Saturday, June 30, 2018

Stacking The Shelves: June 30, 2018

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews & Reading Reality.


Bought: 
The Mermaid by Christina Henry
The Mermaid has been catching my eye for a while now but I didn't expect to find it at the bookstore I went to last weekend so soon after the release. Of course I didn't hesitate to buy it. The cover is really beautiful! 


Bought:
Dark Water by J.A. Armitage
Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen

Freebies:
Condemn Me Not: Accused of Witchcraft by Heather B. Moore

Freebies:
Okami by Renée Ahdieh
Yumi by Renée Ahdieh



Bought:
Inconvenient Wife
by Natasha Boyd

For Review:
The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox




Happy reading! ♥



Friday, June 29, 2018

Monthly Wrap-Up — June 2018

I can't believe it's already the end of June. How did we get here so fast? I had a pretty good reading month. Four out of seven books were ARCS for review/blog tour and I got to read some of the latest books by my favorite authors so I'm happy with how June went. My only regret is that I didn't get around to re-reading the Artemis Fowl book of the month, which was book #6: Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox. Which is why I have both that book and book #7: Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex on my TBR for July. Wish me luck!


Picture comes from 50 Book Pledge

Trust Fund by Skye Warren — 3/5
~
The Girl and Her Ren by Pepper Winters — 4/5 {Review}
~
Survival of the Richest by Skye Warren — 4.5/5★ {Review}
~
Alphas and Aggression by A. Star — 3.5/5★ {Review to come}
~
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas — 4/5
~
Women Breaker by Avie Adams — 5/5★ {Review}
~
{Audiobook} The Pawnee Indians by in60Learning — 4/5★ {Review}
~


 Favorite book of the month:

Women Breaker by Avie Adams. — This dark fantasy book doesn't have a 
release date or synopsis yet but as my only 5 star read of the month I clearly 
thought it was amazing. You can read my review on Goodreads.



What was your favorite book of June?



Thursday, June 28, 2018

Review: Millions by Pepper Winters

Title: Millions
Author: Pepper Winters
Series: Dollar #5
Publication: November 28th 2017

Genre: Dark Romance
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Play | Kobo

Rating: 5/5

“Love had been given and taken and now…it had been stolen. No one steals from a thief—especially from me—and I will defend what’s mine until my dying breath. It’s not a question of what I’m willing to sacrifice but who to deserve her…”

Once upon a time, I stupidly believed if I could make Elder fall for me, everything would be perfect.
Now, I’m missing, and he’s hunting, and everything is far from our happily ever after.
He gave me his heart, and I gave him my promise, but true love isn’t sacred to others.
War is coming, disaster is brewing, and I’m not going down without a fight.
Elder is mine.
I am his.
And no one can keep us apart.

Fifth and Final Book in the USA Today Bestselling Series


The other day I realized that I never posted my review of Millions on my blog because when I read this book I was on a blogging break so here it finally is!


I'm not sure how I can find the rigth words to describe Millions. I've been really excited for this last book in the Dollar series considering how the previous book ended and the wait has been absolutely worth it. The first Dollar book will always be my favorite of the series if I really have to choose but Millions is definitely my second favorite. I loved it so much!

Millions left off where Thousands ended with Elder Prest being shot by Q Mercer and Pim being taking because Q thought she was being kept as a slave. Obviously a big part of why I loved this series finale so much was that Tess and Q played a pretty big part in it. I've really missed them since the days of the Monsters in the Dark series and I'm so glad Pepper Winters wrote them in the Dollar series. It was seriously epic with all of them together battling Elder's enemies.

But anyway back to Pim and Elder. I can't explain how much I love these two. They've both come so far and been through a lot. Their relationship was even more steady and just plain amazing in Millions and I almost cried with the epilogues. It was so beautiful and I was very happy with how it all ended. Simply perfection!

About the author:
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today International Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. With 19 books currently published, she has hit the bestseller charts twenty-six times in three years.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette. Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian and Turkish. Audio Books for her entire back-list will be available in 2017.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Glass Butterfly by A.G. Howard

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.


The Glass Butterfly by A.G. Howard
Expected publication: August 15th 2018

For close to a decade, twenty-five-year-old Felicity Lonsdale has masqueraded as a dowager almost twice her age—selling caterpillars to butterfly consortiums—enabling her to hide an ill-fated past while raising her late brother’s daughters. Together, the three live on an isolated Irish estate bequeathed by a dying earl. When the earl’s estranged son arrives to claim his inheritance by threatening to expose Felicity’s true identity, she longs to pack up her nieces and run. But a ghostly secret within the castle’s turret holds her captive.

Nick Thornton—a Roma viscount’s heir—is also captive. After a tryst with an investor’s wife nearly destroyed his family’s holiday resort, Nick forsook everything to elope with her. However, a tragic mistake at his hand led to her and his baby’s deaths. Refusing to turn to the family he shamed, Nick travels to seek the countess who once co-wrote a romance with his sister. There’s rumor of a special butterfly in her keep—a transparent-winged species with ties to the afterlife. Nick hopes to contact his dead wife and child, for only their forgiveness can free him.

Upon his arrival to Felicity’s estate, Nick offers to help her defeat the earl’s son, on the condition she allow Nick to investigate her glass butterflies. Felicity agrees, though fears the closer he gets to the ghosts of his past, the closer he’ll come to uncovering her own. As Nick spends time with Felicity and her nieces, he realizes the mystery enshrouding this fragile countess and her castle is more intriguing than the ghosts he originally came to find. And perhaps putting his dead to rest and helping her do the same will be his true path to redemption.

The two previous books in the Haunted Hearts Legacy Series were both really amazing so it's no surprise that I'm super excited for The Glass Butterfly. Especially since it's Nick's story! I can't wait to read it but luckily August isn't that far away. :D

Read my reviews of book #1 and #2:
The Architect of Song
The Hummingbird Heart


Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Cover Reveal: May Day by R.R. Born


May Day
R.R. Born
(A Gray Witch Novel)
Publication date: July 10th 2018
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Ari Mason is a shunned and exiled witch. She works as a bartender and reads tarot in the park. Neither of which requires her brand of black magic. Which is how she likes it. Ari’s powers have always left a trail of death and destruction in her wake. Now, she’s on a path of altruism, and by using herbs and positivity in her spells, instead of blood, she can help those around her.
As the temperature rises in Houston, so does the body count. But these aren’t regular murders, someone is using old magic to take out humans and witches.
Ari realizes that any witch is fair game and sends out a call for black magic and white magic witches to unite. They must put away old stereotypes to fight this ancient evil if any of them plan on making through this Beltane alive.



Author Bio:
I started writing short stories in fourth grade and continued to write screenplays & make short films while in film school at Long Island University. I worked as a Production Coordinator on court TV shows like Judge Alex & Cristina’s Court and has worked as a Second Assistant Director for local commercials and various cable shows. I worked many years in television, but never stopped writing. Never without a pen and pad, stories were always being composed.


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Sunday, June 24, 2018

Audiobook Review: The Pawnee Indians: Proud Yet Peaceful People of the Stars by HistoryIn60

Title:  The Pawnee Indians: Proud Yet Peaceful People
Author: HistoryIn60
Publication: February 13, 2018 by in60Learning
Genre: Audiobook, History, Nonfiction
Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Rating: 4/5

The Pawnee Indians were a fierce, proud, and determined people who called themselves the "men of men". Though there are many Native American tribes to learn about, the Pawnees were unique in many ways; they were a peace-loving, agricultural people with permanent settlements in what is now Nebraska. They dedicated themselves to their gods, the stars, and even arranged their villages according to important star clusters. They fought one notable bloody war with the Lakota, but in 1875, when it came time to make a treaty with the white settlers, the Pawnee packed their bags and left their tribal homeland for a reservation in Oklahoma. Though this displacement has diminished the preservation of their culture, delving into their history is a way to honor it.

First of all I want to say I'm so glad I was offered the chance to listen to this audiobook of The Pawnee Indians. I really enjoyed listening to it. It's only my second audiobook of the year so far, which is already twice more than the previous year. So that's really great on its own for me. Usually I get easily bored or my mind starts to drift when I listen to audiobooks but I'm glad to say this wasn't the case at all with this one. Maybe it was because it was only about an hour long or because the subject was really interesting. It was probably both. 

Starting this book I didn't know anything about The Pawnee Indians although I've always been interested in Native American history. So because of that in every single chapter there were a lot of new things for me to learn. And some things I did learn were pretty surprising to me as well. That's why I love history so much. 

I really liked the narrator, Andrew Colford, as well. He had a great voice and accent to listen to, which also never got boring. And as someone who's first language isn't English I could understand him perfectly, which is always a bonus for me with audiobooks. 

5 interesting facts I learned:

  • The Pawnee Indians practiced human sacrifice.
  • The Pawnee people were deeply religious and didn't convert to Christianity until the late 1800's
  • Family lineage in the Pawnee tradition was matriarchal.
  • Women n Pawnee culture were underplayed but some were entrusted with vital roles.
  • They were warriors but valued peace in their own community. 

Some pictures related to the Pawnee people:

Flag of the Pawnee Nation.
{picture is public domain}

Pawnee father and son (1912)
{picture is public domain}

Pawnee lodges near Genoa, Nebraska (1873)
{picture is public domain}

La-Roo-Chuck-A-La-Shar (Sun Chief) was a Pawnee chief who died fighting the Lakota at Massacre Canyon.
{picture is public domain}



Check out my other in60Learning reviews:




Friday, June 22, 2018

Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag 2018

I did this tag last year too and I saw it on a couple of other blogs like (un)Conventional Book Views, Ruby Rae Reads & Paper Fury as well this week so thought I might as well do it again this year. Consider yourself tagged if you want to do it yourself. ♥


How much I've read

What I've been Reading
*ratings*

Best book of the year so far
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie {Review}
Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt {Review}

Although My Dear Hamilton is my #1 favorite book of the year so far, I just had to add Ecstasy too because it's a close second. Both are historical fiction and I just can't recommend these books high enough. No other books I've read have come even close to them both.

Best sequel of the year so far
Final Debt by Pepper Winters {Review}

I haven't read many sequels yet this year. Maybe this is why I have so many unfinished series? But I thought the last Indebted book by Pepper Winters was incredible! I'm also kind of proud of myself for finally finishing this series so now I've read every single book by this author. It was one of my goals for 2018.

New release you haven't read yet but want to

Clash of Empires by Ben Kane
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff
The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

These are just a few out of the never ending list of new releases that I still have to read. Which one should I pick up first? 

Most anticipated release for autumn/winter?

Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost
When Women Ruled the World: Six Queen of Egypt by Kara Cooney
Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
Someday by David Levithan

I'm looking forward to many new releases this autumn/winter but these books are my top 4. I think it's also pretty funny that they're all different genres. 

Biggest disappointment of the year so far:

Let's just say I kind of couldn't stand this book. If you want to know more you can read my review.

Biggest surprise of the year so far
Audiobook: Amanda Noble, #zoolife by Lesa Boutin {Review}

It wasn't a surprise that I loved a book by this author because I've highly enjoyed her work in the past but that I actually loved an audiobook is a bit of a surprise. I had to choice between the e-book or audiobook and for some reason I picked audiobook. I'm so glad I did because it worked so well for me. I couldn't stop listening to the book. 

New Favorite Author

This was a little hard for me to choose because I haven't read many authors this year so far that were new to me but I'm going with Faith L. Justice because I loved Twilight Empress {Review} so much + she seems like such a nice person as well.

Your Newest Favorite Character

Sutton is one of the billionaires in the story that wants to claime the main character, Harper. I totally fell in love with him in Survival of the Richest although I'm actually not quite sure if I can fully trust him yet but hopefully I'll find out in the second book. #TeamSutton

Book that made you cry
The Girl and Her Ren by Pepper Winters {Review}

This is the only book that has made me cry so far this year so you can imagine how much it hurt my heart. It was brilliantly written but damn it was so tough!

A book that made you happy
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 

Re-reading Artemis Fowl always make me incredibly happy. I've also been re-reading the rest of the series. I'm at book six now.

Most beautiful book so far
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt

These two are my favorite covers by far! Lily of the Nile recently got this new gorgeous cover, which I'm just crazy about. And the cover of Ecstasy has blown me away from the start. I plan on buying a hardcover copy of it sometime. I just have to!


What's your favorite book of the year so far? (or any of the other questiosn from above.) I'd love to know!