Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #11: Books You Read Because of Recommendation


Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.


I'm very sure of the fact that about 75% of the books I've read so far, I've read because of recommendations from other people. So without further ado, here are 10 books I read because of recommendations.

1. The first one that comes to mind is Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I remember I was in middle grade, and the first movie came out and everyone, I mean EVERYONE in my class went nuts. They saw the movie, and then Enya was their favorite artist and I got curious. About a year after that, one of the boys in my class convinced me to watch the movie and then to read the books, and that has been the best decision ever, because I just love Tolkien.

A photo posted by Ruby Jo (@rubys.books) on


2. I read Castillos de cartón by Almudena Grandes because of a high school friend. I think the title translates into Cardboard Castles, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if there's an English translation of this book, but there should be, because this book is amazing. I still get teary eyed when I think of the ending of the book, with two of the characters getting in the car and trying to move on with their lives. It's one of those books that I've read once, but it's burned into my memory forever. I blame Emily, the girl who convinced me to read it, for my obsession with this book, and I'll never forget when and where we were when she first convinced me to read it. Seriously though, thank you, girl!

3. I've told this story a hundred million times, but I'll say it once again: I owe my love of urban fantasy/paranormal romance to a university colleague, who got me into reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.

4. Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella was a recommendation from Emily's classmate, Dia, and, like with Emily, I cherish that memory. Dia has been trying like hell to get me to read Game Of Thrones, so I'm thinking I'll probably soon just give up and read it. After all, this next book on the list (and subsequent auto-buy author) is due to her, as well.

5. Is there a bookish list of mine complete without Marc Levy? Spoiler alert: no, it isn't! My friend Dia convinced me to read If Only It Were True by Marc Levy around the time the movie, Just Like Heaven, with Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon, came out, and I've loved Levy's books ever since.

6. Harry Potter. I got to read this book because of a really good friend of mine, whom I've known since elementary school. He gave me the subway version of the elevator pitch, made me watch the movie, and convinced me to read and love the books.

A photo posted by Ruby Jo (@rubys.books) on

7. I read Women Of The Otherworld because of Carmel from Rabid Reads.
8. The Grisha trilogy was recommended to me by so many people, it's really difficult to pinpoint exactly who had the definitive role in convincing me to read it. I am convinced that Meredith from Pandora's Books had something to do with it.
9. I can't remember who convinced me to read ACOTAR, but thanks! I probably would have waited years before reading it, because apparently that's my style LOL
10. The most heartbreaking book I've ever read, Invitation to Waltz, was recommended to me by my dad. Now, over the years, he's recommended many books to me, with varying degrees of success, but this one is very special to me. Just think about it, my dad got me to read my first romance book. Sure, it doesn't have a happy ending, but it's still pretty special to me.

What are 10 books you read because they were recommended to you?

Monday, October 10, 2016

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend by Kay Marie


Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend
Kay Marie
(Confessions #2)
Publication date: October 11th 2016
Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance
So, I’m no longer a virgin sex columnist—thank you, Ollie—but if I thought that was going to make my life easier, boy was I wrong! Johnis back in town determined to win my forgiveness. Blythe is more ready than ever to take me down. Bridget is totally onto the new twinkle in my eye. And, well, Ollie is just as distractingly delicious as usual.
So, naturally, I have a few more confessions to make.
Confession #1: I came up with what I thought would be the perfect plan to keep my relationship with Ollie a secret—pretend to get back together with John!
Confession #2: It backfired. A lot.
Sequel to:
confessions-of-a-virgin-sex-columnist
Meet Skylar Quinn!
skylar-quinn
Name: Skylar Quinn – Skye to her friends, and well, anyone else who wants!
Occupation: Newspaper assistant and reluctant sex columnist…
Who Is She? Skylar is the main character of Confessions ofa Virgin Sex Columnist! —the story is told in her first person narration. She’s a virgin, a sex columnist, and is, well, pretty much totally anxious about the whole thing. Throw in the secret crush on her best friend’s brother, who also happens to be her new roommate, and you might understand her frequent heart palpitations
Loves: Ollie! No, wait…she used to. She still does? Well, you guys can decide because Skye and I sure can’t! Other loves include coffee, desserts, sugary things in general, reading by the windowsill while it rains, cheesy love scenes, and writing of course—especially when said writing doesn’t include fabricating sexual scenarios for her column.
Hates: High heels, hitting on guys, the never-ending embarrassing moments that seem to plague her life, lying in general (yeah, I see the irony here), and, what did I forget? Oh, right. Ollie!
Guilty Pleasures: Reality television binge watching sessions with Bridget, and, um, secretly watching Ollie flex his biceps out of the corner of her eye!
You can visit my pinterest board now for all of the character images and the original websites where I found them! Thank you!
Pinterest link: https://www.pinterest.com/kdavisbooks/confessions-of-a-virgin-sex-columnist-character-in/

Author Bio:
Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spendingtime with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
To stay up-to-date with all of Kaitlyn's new releases, sign up for her new release newsletter here: TinyLetter.com/KaitlynDavisBooks

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Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle #1
Audience: +15
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 18th 2012
My Rating: 3 cups
Source: Amazon
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I know I'm a little late reading this book, as per usual with me and super hyped books, but I figured I should give it a try, especially now that the last book in the series is out.

It's rare that a book confuses me so much, that I don't know what rating to give it. But that's genuinely what I'm feeling right now. I've struggled with writing this review, not because I didn't enjoy reading this book, but because I'm so effin' confused here.

The thing that had me the most confused is the writing style. I won't lie to you, guys, I found this book to be too slow-paced for me. But the writing style made up for it. It was complicated, and yet so simple, beautiful and slightly scary at the same time. There's just something that the way Stiefvater writes hooked me, and kept me keep on reading, even if I didn't particularly root for the main characters. If you follow Stiefvater on social media, if you've read at least one of her blog posts, you've probably noticed that she has a way with words that not many people have, I don't think. And it's the same way with The Raven Boys, and I can see why so many people fell in love with her writing style, because I definitely did.

Now let's go back to the characters. Blue is a strange girl, because she's quite normal, compared to her family. But I found her a bit too... bland, if you know what I mean. She definitely wears her disappointment of the fact that she doesn't have any real powers of her own as you would a jacket or something, so it's really out there, and that kind of made me not be a super huge fan of hers. Also, the fact that she constantly has to take care to not kiss anyone because she might kill them was a bit strange. I understand that her family has all sorts of powers, but are we really sure that that's what's going to happen? Because I have a feeling that Blue might challenge that premonition. She's really careful, a girl that doesn't take a lot of chances, a lonely girl. I definitely enjoyed seeing her relax and enjoy the company of other kids, of strangers, and becoming friends with them, even if they are the Aglionby boys.

Speaking of the boys, I have a confession to make. Ronan and Adam, combined, reminded me of Michael from Rosswell. The TV version, because I haven't yet read the books. I love Ronan, and I kind of like Adam, but they reminded me so, so much of Michael, that I was trying not to swoon. (Michael is my favorite, but that's a different story). I'm super excited to read more about Ronan, actually, to find out about his story more, and understand exactly what it is that he can do, as well as how will this ability influence the events of the entire story. Gansey...yeah, he kind of annoyed me a little bit. Just a bit. I admire his dedication or solving one of history's mysteries, although I'm not sure I understood his motivation. I think there's more to Gansey's story that I hope we get to learn more about in the following books. And Noah, my sweet, sweet Noah. I'm not sure I know what to say about him, other than wow. I definitely want to know more about this mysterious guy.

Halfway through the book, I kind of got to get used to the writing style, and with the pacing, and a little detail that surfaced about one of the four boys hooked me in for good. Let's just say that what was revealed was so unexpected, that it surprised the hell out of me. But it was an interesting detail, and I'm curious to see what exactly will that "provoke" in the future, what consequences does that have on the future of all of the characters.

I saw that people who reread this book, after reading the last one, said that there's a ton of foreshadowing happening in The Raven Boys, so I'm really curious to see what happens in the future. I'll definitely read The Dream Thieves. I don't know when, but I will.


Sunday, October 2, 2016

September Wrap-up

Hello my lovely fellow book readers! I'm super excited for October, guys! September is nice and all, but it's October that has my heart during the fall season. Let's face it, it's all about Halloween with me. 

I'm kinda sad to say that I haven't read as much in September as I wanted to. I did have some personal stuff to deal with, that made me not want to read as much during this month. I did manage to read a few of the books I had on my TBR for this month. I admit to getting a bit nuts with the request button on Netgalley, as well with blog tour sign-ups, which is why most of the books I read were extras. Oh well #sorrynotsorry.


I also wrote a few reviews. I'm actually proud of how many I managed to write. I seem to have found my muse again, which is a nice thing. Here are the reviews I wrote:


I don't have any plans yet as to what to read this month. I do have some blog tours coming up, and I'm continuing on binge reading the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi Blake, but other than that I don't have a definitive TBR. I might try to pick up some of the books that are on my Fall TBR

What about you guys? Did you read all the books you wanted to read during September? What are your plans for October? 

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Book Review: A Dom Is Forever by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #3
Audience: +18
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: November 10th 2012
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):
A Man with a Past…

Liam O’Donnell fled his native Ireland years ago after one of his missions ended in tragedy and he is accused of killing several of his fellow agents. Shrouded in mystery, Liam can’t remember that fateful night. He came to the United States in disgrace, seeking redemption for crimes he may or may not have committed. But the hunt for an international terrorist leads him to London and right back into the world he left behind.

A Woman Looking for a Future…

Avery Charles followed her boss to London, eager to help the philanthropist with his many charities. When she meets a mysterious man who promises to show her London’s fetish scene, she can’t help but indulge in her darkest fantasies. Liam becomes her Dom, her protector, her lover. She opens her heart and her home to him, only to discover he’s a man on a mission and she’s just a means to an end.

When Avery’s boss leads them to the traitorous Mr. Black, Liam must put together the puzzle of his past or Avery might not have a future…


*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.

The third installment in the Masters and Mercenaries series is probably my favorite so far. I love how it seems that this book and the first book in the series sort of help complete a puzzle, a puzzle that isn't entirely focused on Liam and Avery.

I enjoyed reading about Liam falling in love, especially since he was the most likely to make fun of his male friends for doing that exact thing. But I also liked reading about his back story, and figure out why he got to be the one used for this mission. He was an interesting choice of hero, so discovering why he was the guy for this particular job was really intriguing.

I loved Avery. I really respected her, because even though she went through what she did, she's trying to keep living and to live a normal life, which is honestly my favorite thing about her. She has a bad relationship with her in-laws, and when I learned why, I wanted to punch a wall, because she does not deserve the hate, man. She just doesn't.

One of the interesting aspects of this book was the villain. I have to hand it to Lexi Blake, she knows just how to write a good villain. They're not just bad, or scary evil, but they're also really deranged. The thing I love most about her villains though is that you can slowly see how their minds are deteriorating, if it makes sense. Like, the more they give in to their evilness, the more they lose sanity, and I love that. Mr. Black makes an appearance, and I keep wondering what his endgame is, when will he lose his mind, but he seems just as cold and calculating and sane as he was in the beginning.

Another really cool aspect of this book is that we get to learn more about Ian. Ian is Sean's older brother, and the boss of everyone, basically. We learn more about Ian, but I still have so many questions. I saw that he got his story told, so I'm super excited to read it, because I need to find out exactly how he got started with all of this, how he put the team together.

The ending of the book revealed that the next in line to get their HEA are Alex and Eve, and I couldn't be happier for them. I will definitely check it out, as well as the other books in the series. If you guys haven't checked this series out yet, you definitely should.


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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Comic Book Tuesday #17: Monstress #6 by Marjorie M. Liu

Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Monstress (Single Issues) #6
Genre: Comic Book, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: May 25th 2016
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Maika and her friends face betrayal and death, and only the monster inside — and her growing relationship with it — can save them. MONSTRESS will return in August.





*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.


This might be my favorite installments out of the first 6 of this story.

We get to see Maika in a very different position here. She's forced to work with the monster inside her to get away from certain people, and I love that. I also loved seeing how this ancient monster, that is trying to escape, starts to look less scary than I initially saw it. The monster also sheds some light into what it is, what it wants.

Again, we get to see a little bit more of Maika's past, in a different way than the past issue, with this monstrous creature exploring her memories. Very interesting way of learning what Maika actually knows, especially concerning some of the revelations about her and her family from the previous issue.

I'm still not sure what Lord Corvin, a.k.a "the stranger", wants. It seems that he's changing his mind about what to do quite a lot. I'm also not sure is he can be trusted.

The ending, although I kind of expected it, was still rather surprising. It was foreshadowed from the fifth issue, but I still wanted it to be just my imagination. I feel like this changes the rules of the game a little bit for Maika, especially because in that case I'm not sure if some other characters can be trusted as well, or if they're also hiding stuff.

I cannot wait for the next issue, to see what happens next with Maika, Kippa, Ren and the rest of the characters.


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