~Can't Wait Wednesday: Evermore (Everless #2)~

                So yesterdays Top Ten sent me down the internet rabbit hole and instead of finishing it and posting I spent hours adding tons of bookish merch to my wish list.....but it was fun even if I need to win the lotto to get it all ;)  Moving on, Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Evermore (Everless #2) by Sara Holland

Out:  12/31

From Goodreads:

                Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress.  But she has just learned the truth:  not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

                The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head.  And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago.  Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past.  For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.       

Why I’m Waiting:

                So this is the sequel to Everless which I reviewed here.  I really enjoyed it and of course with it ending as it did I have been ready to dive deeper since it ended.  I already have this sequel on pre-order and look forward to starting the audiobook shortly after it becomes available as it might be the first book I listen to in 2019!         

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your CWW as well so I can check it out.

Shifters & Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2)

                Hello happy readers!  Well it has been a crazy weekend to be sure.  Three days of all day adopt-a-thon action which will leave you surprisingly sore each day and a double birthday party for my bestie ad her smallest mini-me.  That said while I sit in my comfy robe and sit on ice I am finally able to type and post my review of a recent release for you!  That book in question is Shifter and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina Bauer.  I previously reviewed the first book Wolves and Roses and the following novella Moonlight and Midtown which I highly recommend as this is a series I really enjoy and look forward to continuing on in but even more the author is one of my auto-buy authors!

Rating:  5 Stars

                Bry is about to start school, real school for the first time and it's all she has dreamed of for so long, but the dreams she has had her whole life of pyramids and papyri have turned much darker.  It should be enough to worry about with three different types of magic to work on and an inner wolf who wants to chomp on a 1/3 of your classmates but that's not enough pressure for Bry.  As the equinox approaches and those she love most seem to be in danger Bry must step away from her dream of school life and solve the mystery of her life and the attraction to the pyramids or face untold consequences for herself and the world.

                So Bry has her un-shredable outfit to help ease her modesty should she have to shift and her best friend, her mate, and her newest friend all with her in this endeavor that is school.  And the search for the fountain of course.  Things should go well.  But Knox has been looking rather unwell as of late and the nightmares Bry has and can't remember are only making things worse.  The sense of time running out and the search is kicked up into high gear.  Everyone's magic is acting a bit wonky as the equinox approaches.

                Things move quickly as we have fights of will, power, and kick butt action.  Still the characters are why we really care as much as we do.  I love Bry for sure but I think I love the best friend dynamic between Bry and Elle above most else.  They are friendship goals and remind me of some of the stuff my bestie and I would say and/or do though less magically, like make fun of people in horror movies doing the stupidest things….yep that's us.  Then you have Knox because you can't forget the sexy werewolf mate!  Speaking of mate the inner conversations Bry has with her wolf had me rolling most of the time.  Like she has a literally voice in her head trying to convince her to do things, like chowing down on your mates ex, when they pop up.  Knox and Bry the story is sweet and amazing as always, he could save me anytime!  And Alec who is basically Knox's Elle.  Their brotherly dynamic is on point and adorable.  Plus no matter how hard they try to play as friends Elle and Alec are super cute and impossible not to ship. 

                We dig deeper as we approach the conclusion to the fountain search.  Things that are translated always have multiple meanings as anyone well knows but in this care old papyri is no exception.  Mysteries are solved, truths revealed, and life templates are put to the test.  I was so excited to go on this ride for the search for the fountain and the hope to fix magic.  And maybe get a little bit of normal high school time if you're lucky!  So I can't say much else without spoiling things and that will not do.  The book flies by so pick it up and give it a go!

                Until next time…

~Stacking the Shelves #64~

                Welcome to Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga and the full details can be found on her page.  Basically you showcase the books you bought or received each week.  Little, or not so little, weekly book hauls.  Nothing new this week but here is a catch up of the last couple!    

Physical Books:

The Darkest Star (Origin #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

Audiobooks:

Wind Rider (Tales of a New World #3) by P.C. Cast

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

                So the last couple of weeks have been crazy and even today I have been swamped but I wanted to get on even a lot later in the night to post before I left another week undone.  Not a ton but HUGE books I am really enjoying!!!  Share a link below with what goodies you got this week. 

~Movie Corner #21~

                Hello happy movie fans!    A few movies recently, and hopefully more to come!  This weekend I have my besties birthday which I am excited for because I've had her present wrapped and ready for about 4 months now and it's been begging to be given.  Bella will also be front and center for the adopt-a-thon looking for her furever home so I'm sure I'll be sore and tired by the end of this weekend lol.  That said here is what I’ve seen the last two weeks:

Halloween: 3.5 Stars

                So I finally watched the first Halloween online then just a few hours later saw the new Halloween, which per my internet dive said takes place after the first one, if it had ended slightly differently.  That said having seen them so close together, literally within 4 hours of one another, I did enjoy the parallel between them that paid a sense of homage.  Still while it was fun, made more so by my co-workers joining, it wasn’t the best Halloween time / horror type movie nor was it the best I’ve seen recently.  Still I enjoyed it enough that I’m glad I saw it.  I do plan to watch the other movies in the series at some point as well and maybe when I do I’ll rank them but for now the new iteration was fun but not something I’m excited to see again or own.

Hunter Killer:  5 Stars

                I hadn’t seen a ton of trailers for this one much like his other movie Geostorm but when I did see the trailer it looked interesting.  A commander in charge and having to go into something never done before while a spy thriller is played out.  I was down.  Plus let’s be honest I might have a soft spot for Gerald Butler.  I enjoyed myself.  I love a good story about a strong leader fighting the odds to try and stop all out war.  Trying to make friends of enemies and so on.  It’s a great dynamic. 

The Nutcracker & the Four Realms:  5 Stars

                So I might be one of the only people in the world unfamiliar with the Nutcracker ballet.  I know of it, that it exists and there is a Nutcracker and Sugar Plum Fairy but that’s about it.  I didn’t know the story behind it, though having seen this movie I would love to see a real ballet.  The movie as a whole was beautiful.  Seriously the whole experience was eye opening and a marvel to watch play out before my eyes.  I enjoyed all the characters, the story, the visuals, the music.  Everything.  It was a total package for me.  

*****

                So upcoming movies….there are so many I want to see but clearly only the budget for so many and weeding out which ones is hard!  What movies have you seen recently?  What should I see? Next weekend I'm seeing Fantastic Beasts 2 no question but other than that it's hard to choose between such fun looking movies!

~Can't Wait Wednesday: Finale (Caraval #3)~

                Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber

Out:  5/30

From Goodreads:

                Welcome, welcome to Caraval…all games must come to an end.

                It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has been Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own.  Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it.  She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

                Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own.  She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage.  Finally, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future.  She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

                Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun—with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake.  There are no spectators this time:  only those who will win…and those who will lose everything.

Why I’m Waiting:

                I LOVE THIS SERIES!  I have loved listening to this since I started Caraval (Reviews:  Caraval & Legendary) and I can’t wait to see how things wrap up.  There is so much I need answers to and so much I want to happen.  I can’t even begin to form them but yes so much needs to happen.    

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your CWW as well so I can check it out.

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlisted Books I want to read!

                Hello everyone!  So quick update my grandma had a medical scare this weekend and was in the hospital, all is good now thankfully it was a false alarm but it kind of took up most of my weekend and now I think I'm coming down with a something if my struggle to stay awake for more than an hour when not forced to be at work is any indication.  Seriously Sunday I slept for about 20 hours on and off and kept wanting nothing but sleep.  Anywho I was able to type this up at work and wake myself early enough for shift today that I could get on my computer at the house to format and post so yay!  Progress!  Top Ten Tuesday is just how it sounds, a topic is picked and we put our Top Ten for that in a post and share and check out everyone’s answers.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. 

The top ten today is:  Backlist books I want to read!

These are all books I've had on my shelf for some time but have not yet gotten to for one reason or another but despite everything I would still love to give them a go!

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephone Angelini

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Unearlthy (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

Angelfire (Angelfire #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton

               

                There you have it.  Some books I have been meaning to read for years but have not gotten to yet.  Any tips on which should be moved to the top of the list?  What are you behind on?  Tell me what you think of my list in the comments below.  Also please link back to your Top Ten as well so I can check out your list and see what I missed!

~Can't Wait Wednesday: The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1)~

                Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1) by Cassandra Clare

Out:  4/2/19

From Goodreads:

                From #1 New York Times bestseller Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu comes the first book in a new trilogy featuring centuries-old High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood after they survive the Mortal War.

               

                Magnus Bane, a centuries old High Warlock, has taken possession of one of the great relics of the supernatural world, a powerful spell book of dark magic known as The Book of the White and there are many who want to claim it for themselves.

                After the Mortal War where the part-human and park-angel Shadowhunters teamed with the part human-demon Downworlders to fight against the incursion of an army of demons, Magnus and his new lovers, the mortal Alex Lightwood celebrate their survival and victory by escaping the supernatural battlefield of New York City by touring the world, but the world won’t leave them alone.

                The first adult novel set within #1 New York Times bestselling author Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter series, written with award-winning science fiction author Wesley Chu, is a fantasy thriller that will give new readers a great way to enter the Shadowhunter world and give the millions of readers across the globe answers they’ve been looking for in this start of The Eldest Curse trilogy.

Why I’m Waiting:

                 Okay so huge fan of the Shadowhunter world.  I don’t care if some think she’s overusing it, I LOVE it!  I mean who wouldn’t want to stay in this huge world that was created when there is so much to work with.  Plus and this is probably more important….Magnus is my favorite character.  I adore him!  And I adore him and Alec so much so a series on them….sold!

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your CWW as well so I can check it out.

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween-ish Books!

                Hello everyone!  Top Ten Tuesday is just how it sounds, a topic is picked and we put our Top Ten for that in a post and share and check out everyone’s answers.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. 

The top ten today is:  Halloween-ish Books

This is a Halloween freebie so I decided to pick some books that sound like good Halloween-ish reads (scary/creepy/etc)

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

The Madman’s Daughter series by Megan Shephard

The Fall by Bethany Griffin

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mathers

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys An Anthology full of monsters

Anna Dressed in Blood series by Kendare Blake

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Asylum series by Madeleine Roux

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

               

                So what do you think?  Tell me what you think of my list in the comments below.  Also please link back to your Top Ten as well so I can check out your list and see what I missed!

Reading Challenge Wrap-Up: October

                Hello happy readers!  So there were a few changes made at work last week that changed some of my normally scheduled plans, i.e. formatting and posting from work in slow times.  No more social media access including blogs from the computer during shift so I had to do all this at the house which is taking some adjustment but I will push through.  That and I also forgot about to post this when I posted my movie corner I was focused on movies and Kingdom of Ash. So this wrap-up will focus on everything finished to the 28^th!  The challenges are pretty self-explanatory but for full details on the challenges themselves please visit the challenge tab.  Also please share your yearly wrap-up / challenges as well I’d love to see how everyone else did! 

Goodreads Challenge:

Goal: 100

At: 52

2018 Debut Authors (#DebutAuthorChallenge):

Goal: 12

At: 7

No progress this month…

2018 Series Ender Challenge:

Goal: 15+

At: 13 (almost there!!!)

What I’ve Read:

Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu
Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018:

Goal: 48

At: 18

What I've Read:

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake

2018 New Releases Challenge:

Goal: 31-60

At: 34!!!  COMPLETE

What I've Read:

Check, Please! (#Hockey  Vol 1) by Ngozi Ukazu (review)
Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu
The Dark Lands (Angelbound Origins #5) by Christina Bauer (review)

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

2018 Audiobook Challenge:

Goal: 30

At:  30 COMPLETE!!!

What I've Listened:

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake
Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu
Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

                So I’ve knocked out 2 whole challenges with 2 months to spare!  I am getting close to my series ender and debut challenges which are goals now the others are not looking good but still hope to get higher on the list!  I'd love to hear how you're doing so link back to your wrap up!

Check, Please! (#Hockey Vol 1)

                Hello happy readers!  So today I’m here with something new and different.  I know I’ve talked about a couple graphic novels before, ones for the series I already read and loved but I have now read a graphic novel on its own and I loved it!  My first is Check, Please! (#Hockey Vol. 1) by Ngozi Ukazu.  I picked this up because it looked adorable yes, but also because I was going to an event and she was the only author I hadn’t heard of and have something to get signed and that wouldn’t do.  I’m glad I got it because it was great fun.  My thoughts and feelings on it below but also if you read graphic novels I would love some suggestions for future adventures! 

Rating:  5 Stars

                So this is a webcomic series in book form.  We focus on Bitty, a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger, and baker who is a freshman at Samwell University.  He is also on the hockey team, which is much different from the co-ed hockey he was used to playing in Georgia because as the title suggest there is checking.  Oh and a cute moody captain Jack.  This is the first half of a coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life. 

                I wasn’t familiar with this webcomic but knew the author was going to be at the event and as the only author there I didn’t own something from or have any idea of her work I wanted to check it out.  Amazon had this handy preview option with lots of clips and I found it totally adorable so yeah I snagged it so I could read the whole thing.  That said it was well worth the price as the art was beautiful and fun and the story had just as many feels as the books I am used to reading in the same area.  I never really took the time to notice how much talent it takes to project so much of the story through a visual way when text space is limited.  Still Ukazu managed to really show you these characters and make you feel like you know and care for them in so few words.  This story is so much fun and I found myself laughing constantly. 

                Bitty is amazing.  All of the characters are amazing really but Bitty.  I adore him.  He is so sweet.  I just love his epic need to bake and be positive.  As I read he made me want to strive to do better in seeing things more positively.  Even when things are hard and could easily pull one down he just keeps on going and being himself and I think everyone can learn something from him there.  The mix of hockey, college life, and the comradery of teammates was perfect. 

Pardon the horrible selfie!

                Having talked with the author/artist and how she came up with the series was amazing.  Something someone said in one of her classes just sparked this amazing little story and I love it.  My book even has an extra Bitty drawn in the front at the event by Ukazu and it is even better because she did it in seconds and I’m honest I can’t even draw a stick figure well so I adore when authors doodle in my book at signings! I am looking forward to the second half of this series.

                Until next time…

Movie Corner #20

                Hello happy movie fans!    So another good couple weeks as far as movies go even if I am having serious issues with MoviePass.  I highly doubt I'll be continuing the service past this month and only have it now as it renewed before I could get the app to allow me to cancel.  See they have taken away my 3rd movie two months in a row now and that simply won't do for me.  So I don't know how this will impact my bi-weekly movie corner in the future but I will advise when I know more.  Until then here is what I’ve seen the last two weeks:

Bad Times at the El Royale: 4.5 Stars

                This movie had be hooked from the trailer.  It was different from everything coming out as of late and that appealed to me.  The idea of a bi-state establishment is always kind of fun but the idea of someone watching you….that amps up the suspense.  The film has a real noir feel to it and it is enhanced by the stellar cast for sure.  The pace slags in small parts but the story is there and really brings you into the characters stories.  I enjoyed the movie, more than I thought so win! 

Goosebumps 2:  Haunted Halloween: 4.5 Stars

                Okay so I of course watched the first movie when it came out because hello I grew up on Goosebumps books and VHS movies.  I always loved them and I enjoyed the movie it was cheesy and fun and something to enjoy.  So when I heard of another and focusing on my favorite holiday….yep of course I was down.  Movie two was much the same with all sorts of creatures you know from books and such and the ability to make fun of itself and I enjoyed it.  The only thing that brought be down, and it wasn’t even bad just something that was totally in my head.  I totally had Emma Swan vibes from Once Upon a Time from the main female, the red jacket, the black and white stripped sweater, the long blond hair, it was there.  I thought of course she had to be Emma for a costume or something right…nope never mentioned the resemblance and even a moment in the movie where I swear she looked just like Emma Swan just a coincidence.  None of this is bad just something that had been on my mind and after some searching I found several people who had the same thoughts so I wasn’t alone.  Now you can wonder too. 

The Hate U Give:  5 Stars

                So for this one I really wanted to read the book first but like most things I was behind schedule and didn't want to miss out on the big screen experience so I went for it.  So that said I can't speak to how well the book was translated just the movie as a whole.  I really liked it.  It was harsh.  It was hard.  It was very real.  It dealt with a major issue that is sadly nothing new, only now it is getting more light shed on it.  The acting was on point, Amandla Stenberg did an amazing job with this content.  Everyone else did a great job but Amandla went above and beyond.  Also side note Archie from Riverdale is in it and seeing him without the bright red hair I was used to was odd.  But back to the story I loved how grey and merky everything got.  Something horrible and tragic happens and the questions and conversations it brings up are ones that need to be addressed.  I really enjoyed this movie and I can't wait to read the book to compare. 

*****

                So some people from work are getting together to see Halloween, which I admit to having never seen any of those movies before.  I'm trying to find the 1978 version to watch so I can join in because scary movies with others are even better.  Aside from that upcoming movies I'd like to see are Hunter Killer comes out this week and I also still want to catch Night School and Small Foot.  What about you fellow movie lovers, what movies have you seen recently?  What should I see?