My First Read of 2019

Hosted by Book Journey

I absolutely love sitting down and planning out what my first read of every year will be. As a planner, I find it fun, but also a little bit of a challenge. I want to pick a book that I am pretty sure I will like. No risks here! This year I am also choosing an older book so it can count towards the Beat the Backlist Challenge I signed up for. What better way to kick off the new year than by checking off a book for a challenge? I was still being really indscicive about which book I want to be my first, perhaps I was putting too much pressure on myself. And then, as if by magic, I got an email saying an ebook I had on hold was ready for me. That book is Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson which just so happens to be on my Backlist Challenge and of which many people have been saying I need to read it. Therefore, I finally chose my book!

My First Book of the Year

What will be your first book of 2019?

TTT# 93: Best Books of 2018

Hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I read 107 books in 2018! Here are some of my favorites.

My Favorite Graphic Novels

My Favorite Adult Books

My Favorite Young Adult Books

 

Did any of my favorites make your list?

TTT #92: My Winter TBR Pile

Hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl

Although I don't always stick with them, I love making TBR piles. Here are the titles that made it onto my Winter TBR Pile. I can't wait to read these beauties!

1. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
+ Add to Goodreads
I have really only heard wonderful things about this book, and I think it is time I read it.

2. The Wicked King by Holly Black
+ Add to Goodreads
I really enjoyed The Cruel Prince and can't wait to see what happens next between Cardan and Jude.

3. Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry
+ Add to Goodreads
I have enjoyed other books (my favorite being Nowhere but Here) by this author so I can't pass this new one up.

4. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
+ Add to Goodreads
I adored The Wedding Date and I can't wait to give this one a try. Plus, being proposed to in front of so many people sounds horrifying and I want to see what happens.

5. Internment by Samira Ahmed
+ Add to Goodreads
This book sounds horrifying as it is set in a near-future US where Muslim Americans are forced into interment camps, but will hopefully spark much needed conversations about what is currently going on in our country.

6. Unnatural Disasters by Jeff Hirsch
+ Add to Goodreads
I will read just about any survival story, especially one sounding so cryptic. 

7. Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
+ Add to Goodreads
All of Marissa Meyer's books are automatic reads for me, and I loved Renegades and can't wait to see what happens next.

8. Grace & Fury by Tracy Banghart
+ Add to Goodreads
I met this author and her pitch for her book sold me. As soon as she said you have to fit in a volcanic pit for food, I was sold.

9. Switchback by Danika Stone
+ Add to Goodreads
Another survival story? Sign me up!

10. The Birds, and the Bees, and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh
+ Add to Goodreads
This is a new Swoon Reads title and it sounds both delightful and serious. Just look at the cover!

Are any of these titles on your Winter TBR piles?

2019 Beat the Backlist Challenge

Sing up here! | Jan. 1 2019 - Dec. 31 2019 | Hosted by NovelKnight

Besides the Goodreads challenge, I have not been participating in reading challenges the last two years thanks to graduate school keeping me busy. However, I am officially done with grad school (as of Dec. 10) and I will now have some more time on my hands! When I stumbled upon this challenge on a few other book blogs I knew I had to give it a try. There are so many books that have been on my TBR pile for quite some time that I have ignored. I am hoping to change that in 2019, especially getting to the books I actually own that are just sitting on my shelf.

My Goal

To read at least one backlist book a month, but hopefully read a total of 24! Let's all keep our fingers crossed. I always have the best intentions at the beginning of the year, and then I kind of just forget about the challenges I have signed up for. I am truly hoping that I stick with this one. Perhaps I will make a physical Backlist TBR Shelf on my bookcase for inspiration.

Backlist TBR Pile

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (2006)
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (2012)
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (2012)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2013)
The Elemental Series (#1-5) by Brigid Kemmerer  (2012-2014), Own
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (2013)
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (2014), Own
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014), Own
Magnolia by Kristi Cook (2014), Own
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay (2014)
The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (2015), Own
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall (2016)
Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal (2016)
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis  (2016), Own
The Reader by Traci Chee (2016), Own
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan (2016), Own
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (2016), Own
The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller (2016)
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (2017), Own
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (2017)
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart (2017), Own
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson (2017)
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton (2017), Own
Lucky in Love by Kasie West (2017), Own
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada (2017)
Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2017)
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo (2017), Own
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017)
Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict (2018)
These Vengeful Souls by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (2018), Own
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart (2018), Own
Dreamer by L.E. DeLano (2018), Own

I have also decided to join team Ravenclaw! 

Which books from my list are must reads?

Will you be participating in Beat the Backlist?

Five on Friday: Recently Added to My TBR Pile

This week's Five on Friday features the books I have recently added to my TBR pile. I can't wait for these ones! It is starting to look like 2019 isn't going to help keep my TBR pile from growing to epic proportions.

1. The Antidote by Shelley Sackier
+ Add to Goodreads

Magic isn't allowed, and yet Fee can only save her best friend by using magic. What is she supposed to do? I love a good book about forbidden magic, and this cover is gorgeous.

2. The Beautiful by Renee Ahdied
+ Add to Goodreads

She's bringing vampires back, and I am ready! *grabby hands*

3. Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
+Add to Goodreads

The delightful people on the cover in the fun costumes work at Magic Castle Playland, and it may be closing!This book sounds like a perfect summer read full of friendships and disasters.

4. Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins
+ Add to Goodreads

I never say no to a time travel novel.

5. Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy
+ Add to Goodreads

The voice of the writing and the overall plot remind me of a mix of Cinder and Percy Jackson. Hell. Yes. Plus, a unique retelling of The Sword and the Stone? What more could I want? Nothing.

What's new on your TBR pile?

2018 Holiday Books and Movies

HOLIDAY BOOKS ON MY TBR PILE: I knew Snow in Love was going to make my list this year since it features a story by one of my favorite authors, Kasie West. Mutts and Mistletoe has cute dogs on the covers so I couldn't pass that up and Christmas Camp is written by the person who wrote the Netflix hit A Christmas Prince, which was horrible yet entertaining, making it another must read. Carols and Chaos offers a historical fiction Christmas story by an author I love while Moonlight Over Manhattan and Love & Other Train Wrecks just sounded like enjoyable reads.

NEW TO ME: With Vanessa Hudgens playing the main character I couldn't say no to The Princess Switch (Netflix). A sequel to A Christmas Prince? Of course I will be watching A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (Netflix). Switched for Christmas (Hallmark) features Candace Cameron Bure while Road to Christmas (Hallmark) stars Chad Michael Murray. The Holiday Calendar sounds like another Netflix Christmas hit and The Grinch is a favorite of mine.

OLD FAVORITES: As a fan of musicals and musical competitions, The Mistle-tones (Freeform) had to make this list. I watch The Holiday and Love Actually every single year, they both have a great cast! I haven't watched Olive the Other Reindeer in quite some time, but I am hoping to change that this year. Rise of the Guardians is such a well-made movie and I didn't get around to watching it last year. Yes. Die Hard is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. Yes. It is a Christmas movie. Fight me in the comments! ;)

Puppies Crash Christmas is both a wonderfully adorable delight, and gives me great anxiety. This video is only available on Hulu. It is 30 minutes of adorable puppies wrecking a cute Christmas scene with Netflix show Easter eggs scattered throughout.

Tell Me in the Comments: What holiday books are you planning to read? Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?

Review & Giveaway: Twelve Months of Awkward Moments

Twelve Months of Awkward Moments by Lisa Acerbo (Aug. 30, 2018)

Length: 234 pages

Publisher: Torrid Books

Source: I received a free review copy as part of Xpresso Book Tours. Thank you!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Rating:

Synopsis: Dani can’t wait for senior year at college. A straight-A scholar whose anxiety is a daily struggle, being awkward, introverted, and studious has become a way of life. She vows this year will be different. It’s time to move beyond her comfort zone, but that’s not easy. Dani’s wild roommate and handsome best friend hate each other; her crazy family won’t leave her alone; and a new job forces her to be social. Unfortunately, when college romance finally calls, Dani is unable to answer thanks to a stalker who has her all tied up. Can she stay alive long enough to find love and graduate?

+ Add to Goodreads

My Review

Twelve Months of Awkward Moments is a unique addition to the new adult genre. Dani is a smart girl who has anxiety. As someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis, I could easily relate to what she was going through, and I thought the author did a good job at capturing those feelings. The supporting cast of characters including her roommate, her best friend, and mother are also realistic and well-written. Dani has bad luck when it comes to men, and now she has a stalker. There was a good amount of suspense over who the stalker was, the author doing an excellent job at keeping us on our toes about who it could be. Poor Dani has had interactions with a lot of creeps. The plot was fast paced and the mystery kept me turning the pages. However, I was disappointed about how the stalker situation was resolved and the lack of a solid romantic relationship, but it did have a satisfying ending. The Verdict: Overall, I think Twelve Months of Awkward Moments is a fast-paced romantic suspense that I think fans of new adult novels will enjoy.

The Author

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and adjunct faculty at the University of Phoenix. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters, two dogs, and horse. When not writing, she mountain bikes, hikes, and tries to pursue some type of further education. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour