Feature Friday: Spring Releases Round 4!

Happy last Friday of April! 

Isn’t it crazy to think that the month is over in just a few short days!? April really flew by for us but we are so excited to get into May (because we have some trips planned) and to start getting reading for SUMMER!

Every Friday in April we have shared some spring releases that we are pretty excited for. We both had to flail over a HIGHLY anticipated read coming out next week, and then we both had some things to share on week 2 and week 3. So…what books are we telling you about for our final week?

Emily

“The arranged marriage YA romcom you didn’t know you wanted or needed…” uhm YES PLEASE! This book is advertised as a laugh out loud romantic comedy and that is definitely something I need in my life. An arranged marriage is always an interesting plot point, because how often do the characters put in this situation want it? That alone lends to the idea that this plot will be filled with swoony moments, hilarious instances, and is something that I will be hooked on quickly. I have heard so many good things from those that were able to read and review before release and it’s gotten to the point where I would like this book now please. This book comes out May 30th (SOOOOO FAR AWAY AND IT’S NOT OK! But I guess I can be paitent…).

Arika

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

“Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.” Trying to get away from YA a little bit, I decided to talk about a mystery that I am looking forward to. I just recently listened to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and I enjoyed the story that Paula Hawkins weaved. She has a very different style of writing then most mystery/thriller authors do. This new novel, which comes out May 2nd, is another who done it murder books. With what it sounds like as another multiple POV and interesting story line, I know this will be another book I will enjoy listening to on audio book.

QUESTION: What are some of your anticipated spring releases?

Stay tuned for a new theme for the month of May. Arika will be kicking it off next week (May 5th!) while Emily is off basking in the California sunshine!

Feature Friday: Spring Releases Round 3!

Happy Friday Everyone!

We are super pumped that it’s Friday. Not only because we get to share another spring release that we are super pumped for, but also because this week is over! Anyone else suffering from dealing with a craptastic week? Way to make it through! Enjoy your well deserved weekend!

Just a recap…for every Friday in April we are sharing a spring release that we are excited for. We decided that for it to be a spring release it needs to be released in April or May (just to help us narrow it down…obviously people define it differently). We have already talked about how excited we are for the next addition to a favorite series, and we talked about some awesome sounding retellings we are looking forward to last week. So what books do we have to get excited for this week?

Emily

 

Within the last year I have become a BIG Emery Lord fan. Though I have only read two of her books so far, I know that she is my new go-to contemporary author. Her writing really sticks to me and gets me feeling all kinds of crazy emotions. Her stories have realness to them, and there always seem to be characters that I can relate to. This particular book of hers sounds like a book that will make me cry. Any story where cancer is part of the plot is bound to make me cry because of losing my dad. Isn’t it crazy how I am so drawn to books about grief, loss, and cancer even though it brings up some of the worst memories of my life? I am not sure what it is, and I can definitely get into that another time, but I am definitely excited for the feels this book will bring. As someone who is religious and really trying to deepen her faith, I am very curious as to how an author I have come to love so much tackles what can be such a difficult topic to write about. This book comes out May 16th and I am so excited to get my hands on it. I need more Emery Lord in my life.

Arika

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

So I have been having a hard time getting away from fantasy novels…and it’s books like this that are to blame! I’ve seen a few of my friends on Goodreads add it to their TBR. So I had to take a look and I was really intrigued. A book about royal bastards who are trying to save their kingdom while being pursued by people who want to kill them….sign me up please! I hope this book will live up to the hype that I am starting to build up for it. This book comes out on May 30th and I think it will have a spot on my e-book this summer.

QUESTION: What are some spring releases you are looking forward to? Also, if you have read any of the books that we have talked about you should DEFINITELY let us know your thoughts.

Feature Friday: Spring Releases

Hey everyone we are back for the month of April with our Feature Friday. This month we decided we would do Spring releases that we are looking forward to in the months of April and May. Some weeks we will each share a book we are anticipating, other weeks we will combine. To start off, we are combining for one AMAZING book that is definitely at the top of our lists (Emily is at the moment scheming how she can get to the bookstore on it’s release day so she can have it to read on her flight to California the day after release day). What book is it?

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

Release Date: May 2nd, 2017

It’s safe to say that Sarah J Maas is one of our favorite authors. We have both devoured the Throne of Glass series (and are excited and terrified to see it end soon!) and were both stunned by the world she created in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. While we both enjoyed book 1, A Court of Thorns and Roses, it was the second book that really sealed the deal on this series for us. This series is filled with a magical world that you can see is based off of fairy tales, it has crazy characters that we both love and hate, it has a romance that makes you weak at the knees, twists and turns that constantly keep you guessing, and a heroine you can really support. This book series has flown to the top of the list as far as our favorites go, and we are both super excited for it’s release!

QUESTION: What spring releases are you excited for?

Feature Friday: Books that are Green Part 4!

Welcome to our celebration of books that just happen to be green. In honor of St. Patrick’s day we have each given you a few ideas of books that we liked with the common color on their cover. Obviously St. Patrick’s day was last week, but we though one more week of talking green books can’t hurt right? We have talked about books that we have read with green covers (part 1, part 3) and we have talked about some books that we want to read that have green covers (part 2). This week we will be bringing the last of the green books that we want to read.

So what books with fabulous green covers do we want to read?

Emily:

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

This book popped up on my radar unexpectedly. I honestly can’t quite remember how it got there, but it is now sitting on my tablet just begging to be read. The first line of the synopsis snagged my attention, “For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she’s never had … until she’s betrayed.” It sounds so backwards. How is it that you never had a choice until you were betrayed. So basically the first line left me with some unanswered questions. This story is a retelling of sorts of The Goose Girl (sucker for retellings right here!). There is some body switching and some tough choices that need to be made. I personally think this sounds like an awesome indie, and I am super excited to read it.

Arika:

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

This book caught my eye at first because of it’s cover. I was scrolling through twitter and someone shared the authors post about her book and I thought….that looks so cool! It is about a girl in East Asia who has been destined to be an Empress, although she grew up in a forgotten village as a peasant. She has a cruel aunt who is a witch and she also has to hurt the one guy that loves her. To me this sounds like a great book with a little bit of everything thrown in…from magic to romance to an evil aunt. The only bad part is waiting until October of this year when the book is released! But there is no doubt I will be getting this book, and most likely in a hard cover because the cover looks so cool!

QUESTION: Have you read any of these books? We would love to know your thoughts (and if we should bump these beautiful books up the list).

Feature Friday: Books that are Green Part 3

Happy St. Patrick’s Day all! And if you don’t really celebrate it…HAPPY FRIDAY!

We are back again this Friday with some book recommendations for you with covers that just so happen to be green. And how perfect is it that St. Patrick’s day falls on a Friday and we can continue the green book celebration with you ON the actual holiday? So far we have each shared a book we have read that is green and a book we want to read that is green.

This week we are telling you about another book that we read and enjoyed that just so happened to be green. So…what books do we have for you this week?

Arika:

Splintered by A.G. Howard

So my second book with a green cover is the book Splintered. I am a big fan of anything retelling. This series is a really cool retelling of Alice in Wonderland! I’ve read this book almost two years ago and while it wasn’t my favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling I still really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the world A.G. Howard created and how she combined the two together. Though I did have a problem with one part of the series…and most people know I don’t like when authors do this but sometimes it is necessary…a love triangle! Ugh there was a pretty big love triangle in this series and while I know why she did it, it still got on my nerves quite a bit. But I don’t think that should detract anyone from reading it! It’s a cool series with lots of twists and turns and some cool characters!

Emily:

Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Ok, this book is like a blue-green but oh well. As I looked through books that I have read I realized that I don’t really read a lot of books with green covers. Odd right? Anyway…you may remember me talking about Fear the Drowning Deep awhile back (like right here to be precise). This was a book that I had expected more people to chatter about, and get I found that not as many people were talking. This book is kind of creepy. There is just something beautiful and haunting about the atmosphere of the book that made it seem slightly creepy, but in a good way. The author really built up this world with it’s dreary environment, which lead to even me being a little suspicious about the Ocean. There was so many interesting things going on in this story, and you are eventually totally sucked in and waiting to see just what happens to Bridey. I mean she is afraid of the ocean and lives on an island. I had so many questions throughout the entire story. Besides the atmosphere and the characters I found the writing to be beautiful and I was completely entranced from the beginning. If you are looking for a sort of eerie book, I would highly suggest picking this one up.

QUESTION: What are some green books that you have read and enjoyed?

Feature Friday: Books that are Green part 2!

Hey Everyone!

It’s been like a week since we have written anything! How sad is that. We have both been kind of all over the place, and Arika has some awesome visitors down South right now so blogging just hasn’t happened. But we both promise that we are ready to get back at it. A little break now and then never really hurt anyone, right?

Welcome back to another Friday. Second Friday in March already, can you believe it!? As you know, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day we are talking about some awesome books that just so happen to be green. Last week we both talked about some books we have read and loved that are green, this week we are going to each share a book that we want to read that is green.

So, what are our green selections for this week?

Emily:

Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe

This book is one that was recommended to me personally. When I was participating in OTSPSecretSister I absolutely loved getting recommendations from whoever happened to have me. They would see what books I enjoyed and maybe leave a few suggestions in the letters, etc. Well this particular round I was gifted this book as a recommendation, which I think is awesome. She sent me one of her favorite books in hopes that I would also read and love it. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten to it yet. You know how those TBRs go. But I swear I will. Brave Story is about a young man who finds that life is not quite what it seems. Things are suddenly completely messed up and he begins to search for a way to alter his fate. At 800 pages it’s a lengthy book, but it sounds like an excellent adventure that I would love to be a part of.

Arika:

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Most people who know me know that I love a good retelling, especially a fairy tale retelling. So when I heard of a highly anticipated Beauty and the Beast retelling…I was super excited! One thing that I love about a fairy tale retelling is the spin the author puts on it. Whether that be reversed rolls or different time eras, there is always a way the author can make it their own. This story of Beauty and the Beast seems to be set in a Russian setting and that Beauty herself is a huntress…sounds good doesn’t it! Better yet…this book is coming out March 14th! So it might find a way on my kindle by the end of next week if I’m looking to cross off another book on my TBR. (Oh and I know everyone is as excited as me for the Disney Beauty and the Beast to come out in a few weeks too!)

QUESTION: What are some books on your TBR that just so happen to be green?

Feature Friday: Books that are Green!

Hey everybody! It’s a new month and for us here at Midwestern Book Nerd that means a new feature Friday. Yipee!! So, we were throwing ideas back and forth and the one we decided on went with the major holiday in March. (No we are not talking about PI day, which is delicious and educational) We are talking about St. Patrick’s Day! And whenever you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you think of the color green, right?! We decided it would be a cool month to talk about books that are green. We will bounce back and forth between green books that we have read and enjoyed and green books that we have got to read.

So…what green books do we have for you this week? (hint, these are both some that we have read!)

Arika:

The green book I chose was Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. I have always loved a book that is based off of favorite stories from when I was younger. I loved the movie Wizard of Oz and the whole other world of Oz. When I found out about Wicked, I knew I would have to read it. I have never seen the play before, so my basis of opinion is solely on the book itself. It was a really cool way to think of how the Wicked Witch became the way she did. How there were different aspects in her life that shaped and formed her. I loved all the characters and the different places she went in her story. It was a long read but the overall story was very intriguing and totally worth the read.

Emily:

This week I have selected The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons. This book has a little bit of everything that I love…action, adventure, drama, and swoons. Plus, did you know it’s a standalone!? That’s right! You wouldn’t be committing to a whole series. Do I think she could write more books in this world? Most definitely. Would I read them? Absolutely. Am I going to live if this doesn’t happen? I suppose. This book has a seriously strong female who shows just what she is willing to do to save the ones she loves. It’s a book that is known for some female empowerment, but I think it is done in a good way. Not in a way that brings others around them down, but that makes women look fairly awesome. It shows their strength in trying times, and honestly…it doesn’t say that men are garbage even though it probably could have if it wanted to. Not all men are garbage, but this is a topic for another time. This book has a male character that just works so well with the female. He doesn’t force anything and there is a trust that is built between them. This book is full of twists, turns, and heartaches and is 1000% worth your time (yes, 1000%).

Question: What is your favorite green book?

The Last Celebration of Love….with Arika!

Here we are, the last Friday in February and the last post here at Midwestern Book Nerd for our Celebration of Love! Over the past month we have talked about some of our favorite book couples. For Emily’s two posts, she has talked about Rob and Scarlet from the Scarlet series by A.C. Gaughen and Theo and Gailan from the Madion War Trilogy by S. Usher Evans. Both are great couples and I agree with Emily that everyone should pick up these two series if you haven’t read them! My first post talked about a couple that has stolen my heart…Feyre and Rhys from A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. (Talk about getting hit in the feels for that second book, I still keep coming back to parts in that book that get me every time!). All three are great couples to talk about for our celebration of love. But with that being said, we have one more Friday and one more couple to talk about!

For me, it was a tough choice for my second and final couple to reminisce about in our Celebration of Love. I kept flip-flopping between multiple ones because there are so many couples that really tug on my heart-strings. But in the end, I decided to go with a certain couple that I just kept coming back to in my mind. Not only is this couple totally meant for eachother but when you add in a school of magic and a prince, it’s a love worth talking about!

My final couple is Ryiah and Darren from the Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter. (And PSSSST….the final book came out earlier this month, it is a must read guys, A MUST READ!)

While I have yet to finish the series because my tbr list is crazy, the last book and novella are next on my pile of books!! I can not wait to finish this series and see the ending unfold. Though I must say I have followed this series since the beginning, I have fallen in love with this couple each time a new book in the series came out. Here are just some reasons why I love this couple and you should too:

1. They Grow Together – If you have read the books you know that this definitely wasn’t an insta-love. Ryiah thinks that Darren gets whatever he wants because he is the son of the king or as she calls him “non-heir” (my favorite nickname :)), while Darren doesn’t seem to be a fan of her at first either. But they end up growing closer together over the series. Helping each other get through different obstacles while in school learning about their magic. And also helping each other after the Academy was over and they were competing for being the top mage. But overall it was a slow growth of love and affection and it was great. I love when a relationship is developed over a series and isn’t just instantly there.
2. They Compete with Each Other – What I love about this couple is that they don’t back down from each other even though they like the other person. Ryiah, no matter how head over heals for Darren she is, still wants to be better than him. And the fact that Darren competes right back I think makes them more perfect for each other. It makes them work hard and be better than if one person let the other win.
3. They Chose Each Other –  Both of them had different people they could have gone too (and frustrating as a reader you know those weren’t the people they should be with!). And at one point you don’t know if they will be together…it definitely played with your heartstrings! But it always came down to one thing, they kept choosing to be with the other person. It was almost like they had a unnatural pull for the other. I really can’t imagine Ryiah or Darren choosing anyone else in this series. It would just be really weird.

If you have the chance to pick up this series, I HIGHLY recommend it!!! You can find the first book on Amazon for $0.99 right now!!!

I hope everyone enjoyed our Celebration of Love this month and can’t wait to come up with our next Feature Friday theme!

QUESTION: Have you read this series? What is your all time favorite couple?

 

More Celebrations of Love…With Emily!

Hey Everyone! I am back and ready to celebrate another one of my favorite couples. Two weeks ago I talked about Rob and Scarlet from the Scarlet Series by AC Gaughen (swoon. I love them so much), and last week Arika talked about Feyre and Rhys of the Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas (again, swoon. They are perfection). February isn’t over yet, and even though Valentine’s day has passed it doesn’t mean we stop talking about love. There are 364 days until next Valentine’s day, and that is plenty of time to show people how much you love them without needing a holiday. With that in mind we are going to continue to share our love for some of our favorite fictional couples.

I had a hard time picking couple number 2. This is my last post in our celebration and I honestly couldn’t narrow it down. There are so many fictional couples that I just know are meant to be together, and their relationships on the pages give me life (so to speak). So I did some thinking, some brainstorming, and I settled on a fabulous couple. In the end, my feelings for them can be summed up with this gif…

Huh, that doesn’t give it away? Weird. I thought for sure you would know EXACTLY who I was talking about. Well, my couple for today is…Theo and Gailan from the Madion War Trilogy by S Usher Evans (btw, the final book, The Union, came out this week. GET ON IT PEOPLE!)!

I absolutely adore this couple. They are a force that I would not want to mess with, and their love for each other is incredibly real and genuine. I love them because…

1. They are capable of being independent. I love when couples love to be together. I love my husband and really enjoying spending time with him. I depend on him for a lot of stuff, but does that mean I am incapable of doing things on my own? Nope. The same is true for Theo and Galian. Would things be easier for them if they could face it all together all the time? For sure. Is that always possible? No. They spend time missing each other, but that doesn’t stop them from getting the job at hand done and moving forward so that one day that can face it all together.
2. They started as friends. Ok, not totally true. They started as enemies. They are from countries that are at war with each other, so things definitely are not lovey-dovey at first. Their relationship builds. They begin to form bonds of trust and friendship before totally diving headfirst into the romantic aspect of their relationship. I love this, and I really think it’s important. I think that getting to know someone as a person before you take your romantic interests in them is such a great way to ensure a strong relationship. Obviously this doesn’t always work, but it’s still a pretty solid way to do things.
3. They faced each challenge with their relationship head on. No, their relationship was never easy. They are from warring countries. Technically their relationship was forbidden (oh yes, forbidden romance right?). Even with these challenges they took it all in stride. There were times where it got tough, and where things seemed to be too hard. There were times where they wondered if they should back down. Even with all these thoughts they faced each moment head on, and this made them stronger.
4. Both are headstrong and fought for what they believed in. They didn’t let their relationship get in the way of what was ahead. They made sure that the causes that they were fighting for continued to be fought for, and yet they never lost sight of each other. I have no idea why this appeals to me so much, but I just love how their relationship didn’t change what they valued or believed, but it made them stronger.
5. They’re lobsters, and they’re real. I’m sorry, they are just destined to be together. SHE’S HIS LOBSTER! There is no way around it. On top of that they are real. They have flaws, they fight, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. They deal with real life problems that you or I would deal with. This relationship seemed like one that I could witness in my world, which really spoke to me. I love when I can see something in a book, in a world that technically doesn’t exist, and can picture it in the real world.

All in all, these two make a pretty awesome couple, and if I had my way I would continue to flail and add more gifs just to try to communicate how much I adore them.

That’s my last celebration of love post! I have loved writing these, and I am sure I will be flailing about more bookish couples in the future with you. Be sure to look for Arika’s final post for this series next week! And until then…READ THIS BOOK SERIES GUYS! I SWEAR YOU WON’T REGRET IT! (Need reasons to read it? Because I have a few for you…)

QUESTION: What’s one book couple that you think were always destined for each other?

A Celebration of Love…. with Arika.

Happy Love month everyone! I hope you have something special planned for this coming week to do something with someone you love! Whether that is with your significant other, parent, child, or a really good friend. Get out and show some love to that person that means a lot to you!

Now last week Emily talked about one of her favorite ships from a book series we both have read….Rob and Scarlet from the Scarlet series :). Definitely a great choice! Now with my choice, I’ve decided to go with a couple that has recently hit me pretty hard with how much I love them. They weren’t necessarily put together at first but I think they are definitely meant to be together! So if you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses (SPOILER’S FOLLOWING), I would stop reading right now if I were you because my pick is….

Feyre and Rhysand from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas!

The first book of the series wasn’t my favorite Maas book but that second one (A Court of Mist and Fury) blew me out of the water! And with another book coming out this year (eeek) I can’t wait to see what this ship has in store! There are things to like and dislike about this series so far but I have to say that the relationship that these two have is really what makes me blow through these books.

What makes me love this couple?

1. Feyre didn’t start out with Rhysand. It seems like most books, especially YA, the main character finds their main love interest right away in the first book. Not so with Feyre! She had to experience another love that she thought she couldn’t live without and then go through the heartbreak of figuring out that maybe she was with the wrong person. I think that can hit on a personable level with so many different people. And it also makes you realize that not everyone is perfect.
2. Feyre and Rhysand’s banter throughout the books. Their conversations have to be up in my all time favorite to read . There were times that I actually laughed out loud at what one of them said to the other. At times I almost wanted to flip to their next conversation because it was so entertaining.
3. Rhysand’s devotion to Feyre’s physical and mental health. I love how throughout the second book that Rhysand saw how bad Feyre was from being at the Spring Court and being in a toxic relationship. And even though he knew he couldn’t be without her, he gave her the space needed to heal herself in her own time. There were mistakes made but overall without Rhysand, I don’t think Feyre could have survived.
4. They were made for each other.  Like seriously, it even says it in the book, they were made for each other. Rhysand being the most powerful high lord ever and Feyre being a combination of all high lords…they definitely are made for each other with how much power they both hold. They also have similar personalities and know what makes the other person tick and can get them to see themselves in a new light (see #2).
5. They both have the same values. I think in a relationship that this is one of the most important things to have. Rhysand and Feyre both wants what best for themselves but also their friends, family and people in their court or outside of their court. They hold themselves to high standards and they want to work together to achieve their dreams.

So these are some of my reasons that I love the relationship between Rhysand and Feyre. There are definitely more but don’t want to make this post super long because then you’ll get bored of me. (HAHA) But I will seriously be waiting here patiently until the third book, A Court of Wings and Ruin, comes out later this year! (Only a few more months!!!)

QUESTION: Which couples are thankful that finally got together? Is anyone waiting for the 3rd book to come out like me?

P.S.: DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR BUDDY READ OF REBEL OF THE SANDS BY ALWYN HAMILTON COMING UP LATER THIS MONTH! You can check out the details here.