The Sunday Post ~ Twenty Third Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. The Sunday Post is a new meme where you can post about the new books you got this past week (books I was asked to bite), or recap what has been happening the past week on your blog (bites you may have missed), or a sneak peek for what is to come (what you can look forward to biting into), or even a final recap of your week in general (one last parting bite). 
Books I was asked to bite and books I decided to bite this week: 
Bought from bookstores: This week I only pre-ordered books, so I don't have covers, but I will tell you which two I have pre-ordered =D I am so super excited for them!! Click the links to see their goodreads pages.

• "Lux Series 4: Origin" By Jennifer L. Armentrout
• "The Lynburn Legacy 2: Untold" By Sarah Rees Brennan

Bites you may have missed this past week: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013 Oh, How Pinteresting #4 Follow Friday #155 BBReview: "The Selection" By Kiera Cass BBReview: "Taking Chances" By Molly McAdams
What you can look forward to biting into next week: 

• Top Ten Tuesday
• Oh, How Pinteresting
• Follow Friday
• Book Blogger Confessions
• BBReview: "Pitch" By Jillian Eaton
• BBReview: "Fallen" By Lauren Kate

One Last Parting Bite:

No books this week, unless you count the pre-orders. I am so excited to get my hands on them! I am so glad that I pre-ordered them, because if not then I would have waited forever before buying them. This has been a fun week of posts. I really loved all the posts I did this week. Every meme had a fun question that I enjoyed and my book reviews were both for books I loved. Outside of the blogging world I have been busy making sure I enjoy summer. One of my best friends birthdays was this week so I made sure to spend the whole day with her, and this weekend was the downriver cruise where people drive their classic cars down fort street. I am not a car person, but I absolutely love classics. And I also love the people watching at these things =D. 

Thanks for checking out my Sunday Post! Hope you check in again next week =D

-Becky

BBReview: "Taking Chances 1: Taking Chances" By Molly McAdams

Genre: New Adult - Contemporary/Romance
Publishing Date: October 16th, 2012
Page Count: 432
Source: Bought on Amazon
Format: Kindle E-Book

Description from Goodreads.com:
Her first year away is turning out to be nearly perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.

Eighteen-year-old Harper has grown up under the thumb of her career marine father. Ready to live life her own way and to experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit, she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family, and emotions. She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with both her new boyfriend, Brandon, and her roommate's brother, Chase. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both men adore Harper and would do anything for her, including taking a step back if it would mean she'd be happy.

Review:
Taking Chances was such an excellent book. I am so happy that I read Between the Covers, a HUGE New Adult sampler book, and heard about Taking Chances, because otherwise I may have never read it. Trust me, if you are New Adult fan or think you might like New Adult if you tried it, then go download Between the Covers. It's FREE!! Now that I am done spotlighting, lets get on with the review =)

This book is honestly such an emotional roller coaster. It honestly had me feeling all of my feelings, and at full force. There is a major scene halfway through the book that literally had me sobbing. If my fiance wasn't sleeping next to me in the bed while I was reading it I probably would have full out ugly cried over it, but I didn't want to wake him up. Thats true love right there, people lol. I absolutely love when a book makes me cry, because then I know that the author really wanted to accomplish something with their book and they succeeded. Well, Molly McAdams you have succeeded!

The characters were phenomenal and were all very well formed. None of them strayed from their true character, unless they were supposed to stray from themselves. They each felt like a real person and I almost feel like I watched a movie instead of read a book. Harper was an amazing main character. She really drew me in and made me fall absolutely in love with her. I loved everything about her and supported most, if not everything, she did. She was absolutely lovely and I couldn't have picked a better main character.

I think the best part is probably the story line and plot points. There were so many twists and turns, curveballs, and blind siding. You honestly never knew what to expect, except if you looked at how many pages you have left to read you knew something big was still going to happen, because it wasn't going to be "And they lived happy ever after" for another 200 pages. It was a very anticipating read and really had my adrenaline going. I didn't know what was going to happen next or when, and that was the fun part. I didn't want to guess, I didn't want to know what happened before being told. I completely enjoyed this book, because it was a shock factor book.

The ending was fantastic and I think everything ended up really great. I don't think there is anything that I would have changed about this book or anything that I thought needed readjustment. It was truly a fantastic read and definitely one that will be on my top greatest books list.

Overall:
Phenomenal read! This book was so deep that it really made me feel all of my emotions with one story. At one point it even had me literally balling my eyes out. Harper, our main character, was completely lovely and I highly enjoyed reading her story. I felt she was the perfect main character and made all the right decision, even when she made the bad ones. This book is a complete shock factor book, I had no idea what was going to happen next, and I didn't want to. I loved being surprised and waiting to find out what was going to happen as it was laid out. Really fantastic read and I cannot wait to read more from Molly McAdams. I highly suggest this to all fans of New Adult, or those who want to try some New Adult.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5


**The books cover, description, and info was all found and borrowed from Goodreads.com. A link back to it's Goodreads site has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. I personally bought this kindle book from Amazon for my own personal enjoyment.**

BBReview: "The Selection 1: The Selection" By Kiera Cass

Genre: Young Adult - Dystopian/Romance
Publishing Date: April 24th, 2012
Page Count: 327
Source: Borrowed from Local Library
Format: Hardcover

Description from Goodreads.com:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:
To be honest, I was very wary to try The Selection. The majority of the blogs I follow that read book either did not like it at all or just gave it a low rating, but I absolutely loved this book. I am so happy that I ending up reading it, because it is now one of my favorite books. Another one of my favorite books is The Hunger Games and this is definitely one that goes with it. Like, if you liked The Hunger Games you should also try The Selection. I loved that it was dystopian, but that it didn't go too far where I couldn't understand what was going on or lost interest. I loved learning the history of Illea, the country the book takes place in. I thought it really made the world they live in come together more for the reader and to make it feel like it really existed and that the way Illea came to be really happened. Kiera Cass did some really great world building.

I also really liked the whole idea of prince's holding this bachelor-esq type show to pick their future bride. It was very interesting and a very neat idea. This was the main reason I wanted to read The Selection. I wanted to read about how everything was going to play out and how a girl got selected and everything. The whole process just really intrigued me and really made me just ignore the reviews and read it for myself.

I really loved America's character. I felt for her the whole time and felt she was genuine and easy to relate to. I love how honest and true she stayed to herself and just never changed for anyone. Oh, and her snarkyness and smart ass attitude was the best. She was not afraid to put it all out there and that was what I most loved about her. The only thing I didn't like was her love for Aspen. In the beginning of the book I completely got it, but then once she goes to the palace I wasn't on board anymore. He is a jerk and I am 100% on Team Maxon... at least so far =D.

I loved the ending and cannot wait to read book two. I already have it on hold at the library and am eagerly waiting to get the email saying it's in and to come get it. I must know what happens!!

Overall:
I absolutely loved The Selection. It is now one of my favorite books. The world building was great and I completely believe the history of the country Illea. America was a great character and I loved her snarkyness. I have read some really negative reviews for this book, but the idea of this whole bachelor-esq type idea to pick a bride really had me intrigued and I knew I had to read it. Moral of the story: Don't believe the hype and read the books you want to.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5


**The books cover, description, and info was all found and borrowed from Goodreads.com. A link back to it's Goodreads site has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. This book was borrowed from my local library.**

Follow Friday #155

This Weeks Follow Friday Question: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, Ebooks, Paperback, etc.,?   My preferred reading format would first be audio books. I am completely obsessed with them. I just love that I can read and do other stuff at the same time, like crochet! My second favorite would be hardcover, because they are just so much more neater, more durable, and I love taking off the jacket and seeing if anything fancy is on the actual cover. Third would be ebooks. They are so portable and I can bring hundreds of books with me wherever I go, plus I can read in the dark =D, and last would be paperback only because they fall apart much easier. I hate when the cover bends while reading and then when you set it down it stays propped open. I'm a little OCD lmao. 
What is your preferred format? Also don't forget that GFC will be going away July 1st (supposedly) so make sure to follow via Feedly, Bloglovin, Email, or Linky!!
For the list to add your name and follow others go to Parajunkee's and Alison Can Read's Follow Friday post =]

Oh, How Pinteresting #4

"Oh, How Pinteresting!!" is a weekly meme hosted by The Vintage Apple. The host posts up every Wednesday (which is when I will be trying to do it as well), but you can do it any day you want. Now it doesn't have to be book related or blog related pins, it can be ANYTHING. Pure imagination with this guys. AND there isn't any format to follow except include the button, embed some pins you pinned in the last week, and link up. Are you pumped? Im pumped! --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Like what you see? Want more amazing pins? Then follow me on Pinterest HERE!! And be sure to let me know in the comments what you think of this set of pins and leave a link to your "Oh, How Pinteresting!!!" if you have decided to participate too =D

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic for everyone to create a top ten list with. 

This Weeks Topic:

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

1. "Ten Tiny Breaths" By K.A. Tucker
2. "One Tiny Lie" By K.A. Tucker
3. "One Tiny Secret" By Adam Kunz
4. "Of Poseidon" By Anna Banks
5. "Wild Cards" By Simone Elkeles
6. "The Selction" By Kiera Cass
7. "Gifted" By Liz Long
8. "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" By Michelle Hodkin
9. "Secondary Characters" By Rachel Schieffelbein
10. "Counterpart" By K.J. Hunter-Brown

The Sunday Post ~ Twenty Second Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. The Sunday Post is a new meme where you can post about the new books you got this past week (books I was asked to bite), or recap what has been happening the past week on your blog (bites you may have missed), or a sneak peek for what is to come (what you can look forward to biting into), or even a final recap of your week in general (one last parting bite). 
Books I was asked to bite and books I decided to bite this week: 

Bought for the Kindle:

• "Unmaking Hunter Kennedy" By Anne Elliot
• "Secondary Characters" By Rachel Schieffeldein
• "Between the Covers" By J.Lynn, Cora Carmack, Abigail Gibbs, Sophie Jordan, Molly McAdams, Shannon Stoker, and Jay Crownover {FREE}
• "Rule" By Jay Crownover
• "From Ashes" By Molly McAdams
• "Taking Chances" By Molly McAdams

Bites you may have missed this past week: Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List Life As We Know It Is Coming To An End {Cover Reveal} "Escaping Me" By Elizabeth Lee Follow Friday #154 BBReview: "Of Poseidon" By Anna Banks BBReview: "All I Need" By Susane Colasanti
What you can look forward to biting into next week: 

• Top Ten Tuesday
• Oh, How Pinteresting
• Follow Friday
• BBReview: "The Selection" By Kiera Cass
• BBReview: "Taking Chances" By Molly McAdams

One Last Parting Bite:

I have had a great week for reading! I have read so much in the past two weeks, and am making good so far  on my idea to read books now and have their reviews post up during the school semester. I cannot wait to get my review up for Of Poseidon, it is a completely different review from most. Also if you really want to check out a good book to get right now and you are in love with New Adult like I am, then go click the link above for Between the Covers. It is huge sampler book, and yea it sucks it's on samples, but it samples of the hottest YA out right now and I have bought 4 of the book in it so far and plan on buying two more when they release this year. It really is one of the best samplers I have read, and its FREE Other than reading I haven't been doing much and I plan for that to be the routine for now =D

Thanks for checking out my Sunday Post! Hope you check in again next week =D

-Becky

BBReview: "All I Need" By Susane Colasanti

Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Publishing Date: May 21st, 2013
Page Count: 240
Source: BEA (Book Expo America)
Format: Hardcover

Description from Goodreads.com:
Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

Review:
All I Need was a very cute and romantic story. The one thing I really appreciated about it was that it was very realistic. It never went too far into how girls fantasize romance to be. It was very true to how it is in real life. It made you believe that you were reading about a romance that really happened to someone in real life, since it was about finding love and fighting to keep it that love when real life situations make the relationship rocky. Although I appreciated that it was so realistic, the fact that it was so believable made the story a bit of a downer. You don't want to read about trouble in paradise, you want everything to be great and perfect, but that's also not real life. So it was a double edged sword. I'm just not really used to reading about typical, normal relationship happenings and so it brought me down a little. I'm used to shocker events in relationships that make you hate the person, but then they make up for it.

The other thing I really liked about All I Need was the characters. Seth and Skye are very true to their personality characters, they loved what they loved and that was it. They also were very real people. They weren't perfect, they had their baggage, and they were a little nerdy. They weren't the typical main characters where it's the popular girl and the bad boy, or the football star and the loner. It was just two real people who had common interests and got together. I also really loved Skye's friends Kara and Jocelyn. They really added to the story, because you also knew about all the drama with them. As if you were really looking into someones life. Nobody's friends are perfect and so they also have extra drama that they bring to the story, instead of just being secondary characters.

Finally the book is told in both Skye and Seth's point of views, which EVERYONE knows I absolutely love. I love being able to get into both of the main characters heads. It just makes the story more whole and more true. I feel like I know everything and it really gives me a bigger emotional connection to the characters. I honestly wish more authors would take advantage of this love of mine, because I don't know how you can't love multiple POV's.

Although it was a bit of a downer book, since it was all realistic, I did like the ending. I thought it really stayed true to entire book and stayed away from fantasy. It honestly made me feel good about my own relationship, because real relationships aren't perfect like in other books. It's rocky, but if he/she is worth it, you stick it out and make it work.

Overall:
All I Need was a story that I liked, not loved. It was kind of a double ended sword situation, because I loved that the romance and lives of these characters stuck to how it is in the real world, but at the same time when you read about real world romance it's not a fantasy relationship. There are bumps in the road which made the book a bit of a downer. I did love that it was in both Seth and Skye's point of view, because it made the story richer, and I love that we learned about other things going on in their lives, like friends and parents, besides the romance, because again it made it all more believable as if you were just reading someones real life story. I recommend this book for contemporary readers, and definitely to those who like a dose of reality every now and then.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 3/5


**The books cover, description, and info was all found and borrowed from Goodreads.com. A link back to it's Goodreads site has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. I received this novel while at Book Expo America 2013 for free.**

BBReview: "Of Poseidon 1: Of Poseidon" By Anna Banks

Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
Publishing Date: May 1st, 2012
Page Count: 324
Source: Downloaded free from SYNC YA
Format: Audio book
Read By: Rebecca Gibel

Description from Goodreads.com:
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Review:
Really great read! I really enjoyed Emma and Galen's story. It was a very cute, but serious at the same time, sort of read. I absolutely love that the romance between them was mutually felt, but mutually fought against. Neither one of them wanted to like the other so it was so perfect. This tension was felt even more as the story is told in both point of views. You all know I have a serious LOVE for multiple point of view stories, so the fact that it was told in 2 POV's completely made my day.

The beginning was very powerful. I won't tell you what happens, but just know I didn't expect it at all. The whole time I just kept thinking "No. That can't happen. Not so early in the story!" It was so unexpected that my fiance  made me pause it so he could ask me what was wrong and that all of a sudden I had the saddest look on my face.

It was great that each character really had their own unique personalities. No two people were the same, and it was shown even more how different they all were by the audio, since they all had different voices. The ending was also really great. It had a big cliffhanger ending and I really need to know what happens!!

Audio Review:
I highly, highly enjoyed listening to this book! I honestly don't think I would have had the same reading experience if I would have read it instead. Rebecca Gibel has a great voice to listen to. It's very smooth and she doesn't have any weird habits in her speech to remind you she is in a booth reading, instead of the characters really speaking. She had great inflection in her voice that really sold the characters to you. She wasn't afraid to read the parts how they were supposed to be read. I loved the way she had a different voice and pitch for each of the characters. I always knew who was talking, and I absolutely loved her New Jersey accent for the characters who had one. I highly recommend listening to this in audio, because it seriously MADE my reading experience. I am definitely planning on getting the second book, Of Triton, in audio as well!

Overall:
Absolutely loved this story. It had great tension in the romance department, which I really love. The beginning was really powerful and unexpected, and the ending was perfect. I am so happy that I listened to the audiobook. It completely made my reading experience, and I don't think I would have loved the story as much if I would have just read the book. I will definitely be continuing on with this series and will definitely be listening to it, instead of reading.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5


**The books cover, description, and info was all found and borrowed from Goodreads.com. A link back to it's Goodreads site has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. This audio book was personally downloaded for free from SYNC YA**

Follow Friday #154

This Weeks Follow Friday Question: What is your favorite literary Quote?

For the list to add your name and follow others go to Parajunkee's and Alison Can Read's Follow Friday post =]
Also please make sure to follow a different ways besides GFC as it will be taken down by google in the near future!!

{Cover Reveal} "Escaping Me" By Elizabeth Lee

About Escaping Me:

All she wanted to do was forget. Forget the memory of walking in on her boyfriend in the middle of, well, another girl. Forget how she had her entire life planned out. And, forget about being perfect all the time. Unfortunately, she was Whitney Vandaveer and despite the fact that she moved to the middle of nowhere—she couldn't.

He always knew he would never be more than nothing. No job, no money, no future. Cole Pritchett had accepted the fact that he would always be the screw up and he was okay with it. Until he met her.

Here's the thing they quickly found out—sometimes we all need a little help escaping who we think we are.

---

About the Author:

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Author Goodreads | Novel Goodreads

Life As We Know It Is Coming To An End!!

It is true! The world is about to end, because... Google Friend Connect is going away.

Ok, so maybe that is a little exaggerated, but it is true. Google Friend Connect (GFC) is going to be taken down in the near future. At first when I heard about it I didn't believe it, but seeing as how Google Reader is now gone, I'm listening. For many, the news about GFC going away was like the end of the world, because that is the main way many people follow other blogs. Now that it is going away how are us bloggers supposed to provide a way for you to get our updates? And how are readers supposed to stay up to date with blogs? Go back to bookmarking and refreshing? No way! 

Alas, there are other ways to follow besides GFC, better ways in my opinion. As there has always been on the blog, there are the options of following by subscribing to the email list with either Feedburner or FeedCat, and then also Linky. You can find them on the right side bar. Now, there are TWO new ways to follow the blog, Feedly and Bloglovin. They are two sites that are similar to Google Reader. If you would like to follow that way look for the buttons on the right side bar near the top that look like this...

Or you can click on them right here in this post to make it even easier. The one that looks like a signal is the link to feedly and the one that looks like a plus sign is bloglovin.

If you are one of my awesome followers via GFC I highly, highly recommend you switch over to one of the other ways to follow. I don't know how much longer they are keeping GFC open so I would do it quickly. I really would hate for you guys to wake up one day and see that GFC  is officially gone before you switch and miss out on the blogs you love, and I certainly wouldn't want to lose you as a follower.

R.I.P. Google Reader. You will be missed, but thank goodness we have alternatives!

Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic for everyone to create a top ten list with. 

This Weeks Topic:

Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

*click the covers to go to their goodreads page*

The Sunday Post ~ Twenty First Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. The Sunday Post is a new meme where you can post about the new books you got this past week (books I was asked to bite), or recap what has been happening the past week on your blog (bites you may have missed), or a sneak peek for what is to come (what you can look forward to biting into), or even a final recap of your week in general (one last parting bite).  Books I was asked to bite and books I decided to bite this week: 

Bought for the Kindle:

• "Grab Your Pole 1: Shark Bait" By Jenn Cooksey

Snatched from the Library:

 

• "The Selection" By Kiera Cass
• "Serpent's Kiss" By Melissa De La Cruz
• "Tempest Rising" By Nicole Peeler
• "Tracking the Tempest" By Nicole Peeler
• "Echo" By Alyson Noel {Audio Book}
• "Fallen" By Lauren Kate {Audio Book}

Bites you may have missed this past week: BBReview: "The Sweet Dead Life" By Joy Preble Top Ten Beachy Books I Would Like To Read This Summer {BBReview/GIVEAWAY} "Ten Tiny Breaths 2: One Tiny Lie" By K.A. Tucker Release Day Launch {Excerpt/GIVEAWAY} "Once" By Dana Michelle Burnett Oh, How Pinteresting #3 Follow Friday #153
What you can look forward to biting into next week: 

• Top Ten Tuesday
• Oh, How Pinteresting 
• Follow Friday
• BBReview: "All I Need" By Susane Colasanti
• BBReview: "Of Poseidon" By Anna Banks 

One Last Parting Bite:

This was definitely a great week for books! I got some great titles I am SOO excited to read from the library. They are all so good that I haven't started them yet, cause I don't want them to be over lol. I also have read a bunch of ARC's I got from BEA so that I will have reviews up for their release dates during the college semesters. I figured that I would read and write reviews now for books/ARC's during the summer, and then schedule them to go live once a month during the semester. This way the blog will still have new content on it at least once a month. It sounds like a great plan in my head so we will see how it goes, lol. Also I have decided to really cut back on requesting and accepting books for review. I end getting more than I can actually read in a realistic amount of time and either disappointing myself or the authors in how long it takes to read them so I will be very picky from now on. Again, another master plan that sounds flawless in my head. Other than making a lot of good future plans and reading a lot, I haven't done much, but it was so worth it =D

Thanks for checking out my Sunday Post! Hope you check in again next week =D

-Becky