Weekend Tidbits {#4} National Doughnut Day

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day. (Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.)

Not much is really new besides the fact that I’ve done some baking, and I put together an interview that’s going to go up later in the month. Anyway, June 5th was National Doughnut day and instead of buying them, I decided to try a new recipe for making them. I have to say that I was really happy with the results—picture below. It was a vegan yeast doughnut made with coconut oil and coconut milk and I used the recipe from Spice Island Vegan, which you can view HERE 

It tasted as delicious as it looks, and it was just like a normal doughnut. Although, I did cut back on how long I chilled it, it still came out perfectly.

Today's location is Mostar, Bosnia. Its a beautiful city and I don't have anything else to say about it. Like always, you can see today's location on the Places I Wish Were Book Settings pinterest board.

My choice of tea for today is Gingerbread, not to be mistaken as just ginger. Its similar, but it's different enough.

The Friday 56 (28)

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

My 56 this week comes from a book I recently read and loved. Its called Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius, one of Swoon Reads books.

About the book (Synopsis from Goodreads)...

Love is real in the town of Grimbaud, and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Duprees have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita’s famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It’s a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love. Fortunately, Fallon isn’t the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian. Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita’s tyranny and fall in love?

"Mr. Dupree spoke next, asking her briefly about her classes, but then the conversation turned sour as her parents started making assumptions about her fortune."--Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius


What would you do if you ever found yourself in the same situation as Fallon Dupree?

Review: The Tapper Twins Go to War by Geoff Rodkey

Title: The Tapper Twins Go to War
Author: Geoff Rodkey
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, April 7, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Claudia and Reese, who couldn't be more different...except in their determination to come out on top in a vicious prank war! But when the competition escalates into an all-out battle that's fought from the cafeteria of their New York City private school all the way to the fictional universe of an online video game, the twins have to decide if their efforts to destroy each other are worth the price. Told as a colorful "oral history" by the twins and their friends, and including photos, screenshots, chat logs, online gaming digital art, and text messages between their clueless parents, The Tapper Twins is a hilariously authentic showcase of what it's like to be in middle school in our digitally-saturated world...

My initial thoughts based on the first few pages of the Tapper Twins Go To War (With Each Other) by Geoff Rodkey was that it was going to be a cute, humorous story. But there were a few character comparisons to historical figures left me scratching my head, or just outright frowning. The book wasn’t all bad. Some parts were humorous as the twins Reese and Claudia Tapper continued their dispute with one another over an incident at the beginning. By the end of the book there was an important lesson that the twins had to learn. Another thing that I liked was the way that the book was written. It was in an oral history kind of style with different characters sharing their perspective of “the war”—it was paired with text messages between the parents—so I like how it came together to tell the story. Overall, I liked this book, it had its funny moments, but it also had some details that bothered me. Still, I would consider picking up other novels by Geoff Rodkey.

Musing Mondays (32)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

When I think of what I enjoy reading I usually go straight for fantasy or science fiction first before looking to other genres. So obviously those are the two genres that basically dominate my shelf space. But I rarely ever talk about my least favorite genre. Let me tell you, Dystopian came close to that number one spot, but it got beat out by another genre. And my number one least favorite genre is actually contemporary. After looking through most of the books on my shelf, I realized that I had the least amount of contemporary novels compared to others. I even have more books that fall into the dystopian genre.

I have read some contemporary novels, and there were some that I just loved, but others I did not. However, I sometimes find the stories a little boring, which is probably why I lean towards other types of books. I do enjoy mysteries, sometimes even thrillers, but contemporaries that are just love stories and nothing more tend to have me steering clear of them.

So, I’m not going to ask what your favorite genre is since that’s not what the post is about. Instead, what’s your least favorite genre?

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Of Ice and Snow by Amber Argyle

Today Amber Argyle and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for Of Ice and Snow, a novella in the Faerie Queens series that's set to be released in August, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win an e-bundle of Amber’s Witch Song Books!

Title: OF ICE AND SNOW

Author: Amber Argyle

Pub. Date: August, 2015

Find it: Goodreads

Otec thought destiny forgot him…

The middle child of the clanchief, Otec is the overlooked son in an overflowing house. He dreams of escape and adventure, so when a mysterious stranger offers both, he doesn’t need persuading. But when his faraway village comes under attack, Otec will do anything to save the people he loves. Cut off from his nation, he must trust a foreign woman with a dubious past as they race to save his clan. But nothing is what it seems, and Otec may have to trust his enemy if he is to become the leader he was never meant to be. Destiny is not always kind...

Of Ice and Snow is being exclusively released in the Daring Hearts box set and the whole bundle is only 99 cents for 8 books! What an awesome deal!

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Daring Hearts synopsis:

Eight All New novels by Eight Bestselling Authors & ONLY 0.99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME! From gorgeous heroes that make us swoon to the super sleuths and feisty heroines that make us cheer, this exclusive collection has something for everyone. Eight clean, sassy and BRAND NEW novels--a delicious mixture of fun, addictively romantic, action-adventure stories -- each handpicked by an award-winning gathering of some of today's most popular YA/NA authors. Its only available until September (so get your copy today). 

The boxed set includes... 

Rebecca Ethington~ Monsters are real...Through Glass 

Rashelle Workman~ Alice is a Dark Moth trainee in Wonderland, Arizona where the days are hot and the guys are hotter. The Dark Moth Society 

Cindy M. Hogan~ Some secrets are better left dead and buried. Kate Unmasked 

Elle Strauss~ Time traveling is wonky enough... and this time it's worse than ever. Counter Clockwise 

Christine Kersey~ College is murder...Witness 

Juli Alexander~ Solving mysteries is in her blood, but it might just get her killed. Paxton Private Investigations 

Lila Felix~ Fasta is an artist, not by choice, but by force. Sketchy Love 

Amber Argyle~ A storm is raging and not everyone will survive. Of Ice And Snow 

About Amber...

Amber Argyle is the number-one bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. Her books have been nominated for and won awards in addition to being translated into French and Indonesian.

Amber graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people.

To learn more about Amber, visit her Blog, & You can find Argyle on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Alright, now to the giveaway. 3 winners will receive the eBook bundle of The Witch Song Series. This giveaway is International and ends on June 15th. 

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Musing Mondays (31)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB(Jenn) at A Daily Rhythm, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...


This week for Musing Mondays I’m going to answer the random weekly question: Do you have different genres for different seasons? For example, do you choose lighter reading material for the summer, and chunkier books in the winter?

During different seasons I usually just read how I normally do. I select books based solely off of what I’m looking to read at that particular point in time. I don’t have any specific genres that I read more than others.

What are your favorite genres?

Review: Save Me by Jenny Elliott

Title: Save Me
Author: Jenny Elliott
Source/Format: Won, Paperback ARC
More Details: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Publisher/Publication Date: Swoon Reads, January 6, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined. But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend. Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?

Save Me by Jenny Elliott is one of Swoon Reads books, and so I picked it up solely with the intention of giving it a try. And I’m sad to say that not only was I disappointed but I also DNFed this book.

There were a number of reasons why I didn’t enjoy this book. First, I usually enjoy reading from third person POV. However, sometimes the sentences were a little choppy, and it lacked description. Some things were described while others were not, and I never really fully grasped the setting. Save Me just seemed like a book with too many ideas that seemed to overcrowd the plot.

Cara started out seeming like an ok character in the first few pages, but then David appeared and everything just seemed to unravel. Then there was Garren, who was a character I considered to be just shy of being a Deus ex Machina. Almost every time he appeared he seemed to have all of the answers—I almost started calling him the Dude With Too Many Clues. And at several times I felt like Cara never had to discover anything for herself, instead she was conveniently handed the answers for the sake of keeping the plot moving.

And the romance? Nope. The relationship dynamics in Save Me were an aspect of the novel that I found odd—and the details were just things I didn’t agree with.

Ultimately all of the details I didn’t like, when combined together just threw me off and wrecked my enjoyment of Save Me. I skimmed and scanned over the last pages and still, it wouldn’t have changed my opinion. If this book seems like something you would enjoy, then I encourage you to check out other reviews for it. But for me, this one is a DNF.

The Friday 56 (27)

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

"Mostly, I was just confused about where the fish had come from."--The Tapper Twins Go To War (With Each Other) by Geoff Rodkey






What are you reading? Or, what's on your page 56 this week?

Review: Rise by Amanda Sun

Title: Rise 
Author: Amanda Sun
Source/Format: freebie, iBooks ebook edition
More Details: YA, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen, May 1, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it, Izanami and Izanagi came into being. Two of the first of the ancient gods of Japan, they crafted the world from ink and their own imaginations. Izanagi wants, more than anything, to be with Izanami—but one moment of pride could tear them apart forever. Yuki and Tanaka have been friends for as long as they can remember, but lately deeper feelings have been bubbling beneath the surface. How do they navigate the transition from friendship to true love without destroying the powerful bond between them? Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?

I really enjoyed Rise by Amanda Sun. It was a really quick read—it's a short story—and perfect to get me motivated again. Rise follows a few of the series well known characters—Yuki and Tanaka—intertwined with the story of Izanami and Izanagi. The writing was fantastic, and though I haven’t kept up with this series lately, I’m looking forward to getting back into it. I really can’t say much, and I don’t want to unintentionally spoil some of the details for those who haven’t read it. So all I can say is that I enjoyed reading from both perspectives in the different time periods, and I recommend Rise to those who are familiar with this series.

Release Day: The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings

Today is the release day for The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings, the second book in the Murder Complex series!

 About the book (Synopsis from Goodreads...)

With short, fast-paced, alternating point-of-view chapters, The Death Code starts several weeks after The Murder Complex ended. Zephyr keeps the secret about Meadow close—that if she dies, The Murder Complex will be destroyed, too. Meadow, desperate to find her brother, father, and little sister, is determined to fearlessly fight to the end, even if it means sacrificing herself and her friends, new and old. The Death Code introduces a memorable cast of secondary characters and delivers a vivid and scary thrill ride read...

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Lindsay Cummings is the 23-year-old author of THE MURDER COMPLEX duology and BALANCE KEEPERS trilogy at HarperCollins. She lives in Celina, TX, with her Grumpy Husband Josh, a German Shepherd, a German Shephusky, a real Wolf Cub, a draft horse named Dan the Man, a hedgehog named Hedwig, a cat named Crookshanks, and 5 silly, egg-laying chickens. She's still trying to convice her husband to let her get a teacup pig and name it Pigwidgeon. She is convinced her Hogwarts letter was just lost in the mail...

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Musing Mondays (30)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB(Jenn) at A Daily Rhythm, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Have you ever started a series or trilogy but then never ended up finishing it? I know I have over the years for a variety of reasons. Below is a short list of the most common reasons as to why I haven’t finished a series...

• Lost Interest/ Bored 
• Series took a turn for the worse halfway through 
• First book failed to impress me 
• Really liked the initial series but the spinoff novels aren't really doing much for me 
• I just don’t have the last book(s), yet… 
• Uncertain if the end will live up to the glory and wonderfulness of the previous books 
• Finally, sometimes they just need to end, and I don't have the enthusiasm to continue...

I don’t know, maybe later I’ll do a list of series I haven’t finished, but those are the most common reasons why.

So, what are your most common reasons for not finishing a series/trilogy?

Release Date Reveal & Giveaway: Titans by Victoria Scott

Today I'm excited to take part in sharing the release date and synopsis for Victoria Scott's upcoming YA novel, Titans. Stick around till the end of the post for a giveaway where you can enter for a chance to win signed books. And without further ado, Titans will be released on...

February 23, 2016!

And here's the synopsis...

Astrid Sullivan's family can't catch a break. Her grandfather played cards and her dad bet on the Titans--half-horse, half-car that race around impossible tracks. They've lost their home, their savings, and each other. So when Astrid makes some new friends who give her the chance to participate in this year's Titan races, she wonders if it's worth risking everything. She never thought she'd even touch a Titan, and this one is first gen when the models racing now are Titan 3.0s. There's no way for her to win...but with her family slipping away and her dad without work, Astrid can't help but feel like the only person she can bet on is herself.

Titans delivers Victoria Scott's signature blend of incredible action and impossible odds, and will leave readers' hearts racing...

Don't forget to visit the author online...

Goodreads     Twitter     Website     Facebook     

And now for the giveaway. Below you can enter to win a signed copy of Fire & Flood and Salt & Stone from Victoria Scott! The giveaway is US ONLY.

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Review: Cookie Love by Mindy Segal with Kate Leahy

Title: Cookie Love: 60 Recipes and Techniques for Turning the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
Author: Mindy Segal with Kate Leahy
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Hardcover Review Copy
More Details: Cooking, Food
Publisher/Publication Date: Ten Speed Press, April 7, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Mindy Segal is an up-and-coming chef and baker who's serious about cookies and bars. In her first cookbook, Segal turns classic recipes into more elevated, fun interpretations of everyone's favorite sweet treat. From Brown Butter with Hickory Smoked Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies and Crème de Violet Snickerdoodles, to Citrus, Brown Butter, and Graham Cracker Shortbread with Framboise Preserves and Hibiscus Sugar Rugelach, Segal's recipes are inspired and far from expected. This modern twist on a traditional favorite is the perfect addition to every baker's bookshelf...

I can’t really say that the synopsis was what got me interested in this book, because it didn’t. I really wanted to get this book based solely on the fact that I like to bake, and Cookie Love seemed to be the perfect fit for me.

This book has too many cookie ideas, but don’t get me wrong that’s actually a good thing! The recipes span across a wide variety, everything from basic cookies to snickerdoodles, a handful of short bread variations, and even Milanos. They are a little more complicated than the average cookie recipe, but would probably be great if you’re looking to try something new or for a get together to impress guests. The back section of the book covers some basics—cooking techniques and clarification on leaveners and supplies. There’s even a small section on making your own butter.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten my initial thoughts out I’m going to move on. Out of this book, I selected one of the recipes to try before I sat down to write this review. It’s called “Ode to the Chunky Bar.” Let me just tell you that the cookies were delicious and the texture was really good. The taste of the actual cookie wasn’t too sweet but with the raisins and extra chocolate added in it hardly mattered. Below you can see pictures of how mine came out:

Overall I like this book and will be keeping it on my shelf. And I recommend it to people who are looking to expand their horizons when it comes to baking cookies.

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books for this review, thank you!

KATE LEAHY is a freelance writer and the co-author of A16 Food + Wine (with Shelley Lindgren and Nate Appleman) and The Preservation Kitchen (with Paul Virant).

Review: Space Exploration for Dummies by Cynthia Phillips & Shana Priwer

Title: Space Exploration for Dummies 
Author: Cynthia Phillips & Shana Priwer

Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback

More Details: Nonfiction, Science

Publisher/Publication Date: For Dummies, June 1, 2009

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Summary From Goodreads...

Do you long to explore the universe? This plain-English, fully illustrated guide explains the great discoveries and advancements in space exploration throughout history, from early astronomers to the International Space Station. You'll learn about the first satellites, rockets, and people in space; explore space programs around the world; and ponder the controversial question: Why continue to explore space? Take a quick tour of astronomy -- get to know the solar system and our place in the galaxy, take a crash course in rocket science, and live a day in the life of an astronaut...

When I started reading Space Exploration for Dummies, I knew I was in for a long ride. And boy, let me tell you, it took me a few weeks to read this book from start to finish. It wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy it—I really did—it was just a lot of information to take in…and it wasn’t going to be all at once either.

My main reason for picking up this book is because I wanted to know a little more about space exploration—the race to the moon, the first space stations, and early technology that eventually led to peoplw getting into space. Some of the information covered things I already knew, but there was plenty that turned out to be new to me. I learned a lot about the various space programs, the shuttles, and facts about the space race that I honestly hadn’t heard of before. There was no shortage of interesting facts, such as what it takes to get a rocket off the ground and into space, as well as the success and failures of the many ventures that were made all in the name of space exploration. Space Exploration for Dummies was definitely an interesting read that basically renewed my enthusiasm for learning more about space.

Interesting Quotes... 

“In 2005, Cassini flew past Enceladus and spotted startling signs of activity for such a small moon: Huge geysers of material were observed being ejected from Enceladus’s surface.” (p.253).

“Some material ejected from the geysers falls back onto the surface of Enceladus, and the rest of it goes into orbit.” (p.253).

“Enceladus orbits Saturn embedded in a tenuous ring called the E ring, and scientists now believe that geyser material that escapes Enceladus is actually the source of this ring.” (p.253).

“The plan was to send part of the spacecraft on a collision course with the comet and use the impact to eject material from the inside of the comet into outer space, where it could be studied.” (p.243).

Musing Mondays (29)

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB(Jenn) at A Daily Rhythm, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Today for Musing Mondays I want to talk about books that sort fall into an almost average place, as far as like and dislike is concerned. Over the past week this subject has been on my mind since it is related to two of my recent reads. Basically, I really struggled to decide on how much and how little I liked the books. Both had elements that I liked and some that I really didn’t. My feelings were in the middle.

I was dealing with not one but two books that fell into a sort of gray area.

I realized that my problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted to say at first. Ultimately I did decide on how I was going to finish writing the reviews, but it took me some time to just think about it. I’m usually good at knowing what to write and how to word my reviews, but not this time—well, at least not immediately.

And before I call it quits for this post, I thought I would answer the random weekly.

Random Weekly Question (I haven't done one of these in a while): What types of “special” books do you own? For example, do you have any really old books? Any collections based on your interests (eg. architecture, etc)?

I can’t really say that I have any special books, or a collection concerning a specific subject. I tend to read what I want when I feel like it. Though, the only book on my shelf that is really a “collectible” would be my copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Other Stories by Lewis Carroll—I really liked the Barnes & Noble edition. Other than that, I have a mixture of books, some about space, others about figures in science, and a whole lot of fiction.

Have you ever struggled with finding the right words to sum up your feelings about a book?