Monday Memes – LairOfBooks

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. I can’t remember the last time I participated in this Monday meme but seeing as I have some reviews planned this week, I thought it best to give a reading update early on in the week ☺️

I also drew a winner this morning for the Love, Hate & Other Filters Giveaway…

Danielle @ Life Of a Literary Nerd!!! Congrats & I hope you LOVE the book as much as I did! Please contact me with your addy 🙂

Last week I finished reading 2 books & no one is more surprised at that than me! Both reads were tough for very different reasons and I’m still working through my thoughts & feelings on one of them…

This was not what I was expecting & I feel terrible about not loving it cause I really had my ♥️ set on this one ever since I first caught wind of it & then saw its beautiful cover 🙈unfortunately I didn’t get reeled in until the 65% mark. By then I had pinpointed exactly what made this one a 2.5 star read, I have a review for The Hazel Wood by Melissa Alberthere.

I’m currently working on my review for The Dangerous Art Of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis which had to be THE hardest book I’ve ever read. This book was triggering on a personal level but I knew that when I requested the galley. My interest in this book was heightened when I learned that this was Ownvoices not only for LGBTQIA+ but also for child abuse. This was not an easy read & it brought up many bad memories. It also didn’t have the best romance, in fact it borderlines toxic. Ultimately I appreciated the fact that it didn’t paint a rosy colored portrait of what child abuse really looks like. The sad reality is that being silenced is part of the abuse and covering up both physical & emotional abuse becomes second nature to the victim. This book was like a huge stadium light on the hard cold truths behind closed doors. Review to come this week.

I’m currently reading The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton & I’m about 50% into this BEAUTIFUL Fantasy!!! 😍 I’m OBSESSED with the detailed world building that transports me each & every time I read a single page. I can easily picture this world brought to the big screen with its bursts of color, newspapers with moving headlines, balloons that carry messages & also eavesdrop gathering up bits of gossip. Last but not the least, The Belles who are diverse & admired for their beauty. There’s so much more to this story beneath all the layers of Tulle & beauty products. I know I’ll be finishing this book by either tomorrow, latest Tuesday & my heart breaks knowing I’ll have to leave this world behind til’ the sequel that I hope is already being written 🤞🏼

Originally, I had hoped to read Iron Gold by Pierce Brown (Red Rising Saga #4) simultaneously with The Belles but that of course didn’t work out. This is typically the case whenever I come across a book like The Belles that simply demands all of my attention. I open The Belles & I get absorbed into the pages…I become one with the words! 😂😂😂 The good news is that once I start Iron Gold, I know I’ll be just as invested cause I’ve only been waiting for this book ALL of 2017 & it’s PIERCE BROWN!!! 🐺I’ve been dodging spoilers on twitter but I have caught bits & pieces of praise which means Pierce has delivertttt again!!! 😆😆😆 Hoping to start Iron Gold by Tuesday night 💜

Happy Monday Bookworms! hope you all had a wonderful weekend 💜 What have you recently finished reading? plan on reading next? Sound off in the comments below 💗 ‘s!

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#ARCstravaganza #11

#ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Flavia over @Flavia the Bibliophile where book bloggers/bookstagrammers have a chance to show off their ARCs/eARCs/Galleys!

Hello Readers! This is my 11th week participating in #ARCstravaganza Monday & this week I’ve chosen Artemis by Andy Weir! I was very excited to have won this arc through a Goodreads Giveaway since it is one of my most highly anticipated reads. Now, many have asked me whether I read The Martian & the answer is no I have not simply because the hype train got the best of me with that book. I still fully intend on reading The Martian & I know this because as much as I’ve been tempted to, I still have not watched the movie haha! That being said, Artemis perhaps comes with more hype & high expectations. No worries I will not be discouraged this time…also, who wouldn’t want to live in the first city EVER on the moon?!? Jazz sounds like a MC I will love getting to know & so I will be reading Artemis in anticipation of its November 14th release date 😉

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Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

What are some ARCS/eGalleys you’re excited to have Bookworms? are you a fan of Andy Weir? looking forward to Artemis? If you’ve read The Martian, do you think I should still read it or watch the movie? haha! sound off in the comments below 🙂

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#ARCSTRAVAGANZA #7

#ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Flavia over @Flavia the Bibliophile where book bloggers/bookstagrammers have a chance to show off their ARCs/eARCs/Galleys!

Hello Readers! This is my 7th week participating in #ARCstravaganza Monday & this week I’ve chosen Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore. I’ve had this author on my radar for some time now, last year I even purchased a copy of Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) but I’ll be honest, it fell into the hole that is my massive TBR 🙈*for shame* I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about the Graceling trilogy & have started seeing the positive reviews rolling in for Jane, Unlimited. This book however is somewhat of an enigma, with a vague synopsis on Goodreads & bloggers/booktubers alike keeping reviews just as vague for fear of spoilers. From what I’ve gathered, both the plot & format are unique with a satisfying ending. I’m hoping to get to this either this week or the next & can’t wait to see what it’s all about…my review will probably be minimal in order to keep the mystery going 😉

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

Jane has lived an ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia—an adjunct professor and deep sea photographer. Jane counted on Magnolia to make the world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on one of her expeditions.

Now, with no direction, a year out of high school, and obsessed with making umbrellas that look like her own dreams (but mostly just mourning her aunt), she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family’s island mansion called Tu Reviens.

Jane remembers her aunt telling her: “If anyone ever invites to you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you’ll go.” With nothing but a trunkful of umbrella parts to her name, Jane ventures out to the Thrash estate. Then her story takes a turn, or rather, five turns. What Jane doesn’t know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price

What are some ARCS/eGalleys you’re excited to have Bookworms? If you’ve participated in #ARCstravaganza this week, please feel free to drop your links & I’ll make my way around <3’s!

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#ARCSTRAVAGANZA #3: Warcross by Marie Lu

#ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme hosted by Krysti at YA and Wine and Sarah at The Clever Reader to give book bloggers/bookstagrammers a chance to show off those ARCs/eARCs/Galleys! Comment on their weekly posts with a link to your own #ARCstravaganza blog post, or post a pic on Instagram using the #ARCstravaganza hashtag, and you will be entered to win an ARC copy of an upcoming YA novel! One winner will be chosen at random each month!

Hello Readers! This is my 3rd week participating in #ARCstravaganza Monday & I’ve chosen a highly anticipated ARC that I’m really looking forward to get into and also very grateful to even own. This will be my very 1st read by Marie Lu even though I have The Young Elites sitting on my shelf (tbr Nov/Dec). I’ve heard many sing her praises and meeting her in person at Bookcon & seeing how sweet and just down to earth awesome she is really shed light on her fandom. Whelp, I’d like to join in the Marie Lu ❤ & I’m pretty sure this is a safe bet given all of the positive feedback that has already started streaming in over the interwebz 🙂

Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu

Published by: for Young Readers

Date of Publication: September 12th 2017

Genres: YA/Sc-Fi

Pages: 416

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

What are some ARCS/eGalleys you’re excited to have Bookworms? If you’ve participated in #ARCstravaganza this week, please feel free to drop your links & I’ll make my way around 😉

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#ARCSTRAVAGANZA: They Both Die At The End

Good Monday Morning Readers! This is my 2nd week participating in #ARCstravaganza Monday & I’ve chosen my most valuable arc They Both Die AT The End by Adam Silvera. If you’ve been around my blog for a bit you probably know just how much love I have for Adam, his stories, and his characters. My #1 favorite YA Contemporary author for many reasons. Besides his writing, his personality & down to earth attitude is what I find most endearing. I’ve reached out on Twitter & he has always responded, when I read More Happy Than Not & left my thoughts on Goodreads (before this blog existed), he was the first to like my review. He is always reachable to his fans and fellow authors in the community as well. In short, he can do no wrong in my eyes LOL! My husband actually managed to get 1 of 25 copies being given away at Bookcon earlier in June & for this he scored major brownie points haha!

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Published by: HarperTeen

Date of Publication: September 5th 2017

Genres: YA Contemporary/Sc-Fi

Pages: 384

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

What are some ARCS/eGalleys you’re excited to have Bookworms? If you’ve participated in #ARCstravaganza this week, please feel free to drop your links & I’ll make my way around 😉

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#ARCSTRAVAGANZA: Wild Beauty

After reading & loving When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore late last year, I knew I’d be reading everything by this author. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t too long & this beautiful book started making its rounds. I am already super curious about the Nomeolvides women, the name “Nomeolvides” is made up of three Spanish words which translate into “Don’t forget me” All of McLemore’s books have the Magical Realism touch and this one is no different. Looking forward to diving right into the beautiful, magical, and lush writing McLemore is known for 🙂

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Published by: Feiwell & Friends

Date of Publication: October 3rd 2017

Genres: YA Fantasy/Magical Realism/LGBTQIA+

Pages: 320

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

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Musing Monday’s

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme created by Books and a Beat (originally known as Should Be Reading & A Daily Rythm) that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…

Up next I think I’ll read…

I bought the following book(s) in the past week…

I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…

I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…

I can’t wait to get a copy of…

I wish I could read ___, but…

I blogged about ____ this past week…

This week’s random question: name a favorite book you’d take to the beach.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

What I’m currently reading….

Leave Me by Gayle Forman

I received an e-galley on Netgalley for Leave Me by Gayle Forman & I’m finding it extremely difficult to find any of the characters likable. This is my 1st Gayle Forman book & it’s also her first adult fiction book. The main protagonist is experiencing the stresses of work, marriage, parenthood, with little to no help. The book opens while Marybeth is experiencing a heart attack which I found interesting since a lot of women who experience heart attacks, are asymptomatic. Marybeth made a major decision that steers the course of the story in a very different direction…she packs up her bags and leaves her family behind. At this point I NEED to know how this all ends even if I’m not the biggest fan of the characters in this book. I’m already at the half-way point of this book & should have a review up this week.

Up next I think I’ll read…

How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1) by Adriana Mather

I do love my History but what made this subject a favorite for me in school was when we learned about the Salem Witch Trials. Ever since then, I will read anything Salem/Witches that I come across. I also happen to watch the deliciously dark tv series Salem. I know How to Hang a Witch is more of a fun take on the descendants but even for this, I’m game! I do however find it interesting that the author of this new series is a direct descendant of Cotton Mather who played a crucial role in the Salem Witch Trials. Entertainment Weekly interviewed Adriana Mather (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/19/adriana-mather-how-to-hang-witch) & she talks about the next book in the series How to Sink a Ship. Book 2 will have some of the witches from this first book however, it will be set around the events of the Titanic. I looked a bit further into this interesting author & it seems that she has some pretty heavy hitters for ancestors, some even from The Revolutionary War. I don’t think my background is as innnnneresting but who knows, she’s making me wonder…

Has anyone else read Leave Me by Gayle Forman? I’m interested to read some takes on it. If any of you happen to have partaken in Musing Monday’s today, drop that link in the comment box & I’ll swing on by 😉