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So Saturday afternoon, my husband came home from work with a fever and sore achy body.. it's only gotten higher and worse (pretty sure he has the flu, but he's a "man" and "men" don't need doctors... or you know, he's scared of them). On Sunday afternoon, my son came down with similar symptoms but worse. Monday afternoon I took him to his pedi and my poor baby was diagnosed with a double ear infection. He's so sore and achy and hot but has chills too. I feel so bad. What I'm getting at is, I've been playing nurse to my family for the past few days.. and toddlers don't sleep through the ngiht when they are sick. So, I'm running off very little sleep. Think maybe 2 hours last night. So, if I say things in this post that make no sense just ignore it. I'm too tired to think, much less type.

Spring is my 2nd favorite season. I love the colors of Autumn, and having the windows cracked as it finally begins to cool down outside. But, by the end of February, I am DONE with cold weather. So Spring is just as wonderful as everything warms up and trees and flowers begin to blossom bringing color back into the world. I can't wait to lace up my hiking boots and get out in the mountains in about a month (when it really starts warming up out there) I love the blossoming trees and the wildflowers blooming. Plus, the sky is so blue after a long gray winter! Just look at the beauty of nature (picture taken from Google)

 

Anyways, on top of hiking there are some great books that I really want to read this spring. A few books are coming out, but quite a few of these are books I just really want to get to soon. Here are some of the books on my tbr that I'm most excited to read in the coming months

    

1. The Great Hunt - Just released last week, and I can't wait to read it soon!

2. Nobody but You - Jill Shalvis is my guilty pleasure. Her books are adorable, romantic, and hilarious. The final book in her Cedar Ridge series comes out at the end of the month

3. Me Before You - I've been wanting to read this one forever. I finally picked it up last week. I can't wait to read it.

4. Dreamology - This one comes out in April. It seems so cute and interesting. I'm excited to read it.

5. A Thousand Pieces of You - Another series I've been meaning to read, but haven't. I'm hoping to get to this one soonish.

    

6. The Raven Boys - I got this from the library a few weeks ago and never read it. I need to, because I want to decide if I should buy this whole series.

7. Wanderlost - I'm so excited for this book that is coming out in May. It looks like such a cute spring/summer read.

8. The Rose & The Dagger - I'm so excited for this to come out in May! I loved The Wrath and the Dawn. May is a pretty big new release month for me.

9. Walk on Earth a Stranger - I don't know how I missed this book, but I'm really wanting to read it now... I keep eying it. I'll probably try to get to it soon.

10. A Court of Mist and Fury - I said May is a big month for me. I'm probably most looking forward to this book. Sarah J. Maas is probably one of my favorite authors.

Stacking the Shelves {8}

Link up at Tynga's Reviews

We have some awesome used bookstores around here. One in particular is my absolute favorite. The first full week of every month, children 15 and under get to pick a book to take home for free. Isn't that wonderful!? I love taking my 2 year old in... he has a blast going through all of the books.

Anyways, I usually do a pretty decent job at not loading up on a ton of books myself. I like to buy 1 or 2 just to support them, but I'm kind of picky about the quality of my books.

However, I went a little crazy this week. They had a tond of great books that looked brand new. That plus a shipment from book outlet, and, well, I went a bit crazy. Oops!

Used Bookstore Finds

       

Bookoutlet Haul

     

Other Purchases and preorders

   

Like I said, I hsve been a bit crazy with my book purchases lately. I'm now putting myself on a book buying ban, except for preorders, and if I can find a deal on a series I already own a couple of books from... and 5 books I have coming sometime next week already... but I seriously need to get off of Bookoutlet for awhile. They draw me in and I end up buying books I've been meaning to get anyways, but I don't need them.. you know? I'd say only about 1/2 of the books on my shelfs have been read.. I need to read those before buying more.

Waiting on Wednessday: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Link up at Breaking the Spine

It Ends With Us

Colleen Hoover

Publish Date: August 2nd, 2016

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up. She graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. 

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant and has a total soft spot for Lily; and the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head, but Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his no dating rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. 

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan, her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 

With this bold and deeply personal novel Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all too human characters, “It Ends with Us” is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

Why I'm Waiting:

Um, it's Colleen Hoover... enough said. 

Actually, I'm kind of nervous about this book. I follow Colleen on Facebook and she's talked a few times about how this book broke her and had her in tears while writing and rereading it. She said it is probably her most personal book yet. Ugly Love broke me when I read it... so much that I can't even think about rereading it... so I'm terrified of this one being even harder on my poor heart... but I will still read it and treasure it. Really, there is no reason for my complaints.

What did you pick this week?

Review: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

The Forbidden Wish
Jessica Khoury
Published: February 23, 2016
My Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... 

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

Cover Thoughts:
I think this cover is gorgeous. I love it... it is so magical, and dreamy, and you can tell just from the cover that this is about a jinni. Oh and the title spilling out of the lamp?! That's pure genius don't you think? I just love everything about this cover.

My Thoughts:

So, it is only the beginning of March, but I'm going to go on limb and make a guess that this will be one of my favorite reads of 2016. It was just wonderful. It completely drew me in and held me captive. I didn't want it to end, and I want more so much more. It's a standalone and is well wrapped up, but I'm just not ready to let go! So yeah, even if you don't bother to read the ret of this review (it will be a bunch of fangirling) now you know you need to go pick it up right now!

This book is a retelling of the Aladdin story told from his jinni's point of view. But, don't go in expecting the Disney movie. Though it is one of my favorites, (behind Beauty and the Beast) the book has very little that is similar other than a character named Aladdin and the fact that he finds a jinni and decides to become a prince... even that isn't the same as the story.

Anyways, the beginning of the book shows our jinni, Zahra, being found for the first time in 500 years by Aladdin. You are immediately pushed into some exciting action as the magic of the jinni's tries to kill both of them before they can escape. Aladdin is brave, and brash, and naive. But he's so likeable in his imperfections, and he immediately begins to treat Zahra not as a magical being, but as a girl and someone worthy of respect. Zahra has only been treated like this once before and it cost her the life of a human she refers to as sister. As the book unfolds you learn the traumatic story that led to her being left to die in a buried castle.

Soon after Aladdin and Zahra escape, Zahra is given a message from the king of Jinni's. His son is being held captive in the palace, and Zahra is given 1 month to find and free him. If she succeeds she will be granted freedom from her captivity... if she fails he will kill her, and completely bury the city in which Aladdin lives. Obviously, this becomes the focus of Zahra's exsistence. And, she kind of manipulates Aladdin into wishing to be a prince so that she can find and rescue her fellow jinni. 

This is where the story got good. There is a plot to take over kingdom, a warrior princess set on saving her kingdom and giving her people a better life, and lots and a prince set on finding and destroying Aladdin while taking Zahra captive. Aladdin is determined to get revenge on the people that killed his parents, and since the princess is betroathed to the son of the man, he decides that as a prince he can swoop in and steal her and the kingdom away.

The thing neither Aladdin nor Zahra expected was for the forbidden to happen. The two slowly and beautifully develop from a general distrust of each other, to a love so terrifying and beautiful. Aladdin especially... just doesn't care. He gives up everything for Zahra... and in the end Zahra gives up everything just to save his life. I don't want to say any more, but it was so beautiful... and I couldn't put it down.

This book was so unique. I loved the world Khoury built. Like I said it was loosely based on Aladdin, but the world she created was so much more complex and beautiful. I want so much more. The end left a mention of another famous characters from those stories and legends and, well, I'm kind of hoping Khoury will build a spinoff of him just so I can see more of this beautiful world. Go read it, now... that is all.

If you like this book, then read..
This is a new thing I'm adding to my reviews. I thought I'd give a couple of recommendations for people that have read this book... or if you've read the recommendations, you probably will enjoy this story as well.

    

Top Ten Characters Everyone loves that I just don't

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I'm generally someone who likes most characters. In fact, I rarely severly dislike a character that was supposed to be liked. I guess I have low expectations, or something. However, there are always thoses characters that just kind of irk you, so here are a few of mine.

    

1. Josie from The Return - I just find Josie so boring in this series. Yes, I think Seth needs a girl that is softer, but I can't stand how obnoxiously insecure Josie is. She annoys me.. and it's ruining this series for me.

2. Gale from The Hunger Games - I liked Gale well enough in the first book, but something just seemed off with him after that. His jealousy just didn't feel natural. I kind of wish Suzanne Collins had left out the whole love triangle and just had him focus as a friend.. I think I'd have liked him more then.

3. Eleanor from Eleanor and Park - I get it, she's a tortured girl who has had a hard life... but guys she was a total B**** to Park multiple times when he didn't deserve it. I just didn't connect with this book at all.

4. Lucia from The Falling Kingdoms - I had such high hopes for Lucia... afterall she's the only known sorceress in this world, and yields all the elemental magic. But, she's so boring and naive, and whiny. I keep waiting for her to become better, but I can't stand her.

5. Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey - I didn't even finish this book, much less the rest of the series. Nor do I have any intentions of seeing the movies.. but this guy is just creepy. Nothing sexy about him.

    

6. Ron from Harry Potter series - I don't hate Ron, but so many people adore him and I just don't. He was the most dramatic and over the top of the bunch. There were several times in the series when he really grated on my nerves.

7. Edward from Twilight - I liked him okay in the first book.. the rest of the series I was rooting for Jacob to win Bella's heart. I just didn't care for him.. I didn't hate him... but I thought he was kind of boring.

8. Sookie from Dead Until Dark - I just can't stand the personality of Sookie in this series... she annoys me. I even tried the tv show and she annoyed me there too. I think we just wouldn't mesh as friends. (I only read the first book... maybe she matures, but I don't care to find out).

9. Nehemia from Crown of Midnight - This is probably the most scandalous I can get... but Nehemia annoyed me in the series. I didn't care at all at the end of this book.

10. The Darkling from Shadow and Bone - SOO many people love him. But, I just didn't Alina gave him plenty of chances. If he'd taken one I'd be fine with him... but no he consistently hurt her while claiming to love her oh so much. I just don't get the love for him.

Waiting on Wednesday: Flamecaster

Link up at The Broke and the Bookish

Flamecaster
Cinda Williams Chima
Series: Shattered Realsm #1
Publishing: April 5, 2016

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)
Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it? 

Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.

Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.

Why I'm Waiting:
I'm in a fantasy mood right now, and this one coming out next month sounds really good. I'm actually going tobe starting Chima's Seven Realms series later this month for a contest. I've heard amazing things about it, so I'm super excited to read that series and start her new one. 

Have you read her older series? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them! What are you waiting on today?

Top Ten Books to Read if you are in the mood for Humor

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Since you get to choose your topic this week I went with Humor... but, most of these aren't classified as funny books. I like humor mixed in with my books.. enough to make me laugh outloud, but I also want a story that has some real meat to it. So, here are some great books to read if you just want a few laughs.

    

1. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

2. Alienated by Melissa Landers

3. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

4. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

5. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

    

6. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

7. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

8. Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley

9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

10. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green