Very First Book Haul!!

Since starting this blog, one of the things I have been desperately wanting to do is a Book Haul. I'm excited to say, I finally have the chance to do one!

This may not seem like a large book haul to some of you, but for me, this one is huge! I normally don't buy a lot of books. (Blame it on College!) But, all of these books I will be showing I either got on sale, or someone gave them to me....all 17 of them!

Because of the length of this haul, I won't be posting any descriptions for the books. I'll link each book to it's Goodreads page so you can get the information for it if you want to.

So, let's get started shall we....

Let's begin with my favorite, YA Books:

1. The Fault in our Stars, John Green (Book Club read!)
2. Cinder, Marissa Meyer (Gift)
3. Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas
4. The Ranger's Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan, John Flanagan  (World Book Night book)
5. Where'd you go, Bernadetter, Maria Semple (WBN book)

The next category is another favorite of mine, Christian Fiction:

1. Burn, Ted Dekker & Erin Healy
2. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, Susan Gregg Gilmore
3. Letter Perfect, Cathy Marie Hake
4. Abomination, Colleen Coble
5. Intervention, Terri Blackstock
6. Vicious Cycle, Terri Blackstock

Now, time for the Adult portion:

1. Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
2. Through Violet Eyes, Stephen Woodworth
3. In Golden Blood, Stephen Woodworth
4. In the Woods, Tana French
5. The Sugar Queen, Sarah Addison Allen
6. Little Earthquakes, Jennifer Weiner 

Well, that wraps up my lovely book haul! I can't wait to read all of these.. I hope you enjoyed having a look at this.

I have a Book Club that I host with my niece. If you would like to check it out here is the link. The L&K Book Club. We are reading The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green if you would like to join us!

Have you read any of these yet?
If so, did you like it?
Any on this list you may want to read?

Time to go get lost between the pages, see ya next time!

~Lauren

Icons

              Ro murmurs into my ear. "Don't be afraid, Dol. They're not coming for us." Still, he slips his arm around me and we wait until the sky is clear. 

              Because he doesn't know. Not really.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the Icon appeared in Los Angeles. The day the power stopped The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside with fellow survivor Ro-safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

They're different. They survived. Why?

When the government discovers their secret, they are forced to join faint-hearted Tima and charismatic Lucas in captivity. Called the Icon Children, the four are the only humans on Earth immune to the power of the Icons. Torn between brooding Ro and her evolving feelings for Lucas, between a past and a future, Dol's heart has never been more vulnerable. And as tensions escalate, the Icon Children discover that their explosive emotions-which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses-may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers a thrilling novel set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts- in order to save their   future.

Author: Margaret Stohl 

Page Count: 448

Genera: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance

Series? Yes (Book 1)

Aliens, teenagers, rebellions, and a talking computer. What could go wrong with that mix, right?

Icons is Margaret Stohl's first adventure in writing solo. She is a co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Series. (which I have yet to read!) This is the first book of a new series, the next installment, Idols, will be released this year.

Before starting this book, I had a different idea of what it would be. Yeah, I kinda got that aliens invade Earth and these teens are special...but that was it. Cracking open the book and actually beginning to read this story I found it to be something a bit different than what I had pictured. 

Like most books these days, this story is a bit dystopian. Is that a bad thing? Not really. We have a world trying to cope with the invasion of aliens that control them. A bit sci-fi, a bit dystopian. But I personally like that combination if it's done well.

I enjoyed the characters, but to be honest, I can't say any are my favorite. The main character Dol, while interesting, could have those moments when she got on my nerves. (But everyone has those moments, right?) If anyone was picked to be my favorite, I would say Tima. Why Tima? To me she was the character with the most mystery. Everyone else seemed to be almost like an open book, but Tima didn't open up too much. We learn a bit about her, but not a lot. She is mysterious, and a good mystery pulls me in. Fortis was also a likable character to me. Besides Tima, he would be my favorite. Doc was fun, but do you count the computer as a character? He's funny and has a personality not known in most computers. (If any.)

The world building wasn't too heavy. Since this story takes place on Earth, we didn't have any kind of fictional lands and worlds. However, the cities and grasslands that are formed after the Icons fall are pretty well done in my opinion. Slightly familiar, yet different. We have different people living in different areas. Each unique to their area. This helps add diversity to the characters. 

The only major problem I had with this book is the following 2 things: 

1. Love triangle. I know most books we read today have some form of love triangle to them. But, personally I didn't like this one. While most can work, I just didn't feel this one. The four main characters are split into a boy-girl pair at the start of the story. Growing up with each other and learning about each other. They already pretty much have their loves chosen. But, then their seems to be an instant love between two of the main characters right when they meet. I personally would love to see them stay with their original pairings, but maybe this will work better in the long run. Maybe it's just me.
2. Little bit of a slump. The beginning of the story is fast paced and exciting. For the first few chapters I couldn't put this book down. I had to know what happened next. After about the first 100 pages, things seemed to slow down. I kept an interest in the story, but I no longer had to stay up late to finish it. I could put this book down and not pick it up again for a few days. Was it terrible? Not at all. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Was it my favorite? Probably not my all time favorite. I recommend this to anyone who likes these type of books. One of the problems for me might be the fact that I read The 5th Wave directly before reading this one. After riding the high from one story, this one fell short with the same thrill. If I would have switched the order, I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more. 

The next one, Idols, comes out soon and I will be reading it! I can't wait to see what happens to the characters and where the story will take us. Over all, I give this a good 4.0 rating. Certainly worth the read! 

If you have read Icons, let me know what you thought about it! Or what you didn't like, either one will work! 

Back Home..

The sand is washed out of my clothes, the sunburn is healing, and my bags are finally unpacked!

That's right, I am back from my lovely vacation to the beach. While it was fun and I enjoyed it, I have to admit I missed my own bed!

So, now that I'm back home it's time to get busy with some major blogging! Hopefully this weekend I will be able to have my June Book Haul up. I have a pretty big stack of books that I got during the month of June, and I decided to wait until now to post it. Looking forward to doing that one!

I have a new book to read this month, and I'll be posting more information on that one as soon as I can.

My review for both Icons and Rebel Belle will be posted soon. Icons will be up tonight, unless I have problems with my internet again.

So, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, and Happy 4th of July to all that celebrate it! I hope you all are having fun and being safe. Enjoy the fireworks!

~Lauren

A Trip to the Beach!

Being summer there is one place perfect for reading...

THE BEACH!

I'll be going to Orange Beach, Al for a week as a counselor for a church group. While busy, it's going to be a lot of fun. Music, worship, friends, and lots of beach!

While packing my LARGE suitcase I couldn't help but have a debate on what book (or books) to take with me. There is something relaxing about getting to read while watching the waves crash against the sand. I know I will have a full schedule while I'm there, but hopefully I will find sometime to slip in a bit of reading. If not on the beach, at least on the balcony of our condo.

Being at a church camp means little time for internet. So sadly, I won't be posting anything for a week or a little more. I have my review typed up for Icons and Rebel Belle, but I haven't had the time to sit down and post it on here. Look forward to seeing these when I come home! I'll post them as soon as I get a chance.

Before I leave I have a question for you! When you go on a trip, do you have a favorite book to take with you? If so, what is it?

I would love to hear from you, so leave a message below!

Happy reading!

The 5th Wave

              THEY KNOW HOW WE THINK.

              THEY KNOW HOW TO KILL US.

 THEY'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING WORTH LVING FOR.

NOW THEY'VE COME TO TAKE THE THINGS WORTH DYING FOR. 

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains.

After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th Wave, just one rule applies: trust no one. 

Now it's the dawn of the 5th Wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from them. The beings who only look human, who ram the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. to stay alone is to say alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother - or even saving herself But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Author: Rick Yancey 

Page Count: 457

Genera: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Horror

Series? Yes (Book 1)

  Well, The 5^th Wave was not exactly what I had imagined. To be quite honest I didn’t know exactly what to expect before reading considering I have never read an alien invasion based book. Sure, I have seen plenty of movies such as, Independence Day, War of the Worlds, and Battleship, but I have never really cracked open a written work based on superior beings coming to Earth.

  When it comes to aliens, this is what I think of:

1. A friendly alien like ET wanting to phone home. 

2. Aliens flying around in UFO’s looking to destroy the world. 

3. A mad man with a blue box.

   After reading The 5^th Wave, I now have a new view of aliens and their plans to take over Earth. In my opinion, this story completely goes off the charts with its invasion. Rick Yancy has created a story where the aliens kill the humans, but not with the normal UFO’s or creepy alien robots. This book takes it on a whole other level. I won’t go into too much detail in this review because I would hate to spoil the thrill for those who have yet to read it.

    Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot. I felt like the beginning was slightly confusing at first. Mainly because the reader is just thrown into the center of the main conflict without really knowing what is going on yet. However, after a little reading I was able to find the light at the end of the tunnel, or at least I thought I had. If you begin reading this book and you start off confused as well, don’t worry! Things get clearer a few chapters in.

   The story does switch point of view between the main characters. I believe there are 4 views in total, 2 of which get more “screen time” than the others, but I felt like the voices of the characters were strong. Each character in this story is facing struggles during a pretty devastating event, and although it’s the same event, they have different obstacles to overcome. It’s interesting to see how each person reacts and thinks.

   There are a few cliché moments in the story, but on the bright side, I feel as if the execution is actually pretty well done. For those looking for a bit of romance along with a good actions story, this story has it. The romance is not a huge part of the story, but the element is there.    

   When it’s all said and done, I just have to say I would recommend reading this book. It was entertaining, and kept me at the edge of my seat until the very end. I cant wait to see what the next book has to offer!

Any thoughts on this story?

Tuesday..

So this post is going to have 2 different parts!
     Part 1: Top 10 Tuesday!
     Part 2: My next book!

Since making this blog I have been told to try memes to keep things fun, so the first one I am going to participate in will be....

                          TOP 10 TUESDAY
                      Created by The Broke and the Bookish
 
This week they are asking for the top 10 books read this year. So here are mine..

1. The 5th Wave, by: Rick Yancy
2. Anna Dressed in Blood, by: Kendare Blake
3. The Hunger Games, by: Suzanne Collins
4. Catching Fire, by: Suzanne Collins
5. Mocking Jay, by: Suzanne Collins
6. Divergent, by: Veronica Roth
7. Insurgent, by: Veronica Roth
8. Allegiant, by: Veronica Roth
9. Mark of Athena, by: Rick Riordan
10. House of Hades, by: Rick Riordan

I know, most that are listed belong to the same series, but I had a slow year of reading. But that is going to change this year!

Now for the next part of this post..

For my next book I have chosen,

Rebel Belle
by: Rachel Hawkins

I have heard a lot of positive things about this book, so I'm looking forward to reading it. Actually, I haven't heard any negative reviews on it. If you have read it let me know what you thought of it!

After the Invasion..

June is here and that means farewell to my May Invasion Month! Since I'm currently making a new post, that means I didn't get abducted.....or if I did they brought me back.

  I had a great time reading a new species of books for me. I'll be sure to pick up more alien books now that I know they aren't something horrible to read.

The two books I read, The 5th Wave and Icons, were both extremely interesting and kept me entertained during May.  The review for The 5th Wave is up, so feel free to head on over to the Review page to check that out. The review for Icons is coming shortly. Hopefully in the next day or two.

I am hoping to read at least another 2 books this month, but first I need to pick what books to read. I have so many I haven't read yet it's hard to decide where to start! Oh the decisions!!

If everything goes to plan, I'll be posting what book is next to be reviewed by at least Tuesday.

Now time for some lovely questions for my lovely readers:

• Have you read The 5th Wave or Icons? 
• If you have, what did you think of them? 
• Any suggestions on what book I should review next? 

Now go grab a book and get lost between the pages!