Hey friends,

Today marks my 3rd Blogoversary! It's hard to believe that I've been blogging about books for three years! Where has the time gone? This month I celebrate my 2nd Book Tube anniversary as well! Two years of recording and editing videos about books, and it's been a fun and educational experience! I'm having so much fun creating bookish content that I hope I never want to stop.

To celebrate my years book blogging and book-tubing I'm holding a international giveaway for everyone who has been so supportive by reading my blog and watching my videos.  I'm giving away a $30 USD Amazon eGift Card! Can you imagine all the ebooks and/or books you could buy!?  I know that all of us bookaholics have a wish list ready to go! 

I have only two simple rules for this giveaway. 

1. You MUST  be at least 18 years old or have parental permission.
2. You MUST be able to receive and claim an electronic Amazon eGift Card via email. No substitutions.

 
Enter below. There is ONE free entry for everyone! You can do as many or as few tasks as you prefer to earn extra entries. You can also enter daily by sharing this giveaway via Twitter.  The giveaway ends on Saturday January 31, 2015 at midnight EST.  I winner will be chosen on Sunday, February 1, 2015 and contacted via the email address used on the Rafflecopter widget.

 Enter often and good luck!  Thanks again for all of your support. You make book blogging and book-tubing even more enjoyable!

 Happy Reading,
~Tamara

Hey friends,

The Collector was the December book club selection.  Read on and find out what I thought of this title.

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 483 (Hardcover)
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Review Date: January 19, 2015
Rating: 2 bookmarks

Synopsis: When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . . 

Hey friends,

I completed this book well over a month ago. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to actually write the review. Not only did the holidays keep me preoccupied, it could possibly be that I was waiting to get closer to the release date of book 7, Burned, which comes out in a few short weeks.

Publisher: Delacorte Press / Brilliance Audio
Release Date: October 30, 2012 | First published January 1, 2012
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Mass Market Paperback: 495 pages/ Audio Length: Approx 15 hours
Narrator: Natalie Ross, Phil Gigante
Source: Audible
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: January 7, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be. 

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux. 

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced. 

I've got to be very honest about something. I expected not to like Iced.  I wasn't a big fan of Dani's character in the previous books, so I had to put my game face on and try to be unbiased when I started the book.  I'm so glad that I did. I like Dani a lot more now.  I still don't like her incessant use of the word "Dude", but I like her character now, regardless. There was so much going on in this book that I found it extremely hard to write this review without talking about specific situations. I know that many readers are adverse to spoilers, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

Iced picks up one year after the wall between the worlds crashed on all Hallow's Eve.  A third of the human race was wiped out that night. There's no official human government, the whole world it's a war zone between Seely and Unseely Fae, humans, and tons of things that do more than go bump in the night. In addition to all of that, various locations all across Dublin are getting iced over then blown to bits without any clear cause.

Fourteen year old Dani is out on her own.  The Sidhre Seers leader, Rowena, is dead. She and Mac are on the outs. Cruce, a War Prince is frozen below the abbey.... and part of the Sihre SeDubh book inside Vlane's body along with the War Prince.  Yes, all hell has officially broken loose and it's only getting worse. How does Dani fit into all of the drama? Simply put, she's got a new job. 

Hey friends, 

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on The Good Girl by Mary Kubica.

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller 
Review Date: Recorded January 2015
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. 


Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter. 

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a compulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems…. 

for around $8 total!  With such a great price of course I had to try the feature out and see if it really syncs accurately between audio and reading on two different devices. I tried this using the Kindle app on my tablet and the Audible app on my smart phone. In short, it works! Near seamlessly.  If this is something you'd like to know more about or see a video demonstrating how it works, let me know!

Have you read The Good Girl? If so, please share your thoughts. I'd love to know if you enjoyed it as much as I did. If not, I recommend this to all that enjoy adult suspense/mysteries. I hope you'll add this to your TBR list!

Happy Reading,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey Friends!

Happy New Year !  I hope everyone had a wonderful night bringing in 2015.  I know this is going to be a great year for me with lots of changes on the horizon.  I don't want to speak on the specifics yet, but in planning for a new adventure, I don't want to over challenge myself.  I will keep my Goodreads challenge and an audiobook challenge, but I'll pass on the other challenges for this year.  Reading, reviewing, maintaining and growing both this blog and the Shelf Addiction YouTube channel will be more than enough.  What are your challenges for this year? Please share!

Happy Reading, 
~Tamara

I set my goal at 62 books for this year.  It's low as I completed 72 in 2014, but I don't want to pressure myself! If I happen to reach 72 books again, I'll be golden.

My goal is to complete 40 or more audiobooks. Last year I completed 38, so I want to top that at least by 2!  I use Audible a lot! Feel free to try it out with a free audiobook.  The link is below.

Hey friends,

Happy New Year's Eve!  After a short break, I'm back and ready to jump into things on the Shelf Addiction blog and YouTube channel.  I hope you all have fun plans for this evening. Whether it's reading your favorite book with a glass or two of wine or champagne, going to a party, watching the ball drop on TV, or reading. It's time to leave 2014 in the rear view and have a great time looking forward to 2015!

While we are waiting for the New Year ball to drop, check out the cover art gallery and coordinating video of my best and worst reads of the year.  Watch the video and find out why I selected each book.  Please share with me some your book favorites and disappointments of 2014!  The books listed below weren't necessarily published this year; some are and some aren't, but instead these are the best and worst of the books that I've read during 2014. 

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: July 8, 2014 | Macmillan Audio on July 8, 2014
Format: MP3
Pages: 310 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 10 hours
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman
Source: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Contemporary Adult
Review Date: Recorded December, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble;it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I found Landline to be a fun and light holiday read. While the book was released back in the summer, the story takes place over the week of Christmas which makes it a perfect holiday read.  

If you're looking for a easy going contemporary read, then I recommend this title.  If you've read Landline please share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you have to say. Have you read any of Rowell's young adult titles? If so, please recommend your favorite one.

Want to see a more in depth review? Check out my coordinating video review.  

Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: YA, NA, Short Stories, Anthologies
Review Date: Recorded November, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.


Disclaimer: I received this book/ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are genuinely my own.

I recommend this title if you're looking for some fun and light reading this holiday season. They are mostly feel good stories and who doesn't love a feel good story at Christmas time?  If you've read the anthology, please share your thoughts. What were your favorite stories? Which were your least liked ones?  Want to know more? Check out my coordinating video review.

Happy Reading,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 23,2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 384 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: YA Dystopia
Review Date: Recorded November, 2014
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.

In a Handful of Dust was a a stellar ending.  I enjoyed the book thoroughly. Not only did I like the writing, I liked the characters. They are dynamic and so real. In a world that's starving for water and over come with disease, every choice you make will most likely be hard one. Everything will be hard and I can appreciate the realness of this story.  With all the young adult dystopia novels that have been published in the last couple of years, this is in my top 5!  If you haven't ready Not a Drop to Drink yet, then you've got to read these two books!  If you have read the first book, you'll want to finish out the duology, trust me, you'll love In a Handful of Dust.  Want to know more? Check out my coordinating video review.

Happy Reading,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey friends!

I have a mini review for you today!  A mini review is my short and sweet analysis of a book.  You'll know in 350-ish words or less if this is a book I recommend.

Publisher: ACE Hardcover | Audio unabridged edition released by Brilliance Audio
Release Date: September 2, 2014 
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 450 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 14 hours
Narrators: Alexander Cendese, Lorelei King
Source: Audible
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: December 3, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis:Mercy Thompson’s world just got a whole lot bigger… A collection of all-new and previously published short stories featuring Mercy Thompson, “one of the best heroines in the urban fantasy genre today” (Fiction Vixen Book Reviews), and the characters she calls friends…

Includes the new stories…
“Silver”, “Roses in Winter”, “Redemption”, “Hollow”, 

…and reader favorites
“Fairy Gifts”, “Gray”, “Alpha and Omega”, “Seeing Eye”, “The Star of David”, “In Red, with Pearls”

This bundle of stories take place in the Mercyverse as Briggs calls it.  To get a glimpse into several different dimensions of the Mercyverse and delve into the histories of characters we already know and a few we don't was fun.

I usually skip the short stories in series, but when I saw all of them together I thought that why not, I can knock them all out at once. I appreciated not only that each story has a preface from the Patricia Briggs giving very brief explanation of how it came to be, but the stories were in chronological order. Those two things really put the short stories into perspective and I could see where each story fell in the scheme of things.  

I've been listening to both the Alpha & Omega series and the Mercy Thompson series on audio, so I decided to continue on in that medium. I'm glad that I did.  As always, I liked the narrators that were selected in this series. Lorelei King always does well in all the Mercy Thompson audiobooks, Alexander Cendese is new to me, but I enjoyed his parts as well.  

While I enjoyed the stories overall, I did feel that certain ones seemed to drag on a tad. This is funny to me because I usually notice and praise the fact that Briggs is able to tell a tight story without extra fluff, but two or three of these seemed a little longer than they needed to be.

If you're a fan of the Mercy Thompson books and you haven't yet read any of the short stories, this is a great way to fill in the gaps. I recommend that you pick this book up before the next Mercy book is published.  If you have already read all of the previous short stories, I'm not sure the price of this book is worth only reading the four new stories. 

Happy Reading,
~Tamara