January TBR

Hello Everyone!

Today’s post is all about the books that I plan on reading in the month of January. Here they are:

1. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

3. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas 

4. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur 

5. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo 

6. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo 

What books are you planning on reading in January?

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to click the blue “Follow” button. Also, don’t forget to check out my social media pages: Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), Goodreads, and The Meaderings of a Bookworm Facebook Page! 🙂

New to me Authors of 2017

Hello Everyone!

Today’s post is all about the new authors that I discovered this year. This includes both debut authors and authors who I read one of their books for the first time in 2017. I discovered a lot of “new” authors, however the ones included on this list are the ones that I intend to read more of their works in the near future. Without further ado here are the new authors that I discovered in 2017:

Marie Lu

 

I honestly had very low expectations when I picked up my first Marie Lu book, Warcross, and I ended up loving it! I am definitely planning on reading more of her books in 2018!

Meagan Spooner 

Even though she has co-authored several books with Amie Kaufman (which I still need to read), her first stand-alone book, Hunted, was a great Beauty and the Beast retelling and I can’t read more of her stand-alones!

Cath Crowley 

I loved Words in Deep Blue, even though others haven’t liked it as much. I love how she dealt with grief and the aftermath of losing someone in poignant way and it was set in Australia!

Kasie West 

I had seen Kasie West’s books around and when I got my hands on a copy of By Your Side, I knew I had found a new favorite contemporary YA author. I am looking forward to reading more of her books in 2018.

Morgan Rhodes

I had no idea what to expect from Falling Kingdoms, but I ended up really enjoying it. I also read the sequel, Rebel Spring, which wasn’t as good, but still made me want to continue on with the series (the last installment comes out in 2018). I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the Falling Kingdoms series.

Ellie Terry 

Ellie Terry surprised me because I checked out Forget Me Not mainly due to the cover and I fell in love with the story! First off, I am partially to anything that is told in verse, but it also deals with Tourettes Syndrome which is grossly misunderstood by many. This book corrected some of the misconceptions about it, and I love that it was an Own Voices book (the author also has Tourettes Syndrome). I am looking forward to reading what Ellie Terry writes next.

Julie C. Dao 

Yet another great debut YA author! I loved Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel in 2018.  I am also excited to see what else she writes!

Donna VanLiere 

I had seen Donna VanLiere’s Christmas books floating around before, and when I decided to read a lot of Christmasy reads. Her books are perfect for the Christmas season and I am looking forward to reading more in the upcoming year!

Leigh Bardugo 

I have been putting off picking up one of Leigh Bardugo’s books because I had heard mixed opinions on Shadow and Bone. However, I decided to take the plunge and read it and I fell in love with the Grisha Universe and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books!

Sarah Anderson 

Also known as Sarah Scribbles, I have seen some of her comics online, but I read the two bind-ups of her comics and I loved them. Her comics are so relatable and almost every single one seemed to describe me to a tee! I can’t wait for her third book to come out in 2018!

Diana Gabaldon 

*Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, say could that lass be I…* I read (and watched) Outlander and I loved it! I didn’t like Dragonfly in Amber as much, but I am excited to read the rest of the books in this series!

And those were the favorite new-to-me authors that I discovered in 2017. Who are some authors that were new to you this year?

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to hit the blue “Follow” button and to check out my social media pages: Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), Goodreads, and The Meanderings of a Bookworm Facebook page! 🙂

 

Book Review: Prince in Disguise

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm. 

About the book: 

Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network’s crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV.

As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty’s maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises—including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan’s family isn’t good enough for her only son. At least there’s Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan’s stress . . . if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality show sensation.

My Thoughts: 

Before I jump into my review I would like to thank Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Prince in Disguise in exchange for my honest review. And now for my review…

This was a cute and cheesy romance that takes place in castle in the Scottish Highlands (*cue Outlander theme song*). I liked the concept of a reality show and how life can become impersonal when cameras are constantly following your every move. There was just enough drama to keep readers reading, although some of it did seem a little bet contrived.

Dylan was a good character and I loved watching her come to terms with her sister’s upcoming wedding and having her life constantly documented. I also loved her love interest, Jamie ( even though he isn’t Scottish, he reminds me of another fictional Jamie *swoon*), and how down to earth he was. I really want to read more of him and I hope there will be a sequel.

Overall, it was a cute read although some of the other characters were annoying. It was also slow in some places. However, this is the perfect read if you just want something cute and fluffy to read by the fire place this is the perfect read. I am giving it 3/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to hit the “Follow”button, and follow me on social media: Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), Goodreads, and The Meanderings of a Bookworm Facebook Page! 🙂

My Most Anticipated Releases of 2018

Hello Everyone!

Today I am going to share 18 of my most anticipated releases of 2018! Just a note, this is not a conclusive list, there are a lot of other new releases that I am also excited about, but these are just the ones that I want to read as soon as they come out! These are also going to be ordered by release date:

1.Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Release Date: January 9th

2.A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen 

Release Date: January 9th

3.Zenith by Sasha Alsburg and Lindsay Cummings 

Release Date: January 16th

4.Wires and Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer 

Release Date: January 30th

5. American Panda by Gloria Chao 

Release Date: February 6th

6.Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston 

Release Date: February 27th

7.Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 

Release Date: March 6th

8.Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon 

Release Date: March 6th

9.To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Release Date: March 6th

10.Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

Release Date: March 13th

11.The Continent by By Kiera Drake 

Release Date: March 27th

12.A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh 

Release Date: June 26th

13.Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen 

Release Date: July 10th

14.Sea Witch by Sarah Henning 

Release Date: July 31st

15.To Be Honest by Maggie Ann Martin 

Release Date: August 21st

16.A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant 

Release Date: Fall 2018

17. Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress #2) by Julie C. Dao 

Release Date: October 2018

18.Untitled (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu 

Release Date: TBA

Are there any 2018 releases that you are looking forward to? If so, let me know down in the comments.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you have done so already, don’t forget to hit the follow button and to follow me on Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), and to like the blog Facebook page!

Around the Year in 52 Books 2018 Challenge

Hello Everyone!

Today I am going to share the reading challenges for the Around the Year in 52 Books 2018 Challenge. Some of you might remember that I took part in this challenge throughout this whole year, and I will have a post up in a couple of weeks with all the books that I used to complete these challenges. If you are interested in taking part in 2018 here is the link to the GoodReads group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/174195-around-the-year-in-52-books

I really enjoyed taking part in this challenge this year and I am looking to attempting to do this challenge again in the New Year. Without further ado here are the challenges that I am going to attempt to complete in the upcoming year:

1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title
2. A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list
3. A book from the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards (link)
4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author…)
5. A book about or inspired by real events
6. A book originally written in a language other than English
7. A gothic novel
8. An “own voices” book*
9. A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc)
10. An author’s debut book (their first book to be published)
11. A literary fiction
12. A book set in Africa or South America
13. A book with a plot centered around a secret (forbidden love, spies, secret societies, etc)
14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
16. A narrative nonfiction
17. A book you expect to make you laugh
18. A book with a location in the title
19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors)
20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends
21. A book written in first person perspective
22. A book you have high expectations or hope for
23. A medical or legal thriller
24. A book with a map
25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view
26. A book with a text only cover

27. A book about surviving a hardship (war, famine, major disasters, serious illness, etc)
28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
29. A book with a “Clue” weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
30. A short book
31. A book set in a country you’d like to visit but have never been to
32. An alternate history book
33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word “born” in the same year as you (link)
34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn’t win but was polarizing or a close-call (link)
35. A book featuring a murder
36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven’t read before
37. A Women’s Prize for Fiction winner or nominee (link1, link2)
38. A science book or a science fiction book
39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title
40. A book from Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list (link)
41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater
43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence
44. A ghost story
45. A book that intimidates/ scares you
46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air
47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own
48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
49. A book from one of the Goodreads Best Books of the Month lists (link)
50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
52. A book published in 2018

If you have any recommendations for any of these challenges let me know down in the comments. Also stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on my most anticipated releases for 2018!

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to hit the follow button and to follow me on Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), and to like the blog Facebook page. You can also follow me on GoodReads!

Christmas Book Reviews: Kissing Father Christmas

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Kissing Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn.

About the Book: 

Anna’s first visit to Carlton Heath in England was last May for the wedding of her cousin Ian to Miranda. The beautiful event ended with a dance under the stars and Anna receiving an unexpected kiss from Peter, the groomsman who caught her eye and now holds her heart.Now, at the invitation of family and friends, Anna is returning to Carlton Heath for Christmas. She has Peter’s recent email to fill her with assurance that he’s looking forward to seeing her again as well. More than his brief words, though, the vivid memory of their unforgettable kiss provides a promise of more to come. Anna, ever the imaginative artist, has been busy painting a romantic conclusion to her holiday visit. Certainly she’s not the only one who has been dreaming of another dance and another kiss.

But when she sees Peter again, his intentions seem to shift as speedily as the blustery winter weather. Is Anna’s heart misleading her, or will Father Christmas bestow on her the gift of love for which she has long dreamed?

My Thoughts: 

Kissing Father Christmas takes readers back to the charming English village of Carlton Heath and it was great to revisit some beloved characters from the first two books. This installment in the Father Christmas series follows Anna, who is a cousin of Ian’s, who had first visited Carlton Heath when she attended Miranda and Ian’s wedding. And I loved that she got come back for Christmas.

I loved Anna, I feel like she was a great character. Even though she lived a sheltered life, she knew what she wanted, even if she romanticized a lot. I think this is why I liked her because she is like me in this way. I also liked the allusions to several fairy tales throughout this book!

And then there was Peter…ummm, he kind of annoyed me. In the end he did redeem himself, but I feel like the main conflict in this book could have been resolved he had just been upfront with Anna. I get where he was coming from, but he still should have been honest with her. But then again, I guess a lot of issues that happen in life are a result of poor communication between people.

Overall, it was a good Christmasy reads, besides the annoying reason for the conflict in the plot, but it was still a great ending and I really want to find out what happens to these characters. In fact, I really want a book on Katharine and Andrew’s relationship! I am giving this 3.5/5 Stars because even though it was good, there were a few things that kind of annoyed me.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to hit the “Follow” button, and to follow me on my social media: Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), The Meanderings of a Bookworm Facebook page, and Goodreads! 🙂

Christmas Book Reviews: Engaging Father Christmas

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn.

About the Book: 

Miranda Carson can’t wait to return to England for Christmas and to be with her boyfriend, Ian. She has spent a lifetime yearning for a place to call home, and she’s sure Carlton Heath will be it, especially when a hinted-at engagement ring slips into the conversation. 

But Miranda’s high hopes for a jolly Christmas with the small circle of people she has come to love are toppled when Ian’s father is hospitalized and the matriarch of the Whitcombe family withholds her blessing from Miranda. Questions run rampant in Miranda’s mind about whether she really belongs in this cheery corner of the world. Then, when her true identity threatens all her relationships in unanticipated ways, Miranda is certain all is lost. 

And yet . . . maybe Father Christmas has special gifts in store for her after all.

My Thoughts: 

Engaging Father Christmas was a good follow-up to Finding Father Christmas and picks up a year after the events of the first book. I loved revisiting Carlton Heath and the characters that live in this town. I also enjoyed seeing the different adaptation of A Christmas Carol that was put on during Miranda’s second Christmas with her newly found family.

It was great to get to know Ian a lot more this time, especially since he was introduced on the last page of Finding Father Christmas and it was only hinted at that there was a possible relationship between Miranda and himself – and I wasn’t disappointed. Miranda had also undergone some character growth since the last book and it only made me like her more as a character.

I appreciated how this book dealt with Miranda’s identity and parentage in a way that seemed realistic and how there were some people who were still coming to terms with the secret that was uncovered in Finding Father Christmas.

Engaging Father Christmas was another enjoyable Christmas read that still dealt with some difficult issues, while still being a cute fluffy romance to read by the fireplace. 4/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to hit the blue “follow” button and to to check out my social media pages. You can find me on Twitter (@Jlc0904Janelle), Instagram (@jazzyjan101), Goodreads, and The Meanderings of a Bookworm Facebook page! 🙂

 

Christmas Book Reads: Starry Night

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Starry Night by Debbie Macomber.

About the Book:

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author. 
 
Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a mega-bestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.
 
Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.
 
Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.

My Thoughts: 

I really enjoyed Starry Night, especially since I had no idea what to expect when I started reading it. I loved getting to know Carrie and her ambition to move beyond the society page was infectious. I rooted for her when she tried to figure out how to find Finn and cheered when she found him.

I loved watching her interaction with Finn and how she got to know him and discovered that there is more to life than writing the best story. I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and the ramifications of it – especially since their personalities seem to clash a lot.

I enjoyed watching the story unfold and it is the perfect cute, Christmasy read to curl up with a cup of coffee, maybe in front of the fireplace and enjoy! 4/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

 

Christmas Book Reviews: 12 Days at Bleakly Manor

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep.

About the Book: 

When CLARA CHAPMAN receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of one thousand pounds. That’s enough money to bring her brother back from America and reinstate their stolen family fortune. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, BENJAMIN LANE.

Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar.

Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the Twelve Days of Christmas, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

My Thoughts: 

As someone who is a fan of Charles Dickens’ work I did enjoy this novel. However, it seemed to drag in certain places and it was also to keep track of all the different characters that appear in this book, even though Clara and Ben are the main characters. However, I did love the mystery surrounding Bleakly Manor and the challenge to stay there for twelve days.

One thing I wish that been developed a lot more is the characters of Clara and Ben. As well as their relationship prior to the novel, especially how they got engaged. There were several other things that I wish had been described in greater detail. Overall, it was an enjoyable novel, especially if you are looking for a Christmas novel set in the Victorian Age. 3.75/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

The Grinch Book Tag

Hello Everyone!

Picture taken from noiselesschatter.com 

Today I am going to be doing The Grinch Book Tag created by Sam from the YouTube channel Thoughtsontomes. If you would like to watch her original video click here and if you would to watch her redo video click here.

1. Half of the lights on the Christmas tree are burnt out : Name a book/series/character that started out good but then went downhill. 

The Matched Trilogy by Allie Condie. I liked the first book and I felt like it was a good start to the series and I was intrigued to read the other books, but I felt like the plot kept getting worse with each book. The last book was pretty disappointing and it had the potential to have a great ending!

2. Annoying Great Aunt Sally who will not leave you alone : Name a book that you didn’t enjoy, but everyone else seems to love so it never goes away.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Just based on what the book is about I should have loved this book, but I didn’t! Yes, I related to the main character a little bit, but other than that I didn’t really enjoy it – it took me forever to actually finish it.

3. Your pets keep knocking over the Christmas decoration : Name a character that kept messing things up for everyone else (can’t pick a villain!)

Lucia from The Falling Kingdoms series. Granted, I’ve only read the first two books so I have no idea if she turns evil or not in the rest of the series. But in the first two books she does a lot of damage, which isn’t her fault for the most part, but still she messes things up royally for everyone. Read the series if you want to find out more!

4. You hear your parents putting out the presents and learn Santa isn’t real: Name a book you were spoiled for. 

So, I am going to have to answers for this question, the first is actually a book, and the second is a movie because seriously I’m still kind of upset that this was spoiled for me.

For the book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. I’m not going to say what was spoiled but if you read the book you know what I am talking about. And yes, it is kind of my fault for not reading it sooner, but still SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!!!!

And for the movie, Captain America and the Winter Soldier…again, I am not going to say what was spoiled for me, but if you’ve watched it you know what I am talking about. My first time watching it a friend spoiled a big reveal just minutes before it happened, and it ruined the movie because I didn’t get the shock that I would have had if it hadn’t been spoiled for me. I enjoyed it but I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been spoiled for that part of the movie.

5. It’s freezing outside: Name a main character you just couldn’t connect with.

I’m sure there are others that I can’t remember off the top of my head right now, but Emma Woodhouse from Emma by Jane Austen. I CAN’T STAND HER!!! I love Jane Austen, but this is my least favorite book written by her because Emma is a horrible person! I actually like some of the adaptations of the book better because they do convey some redeemable qualities in Emma’s character, but in the book there are no redeeming qualities about her.

6. Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ and it’s giving you anti-romantic feelings : Name a couple you couldn’t stand.

Jace and Clary. I’ve only read the first two books of The Mortal Instruments series and their whining about not being able to be together for obvious spoilery reasons gets annoying.

7. That scratchy homemade wool sweater you got for Christmas years ago but won’t get rid of : name books that have been sitting on your shelves for a while, and you aren’t motivated to read, but you don’t have the heart to get rid of.

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas – only because I am waiting for the last book of the series to come out.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

8. Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer: Name a character death you still are mad about (warn people for spoilers! You can also use TV or movie deaths)

Okay, so like I did for number 4, I am going to do both a book character and a tv/movie character. BEWARE THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS!!!! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!

For a book character it has to be Nehemia from Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. Even though she was a side character, I loved her and I can’t believe she got killed off.

And, for all you Downton Abbey fans, Matthew Crawley!!!! I’M STILL MAD ABOUT THIS!!!! Especially since after his death, Mary just becomes a worse version of herself that she was before he died. Especially since we had to wait about two seasons for them to get together and then they’re only together for a season. UGH!!! I didn’t realize how mad I still am about this even though I watched it about 2 or 3 years ago.

9. The malls are overly crowded with holiday shoppers: Name a series that has too many books in it/went on too long.

Okay, even though I’ve enjoyed reading this series, I also feel like it could have been shorter than it actually is and that is A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Again, the books are enjoyable, but they tend to drag sometimes and it just could have been shorter than 13 books.

10. The Grinch : Name a main character you HATE (No villians again!)

I honestly don’t have an answer for this…unless it was an actual villain because I haven’t really read many books where I hated the main character because I usually stop reading them. So right now, I don’t know. But if I remember one I will come back and update this answer.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this tag, if you have any tags that you would like me to do in future posts, let me know in the comments down below.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.