Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Audiobook review)

Synopsis:

“The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered – fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningliess. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature – and of herself – while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, ALLEGIANT, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the DIVERGENT series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT. ”

*Narrated by Emma Galvin and Aaron Stanford*

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February 2019 TBR!

Hey guys! Today I’m here to tell you about all the books I plan on reading in February!

So I have given myself a pretty ambitious TBR for this month. In a way it works in my favor due to the fact that I have nothing major going on this month besides work and school.

With that said, here are the books I plan on reading!

• Strange the Dreamer by Lani Taylor (DNF’d)
• Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (reread)
• The Wicked King by Holly Black
• The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg (sent to me for review by the publisher)
• Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks (sent to me for review by the publisher)
• Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry (sent to me for review by the publisher)
• Kingdom Cold by Britini Chenelle (ARC sent to me for review by the author)
• The Stranger Diaries by Elle Griffiths (sent to me for review by the publisher)
• Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean (my book club’s February book of the month!)

So that is what I plan on reading this month. As always I will have full reviews for all of the books up on the blog and my YouTube channel as soon as I finish them!

What are you planning on reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!

January 2019 Wrap Up!!

Hey guys!! Today I am here to tell you how my reading month went in January 2019!!

So I would say that I started off the new year great. The first 2 weeks of January were awesome as far as how my reading went. Unfortunately, my reading slump showed its ugly head once again and the last 2 weeks of the month didn’t go so well.

So with that said, I’m going to start off with some monthly stats. This is something new I did on my YouTube channel last year and I think it would be fun to do it here on the blog as well. Let me know what you guys think about it!

Stats

Books read: 1

Physical or ebook: physical

Format: traditional paperback

Ratings: between a 4 and a 5

Read-a-Thons participated in: 1 (the Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon in which I was a blogger host)

Books I Read

• I hate MySelfie by Shane Dawson: 4.5/5.

So yeah, that was my reading month in review you guys. I know, kind of short for this month but let’s hope February goes much better! As always I do have a full review for I Hate MySelfie up here on the blog!

What did you read in January?! Let me know in the comments!

 

I Hate MySelfie by Shane Dawson

Synopsis:

“The book that more than 12 million YouTube subscribers have been waiting for! Shane Dawson’s memoir features twenty original essays—uncensored yet surprisingly sweet.

From his first vlog back in 2008 to his full-length film directorial debut Not Cool, Shane Dawson has been an open book when it comes to documenting his life. But behind the music video spoofs, TMI love life details, and outrageous commentary on everything the celebrity and Internet world has the nerve to dish out is a guy who grew up in a financially challenged but loving home in Long Beach, California, and who suffered all the teasing and social limitations that arise when you’re a morbidly obese kid with a pretty face, your mom is your best friend, and you can’t get a date to save your life.

In I Hate Myselfie, Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done.”

2019 Goals!!

Hey guys!! Today I am here to share with you all of my goals for 2019!

So 2018 was a big year for me. I went through a lot of changes in my life from focusing more on school to getting a job. It was one hell of a year.

And I feel like 2019 might be the same way.

With that said, here are all of my goals for this year and some of the reasons why I want to achieve them!

Reading

• Goodreads reading challenge: 30 books
• Get back on track with review books: As most book reviewers do, I get emails on an almost weekly basis from publishers and authors asking me to review books. I am forever grateful for those who have reached out. Unfortunately, I have the habit of saying yes to basically every single on of them so this year is going to be the year (if it is the last thing I do) to catch up on all of those that I have yet to read.
• Read more local authors: In the past I have always made it a priority to read from all over the world. These past 2 years I’ve wanted to read more from my own little corner of the world. New England isn’t a place where you find many big name authors from. So reading books from those authors is a big goal of mine. Make those names more well known. I did pretty well at it in 2018 and hopefully it will be the same in 2019.
• Read 10 ebooks
• Read 10 audio books
• Read half of Stephen King’s published work: King became one of my favorite authors of all time in 2018. His collection of work is huge with over 70 books out in the world. If I could read half of those books this year, it would be amazing.
• Get my TBR down to 25 books: this is mostly my physical TBR. At this point I have run out of space completely on my TBR shelf so I really need to get it down to a smaller size.
• Be more selective with the books that I accept for review: This goes back to managing to get all of my review books read that I already own. This year I’m really going to have to think to myself when I receive an email for an author or publisher if it is something I really want to read or do I just say yes because its a free book. If I don’t accept your book for review, please don’t take it personally. It’s just the way it has to be this year and I will be more than happy to work with you in the future
• Go to a book signing
• Make Boston a more bookish city: Going back to what I said with reading more local authors, Boston/New England isn’t a huge bookish city. We don’t have many big name authors here and we don’t have many book signings for here for authors that I love. This year, I hope that can change and we can bring more authors to the area.

Social Media

• Hit 1k subscribers on YouTube: I’ve had this blog and my YouTube channel for almost 3 years and I’ve been on YouTube in total for close to 8. During that time, I have NEVER been in it for the subscriber count or the money or any of those things. I’ve always done it just for fun. But I will say it is fun to see your channel grow over time. If we could hit 1k this year that would be amazing but not matter what, I am grateful for no matter how many subscribers I have. You can check out my channel here!
• Be more active on the blog: Last year, I feel like I wasn’t active here on the blog as much as I have been in the past. I let me YouTube channel and work kind of get the best of me. This year I am going to change that. I am going to try and post on here AT LEAST 3 times a week.
• Do one review a month (on YouTube)
• Co-host or create a read-a-thon
• Be more active on my DIY channel: I really haven’t used this channel much since 2017 but I definitely want to change that this year (if you are interested in checking it out, you can find it here!)
• Do a stream on Twitch: to be able to show you guys more of the gaming side of my life!

Writing

• Keep working on my fantasy novel: this is a project that I have been working on for the past 2 years. I’ve talked about it a few times here on the blog and on YouTube. I’ve started it and restarted it multiple times. This year is going to be the year that I finally finish it.
• Start my contemporary project: came up with this idea back in the summer of last year. Would love to at least start it this year.
• Do more writing-related posts and videos: besides the posts and videos that I have done  the past 2 Novembers during NaNoWriMo, I haven’t made many dedicated posts talking about writing. That is also something I want to change this year.

Personal/Life

• Lose at least 50 pounds: I’ve struggled with my weight for over 10 years. Every year I try to accomplish this goal and have failed every time. Last year I got off to a strong start. Hopefully that will be the same this year.
• Learn a language

So those are my main goals for this year. Yes, there is a ton of them. Will I accomplish all of them? Most likely not. But I can try.

What are some of your goals for this year? Let me know in the comments!!

Biannual Bibliothon Day 6: Fireside Reads!

Hey guys!! I’m back today to tell you guys my response to the challenge I set for you for day 6 of the Biannual Bibliothon for winter 2019!!

I’ve had a blast hearing your responses! So many good ones!! So here are a few of my favorite books to read by the fireside:

• Harry Potter: I think this one is just common sense. I LOVE Harry Potter. I’ve reread the series 5 times in the past 10 years and each time I always have had that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. This well-loved middle grade series will always be my favorite series of all time and is perfect for a reading session by the fire.
• ACOTAR: If you are looking for a chunky, high fantasy series to get engulfed in during these winter months, A Court of Thorns and Roses is one that I think would be perfect. Some of the first novel does take place during the winter so that’s one reason I put it one this list. This series will keep you on the edge of your seat and the swoon-worthy romance included in the second and third books will just give you all the feels.
• Percy Jackson: Similar to Harry Potter, this world that Rick Riordan has created quickly became one of my favorites. Though it is middle-grade, this series has many aspects to it that readers of all ages will love. It has a great sense of humor which is one of my favorite elements to it. On top of that, if you enjoy the first series, there are many spinoffs featuring characters we know love (plus some new ones) to enjoy as well.

So those are just a few of my favorite reads for the fireside! If you guys didn’t see my original post, you can post links to your post in the comments!

There is also a giveaway to go along with this!

Here are the rules once again if you didn’t see the original post!

• Must be 18 years or older or have parent/guardian’s permission to enter
• OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!!
• MUST BE FOLLOWING THE BLOG
• MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL (you can find it here!)

The winner will win any book of their choice up to 25 US dollars from Book Depository! Winner will be announced on February 1st!

Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon Day 6 Blog Challenge!!

Hey guys!! So I am back today to tell you guys what my blogger challenge is for the Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon!!

So if you missed my announcement post (you can find it here!), I have had the amazing opportunity to be a blogger host for the upcoming winter round of the biannual bibliothon! Each day one of the 7 blogger hosts have a challenge that you are more than welcome to participate in!

My host day is Day 6: Thursday January 19th!

So here is my challenge for you!

Tell me some of the books that you would want to read by the fireside! They can be book recommendations of books that you have read in the past or upcoming releases that you are looking forward to! Just let me know!!

I will also be running a giveaway for this challenge!

Here are the rules:

1. Must be 18 years or older or have parent/guardian’s permission to enter
2. Must be following this blog
3. Must be subscribed to my YouTube channel (you can find it here!)

This giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! The winner will receive a book of their choice up to 25 US dollars from Book Depository!

If you want to connect with me during the read-a-thon, be sure to follow the Bibliothon twitter (@BBibliothon) as well as my twitter (@evilqueenbooks) to keep up to date with my reading as well as when I host my reading sprints!!

Be sure to leave links to your posts in the comments! I can’t wait to read them!!

Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon Announcement and TBR!

Hey guys!! Today I am here to do my official announcement for the Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon and also tell you what I plan on reading!

So I have the amazing opportunity to once again be a blogger host for this read-a-thon. I was a blogger host for last year’s summer round and I had a blast doing it.

Here are all the details you guys need to know for the read-a-thon:

Dates: January 12-18, 2019

Liveshow Date: January 19 (Time TBA)

Twitter: @BBibliothon

Instagram: @biannualbibliothon

BookTube Hosts!

Zarriah: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_P…

Brittni: https://www.youtube.com/Brittnisbookfind

Catriona: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittleBo…

Momo: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBookt…

Red: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS4Y…

Dylan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxpH…

Kassie: http://youtube.com/user/misssassykassie

Instagram Hosts!

Jessica: http://instagram.com/faeriearchive

Stephanie: http://instagram.com/shutupnread

Sadia: http://instagram.com/a_bibliophiles_life

Annie: http://instagram.com/anniesjournals

Emma: http://instagram.com/emmareadsthings

Cristina: http://instagram.com/cristinasjourney8

Amanda: http://instagram.com/obsesswithamanda

Blogger Hosts!

Tracy: http://trufflereads.com

Libby: http://wolflibby0914.wordpress.com

Becky: http://coffeecocktailsandbooks.com

Hannah: http://sprinkledwithwords.wordpress.com

Danielle: http://poetrybooksya.blogspot.com

Jackie: https://evilqueenbooksblog.wordpress.com (Me!)

Megan: http://underthebookcover.blogspot.com

Video Challenges!

Day 1: Saturday 12th MOMO: ‘Where’s Waldo?’ GIVEAWAY BOOK: Heretics Anonymous

Day 2: Sunday 13th DYLAN: ‘Creative Expression GIVEAWAY BOOK: A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Day 3: Monday 14th KASSIE: ‘Character Dinner Date” GIVEAWAY BOOK: Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

Day 4: Tuesday 15th ZARRIAH: ‘Aesthetic OOTD’ GIVEAWAY BOOK: Queen of Air and Darkness

Day 5: Wednesday 16th BRITTNI: ‘BiblioBookBox’ GIVEAWAY BOOK: City of Ghosts – Victoria Schwab

Day 6: Thursday 17th RED: ‘Deface a Book’ GIVEAWAY BOOK: Vengeful – VE Schwab

Day 7: Friday 18th CAZ: ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ GIVEAWAY BOOK: My Favorite Thing is Monster

Reading Challenges!

1. Read the Group Book Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

2. Read one of the hosts’ 5 star reads Pivot Point by Kasie West Eliza and her Monsters by Franchesca Zappia Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choy

3. Read a book that got you into reading

4. Read an adult genre

5. Combine your favorite genre with your least favorite format or the opposite

6. Read a book with a cover you don’t like

7. Read a book by an author you’ve never read before

Those are all the details now lets get into my TBR!

As always you are more than welcome to double up on these challenges but you CANNOT TRIPLE UP ON THEM!

For this round of the read-a-thon I will be reading:

• Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean (read the group book)
• Strange the Dreamer by Lani Taylor (read one of the host 5 star reads and read a book by an author you’ve never read before)
• Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (read a book that got  you into reading)
• The Girl King by Mimi Yoon (read your favorite genre in your least favorite format) (also my book club’s book of the month)
• For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt (read a book from the adult genre and read a book with a cover you don’t like)

So that’s my announcement and TBR you guys!! As far as where you can find me during the week, I’ll be active here on the blog as much as I can be! I’ll also be running reading sprints on Thursday January 17th from 1:00 to 3:00pm EST over on the Biannual Bibliothon Twitter so be sure to follow us over there! Also be sure to follow me while your at it (@evilqueenbooks)!

Are you participating? What do you plan on reading? Let me know in the comments!

December 2018 TBR!!

Hey everyone!! Today I am here to do my December TBR!! The last TBR of 2018!!

This year flew by. So many things have happened in the past year that it feels like it went by in the blink of an eye.

December is going to be yet another crazy month with school wrapping up and the holidays coming so I know that I won’t have a ton of time to read.

With that said, here are the books that I will (hopefully) get to this month!

• Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (reread) (currently rereading)
• Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
• Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover (reread)
• Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry (ARC sent to me for review by the publisher)
• Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (my book club’s book of the month)

Those are all the books that I would like to get to this month. If I can beat the reading slump this month that would be great!! I have full reviews for Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms up here on the blog and I will have reviews for the other books up as soon as I finish them!!

What do you plan on reading this month? Let me know in the comments!!

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!! 🙂

November 2018 Wrap Up!! Reading and Writing!!

Hey guys!! Today I am here to do my wrap up for November!!

So I figured that I would not only talk about the reading that I did this month but also how my writing went as well!

Writing was kind of all over the place this month. As most of you guys know, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the third year this month so I tried to focus a lot of my time on that. However, it did not go as planned. With Thanksgiving happening this month, my work just got crazy (I work at a grocery store). I barely had to time to write, let alone focus on anything else, until the end of the month. So in total, I only wrote 7,500 words this month, not hitting that 50k word count as I did last year.

But that was my writing update. Hopefully I’ll be able to give you guys more updates in the near future on those writing projects I have going on.

Now let’s jump into my reading.

Reading also wasn’t the best this month for the same reason as my writing. Work and school got in the way most of the time.

With that said, here are all 3 of the books that I managed to read (or reread) this month. I LOVED THEM ALL!

• The Assassin’s Blade: The Throne of Glass novellas by Sarah J. Maas (reread): 5/5
• Star Wars Adventures #12 Intermission: 5/5
• Misery by Stephen King: 5/5

So that’s my wrap up for this month!! I have full reviews for The Assassin’s Blade and Misery as per usual up here on the blog!!

What did you read this month? Let me know in the comments!!