January Wrap up - Book Haul & What to Expect Next Month

Welcome, welcome to my blog!

The first month of 2019 is coming to an end. My giveaway also ended this week and I'm so happy and thankful for all the people that participated! This is definitely something I want to keep doing yearly.

In February I will be gone for 10 days. The people that have been following me longer, maybe remember that I went to Kenya last year, as a volunteer with Teachers 4 Teachers. That is something that's going to happen again this year! I'm so excited and very happy to be a part of this great initiative. I will be writing a blogpost about this soon.

Happy reading this next month!

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Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started reading: January 16th 2019
Finished the book: January 23rd 2019
Pages: 229
Genres: Fantasy
Published: May 1st 2018
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 3.91
My score:

Synopsis
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

Review: Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1)

Author: Stephen King
Started reading: January 4th 2019
Finished the book: January 21st 2019
Pages: 436
Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Published: June 3rd 2014
Source: Kindle Book
Goodreads score:
My score:

Synopsis
In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Review: Nimona

Author: Noelle Stevenson

Started reading: January 6th 2019

Finished the book: January 15th 2019

Pages: 272

Genres: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Published: May 12th 2015

Source: Received as a gift

Goodreads score: 4.18

My score:

Synopsis
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Review: Aversion (The Mentalist Series #1)

Author: Kenechi Udogu
Started reading: January 3rd 2019
Finished the book: January 11th 2019
Pages: 133
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Published: December 1st 2012
Source: Received a digital copy
Goodreads score: 3.80
My score:

Synopsis
For Gemma Green’s first time, things should have been straightforward. Find your subject, hold their gaze and push a thought into their head to save them from future disaster – Aversion complete. A pretty simple process given that the subject was to have no recollection of the experience. But Russ Tanner doesn’t seem to want to forget. In fact the more she tries to avoid him, the more he pushes to get to know her. Gemma knows she has a problem but is she facing the side effects of a failed Aversion or has the school’s tennis champ really fallen for her?

Review: Seeds of Hatred (Scions Awakened Book 1)

Author: Christian Nadeau
Started reading: January 1st 2019
Finished the book: DNF
Pages: 506
Genres: Fantasy
Published: April 9th 2017
Source: Got a physical copy from the author
Goodreads score: 3.93
My score:

Synopsis
As a former assassin, a man on the run for years, Marac survived taking on odd jobs, living on society’s fringe, never putting down roots for fear of having to run again. Until he’s hired to steal a trinket from the Brotherhood.

Newly graduated, Soren is ready to shoulder the responsibilities that come with an officer’s commission. Serving in the Brotherhood of Khan is a privilege, one he abandoned everything for. But when an Angel calls on him, he knows his first assignment is more than it seems to be.

As a Lightbearer, gifted with the power to shape light to her will, Alex lived a sheltered life in Tyranor’s monastery. Should the Brotherhood find out what she was, they’d kill her, but the monastery is underground, safely hidden from their prying eyes.

Then it all comes crashing down. A terrible game is played, and when the powerful move, pawns are doomed to be sacrificed.

Review: Hunting Annabelle

Author: Wendy Heard
Started reading: December 29th 2018
Finished the book: January 3rd 2019
Pages: 336
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Published: December 25th 2018
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 3.87
My score:

Synopsis
Sean Suh is done with killing. After serving three years in a psychiatric prison, he’s determined to stay away from temptation. But he can't resist Annabelle--beautiful, confident, incandescent Annabelle--who alone can see past the monster to the man inside. The man he's desperately trying to be.

Then Annabelle disappears.

Sean is sure she’s been kidnapped—he witnessed her being taken first hand—but the police are convinced that Sean himself is at the centre of this crime. And he must admit, his illness has caused him to “lose time” before. What if there’s more to what happened than he’s able to remember?

Review: The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia #4)

Author: C.S. Lewis
Started reading: December 16th 2018
Finished the book: December 23rd 2018
Pages: 243
Genres: Fantasy, Children's Book, Classics
Published: September 7th 1953
Source: Received as a gift
Goodreads score: 3.96
My score:

Synopsis
NARNIA...where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell...and where the adventure begins.

Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor...or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved.

2 Year Blogiversary: Book Of Choice GIVEAWAY

Two years, already. I remember pondering about starting a blog two and a half years ago and one day just DOING it. I've never regretted starting this blog. I'm so grateful for every person that visits my blog and every author that requests reviews. I also want to give a shout out to the authors I frequently work with and the bloggers that visit my blog regularly, YES YOU! Thanks so much for showing so much love. I do hope to do this for much more years to come.

To show my gratitude and celebrate this second year, I will give away 1 paperback book, just like I did last year. I'd love to make this a tradition.

I will give away a book of choice from the Goodreads Book Choice Awards.

Read this post for some cool statistics about my blog and to find out more about the giveaway.

Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 1 and 2

Author: Kevin J. Kennedy and others
Started reading: December 16th 2018
Finished the book: December 24th 2018
Pages: 256
Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Christmas
Published: November 30th 2016
Source: Got a digital copy from the author
Goodreads score: 4.13
My score:

Synopsis
Christmas is often thought of as a time of joy and cheer, a time for giving to others, a time of celebration and love…. Well this year some of the best voices in horror fiction decided to band together and tell you some tales about a different kind of Christmas, so grab yourself a mug of hot chocolate, close the curtains, lock the door and get comfy. This will be a Christmas like never before!

Author: Kevin J. Kennedy and others

Started reading: December 25th 2018

Finished the book: December 29th 2018

Pages: 645

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Christmas

Published: September 21st 2018

Source: Got a digital copy from the author

Goodreads score: 4.11

My score:

Synopsis
Some people love Christmas for religious reasons, others prefer it for the food, drink and parties, but for some other people, it’s just another time of year to get up to mischief. This anthology is filled with tales of not-so-happy Christmases, tales that they don’t want to tell you about in the movies or songs. It’s time to break out your new Christmas slippers, rip open a box of chocolates and pour yourself a drink. Lock your doors and get comfy. You’re in for one helluva ride. Merry Christmas from all of us!