HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Today for my discussion post, I am going to share with you my resolutions!

My goal for making my resolutions this year was to find ways to make them more doable because I honestly never stick to my resolutions. This year was the first year that I ever actually accomplished a goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year!

The one goal that I actually met for 2015 was reading 50 books. I made at least 2-3 other resolutions to myself, HA!

Anyway so these are my goals for 2016!!

1. First, since this is my book blog, I will mention my reading goal for 2016. I am going to challenge myself to read 75 books this year! This will be my third time giving myself a yearly reading goal. I've only met it once and that was this year. I SHATTERED my 50 book goal! The first time I made a goal, I think I was like 4 books short. It was purely extreme laziness that kept me from my goal that year. I think this year I read 80 something books. So I think that 75 will easily be doable.

2. Next is the resolution I have the HARDEST time with every year! I want to get healthier! But instead of telling myself I'm going to just give up everything and start eating healthier and exercising, every month I'm going to give myself the goal of cutting out a junk food or bad habit or starting a good habit or something. For example, I have begun to drink a lot of pop. So for January, I think I'm going to cut a lot of that pop out of my diet. I'm not going to force myself to just stop drinking it all together because I love me a nice, cold wild cherry Pepsi every now and then. But instead of going out and buying one everyday on my lunch break from work, maybe I'll just pick one up as a treat when I go grocery shopping or something. I don't really drink a lot of pop when I go out to eat, I usually order lemonade (probably not much better, but still not pop). So I think that if I go about this resolution like that, it will be more doable.

Other things I want to give up: potato chips and ice cream ( :'(  ).

3. My final 2016 New Year's resolution is to be smarter about how I spend my money. I really had to change things in the last few months because my hours got cut back quite a bit at work after a few of our bigger clients left us. It really sucked that it had to be right when I would normally start doing my Christmas shopping and I was struggling to just get all of my bills paid. I even had to empty my piggy bank to finish paying the bills one week!

Maybe I will write down every time I spend money or something so then I will have that note and I can look at it at the end of each month and be like, 'Really Cyra? Was that totally necessary? Have you even TOUCHED that since you bought it??'

But basically, I want to be smarter about my money without having to give up buying books or cutting back when I buy people gifts (I like to go all out).

So yeah, those are my resolutions for the new year! Do you think they're doable or am I a total nut? What are YOUR resolutions for 2016? I'd love to hear about them!

Waiting on Wednesday (#29)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: March 1st, 2016

Pages: 432

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.      Addictive, romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is anOutlander for teens. 

"Instantly engaging, constantly suspenseful, ultimately poignant and satisfying" --DIANA GABALDON, author of OUTLANDER

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday (#27)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half Of 2016!

1. As if you don't know what my number one is...

PASSENGER BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN!

2. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

3. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

4. Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

6. The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

7. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

8. The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

9. The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

10. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

What are your most anticipated reads for the beginning of 2016?

DNF Review: Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Publication Date: March 1st, 2016

Rating: DNF

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Pages: 352

Add it on Goodreads!!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide. 

Okay. I'm not really not finishing this one because it just isn't good. It really does sound interesting. I feel like I could pick this book up again later. I'm really just not a fan of how it is written. And I really kind of hate the romance I can see forming. I just kind of dread having to pick this book back up so I'm going to opt out of finishing this one for awhile.

The book is written in dual POV of Eros and Kora. Kora is the queen of the Sepharon. She ordered the attack on Eros's village where his family was slaughtered. She has him taken back to her palace as a slave. In the middle of all that action, he says that he's never going to be loyal to her because of her being responsible for his family being killed. 

Fast forward to him being turned into a slave, she decides to make him her personal guard. He is always completely civil to her. Like this is the person who ordered your family killed, the one you were never going to be loyal to??? He sits in her room looking at her bed that swings and wonders what it would be like to have sex on it and then thinks to himself that he can't think that, she's responsible for destroying his whole camp. They immediately warm up to each other and seem to trust each other and I'm just not buying it. He should hate her. She shouldn't just trust him immediately, that's stupid. They both have these immediate feelings for each other and all of that is the reason that I'm putting this one down after 100 pages.

I'm not saying that I don't think I'll ever finish this one. I think it does have the potential to be an interesting book, but I just am not interested in this book anymore right now. I might buy it when it comes out and try again. I think if I could get past the romance or warm up to it, I would like it more.

Guest of the Month #2 - Denise @ I Am Shelfless

Guest of the month club is a monthly opportunity to collaborate with different bloggers! Every month you will be paired with a different blogger. You will each plan a guest post for the other’s blog (topic suggestions will be provided every month!). Then all of the club members will post on the same day of the month to make blog hopping easier.

The topic for this month is Favorite Holiday Traditions! I was paired with Denise from I Am Shelfless! 

This is what Denise has to say:

***

I love Christmas because there are lots of parties, get togethers, food, celebrations, food, people and food! Sorry! I think I'm hungry at this point; imagining all that food and all. Anyway, I'm going to talk about my favorite holiday traditions! 

First, my sister and I plan what to buy as gifts and look for a store we would buy most of these gifts. This December, we chose QUIRKS Novelties & Curiosities! There are many items you can find and all of them are just creative and awesome!

Second, we have a Christmas tree and it has been 9 years since we put it up in our house. I love Christmas trees! I do! I even get a little jelly when I see people post pictures or visit places that have Christmas trees! There's just no space left at home because there are lots of cabinets, tables, papers and books everywhere, but the spirit of Christmas is still here!

Third, every December 24th, my mom wakes us up early to make a salad. Yes, a salad. Two people would be assigned to remove some of the tender coconut shell or whatever you call that (I don't know what it's called in English!), one would be cutting the cheese into cubes and one would be in charge in mixing the fruit salad ingredients altogether! It's really yummy!

Christmas Day means spending time with the family and probably eating a lot of food! This year, we decided to stay home and celebrate; we usually go to the province to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family! The food sometimes changes, but ham and fruit salads never disappears. Then, before it gets dark, we always go to our nearest relatives to get some homemade molo and other foods! That's how my Christmas is spent and I like it!

Happy Holidays and warm hugs to everyone! I hope ya'll had a great Christmas!

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows #1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Publication Date: September 29th, 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Purchase

Pages: 465

Add it on Goodreads!!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Usually I can read a book in like a day, maybe two if time flies by. This book I think took me like 4 or 5 days to read! Not a bad thing! There's just so much going on in this book, it feels like you need to take a break to let it all sink in every now and then!

Kaz Brekker is basically a criminal mastermind. He was SO good at being bad that it almost felt unrealistic to me, but it was very entertaining! He is ambushed in a dark alley and given information on a near impossible heist that would make him, and anyone who would be dumb enough to help him, disgustingly rich. He goes out and recruits the rest of his six member crew and they prepare to set off to retrieve something valuable from the Ice Court in Fjerda.

This story is told in six points of view, which would usually be a problem for me. As a general rule, I hate multiple points of view. But this one was perfect for it, what with everyone off doing their own parts of this impossible heist, so you get to see what's going on all around. I loved seeing the different points of view in this one! I loved the flashbacks in Kaz, Nina, and Matthias's points of view! I loved learning about all of them!

I liked all of the characters in this book! But I think that my favorite characters were Nina and Matthias by far! The characters are all so different and have different strengths that are all so perfect for this heist. I loved it. Since there's so many characters, I don't want to go in depth about all of them, but they're all fantastic!

There is a bit of romance in this book! Everyone in the crew pretty much pairs off in this book. Nina and Matthias are my favorite pair! I loved their relationship and I found their history to be really interesting! I loved Nina so much.

I loved getting to revisit the Grisha world and seeing all the references to characters from the other series was so fun. I liked that we got to see more of Fjerda and Ketterdam in this one! There were things happening in this book from page one so it was never boring or really slow. The ending is kind of a cliffhanger, but not a horribly mean one. But it does leave you needing the next one!

I really can't think of anything about this book that I really didn't like. I can see why this book was so hyped up, it was excellent and I am can't wait for Crooked Kingdom!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book! If you loved the Grisha trilogy and haven't read this one yet, what are you waiting for?!

Discussion: Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Or Happy Holidays for those of you who don't celebrate Christmas! Today's discussion post is Christmas themed! 

Christmas is my all time favorite holiday. I love everything about it. 

So in this post, I'm going to list my favorite things about Christmas!

1. I love decorating for Christmas! I love when I finally get to put up my Christmas tree! I really wanted to put it up this year earlier than I did, but my boyfriend wouldn't let me put it up before Thanksgiving (fun hater). My whole color theme for my tree is silver, blue, and white. I have entirely too many ornaments and since my tree this year is smaller than the one I used last year, I can't fit all the ornaments I bought on it....... I love love love it though! 

2. I also love buying and wrapping gifts! This year my Christmas shopping hasn't been as smoothly as most years because things were kind of bleak at my job for awhile there when I am usually starting to Christmas shop. I need a long time to do all my shopping because I go all out. I gotta do it over the span of several months of paychecks. Besides shopping for gifts, I also love shopping for pretty wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, tags, etc. I love wrapping gifts!

I also LOVE watching people open the gifts I got them!!

3. I also love driving around and looking at the Christmas lights. Since I moved out to live with my boyfriend, it's not as easy to do that because I live in the middle of nowhere and I'm not very often in town after dark. But I do what I can.

4. I love the holiday drinks that come out at Starbucks! I love the peppermint mocha! I recently just tried it as an iced drink because I much prefer cold coffee from Starbucks anymore. I bought a Keurig a couple of years ago and since I started drinking more plain coffee, I can't stand all the extra stuff they put in a coffee drink there. But long story short, I thought iced peppermint mocha was horrible and I will never do it again. And I was so sure I'd love it that I bought a LARGE! 

5. I love Christmas movies! My grandma used to take me out for dinner and a movie every year for my birthday. It's gotten harder since I moved and my birthday is at the start of the busiest time of the year at my job. We always used to go see the latest Christmas movie if there wasn't a Twilight/Harry Potter movie out at that time that year. My favorite Christmas movie is definitely Elf. On my mom's side of the family, one of their Christmas traditions is to watch A Christmas Story every year. I actually haven't seen that movie yet?! How I managed that, I do not know, but I have it! Just have yet to watch it!

6. I love Christmas music! I worked in the mall one Christmas at the Hickory Farms stand and I didn't like Christmas music that year. They played the same couple of CD's over and over and over all day and I wanted to die! But right now I'm listening to the Pentatonix Christmas CD and it is quite amazing! As long as you mix up the Christmas music, I love it.

7. I love getting to see family that aren't around much the rest of the year! This year I was supposed to spend Christmas with my boyfriend's family (because we made a deal that we'll do Thanksgiving with one person's family and then Christmas with the other's and then switch the next year), but my mom is home for Christmas for the first time since 2006. So naturally, I have to go home. I feel kind of bad because the BF didn't come with me last year. He came separately the day after Christmas and I yelled at him a lot for not spending time with my family when I have to spend so much with his. But he's being really gracious with me. I really don't think that he cares. He just doesn't want to come with me because he got his hopes set on not having to do anything or go anywhere on Christmas. Which is fine. It makes me sad because I want him to come with me, but it was really a last minute plan.

8. I also love all the food that the aforementioned (lol I hope I used that word right) family brings. Om nom nom.

9. Ooh! Even the coolest part of Christmas this year, I have a fireplace in my house to hang the stockings on! Pictures will come if I ever find something to hang them up with. Those fancy stocking hangers they have in the Christmas aisle are EXPENSIVE, especially for an item that seems to generally only have one hook!

Alright, well, I think that's about all I shall mention. I gotta save something for my Guest of the Month post on Sunday!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? :)

Waiting on Wednesday (#28)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2016

Pages: 400

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday (#26)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year!

1. ARC OF PASSENGER BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN

2. The Rose Society by Marie Lu

3. Never Never by Brianna Shrum

4. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

5. This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

6. The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

7. Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

8. Wandering Star by Romina Russell

9. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

10. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

What are some books that you're hoping Santa leaves for you this year? :)

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger #1

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: January 5th, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: ARC Trade

Pages: 464

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

First of all, I love Alexandra Bracken's writing so much! She is just utterly amazing. I loved that this is historical fiction. I loved the world building. I love the attention to detail in the way that the people of different eras and places dress and act. I enjoyed the way the concept of how time travel and passages work was really easy to follow. I liked the characters. I just really enjoyed everything about this book!

Etta is, as mentioned, a violin prodigy, but she is also a traveler, unaware of her abilities until she is pushed into a passage by a strange girl and wakes up to find that she is no longer in Manhattan in 2015, but on a ship headed to New York in 1776. She learns that Sophia, the stranger who pushed Etta into the passage, was given the task of finding Etta and bringing her back in time to her Grandfather, Cyrus Ironwood. On the ship, Etta manages to make friends with the crew and especially Nicholas, the legal pirate and captain of the ship. Once she meets with Ironwood, she is blackmailed into going on a scavenger hunt all over the world through time to find something he claims that her mother stole from him and hid. She accepts the challenge, but has plans of her own when she finds the very important artifact that Ironwood wants so badly.

I really liked Etta! I think that my favorite thing about her is how shamelessly flirty she is with Nicholas. I love it. I don't even know what to say about her. She is smart to be able to figure out the clues her mom left her to find the next passages that she needs. She's brave. She's willing to do anything for the people she loves. I just found her to be a really fantastic heroine!

Nicholas is the perfect gentleman. He follows Etta on her journey through time to find what Ironwood wants. He has his own reasons for tagging along, but he is very helpful to Etta. He claims that he can be Etta's protector, but she just wants him to be her partner. He's really got some conflicting feelings going on in this book, but I really like him as well.

Etta and Nicholas are obviously the romance in this novel and I really liked their romance. Etta doesn't have any qualms about Nicholas in the romance department, but Nicholas has some hesitation about it due to the fact that they are from completely different times and I think a little bit because of the difference in their skin color. But they're so so so good together, I think!

There isn't anything in particular that I can think of that I didn't like about this book. It didn't leave me feeling completely and utterly wowed, but I did enjoy this book quite a lot!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book! If you love Alexandra Bracken, historical fiction, and time travel, I think that this will be the book for you! It's an EXCELLENT book and I can't wait to read Wayfarer (SO FAR AWAY) so I can learn how that cliffhanger gets resolved! Definitely get this book in January when it comes out!

Discussion: Read Alongs

Today's discussion post is going to cover read alongs. Specifically, what do you like to see in a read along? Do you like read alongs as like a big event with giveaways, chats, discussion questions, etc? Or are you more the type who thinks all that stuff is unnecessary? Just schedule a time to read the book and get on with it?

I'm asking because I kind of want to host a read along at some point this next year. I have a lot of ideas beyond just reading the book and being done with it. 

I guess there's not a whole lot for me to discuss here. I haven't taken part in very many read alongs yet. I think I've only done one. I started The Lunar Chronicles Read Along hosted by Brittany at The Book Addict's Guide. I didn't end up finishing it because I didn't particularly care for the series, but from what I remember of that read along, she made a tag and one person per month of the read along who used the hashtag on twitter or instagram would be chosen to win a prize. 

There was a Something Strange and Deadly read along I saw going around and they had discussion questions and lots of other things to promote Truthwitch. I didn't participate in that one, but everything looked really fun!

So yeah, do you prefer a read along to be just reading or do you think it would be rad to have more ways to participate if maybe you want to take part, but don't necessarily have the time or desire to read the books with everyone else? I think that all the extra things would be super fun, but what kinds of extra things would you like to see?

I would GREATLY appreciate any and all suggestions for what you think would make a wonderful read along as I have never hosted anything before and I want it to be SO AWESOME!

Waiting on Wednesday (#27)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: January 19th, 2016

Pages: 384

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.

Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees. 

What are you waiting for this week?

Top Ten Tuesday (#25)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015!

1. In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

3. Legend by Marie Lu

4. All the Rage by Courtney Summers

5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

6. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

7. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

8. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

9. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

10. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

What are some of the best books that you read this year?