Monthly Archives: December 2013

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2013 End of Year Book Survey

December 31, 2013 08:04 / 1 Comment /

This end of the year survey is hosted by
Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner

and now running the 4th year in a row. You fill out the survey and link up with the others to compare your highlights of the year.

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? 

(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

I had a few very awesome reads this year! Not enough to split by genre, but definitvely more then one to mention, so here's the top 3:

  1. Shadow of Time by Jen Minkman
  2. The Guardian by Emma Silver
  3. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Definitvely The Collector by Victoria Scott, but also Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book?

Fifty Shades Freed by E L James, because I thought a third bok added later wouldn't fit well on two that really belonged together in the first place, but it surprised me by reading just like the first two.

And Blood Red Road by Moira Young, because I struggled with the accent writing, but once I got the hang of it, it turned out to be an awesome story!

4. Book you recommended the most after reading it in 2013?

I'm not so much on the recommending front, but I think Runes by Ednah Walters and its sequel Immortals got my most support this year.

5. Best Series discoverd?

Runes by Ednah Walters, definitvely, but also Project Paper Doll by Stacey Kade, The Pledge by Kimberly Derting and The Reaper Series by Kate Evangelista.
Read More →

Posted in: Blogging / Tagged:

4th Quarter Recap 2013

December 30, 2013 13:06 / Leave a Comment /

I was stressed and busy in October and most of November, but then I managed to catch up on my blog and reading again. I started to do memes more often again, hopping and sharing with others, and I also got quite some reviews done. At least way more than I'd hoped.

However, since I also started a German book blog in November in addition to fianlly becoming a freelance translator, now I have to somehow juggle all of it, all at once. Now I have to figure out how all of you out there with a job and family manage that workload. 😉

Giveaways

In my Jobstarter Giveaway, I gave away a copy of Cornelia Funke's Reckless to Carmen from Shelfspace Needed.

I won a copy of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake from Jennifer @ Some Like It Paranormal in the Something Wicked Returns Giveaway Hop. Thank you!

I had my 300 Followers Giveaway and the 2nd annual The Box Giveaway, but because they're always this late in the year and money is sparse, I had to wait and will be picking winners in January!

Blog Tours/Book Blitz

MFH tour bannerdaughtersfb

Thanks to author Raine Thomas for being such a generous and lovely person!

inharmonytour

Thanks to Ichting for Books for letting me be part of the tour.

Crest BannerThanks to Twisted Book Tours for having me on board.

Surprise Book Blitz, but I'm really looking forward to A Shard of Ice, so I jumped on.

SIA bannerAnd I am still a thankful YA Bound Tour Host. 😉

Challenges

I did quite some reads for the Series Catch-Up Challenge this last quarter! I finshied books 2, 3 & 4 in the Dark/Carpathians series by Christine Feehan, Dark Desire, Dark Gold and Dark Magic. And I finally finished the torment Torment by Lauren Kate. Furthermore Lenobia's Vow of the House of Night series by P.C. & Kristin Cast, Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls 2) by Maggie Stiefvater, and Lean Mean Thirteen (Plum 13) by Janet Evanovich.

I finally managed to finish Torment by Lauren Kate for my Hard Heart Reading Challenge, as well as Blood Red Road by Moira Young and Lean Mean Thirteen (Ein echter Schatz) by Janet Evanovich.

As for the New Author Challenge, I only found 10 new authors in the last quarter, achiving a total of 47 new authors this year. I would've failed the 50 yet again, I knew it, so good I didn't want to get there this year. ^.^

Reviews

!! PREVIEW !!

I have already lined up my Hard Heart Reading Challenge for 2014, where I will try to clear one problem child a month off my tbr.

Nothing much more to say, but how about I give you my reading/blogging resolves for the new year?

1. I want to finish all pending reviews left over from 2013 by the end of March, so we'll know if I managed to pull it off with the next recap post.

2. Trying harder on my challenges, while I'm also a little afraid of caging myself in with them. Not so sure if I have time for much reading this next year. We'll have to see about all that.

3. !!Most important!! No more piling up reviews! I want to review after I'm done and don't start anything new before I haven't finished the pending review. It's also going to be the hardest one, knowing me. But it'd be for the best if I could actually pull that off.

4. Selective reviews? I might cut down on reviewing short stories and novellas I enjoy as a quick snack. Well, I'll probably type a few words and give a rating on goodreads, but it won't be a full-flegded review to post here on the blog.

5. Catch up on one HEE and/or Series Comment each month.

Posted in: Blogging, Challenge / Tagged:

2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

December 22, 2013 22:13 / Leave a Comment /

2014WitchesWitchcraftReadingChallengeThis is the third year of this challenge, and the first I heard of it. But since it's only one book to sign up, I thoguht there was no harm in trying. I'll see what kind of things come up that fit this category, but I'm not pressuring myself for this.

The Details:

- Runs January 1 to December 31, 2014
- Either has a witch as a main character or revolves around witchcraft
- One entry for every linked-up review
- You can move up levels, but no moving down
- There will be a giveaway at the end of the year.

Goal by books:

Initiate: Read 1 – 5 Witchy Books
Maiden: Read 6 – 10 Witchy Books
Mother: Read 11 – 15 Witchy Books
Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books

If you're interested because you love witchy books, you can sign up here

My Challenge Reads:

  1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Posted in: Challenge / Tagged: ,

[Review] Maggie Stiefvater: Linger

December 20, 2013 22:10 / Leave a Comment /
Linger [Maggie Stiefvater]Stats

Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy 2
Format: Paperback
Pages: 420
Language: English
Debut: July 20, 2010
@: GoodReads

Read: November 23-24, 2013
Series Catch Up Challenge 2013

Area Info

Grace and Sam must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past... and figuring out a way to survive the future.
But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could never have expected...

Read More →

Posted in: Book, Verdict: Loved / Tagged: , , , ,

WoW #84 - Strange Sweet Song

December 18, 2013 11:08 / 7 Comments /

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Title: Strange Sweet Song
Author: Adi Rule

Language: English
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Expected Publication: March 11, 2014

Summary:

A young soprano enrolls in a remote music academy where nothing, not even her mysterious young vocal coach, is as it seems
Outside Dunhammond Conservatory, there lies a dark forest. And in the forest, they say, lives a great beast called the Felix. But Sing da Navelli never put much faith in the rumors and myths surrounding the school; music flows in her blood, and she is there to sing for real. This prestigious academy will finally give her the chance to prove her worth—not as the daughter of world-renowned musicians—but as an artist and leading lady in her own right.
Yet despite her best efforts, there seems to be something missing from her voice. Her doubts about her own talent are underscored by the fact that she is cast as the understudy in the school's production of her favorite opera, Angelique. Angelique was written at Dunhammond, and the legend says that the composer was inspired by forest surrounding the school, a place steeped in history, magic, and danger. But was it all a figment of his imagination, or are the fantastic figures in the opera more than imaginary?
Sing must work with the mysterious Apprentice Nathan Daysmoor as her vocal coach, who is both her harshest critic and staunchest advocate. But Nathan has secrets of his own, secrets that are entwined with the myths and legends surrounding Dunhammond, and the great creature they say lives there.

Why I am looking forward to this: This just sounds all kinds of awesome. Musical, magical, mythic, gothic, mysterious... Like, way down the rabbit hole!

Add on Goodreads
Posted in: Waiting on Wednesday / Tagged: ,