March Wrap Up

March seriously had to be one of the longest months of my life. It felt like it was never ending. But here we are. April is one of my most favourite months and it totally is because my birthday is in April and it's spring and school is over. I love April. So I am looking forward to it.

Check out my March Wrap Up/April TBR video below. It's pretty epic, I say Um a lot!

Like I mentioned in my last wrap up. I didn't think I was going to post much (which was true) and I didn't read much (also true). I did manage to read five books though.



Books Read:

1) What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
2) Perdita by Hilary Scharper
3) Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
4) Frost by Wendy Delsol
5) Lover Reborn (reread)

Books Reviewed:

Again, I only reviewed three books in the most of April and they were:

1) Unremembered by Jessica Brody
2) Altered by Jennifer Rush
3) Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Challenges:

My challenges were blah this month. I didn't listen to an audio book and I didn't read a debut. For shame, I know. But I did post reviews for both in March.

Debut Author Challenge: 2/20

YA Audiobook Challenge: 3/12

2013 Reading Challenge: 20/75 (2% over)

Random side note:

One of the Earlier Top Ten Tuesday topics was your Spring TBR, I have managed to read one from that list and I am currently working on number two now (whoop whoop).

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I recommend a lot

This week's topic is every bloggers dream I think- for the most part, it's why we started blogging in the first place. Be warned though, you will most definitely be seeing a lot of books from previous lists.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

1) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta- I love this book and I have told SO many people to read it. I find that I am still shocked when I hear that someone (you know who you are) hasn't read it yet. It really is a fantastic novel.


2) Dreamland by Sarah Dessen- Since becoming a blogger I have read a number of novel about abusive teenage relationships. Dessen's Dreamland was my first and honestly in my opinion it was the best of the bunch. I recommend this one to readers who are looking for an "issues" novel that is really well done.


3) Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- Specifically the audio book- This novel had me in hysterics. It is SO funny!!! I really started to love John Green after reading this book.

4) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand- I recommend this one to those who have a bad taste in their mouth about angel books. Unearthly  is one of the only angel novels that I like and I really liked this one. I also think it's one of the best YA romances out there.

5) The Taker by Alma Katsu- Just because I loved it so much and I don't think enough people have read it.

6) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han- Because it holds a special place in my heart. It's such a sweet summer read.

7) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- Because it's amazing! What else can I say?

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- This was a surprise like for me. And I really liked it. Therefore everyone should read it.


9) If I Stay by Gayle Forman- I absolutely loved this book and I tell everyone and anyone that they need to read it. But, it will make you cry.

10) Harry Potter by JK Rowling- I mean really... how can you call yourself a reader and not have read Harry Potter.

that is everything, I know this is late, but better late then never. It's been a busy couple weeks.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.






I was SO wanted to read this one that I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and used one of my Audible credits and listened to it which I was on a fairly long road trip- it was perfect!

I was incredibly eager to read Ruta Sepetys' second novel Out of the Easy when I first read it's synopsis. I have had a slight obsession with New Orleans and the French Quarter since I was a kid. Take me back to the 1950's and Out of the Easy was high up on my TBR for 2013. Having not read Sepetys' debut novel Between Shades of Gray, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. But I had pretty high expectations, because  Between Shades of Gray was so well received among readers everywhere. Not only that, Out of the Easy was getting rave reviews. Everyone was loving it. And after reading it, I loved it as well.

The audio book is narrated by Lauren Fortgang (who has narrated a number of audio books including Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart and other adult romances), and is just under ten hours long. I devoured this one in a couple days in as many sittings. Fortgang does a really good job of narrating this story. Because Out of the Easy takes place in Louisiana, the majority of the characters have southern accents. Fortgang does a good job of conveying the southern twang of the characters but of also making each one unique. None of them came of flat due to narration- which can sometimes happen with audio books. Overall the audio book of Out of the Easy was a great experience and I was very happy with the narration.

The story itself was interesting. While I totally loved it, I spent a good portion of the novel waiting for something to happen- this is in no way a bad thing. What's interesting about Out of the Easy is it is very character driven, and the focus is on the relationships the characters have with one another. There isn't a strong plot. If you like character driven novels you will love this book, but if you are looking for fast paced adventure with a lot of suspense you won't get it. Neither will you get a swoony romance. There is a romance, but it's very subtle and you don't realize what it is until midway through the novel.

The writing in Out of the Easy is flawless. Ruta Sepetys is a beautiful writer. As many who have read Between Shades of Gray have said. Listening to the audio book was such an enjoyable experience which was one hundred percent due to the beauty of the story.

Overall, Out of the Easy was fantastic. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who really is looking for a well written story. It's just good. I will absolutely be looking to read Between Shades of Gray soon.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Sitting Unread On My Shelf

Again, the girls at  The Broke and Bookish have come up with a pretty fantastic topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. I hope everyone is ready for this one. 

Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

1) Lolita by Vlad Nabokov- I bought this back in 2011 and I haven't read it yet. I plan to though. One of my 2013 reading resolutions was to read a Russian classic. So this has to get done.

2) The Power of Six by Patticus Lore- I saw this at Costco for a stellar price and I just needed to own it. While I enjoyed I Am Number Four I don't think I will be reading the sequel any time soon.




3) Jane by April Lindner- I got this one for an incredibly good price and thought I would eventually get to it. But then I got it into my head that I need to read Jane Eyre first. Sigh.

4) The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa- I bought this book at the end of my first year of university two years ago. I have read both The Iron King and the Iron Daughter but for some reason the Iron Queen is sitting there unread

5) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- Bought this one on a whim after seeing so many great reviews. Haven't read it yet. It's been there for at least a year.

6) A Million Suns by Beth Revis- Whyyyyyyy?!?!?! I don't know. But again, I promise to get this one done




7) Envy by JR Ward- I haven't been completely in love with this series- but I buy the books and let them sit. Not only is Envy the third in the Fallen Angel series and sitting there unread I just ordered the paperback to Rapture the fourth in the series and probably won't read it until next year sometime.

8) Selfish is the Heart and Virtue & Vice by Megan Hart- I am counting these both as one. They are both from the same series and I have owned them for years, but haven't read either of them yet. I think I need to be in a particular mood for historical smut.

9) Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins- While I enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss I didn't enjoy it as much as the rest of the world. I do plan on reading it this spring sometime (like every other unread book on my shelf).

10) Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult- I have read a number of novels by Jodi Picoult and I have always enjoyed them they are pretty intense and take over my life, I need to have a couple of uninterrupted days before before I can start reading her books, I haven't found that I have had that yet. Someday.




Well, there are ten eleven books sitting unread on my shelf, but absolutely needed to buy.

~Happy Reading everyone!

My Thoughts: Altered by Jennifer Rush

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

OMG this book was incredible. Go read it. Seriously, this is how I want to leave the review. I don't even know what to say other than what are you waiting for?

So, the only reason I pushed this book up on my TBR pile was because Amber from Books of Amber really enjoyed and totally sold me on it. I was not let down.

Altered tells the story of Anna and four boys who have been a part of her life for many years. As the synopsis implies the boys are hidden in a lab run by Anna's father. She has been assisting him with the boys for a long time and they have become her closest friends. This is cause for some tension considering the boys are being held captive by a secret government corporation and all four have no memory of where they came from or who they are. When the boys finally escape and take Anna with them, they find themselves following an obscure set of clues in an attempt to figure out their life.

While the concept of memory loss may not be incredibly unique in the world of YA, I believe that as long as the author knows what they are doing with it and where they are going, it can still be a thrilling concept to read about. Jennifer Rush nailed it with Altered. I had no freaking clue what was going on half the time and that was okay. Why did the four boys not know who they were? What happened to them? Were they even human? What does genetically altered even mean? All of these questions were flying through my head as I read. And every time I thought I had an answer, I would totally have it wrong. I loved that about this book. I would think that I had something figured out but Rush would through something in that would leave me reeling. I was never ever bored with this book. In fact I didn't want it to end.

I LOVED the characters of Altered and I absolutely loved how they interacted with one another. Anna was a great protagonist, and while some may find her annoying, juvenile, immature, I did not. I thought for the situation she was in her response was pretty reasonable. The boys- Sam, Nick, Trev and Cas, were all great as well. Sam was broody, Nick was moody, Cass was hysterical and Trev was Anna best friend. My favourites (cause of course there are going to be favourites) were Sam- for obvious reasons and Nick.

I really liked how Anna and Nick would bicker,I don't know why. Nick would pick on Anna and it would drive her insane and I loved it. I also liked how loyal he was to her in the end. It wasn't that he genuinely did not like her, but in his eyes, she was the enemy's daughter which in retrospect that made her the enemy.

Sam, whoa, Sam. I had SUCH a crush on Sam as I was reading this book. He was an alpha male to the max, but he also had a softer sweet side (but it wasn't pathetic). However, Sam was scary. He could snap a guy's neck without even blinking and feel no remorse about it afterwards. It was fantastic. I could totally see why Anna had the hots for him. The romance between the two of them was definitely not the focal point of Altered, but it sure did add to absolute amazingness of it.

Over, Altered by Jennifer Rush was an action packed novel that never had a dull moment. I adored this novel and I cannot wait to see what's in store next for Anna and the boys. Read this books guys, you will not be disappointed.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish.

This week's topic is pretty exciting for me... so

Top Ten Books At The TOP Of My Spring 2013 TBR list!

Some people have been talking exclusively about spring releases and while I have included some that I am pretty excited about, it was not my sole focus. Spring also means that I am done school for summer and I have plenty of time to read, so I have added books that I haven't had time to read, but I've been dying to.

Hope you enjoy.

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I am bound and determined to get this book read sooner rather then later. I have been a little obsessed with the story (which I actually have never read), I will be reading it soon.

2) Lover at Last by JR Ward- This hits stores March 26th (and yes, I have already pre-ordered it). I don't want to talk to much about this. But you best believe that this is on the top of my spring TBR- I'll drop everything to read this.



3) Boundless by Cynthia Hand- I am DYING to read this book. I absolutely need to know what happens to Clara and Tucker and Christian and everyone involved. It drives me crazy that I haven't read this yet.

4) Dare You To by Katie McGuire- This comes out in early June and I am pretty excited to read it. I really enjoyed Pushing the Limits and I love the way McGuire writes her characters. I'll be happy to experience that again.

5) Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson- Happy Book Birthday, This novel hits shelves today and, however I won't be reading it until later this spring. I am very curious about the story and I don't know the Bluebeard fairy tale at all so...

6) Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins- Sooooo... I still haven't read this one yet. Please don't shoot. This has been sitting on my shelf for a good long time and I really need to get to reading it. SO one day, I will sit down and do nothing all day but read. It will be magical.

7) Asunder by Jodi Meadows- Another book that I have on my shelf that I am sad I haven't read yet. I loved Incarnate so much and the fact that I haven't read the sequel is killing meeeee.

8) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling- I have made it my goal to reread the entire Harry Potter Series while I am not in school (so from May-September). There may be one or two of those books that I have only read once (the 5th and 7th one I think, maybe the 4th as well). I know. Shame on me.

9) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor- There are a lot of sequels that I need/want to get to. And this is one of them. I am hopeful that it will happen. I am particularly excited about this one. I have heard nothing but good things about it.


10) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green- This is only the only novel by JG that I have not read. I think it order to call myself a true fan I need to get on it. I have also heard this one is pretty funny and I like funny.








So that is my list for this week, feel free to comment and let me know what you plan on reading this spring.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Stacking the Shelves (9)

This is one heffer of a book haul. I have about five weeks of books to show you. I hope you're all ready for this.  I am a little freaky in this video. It's all kinds of crazy. 

Staking the Shelves is hosted over at Tynga's Reviews. 

Books Mentioned (all links link to Goodreads)

Library: 

Pride and Prejudice  by Jane Austen 

Won: 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne 

Gifted:

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton 

(Thanks Aylee) 

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling 

(Thanks Mum) 

Bought: 

Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Boundless by Cynthia Hand 

The Taker by Alma Katsu 

For Gifts: 

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

That's it for me, be sure to link your book hauls below so I can check them out. 

~Happy Reading Everyone!