March wrap up & haul!

I cannot believe March is already over! I say this with every month that passes by, but this year is going to fast :o In my head it's still January or February! Oh well... maybe it's the weather that's confusing me :) Belgium is known for its horrible weather, but this year it totally deserves a medal! So much wind and rain! Makes me want to cuddle up and read all day with a steaming mug of tea... too bad I have to work.

Which brings me to the fact I've had the most horrible reading month since... ever!?
I've only read 5 books! I know it's still a good number, but I wanted to read at least 8 or 9... oh well. Maybe it's due to the fact I've been very tired lately and also because I couldn't decide what to read... Anyways, I did read 5 books:

1. Confess by Colleen Hoover: 5/5 stars
2. The Collectors' Society by Heather Lyons (ebook): 4.5/5 stars
3. The Hidden Library by Heather Lyons (ebook): 5/5 stars
4. Shadow Kiss, the graphic novel by Richelle Mead: 5/5 stars
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling: 5/5 stars

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Oh and I also bought some new books! Only three though because I have my "max 5/month" rule ;)

1. Slammed by Colleen Hoover (on my tbr of April)
2. Confess by Colleen Hoover (see above)
3. In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

I actually bought In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken thinking I would read it immediately whenever I finished Never Fade (the second book), but I haven't even finished that one...  I guess you could say I bought it so quick for nothing (now I'm stuck with two paperbacks and one hardcover...), because I'm stuck with Never Fade :( I restarted it 2 times and I read 50ish pages so far! I don't know what's happening to me! I loooooooooved The Darkest Minds and the novella, so I don't get why I can't get into Never Fade.


So, what have you read this month? :) Let me know in the comments!!

Review: The Hidden Library by Heather Lyons

Genre: NA, romance, fantasy, retelling
Series: The Collectors’ Society #2
Release date: February 26th 2015

Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected . . .

Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.

On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.
Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.

My review: ★★★★★

“You,” Finn tells me, “are a welcome sight.”

As is he. My heart flutters as I take his handsome visage. Tall, sandy-haired, and with the most lovely blue-gray eyes I’ve ever seen, I have been painfully attracted to Finn Van Brunt since the day I arrived at the Institute.”

I’ve never, never, never EVER read a book with such extraordinary characters in the fantasy the genre. They were familiar and unique at the same time. I fell in love with every single one of them, but the bigger part of my heart belongs to Mr. Finn Van Brunt. I was more than happy when I found out that this book was written in two points of view: Alice & Finn.

Alice was again amazing. There were less chapters in her POV, but I didn’t mind that. When I saw her through Finn’s eyes I could see her like I saw her in the first book. Badass, determinate, loyal and loving. She’s such an interesting character! Whenever she stood up for herself or her friend, I was so stunned about her courage and nerve.

“Talk to me, my star” I murmur. Quiet seconds tick by; his fingers have tightened around mine. I lean in and press my mouth against the curve of his jaw, just below his ear.

Finn… well like I said, I love him so, so, so, so much! The chapters in his POV were more than amazing. I loved his little mysterious side and whenever we found out more about his past, the more I fell in love with him. He’s so perfect for Alice and oh my god, the little moments he had whenever he was with Alice were just PERFFFF.

Although Finn & Alice are my OTP, I still have to admit I liked the White King (Jace) a lot! I don’t even have the right words to describe him. Loyal, honest, selfless and perfect just doesn’t cover it. The scenes he had with Finn were SO GOOD. I can see a time where he was perfect for Alice, because what he does for her is just unbelievable selfless. I hope he will find a true love soon and I really really really hope to see him in the next books, because I want more of him!! Now that I think of it... a little novella in his point of view would be kind of awesome too! Heather...? :D

“I’ve fallen in love with you how you make the worst places incredibly romantic. And with the fact that, even though it doesn’t seem like it, we’re so damn alike. You get me when most people don’t.”

The plot of this book is full of action, mystery and romance. They were parts that were very fast paced and where a LOT was happening.  This book has a lot of little storylines that came together at the ending. I could never have imagined the ending. It was SO good! I’m in desperate need of book three. I just want it RIGHT NOW!

Oh by the way, you know the curse of trilogies/longer series? Where the first book is brilliant and then the next books become dull, boring, predictable, …? Heather is certainly not going that way. I feel like she has still a huge surprise that will blow us away completely. She absolutely has the potential to be even more brilliant. Aaaahhhh, this series is epic!!! If you haven’t read the first book: DO IT!

“True love does not have limits or restrictions. True love allows a person to love deeply and unconditionally. True love does not ask you to let go of life. True love encourages you to live.”

Book Of The Week #26: Between The Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

Every Sunday I share a book I discovered during the week. I think it's a good idea for you guys if you're looking for random recommendations ;)
If you want to see the previous ones, just click here.

Series: stand-alone

Genre: YA, romance, music, fiction

Release date: June 16^th 2015

When Ivy Emerson’s family loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what’s to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single, terrifying performances. It’s her life.
And it isn’t pretty.
Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own—seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there is no way to stop them.
As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including herself.

Debut author Sharon Huss Roat crafts a charming and timely story of what happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down.

Thoughts?

I just loooooooooove the cover!!!! And the plot sounds so good! I cannot wait for this book!JUST ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR!

Friday Finds #6: Lots of new releases!

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your TBR list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). This is hosted by ShouldBeReading!

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After 3 weeks of adding NO books to my tbr, I’m finally back with a small list of 5 books. I told you, I’m determinate to get my tbr down this year! :D So far I’ve been having the WORST reading month ever (March is almost over, whaatttt??!!), so I added some new books to my tbr. You know… to compensate, haha :D All the books (except Duff) I added have to be released yet, so I guess that gives me time to catch up, right? ;)

 

Recent Release #24: Liars, INC. by Paula Stokes

Every Wednesday I share a recent release I’m excited to read. If you want to check out the previous ones, click here. These are all books I'm adding to my growing pile of tbr-books ;) 

Series: stand-alone

Genre: YA, contemporary, thriller, crime, murder

Release date: March 24^th 2015

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

Discuss: Tips concerning your book budget

For booklovers nothing is better than buying books (besides reading them of course). But we've all had a period where we just used up our whole book budget. And that period just sucks. Especially when you planned to buy that new release you've been waiting for months. So I thought, why not share some tips to avoid this problem? Not everyone has a big budget and I hope these little tips will help you!

1. Sell books

You may be thinking "NO WAY" right now. But think about it. It can't be that you love every single book that's on your shelf. You know I'm right. Sell books you didn't particularly liked and save up the money for new books. There are plenty of ways to sell books these days: online, markets, in second handed bookshops,  etc. You can also try to sell them to friends or family. Just keep in mind to be reasonable with your prizes ;)

2. Go to the library

If you're lucky enough to have a good and updated library near your work/home/school, use it!! Instead of immediately buying a book, go grab it at the library. And if you really liked it, just buy it afterwards. This tip is really handy if you're not 100% sure about the book. This is the best way to try out new authors, genres etc.

3. Invest in a kindle / e-reader

I'm sure a lot of people already know this, but most of them intent to forget this, but ebooks are (usually) way cheaper than books! This tip is very handy if some books are not available in your country. Also for the same reasons as in tip 2. I really recommend the kindles from Amazon by the way. They last very long and are extremely good investments. I had my previous one (one of the first model with the keyboard) for at least 5 years and it still works fine! Now I have a Kindle Paperwhite and I love it. The battery last so freaking long. I bought it 3 months ago and I've charged it only 2 (!!) times.

And let's not forget the millions of FREE ebooks that are available! 

4. Buy online

Yes, I know, browsing in an actual bookshop is way more fun. But it is also more expensive!

Online sites like Amazon and bookdepository (both free shipping btw!) sell books way cheaper than in bookstores. I don't know if this is the same in every country, but for me I can buy two books online for the same price as one in a bookshop... 

Extra tip for Amazon: compare prizes on http://www.cheapriver.com/ ! Extremely handy tip especially for European booklovers ;)

By the way, it’s not because you buy books online that you can’t browse in bookstores anymore. You can go touch/smell the books there and then go home and buy the books you fell in love with in the store online :D

5. Use a limit on your purchases and avoid buying bans

Buying books can be addictive! I used to be a major bookhauler. I bought at least 3-5 books at the same time (at least 2 times in the same month) and although it was fun in the beginning (because your personal library grows way faster like this), after a while my wallet started to be exhausted.

I tried buying bans, but that made me want to buy books even more. That's why I have a limit of max 5 books I'm allowed to buy per month. It also helped me to enjoy the books I bought more. I also think using a limit is better than a strict buying ban. When you’re actually allowed to buy books, so you don’t have the urge to say ‘oh f*uck it’ and buy 10 books in the nearest store. That’s how you learn how to control everything more.

Do you have extra tips?

These 5 little tips are from my own book-experiences. Do you have more? Share them in the comments and help other booklovers!

Book Of The Week: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Every Sunday I share a book I discovered during the week. I think it's a good idea for you guys if you're looking for random recommendations ;)
If you want to see the previous ones, just click here.

Series: stand-alone

Genre: YA, romance, contemporary

Release date: April 7^th 2015

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won't peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She's learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it's working just fine . . . until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He's a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He's got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn't expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn't mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again. . . .

Thoughts?

From the moment I saw the cover I fell in love with it. I’ve signed up for Blog Tour/ARC via Inkslinger, but I got rejected due to high requests. I was so bummed because I really want to read it! But then the publisher contacted me and provided me an ARC. I AM SO FREAKING HAPPY!! I’m planning to read it before the release to get all of YOU excited :D