Monthly Wrap-up: December 2013

Monthly Wrap-up is where I tell you about what happened during the month,

including what I reviewed, what interesting things happened, and other random things

Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2014

Hello, everyone! This holiday, I'll be participating in the Top 10 of 2013 thing going on. Basically, you're choosing a top 10 of each category for this week. On Friday, the category is Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2014. If you want to participate as well, you can go look at the deets here.

Best Book Boyfriends of 2013

Hello, everyone! This holiday, I'll be participating in the Top 10 of 2013 thing going on. Basically, you're choosing a top 10 of each category for this week. On Thursday, the category is Best Book Boyfriends of 2013. If you want to participate as well, you can go look at the deets here. 

Best Contemporaries of 2013

Hello, everyone! This holiday, I'll be participating in the Top 10 of 2013 thing going on. Basically, you're choosing a top 10 of each category for this week. On Wednesday, the category is Best ________ of 2013 (Reader’s/Blogger’s choice. Please fill in the blank with ONE of these topics – Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POVs, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys or Debuts). If you want to participate as well, you can go look at the deets here. 

Best Covers of 2013

Hello, everyone! This holiday, I'll be participating in the Top 10 of 2013 thing going on. Basically, you're choosing a top 10 of each category for this week. On Tuesday, the category is Best Covers of 2013. If you want to participate as well, you can go look at the deets here.

Best Books I've Read in 2013

Hello, guys and girls! This holiday, I'll be participating in the Top 10 of 2013 thing going on. Basically, you're choosing a top 10 of each category for this week. On Monday, the category is Best Books I've Read in 2013. If you want to participate as well, you can go look at the deets here.

{Review} Racing Savannah - Miranda Kenneally

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #4
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: Dec 3 / 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack...

{Novella Review} Destroy Me - Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #1.5
Genre: YA Paranormal / Dystopia
Release Date: Oct 2 / 2012
Publisher: Harper

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of...
Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.
Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Waiting on Wednesday #53 - Vitro

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating

{Review} Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer - Katie Alender

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: Sept 24 / 2013
Publisher: Scholastic

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger...

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

{Weekly Craving} Dec 2013 #3

Weekly Craving is a weekly feature where I show you all the new releases on my TBR

- Control by Lydia Kang (Dec 26th)

- Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine (Dec 31st)

- Warrior (The Dragon King Chronicles #2) by Ellen Oh (Dec 31st)

This week, I'm showing all the releases in the next two weeks. There's nothing on my TBR that's been released this week so I thought I would show what little releases I have on my list for the next two weeks. I'm the most excited for Control out of the three. It has a really cool cover and it looks really great. I haven't been hearing great things about the Promise of Amazing so I might hold off on reading that one. Warrior might just be another "meh" read for me. Any releases you're excited about for the next few weeks?

{Bookish Survey} The Hunger Games: Panem Favourites Part 1

This is another awesome bookish survey from Jasmine at Flip That Page. This time, it's a survey about the Hunger Games and I must say I enjoyed doing it. This is part 1. Let's begin, shall we?

{Review} The 100 - Kass Morgan

The 100 by Kass Morgan
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: Sept 3 / 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust--and even love--again.

Waiting on Wednesday #52 - Split Second

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating

Split Second by Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point #2
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: Feb 11 / 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

I read Pivot Point this year and it was such a refreshing story that I can't wait to read the sequel. Totally shipping Trevor and Addie :3

{Review} Insurgent - Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #2
Genre: YA Dystopia
Release Date: May 1 / 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

One choice can transform you, or destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the faction and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

{Weekly Craving} Dec 2013 #2

Weekly Craving is a feature that shows new releases on my TBR

- These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars is the only book I have this week. Truth to be told, December is kind of a sad month in terms of releases but it's okay. That gives me a lot of time to catch up on all the other books I didn't read yet. I've heard this book is like amaze-balls so I definitely will pick this up (hopefully soon!).

{Mini Review} Degrees of Wrong - Anna Scarlett

Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett
Genre: Adult Sci-fi / Romance
Release Date: Aug 28 / 2012
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

This time, the straight-and-narrow path could be the road to ruin.

Dr. Elyse Morgan’s mission: find the cure to the HTN4 virus. The compensation, courtesy of the United Nations: a lab stocked with hi-tech goodies, limitless resources and enough chocolate to make her rear look like a cellulite farm. Bonus: she gets to live.

Rescued (kidnapped) and secreted (imprisoned) on an undersea warship, Elyse adjusts to her assumed identity as a cadet with the finesse of a toeless ballerina. Her sulfuric temper and blatant insubordination capture the unwanted attention of the ship’s captain, the gorgeous, infuriating, engaged Nicoli Marek.

Elyse would rather perform her own autopsy than become the other woman, but Nicoli—who’s as full of himself as he is of secrets—regards his impending marriage as a mere political transaction. And Elyse as fair game.

As Elyse’s suspicions about the UN’s true agenda mount along with her attraction to the relentless, chronically shirtless captain, she must choose between the murky path to everything she’s ever wanted, or the squeaky-clean path of self-sacrifice—which could mean taking the secrets of the virus with her to the grave.

Warning: Features a strong, chocolate-loving heroine who takes no prisoners on the way to saving the world from an epidemic and winning a captain’s heart.

{Mini Review} A Little Too Far - Lisa Desrochers

A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers
Genre: NA Contemporary
Release Date: Sept 17 / 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

I don't really root for the couple in this book and I think that's why I didn't really enjoy it that much. Honestly, the ending was pretty horrifying. The two love interests were Trent (her step brother) and Alessandro (the Italian priest-in-training). I didn't like who she chose in the end and I disagree with it strongly. I didn't like the guy she chose because I honestly don't see where the attraction came from. All the times she was agonizing over Trent and Alessandro were ridiculous! That just totally ruined the whole book for me. Other than that I really enjoyed how the author portrayed various places in Italy and France. 

Waiting on Wednesday #51 - Be with Me

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating

Be with Me by J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You #2
Genre: NA Contemporary
Release Date: Feb 4 / 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not...

Eeeeeek! I cannot tell you how much I loved Wait for You and Trust in Me! I was totally fangirling in my reviews! A story about Jase and Teresa just sounds so awesome. The author also said that Jase was her favorite guy to write about and ahhh I just CANNOT wait to read this one :D

{Mini Review} Divergent - Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: YA Dystopia
Release Date: Apr 25 / 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This is my re-read for Divergent because I just bought Allegiant. I DNFed Insurgent last year, so I'm giving the series a try again this year and I'll be reviewing the whole series as I go along. Divergent was as fantastic as I remembered. The world is still so great and everything is described really well. I was blown away a second time by this book. The action was non-stop and I couldn't stop myself from flipping the pages. There is this tension all the time and it feels like there isn't a single calm moment in the entire book. It keeps you moving and it keeps you reading for more. This book is definitely an attention-grabber and I would really recommend it to everyone. If you're hung over from Hunger Games (that is, if you're new to the YA book world), I wouldn't hesitate to pick this up. TRUST ME. YOU NEED IT. 

{Weekly Craving} Dec 2013 #1

Weekly Craving is a feature where I show what new releases are on my TBR

- Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgan Rhodes

- The Spook's Revenge (Wardstone Chronicles #13) by Joseph Delaney

- Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4) by Miranda Kenneally

- Options by Abbi Glines

That's all the stuff on my TBR for this week. I really need to catch up on the Wardstone Chronicles series. The one published is the UK version and I personally like the US versions better. Guess it'd be time for me to catch up on that series then. I'm also really excited for Racing Savannah since the Hundred Oaks series are all cute books that just make me feel fluffy on the inside :3 What new releases are on your TBR this week?

{Bookish Survey} Cast a Harry Potter Spell! Part 2

This bookish survey is taken from Flip That Page and the graphics also belong to her. These just seem like a fun thing to do and that's why I'm doing it! This is part two. If you haven't read part one, you can go over here. I'm probably the last person to finish this survey haha. Anyways, without further ado, let's get started!