March Owlcrate Unboxing

Hey guys! I thought it would be fun to do a little something different on my blog today. My boyfriend recently bought me a subscription to Owlcrate. I was super excited because I really wanted to subscribe to the April box.

I’ve gotten two boxes from Owlcrate in the past. I really enjoyed both boxes a lot. I do love seeing how far Owlcrate has come. Plus I love the exclusive book covers and that the books come signed. It really makes the subscription worth it. So now Let’s dive in!

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Book Review: Unraveling Oliver

Unraveling Oliver By Liz Nugent

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Pages: 272 pages
Published: August 22nd 2017
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

Waiting on Wednesday: Sky in the Deep

Sky in the Deep By Adrienne Young

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 352 pages
Release Date: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Wednesday Books

Plot: OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

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Why I Need This Book: I first heard about this book at a book panel for Kerri Maniscalco. She mentioned it and it sounded amazing! I tried to request an arc of it but got declined. I have been hearing great things from people who read it. I even put it on my most anticipated list. It sounds very different from what I’ve read. I really can’t wait for it to come out.

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Have any of you guys gotten a chance to read this early? I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I seriously can’t wait to start it. What books are you looking forward to being released?

Manga Review: Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 1 By Sui Ishida and Joe Yamazaki (Translator)

Genre: Manga, Horror, Fantasy
Pages: 224 pages
Published: June 16th 2015
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.

The Future Me Tag (#TheBookRobinHoods)

Hey guys! I hope you are doing well. I saw this Tag over on Darque Dreamer and really enjoyed it so I thought I would do it as well. It’s been a little while since I’ve done a tag. I always find them so fun and a nice way to get to know someone better. So let’s dive in!

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda By Becky Albertalli

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Lgbt, Romance
Pages: 303 pages
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bay

Plot: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Down The TBR Hole #29

 

Hey guys! It’s time for another Down the TBR Hole which was created by Lia @Lost In A Story! Wow I can’t believe next week will be my 30th Down the TBR Hole post. It feels like it’s been ages since I started this. I can’t wait to see how this week is going to go. Let’s get to it!

• 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?

The fact that I will be repeating this process every week means that I have to keep track of where I ended and where I’m going to continue. E.g. in week one I do book 1 – 5, in week two book 6 – 10, and so on, until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.

Waiting on Wednesday: In Her Skin

In Her Skin By Kim Savaga

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 304 pages
Release Date: March 27th 2018
Publisher: FSG

Plot: Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi’s identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

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Why I Need This Book: The premise of this story sounds amazing. I really want to see how Jo pulls off pretending to Vivi. It just sounds like it’s going to keep me on the edge the whole time. Plus it’s been getting amazing ratings on goodreads so that just makes me more excited.

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Have any of you guys gotten a chance to read this early? I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I seriously can’t wait to start it. What books are you looking forward to being released?

Arc Review: Let Me Lie

Let Me Lie By Clare Mackintosh

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Pages: 384 pages
Release Date: March 13th 2018
Publisher: Berkley

(Skip this) Plot: The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They’re both wrong.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…

Ace of Shades Party Ideas

Hey guys! I decided to do this is just a fun post I really have wanted to do for a while. Ace of Shades is going to be released in 25 days. So I thought it be fun to give you guys some ideas for an Ace of Shades themed party. So let’s dive in!