#WintersRespite Readathon

Guys, 
My TBR list has gotten out of control. It's so long it's giving me anxiety. That's why I was so excited when I found the #WintersRespite Readathon, a two week long event hosted by Seasons of Reading. The weather here in the Midwest is going to be freezing rain throughout the entire day... which makes it perfect weather for a readathon. After work, I plan to tuck myself on the couch with a cup of coffee and my pup and get at least one book out of the way. 

My goal is to read 8-10 books, not sure what all of them will be yet, but I plan to start with Murdered Gods by Marina Finlayson, followed by Alpha by Karina Espinosa. 

My progress

Day 1 (Jan. 16): 

What I read today: Murdered Gods (finished), Theta Waves (finished), and Taste (started)

Pages read: 718

Total finished books: 2

Day 2 (Jan. 17): 

What I read today: Taste (finished) and The Firethorn Crown (started)

Pages read: 145

Total finished books: 3

Day 3 (Jan. 18): 

What I read today: The Firethorn Crown (continued)

Pages read: 0

Total finished books: 3

Day 4 (Jan. 19): 

What I read today: The Firethorn Crown (continued again)

Pages read: 20 (measly, I know)

Total finished books: 3

Day 5-7 (Jan. 20-22):  No reading got done

Day 8 (Jan. 23)

What I read today: The Firethorn Crown (finished), The Dark Huntsman (DNF @ 40%), The Glass Gargoyle (started)

Pages read: 327

Total finished books: 4

Day 9-10 (Jan. 24-25)

What I read today: The Glass Gargoyle (finished)

Pages read: 346

Total finished books: 5 

Day 11 (Jan. 26)

What I read today: Birthright (started)

Pages read: 96

Total finished books: 5

2016: A look back and what's coming up in 2017

Hey all,

Well, it's that time of year again. You know, the one where I come back from an unexpected and unplanned hiatus. The one I went on with no notice whatsoever. I tend to have this problem every single year where I can't seem to schedule my life to fit it all in. 

So, for 2017 I have one single goal: To get my shit together. But first, let's recap on what I've been up to for the past six months or so and why I let my blog fall to the wayside. 

The recap

For those who need a refresher on my life, because even though I know most of you remember everything I've ever written about myself you just can't remember it all, I came to the QC, located in the Midwest, about four years ago. I was pretty fresh out of college and found a great job that I decided to take. 

One of the scariest things in life is moving to a new place where you don't know a single person. It's especially scary if you're a quiet bookworm who finds it hard to be the one who starts a conversation. I soon found out that while my job itself was great, I had a hard time relating to most of my coworkers. Half of them were middle-aged, married, with kids (while I was over here being 24, single, with two cats.) The half that were my age had all grown up around here and had their own group of friends they'd grown up with. 

So, I spent a lot of time reading and starting this blog. Then, I realized something that most college graduates realize eventually: Student loans are a bitch. I really didn't want to be in debt for the rest of my life, and it was getting hard to feed my book addiction. Something most of you know a little something about. 

I did what anyone who's tired of not having money to do anything would do. I got a second job as a server in a restaurant. In the beginning I was working about five nights a week on top of my full time day job. As you can probably guess, I did little more than sleep and work. That was the first time Book Nerd Paradise went dark. 

While it was a hard time in my life, I'm proud to say that I've managed to pay off four student loans, my credit card and I'm well on my way to getting my car loan paid off by this summer.

But I find that no matter what I do, the urge to write has always needled me into coming back. I switched to a different restaurant and cut my hours down to two to three nights a week and Book Nerd Paradise was back. During that time I'd actually managed to make some pretty good friends. It took a while but I eventually found my band of fellow misfits. 

At this point, it's the spring of 2016 and I had been managing to juggle my job, friends and this blog for a good while now. Then, I decided to do something I'd been missing for a long time. I joined a co-ed softball league. Well, that's where I started to go wrong the second time. One softball league turned into two, which turned into a volleyball league as well. Eventually, by the time fall rolled around I was playing in four softball leagues and two volleyball leagues... while also working full time and part time two nights a week... while also finding time to take my pup to the park during the hours in between. And I loved every minute of it. 

As you probably guessed, something had to give. That something was this blog. I had no time to read and therefore nothing to post anyway.

Then things got even more hectic

Since I've been able to pay off a lot of my debt in the past few years I decided to make a really big investment. I decided to buy a house. 

Let me tell you, searching for a house was more tedious then I ever thought it could be. I looked at house, after house, after house. About three dozen over the course of two months. All the while I was growing more and more depressed at my options. I'm pretty sure the basement at one house was used on the set of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." But finally, after all that searching, I finally found the one. It was perfect. It even has a giant fenced-in yard for my dog to run around in and make friends with the neighbor dogs. 

I closed on the house and move in over Thanksgiving week. Things have finally slowed down for me. I'm still working both jobs and I'm only playing on two volleyball leagues this winter but now I have some free time to get back to what I love... reading. 

What's coming up in 2017

To tell you the truth, I don't know what 2017 holds for me. I'm hoping to be able to be more consistent with the blog. Sometimes I might just post a life update when I haven't had the chance to read anything. I'm definitely going to be changing the design and layout of Book Nerd Paradise. It's gotten a little stale for me. 

What I want to know from you guys is what do you all want to see other than reviews? (I can only read so much in a given time.) What makes you come back to someone's blog again and again? I love the giveaway hops and discussion posts, so I'm going to have plenty of those. And I'm determined to give that TBR list a good 'ol 1-2 punch. I still consider myself a new blogger so any insight is welcome. 

I'd also love to know what everyone else has been up to and if you've got anything coming up for 2017. 

Until next time y'all. Happy reading. 
- Ashley @ Book Nerd Paradise. 

My latest project with recycled books because I also like to make things. 

[Review] The Rhodi Saga

 

The Rhodi Saga

by Megan Linski

Publish date: September 4, 2016
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, YA
Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads summary

Rhodi's Light (Book 1)

Flight. Hyperspeed. Clairvoyance.

These are some of the powers gifted to the Rhodi, an ancient sect of assassins who defend Crescentia, a dystopian world with a dying hope.

Dyliana Fairsson is one of them. After losing her parents to a suspicious accident, she and her twin brother, Devin, join the Rhodi to avoid starvation. Under the direction of her master, Dylan struggles to learn the strength of her magic …as well as hide the growing scars on her wrists. Can Dylan become the warrior, the hero, she’s destined to be? Or is she fated to fall from the light into the darkness?

The first installment in the epic fantasy series by bestselling author Megan Linski, Rhodi’s Light is an action-packed thrill ride that will leave readers begging for more.




Rhodi Rising (Book 2)

Forced into hiding.
Desperate to find their masters.
In the past few months since the attack on their home, twin assassins Dylan and Devin have grown restless. With the Rhodi facing extinction, they search for their masters Talidin and Tavana, only to discover they’ve gone missing. With nowhere to turn, the twins seek help from a pair of mysterious spies, only to find the trail gone cold, marked by hints of torture and destruction.

Dylan and Devin piece together the events that led to the disappearance of their fellow Rhodi. As their enemies close in for the kill, Dylan discovers that some things are impossible for a Rhodi…but not for a tigress.

The stakes and romance are heightened in this epic dystopian sequel to Rhodi’s Light. Bestselling author Megan Linski brings readers a young adult fantasy with magic, mystery, and an epic adventure that races quickly to a breathless conclusion.

Rhodi's Lullaby (Book 3)

Cities burn.
Governments fall.
Lives are lost in a desperate war...one the Rhodi are losing.

The world has been devastated by the tyranny of the Red Huntress. To save Crescentia, Dylan and Devin attempt to decipher the mystery of the ancient letter their ancestors left behind, the only hope of salvation for their kind. Dylan continues to fight foes both on the battlefield and within her own mind, all while wrestling with the confused feelings she has for Enfys, the alluring spy who has become devoted to her cause.

In the epic conclusion to the thrilling Rhodi Saga, one brave warrior will stand in the way of corruption, to take place before her destiny…or her death.

Rhodi’s Lullaby is the third installment in the suspenseful young adult dystopian series fans and critics are calling an original masterpiece in the epic fantasy genre.

Rhodi’s Light and Rhodi Rising are also available. Catch up on the entire series today!

My thoughts

The Rhodi Saga is like a cross between fantasy novel and a superhero comic. Here were have the story of four super individuals, or Rhodis as they call themselves. Young twins, Dylan and Devin, after losing their parents manage to find their way to the last Rhodi warriors, Talidin and Tavana, who are also twins. Under their tutelage they begin to hone their skills to become the next generation of warrior. Devin thrives in their new environment, but Dylan struggles with the pressure. 

What I liked most about Dylan's character is that's she's very flawed. She's surly, she's combative and she's angry at the world. But underneath it all, she's just scared of losing the new family she's made just like she lost her parents. It make for a compelling character who you just want to root for. 

I really liked the relationship between all four characters. They managed to build their own little family, even though some of them butted heads from time to time. Each character grew into their respective roles throughout the novel.

My one gripe about The Rhodi Saga is that I feel the description is misleading. It makes is seem like Dylan is the main character, when in fact it's really four character and four points of view. I'm one of those people that actually doesn't really like multiple POVs, so I like to know beforehand what I'm getting in to. But in the end, all the characters were likeable and each perspective was important to the story.  

The overall writing to the story was good, I didn't notice any glaring errors that take away from the story and it gets better and the novel goes on. Final rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars with a recommendation to definitely read. The best part is that it's available on Kindle Unlimited, if you have it. 

** I was provided a copy of this book in return for an honest review

Get it here
Amazon 

About Megan Linski

Megan Linski is the owner of Gryfyn Publishing and has had a passion for writing ever since she completed her first (short) novel at the age of 6. Her specializations are romance, fantasy, and contemporary fiction for people aged 14-24. When not writing she enjoys ice skating, horse riding, theatre, archery, fishing, and being outdoors. She is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and is an active fighter against common variable immune deficiency disorder. She lives in Michigan.

Megan Linski also writes under the pen name of Natalie Erin for the Creatures of the Lands Series, co-authored with Krisen Lison.

Author links
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway

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[Giveaway & Blog Hop] International Authors' Day

**A special thanks to b00k r3vi3ws for putting together this event!

As I sat here contemplating who to feature for this post on International Authors' Day I became a little stuck. There are so many fantastic authors out there. Where do I even begin to narrow down my choices? For something like this I always love to feature indie/self-pubbed authors because they just don't get enough credit. 

Then, BAM, just like that it hit me. I knew exactly who I was going to feature for this year's blog hop. Disclaimer: I personally know this author. However, she has no idea that I run a blog or that I'm spotlighting her. 

Meet Joan Mauch

Let me tell you a little about Joan and how I know her. We both work at a mid-sized newspaper in the Midwest. I'm one of the copy editors on the design staff and Joan is the semi-retired, part time proofreader who catches all my mistakes. Over the four years I've been here, without fail, she's walked in here every single day with a bright smile on her face. 

Joan recently took her first steps into self publishing to get out her fourth novel, Escape from Ambergris Caye. It's been amazing to watch her learn a brand new skill set and deal with all the trials and tribulations that come with it. It also makes me feel like a lazy lump. Her passion for writing have been a serious inspiration to get back into the groove myself. No more half-assed excuses. 

Joan's bio: Ever since Joan Mauch excitedly recognized the letter “A” in a newspaper at the age of six she’s been fascinated with the printed word.

Over the years she became something of a vagabond, having lived in Washington state, Oregon, Illinois and most recently, Iowa working at everything from teaching to selling real estate. Vacations are spent in the company of her son enjoying the Gulf of Mexico.

You can find out more information on her website. And you can check out her book here. It's free until July 17.

About the book 

Escape from Ambergris Caye

In this chilling tale of kidnapping and intrigue, TV cameraman Jackson Taylor frantically searches for his reporter friend Izzie Campbell who has gone missing. In spite of the threat of being fired from a job he loves, Jackson pursues the matter with help from his free-spirit brother Zac. The terrifying scenario plays itself out from the sunny beaches of Florida to a tropical island off the coast of Belize. When Jackson gets locked inside a steamer trunk on its way out of the country aboard a trawler yacht, Zac must battle not only to save Izzie's life but their own.

What's the best part? 

Her newest novel, and her first self-published one, Escape from Ambergris Caye, is free right now for the duration of this giveaway, July 14-17. If you download the book and plug in your order information you can get lots of extra entries for the giveaway.

Giveaway 

Rules: This giveaway is open internationally to anyone who is able to receive their prize as an Amazon gift. One lucky winner will receive a $5 Amazon e-gift card to purchase the next book on their summer reading list.

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[Giveaway & Blog Hop] Debut Authors

To me, there's nothing better than finding a brand new author to add a little freshness to my life. So, here are a few of newbies I've found this year. Make sure to enter to giveaway below for a $5 Amazon e-gift card so you can find your own new authors. Also, a special thanks to Bookhounds for always hosting. Happy reading!

Hatred Day

In the year 2052, it's not love but hate that unites the world.


Humanity is unified against the Inborns, an extraterrestrial species with godlike intelligence and abilities whose arrival on earth caused an environmental and biological crisis.

Enslaved and despised even by her own Inbornkind, 18-year-old Snofrid Yagami reawakens to the world after having her memories stolen and is certain of only one thing: she will do anything to ensure her freedom. But her resolution is soon tested when the son of a high-ranking human official is murdered and her home city becomes the center of the interspecies war, one that might see the Inborns purged. Desperate to find a way out of the city for herself and her family, Snofrid risks making a deal with the manipulative Inborn Commander, Hadrian, and his brutal cadre of soldiers. Her task is simple: take part in a historic hunt that will bring wealth and fame to all who survive. Unfortunately, Snofrid’s role is one in which survival is rarely seen—the bait.

Goodreads | Amazon

Borrowed Magic

After a three-year siege, Lord Kern, the dark mage, is dead. Magic has left Tredare, and life is almost back to normal.


For everyone except Maren, that is.

Before the siege, an attack by Lord Kern left Maren near death and with a sliver of magic buried deep inside her. Now, for reasons Maren doesn’t understand, that magic has been triggered, giving her the ability to “see” the truth: that her world is nothing more than a magical façade; and that the kingdom’s hero may not be a hero at all.


But this gift of sight comes at a high cost. Maren is in constant pain, and fears her own death is imminent. Plus, no one believes her suspicions that another Dark Mage has risen, and that Tredare may be in just as much danger as it was when Kern was alive.


With the country’s future in the hands of a man who’s vowed revenge on its king, Maren must convince someone else of the truth. Unfortunately, the only person powerful enough to help is also the one man she can’t trust; the man she almost married; the man who abandoned her and disappeared for three years: Kern’s son.


As Tredare crumbles around them, Maren must persuade him to help - before the king is murdered by the very hero he reveres; and before the same magic that gives Maren the gift of sight also takes her life.


Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway

Rules: This giveaway is open internationally to anyone who is able to receive their prize as an Amazon gift. One lucky winner will receive a $5 Amazon e-gift card to purchase the next book on their summer reading list.

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See the rest of the hop

 

[Review] The Broken Crown

The Broken Crown

by Amryn Cross

Publish date: May 23, 2016
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads summary

Princess Emilia Aurelius was only seven when she watched her mother die at the hands of her father—martyred for believing in the God of the Atlas Empire’s Insurgo rebels. At seventeen, exiled to a military outpost where no one knows her true identity, she’s vowed to leave her royalty behind and explore the truth of the Insurgo rebels her mother loved. 

When the Emperor of Atlas summons the princesses from each of the provinces to the imperial city to choose a wife for the crown prince, Emilia must leave her military life behind to join a royal court rife with cunning and intrigue. Navigating the waters of court politics and budding love are treacherous on their own, but Emilia fears for her life should anyone learn of her Insurgo sympathies. 

With an unlikely ally in the captain of the emperor's guard, Emilia must uncover the truth of the Insurgos, start a revolution, and learn to become the princess she’s vowed never to be, all while protecting her heart from a prince who could sign her death warrant.

My thoughts

In The Broken Crown we have the story of religious persecution by the Emperor and those who serve him, reminding me a lot of the early days of Christianity. Anyone caught practicing the religion of the Insurgos is put to death. One girl will try to change it all and fight to allow everyone to worship their own God. 

Emilia is my kind of heroine princess. She's strong in so many ways; physically, mentally and in spirit. She can kick butt just as well as any many, but as she enters the court to vie for the prince's affections, she finds she knows so little of court politics and how to be a lady. The stakes are high in this game she plays, yet she doesn't know all the rules. 

I enjoyed watching Emilia grow as a person. She's comfortable in her role at the military outpost her father exiled her to, but as soon as it's disrupted she puts on her big girl pants and makes the best of a new situation. She knows she's meant for something greater, she just doesn't know how or what yet. 

As to the romance in The Broken Crown we have two contenders, the commander and the prince, Felix and Ronan. There's no insta-love in this book, thankfully, and I spent most of my time going between wanting one, then the other, to win her heart. But you'll have to read to find out what happens. Felix and Ronan have a great bromance that I enjoyed reading about.  

My only complaint, and why I rated it 3.5 stars, is that this book is highly religious; more so than the blurb would lead you to believe. Sometimes, I felt I was back in religion class being preached at. In my opinion there are too many prayers and too many discussions along the same lines. I found myself skipping over those parts pretty early on in the novel. I would have been happy with a quick sentence that said she sent up a quick prayer before XX happens, rather than having to read the entire prayer as she said it in her head. As I said, I felt I was being preached at a lot. However, take that with a grain of salt. I spent my entire life being preached at, so I'm at odds with religion on most days. 

With being said, The Broken Crown was well-written; I'd be hard pressed to find more than a few errors in this novel. The characters at interesting and in-depth, and the world building was great. Overall, it's definitely worth the read and I'll be waiting for the next book in the series to see what happens. 

** I was provided a copy of this book in return for an honest review

Get it here
Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About Amryn Cross

A tomboy with southern belle roots, Amryn Cross was born and raised in Tennessee where she learned the importance of God, family, Southern hospitality, and football. She’s loved the written word from the time she was a child, convinced the squiggly lines on top of the Hostess cupcake really spelled out a secret message.

Amryn is a proud momma to two adorable puppies –Argo and Luna– who provide lots of laughs and kisses. She is also an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and My Book Therapy (MBT) and answers writers' forensic questions at Jordyn Redwood’s Medical Edge blog.

Author links

Website| Goodreads| Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

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Blog tour organized by YA Bound Book Tours