Zodiac by Romina Russell | Review

Zodiac | Romina Russell
Pages: 336
Genre(s): Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Released: December 9, 2014 | Razorbill
Format: E-Copy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

 Nostalgia 

Remember when we were kids . . . back when we were first introduced to the now legendary Harry Potter? (My ex-husband) 

Do you remember the excitement we felt as we read those books? The thrill of being sucked into the world of Hogwarts . . . the wonder of exploring this very institution, and discovering all it's secrets? What about the fear of coming face to face with, " He Who Shall Not Be Named? " I can pull these memories from my mind as if they happened just yesterday, but I haven't experienced these emotions in quite some time. The delight of feeling as if I was in the story . . . like I was one of the wizards. Or the anticipation of what was going to happen next. Not too many books I've read last year, moved me in such a way . . .

until I read Zodiac by Romina Russell.

Bow Down Bitches.

Romina Russell comes into the game kicking down all doors. Her strong debut novel wasn't anything like I've read before. I felt like a kid again, eyes wide and full of wonder, as we traveled through the galaxy with her eclectic group of characters. She's an amazing story-teller, with the ability to engage her readers in this book full of imagination, that will have you on the edge of your seat until your fictional ship has finally landed. 

Su·per·no·va

a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness . . .

             

I'm not sure if it's because I haven't read too many science fiction novels set in space, (or too many science fiction novels in general for that matter) but Zodiac was truly a " mouth-open " experience for me. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love our main character Rhoma Grace. Rho was intelligent, witty, strong-minded and willed, just so sure of herself at the age of sixteen. I've read plenty of books with characters in her age group, and in my opinion, she out-shined them all with little to no effort.

Given more power than you know what to do with, how do you handle the responsibility of leading an entire galaxy, when no-one will believe that something sinister and incredibly powerful has returned to destroy it?

Even when she was looked down upon, and had her theories dismissed with simple flicks of the wrist and eye-rolls, Rho rose to the occasion with such determination. There were times she doubted herself, I mean she was young girl with a little too much on her plate, but again she stuck to her guns, and fought hard to gain the respect from the peers around her. Russell made sure to give her characters weaknesses ontop of their strengths, giving them such a realistic dimension. I found Rho to be very true to her Cancerian traits.

Boys I do adoreee.

A good story wouldn't be good without a hefty dose of testosterone, now would it?

Meet Mathias Thais:

Another resident of House Cancer, Mathias proved to be a strong character. He had a serious tone to him, rarely smiling and always focused. He was chosen as Rhoma's " Guide, " to train and mentor her along her journey as the guardian of the fourth house (Cancer). One of my favorite things about Mathias was that he was so protective of Rho. He reminded me so much of my Taurus bf. They're both laid back and chill, but when pushed or forced to defend themselves and others, they attack full force! Early on I felt that he had a slight crush on Rho, but Mathias being Mathias, he kept things very friendly, and almost businesslike, until . . .

Meet Hysan Dax:

A mysterious boy from House Libra. From the moment Hysan entered the story I was both smitten, and taken aback by his character. He commanded your attention with his witty banter and handsome boyish expressions, that I couldn't help but to forget about Mathias. With all the death and destruction happening around them, Hysan always managed to have such a bright air to him. Reading about him was like witnessing that first slither of sunshine, peaking through the dark sky in the early morning. Reminding me of myself, Hysan was extremely clever, with a love for technology and inventing things. He put the romance in this book for me, and it wasn't long before I was smiling like an idiot whenever his dialogue would appear. 

You can probably guess which team I'm on. 

House Leo July 23rd - August 22nd

I'm a proud Leo who is also a huge lover of Astrology. I'm intrigued by Zodiac signs, their meanings, and how true they always seem to be. I'm such a fan, that I base my relationships on whether I'm compatible with my potential companion. (Yes I looked up the compatibility between a Leo and Taurus. Don't judge me!) However, I am now an even bigger fan of how Romina managed to kneed and roll a simple concept, to formulate a recipe for greatness. 

With a teaspoon of fact and a couple tablespoons of fiction, I was on a imaginary high as I indulged in this story. The amount of " info-dumping " didn't quite bother me as it did others, especially since it was so well-written. Zodiac is an amazing tale of bravery, selflessness, and unity, making it an appropriate read for all ages. So if you're looking for a book that's: 

1. Action packed.

2. Well though out, with fun - imaginative writing, steady pacing, and unpredictable plot twists.

3. World building that's so well crafted, that you'll have vivid illusions of the characters, scenery, etc.

then I definitely encourage you to pick this up. Now actually. 

The Story of Awkward by R.K Ryals | DNF Rant

The Story of Awkward | R.K Ryals
Pages: 268 
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Published: April 11, 2014
Format: E-Book
Source: Purchased

If you are looking for a narrative without emotion, without regrets, and without mistakes, this is definitely the wrong story. 

This is by no means an uncomplicated tale about uncomplicated people. It is by no means sweet or light. 

This story is ugly. 

This story is complicated. 

This story is emotional. 

This story is tragic. 

In short, this story is about being awkward. 

Peregrine Storke is an artist with an odd sketchbook full of pictures she’s drawn since she was a child. It is a book full of strange sketches and awkward characters, for there is no better way to hide from bullying and life than to create a world of your own. With a stroke of her pencil, she has given life to a spectacled princess, a freckle-nosed king, a candy loving troll, a two-horned unicorn, and a graceless fairy. 

At nineteen, Peregrine leaves her home, her sketchbook, and awkwardness behind. But what happens when something goes wrong in the world of Awkward? Trapped inside of her complex realm with the bully she thought to leave behind, Peregrine discovers there is nothing worse than falling for your own villain. 

That's one hell of a blurb right?

On christmas, after I cried my eyes out for receiving what I wanted, I decided to do what all readers do when a new e-reader is put into our hands . . . search for more books. There in the amazon store under free reads, was a book that stood out to me more than the others. The Story of Awkward's cover snatched my attention, and that intriguing synopsis is what pulled me in to one-click the book to my device.

This story is ugly.

This story is complicated.

This story is emotional.

This story is tragic.

Those very four lines had me truly excited to dive in. I remember jumping into bed, snuggled up with my son under my Spiderman covers, seriously anxious to start chapter one. Then I began reading. At first enjoying the flow of the story and how weird and awkward the main character seemed to be, and then . . . it seemed as if I hit a break wall of some sort. The impact from this collision felt more like a slap in the face. A slap which opened my eyes to realize that the very four lines that compelled me to make this purchase, were quite misleading. Quite isn't even the proper word choice here. Maybe I should rephrase it and say,

" Very F#$@ing Misleading. "

You see, there was nothing ugly about this story.
Nothing complicated.
Nothing emotional.
Nothing tragic about this story either.

I feel as though my version of the synopsis would be a better representation than the original.

I've read some pretty dark and ugly stories, and compared to those, reading this book was like eating orange sherbet on a hot summer day. Or maybe like running through a field of wild flowers, blowing those cute white flower thingies after making a wish. (Okay so I don't know the name of it, don't judge me lol) It was more " pretty " than anything. Reminding me of some sort of cute, princess-eyy, fairytale story like Cinderella or something. I've read some complicated stories, and in comparison, the main character wasn't complicated, she just wasn't ready to grow up. I couldn't connect emotionally to this story, so parts where someone would have shed a tear , (especially after what was supposed to be the " tragic " scene) caused me to do nothing but roll my eyes.

The reason why I'm so irritated that I had to DNF this book, is because it had the bones to be great. I absolutely loved the concept of an incredibly awkward artist who found an escape from reality through her drawings. This same awkward artist that was innocently living vicariously through these characters, in a world made up of nothing but pencil and paper. A world she formulated in her mind, that eventually became her new reality. It was as if the author created this amazing foundation, then as the story went on, she built a beautifully ambitious, but poorly executed house, that after a few chapters gave way and tumbled to the ground.

" Maybe I'm just not in the mood for it. I'll try again tomorrow. " Is what I kept telling myself as I tried to push through. But every time I powered on my Kindle to pick up where I left off, I could never get too far ahead. I was trudging through mud as thick as cement, and no matter how many times I put it down and picked it back up, this weird resistance kept me from making it to the end.

So yes I am disappointed that this book with so much freaking promise, didn't meet my expectations. I'm even more disappointed that such a captivating blurb, is slapped on a book that has zero connection to the words used to describe it. I don't know about you guys, but I hate having to classify a book as " Did Not Finish ", especially this early in the year . . .

Usually I wait a couple of months before I attempt to try again, buttt I think this one has already settled in it's new home on my DNF shelf. Blah.

2015 Resolutions & Goals !

Narrowing down my top 5 bookish resolutions for 2015 was not an easy task. There are so many different things I want to do and improve on, however, I felt the ones I chose were the most important. Atleast for me. Now time to elaborate . . . 

Read More Books

Now, when I say " Read More Books " I don't entirely mean just that. 

I've seen other bloggers reach goals that were up in the 100's, 200's and even the 300's. But you know what? I'm so proud of myself for reaching a goal I didn't believe I would accomplish. I set my reading goal for 50, because honestly 50 books seemed like alot, and technically it still is . . . to me. I'm ecstatic that I surpassed my goal by 10 books, and even more ecstatic that others have done just as well on their Goodreads challenges.

With that said, I actually mean that I want to read a wider range of books. This year I read sooo much YA it was literally coming out of my ears. I read a ton of New Adult, but didn't dive into too many Adult books, which I'm quite disappointed about. For some reason, all the review copies I was receiving were for mostly YA, I had a few NA, and literally ONE Adult novel. * sighs *.  I also want to pull myself out of my comfort zone and read more Fantasy, (this includes high fantasy as well * shivers *) Dystopian, * cringes * and many other genres that I may not have indulged in this past year. 

The second part to this goal, is reading more books that I WANT TO READ. 

When I first started blogging, I felt obligated to read EVERYTHING! I mean, this is what newbie bloggers are supposed to do right? WRONG ! I found myself accepting requests for review copies I knew damn well I didn't want to read. Around October, I was literally swimming in RC's, and soon found myself drowning in un-wanted books. By November I was so fed up, I stopped accepting copies for review. I started declining every request I received because I was up to my ears and was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. Now I know better and next year . . . well THIS year, I'll be reading what TIKA wants to read.

Become A Better Reviewer

According to my readers, I make some pretty awesome reviews. However, I haven't been completely satisfied with them. The problem is, my reviews are just too damn long lol. I'm a very chatty person, and when I write it tends to come out a bit lengthy as well. I love my reviews, but sheesh you can't lie and say that they don't resemble college essays! I always feel as if I've composed a freaking thesis paper for heavens sake! So when I decided to re-tweak my blog, I also decided to come up with a method that will help shorten my reviews. I haven't perfected it yet, being that I'm so used to going into such detail with my reviews, but don't worry it'll happen guys. 

The second part to this goal, would be to make more discussion posts as well. I always have topics I want to talk about, but for some reason I always change my mind when I go to create a post. I love reading blogger's thoughts whether they're bookish or not, and I would love to get in on the discussion fun. This year fANGIRLconfessions will be generating some conversations, so make sure you join in!

Chat, Chat & Chat !

Okay so this isn't a huge problem I have, but then again it is. I started off being able to keep up with blogs, maybe because I wasn't following so many at that time, and then . . . I fell off . . . I think lol. For example, I'll come across a blog I love, follow it, comment a few times, then completely forget to go back and keep up with the posts. Bloglovin gets kind of overwhelming after you've followed a certain amount of blogs, making it hard to keep up with everyone. I found Google + to be my go to platform to remain informed on new posts and comments from my favorite bloggers. So far I've been doing good. Let's hope I keep it up!

Be more organized !

Lord. I cannot stress this enough. Be more organized Tika ! 

What's weird is, I'm a very organized person outside of the blogging world. I hate to procrastinate, so I tend to get shit done and out of the way. Now, I can't explain what happened, but around November (probably because of all those damn review copies) I really started to feel like I was all over the place. I want to:

• Be more consistent with posts.
• Stay on top of my reviews making sure they're clear, concise, and straight to the point! 
• Continue to respond to comments. (Which I do very well thank goodness)
• Start scheduling posts, to make sure I'm working on things ahead of time.

 I've also made a TBR jar, which I'll talk more about in a later post!

Stop Sugarcoating!

This is what bothers me the most, and I actually didn't realize I did it, until just a few weeks ago. I remember I wrote a review for an indie author. I got it posted, then went about my way. I stumbled across my review again on goodreads, and I was really pissed at myself because I felt as if I was sugarcoating my opinion. First of all, that's far from my personality. I'm usually outspoken and known to keep things completely one hundred. But, after reading the review I felt as if I wasn't completely honest . . . well I was, but I felt that maybe because I didn't want to come across as harsh, rude, or mean, I opted for a "safer" route. I'm definitely not continuing this in 2015. I was completely unaware that I would do this, maybe no-one ever noticed, because I didn't at first either. But sometimes you grow, and even though I've only been blogging for 5 months, I've learned sooo much. So Tika will definitely be sticking to her roots this time around. If I don't like a book or certain aspects in it, you'll definitely know it. 

Oh and of course I'll keep it cute and classy, yall know I'm too fancy to be rude and unprofessional !

Anddddd that's a wrap! Those are my top 5 resolutions for 2015. I plan to stick to these goals in hopes that I will continue to grow, becoming the best blogger that I can be. I wish everyone the best of luck, and I hope we all continue to connect and thrive together within this community. 

Let's get it bloggers !

Bye, Bye 2014 . . . Here Comes 2015!

A huge thanks to Blessie for letting me steal her image. (She actually took the picture herself!) She knows my creative juices aren't flowing much at this moment lol. 

So 2014 has ended, and I must say I had a pretty great year. I started blogging back in July, which has been a long time coming. My mother has been pushing me to blog since I was in high school, but like I always say, " Timing is Everything." Let's just say the timing could not have been anymore perfect. I actually began blogging after a suggestion from the author Candice Snow. She contacted me via Goodreads to read and review her novel The Birth of a Phoenix. I did, and after I sent her my review, I received a message saying, " Your writing is so quirky. I love how your personality shines through! I definitely encourage you to create a book blog to showcase your skills with others. " 

That was pretty much the push I needed, (sorry mother lol) and just a couple hours later, fANGIRLconfessions was born. 

Even though I'm still a newbie, after blogging for only 5 months, I must say I've made a great name for myself. I have greatest loyal followers, who really push me to continue to better myself, and I've met the most amazing bloggers along the way. After about 2 weeks or so, I met some pretty cool girls who I consider to be some of my best blogger friends. Blessie, Jennie, Erin, and Mal are some of the first bloggers I came in contact with. We've had long nights of chatting on KIK, now we have even longer nights thanks to Voxer, and have even had some read-alongs for a few books. I absolutely adore these girls, and wish them nothing but the best with their bookish endeavors. 

I've also just become acquainted with some girls who have blogs that I simply love. They visit my blog and support me faithfully, and I can't gather enough words to express how thankful I am. I stalk their blogs constantly, and have purchased or added soooo many books to my TBR because of them. Special shoutout to Joy, Noelia, Morrighan, and Evie! Of course there are more of you out there that I wish to showcase, but lord that would be such a long post lol. 

I just recently, and by recent I mean yesterday, just stumbled across some new blogs and I can't wait to become better blogger friends with everyone for the new year! There's so much more I want to elaborate on in this post, but since it's beginning to be mighty lengthy, I'll be publishing another post that focuses on my 2015 goals and resolutions.

Stay Tuned Guys & Happy New Year!

Top 14 Of 2014

This doesn't need much of an introduction right? Let's get started !

Zodiac by Romina Russell takes the cake debuting at number 1 !

2. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

3. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

4. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Apart of my favorite re-telling series, Cress fought strong for it's number 5 spot.

6. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

7. Winger by Andrew Smith

8. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

9. Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan

Placing twice on my list, Patrick Ness holds it down for spot number 10 with More Than This.

11. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

12. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

13. You Turn by Marion Croslydon

14. Breathing Black by Piper Payne

I actually just realized that More Than This should not be at number 10 lmao. However, it's late and I'm too damn lazy to change it . . .  soooo, just know that it should've been in the 5-9 category lol. 

So there you have it guys, leave a comment down below or link me to your favorite reads of 2014!

Stacking The Shelves (5)

Stacking The Shelves is an anytime meme hosted by Tynga Reviews. It allows you to showcase the books you've recently added to your book shelves, whether they're physical or digital.

I received an Amazon Fire HD7 for christmas, and decided to use one of my gift cards to load my new baby up with some books. Santa was right on time, because when I went on Amazon yesterday, the deals were hot and I couldn't resist! Here's what I snatched up:

* I'll include the prices of the books just in case you guys want to catch some of these deals *

My Life Next Door | Huntley Fitzpatrick 

My Life Next Door has been on my TBR for soooo long. I finally said, " You know what, I'm going to buy you today " and for $5.70, why not?!

I guess this story follows a girl named Samantha who falls in love with I believe her next door neighbor Jase. Her family is strict and boring, while Jase's family is fun and inviting. So, because of this, she hides her relationship with her neighbor boo from her family, and that's pretty much all I know . . .

The Story of Awkward | R.K Ryals

A haul wouldn't be a haul if I didn't throw a free book in it right? So, right when I received my tablet, and started playing around with it a bit, I of course stumbled across some free books. The cover was really intriguing, and that blurb really pulled me in. Too bad that at just 23%, this book is not living up to my expectations . . .  damn you book.

From where I am in the story, all I know is it's about a girl named Peregrine Stork, who created a imaginary world through her drawings. Then all of a sudden she's living in this world that she created. Sounds promising I know, but I am only in the beginning, hopefully things get better from here. * Fingers Crossed *. 

Red Rising | Pierce Brown

I follow Pierce on instagram and he is such a cutie. Heyyy Pierce! Anywho, Red Rising is on Amazon for $1.99! I've always been on the defense about it, because it's not entirely a read I would go for, but after seeing some great reviews and a slew of raves on goodreads and IG, I finally decided to get it.

I'm not quite sure what this is even about other than the fact that it takes place on Mars and the main character is trying to uncover some secrets about the planet . . . idk . . . I didn't read the synopsis and maybe I should have lmao. 

Maybe Someday | Colleen Hoover

There are 4 reasons why I finally picked up this book.

1. It's been on my TBR for quite some time.

2. I read Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover and LOVED it, so now I'm inspired to read more of her books.

3. It has a 4.43 rating on Goodreads, which means this book is pretty much the shit.

4. It was only $1.99 on Amazon.

So this story is about a 22 year old college student named Sydney. She get's cheated on by her boyfriend, (cheating makes for a great story so I'm excited lol) and is left to pick up the pieces. In comes her neighbor Ridge with his swoony guitar music, and I'm sure things happen. And by things, I mean Thangs.

Hopeless | Colleen Hoover

The same reasons I mentioned above go for this book as well. When I seen it was going for 99 cents, I snatched it up so fast. * Update * The book is no longer 99 cents, the price is now $2.99.  That's still a great price!

Just like Maybe Someday, this book also has a 4.43 rating on Goodreads, which makes me so excited to dive in. It follows a 17 year old girl named Sky who meets this boy who doesn't have a great reputation. Shit hits the fan (I'm guessing, I mean we are talking about Colleen Hoover here) and I'm assuming she finds out that he's not the guy he portrayed himself to be. That's pretty much all I received from the synopsis, especially since it was kinda vague, but oh em gee I am so ready to read this! 

The Raven Boys | Maggie Stiefvater

Out of all the books in this haul, this one cost the most . . . .  

Wait, I just went to Amazon to remember how much I paid, I know it was $9.99, and guess what price it is now . . .  $1.99! What the hell Amazon !! lmao. 

I have no clue what the hell this book is even about. I literally just read the synopsis and I'm thinking, " Okay, a girl likes a boy. He and his brothers are known as the Raven Boys. They're rich, and attend a private school. "

I can work with this lol. 

Are the boys going to turn into raven's at night or something? What the hell is this thing about the soon-to-be-dead, and Blue causing her true love to die. I need answers, which is why this might be my next read!

Facetime | S.J Pajonas

I stumbled across this book on Goodreads a couple months before I started blogging and I always said I would pick it up. So when I finally remembered to do so, and seen that it was only $3.99, I one-clicked it so fast like the damn thing was about to disappear lol. 

This story is about a first date that takes place in New York City, that soon turns into a long-distance relationship between Laura an American, and Lee a Korean from another country. I've heard nothing but good things about this book, and I have a strong feeling that I'm going to love it!

Find Me I'm Yours | Hillary Carlip

This cover is seriously making me cringe lol.

I know I've said this quite a few times already, but I'm really, really, really, really, really excited to read this book. My favorite books are ones that include some type of "media " in it. For examples, text messages, pictures, emails, social media, (fictional or not) notes, etc. Now Find Me I'm Yours takes this a step further by including " Clickable Content ". I heard there are instagram photos you can view, real websites you can visit, all sorts of things! This reminds of Night Film by Marisha Pessl, which is one of my all time favorite books. The content wasn't clickable, but there were notes, pictures and websites and such included throughout the story. Marisha Pessl also has an app you can use alongside the book to enhance your reading experience. I loved it! 

I don't know what this book is about, and honestly I don't care, it has the bones to be great with this amazing concept, let's just hope it delivers on the execution. 

You can order this book through the website or on amazon for $2.99.

( There's going to be a new genre called Click-Lit . . . so I've heard. I couldn't find too much information on it though )

So that's it you guys! I don't think I'll be stacking these shelves of mine anytime soon . . . okay I'm lying, but I'm going to try to read most of the books on TBR before I haul a serious amount of new books. What have you guys recently hauled? Comment down below and link me to your posts !

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish. 

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books You Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing You This Year.

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda | Becky Albertalli

I wish santa could up this release date from April to now, but since that's impossible, I have to wait. * Cringes * When I read the synopsis and skimmed some of the reviews on goodreads, I knew I had to have this book. A 16 year old boy who's not only gay, but OPENLY gay ?! 

Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie Santa !

Magonia | Maria Dahvana Headley

I usually don't like reading books about illnesses because, well, they make me incredibly sad. But, this cover is nothing that I can pass up. I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars, and not surprisingly, this book is being compared to it, so you know what . . . I'll be getting my hands on this soon.

The Damned | Andrew Pyper

Santa might not approve of this book, but hey santa, yea you . . . mind your damn business! One thing I'm a sucker for is a book that has a whole lot of crazy going on, and that's exactly what Andrew is offering. Apparently this guy's crazy sister dies and now she's haunting him and his family. That was pretty much all I needed to hear.

Armada | Ernest Cline

Ready Player One is one of my favorite novels of this year. Ernest had geeks all around the world (including me) squealing with delight with all his video game references, and his incredibly original world. In Armada we're being introduced to another game, but this time, it's reality. Sounds good to me!

Fairest | Marissa Meyer

This was no surprise right lol? I've mentioned this book about 3 times in the past two weeks, so I'll just keep it moving to the next book.

House of Leaves | Mark Z. Danielewski

If santa put this book under my tree I would literally scream. I've been wanting this book for soooo long! Every time I buy physical books, I always forget to pick this up, which is weird because I really, really, really want this book. I've always been intrigued by novels that have stories within stories . . . if that makes any sense. House of Leaves has some sort of weird formatting that consists of you flipping to certain parts of the book, margins, foot notes, that kind of thing. I love when books put you to work lol!

Chopsticks | Jessica Anthony

Here's another book I've been wanting for quite some time. I really enjoy graphic novels, and books that have images with little to no words, and Chopsticks is an example of that. Told in just pictures, Chopsticks is said to be both a captivating yet heartbreaking love story. I must have this soon!

Confess | Colleen Hoover

Did you guys know she named this book after my blog? Pretty cool right? lol 

After I read Ugly Love this year, which is another favorite of mine, I told myself that I would read anything this woman has her name on. She's one of the queens of New Adult, making extremely heartbreaking stories, and I love her work. Well, I can't say I love all her work because I DNF'd Slammed around 30 or so pages lol. But Ugly Love redeemed that. I really love how her cover art always ties into the story itself, and after stumbling across this on goodreads last month, and after being totally drawn to the synopsis, I want this book . . . now!

The Rithmatist | Brandon Sanderson

I've been wanting to read Brandon Sanderson because he's a well respected author in the fantasy world, however, his books are so damn intimidating! I'm not ready for high fantasy just yet, so I figured I'll ease myself into his works starting with this. I love that the concept reminds me of the show Chalk Zone, which I used to watch everyday after school, so I'm so ready to read this. Plus the book has illustrations!

HP (The Creature Vault) | Jody Reverson

The physical copy of this book is so beautiful. I mean, it's Harry Potter. I buy everything that has my ex-husband's name on it lmao. It has images of all the creatures that were featured in the books/movies, as well as a profile on each creature. I need this santa!

Stacking The Shelves (4)

Stacking The Shelves is an anytime meme hosted by Tynga Reviews. It allows you to showcase the books you've recently added to your book shelves, whether they're physical or digital. 

I didn't go too crazy this time around, being that I have books from this haul that I haven't even touched yet, so I'm hauling the 6 books that recently grabbed my attention.

Shiver | Maggie Stiefvater

I heard alot of good things about this author, but was always a little apprehensive about reading her books. But, now I'm in a fantasy/paranormal/supernatural kick, and I wanted to find something that would be a perfect read for the winter. I seen the cover, and I'm getting a very wintery-twilighty feel  so I decided to picked it up lol. I've also been eyeing her Raven-Cycle series for awhile but thought I'll use this to ease into her writing.

After reading the synopsis I'm definitely getting a twilight vibe, and you know what I'm super excited for this. I loved twilight, and even though I liked Edward more than Jacob, I'm in the mood to read about some cute wolves who turn into even cuter humans. If you don't know what this is about, it follows a girl named Grace who has been watching the wolves that live (I guess) in the woods behind her house. She connected with a wolf, the particular wolf with yellow eyes, and when she meets a boy with the same familiarity, she believes it's him. (Well of course it is!) Apparently this wolf-boy is a human in the summer, but turns back to his animal form in the winter, and he's trying to stop that from happening . . . I think. Sounds promising to me! I'm terrible at rephrasing the synopsis of a book lmao. 

Linger | Maggie Stiefvater

Because I believe I'm truly going to enjoy Shiver, I decided to pick up it's sequel. I have no clue as to what this one is about, (I'm not going to spoil myself by reading the synopsis lol) so I guess we're figuring it out after I finally dive into book one.

If you have read this trilogy or series, let me know what you think! I'm eager to hear some opinions on these books. 

Us | David Nicholls

I'm in a serious mood to read some Adult contemporaries. I've read so much YA and NA this year, and I really want to get back into the world of ADULTS lol. In my second stacking the shelves haul, I actually picked up a TON of Adult books, so looks like 2015 is going to be a great start. 

Anywho, Us I believe is about a husband who is trying to save his marriage. His wife wants to " rediscover herself " but Douglas (the husband) believed they would be going through this moment together. When he finds out she wants to leave too, he plans one last family trip in hopes of bringing them together. I'm rooting for you Douglas, you better save your marriage dammit !

The 100 | Kass Morgan

I've seen this book around sooooo much, especially since everyone seems to love the TV show, and that was pretty much my motivation to pick it up. I'm almost finished reading Zodiac, and I'm so spoiled with the amazing world of space or galactic environment or whatever you want to call it lol, to the point I want to read more books with this concept. I've already read that The 100 is in no comparison to Zodiac, so atleast I know what I'm getting myself into, but I wanted to start somewhere, especially since I'll be tuning into the show soon. 

To sum this up as best as I can, The 100 is about humans who live in city-live spaceships. The abandoned planet Earth was once their homeland, now the government (Of course) want to make it habitable again. So, they send some delinquents to earth to recolonize the planet, and I'm almost 1000% sure, all hell is going to break loose. I just know it. 

Everything I Never Told You | Celeste NG

I've had this book on my TBR for so long. I'm a sucker for stories about families, who after a traumatic experience, start to unravel along with their darkest secrets . . . yup, I'm excited for this book. This may even be my next read after Zodiac, I'm not sure just yet.

This story is about a girl named Lydia, who is found dead in a local lake. Her family, I'm assuming were a tight-knit group, crumble into a chaotic mess after her sudden death. This is definitely right up my alley. 

Snow Like Ashes | Sara Raasch

Everybody and their mama loves this book! I actually decided to pick this up after I left Noelia's blog just yesterday. She did a really great review on it, so I decided I wanted to love this book just like everyone else lol. As I mentioned earlier, I'm in a serious mood for some fantasy, especially a story that takes place in the winter, so I figured this would be the perfect time to start.

I'm not exactly sure what this is about, other than there's a war between . . . seasons . . . ?

I know for sure it's about a girl who sets off to retrieve some type of magic that has been stolen from her Kingdom. Obviously things don't go as planned, and she gets caught up in a bunch of shit . . . I'm excited lmao. 

If you guys have read any of these books, be sure to comment below and tell me your thoughts!