A CANDLE REVIEW...

I entered Burning Pages Candles' Instagram giveaway and was rewarded second prize. You can check out the shop here: Etsy, Facebook, Instagram. (The store is now permanently closed.) My prize included: a full sized candle, a solid perfume, and a tea blend. All of my prizes were Night Court scented, obviously! You can check my pictures of them on Instagram: tea and perfume.

BRAVE BY JLA COVER REVEAL & OTHER SURPRISES

Brave (A Wicked Saga # 3)
Release Date: December 11, 2017
Available in Paperback (U.S./Canada) and E-book

       Ivy Morgan hasn't been feeling like herself lately. Not like anyone can blame her. After all, being held captive by a psychotic fae prince hell-bent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld is bound to leave some mental scars.
       It’s more than that, though. Something dark and insidious is spreading throughout Ivy, more powerful than she could ever imagine... and it’s coming between her and the man she’s fallen deeply in love with, elite Order member Ren Owens.
       Ren would do anything to keep Ivy safe. Anything. But when he makes a life-altering choice for her, the fallout of his act has far-reaching consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart.
       If Ivy is going to have any hope of surviving this, she must put aside the hurt and betrayal she feels, and work with not only those she loves, but with an enemy she would rather kill than ever trust. War is coming, and it soon becomes clear that what Ivy and Ren thought they knew about the Order, themselves, and even their enemies, has been nothing but a cluster of dangerous, deadly lies. Ivy knows she must be more than just brave to save those she loves--and, ultimately, to save herself.
       Because behind ever evil fae Prince, there’s a Queen…

Preorder on Amazon

(Amazon is the only retailer with a pre-order link at this time)

RAPID FIRE BOOK REVIEWS 3

Cover concept by Alii Kellner

I finally read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline! I loved it, but it is dense! Cline packs many facets of nerd culture and 80s pop culture into his novel. It's a conglomerate (look at that word choice) of anime, cartoons, TV shows, movies, video games, and music. There were so many references that I didn't bother to Google because it would distract my reading. Many references went over my head, but I understood most movie or music related ones. The book is also formatted into big chunky paragraphs that you have to plow through. Despite having a fantastical premise, it has depth, darkness, and a hint of realism. The world is a bleak place because of global warming, overpopulation, unemployment, crime, greed, Capitalism, etc. Virtual reality is the only escape people have, and technology is controlling society. It's a compelling plot, but it takes a detour because of the budding and unnecessary romance. Despite the questionable romance, this book has diversity and a fun story. I highly recommend this book!

THE REBELS OF GOLD COVER REVEAL

I'm so happy to help Elise Kova reveal the cover of The Rebels of Gold. This is the LAST book in the Loom Saga. It comes out December 5, 2017. If you, like myself, haven't read the first book, Alchemists of Loom, you definitely should! In fact, the eBook is on sale at $3.99! Purchase here: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play.

I read the Air Awakens series, and I loved it. Elise is such a great writer. Her worlds are so imaginative and beautiful. Without further ado, here is the GORGEOUS cover:

VAMPIRE ACADEMY REREAD

At the beginning of this year, I read The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare for the third time. I did this because I had such conflicting experiences with it, and needed to justify my purchase. When I first started the series, I loved it. I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a hardcover BOX set. OOF goes my wallet. Once I got the box set in the mail, I decided to reread the series, and I hated it. I found Jace annoying, and I was bored by the writing. You can read how I felt about the series HERE and my COHF REVIEW.

Since I did that with The Mortal Instruments, it only makes sense to do the same with Vampire Academy, which I also bought a box set of (softcover) while purchasing TMI. Rest in peace wallet!

I distinctly remember discovering Vampire Academy in the eighth grade, and it was a "hot commodity" among readers of the series. I brought the first book to school, a classmate I didn't particularly like asked to borrow it, I lent it to her, and I have regrets. Why didn't you say no, Vivien? Because I was intimidated by her! Another classmate asked to borrow the book, but I said no because I learned my lesson. Anyway... I loved this series. I loved Rose's sassiness, her friendship with Lissa, the drama, and Dimitri. I hope I still love those aspects and this series.

And so it begins...

AUGUST WRAP-UP

August was such a great month for reading! I read a lot of books, I read great books, I have new favorites, and I rediscovered the joys of the local library. Without further ado, here's what I read this August. 

I read Hunted by Meagan Spooner, and it's brilliant! Because of this book, I realized how much I love Beauty and the Beast retellings. The author reimagines the tale, adds Russian folklore, and a piece of her soul. I particularly liked the addition of The Firebird. Everything is great: the writing, the main character, the supporting characters, the love interest, the "romance," the plot, the concept, and the twist. There are times where you get frustrated with the plot, pacing, and/or characters, but I think that's normal with books. The author even directly mentions Stockholm Syndrome, which I don't recall being outrightly stated in retellings I've read, so I was pleasantly surprised. If you were to read any of the books I mention, read this one!