Please, Judge that Book by the Cover {+ Year Review}

Y'ALL. WHERE DID THIS FREAKING YEAR GO?

#ARC Review || The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles || Searching for a Friend When Everything Goes to Hell

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
ARC via Publisher
Published: January 31, 2017
Goodreads || Amazon

It's been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who's still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors' mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods--only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

#ARC Review || Hit Man by Michele Mannon || I May have a Thing for Mercenaries? Maybe?

Hit Man by Michele Mannon
eARC via NetGalley + Publisher
Goodreads || Amazon
Published || December 6, 2016

He always gets what he wants.

The seasoned seducer, who probably charms the panties off of every woman he meets. Diego is handsome. Arrogant. Dangerous. Far more dangerous than anyone I've ever met. And with one look from across a crowded room he has me; hook line and sinker, I'm his for the night.

Diego is not a man to mess with, I know that. I just can't seem to resist his kiss, his touch. But can I trust him with my heart, with my body?

#ARC Review || Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
ARC via Andye @ readingteen.net
Goodreads || Amazon
October 25, 2016

There never was a story that was happy through and through.

When writer Arthur Ransome leaves his home in England and moves to Russia to work as a journalist, it is with little idea of the violent revolution about to erupt. Unwittingly, he finds himself at its center, tapped by the British to report back on the Bolsheviks even as he becomes dangerously romantically entangled with revolutionary leader Trotsky’s personal secretary. Both sides seek to use Arthur for their own purposes…and, as he struggles to find autonomy, both sides grow to suspect him of being a double agent. Arthur wants only to elope far from the conflict with his beloved. But when he attempts to extract himself and Evgenia from the complicated politics and politicians that he fears will lead them both to their deaths, the decisions he faces are the most dangerous and difficult of his life.

#BookLook || Just a Girl by Carrie Mesrobian

just a girl by nobentspines featuring 14 karat gold earrings

#ARC Review || A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom || Tragic + Wonderful

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
ARC via Publisher
Published || February 7, 2017 by Poppy
Goodreads || Amazon

In the vein of It's Kind of a Funny Story and All the Bright Places, comes a captivating, immersive exploration of life with mental illness.

For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm's length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo || A Playlist by Yours Truely

Y'all. I finally got my greedy paws on Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo like a week ago, and GAH. Was I ever missing out. Obviously I need Crooked Kingdom faster than you can say Kaz is a dream boat and Nina is a goddess on earth and we just need to bow down.

My darling little murderous petunia. And then, of course there is Inej who is just too good for this world. I think I'm loving the totally raw and completely brutal Grisha universe as much this time around as I did with Shadow and Bone (The Darkling, my babe. I'm still swooning over the make me your villain and until you have no other shelter but me. I know. I have issues.).

#ARC Review || Pack Enforcer by Lauren Dane

Pack Enforcer by Lauren Dane
Published || December 1, 2016
Goodreads || Amazon || Website
ARC via Publisher + Netgalley

This wolf mates for life…

Nina Reyes knows trouble when she sees it, and Lex Warden, Enforcer for the local werewolf pack, is nothing but. When her brother gets in too deep with some dangerous wolves and comes to Nina for help—dragging super alpha protector Lex into her life—she can handle it. She might have put her grifter past behind her, but she’s still got what it takes. If only she didn’t find Lex—his body, his scent, even his domineering nature—so intoxicating.

Forever's Holiday Celebration || All the Holiday Food You Could Want

‘Tis the season to celebrate! Five of Forever’s authors with brand new Christmas romances are sharing their favorite holiday recipes and memories. 

I know I am actually in love with food--hopefully you are too! All of these darling, delicious recipes will soon make their way into my oven. Let the eating begin. Be sure to leave the authors some holiday well wishes. Checking out their books would also be appreciated.  

Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies

We all have that one friend who watches Master Chef and The Great British Baking Show religiously.  (this friend in my group may be me, tbh) Maybe it’s the fact that they can pair cheese with their countries of origin, or the way that—without fault—they always somehow end up at Whole Foods or some other food selling establishment on every outing. They’re a foodie to the bone. And you wouldn’t have them any other way.

Shopping for these folks isn’t a heard task, but if you are struggling a bit, that’s what I’m here for. I’m here to help you construct the best foodie gift basket ever. And, why YES, I do believe that books are some of the best thing to give. We’re going to throw in a few options for that as well.

*cue the maniacal laughter*

#BookLook || Rose & Thorn by Sarah Prineas

rose and thorn by nobentspines featuring black boots

The Thanksgiving Books Read Re-Cap

Click the covers to learn more about the books! I hope all of y'all had a great break, and, for those in a similar situation to mine--good luck on finals! 

Too Hot To Handle by Tessa Bailey {Dream Cast + #Giveaway}

Welcome all your beautiful humans to this darling book blitz! It's a joy to have you here. Please, sit back, read the summary, the dream cast (swooooon), and enter the giveaway! 



Goodreads || Amazon || B&N || Forever
On sale November 29, 2016

Previously released as an eBook in May 2016, the first book in Tessa Bailey’s Romancing the Clarksons series is now available in print for the first time!

When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .

Things I've Found Since This Whole College Thing

Gah. I love this picture. I mean really. This is the aesthetic I dream of being my aesthetic. Let's just replace the cappuccino with an americano and BABE WE ARE SET.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow United States Residents! I just love the fact that we choose to write out all the hella nasty things we did to the Natives in favor of recognizing that these folks went out of their way to make sure everyone (Native and New Folks alike) didn't all die a short, painful, hunger and disease induced death. Conquering 'new' land is always such an ethical adventure, isn't it? But, hey! Now we have turkey and mashed potatoes and dressing to eat on this fall-ish day of the year.

#ARC Review || Iron Cast by Destiny Soria || Music, Mania, and Social Liberties

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria 
Amazon || Goodreads
ARC via Andye @ readingteen.net
Published || October 11, 2016

It’s Boston, 1919, and the Cast Iron club is packed. On stage, hemopaths—whose "afflicted" blood gives them the ability to create illusions through art—captivate their audience. Corinne and Ada have been best friends ever since infamous gangster Johnny Dervish recruited them into his circle. By night they perform for Johnny’s crowds, and by day they con Boston’s elite. When a job goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned, they realize how precarious their position is. After she escapes, two of the Cast Iron’s hires are shot, and Johnny disappears. With the law closing in, Corinne and Ada are forced to hunt for answers, even as betrayal faces them at every turn.

Let's Talk about PTSD in Books, Folks

738 Days by StaceyKade || We Were Liars by E. Lockhart || All Fall Down by Ally Carter || The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson || Book two in Lexi series by S. Usher Evans || Embassy Row by Ally Carter || I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios ||

#BookLook || Wait For Me by Caroline Leech

wait for me by nobentspines featuring heeled boots

#ARC Review | Spindle by EK Johnston | Slow Spun Storytelling

Spindle by EK Johnston 
Goodreads || Amazon
ARC via Andye @ Readingteen.net
Published December, 2016

The world is made safe by a woman...but it is a very big world.

It has been generations since the Storyteller Queen drove the demon out of her husband and saved her country from fire and blood. Her family has prospered beyond the borders of their village, and two new kingdoms have sprouted on either side of the mountains where the demons are kept prisoner by bright iron, and by the creatures the Storyteller Queen made to keep them contained.

But the prison is crumbling. Through years of careful manipulation, a demon has regained her power. She has made one kingdom strong and brought the other to its knees, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When a princess is born, the demon is ready with the final blow: a curse that will cost the princess her very soul, or force her to destroy her own people to save her life.

The threads of magic are tightly spun, binding princess and exiled spinners into a desperate plot to break the curse before the demon can become a queen of men. But the web of power is dangerously tangled--and they may not see the true pattern until it is unspooled.

#ARC Review || Left at the Alter by Margaret Brownley || Happy Release Day!

Left at the Alter by Margaret Brownley
Published: November 1, 2016
eARC via Publisher + NetGalley
Amazon || Goodreads 

Welcome to Two-Time Texas: 

Where tempers burn hot

Love runs deep

And a single marriage can unite a feuding town
...or tear it apart for good

#BookLook || The Last Harvest by Kim Liggett || Let's Get Spooky

the last harvest by nobentspines featuring a long chain necklace

What's New in the Writing World?

Hey there, 


So many things are happening right now. My twitter feed is going crazy over one thing or another every day of the week. This short little post is a quick update for the readers, bloggers, generally fabulous humans who want to stay informed, and the random squirrel with the ability to read.

All of the Yummy Foods Ever {SMP Holiday Blitz}

I don't know about y'all, but when it comes to the holiday season, there are a few foods that I have to have or I sort of consider it an unsuccessful holiday. Food wise, anyways.

For me, I want pecan pralines and Thanksgiving dressing--chicken livers and all. Smells nasty when it's being cooked, but all together *swooooons* It's divine. Also pecan pie. Pretty sure I was put on this earth to just eat all the food. All of the food that I've listed originates from my Granny's kitchen back in East Texas. I'll be frequenting there this break since my family {mom and sister and dad and darling pets} are up in Seattle pursing the next beautiful, bold adventure.

Calling Authors! All These Love Letters Need a YA Book.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever told you, but I’m totally and completely infatuated with love letters. And poetry. And romance. However, all of that lovely stuff being said, I’m also a realist. (I like to think I’m half romantic and half realist) Basically all boundaries are broken with Anais Nin and Henry Miller. These two had an off and on again affair while she was in Paris (1931-1934ish) and THIS IS SORT OF WHERE HER WRITING BECOMES LEGIT TO THE WORLD.

#ARC Review || The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia || R+J with Car Racing

The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
ARC via Andye @ Reading Teen
Published: October 4, 2016
Goodreads || Amazon

I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

This Queen Need a Book..or Maybe Her Successor Does

I adore history. I'm not super sure if you are very well aware of the matter. Have you heard of Mackenzi Lee? No? Well go check out her Friday fun days and you'll get obsessed too. She's a badass woman who talks about badass women.

I adore the sum of it. So freaking much.

#ARC Review || Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco || Guts and Blood and Romance

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
ARC via Andye @ Reading Teen
Published September 20, 2016
Amazon || Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

#BookLook || We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

we are okay by nobentspines featuring wide brim hats

#ARC Review || Only You by Denise Grover Swank

Only You by Denise Grover Swank
Published October 25, 2016
Amazon || Goodreads
ARC via Publisher + NetGalley

Never say never . . .

Romance isn't an option for Holly Greenwood. With her wedding planner career on the line she needs to stay focused, and that means pleasing her demanding boss, not getting distracted by her mind-alteringly hot neighbor . . . 

#ARC Review || Venators by Devri Walls || YES

Venators by Devri Walls
ARC via author for an honest review
Amazon || Goodreads
Published October 1, 2016

Six years ago, Grey Malteer was attacked by creatures he thought couldn’t possibly exist. They repeated a word, calling him a name he’d never heard before…Venator. Since then, his life has been a hellhole of secrecy—hiding old pain alongside strange new abilities.

Rune Jenkins has an itch, as she calls it, but it’s more than that. It's an anger that builds up like the inside of a boiler whenever she’s around anything remotely supernatural. The pressure is growing steadily worse and she can’t understand why. All she knows is—her control is slipping.

#ARC Review || Stolen Away by Jennie Marts || Cute but Predictable

Stolen Away (3, Hearts of Montana) by Jennie Marts
aARC via Publisher + NetGalley for an honest review
Amazon || Goodreads
Published September 26, 2016

Elusive charmer Cash Walker is a tough-as-nails cowboy, except when it comes to the shy woman who shows up with a pretty smile, a wounded spirit, and a goat riding shotgun in her passenger seat. 

Recently divorced from an abusive husband, Emma Frank has come home to Broken Falls, Montana. Lost, alone, and unable to escape the bullying tactics of her ex-brothers-in-law, she finds solace and friendship at the Tucked Away farm and with the handsome cowboy who believes in her and who helps her find her own courage. 

#BookLook || A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink

a walk in the sun by nobentspines featuring leather man bags

People doing Bad Things with Good Intentions || A Rant to Top all Rants

Some things are inexcusable. Even if they happen to be shroud in good intentions—or at least halfway decent ones. Unfortunately, some of my major push buttons happened to show up in books that I happen to love. And I disappointed myself when I didn’t consider them more until one of my favorite bloggers mentioned it. I’m a human, and I’m learning from my mistakes. So, I’m considering it now.

So, my lovely little readers, let’s talk about bad things done with good intentions.

#ARC Review || Cloudwish by Fiona Wood || When You Wish Upon a Star

Cloudwish by Fiona Wood
ARC via Publisher
Published: October 18, 2016
Goodreads || Amazon

For Vân Uoc, fantasies fall into two categories: nourishing or pointless. Daydreaming about attending her own art opening? Nourishing. Daydreaming about Billy Gardiner, star of the rowing team who doesn't even know she's alive? Pointless.

So Vân Uoc tries to stick to her reality--keeping a low profile as a scholarship student at her prestigious Melbourne private school, managing her mother's PTSD from a traumatic emigration from Vietnam, and admiring Billy from afar. Until she makes a wish that inexplicably--possibly magically--comes true. Billy actually notices her. In fact, he seems to genuinely like her. But as they try to fit each other into their very different lives, Vân Uoc can't help but wonder why Billy has suddenly fallen for her. Is it the magic of first love, or is it magic from a well-timed wish that will eventually, inevitably, come to an end?

#ARC Review || Playing it Cool by Amy Andrews || Rough, Tough Coco Puff

Playing it Cool by Amy Andrews 
Published September 12, 2016
eARC via Publisher + NetGalley
Amazon || Goodreads || Aesthetic 


Harper Nugent might have a little extra junk in her trunk, but her stepbrother calling her out on it is the last straw… When rugby hottie, Dexter Blake, witnesses the insult, he surprises Harper by asking her out. In front of her dumbass brother. Score! Of course, she knows it’s not for reals, but Dex won’t take no for an answer.

Dexter Blake’s life revolves around rugby with one hard and fast rule: no women. Sure, his left hand is getting a workout, but he's focused on his career for now. Then he overhears an asshat reporter belittle the curvy chick he'd been secretly ogling. What's a guy to do but ask her out? It’s just a little revenge against a poser, and then he'll get his head back in the game.

But the date is better than either expected. So is the next one. And the next. And the heat between them…sizzles their clothes right off.

Suddenly, this fake relationship is feeling all too real…

#BookLook || Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields

book look by nobentspines featuring earring jewelry

#ARC Review || Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin || Teapot Heads and Slow Plot Lines

Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin
Published October 4, 2016 by Greenwillow Books
Amazon || Goodreads
ARC via Andye @ readingteen.net

Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own?

#ARC Review || Claiming the Enemy by Lauren Hawkeye || *fans self*

Claiming the Enemy by Lauren Hawkeye 
Published: September 12, 2016
ARC via Publisher for review
Goodreads || Amazon

Piper Dawson has spent a lifetime living by other people’s rules.
She’s worked hard to get what she wants—a residency at her first choice hospital—and no one will ever tie her down again, not even her severe yet incredibly sexy supervisor, Dr. Alexander “Ace” Lennox.

Ace is done with love. He’s had his heart shattered, and he never wants to go there again. But when he’s inexplicably enticed by the sexy, tattooed woman with blue streaks in her hair and a perpetual smile on her lip, he figures that maybe he can keep it to just sex.

#BookLook || The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne

Book Look: The Inside of Out by nobentspines featuring iris jewelry

#ARC Review: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter || Dolls That Eat Everything

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter
Goodreads || Amazon
ARC via Andye @ readingteen.net
Published September 20, 2016 || Tor Teen

- - -

In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves they’ve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now—but not Vassa’s working-class neighborhood.

#ARC Review || The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons || Not Gummy Bears

The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons 
eARC via Publisher + NetGalley
Amazon || Goodreads
Published || September 6, 2016


WHEN AN ALPHA MEETS HIS MATCH . . .

Between singlehandedly running her bakery and raising her teenaged nephew, Becca Weitz thought she had a decent grip on "normal." Then her nephew vanishes, and life as she's known it changes forever. Local legends are true: bear shifters exist . . . and her nephew is part of their clan. As is Carl Carman, the sexy, larger-than-life man who has sworn to find her nephew-and the other young shifters who've gone missing.

Where I Psychoanalyze Myself: Sobbing + Books

I’M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DO IN FACT HAVE A HEART. IT BEATS. IT GUSHES BLOOD. THERE ARE VEINS AND MUSCLE. AND IT DOES FEEL MUSHY, EMOTIONAL THINGS OCCASIONALLY.

As a general thing, I do not cry when characters die. I mean, hell yes, I get super emotionally connected to the book characters. I’m romantically involved with more than I dare share with you, dear reader. I call even more of them some of my most trusted friends. And I know pretty much the summation of you reading this understand what I’m talking about.

(Looking at you, High Lord of the Night Court, Aedion, and Noah Elliot Simon Shaw)

#BookLook || Spark by Holly Schindler

Sparks Book Look by nobentspines featuring a crop skirt

#ARCReview || Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland
Goodreads || Amazon
ARC via Andye @ ReadingTeen (Thanks, babe!)
Published: September 9, 2016 || Putnam's Books for Young Readers

Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.

#ARC Review || Run to You by Rachel Lacey || Hello, New Career

Run to You by Rachel Lacey 
Amazon || Goodreads 
Published August 30, 2016
ARC via NetGalley + Publisher


ONE LITTLE LIE. A WHOLE LOTTA TROUBLE.

Moments after meeting the most gorgeous guy ever, Gabby Winters promptly gets stung by a zillion yellowjackets and falls-not gracefully-into a stream. Yup, Ethan Hunter is trouble with a capital "hot," and Gabby definitely needs to keep her distance. Except in the small town of Haven, there's nowhere to hide from Ethan's sexy, infectious grin . . . and all the residents are conspiring against her.

#ARC Review || She's Got a Way by Maggie McGinnis || One Cabin Doesn't Fit All

She's Got a Way by Maggie McGinnis 
Amazon || Goodreads
ARC via NetGalley + Publisher
Published August 30, 2016


Gabriela O’Brien is devoted to the girls at Briarwood Academy—even when their bad behavior earns them an entire summer at a remote campground in Echo Lake, Vermont. When the headmaster assigns Gabi to be their chaperone, how can she refuse? A long, hot summer with neither indoor plumbing nor wireless access might be just what she needs to get her own life in order…right?

#ARC Review || The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis || How Deep is Your Love?

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Published September 20, 2016
ARC via Andye @ ReadingTeen
Goodreads || Amazon

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.

While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.

Me, In Real Life

IT IS MY FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE; SOMEBODY HOLD ME.

Okay, y'all have been with me through the thick and thin. (thanks for all the twitter love + happy wishes for the real world experiences)

When I began this book blog as a high school fishy, I never imagined that it would amount to all the opportunities I've been to gifted to have. Thanks to this lovely community of people I adore I've been in books, met and talked with the laughed with authors who I'm now happy to call my friends, met my New Adult buddies who've recc'd some killer reads, been to author events and book festivals.

#BookLook || Worked Up by Tessa Bailey

Worked Up by Tessa Bailey by nobentspines featuring evening bags

#ARC Review || I'm Still Here by Clelie Avit || A Modern Sleeping Beauty

I'm Still Here by Clelie Avit
ARC via Publisher + NetGalley
Published August 23, 2016
Amazon || Goodreads

A modern take on Sleeping Beauty, for fans of Jojo Moyes.

Elsa is spending her thirtieth birthday in the hospital bed where she's lain for months after a devastating mountain accident. Unable to speak, see, or move, she appears to be in an irreversible coma, but her friends and family don't know that she's regained the power of hearing.

If he's a Bad Romeo, she's a real Bad Juliet

via Pexels

Cassie and Ethan have a past full of rocky waters. Because of Ethan’s traumatic past, he’s very uncomfortable with affection. He is untrusting, is easily jealous, and easy to anger. Cassie, the main character of the novel, wants the relationship to manifest past the behind the scenes everything-but-sex. She wants their relationship to be out in the open, where everyone can know that they are with each other.

#BookLook: Playing by Her Rules by Amy Andrews

Playing By Her Rules {Book Look} by nobentspines featuring red shoes

#Review: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Published: April 8, 2014
Goodreads || Amazon
Putnam Juvenile

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.