The Sunday Post #08

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog, 

showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is

coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the rules here:

Sunday Post Meme

*NEWS*

It's been a good week, friends. It felt good to get back into a regular regimen after the holidays. As much as I enjoy the holidays (and the time off), it wreaks havoc with routines and I thrive on routine. It's how I keep up - or try to. Throw a wrench in my usual pattern and I lose track of everything. It's not pretty.

*THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG*

Monday, Jan 4: Review of All Played Out by Cora Carmack
Tuesday, Jan 5: TTT: Bookish Resolutions
Thursday, Jan 7: That's What He Said Thursday

*THIS WEEK IN READING*

 

Finished: After You by Jojo Moyes

Current: Letting Go by Molly McAdams

I completed my first book of the year and it felt good to start the year with a good one. I was nervous about After You because I was comfortable with my own ideas of what became of Lou after Me Before You ended. But After You was completely satisfying: sad, funny, heartbreaking, surprising, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'll be reviewing a new release from Molly McAdams shortly and, while it's more of a companion book and can totally be read as a stand-alone, I still wanted to pick up the first book in the series, Letting Go. Other than the fact that the cover model looks like a rather unattractive man in drag, I'm enjoying it so far. I've never read anything by Molly McAdams before and I like her easy style of writing. (And I've put a post-it note on the front cover so I'm no longer distracted by the man in the dress. I mean, seriously, is that not the most masculine-looking female cover model? Tell me it's not just me.)

*NEW ADDITIONS*

            

          

*Book covers link to GoodReads*

All my new additions this week are of the Kindle variety.

• Fear of Falling by S.L. Jennings - Saw it mentioned on someone's blog and liked the synopsis
• Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters - It was on sale and now I have it for when I'm in the mood for a darker romance.
• Full Measures by Rebecca Yarros - Another sale and I like the military aspect.
• The Mason List by S.S. Hendrickson - I saw Aestas rave about this one this week and couldn't pass it up.
• For the Love of Hockey by Taylor Lavati - Unfortunate title, but I reviewed the first book in the series and was contacted by the author asking if I would like to review this second entry.
• To the Stars by Molly McAdams - The second title in the series (I'm reading the first now).
• He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker - I didn't think I had a chance at being approved for this one but it must have been my lucky day! I adore K.A. Tucker and can't wait to start this one. 

*TOTALLY RANDOM*

How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 

Fill me in on what your week was like. :)

That's What *He* Said Thursday #18

That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme created 

and hosted by Chapter Break. It's a fun way to share a quote 

from a favorite book boyfriend (aka male protagonist) to his girl.

For more info, visit Chapter Break here.

I'm feeling a little nostalgic for my #1 book boyfriend today, so I'm choosing a quote from the one and only Daemon Black. Swoon at will, my friends.

Do you participate in That's What He Said Thursday? 

Or just have a favorite quote you want to share? 

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Bookish Resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

So I'll go ahead and put it right out there that I'm not much of a resolution-maker/goal-setter. I'm more of a go with the flow kinda girl (mostly - let's be real, there are exceptions). Goal setting sounds like too much work, frankly. All that follow-through. {shudder} Resolutions sound slightly less intense but still... However, in the spirit of the new year, and Top Ten Tuesday, I'm playing along. So here are my Top Ten Bookish Resolution/Goal-ish/Vague Idea sort of things:

I came in just shy of my GoodReads goal in 2016. 75 read out of my goal of 85. Not too shabby. But I'm scaling it back since 75 seems more reasonable/do-able. 

Okay, so this one is kind of a gimme since I do this anyway. Kind of like adding something to your to-do list that you've already done just so you can cross it off. But they're my resolutions so I call it valid.

This falls in line with my overall plan for 2016: read what I want to read. Simple, huh? It's back to basics, my friends. Too often in 2015 I found myself ignoring the books I was truly excited about in favor of others (that often ended up being just mediocre). Um, why? That ends now. I'm reading whatever strikes my fancy. And I'm thinking the #ShelfLove challenge plays right into that.

To go along with reading only what I REALLY want to read, I'll be requesting and accepting fewer ARC's. It's not like I requested a lot to start with, but there were definitely times that I requested books that sounded just okay... just because I could. Yeah, not good enough. So unless it's something I'm dying to get my hands on, hasta la vista to the ARC's.

Bahahaha! I can't believe I'm even including this. I mock myself even as I type. But hey, why not? Just for giggles, let's say I'm going to be better organized, better prepared, and schedule posts in advance. Instead of doing what I always do... like starting my Top Ten Tuesday posts at 3 PM on Tuesday afternoon. 

Sure I have plenty of series that are still ongoing, but there are also plenty that are complete. And whether I've already started a series or not, I want to complete at least 3 this year. Some likely contenders: the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, the Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie, Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry, the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, the Tatiana and Alexander trilogy by Paullina Simons. Game on.

I've done one buddy read, back in May of last year. That was when I discovered my buddy (my sweet, sweet friend +Hope Ortego ) reads waaay faster than me. LOL :) But I'd love to do another. My friend Ashley (aka +Bookish Realm) and I have mentioned buddy reading the first Vampire Academy book together since neither of us have started the series, but nothing is set in stone yet. I definitely want to do another, though. 

Yep, after a year of being wishy-washy, I've finally decided that I'm going to continue with the series. I read Throne of Glass in November 2014 and liked it okay but didn't love it. I figured maybe it just wasn't for me. But there's no denying the insane love for this series. And I hear the books only get better as the series progresses. Plus, after reading (and *LOVING*) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Maas last year, I really want to go back and give the Throne of Glass series another go. Give it the old college try. Make room on the bandwagon, people - I'm climbing on.

You know those authors that seem to be everywhere? You see their books all over your GoodReads feed, you see reviews for their books on every blog... they're just everywhere. And you keep meaning to read something by them but just never get around to it? For me those authors are Kristen Ashley and Tillie Cole. I've been meaning to read something by both these ladies for ages and it's never happened. 2016 is year I introduce myself to both. Kristen, Tillie - how ya' doin'? I'm coming for you. (Oh dear, that sounded mildly stalkerish.)

This is The One, people. The. One. Why oh why does this one terrify me? I swear, it's like public speaking. Or... some other scare-inducing thing that I can't be bothered to think of right now. It's like all the ickiness of high school in a blog post. But I shall overcome this fear (maybe). I shall endeavor to write at least 3 discussion posts this year. Can they be private posts? Only for me posts? Never see the light of day posts? Perhaps that defeats the purpose. I will have to give this one much thought. Along with much meditation and deep-breathing exercises. 

So there you have my 2016 bookish resolutions/goals/maybe going to happen sort of things. What are your goals this year - bookish or otherwise? Are you a goal setter, or a big ol' goal slacker like me? 

Review: All Played Out by Cora Carmack

Title: All Played Out by Cora Carmack

Series: Rusk University #3

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Release Date: May 12, 2015 by William Morrow

Format: Trade Paperback

Source: Purchased

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.
Straight A’s? CHECK.
On track to graduate early? CHECK.
Social life? …..yeah, about that….

With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay... Scratch that. She knows she hasn't had the full college experience).

So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a "to do" list of normal college activities.

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it's impossible to get hurt... again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.

Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she's never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he's willing to take the chance when it's more than just a game.

Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

My Thoughts

I've been a fan of Cora's Rusk University series since cracking the cover of the first installment, [book:All Lined Up|18505845]. I thought her Losing It series was good, but I have completely fallen for the characters at Rusk University. All Played Out is no exception.

In this third outing, Torres finally gets the spotlight, along with Nell, previously known only as Dylan's brainy roommate. Nell has kept her nose to the grindstone and is set to graduate early. But now, with just a month left of school, she's suddenly worried that all work and no play means she may regret missing out on a lot of typical college experiences. So what does a girl like Nell do? She Googles "College Bucket List," of course! And she's determined to cross every item off her list before she graduates.

Good-time guy Torres could have written Nell's bucket list in his sleep. The popular football player is all about having a good time: friends, parties, girls. Just keep it all fun and no one gets hurt. But then he meets Nell and sees her list. And he knows he's just the guy to help her accomplish every last item. 

Watching these two come together was just nonstop fun. The oh-so-serious Nell who thought through every decision (usually with a list of pros and cons) and outgoing Torres who is serious about football but everything else is just a good time waiting to be had. They balanced each other so perfectly. And the chemistry when these two were together - loved it! 

I appreciated that Nell and Teo weren't cookie cutter stereotypes: The Brain and The Jock. Instead we see Nell's insecurities and fears, worried she's making all the wrong decisions for her future. Torres is so much more than the life of the party: gun-shy for relationships after a broken heart, sweet, patient and endearing. (Is it just me or does the Rusk University football team have the swooniest guys ever?)

Cora Carmack has a writing style that just flows so well and is so easy and fun. She writes great dialogue and is the master at creating awkward situations for her female leads (which makes her leading ladies so relatable). If you're already a fan of the Rusk University series, I highly recommend All Played Out. And if you haven't met the guys (and girls) at Rusk University, what are you waiting for?!

4/5 Stars

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Losing It series.

http://www.coracarmack.com/

Have you read anything by Cora Carmack?

Are you a fan of "opposites attract" stories?

Shelf Love Challenge 2016

I don't tend to make New Years resolutions, but when it comes to reading I have one mantra for 2016: Read What I Want to Read. Too often I have read mediocre books while the ones I'm truly excited about linger on my shelf. What's that about?! So I decided no more. No more reading based on hype, no more reading the latest and greatest (just because it's what everyone else is reading), and no more ARC overload. Nope. I'm going to Read What I Want to Read. All those books that that I was dying to read, the ones I pre-ordered, the ones by my favorite authors, the new (to me) authors I was excited to try... *that's* what I'm going to read this year.

So to help me along with this I decided to do something I've never done - join a reading challenge. And the #ShelfLove Challenge seems custom made for my goal. It's all about reading the books you already own. Bingo! 

Guidelines for the #ShelfLove Challenge 2016

• Read books that are in your personal library that were obtained before January 1, 2016.
• Responsibly obtain books for your personal library.
• You may wish to abstain from purchasing books or set a book budget for yourself.
• You decide the best way to get control of your TBR pile and read the books you already own.
• Library books (and textbooks) do not count for the challenge.
• You may use your library to obtain different formats of books you already own and count those towards your goal.
• Participate in the monthly discussion posts by linking up, visiting and commenting on the other participants’ blogs.
Goals for the #ShelfLove Challenge 2016
1­-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
11-­20 books: pat your shelves on the back
21-­30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
31-­40 books: regular date night with your shelves
41-­50 books: my shelves are now my bff
51+ books: my shelves and I are going steady

I'm setting my goal between 31-40 books (hopefully more but we'll see how it goes). My focus is not on buying fewer books or not growing my TBR, and I have no plans for a book buying ban. For me this is all about reading the books I already own, the ones I've put off for whatever crazy reasons. I'm ready!

The #ShelfLove Challenge is hosted by Julie and Lynn at Chapter Break, Terri at Second Run Reviews, and Brandee at BookwormBrandee. Check their links for more info or to sign up!

Are you participating in the #ShelfLove Challenge? Or any reading challenges? Are you a fan of reading challenges?