Top Ten Tuesday: Books Kayla Reviewed That I Need to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Ten Books That Kayla Reviewed That I Need to Read

I'm going to do something a little different this week. If someone I know and trust recommends a book to me, I'll normally read it almost immediately if I can get my hands on it. So I don't really have a lot of book recommendations sitting around that I need to read. However, Kayla has been reviewing for quite a while and has an abundant amount of books that she rated highly. I've made my way through some of them, and this is a list of some of the books I need to read sooner rather than later.



1. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
October 14, 2014
I am loving this science fiction fairy tale retellings trend. Snow White and a frozen planet - I'm sold. You can read Kayla's review HERE.



2. Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1) by Caroline Carlson and Dave Phillips
Cute adventure fantasy with a girl and a talking gargoyle wanting to become pirates. Of course I want to read this. Kayla recommended the audio version, so I jumped on the chance when Audible had a children's family sale. You can read Kayla's review HERE.

Internal Review: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

A DYING LAND

The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST

The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT

Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Title: Stormdancer
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: September 18, 2012
My Review

Me: Well, well, well, you FINALLY read Stormdancer.

Myself: You knew that I would! I just had to get around to it.

Me: Oh, please, you're the biggest procrastinator ever!

Myself: Whatever, I read the book, marveled at the epic world-building, basked in my crush on Yukiko, and cried like a bitch at the end.

Armchair BEA 2013: Introduction

To learn more about Armchair BEA, visit HERE.
This is the second year that I've participated in Armchair BEA, and I'm very excited about it. In fact, I'm currently sitting in a hotel room, taking time from my vacation to write this post. Truth be told, this is the only thing keeping me from dying of jealousy of the bloggers that are actually going to BEA this year. I've gotten more than a few invitation to some publishers' blogger parties, and each one has made me die a little inside because I WANT TO GO! But I digress. I think I should get on to my introduction questions.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

*waves* I'm Kayla, and I am very happy to meet you. I've had Bibliophilia, Please since June 2011, but I didn't really start using it consistently until December 2011. I got into blogging because I needed another outlet to profess my love of Kevin Hearne, and my personal life blog wasn't really the place for it. I haven't reviewed one of his books on here in ages, but I try to bring him up at least once a week here. So if you think you'll be sticking around for a while, brace yourself for the Kevin Hearne fangirliness. I even have Will here with me now, who I met through Kevin Hearne fandom. Aren't we just adorkable?

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

Book Thoughts: An Internal Dialogue About Stormdancer

Me: Hey, Kayla, didn't you read Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff last year?

Myself: Umm... Hey! I ordered that book sometime in 2011 (I think) before it had any cover art. I appealed to all the Powers to get an ARC, but was unsuccessful. Did you know that Kevin Hearne, one of my nerd idols, said that the book was awesome? I bought the book on his recommendation alone!

Me: Yeah, I know all of that already. We're the same person, remember? But didn't you grab it and start reading it as soon as it came out?!

Myself: Yep, I sure did! It had some of the most beautifully crafted world-building that I've ever encountered in a novel. I have absolutely no idea why it is even classified as YA except that Yukiko is a teen. I think it has to do with marketing, but I think the YA tag may turn off some adult readers that haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet. It should be classified as "AWESOME" and leave it as that.

Me: I agree completely. How long did it take you to finish it?

Myself: Have you SEEN the cover art for Kinslayer?!


Me: Oh yeah, it is totally badass, though Cuddlebuggery's reveal kind of made it awkward to look at. I think it's the veins on the sea creatures neck.

Myself: *stares at the cover* Yeah... But seriously, I have a crush on these covers. There is just so much badassery going on that it's almost painful to look at the cover. I think I'd switch teams for Yukiko if I wasn't afraid that she'd kick my ass!

Me: Yes, she would totally kick your ass. I'm sorry to interrupt your rambling, but when did you finish READING Stormdancer?

Myself: *glares*

Me: *waits*

Myself: *glares*

Me: OMG! You didn't finish reading it?!

Myself: You know what, you're just some crazy figment of my imagination that is OUT TO GET ME!

Me: Bahahaha! You totally didn't finish the book! You fantard so hard over Jay Kristoff, but you didn't even read the @$%^&!* book! Kayla, seriously, what the hell is going on with you?!

Myself: See, what had happened was—

Me: *groans*

Myself: Fine! I was working three jobs, juggling review copies, and it kind of ended up back on the shelf. It happens!

Me: You know what, you suck just a little bit. You know damn good and well that Stormdancer was primed up to be the best thing you read last year. What's really going on?

Myself: *shuffles feet*

Me: Spill it!

Myself: Okay, okay! I don't want to cry.

Me: You don't want to cry?

Myself: Yeah, I don't want to cry.

Me: Why would you cry?

Myself: Well, everyone seems to have it on these "made-me-cry" shelves on Goodreads. And even Jay says in his "About Me" section states that he doesn't believe in happy endings.

Me: Do you want to know what I think?

Myself: No.

Me: I'm going to tell you anyway.

Myself: I figured that.

Me: Just go read the damn book.

Myself: Ha! I one-upped you there! I bought the audiobook on Audible, and I've been listening to it. I'm taking my hardcover with me on vacation so I can read in the car. So neener neener neener!

Me: How about you stop talking to yourself now? Everyone is going to think you're crazier than what they already do.

Myself: Actually, you're the one who started it.

Me: Touché.

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Title: Stormdancer
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (Macmillan)
Release Date: September 18, 2012

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium is verging on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshippers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of the imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.