Monthly Wrap-Up & Haul – Page 3

July 2016 Wrap Up & Haul

July July!!! Hit me by surprise when I checked my Goodreads to see what I read during the month of July, a total of 8 books/graphic novels. One of the books that I read was actually a Library book, my first in over a decade. Stepping foot into my Library felt like a blast from the past for about 10 seconds before I eyed the empty shelves. Now, my Library is located in Williamsburg Brooklyn which for those who aren’t from NYC, happens to be hipster central nowadays. It’s walking distance from luxury condos (I’d probably have to sell a kidney for 1 months’ rent), art galleries, tons of coffee shops, and… you get the picture right? I was under the impression that my 1st visit would be met with a beautifully stocked Library & when this was not the case, I had a ton of questions for the Librarian who didn’t look quite too happy to be approached. Turns out, they’ve gone digital & a request for a book can be made online so that the book may be delivered to your local branch for pick up. This all sounds great since now you can almost guarantee you’ll get the book you are looking for…. yet…I still felt some sadness over the bare shelves that during my childhood held stacks & stacks of adventures and stories.
The top floor held some of my fondest memories with my mother (sadly, there aren’t very many). My mother would stay in the poetry section reading love poems and writing them in her notebook while my sister & I stacked up on Goosebumps & Sweet Valley High. Sweet memories that I’ll cherish while living in this modern world 😉

On to my Wrap Up:

The Fireman by Joe Hill– 3.75 Stars

https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/review-the-fireman-by-joe-hill/

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman– 5 stars
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/review-illuminae-by-amie-kaufman-and-jay-kristoff/

Chasing River by K.A. Tucker– 5 stars
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/review-chasing-river-by-k-a-tucker/

Surviving Ice by K.A Tucker– 4 stars
https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/review-surving-ice-burying-water-4-by-k-a-tucker/

Graphic Novels- I went on a Saga spree with NO regrets! I was going to review them in the blog but I was absorbed by the binge SMH so I’ve linked my mini reviews, more like ‘feels’ & after thoughts lol

Saga Volume 3– 4 stars (link to my Goodreads mini review)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1696157127?book_show_action=false

Saga Volume 4– 5 stars (link to my Goodreads mini review)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1697036687?book_show_action=false

Saga Volume 5– 5 stars (link to my Goodreads mini review)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1350882555?book_show_action=false

Saga Volume 6– 5 stars (link to my Goodreads mini review)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1641774601?book_show_action=false

July 2016 Book Haul:

In the month of July I came across some amazing deals that demanded I suspend my book ban for a bit 😂😂😂 but I can honestly say that with the exception of The Walled City, I was actively looking out for these titles😊

For those interested in ‘booktography’ hehe…please follow me @Lair_Of_Books (link at the very top of the blog page)

& On a sick day my hubby brought home these two beauties 😍😍😍

June 2016 Book Haul

Happy Sundayfunday ALL! Hope you’re all enjoying the holiday weekend. June was supposed to be my “Book Buying Ban” month but it turned out to be my largest book haul month EVER!!!

To be fair to myself, the pile on the right side I purchased with a Barnes & Nobles credit of $57!!!! 🤗 There was no other way I could justify getting the entire Throne Of Glass series in hardcover. There was also a huge sale going on which allowed me to also get A Gathering Of Shadows & Ivory and Bone. Best Day Ever!!!! I’ve already read & LOVED the TOG books. Empire Of Storms will look AMAZING next to these babies 😍

Ok, so the pile on the left is a mixture of books I was gifted & purchased myself. June was my first Owlcrate box (My Lady Jane), an ongoing gift from my husband who gifted me a 1 year subscription for Valentines Day. Graceling, More Happy Than Not, With Malice, & Calamity were gifts from him as well on a day when I could’ve used a pick me upper (it worked lol). The rest of the books I purchased myself from Bookoutlet & Bookdepository. The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet hasn’t arrived yet from Bookdepository…its been almost a month lol.

It’s now July 3rd & although I’m really trying NOT to buy anymore books…B&N sent me the Members 20% off coupon & it expires on the 4th *sobs*

Anyone else go overboard in June? I love seeing hauls…no surprise there lol 💕

June 2016 Wrap-Up

Let me start off by saying, JUNE was EPIC!!!! I only read 4 books (finishing the 4th one tonight) this month because LIFE! It was a beautiful month filled with tons of memories that I will cherish til i’m gray & old. I married the love of my life who also happens to be my book soul mate & our little girl graduated from Pre-K as Valedictorian & Killed her speech! *Smiles*. I’m surprised to have even read these 4 books so lets get into them…

1. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes ★★★★★

I changed my rating of this book twice until I realized that if a book can move me to feel such strong emotions about a controversial topic such as Euthanasia, then that means it deserves my 5 stars. The characters in this book will stay with me for a very long time, I still have not watched the movie because I wanted to give it some time but it will def be soon (book to movie reaction post to follow).

My Review: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

2. Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker (Burying Water #2) ★★★★★

An edge of your seat, heart pounding, sexy New Adult novel that I DEVOURED! so far I have loved all of K.A. Tucker’s characters, they all are 50 shades of complex. Fast paced & filled with plot twists, Becoming Rain was better than it’s predecessor Burying Water. Each one of the books in this series follows a female lead and eventually her love interest with occasional guest appearances by some of the other characters from previous books. I enjoy seeing some of my favorites pop up in the next book.

My Review: Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker

3. A Darker Shade Of Magic by V.E. Schwab ★★★★ (4.5 stars)

My 1st V.E. Schwab book did not disappoint. The writing was on point & I truly felt immersed into all of the London’s with the exception of Black London (not yet explored). This was a fast paced read, full of action, and magic however not much character development. One thing I found myself enjoying was the focus that was given to the plot/world building & that there was no love story. Although I do enjoy my ships, I didn’t feel the need to wonder who would be paired with who & instead enjoyed the magic and adventure V.E. Schwab takes you on. My guess is that book 2 will show more character development because of how the final chapters played out in ADSOM. My copy of A Gathering Of Shadows arrived a few days ago & i’m thinking that I will hold off on reading it because A Conjuring Of Light #3 doesn’t get released until February 2017.

My Review:A Darker Shade Of Magic (Shades Of Magic #1)

4. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows ★★★★★

My 1st Owlcrate box was this month’s June Royalty box & it was EVERYTHING & MORE! no regrets here. I switched over to Owlcrate from another subscription box & I loved every single item I received. I was a bit skeptical on whether I would enjoy My Lady Jane because it’s being compared to The Princess Bride & Monty Python, both of which I’ve heard about, but never read/watched. Well, I have NEVER laughed this much reading any book EVER! this book doesn’t take itself seriously at all, in fact it does the complete opposite. Light & silly, My Lady Jane was exactly what I needed for the start of Summer. I’ve got about 70 pages to go tonight & will update this post with a star rating in the morning but it’s looking like a hands down 5 STARS! (Review to come)

***UPDATE*** Finished My Lady Jane today, Review in the link below 🙂

My review: My Lady Jane By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

May 2016 Wrap-Up

My very 1^st monthly wrap-up! I honestly couldn’t even remember how many books I read this month so thank goodness for good ol’ Goodreads! This month I read 5 books & survived an EPIC book hangover after A Court of Mist & Fury so I think I did well lol…

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #4) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The beautiful conclusion to the Raven Cycle was perfect! This series will always be a favorite of mine. TRK was much darker than its predecessors & I felt deeply immersed in Cabeswater. Every time I put this book down & picked it back up it felt like I was fully stepping into a dreamland. These characters will forever hold a special place in my heart. Not just Blue & the boys, but the AMAZING supporting cast of characters we get. Especially loved the strong & individualistic women from 300 Fox Way!

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker (Ten Tiny Breaths #2)★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Finished this one with a big cheesy smile on my face! Who would’ve thunk it…i’m diggin the NA books. I think mostly because, K.A. Tucker writes her cast of characters well & tackles some pretty serious topics while at it. Ten Tiny Breaths was told from Kacey’s perspective but we still got to know Livie (Kacey’s sister). In One Tiny Breath, we get Livie’s perspective. The younger sister who made it her duty to watch over her older sister & stuck by her side even when she hit rock bottom finally goes to college. Livie has had to keep a strong front ever since her parents passed away in a tragic car accident, her dad’s last words to her were his wish to see her off to Princeton to continue the family tradition. Livie’s story was one of self-discovery and finding love. There are some trigger warnings for child abuse with one of the characters in this story, these parts often made me pause and re-group but overall It was a solid read.

A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas (A court of Thorns & Roses #1) ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This is only my 2nd fairytale re-telling, the first being The Lunar Chronicles & just like Marissa Meyer, Sarah J. Maas slaaaaaayed!!!! Of course there were flaws but overall I enjoyed this 1st book in the ACOTAR series.

What I LOVED about this book:
* The friendship btwn the trio (Feyre, Lucien, and Tamlin), the dialogue was often laugh out loud funny
* The introduction to the other courts (Day, Night, Summer, Autumn, Spring, Winter, & Dawn I believe), since we didn’t get much world building in ACOTAR it gives me hope that we will get it in ACOMAF
* Nesta’s revelation, so there isn’t just 1 badass btwn the siblings?!?!? LOVED IT! Hopefully we find out how she fared
* Rhys…yea leave it to SJM to throw in a bad boy to make things more innnneresting…I know where this is going SJM!

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker (Burying Water #1)★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Burying Water was a roller coaster of emotions for me, many times brutal/harsh & others sweet and Kismet. Our leading lady Alexandra is put through the ringer in the first half of this book. There are trigger warnings for domestic violence and rape. It was difficult at times but Alex proved to be “resilient” and tough as nails. In the second half of this book we get introduced to the small town of Sisters and all of its interesting residents. I absolutely love when a setting in a book is filled with charm and personality so much so that it becomes a character of its own. I LOVED this book! The plot, characters, the small town of Sisters which often had me wanting to leave the city & possibly own some horses lol.

A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns & Roses #2) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

After reading A Court of Thorns & Roses I was left with the same feelings I had after reading Throne of Glass. I knew that I wanted to continue with the series but also hoped to see some growth and world building. ACOMAF did just that & so much more!!! The personal growth displayed on Feyre’s behalf, the world building, the pacing & plot were all on point! This is my favorite book of 2016 so far & will be re-reading it at some point this year for ALL THE FEELS!

May Book Haul

I hope everyone had an AMAZING Memorial Day weekend! Whether it was at the grill serving up that BbQ or just chillin with a good book, some wine & or beer 😂😂😂 I just got back to NY from Massachusetts. The hubby & I took our two penguins on a road trip and had a blast! Mosquitoes for days but after a few twisted teas & a little bug spray all was good.

Now,ya know! my fellow book lovers, that we cannot just simply drive past a Barnes & Noble (or any book store) and not pull over or make a U-turn lol. No, we as book lovers have a sacred duty to visit any & all bookstores we spot while in other states. So that being said, Mass has a HUGE B&N and while there the hubby gifted me The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game #1) by Evelyn Skye & The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi Both of these are YA Fantasy & have had amazing positive reviews, they’re very popular in booktube at the moment. I’m just excited to dive into these two because I’ve been on a Fantasy kick lately. Also, the covers on both of these are STUNNING!

A Court Of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas, I purchased earlier in May right after reading & liking (not loving but seeing potential) in ACOTAR. I have NO regrets, and I’m very happy that I decided to continue with this series. I do think however, that we are In a different ball park with this series in terms of rating or genre. This was def a mature, not a YA read which I enjoyed immensely but I do think that it should (since I’ve heard many express feelings of awkwardness) be put out there as what it is…STEAMY! Lol! My favorite read of 2016 so far, I’m missing my ACOMAF babies 😦

Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGuinnis, this was from Bookoutlet & it will be my 1st Mindy McGuiniss book. The Goodreads synopsis for this dystopian world made it sound so interesting. With this opening synopsis line—-“Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water” you know you’re going to get one kick ass protagonist. I’m excited about this one.

The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer, Goodreads has this one as “an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness” I’m glad that the full synopsis is vague, I’ve heard great reviews on this & was immediately intrigued because it deals with mental Illness.

The First Bad Man by Miranda July, for this one Goodreads gives away too much of the quirk that this book seems like it will deliver. So, I’ll give the last bit of the synopsis—

“Tender, gripping, slyly hilarious, infused with raging sexual fantasies and fierce maternal love, Miranda July’s first novel confirms her as a spectacularly original, iconic and important voice today, and a writer for all time. The First Bad Man is dazzling, disorienting, and unforgettable”

I picked this one up on Bookoutlet as well after reading the entire Goodreads synopsis, I can honestly say this sounds like a unique read & I’m hoping it’s full of quirkiness.

I’ve always been a mood reader so this may be why I lean towards books filled with humor in the Summer. In prepping for my summer reading, I’ve noticed myself picking up books that although they are meaty in plot, the characters themselves offer up humor or quirkiness. I ordered Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman yesterday which is why I didn’t include it in my May Haul. I am really looking forward to this one because its about a curmudgeon elderly woman in a town filled with people and children who she can’t stand. It seems like Britt lives a rigid life but sometimes the universe has other plans for us (at least that’s the vibe that I got on Goodreads). Ultimately, it’s a story of second chances and these types are my favorite Fiction to read 😉