Monthly Archives:: December 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

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637XpressoReadsTTTTop Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where every week there is a new top 10 topic where we list bookish things.


Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

These are books that also released in 2013. I read a lot of great me-books that could also make this list so I had to limit it somehow – I’m too indecisive >.<
Also – it’s in no particular order.

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  • Sins & Needles by Karina Halle: I could really put the whole series on this list which is just fantastic. I love the grittiness and how character oriented it is. Plus, it has a perfect example of a love triangle done right!
  • The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: This was such an intensely engrossing read. I especially loved how original it was in a genre that is way over-saturated. Plus, it went into the plausibility of alien life and what would happen if they came to earth which made it even scarier, in my opinion.
  • In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters: This book is incredibly well written and very atmospheric, giving us the chills throughout. Set during an era that was full of illness and cruelty. Out of all the books I read this year this is one that’s the most memorable.
  • Crash Into You by Katie McGarry: This is my favorite in the series so far and I was so happy seeing as book 2 was a disappointment for me. I loved Isaiah from early on in this series and I was very happy with his story! I was also excited to see there are more books to come!
  • Reality Boy by A.S. King: Contemporaries were strong for me this year and this is one that stands out from all the rest. It was the kind of messed up that was just fascinating. I love these kinds of  books.

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  • This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales: I had all the feels with this one. What I loved most about it was how uplifting it was even though it dealt with bullying and not fitting in. It’s one of those that every teenager should read.
  • Vicious by V.E. Schwab: This was my first book by this author and her first adult novel, too. The writing was just so addictive. I also loved how dark and twisted it was. If you’re also a horror fan you can’t miss this one!
  • Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson: Also my first from a well known author – and very impressed. This is one of those books that you have to put down to take a break because it’s so freaking intense you stop breathing when you read.
  • If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch: This is one that deserves all the praise its gotten. Such a beautiful story, which is impressive considering the dark topics this novel touches. It’s deep and emotional and incredibly inspiring.
  • Golden by Jessi Kirby: This is another example of hype well-deserved. I had very high expectations when I went into this one and it met every single one of them. This book gave me goosebumps, and I’m unlikely to forget it any time soon!

Which book(s) would make your list of best 2013 reads?


Review: Tragic by J.A. Huss

Review: Tragic by J.A. Huss

Posted by on 12/30/2013 • 16 Comments

-This novel was listened to via audiobook-

What a refreshing story. Even though it may have a lot of the same general elements as many New Adult novels – a protagonist with a rough upbringing who’s inexperienced in romance and meets this drop dead gorgeous guy that sweeps her off her feet – I found this one still had a lot of originality to offer. The whole erotic photography scene is new and pretty fascinating if you ask me. As a web designer, I admit to never thinking about the people on the stock images that I’ve worked with. Even those used on book covers; do you ever consider the kind of people they are and the kind of life they lead? They’re just book character personas to most of…

Giveaway: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Giveaway: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Posted by on 12/29/2013 • 12 Comments

I’ve heard wonderful things about this book so far and I can’t wait to read it myself. And one lucky Canadian can enter to win their very own copy, today, thanks to the lovely people at Random House of Canada.

Giveaway

Random House of Canada has generously offered a finished copy of Red Rising for giveaway.

Open to Canada only Giveaway ends January 10th, 2014 Full contest terms and conditions found on Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Holidays Giveaway!

Happy Holidays Giveaway!

Posted by on 12/24/2013 • 26 Comments

I’m currently on hiatus but scheduled this giveaway in case you missed me and all that. But also to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, as well as give you a little something you can win for being all kinds of awesome! It is the season of giving, after all! 🙂 So I recently shared the books on my TBR list for my 2 weeks holiday vacation. Well one lucky winner will get one book (pre-order if not released) from that list AND a 2nd book of your choice at The Book Depository!

What’s up for grabs:

A lucky international winner will get one book of choice via The Book Depository AND one book from the list below:

Stacking the Shelves (80) & Christmas Hiatus

Stacking the Shelves (80) & Christmas Hiatus

Posted by on 12/22/2013 • 30 Comments

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books we got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week. I can’t believe Christmas is here eeek! I love this time of year! I hope everyone has a wonderful week, a great holiday, and make sure to stuff your faces too! Just a note that Xpresso Reads is going on a short hiatus until after the holidays. I want to enjoy time with family instead of worrying about posts and blogging. We also all need a breather once in a while, ya know. I do, however, have a couple of holiday giveaway posts pre-scheduled to go up this week so you can still expect a bit of life on this site. I will…

Fresh Batch (New Releases December 22nd – 28th)

Fresh Batch (New Releases December 22nd – 28th)

Posted by on 12/21/2013 • 7 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Control Lydia Kang Series: Control #1 Publication date: December 26th 2013by Dial Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Purchase

An un-putdownable thriller for fans of Uglies

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn’t even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back…

Review: Salt by Danielle Ellison

Review: Salt by Danielle Ellison

Posted by on 12/20/2013 • 25 Comments

I love witch stories. But this was not one of them. Penelope is a witch without powers – they were stolen from her and now she’s dead set on hunting the demon who stole them. This sounds like it could be a fun, action packed novel, except all we have here is a girl who whines a lot and spends most of the book being boring and talking herself out of kissing a guy who apparently annoys her.

That is the gist of it. Exams, simulations, graduation, research, more research, coffee dates, research; some very thrilling stuff in here… There weren’t even interesting characters to make up for it. The side characters all blended together, honestly. I can’t say I even care to discuss any of them in this series….

Book Girls Don’t Cry: My Holiday in Books

Book Girls Don’t Cry: My Holiday in Books

Posted by on 12/19/2013 • 23 Comments

Book Girls Don’t Cry is a feature where we will discuss/vent/advise on a bookish topic. This feature is hosted by myself along with these pretty ladies:

 

My Holiday in Books!

The holidays are here (holy crap, right?) – how do you usually spend yours? We have a huge family gathering on Christmas eve where we usually do fun gift exchange games and eat a lot chocolate and other junk food- catching up with family I don’t see often is the best, though. Then Christmas itself is bound to be a lot of fun with my 3 and a half year old in tow. He’s already super excited and this is the fist year that he sort of “gets” it before it’s here. Then it’s just a lot more food,…