Books Via Ashley

Well, I certainly started off the year with a bang! Even though I got home from our holiday and went straight back into working and life, I still had enough time to read quite a bit! It was great having my library card reactivated. SO MANY BOOKS! And for FREE! I check out ebooks through Overdrive and they just arrive on my Kindle. Technology is truly amazing. I read a total of 12 books this month! If I keep up that pace I'll definitely overshoot my goal of 100 books this year. The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan (3 stars) Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins (3.5 stars) Retribution Rails - Erin Bowman (4.5 stars) Mother's Milk - Rachel Hunt Steenblik (4 stars) The Macedonian - Nicholas Guild (3.5 stars) The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan (4 stars) Warcross - Marie Liu (4 stars) The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan (4 stars) The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan (4 stars) The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan (4 stars) The Mark of Athena ...

As many avid book readers know, there are more books than hours to read them. Thus, I have a HUGE pile of books from last year and the years before that that I've been meaning to read... And just never got around to! Then I ran across this challenge to Beat The Backlist . It's pretty easy; you're assigned to a team and the more books you read from your backlist (i.e., anything published before this year), the more points your team gets. Plus there's random prizes each month if your team wins, along with some challenges! Anyway, it's pretty relaxed, but just kind of a fun way to keep myself on track and accountable for clearing off that TBR a little bit! I challenged myself to read 100 books this year, and I want half of those to be books on my backlist! I've been doing pretty good in January so far! Oh, and my team is the Book Bards! Such a fun name!

Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman Synopsis (from Goodreads) When Reece Murphy is forcibly dragged into the Rose Riders gang because of a mysterious gold coin in his possession, he vows to find the man who gave him the piece and turn him over to the gang in exchange for freedom. Never does he expect a lead to come from an aspiring female journalist. But when Reece's path crosses with Charlotte Vaughn after a botched train robbery and she mentions a promising rumor about a gunslinger from Prescott, it becomes apparent that she will be his ticket to freedom—or a noose. As the two manipulate each other for their own ends, past secrets are unearthed, reviving a decade-old quest for revenge that may be impossible to settle. Review I LOVED this book. I got a paperback ARC from a friend (even though it came out in November) and so I quickly checked out Vengeance Road from the library (which I loved). Then I still wanted some good ole Wild West fun, so I dove right into this book....

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman Synopsis  (from Goodreads) When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal. Review This was my last book of 2017, and it was good enough to make it to my top books list for the year! A friend gave me a copy of the companion novel, Retribution Rails , so naturally I had to read Vengeance Road first! Luckily it was available at the library and I devoured it in only a couple days. Vengeance...

The Macedonian  by Nicholas Guild * I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review * Synopsis (from Goodreads) On a cold, snow-swept night in the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, a son is born to the king’s principal wife. His mother hates him for being his father’s child. His father hardly notices him. With two elder brothers, obscurity seems his destiny. The boy is sent off to be nursed by the chief steward’s wife. Yet, in a moment of national crisis, when Macedon is on the verge of being torn apart, the prince raised by a servant finds himself proclaimed the king. This is the story of Philip, prince and king, the forgotten boy who rose to save his country and became a legend in his own lifetime. His extensive military conquests across the Greek peninsula would pave the way for expansion under his son, Alexander the Great. Review I was initially drawn this book because I'm a lover of ancient history, and I wanted to know...

Another great year of books has come and gone, and this year is looking to be just as amazing! Here are some of the books I'm looking forward to for the first few months of 2018! January The Cruel Prince - Holly Black Jan 2 Jude fights within the Faerie Court to win a place for herself and to save her sisters. Reign the Earth - A. C. Gaughen Jan 30 After a political marriage to save her people, Shalia discovers she has the magical powers her new husband wants to eliminate. February The Belles - Dhonielle Clayton Feb 6 Camellia joins the royal court in order to be the best of the Belles, but discovers that dark secrets lurk behind the beauty and that she is far more powerful than she ever imagined. The Queen's Rising - Rebecca Ross Feb 6 Brienna is caught up in a plot to overthrow the King and bring back the rightful Queen, and her magic. But who will be that Queen? The Rogue Queen   (Queen #3)  - Emily R. King Feb 13 The third book in the Hundredt...

Wow, 2017 was a GREAT year for books! I read a total of 104 out of my goal of 100 for the year. The Reader - Traci Chee Wayfarer - Alexandra Bracken Windwitch - Susan Dennard The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead Behind the Throne - K. B. Wagers Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas Empire of Storms - Sarah J. Maas The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J. Maas Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon Carve The Mark - Veronica Roth Caraval - Stephanie Garber When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi After the Crown - K. B. Wagers A Gathering of Shadows - V. E. Schwab [reread] A Conjuring of Light - V. E. Schwab Daring Greatly - Brené Brown Beyond the Savanna - Maryann Martinsen Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza Norse Gods - Neil Gaiman Traitor to the Throne - Alwyn Hamilton Starflight - Melissa Landers The Magicians - Levi Grossman Snapshot - Brandon Sanderson Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters [...