Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday "Thicker Than Water"

Waiting On Wednesday 


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:



Taken from Barnes and Noble: 

On his own Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.   Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.   The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers....Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden...

Release date is December 29th 2015 

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I haven't heard a ton about this new release but the cover and synopsis really caught my eye and I can't wait to see if the story is just as intriguing! 

Until next time, 
Ginger 





Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Top Ten New To Me Favorite Authors I Read In 2015


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish where each week there is a new topic for a top ten list. 

This week is "Top Ten New To Me Favorite Authors I Read In 2015"

1. Rainbow Rowell- Crazy, I know, but this year I finally got on the Rainbow Wagon, I read 3 of her books this year, Eleanor and Park, Fangirl and Attachments. I'm currently reading Carry On and next up is Landline! (Write faster Rainbow, write faster!)


2. Jennifer E. Smith- I've always loved her book covers and her synopsis' never fail to pull me in so don't ask me why it took me so long to pick up one of her books but once I did I was hooked! I only read one this year but next year I'll dive into the rest. 


 3. Wendy Higgins- I stumbled upon her Sweet Evil series on Audible and the story, characters and the narrator pretty much killed me! I listen to books 1 and 2 within a week of each other and I'm (not so) patiently waiting for my next credit to finish the series! 


 4. Jessi Kirby- I freaking loved this book, the writing, the characters, everything! I actually thought it was a debut book but after digging around on GoodReads I found she has a couple of other books out which I'll be putting on hold asap!



5. Francesca Zappia- Tissues. Lots and lots of tissues. This is probably one of my top 5 books of 2015 so I had to include Francesca on this list! This unfortunately is a debut book so I'll have to wait to read more from her but I'm very confident it'll be well worth the wait!


 6. Jodi (I live off the tears of my readers) Meadows- What? You don't call her that? I cannot believe The Orphan Queen was the first book of Jodi's that I read! It instantly made my list of all time favorite books and I'm dying to read the sequel as well as her previous series!


 7. Morgan Matson- Since You've Been Gone is the first book of Morgan's that I've read and it's seriously the best summer read! Its the perfect blend of beach read fun and seriousness. I'm really looking forward to reading more from her! 


 8. Kody Keplinger- I had no desire to read The DUFF until I started seeing previews for the movie but of course once the movie came out I had to read the book. The book is (of course) way better than the movie and I ate it up! Right after I finished it I was sent an ARC of Lying Out Loud and while it wasn't quite as good as The DUFF I'm excited to see what's next!


 9. Nicola Yoon- Another debut but so worth the mention! This book was insanly good! I finished it and immediatly told my mom she had to stop everything and read it and she loved it just as much as I did. I need her next book in my hands asap!

 10. Abbi Glines- Last but not least! I've heard of Abbi's books for a while now so when I was sent her newest book I had to drop everything and read it. I was not disappointed. Her writing reminds me a lot of Colleen Hoover so of course I loved it. I'm looking forward to catching up on her previous books and already anticipating new releases. 



So there you have it! Feel free to link your TTT in the comments so I can check it out! 

Until next time, 
Ginger 

Monday, December 7, 2015

Review of "The Boy Most Likely"

The Boy Most Likely To 
By Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Stars: 5
Source: Gift 

Tim Mason, boy most likely to: 

-Screw up
-Forget his own name 
-Drive his car off a bridge 
-Run out of liquor before 9am 
-Start over? 

Alice Garrett, girl most likely to: 
-Put Tim in his place 
-Shut people out
-Take on too much 
-Let someone in? 

Tim and Alice are the poster kids for opposites attract. Where Tim is the screw up of the Mason family, Alice is the responsible and reliable older sister who everyone counts on.

After the accident involving Alice's father she has had to step up into the roll of both mother and father in order to keep the household running and somewhat in order. 

Tim's father has given him a timeline to straighten out his life or he'll be forced to give Tim's college fund to his twin sister. 

Both on very different paths and yet they keep finding their way into each others arms. 

Told in alternating points of view "The Boy Most Likely To" is the book most likely to melt your heart. 

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Oh Tim, sweet, adorable, lovable Tim... Wait... I'm forgetting a word used to describe him... Oh ya! Its 

How I love Tim! 

This is a giant 180 from how I felt about him in the companion novel to this book (My Life Next Door). Lets just say I wasn't his biggest fan. 


  Shocking I know! But after reading what this was about (and having complete faith in Huntley) I was dying to get my hands on this book! 

And from the first page... It was pure... 



Not only was I head over heels for Tim but I started to remember how much I adored the Garrett family! Especially Alice! 


(As you can see I already have my dream cast!)

I'm all for a cute summer romance but give me a book with witty banter, unexpected subplots and heartbreaking decisions and I'm hooked!

I know I've said this before, but, I love how all of Fitzpatricks books are centered around family. (Especially when that families last name is Garrett!) 

Am I the only one wanting another companion novel about Alice's younger sister (someone please remind me of her name)?

I swear the possibilities are endless! 

Getting back on track... 

I really enjoyed how Fitzpatrick didn't romanticize the fact that Tim was a recovering alcoholic, nor did she gloss over anything relating to his recovery process. 

It was ugly and painful and that's what the audience needed to read in order to know precisely what was going on in his head.

I'm also not a huge fan of (read I HATE) insta-romance. So the fact that Alice and Tim's relationship progressed in a slow and realistic timeline was a giant bonus! 



I can't gush enough about Tim and Alice, is there a ship name yet? Because I've already got my boarding pass and all my belongings waiting to board! 

All through the book I was rooting for them and praying to the fictional gods that they would end up together. 


Every page I would find myself reading ahead just to see if there was a kiss scene or hand holding or even a wayward glance! 

Needless to say this ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. 

I loved every sentence, word, hell every comma had be swooning and wanting more! 

"The Boy Most Likely To" is all about second chances and first loves and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

To sum it up in one word: 


Oops! Wrong gif! 

In one word: 


Whew, there we go! 

In all seriousness though, go pick up this book! You won't regret it! 

Until next time, 
Ginger 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Top Ten Spooky Reads!


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish where each week there is a new topic for a top ten list. 

This week is "Top Ten Spooky-Ish YA Books" 

I love thrilling, paranormal, scary (to a point) books. So since Halloween is this weekend I thought I'd share my top scary ya books!

Usually I do these lists in no particular order but #1. on my list is my all time favorite spooky read. #2.- #10 are still random. 

Full Tilt scared me when I first read it years and years ago and to this day still gives me the creeps but I LOVE IT! If you're looking for a good book to read this Halloween, this is it!  


 And if you're still looking for a good spine tingling read, here are 9 more to add to your list! 










Feel free to link your TTT below or just leave a comment with your favorite book to read this time of year! 

Until next time, 
Ginger 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

How To: Survive Comic Con!

How To: Survive (Salt Lake) Comic Con

If you follow me on twitter or instagram you may know that I spent three days at Salt Lake Comic Con at the end of September. This was my 5th Con and I now feel like somewhat of a pro so I thought I'd share some of my tips and tricks.



#1. Buy your tickets as soon as they go on sale! I don't know about other Con's but SLCC has deals for early tickets. They are usually 30-50% off. 

Even if you're not sure you're going, buy them anyway and you can always sell them to a friend if you end up not going. 

#2. If you're going to cosplay plan ahead! Order what you need online, check Pinterest for DIY's and make sure you have everything you need the week before. 



You don't want to wake up the day of and realize you're missing your elf ears or your cape.

#3. Pre-register! I don't know about other Con's but SLCC allows you to pre-register your wrist band. It takes all of two seconds once your receive your bands in the mail and it saves you SO MUCH TIME! 


Trust me, you don't want to spend hours in line to register when you could be buying your first Harry Potter wand or stalking a very realistic Batman.

#4. Pack. Pack. Pack.



 Pack your wristband (duh!). Pack hand sanitizer, an empty water bottle (to fill once you're inside) snacks, protein bars and cash.

Hand sanitizer doesn't really need an explanation. 

As for the water bottle and snacks, even nerds get dehydrated. 

And even if you're not planning on buying things at the event you'll need cash for parking.  

Which brings us to tip #5. Weigh your options for parking. This is going to sound stupid but make the decision before you go downtown whether or not you're going to pay a ton for parking and walk right in or if you're going to book it 12 blocks to save some cash. 



Personally I would rather spend as much time as possible inside the venue and I park right next to it. Granted it's more expensive but when I pay to spend three days there I don't want to waste half of it walking to and from the venue. 

#6. Plan out your days. Know what time you're leaving, what time you'll get there, which panels you're going to and when you'll have free time. 

If you go in blind you're going to miss a lot. 

SLCC always releases their panel schedule a couple days early and I go through and make sure I know where and when all my panels are. Sometime you'll have to leave a little early to get to a different panel or you might be lucky and have three panels in a row all in the same room. Either way, plan ahead. 

#7. Have a seat. 

All of the big panels are in the main ballroom, if you want to see a panel at 5 get in line for the 4 o'clock panel. They don't clear the ballroom in between panels so you can save time standing in line by sitting through an extra panel. Plus you can move up quite a bit when the people for the 4 o'clock panel leave. 

I always have my sister with me so she'll save our seats in the back while I try to find a closer one. Then I wave her up or text her where I am. It works like a charm. Last year we got first row seats for Paul Weasley, Tom Fleton and Felicia Day. 

8. Going along with the last tip, go to panels you wouldn't normally go to. 

This past con me and my sister were sitting in line waiting for the Robbie Ammell panel to start when the volunteer at the front of the line told us there was still seating inside for the current panel. 

That panel turned out to be the panel for the new MTV show based on the books by Terry Brooks. I had never heard of The Shannara Chronicles before I stepped into that panel room but the second I saw Manu Bennett sitting next to Terry I knew I was hooked. 

Don't miss out on amazing panels just because you didn't take the time to read who the panelists were. 



I had NO IDEA Manu Bennett was two feet away while I was trying to kill 40 minutes on twitter. I'm so glad I got to see this panel and it turned out to be one of my favorites! 

#9. Manage your time! 

If one person in your group has to pee, you all pee. Trust me on this one, you don't want to be, say, in the middle of the Weasley twins panel thinking about how embarrassing it's going to be when you pee your pants.



Eat during the panels. 

Don't waste time standing in the long lines for food inside and don't waste time leaving the event to eat elsewhere. 

Have a big breakfast at home, eat a protein bar for lunch during whatever panel you're in and then stop somewhere on the way home for a late dinner. 

Also. Fruit snacks are a lifesaver at Comic Con! I get the big box at Target of all strawberry ones. 

#10. Have realistic expectations. 

This past Con Chris Evans was the main star. Because he is such a big deal they closed his panel to the public and instead entered all the ticket holders in a lottery to see who would get in. 

Sadly I was not a lucky winner. 


I'm coping.. Thanks for asking... 

On the other hand some panels you get into won't be worth it. 

Two examples, the first being Scott Wilson's panel... While I adored him as Hershel on The Walking Dead... Lets just say his panel was a one way ticket to snoozeville. 



Don't be afraid to walk out of a panel if you're not enjoying yourself. You only have so much time and there's a lot to do! 

The other example being Ian Somerhalder. 

I used to LOVE Ian. I mean, have you seen him?



 I love Damon Salvatore and I was ecstatic to find out he would be attending. 

Me and my sis got up hours earlier than we needed to in order to get downtown and get in line for his panel. 

We got there two and a half hours early. 

We stood in line for two hours, once we finally got in and found seats we had about five minutes before the panel started. 

We were... For lack of a better word, giddy.



But the great thing about Comic Con is you're never the only one fangirling! 

We waited... And waited... And waited... 

The panel started 35 minutes late. 

Since this had never happened before I had no idea what to expect. 

I assumed he would still do a 50 minute panel and I wasn't too upset about the wait. 

Until he started talking. 

He answered two maybe three questions about the Vampire Diaries and spent his remaining 10 minutes talking about his stupid flight and global warming. 



He never once acknowledged the fact that he was late or that the panel was less than 20 minutes long. 

Needless to say I wasn't the only one in the crowd of 5,000 who was a little pissed off. 



Manage your expectations. Sometimes the panel you're looking forward too the most will blow and sometimes the panel you stumble into on accident will blow your mind.

Lastly #11. If you're going to shop the floor do it on Thursday. SLCC runs Thursday-Saturday and if you don't want to find yourself in the middle of a nerd sandwich (hold the deodorant) do most of your shopping/browsing on the first day. Saturday is going to be ten times as crowded and you'll likely miss out on some great deals.

And there you have it! It's extremely long and filled with gif's but hopefully it'll help you out! 

Until next time, 
Ginger  

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday

 Waiting On Wednesday 


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Here is my selection for the week:



Chelsea thought she knew what being a rock star was like . . . until she became one. After losing a TV talent show, she slid back into small-town anonymity. But one phone call changed everything 
 
Now she’s the lead singer of the band Melbourne, performing in sold-out clubs every night and living on a bus with three gorgeous and talented guys. The bummer is that the band barely tolerates her. And when teen hearthrob Lucas Rivers take an interest in her, Chelsea is suddenly famous, bringing Melbourne to the next level—not that they’re happy about that. Her feelings for Beckett, Melbourne’s bassist, are making life even more complicated.
 
Chelsea only has the summer tour to make the band—and their fans—love her. If she doesn’t, she’ll be back in Michigan for senior year, dying a slow death. The paparazzi, the haters, the grueling schedule . . . Chelsea believed she could handle it. But what if she can’t? 

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I honestly hadn't heard of this book until I went looking for a new upcoming release for this post, but the second I saw the cover I knew I needed to at it to my TBR. It instantly reminded me of "This Song Will Save Your Life" and coincidentally Leila Sales is already praising it! 

I can't wait to get my hands on this one! 

Until next time, 
Ginger 

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Top Ten Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie!


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish where each week there is a new topic for a top ten list. 

This week is "Top Ten Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me" 

1. A new Harry Potter book... No... Multiple new Harry Potter books. As many as I can read! 


2. A dream library, with a spiral staircase, a turret, a big comfy reading chair and a secret room accessible only through a hidden bookcase door.



3. Lunch with Kevin Brooks. "Lucas" is one of my all time favorite books and I would kill to sit down and pick Kevin's brain. 

4. A time turner. Can you imagine how much reading you could get done with a time turner?! I'd never worry about my TBR pile or DNF because I'd have all the time in the world to read! 



5. The ability to step into the book I'm reading. I can't even list all the books I'd jump into. Can you imagine fighting Voldomort beside Harry? Or searching for the mortal cup with Jace? Or even something slightly less magical but still exciting, traveling with Isla or Lola? I'd never leave my fictional worlds. 

6. The ability to pull characters out of the book I'm reading. One name: Will Herondale. Never again would I show up someplace without a date. Oh no. Friends wedding? Check. Concert downtown? Check. Running into someone you hate? Double check. I'd never run out of fictional boyfriends to escort me places. 

  

7. A credit card to buy alllll the books (and the bill doesn't come to me!). If I had space and money I don't think I would even read what a book was about, I would want as many as humanly possible so I would never run out of reading material. 



8. A cell phone with a couple of my favorite authors on speed dial. J.K Rowling. Stephanie Perkins. Cassandra Clare. Kami Garcia. Margret Stohl. Ann Brashare. Lauren Oliver. For... You know... Reasons. 

I'm not crazy I swear.




9. The ability to pronounce character names the way the author intended them. I don't think I have to explain this one... 



10. And last but not least the ability to dream cast a favorite book. I honestly don't know which one I'd choose but it would be amazing to hand pick the entire cast for the movie/TV adaptation of a favorite book. 

This has got to be one of my favorite top ten's so please link yours below so I can check out all the other posts! 

Until next time,
 Ginger