October Wrap Up

October was a slow reading month for me. I listened to more music and podcasts at work then I did audiobooks.. yeah its been one of those months (Thank God for Dear Hank and John!). I did read 4 new books, reread 2 HP books and made bigger dent in The Fiery Cross. (November will be the month I finish it!!!)

• Invictus
• The Walled City
• This Darkness Mine
• All The Crooked Saints

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

• The Fiery Cross
• The Scorpio Races

I concluded repping for 4 shops

• Drawn to the Pages
• Highland Bluff Studio (But was just picked to rep again for December!!)
• From the Page
• Once Upon A Book Club

I also got to attend the first (hopefully annual) Oklahoma Teen Book Con last weekend and met Maggie Steifvater, Ryan Graudin, Scott Reintgen, and Windy Spinale! It was amazing and so great to see so many awesome authors come to little old Oklahoma! Full post about that to come later but just in case you don’t believe me here is a picture of Maggie Stiefvater speaking on a panel and signing my books!! ❤️ ❤️❤️❤️

Waiting on Wednesday – Renegades

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Expected publication: November 7th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends

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Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both. (Goodreads summary).

Why I Am Waiting

I fell head over heals in love with Marissa Meyer’s story telling from the first chapter of Cinder. The Lunar Chronicles is still one of my favorite series that I reread frequently (partially because I own the audio books and Rebecca Soler is a top notch narrator!) I wasn’t as captivated by Heartless as I was by The Lunar Chronicles but I’m also not a fan of Alice in Wonderland, like at all. Renegades will be her first non retelling and I am super excited to see what she has got in store! From the summary it sounds a bit like a dystopian, which I am drawn to like a magnet, and a bit futuristic, and a whole lot of GIVE ME NOW! This releases on the same day as The Becoming of Noah Shaw… I might have to flip a coin to determine which one to read first!

Ebook Deals of the Day

There are several really good ebooks on sale this week! My Lady Jane is one of my favorite books that I ever got in one of my Owlcrates and they just revealed the cover for My Plain Jane that comes out next year (WHYYYYYY????!!) and I’m super excited about it! The Crown’s Game was a good read, I also got to meet the author Evelyn Sky when she came through on the Epic Reads tour and it was fascinating to hear her background and why she focused on Russian History. Very interesting story. I also got to meet Kimberley McCreight the author of the Outliers at the same tour! The other three are on my TBR, I have seen both the movie and the Broadway show of The Color Purple but I have yet to read the book. I’m considering setting a goal in 2018 to read a classic one a month or something like that..

I’m not sure when these deals expire so get them for dirt cheap prices before they are gone!

BTW I DON”T get paid to promote these. I just get a lot of deals sent to my inbox and I want to share them with book lovers!

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday – The Becoming of Noah Shaw

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am anxiously waiting on The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

November 7th 2017 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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In the first book of the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, old skeletons are laid bare and new promises prove deadly. This is what happens after happily ever after.

Everyone thinks seventeen-year-old Noah Shaw has the world on a string.

They’re wrong.

Mara Dyer is the only one he trusts with his secrets and his future.

He shouldn’t.

And both are scared that uncovering the truth about themselves will force them apart.

They’re right. (goodreads Summary)

Why I am Waiting

I absolutely LOVED the Mara Dyer series! LOVED IT, loved it! It was the perfect blend of creepy and mystery, haunting and dreamy! Noah is one of the main characters and one of my top book boyfriends so I am sooo excited that not only is he getting his own SERIES (I assume from his POV!?!?!) but it will still feature him and Mara! Eeeek! The Fangirl is starting to come out (can’t you tell with ALL THE CAPS)! The blurb is super vague, I’m assuming it takes place after the Retribution of Mara Dyer but I could be totally wrong! You never know with Michelle Hodkin but I don’t care I will take any scraps I can get! I was planning a reread of the Mara Dyer books before this comes out but with all the amazing October new releases it may not happen unless I can get ahold of the audio books that Audible keeps so heavily guarded. Christy Carlson Romano read the audio books and is the perfect voice for Mara! I wonder who they will have read Noah’s series? Oh gosh I’m so excited! Hurry November HURRY HURRY!

September Owlcrate

September’s Owlcrate may have been the best one yet, I mean it came with a BOOK SLEEVE from the infamous BOOKBEAU! This favoritism has nothing to do with my new addiction to book sleeves BTW. . Anyways, the theme was Mythical Creatures and actually contained a Percy Jackson item in it which is a first!

 

• Exclusive bath salts from @thesoaplibrarian
• An exclusive Game of Thrones wooden bookmark from @inkandwonder.designs
• An exclusive dragon canvas coin purse made by Owlcrate
• An exclusive sticker of Hagrid and Buckbeak designed by @susanne_draws
• An exclusive unicorn&mermaid book sleeve from @bookbeau
• A collectible pin and magazine from Owlcrate
• Before SheIgnites by @unicornwarlord (which had an exclusive cover, signed bookplate, letter from the author, and guide to the dragons in the book)!

I’ve heard great things about Before She Ignites. I may have to move it up on my list to behind Turtles All the Way Down and just before The Becoming of Noah Shaw. Ah so many great books coming out I love it!!

 

Here’s my full unboxing with a little help from Chairman cat.

 

Highland Bluff Studio – Bookish

I am loving being a rep for Highland Bluff Studio! I was chosen to be a rep for September and then was asked to stay on for October! It has been so fun getting to collaborate with HBS and my fellow reps! Highland Bluff Studio started out just selling what they called Soy Candles for Nerds! They don’t use dye in their candles, focuing more on the scents they create which are seriously some of THE BEST smelling bookish candles I have ever come across! They have since expanded to travel tins, room spray and now BOOK SLEEVES! There are more changes coming to the shop as well, some candles are being retired to make way for new glass candles that you can use as DRINKING GLASSES once the candle wax is gone! How cool! My October Rep Package is on its way and I can’t wait to share it with y’all! Until then here are some pictures from my September Rep package! And if you go shopping (which you totally should, I am as soon as I get my paycheck!) be sure to use my discount code TAYLORTAKES10 to save yourself 10%

Love their Glass Candles, they are getting a makeover soon and the Book Nerd and Fantastic Beasts candles will be retired so if you like them get them while you can!

Love the scent of this room spray!

“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”

I love this quote from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! I’m a huge worrier and I’m trying to get better about that.

I love Luna and this candle smells divine!

This Book Nerd candles smells of Leather and Old Books!❤️

Don’t forget to use my discount code TAYLORTAKES10  to save 10% off your purchase!

Warcross – Book Review

Author: Marie Lu
Published: September 12th 2017 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. (Goodreads summary)

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“Everything’s science fiction until someone makes it science fact”

OH MY GOSH I LOVED THIS BOOK AND I NEED THE SECOND ONE RIGHT NOW!

I am not even kidding. After the disappointment that was the Young Elite series I was both nervous but so excited for this book and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

This book reminded me a lot of Ready Player One in many ways. Also set in a (not so?) futuristic world where a virtual reality game called Warcross has become the obsession of the time.

“Some people still say that Warcross is just a stupid game. Others say it’s a revolution. But for me and millions of others, it’s the only foolproof way to forget our troubles. Tonight, I can join in with everyone else, put on my glasses, and watch magic happen.”

So as stated in the blurb Emika hacks into the opening of the Warcross World Championships and, instead of getting in trouble for it, she is offered a job by the creator of Warcross. He needs a spy to insure the safety of this years tournament and to uncover a security issue. Emika is then drafted onto a team and is thrust into the World Championships of Warcross. Everything about the games from the wild card drafting to competing in the the different areans just blew me away! I mean, can we talk about the world building please. OH.MY.GOSH. So I absolutely LOVED Marie Lu’s Legend series and the world building she did there. This was 5 steps beyond that. (Also Marie Lu did state that Warcross and Legend DO take place in the same universe and one is the future of the other! This could be the past of the Legend world!!)  It was not hard at all to imagine this world as I was reading it. I was constantly seeing it in vivid colors, both in the games and in the Tokyo setting. Sometimes I am just amazed at how one person can create such a crazy vivid realistic but totally fantasized place with just 26 letters rearranged over and over again. And that my brain can take those letters and project this vivid colorful world into my mind perfectly..

I really liked Emika’s character. I love the fact that she has rainbow hair, I love WHY she has rainbow hair. I can sympathize with her past. She’s very likable right off the bat! She is cleaver and sneaky and just all around awesome! I’m sorry, my fangirling is starting to take over again. -deep breaths- There was a lot of diversity in this book as well. Emika is Chinese-American, the Captain of her Warcross team Asher Wing (Day’s possible ancestor???) is in a wheelchair, Hideo Tanaka is Japanese with a British accent and of course since this is a World Championship there are many other nationalities involved.

Annnnd the cliffhanger was brutal! But I really didn’t expect anything less from Marie Lu. . I am in desperate need of the sequel! I also just finished Ryan Graudin’s Invictus and now all I can think of is getting ahold of a Recorder’s Time Machine and time traveling to 2018 to get my hands on Warcross #2 (rumors are it might be called Darkcross??) and more information as to how this coincides with Legend!!

 

 

Drawn to the Pages – Bookish

This is my last month repping for Drawn to the Pages! Where has the time gone!?

Angela will be moving with her family to Japan at the end of the month so she will be closing her Etsy shop on October 11th. Her Society6 and Redbubble shops will both stay open, however some of her products, like her bookmarks and coasters, will be retiring along with her Etsy shop. -Insert sad face here- So if you have had your eye on anything by her, hurry and get your order placed by October 11th! Be sure to use my discount code TAYLORTAKES15 to save yourself 15%!

I may or may not have just order 5 more coasters… (I don’t have a problem, you do!)

I love this Halloween bookmark, its perfect to use with my creepy reads!

I’m not a huge fan of Tinkerbell but this bookmark goes so well with my Collecters Edition of Peter Pan!

Am I obsessed with her coasters? Yes. Do I care? NO!

Laminated vs. Not Laminated

Love this Sarah J. Maas inspired air freshener! This will also be retiring with her Etsy 😦

Drawn to the Pages merch makes my Wonder Woman tribute shelf complete!

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop before October 11th! Use my code TAYLORTAKES15 to save 15%! My rep package this month will be items from her Society6 shop and I CAN’T WAIT to share them with yall! Be sure to follow my Instagram to get a first look at my unboxing videos and posts!

 

 

Daughter of the Burning City – Book Review

Author: Amanda Foody
Published: July 25th 2017 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery
Rating: ★★★★★

 

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear. (Goodreads summary)

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“Wicked, Wicked to the core, The city will burn forevermore”

This book was INSANELY good! I received it in my August Once Upon A Book Club box and the gifts that came with it just made reading it sooo much better!

Sorina and her “family” are so interesting. Sorina doesn’t have eyes but she can see and create illusions for others to see. She creates her own family, a grandfather figure, a sister thats also a best friend, funny bickering little brothers. These illusions perform in a Freak Show in the Gomorrah Festival, all having their own odd talent to add to the show. Our story starts out with one of her family members being murdered. This is obviously a problem for more then one reason. 1. Murder 2. Illusions can’t be murdered. Or can they?

Lets talk about the Gomorrah Festival itself. While it is indeed a traveling festival it is also a traveling city with a rich dark history. I loved the vivid descriptions of the festival and the different shows and booths. Gomorrah is split into two sections, there is Uphill where Sorina’s freak show performs and then there is Downhill where the darker more depraved shows and booths reside. There is a sharp contrast between the two and it was interesting to see it through Sorina’s eyes, someone who has lived with the festival almost all her life and yet she rarely ventured into the Downhill.

Sorina herself was a very strong character. She loves her family dearly, even though they aren’t truly real and she will stop at nothing to keep them safe. The craziest thing about her wasn’t her illusions, SHE HAS NO EYES! Yet she can see! The sight of an eyeless face unnerves most people so she wears masks almost all the time. It was so interesting to learn about her abilities as an Illusion Worker through her thoughts, her description of their strings pooling around her feet as she manipulates them. Crazy descriptive writing on Foody’s part!

I loved the mystery of this book. It was the perfect blend of mystery and magic! It kept me guessing right up until the end. The twist really got me! It was so hard to put it down at times! I am now eagerly awaiting Amanda Foody’s next novel Ace of Shades she did so well with this debut novel I can’t help but have high hopes for the next one!

“The smoke is part of Gomorrah’s legend: once upon a time, we were burned to the ground. But we did not die. Instead we kept burning, kept moving, kept growing. The smoke surrounds us, even if we no longer burn.”

My Once Upon a Book Club box with Daughter of the Burning City and all the correlating gifts!

Waiting on Wednesday- This Darkness Mine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

Expected publication: October 10th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books

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Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad. (goodreads summary)

Why I Am Waiting

I really enjoyed McGinnis’s Female of the Species. It was dark and emotional and powerful and really made you think. Reading this summary makes me think of Female of the Species. While McGinnis’s books have been hit or miss for me, this one really intrigues me and I’m looking forward to it, hoping it will be as good as FOTS. It releases the same day as John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down and Maggie Steifvater’s All the Crooked Saints. Talk about competition. I still haven’t decided which one I’ll be reading first!