Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

I did this book tag in 2015 and I thought it would be fun to do it again so here we go :)

1. Best book you've read so far in 2017
Confess by Colleen Hoover which I reviewed HERE

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead which is the last in the Bloodlines series. If you want to check out my review for it click HERE

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to
I suck, I can't think of anything.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the yearColleen Hoovers new book that comes out in October. I. Need. It. Now. Oh and wait isn't John Greens books coming out? What's the date?!

5. Biggest disappointment
I wouldn't say it was a huge disappointment but I didn't enjoy Beastly Lights by Theresa Jane as much as I was hoping to. Review HERE

6. Biggest surprise
I don't mean surprise in wow I'm shocked this book was good because I've liked previous books by this author but Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick is one of my favorite books hands down. My review can be found by clickinggggg HERE

7. Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)
Most of the books I've read this year are authors that I already love so I can't really answer this one.

8. Newest fictional crush
Adam Connor from To Hate Adam Connor by the lovely Ella Maise. Review

9. Newest favorite character
Owen Gentry from Confess <3

10. Book that made you cry
Confess. No joke.

11. Book that made you happy
I laughed a lot in To Hate Adam Connor. Ella has an incredible way of making you laugh in her books and making them a really fun experience.

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year
I have not watched a book to film adaptation this year yet.

13. Favorite review you've written this year
Probably my review for Dangerous Lies. I loved the book so much so it was really easy to write a review for it.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker. I received this book for review - and did my review Tuesday which you can find  - and when I got it in the mail I just stared at the cover. It's stunning.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year
Many.

Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker

Before I start you all know I like to tell you when I receive a book for review...so now's where I tell you I was sent this book ;)
Even when I am sent a book my opinion is 100% honest because I need you guys to be able to trust me. Luckily for me a lot of the ARCS I'm sent I really do enjoy.
Except for Beastly Lights...we all know that one didn't become my favorite.
I loved Until It Fades. Like really genuinely enjoyed my time reading it.
In the beginning we are in the past which sometimes I don't like. I feel like it's not always well done and unnecessary. However I really liked it this time around. I felt like we needed that background to understand our main character Catherine.
Speaking of our main character I think she's absolutely wonderful. She has dealt with some pretty not fun things in her life but she's not annoying about it like some characters can be.
She seems real and I love that.
As far as our love interest Brett, yeah I love him too.
The rundown of the story is that Cath had a baby when she was pretty young and is now a single mom working for a truck stop diner. One night on the way home from a terrible blind date she sees a car that has hit a tree and she stops to call the police. During her phone call to them she sees that the driver is deceased but the passenger -while he has some serious injuries- can be helped. The car catches on fire and through serious super human strength and a little help from the half conscious man, Cath is able to get him out of the car. Once the police show up - one officer is her best friend - she begs them to keep her name out of report. Remember how I said she's had some not so fun things happen? Yeah that's why she doesn't want her name out there.
Anyway it turns out that the man she saved is a NHL star and his mother is a huge movie star. He ends up finding out her name and showing up on her doorstep.
I don't really want to tell you much more because then I'll start gushing and end up giving you every detail. If you guys are looking for a book that is extremely well written but also easy to read you seriously don't need to look any further.
I loved the characters, the writing, everything. I definitely recommend Until It Fades!!


Buy Until It Fades Here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Listen to my playlist for Until It Fades on Spotify by clicking HERE

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

If you guys are long time readers of my blog then you know that I'm a big fan of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. You also know that I have a deep love for Adrian Ivashkov. Ah. Adrian.
I read the Vampire Academy series FOREVER ago and when I found out there was going to be a spin of series I jumped on it. Well, I jumped on it once the first book was out in paperback. I really liked the first book and wanted to read the second but waited until it too was released in paperback. For some reason when I got it though I didn't read it at first. Silly me.
When I finally did read it I was in love. Because I took 10 years to read it books 3-5 were out so I went crazy and bought them all on my kindle and read them one after the other. I couldn't wait for the last book to come out but didn't want to pay for the hardback and at that time the kindle book was more than a paperback so I waited.
It finally released in paperback and I snatched it up and then it sat on my shelf. I didn't want the series to end. This is a world that I've lived in for a while with these books and I wasn't ready for it to be over. But a couple weeks ago I looked at it and I just really wanted to find out what was going to happen. So I read it.
It's hard for me to review books that aren't the first book in a series - let alone the last book - so I'm not really going to give you any details.
What I will say is that I loved it. If you have read Vampire Academy or Bloodlines and haven't read the Ruby Circle yet don't be like me and wait forever.
Adrian and Sydney are so ship worthy it's sickening. I love them so much.
So much happens in this installment that it's crazy but so so good.
If you have read the series please leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
Obviously I definitely recommend!!

Buy The Ruby Circle Here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Top Ten Tuesday: June 20, 2017

Top Ten Series I've Been Meaning to Start But Haven't:

10. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

8.Across The Universe by Beth Revis

7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

6. Rebel Bell by Rachel Hawkins

5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

3. The Point by Jay Crownover

2. A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
1. Harry Potter...by J.K. Rolling

OITNB: Heathers Perspective

Hello friends, so as you know yesterday I shared my take on season 5 of Orange Is The New Black. Today my friend Heather, who you know from her DUFF story on Wednesday, has shared her thoughts. Enjoy!! Along with most of the planet I spent my weekend bingeing season 5 of Orange is the New Black and let me tell ya it was a weekend well spent. Okay so I must say that the last 2 seasons weren't exactly stellar in my opinion and I did struggle a bit to get through the last one but I still found myself wanting more. As the release date got closer and the previews started dropping the more excited I got. Now I've been reading a lot of people's thoughts about the new season and all I can think is did they watch the same show that I did because I thought it was brilliant. It finally got back to the same level of excitement and darkness as the first 2. It picked right up with Daya holding the gun on the guard and it didn't stop until it was over. I literally was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The acting was on point and the characters made us fall for them all over again. It was a constant rollercoaster of emotions that lasted the entire season. I both laughed and cried so hard in almost every episode and all my favorites were in it. There were a couple breakout scenes for me that made me feel these girls pain and love for Poussey so deeply that I seriously had to take breaks in the episodes in order to get through them. That's how good it was in my opinion. The character that really got to me the most and I felt was the real star of this season was by far Taystee, that girl took me to places I wasn't ready for and she left me screaming for more. So I completely disagree completely with all the negative Nancy's out there who say that this show has lost it's spark. I think it is the best season yet and Netflix did a great job with it. The only regret I have is bingeing the entire season in 3 days because now I'm crying about having to wait a year to find out what happens to my girls.

OITNB: My Thoughts

I'm sure many of you know that I am a big fan of Orange Is The New Black. I've done that tag and I've mentioned it a few times on my blog. So as a huge fan I'm sure it's no surprise that I was counting down the hours until this fantastic show began streaming on Netflix.
I woke up at 5:30 in the morning and while my sweet son still slept I binged the hell out of it.
I ended up finishing it completely in the span of three days. The only reasons it took me three whole days to finish are because I do have a son and it's not exactly Paw Patrol material we're working with here, and also because I needed a break between some of the episodes.
I posted on my personal Facebook that I was watching it and mentioned something about Taystee and a good friend of mine commented that she had finished the season and hated it. She proceeded to write a few more paragraphs on how the show has gone downhill and basically thinks it sucks now. She did say a few scenes were good and the acting for some was great but those were about the nicest things she had to say. Well that had me worried! I was only 3 or 4 episodes in at the time so I thought to myself, "Self? Does this mean that these first few episodes have been good and the rest suck?"
Uh. No.
At least not in my opinion.
I'm going to be totally honest with you guys, I did not like season 4. It took me probably a month to actually finish it because I just wasn't as addicted as I usually am. I will say the last couple of episodes got me hooked and I was upset when it was over. But as an overall season I didn't like it.
I was excited for this season because I wanted to see how they were going to pick up from season 4 and I wanted to see all of the characters I love so much. The previews were bad ass too soooo that kind of helped in my excitement.
I think season was the best season since the first 2. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at the stinkin screen. It was incredible.
The acting guys. The freaking acting. Danielle Brooks who plays Taystee deserves every award that's ever been created and future awards that don't exist yet. She was phenomenal. She had me in TEARS!! Her performance was absolutely stunning. If I ever got the chance to meet her I'd just want to hug her and tell her she's the best ever. Like ever.
The other actresses did a fantastic job as well but I think Taystee really was the hit this season and really captured all of us.
In conclusion I have to say again that I loved it. If you haven't checked it out yet you should because...wow. So so good.

I'm A DUFF: Heather

It's been a hot minute since I have shared someones DUFF story but I'm so happy to be bringing it back today. My friend Heather will be telling you her story and I have to tell you I think she did such a beautiful job writing it and I'm so proud of her for being so fearless and opening up to us.
Thank you Heather!!
____

My name is Heather and I'm a DUFF!!
I've always made friends really easily. I was never the shy girl. I love to talk, dance, and help out anywhere I could. I was a part of so many groups in school, but I never fit into one particular group of people. I fit into all of them in some way so as awesome as that might sound, it's actually quite lonely. I had so many friends but soon realized I was always going to be that girl that they associated with for whatever need they had for me at that moment, like the backup friend in case something better fell through. I was never really the popular one by society standards. I mean I liked to read and was good at school and followed the rules: the good girl that did what she was supposed to.
I was the plain girl next door, the one that is always there for you, but you never really pay attention to. I've always felt like I was pretty, but never beautiful. I've never been skinny a day in my life and I'm barely 5'2" with mousy light brown hair so not really model material you know, and people sometimes made fun of me and called me "Hefty Heather" like it was a compliment. I tried to ignore it but deep down it hurt so bad and no matter how little I ate and how active I was I could never lose enough weight.
This battle followed me well into early adulthood and I often stumbled over my style to find what I could wear that was flattering and what I shouldn't wear. I realized I should always play up my eyes and smile because they are my best features and that glitter is always a girls best friend. I also learned that I have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis which is the reason why I have such a hard time losing weight, along with that comes infertility and gull bladder issues along with a ton of food allergies as well as depression and sever anxiety. I also had to have a cancerous tumor removed and undergo radiation therapy. So in a nutshell the weight is the least of my concern. It wasn't until after I started dating my husband and ending up in a treatment facility after a suicide attempt that I was able through a lot of therapy and self reflection and having the most supportive husband, friends and family a girl could ever hope for. I finally got to a place in my life where I can actually say that I love the person that I am.
I will also learn to love the many versions of this person that will evolve as my life goes on. I have learned that it's okay to not be perfect according to some stupid stereotype that society makes us think we have to fit. Yes I still have my days where I look in the mirror and am like "oh girl today is not your day" but on those days I make myself put on my favorite heels and dress and put on the makeup and do my hair because my momma always told me that no matter what, "You get up, dress up, show up and never give up." I am proud of the woman that I have become because I have had to fight her so much in order to become her. I can finally accept it as a fact when my husband calls me beautiful instead of dismiss it as him just being nice. I know that it is okay to stand out because I have a super power that no one else has. I am ME and no one else can ever have that power.
Guess what, you all have an equally amazing super power too, the power of being YOU and don't ever let anyone take that power away!!

The Book Blogger Memory Tag

I saw this tag on the Book Nuts blog and thought it was a fun tag and I wanted to be a follower and participate. If you want to check out the tag click HERE
I tag Just Another Bookish Blog and Mornings and Epilogues

1. Name a book written by an author named Michael.
Fern Michaels...does that count?

2. Name a book with a dragon on the cover.
A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin.

3. Name a book about a character called George.
Curious?

4. Name a book written by an author with the surname Smith.
Jennifer E. Smith
I love her and was able to interview her a couple of years ago. Check it out HERE

5. Name a book set in Austrailia.
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

6. Name a book with the name of a month in the title.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover <3

7. Name a book with a knife on the cover.
There's an edition of The Outsiders that has a knife on the cover so I'm going to choose that one since I LOVE that book.

8. Name a book with the word "one" in the title.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline...which I still haven't read.

9. Name a book with an eponymous title.
Does Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List count?

10. Name a book turned into a movie.
The Princess Diaries.

Why Do They Do This To Us?!

The other day I was catching up on a favorite television show of mine and do you know what happened? One of the main characters died.
Yep. Died. Dead. Bye bye.
After I finished crying and going through the other stages of television character loss grief I got thinking about how angry it makes when they kill off main characters.
You know what I hate even more than killing them off? Almost killing them, letting them live, and then uh oh yep killing them.
It drives me nuts!!
In this particular show this character had an issue with another person. They almost killed her and she lived. Then she gets in a car accident. And lives. Then she's in the hospital and bam outta nowhere she's gone. Not only did I hate that they killed her off but I hated the way that they did it. You know why they killed her off though? Because she didn't want to be on the show anymore.
I recently read that the girl who plays Emma Swan on Once Upon A Time is leaving the show as well as half the cast. She said that she was ready to move on and it ticked me off.
Listen this is how I feel, if you're going to sign up for a show then you need to commit to it. It's not fair to make us fall in love with you and then leave because you're ready to move on. If you're not interested in a long commitment then don't audition for television shows.
I sometimes wonder if these actors that we love realize the impact that they have on us. Week by week, episode by episode, we fall deeper in love with these characters. They become real to us and we look up to them.
The other thing is if you REALLY don't want to be on the show anymore I think they should agree to be a series regular or even a guest. Letting them kill off their character is way to final and it's not fair to the viewers.
I know this is a little bit different than something I'd normally write but I really needed to vent. If you want to leave me a comment and give me your opinion I would love it!!