Some Books & Ramblings

          I requested an arc of Brave Enough because I knew Kati Garner was having a launch event at my bookstore, and I was so happy when I was selected for a copy! I realized the event was coming up, so I decided to read it. I finished it in one sitting and I couldn't stop smiling the whole way through. It was so adorable. I am so glad I read it, even though it was a bit out of my comfort zone being a contemporary story.           Kati Garner is an Own Voices author, which means that she is also a cancer survivor who had her leg amputated, just like the main character Cason in the story. I am really glad I read this book, because I learned so much about what kids with cancer and addiction go through. I know I still have so much more to learn, and that's okay because I am willing to. I want to help.           Now, on to my review! I will hopefully pos...

          Back in June, I had the opportunity to meet Kate Alice Marshall and Natalie C. Parker for a mini book discussion. I say mini because it was a last minute thing and only two people showed up. I was lucky enough to get an arc of I Am Still Alive and an arc of Seafire, but this isn't a Seafire review, is it? That will come later this month!           Today is about I Am Still Alive and how brilliant it was. When I first heard about this book, I knew it was going onto my TBR shelf. I have been getting into YA thrillers and this book definitely counts as a thriller. I got this arc for reviewing from Quail Ridge and Kate Alice Marshall for the Teen Advisory Board. I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall, published July 24th 2018 by Viking Books. Intended reading age is 12+. Strong language and violence throughout the book is present. Publisher description: After:  Jess is alone. Her...

          I cannot even tell you how excited I am to write this review. Not only is this my favorite story out of the bind up of The Assassins Blade, it means I am officially starting my Re-read of the Throne of Glass series in anticipation of Kingdom of Ash coming out this October! 😲 Note: I will be using details for each individual novella and not the bind up details. Recommended reading age may differ for the book as a whole. These reviews will also be pretty short, as the stories are short. So without further ado, here it is! The Assassin and The Pirate Lord, novella #1 from The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, published 1/13/12 from Bloomsbury Publishing. No recommended reading age available. Publisher Description:           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 ...

          I have so many books to read and review it's not even funny. Most of them are either for TAB, from the library or from Netgalley. So of course as soon as I got this in the mail I read it. In my defense, I waited a full day before picking it up, but still. *sigh*           I adored this book. If I didn't love Zu before, I certainly do now. I was so happy to see the old Black Betty gang again, especially Liam! I liked him the best out of them in this book (besides Zu, obviously.) I am obsessed with Roman and Priya and I hope one day Alex will come back to these characters. Fun fact: I believe Mercy by Shawn Mendes is the Rubiam anthem. I just wanted to put that out there. Also Shawn Mendes is who I see Liam as. Anyways, on to the official review! The Darkest Legacy By Alexandra Bracken, published July 31st, 2018 by Disney-Hyperion. Intended audience is 13+ YA+, but there is a lot of st...

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give you guys a quick update on how my reviews are going to work from here on out. I m formatting them way differently! I won't be doing my typical breakdown of a book by plot, characters and thoughts overall anymore. I will be switching it up a bit! But, that leads me to my first question. I re-wrote my review for The Dark Beneath The Ice by Amelinda Berube in my new format, and was wondering if I should post the updated version? Let me know if you want to see it! The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles, Published  1/31/17 by Bloomsbury Publishing, recommended reading age: 14+/Grade 9+ Publisher Description: When their worlds collide, X and Zoe are pushed to the edge of everything in this much-buzzed-about tour de force fantasy from Entertainment Weekly veteran Jeff Giles. For the perfect love, what would you be willing to lose? It's been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who's still reeling from her father's shocking d...

Hey! It's me! You might not have remembered me because it seems like I never post here anymore! Don't worry, I am trying to be better about that. I want to start posting at least one book review or one book tag a week. It's a challenge for myself as well as something to keep my creative juices flowing. I'm even going to put a few on a schedule so they will post while I'm on vacation! I am hoping that by committing publicly to this new rule I'm putting in place for myself that I will stick to it but I guess only time will tell.      If for some reason you actually like hearing my thoughts, I post more regularly on my Instagram account of the same name. I actually have posted every day this month for a reading challenge called #ReadingPride, created by Marrill of BooksandRavens on Instagram! I've had a lot of fun participating, and she is such a sweet person with lovely photos, you should definitely check her account out! Anyways, on to the book tag. I'...

Hello everyone!      I am here to tell you that I need your help. If you have read any of my reviews and plan to keep doing so, I need your feedback.      I want to update my reviewing style to grow my blog and have more people reading what I write and I am not happy with how I currently review books. So what needs to change? What can I do differently? How can I make this better? What do you want to see in a book review? How often do you want to see reviews? Let me know!      You can message me on Instagram at Somebooksandramblings or here in the comments! Thank you so much in advance! -Sam

AHH! It's been so long since I posted a review, let alone read anything! It seems like I either post reviews or post pictures on my bookstagram (@somebooksandramblings), there is no in between! I promise I will try to be better, especially not that I am a part of my local indie's teen advisory board which requires a review each month for a not yet published book.  Today is my review of The Dark Beneath The Ice by Amelinda Berube, which comes out in August of 2018! OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: Something is wrong with Marianne. It's not just that her parents have split up, or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital. She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. Something is after her. But a first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. And Marian...

I messed up. I thought I wrote this review, but it never happened! I read this at the beginning of April, but then we had some stuff going on in my family and I just took a break from everything. And alas, it was a library book so I cannot go back and double check my facts so if I'm wrong or forgetting something, please let me know! OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and...

      In honor of Avengers: Infinity War coming out this month, I thought I would do a Marvel tag. It will be the same as last time, if you would like to do this, feel free! Q1. Iron Man: Favorite first book in a series? A1: Oh man, there are so many good first books. If you didn't like the first one, how did you move on in the series? But I think I have to go with A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. I love that book to bits. Q2: Captain America: A book/series you've read that took place in another time period? A2:  The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I loved the Victorian/steampunk vibe of the whole series 😍 Q3: Thor: Pick a character that appealed to you even more once they were cast for a movie/show. A3: Ruby Daly, from The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. Next question? Q4: Hawkeye: A book that you love but is not very popular? A4: I am choosing two for this one. The first is Defy The Stars by Claudia Gray. Think Westworld, bu...