Top Ten Tuesday #6

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme in which we make lists about a certain topic. This meme is hosted at The Broke and the Brokish

This week's topic is books that make you swoon! I have to say I had a tough time coming up with ten...so I cheated and I got seven instead! :3

So, in order of swooniness (is that even a word? it is now)

1) The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: This book gives me a lot of feelings that I can't explain! On the one hand I love Hazel and Gus's relationship and I wish I could find one just like theirs...on the other hand we have "the incident" which made me cry like a baby! It's still one of my favourite books! And if any guy wants to win my heart he should take me to watch it in the cinema in June ^_^

2) Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt: I absolutely adored this book! Oliver and Mallory's relationship was so genuine and cute! And their both really funny and witty and I like this book a lot, okay? :)

3) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith: I really liked how this story happens over the space of one day and yet it is so capable of conveying the emotion of young, impulsive love! And Oliver (again) is a great british gentleman!

4) Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle: This book contains 3 short stories, one by each author and my favourite is deffinitely Maureen Johnson's! A girl gets stuck on a train during a blizzard and manages to get out and find a little Waffle house where she meets a charming stranger! (Of course, in real life he would probably be some sort of murderer...but okay...) Why don't things like these actually happen?

5) After Hello by Lisa Mangum: Another book that happens over the course of 24 hours! Sara is in New York for the first time with her dad who is on a business meeting, leaving her to wander around town alone where she meets Sam who takes her on an adventure (again, in real life Sara would have gotten killed...maybe...)

6) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: I have no words to describe how amazing this book is and how real the characters are! Also, the fact that Eleanor is overweight and Park still sees her as beautiful and the way their relationship grew was so real and normal!

7) Phantom Summer by Amy Sparling: I quite liked this one too and I thought that Raine was an amazing character! The passion he had for the ghost tours on that little town was sort of endearing and his and Taylor's relationship was really nice!

And just like I've done in the past couple of posts (you know what's coming!)...here it is our musical moment! They usually only sing in Portuguese but they did sing All You Need Is Love by The Beatles and since most of you doesn't speak portuguese...here it is! Aren't they amazing? :D

They are called Aurora! You can find them at @osauroraoficial, facebook, instagram and youtube!

What do you guys think of them? And what's on your lists this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #6

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating! 

It seems like I'm going back to some memes that I haven't done in a while! This week I bring you a book and a music album! (If you saw my last post you can probably guess what's coming!)

This week's literary pick is Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell! (April/March 1st, 2014)

Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong.

Rule Two—Be careful.

Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.

Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.

Rule Five—The letters are the law.

Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known.

But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

Katherine Ewell’s Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil, and the messiness of that inevitable moment when life contradicts everything you believe.

Doesn't it sound really intriguing? A female serial killer is not a very common thing and the whole story sounds interesting! I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Now, for the music! I swear I will keep talking about these guys until they get the recognition they deserve! I know that they only sing in Portuguese so most part of you won't be able to understand the words but they're really really good and I think they might already be recording an album! 

They are called Aurora! You can find them at @osauroraoficial, facebook, instagram and youtube!
What do you guys think of them? :)

Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking The Shelves was originally created by Tynga's Reviews. The idea is for everyone to show the books they are adding to their shelves (physical copies or virtual) 

So, I haven't done one of these in forever and I have gotten a few books that I would like to show off so let's do this!

    

I haven't gotten around to starting them but I'm really excited about them! I bought them all used (these covers are the ones I own)...From What I Remember and Daughter of Smoke and Bone are in FLAWLESS condition! They seem brand new! Besides, the people at AwesomeBooks are extremely helpful so I would definitely recommend them!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

What new books were added to your shelves this week?

Also I am going to shamelessly advertise an amazing portuguese band that got kicked out of the portuguese X-Factor (BOO)! One of them is from my town but I don't know him (and apparently they were here on Friday night and I didn't know?? Why wasn't I informed of this?)

And the blogger is back (ish?)!

Hi everyone! Some of you may have noticed that I sort of disappeared from the face of the earth! I didn't plan to do it but life got in the way...especially school! I wasn't doing very well and I was nearly failing a certain curricular unit (the most important one this year!) so I had to take an unplanned break and get that in order! Thankfully I had my last exam on that curricular unit on Wednesday and I passed!! :D

Now I have two more to do at the same time so it's going to be quite challenging too! I really don't want to take another break though so if anyone has any advices on time management that they would like to share, I would deeply appreciate it! I'll try to leave some posts scheduled for now since I have some time! I'm so glad to be back! I have really missed all of this :)

And as a way of apologising I leave you with the trailer for The Fault in Our Stars! I know probably everyone has seen it already...but still! 

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Publication Date: January 1st, 2013

Pages: 236

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Won it on a giveaway

Synopsis

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. 

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

I absolutely loved this book! I can't believe it took me so long to finally read it!

The characters all felt very real. I think they were all very relatable and likeable and they all had problems with which everyone could sympathize. Plus, Oliver is an amazing guy! He tries to make Hadley feel better and he's genuinely funny! Yet, they still have their flaws like everyone else.

Considering that this novel happens during a 24-hour period I guess you could say that some things do happen a bit quickly but it fits the story. It's not difficult to imagine how you could meet someone in an airport and forget about time. Besides, I'm an hopeless romantic so I like to believe that this could happen in real life!

When I first started this book I thought it was going to be a cute, fun story about "love at first sight" but I wasn't expecting the family drama, which was a nice twist. It makes the story a little deeper. I also liked how we got to see how Hadley's family life got to where it was through little flasbacks. I think it made the story more interesting that away

I would deffinitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to believe that love can be found even in the weirdest places!

Buy it from The Book Depository

Book Blast: Lovers at Heart - Melissa Foster

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+** Lovers at Heart is a steamy contemporary romance with alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and very relatable for readers who enjoy adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction. Enjoy Lovers at Heart as a stand-alone novel or for more enjoyment, read the entire Love and Bloom series (nine full-length novels featuring the Snow Sisters and the Bradens).

Handsome, wealthy resort owner Treat Braden is used to getting what he wants. When Max Armstrong walked into his life six months earlier, he saw right through the efficient and capable façade she wore like a shield, to the sweet, sensual woman who lay beneath. She sparked an unfamiliar desire in him for more than a one-night stand, leaving his heart reeling and his blood boiling. But one mistake caused her to turn away, and now, after six months of longing for the one woman he cannot have, he’s going home to try to forget her all together.Max Armstrong has a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and she’s never needed a man to help her find her way–until Treat Braden caught her attention at a wedding in Nassau, causing a surge of emotions too reminiscent of the painful past she’d spent years trying to forget. Max will do anything to avoid reliving that pain–including forgoing her toe-curling, heart-pounding desire for Treat.When a chance encounter turns into a night of intense passion, Treat realizes that the mistake he made six months earlier may cause him to lose Max completely. He will do everything within his power to win her heart forever–and Max is forced to face her hurtful past head on for the man she cannot help but love.

Goodreads

Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Foster is the New York Times Best Selling author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on  Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Website

Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

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End of the Year 2013 Readathon #ReadingCram Sign-Up and Goals!

Dana Square and Juliababyjen's Reading Room came up with this amazing idea for an end of the year readathon and I couldn't be happier to join! It runs from December 9th to December 22nd and there are going to be a lot of really cool challenges!

So, as far  as goals go, I decided that I won't go into my Netgalley and Edelweiss pile all that much because looking at it is making me not want to read for some reason...so I'll read other books that I have been meaning to read! :)

Reading Goals:

• Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle: I have been saving this book to read it over the Christmas holidays so I can't wait to start!
• The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler: I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway and I have been quite intrigued by it!
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith: Also a book I won on a giveaway and that I think will be a cute holiday read!
• Parasite by Mira Grant: The only book from my Netgalley pile. I have been dying to read it (even though I have it on my iPad since May...). It sounds quite different and intriguing! I'm quite excited about this one!
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano: Well, technically I don't own this book yet. I bought it yesterday from AwesomeBooks and it could take a while to get here but I think I'll have it soon(ish). It's funny because it was on my wishlist but I wasn't going to buy it but then I read the blurb and I just had the have it! Besides, AwesomeBooks had an used copy for 2.97€! 

Other goals:

• Reviewing all the books that I read;
• Read at least 50 pages everyday;
• Participate in at least 5 challenges;
• Visit other bloggers participating in the readathon!

Are you guys participating too? What books do you still need to cram before the year is over?