#BookSpotlight | Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Crier’s War by Nina Varela (Crier’s War #1)
Published by HarperTeen on October 1st 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT
Pages: 488
Format: Hardcover | Paperback | Audiobook | e-Book

Continue reading #BookSpotlight | Crier’s War by Nina Varela

#BookSpotlight | Rebel by Marie Lu

Rebel by Marie Lu (Legend #4)
Published by Roaring Book Press on October 1st 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover | Paperback | Audiobook | e-Book

Continue reading #BookSpotlight | Rebel by Marie Lu

KPOP Music Mondays: Red Velvet – ReVe Festival Day 2 (Umpah Umpah)

Hey K-Poppers!

Welcome back to KPOP Music Mondays, a weekly feature on the blog where I highlight a recent release and share my thoughts! This week is a fan favorite; one of the biggest girl groups in Korea and on the global scale. It is none other than Red Velvet, and they are back with the sequel EP to their ReVe Fesitval Day 1, Day 2!! I was so excited back in the first half of the year when it was announced that we would be getting a Red Velvet trilogy! The first the group has ever put out (correct me if I’m wrong).

So let’s break it down!

MUSIC VIDEO:

MY THOUGHTS:

I am going to start off with a controversial comment … dont kill me … but Zimzalabim was not the jam of the summer we have come to expect from our summer comeback Queens. It might go down in history as my least favorite Red Velvet title track. Much to my surprise and everyone else most likely, they announced ANOTHER summer comeback.

I thought to myself, this is a chance for my girls to redeem themselves and gives us a track that is summer ready. Bless the Kpop gods, because we got just that. Umpah Umpah is by far 1000000% better than Zimzalabim and you can fight me on that. We can an addictive hook and equally as addictive chorus, the girls ALL shine in their solo lines, and that dance is adorable. I also low-key love the music video.

Some of the other personal highlights from the album include Jumpin’, and Carpool. Both are solid tracks with more of the summer music vibes I was craving. Mix it all together and we got a pretty bumping EP. I will say that it didn’t surpass let’s say, Red Flavor and the Red Summer EP, or even the Summer Magic EP, but it comes very, very close!

I cannot wait for Day 3 and I have my predictions ready! Since we got two Red releases with Day 1 and 2, I am expecting Day 3 to have a Velvet title track along the lines of girl crush/RnB. My life needs another Bad Boy! Also since these two were EP’s, I’m anticipating Day 3 to be the groups 3rd full length album. BRING IT RED VELVET! I am not ready…. but I am. HA!

ReVeluvs unite! Let’s keep spreading the Red Velvet love ~

Until next time,

Tuesday Book Releases: 7 Books You Should Look Out for This Week

Hey Bookworms!

Welcome back to another exciting week of book releases! Sometimes I feel like Tuesday’s are even more exciting than Fridays! (Shhhh… don’t tell my boss that or they’ll expect me to come into work with a smile on my face).

I have another exciting 7 book release this week among the many many releases. So without further ado, let’s get into it!

When She Reigns by Jodi MeadowsThe final installment in a series that features strong empowring characters and dragons!
Frankly in Love by David YoonI’m really excited to see what David has in store for us as a writer. I wonder if his writing style is similar or different that his wife’s!
Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
This one checks off quite a few boxes for my reading taste and I can’t wait to dive in!
Rebel Girls by Elizabeth KeenanI love a good female empowerment story, and those are the kind of vibes I’m getting with this one!

Stormrise by Jillian BoehmeDRAGONS! I will never get over them. Sorry, not sorry! (Update: was notified by author that the release date was pushed back to September 24th. Please keep that in mind!)
Unpregnant by Jenni Hendricks and Ted Caplan
- Definitely some pretty important subject matter in our current political climates. Interested to see how the authors tackle it.
The Lady Rogue by Jenn BennettJust your all around classic fantasy filled story with and interesting twist. I cant wait!

Are you excited for any of these releases as much as I am? I hope I was able to add a new book to your TBR. Happy reading ~

Until next time,

KPOP Music Mondays: EVERGLOW – Hush

Hey K-Poppers!

Welcome back to KPOP Music Mondays, a weekly feature on the blog where I highlight a recent release and share my thoughts! This week is a new group that debuted earlier in the year but have been exploding on the international KPOP scene ever since. They are non other than EVERGLOW!

MUSIC VIDEO:

MY THOUGHTS:

Y’all don’t understand how deep my love for EVERGLOW has gone. I was completely enamored by their debut song, Bon Bon Chocolat, that I had it on repeat for months, MONTHS! I haven’t fallen for a group this hard in a very long time, and I’m so happy it’s a girl group for a change.

So now the girls are back with their 2nd Single Album, HUSH. I knew it was going to be hard to top their first release. They would have to go harder then ever before, and they did just THAT! Adios is by far one of the best bops of the year for me. The bass is so hard hitting and that EDM break after the chorus is everything!

I love the album as a whole. Hush is a soft pop ballad type song with amazing vocals and flow. You Don’t Know Me is such a summer bop with fun lyrics and a great hook. I just can’t get enough of this album!

I urge you guys to give them a try and see for yourselves why they have jumped close to the top of my favs lists.

Until next time,

Tuesday Book Releases: 7 Books You Should Look Out for This Week

Hey Booksworms!

Welcome back to my blog. This is the first installment in a new feature I am doing weekly that will showcase 7 (or so) YA books that I am super pumped about being released this week. I have my monthly post of ALL the releases for that said month, but with this feature I want to highlight the ones in particular that are on my radar.

Let’s jump right in shall we?

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
- The synopsis for this one sounds so awesome and unique that I know it will be a book right up my alley!
Kingdom of Lost Souls by Rena Barron
- Witchdoctors and Demon Kings? I honestly don’t have to say any more than that. I need this NOW!
We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar
- 1980’s heartbreaking LGBT+ contemporary centered looming threat of aids? I am here and I have grabbed my tissues.
Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
- The final installment of one of my favorite series’. There is a rumor going around that Kendare doesn’t hold anything back. So does that mean no one is safe?? Better keep the tissues around for this one too.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
- Witches and lots and lots of smut. Sign me up! Scratch that, I’m already at the front of the line.
Red Skies Falling by Alex London
- The exciting sequel to last year’s Skybound, sees our heroes preparing for war. I can’t wait!
Rated by Melissa Grey
- A new sci-fi, dystopian novel based on a societal rating system? Black mirror vibes here we come and I am so there for that.

Are you excited for any of these releases as much as I am? I hope I was able to add a new book to your TBR. Happy reading ~

Until next time,

KPOP Music Mondays: NCT Dream – WE BOOM

Hey Bookworms or should I say K-Poppers!

Welcome to the first installment of one of my weekly series, KPOP Music Mondays! Wooooo wooooo~

I thought I would open up my blog to another aspect of my life that I am obsessed with and have been obsessed with for over 12 years now, and that is KPOP. I’ve been a fan of KPOP since the OG days of Girls’ Generation, TVXQ, 2PM, Big Bang and many more. Over the years I have stuck with and fell in love with a whole new batch of groups and singers that I would love to share some with you every Monday on my blog!

So let’s get into it~

MUSIC VIDEO:

MY THOUGHTS:

What a comeback for these babies! They grow up so fast… -I cries-

It felt like just yesterday they were singing about chewing gum and crushes on their teachers. My has the time past and they are now hitting it harder than they should for their ages! Ha.

Overall I thought it was a solid comeback and a great album as a whole. My favorite tracks are of course BOOM, but I also really enjoy Stronger and 119 too! Last year Mark graduated from the group as he was getting too old for the age cap, so I’m interested to see how the groups fairs in the near future as 4 of the members are also about to hit that cap. Will they graduate too? Will SM add new boys into the group to make up for the ones who will have to graduate eventually? And where will they go when they graduate? SO many questions and lots to look forward to with NCT’s future!

If you haven’t listened to the album yet, I implore you to do so. Or at least watch the MV above to get a feel of the type of music you’re missing out on.

Until next time,

SEPTEMBER 2019 RELEASES

SEPTEMBER 3rd

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool (Age of Darkness #1)

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff (The Nevernight Chronicle #3)

Permanent Record by Mark H.K. Choi

Rated by Melissa Gray

We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar

Red Skies Falling by Alex London (Skybound #2)

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns #4)

Eclipse the Skies by Maura Milan (Ignite the Stars #2)

Dear Haiti, Love Elaine by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

American Royals by Katherine McGee (American Royals #1)

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (Serpent & Dove #1)

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer (Market of Monsters #2)

Caster by Elsie Chapman

Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl

The Truth Is by NoNieqa Ramos

She’s the Worst by Lauren Spieller

A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna (The Celestial Trilogy #2)

We Speak in Storms by Natalie Lund

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

SEPTEMBER 10th

When She Reigns by Jodi Meadows (Fallen Isles #3)

Stormrise by Jillian Boehme

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4)

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan

Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks & Ted Caplan

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler

SEPTEMBER 17th

The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams (The Babysitter’s Coven #1)

Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker (Seafire #2)

The Liars of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Mathieu

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

Suggested Reading by Dave Connis

It’s a Whole Spiel edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman

The Survival List by Courtney Sheinmel

SEPTEMBER 24TH

Bid My Soul Farewell by Beth Revis (Give the Dark My Love #2)

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell (Simon Snow #2)

A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney (The Nightmare-Verse #2)

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions #1)

SLAY by Brittany Morris

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger

Exile from Eden: Or, After the Hole by Andrew Smith (Grasshopper Jungle #2)

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

Verify by Joelle Charbonneau (Verify #1)

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

September Monthly TBR

Hey Bookworms!

How’s it been going? As you can tell I am back… again. This past year has been a whirlwind and I found it hard to keep up with my reading and the blog. But as of recently, I have been sparked with some new creative juices and felt like it’s time to make a come back to the reading community. It probably won’t be at the capacity that I used to (I used to read A LOT), but I’m hoping to keep this going since I love it so much.

So let’s start out fresh this month with a new TBR that I will most likely not stick to, but it’s always fun to create lists, am I right?

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Rise by Ellen Goodlett

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon

The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart by R. Zamora Linmark

These Divided Shores by Sara Raasch

This seems like the month of sequels! I have this habit of starting a series and when the next book finally comes out… I just don’t read them. I know it’s so sad because the first books are usually so good. But to right those wrongs, I have 3 sequels, Rise, Soul of the Sword, and These Divided Shores, to books I have read last year.

I also included the first book in a new fantasy, Spin the Dawn, with one of the most absolutely beautiful covers. The synopsis grabbed my interest even more!

And lastly, I have included 2 LGBTQ+ contemporaries as I want to read more books that I can relate to being part of the queer community, Ziggy, Stardust and Me and The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart. The synopsis’ sound very intriguing to me and I can’t wait to dive in!

Wish me luck!

GIVEAWAY: Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning [ENDED]

Hey Bookworms!

I have a very special post today! I have partnered up with the team at Wunderkind PR to bring you a very special GIVEAWAY!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“The Little Mermaid” takes a twisted turn in this thrilling sequel to villainess origin story Sea Witch , as the forces of land and sea clash in an epic battle for freedom, redemption, and true love.
Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.
Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?
Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarah Henning is a recovering journalist who has worked for The Palm Beach Post, Kansas City Star and Associated Press, among others. When not writing, she runs ultramarathons, hits the playground with her two kids and hangs out with her husband Justin, who doubles as her long-suffering IT department. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, hometown of Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs and a really good basketball team.

Here’s the rules: US ONLY. To enter just follow the rafflecopter link and do as many of the options as you want to be entered.

It will run for one week starting today, Friday August 30, 2019 23:59 – Friday September 06, 2019 23:59.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY LINK

Make sure to enter and spread the word! I absolutely adored the first book and I am super excited to host this giveaway!

Until next time,