2015 End of Year Book Survey

Since 2015 is almost over, this is the time I start reflecting on what I've read and plan my 2016 TBR. The End of Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner that highlights the books we read in 2015. I read some amazing books this year, and am really glad I found this survey as I wanted to look back into my reading year. So without further ado, let's get started!

Number Of Books You Read: 37 so far
Number of Re-Reads: 1
Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult

Best Book(s) You Read In 2015

The Christmas Cracker Book Tag

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought this was the perfect tag to do! Let the fun begin! :)

Pick a book with a wintry cover

 This is such an adorable cover! It gives me the holiday feels. <3

Pick a book you're likely to buy as a present

Illuminae would make a great gift as it has been getting a lot of hype since it's publication and I'm sure everyone would love to read it!

Pick a festive themed book

Even though I haven't read this book yet, it sounds really adorable. It contains 12 holiday stories written by some amazing authors. I hope I get a chance to read it during the winter break!

Pick a book you can curl up with by the fireplace

This book is AH-MA-ZING--absolutely perfect in every way!! Ah I can't recommend it enough! If you haven't read it yet, GO & READ IT NOW, OKAY?

Pick a book you want to read over the festive period

Let It Snow sounds super cute, and I'm so excited to read it!

Pick a book that's so good it gives you chills

Once again, I have to go with Fangirl. As I said before, this book is SO GOOD that I can re-read it a thousand times! (Yeah, I may be a bit obsessed, haha xD)

Pick a book going on your Christmas wish list

Okay, let's be real. We all know that my TBR pile and wish list are endless. There are so many amazing books I haven't devoured in my life yet. But one book that I really want to read before the end of 2015 is Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino. That's because it sounds awesome, and I feel like I'll end up loving it! And I've also heard nothing but great things about it! Really looking forward to reading it soon :)

I nominate anyone who hasn't done this tag yet and would like to participate. It's so much fun and perfect for the holiday season! <33

Holiday Book Recommendations

Christmas is right around the corner! That means it's time to snuggle up in bed with a cup of hot cocoa... and, of course, a good book! I've made a list of books that are perfect to read during the holiday season. Let me know if you've read any of these, and whether you liked it or not. (:

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. 

Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

This book sounds so cute! It's definitely on my winter TBR.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Bookish Holiday Gift Guide + HUGE Giveaway!

Hey guys! Can you believe that Christmas is only 9 days away?!? Are you prepared?! Ahh, time passes by so quickly! If you're still trying to find gifts for your book loving friends and family members, you've come to the right place! I present you with the Bookish Christmas Shopping Guide!

You can always give a book-lover books, but what if you want to give them something different this holiday season? What I have here today is a collection of some amazing stores that sell bookish merchandise and other book related things that I'm sure any book-lover would love to receive as a present (or you might even decide to gift yourself! ;) I highly recommend these brands/companies to everyone, and I, myself, am going to buy a lot of products from these shops this Christmas!

NOTE: I'm advertising these shops because I think they're amazing, not because they've payed me to.

Let's start with one of my favorite shops!

Evie Seo

Evie's designs are incredible!! SO creative! I honestly love them so much! You guys have to go check out her shop! It's really hard to choose, but some of my favorites designs are:

December TBR

Ah, I can't believe that there's only a month left for 2015 to end! Time's seriously running by. I'm so excited for Christmas! It's my favorite holiday, and I also hope to buy quite many books. I'm going to exchange books with one of my Internet friends and am really excited about that! What are your plans for winter break? Comment below -- I'd love to hear from you guys!

I've been on track for my 2015 reading challenge. So far, I've read 36 out of 40 books. I know 40 isn't a huge amount, therefore I'm planning to read 60 books next year. I'll definitely share my 2016 TBR next month! But today, I'm going to show you my end of the year TBR. :)


    

I'm going to buddy read I'll Give You the Sun and November 9 with some lovely bookstagrammers, and Bound by Duty with my wonderful co-blogger, Leah.

Have you read any of these books? Or are these on your TBR as well? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Cover Reveal | Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Expected Publication: February 2nd, 2015

Series: The Lunar Chronicles 0.5, 0.6, 1.5, 3.1, 3.6

The enchantment continues...

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9

Author: Colleen Hoover
Genres: New adult, contemporary, romance
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Page Count: 320

 

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Rating: 5/5 stars

ARC Review: Hear the Crickets by B. J. Sheldon

 

Title: Hear the Crickets

Author: B. J. Sheldon

Genres: Fantasy, romance, science fiction, young adult

Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press

Publication Date: January 17, 2016

Page Count: 301

 
Skyy’s a freak. She’ll tell you so herself. Her past – a mystery. Her future – uncertain. Having spent most of her life avoiding humans in an effort to conceal her wings, she wants nothing more than to end it all, leaving behind the solitary life she’s been forced to live. But numerous attempts to die have proven immortality is both a curse and a nuisance. She now lives out her days in self-imposed seclusion to stay hidden from the world. But that quiet way of life is shattered when mysterious siblings arrive and reveal a destiny which sends her running for the hills. When an earth shattering discovery is made in the Badlands, history and science collide furthering the mystery behind Skyy’s past – and her future. Skyy will need to embrace her fate and confront an evil so ancient, only a miracle can keep the world from ceasing to be.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Contemporary

Page Count: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars!

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

"Maybe growing up means disappointing the people we love."

Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Page Count: 522

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

Rating: 5/5 beautiful, amazing, wonderful stars!

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Author: V.E. Schwab
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Sci - Fi, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Rating: 5/5 stars

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.
Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genres: YA, fantasy, romance

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Format: Hardcover

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free?

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at A Daily Rhythm that showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Yesterday, I was trying to find more weekly memes on the Internet when I came across Bookshelf Fantasies. I found a Book Blog Meme Directory on there, which I think will be really useful for me to refer to in the future — and I'm sure it'll be for you, too! While scrolling through that list, I came across Friday Finds and decided to start doing it on this blog as well. :)
Alright, without further ado, let's get into it!

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine which spotlights our most anticipated new releases.

This week's book is:

Sunshine Blogger Award

Thanks so much to the lovely Silanur @ Aloof Books for nominating us! Y'all should check out her blog, it's amazing!

Silanur has asked 11 questions, which I and Leah are going to answer. Then, we'll ask 11 questions to our nominees. We'll answer alternatively, starting with Leah. :) Alright, let's get started!

1. What are your favorite reads of 2015 so far?

Hmm... I'm gonna have to go with the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Darker Shade of Magic, and the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy!

Waiting On Wednesday #3

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight your most anticipated new releases.

This week's is:

Review: The Kiss of Deception

Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Genres: YA, fantasy, romance, adventure

Publisher: Henry Holt

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Source: Purchased at Barnes and Noble

Format: Paperback

Page Number: 492

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I didn't purchase any books this past week, but I did win some and also received a few for review. :)

Book Cover Guessing Challenge

Hey guys! The wonderful Fiona from A Girl Between the Pages tagged us to do this challenge! Thanks for the tag, Fiona!

So, what's basically going to happen is I am going to choose some books that I don't know much about and try to guess the synopsis based off of the cover. Once I'm done guessing, I'm going to compare my guess to the synopsis on Goodreads and see how well I did.

Alright, let's get started!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

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

This week's book:

TTT: Auto-buy Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, where each Tuesday there's a different bookish topic and you pick the top ten things that go with it for you.

This week's topic is... Drumroll please....

Top Ten Auto-buy Authors!

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Thank you so much Brina at Brina's Books for tagging us!

Here are the rules:

• Thank the blogger that nominated you and link their website.
• Use the award’s logo on your post.
• Answer the 10 questions provided by the blogger that tagged you.
• Nominate 10 bloggers.
• Ask them 10 questions.

Let's get started!

Release Day Celebration | Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist "missed connection" post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City. 

To the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.