Musing Mondays (19)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

This week I'm going to share a bit about the book I'm currently reading. I literally just started an ARC of Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks. This is a middle grade novel that was released on February 3, 2015.

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

More about the book (Summary from Goodreads)...

When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday’s mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End...

What are you reading this week?

Book Haul

So, today I thought I would do an actual book haul, which I haven’t done before on Our Thoughts Precisely. But I figured I might as well put together a post since I recently received some books in the mail.

Won…

First, I won Save Me by Jenny Elliott from TheBook Bratz. It’s one of Swoon Reads books so I’m curious to see how it goes.

Next I won Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake (Thank you to RayKayBooks & Kendare Blake).

And finally, I won Finding Serendipity by AngelicaBanks (Thank you to Macmillan Kids, this book sounds adorable and I can’t wait to start it).

For review…

I got Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham (A huge thank you to The Novl for this one. I’m really excited to read it, but I think I’ll do the review closer to the release date).

Purchased…

I purchased a kindle copy of Alienated by Melissa Landers (I’ll get to this one eventually, but I do look forward to reading it).

So that’s basically it for this haul. I don’t know, maybe I’ll do another one when I get more books, but for the foreseeable future who knows.

ARC Review: Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas

Title: Lucidity

Author: Stephanie Thomas

Source/Format: Author, E-ARC

Age Range: YA

Publisher/Publication Date: February 7, 2015

Goodreads     Amazon

Summary from Goodreads...

Beatrice never thought she’d find herself in the middle of Aura, the city of her sworn enemy, the Dreamcatchers. Nor did she never think she’d abandon everything she’d ever known and everyone she’d ever loved to blindly follow Echo, the Dreamcatcher Prince. Gabe would never forgive her, if he lives, and nor will any of the Seers. Upon arriving, Beatrice is quickly thrown into the Dreamcatcher Queen’s self-serving plot to save Aura from a disastrous plague, and Bea’s anticipated return to the City is becoming less likely every day she is held captive and subjected to the epidemic. Full Summary Here

My history with dystopian books has been spotty to say the least—I liked some and I disliked even more—but thankfully, Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas is one that I actually liked! You have no idea how excited I am about that.

It’s been some time since I read Luminosity, the first book in the series, and it was kind of an average read for me. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the sequel. The writing had a good flow to it, and it was easy to get into the story. There were plenty of descriptions and I could easily visualize the setting and what was happening. I really enjoyed the concept of Seers and Dreamcatchers, and the conflict that surrounded them.

Things literally started where the last book ended, and I was glad to see what happened to the characters after the events of Luminosity. Beatrice was a little indecisive—sometimes she was sure about what she wanted, and at other times she seemed more conflicted. But actually, it kind of worked. Beatrice was raised to have certain beliefs and I could understand why she had a hard time straying from them.

The conflict in Lucidity was enough to keep me invested in the story—the ending wrapped things up nicely and I liked it. Overall, the plot was good and the pacing was nice. The world building was handled well and it was easy to understand the society that the characters had to live in. Who knows, maybe my enthusiasm for dystopian books has finally returned, but regardless I enjoyed this book.

This copy of the book was provided by the author for review, thank you!

Release Week Blitz & Giveaway: Invaded by Melissa Landers

I'm so thrilled to be taking part in Melissa Landers release week launch party for Invaded! See a note from Melissa below and make sure to enter the giveaway!

"Hey, fiction lovers. I’m Melissa Landers, author of the Alienated series (YA sci-fi from Disney-Hyperion), and today I’m bouncing with excitement because the sequel is finally here!

It’s been a year since we left Aelyx and Cara onboard the intergalactic transport, and INVADED begins with an emotional goodbye as they part ways—Aelyx returning to Earth to salvage the alliance, and Cara continuing to L’eihr to serve out her part of the student exchange. While they’re apart, our star-crossed lovers will face assassination attempts, betrayal, crippling self-doubt, and a sadistic alien Phys Ed class. (Because there’s no escaping PE, even in another galaxy.) When Aelyx and Cara finally reunite…well, let’s just say it’s combustive. ;-)"–Melissa Landers

“Readers will love the seamless blend of suspense, humor, and romance set against an interstellar landscape. Dual narratives and a tightly plotted mystery keep the suspense running high, and the chemistry between Aelyx and Cara smolders.” –Booklist

“Excellent character development and integration between modern reality and science fiction. Teens will be rooting for the galactic couple while enjoying the action and suspense that runs through the two volumes.” –School Library Journal

“The protagonists' forced separation gives greater depth to their romance. Each learns to turn a critical eye upon the flaws of their native societies while confronting genuine obstacles to a future together. These complications only underscore the growing sense of menace that propels the narrative to an action-packed climax.” –Kirkus

If you’re snowed in, here are some easy links to bring the sequel right to you...

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     iBooks     Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)     Indie Bound     Indigo     Books-A-Million

About the Author...

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information, or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram

To celebrate her new release, Melissa Landers is offering one lucky winner a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble and an autographed swag pack, complete with mini posters of BOTH books! This giveaway is open internationally, and due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate. Good luck to everyone who enters!

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Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

 Thank you to Cynthia from Bingeing on Books for nominating me! Listed below are the rules for Sisterhood of the world Bloggers Award:

1. Thank the blogger that nominated you & link back to their site
2. Post the award's logo onto your blog
3. Answer the 10 questions you've been asked
4. And finally, Nominate 10 other bloggers and ask them 10 new questions

Here are the questions from Bingeing on Books

If you were a character in a book, who would you be and why?

Vin from Mistborn because of her abilities...which I would want because they're so cool.

What are you reading right now?

I'm not reading anything at the moment since I literally just finished an ARC of Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas.  I want to finish working on the review for it before I move on to something else.

Who is your favorite author?

I have too many to count and it would take all day to list them. But for now I'm just going to say Brandon Sanderson...F.T, Bradley...um Victoria Schwab...and Jennifer Estep. See, I have too many to just list one.

Describe your favorite reading spot.

I mostly read at my desk, so I guess that counts as my favorite reading spot.

What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?

Does Alice in Wonderland (1951 movie) count? It's technically a book to movie adaptation so I'm just going to stick with that as my answer.

What do you like most about blogging?

I like being able to share my thoughts about books with other people!

Which book do you recommend the most and why?

Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick because it offers an interesting insight into how video games are made.

Do you prefer coffee or tea?

Oh, tea all the way. I've never been a fan of coffee. Its just not my thing.

Fun fact about yourself!

I still like CDs better.

Rough estimate, how many books are in your TBR pile?

At the moment I've got 3 books I plan on reading soon, and the rest are just kind of whenever I get to them.

Here are the bloggers that I'm nominating (some are on youtube & its not exactly 10)...

• Naya @ Naya Reads & Smiles
• Katherine P. @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
• Eden @ Blogging Between the Lines

And here are my questions...

• Which 2015 release are you most looking forward?
• Name one series that you plan on finishing but just haven’t gotten to yet.
• If you ever found yourself lost in the wilderness, which character from any book would you have with you to help you survive?
• Do you prefer ebooks or paperbacks?
• Would you rather have a book shaped cookie or cake?
• If there is a book signing with three authors in attendance, which ones would you like to meet and why?
• What’s your favorite kind of drink?
• Name a book from 2014 that had a cover you absolutely loved.
• What's one thing you enjoy doing other than reading?
• Why do you love reading?