Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Save Me

ISBN: 1455572233
Pages: 288
Source: BookSparks
Publication Date: December 30, 2014
Appearance: 
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Summary:
Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they're restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good--until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he's fallen head over heels for someone else.
Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne's life hangs in limbo until the day Owen's new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.
 

Hello everyone! Welcome to the LAST post of 2014! Let me take a minute to thank each and every one of you for taking the time out of your day to reads this blog. I'm so grateful for your support and I hope that you guys have found everything to your liking. With that being said, I have one more review for you all before 2015 hits us!

Daphne thought her life was worked out. She had a stable job, the home of her dreams, a husband who loves her, and an adoring dog. With everything in place, she can finally begin to consider having a family. Then her husband comes home and drops the bomb: He's found someone else and has been seeing her for the past couple of months. Completely devastated by the news, Daphne has no idea how to react to his betrayal. After being married for ten years, there seems to be no other life other than the one she has built around them together. 

This book is one heck of an emotional roller coaster and it will take your emotions and throw them into a hurricane. From the very beginning, you get consumed by Daphne's overwhelming feelings of anger and betrayal. It's almost as if she doesn't know how to handle all the feelings and they just pour out of the book. It seems as if the book is laughing at you as it takes your emotions and completely destroys them. As the story progresses, it's a constant battle of the emotions as Daphne tries to piece her life together and discover if she wants to move on with her husband or start a new life. Seriously, how many times have I said emotions in this paragraph?

Daphne was a very relatable character but she can be a bit frustrating at times. The way her character was created gives a very clear image of her personality and in no time you are feeling the emotions she is feeling. The one thing that irritated me about her character was her indecisiveness. I feel like that's just me though because I wanted her to make a decision and move on, but she spent the book deciding which path to choose. However, that makes perfect sense to any other person because what she's going through is horrible, but for some random reason, I wanted her to move on with life. I guess I'm a lot like Annie...

I'm going to be very brief about my thoughts on Owen. I think what he did is completely despicable and how he acts afterward does not help his cause. I understand the pain he goes through in the book, but you get this big vibe from him that screams: I care about ME! Then he goes up in Daphne's face and complains about her relationship with Andrew, who I personally think is a great guy. Excuse me sir, so she can't have a friendship with another man but because you feel confused you can go have a full blown affair with another woman? Please tell me that doesn't make sense to you either.

The plot itself focuses a lot on Daphne growth and discovery of her independence. She spends the book reliving her past with Owen and deciding if that's something they can still return to as a couple. She definitely learns to branch out and discover herself as a person, separate from Owen. Daphne gets a small peek at life alone as well as a glimpse of a possible relationship in the future.

Overall, Save Me is a discovery book. It's a story about a woman who learns to stand back up on her feet and move on in life after being hit with a betrayal. I recommend this book but warning: Emotions!


3.5 out of 5 stars
 

Foreverly Obsessed,

Sunday, December 28, 2014

End of the Year Book Survey 2014



Hello everyone! I am FINALLY participating in the End of the Year Book Survey which is hosted by Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner! I've been eyeing this survey for a while but never actually did it because it seemed really scary. Well, let me tel you...it's not that scary but it's really difficult trying to narrow everything down to one answer, but without further ado, let's get into the survey!


Statistics:

Number of Books You Read:

205 (I’m rounding up based on the books I’m currently reading and hopefully finishing before the end of the year)
Number of Re-Reads:

I don’t think I re-read any books this year…
Genre You Read The Most From:

Either Contemporary or Fantasy – I read a ton of contemporary before the summer and after the summer I’ve just been on a crazy Fantasy binge…


Questions: 
1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
(I feel like I’ve mentioned this book so many times…sorry if it’s getting redundant).
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
No hate please!! The biggest “meh” book for me this year is probably Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Don’t get me wrong, I did like it, but I just didn’t feel the hype that everyone was talking about.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick – I went into this book with doubts after not having so much luck with Anna and the French Kiss’s hype, but this book managed to really blow me away with the right amount of fluffy and deep.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
I pushed so many people to read A Different Blue and finally ONE of my friends picked it up…but I don’t know if she’s read it yet. However, I also pushed for her to read The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan and that she DID read. *success*
5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
(I’m assuming it’s books read, not published)
Best Series: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderon
Best Sequel: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Best Series Ender: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
(Can I list a couple?)
Amy Harmon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, Melissa Pearl, CC Hunter, Robin LaFevers, Joanna Wiebe, Rainbow Rowell
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
(Mystery/Thriller – I used to be into it but haven’t picked a book up in the genre for a couple years)
I Know Lucy & Set Me Free by Melissa Pearl
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner
9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
(cough) A Different Blue by Amy Harmon, The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan, Warbreaker and The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
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11. Most memorable character of 2014?
Blue Echohawk
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

That book that I’ve mentioned at least 3 times in this post…A Different Blue…no shame J
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
Legend by Marie Lu
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
Someone once told me that to create true art, you must be willing to bleed and let others watch
OR
Now go forth and spread beauty and light
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Shortest: Tell Me My Name by Mary Fan @ 52 Pages
Longest: Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks @ 689 pages
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson - I did not expect it to be THIS GOOD
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Blue Echohawk and Darcy Wilson
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Blythe and Amira from The Lost Kingdom by Stephanie Beerden
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa – I previously read her Iron Fey series
21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
Darcy Wilson…
23. Best 2014 debut you read?
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
After the Bridge by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices 3.1)
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
The Lost Kingdom by Stephanie Beerden
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Ghosting by Edith Pattou
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Rock Angel by Jean Bogino

Your Blogging/Bookish Life
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?
I Heart YA Fiction
(https://iheartfiction.blogspot.com)
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?
Making Faces by Amy Harmon
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Can I say this one?
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
BOOKCON 2014 - It was one of the most amazing moments of my life!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
When Amy Harmon responded to my tweet – I’ve never fangirled so hard
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
I have no clue…
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Some reviews – I wish there was more discussion in the comments 
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I discovered NetGalley!
10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I completed my Goodreads reading challenge of 200 books!

Looking Ahead to 2015
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?
Ice Like Fire by Sara Raash
OR
A Court of Roses and Thorns by Sarah J Maas
3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Court of Fives by Kate Elliot
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
Lion’s Heart by AC Gaughen – conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?
50 GFC followers? Maybe?
OR
Anybody want to be blogger friends?
6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
I haven’t read any 2015 releases yet, but I do own an ARC of Invaded by Melissa Landers…

So those are my answers! Don't forget to check out the other responses by clicking the link up above! I was going to link the books to Goodreads...but I got a bit lazy...Anyhow, thanks so much for reading and I'll see you guys in my next post!


Foreverly Obsessed,



Thursday, December 25, 2014

12 Days of Christmas (Day 12): Giveaway Winners!


Merry Christmas everyone and welcome to the final day of 12 Days of Christmas! I'm super duper excited to be announcing the winners for the giveaways so let's just get started~

Cinder by Marissa Meyer:
Claudia C.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer:
Jen L.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson:
Wendy L.

The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simmons:
Axie O.

Congratulations to all the winners, you should be receiving an email from me shortly containing the book! Thanks so everyone who participated in the giveaways! Now a quick little wrap-up of the previous 11 Days:



These past 12 Days have been extremely fun albeit a bit stressful trying to post once a day with school, but it was definitely worth it! I hope you guys have an amazing Christmas for those who celebrate and for those who don't I hope you guys have an amazing holiday season! Now get off the internet and go spend time with your family!!

Foreverly Obsessed,


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

12 Days of Christmas (Day 11): Winter is Coming Book Tag

Hello everyone! Welcome to the second to last day of 12 Days of Christmas! This flew by way too quickly for comfort and I want to rewind everything so I can do it all again. No worries, we always have next year! Final call to join the giveaway because I'll be choosing winners and announcing them tomorrow as the final post so be sure to enter HERE.

I was originally going to do a book review, but I mean, it's Christmas and I wanted to do another winter-y book tag so here we go, this is the Winter is Coming book tag. Don't forget to check out the original video here

1.      Snow: It is beautiful when it first falls, but then it starts to melt. A book/book series that you loved at the beginning, but then, at the middle of it, you realized you don't like it any longer. 
I’m going to pick Impossible by Nancy Werlin. I loved the premise of the book which is a re-telling of sorts about Scarborough Fair full of mythology and Fae. However, it fell extremely flat and I barely got through the first book.
2.      Slowflake: Something beautiful and always different. Choose a book that stands out, that is different from all the other books you've read
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa was such a wonderful break from the popular lovey dovey vampire trend that has been going on. It’s a really intense read with action and survival being the number one priority and romance taking a lower rank of importance.
3.      Snowman: It is always fun to make one with your family. Choose a book that a whole family could read. 
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, I think, would appeal to everyone in my family. It’s got the sci-fi elements to it that my dad will like, interesting characters for my mom and sister, and an action packed plotline for everyone.
4.      Christmas: Choose a book that is full of happiness, that made you warm inside after reading it
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is probably one of the happiest books I’ve ever read with a tinge of emotion and learning. It’s perfect and makes you feel all warm and happy inside.
5.      Santa Claus: He brings wonderful presents. Choose a book that you'd like to get for Christmas
I have too many books that I want for Christmas, but I’ll go with either Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson or the second and third book in the Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan since I already own book one.
6.      Snow bowling: It can be painful to be hit by a snowball. Choose a book that hurt, that made you feel some strong emotion, like sadness, or anger. 
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by AprilGenevieve Tucholke gave me an array of emotions but most prominently: disappointment and sadness. I had really high hopes for this book and it just didn’t work for me.
7.      Sledding: We all loved it when we were younger. Choose a book that you loved when you were a child. 
The Great Tree of Avalon trilogy by T.A. Barron – this was my first fantasy trilogy that I read on my own. I read the Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia with my parents so this definitely made a pretty big impact on my life. And it also fueld my insane obsession with Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
8.      Frostbite: Choose a book that you were really disappointed in.
Forbidden by Syrie James – I had previously read another book by Syrie James which I really liked but it was an adult paranormal so I decided to give her YA paranormal book a try. No.
9.      Reindeer: Something that is dear to us. Choose a book that is of great sentimental value to you. 
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon OR The Tragedy Paper byElizabeth Laban. Those two books are probably my biggest pride that I’ve added to my collection this year. Should be no surprise…

So that's all I have! If you're interested in doing this tag, please do! I never know who to tag which is kind of a bummer! Please leave your answers in the comments below! Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!

Foreverly Obsessed,





Tuesday, December 23, 2014

12 Days of Christmas (Day 10): Top 11 of 2014

Hey everyone! Welcome to Day 10 of 12 Days of Christmas! 2 days left which means 2 days before I announce the winners of the Christmas giveaway! Be sure to stick around because I do have a little surprise waiting for you guys on Christmas day! 

I'm so excited and bubbly right now even though I got really little sleep yesterday because today marks the start of my winter break! I have literally been waiting for this moment since the first day of school and this year we have a full TWELVE days of break! Okay, time to calm down. So I thought it'd be fitting to list my top books of 2014 which took me hours to narrow down. I was fortunate enough to beat my goal of 100 and push myself to read 200 books this year so that's a lot of books I need to choose from. But, here we go, my top books of 2014 in some sort of order~

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This should not have come as a big surprise to anyone. A Different Blue was one of my most anticipated books to read after reading reviews on it when it first came out. I can't even begin to put into the words the amount of impact this book has had on my life. It will forever be one of my favorite books of all time.

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This is another book that I've mentioned countless numbers of times. I still can't quite place what about this book affected me, but it definitely changed my life. It also gave me a new motto for life: Now go forth and spread beauty and light~

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I'm actually really sad this was the only Nicholas Sparks book I read this year, but this book pulled me out of an insane reading slump and made me laugh/cry/feel. I'm so excited that this is getting turned into a movie next year! 

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Another Amy Harmon book that had to be on this list. Again, the feels and the message behind the story is amazing. With this book, Amy Harmon officially became one of my favorite authors of life!

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This was another book that completely changed my life and I have no idea how to explain it. I couldn't write a review after finishing it because I was completely wordless. Hopefully I can put a review up in the future because I am definitely re-reading this book!

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This year, I rediscovered my love for epic high fantasy and it was only with the help of this book. This book launched me into a crazy fantasy binge and I do not regret it. Thank you Kyler and your crazy adventure for allowing me to rediscover fantasy.

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This book was flat out amazing and thank you BookTube for introducing me to the magic of Brandon Sanderson.

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This book is one of those books that start off slow but when everything comes together and the climax hits, your jaw will have fallen to the floor and through. I can't describe how mind-blowing this book was so I had to include it on the list.

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This book told me to give series a second chance. I used to get bored at reading about the same characters for a long period of time, but the entire series hooked me from beginning to end with its characters and plot. 

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I HAD to include the book that forever changed my perspective of Peter Pan. I started reading a lot of story re-tellings this years with the Lunar Chronicles, Cruel Beauty, and this one. While I did love the Lunar Chronicles, this one beat it by just a tiny bit. The amount of work it took to create and weave those storylines must have taken forever but let's just say that this book blew my brain to pieces. A million tiny pieces.

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I needed to include this book because it was an ending to an amazing trilogy. It introduced me to Will Herondale and James Carstairs and the hype surrounding them. I typically hate love triangles with a passion and it surprised me how much I loved this one. 

So that's it! I tried narrowing it down to 10, but I needed to include one more so there you go, my Top 11 Books of 2014! I can't believe this year is almost over and it's going to be a new year with new books! What are some of your favorite books this year? Let me know in the comments below and happy reading!!

Foreverly Obsessed,