Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT. This week is freebie week because they have been unable to refresh the list due to personal reasons (let’s be honest, a break after 6,5 years is deserved!). So, I thought I would go through the previous topics and chose top ten authors who deserve more recognition! There are so many amazing authors out there who I feel definitely need to be seen and heard more purely because their writing and their books are just AMAZING!! So, without further ado, and in no particular order:

10.  Katelyn Anderson – Kate is the author of the Tainted Souls trilogy which starts with Everlasting Flame! I absolutely love the first book in the series (she is currently wrapping up book 2!) and I definitely feel like this book needs more love! It is absolutely amazing and the MC is so sassy!

9.  Karen Tomlinson – Karen is the author of A Bond of Venom and Magic (which Debuted last year), which belongs to the Goddess and the Guardians series! Book 2 is currently in the works (but I have already Beta read and it was FANTABULOUS!!) and I think any fantasy lover really needs to be reading this book!

8.  Candy Atkins – Candy is the author of The Lost Knight series, which I fell in love with from the very first book! The first two books have been published and, lets just say, I read book 2 in one sitting it was THAT GOOD!!! Her work is definitely underrated and, can we just mention that the covers are so PRETTY!

7.  Kelly Charron – Kelly is the author of Pretty Wicked which takes a unique view of serial killings! I say unique because, instead of being written from the view of the victim, it is written from the view of the Killer!!! It was definitely interesting to see the psychology behind the killer…

6.  Luke Taylor – Luke is the author of quite a few different things, but I have personally only read Vault of Dreams which I adored! He has a very lyrical style of writing and I am so looking forward to some of the other works he is currently working on!

5.  Martina McAtee – Soooo, I literally only finished Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things on Sunday, but it was SOOOO GOOOOOD and I feel like everyone should be reading this book!

4.  Melissa A. Craven – The Emerge series (whilst still being released etc.) is one of my favourites out there! I absolutely loved the first two books and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for book 3!

3.  Andrew Toy – I have only read These Great Affects but it was just such an emotional ride!!

2.  D. T. Dyllin – I read Somniare a while back and I still need to read the second book! However, it is a book set in a dreamworld state and it was so well executed and so unique!!

1.  Maria Padian – I read Wrecked quite a while back now which is about  college rape! It is so true to todays society and it definitely needs to be read by everyone!

That’s it! I love all of these authors and I definitely feel like their books need some more love going around!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It has been a while since I did one of these, but I am definitely excited to be joining in again – especially because this week is all about hidden gems! This weeks topic is top ten hidden gems (I’m going to go for hidden gems that I have read in general, rather than in the past year). Without further ado, and in no particular order:

10.  These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – I read this a few months back after receiving an ARC from the author, and I absolutely loved it! It was extremely emotional and it is a book that will always stay with me!

9.  Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – There are literally no words to describe just how much I love this book!! The MC is witty and hilarious – and it will rip you apart at the same time… I need the next book like now!

8.  Spelled by Betsy Schow – Anyone who knows me, knows my love for this book. It is absolutely hilarious and is definitely a unique twist on all of the fairytales you know! In short… go read it!

7.  The Awakening by Melissa A. Craven – This is a series that hooked me last year! The second book came out recently and I loved that one even more than the first! It is definitely book that more people need to be checking out!

6.  A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – This book. I just… This was my favourite book of 2016. Let’s put that one out there. This book needs more love and attention because it is AMAZING!!!!

5.  Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron – This was a complete unique take on a murder book… told from the perspective of our murderer, instead of someone trying to figure out who the murderer is!!

4.  Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – Ok, I read this book way back in 2014. A lot of people have read, there is a lot of ratings on Goodreads, but I still feel like this is, in a way, a hidden gem. The subject matter is so taboo, that I can imagine a lot of people won’t read it based purely on the subject matter. This book should be read, though, by absolutely everyone. This book broke me in all the best and worst ways possible and, despite the fact it has now been three years, I could bawl my eyes out just thinking about this book. Therefore… I am going to move on…

3.  Somniare by D. T. Dyllin – I went into this book pretty cautiously, but I absolutely loved it! There was always something happening which kept me on the edge of my seat!

2.  Dear Charlie by N. D. Gomes – I am always on the lookout for unique books on school shootings, and this one was one of those! It was interesting to read from the perspective of the family of the shooter and what they deal with after such a horrific incident takes place!

1.  Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor – This is another book that I read last year and I absolutely adored it!! I cannot wait to read more from this author!

That is it from me! Have you read any of these? Did you enjoy them? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT and this weeks topic is new-to.us authors we read in 2016! I have so many different authors in mind for this it is crazy! Without further ado, and in no particular order:

10.  Leigh Bardugo – So, I recently read the Grisha trilogy and I absolutely loved it! I cannot even believe that it took me so long to jump on that bandwagon. Now, I am all set to read Six of Crows when my copy turns up from The Book Depository…

9.  Merrie DeStefano – I recently read her upcoming Lost Girls (approved via Netgalley) and I just can’t even describe the feels I had for this book… You guys all need to be adding it to your TBR’s and I need to be checking out more of her books!

8.  Candy Atkins – I adored The Lost Knight and to say I am excited for book 2 would be an understatement…

7.  Louise O’Neill – I gobbled up both Asking For It and Only Ever Yours and I need more from this author!! Please, someone tell me she is planning something fantastic!

6.  Elise Kova – I actually only read the AA series this year and I absolutely loved it. Whilst I did enjoy her upcoming The Alchemists of Loom, I wasn’t as blown away as I was by her first series!

5.  M. R. Carey – Because who doesn’t love themselves some zombies?? I am so glad I decided to read The Girl With All the Gifts!

4.  Luke Taylor – This author is extremely friendly and I am so glad I requested an ARC copy of his Vault of Dreams because I fell in love with it immediately!! I cannot wait for more of his upcoming books and to check out the ones that he has already released!

3.  Morgan Rhodes – After seeing all the hype, I obviously had to check out Falling Kingdoms! I am so glad I did because I loved it! I have the second book waiting on my shelf for me to read as well! 😀

2.  Betsy Schow – Spelled is one of my all time favourite retellings! I was crying, it was just that funny and I cannot even begin to tell you guys my excitement over Wanted!

1.  Karen Tomlinson – Ok, so technically she is a debut author, however, A Bond of Venom and Magic was my favourite read of 2016, so I just had to include her! I absolutely love this author, plus she is extremely friendly! 😀

That’s it from me! These were all new to me authors this year and I am so glad I picked up books from all of these authors! I look forward to reading more from them!

Which authors are new to you? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Fall Activities Book Tag

Hey guys! So I was tagged by Kat @ Life and Other Disasters and, like her, I really should complete this tag before the end of Autumn! So, Without Further Ado…

Apple Picking – A book on your TBR that looks so great, you can’t wait to get into it!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

So, I have all three books and I love all of the covers – I just need to get around to reading them!

Corn Maze – A book to get lost in

A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson

From the very first page, this book had me hooked and I found myself lost in it!

Haunted Houses – A book that Scared you

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

This book had me up at one in the morning, refusing to go to bed, with all the lights on in the house and my husband on the phone asking when he is going to be back!

Pumpkin Patch – The latest book you picked up/putchased

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

This was my very recent purchase from Amazon and I cannot wait to get into it!

Scenic Drives – a book that is lyrically beautiful

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

This book is so lyrical, I found myself lost in it really quickly!! I loved it!

Pumpkin Carving – A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind cutting up

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Insert unpopular opinion here. I really detested this book…

Drinking Apple Cider – A sweet book to curl up with

Futhermore by Tahereh Mafi

This is a great book to curl up with and to just follow the adventures of the MC 😀

Jumping in a Leaf Pile – A book that reminds you of your childhood

Harry Potter series

I think it goes without saying that this is my all time childhood book memory. *Joins the masses*

Scary Movie Night – Your favourite spooky read

Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill

This isn’t spooky in the traditional sense of spooky… but it is definitely a book that will leave you tingling and creeped out by the end!

Costume Party – A book with an eclectic cast of characters

Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson

This book has a great mix of characters!

Nominations:

Jamie @ Watch Game Read

Beth @ Reading Every Night

Sam @ Sam’s Little Corner

And everyone else who wants to do this tag is welcome!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine

Hey guys! It is time for another WoW! This weeks pick for me is a book that comes from an author who became a friend along the way. I absolutely fell in love with Vault of Dreams, so when he announced this book, I squealed. Literally! I cannot wait to read it and see what epicness he has in store for us this time!

The Knight Ascendant by Luke Taylor

Expected Publication: March 28th 2017 – Self Published

Gothenland. Blue spruce and twisted rivers, hidden mysteries and long lost legends conquered and overrun by the neighboring Kingdom of Pölz in a hundred-year war. Beaten and broken, the Gothen, an enigmatic race of black-clad warrior poets and nocturnal mystics, has dwindled to but a handful of wounded souls, and the uncertain truce binding the two nations is lost, in one night, when the King of Pölz is murdered during a lavish feast to honor the betrothal of young Princess Jadwiga Agnieska to the Czar of Kievan.
Ilse, Mother of Gothen, is accused of the crime.
Her only hope rests in a man of secrets and shadows, myths and mists, a man who will stop at nothing to fulfill the ancient words of a sacred prophecy Ilse heard once as a little girl.
The Prophecy of The Knight Ascendant

Doesn’t this sound AMAZING!!! I cannot wait to get it! Also, I love the cover – especially the colour!

What books are you guys waiting on? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out! 

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

Published: July 31st 2016 – Self published

Albanland. Emerald hills and ice blue lochs, bordered by Nørds raiders and the haughty monarchs of South Angle, each dynasty eager to seize lands weakened by a civil war in which a usurper has risen to seize the cloven throne.
Morgance, Faer Princess of the Night.
And by her side, the fearsome Ultan Skölhammer, sworn Guardian of the Crown.
But Rhoswen, rightful heir to the throne, princess in exile, leads a final uprising from the depths of the forest, an uprising that twists together the lives of the most unlikely companions.
A notorious thief accused of a crime she did not commit.
A baird apprentice searching for the meaning of life.
A pair of brothers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
And a gypsy bound to the ancient artifact known only as the Vault of Dreams.

Note: I received a signed ARC copy of this book from the author. This on no way influences my opinion.

For all you regular readers out there, you guys know how excited I was about this book. I think I have been raving about it for weeks now! To say I loved this book would be an understatement!! I need more from this authors works – especially because this book was a standalone and left me reeling! I am going to do this in more of a list style so that this review stays as coherent as possible!

Likes:

– The POV’s. I think every readers worry is that when a book is told from multiple POV’s, they begin to blur and they don’t have voice of their own. This is not the case with this book. Every character is so different, it was easy to remember where I had left off and with which character because they were all so unique. I loved all of the characters for different reasons – even though they were all so different! (well, maybe except Morgance… She needs a kick).

• Each and every character grew and changed in some way throughout this entire book. Whether they changed for better or for worse, they did and it was interesting to watch. I think the character who made the biggest change in my mind was Morgance – she went from being this meek, mild girl, to crazy and scary usurper and I didn’t like her one bit. All she needed was to turn green and she could have been the wicked witch – like Once Upon a Time!!
• This book is pretty fast paced. There was always something going on, so it never got boring. I never felt once like there was an info dump like with many books! I feel like the information flowed and fit well into the story and it all came at the right time!
• Can I adopt Niles and Nevan? Seriously? They are so adorable and amazing and funny and … I just adore them, ok? So, adoption?
• The writing itself was amazing. It was almost lyrical and it just drew me in from the very beginning! Everything was so well described, I felt like I could have been standing there with the characters and experiencing everything that they were. It was easy to fall in love with this book based on that fact alone!
• Aerlyn. She was easily, from the get go, my favourite character in this book. She went through a lot herself, but she overcame that throughout the book and I loved watching her grow. I felt really sorry for her at the end of the book (without giving too much away) and I spoke to Luke about it  – because I can. I feel like Aerlyn deserves her own Novel or novella!
• Quill was also another favourite of mine! I don’t want to say too much, or give too much away, but I think anyone who reads this book and gets to know Quill, will love him from the first time you see him!!

I had two issues with this book, and no more:

• There were very basic grammatical errors. Words written wrong, spelt wrong etc. Very basic, but sometimes it distracts from the story itself. it didn’t happen often within the book, but it did happen.
• I wanted more about the Vault of Dreams itself. I loved following the story, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like it needed more about the VoD – especially because thats the title!!

All in all I absolutely adored this book and I am so glad to say that the author became a friend along the way! I absolutely loved the writing within this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author!! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Hey guys! It is time for another WoW! So, this weeks WoW for me is an author I recently discovered and I have been raving about one of his books for ages now! (Which I finished yesterday, I might add!). I loved his first book and I cannot wait to read some more of his works!

Red Wolf Road by Luke Taylor

Expected Publication: February 2017 – Self Published

When Ryder Lasko was sixteen, her best friend died in a car crash.

Two years later, Ryder’s Dysthymia is so bad she refuses to go to school, won’t eat, and has barricaded herself in her room, staring out the window to the spot where her best friend perished in a fireball of gasoline, glass, and plastic.

Ryder Lasko just doesn’t want to live anymore.

And so her parents send her to spend Christmas break with her Grandmother, a reclusive billionaire, hoping Ryder can find comfort and purpose in the arms of her Grandmother’s palatial estate and its many riches.

But when Ryder arrives, her Grandmother is nowhere to be found, and a mysterious note leads Ryder deep into the snowbound woods surrounding the mansion, where she meets a woman with eerie blue eyes and a wolfish smile.

Her name is Lucinda Morgan Fox.

And she is hungry. 

For power. For wealth. For revenge.

For blood.

This retelling of Little Red Riding Hood sounds so amazing – I don’t think I can wait so long to read it! I may just do a quick trip to America and steal his laptop!! Maybe pay him in cheesecake!

What books are you guys waiting for? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!

Release Day!!

Hey guys!! So, this is the first post of this kind to hit my blog! However, I have been raving about this book for ages and, at the time of writing this post, I am about halfway through this book and I am loving it! I consider the author to be a new found friend (he may read this and think … what?? but hey ho…) and I am so excited for other people to read this book!

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

Published; July 31st 2016 – Self Published

Albanland. Emerald hills and ice blue lochs, bordered by Nørds raiders and the haughty monarchs of South Angle, each dynasty eager to seize lands weakened by a civil war in which a usurper has risen to seize the cloven throne.
Morgance, Faer Princess of the Night.
And by her side, the fearsome Ultan Skölhammer, sworn Guardian of the Crown.
But Rhoswen, rightful heir to the throne, princess in exile, leads a final uprising from the depths of the forest, an uprising that twists together the lives of the most unlikely companions.
A notorious thief accused of a crime she did not commit.
A baird apprentice searching for the meaning of life.
A pair of brothers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
And a gypsy bound to the ancient artifact known only as the Vault of Dreams.

The Author:

My name is Luke and I write books and music.

Inspired by the action and adventure of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, I wrote my first books when I was 7 and passed them around to my fellow classmates. Fully illustrated and poorly stapled, they were well loved, and sequels were often in high demand. My mother read epic fantasy trilogies to me when I was young, and it stuck. Whenever I write, I just write what I see, as if watching a movie. My mind is a high-definition DVD player and I promise to never run out of material.

In high school I studied film, wrote hundreds of songs, and wrote five novels that nobody will ever read.

So then I took a break and decided I would never write again.

But then, one day, I did. The book, Evening Wolves, won two awards and changed my life.

My style is cinematic and character-driven. I write YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi standalones, Mysteries, and Epic Fantasies. Yes I will accept your friend request. Don’t be afraid to ask me a question. 

I read a lot, too, mostly YA Fantasy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Mystery, and I write reviews. Check out my shelves to see if I’ve read a book that you enjoyed. I am passionate about my favorite books and favorite authors.

Thank you so much for your support and for buying and/or reading my work. I put everything I have into every book and I’m so thankful to be able to do so.

My newest book, Vault of Dreams, will be available on July 31st on Amazon in ebook and paperback.

Luke is actually truly really really friendly and I have absolutely no problems chatting to him about books and whatever else pops up! (Like cake 😉 ) I think this is definitely a book that needs to be read and it should be on all of your TBR’s! (intimidating glare)

So, happy release day to Luke with Vault of Dreams! I will eat an extra piece of cake and dedicate it to you, even if you are in a completely different country!! 😀 I look forward to more of his works!!

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted here. To participate, pick a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back here!

Hey guys!! I have been pretty absent on here lately because I just haven’t had time to do anything!! I haven’t even been reading! Which I hope to remedy today 🙂 I already received this week’s Goodreads Monday as a signed ARC from the author and I am definitely looking forward to reading it!

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

Expected Publication: July 31st 2016 – Self Published

Albanland. Emerald hills and ice blue lochs, bordered by Nørds raiders and the haughty monarchs of South Angle, each dynasty eager to seize lands weakened by a civil war in which a usurper has risen to seize the cloven throne.
Morgance, Faer Princess of the Night.
And by her side, the fearsome Ultan Skölhammer, sworn Guardian of the Crown.
But Rhoswen, rightful heir to the throne, princess in exile, leads a final uprising from the depths of the forest, an uprising that twists together the lives of the most unlikely companions.
A notorious thief accused of a crime she did not commit.
A baird apprentice searching for the meaning of life.
A pair of brothers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
And a gypsy bound to the ancient artifact known only as the Vault of Dreams. 

This is actually being published this Sunday which is also my husbands birthday! So great timing on the author’s part! I am definitely really excited to read this book!

What do you think? Is this something you would read?

What books are on your TBR? Feel free to leave comments and link me up if you decide to participate!! 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is hosted at Tynga’s Reviews

Hey guys! Clearly this month isn’t being very kind to my purse because I have another two books for you this week! Well, technically, I bought one of them myself. The other was sent to me by an amazing author and I cannot wait to get into it!

Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.

Published: July 12th 2016 by HarperCollins

So, I actually ordered this last week, but I had to wait for Amazon to get some in stock and it just took forever!!

Vault of Dreams by Luke Taylor

Expected Publication: July 31st 2016 – Self Published

Can you imagine that it takes WEEKS to send a book over from America to Germany. WEEKS! That is how lazy our postal systems are… or customs! Who knows! However, I have the signed ARC now, so my heart can rest at ease! I can’t wait to jump into this story and I just want to thank the author (again) for sending me a copy!! 😀

So, that’s it for me! I promise I will attempt to withhold buying new books next week because… I think I have enough to be getting on with! What am I saying… Never enough books!

What have you guys added to your shelves this week? Feel free to drop by and leave me your links and I will check them all out!