The One All About August 2014

Posts:

The One With the Top 10 Books I Really Want to Read but Don't Own Yet

The One Where I Explain My Unexplained Absence

The One Where I Answer 55 Questions Part 1

The One Where I Answer 55 Questions Part 2

Wow. Basically August was nonexistent on the blog. I blame it on my unexpected lack of internet (see above). But, instead of bemoaning my lack of posts for August, I'll let you know the awesomeness that is coming up in September.

First. A review and GIVEAWAY! Well, the giveaway isn't the book (though that may change between now and then), but it is related to the book. So jump for joy!

Also, look for my reviews of the Throne of Glass series. Unfortunately, I got behind on reading that series. I had originally wanted the reviews for the first 2 books posted before now with my Heir of Fire review being posted today in order to correlate with the release. Unfortunately, life happened and I haven't yet gotten around to Heir of Fire (I'm dying on the inside - I must know what happens!) but am planning on getting around to it within the next week or two. So, even though I haven't read it, I know it'll be amazing and am about to shamelessly promote it.


READ HEIR OF FIREEEEEEE!!!

JUST LOOK AT THE COVER!!

 FULL OF SUCH AWESOMENESS! 
AND AFTER THE END OF CROWN OF MIDNIGHT?! READ NOWWWWW! 
CHAOLLLLLLLLLLL!
*SWOON*

I've heard there are some awesome new characters, action, adventure, blood, and AWESOMENESS! I've heard it's even better than the first two. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!
Even though I plan on re-reviewing the first two, here are the links to my old reviews of Book 1 and Book 2 (full of GIFs!) in hopes of convincing those who haven't yet started the amazingness that is this series.

And, since I haven't actually read Heir of Fire yet, here is a link to a review of someone who has read it in hopes of convincing you of this series awesomeness. If she can't convince you, no one can. 

Seriously, read this series. It'll blow your mind. It just keeps getting better and better. 

Now, please excuse my while I lock myself in my room forgoing food, homework, and all social interaction in order to finish Crown of Midnight and then proceed to be emotionally gutted by Heir of Fire. Goodbye world. See you on the other side. Most likely not in one piece.

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The One With the Top 10 Books I Really Want to Read but Don't Own Yet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. 

This Week's Topics is

Top 10 Books I Really Want to Read But Don't Own Yet

So I could've easily made a whole list of books that aren't out yet that I would give up my first born for (I kid....possibly). But, I realized that there are a lot of books, especially series, that I haven't yet finished and would really love to. So, this list is split in half. The first half consists of book series that I've started, but don't yet have the final books. The second half consists of books coming out in the future that I'm incredibly psyched for. 

Already Released

1. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

I read Divergent when it first came out a long time ago. In between waiting for the next in the series, I found new books to read. Which means this series was left by the wayside. Though I still haven't read Insurgent (don't kill me!), I own that one whereas I don't own Allegiant. I plan on getting around to reading it....eventually.

2. The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson

Guysssss this series! AHHHHH! So good! And HECTOR?! *Swoon*

I can't believe I haven't gotten around to the final book yet! I'm actually going to reread the whole series to get all the feels (and lots of Hector). 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns Review (#1) (Wow. I think this is one of my first reviews ever)

The Crown of Embers (#2) (Even better than book 1!)

3. Deception  (Defiance #2) by C.J. Redwine

I read Defiance a while ago after the raves from fellow bloggers and I remember loving it. Too bad I didn't write a review for it :/ Anywho, I also plan on rereading this soon now that the whole trilogy is out! 

4. Sacrifice (Legacy #3) by Cayla Kluver 

This series is...interesting. As you can tell from my review of the first book, Legacy, my feelings were definitely mixed. And....I actually never finished the 2nd book....but I plan to, I promise! Again, like book 1, I absolutely loathed it and loved it. The reason I didn't finish it isn't because it wasn't good, but because I was absolutely terrified of how the ending would come about. At this point I hated Alera and Narian and the people I liked were in awful situations. So, I set it down choosing to be blissfully ignorant of how the book seemed to be going and instead make up a nice, happy ending in my own head. I plan on shattering those notions soon though to finish the 2nd book so I can get to this one. It's only taken me 3 years. Not long at all....Baby steps. Baby steps. 

5. Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggott 

So this is yet another series I started way back when and never finished. Pure was incredibly dark and raw and brilliant. It's a wretched dystopia that I was dying to understand. Unfortunately, I just never got around to getting my hands on the 2nd book and this series fell to the wayside. It's definitely one I plan on delving into in the future. 

Yet to be Released

6. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Moving past her name, this book sounds amazing. She's a princess, a spy, and a threat?1 Trifecta of awesomeness! Also, the Black Knife (aka hot man?) sounds mysterious and intriguing. Sign me up!  

7. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

OMG!!! I've been waiting for this one forever. Well, maybe not forever, per se, but pretty darn close! It sounds so dark and magical and has hot men. And Adelina sounds like an anti-hero you can't help but feel for. Not to mention its blurbed as "X-men meets Assassin's Creed 2 meets Game of Thrones". I CAN WAIT NO LONGER!!!! 

8. Shadow and Scale (Seraphina #2) by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina was absolutely stunning. Brilliantly done, captivating, and there were DRAGONS. I've been waiting for news on this book and it's finally here and sounds phenomenal! IT ONLY TOOK 3 YEARS! 

9. The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan

WLEFJWOEIFJWOEFIJWODF!!!! IT'S THE END!!!! I DON'T WANT IT TO ENDDDDDD! PERCABETHHHHHHH!!! EVERYONE ELSE!!!! LEOOOOOOOO!

10. Throne of Glass series 

Okay, so I'm totally cheating on this one because I technically own up through Heir of Fire, but they are eARCs and I want the real thing. I want these beauties sitting on my bookshelf so I can stare adoringly at them. They are brilliant and CHAOLLLLL!

+1 Novella: Fairest by Marissa Meyer 

Okay, so another cheat. Sue me. But I can't wait to learn all about Levana's backstory. I love learning about how people become who they are and why they do what they do (psychology lover here), so this is basically perfection. Also, it's like book-length which makes me happy. Yay!  

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The One with the Top Ten Characters I Woul Want on a Deserted Island With Me (#3)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. 

This Week's Topics is

Top 10 Characters I Would Want on a Deserted Island With Me

For hotness or otherwise.....

1. Celaena (Throne of Glass)

Because she's Celaena. First off, she's snarky and we can complain to each other about our unfortunate circumstances. However, we'd totally be rocking it on the beach. She'll totally make it fun with all her sarcastic wit. Also, she kicks butt. I'm pretty sure she could take on whatever unsavory creature comes our way. 

2. Cress (Cress)

Yes, sweet, adorkable Cress. She's a techie! Sureeee there aren't going to be any technological advances on a deserted island, but I feel like she's a gal who could make a communicator out of coconut and twigs. 

3. Captain Thorne (Cress) 

Move over Cress, he's mine now. He'd make living on a deserted island bearable with his wit and humor. And hotness. Can't forget that.

4. Hermione (Harry Potter)

One word: magic. You know, so we could actually survive. There's probably a spell out there somewhere for building a boat. And if not, the LeviOsa charm will come in handy for lifting large pieces of wood to build said boat. Also, she's is the brightest witch of her age, so she'll know what to eat and what not to eat. She can make a magical tent or treehouse. And, if all else fails, she could just apparate us out of there.

5. Chaol (Throne of Glass)

Because he's really, really, ridiculously good-looking. Also, he'd take being on a deserted island in stride. And practice sword-fighting on the beach. 

Shirtless.

6. Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief)

He's the son of the Sea god! We're on a deserted Island in the middle of the ocean! How could I not want this kid? He can use his awesome, watery skills to get us off the island. And make a really cool waterside of some sort. He can make a rainbow for an Isis-message to let people know where we are. 

Also, wit. He makes any situation fun. And not to hard on the eyes either ;)

7. Annabeth (The Lightning Thief) 

Because, let's face it, where would Percy be without this girl? She's a super genius! Both she and Percy can call in favors with the gods which is always helpful. She's also an architectural genius which means she knows how to build a boat. And while we are waiting for the boat to be built, we can live it out in style with the amazing treehouse I know Annabeth will build. It will put HGTV to shame.  

8. Cinder (Cinder)

She's a mechanic and tinkerer. I feel like with her, Hermione, Cress, and Annabeth, we should be able to build a freakin boat....

9. Katniss (The Hunger Games)

Not gonna lie, I think she's kind a downer. Not a fun as the other people on this list. But, she's hunts. I eat. 

10. Nikolai (Siege and Storm)

Because he's Nikolai. He's also incredibly inventive. And funny. And hot. And intelligent. And snarky. And hot. And sarcastic. And a privateer. And a prince. And hot......

I think I have a pretty good list going here. Honestly, I wouldn't mind being on a deserted island with this motley group of awesomeness. I'd have a blast hanging with all the gals kicking butt, swapping stories, exchanging wit and looking at the gloriousness that is the men shirtless. I think I'd like to hang out on this island a bit soaking up the rays, building campfires, and awesome tree houses (and having fun with water slides and waves a la Percy) before heading out. I'll be sure to mark it on a map so as to come back and visit. 

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The One with Top Ten Tuesday #2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.  Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. 

This week's topic is:

TOP 10 BOOKS ON MY SUMMER TBR

So, as y'all know from my post last week, I've dedicated this summer to series. So, instead of posting about each individual book, if it's part of a series I'm reading, I'm just going to group them together. 

The Grisha Trilogy
by Leigh Bardugo 

This is one of my series re-reads for the summer. Why? In preparation for this last book, of course! Gah! This series! The beautiful world-building, the amazing characters, the Grisha! So complex and just all-around phenomenal. I've read the first one and part of the second book, and let me tell you, it's just as good the second time around! Maybe it's because I don't remember all the details (part of the reason for re-reading) but I was never bored. All the emotions I felt the first time I read them are still there. Proof of a good series. 

The Divergent Trilogy
by Veronica Roth

Okay, confession: I've only read Divergent. *hangs head in shame* With the movies coming out, I feel the need to finish this series. That includes rereading the first one because I literally don't remember a thing.....

The Legend Trilogy

by Marie Lu

Okay....so here's another one of the "hang head in shame" series on my list. I loved the first book. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling the second. I think it may have just been because I was in a bit of a hiccup with reading, buttttttttt I'll admit I may be a bit nervous. That's actually the reason I've been putting it off. But I vow to finish it this summer. I must!

Throne of Glass series

by Sarah J. Maas

GUYSSSSSS!!!! THIS SERIES!!!!!! PHENOMENAL! BREATHTAKING! FULL OF BUTT-WHOOPING AWESOMENESS!!! I'm just re-reading this series because of it's absolute amazingnesss. Seriously, beyond amazing. So, SO good. 

Midnight Theif (Midnight Thief #1)
by Livia Blackburne
Release Date: July 8, 2014

THIEVES AND ASSASSINS!!!!
WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?!?!?! This book is basically written for me!
Okay, so I've actually heard that this one may not be quite as good as I expect. However, I'm definitely giving this one a chance, just maybe knocking down my expectations a bit. 

The Children of the Red King
by Jenny Nimmo

So this is an oldie, but a goodie. The last books came out when I was older and I just never got around to them. They are pretty easy reads and entertaining at that so I've decided to re-read and finish the series. 

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)
by Cinda Williams Chima

So I actually hate finishing series. It's one reason why I'm dedicating this summer to them hoping that'll make me read them. You see, I have when a good series ends because that means it's over. It's done for. This is one of those series. I've had this book FOREVER and I've never read it because I don't want this series to end. But I want to. This series is so good, it's worth finishing. 

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1)
by Erika Johansen

This is a new book coming out this summer that's been on my radar for a while now. I'm always game for a medieval like fantasy! It promises political intrigue and lots of action. Add in brave knights (I'm always game for a man in uniform) and magic and this is just calling my name. I've heard mostly good reviews so it's definitely high on my TBR. 


Okay, so I know that's not quite 10, but since half of this list consists of series, I'm going to be reading a lot more than that! So what books are y'all planning on reading this summer? 

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
by Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 416 (not enough!)
Source: Netgalley
Format: Ebook


Rating: Absolutely AMAZING!! Fantastic! I need more NOW! 


Goodreads Synopsis:


After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.


My Review:


....Holy...I don't even know what to say! That was utterly fantastic! 
Characters = amazing.
Plot = amazing.
Whole freaking book = amazing.


You know those books where you don't want it to end? You just want it to continue on forever and ever and be blissfully unaware of everything in this world except for this book? Yeah, that's definitely this book. 




What I loved:


Celaena: 
This, this is a strong female character. She kicks ass, she's strong, independent and sassy. She's got a sharp-tongue and sharper mind. She doesn't take crap from anyone and isn't afraid to speak her mind, no matter the consequences. But what makes her even more awesome? She's so unexpectedly girly. I love it that she can be physically tough, but still loves all things sparkly. She loves to dress up, wear make-up and flirt. She's the perfect mash-up of femininity and strength. 


Dorian: 
I must say, I was rather surprised I fell in love with Dorian as I did. He's a total playboy, confident flirt with a sarcastic sense of humor that I loved. But underneath that is a guy who you know will grow up to be a good leader one day. He's defiant, strong and smart. While I'm not sure I liked his and Celaena's relationship, I did adore him as a character.


Chaol:
While I actually ended up loving Dorian more than I thought, I'd be a big fat liar if I said I didn't fall head over heels for the ever stoic Captain of the Guard. He doesn't quite trust Celaena, but he's on her side. He's broody, stoic, honorable and incredibly loyal but you get those little glimpses of his dry humor and softer side. I can't wait to see more of him in the upcoming books! 


Nehemia: 
Another tough female character. That's right. There's not one but two tough female characters. Ha! And both are fantastic! She's intelligent, snarky and just all-around awesome! She's got an air of mystery that kept me guessing on what she had up her sleeve. 


Character interactions:
By far what made me love this book were the interactions between the characters. Honestly, I don't think I've ever fallen in love with a set of characters as much as I have these. I was constantly laughing at the witty banter and relishing in the tension filled goodness between the characters. Simply perfect.


Plot:
I absolutely loved it! It was interesting and creative and I loved the competition. And the ending just blew up! The mystery was a bit slow at first, but then during the last half the mystery really comes into play and everything just happens and it's a crazy fast whirlwind of absolute awesomeness! Sword-fighting, princes, assassins, soldiers, knives, mystery, fighting princesses, crazy tyrants and complex worlds. What more could you want?!?! I love that there are little snippets here and there of more awesomeness to come! More fae and magic and more information about Celeana's past. I must say I was really surprised with the addition of the fae, but it keeps me hooked for book two. This book really only covered the surface of what this world is capable of and I really look forward to the expansion of the plot! 


POV Changes:
While most of the book is from Celeana's point of view, you get random views from Chaol and Dorian and while they are sporadic, I must say I really enjoyed it. It allows you a glimpse into their lives and views of Celeana. 


World-building:
Oh, fantasy. How I love thee. I could easily imagine this complex world and can't wait to explore even more of it! Though I do wish there was a map (however, I have an ARC so one may be included in the final copies). I really can't wait to learn more about Adarlan's tyrannical rule and all the interactions between the nations and their pasts. 


1 minor problem: 
Minor Spoiler Ahead:
It took too long to get to the mystery. But my main problem was that I felt that everyone (except Celaena) were kind of idiots when it came to solving it. I feel as if the author needed Celeana to be the one to solve it, so she purposefully made the other characters stupid when it came to the mystery. But the other characters were smart enough to have started to figure it out themselves ya know? I'm not saying solve it because obviously the MC is Celeana and she needs to be a big part of it, but the other characters didn't need to be quite that slow. 


Overall:


To be honest, I could go on and on about all the fantasticness of this book. I didn't want to put it down. I literally ignored everything else in my life in order to finish this book and when it was done, I didn't want it to end! The characters by far made this book for me. Their interactions were fantastic! This is another great book to add to your favorite fantasies! Goodness, my review doesn't do this book justice in the least. I've tried re-writing this too many times to count and can't get all my love for this in words. 2 months later and my mind is still reeling from all that is this book. Please, I beg you to go read it and fall in love with it as I did. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which we showcase books we borrowed/bought/won in the past week.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Bought via Barnes and Noble

I was sooo excited for this book. It had so much potential but , alas, it has fallen flat. The dark nature is intriguing but the book lacks in details and I'm not feeling the MC or the romance. It moved far to quickly and was just kind of stupid. Oh well. I ended up DNFing so I'll put up a post as to why soon. 

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

via the Publisher

YES! I'm so psyched for this book!! I've heard some creepily fantastic things about this book from people I trust so I'm really looking forward to it! Hope to start it soon!!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Via Netgalley (ARC cover)

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!! This is one of my most anticipated books of 2012! XD Its about a female ASSASSIN! Automatic WIN! I really want to read this ASAP but I'm not supposed to put up a review until a month before its released and I don't think I could contain my love for that long!! but I think I'm just going to have to give in :P Keeping my fingers crossed that its as good as I hope! 

Goodreads Links: 

Throne of Glass

The Hunt

The Last Princess

So what did y'all get in y'alls mailboxes this week? Be sure to let me know so that I can covet even more books!

All the best ♥

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The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass 0.1)
by Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 40 (Really? Felt longer!)
Source: Bought from Amazon
Format: ebook


Rating: Loved!


Goodreads Synopsis: 


A Throne of Glass novella.

On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes—and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about.


My Review: 


Celaena:

One word: Sassy. And I loved that about her! Not to mention the fact that she's an assassin so she's awesome by default. She was sarcastic and witty. Sure she was a bit high and mighty for my taste but she had that handed to her a couple times and she didn't go overboard. She is good, no doubt about it, and while she could sometimes be a bit cocky, at least she had a right to be. But she didn't always let it go to her head. She knew she was good, but not invincible. What is really liked is that we get to see her heart in this novella. She thinks she is going to see the pirate lord for one reason, but instead is there to negotiate a trade of slaves. She learns to take charge and stand up for what she believes in no matter the cost. She ended up being truly admirable.

I liked the background of the characters and how they all became assassins. You don't get the full story, but you get little glimpses that keep you interested. I look forward to seeing which characters will be in the actual book.


Also, this may only be 40 pages, but I felt like it was a fully written book! The plot was fantastic, plenty of action,  and developed characters. That's a grand accomplishment for so few pages. The only thing really was the lack of worldbuilding as a whole, but that's to be expected for lack of pages. I can tell that we'll learn more about the world in the actual book.


Overall:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella! While it may have only been a novella, it felt like a whole book! If I can expect this awesomeness from Throne of Glass, it'll definitely be in my top books of 2012!! 

 All the best ♥

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Waiting on Wednesday (8): Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are anticipating.

THRONE OF GLASS by SARAH J. MAAS

Release Date: August 7, 2012

No Cover Art Available at this time

Goodreads Synopsis: 

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Why I'm waiting on this:

Yeah, I know there's no cover but who cares?! This book sounds fascinating! I could've waited till the cover art came out but I just recently read her novella The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (review coming soon) and WOW! If the book is anything like that novella I'm so gonna love it! Besides, she's an assassin. That's pretty much an automatic win. And this captain of the guard sounds intriguing too ;) 

So what are y'all waiting on this fine Wednesday? Be sure to let me know in the comments so I can add more awesome books to my always growing TBR :D 

All the best ♥

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