Category: Event (Page 19 of 42)

Item: Gathering Darkness
Rating: 5
Author: Chelsea

TOP TEN TUESDAY – Books That Have Been On Our TBR the Longest and We Still Haven’t Read

February 6, 2018 / Jen / 23 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday.13

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
This week is – Books That Have Been On Our TBR the Longest and We Still Haven’t Read. And they are….

(Arielle’s Choice)

1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Amazon * Goodreads
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

2. The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray
Amazon * Goodreads
Evangeline O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City–and she is ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far.
When the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened….

(Arielle’s Choice)

3. The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist #1) by Rick Yancey
Amazon * Goodreads
So begins the journal of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore War throp, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.
Critically acclaimed author Rick Yancey has written a gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does a man become the very thing he hunts?

4. Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1) by Melina Marchetta
Amazon * Goodreads
Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

(Jen’s Choice)

5. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
Amazon * Goodreads
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing — not even a smear of blood — to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

6. Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
Amazon * Goodreads
Nora Grey is responsible and smart and not inclined to be reckless. Her first mistake was falling for Patch. .
Patch has made countless mistakes and has a past that could be called anything but harmless. The best thing he ever did was fall for Nora. .
After getting paired together in biology, all Nora wants to do is stay away from Patch, but he always seems to be two steps ahead of her. She can feel his eyes on her even when he is nowhere around. She feels him nearby even when she is alone in her bedroom. And when her attraction can be denied no longer, she learns the secret about who Patch is and what led him to her, as well as the dark path he is about to lead her down. Despite all the questions she has about his past, in the end, there may be only one question they can ask each other: How far are you willing to fall?.

(Jen’s Choice)

7. Frigid (Frigid #1) by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentroutf
Amazon * Goodreads
For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn’t anything new. They’d been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the ‘man’ in man-whore. He’s never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn’t want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.
Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she’s perfect and she’s everything. But the feelings he has for her, he’s always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.
But when they’re stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor’easter, there’s nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

8. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead
Amazon * Goodreads
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

(Jen’s Choice)

9. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor
Amazon * Goodreads
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

10. Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Amazon * Goodreads
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

So these are the Books That Have Been On Our TBR the Longest and We Still Haven’t Read. Have you read any of these books already? Or are they still on your tbrs too? If not, then what book has been on your tbr the longest?

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW: Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgan Rhodes

January 18, 2018 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

In preparation for the impending final release of the Falling Kingdoms series *eek*, we are singing our praises for the third installment, Gathering Darkness! I must admit that this is the book that really made this wonderful series unforgettable to me. Magnus and Cleo start to turn a corner and *stuff* really begins to hit the fan! We are so honored to be involved in this tour and cannot WAIT for more people to fall in love with this addicting and unputdownable series. We are hoping for nothing but the best....but waiting this last month might just be the end of us as we await everyone's fate! Below is a 5 star review and all you need to know about anyone and anything from these stories (though, who needs to learn about anything other than Magnus? Hmmm...I may be biased). Enjoy!

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW: Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgan Rhodes

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW: Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgan Rhodes

Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3)
by Morgan Rhodes
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In GATHERING DARKNESS, book three of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series, the stakes have never been higher as three teams push forward on a race to find the Kindred, the four elemental crystals possessing ancient all-powerful magic, first:

Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces. Now he must choose between family and justice as his father, the cruel King Gaius, sets out to conquer all of Mytica. All Gaius needs now are the Kindred - the four elemental crystals that give godlike powers to their owner. But the King of Blood is not the only one hunting for this ancient, storied magic...

• THE KRAESHIANS join the hunt. Ashur and Amara, the royal siblings from the wealthy kingdom across the Silver Sea, charm and manipulate their way to the Kindred, proving to be more ruthless than perhaps even the King of Blood himself.

• THE REBELS forge ahead. Princess Cleo and vengeful Jonas lead them, slaying with sweetness, skill, and a secret that can control Lucia's overpowering magic - all so they can use the Kindred to win back their fallen kingdoms.

• THE WATCHERS follow Melenia out of the Sanctuary. They ally in the flesh with King Gaius, who vows to use Lucia's powers to unveil the Kindred.

The only certainty in the dark times is that whoever finds the magic first will control the fate of Mytica... but fate can be fickle when magic is involved.

Cleo’s cheeks flamed. “I hate you.”

“Good. You should never forget your place in this palace. You continue to live only because my father doesn’t yet want you dead. You have no power here. And, most especially, you have no power over me.”

It’s always extremely hard to talk about each book in a long series in a review, because you begin to spoil and become repetitive….but for Magnus?? I’d try just about anything. This series, while easily dismissed by those who aren’t truly enraptured by one of the characters, has a way of really getting under your skin. It’s not so much the scenarios, though those are of some note as well, but about the characters and the deep-rooted connections you make with them.

In all honesty, had I not connected immediately with Magnus, this series would have been discarded like many before. I am very busy, and I really only get to read around when I go to bed-about 10 PM, and then it’s right back to the 8-5 grind and I have to wait all over again. So, when I begin a book, series, whatever, I make sure it’s worth my time and that it touches my heart, one way or another. Some books touch me because of just their content (this is probably tribute to a couple years ago, more so than now) and some reach me on a far deeper level than I could possibly imagine….and that is because of the characters.

Magnus glanced at Cleo. She held her arms across the bodice of her rose-colored gown, which was far fancier than anything typically worn on a walk through a thick forest on a hot day. She regarded him with a silent, sour expression-not a new look for her by any means.
“And why are you here?” he asked her.
“I want to help,” she replied.
“Oh, yes. So helpful.”

I never realized, until recently, how much my favorite books really center on the characters and their development. It’s far more important to me now to have character-driven stories rather than all action and no character arcs. Sure, my absolute favorites are those that perfectly balance both story and people, but, lately, more often than not it’s all about if the characters reach me and touch my soul.

Some sought revenge against their mortal enemies with the edge of a sword. Her plan for vengeance began with the edge of a smile.

And I’m not saying that action doesn’t pull me in….but it’s definitely not my only drive anymore….and you can tell solely on my reviews that my preferences have changed. So, my point? This series, while action heavy and full of blood, destruction, mayhem, and peril, didn’t grip me for that reason. No, this series gripped me on a far more addicting level, and that honor solely belongs to my dear Magnus….and even Cleo.

As the series has progressed, these two characters have obviously grown, interacted, and became the obsession of many a fangirl-me included-and now, here in book three, we are really getting deeper into their minds, and with that, my obsession is reaching an all-time high. And, frankly, the stories have became far more interesting.

“I think that you hate your father. You hate him almost as much as I do.”
It took him a moment to realize he’d stopped breathing. “And what difference would it make if you’re right?” he finally managed.
“All the difference in the world.”

And, let’s face it, our ship is finally sailing…or is it??? The other best part about this series? I, for once, literally have no clue what’s going to happen and the sexual tension is DRIVING. ME. CRAZY. The twists and turns and admissions and deaths and ridiculous decisions…I swear, even halfway through book four, my head is still spinning. Stop it, Morgan Rhodes! Just…..STOP IT. Make it happen. Fetch TOTALLY needs to happen…PLEASE??

UGH.

So yeah, this isn’t a great review, but it’s not like anyone can read it if they haven’t read the series if I go all spoilery, so I chose to just…blabber. I miss blabbering. Blabbering about boys and books really does make me happy. So. Yeah. Take what you will from this nonsense…I’m off to work…and then tonight I’m hoping to FINALLY get what I want. I’m totally trusting Brittney, here. She threw me a trust bone, damn it. So I guess I’m supposed to sit here and wait and…trust. You know, until this alleged bone gets here. Ugh.

****************

Cleo’s cheeks flamed. “I hate you.”
“Good. You should never forget your place in this palace. You continue to live only because my father doesn’t yet want you dead. You have no power here. And, most especially, you have no power over me.”

MY HEART.

About the Author:

Morgan Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series and the Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, the Books of Spirits and Thieves. Under another pen name, she’s an award winning author of more than two dozen novels. Morgan lives in Southern Ontario, where she’s currently hard at work on the next Falling Kingdoms book.

Follow the tour here!

WEEK ONE (Book One: Falling Kingdoms and Two Book: Rebel Spring)

January 8 – Adventures of a Book Junkie

January 9 – The Book Nut

January 10 – Quirky and Peculiar

January 11 – I Fangirl About Books

January 12 – Lovely Loveday

WEEK TWO (Book 3: Gathering Darkness)

January 15 – Glimpses of my Books

January 16 – Book Briefs

January 17 – In Wonderland

January 18 – Star-Crossed Book Blog

WEEK THREE (Book 4: Frozen Tides)

January 22 – Ex Libris

January 23 – Ensconced in Lit

January 24 – Step Into a Book World

January 25 – Ria Reads –

WEEK FOUR (Crystal Storm)

January 29 – My Friends are Fiction

January 30 – Adventures through Wonderland

January 31 – A Thousand Books to Read

February 1 – A Page with a View

February 2 – Never Too Many To Read

Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers for including us! <3

A Special Welcome To Our Newest Star-Crossed Lady!

January 17, 2018 / Jen / 13 Comments

We’re so happy to announce that one of our good friends is joining us here at Star-Crossed Book Blog. We met Arielle a couple of years ago on Goodreads and we all really hit it off. From her fun, lively, passionate reviews to her quirky personality, we just couldn’t help but to bond with her over our shared love of books. I mean, how couldn’t we…we like almost all the same books, the same genres…and we even fight for the affection of all the same book [husbands] boyfriends (though Chelsea likes to think she has a claim on allll the boys)!! Like we said. Match made in heaven! So you can learn a little bit more about Arielle, here’s what she had to say about herself –

Hi I’m Arielle (and yes I was named after the mermaid). I’m a dog mom and soon-to-be, first-time human mom (!!!). I love wine (currently missing that one), being in the sunshine, coffee, and you guessed it, a good book. I work as a public librarian in the US where part of my job is to purchase children’s and adult non-fiction. While that can be fun and challenging, it’s definitely not where my reading passions lie.

Ever since high school I have been HOOKED on YA fiction. From Cabot to Maas to Westerfield I have probably read close to it all. While I don’t exclusively stick to young adult, as long as I can find something with an engaging plot, a romance of some kind, and QUALITY dialog, I will be satisfied. Such books have helped craft who I am as a person and I know that I can easily say I would not be who I am today without them.

When I was offered an opportunity to join this blog I was ecstatic! In the world of libraries, the process of recommending books to patrons is called reader’s advisory, and is one of the most important services that we provide. It helps us (in my mind) spread joy. That’s what I’d like to do here. From my obsession with all things fantasy (and sci-fi and dystopian) to my secret trysts with the smutty stuff it’s my hope to help these wonderful ladies spread our LOVE for all things bookish. My favorite authors include Tamora Pierce, Sarah J Maas, Nora Roberts, Alexandra Bracken, Maggie Stiefvater, and Elle Kennedy just to name a few on a VERY long list.

Please give Arielle a huge welcome. We absolutely love her and we know that you will too!

ANNOUNCEMENT-Welcome to Instagram!

January 9, 2018 / Chelsea / 12 Comments

Weellll, people…the time has finally come-Star-Crossed Book Blog is finally venturing into the Instagram world! You heard us correctly: We can’t stand not joining in on all the beautiful, artsy, and creative ways that all of our fellow book bloggers/friends have been displaying their favorite reads.

It’s not that we haven’t wanted to…but life gets busy, you know? We created it forever ago, but just couldn’t put all the pieces together to make a fun, cohesive, and altogether SUCCESSFUL bookstagram without doubts.

Well, I’m here to say that for 2018 we have put our heads together and really brainstormed a fun way to get our account going…and I’m reasonably sure y’all will be impressed. Well…we’re newbs-go easy on us, ‘Kay?

So, without further adieu, I present to you our account information so you can storm on over there and follow us:

Username: starcrossedbookblog

(Easy, right? lol and anti-climactic!)

Because, believe me, without your support we wouldn’t be where we are now. We love you and you guys are the best.

Here’s to a totally innovative 2018! We hope you guys enjoy the ride alongside us and love all our new ventures in the year to come. Cheers and happy new year!

TOP TEN TUESDAY – Books We Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn’t Get To (and totallyyyy plan to get to in 2018!!)

January 9, 2018 / Jen / 18 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday.13

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week is – Books We Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn’t Get To (and totallyyyy plan to get to in 2018!!). And they are….

(Jen’s Choice)

1. If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Amazon * Goodreads
Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She’s ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.
Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.
Now Lena isn’t looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.
For what she let happen.
With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed?

2. Seeker (Riders #2) by Veronica Rossi
Amazon * Goodreads
The final book in the duology!
When Daryn claimed she was seeing visions during her sophomore year of high school, no one believed the truth.
She wasn’t losing her mind; she was gaining the Sight—the ability to see the future. Daryn embraced her role as a Seeker. The work she did was important. She saved lives.
Until Sebastian.
Sebastian was her first—and worst—mistake.
Since the moment she inadvertently sealed him in a dark dimension with Samrael, the last surviving demon of the Kindred, guilt has plagued her. Daryn knows Sebastian is alive and waiting for help. It’s up to her to rescue him. But now that she needs the Sight more than ever to guide her, the visions have stopped.
Daryn must rely on instincts, intelligence, and blind faith to lead the riders who are counting on her in search of Sebastian. As they delve into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems and where Samrael is steadily amassing power, Daryn faces the ultimate test. Will she have to become evil to destroy evil?
The very fate of humankind may rest in the answer.

(Jen’s Choice)

3. Trust by Kylie Scott
Amazon * Goodreads
After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.
While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.
An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.
Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

4. Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Amazon * Goodreads
Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering its secrets. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.
Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

(Jen’s Choice)

(Chelsea’s Choice)

5. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Amazon * Goodreads
Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent half of her junior year falling for a sensitive film geek she only knows online as “Alex.” Two coasts separate them until she moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist trap, the oddball Cavern Palace Museum. Or that she’s being tormented daily by Porter Roth, a smart-alecky yet irritatingly hot museum security guard. But when Porter and Bailey are locked in the museum overnight, Bailey is forced to choose whether she should cling to a dreamy fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex. Approximately.

6. Renegades (Renegades #1) by Marissa Meyer
Amazon * Goodreads
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies―humans with extraordinary abilities―who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice―and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

(Chelsea’s Choice)

7. Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu
Amazon * Goodreads
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

8. Fireblood (Frostblood Saga #2) by Elly Blake
Amazon * Goodreads
Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his powerful throne. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby’s powers and past….
Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fireblood queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax–which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, how can Ruby decide whom to trust? The fate of both kingdoms is now in her hands.

(Chelsea’s Choice)

9. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
Amazon * Goodreads
The sequel—and conclusion—to Victoria Schwab’s instant #1 New York Times bestseller, This Savage Song.
Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.
Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own

10. Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake
Amazon * Goodreads
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

So these are the Books We Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn’t Get To (and totallyyyy plan to get to in 2018!!). Have you read any of these books already? If none of them are on your tbr, then what are some of the books you meant to read last year but didn’t get to?