Stacking the Shelves #10

Welcome to my post for this week’s Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. This is where I can post about the books and book swag I received this week. I will be posting my list on Sundays and will include anything I received Sunday through Saturday.

This week's post is a little late. I've done nothing but mindless reading this weekend. Then tonight I got sucked into the Live version of Grease and loved it! Did anyone else watch it?

Here’s my list for this week.

FREEBIES

*Please check prices before one-clicking*

What did you pick up this week? Be sure and leave a comment with a link to your post so I can check out your Stacking the Shelves haul. 

January Wrap-Up

Weekly Wrap-Up

This was a busy week. One of last week's basketball games was rescheduled for this week. That made four basketball games for the week. Four, I say! Add this to a stressful week at work and I was exhausted by Wednesday night. I was reading some great books this week and found it impossible to go to bed early instead of reading a bit before going to sleep. So that made for late nights.

I finished three books this week which I find amazing. My favorite read of the week was Rarity by D.A. Roach. It was a real tear jerker!  I didn't have much time for visiting other blogs this week and have been trying to makeup for it today. I've been visiting some other like posts today and have found a few books to add to my TBR list.

January Reading Challenge Update

Full House Reading Challenge

January Progress

I've crossed off seven of the boxes for this challenge.

Published in 2016 - The Muse & The Fairy Tale by Mary Smith

You Didn't Want to Put it Down - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Author Outside Own Country - Fever by Melissa Pearl

First in a Series - Winters Heat by Cristin Harber

A Dominant Color on Cover - Tragic by J.A. Huss

New Author to You - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

Published 2015 - Rarity by D.A. Roach

January Progress

I've completed seven letters for this challenge.

B - Bending Under Pressure by Lindsay Paige

F - Fever by Melissa Pearl

H - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

M - The Muse & The Fairy Tale by Mary Smith

R - Rarity by D.A. Roach

T - Tragic by J.A. Huss

W - Winters Heat by Cristin Harber

Holiday Bookish Bingo

January Progress

I've filled in one more for this one.

	B	I	N	G	O
	Romance	Snow On Cover	Has Been Translated	Holiday Themed	Epistolary
	Multi POV	Series Finale	Fantasy	Pink Cover	2015 Release You Missed
	Time Travel	A Friend's Fav	FREE	Thriller	One Word Title
	Award Winner	Black Author	White Cover	Book was a Gift	Retelling
	2016 Debut	Graphic Novel	Start A New Series	Royalty	Blue Cover
		KEY
		read	reading

Romance - Without A Doubt by Lindsay Paige

Multi POV - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

Start A New Series - Winters Heat by Cristin Harber

One Word Title - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

A Friend's Fav - Tragic by J.A. Huss

2015 Release You Missed - Fever by Melissa Pearl

Goodreads Group - 2016 Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

January Progress

A Book That is Becoming a Movie This Year - The 5th Wave

A Book With a Blue Cover - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

A Book About a Road Trip - Winters Heat by Cristin Harber

A Book Recommended by Someone You Just Met - Tragic by J.A. Huss

A Book You Can Read in One Day - The Muse & The Fairy Tale by Mary Smith

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2016

MY GOAL: Mount Blanc, 24 books

January Progress

Books Read

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy, rec'd as Christmas Gift - READ Jan 20, 2016

Tragic by J.A. Huss, downloaded July 31, 2015 - READ Jan 13, 2016

Winters Heat by Cristin Harber, downloaded Dec 27, 2015 - READ Jan 8, 2016

Fever by Melissa Pearl, downloaded Oct 4, 2015 - READ Jan 24, 2016

Rarity by D.A. Roach, downloaded Dec 1, 2015 - READ Jan 25, 2016 

Reviews Posted

Winters Heat by Cristin Harber

 

MY GOAL: Discussion Dabbler (1-12 Discussion Posts)

January Progress

1 Post - Managing Your TBR List 

NEW CHALLENGES I’VE DECIDED TO JOIN

2016 Dystopia Reading Challenge

This is a challenge for people wanting to read more dystopian books. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games and a few other dystopian series I’ve read. So I have decided to give this one a try. This challenge is hosted by Tracy at Cornerfolds and Claudia from My Soul Called Life.  Details of the challenge can be found here. I’’m going for the Recruit badge which is to read 5 dystopian books. 

January Progress

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

This challenge is hosted by Montana @ The Book Belles and Jillian @ Jillian’s Books. You can sign up here. I’m going for the Poppy Level, 1-5 books reviewed. 

January Progress

While I've read books for this category, I won't have reviews up until February.

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader

(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

*It's that simple.

My post this week is from page 147 (which is at 56%) of Fever by Melissa Pearl. 

SYNOPSIS

Singing in the shower takes on a whole new meaning in Melissa Pearl's first New Adult Contemporary Romance.

Ella Simmons does not want to move across the country. But she is, because her boyfriend has persuaded her to join him at UChicago to finish out her college education. Never able to tell him no, she hops on a plane and makes the trek from LA expecting to adjust to life like she's often forced to, but things are not that simple when she hears a luscious voice singing over her shower wall. His deep, sexy tenor makes her weak in the knees, spreading fire through her limbs and making her question everything about her life and relationship.

Can one voice really have that much of an impact?

Cole Reynolds is on his way out. In his final year at UChicago, the only thing he wants to do is finish school and get on with his life. But the sweet voice that interrupts his morning shower turns his world upside down. Compelled to find his shower songbird, he begins a search across campus. The only thing to distract him from this goal is his roommate's gorgeous girlfriend who's just arrived from LA - Ella Simmons.

Relationships are put to the ultimate test as future dreams are questioned and friendships are thrown on the line for love.

 

 FRIDAY 56

From page 147 -- “You have to admit that it's kind of creepy to be dreaming about another guy when you're with David,” Jody said. I threw my hands in the air with a huff. “What, so I just break up with him on the off-chance I might meet shower guy?” “No, you break up with him because he's not right for you anymore.”

That's What HE Said Thursday - January 28, 2016

That's What He Said Thursday is a meme hosted by Julie and Lynn at Chapter Break.  Come join us every Thursday by posting a favorite line from your book boyfriend to his heroine. Keep in mind these are direct quotes from dialogue in a book. It is NOT a physical description of a male protag or a paragraph of dialogue. It is a line spoken by our favorite heroes to their lucky ladies (whom we so wish we were!!!!!!) sigh…

My post this week is from Tragic by J.A. Huss.

SYNOPSIS

How far are you willing to go to start over?

Rook Walsh is homeless, jobless, and down to her last ten bucks when opportunity knocks her in the head and delivers a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his studio that she's got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model Ronin, and he knows exactly what to do to make her blush for Antoine's camera. Her luck changes in an instant and suddenly she's got more attention and exposure than she can handle--both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

That's What HE Said . . .

 

“I could describe what you look like, but that’s not what I see. You are so much more than a body inside a dress, Rook. You fit me. When I saw you crouching in that stairwell last week I felt like I knew you. You stopped me dead in my tracks, you wiped my mind. And I reached out to touch you that day because I couldn’t resist. I needed to do it and I plan on touching you all night, on the way there in the car, through dinner, as we walk around the zoo and do whatever the hell it is they do at a nighttime fundraiser, and all the way home.” 

Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover

Release Date: December 19, 2012

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Pages:410

Source: E-Book

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Goodreads Description:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Notes about the book:

This is the first book in a two-book series. I found it difficult to label the genre for this book. The main characters are high school students - one 18 and the other soon-to -be 18. However, they do have sex. So i wasn't sure if it would be Young Adult or New Adult since sex is involved.

Book Quote:

Ok, I couldn't just pick one quote.
Quote #1
If I have to read this shit every day, the least they could do is make it interesting. If I was going to stoop so low as to leave an unfounded note on someone’s locker, I’d at least have the courtesy of entertaining whoever reads it in the process. I’d write something interesting like, “I saw you in bed with my boyfriend last night. I really don’t appreciate you getting massage oil on my cucumbers. Whore."
Rather than rip the sticky notes off of my locker like I probably should, I take out my pen and make them a little more creative.
Quote #2

Holder gives him a half smile, but he’s staring at the coffee cup on Breckin’s desk. “I thought Mormon’s weren’t allowed to have caffeine.”

Breckin shrugs. “I decided to break that rule the morning I woke up gay.”
Quote #3
You’re the only guy I’ve ever had the urge to lick.” He smiles at me confidently. “Good. Because you’re the only girl I’ve ever had the urge to love.” Holy shit

My Review

At the very beginning of this book, I wasn't too sure about it. It starts out with Sky making out with a boy she obviously doesn't like. I was thinking "This isn't the sort of girl I want to read about." But that is so not what the book is about. Once you get past those first few pages and learn who Sky really is, it becomes an un-put-downable book. Although, with the length of the book you'd either have to be a speed-reader or stay up all night reading. I, unfortunately, am not a speed reader nor able to stay up all night reading. Therefore, I had to squeeze chapters in when I could.

Sky is a refreshing female main character. She doesn't let the little things bother her as witnessed in quote #1 above. She is loyal and loves fiercely. She's also been forced to live a sheltered life and is attending public school for the first time. This makes for some funny situations such as the time when she received a text with the letters "LOL" -- "Lol? What the hell does that mean? Lots of love? Oh, God, that better not be it. He’ll be out the door faster than Matty-boy. But really, what the hell does it mean?". Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing in another quote. The book is just full of so many good quotes.

Dean Holder, known as Holder to his friends, starts off a little stalkerishy but turns into a swoon-worthy young man. From Sky's and Holder's first meeting, I had an inkling that there was some history there. It's latter reinforced with Holder's actions. However, the details aren't revealed until much later in the book.

I have to say that the events of the book did surprise me some. I had my thoughts about what was going to happen. The actual events were along the lines of what I was thinking, but turned into so much more. Its such a sad story, but I loved the way Hoover resolved the issues. 

I also loved Hoover's writing style. At one point there is a kiss scene that seems to go on for pages. It was at this point that I realized Hoover was able to describe what was happening so well that it wasn't necessary to write "Next we did ABC. Then we did XYZ." I don't know that I can convey in words my exact meaning, but she has such a fluid and descriptive writing style that I just fell in love with this book. 

I'm thinking of being stalkerish and devouring all of her books I can get my hands on this year.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Authors Books I'd like to Devour This Year

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Today's topic is a freebie. So I've decide to list the Authors (and some book covers) whose books I'd like to devour this year.

1. Colleen Hoover - I just finished my first Hoover book and definitely want to read more.


2. Tarryn Fisher - She and Hoover are BFFs and their banter is HILARIOUS. Plus they co-wrote Never Never and I own the first one.



3. J.A. Huss - Her Rook & Ronin series was recommended to me by Bookworm Brandee and I fell in love. I've got to have more.



4. Sawyer Bennett - I read Off Sides and would really like to finish the series.


5. Kristen Ashley - I've not read any of her stuff, but she was recommended by Bookworm Brandee and I'm pretty positive I will like her stuff.


6. Shelly Crane - I'm in love with the Significance series and really need to finish it this year.


7. Heather Sunseri - Another series I need to finish.


8.  Andrea Randall - I've only read her Jesus Freaks series, but loved it. I'd like to try out some of her other stuff (as well as finish the JF series once she publishes book 3).


9. Cassandra Clare - I read City of Bones and really enjoyed it. I was really disappointed with the movie, but am looking forward to the new TV show. I haven't watched it yet (no spoilers, please), but have it dvr'd. I can't decide whether to wait until my daughter comes home from college to watch it together or go ahead with it.


10. George R.R. Martin - I'm in the middle of season 2 (I think) of Game of Thrones and enjoy it. There are a few things I don't like. But the world building is great and I really like some of the characters. Plus my husband says I should read the books.