my dad's, so probably no writing on Thursday.  Friday morning I have only one possible Black Friday shopping deal to get, and then a lunch with all my family.  After that I hope to spend several hours writing.  And Sunday which is the last day of the month, so the last day to hit my 50,000, I plan to end that day writing as my as possible to get done!  As proud as I am of all the writing I've achieved this month, I'm looking to a bit of a break next month, and more time to read.  

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  Not too many this week, well, physical books anyway.

Physical Books:
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The first one I won an autographed copy from Reader Girls Blog.  The second one I traded for from YA Book Exchange.  A trader that only lives about an hour away from me, so it actually arrived the very next day!  

Egalley from author:

I did a cover reveal for this a few weeks back and was able to then get an e-galley of this book.  I plan to read it this week.

Egalley from Netgalley:

Egalleys from Edelweiss:

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Kindle E-books purchased with gift cards that I won:

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The first three I'm really excited to read more from this United States of Asgaard that Tessa Gratton created.  I'm so excited for the next Dorothy Must Die book as well. And the last one just sounds so good!  I won a couple Amazon gift cards earlier this month, $10 from A and E Kirk in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop in October.

So those are the things I added this past week, and what I've got planned for the upcoming week.  What did you get this week? 

Promo Post: Malice by Amity Hope

Malice by Amity Hope

*First book in a trilogy. Young Adult Romance/Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

 Samara Cavanaugh has grown up in a world filled with magic users. She’s used to bizarre and peculiar. But when a stranger checks in at The Bella Luna, the bed and breakfast her family owns, the strange occurrences in Granite Falls escalate.

Many people are leery of Levi, their new guest. He claims to be in town doing research but Samara’s friends aren’t so sure that his claim is as innocuous as it appears to be. When two of her classmates disappear, her friends seem convinced Levi had a hand in it.
Those closest to her have been keeping secrets from her. Those secrets put everyone close to her in danger.
Suddenly, her unrequited crush on her best friend, Tristan becomes the least of her troubles.

Malice is currently on 99 cents on Amazon. Pick up your copy today at the link below!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20526817-malice

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Malice-Amity-Hope-ebook/dp/B00OPEYU9O/ref=la_B008LXO5G8_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413899757&sr=1-12

About the Author:

Amity lives in beautiful northern Minnesota with her two sons, two cats and their Rottweiler. She has a degree in elementary education and worked in that field for ten years before deciding to self-publish. Her first self-published novel, Twisted, was listed by Amazon as a Top 100 Kids & Teens Kindle Book of 2012. If she’s not writing, or spending time with her boys, she’s most likely reading.    
Facebook 

Website: http://authoramityhope.blogspot.com/    
The Giveaway: 5 Kindle copies of Malice by Amity Hope

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

The Tour Schedule: November 17th
Elizabeth Delana Rosa – guest post
NaYa Books and More – promo post
YaReads – Interview
November 18th
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! – Review
A Writer’s Tales - guest post
Reader Girls - guest post
November 19th
Just One More Chapter - Review
All my Book finds - Review
Pearls Cast Before A McPig – guest post
November 20th
Friends With Characters – promo post
Suzy Turner, YA Author - guest post
November 21st
Book Talk Reviews – promo post
ReadWriteLove28 – interview
Cassandra M’s Place – Top Ten Post
November 22nd
Just One More Chapter – Interview
For the Love - promo post
Bookworm in Barrie – promo post
November 23rd
Mythical Books - guest post
Lisa Loves Literature – promo post
Book Lovers Life – promo post

GIF Tag

I've been tagged by Random Smiles to complete the Gif Tag!  I've seen this around and have been excited to try it out.  Thanks to Ellen for tagging me so I would do it!  Now I haven't heard of most of the books she gave me, so this is fun because I get to go look them up and possibly add new books to my TBR list.  Here you go:

Steel Lily by Megan Curd:



Normally I like dystopians, but not sure this one sparks my interest.

Born by Tara Brown:



Not for sure, but I'm intrigued for this one as it sounds like maybe zombies?  I'll have to add it to my TBR list.

Removed by S.J. Pajonas:

 

The premise sounds kind of different.  But, I prefer to read YA, not New Adult.  If I'm reading about adults I prefer to read about people my age with my same problems.  Although that would be New Adult problems kind of.

On the Road to Find Out by Rachel Toor:


I think the one time in my life I tried to become a runner came after the movie Run, Fatboy Run.  And this book is one that I had been able to get as an e-galley, but haven't been able to read.  It also makes me think I might want to try running again some day.  However the above picture is me right now.

Soul Fire by Aprille Legacy:


This is how I feel about these kinds of stories.  They all sound the same to me.  I'm not much of a fantasy reader.  Sorry.

The Woodlands by Lauren Nicolle Taylor:


Another one that just doesn't get me interested really.  Sorry.

Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun:


Another one I'm not sure if I'll read, but I do love the cover of it!!

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski:


I've seen this one around before, but based on the warning at the bottom of the Goodreads page, I'm wondering about this.

Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan:


Hmm, this is one that I've seen around a lot on a lot of different blogs I think.  But based on this description on Goodreads, this is kind of how I feel about it.  Confused at what is so popular.

Crossing the Rubicon by R.C. Richter:


The synopsis on Goodreads makes me think of Land of the Lost, but actually more the movie than the tv show.  And I couldn't find any gifs for the movie, well one, but it didn't fit.  So this is the closest I could find.

Justice Buried by Hilary Thompson:


Yeah, I have no idea what this one is supposed to be about and I'm pretty sure I'm okay with that.

Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern:



This one kind of sounds good, but then I don't really need to add too many more books to my TBR list.

This was kind of hard since I hadn't read any of these.  So a lot of my gifs are kinda similar.  Oh well.
Here are the list of books I've chosen for the people I'm tagging.

• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
• Arianna's Honor by Michelle Sodaro
• Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
• The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz
• The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
• Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
• Transcendence by CJ Omololu
• The Mark of the Hummingbird by Jessica Gollub
• H2O by Virginia Bergin
• Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

Tag you're it:
Feel free to join in even if I don't tag you.

• Bookhounds YA
•  In Love With Handmade
• BookCupid
• Caffeinated Book Reviewer
• Effortlessly Reading
• Girls With Books
• Kate's Book Life
• Mad Hatter Reads
• Oops I Read a Book Again
• Queen of Contemporary
• Say It With Books
• Wandering Librarians