Thursday, April 23, 2015

I have an ARC!

I have an ARC of Nowhere but Here!

Finally, finally, finally I have an ARC. I started my bookstagram because I had so many beautiful books laying around and I saw it was a thing on instagram for people to take pics of them. I quickly got into the 'bookstagram' community and thoroughly enjoy taking pictures of my gorgeous books, as well as seeing other amazing pictures from fellow book lovers. Pretty soon after entering the book world through this entrance, I found out about ARCs. Boy, oh boy did I want one! I decided to start this blog in addition to my bookstagram to qualify for ARCs. I requested quite a few ARCs but unfortunately they were all in such a high demand, and I was so new to the game, that I wasn't approved for any of them. 

I didn't let it discourage me, because even though it would be an AMAZING perk to bookstagramming/blogging, I do this because it brings me joy... Finally almost 1 YEAR (!!-can't believe my blog is that old already) I have received my first ARC! AAAANNNNDDD, it is of a book that I really wanted to read for a while now :D

Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry 



This book has been advertised as "West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy" and that is definitely a combination I want to read!


This ...


meets this?...





I'm beyond happy to read this book (it just came in the mail) and I will be posting my review ASAP!


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Books You Should Add to Your Pre-Order List!!

My personal epic list of must haves for 2015...


I have to admit I am a huge pre-order person. I love to pre-order books, then forget about them and have them show up on my doorstep. It's an awesome feeling and I highly recommend doing this for yourself! Although, with these upcoming books it is incredibly hard for me to forget I ordered these. There are quite a few books I'm counting down to the release dates, so I decided to write a post sharing my personal Amazon pre-order list. The books on this list are coming out between May and October 2015. I am really pumped to read all of these books and I hope they can be good recommendations for you guys! Some of these books are sequels to previous (amazing!) books I've read, but most of them are starts to brand spanking new series. Every month I am going to post a blog similar to this one with the next months anticipated novels. Since we are in April, this blog will be all about May book releases. 

MAY 2015 



May is going to be a veeeery good book month for me. FOUR of the books on my 2015 pre-order list come out in May, and thank goodness because I have been in a major reading slump since Heir of Fire by SJM. 
This month is packed with 3 of my favorite authors (a very elitist list I assure you), and a new  author's debut novel I am dying to read. Without further adieu...



May 5th-

A Court of Thorns and Roses- Sarah J. Maas



Summary from Amazon:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever. 

Perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!


Pre-order this book here --> A Court of Thorns and Roses


Also May 5th -

Saint Anything- Sarah Dessen


Summary from Amazon:

She's grown accustomed to her brother, Peyton, being the focus of the family’s attention and, lately, concern. Peyton is handsome and charismatic, but seems bent on self-destruction. Now, after a drunk-driving accident that crippled a boy, Peyton’s serving some serious jail time, and Sydney is on her own, questioning her place in the family and the world.

Then she meets the Chatham family. Drawn into their warm, chaotic circle, Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance for the first time. There’s effervescent Layla, who constantly falls for the wrong guy, Rosie, who’s had her own fall from grace, and Mrs. Chatham, who even though ailing is the heart of the family. But it’s with older brother Mac—quiet, watchful, and protective—that Sydney finally feels seen, really seen, at last.

Saint Anything is Sarah Dessen’s deepest and most psychologically probing novel yet, telling an engrossing story of a girl discovering friendship, love, and herself.


Pre-order this book here --> Saint Anything


May 12th:

The Wrath and the Dawn- Renee Ahdieh


Summary from Amazon:

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.



Pre-rder this book here --> The Wrath and the Dawn


May 26th:


P.S. I Still Love You- Jenny Han


SEQUEL ALERT!! 
This book is the sequel to the amazing To All the Boys I've Loved Before
* You can buy this cute contemporary here -->  To All The Boys I've Loved Before


Summary from Amazon:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.


Pre-order this amazing sequel here!  -->  PS I Still Love You 

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Disclaimer: Of course there are many more books coming out in May that are definitely worth reading, these are my top picks that I wanted badly enough to order early. Hope you guys enjoyed it and as always comments/feedback is awesome and appreciated!!


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

It is time for another giveaway!


First things first, I am so sorry for not being active lately. As some of you know I am a junior in college and a pre-med major. Whoo, talk about a work load!! I'm an avid book lover but I don't get to spend as much time on it anymore. 

Anyway, in honor of the lovely Sarah J. Maas and her new upcoming series A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR)...I'm giving away the book that started it all. You guessed it! A brand new copy of Throne of Glass, the first book in the Throne of Glass series. I hope you all like it :) Rafflecopter at the bottom!
**US ONLY**

Already a SJM fan? Here is the link to pre-order ACOTAR!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Review



The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Book One of the Winner's Trilogy
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Hardcover 



Summary:


Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him--with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.



Review:


I have seen this book floating around for quite a while on my Instagram account (@beentherereadthat), but never sought after it to read. Until, one day I saw BookOutlet had an amazing deal on a brand new hardback copy ($3...seriously, if you haven't you need to check out www.bookoutlet.com). I bought this book along with 4 others, but found myself wanting the package to arrive solely for this book! I DEVOURED this novel in a single night. Yes, all delicious 368 glorious pages. 



“You don't, Kestrel, even though the god of lies loves you.” 


What I liked:


The characters-
The two main characters Kestrel, and Arin are two of my favorites. Kestrel is a strong heroine, who ironically isn't strong at all, at least not physically. 
Kestrel struggles throughout the novel with any physical battles. Sparring lessons her general father insists upon never go well for her, but where she seriously lacks physical strength, Kestrel makes up for it in brains. She is sly and observant. Kestrel makes military strategy plans her vested army father doesn't even think of. This was a big selling point for me, too many YA books these days don't focus on strong, smart young women.

Arin was also a really intriguing character from the start. Obviously we readers know there is more to him than many of the others can see because we know what he's thinking during the novel, and realize his intelligence from the start. Most other characters only view a slave with a bad attitude, we can see the cunning, intellectual man plotting revenge. Our observant Kestrel knows better though! She can also tell there is more to Arin than meets the eye, and it was so much fun to watch their relationship develop and see them start to understand each other slowly throughout the book. 

That brings me to another point I LOVED about this novel, no insta-love. The romance is slow, and subtle. No "love at first sight" that automatically feels fake and forced. Kestrel and Arin start out in a very unromantic place. Which is understandable, and honestly expected considering the two's social positions of slave/owner. I loved that Rutkoski didn't let Arin be smitten with Kestrel the minute he set eyes on her. She BOUGHT him as her slave (we all know it's wrong to enslave people and you shouldn't love someone for owning you, Stockholm syndrome anyone?) and her father is the general (AKA conqueror of what was once Arin's childhood home). Arin's hatred toward Kestrel is what anyone in his place should be feeling. It is when the two get to know each other and come to realize they are both trapped, just in very different ways, that a blossoming relationship becomes a good thing. 


"Arin smiled. It was a true smile, which let her know that all the others he had given her were not.” 

Another HUGE winning point for The Winner's Curse was the amazing plot. I had no idea what was going to happen. ESPECIALLY during the second half of the book. Rutkoski lulls us in to the world, tells us the rules, and then changes everything. And I. Loved. It.


“People in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.” 

The Herrani are in the dark, forgotten and used while the Valorianns frolic in the light. In the thriving, ruthless empire, the Valorianns rule over the Herrani. They have won the war and taken all the Herrani captive. Instead of killing them however, they decided to keep them as their slaves. Forcing them to be whatever the Valorianns think they will be useful for, maids, cooks, laborers, farmers, etc. During the book we get comparisons of the two, the Valorianns, often viewed by the Herrani as 'golden' 'beautiful' 'savages', believe them the superior to the 'artistic' 'lazy' Herrani whose territory the forcefully took years ago. The Herrani have only two choices in the Valorianns' minds, serve, or die. All of this delectable set up makes for a truly unique and intriguing plot. Kestrel, a high Valoriann (her father is the general who fundamentally conquered the land), and an enslaved Herrani, Arin, who is tired of his people being treated so terribly and stripped of human rights, make an explosive combination that will have you salivating for the next book!

What I didn't like:

There isn't a single thing I can pinpoint that I didn't like about this book. The world, characters, plot, everything was spot on. Rutkoski did an amazing job and has left me wanting more. 

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Book #2 The Winner's Crime is available for pre-order and will release March 3rd, 2015!


Amazon: The Winner's Crime
Bookdepository: The Winner's Crime

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

A Court of Thorns and Roses GIVEAWAY!



The love of our lives has done it again. Sarah J. Maas has a new SERIES coming out this May 7th, 2015 and the lovely Midnight Garden has graciously posted a giveaway of the ACOTAR ARC!!


Follow the link below to enter!



http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2015/01/love-letter-sarah-j-maas.html




AND don't forget to folow me on instagram @beentherereadthat! 



Sunday, August 24, 2014

You can win an ebook of HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas!




Follow the link for more information!
http://timeturningreads.blogspot.com/2014/08/early-review-giveaway-heir-of-fire.html?spref=tw&m=1

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Throne of Glass GIVEAWAY just got BIGGER!


Hi everyone! Some of you may have seen my previous post about @beentherereadthat bookstagram hosting a Throne of Glass GIVEAWAY by Sarah J. Maas. Well...things are getting even better. Now we will be giving away not only the first book Throne of Glass, but also the sequel Crown of Midnight!!

I wanted to share the details with anyone who might see it on this blog, in case you would like to enter!
Here's how to enter and a quick overview of the rules...


#ToGbookGiveaway

1. MUST follow on instagram (@beentherereadthat)


 2.MUST like post, re-post picture with hashtag #ToGbookGiveaway AND tag @beentherereadthat


** Please do not follow and then un-follow after the competition is over **
(There will be more giveaways in the future!)


 3.Can only post/enter once a day! MORE post = MORE entries in the drawing hat!!


 4.  Starts 7/11- Ends 7/25 (to allow maximum entries)


 5.  Winner will be chosen randomly via drawing, and announced Thursday 7/25 at 6:30 pm Easter Time Zone



*I hope this inspires people to read the Throne of Glass series, and support #SarahJMaas. This is a great series I want to share with you all! Goodluck everyone!!


**When you log onto instagram and go to the @beentherereadthat page you will see the same image as below. If you are still confused about the rules, you can read what I posted under the instagram photo, post a comment, or post a question right here on the blog! Please do not hesitate to enter. 

SOMEONE WILL WIN :D


Friday, July 11, 2014

We are having a...GIVEAWAY!! Featuring the AMAZING Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas!



Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you all know I am hosting a giveaway on my instagram account @beentherereadthat!!


I will be giving away ONE copy of Sarah J. Maas's novel Throne of Glass. It is the first in the series, and is followed by Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire will be releasing September 2nd, 2014. I chose this book because it is one of my favorites. EVER. I hope this urges you to read the novels, even if you don't win.



I wanted to share the details with anyone who might see it on this blog, in case you would like to enter!
Here's how to enter and a quick overview of the rules...


#ToGbookGiveaway

1. MUST follow on instagram (@beentherereadthat)


 2.MUST like post, re-post picture with hashtag #ToGbookGiveaway AND tag @beentherereadthat


** Please do not follow and then un-follow after the competition is over **
(There will be more giveaways in the future!)


 3.Can only post/enter once a day! MORE post = MORE entries in the drawing hat!!


 4.  Starts 7/11- Ends 7/25 (to allow maximum entries)


 5.  Winner will be chosen randomly via drawing, and announced Thursday 7/25 at 6:30 pm Easter Time Zone



*I hope this inspires people to read the Throne of Glass series, and support #SarahJMaas. This is a great series I want to share with you all! Goodluck everyone!!


**When you log onto instagram and go to the @beentherereadthat page you will see the same image as below. If you are still confused about the rules, you can read what I posted under the instagram photo, post a comment, or post a question right here on the blog! Please do not hesitate to enter. 

SOMEONE WILL WIN :D



Monday, July 7, 2014

Favorite Author...EVER!

If any of you follow me on my instagram page (@beentherereadthat) you probably can guess who my favorite author Of. All. Time is. I post plenty of pictures, and always recommend her when someone asks me for a good book to read...


You guessed it!

Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is the author of the Throne of Glass series (previously mentioned in my welcome post) and is a brilliant writer. 



(From left-right: Book 1, Throne of Glass, Book 2, Crown of Midnight, and the much coveted Book 3 Heir of Fire, which releases September 2nd, 2014)

Here is the synopsis for the first book, Throne of Glass, courtesy of Amazon.com

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.


**If that doesn't sound awesome to you, I don't know what will!**


You may say, "Yeah it sounds ok, but why do you love it so much?". Let me tell you!

There are MANY reasons to love the Throne of glass series. Among them are the characters; Sarah J Maas has created an array of extremely strong characters. You can't help but fall in love with Ardalan's notorious bad butt assassin Celaena Sardothien (aka the leading lady and my all time favorite lead female) and she KILLS people for a living! 
Another beautiful attribute to this series is the world created by Mrs. Maas. She has successfully created a gripping environment our characters live in, complete with an evil king and forbidden magic. This series is  intriguing and refreshing for YA fans who are tired of the fads of Vampire, Werewolves and Zombies.
Throne of Glass may be seem somewhat slow in the beginning, but keep going! Crown of Midnight will leave you mind blown and aching for Heir of Fire like the rest of us!

This is a series any true YA fan can't go without. It tops my personal favorite list, right up there with Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Anyone who has read THAT BOOK knows how unique and wonderful a series has to be to equal it. 

For my fellow ToG fans who are also salivating for September, I recommend you bide your time like me and read Sarah's ToG novellas, Assassin's Blade!

These are novellas, and take place right before the events of Throne of Glass. 


The novella collection consists of 5 short stories including:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

The Assassin and the Healer

The Assassin and the Desert

The Assassin and the Underworld

The Assassin and the Empire


If you are interested in purchasing the collection you can do so here!


WARNING!
 You will feel exactly like this after Crown of Midnight...but it is SO worth it!




Sunday, July 6, 2014

Currently Reading...


I am always reading multiple books at one time. No exaggeration, it is at least 5 books or more on any given day! I have a hard time dividing my attention between novels, especially when I have become immersed in so many amazing stories. Do you guys read multiple books at one time, or do you prefer to start/finish a novel before moving on to the next? Feel free to comment at the bottom! I'd love to hear from you all!!


Currently I'm reading...


A BEAUTIFUL OBLIVION by JAMIE McGUIRE

The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.
Fiercely independent Camille “Cami” Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.
Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.
Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.
As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.
In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush they felt readingBeautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

*********************************************************************************

I will post a full review once I've finished, but until then here is an update!
I've read almost 3/4 of this 320 page beauty in less than 1 day! So far I am loving the characters. I feel like Jamie McGuire has some really well developed characters and sub-characters in her novels. I adore that this book has snips of A BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, and that we can see Travis and Abby from different prospective throughout this novel. This is a must read for any Jamie McGuire fans!


Also reading, 

ARCADIA AWAKENS by KAI MEYER

To New Yorker Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic, and wholly unknown. But when tragedy strikes, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where her sister and aunt have built their lives and where centuries of family secrets await her. Once there, Rosa wastes no time falling head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both intrigue and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.
Ancient myths brought to life in the Sicilian countryside, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a long history of familial bloodlust prove to Rosa that she can’t trust anyone—not even her own family. Torn between loyalty to her aunt and love for her family’s mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love . . . or run as far and as fast as she can.

*********************************************************************************

 I will post a full review once I've finished, but until then here is an update!
This book is not what I expected when I picked it up at my local BAM. I was really excited about this book for the "mafia" tones in the novel, and was surprised when the **SPOILER** shapehifter aspect surfaced!  **SPOILER**

This is a really cool book with an interesting twist on the normal fantasy YA books. I definitely recommend so far!


The last current read I will post today is, 

HUSH HUSH by BECCA FITZPATRICK

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. At least, not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and probing eyes, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora’s not sure who to trust—she can’t decide whether she should fall into Patch’s arms or run and hide from him. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth more unsettling than any feeling Patch evokes. For Nora stands amid an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen—and choosing the wrong side will cost her life.

*********************************************************************************

This is my third time re-reading this book! I love the storyline and I identify so much with the protagonist, Norah Grey. It also holds a special place in my book heart, because Patch was one of my first book boyfriends! For whatever reason, I never read any of the following 3 books in the Hush Hush series. Reading the entire series has now become a summer reading goal though, and I am finally almost done with the first novel (again lol)! I can fully recommend this novel (I've actually finished the whole thing, multiple times!) to anyone looking for a unique twist on, you guessed it by the cover ANGELS! This book is really fast paced and exciting; you won't know who the bad guy is until the very end!

**You can get it on your Kindle for only $1.99 now!!**


UPADATE!!
Just started the sequel to Hush Hush
CRESCENDO by BECCA FITZPATRICK
**This is a personal picture I took of my copy (as opposed to internet covers I have previously posted)
This is a perfect example of what my instagram post are like! Follow me @BeenThereReadThat on instagram for more cool pictures like this one!**


Comment below and let me know what you guys are currently reading!