Clean Slate Read-a-Thon Progress Report

Hosted by Novel Ink, Latte Night Reviews, Lost in Lit

Clean Slate Read-a-Thon has officially started and I decided to make a separate post for my updates rather than putting it in my sign-up post. This will include my goals and progress throughout the read-a-thon week which I will hopefully be able to update daily.

Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Illusions of Fate
by Kiersten White
Published: September 9, 2014




Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

December 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

HAPPY NEW YEAR! How is 2016 for you so far? I hope it's good. Me, not so much. I've been sick this past week and currently my voice sounds funny as hell. I can't speak too loud because it hurts.

Moving on to the books I read in the last month of 2015:

   

2015 Wrap-up

If I have to describe 2015 in one word, it’s BUSY. From job interviews to certification exams to that big project I was - am - working on.. it was tiring. There were a lot of sleepless nights. I had even gone without sleep for 32 hours straight once last month.

But it wasn't all bad. I had a lot to be grateful for this past year. I got to hangout with my classmates from elementary, high school and college! I met up with some of my elementary friends last November and I realized that it's been almost 10 years! I literally haven't seen them since I went away for high school. My high school batch also got together quite a few times this year - we always try to meet up with everyone whenever there is a chance. Also went out with my college buddies whom I haven't seen since graduation earlier this year!

Top 10 of 2015: Best Book Boyfriends of 2015

Day 4: Best Book Boyfriends of 2015

The list must consist of book boyfriends from books we have read this 2015. That means I can't include Archer Cross but let me just tell you, he's still my number one ;)

Top 10 of 2015: Best Couples of 2015

Day 3: Best ____ of 2015

The topic for day three is reader's choice and I chose to make a list of my favorite couples from the books I read this 2015.

Top 10 of 2015: Best Books I’ve Read in 2015

It's that time of the year. My fervent wish for December to go extra slow remains unheard, it seems. Oh well, nothing we can do about it now. Here is one thing to get excited for though: the time for our top favorites to be on display! Favorite books, covers, characters, upcoming releases... we all know how awesome lists are and a week-long of it? Mmm-hmm.

Now let's get to the first Top 10 list - the BEST BOOKS I've read this 2015!

Review: Not Okay Cupid by Heidi R. Kling

Not Okay Cupid
by Heidi R. Kling
Expected Publication: January 11, 2016



Her wicked revenge, or his wicked heart...

Hazel McCallister loves her life. Perfect grades. Perfect best friend. Perfect boyfriend. Until her perfect boyfriend cheats on her with her perfect best friend. Now Hazel’s in free fall—until her best friend’s brother, Felix, gives her the perfect idea. Reclaim her power by taking revenge on her cheating ex.

Felix James loves his life. Casual relationships. Loads of surfing. He’s as drama-free as they come. But he can’t stand by when his sister steals her best friend’s boyfriend, and the dude insists it was Hazel’s fault. So Felix vows to help turn Hazel into a girl her ex can’t resist—so then she can break his heart.

With an alliance in place, Hazel’s revenge is all but assured. But with each piece of payback, she feels a stronger attraction to Felix, even though revenge will turn her into a girl Felix could never be with. And soon Hazel has to make an impossible choice: revenge...or Felix, the boy who’s stolen her heart.

WARNING! This book contains betrayal, revenge, and that most tempting vice of all, the bad boy you know you can't have.

Review: The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski

The Girlfriend Request
by Jodie Andrefski
Expected publication: January 11, 2016



Updating best friend to girlfriend is more than a change of status…

Emma has been best friends with Eli since she moved to his neighborhood ten years ago. Tired of being cast in the role of the girl next door, Emma creates a fake Facebook profile in the hopes of starting an online friendship with Eli, which would hopefully lead to more. Like...way more. From friend request to In a Relationship--it all seemed so completely logical when she'd planned it.

Eli can't figure out what Emma is up to. He’s pretty sure she's the one behind the Facebook profile, but then again, why would she do something so drastic instead of just admitting she wants to be more than friends? And who the heck is this new guy he saw her with? Eli starts to think that just maybe...he missed his chance with the girl next door.

Two best friends, one outlandish ruse. Their status is about to become way more than It’s Complicated…

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains one fake Facebook profile, two best friends who secretly crave each other, and a dreaded sex talk with parents…boy crush in the room included. Pushing a relationship beyond the friend zone has never been so crazy…

SERIES REVIEW: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

 

The Book of Ivy Duology

by Amy Engel

Published: November 4, 2014

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

November 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

I usually post my wrap-up on the first day of the month but life is a bit hectic right now and we can't really do anything about that but just do what needs to be done. Anyway, it's December. Only one month left! Is anyone else freaking out? Because I am. I am so not ready for 2016 mostly because the end of 2015 is also a deadline for me and it is nerve-racking just thinking about it.

These are the books I read this November:

    

Review: Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz

Shattered Blue
(The Light Trilogy #1)
by Lauren Bird Horowitz




For Noa and Callum, being together is dangerous, even deadly. From the start, sixteen-year-old Noa senses that the mysterious transfer student to her Monterey boarding school is different. Callum unnerves and intrigues her, and even as she struggles through family tragedy, she’s irresistibly drawn to him. Soon they are bound by his deepest secret: Callum is Fae, banished from another world after a loss hauntingly similar to her own.

But in Noa’s world, Callum needs a special human energy, Light, to survive; his body steals it through touch—or a kiss. And Callum’s not the only Fae on the hunt. When Callum is taken, Noa must decide: Will she sacrifice everything to save him? Even if it means learning their love may not be what she thought?

Review: Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick

Lumière
(The Illumination Paradox #1)
by Jacqueline Garlick
Published: December 12, 2013




One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything.

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

October 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

Another month over! We are so close to this year's end and I am kind of freaking out about a lot of things that needs to be done before I welcome 2016. I am focusing most of my energy on that but I make sure to allot some of my time on books and my blog as well, even if it is not much at the moment.

This October I read:

  

[BLOG TOUR] Review + Giveaway: A Faerie's Revenge by Rachel Morgan

Welcome to the blog tour for Rachel Morgan's A FAERIE'S REVENGE, 

the fifth book in her Creepy Hollow series!

A Faerie's Revenge
Creepy Hollow (Book #5)
by Rachel Morgan
Published: October 27, 2015
Format: Ebook & Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Still reeling from a shocking revelation, Calla Larkenwood finds the threads of her world unraveling further when she's accused of a horrifying crime she didn't commit. In a world where everyone keeps secrets and someone is intent on framing her, how will she figure out who to trust?

Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet
by Mindy McGinnis
Published: October 6, 2015




Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

September 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

It's getting colder so, yes, it's October. Ha! That rhymes.

September was cray-cray as expected. It's what I call the birthday month. My dad, my sister, four of my cousins, my second cousin, my aunts (who are twins, by the way), my teacher, three of my close friends -- they were all born on September. How crazy is that?

Also, I ran a 5K last Sunday. I couldn't move a muscle the next day. Do you have any idea when I last ran a 5K? No, of course you don't. It was 4 YEARS AGO. What was I thinking? Well at least now I can say I got to exercise ONCE this year.

Anyway, it wasn't a great reading month for me. I was only able to read 10 books and majority of it were 2-star and 1-star reads :(

   

Review: Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

Velvet Undercover
by Teri Brown
Publication Date: October 20, 2015




Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a Girl Guide and messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, high-level mathematics, and complex puzzles and codes, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche she’s torn—this could be the adventure she’s dreamed of, but how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband to the war? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes there’s no way she can refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known to the members of LDB only as Velvet. Deep undercover within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Samantha must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she finds herself forming a forbidden attraction to the enemy-a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Samantha discover the truth and find Velvet before it’s too late…for them both?

From author Teri Brown comes the thrilling story of one girl’s journey into a deadly world of spycraft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

Review: When the Stars Align by Jeanette Grey

When the Stars Align
by Jeanette Grey
Published: September 1, 2015




Their passion burned hotter than the stars . . .

For Josephine "Jo" Kramer, nothing has ever been easy. When she earns a summer internship in Puerto Rico, working at one of the world's preeminent scientific facilities, she'll let nothing distract her. Not her own insecurities, not the arrogant scientists, and definitely not her tall, chiseled research partner, Adam.

For Adam McCay, physics is simple-it's women who are complicated. Especially brilliant, beautiful ones like Jo. From the moment they meet, he can feel the heat smoldering deep beneath her icy exterior. And Adam knows just what it will take to make Jo melt . . .

Under the endless stars of a tropical sky, Jo and Adam indulge their every desire. But as their internship comes to an end, their perfect island paradise is threatened. Was their time together a summer fling? Or is their passion hot enough to last the long winter nights?

August 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

It's past 3AM now on the first day of September. My sister has exams in the morning so she made coffee in order to stay up late and study. She managed to make one sip, declared the coffee ineffective and promptly fell asleep. On the floor. And here I am, wide awake, happily drinking her coffee. She asked me to wake her up in five minutes. As if. This girl is so hard to wake.

Whatever. Let's move on to the recap part. So this August I read 14 books and 1 novella. I was hoping to read 18 - 20 and for a while it seemed possible especially when I was reading 1 book a day on the first week but as I have predicted, it was a very busy month and stuff besides reading and blogging had to be done eventually.