December/Christmas Book Haul

This is a mixture of books that I've gotten this month and a few that I got at the end of November. I haven't done a book haul since the summer so this is long overdue. I have a lot of books here! Prepare yourself, here we go!

1. Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
I actually just bought this book yesterday with one of my Barnes and Noble gift cards! This is the fifth book in the Fever series. This series is ADDICTING. I started the first book and finished it in a day. I couldn't stop reading! The first book is Darkfever and you should really check it out. In my opinion the series is like an adult version of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Romance, action, THE FAE, you have it all in this series.



2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 
This is one of my favorite classics. My roommate got me the special Penguin edition for Christmas and I love it with all my heart! It's so beautiful my picture really doesn't do it justice.





3. Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
I got these three books for Christmas! I read the first book about a year ago on my kindle and I loved it. For some reason I just haven't gotten around to reading the other books. A lot of people love this series so I'm hoping I'll be able to finish it over my winter break. But I think I need to reread the first book because I have no idea what happened. All I can remember is that it's a lot like Throne of Glass and I loved Valek. Yep, that's all I remember.

4. Frostfire and Ice Kissed  by Amanda Hocking
I got both of these books really cheap on BookOutlet (the BEST book buying website). I started the first book, Frostfire, but I kind of got sidetracked with finals and other books (like the Fever series ;)). This is another young adult fantasy read and I've been told I should read Hocking's other series first before I read this one. I might do that because I only got 20 pages into Frostfire and I was a little confused.

5. Jackaby by William Ritter
I've only heard great things about this book. I also purchased this on BookOutlet and I'm so happy I found it on there. I've heard it's kind of like a mix of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes set in the late 19th century. I'm really excited about this one because I love books that are set in the Victorian era in England, it's an addiction. I hope I like it but honestly I already know I will.

6. The House by Christina Lauren 
I got this book way back in November I think. This was kind of like an impulse buy because I wasn't planning on buying it but the blurb made it sound so good! I started a little of it but I wasn't really grabbed by it, partly because there was insta-love, which I hate. I'm hoping to give it another chance because it seems creepy and interesting.

7. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Another book that I've heard great things about! A lot of people have been telling me this was their favorite book of 2015, so I really need to read it. It's supposed to be sort of like a fantasy mixed in with historical fiction, which is a combination that I always love. I think it takes place in the American west in the Gold Rush era. I've only read one other young adult western and that was Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman. I think westerns have the potential to become the next big YA market because there really aren't a lot of them out there.

8. Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin
I JUST BOUGHT THIS YESTERDAY AND I AM SO EXCITED. I'll probably read this once I'm done with Shadowfever....The basic concept is that the story takes place after World War II and instead of the Allies winning the war, the Axis Powers have won the war. Meaning that Hitler is still alive and in control. I've always wanted to read a book that has to do with an alternate reality where Germany didn't lose WWII. Last semester I took a class focusing on Nazi Germany so I am excited to put my knowledge from that into reading this book.  

9. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston 
I've been reading this since November....but I never hauled it which is why I am including it in this post. I've really been having a tough time trying to finish books lately. This is really good it's just that I started the Fever series and ughhhh. This book is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights like The Wrath and the Dawn (one of my favorite books of 2015). It's really good I just once again got pulled down with work and distracted by other books. But I will finish it soon!

10. Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain
I got this book for Christmas and I really wanted it! I've been seeing ok reviews about it but I really want to read it and see for myself how it is. The summary clicked with me and I was immediately interested. It has to do with a girl and her sister who are moved to a rural area because their father believes that the end of the world is upon them. This book is definitely a contemporary mixed in with some adventure. I really can't wait to read it.

11. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I'm a little late on this one....Do I even need to explain this book? I suppose I do. This is kind of a spin-off of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. If you've read  that then you'll completely understand the premise of this book but I do not think that you need to read Fangirl in order to read this book. I love Rainbow Rowell's writing so I'm really excited to read this.

12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL. If you saw my holiday book tag you'd know that I really wanted this book for Christmas. Well, I got it and I can't stop looking at it. It's magnificent.

Before I end this haul I also want to share this really amazing bookmark that my sister gave me for Christmas!

I love mermaids so she found this awesome mermaid tale bookmark! It came all the way from Ukraine, the store is called MyBOOKmark! You should check out the crafter's etsy here! And she's having a sale so I'd totally check it out!! :)


There you have it folks my December book haul! Hope you enjoyed it! What books did you get this month?

My Holiday Book Tag 2015

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone! I can't believe it is already Christmas eve night! I hope you all are enjoying the holidays with your family and loved ones! I've been able to spend time with one of my sisters today and it has been one of the best days I've had in awhile. I think that this is what Christmas is all about: spending time with those that you love, especially people that you don't get to see as often. All throughout the day I started to think of some of my favorite books to read around the holiday season and I wanted to share them with you! This is my Holiday Book Tag 2015!

1. Pick a book that makes you think of the holidays.

Harry Potter all the way!  Even the movies are something I always watch around Christmas time. The Harry Potter series is something that gives you all these warm and fuzzy feelings. It just feels like home to me. You can always go back to it and never be bored. I tend to pick up and read at least one of the books in series around the holidays.

2. Pick a book that you'd give as a gift.

That's a tough one. But I'd probably give either I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson as a gift or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Both of these books are just wonderful and I think everyone would  enjoy! Also any book by Rainbow Rowell is a good gift as well! 

3. Pick a book you want this Christmas.

I asked for A LOT of books this Christmas. But one of the main ones that I really really want is the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Illustrated Edition . This actually came out in October but I decided to wait until Christmas to ask for it. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. Whenever I go to Barnes and Noble I always grab a copy and flip through the pages. I can't wait to eventually get my hands on it. If I had to choose a book that is non-Harry Potter it would have to be the Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder. I read the first book, Poison Study, more than a year ago and I never got around to reading all of the other books in the series! But I really enjoyed it so I'm hoping I get the next book! http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51d4yFcvsLL.jpg

4. Pick a book that takes place in the winter or has a winter setting.

This is a tough one but out of all the books that I have read I think of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. This is just a classic winter tale that I will always love. Although at some point the setting does change to spring, I still will always think of winter. 

5. Pick a holiday themed book.

The first holiday themed book I read was Let it Snow which includes stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. I read it way back when I was in middle school but the stories have always stuck with me. I like to reread them around the holidays. Another more recent holiday themed book that came out recently is My True Love Gave to Me: 12 Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins. A bunch of authors came together to write some pretty terrific holiday stories that I think everyone can enjoy! 

6. Pick a book that you got during the holidays one year and loved. 

Before I was really into regular books, I read a lot of comics. Especially, Archie comics. One year my parents got me the special edition of the Archie Marries... story. I loved this book with a passion and still do. Even though I rarely read my Archie comics anymore this specific book and all the others book my parents got me have a special place in my heart.

Well that's it for my tag! I hope you liked it and you guys use it on your own blogs! Happy Holidays everyone! 

~~~Love, Whitney

Top Ten Books of 2015!

Well, it's that time of the year again! I have to choose my favorite books of the year! This is going to be tough but I think I can power through it. If you click on the titles of the books mentioned it will take you to my review of the book or its page on Goodreads. Here we go!

10. All the Rage by Courtney Summers
I read this book way back in April when it first came out. I had read another book by Courtney Summers called Fall for Anything and loved it. After that I wanted to get my hands on anything else she had written! So when I heard about this book I knew I had to read it. It deals with some tough issues and it can get really dark. However, it is a beautiful story that left me speechless.




9. The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
This is the second book in the Bone Season series. This is one of those series that gives me the Harry Potter feelings. Samantha Shannon's writing just really reminds of J.K. Rowling and how I would feel when I read Harry Potter. There's so much action in this book and it's just such an interesting world and I LOVE IT. The first book is The Bone Season so if you haven't read it, I definitely recommend it. Did I mention this will be a 7 book series? MORE TO LOVE PEOPLE!

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
IT'S A SARAH J. MAAS BOOK WHERE CAN YOU GO WRONG? Seriously, this is another author that gives me Harry Potter feelings. I loved this book. This is a separate series from Sarah's Throne of Glass series. Also it's a little more New Adult than Young Adult. This first book is essentially a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast but with fae. However, I believe the next book will be a different retelling but dealing with the same characters. Anyway, I'll probably enjoy anything written by Sarah J. Maas so this had to be on my list!

7. Mosquitoland by David Arnold 
I read this in the beginning of the summer and LOVED IT. Mosquitoland is a stand-alone contemporary and tells the story of the journey of a young girl named Mim. It involves a road trip, a lot of interesting characters, a sassy narrator, and a wonderful twist. It's one of those books you have to dive straight into and get lost in. I absolutely loved it.




6. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
I was a little late to the party on this one. This book came out in 2014 but I put it off for awhile because of school work and I tend to read a lot more fantasy during the school year if I do get the chance to read. This is another contemporary stand-alone and it is just a beautiful story. Honestly, now that I'm writing this and thinking about it, I want to reread it again. I read this in 3 days while I was stuck in my dorm at school because of the massive snowstorms happening in New Hampshire. It was a good book to read during that time because it takes place in California so I was able to picture myself there instead ha! Anyway, I just adore this book. Jandy Nelson loves to write in metaphors and create flowing and beautiful sentences. She has a talent and she really showed it with this book.

5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
I AM A SUCKER FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH ROMAN HISTORY. And this book is all about it! It's told in dual point of views between a soldier, Elias, and a slave, Laia. There are some fantasy elements mixed in with the history, which makes the story even better. I think we also are expecting a sequel in 2016. This book is action-packed, it's one of those books that feels like a movie is playing in your head.

4. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
A book hasn't made me cry like this one did in a long time. I could not stop thinking about this story after I read it because I was so shocked and so upset. It leaves you with a lot of thoughts, good and bad. I was surrounded by tissues once I finished the last page, it was not a pretty sight.






3. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Another wonderful retelling story. These type of books seem to be really getting popular and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of them in 2016. Retellings either sink or swim and this one definitely swam and then some. I love this book, from the cover to the beautiful writing and characters. It's a retelling of the classic story of A Thousand and One Nights and it just really works.

2. Winter by Marissa Meyer
This book was the epic finale of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and IT WAS AMAZING. It was the perfect end to this series and everything that I wanted to happen, happened. Everything tied together and it just worked. The first book in the series is called Cinder so if you haven't read this series, I'd definitely check it out!





And finally. My number one book of 2015 was......

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
ONCE AGAIN IT'S SARAH J. MAAS. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY? This is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and as per usual it was AMAZING. If you haven't heard of the Throne of Glass series jut go right now and buy or borrow the first book. Ok? GO DO IT NOW. I love this series with a burning passion and this book might be my favorite so far. Probably because of  a certain fae by the name of Rowan......

So there you have it! My favorite books of 2015! There are plenty of other books that I read that I really enjoyed as well. It was tough to choose! What were your favorite books of the year?