Heather's Monthly Roundup: October

This is a new thing we wanna try. We read quite a bit and sometimes we just don't have anything to say that warrants a full review for the books we read.  This will give you a little overview about what we've read and why we read it.  My recommendations will have stars by them.

Kaniesha's October 2013 Roundup

Finished:

Crown of Midnight by Sarah Maas / Rating: 6 of 5 stars
House of Hades by Rick Riordan / Rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Holders by Julianna Scott / Rating: 5 of 5 stars (reviewed!)
The Transfer by Veronica Roth / Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Legend by Marie Lu / Rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White / Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars (review soon)
Prodigy by Marie Lu / Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Started:

Hover by Melissa West
I really can't decide if I want to drop this one. But I really want to drop it. (I started it before I started House of Hades and look where we are now).
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Re-read(ing):

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Still reading (when will I finish these?)

Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Books obtained: 

Marked by P.C. Cast
A friend sent me a paperback copy. (I'll be sending her my hardcover copy of Railsea in return!)

Insurgent Collector's Edition by Veronica Roth
Eragon Paperback Copy by Christopher Paolini
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Where Do You Get Your Ideas? by Fred White
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
(I went book shopping!!)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Crown of Midnight by Sarah Maas
I won these two beauties from Jenn and Mary over at yabooktwins! Thank you so much! After I read Fangirl, I plan on sending it over to Heather :-D

General excitement:

WORLD AFTER IS SO SOON!!!!! Soon... Then Night of Cake & Puppets! Then Snakeroot!! Then.. whoa, Christmas. Then 2014. Whoa. Did this year seem to go by super fast for anyone but me?

Kaniesha Reviews: The Holders by Julianna Scott

Title: The Holders
Series: Holders #1
Author: Julianna Scott
Release date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Genres: fantasy, supernatural, romance
Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, abebooks, Barnes & Noble

17-year-old Becca has spent her whole life protecting her brother – from their father leaving and from the people who say the voices in his head are unnatural. When two strangers appear with apparent answers to Ryland’s “problem” and details about a school in Ireland where Ryland will not only fit in, but prosper, Becca is up in arms.

She reluctantly agrees to join Ryland on his journey and what they find at St. Brigid’s is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together information about their family’s heritage and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they’ve been waiting for—but, they are all, especially Becca, in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

Heather's Waiting on Wednesday #4: Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine designed to showcase upcoming releases that we're excited about.  Check out my pick for this week after the jump.

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Was Forced to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is the creation of The Broke and the Bookish, each week they post a list and one of their writers answers.  This week's topic is Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read

Kaniesha's Top Ten Tuesday #6: Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about the top ten books I was "forced" to read.

Required reading, recommended reading; anything like that goes, right? In middle school there were things that required/highly recommend that we read 10 books though I can't remember it that well. I remember starting the Charlie Bone series because of it and reading Milkweed so I'll start the list!

1. Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
2. Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
3. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
4. The Discovery by Gordon Korman
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinback
7. Blue Fingers by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel
8. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Sadly, this is all I can remember having to read throughout middle and high school. Charlie Bone, Blue Fingers and The Discovery really inspired/motivated me to read more. I read a lot in middle school but stopped in high school. Did anyone else have to read some of these.. less known titles?

Kaniesha's Waiting on Wednesday #7: Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Title: Unbreathable
Author: Hafsah Laziaf
Series: Stand-Alone(?)
Release date: October 29, 2013

Synopsis: One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often. 

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human. 

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process. 

The race for Earth has begun.

Owner of the blog IceyBooks, has become a published author! The cover is gorgeous - as is the physical copy of the book. I'm very excited to read it!

Heather's Waiting on Wednesday #3: Raising Steam

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine designed to showcase upcoming releases that we're excited about.  Check out my pick for this week after the jump.

Kaniesha's Top Ten Tuesday #5: Top Ten Best/Worst Series Enders

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about the top ten best/worst series enders.

I'd say I don't like focusing on the negatives but for today's TTT that's exactly what I'll be doing!

Best:

Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo
The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale
Endlessly by Kiersten White
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
The Hunters by John Flanagan
The Blood by D.J. Machale

Worst:

Nevermore by James Patterson
Please don't read this series. Looking back at it, it's very.... not recommendable. Awkward and creepy and literally gave me nightmares. The conclusion to the series is the worst, but there are also a few books in the series that are downright awful at as well.

Neither:
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
I only remember the very ending of this book and I can't say I loved it. But I did enjoy the series in general.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I read The Hunger Games in 2011 and can't remember much but major plot points. I never fell in love with the books the way some people did though I do enjoy many aspects of it and occasionally participating in the fandom. The books are surreal and written really well when you keep in mind with who is telling the story. More importantly - I can only remember the epilogue of Mockingjay. I suppose I should re-read it (and probably Catching Fire) before seeing the movies.