End of the Year Post and New Year Resolutions


Hello  and welcome to the final post for this year on "Milky Way of Books"!
*insert drum roll*



When I started on January 2014, I didn't expect that the blog will either go well or if anyone would actually read my reviews. But 2015 was a good year. In the bookish world. I got to win and buy some of the best books and also I participated in many blog tours, cover reveals and giveaways.













I became part of the Vmafia family, the street team of the amazing Victoria Scott, and swooned over my screen when other amazing bloggers went to BEA. I still plan to save money for the trip overseas but that's another discussion.




But the most important part of 2015? I had a great time in my day job and even more my family was healthy and together.




So for the new year here are some resolutions I hope to achieve:

1. Study for my Master entry exams. Contemporary History can seriously hurt.

2. Find true love. As cheesy as it sounds, I had a bad time this year and I want to change that.

3. I hope to travel. It's a much needed time for myself and if I am able I'll do it.

4. Always help my family. Never leave the ones you love without support.

5. Read more books! 2016 will have amazing titles and my grabby hands are itching.







And last but not least, I hope you will all have a great time with your loved ones, wherever you are on the planet. If any extraterrestrial is also reading this, consider again if you want to come to our planet. We are a crazy species. Especially the bookworms!







 What will 2016 bring? Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best year! Until then I leave you with a wonderful gif I found and I'm sure you love.




Cover Reveal: "The Lie" (The Play #4) by Karina Halle

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The Lie AMAZON
   

    Their love led to a lie. Their truth led to the end. Scottish enigma Brigs McGregor is crawling out from the ashes. After losing his wife and son in a car accident - and, subsequently, his job - he's finally moving forward with his life, securing a prestigious teaching position at the University of London and starting a new chapter in the city. Slowly, but surely, he's pushing past the guilt and putting his tragic past behind him. Until he sees her.
 Natasha Trudeau once loved a man so much she thought she'd die without him. But their love was wrong, doomed from the start, and when their world crashed around them, Natasha was nearly buried in the rubble. It took years of moving on to forget him, and now that she's in London, she's ready to start over again. Until she sees him. Because some loves are too dangerous to ever rekindle. And some loves are too powerful to ignore. Can you ever have a second chance at a love that ruined you? The Lie is a second-chance romance with a dark, forbidden twist.


iBooks pre-order

 

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 And don't forget. The Play is currently only $.99 this week only!



Halle HeadshotWith her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.
Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.



 FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
 

Merry Christmas!!



I wish you the best of holidays with everyone you love and treasure! May you get many presents and enjoy this day! I'll see you on Mondy!

Until then...many kisses!!!









Review: "The Body Electric" by Beth Revis

The Body Electric by Beth Revis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift--the ability to enter people's dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother--to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things--images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience--and influence--the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love--even though Ella's never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing...

Someone's altered her memory.

Ella's gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn't even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella's head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?



BUY ON AMAZON (Click the covers)





ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series





Short story collection




REVIEW

 Beth Revis's books were the first ones I read even before I started blogging. I had found "Across the Universe" in the Greek edition yet I loved the English one more. So, when Beth announced her new novel, of course I had a mini party.

After almost a year of waiting and many reviews of other bloggers, I was able to read "The Body Electric". And wasn't I surprised.



The story takes place far in the future in Malta, which has changed over the years, and after a war, into a center of technology and androids. Ella lives with her sick mother and works with her godmother in a mental spa in which you don't go for massage but to live your happiest memories, a system Ella's mother invented. When Jack appears bearing cryptic messages about Ella's past and her father's death, everything crumbles.



Now, this book feels complete. It's a standalone yet there is an escalating pace with many turning points, cliffhangers in the end of each chapter and shocking truths which can make you gape at the book wondering (SERIOUSLY WHAT THE F*K?). I adored every part of it and when a sci-fi novel doesn't only stay on the world-building but also takes care to analyze the characters, then I have the best of its kind.

I liked Ella. Despite everything she's been through, she is smart and tries very hard to come in terms with the truths she learns through the book. She reminded me of Neo who is thrust in a world he didn't know it existed and fought in it.



On the other hand there is Jack; he is strong and carries quite a burden yet his feelings for Ella left me and my poor heart pounding towards the end. Especially the scene with his memories was every girl's dream come true.

There aren't many characters in the book yet they fill every part of it, balancing the mystery, the sci-fi scenery and the feelings. The ending was something that can make any reader wonder what the future will do to them, but knowing what Ella and Jack passed, I am positive for them.

There were also some cameo appearances of "Godspeed" and "REF" from the first trilogy and I was surprised to see that they also made a movie!
This book is worth to have in your shelves and can make any demanding sci-fi reader love it!




About the author:

Beth Revis writes books. She also eats too much chocolate, wishes she could travel more, and prefers puppies to people. Beth lives in rural NC with her boys: one husband, one son, two very large puppies.


Website

Review: "Walk on Earth a Stranger" (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research.



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REVIEW

 Western scenery, wagons and gold are the top themes in this new trilogy coming from one of my favorite authors!



The year is 1849 and America lives through the "gold fever" a period in which many migrated towards California searching for gold and a new life. Lee lives with her parents in Georgia and has a secret; she can sense gold and her power is so strong she can even feel it under the mountains and deep in the earth.

Her best friend is Jeff who is half Native American and he is also considered as a person with "defencincies" through the novel despite him being a good person. After Lee's parents are found dead, she will not only become a boy but also she will journey towards California in order to escape her parents' murderer and keep her abilities a secret.

The book is mostly about the journey through the harsh enviroment of the American territory, through forests and rivers, mountains and deserts. Many times I opened a map in order to see the route for myself and I assure you that this is an adventure. Not only Lee has to travel as a boy, act like one and stay safe but she also meets with many people, most of them either travelers or greedy pursuers.

On the other hand, having in mind that this is the 19th century, Lee's status as a woman is always considered as fragile and delicate, yet she wokrs harder than anyone. Also, the women who are shown into the book, despite having a different position than the men, they are strong in their own ways. From how they act with their families, to childbirth and taking serious desicions.



Lee's character was one of the strongest I saw in the book. Through her POV and eyes we see a detailed world building which really felt like a perfectly made movie, and her moments with Jeff were sweet but slow. The romance here I hope will escalate in the second book, as along as something doesn't happen to any of them (if you have read Rae's first trilogy you'll know what I mean).

In the book also you may come to see how everyone treats Native Americans as "lowly, savages animals". Jeff is also treated disrespectfully because of his heritage and there are some bad scenes in the book, in which the men of the wagons treat the Native Americans badly. The term which is used in the book, which also has to match the time period, is "Indian", so please don't get angry. I know that Rae has done her research and she is actually very accurate in the words she uses.



This book has quite a lot of promise and I am defenitely reading the next one too!





About the author:


write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I now live in Arizona with my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.




Website

Twitter

Review: "Fire Falling" (Air Awakens, #2) by Elise Kova

Fire Falling by Elise Kova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary fromGoodReads

Soldier… Sorcerer… Savior… Who is Vhalla Yarl?

Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire’s monster?

Fire Falling is the second book in the Air Awakens Series.





BUY FROM AMAZON (click the covers)





REVIEW

As the story continues Vhalla follow Aldrik to the front of the war the Solaris Empire is wagging. Being property of the Empire and as the only Air Magician, Vhalla will only have to fight for her life, but also she'll have to keep her growing feelings for Aldrik a secret.

Let me begin this review with the simple inforamtion that nothing is as you expect it. We have more adventure, fighting, emotional scenes and a particular sandstorm which would put the Last Airbender to shame.

Vhalla not only struggles to train in order to keep herself safe but at the same time she must endure the stereotypes of her being a magician as also the Emperor. I hate that man; why is 2015 the year of hating Emperors?
Anyway, she does make new friends as the army crosses the land and some relevations about her bond with Aldrik may complicate things.

Her relationship with Aldrik was intense and emotional; I loved and hated every moment they had to get close, yet tear apart from each other, before having more time.

I have come to admire Elise. Stumbling across her book by chance and thanks to the review of *It Starts At Midnight* I loved her writing and the way she can combine the world-building and everyone in it, weaving a story that never leaves you bored.

The ending? The worst cliffhanger ever! Why did that happened? How will I be able to wait until 2016 in order to get an answer? Until then, let me sob in a corner fearing for the next book.  



About the author:


Elise Kova has always had a passion for storytelling. She wrote her first novella, a high-fantasy, in sixth grade. Over the years she's honed her love of literature with everything from fantasy to romance, science fiction to mystery, and whatever else catches her eye.

Elise lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida, where she's currently working on the next installment in her debut YA fantasy series: Air Awakens. She enjoys video games, anime, table-top role playing games, and many other forms of "geekdom." She loves talking with fans on Twitter (@EliseKova) and Facebook (/AuthorEliseKova). 


Visit her website, EliseKova.com/, for news and extras about her books!

Review: "Sachael Desires" (Mine #2) by Melody Winter

Sachael Desires by Melody Winter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

During her ordeal with the Sect, Estelle Bailey dreamt of escaping back into the arms of the sea—and Azariah. But freedom came at a price, and though she’s back with the Sachael who’s stolen her heart, she’s also land-bound until the next full moon. And with the threat of Orontes looming ever larger behind them, Azariah, Estelle, and Michael—her once-captor turned rescuer and friend—are on the run.


Following Michael's lead, they seek sanctuary amidst the natural beauty of the Orkney and Shetland Islands until Estelle can complete her next submergence ritual and Azariah can whisk her away to the safety of Saicean.
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Secrets, betrayals, and old enemies await them, though, and as events spiral out of control, Azariah makes a decision that puts all their lives at risk, forcing Estelle to face a journey she never wanted to take. With time running out and tempers running high, her only hope to save the man she loves lies in a reconciliation between two kingdoms who despise each other.


Book Two in the Mine Series, Sachael Desires further expands on the intricate underwater world of the Sachaels, and the hostility and isolation of not belonging.



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REVIEW
 
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Following the events from "Sachael Dreams" Estelle, Azariah and Michael continue their escape from the Sect and its murderous leader, Orontes. As they make their way towards the land of the Sachaels, Estelle will get to learn more about the Sachaels and the Oceanids.



I liked this book much more than the first. Although there was a slow seduction in the way Estelle and Azariah meet in the first book, in the sequel there was more action and traveling. You couldn't also miss the way Melody described everything in the Saicean giving quite the burden in the world-building. I felt like I could swim straight into that deep beautiful world!!!

The Oceanids were also a great addittion in the book. The mermaids and mermen with the sinous bodies and tails did add more to the world building. And Azariah. My dear Sachael who has the formal way of speaking and is so sweet. But mostly I was more pleased with Estelle. She became stronger and not so dependent on the others. The last part of the book was a good escalation from the timid woman to a strong one.



There is also a cliffhanger here, but I can be patient (using my Yoda techniques) and I can't wait for the next book!





About the author:


Melody Winter grew up in North Yorkshire, England. She's a North Yorkshire lass through and through, although she does have a tendency to holiday in Spain. She has dreams of moving to the warmer climate to sip on Sangria as the sun sets over the roof tops of surrounding buildings. But, for the moment, she still lives in North Yorkshire with her husband and two young sons.

Follow Melody on twitter @melodywinter

Or on Facebook www.facebook.com/melody.winterbooks