Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday [17]: History's People: Personalities And The Past By Margaret MacMillian

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine - spotlighting books that haven't been released yet!

My Waiting on Wednesday this week is...
History's People: Personalities And The Past By Margaret MacMillian

Expected Release Date: October 13th 2015

In History’s People internationally acclaimed historian Margaret MacMillan gives her own personal selection of figures of the past, women and men, some famous and some little-known, who stand out for her. Some have changed the course of history and even directed the currents of their times. Others are memorable for being risk-takers, adventurers, or observers. She looks at the concept of leadership through Bismarck and the unification of Germany; William Lyon MacKenzie King and the preservation of the Canadian Federation; Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the bringing of a unified United States into the Second World War. She also notes how leaders can make huge and often destructive mistakes, as in the cases of Hitler, Stalin, and Thatcher. Richard Nixon and Samuel de Champlain are examples of daring risk-takers who stubbornly went their own ways, often in defiance of their own societies. Then there are the dreamers, explorers, and adventurers, individuals like Fanny Parkes and Elizabeth Simcoe who manage to defy or ignore the constraints of their own societies. Finally, there are the observers, such as Babur, the first Mughal emperor of India, and Victor Klemperer, a Holocaust survivor, who kept the notes and diaries that bring the past to life.
(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

This one is quite different to my usual contemporary YA Waiting On Wednesday picks but I recently was introduced to this phenomenal book about the individuals in history that have shaped the world we live in today! I've been told that the book goes in-depth and analyzes details that haven't been looked at really in the past. Super excited to read this history non-fiction!

Leave a link in the comments below to your own Waiting on Wednesday I'll make sure to stop by!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THE CREEPING!

Tuesday Thoughts & Talks [16]: Loyalty Doesn't Exist?

This is a meme hosted HERE that asks us to present something we've learned or thought about after we finished reading a book to anyone out there - sparking a conversation amongst us!

What I Read to Spark the feels:
Something Borrowed By Emily Giffin

It's always hard to talk to people or friends about loyalty to one another. I'd like to think that I'm a decent friend, one who is honest no matter the circumstance but where my loyalties tend to fall are constantly changing based on circumstance. I remember when I first read the book Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, I was maybe too young to grasp the full depth of the relationships and feelings but now that I'm a little older, I see the relationships that were in the book a little differently. To give those a little info on what I'm going on about today, there are two best friends in Something Borrowed, one of whom is engaged and about to get married. One night the non-engaged friend hooks up with the fiancĂ© of the best friend and then launches the entire story of how it all gets sorted out. I'm definitely not doing this story justice and painting a very skewed idea so just do us both a favour and read it when you get the chance ;) Anyways, what I wanted to discuss this week was the idea of loyalty to someone. Is loyalty a lie we let ourselves believe in? I asked this because when it comes to instincts or primal needs or various other reasons, loyalties become very transparent. From my own experiences and from seeing the relationships close by me, I find it hard to believe in the idea of 'loyalty' to someone. Let's discuss this further, let me know your thoughts down below in the comments!

Add a link to your response OR just leave a comment below on this week's Tuesday Thoughts&Talks!

If you want to participate in the Tuesday Thoughts & Talks, just grab the banner, post your own Tues.T&T on your blog & then leave a comment down below with a link to your post!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

Sunday, August 16, 2015

M.I.A? Nope - Just Becoming One With Nature

Hello my fellow book lovers and book bloggers! I've been away camping in the great Northern Ontario Canada region this past weekend and so I haven't been able to post my usual Sunday Musings - I'll have a post up letting you know all about it tomorrow hopefully! I'll get back to all the buggies now ;) 

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-Sherry

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Reflect Thursday: Shining Books of Waiting on Wednesday [15]

Do you ever feel after a day like Waiting on Wednesday your list of TBR grows significantly? I wanted to mention a few titles that really caught my eye this week on the blogosphere after browsing the wonderful Waiting on Wednesday lists!

1. Blackmail Boyfriend By Chris Cannon
Released: August 11th 2015
Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?
(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

I had to bring this one to everyones attention! I stumbled upon this book from one of the comments on my WoW post and boy was I super happy that I did! This story has the fun and lightheartedness that I long for in a contemporary YA book but also dynamic characters with different lives! I can't wait to get reading this one when I do get my hands on it! Check it out if you get a chance!

What books did you discover after WOW? Create a post and leave a link in your description for me to check out! 
& Much thanks to those who helped bring these books to my attention!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

PS - I am hosting a GIVEAWAY for the *SOON* to be released book The Creeping By Alexandra Sirowy so I hope you check it out! The lovely Alexandra Sirowy did an awesome and very interesting guest post as well  - CLICK HERE to see for yourself & enter for a chance to win some cool stuff ;P

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday [16]: The Devil And Winnie Flynn By Micol Ostow

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine - spotlighting books that haven't been released yet!

My Waiting on Wednesday this week is...
The Devil And Winnie Flynn By Micol Ostow
Expected Release Date: October 13th 2015

Told as an ongoing letter to a friend, Winnie’s story is a heartrending mystery and a pop culture critique in the vein of Libba Bray’s Going Bovine and Beauty Queens—with illustrations throughout that recall the quirky, dark, and distinct aesthetics of Ransom Riggs’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

Winnie Flynn doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Though she wouldn’t mind a visit from her mom, explaining why she took her own life.) When her mysterious aunt Maggie, a high-profile TV producer, recruits Winnie to spend a summer working as a production assistant on her current reality hit, Fantastic, Fearsome, she suddenly finds herself in the one place her mother would never go: New Jersey.

New Jersey’s famous Devil makes perfect fodder for Maggie’s show. But as the filming progresses, Winnie sees and hears things that make her think that the Devil might not be totally fake after all. Things that involve her and her family. Things about her mother’s death that might explain why she’s never met Aunt Maggie until now.

Winnie soon discovers her family’s history is deeply entwined with the Devil’s. If she’s going to make it out of the Pine Barrens alive, she might have to start believing in what her aunt is telling her. And, find out what she isn’t.
(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

The concept with this one is intriguing. There is definitely that 'dark' element to this story but also there is a sense of reality that seems to be in place amongst all the creepiness. As well as all the general intrigue of figuring out what went down with her mom. Can't wait for this release in Fall!

Leave a link in the comments below to your own Waiting on Wednesday I'll make sure to stop by!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

PS - I am hosting a GIVEAWAY for the *SOON* to be released book The Creeping By Alexandra Sirowy so I hope you check it out! The lovely Alexandra Sirowy did an awesome and very interesting guest post as well  - CLICK HERE to see for yourself & enter for a chance to win some cool stuff ;P

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Tuesday Thoughts & Talks [15]: The Company We Keep

This is a meme hosted HERE that asks us to present something we've learned or thought about after we finished reading a book to anyone out there - sparking a conversation amongst us!

What I Read to Spark the feels:
Roomies By Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

Over the past month I've reconnected and spent a lot of time with old friends and new friends and I've come to the realization that I'm sort of a different version of myself with each and every one of them. The book that sparked my thoughts on this is titled Roomies and it was a new addition to my book shelf last week. Some of you have said some great things about the book so I'm pretty excited to read it - whenever I get to it! Back to the topic of my multiple-persona with friends, it would have bothered me back in high school to see that I'm 'different' with different people but now that I'm older I see it as each person brings out a different side of me. If I were to be the SAME person with everyone I know and meet, it would be boring right? I am the type of person who has a group of friends for certain things - a group of friends that I talk serious life/career stuff with, a group of friends that I go on foodie adventures with etc etc. What are your thoughts on the company you keep? Are you similar in that you notice yourself confiding in certain people about certain topics? I want to know if this comes across as 'fake' to others.

Add a link to your response OR just leave a comment below on this week's Tuesday Thoughts&Talks!

If you want to participate in the Tuesday Thoughts & Talks, just grab the banner, post your own Tues.T&T on your blog & then leave a comment down below with a link to your post!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

PS - I am hosting a GIVEAWAY for the *SOON* to be released book The Creeping By Alexandra Sirowy so I hope you check it out! The lovely Alexandra Sirowy did an awesome and very interesting guest post as well  - CLICK HERE to see for yourself & enter for a chance to win some cool stuff ;P

Monday, August 10, 2015

Blog Tour: The Creeping By Alexandra Sirowy GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy Blog Tour! I remember seeing this captivating cover across the booksphere on YOUR book blogs - highlighted as an anticipated read of 2015 and my interest was definitely piqued! I got the chance to get involved with spreading some love for The Creeping and hope you find it as cool as I did!
~
What is The Creeping?
Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she's over it. She's the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it's her small town's ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She's got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them. (Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

Romance, friendship, and dark, bone-chilling fear fill the pages of a summertime thriller in the spirit of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
~

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Musings [16]: New Books & Blog Tour News!

Two birds one stone - I stumbled upon The Sunday Post Meme hosted by the lovely Caffinated Book Reviewer & the Stacking The Shelves meme hosted by the awesome Tynga's Reviews! It is quite similar to what I'm doing here with my Sunday musings - recapping the week in book blogging universe as well as letting you guys know about what books I bought or received.

Life gets in the way AGAIN! I had a few things planned this week blog wise BUT never got around to doing them. I've apologized for lack of posts recently and I won't bore you guys with another but know that I am taking things really slowly and easy at the moment just to enjoy my last month before university starts up again and I really have no time to do anything!

Fun things that happened this week, my dear cousin had her bridal shower and I was lucky enough to help with the party! The setting was great, very elegant and very English-inspired party room. Lots of fun and girly decor as well! The food was all mini sized, how cute is that? All in all it was so nice to see my cousin move towards her next big step in life! My dress made me look like I was ready for a rodeo!

Posts From The Past Week:



Happening This Week:

MONDAY - BLOG TOUR: THE CREEPING BY ALEXANDRA SIROWY! GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY
Make sure to come on by Monday and get a chance to learn a bit more about The Creeping By Alexandra Sirowy! There will be an amazing guest post & GIVEAWAY for you lovelies so definitely stop by ;)

NEW Books added to my shelf this week:

Bargain buys are the BEST buys! This was a clever cover that caught my eye while browsing the book store this week. I think it's also great timing since back to school isn't that far away and this book just happens to talk about freshman year university. The synopsis was quirky and thoughtful so I thought I'd give it a try & for $5.99 I'm not complaining!

That's it for now lovelies♥ Let me know how your week went in the comments below ;)

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING &SUNDAY!
-SHERRY

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Reflect Thursday: Shining Books of Waiting on Wednesday [14]

Do you ever feel after a day like Waiting on Wednesday your list of TBR grows significantly? I wanted to mention a few titles that really caught my eye this week on the blogosphere after browsing the wonderful Waiting on Wednesday lists!

1. The Girl Who Fell By S.M. Parker
Expected Release: March 1st 2016

His obsession.
Her fall.

In this dark kissing book, high school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense relationship—by the new boy in school.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

Oh how I've longed for a book where the relationship isn't always sunshines and rainbows! Zephyr sounds like a dynamic character and I can't wait to get inside her head!

What books did you discover after WOW? Create a post and leave a link in your description for me to check out! 
& Much thanks to those who helped bring these books to my attention!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday [15]: The Accident Season By MoĂŻra Fowley-Doyle

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine - spotlighting books that haven't been released yet!

My Waiting on Wednesday this week is...
The Accident Season By MoĂŻra Fowley-Doyle
Expected Release Date: August 18th 2015

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

So, how ominous is this synopsis? This definitely sounds like a great thriller read! Also I believe the author is from Ireland? I hope there is some influence in the story from Ireland, I love the country and hope to visit one day ;) 

Leave a link in the comments below to your own Waiting on Wednesday I'll make sure to stop by!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Tuesday Thoughts & Talks [14]: Relationships & All the Ugly Jazz

This is a meme hosted HERE that asks us to present something we've learned or thought about after we finished reading a book to anyone out there - sparking a conversation amongst us!

What I Read to Spark the feels:
The Intern's Handbook By Shane Kuhn

(I know, I'm still reading through this one!) Anyhow, this book has brought my attention to a lot of relevant and relatable topics surrounding oneself and I LOVE THAT! This is definitely a book that is loads of fun and smart at the same time! Although it is a thriller and doesn't necessarily match today's topic at hand, it sparked my thoughts on it! 

What I wanted to share with you guys this week is the idea of dating. I 'm constantly wondering if I'm ready to date around, if I'm able to have fun and put myself out there and not take things too seriously or just why haven't I met somebody yet. Every book on my shelf is a romance almost, contemporary YA or new adult or something along the lines. I'd like to say I'm somewhat of a romantic? Frankly, after reading ANY book I think about romance and love and falling in it. I guess the point of the topic is when do you know if you're ready to date and how do you go about doing it? This is starting to sound sad on my behalf doesn't it? I'll share a little bit of my personal story with you guys to help you understand where I'm coming from with this week's TT&T. My first relationship I entered, ended with the guy I was seeing leaving me for someone else he was also seeing at the same time (he cheated, and if you're reading this ____ I hate what you did to me and you can go throw yourself off a cliff). It sucked and took me quite a looooooong while to bounce back into myself again and still to this day I believe I am emotionally scarred from it. Having it be my first relationship it really skews my idea of it all. Maybe it fuels my love of book romances I don't know. This weeks topic means a lot to me and if anyone out there needs a confident or someone to talk to about anything similar, shoot me an email! I'm more than happy to talk to a fellow romantic ;) We're all in this together?

Add a link to your response OR just leave a comment below on this week's Tuesday Thoughts&Talks!

If you want to participate in the Tuesday Thoughts & Talks, just grab the banner, post your own Tues.T&T on your blog & then leave a comment down below with a link to your post!

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!
-SHERRY

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Sunday Musings [15]: Beach Days & Summer Haze!

Two birds one stone - I stumbled upon The Sunday Post Meme hosted by the lovely Caffinated Book Reviewer & the Stacking The Shelves meme hosted by the awesome Tynga's Reviews! It is quite similar to what I'm doing here with my Sunday musings - recapping the week in book blogging universe as well as letting you guys know about what books I bought or received.


I got some sun this week everyone! I went up North for a day with a friend of mine to hang out at the beaches and it was fantastic! Let me start by stating that I am a VERY pale person. I don't see sun much and when I do I tend to burn badly. It's totally the vampire syndrome I have. Anyways, I was determined to catch some sun rays that day and of course I DID NOT catch a nice tan. I was there for maybe 5/6 hrs and nothing - sun was shining so bright too! Oh wells, I guess it just wasn't meant to be! Nothing really exciting besides work work and work! Still stalling on my thesis prep for final year University but it'll get done eventually this month....Reading once again was on HOLD this week because I just couldn't find the time to sit down and read. I'm disappointed in myself because I have SO many great books to get through but can't seem to find the time and dedication to put towards them! This week will be better - it has to be!

Posts From The Past Week:

EXCERPT TOUR: THE CREEPING BY ALEXANDRA SIROWY




NEW Books added to my shelf this week:
     
 Two e-books this week! Next! The Search for My Last First Date was a book I stumbled upon on Twitter and the synopsis was very intriguing. It deals with a middle-aged man who's looking for love except, he's a little out of the loop with the modern dating scene. It sounds fun and quirky so I'm excited for this one! Huge thanks to the author Robert James for a copy! The other book I recieved via NetGalley. This is my FIRST ever NetGalley ebook so that's exciting! The cover of Everything I Left Unsaid really had me! The synopsis was equally captivating! I love dark and thrilling romances so this one doesn't sound like it'll disappoint - check it out you guys!

I picked this read up because my co-worker recommended it to me. It dappers with an Asian/American family dynamic and being first generation Asian/Canadian myself I found the synopsis quite relatable. The story is deep and emotional, please check out the synopsis for Everything I Never Told You - DO IT!

BOOKstagram #JulyBookChallenge:
COMPLETED!

All photos can be seen over on my bookstagram HERE! Thanks for those we kept up with the challenge - it was so much fun!

That's it for now lovelies♥ Let me know how your week went in the comments below ;)

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING &SUNDAY!
-SHERRY