February 2019 Wrap- Up

Hey everyone! Welcome to my February Wrap- Up! 

Unfortunately, I read very few books this month *dies of shame* I took pride in my tbr not keeping up with me last January but for this month it's the other way around. I read a total of four books and one of them is a re-read. (I'm looking at you, Chasing Truth) Silver lining, I also got to rave about Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway. I was lucky enough to be a part of the official blog tour and read the book in advance. (This was such a huge deal for me and I still can't believe it actually happened!)

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Presenting the four books I read in February...

  

THE COLD IS IN HER BONES by Peternelle van Arsdale #Giveaway #Blast

THE COLD IS IN HER BONES 
by Peternelle van Arsdale
Date Published:  January 22, 2019; Margaret K. McElderry Books

About the book:

One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla’s whole world is her family’s farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she’s forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME by Nafiza Azad #CWW #WoW

'Can't-Wait' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My 'Can't-Wait' Wednesday pick for this week is-

THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME 
by Nafiza Azad
Release Date: May 14, 2019; Scholastic

From Goodreads:

Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. There the music of myriad languages fills the air, and people of all faiths weave their lives together. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population -- except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar. 

But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield. 

THE DYSASTERS by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast #Giveaway #BlogTour

THE DYSASTERS 
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast 
Release Date: February 26, 2019; Wednesday Books
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio

About the book:

P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the House of Night phenomenon, return to the scene with The Dysasters— the first action-packed novel in a new paranormal fantasy series. 

Adoptive daughter of a gifted scientist, Foster Stewart doesn’t live a “normal” life, (not that she’d want to). But controlling cloud formations and seeing airwaves aren’t things most eighteen year olds can do. 

Small town star quarterback and quintessential dreamy boy next door, Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor has never thought much about his extra abilities. Sure, his night vision comes in handy during games, but who wouldn’t want that extra edge? 

From the moment Foster and Tate collide, their worlds spiral and a deadly tornado forces them to work together, fully awakening their not-so-natural ability - the power to control air. 

LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long #Excerpt #Giveaway #BlogTour

LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER (The Palace of Rogues #1)
by Julie Anne Long 
Release Date: February 26, 2019; Avon Books
ISBN 9780062867469; $7.99

About the book:

A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building. 

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man. 

But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice. 

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT by Danice Mae P. Sison #Excerpt #BlogTour #romanceclass

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT
by Danice Mae P. Sison 
Date Published: February 15, 2019
Romance, Young Adult 

Book Cover Info: 
Cover Models: Liane Palomo, Boo Gabunada
Cover Designed by: Tara Frejas
Flicker Design Identity: Clarissa Ines Photographed by: Chi Yu Rodriguez
Makeup by: Carla De Guzman
Styling by: Alex Lapa

About the book:

Miri dela Merced’s film director grandfather and Pabs Paglinauan’s studio head grandmother had a huge falling out that ended Lolo Ikong’s career. At seventeen, Miri finds herself in the same summer film internship program as the down-to-earth film studio heir Pabs, whom she’s decided to automatically write off, just because of his lineage. As Miri gets a crash course in her expectations vs the reality of what it's like to work on a real movie, her true feelings for Pabs become harder and harder to ignore. In between attending outdoor screenings of classic Pinoy movies and battling monster production assistants together, can flipping the script on a decades-old grudge be only a few sequences away?

TO KILL A KINGDOM by Alexandra Christo #ARC #Review #Netgalley

TO KILL A KINGDOM
by Alexandra Christo
Date Published: March 6, 2018; Feiwel & Friends

From Goodreads:

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. 

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

P.S. I LIKE YOU by Kasie West #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

P.S. I LIKE YOU
by Kasie West
Date Published: July 16, 2016; Point

From Goodreads:
Signed, sealed, delivered… 

While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue! 

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young #ARC #Review #Netgalley

SKY IN THE DEEP
by Adrienne Young
Date Published: April 24, 2018; Wednesday Books

From Goodreads:

Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart. 

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago. 

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family. 

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

HUNTED by Meagan Spooner #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

HUNTED
by Meagan Spooner
Release Date: March 14, 2017; HarperTeen

From Goodreads:

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. 

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas… or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. 

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

AURORA RISING (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman #CWW #WoW

'Can't-Wait' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My 'Can't-Wait' Wednesday pick for this week is-

AURORA RISING (The Aurora Cycle #1) 
by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Release Date: May 7, 2019; Knopf Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure. 

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch… 

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm 

A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates 

A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder

An alien warrior with anger management issues 

A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering 

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. 

BY YOUR SIDE by Kasie West #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

BY YOUR SIDE
by Kasie West
Date Published: January 31, 2017; HarperTeen

From Goodreads:

An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect? 

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn't think things could get any worse. But that's before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. 

Autumn doesn't know much about Dax except that he's trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he's not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her. 

Only he doesn't come. No one does. 

Underrated Books I Love So Much #TTT

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday- a weekly event hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Follow this link for more info =)

This week's theme is Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads aka Books I'd Relentlessly Persuade Everyone to Read. If I could just convince one of you to read any of the books featured, I'd die happy. Lol

Seriously though, please check these books out if you haven't already. I tried to include a diverse list of books so I really think there's one for everyone. Happy reading! =)

Just click on the book covers for more info...

1. The Ryogan Chronicles by Erica Cameron

I first saw Island of Exiles up for request on Netgalley. I love the cover and I was super intrigued with the short description. So I thought why not?

I had no idea what I was in for. I had no idea this would turn out to be one of my most loved trilogies. Anyone looking for a diverse, unique and exciting read, this book is definitely for you! Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss this!

A SEMI- DEFINITIVE LIST OF WORST NIGHTMARES by Krystal Sutherland #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

A SEMI- DEFINITIVE LIST OF WORST NIGHTMARES
by Krystal Sutherland
Date Published: September 5, 2017; G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

Ever since Esther Solar’s grandfather met Death, her entire family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime—a fear that will eventually lead each and every one of them to their graves. Take Esther’s father, for instance: He’s an agoraphobe who hasn’t left the basement in six years. Then there’s her twin brother, Eugene, whose fear of the dark goes far beyond the things that go bump in the night. And her mother, Rosemary, is absolutely terrified of bad luck. 

As for Esther, she’s managed to escape the curse…so far. She doesn’t yet have a great fear because she avoids pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces, crowds—anything that might trigger a phobia is off-limits and is meticulously recorded in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.

LOVE, LIFE AND THE LIST by Kasie West #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

LOVE, LIFE AND THE LIST
by Kasie West
Date Published: December 26, 2017; HarperTeen

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances. 

Which is where the list comes in. 

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself. 

AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS by Margaret Rogerson #ARC #Review #Edelweiss+

AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS
by Margaret Rogerson
Date Published: September 26, 2017; Margaret K. McElderry Books

From Goodreads:

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel. 

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life. 

IF I'M BEING HONEST by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka #CWW #WoW

'Can't-Wait' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My 'Can't-Wait' Wednesday pick for this week is-

IF I'M BEING HONEST
by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Release Date: April 23, 2019; Viking Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

High school senior Cameron Bright’s reputation can be summed up in one word: bitch. It’s no surprise she’s queen bee at her private L.A. high school—she’s beautiful, talented, and notorious for her cutting and brutal honesty. So when she puts her foot in her mouth in front of her crush, Andrew, she fears she may have lost him for good. 

In an attempt to win him over, Cameron resolves to “tame” herself, much like Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. First, she’ll have to make amends with those she’s wronged, which leads her to Brendan, the guy she labelled with an unfortunate nickname back in the sixth grade. At first, Brendan isn’t all that receptive to Cameron’s ploy. But slowly, he warms up to her when they connect over the computer game he’s developing. Now if only Andrew would notice…

My Top Ten Favorite Couples #TTT

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday- a weekly event hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Follow this link for more info =)

This week's theme is Favorite Couples in Books. Anyone who knows me is aware how big of a shipper I am. I'm a huge romantic and eventhough I am severely lacking an epic romance IRL, I do live a swoony, toe-curling and exciting romantic life thru books. (Movies too but that's another story for another day.) Below I am listing my absolute favorite OTPs. The ships that destroy all other ships. The kind that I will forever hold my future relationships in comparison with, lol.

Drumroll please!

1. Tobiah & Wilhelmina

“We keep drifting toward each other.” Tobiah’s eyes were steady on mine, so familiar in the faint light. “No matter the masks we wear, we always end up together.” 

“I’m tired of wearing masks.” 

“So am I.”

WALK OF SHAME (Love Unexpectedly #4) by Lauren Layne #Review

WALK OF SHAME (Love Unexpectedly #4) 
by Lauren Layne 

From Goodreads:

Sparks fly between a misunderstood New York socialite and a cynical divorce lawyer in this lively standalone rom-com from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines and Love Story.

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams. 

Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

DARK OF THE WEST (Glass Alliance #1) by Joanna Hathaway #BlogTour #ARC #Review #Giveaway

DARK OF THE WEST (Glass Alliance #1) 
by Joanna Hathaway 
Release Date: February 5th 2019; Tor Teen
Fantasy, Young Adult

About the book:

He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Curse in Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

'Can't-Wait' Wednesday: BLOODLEAF by Crystal Smith #WoW #CWW

'Can't-Wait' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa of Wishful Endings. It highlights books to be released that readers/bloggers are most excited for. It is based on Jill, from Breaking the Spine's 'Waiting on' Wednesday.

My 'Can't-Wait' Wednesday pick for this week is-

BLOODLEAF
by Crystal Smith
Release Date: March 5, 2019; HMH Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life? 

Upcoming Releases Everyone Should Add on Their TBR #TTT

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday- a weekly event hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Follow this link for more info =)

For this week's theme I decided to deviate from the given topic, Upcoming Releases I’m On the Fence About. I will instead share my Upcoming Releases Everyone Should Add on Their TBR. These are all 2019 releases. Two of these books I've already read (the gorgeous Sorcery of Thorns and the overly addictive Beasts of the Frozen Sun- I cannot recommend these enough!) and the rest are upcoming releases I just know I'm going to love (the cover! the blurb! the author!). In no particular order..

(just click on the cover for more info about the book)

 

Mini Reviews: GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers & SEAS OF CRIMSON SILK by Emma Hamm #Review

GRAVE MERCY (His Fair Assassin #1)
by Robin LaFevers

From Goodreads:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? 

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. 

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

January 2019 Wrap- Up

Hi everyone! In today's post I will be highlighting the books I've read for the month of January. It was honestly a great month of reading for me. My obsession for The Wicked King and Beasts of the Frozen Sun is still going strong and I don't see it lessening anytime soon! Lol.

I read nine books the last month. NINE BOOKS. I had no idea I'd be able to read that many!! (Nine may not sound like a lot for some but for me, that's already a daunting number.)

Without further ado, here are the nine books I read in January..