Weekly Recap: 7/23 - 7/29

TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG This week the puppy's training adventure continued. He learned a little, but the trainers are still having a bit of trouble because of his short attention span. We actually ended up at the vet for another issue and left with medication to help calm him down so he can focus. Here's hoping that helps in his last week of training! We spent some time looking at various supplies for outdoor projects we're hoping to get to soon and that's about the most exciting thing that's happened in the last few days! In TV news, I'm finishing up the last season of Pretty Little Liars, finished Big Little Lies (which I...

ARC Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1)  Author: Mackenzi Lee  Publication Date: June 27, 2017Publisher: Katherine Tegen BooksPages: 513Add to Goodreads Review for book 2 Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure...

Can't-Wait Wednesday #7: The Glass Spare by Lauren Destefano

Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: The Glass Spare by Lauren Destefano Publication Date: October 24, 2017 A banished princess. A deadly curse. A kingdom at war. Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance. Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns...

Audiobook Review: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Title: The Magicians (The Magicians #1)  Author: Lev Grossman Publication Date: August 11, 2009Publisher: VikingPages: 402Add to Goodreads Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey...

Weekly Recap: 7/16-7/22

TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG The puppy has completed his first week of school!! He can walk on a leash like a normal dog, come when you call him (on leash), and sometimes he can lay down. That's, um... that's about it. His trainers want to keep him for an extra week since he has a non-existent attention span, but the good news is he's learning! Other than the puppy's training, I haven't done much this week. I've enjoyed my time with my other two puppers and watched some fun movies. Hopefully I'll be reviewing some of them soon!! NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK    THIS WEEK I READ   MC'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE...

Twilight Book Tag

Happy Friday, friends!! The week is ALMOST over and we can all breathe a sigh of relief! Today I'm bringing back a super old tag that I found on Youtube from way back in 2012. (Honestly, can you believe 2012 was five years ago?) I've been having a bit of an embarrassing Twilight movie binge between yesterday and today (although I hate the books and don't actually love the movies???), so it seemed like a fun tag to fit the theme of the week! If you're reading this, I tag you! (Mostly Jen. I tag you.) WHICH TEAM ARE YOU ON? Even though I do think he's pretty creepy, I'm Team Edward all day. I actually love Jacob's long hair and if he'd...

Audiobook Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Title: A Madness So Discreet Author: Mindy McGinnis Publication Date: October 6, 2015Publisher: Katherine Tegen BooksPages: 376Add to Goodreads Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant...

Can't-Wait Wednesday #6: Origin by Dan Brown

Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: Origin by Dan Brown Publication Date: October 3, 2017 Bilbao, Spain  Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier,...

ARC Review: The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

Title: The Library of Fates Author: Aditi Khorana Publication Date: July 18, 2017 Publisher: RazorbillPages: 354Add to Goodreads A romantic coming-of-age fantasy tale steeped in Indian folklore, perfect for fans of The Star-Touched Queen and The Wrath and the Dawn No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn't enough. The unthinkable happens, and Amrita...

Weekly Recap: 7/9 - 7/15

TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG Before I start my actual recap, I'd like to ask everyone who has the time and inclination to fill out this super short, totally anonymous survey! (function(e,t,s,n){var o,c,r;e.SMCX=e.SMCX||[],t.getElementById(n)||(o=t.getElementsByTagName(s),c=o[o.length-1],r=t.createElement(s),r.type="text/javascript",r.async=!0,r.id=n,r.src=["https:"===location.protocol?"https://":"http://","widget.surveymonkey.com/collect/website/js/ssgekjVeNEv0FALsuPZeD_2F10RevOtdh0l5Cklpz88CL1V6iFeIDW_2BFYQCrT1rQE2.js"].join(""),c.parentNode.insertBefore(r,c))})(window,document,"script","smcx-sdk"); Okay, now that's out of the...

Audiobook Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Title: Requiem (Delirium #3)  Author: Lauren Oliver Publication Date: March 5, 2013Publisher: HarperTeenPages: 392Add to Goodreads Reviews for book 1 & book 2 Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate...

Can't-Wait Wednesday #5: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston Publication Date: October 3, 2017 Set in a near-future world where the British Empire never fell and the United States never rose, That Inevitable Victorian Thing is a novel of love, duty, and the small moments that can change people and the world. Victoria-Margaret is the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendent of Victoria I, the queen who changed the course of history two centuries earlier. The imperial practice of genetically arranged matchmaking will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous...

Top Ten Tuesday #152: Books I Never Wrote a Review For

Today's Topic:  Top Ten Books I Loved But  Never Wrote A Review For Happy Tuesday! Since my favorite meme is officially on hiatus, I decided to take one from the vault that I didn't have a chance to do! This week I'm sharing books I really enjoyed but didn't get to review. Some of these are from before my blogging days that I'd love to re-read and some are books I just never had time to write a review for.  Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon Cinder by Marissa Meyer The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Divergent by Veronica Roth Enclave by Ann Aguirre The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan The Hunger...

We're looking for guest posts (and why guest posting is awesome)!

Happy Monday, everyone!! I hope your weekend was fantastic and that you're having a great start to the week! (Okay, I'm just trying to hype up Mondays, but we know they all suck - go get yourself a cupcake!) WHAT WE'RE IN SEARCH OF I'm here to put out the call for guest posters for the blog! It's possible that I've mentioned once or twice that I'll be going on vacation later this summer. There will be a few weeks where I may or may not have wifi and my blog posting capabilities will be questionable. MC will still be here and of course I'll blog ahead, but it does seem like a great opportunity for guest posts! WHY GUEST POSTING IS AWESOME Maybe...

Weekly Recap: 7/2 - 7/8

TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG Happy Sunday, everyone!! I hope you all had a fantastic week and a great holiday to anyone who was celebrating. My week was fairly uneventful. I signed my pupper up for obedience school, which he'll be starting in about a week (thankfully)! I can't wait to send him off to the trainers to learn how to not be a complete psycho. I spent a lot of this week looking for paint colors for my bedroom and bathroom! My husband probably isn't thrilled, but I'm excited to get the walls spruced up a bit from their neutral gray! NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK     THIS WEEK I READ   MC'S...