Book Review: Reigntime

 “Love was a tormenting emotion. It was powerful and untrustworthy. Like a crocodile, it waited at bay, camouflaged, making you feel safe and secure. then out of nowhere, it sprang and wrapped its uncompromising jaws around your entire body, crushingly, devastatingly unbearable.”

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Lexie Taylor is a relatable, animal-loving girl who has recently been heartbroken with the death of someone very close to her. She has shut everyone out, trying to ignore the grief that is trying so hard to break her down. During her first few shifts as a student nurse at a hospital, Lexie meets a new patient named Myall. Instantly she is fascinated by him, and and not long after they meet he tells her a secret that changes her entire view of the human existence. Set in the intriguing landscape of Australia, Reigntime is the story of Lexie, a seventeen year old nursing student who is suddenly thrust into a world she could never have imagined.

This is the first book in a series, so there is a lot of information packed in for the reader to understand the world these characters are in. S.K. Levy explains it all in such a well-written way though that it is easily understood, and she makes it exciting and leaves you wanting to know more of this great new reality Lexie is put in. Throughout the book, the relationship between Lexie and Myall is refreshing and intense. They help each other heal, one emotionally, the other physically, and without intending to, fall in love. The connection between them is electric, and the reader will be rooting for them from the beginning.

Reigntime has a lot of aspects in it that I found really fun and appealing. The author is great at giving just enough hints at the mysteries that keeps it captivating, and makes a great setup for the rest of the series. There is a lot of humor in this book too, I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The action had my heart racing, and I was having a hard time staying still in my seat. This book is a really fun read, I love the adventure in it, but it is also an emotional journey for Lexie and Myall.

I really loved this book. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Trying to figure out the reason why some characters were they why they were, and what was to come next. S.K. Levy is a very talented writer, creating a world that is both unique and compelling. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I was given a copy by the author in exchange for my honest review.

 

Reigntime is the first book in the Reigntime Series

Get it here➡http://amzn.to/2bV3eR0

Authors goodreads page➡

http://bit.ly/2bIpgWl 

Authors website➡http://www.sklevy.com.au/

Upcoming Releases: September 2016

Here we go again, time to talk about new releases! I love making these posts, it’s so exciting to see what books are coming out, and to know what books people are most excited for. Do you see your most anticipated release on this list? If so, let me know, if not, tell me what you’re looking forward to!

Short Stories from Hogwarts by J. K. Rowling

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Release Date: September 6, 2016

Series: Companion to the Harry Potter series

http://amzn.to/2bMgcmP

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

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Release Date:  September 6, 2016

Series: Throne of Glass book 5

http://amzn.to/2btuLKf

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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Release Date: September 27, 2016

Series: Six of Crows book 2

http://amzn.to/2bsf83R

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

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Release Date: September 20, 2016

Series: Snow Like Ashes book 3

http://amzn.to/2bHe91y

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

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Release Date: September 20, 2016

Series: Kingdom on Fire book 1

http://amzn.to/2bHeOjk

Like A River Glorious by Rae Carson

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Release Date: September 27, 2016

Series: The Gold Seer book 2

http://amzn.to/2b9S7lM

The Fever Code by James Dashner

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Release Date: September 27, 2016

Series: The Maze Runner book 5 (prequel)

http://amzn.to/2b9SzjJ

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

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Release Date: September 3, 2016

Series: Companion to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

http://amzn.to/2b7JIox

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

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Release Date: September 20, 2016

Series: Stealing Snow book 1

http://amzn.to/2b9LuCt

The Liebster Award

I was nominated by the lovely https://booktifulife.wordpress.com/

The Liebster Award 2016 is an award that exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.


Here are some rules for receiving this award!:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and a post a link to their blog (it would help too if you included a little info of their blog, they’d thank you and your nominees would do the same as well!)
  2. Display the award on your blog. You can save the image and upload it to your blog post and/or put it as a widget on your blog!
  3. Give 10 random facts about yourself. 
  4. Nominate 5-10 blogs you admire and have under 200 followers.
  5. Post your answers of the questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
  6. List these rules in your post.
  7. Ask your nominees 10 questions after tagging them in the post.    

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  1. I’m 26, but look much younger
  2. I’ve been a bookworm since I was a little kid
  3. I am a mom to two beautiful kiddos
  4. I have two little dogs, Max and Gus
  5. I just recently celebrated my 8 year anniversary with my wonderful husband
  6.  I love all kinds of music, classic rock, pop, classical, reggae…
  7.  I can’t choose if I like coffee or tea more
  8.  I’m a huge Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter fan
  9.  I’m 5’2″
  10.  When I was younger I could name every bone in the ostrich body

I nominate these lovely bloggers!:

Questions for those lovely bloggers:

  1. What made you like books?
  2. Who is your top fictional boyfriend?
  3. Favorite thing to do except reading?
  4. Would you rather be a popular kid but doesn’t read books or have no friends but loves books?
  5. What’s the worst thing you’ve done to your book?
  6. Do you believe in unicorns?
  7. Whats the most annoying thing you heard as a bookworm?
  8. Where is your favorite bookstore/online bookstore?
  9. Best book you’ve read in 2016
  10. If u could travel through time, when will you go back to and why?

Book Talk: Novellas

Novellas. Are you a fan?

I personally love them. I think it’s exciting to see more insight into a story. Sometimes they can explain why characters react to certain things the way they do, when before the novella,  has you wondering why. They can go into greater detail of the landscape your favorite stories, expanding what you knew of the book universe.

Another question about novellas, do you bother getting them in print form or just go for the ebook version? Most of the time I just get the ebook. It’s cheaper, and makes more sense considering how short they usually are. The only time I usually get the print version is when they bind up all the available novellas into one published book, thats when I think it’s worth it. So far in print I have Colleen Hoover’s novellas Maybe Not and Finding Cinderella (both given to me in book exchanges), The Assassin’s Blade, and Happily Ever After. Below I’ll post my favorite novellas, both in print and ebook form.

The Assassin’s Blade, Companion to the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas:

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https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Blade-Throne-Glass-Novellas/dp/1619635178/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470680605&sr=8-1&keywords=the+assassins+blade

Happily Ever After, Companion to The Selection series by Kiera Caas:

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https://www.amazon.com/Happily-Ever-After-Companion-Selection/dp/006248429X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470680845&sr=8-1&keywords=happily+ever+after+kiera+cass

The King’s Guard, Companion to The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson:

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https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Guard-Girl-Fire-Thorns-ebook/dp/B00A73LZ6I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1470680899&sr=8-5&keywords=the+bitter+kingdom#navbar

Four, Companion to the Divergent series by Veronica Roth:

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https://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Story/dp/0062421360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681170&sr=8-1&keywords=four

Cruel Crown, Companion to the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard:

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https://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Crown-Red-Queen-Novella/dp/B01GGJHTNE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470681228&sr=8-2&keywords=cruel+crown

Summer’s Crossing, Companion to the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa:

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https://www.amazon.com/Summers-Crossing-Iron-Julie-Kagawa-ebook/dp/B004XDYXN0/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#navbar

Maybe Not and Finding Cinderella, Companions to Maybe Someday and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover:

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https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Not-Novella-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B00PT5R7FM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470681554&sr=1-1&keywords=maybe+not#navbar

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https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Cinderella-Novella-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B00FNWRSCI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470681576&sr=1-1&keywords=finding+cinderella#navbar

Literary Gift Ideas

have you been searching for the perfect present for the book lover you know? Do you want to show your friends and family an idea of what you would like as a gift? Well look no further! I’ve searched high and low on the inter-web and found some great bookish gifts!

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https://www.etsy.com/listing/258984691/drink-tea-read-books-be-happy-vintage?ref=hp_rv

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/Frostbeard?section_id=10828667

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https://www.amazon.com/HUMAN-Books-Athletic-Medium-T-Shirt/dp/B015NBJ20O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1470676147&sr=8-3&keywords=book+shirt

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http://gonereading.com/group/book-shaped-plates-platters/

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https://society6.com/bookwormboutique/pillows

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/OpheliasGypsyCaravan?ref=l2-shopheader-name

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https://www.etsy.com/listing/234519034/set-of-fourfive-mini-princess-magnetic?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bookmark&ref=sr_gallery_8

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https://www.amazon.com/After-Christmas-Sale-Library-Pendant/dp/B016XZ7XW8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_201_13?ie=UTF8&dpID=410wokn6bCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=MZ0J05S04DQ18ZK4S27R

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https://www.etsy.com/listing/248584023/reading-poster-read-more-books-art-print?utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-art_and_collectibles-prints-digital_prints_osa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_item=0&utm_ag=25344988342&gclid=CPXl0_qsss4CFQiTaQodN28EEQ

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https://www.etsy.com/listing/275885108/harry-potter-book-page-covered-ribbon?ref=related-5

See any that you like? Share this post to give family and friends an idea of what to get you, or reference it when it’s your turn to get a bookish gift for someone! 

Book Talk: Throne of Glass Series

“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

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I was recommend this series by a friend soon after Crown of Midnight had released. I read the blurb, and thought it sounded pretty interesting, so i took a chance and got an ebook copy. By the time I got around to starting it, Heir of Fire was going to be hitting bookshelves any moment. Once I opened it though, I couldn’t put it down. The next chance I got I went to the bookstore and got printed copies of them, because I knew I wanted them on my bookshelf.

Throne of Glass is the story of Celeana Sardothien, trained assassin and prisoner of a labor mine called Endovier. Soon after we are introduced to our heroine she is whisked away to become a pawn in a competition at Rifthold, the capitol of Adarlan, and home of a castle built of glass. She is told that whoever wins this competition will earn their freedom, and will be named the Kings Champion.

USA Today says:

Celaena Sardothien is a next-level Cinderella you can’t help but enjoy, even when you’re white-knuckle-worried about what she intends to do next.

 The following books in the series follow Celeana during the aftermath of the competition.  This series is full of exciting action, kickass characters, and of course, romance. Sarah J Maas also manages to drop one of the biggest plot twists in Crown of Midnight I’ve ever seen. Seriously, did anyone see that coming?!? Trust me, it’s a good one.

The fifth book of the series comes out September 6, 2016. There will be six books total. 

Amazon Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Throne-Glass-Sarah-J-Maas/dp/1619630346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470600726&sr=8-1&keywords=throne+of+glass

Author Sarah J Maas’s Goodreads Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3433047.Sarah_J_Maas

Have you read the Throne of Glass series? What do you think? 

Book Review: Defying Shadows

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“Time is a strange concept. It is the one thing in the universe that is always moving, but in a moment can stand perfectly still.  Some days it seems to drag on endlessly, but the simple presence of enjoyment can cause it to pass all too soon. Meaningful instances register in the memory of someone for a lifetime even as other, more painful images fade away, only to be recalled to mind in some far-off day when the pain of loss is not so fresh.  And though time cannot be stopped or captured, moments can.”

Defying Shadows is the story of a young college student, Sarah, who is just about to start her Christmas vacation,  when she gets an unexpected visit from her best friend and is suddenly (not for the first time) thrown back in time to the 12th century to the charming medieval kingdom of Serimone.

This book has it all. My most admired thing about this book though is the way each character is so imperfectly human, and how easily I am able to feel and understand each emotion with how well written they are. I felt everything these characters felt. Their joy, sorrow, passion, rage, and absolute heartbreak were with me. Ashley Townsend has such a way with words that she makes sure of it. Throughout this book I never once had to take myself out of it to figure out what was going on. Every turn of events (and there are some great ones) is written so gracefully they never feel forced on the reader. Every character decision is easily understood, even if at the time it is hard to agree with it. There is no ‘instalove’ with the relationships, each is built with a strong foundation and time.

I finished this book late at night, having tears in my eyes for at least the last 5 chapters. I was never able to guess at how it would end, and I am glad of it. Defying Shadows is a beautifully written story of hope, heartbreak, faith, and forgiveness. I ended it feeling like I was saying goodbye to friends, and wanting to plant a Yew tree in my backyard.

I was given a copy of Defying Shadows by the author, Ashley Townsend, in exchange for an honest review.

Defying Shadows is the third and final book in Ashley Townsend’s Rising Shadows trilogy series. Rising Shadows and Chasing Shadows are books 1 and 2. 

Amazon page:

https://www.amazon.com/Defying-Shadows-Ashley-Townsend/dp/1939156793/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470236498&sr=8-1&keywords=defying+shadows

Author Ashley Townsend’s Goodreads Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5839773.Ashley_Townsend

 

 

 

 

Book Talk: The Cursed Child

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“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”

It’s here! The eighth, and final installment in Harry Potter’s life is now on bookshelves worldwide for our reading pleasure. When it was announced that there would be a play, 4774.62 miles away from myself, I was morose. I thought the only way I would be able to find out what happens in this new adventure was to read someone else’s experience of it.

Then it was revealed that there would be a published copy of the script. Who else was totally thrilled with this news?!?! I was still bummed I would never see it on stage, but now I could at least have the words in my hands.

The New York Times says:

“As in the books, the suspense here is electric and nonstop, and it has been cleverly constructed around developments recalling events in the original Potter novels — scenes from the Triwizard Tournament in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the penetration of the Ministry of Magic by Harry, Ron and Hermione (using Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves) in “Deathly Hallows”; and a visit to Godric’s Hollow in that same volume. As a bonus, fans are also given a scattering of interesting new insights into Harry, Dumbledore and Voldemort.”

USA Today says:

“Very quickly, even while just reading the script of Cursed Child, you remember that Rowling loves these stories and characters as much as you do, and it becomes easier and more enjoyable to read the script. After all, love, as Voldemort never understood, is the strongest magic of all.”

Although I have yet to see this on my bookshelf, I hope to add it in the near future. The world of Harry Potter is close to my heart, as it is with millions around the world. Albeit, I am nervous to see where my favorite characters are at 19 years after the battle of Hogwarts, I have faith in Rowling that it will be a magical adventure.

Have you read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child yet? What do you think?