book haul
2016 March Bookhaul
Total Books – 7
Total Price – $6.29
Giveaways – FREE
1.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians; paperback boxset (@awellwornstory IG giveaway)
2.) The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins; paperback ARC (@EpicReads)
Barnes and Noble – $6.29
3.) Theodore Roosevelt and the Badlands by Roger L. Di Silvestro; hardcover
There you have it! While the list is small, the amount is decent :] Hope you guys got all the books you wanted this month!
Happy Reading! xo
2016 February Bookhaul
Total Price = $13.62
Barnes and Noble – $7.50
1.) Doctor Who The Encyclopedia by Gary Russel; paperback
Thrift Store – $6.12
1.) The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan; hardcover
2.) Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling; paperback
3.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; paperback
4.) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson; paperback
1.) Emotions by Arnulfo Cantarero; paperback: A special thanks to the author, Arnulfo Cantarero, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!
2.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback (via Goodreads giveaway)
3.) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling; paperback (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
4.) Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
5.) Orchards by ; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
6.) Delirium by Lauren Oliver; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
7.) Unwind by ; paperback (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
8.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Mists of the Three Lakes by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback: (A special thanks to the author, Miguel Lopez de Leon, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!)
9.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback: (A special thanks to the author, Miguel Lopez de Leon, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!)
10.) Atlantia by Ally Condie; hardcover: (special thanks to @author_jenniferparr Instagram giveaway)
1.) America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie; paperback
Not a bad month guys, not a bad month…
2016 January Bookhaul
January bookhaul – New Year, new haul!
On to the books! I’ll have a list below of each book pictured, where I got them, paperback or hardcover, special editions and how much my total purchase at each place was! If you have any more questions – or comments – about this months haul, please feel free to leave/ask them below 😀 Happy reading!
Total Books: 18
Total Spent: $27.54
Thrift Store 1 – $19.98
1.) The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown; hardcover
2.) The Fiery Cross by Diana Galbaldon; hardcover
3.) Brisingr by Christopher Paolini; hardcover
4.) Sabriel by Garth Nix; paperback
5.) Doctor Who: Judgement of the Judoon by Colin Brake; hardcover
6.) The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore; hardcover
7.) The Host by Stephenie Meyer; hardcover
8.) The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson; hardcover
9.) Airframe by Michael Crichton; hardcover
10.) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer; hardcover
11.) Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast; paperback
12.) J.K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter by Marc Shapiro; paperback
13.) The Black Unicorn by Terry Brooks; hardcover
14.) The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage; hardcover
Thrift Store 2 –$7.56
1.) Lord of the Flies by William Golding; paperback
2.) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; paperback
3.) Burned by Eileen Hopkins; paperback
4.) Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden; paperback
-1 The Painted Lady, this was apart of December’s haul and she somehow snuck her way in to this pic, attention whore. I don’t have time to retake this picture as I’m headed to work and this is the 2nd month in a row I’ve snuck in an extra book 😛
I also acquired another version of The Host by Stephenie Meyer BECAUSE I had the paperback/movie cover version and I couldn’t resist when I saw the original hardcover edition for only $1.75! I’m a sucker for hardcovers!
As well, I use to own a paperback of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer but a friend (no longer a friend) once borrowed it and due to previous statement, I clearly never got it back. I was very sad about this loss as I am a fan of Twilight and am very anal about my belongings. This was AT LEAST 6/7 years ago. I’m still mad, I still want my book back, hmph.
Hope everyone had a great month buying books! How many did you acquire this haul?
2015 December Wrap Up
Total Books = 4
Average Rating = 4
Yet another uuuuberrrrr slow month for reading. Between the holidays and work and other lifey things there just wasn’t as much time as I normally have to devote to this wonderful world *le sigh* (yes, I repeated last month – what about it?) Also, I forgot I never posted a review for Dear Mr. You so be on the look out for that!
With that being said, here’s my sad, little finished reads for the month of December:
1.) Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz – 3.5/5
2.) Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker – 4/5
3.) This Raging Light by Estelle Laure – 5/5
4.) The Tales of Beedle the Bard – 3/5
Hope you guys have a safe and wonderful New Year! Here’s to a year full of books!
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas my fellow booklovers!
Between work and the holiday madness, I hope to be back into the normal grind soon! It’s been almost impossible to read lately :'[ WAHHHH!
Anywho, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and get many, many bewks 8]
Happy Reading and Merry Christmas xo
The Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz
Book Description:
Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that’s been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon’s eye: the key to true darkness and the villains’ only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it…who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent’s daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon’s eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie, doesn’t know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she’s a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal’s little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he’s not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon’s eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil’s son may not be bravest, but he’s certainly clever. Carlos’s inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon’s eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon’s eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She’ll just need a little help from her “friends.” In their quest for the dragon’s eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad.
My Rating: 5/5
Hands down. If you’re a Once Upon A Time TV Series/Disney nut/magical geek like myself, then definitely grab this book (as if you already needed convincing after you’ve SEEN THAT BEAUTIFUL BOOK JACKET – what the heck is that?!). I had originally intended on grabbing another book that day, but the cover of this book drew me in and once I read that jacket and found out it was about some of Disney’s best evil villain’s children – what?! SUPER DUPER SOLD! Definitely a younger read, but it’s fun.
I absolutely love the idea of this book! Not only are there the 4 main characters mentioned above, but there’s random “guest” appearances throughout the story and every time they introduced another, I would just “EEEEEE!!” with excitement! This was definitely a fun blast-to-the-past read for me.
**Fun Fact: I found SO many errors from spelling to grammar to extra words.. doesn’t take away from the book but it’ll make you giggle. See if you can spot them!
Happy Reading! xo
This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
Book Description:
Can the best thing happen at the worst time?
Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.
My Rating: 5/5
**I would like to start off by saying that I received This Raging Light by Estelle Laure for free via HMH Books in exchange for a review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. That being said, giveaways/work materials do not impact my reviews.**
I received this ARC from work and boy am I glad I decided to snag this one! This Raging Light is emotional, raw and so inspiring! I could not put it down! If I weren’t getting slammed at work, I would have finished it the first day I picked it up. Still, it only took me a few days and what a great few days it was.
When I first picked up this book, I really was expecting a dark, depressing ride through a story of 2 girls abandoned by their parents. After I finished the first chapter, I was put in my place and found that this book was going to have it’s fun moments as well. Even with the unfortunate circumstances that these girls have dabbled in to so far, I’ve still managed to giggle and relate. At this point, I was only going in to the book with little curiosity. After the first chapter ended, I needed to find my way to the end of the story.
I think Estelle Laure does a fantastic job with mapping out the relationships between Lucille and Eden – Lucille and Digby – Lucille and Wren… she made them real. A real best friend shuts down for unknown reasons at inconvenient times. A real crush who’s involved in another relationship will give out mixed signals, will be confusing as all hell, will not be what you need them to be WHEN you need them to be. A real sister-to-sister fighting for survival will do all that they can for each other but will also come with peeves and hardships. I don’t want to read about the super awesome bff who’s always happy and is always there for you even when there’s a gun to her head or the crush that drops everything the very second the girl hes crushed on finally shows interest. Save that for the fairy tales.
I will be watching this author for more books in the future (so please write more :] )
If you want a real book full of struggles, break downs, conflicting emotions, good day one minute – bad day the next, if you want a book that focuses on REAL relationships whether is be with family or friends or love interests, get your hands on this book when it comes out on December 22, 2015!
Happy Reading! xo
Day of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak
Book Description:
In the mist-shrouded haze of the past, the world of Azeroth teemed with wondrous creatures of every kind. Mysterious Elves and hardy Dwarves walked among tribes of man in relative peace and harmony – until the arrival of the demonic army known as Burning Legion shattered the world’s tranquility forever.
My Rating: 5/5
I swear this is not just because I’m a Warcraft nut, but because the way this story just ascends! How can you not love Rhonin?! This is the first book I’ve decided to start reading under the Warcraft lore. I’ve played the game for about 8+ years now (I’m getting so olddd, wahhh) and it’s so awesome reading these characters to life that I’ve already come to know. Even if you’re not a player of any of the Warcraft games or don’t even know what it is, I’d still recommend it if you’re in to fantasy/adventure!! If you’re wanting to get in to the Warcraft lore, there’s so many forums out there that argue which book you should actually start out with. I’ve racked my brain and the one I chose to follow along with (because it made the most sense to me) was this one –>
Now you by no means have to follow this, but this is what I’m going by so I thought I’d share!
I already grabbed the “second” book.. I tread lightly with these words…. and I can’t wait to see where this one takes me next (while also comparing Richard Knaak’s writing with Christie Golden’s)!
Happy Reading! ^_^
Identity Crisis!
Formally: Kay_Reads
So as you can clearly tell, I’m having a sort of “identity crisis..” When I originally started this blog, I was so eager to write my book reviews that I just picked the most uncreative name I could think of. I was never a fan of “Kay_Reads,” it didn’t speak to me, it didn’t stand out… it was just something to use for the time being. I read everywhere that changing your identity was a bad idea, blah blah blah. But the only thing I had to change with every platform I was using were the user names! I didn’t lose any of my wonderful followers, I didn’t have to ask anyone to ‘like’ this one, follow this new page, and the best part of all, I didn’t have to spend several hours customizing and reposting everything 😀
So I apologize for any confusion, but the new name is here and it is here to stay!
So with that, I re-welcome you to the not-so-new:
TheNerdyBookmark
Thank you for your understanding & Happy Reading!
Divergent Series Wrap Up
Series Description:
Divergent: One choice can transform you. This debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed “perfect society.”
Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. This story continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to the Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers.
Four: A Divergent Collection: A companion volume to the Divergent series, told from the perspective of Tobias. The four pieces included—”The Transfer,” “The Initiate,” “The Son,” and “The Traitor”—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers a fascinating glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy.
My Rating: 5/5
Some might argue that Four: A Divergent Collection should not be included in the series. Do you need to read it? Absolutely not. But if you’re a fan of Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant than I must urge you to grab this companion novel. To me, it IS apart of the series – it gives you insight on some scenes throughout the trilogy that will may you go, “ahhh – that’s why he did that!”
This series is a series that will stay on my bookshelf probably forever. If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series, there’s no doubt in my mind that you won’t enjoy what Veronica Roth has to offer. And it’s set in Chicago gaiz, greatest city everrr 😛 (Yes, I’m biased). You will be taken on an emotional roller coaster, you will experience heart pounding action, you get romance, you get breathtaking scenery. Everything you could want in a YA/Dystopian novel, you get that and more. I personally hope we get to read more of Veronica Roth in the future :] Thank you for taking me on an incredible adventure, Mrs. Roth!
Here are my links to each separate review:
Thanks for reading! :]
TheNerdyBookmark 