Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Want to Revisit

Ten Childhood Characters You'd Love To Revisit As Adults

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Orion- from Across The Universe trilogy by Beth Revis. I swear all i do is talk about this trilogy. I would enjoy knowing what Orion and even Eldest was like as kids when Godspeed first launched. How the chaos truly took over.

Nearly Headless Nick- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I know we know how he dies but I would love to know about his life before becoming nearly headless.

The Founding Quartet- Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor- again following along the lines of just wanting more in the HP universe. I want to know how they started Hogwarts and what the struggles were for the four of them working together.

Rachel Adams- Defiance Trilogy by C.J.Redwine. I would love to check up on Rachel after the trilogy has ended. Sometimes it would be nice to revisit old friends and see how they have grown now that their adventure is over.

Lissa- Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf. I know Hafsah is working on another book but I don't believe it is with Lissa. I enjoyed The world surrounding Lissa but it was her growth as a human that makes me want to revisit her and see what she is up to now.

Picking 8 was hard enough. There are so many characters that I wish had more stories but I loved where the books left them. There is a desire in every fandom to read more about beloved characters and see their futures but doesn`t that sort of ruin the magic surrounding the books already written. Those final sentences, the epilogues that the authors spent so much time writing would lose their finality.

What characters would you want to visit again?

TTFN,
Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books Every History Buff Should Read

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you by The Broke and The Bookish. 

This Weeks Topic is: Eight Books Every History Buff Should Read

1 & 2: Sekret and Skandal by Lindsay Smith

3 & 4: Prisoner of Night and Fog, Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

5: Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman ( I havent read it yet but if its anything like her other two novels I will love it)

6: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin  

7: Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys

8: Salt to The Sea by Ruta Sepetys ( Again haven't read but I'm told that her research was intensive so I could only assume it's as good as OoTE)

Thats all for this week. 


What books would you suggest reading that fits into a Historical Fiction type genre?

TTFN,
Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Follow These Lovely People

Top Ten Tuesday is Meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Ten Bookish People You Should Follow On 

Instagram

1. Folded Pages Distillery- Instagram I`m pretty sure everyone I know follows this lovely lady. All her photos and props are divine. (sidenote she is swapping to Tumblr due to IG new post changes)

2. Bookish Mel- Instagram Supporting a fellow book blogger. Mel is hilarious on twitter as well so go check her out.

3. Bookworm Boutique- Instagram I wasn't originally going to add shops in here but i just discovered them and I want everything on their page.

4. Jessi the Novel Heartbeat- Instagram Love her designs and hope she is able to get a new camera to post more now.

5. Andye the reading Teen- Instagram Sometimes I feel like I owe BEA15 to Andye, Becca and Tiff. Andye introduced me to people and pulled me out of my shell while standing in line.

6. Nils Bunteschwarzweisswelt- Instagram Love me some foreign bookstagramers. I am learning German so her page forces me to practice what I've been learning.

7. Sarah Newleaf Writer- Instagram the amount of props this girls uses is crazy but they are are so well placed.

8. Dahlia Adler- Instagram Another author and book blogger shout out. Dahlia aways host this really cool challenges and tags.

9. Cuddlebuggery- Instagram these lovely ladies just like on their blog keep their Instagram real and to the point.

10. Ursula- Instagram Some people just have this magic touch with photos and Ursula is one of those people.

Here is a link to my Instagram as well ( I do have a giveaway going on so be sure to check that out)

TTFN,

Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Preview my Top 10 of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

This weeks topic is My latest 5 star reads. Lately I haven't had a large amount of these. Everything seems to be middle of the line. So for this week I decided to show case 3 books that are my favorite so far of 2016. I`ve included a synopsis and a brief reason why I like it (and a review link)

A Preview of My Top Ten of 2016 So Far

1. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Synopsis: Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

This book is just all around amazing. I laughed and cried at different points. I was lucky to read this as an ARC. I now have the finished copy sitting on my shelf waiting for a good day to reread. If you want to read about growth, forgiveness and friendship this is the book for you. Read my full review Here

2. The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine

Synopsis: Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

My review will go live shortly but until then all that matter is CJ Redwine was able to do it yet again. I was pulled from my 3 week book slump into a world of pure imagination. The imagery in this novel is just as good as her other series.

3. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Synopsis: Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.

As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.

But the end to it all looms closer every day.

At first I was worried this wouldn't live up to the hype it has received. It does guys. I really enjoyed it. I even sat in a parking garage at a magic tournament for three hours in order to finish the last half of this book. There is something about time-traveling that really peaks my interest. Read my full review Here

I hope you enjoyed my little preview. Normally I don`t have a Top Ten till the end of the year but these three books just jumped off the page.

What are some of your top books so far?

TTFN,

Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Need to Rave About

Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About In Awhile

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
2. I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
3. Scorched by Mari Mancusi
4. Wandering Star by Romina Russell
5. Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
6. Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf
7. Splintered by AG Howard
8. Dumplin by Julie Murphy
9. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
10. Severed Heads and Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

I will actually be starting a discussion in April in regards to a few of these books so look out for that in the coming weeks :)

TTFN,

Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Ten Books On My Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme brought to you by The Broke and The Bookish

1. Heir to The Sky by Amanda Sun
2. Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4. Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake
5. Rebel of The Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
6. Jerk Bait by Mia Siegert
7. Salt to The Sea by Ruta Sepetys
8. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
9. How It Ends by Catherine Lo
10. The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

This list is slowly growing but I decided to just narrow it down with a mix of older titles (2015) and new titles. I would like to get through at least 1/2 of these before I leave on my road-trip the end of April.

What books are you hoping to read this spring?

TTFN,
Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Settings

Top Ten Tuesday

This week`s topic is Top Ten Historical Settings. I broke it up by different points in history. So let`s get started shall we.

Gold Rush Era:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Circa 1800’s:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Girl from Everywhere Heidi Heilig

France:

Reign: The Prophecy

Reign: Hysteria

Germany:

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Russia:

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

The Crown`s Game by Evelyn Skye

What books have historical settings you love?

TTFN,

Ashley

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The Tsar`s Parade: Russian Interests

Event Page

About the Book: 

Title: THE CROWN’S GAME

Author: Evelyn Skye

Release Date: May 17^th, 2016

Pages: 416

Publisher: Balzer+Bray

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

About Evelyn:

Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on "So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel. Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive an ARC of THE CROWN’S GAME. International.

Rafflecopter code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/M2VkM2RiMjQwOWM5ZWE0M2QwNTA5Mjk4ZTJiMDc4OjEw/?

Find the complete Tsar’s Guard Parade Schedule at Evelyn Skye’s website!

Enjoy all the stops and good luck on the Giveaway.I decided to make a Russian Inspired Pinterest board for my stop on the Parade. This is my first attempt at pinterest for anything book related so bare with me. 

         Follow Ashley's board Russian Inspiration on Pinterest.    

TTFN,

Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Resolutions for 2016

Resolutions for 2016

Top Ten is found on Broke and Bookish

1.       Comment More (I joined Nori`s 365 Commenting challenge, so this should inspire me)

2.       Up my NG Rating (I`m trying to be realistic and say at least up it to 40-45%)

3.       Post 2-3x a week (Jan-March is looking on track now to make sure I can stay on it)

4.       Organize my GR Shelves better (By this I mean have a shelf for need-reviews and actually take books off once they have been added)

5.       Organize my real shelves (I`ve already started this and since i`m hoping to be moved out in Feb I need to get a jump start)

6.       Attempt to change my review format by adding icons (I`ve already prepped Jan-March with new images)

7.       Host at least 2 Twitter chats this year (I`m thinking Halloween for sure and maybe an after BEA one as well)

8.       Go to more book events

9.       Prepare for April-June Road Trip (BEA and Canada Here We Come)

10.   Post fancier IG Book Haul photos ( I was doing pretty good near the end of 2015)

I will also be doing It Starts at Midnight Discussion Challenge

What are some of your New Year Resolutions?

TTFN,
Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wouldn`t Mind Santa Bringing

Wouldn`t Mind Santa Bringing

Top Ten Tuesday meme can be found at Broke and Bookish

1.       HC of Zodiac and Wandering Star by Romina Russell

2.       Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Audio CD) {Cause having PB,Ebook,Audible isn`t enough)

3.       Serafina and The Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

4.       The Artisans by Julie Reece

5.       Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay (Audio)

6.       Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Audio)

7.       Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

8.       Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

  9.   An ARC or Pre-Order of A World Without You by Beth Revis

10.   Some 2016 ARCs for my Debut Author Feature


What books would you want Santa to bring you this Christmas?

TTFN,
Ashley

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Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books of 2015

Best Books I Read in 2015

Top Ten Tuesday can be found at Broke and Bookish

1.       I`ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

2.       The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich 

3.       Walk on Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson

4.       Never, Always, Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

5.       Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

6.       Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

7.       Wandering Star by Romina Russell

8.       Dumplin`  by Julie Murphy

9.       My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

10.   Dream A Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

11.   Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Out of the 50ish books I`ve read this year narrowing it down to 10 was hard to I bent and added one more. 

Which books did you love this year?

TTFN,

Ashley

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