#01 What Did I Read, Wednesday?!

What Did I Read, Wednesday?!

What Did I Read, Wednesday?!, is a brand new feature here on the blog that will showcase the books that I'm planning on reading the following month and recap the books that I've read during the current month. Sometimes it will be in vlog format and others it will be a normal blog post, but I wanted to think of a cool way of recapping and the month in reads (whether they were good, bad, or in between) and also sharing what I'm planning to read next. I'll also share any recent blog posts, reviews, etc.

So, to ask the question, what did I read this month and what am I planning on reading next month?!

In no particular order, I read...

Rebellion has a price.
Blood Rights (House of Comarre #1) by Kristen Painter
Flesh and Blood (House of Comarre #2) by Kristen Painter

I've totally fallen in love with the world that Kristen Painter has created in this series. I don't usually read that many adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels, but for some reason I was getting bored with just reading mostly YA and needed to branch out a little bit. So, I decided to pick up this series, because it's one that I've been curious about and kind of wanting to read for a long time. I'm actually planning on doing a series review vlog style, once I'm finished with this series and I'm definitely going to try to finish it by the end of this year hopefully. I'm currently reading the third book, so we'll see how that goes.

It could happen tomorrow . . .
Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick
Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2) by Ilsa J. Bick
Monsters (Ashes Trilogy #3) by Ilsa J. Bick

I was offered the chance to review this entire series and giveaway a finished copy of the final book, Monsters, in the trilogy. I've always been curious about this series, but never really had the time or made the time to sit down and read it and when I got the chance, I jumped at it. Holy dystopia, whoa! I knew I was hoping that I would enjoy it, but I was really surprised with just HOW MUCH I actually ended up liking it. I think my favorite book was the final one, Monsters, simply because it wasn't just physical monsters that the MC's were dealing with but also the monsters in their heads and wrestling with their hearts. If you'd like to check out my review for it, head over to Goodreads and take a look you can also find it on the blog. I'll have reviews for the first two books in the trilogy up, probably around the first of the new year. So, keep an eye out for that.

An explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.
Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

I just recently had the chance of reading this and actually enjoyed it a lot. After being a bit underwhelmed by Dare You To, I was a little worried about how much I would like this one and so I went in a little cautious and came out really enjoying what it had to offer. So, I would definitely suggest picking this one up if you're a fan of New Adult books and this set of companion novels as well. I have a review coming up for this one within the next week or so, definitely keep an eye out for my thoughts in more detail.

What am I planning on reading next?!

Bad Blood (House of Comarre #3) by Kristen Painter
Out for Blood (House of Comarre #4) by Kristen Painter
Last Blood (House of Comarre #5) by Kristen Painter
Forbidden Blood (House of Comarre #0.5) by Kristen Painter

I have really been enjoying this series a lot more than I expected, considering that I don't actually read many adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance books. This one has definitely captured my interest and I have been enjoying the world that Kristen Painter has built, the characters, and how all of their stories entwine with one another. I'm hoping to finish this series, by the end of the year. At least, that's the plan.

What Did You Read, Wednesday?!  Tell me, I want to know it all. :)

2013 Reading Challenge

Suz has
read 106 books toward her goal of 125 books.

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106 of 125 (84%)

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I'm kind of disappointed in my Goodreads Reading Challenge for this year, I'm like 6 books behind schedule and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to catch up or not. I know there are a couple of novellas that I may try and squeeze in before this year is up, that could potentially be considered books since they're a little bit longer than your standard novella. I may also be able to squeeze in a couple other books as well, but that's going to come after I try and finish the House of Comarre series by Kristen Painter. Other than that, I'm not really going to beat myself up over it too much because the last month or so has been crazy and I've done the best I could. It's not like 106 books is a bad number, I just really wanted to meet my goal. If I get there, then I get there. I'm not stressing. :)

Book Review: Monsters (Ashes Trilogy #3) by Ilsa J. Bick

Monsters (Ashes Trilogy #3) 
by Ilsa J. Bick

Published: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Egmont USA

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia

Pages: 688

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now.

When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.

She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.

With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply.

A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise.

To Purchase Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick visit: Amazon

The Ashes Trilogy is one of the most intriguing and brilliant dystopian trilogies that I've read in quite a while. I was lucky enough to be sent review copies for each of the books in the series, including the newest one Monsters, and have fallen in love with the dark and terrifying world that Ilsa J. Bick has created. I powered through all three of these books in the span of a week and when it was over, was still left craving more. I cannot even begin to tell you the many times that Bick had me on the edge of my seat anticipating the next twist or turn she was going to throw out at me from her bag of tricks.


In this darkly rich and terrifying post-apocalyptic world, absolutely no one is safe from the Changed who are now changing and evolving with help from another source. Originally inspired and alive with overwhelming danger and horrifying truths uncovered, Monsters will deliver you to brink of insanity and plunge you into a world where hope and safety are dwindling as fast as lives are being lost. The atmospheric chaos and brutal violence is palpable and the fear is as thick as the tension. The monsters are quickly rising up from the ashes and wrecking havoc in their wake. The world is turning darker than ever and what little hope that was left once flickering, is starting to burn out with each new demise of what once was.

Through it all, Alex has been to hell and back, literally. Living with the monster in her head, left on her own to face incredible insufferable terrors, inevitable death and destruction at the hands of the monsters, and dangerous betrayal. It's been a long and winding treacherous road that she's been following, leading her to even more darkness, horrifying secrets discovered, and with no hope of rescue on her horizon at any point in the near future. Even while facing starvation in a bitter winter that is hell bent on taking her down as much as the monster in her head, she still plunges on. She still pushes ahead and fights as hard as she can, showing readers that in a world where there is little hope, just maybe a flicker still burns inside of her. The depth of her fear never holds her back from being incredibly brave, which is something that I can admire greatly in any character.

The cast of characters that Bick introduces in this trilogy are amazing and they all have their place and importance in the story being told. The way that she weaves them in and out of the story is absolutely amazing, given that it's such a big cast and they all have their own way of contributing bit by bit. Another aspect of the story that I really enjoyed was that the romance between Alex and Tom didn't overshadow the story that she was telling, but rather complimented it. Their whole reason from the beginning to the end of this series, was to be reunited with one another, yet it was told in such a way that it didn't detract from the main plot of the series or each of the books. Along their journey readers were given a chance to encounter new characters and get to know them, as both Tom and Alex fought their way back to each other. This made the idea of them coming together so much more real and believable. It will make you want to root for them, to see them end up together as they are so amazing and perfect for one another. Their story is about love, survival, and hope in the face of extremely overwhelming odds. It's absolutely beautiful!

To say that Monsters was a head trip, would be an understatement. It literally was about all of the the monsters inside of your head, the demons that you fight, and try to stamp down every chance that you get. It's the spiderweb in the darkness that ensnares you and feeds off your fear, hastening your survival, and beckoning you away from the light. All of this and so much more, is what the characters in the Ashes Trilogy has to deal with in the final riveting installment of this epic series. If you are a fan of dark dystopian novels, then this is the perfect trilogy for you. It is brutal, cunning, dangerous, full of survival, and has so much to offer.

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Among other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I'm supposed to write things like, "Ilsa J. Bick is ." Except I hate writing about myself in the third person like I'm not in the room. Helloooo, I'm right here . . . So let's just say that I'm a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right)as well as a film scholar, surgeon wannabe (meaning I did an internship in surgery and LOVED it and maybe shoulda stuck), former Air Force major—and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, e-books, and novels. Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I . . . unless you talk to my mother.

Author Interview & Giveaway with Ilsa J. Bick for the Ashes Trilogy

Recently, I had the chance to do a marathon read of the amazingly dark and intriguing Ashes Trilogy by the super incredibly talented Ilsa J. Bick. For those who have already read the trilogy or the first two books in the trilogy, I don't have to tell you how brilliant and fantastic this dark chilling dystopian world she's created really is. For those of you who haven't read it already, what are you waiting for?! 

Read. It. Now.

Seriously, I loved every single minute of reading this trilogy, and I am so thrilled to have Ilsa J. Bick on the blog today talking about everything from "keeping the cats in kibble" to what inspired her to create this stunning world Alex and Tom find themselves fighting for their survival in. I also have a giveaway for a copy of the final book in the trilogy, Monsters as well, so stay tuned for that too!

Author Interview  with Ilsa J. Bick

What inspired you to create the world that Alex and Tom find themselves fighting for survival in?

Honestly? Envy. Really.

About four or five years ago, I read a very good book with an end-of-the-world scenario and liked it so much I found myself wondering if I could pull off something like that. The problem I felt with that book—and others like it, though—was that the setups weren’t that believable; people were too well behaved; and/or we were dropped into societies eons after whatever catastrophe had taken place. So I decided that if I were to try something like that, the science would have to be fairly solid; people would act like the savages they can be; and I would let things evolve rather than simply drop readers into a world that’s already changed. What I was after for civilization to crater pretty quickly (and not because of a virus or plague, which I thought had been done to death), and then to put my characters in places where, you know, you can’t just go raid the nearest Wal-Mart.

The final book in this trilogy was pretty epic and incredibly intense, what was it like for you finishing the last chapter and knowing that it was finally over?

Well, it was both exhilarating (like, yay, me!) but also really a bummer. I mean, I’m very proud of what I’ve done with these folks and this story. In a way, though, I can’t believe it’s over. Having lived with these guys for a couple of years now, the idea of letting them go and, maybe, never revisiting them, checking up on how they’re doing and all that, is actually kind of painful. There’s no relief here either: just sadness. These are kids I really care about. So part of me is hoping they drop a dime and suggest that I revisit their lives. But we’ll see.

Now that the Ashes trilogy has come to an end, can you tell us what you have in store next?

Sure: WHITE SPACE, the first book in my new DARK PASSAGES series, will be coming out in February 2014, and I’m currently working (more like hand-to-hand combat) on the sequel, THE DICKENS MIRROR. Think The Matrix meets Inkheart and Inception, and that will give you a clue. They’re basically YA horror/psychological thrillers with a dash of sci-fi and, in the case of DICKENS MIRROR, historical fiction. I mean, think about it: how do you know—really know—that you’re real? How do you gauge that? (And what’s real mean, anyway?) And what’s life like between the lines?

Just as soon as I’m done with DM, I’ll go back to a new standalone I’m about halfway through and then revisit the first book in another projected series that I’ve also got about half-written. By the time I’m all done with those, I’m sure I’ll have thought of something else to write. Have to keep those cats in kibble.

Giveaway for a copy of Monsters  by Ilsa J. Bick

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The giveaway is for US ONLY, sorry internationals!

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Among other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I'm supposed to write things like, "Ilsa J. Bick is ." Except I hate writing about myself in the third person like I'm not in the room. Helloooo, I'm right here . . . So let's just say that I'm a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right)as well as a film scholar, surgeon wannabe (meaning I did an internship in surgery and LOVED it and maybe shoulda stuck), former Air Force major—and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, e-books, and novels. Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I . . . unless you talk to my mother.

To Purchase Ilsa J. Bick's novels visit Amazon or B&N.