DNF&Y [12]

DNF&Y is used to explain why I gave up on certain books, and what about them just didn't work for me. What I disliked about a book might be something you love, so it helps to share your thoughts even when they're negative! If you would like additional information, please click on the DNF&Y tab at the top. If you want to join, you can link up at the bottom!

There were no DNFs for me this month! Yay! I love it when that happens. What about you? Were there any books you just couldn't finish this month? Let me know!

A few of my December favorites:

1. Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm ⋆⋆⋆⋆
2. Phoenix Unbound (Fallen Empire, #1) by Grace Draven ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
3. The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden ⋆⋆⋆⋆
4. Firefly (#1) by Greg Pak ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

*Share your DNF&Y post! Please leave the direct link to your DNF&Y post and not just your blog's URL. Thank you for participating and happy reading!

Mini Reviews [20]

Tangled (Tangled, #1) by Emma Chase
Narrated by Sebastian York

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

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I really love Emma Chase's Royally series, and I was looking forward to reading some of her other books. However, Drew didn't work for me. He's uses women and doesn't feel bad about it, which he will happily admit. He likes his lifestyle, his work, and the fact that women cling to him wherever he goes. Dude made me want to vomit. There was nothing attractive or appealing about him. Yes, he could be sweet and humorous, and I liked the scenes with his niece (she was the best character), but Drew's personality left something to be desired.

Of course, someone eventually comes along to challenge him and the way he views woman (imagine that), but he doesn't know what to do with his feelings. He's never genuinely cared about another woman before, and Kate is engaged to someone else. It was a complicated mess that wasn't always enjoyable to read about. I'm all for steamy sex scenes, but I didn't like spending a few hours of the audiobook in his apartment while they had sex for days. He's a condescending asshole even when he likes someone.

For those of you that have read this, I know Drew was supposed to have an arrogant personality, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't like it when guys are pushy until they get what they want, and I don't like men who talk about women like they're an object in the room. Drew didn't have to work very hard for what he wanted, and he didn't have to grow or change to achieve his goals. Eventually everything just fell into his lap -- figuratively and literally.

∕

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

Synopsis (via Goodreads): When Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband’s request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s disparate worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways. And for Solène, it is as much a reclaiming of self, as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. When their romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her new status has impacted not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her.

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The Idea of You was recommended to me by a friend, and while the ending was sad, it wasn't convincing. I didn't like Solène or most of the choices she made. She kept secrets even knowing they would hurt the people she loved. She was too concerned with how she would look, and how she would be impacted by things. Although, I can't say she wasn't considerate, because she did think about her daughter often, but her actions and decisions weren't always ideal. Hayes, the twenty-year-old guy, was often more mature and understanding than the thirty-nine-year-old woman.

Also, their age difference shouldn't have been an issue. The book makes it seem like they're doing something dirty because Hayes prefers to be in relationships with older women. They were both consenting adults, so her shame and discomfort over that felt wrong. He didn't care about their age difference, only his feelings for her, so why was she so resistant to commit to their relationship? Yes, the publicity did negatively affect her personal life, and the life of her daughter, but she knew that was a possibility before she started sneaking off to be with him. She knew there would be repercussions, so she should have committed fully or never gotten involved.

The posh boy band aspect was fun, and their dynamics were complex and interesting. I wish the book had focused on them more, and maybe touched on some of their relationships with each other. I think it would have worked better had the story been told from dual perspectives. We could have seen what his life was like when he was wasn't with Solène, which would have also shown us more of the band.

Solène wasn't someone I could relate to, and I found myself more frustrated than not. I kept reading out of curiosity, but the ending was predictable and very unsatisfying.

The Sunday Post [8]

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer! It's an opportunity to share news, post a recap for the previous week, showcase books, and highlight what's planned for the week ahead.

News:

Hello lovelies! Today is moving day, so I will be unavailable until after the holidays (which is when they can set up the wireless connection at our new house). Please forgive my absence! I promise to return once all the boxes have been unpacked and I feel like I can finally breathe again. The kids have been going crazy (all their toys are in boxes), and they're not looking forward to sitting in the car. Thank Thor for children's audiobooks (and adult audiobooks for when they fall asleep). Send happy thoughts my way! 😅

Previous week on the blog:

Sunday: Nothing! 

Monday: Firefly (#1) by Greg Pak ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Tuesday: Nothing!

Wednesday: My Weekly Pull [51] & Can't Wait Wednesday [21]

Thursday: Nothing!

Friday: My 2019 Challenges!

Saturday: Nothing!

…and the week before that (since I didn't do one last weekend):

Sunday: The Sunday Post [7]

Monday: Nothing!

Tuesday: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn [Blog Tour: Spotlight + Giveaway]

Wednesday: My Weekly Pull [50] & Can't Wait Wednesday [20]

Thursday: Nothing!

Friday: 2018 End of the Year Giveaway!

Saturday: The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden ⋆⋆⋆⋆

What I'm currently reading:

I'm not sure how I feel about Once Upon a River yet. The story is interesting, but the pacing is slow. We keep meeting new people, and I'm sure they're all connected in some way, but it's also making it hard to connect with the induvial characters. I've been told it gets better, so I'm going to keep going for now.

Circe is phenomenal! I really loved The Song of Achilles, but I believe this one might be even better! I'm really bad about remembering the due dates for my audiobooks, so my library just plucks them from my phone before I've had a chance to finish. My first attempt at Circe ended this way, and I refuse to let that happen again!

I started How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 on a whim, and I'm really enjoying it! I've learned a lot about myself and my parenting style, and how my choices impact my children. I'm listening to the audio, but I definitely want a physical copy. I've been jotting down notes as they talk, but I desperately want to highlight and make my own notes! 

What I plan on reading next:

I'm starting The Wicked King as soon as we're unpacked at the new house! I've been dying to continue this series, and I cannot wait to dive back into the world Black created. She left us with one hell of an ending last time!

What I'm watching: 

I started the new (and final!) season of Fairy Tail! It's been amazing so far, and the twists just keep on coming! I really love this anime, and I'm happy to see everyone together again. 

I've also been watching Cowboy Bebop and really enjoying it! It's my first time watching this series, although I know it's one of the more popular ones. Have you seen it?

Challenge updates:

Goodreads: 419 / 250

Beat the Backlist: 62 / 100

Have a lovely holiday everyone! Don't forget to enter my 2018 End of the Year Giveaway! There is also a giveaway for Love a la Mode (loved this one!) and My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life. 

My 2019 Challenges!

Hello lovelies! I've seen Kimberly mention an audiobook challenge a few times this year, and it has always piqued my interest. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so this challenge is perfect for me! I'm shooting for My Precious -- eeep! That's thirty or more books, which I think is doable... 

If you would like to sign up for your very own 2019 Audiobook Challenge, please visit the Caffeinated Reviewer or Hot Listens. All of the following information comes from Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer.

Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2019 than you did in 2018.
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
• ANY genres count.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
• Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2019, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2019.

Achievement Levels:

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

I will also be participating in the 2019 Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight (two blogs that I adore)! I only posted a few discussion posts this year, but they were some of my favorites! I loved seeing what everyone had to say, and discussing things as they popped into my head. I'm looking forward to even more interesting conversations this year! I'm shooting for Creative Conversationalist. 

If this sounds like your cup of tea and you want to sign up, please visit Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction or Shannon at It Starts at Midnight! All of the following information comes from their two blogs, so some of the terminology is off. However, I wanted to copy everything word-for-word, so I didn't leave anything out.

Here’s All You Have to Do: 

• Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. There’s no need to say what your discussion posts will be about–just tell us you’re joining and let us know your goal. (Can be in an update post or a post with other challenges–you’re not required to make a completely separate sign-up post.)
• Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts.
• The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Sign-ups will remain open through December 31st, 2019. (So, you can sign up all year long! Come join us!)
• Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us!
• Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging (no discussions about things that are completely off-topic like travel or fashion, etc). They can also be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post.
• On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions. Every month, we’ll update this 2019 Book Blog Challenge Page with the links to that month’s Challenge linky–so you’ll always know where to find the latest link-up!
• There will also be monthly giveaways, so make sure you check in!
• Every month, we’ll feature our favorite posts from one challenge participant. There will be extra options in the Rafflecopter for commenting on posts by our featured blogger.
• Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2019 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter.
• Have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments!

The Levels:

• 1-10 – Discussion Dabbler
• 11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
• 21-30 – Chatty Kathy
• 31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
• 41+ – Gift of the Gab

This is one of the challenges I did participate in this year (check out my progress here)! I challenged myself to read 100 books from my backlist, and as of right now I've read 62. I'm actually really happy with my progress, and even found a few new favorites! Despite wanting to kick myself for waiting so long to read them, I know it's okay! Books can still be enjoyable years after their release date.

Even though there's no way I'm going to make my goal this year, I still want to challenge myself to read 100 books in 2019. I can totally do this! At the moment, I'm not participating in the Hogwarts House Mini Challenge (even though that sounds amazing and fun), because I don't think I'll be able to give it the time that is deserves. There's a lot of additional posting that goes along with that, and right now I'm lucky if I can drink my coffee without reheating it six or seven times.

If you would like additional information about this challenge, or you just want to sign up, visit Novel Knight! She's very detailed and thorough with her explanations, which I love! All of the following information is from her blog, but I'm just posting the highlights to give you an idea.

Guidelines: 

• The book must have been published in 2018 or earlier to count. It can be in any format (including an ARC/eARC) as long as the release date is earlier than 2019.
• You have to start and finish the book in 2019 to count it. Any books started in 2018 and finished in 2019 do not count. Any books started in 2019 and finish in 2020 also do not count. 
• The challenge runs from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 (your local time) 
• Please keep in mind that while this reading challenge has several different community elements to it, reading through your TBR comes down to you! I wish you the best of luck!

How to Join:

• POST your backlist TBR for the year somewhere online! This can be in the form of a blog post, instagram photo caption, Twitter thread, Goodreads shelf, YouTube video, whatever works for you! You are NOT locked into these books, it’s just something to get you started! Make sure to share a link to this page somewhere in your post so others can find the challenge! 
• SIGN UP using the form below! Sign-ups will stay open all year long so you can join at any time. 
• READ backlist books and knock them off your TBR! 
• SHARE your updates on social media!

Official Challenge Tags: #BeatTheBacklist #BeatTheBacklist2019

Lastly, I will be participating in the Goodreads Challenge again in 2019. I destroyed my goal this year of 250 books, so I was thinking I'd double it and shoot for 500! Why not?

Are you planning on participating in any challenges next year? Do you think they help you achieve your reading goals? Let me know!

My Weekly Pull [51] & Can't Wait Wednesday [21]

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Firefly #2 by Greg Pak, Dan McDaid, Lee Garbett

Domino #9 by Gail Simone, David Baldeon, Gang Hyuk Lim
Runaways #16 by Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka
Uncanny X-Men #6 by Ed Brisson, Yildiray Cinar, Elizabeth Torque

West Coast Avengers #6 by Kelly Thompson, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Stefano Caselli

Shades of Magic The Steel Prince #3 (of 4) by V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri, Toni Infante, Enrica Eren Angiolini

Jacob's comics for the week!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #89 by Tom Waltz, Dave Wachter, Kevin Eastman
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Urban Legends #8 by Gary Carlson, Frank Fosco
Amazing Spider-Man #12 by Nick Spencer, Humberto Ramos, Ryan Ottley
Black Panther vs. Deadpool #3 by Daniel Kibblemsith, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, Ryan Benjamin
Infinity Wars #6 (of 6) by Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato
Infinity Wars Fallen Guardian #1 by Gerry Duggan, Andy MacDonald, R.B. Silva
Marvel Knights 20th #4 (of 6) by Vita Ayala, Joshua Cassara, Kaare Andrews

Punisher #5 by Matthew Rosenberg, Szymon Kudranski, Greg Smallwood

I've been getting one or two comics each week, but today there were six! It might not seem like a lot, but I try to squeeze them in between my other reading, so it takes longer than you'd think. Also, we're still mid-move, so everything is bananas.

I really, really enjoyed the first issue of Firefly! I loved the television series, so I went a little insane when I found out they were making a comic. All of the characters were there, and it was wonderful being back on the Serenity. Even if you're not a Firefly fan, you should give this series a shot. 

I liked the original cover artwork for Domino, but haven't been impressed with the realistic covers. They always feel weird to me, like it's not an accurate representation of the comic, because the inside doesn't look anything like that. I wish the cover still resembled the Domino that's portrayed within the pages.

Runaways, Uncanny X-Men, West Coast Avengers -- all fantastic! If you enjoy V.E. Schwab's books, you'll probably like Shades of Magic The Steel Prince. It is a spinoff of sorts, but with pictures! I haven't read the book series this is based on, but the comic is awesome!

Sorry this was posted Wednesday night instead of Wednesday morning. Again, we're moving, which also means switching comic book stores, so I didn't have my list until recently. <3

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, that highlights upcoming releases that we're anticipating and excited to read. It's a spinoff of the feature Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

We Set the Dark on Fire (We Set the

Dark on Fire, #1) by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Expected publication: February 26th 2019

Synopsis (via Goodreads): At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.

On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

I really like the idea of her working for a resistance group, and that it conflicts with what her parents want for her (and I'm assuming with what she wants for herself), so it'll be interesting to see how she handles everything. Also, forbidden love always has the potential to be exciting!

*Share your My Weekly Pull post! Please leave the direct link to your My Weekly Pull post and not just your blog's URL. Thank you for participating and happy reading!

Firefly (#1) by Greg Pak

Firefly #1 by Greg Pak

Dan McDaid, Marcelo Costa,

Lee Garbett (Illustrators)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): BOOM! Studios, along with visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers), presents an all-new era of the pop culture phenomenon Firefly, as one of the most demanded stories in the franchise’s history is revealed for the first time! Focusing on family, loyalty, identity, and the price of redemption, writer Greg Pak (Mech Cadet Yu, Totally Awesome Hulk) and artist Dan McDaid (Judge Dredd: Mega City Zero) take you back to the battleground where Mal’s journey began—the War of Unification!

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If you're anything like me, you loved the Firefly television series and cried when it was cancelled after one season. Fear not! Greg Pak and Boom! have brought it back to life.

The first issue transported me back to the Serenity, and took me on another adventure with Mal and the crew. They've landed themselves in hot water, but that's nothing new! I enjoy seeing how they get themselves out of endless bad situations.

Wash and Zoe are as adorable has ever! I laughed when Wash was playing with dinosaurs while his wife and friends were fighting for their lives. Everything about the scenario felt familiar, and it was definitely something Wash would do while he waited on the parts he needed for repairs. Jayne is still sarcastic and the one most likely to cause problems. I love that he always punches first and asks questions never. Inara and Kaylee, Simon and River, Book -- it was wonderful seeing everyone together again! I am so pumped for this series!

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden

Narrated by Kathleen Gati

Synopsis (via Goodreads): At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

𑁋

It took me a little bit to really get into The Bear and the Nightingale, but then I was completely hooked! There's a lot of information at the beginning of the book, which I realize was important for the story as a whole, but it made the first few chapters feel really long. I almost stopped reading it a few times, but I was in love with the mythology and the magic. Despite the dangers it held, there was something enchanting about all of the snow and ice.

There's a large focus on religion, but it wasn't overwhelming. I think the author did a wonderful job balancing people's beliefs with their mythology. The people in this book have lived their entire lives believing in domovoi and banniks, and a single crazed priest manages to challenge everything they've ever known. Arden addresses how fear can make people behave rashly, act in ways you wouldn't expect, and twist the beliefs they've held their entire lives. Fear is a powerful motivator, and it can have very dangerous consequences.

Vasilisa's stepmother was a character I loved to hate. She was cruel to Vasya throughout the book, and punished her physically and psychologically. It was hard to listen to, and I can't image what it must have been like for Vasya to experience. She was alone in a lot of ways, even though she was surrounded by people. I wish her father and brothers had taken her side instead of letting Anna (the stepmother) essentially have free reign. The woman was certifiably insane, and refused to see her gifts as anything but a curse. She saw demons where Vasilisa saw friends and acquaintances. It was all about perspective.

Even though they were silent too often, I enjoyed the family dynamics and thought the siblings had really great relationships. They all loved Vasya, even if they didn't always understand her. Her father wanted the best for her, even if he went about certain things the wrong way. Most of his problems stemmed from Anna and her stupid face. Gah! It's been ages since I've hated a character so much.

The Bear and the Nightingale is like a train gaining momentum. Once the story is at full speed, the only thing you can do is hang on and see where it takes you. Every small detail is connected in some way, and I really enjoyed seeing how all of the pieces fit together. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series, though I probably won't listen to the audio again. Her accent and pronunciations were amazing, but all of the characters sounded very similar.

2018 End of the Year Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! I just wanted to say thank you for visiting and commenting on this blog! I really enjoy seeing your thoughts and love it when they turn into discussions. The book blogging community is so unbelievably supportive and understanding, and I'm lucky to be a part of it!

I decided to celebrate the end of the year with a giveaway! December is zooming by, and I've barely had time to breathe. We're also in the middle of a move, so my life is pretty insane right now. I loathe packing boxes, but I love finding new places for everything! Fingers crossed everything is sorted out by the beginning of the year! Apologies for my absence as well! 

Last month I went to The Origin Event that was hosted by Jennifer L. Armentrout, so both The Darkest Star and the book sleeve were autographed by JLA (she really is a beautiful person)! The book sleeve was made specifically for this book's release, so I was happy they still had a few when I arrived!

Good luck everyone!

The Darkest Star (Origin, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- signed

The Darkest Star book sleeve -- signed

Watch You Burn by Amanda Searcy

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn (12/18)

Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly

Me and Me by Alice Kuipers

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris -- ARC

Not pictured: swag from The Origin Event

Rules:

This giveaway officially starts on December 14th and ends on December 29th. The winner will be announced on December 30th on this post within the Rafflecopter form, and also notified via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will have Rafflecopter select another winner (read my full giveaway policy here).

International friends -- your giveaway will be a little different! Instead the books mentioned above, you can choose one book (up to $15) from The Book Depository! Just make sure they ship to you, which can check here. I know it's not the same thing, but I didn't want to leave anyone out!

If the first winner is international, a second winner will be chosen for the books listed above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Weekly Pull [50] & Can't Wait Wednesday [20]

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Uncanny X-Men #5 by Ed Brisson, R.B. Silva, Elizabeth Torque
Magic Order #5 (of 6) by Mark Millar, Olivier Coipel

Spider-Girls #3 (of 3) by Jody Houser, Andres Genolet, Yasmine Putri

X-Men Red #11 by Tom Taylor, Paolo Villanelli, Jenny Frison

Jacob's comics for the week!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series #4 Raphael by Kevin Eastman, David Petersen, Ben Bishop

Hit-Girl #11 by Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone,

Amazing Spider-Man #11 by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 by Saladin Ahmed, Javi Garron, Brian Stelfreeze

Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #313 by Sean Ryan, Juan Frigeri, Philip Tan

I'm really enjoying Uncanny X-Men! There have been a lot of unexpected twists and turns, so I honestly have no idea what's going to happen next. The last issue ended with a boom, and I'm excited to see where the story will go from here!

Magic Order took a few months off, which was incredibly frustrating. Why would they break after the fourth issue? There are only two left!  As for the series itself, it's one of the darkest I've ever read. However, despite is gruesomeness, it's a really interesting story. 

Spider-Girls is on its third and final issue, and I'm really looking forward to it! Since there were so few issues, a lot had to happen in a very short amount of time, but it hasn't felt rushed. I'm curious to see how all of the different Spiders come together to defeat the immortal vampires! (Apparently they only hunt Spiders from different timelines, and there aren't that many left.)

X-Men Red is always an enjoyable read! I'm not sure where the story will go after the last issue, but the world is in turmoil, and there are a lot of things that need to be addressed.

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, that highlights upcoming releases that we're anticipating and excited to read. It's a spinoff of the feature Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Sound of Drowning by Katherine Fleet

Expected publication: March 12th 2019

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Meredith Hall has a secret. Every night she takes the ferry to meet Ben, her best friend and first love. Though their relationship must remain a secret, they’ve been given a second chance, and Mer's determined to make it work. She lost Ben once before and discovered the awful reality: she doesn't know how to be happy without him…

Until Wyatt washes ashore―a brash new guy with a Texas twang and a personality bigger than his home state. He makes her feel reckless, excited, and alive in ways that cut through her perpetual gloom. The deeper they delve into each other’s pasts, the more Wyatt’s charms become impossible to ignore.

But a storm is brewing in the Outer Banks. When it hits, Mer finds her heart tearing in half and her carefully constructed reality slipping back into the surf. As she discovers that even the most deeply buried secrets have a way of surfacing, she’ll have to learn that nothing is forever―especially second chances. 

This sounds like my kind of book! 

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My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn [Blog Tour: Spotlight + Giveaway]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. This is a spotlight post, which means it's full of information about the book! There's also a giveaway at the bottom!

Title: MY ALMOST FLAWLESS TOKYO DREAM LIFE
Author: Rachel Cohn
Pub. Date: December 18, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

"I'm here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy birthday!" 

In the Land of the Rising Sun, where high culture meets high kitsch, and fashion and technology are at the forefront of the First World's future, the foreign-born teen elite attend ICS-the International Collegiate School of Tokyo. Their accents are fluid. Their homes are ridiculously posh. Their sports games often involve a (private) plane trip to another country. They miss school because of jet lag and visa issues. When they get in trouble, they seek diplomatic immunity.

Enter foster-kid-out-of-water Elle Zoellner, who, on her sixteenth birthday discovers that her long-lost father, Kenji Takahari, is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him. Um, yes, please! Elle jets off first class from Washington D.C. to Tokyo, which seems like a dream come true. Until she meets her enigmatic father, her way-too-fab aunt, and her hyper-critical grandmother, who seems to wish Elle didn't exist. In an effort to please her new family, Elle falls in with the Ex-Brats, a troupe of uber-cool international kids who spend money like it's air. But when she starts to crush on a boy named Ryuu, who's frozen out by the Brats and despised by her new family, her already tenuous living situation just might implode.

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life is about learning what it is to be a family, and finding the inner strength to be yourself, even in the most extreme circumstances.