Tag: Edelweiss

eARC Review: The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer

eARC Review: The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer

In the ancient moors of Scotland, the king of Calidon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. When a mysterious fey stranger appears to save the king, he also carries a secret that could tear the royal […]

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May ARCs

May ARCs

I feel like my ARC pile gets bigger each month instead of smaller… It’s funny how the opposite tends to happen of what my intentions are. I keep pledging that I’ll request NO MORE ARCs for a while, yet, I keep receiving them. Anyways, May […]

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State of the ARC: April

State of the ARC: April

Wow, May is already here.

Does anyone else feel like 2018 is absolutely flying? Maybe it’s because I’m counting down to June. Either way, I really can’t believe it’s already May! Before I get into this, let’s recap what State of the ARC is all about!

The State of the ARC Meme is hosted by AvalinahsBooks. Go check out her website for further information if you’d like to join! It’s a great way to get some motivation to tackle those old ARCs that have been bogging down your TBR piles.

Rules of State of the ARC:

  • Mention that you’re linking up with State of the ARC @ AvalinahsBooks, which is a fun way to share ARC progress, challenges, wins, woes and mishaps.
  • Include the link to this post, or the current State of the ARC post. You can use the State of the ARC image Evelina created (found on her website.)
  • Be sure to visit all the other people in the link-up and comment.
  • Most importantly – have fun!

State of the ARC has a Goodreads group, called ARCs Anonymous. Join it here.


Compared to last month’s post, my numbers seem a bit worse, according to the graph. While my numbers continue increasing, I feel quite accomplished this past month. How? You ask? WELL! My overall feedback ratios have increased on all fronts! There were a few ARCs that I ended up contacting the publisher about, stating that I won’t be reviewing them because they were sequels…and I hadn’t realized that at the time I requested them. Reading all of these series is far too time consuming!

My current feedback ratios:

Netgalley: 60%

Edelweiss: 42%

Author: 50%

Publisher: 40%

Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to writing those reviews that have been sitting a while. I actually ended up adding to the list ;( Either way, I was able to read and review a total of 4 ARCs. 

Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith

Bacon Pie by Candace Robinson & Gerardo Delgadillo

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young

2 books I emailed the publisher back on because they were sequels. One I couldn’t read and review because the copy I had access to wasn’t working. Lastly, one was a DNF which I technically reviewed in May, so I’ll include that in next month’s post. Netgalley recently changed their feedback portion and have a specific selection now for DNFs. So, that’s how I have a total of 8 “reviewed” reads. At least it ups the ratios, right? 😛

I also had set some goals in April that I…didn’t complete. They were:

  • Complete all unwritten ARC reviews. Currently, I have 5 waiting to be written.
    • Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith – DONE
    • Solomon’s Ring by Mary Jennifer Payne
    • The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King
    • The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross
    • A School of Dragons by Amy Wolf
  • Complete reading and reviewing all ARCs for April. I have 6 total. (I’ll post which these are in a separate blog post.) – 2 left to read and review
  • Complete reading and reviewing all ARC requests from Publishers. I have 1 review to write, and 1 ARC to read to get my feedback ratio to 100% – I didn’t even touch these
  • If I am able to complete these tasks before the end of April, my goal is to complete reading and reviewing May ARCs as well. I currently have 6. – This didn’t happen.
  • Also, I’m on an ARC requesting BAN for the next few months, until I can get these numbers under control! – Also, didn’t happen. 

So, since I drastically failed these goals, I still would like to try and set goals for each month to keep motivating me to move forward with ARCs!

May Goals:

  • Read and review all May ARCs before release dates. I now have 8 total.
    • Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope
    • No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens
    • Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
    • The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
    • Onyx & Ivory by Mondee Arnett
    • Ride On by Gwen Cole
    • The Bone Roses by Katheryn Lee Martin
    • Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson
  • Read and review all June ARCs. I only have one.
    • My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand
  • Complete all unwritten ARC reviews.
    • Solomon’s Ring by Mary Jennifer Payne
    • The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King
    • The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross
    • A School of Dragons by Amy Wolf
    • Traitor Born by Amy A. Bartol
I’m going to leave it at that because that’s quite a bit. I’d like to keep them somewhat reachable. 

How did you do this month?
Were you able to keep up with your ARCs?
What are some of your ARC reading goals for this next month?

April ARCs

April ARCs

Yeah, it’s almost May… But I thought I’d still share which ARCs I have to read and review for this month! I’ve read most of them and have been pretty impressed with the releases this month. However, since this post is quite late, I’ll keep […]

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eARC Review: Ace Of Shades by Amanda Foody

eARC Review: Ace Of Shades by Amanda Foody

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets… and secrets hide in every shadow. Partial synopsis provided by Goodreads. Ace Of Shades Series: The Shadow Game #1Author: Amanda FoodyPublication Date: April 10, 2018Publisher: Harlequin TeenPage Count: 416Format: eARCGenre: Young […]

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State of the ARC: March

State of the ARC: March

The time has come for another State of the ARC monthly wrap up...

Lately, I’ve been dreading these posts, and for good reason too. I’ve just not been as motivated to read lately as I normally am. That, and I’m caught in a tug-of-war with wanting to read backlist books as well. 

So, in order to give myself a bit of a break (and to actually make some progress with my ARCs) I’m going to be setting some goals for the next few months in order to get my feedback ratios way up, and my overdue ARCs way down. 

But, before I do that, I’ll share my current stats for the month of March and heading into April. 


In case you haven’t heard of this; the State of the ARC Meme is hosted by AvalinahsBooks. Go check out her website for further information if you’d like to join! It’s a great way to get some motivation to tackle those old ARCs that have been bogging down your TBR piles.

Rules of State of the ARC:

  • Mention that you’re linking up with State of the ARC @ AvalinahsBooks, which is a fun way to share ARC progress, challenges, wins, woes and mishaps.
  • Include the link to this post, or the current State of the ARC post. You can use the State of the ARC image Evelina created (found on her website.)
  • Be sure to visit all the other people in the link-up and comment.
  • Most importantly – have fun!

State of the ARC has a Goodreads groups ARCs Anonymous. Join it here.


My stats haven’t changed much since February. My overall feedback ratios are as follows:

Netgalley: 56%

Edelweiss: 39%

Author: 46%

Publisher: 25%

While I was able to get some old reviews written, as well as some upcoming ARCs read and reviewed, I’m still behind. I was only able to read and/or write reviews for past ARC reads for 4 books this month. They were:

Dragons of Dark by Ava Richardson

Reign The Earth by A.C. Gaughen

Of Sand and Storm by Amber Argyle

Our Dark Stars by Audrey Grey & Krystal Wade  

This is where my goals for this-coming month come into play. In April, I will (and the key word is will):

  • Complete all unwritten ARC reviews. Currently, I have 5 waiting to be written.
    • Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith
    • Solomon’s Ring by Mary Jennifer Payne
    • The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King
    • The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross
    • A School of Dragons by Amy Wolf
  • Complete reading and reviewing all ARCs for April. I have 6 total. (I’ll post which these are in a separate blog post.) 
  • Complete reading and reviewing all ARC requests from Publishers. I have 1 review to write, and 1 ARC to read to get my feedback ratio to 100%.
  • If I am able to complete these tasks before the end of April, my goal is to complete reading and reviewing May ARCs as well. I currently have 6.
  • Also, I’m on an ARC requesting BAN for the next few months, until I can get these numbers under control! 

I only received one new ARC this past month, so that wasn’t too bad. 

So now that you know my goals for this-coming month, what are your own?
Are there any specific ARCs that seem to be haunting your TBR pile?
Good luck to everyone participating in this Meme!

State of the ARC: February

State of the ARC: February

Well, there goes February… I’m going to come right out and say it. I’m not happy with my progress this past month. While I did a LOT of work on improving my posts, Bookstagram account, Pinterest boards, and so on, my blogging and book reviews […]

eARC Mini Review: Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

eARC Mini Review: Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Release date Feburary 27, 2018! Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls […]

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Thursday Blog Trot #1 Let’s Get This Thing Started!

Thursday Blog Trot #1 Let’s Get This Thing Started!

It's Thursday, and it's time to start a new Meme!

What is Thursday Blog Trot? Well, since I don’t have all the time in the world to spend following my lovely fellow book bloggers, bookstagrammers, booktubers, and the like, I wanted to dedicate some time each and every Thursday to provide shout-outs to these peeps, and the hard work they spend each and every day to run their blogs, read books, write reviews, and so much more!

If you like the sounds of this Thursday Blog Trot Meme, feel free to use it, along with the image provided! Be sure to comment below if you do, I’d love to see your posts and all of your blogger friends’ hard work!

Without further adieu, let's see what everyone has been up to!

#NewBloggers101

The #NewBloggers 101 is a Discord group headed up by Evelina at AvalinahsBooks.space. She puts in a HUGE amount of effort to coordinate and provide amazing content for fellow book bloggers to learn from, starting with the basics. Each Friday, she or other bloggers from the group posts a self-help guide to all different topics. Her post from last Friday was:

This is the third part in a series on social media and networking. See the previous posts in theis series by expanding the list below!

This post is so helpful in regards to organizing how to manage posting, and keeping up across all platforms. While there isn’t a best way to do this, Evelina gives one way that works for her, and it is certainly helpful! I discovered the wonderful (and free!) Buffer.com which is one way to control social media posts, and have incorporated using that each and every day. I’d highly recommend checking these posts out. I mean, they are free guides and tips!

Bookstagram Queen

If you are a photoholic and bookaholic,  Sushma’s post on Her Bookstagram Journey is what you need in your life! 

Sushma is a book blogger over at SpunkyReads and has a stunning Instagram account!

She tells about her story and what got her into Bookstagram, and her journey until today. For being someone who has been (very) inconsistent with posting on Instagram, I find this material highly valuable and insightful!

Free Blogging Tips!

If you are new to blogging, Kristina over at Books-and-Dachshunds has some great tips in her  post: 

She has several very practical suggestions, but also focuses on individuality. The most valuable tip I got from her was to “not forget why I started blogging.” It’s so easy to get caught up in keeping track of all that needs to be done, and forget to love what I’m doing in the meantime. I’d encourage you to check out her post if you need a little bit of encouragement!

Style Matters

Aimee over at AimeeAlways has a lovely post on How to Style Book Reviews. She gets into the nitty-gritty and helps break down some formatting (including HTML!) that she uses while designing her book review posts. It’s no wonder why her blog looks so amazing! Any blogger can find some useful information in this post, so be sure to check it out!

Bookworms Explained

Last, but certainly not least is a post from a series of posts called Bookworms Explained, by Chloe. She’s the lovely blogger behind bookdragons247. I love these posts! If you are looking for something light-hearted, funny reads, be sure to check this series out! The focus is to explain bookworms and how they think. But let’s be honest, that’s a lot easier said than done! 

Here’s a list of her past posts in the series if you’d like to get caught up!

That's it for this week! Be sure to stop by each Thursday to discover more wonderful posts! Also, show these bloggers some love and leave them a comment, follow, or like! Until next week.

eARC Review: Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli

eARC Review: Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli

It is the autumn of 1846 in Ireland. Lorraine and her brother are waiting for the time to pick the potato crop on their family farm leased from an English landowner. But this year is different—the spuds are mushy and ruined. What will Lorraine and […]

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#ARCsAnonymous Wrap-Up: January

#ARCsAnonymous Wrap-Up: January

Well, I wasn’t as successful this past month as I was hoping to be with getting ahead on upcoming ARCs. Normally, the #ARCsAnonymous topics focus on past ARCs, but January was an opportunity to get ahead on some upcoming reads.  What’s #ARCsAnonymous? Well, it’s a group […]

State of the ARC: January

State of the ARC: January

Is anyone else shocked at how fast January flew by!?

I feel like I need to double-check my phone every time I see that it’s already February. I had quite a few ARCs in January that I needed to read. I got to all but one, as I’m still reading the first book in the series in order to get to the second (which I have an ARC for.) Overall, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. 

I’ve also been trying to read some older ARCs for the #BeattheBacklist challenge, which has been teasing my attention away from upcoming ARCs and forcing me to pursue older ones that have been sitting (which is also great!)

By the way, if you haven’t heard of this State of the ARC Meme before, it’s hosted by AvalinahsBooks. Go check out her website for further information if you’d like to join! It’s a great way to get some motivation to tackle those old ARCs that have been haunting your peripherals. 

Anyways, my January stats are as follows. I’ve organized them by each avenue that I receive ARCs, in order to keep track of which is where.

Well, my ratio dropped by one percent this month. However, I was dumped on by publishers approving some pending requests. So, it’s not that I haven’t been getting ARCs done, I just keep getting approved for more!

Netgalley Feedback Ratio
Overdue Stats Increased By:
  • New: 7
  • Read and reviewed: 5
  • Read, but needs review: 2
  • Remaining to read for January: 1
  • Due in February: 6
  • Due in the future (excluding February): 8
  • Overdue: 35

Newly Approved ARCs

Edelweiss Feedback Ratio

Although it’s still not as good as I would like, my ratio has increased by 7% since January! I appreciate those baby steps!

  • New: 5
  • Read and reviewed: 1
  • Read, but needs review: 0
  • Remaining to read for January: 0
  • Due in February: 4
  • Due in the future (excluding February): 6
  • Overdue: 1
Overdue States Increased By:

Newly Approved ARCs

Again, while this ratio is not where I want it to be, it did increase a bit, just 2%. But, progress, is progress.

Request Feedback Ratio
Overdue Stats Increased By:
  • New: 0
  • Read and reviewed: 1
  • Read, but needs review: 0
  • Remaining to read for January: 0
  • Due in February: 0
  • Due in the future (excluding February): 0
  • Overdue: 13

Whew! That’s a lot of info to wade through. Sorry if you got lost at all! Before I was picking out ARCs that I was planning to tackle in the month to come, but I’m not going to do that anymore because I’d like to have a little more freedom to choose this throughout the month. With the #BeattheBacklist and #PopsugarReadingChallenge, I’ll be posting in my monthly updates which ARCs I’ve chosen to read during the upcoming month which falls into those reading challenges as well. 

That's it for now! My February State of the ARC post will be up on February 28th, so be sure to check back! Good luck with all of your reading this month!

February ARCs

February ARCs

Here we are again! January is already almost over! It was a busy month for ARCs, and February is proving to be just as busy! I have a total of ten ARCs to complete this month, and hopefully I’ll be able to get to a […]

Book Review: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Book Review: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder’s all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi’s past. Partial synopsis provided by Goodreads. Book: Zenith Series: The Androma Saga Author: […]

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Book Review: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

Book Review: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

Forget the old days. Forget summer. Forget warmth. Forget anything that doesn’t help you survive.

Partial synopsis provided by Goodreads.

Released January 2, 2018!

Book: The Wolves of Winter

Author: Tyrell Johnson

Publication Date: January 2, 2018

Publisher: Scribner

Page Count: 320

Format: ebook

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia

Cover Artist:

My Rating: ★★★★

The Wolves of WinterThe Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this copy from the publisher via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

Set in future, the post-world war world is decimated. Not only have nuclear weapons wiped entire countries out, the yellow flu hit the remaining population and took out almost all of the survivors. When the flu struck, people fleed from cities, traveling to more remote locations away from the populace. Gwendolynn and her family left Alaska for the desolate landscapes of the Yukon. Their small village hadn’t heard from the outside world for several years after the migration, until one day when a stranger appears in their territory. The man, later known as Jax, is an untrusted and unwelcomed guest to the hunters. Jax, knowing his place to be out on the frozen tundra alone, knows that he cannot outrun his past, nor evade his future. Staying with them will only bring harm, but is it already too late?


“First you survive here.” He pointed to my head. “Then here.” He pointed to my stomach. “Then here.” He pointed to my heart. “You have to have all three.”

When I was into the first 10% of this book, I immediately thought two things:

  1.  I want some venison steak, right now!
  2.  I want to go to the Yukon, right NOW!

This is the perfect read for the Winter months, especially if you like your books with a side of edginess. Look at me and all my food analogies.

The Wolves of Winter is as feral as it sounds.

description

It’s safe to say (for myself as the reader) that the atmosphere is absolutely indespensible. It makes everything more believable, not to mention tangible. This may be the most realistic post-apocalyptic read I’ve read to date. While these types of books fall into the Sci-Fi/Dystopia genres, it didn’t feel like one to me. The overtly technological futuristic setting that I was expecting didn’t exist. This book has the ability to cleanse the palate of overly-indulged dystopian consumers. When these (minor) elements did appear, they felt like an intrusion on the plot. Instead of a decimated world (which is still was in ways), wildlife adapted and flourished. It gave the illusion that everything was still alright in the far reaches of the world, untouched by humans and their corruptible ways.

What had happened to the world had made animals or monsters of us all. Survivors or murderers. Sometimes the line between the two was blurry…

Another major part of this book that I appreciated was the complex simplicity each character possessed. The survival they endured each day in the brutal landscape wasn’t overdone. The characters may not have loved their situation, yet, they didn’t constantly dwell on the past and wishing for it back. They too, adapted. They too looked to the future. Gwendolynn’s character was exactly like this. She shares her honest feelings about the past, present, and unpredictable future, without it being overbearing. Putting myself in her situation, I felt as though I’d feel and think similar things. I appreciated how practical everyone’s mentality was. It made me feel like I could really connect with most of the characters, especially Gwendolynn.

The only thing I found in Gwendolynn’s character that I didn’t like were her frequent thoughts of sex, attraction, and reproduction to Jax. Sure, in this setting, it makes sense. I think it’s a natural thing to consider at that point seeing how the majority of the world’s population no longer existed. Even so, I thought her deliberations we a bit much, and rather brash.

For how much I appreciated certain aspects of this book, I equally disliked others. There is one scene where the main character Gwendolynn is sexually assaulted and then raped in another by the same man. His animalistic brutality is unprovoked and deterring. On top of that, the amount of profanity throughout left a bitter taste in my mouth. If my calculations are correct, I counted 208 words. I haven’t seen this book being marketed as Young Adult, but if it is, know that it is not Young Adult appropriate! The amount of detailed violence, sexual content, and profanity are far too graphic and frequent for immature eyes.

I believe this will be one of those reads where the reader either loves it, or hates it. There isn’t much room for middle ground. Because some of its traits are so extreme, they may make the entire plot off-putting, or, entirely engaging. While I felt strongly pulled to love this book, I couldn’t due to its negative points mentioned earlier.

View all my reviews

“Grief never goes away. It just changes. At first it’s like molten-hot lava dripping from your heart and hollowing you from the inside. Over time, it settles into your bones, your skin, so that you live with it, walk with it every day. Grief isn’t the footprints in the snow. It’s the empty space between.”


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