May 2017 Wrap Up - I Barely Remember This Month at All!

So I did quite a bit of reading in May but looking at my Goodreads lists, it doesn't feel like the month of May happened at all.  I kept looking at books I read in April thinking they were May reads and vice versa.  Guess it's just been a hectic month and time is just going faster and faster.  Overall I read 9 things which I think is pretty good overall. Oh, and for a whole half a day I was meeting my Goodreads Challenge.  Didn't last long but at least I managed to catch up some.  Anyway, here's the breakdown.

GOODREADS: 40/100
2017 CLOAK & DAGGER CHALLENGE: 17/25 (Bad to the Bone, You Were Here, The Well)
2017 FLIGHTS OF FANTASY CHALLENGE: 16/18 (Flame in the Mist, Blue's Prophecy, The Well, Memortality)
2017 HORROR READING CHALLENGE:  11/25 (Wytches, The Well)
2017 WHAT AN ANIMAL CHALLENGE:   11/20 (Downward Dog, Bad to the Bone, Blue's Prophecy)
2017 NEW RELEASE CHALLENGE: 27/61 (Bad to the Bone, Flame in the Mist, You Were Here, Downward Dog, Harley Quinn Rebirth Vol. 1, Blue's Prophecy, The Well, Memortality)
BLOGGER SHAME REVIEW CHALLENGE:  2/12

I had 1 DNF, 2 3-paw reads, 5 4-paw reads, and 1 5-paw read.  My faves were The Well, Downward Dog and Wytches.

So overall I'm OK with where my challenges stand.  Some could be better but hey, I'm having fun!  How are your challenges going???

Stacking the Shelves (113)/ Sunday Post

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews. And it now has a new co-host where individuals can link up as well - Marlene from Reading Reality.  Clicking on the book (or title) should take you to the Goodreads page.

I'm also now linking up with the Sunday Post which is hosted byKimberly@Caffeinated Book Reviewer. I'm hoping to discover some new blogs to love.

I had to make a library run this week because I requested "Snotgirl" and it finally came in.  Excited to see what this one has to offer and I've heard a few good things about it.  I saw "Royce Rolls" while I was there and have been curious about it since Clare at Duel Reads read it.  Finally, who can resist a new Joe Hill graphic novel so I grabbed "Tales from the Darkside" too.

I grabbed a few books for Paul Anka from Amazon.  "Stillhouse Lake" was my Kindle first pick for the month of June.  I loved the Veronica Stillwell series by Deanna Raybourn so when I saw "Silent in the Grave" for less than $2.00, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  "Slippery Souls" was a free book and I couldn't resist it once I read the tagline.  Tell me if you agree:

Welcome to a whacky world of vampires, werewolves & zombies!

 ...oh and a sarcastic, talking dog."

Finally I received a few review copies.  "Shark Island" is one I'm thrilled to get especially since I feel in love with "Jaws" all over again on Memorial Day weekend.  "How I Lost You" sounds like a pretty decent thriller.  And "Einstein."  Let met tell you about "Einstein."  Charlie wakes up one night to find an alien in the house who tells him it's the end of the world and he is there to save Einstein - Charlie's dog.  This book has me written all over it!

So what did you add to your shelves this week???

Weekly Reads (06/02/17)

I feel like it's been a crazy, crazy week!  So, last Friday went well and I got Grandpa to all the family graves and to visit some people he hadn't seen in a while who live in that community.  My mom went along as well so he enjoyed telling her some family history as the day progressed.  Mr. Barb managed to fix one of the small plumbing issues (which involved 2 trips to Lowe's) but hey, at least we didn't have to pay plumber's for that part.  They did come and look at the other issue.  They "patched" it and we are hoping that does the trick or else we'll have to get something bigger done.  At least we got an estimate and the money is already socked away so that's a plus.

I did get quite a bit of reading done over the weekend once I decided to DNF "Flame in the Mist."  "The Well" was really good so look for that review soon.  And hey, Harley Quinn graphic novels are always fun.  We also watched quite a few movies and then on Monday, Mr. Barb grilled chicken and ribs and we had a low-key family day.  We watched "Get Out" and I guess I didn't really realize it was a horror movie.  LOVED IT!!!!!  I definitely recommend it to fans of that genre.  We also watched "The Great Wall" with Matt Damon.  He isn't one of my favorite actors and I know the movie didn't get the best response, but we both really enjoyed it and the effects were super fun.  We also watched "Jaws" on Memorial Day which seems to be tradition in our home.   And to top it off, the Pittsburgh Penguins lead the Stanley Cup 2 games to none so YAY!

I plan on reading and cleaning some this weekend.  I got the carpets cleaned last week.  Also, Saturday morning is the yearly "Walk Your Paws" Humane Society benefit in our town and we always attends, take the pups and make donations.  This year's theme is "The Wizard of Paws."  Last year's was "Viva Paws Vegas."  I hope to finish "Mormama" early on and am over 50% through already.  I'm really enjoying it which surprises me because I've not seen a lot of favorable reviews.  I'm also not quite sure about "White Fur" but I'm going to give it a try.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead!!! 

Everybody Brace Yourself...I DNF'd a Book! (Flame in the Mist review)

TITLE: Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1)
AUTHOR: Renee Ahdieh
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
PUBLISHING DATE: May 16, 2017

FROM GOODREADS: The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Marikop has always known she been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry.  Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist.  Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a moan she did not choose, for the very first time.  But the journey is cut short when Mariko's convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who've been hired to kill Mariki before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge.  Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down this responsible for the target on her back.  Once she's within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she's appreciated for her intellect and abilities.  She even finds herself falling in love - a love that will force her to question everything she's ever known about her family, her purpose and her deepest desires.

MY THOUGHTS:  I gave this book the old college try.  I love the cover and think it's one of the best I've seen this year.  In addition, I was really interested in the first few chapters of this book because the action started right away and the cultural aspects were very interesting.  However, I quickly bored and I found myself actually avoiding reading because I didn't want to pick up this book.  I read about 145 pages into it and since there was still quite a bit to go, I decided it was best for me to move on. Had I not done so, I'd probably STILL be avoiding reading and there are too many good looking books on my shelf to do so.  I didn't really connect with the characters and I found myself not really caring what happened.  I don't know if I will ever pick this book back up some day.  I've seen some people really love it and I've seen some who have struggled like I did.  It's probably a good book for many readers out there, but it just wasn't for me.

RATING: None since I don't feel it's fair because I didn't finish it.

Can't Wait Wednesday (108) - A Booker T and Cassius "2-Fur"

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

This week both Booker T and Cassius have taken over blogging duties!

FROM GOODREADS: Cameron Cripps-Hayman is taken aback when she stumbles upon another murdered neighbor, this time behind her sister's shop, Dog Diggity. The timing couldn't be worse, as there's only a week left before the store's grand opening during Canal Days, the biggest festival of the year.

When the police arrest her handyman, Cameron knows they've got the wrong suspect, so the Metamora Action Agency sets their sights on cracking the case. With one solved murder under their belts, how hard could a second be?

With a flood warning and a murderer on the loose threatening the start of Canal Days, can Cameron and her crew save the town's annual dog and pony show from being canceled?

WHY BOOKER T CAN'T WAIT:  Mom and I read the first book in this series and Cameron loves to adopt all kinds of dogs from all kinds of situations so we really want to know who shows up next. Plus, I'm curious about that cat on the cover...what's going on here?  The synopsis mentions ponies - THAT'S NO PONY!

FROM GOODREADS:
In her newest work, the stunning beginning to an epic hardcover trilogy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts weaves an enthralling saga of suspense, survival, and the journey that will unite a desperate group of people to fight the battle of their lives…

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  There's a bird on the cover!  I'm a pup, what more do you expect??? 

Mom told us to make sure and ask you guys what books you can't wait for this week.  So there, we asked.

 

 

TTT - Second Half 2017 Most Anticipated Books!

This top 10 weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and can be found HERE.  Each week they focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. 

Today I'm sharing with you my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2017.  These aren't in order and you may have seen some in recent hauls because I've been lucky enough to score some ARCs.  Either way, enjoy!

RELEASES 9/26/17

A futuristic book where women fall asleep and end up in a cocoon and if they are disturbed, they become feral.  Of course, you have the one immune woman to shake things up.  Clocking in at 720 pages, I sure hope this is a wonderful read!  

RELEASES 09/12/17

Historical monster-hunting sisters.  Sign me up.  Doesn't hurt that the cover is gorgeous.

RELEASES 09/26/17 (busy release day)

I just read "About a Dog" earlier this month and am really looking forward to the next in the series which features an adorable Golden Retriever.

RELEASES 08/01/17

"Boy meets girl meets alien."  I don't have a good track record with aliens but this one seems cute and humorous and for some reason is calling to me.

RELEASES 09/05/17

I loved the fist one in the Lady Sherlock series and can't wait to see what happens next.

RELEASES 07/11/17

I haven't read many wendigo books and this one was sparked by Chuckles recent wendigo post.  It's touted as a "supernatural thrilled from the winter depths of the Maine wildnerness."  Sounds good enough for me.

RELEASES 10/10/17

"Five boys attacked her.  Now they must repay her with their blood and flesh."  Yep, awesome sounding October read.

RELEASES 10/03/17

Magic and motorcycle gangs - definitely curious.

RELEASES 10/24/17

This one involves telekinesis and a devastating secret.  I LOVED LOVED LOVED "Certain Dark Things" so I have to give this one a try as well.

RELEASES SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER

I stumbled across this one this week and I'm pretty sure it's releasing only across seas so Book Depository here I come.  It's about the end of the world and a loyal dog named Lineker.  Sign me up please!

So I can't believe we're already talking about the second half of 2017 - where has the time went?  I can't wait to see what books everyone else are anticipating...and adding to my already too long wishlist!

Summer 2017 Comment Challenge

So I ran across this challenge the other day and for some reason, I really wanted to participate even though I had no real plans to do so.  I see this as a great way to discover some new blogs.  It goes on for three months and you can sign up month by month. I only signed up to do at least 5 comments for the month of June but if all goes well, I may sign up for the additional months too.  It's hosted by Flylef and A Kernel of Nonsense and there's still time to sign up for July and August if you are interested.  I will post the rules below.

THE DETAILS

• The Summer 2017 Comment Challenge runs from June through August
• Feel free to sign up for one month or more
• At the beginning of each month, bloggers will be paired together and will be asked to comment on each other’s blogs
• For the time being, the challenge is limited to English-only blogs
• We’d love for you to create a sign-up post to help spread the word about the challenge
• Options for comments include 5+ or 10+ each month
• At the beginning of each month we will put together a post where you can sign-up and link-up with your own sign-up post.

WHAT YOU MUST DO

• Sign-up: starting today through May 27th, you can sign-up to participate in this challenge for June. At the end of May, we will email participants and post the official June Comment Challenge partners list on our blogs
• Create a sign-up post: link-up each month with your own sign-up post. What we suggest you include:
  • Announce your intention to participate in whichever month
  • Link back to your hosts: Lonna @ FLYLēF and Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense
  • Include the Comment Challenge graphic
  • State how often you intend to comment on your partner’s blog and if you know who your partner is, introduce him/her
  • Share any thoughts you have about the challenge and whether you’ve participated before
• Spread the word: for this summer challenge, we’re encouraging participants to tweet using the hashtag #Summer17CC to let your fellow bloggers know about this challenge
• Comment: starting June 1st be sure to comment on your partner’s blog and have fun!

I already have my blogging partner and look forward to getting to know her and her blog better.  

Liliyana @ The Faerie Review