Monday Madness: Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it.

Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book

Dive into the macabre, mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe s chilling tales with popular coloring book artist Odessa Begay ("Little Birds"). Inspired by Poe s beloved stories, Begay has created images that reference settings, motifs, and details that fans will recognize.

In lieu of Halloween today I chose to feature something creeptacular. This Edgar Allan Poe coloring book looks so damn awesome. I love the stories by Poe and I love coloring books so this would be a perfect match for me. I definitely need to get my hands on it sometime.

And as always don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥

Stacking The Shelves: October 29 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

Yesterday I finally started reading a new book after not having read for ten whole days. It's been ages since I didn't read for that long. What I'm reading now is The Sultan, the Vampyr and the Soothsayer by Lucille Turner. It's set in 1442 and it features the Ottoman Empire and Vlad Dracula.

For Review:
An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur
One of the Author's other books, The Man I Love, happens to be the best book I've read this year so I'm super excited to read her new one soon.

For Review:
Magic of the Nile by Veronica Scott
Veronica gave me a copy of this book because she knows how much I enjoyed Priestess of the Nile.

For Review:
Nico by Sarah Castille
I'm on the blog tour with Xpresso Book Tours for this one. I can't wait! Sarah Castille is one of my favorite authors.

Please leave me links to your book hauls so I can stop by! :)

Review: Yearn For Me by A. Star

Title: Yearn For Me
Author: A. Star
Series: The Djinn Order #3
Publication: September 20th 2016
Genre: Steampunk
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

One Djinn Lord found. Three more to go.

When Glory finally learns the true purpose of the Djinn Order, she starts to question everything that has happened since she met her Djinn boyfriend, Irving. She hates that she no longer knows who to trust or what truths are actually lies. Nothing is as it seems.

After a visit with the divine Halo of Elders leads to more revelations about Rasputin’s war against the universe–and the future of her own relationship with Irving--Glory realizes that she, Irving and the rest of their save-the-day posse have no choice but to hunt down the rest of the Djinn Order and allow them to do what they were created to do.

But just as a solid plan is set, everything falls apart as Glory’s previous actions threaten to crumble the Amir dynasty and Irving unveils a damning discovery. But it’s what happened before, over a century ago, that truly endangers their mission. They demand to know the truth, but knowing isn’t always accepting. If they can embrace the ugly past, then they just might win the war. If they don’t…they die.

And destiny would love that.

I'm so glad I finally read the third Djinn Order book. It's one of my favorite series because it has Djinn, steampunk and Glory is one of my favorite heroines ever. 

First of all I want to say that I really liked Yearn For Me. But I felt like it missed something that the other two books did have. Even so I really did enjoy this book and as always flew through it in no time. It was also seriously funny!

The action started not long after the book started, which I loved. Reading about all the ass-kicking happening there was awesome. I especially liked Glory's mom and aunt in this book because they kicked ass and they were hilarious in their interaction with each other and all the other characters.

Another new favorite character that got introduced in this book was Lord Mal. I don't know what it says about me because he is really insane but I loved him. The scenes with him were actually kind of funny. And as always I adored all the Glory and Irving scenes. I just love the both of them.

I really like the storyline of this series. I never know what to expect next. I can guess of course but this author is so good at writing the opposite of what I think will happen, which makes the story even better of course. I love twists and turns in a book.

Overall, Yearn For Me was a really great and funny read. It made me laugh out loud a lot, the characters are still super badass and the story had its fair share of slightly shocking plot twists. By now I know to expect the unexpected with these books, especially the endings. I can't wait for the next one!

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She loves to read it, and she damn sure loves to write it. She is the author of the Mythos: Gods & Lovers series, the Djinn Order series, and the Knights of the Joust series. She is a night-owl and a coffee junkie, and the only sneaker she would be caught dead wearing are Converses.

Waiting On Wednesday: Eagles in the Storm by Ben Kane

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

Eagles in the Storm by Ben Kane
Eagles of Rome #3
Expected publication: March 23rd 2017 by Preface Publishing

Arminius has been defeated, one of the three eagles has been recovered, and thousands of German tribesmen slain. Yet these successes aren't nearly enough for senior centurion Lucius Tullus. Not until Arminius is dead, his old legion's eagle liberated and the enemy tribes completely vanquished will he rest. But Arminius is still at large, devious, fearless and burning for revenge of his own. Charismatic as ever, he raises another large tribal army, which will harry the Romans the length and breadth of the land. Into this cauldron of bloodshed, danger and treachery, Tullus must go - alone. His mission - to find and bring back his legion's eagle - will place him in more danger than he has ever faced before. Can he succeed? Can he even survive?

The first two books Eagles at War and Hunting the Eagles were really great so I have no doubt that the last and final book will be excellent as well. These books have been some of the best historical fiction I've ever read.

What book are you waiting for?

Leave me the link to your post so I can stop by!

Review: The Maiden Seer by Tracy Ann Miller

Title: The Maiden Seer
Author: Tracy Ann Miller
Publication: October 1st 2016
Genre: Historical Romance
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 5/5

Amber, known in her homeland of Wessex, England, as the Maiden Seer, seeks refuge from her dark foretelling dreams of war. The rune readings she gives to her followers have also become too much to bear. She hopes to find peace of mind in her new life at the convent. But this can only happen after she first fulfills her blackest dream ... one in which she sees herself killing a man.

Konnar hopes the violent memories of his life as a Viking raider and tragic losses will be quieted when he leaves England forever. This upcoming task will pay for his future and provide for the village who depends on him. But, abducting the Maiden Seer and delivering her to the wealthy client goes wildly awry.

Amber seems to know Konnar's painful secret and claims to foresee a solution. While it enrages him that she negotiates her freedom with this knowledge, Konnar dares believe the prophetess can help him.

He is her captor, but hiding behind his might and violent history, is man in need of forgiveness. It is that vulnerable side of him that she learns to love, as she enlists him on her mission to help the king of England.

The Viking and the Maiden Seer journey throughout England to carry out her prophetic vision. Yet, they struggle with their mutual passion for each other, each unsure of the others true intentions.

But what could it mean, Amber's dark dream that began it all?

I'm still trying to get my thoughts together for this so bear with me if I ramble a bit in this review but oh my gosh, this book was amazing. I read the author's other book Loveweaver back in July. That book already ended up being one of my favorite historical romances of the year so far, but then I read this book, The Maiden Seer, which I loved  more! I had of course hoped to love it as much as Loveweaver but yeah, I then The Maiden Seer turned out to be even better. I couldn't get enough of the book!

This story is about Amber who seeks refuge in a convent from her life as The Maiden Seer because the rune readings she gives people and the prophetic dreams that haunt her become too much to bear. When she gets abducted by Konnar, a Viking, who got hired by Dierk the RavenHair to deliver The Maiden Seer to him. But things definitely go not as planned...

The journey of Amber and Konnar, for both of them, was very intense, I thought, because their relationship was quite complicated. He was her captor plus a viking and meanwhile she, a Saxon, would do anything to stay alive and get back home. And she had promised to find Konnar's lost little sister. They also clearly had trust issues, especially concerning each other. But they couldn't deny the attraction they felt for one another. 

Just like in Loveweaver, the chemistry between these two main characters was off the charts and the banter between them was just so fun to read about because they didn't get along for most of the book. The only time they did get along at first was when they were in bed together. I mean, seriously... at some point I just wanted to jump in this book and tell them to just be nice to each other. But that was why I thought it was so fun.

And let's talk about Dierk the RavenHair, the villain of this story... He was vile. Really, really vile. But that was what made him such a great villain, you know. The author definitely has a knack for making me hate her villains and yet I was always wondering and interested in what his next move would be. 

The story had also a bunch of great secondary characters. Like the Five (meaning five of Konnar's men). I loved the Five. I loved their loyalty to Konnar and their admiration of Amber and how they were fascinated by her Christian stories. I adored them all. And I also loved Adonia, she was super cute!

So this review turned out way longer than I had planned it to be but I just had so much love for this book. I can't decide what was better in this book. The writing, the characters, the relationship between Amber and Konnar, the steamy romance scenes or the story in general? Obviously all of these things put together made it one hell of a story. The Maiden Seer by Tracy Ann Miller is now my favorite historical romance of this year. 

         About the Author:

              Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon

Although Tracy Ann Miller is primarily a graphic designer, (see her work at tracymillerdesigns.com) she has been writing novels for over 20 years.

She was an active member of the National Romance Writers of America with her local chapter, The Virginia Romance Writers. It was there she honed her craft by attending workshops, conferences, and by coordinating The VRW's Fool for Love Contest. But most of all, she learned to write by sitting at the computer and sticking with it.

Also don't forget to check out my review of Loveweaver! ♥

Monday Madness: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
The Illuminae Files #2
Published October 18th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her

The saga that began with Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of BeiTech’s assault. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum may be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

The first book, Illuminae, ended up being one of my unexpected favorites last year so I really need to get my hands on Gemina. So far I've heard a lot of great things about it, which makes me even more excited to read the book.

And as always don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥

Stacking The Shelves: October 22, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

I haven't been posting this week because tuesday morning I woke up very unexpectedly sick with the flu. I haven't even read since I got sick. Ugh. I'm not a 100% well yet but I feel a lot better now. AND I received Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer on thursday so that made things much better for me, even though I haven't been able to start reading it yet. I'm hoping to maybe start it today. 

Bought:
The Courier's Tale by Peter Walker

Waterloo by Victor Hugo

Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer

Teatime Mug

Bought:A Song of War: A Novel of Troy

Gifted To Me:
Pucked Over by Helena Hunting

Gifted to me by Christina from Booklover's Tea Party because she really wants me to read these books. Soooon... I hope.

Please leave me links to your book hauls so I can stop by! :)

Monday Madness: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Published October 11th 2016 by Ballantine Books

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

This new book came out last tuesday and I needz it! The book obviously has a heavy topic, which is something I usually try to avoid but since this is Jodi Picoult we're talking about here I must have it because I've loved every book I've read by her so far. I also read the prequel Shine last month which already really impressed me so yeah... I hope I can buy this sometime soon.

And as always don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥

Stacking The Shelves: October 15, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

Won:
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

I won this gorgeous signed book on a (un)Conventional Bookviews giveaway on Facebook. And I also got this awesome bookmark. Thanks again, Lexxie!

Bought:
Tonic by Staci Hart

A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner

These two books both released on Thursday. I had preordered them because I couldn't resist!

For Review:
Puck by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

I had no idea another Twisted Lit novels was coming out until I saw this one on NetGalley. I loved the three previous books so I'm super excited for this one. It's a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

For Review:
The Sultan, the Vampyr and the Soothsayer by Lucille Turner

I got super excited when Lucille send me a review request of her newest upcoming novel. I'm hoping it's as amazing as it sounds.

Please leave me links to your book hauls so I can stop by! :)