May Wrap up

Hello everyone,
Here is a wrap up of all the books I went through in May:

Read:
1. The Crown by Kiera Cass
2. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Started:
1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Continued:
1. City of Fallen Angel by Cassandra Clare
2. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Bought:
1. The Last Star by Rick Yancey
(I would have started this book and read it like i said I was going to do in me May TBR, but the book was not delivered to me in May.  So it will be one of my first reads in June!)

I did have been following my Read 5, Buy 1 rule and am happy that I did not break it! The Last Star was pre-ordered, so I do not count it as being bought during the time of my rule.

Happy Reading
-Amanda Lyn

Review: A Winner's Curse (Spoilers!!!)

Taken from

Summary:

Book by Maria Rutkoski

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Summary taken from Goodreads

Review:

4.5/5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book.  I found it surprising and intense.  I am not easily shocked in books, and while it was not necessarily "shock" that I felt, I was surprised at a few points.

It was a very quick read.  It left me wanting more and wondering what was going to happen next.  I fell in love with the characters.  Their interactions were interesting.  With the idea of slave and slave master, how it changed during the book, and how they reacted was amazingly done.

My favorite part was when Arin threw the revolution and then suddenly owned Kestrel.  I thought that was so well written.  I am a sucker for a good revolution and having spoiled people become slaves.

I also felt that the romance was appropriate for the book.  Sometimes in YA books it can be over done.  There was enough action, revenge, history, and other things in this book to keep my attention.

I have bought the next two books in the series and am reading them now!
-Happy Reading
Amanda Lyn

June 2016 TBR

Here are all the books I plan to read in June:

Finish:
1. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

3. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski


Start and Finish:
1.The Last Star by Rick Yancey

2. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

3. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

5. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I hope to read at least four books this month.  That will put me head of schedule and I can always use that when the school year starts and I will be busy.  I do have some traveling and working to do this month, so I am not sure I will be able to accomplish my goal, but I can try.

-Happy Reading
Amanda Lyn

Reading Slump

Hello Everyone,

May brought many wonderful things for me.  I got to move back home for the summer after finishing my first year at college, and while I thought that coming home would leave me with tons of time for reading, I find that I have entered a terrible reading slump.

Normally I would just continue to watch tv all day and wait for the slump to pass on its own.  Usually I can get myself out of it by buying one good book and reading that in a day or two.  But with me not buying any books until I finish reading 5 I cannot do the second.  It has been over a week of tv and work so I find the first is not happening either.

If this problem ever happened in the past, I would then analyze why I was having this slump.  I am currently reading four books, three of which I am enjoying.  I should be excited to keep reading.  But no. I look at my shelf and have no urge.  I am even reading books from different genres, but nothing seems to interest me.

I did pre-order a book about a month ago with will be coming on May 24th; I am hoping that it will draw me out of this slump.  If that does not work I might have to lock myself down with one book and try to press through.  Finally if none of those work, I do have a pile of other books I have bought in the past I can try to start.  I will not be buying a new one though!

Anyways. Hopefully this slump will end soon.
Happy Reading
-Amanda Lyn

Read 5, Buy 1

Hello everyone,

In an effort to minimize the amount of books I own and have not read, I am implicating a new rule. I am calling it the Read 5, Buy 1.

It is pretty self explanatory but in case you are confused, this means I have to read five books before I can buy one.

If this sounds like a cool idea to you feel free to join me.  I will be doing this for all of 2016, and in December I will see how it went and decide if I want to continue.

A few more rules to consider:

1.  If I break this at anytime I must sell or donate a book I own.
2. I can break this rule for books I need for school (although I should not need any next semester)
3. If a book I have been wanting for a long time goes on sale for an AMAZING price, I can buy it. It just means that when I finish my five books I am reading I cannot buy a new one.
4. This includes: paperbacks, hardbacks, eBooks, and Audio-books.  If I get the book for free it is not included. That includes library books, free books from Netgalley, and borrowing from friends.
5. If I make it to 2016 with these rules, I can treat myself and buy 3 new books. 
6. If I magically read five books and do not have a new one I want to buy, I am allowed to save it for a later time.

Hopefully I can keep with this all of 2016. Time to get reading!

You can keep track of my progress on the side of my blog-->

Happy reading

-Amanda Lyn

Favorite Book Covers

We have all heard the old phrase, " You can't judge a book by its cover" but as a book lover I know the truth.  The only reason why I pick up a book that I have not heard of is the cover or the title.  So having a pretty covers does mean something (for books).

Here are my top five favorite book covers, with the specific edition:

1. The Selection 
   
2. Red Queen         
                                  
3. The Infernal Devices (British Covers) 
   
4. Throne of Glass Series (British Covers)
   
5. Shatter Me Series
   

Happy Reading

-Amanda Lyn

April Wrap Up

Hello everyone,
Here is a wrap up of all the books I went through in April:

Read:

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Reviewed)
2. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (Reviewed)
3. A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
4. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (Reviewed Soon)
5. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (Reviewed Soon)

Started:

1. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Continued:

1. City of Fallen Angel by Cassandra Clare

Borrowed:

1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Bought:

1. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
2. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
3. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
4. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

I have been working on not buying books because my list of books I own and have not read is so long. Hopefully I can keep the number lower next month (although May has a few books being released that I know I cannot go without!)


Happy Reading
-Amanda Lyn