Swoon Worthy Saturday ~ Maxton from The Other Side Of Gravity by Shelly Crane

It's Swoon Worthy Saturday!

Swoon Worthy Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Stay Bookish where in we present a fictional boy who has swept us off our feet, given us butterflies, made our heart do acrobatics and driven us absolutely crazy!

This Saturday's pick is the good-hearted Maxton from author Shelly Crane's book The Other Side Of Gravity (Oxygen #1). 

Girl Power Reads ~ The Girl from Everywhere + A Study in Charlotte Review

Fearlessness. Intrigue. Girl power.

The novels The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig and A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro have something in common: intriguing female protagonists. Young women who are prepared to sail through uncharted waters or deal with murky and mysterious circumstances - young women who dream big and pursue those dreams.



A strong female character doesn't need to self-reliant to the extreme, or hard of heart. She doesn't need to carry a sword around wherever she goes, or be particularly adept at martial arts. She's powerful in her weakest moments. She's not afraid to accept support when it is offered. And she is fearless because she continues on despite her many fears.

Today's reviews are centred on girl power reads which entertained me, impressed me, and left me feeling empowered.

Whirl by Emma Raveling ~ Audiobook Review

I love me a well-narrated audiobook.

Audiobooks are the perfect marriage between books and movies. There are no directors, editors, or writers sacrificing pieces of the plot to fit a designated running time, and it's not just words on a page. It's the book you know and love, but taken to the next level. 

Characters leave their literary prisons and come to life through the vocal skills of narrators. Your imagination doesn't just turn on, it ignites, and feeds off of the raw emotions injected into every chapter, every sentence, every word.

And today I will be reviewing Whirl by Emma Raveling! 

Whirl is the first book in Emma Raveling's Ondine Quartet series which I have already fallen in love with in its normal form. I can't wait to share my audiobook experience of the book and how it made me fall even more deeply in love with the series and its characters.

So let's...get...started!

Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey ~ Blog Tour + Review

Love, Lies and Spies is a YA historical novel published on April 19th 2016 by Swoon Reads. And I am thrilled to be a part of it's blog tour!

Read on to learn more about this thrilling new book + don't forget to check out Xpresso Book Tours' fantastic giveaway (US/CAN only) at the bottom of this post.

Up in Flames by Kelly Hashway ~ Review

The next book in the Into the Fire series is here so prepare yourselves!

Up in Flames is the third book in the Into the Fire series by author Kelly Hashway. 

The book plunges its heroine Cara Tillman into new situations and presents her with new dangers. Although she has recovered her memories there are more trials to come and she will need all her Phoenix powers and all her courage in order to face them.



Read on for my thoughts on the book!

The Rose & The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh ~ Release Day Blitz

I am so excited that The Rose & The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by author Renée Ahdieh, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a paperback of The Wrath & The Dawn and a hardcover of The Rose & The Dagger and an awesome candle from The Melting Library’s Etsy Store (US Only). So if you’d like a chance to win, be sure to enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A huge thank you to Renée Ahdieh and Rockstar Book Tours for organising this blitz and making it possible.

Water's Wrath by Elise Kova ~ ARC Review

When my ARC of Water's Wrath arrived I could barely contain my excitement.



It was sitting there in all its blue glory, looking too good to be true, and I couldn't help but happy dance! Not to mention it had the best surprise ever on the inside:

'The brighter the illusion, the darker the lie.' ~ Elise Kova

Water's Wrath is the highly-anticipated fourth book in Elise Kova's YA fantasy romance Air Awakens series. 

This post includes my review of the book + an awesome giveaway hosted by Elise Kova. It's not your typical giveaway so be sure to check it out!

Also, to see my picks for an Air Awakens series dream cast, click here.

This Week's Picks ~ 5 Books To Read & Love

I apologise whole-heartedly in advance for feeding your TBR pile.



Being an avid bookworm myself, I know just how terrible it is to see a post titled 'Books To Read & Love'. It might as well be called 'More Books For You To Love From Afar Because You Have TOO MANY BOOKS To Possibly Read In This Lifetime'.

But today I'm going to add five more brilliant books to your TBR pile. You've been warned!

Water's Wrath by Elise Kova ~ Blog Tour + Dream Cast

Emily from Emily Reads Everything has organised an amazing blog tour to celebrate the release of Water's Wrath. 

Needless to say I am super excited to be a part of this tour! Water's Wrath is the highly-anticipated fourth book in Elise Kova's YA fantasy romance Air Awakens series.

Librarian turned sorcerer. Sorcerer turned hero. Hero turned puppet.

The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. 

But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla’s fate, finally come to light. 

Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she’ll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover. 

Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

Read on for my picks for the Air Awakens series dream cast...

Maria V. Snyder Harlequin Teen Australia Blogger Event ~ Recap

Yesterday evening Harlequin Teen Australia hosted a blogger night at Harlequin HQ (Sydney, Australia) with the one and only Maria V. Snyder!

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. 

A dozen novels and numerous short stories later, Maria's learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her MA degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she's been happily sharing her knowledge with the current crop of MFA students. 

She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out. 

Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule.

To see a full list of the books Maria has written click here.

Not only did I get the chance to meet Maria (who is basically one of the reigning Queens of Fantasy Writing) but I was also given the opportunity to meet and mingle with some incredible Aussie bloggers who share my love of good books and good food.

Read on for my full recap of the evening - including an inside look into Maria's books and writing process!

A Tyranny of Petticoats ~ Summary + Review

A book featuring belles, bank robbers, and badass girls would be everything.

But one with 15 stories? 15 next-level stories written by some of my favourite YA authors? That would be out of this world!

Luckily for me I don't have to travel to outer-space or to another dimension because this dream book is more than just the result of many months of fangirl daydreaming. The sisterhood of YA writing goddesses have come together and made this dream a reality, bringing us lucky readers a bunch of entertaining and intriguing tales that are sure to have you planning your own thrilling adventure sometime soon.

Read on for my thoughts on the book + spoiler-free summaries of each of the 15 stories!

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead ~ Release Day Blitz

I am so excited that The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special giveaway!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by author Richelle Mead, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book and a $25 Sephora Gift Card courtesy of Richelle, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy today's blitz!

Sorting The Shelves ~ Top 5 Tearjerkers

These aren't just books that made me cry.

Because let's be honest...it's absurdly easy to make me cry! All you need to do is give me:

(A) An adorable couple and tear them apart

(B) A romantic proposal scene

(C) The death of any character ever

 (D) Cute animals finding new homes

The truth is I just get too invested in books and their characters.

But these books are the ones that not only made me cry...they tore. Me. APART.

After reading these books I wasn't able to communicate/sleep/read other books/do anything without bursting into tears and becoming a weepy inconsolable mess. The authors of these books were able to reach through the pages of their books and tear my heart out of my chest!

So be sure and stock up on tissue boxes, ice-cream, and wine because we're about to get super serious up in here. Prepare yourself for my top 5 tearjerkers of all time.

(And by 'all time' I mean 'the almost 21 years of life I've stumbled my way through')

Also, although each of these books made me cry a sea of tears, they are all amazing books written by incredibly talented authors. So don't be afraid to pick them up and give them a go!