Hello!

I have been so MIA on the blog this month and I am so sorry for that! I’ve been insanely busy with getting all of my wedding stuff done. I don’t have much longer! I’ll still be popping in from time to time to read your blogs and comment as much as I can, but I still have lots more things to do for my wedding. Luckily it’s all the little things. As for my reading, I have done pretty awesome this month with that. I’ve been using whatever free time I have left to read.

Here is what I read this month. You can find a full list of these books and the other books I read this year over here. All will be linked to Goodreads below and I will also link to individual blog posts for them if I did a review.

Physically Read Books:
These are the books that I read by myself (not audiobooks) throughout the month of February.

The Complete Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway – 4 out of 5 stars.
I’ve never read any Hemingway stories, but I was helping a friend out with a project so I read them. Some were boring. Some were really good. I loved the Nick stories the most.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon – Review. – 5 out of 5 stars.
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon – 5 out of 5 stars.
Please excuse my language, but HOLY. FUCK. THIS. SERIES. I love it so much. All the feels. All the craziness. The world. The characters. WARDEN, sigh. Forever love him. I am so excited that The Song Rising is releasing next week, because I need more! Feel free to check out my review of The Bone Season for more.

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner – Review. – 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Zentner has done it again. Shattered my heart. This book was SO good. It was as good as I hoped it would be. It was emotional. It was sad. It broke my heart so many times over. I flew through it, because it was hard to put down. Great characters. Great story. Great message. Feel free to check out my review for more.

The Ghost at 95 by Barry Lyga – 4 out of 5 stars.
Loving the University by Barry Lyga – # out of 5 stars.
These are short stories written by Barry Lyga (author of the Jasper Dent (I Hunt Killers) series. Each month in 2017 he’s releasing a new story (that can only be bought within that month and then they are gone) and all the proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU defend the First Amendment. I think that’s pretty awesome and generous of him. I really enjoyed these two and I am looking forward to see what the rest of the short stories for the year are!

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp –  4 out of 5 stars.
I’m glad I finally read this book. It was so intense and so crazy. I flew through it. It was so hard to put down. It was also really sad.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma – 5 out of 5 stars.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile now and I finally did. I wasn’t sure what to expect, because it’s about sibilings that fall in love with each other. It ended up being so much more than that though. At times I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel, because it’s so wrong but so sad. This book seriously broke my heart. Shattered it. I cried quite a bit and I wasn’t expecting the ending at all. I was picturing something completely different and BOOM! Killed me. Heartbreaking story.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins – 4 out of 5 stars.
Something fun! I needed this after all the sad books I read this month. I really enjoyed Lola. It was a fun story and I loved the characters. Cricket…loved him. I was thrilled when I seen that Anna and St. Clair (from Anna and the First Kiss) was also in the book. I loved them in the first book.

February Book Haul

My book haul is so small this month. I have been trying so hard not to buy any books. Book Outlet has been on point with their books this year, but somehow I have stayed away from them and didn’t get any. There are probably 15+ on their site RIGHT NOW that I want and I have been good. LOL. I did get a few books though.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Mathew Quick

I’ve been wanting Milk and Honey for awhile now and decided to finally get it. Super stoked to read it. I read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and loved it. I seen it at the Dollar Tree (if you didn’t know, it’s a store that everything cost only one dollar), so I got that one since I don’t own it.

What did you read this month? Have you read any of the books that I read? What new books did you get this month? Feel free to link me to your wrap up and book haul posts!

That’s all for my February wrap up and book haul. I am pretty happy with the month of February. I’m not entirely sure how much reading I will get done in March since my wedding is happening pretty soon, but I am starting The Night Circus and will definitely be reading The Song Rising.

I hope you have a great day!

Super stoked to share this really cool Renegade Red announcement with you guys! Continue reading for more! 😀

CALLING ALL BOOK BLOGGER RENEGADES!

YOU are the new face of the book world, and we want YOU to be a part of the big release for RENEGADE RED, the second book of the Award-Winning series, THE LIGHT TRILOGY!  We have some FANTASTIC bookish prizes for our participants, so please sign up for your special advanced access to RENEGADE RED, the sequel to SHATTERED BLUE, and join our Renegade Army!

HOW IT WORKS:

We will provide you with early, exclusive NetGalley access to this hotly anticipated sequel, as well as a ready-made post with the cover art, book summary, and background on the series. In return, you promise to post your honest review of the novel to your Blog and Goodreads between 2/1-3/14, and on publication day (March 14) to Amazon. We will also provide you ready-made graphics to use on social media—all that’s missing is you!

AND, by joining our RENEGADE blog tour and posting, you will be AUTOMATICALLY entered in a special BLOGGER GIVEAWAY: for a gorgeous Renegade Red shattered light necklace (retail value: $124) & a signed Special Limited Edition hardcover copy of RENEGADE RED, featuring the rare Traveler Collector’s Cover. And the more you post, the more entries you gain in the giveaway!

Additionally, if you send us Proof of Preorder for any version of RENEGADE RED, you will also be entered into a special PREORDER BLOGGER GIVEAWAY, for a complete set of Renegade Red Bookmarks (4 in all) and a $150 giftcard to Amazon! Send proof of purchase to thelighttrilogy@yahoo.com.

Please go to http://laurenbirdhorowitz.com/renedage-red/blog-tour/ – We can’t wait to have you on #TeamRENEGADE, and we thank you all so much for your love and dedication to the Book World!

Feel free to follow Lauren on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
Twitter: birdaileen
Instagram: birdaileen
Facebook: Lauren “Birdaileen” Horowitz

I hope you have a great day!

Introducing RENEGADE RED, Sequel to Award-Winning SHATTERED BLUE

ONLY A RENEGADE WILL SURVIVE

Reckless, desperate, and distraught, Noa Sullivan leaps into a collapsing Portal in the explosive finale of Shattered Blue— the jaw-dropping, award-winning first installment in The Light Trilogy— in wild hope of rescuing her little sister Sasha. Now Noa and the Fae brothers who love her—Callum and Judah Forsythe—must find a way to survive not only across worlds but between them, in places so treacherous and deceptive their own minds are twisted against them. As the three fight to survive their passage, they battle not only enemies but themselves, and their darkest, most difficult secrets.

Surviving, however, is only the beginning: Noa needs to find Sasha. That means becoming a warrior herself, one just as fierce as the magical brothers battling for her love. Across broken cities, underground labyrinths, rushing floods and endless skies; in the face of legions of armies, horrifying tyrants, and the most deceitful of friends, can Mortal Noa rescue her sister—and understand her own heart—in time to escape the most deadly of magic realms?

Collect all three of RENEGADE RED’s limited edition covers, revealed by USA TODAY

“Poetry on every page. Horowitz paints pure beauty with her tangle of heart stopping words.
The Light Trilogy is magic typeset.”
– E.J Mellow (Author of The Dreamland Series)

“A vibrant blend of dystopian dysfunction and ethereal fantasy…a thrill ride.”
– J. Kowallis, Author of The Enertia Trials

“Beautifully written with a poetic soul…Renegade Red isn’t just a sequel. It is the continuation of a magical story that weaves itself into your heart, leaving you breathless.”
– Kristen Hunt, Author of Blonde Eskimo

“A must read”
– VOYA Magazine

Hardcover    Paperback    E-book

Hardcover    Paperback    E-book

Add to Goodreads

Paperback    E-book    Audible

Paperback    Audible

Add to Goodreads

“Anyone who’s ever fantasized about kissing a Fae will enjoy Noa and Callum’s
first, sexy kiss. . . . Hip. . . fast-moving. . . lyrically concise.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“I guarantee you’ll be hooked and anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.”
—USA TODAY, Must-read Romances of 2015

“A fantastical tale of love and betrayal
. . . more than enough emotion and angst to keep any romance-loving teenager
glued to the pages, and the promise of a trilogy will keep them eagerly
anticipating the next book.”
—SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

“A book to fall for”
—BUZZFEED

“Not your average fairy tale . . .will have you clamoring for more of a story that
you didn’t see coming . . . new and surprising.”
—HYPABLE

“Magic, action and a really, really attractive love interest . . .
what more could you want?”
—GLITTER MAGAZINE

“A love story you won’t soon forget . . .
a story of protection, sacrifice, and love.”
—SHEKNOWS.COM

“Book To Lean On When The Going Gets Tough.”
—BUSTLE

“A Book for All Ages”
—MARIASHRIVER.COM

“Fae, magic, elemental control . . . two hot, confused brothers . . .
LIKE YES PLEASE . . . WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR!”
– Benjamin Alderson,
Benjaminoftomes Book Tube

CAN LOVE SPAN WORLDS?

For Noa and Callum, being together is dangerous, even deadly. From the start, sixteen-year-old Noa senses that the mysterious transfer student to her Monterey boarding school is different. Callum unnerves and intrigues her, and even as she struggles through family tragedy, she’s irresistibly drawn to him. Soon they are bound by his deepest secret: Callum is Fae, banished from another world after a loss hauntingly similar to her own.

But in Noa’s world, Callum needs a special human energy, Light, to survive; his body steals it through touch—or a kiss. And Callum’s not the only Fae on the hunt. When Callum is taken, Noa must decide: Will she sacrifice everything to save him? Even if it means learning their love may not be what she thought?

LAUREN BIRD HOROWITZ, screenwriter and novelist, has won an enthusiastic following for her innovative, lyrical poetic voice. Her debut novel Shattered Blue: Book One of The Light Trilogy, won the 2016 Independent Publishers’ (IPPY) Silver Medal for Young Adult Fiction, as well as Finalist honors in the 2016 USA Book Awards for Best New Fiction and Best New Fantasy, the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2016 International Book Award for Best Fantasy. It was also listed as one of USA Today’s top romances of 2015, and selected as a notable book by Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Hypable, San Francisco Book Review, Glitter, The Culturalist, Teen Reads, Maria Shriver.com, Bustle and others.

Bird studied writing at Harvard University with novelist Jamaica Kincaid, winning several prizes including the Edward Eager Memorial Prize for fiction and Winthrop-Sargent Prize for writing. She’s a proud member of the Writers Guild of America.

www.LaurenBirdHorowitz.com

thelighttrilogy@yahoo.com

Lauren “Birdaileen” Horowitz

@birdaileen

@birdaileen

Check out my Renegade Red review down below.

Renegade Red by Lauren Bird Horowitz
5 out of 5 stars.

“The smell, the feel, intoxicated; she was drunk with pages white, thirsting for ink.”

I loved Shattered Blue so much and I was dying to see what happens next in the trilogy. Above is a closer look at the different covers that you can get Renegade Red in. As you read the book, you’ll see how all the different covers fit along with the book. Such a cool concept with the three different covers, so exciting!

One of my favorite things about Shattered Blue is that there is poetry written in the book that connects with the story as well. I was so happy to see that Renegade Red also had poetry included as well. A lot of the lines in the book even had a poetry feel to them. It all flows together nicely and it’s one of my favorite things!

“I’m a poet, Judah. Words are sacred.”

It was awesome jumping back into the Light Trilogy and getting to read more about the characters that I love, especially my fictional crush Judah! Noa was totally a “girl beast” in this book and it was awesome. She a total bad-ass and I loved it. You get to see a whole new side of Callum and Judah in this book, which I loved. In Renegade Red they are in Aurora, so it was cool getting a glimpse of Judah and Callum’s world; the fae world. Being in Aurora meant a ton of new characters! It was exciting to be introduced to new characters. Some you’ll love and some you’ll really dislike.

Noa, Judah, and Callum are on the hunt to find Noa’s sister Sasha and it gets pretty crazy throughout. Renegade Red is a lot darker (and a little creepy) than Shattered Blue was, but I loved that. It was different and cool. Renegade Red is twisted in so many ways and when you think you know what’s going on, you have no idea. I thought I had it all figured out and time after time I was shocked and surprised. I wanted to scream and I wanted to throw the book, lol. All in the best way, because it was such a good book.

Overall, Renegade Red was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved how it all played out and I loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat every single page. Amazing. There are so many twist in this book. The ending, OMG. I am already dying for the third book. Mind-blowing! Your heart will stop and it will shatter. I am still trying to pick up the pieces.

“Love is tricky, and love is strong. Not some flower but a warrior weed, growing in any condition, through any obstacle, surviving froze tundras, pushing up through cracks in stone!”

Renegade Red will be released March 14th, so mark your calendars! If you haven’t read Shattered Blue, go pick it up now!

I hope you are as excited about this release as I am!

Hey! 🙂

I hope you guys had a good first month of the new year! I got quite a lot of books this month, but VERY cheap or free! I only paid full price (well Amazon full price) for three books. I’m also including some other bookish goodies that I got this month as well aside from just books. I am doing my post a little different this month, because when I rearranged my bookshelves earlier in January I already put away all the books that I bought and I really didn’t want to get them all down to take pictures. I usually don’t put my books away until after I take my monthly haul pictures. I am using pictures that I took for my bookstagram throughout the month of January for a lot of these haul pictures. Now let’s get into my January book haul!

Amazon.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

These beauties are finally here! I don’t plan to buy a lot of new releases this year. These are two of my most anticipated books of the year and I am stoked to read them both. Also, the book covers for both of these books are even more amazing in person. You’ll see bigger versions of these two pictures down below as well, because I need them for my bookish goodies section of the post. 😛

Pick Me Up by Adam J. Kurtz
*linked to Amazon*

I got Pick Me Up, because it reminds me of Wreck This Journal (which I love) and it’s a fun little journal time book. I figured this one will be good for this year, especially because I see a lot of stressful times ahead for me this year.

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Robin Brown
Belle (OUAT) Funko

I was taking part in Maren’s (The Worn Bookmark) read my book challenge last year and I won her giveaway! So I bought these three things with that Amazon gift card that I won from her. Thanks again, Maren! 😀 I’ve been wanting The Diabolic since before it came out and now I finally have it. Georgia Peaches was really high on my want list and Belle is my favorite from OUAT.

Book Depository.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
This Girl by Colleen Hoover

This was my first time ordering from Book Depository and probably my last, because This Girl came damaged. I knew it would take a long time to get to me (which I was fine with), but when it finally got to me it was damaged and that made the wait more annoying in the end. It has a scratch right across the front cover and a tear. You can’t really see it in the picture, but in person it looks pretty bad. 😦 Anyway! I’ve read almost all of CoHo’s books, but I don’t own them all yet, so I’ve been slowly collecting them. I haven’t read This Girl yet and I love the UK covers, so I decided to order the three books in the Slammed series from BD. I really loved the first two books and I am stoked to read This Girl.

Goodwill || Other.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
A Man Called Ove by Fedrik Backman
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

I went to Goodwill with my mom and my sister and I ended up finding a lot of good books! I got five books for a total of $10.50! Amazing deal and they were all hardcovers in amazing condition! All of these were $1.99 each! A Man Called Ove my mom got for me when we were out one Saturday night. I was also sent a copy of the Hemingway stories, so I could help a friend out with a project.

Other Bookish Things.

The Light trilogy (Shattered Blue) has a jewelry line that goes along with the book series. All the jewelry is amazing! Last year I got a blue talisman bracelet (read the book to find out what it’s for 😛 ) which was for Shattered Blue. Renegade Red is releasing in in March and there is now new jewelry pieces to go along with that book! I purchased one of the color tube charm bracelets, which I am obsessed with!

You can choose between four different color tubes and you can customize the charms with whatever initials that you want. I went with a red tube for my boy Judah and J+N for my ship. There is also a red talisman that I am dying to get my hands on. I plan to eventually buy one of those ones things settle down for me after the wedding. Speaking of wedding! I ended up buying another charm bracelet and customized it to wear at my wedding! It hasn’t arrived yet, but I am stoked to see it in person.

This was my last Read Happy Plan package. I decided to cancel it for a bit this year, but I will definitely be getting it later on in the year once I don’t have so many things going on that needs money! lol. February is going to be quite the expensive month for me, sigh.

Craftedvan makes and sells magnetic bookmarks on Etsy and they came up with a new subscription service called the Read Happy Plan and every month you get a set of bookmarks and an art print. For this month the color theme was blue and it was a space theme, which I love! I didn’t take a picture of the things by themselves, but here is the picture I took of it with Carve the Mark.

Included:
Planet Print
UFO Alien bookmark
Astronaut & Rocket book mark
Milk carton that has a galaxy on it that says “Milky Way” bookmark

I also got these really cool Falling Kingdoms buttons from the publisher since I preordered Crystal Storm! 😀 Hopefully I will finally get to reading CS in February. I also got some preorder swag from preordering Caraval, which is pictured down below. Tote bag, tattoos, poster, colored pencils, and a map poster that you can color.

I did get the Nerdy Post this month as well, but I didn’t take any pictures of it because I actually got it for the fiance. It was Star Wars themed and I don’t really like Star Wars. I seen one movie (a newer one last year), but never seen the others. He loves Star Wars though, so I got it for him. It had a lot of neat things though.

That’s all for my book haul! No more book buying for me for the next few months. I have lots to do for my wedding and save a little money for the honeymoon! What new books did you get this month? Have you read any of the books that I got? Feel free to link me to your book haul posts if you have one!

In case you missed it;
Recap|| January.
Two Year Blogiversary!
JOIN the Renegade Red Blog Tour!

I hope you have a great day!