It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by The Book Date. A place for bloggers to gather to discuss what books they read and reviewed last week, what books they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read. This is a great way for me to plan my reading week, and get a sneak peek at what others are reading. 

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What I read last week:

This past week I was able to get through two books from my TBR of forgotten books. :) Click title to be redirected to that review.

                              

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Variant by Robison Wells

What I am currently reading:

                                                         

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Up next:

                                                        

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

Review: Variant by Robison Wells

Variant

By Robison Wells

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Goodreads | Amazon




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My Review:
Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I went into this book I honestly did not have very high hopes. Variant has been sitting on my shelf for years and as time past so did my interest. The premise no longer sounded as captivating as it had the first time I read it. However, over the last few months I have been going through my TBR of forgotten books and stumbled upon this book. It was time to finally crack open this book to see what was written inside and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. 

Throughout Variant we follow Benson a foster kid that has won a scholarship to a prestige private school on the west coast. He is excited to start his new journey away from Pittsburgh and the foster life, but Maxfield Academy is not the prestige school he was promised. No teachers in sight, gangs ruling the school and no way out. 

Benson's one goal from the very start is to find a way out of his new prison. However, escaping Maxfield Academy is no easy task, especially when his peers thwart his every move. Yet, Benson is stubborn and will not stop trying...no matter what. 

I found myself hooked from the very beginning, a new mystery every chapter and I was surprised with how much I truly enjoyed this book. The mystery behind the school and students had me invested from the start. That final chapter left me hanging on such a huge cliffhanger I'm eager to purchase book 2, in order to find out what happens to Benson and his friends. I feel like I left Maxfield with more questions than when I arrived. 

This book is a great middle grade/young adult novel, it definitely keeps you guessing at every turn. 


Published by: K

#FirstLinesFriday: 3.13.20

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Follow the rules below: 

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

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“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.”

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Read on to discover what book this excerpt is from:

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The Haunting of Hill House

By Shirley Jackson

Blurb:

The greatest haunted house story ever written, soon to be a 10-part Netflix series directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Hutton

First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers--and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

Goodreads | Amazon

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What better way to spend Friday the 13th than with The Haunting of Hill House. Now while I enjoyed the book, I felt the Netflix show was way better and a lot scarier. Click here to read my review.

Down the TBR Hole: 3.12.20

Down the TBR Hole is a meme created by Lia at Lost in a Story where we decide whether to keep or remove books on our TBR.

The rules for Down the TBR Hole:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

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Down the TBR Hole has quickly become one of my favorite weekly memes. I love going back and discovering old books I had forgotten in my TBR...while clearing out my list of books that no longer pique my interest. 

Prophecy Girl

By Cecily White

Date Added: May 28th, 2013

Blurb:

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up. 

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right? 

Wrong. 

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Getting it done without falling in love? That might take a miracle.

***Years ago this premise piqued my interest, I was very into the supernatural genre and went crazy adding just about every supernatural themed book to my TBR. However over the years I have found that my taste in books has changed and I have become more selective of the paranormal books I choose.***

Verdict: Kick off

The Temptation

By Alisa Valdes

Date Added: May 28th, 2013

Blurb:

His touch was electric. 
His eyes were magnetic. 
His lips were a temptation.... 
But was he real? 

After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter. 

Can true love surpass the power of pure evil? Part love story, part supernatural thriller, this first book in the Kindred trilogy will leave readers lusting for more!

***Here is yet another book added during my paranormal/supernatural obsession. At the time the premise sounded unique, different from the many books I had read in the past.***

Verdict: Kick off

Untimely

By J & L. Wells

Date Added: May 29th, 2013

Blurb:

Heather Richardson is a seventeen-year-old British girl whose life quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster when she meets Ruben Brown, a controlling twenty-four-year-old man who works for her father at Freesdon Manor. As much as Heather wants to love Ruben, the cracks in their relationship begin to show as her eighteenth birthday draws nigh.

In a surprising turn of events Heather is confronted by Frank, an intriguing man from a past that dates back to the nineteenth century. His untimely presence changes everything.

When she’s thrown back in time by an unrelenting force, Heather realizes that her life is not what it appears to be. Her future has already been written, and it seems she cannot escape her fate, a fate determined by a love lost long ago. In her struggle to find herself, Heather must choose her destiny amidst a dangerous love triangle, vengeful lovers, and passions controlled by the hands of time.

***I am still on the fence with this book, a part of me says it is time for it to go whereas my other half still finds the premise interesting.***

Verdict: Keep it

Waterfall

By Lisa T. Bergren

Date Added: May 29th, 2013

Blurb:

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.

***I haven't read many books centered-around time travel, but this books premise still sounds intriguing. Now it can move to the top of my TBR pile.***

Verdict: Keep it

Evercrossed

By Elizabeth Chandler

Date Added: 

Blurb:

It’s been a year since Ivy’s boyfriend, Tristan, died. They’ve both moved on—Tristan to the other side of the afterlife, and Ivy to sweet, dependable Will. Now Ivy’s heading to Cape Cod, hoping to leave the horror of last summer behind. She wants nothing more than to lie on the beach, sip lemonade, and hang out with her friends.

But then a car crash ends Ivy’s life.

As she floats to the beyond, looking down on the life she’s left behind, Tristan breathes life back into her with a passionate kiss. She wakes up in the hospital, surrounded by Will and her family, but all she can think about is the love that she lost.

But memories aren’t all that’s come back from the past. And this time, Ivy’s not sure love will be enough to save her. 

***I am a bit skeptical of this book and it is only because the first 3 were so good, ending on a perfect note. I am afraid it will tarnish my view of the other books, so I have put off reading it for a very long time, but I think it is finally time to delve back into the world of Tristan and Ivy.***

Verdict: Keep it

Can't Wait Wednesday: 3.11.20

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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Over the past few years I have really gotten into the Fantasy genre...The Kiss of Deception trilogy is one of my favorites. Almost every Fantasy novel has an eye-catching cover and the following book is no different. While the cover drew me in the premise is what got me hooked. I look forward to adding this book to my shelf. :)

House of Dragons

By Jessica Cluess

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, ebook

Length: 448 pages

Publication Date: May 20th, 2020 by Random House Books

Blurb: 

Five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win? Think THREE DARK CROWNS meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB with DRAGONS.

When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....

THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.

THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.

THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.

THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.

THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.

Goodreads | Amazon

Review: Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Message in a Bottle

By Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity - takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love.

Nicholas Sparks is our very best chronicler of the human heart. His stunning first novel, The Notebook, has been given by friend to friend and lover to lover all over the world as a testament to the timeless power of love. But if we thought he could never again move us so deeply, he now shows us he can-in a story that renews our faith in destiny...in the ability of true lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when... Message In A Bottle

Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, picks it up during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with:

My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together...

For "Garrett," the man who signs the letter, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Who are Garrett and Catherine? Where is he now? What is his story?

Challenged by the mystery, and pulled to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together by chance-or something more powerful-Theresa and Garrett are people whose lives are about to touch for a purpose, in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding that special someone and everlasting love.

Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks's storytelling, here is his new, achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most... 

Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Here we are again with another heartbreaking love story by none-other-than Nicholas Sparks. I know I've said in the past that romance novels are not my favorite, but when it comes to Nicholas Sparks I have yet to be disappointed. 

Message in a Bottle follows Theresa, a Boston columnist, as she travels to North Carolina in search of a mysterious man that has been sending love letters to his deceased wife in a very peculiar way. While on vacation Theresa discovers a bottle floating along the shore and to her surprise she finds a love letter inside. After some push from her boss, Theresa travels to North Carolina in search of this mysterious man. 

Garrett Blake never thought he could love again, not after the death of his wife Catherine. For 3 years he has written her letters and held onto the pain of losing the love of his life. But then one sunny day Theresa stumbles into his life and changes it forever. 

Every turn of the page had me eager to see what was in store for Theresa and Garrett. Could Garrett let go of the past and fall in love again? Will Theresa come clean about how she came to find Garrett?

Like all of Nicholas Sparks books this was a tear-jerker. It was a little slow at first but once I got past the first chapter I was invested. If you enjoy romance novels this book is definitely a must read. 

Published by: K

Top of the TBR ~ 3.9.2020

Top of the TBR

Top of the TBR is a biweekly meme created by Literary Elephant. It showcases the books recently added to my Goodreads TBR, with a short explanation as to why it caught my eye and how I found it. 

Each title will be linked back to its Goodreads page for anyone interested in exploring further. 

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Here are some of the books I have recently added to my Goodreads:

Harleen
By Stjepan Sejic

How I found it: 

I often find my more off the grid books simply by scrolling through my Goodreads feed. Being friends with so many different people helps me discover new and unusual books...ones I never would have found without them.

Why I added it: 

Recently, I finished watching Gotham on Netflix and have found myself hooked on everything DC, so when I saw this gem in my Goodreads feed I knew I had to read more and after the premise there was no going back...into the TBR list it went. I haven't read many graphic novels/comics, however over the years I have developed an interest in reading more. I can't wait to see the art in this book and uncover a new story behind the infamous Harley Quinn. 

Hood

By Jenny Elder Moke

How I found it: 

On lazy Sundays I often spend the day perusing the upcoming new release lists on Goodreads and last week this was my find, along with several others. :)

Why I added it: 

I have always enjoyed a good fairytale retelling, so when I discovered this novel in an upcoming new release list I had to delve further. After reading the premise I knew there was no way it wasn't getting added to me TBR list. Plus, I have always been a fan of Robin Hood.

Of Silver and Shadow

By Jennifer Gruenke

How I found it: 

This is another Goodreads upcoming new release list find. 

Why I added it: 

Lately, I have been a huge fan of Fantasy novels. Until The Kiss of Deception I was never a big fan, but Mary E. Pearson changed my mind real quick.  I was pulled in by the cover and the premise quickly sealed the deal, intriguing and full of mystery...sign me up.

Loveboat, Taipei

By Abigail Hing Wen

How I found it: 

Over the past month I have seen this book promoted everywhere and I held off adding it for the longest time. But after seeing it for the hundredth time of my Facebook feed I caved and decided to read the premise.

Why I added it: 

I honestly had no intention of adding this book to my TBR, I'm not generally one for Contemporary/Romance novels. But after seeing it promoted everywhere, I caved and finally decided to give the premise a read...to my surprise I found myself intrigued and with one click it was added to my every growing TBR list. 

Sky Without Stars

By Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell

How I found it: 

I honestly cannot remember whether I found this scrolling through my Facebook feed or on Goodreads in one of the many lists. With so many added books recently some tend to blend together, and this was added on a day I was add crazy and put 10 or more books in my list. 

Why I added it:

I am a big fan of Jessica Brody's work, ever since I read her Unremembered trilogy. I couldn't believe I had never heard of this book, but with the last 2 years being a bit crazy I was out of touch in the book world and lost track of many of my favorite authors upcoming releases. So when I saw this book I didn't even need to read the premise to know it was being added to me TBR list. 

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What books have you recently added to your Goodreads TBR?